Education

I'm kinda happy with this one.

This was painted after one of those days when I was contemplating just giving up. How do artists ever make a living at selling art? It certainly isn't the easy path. Too bad the general public thanks we just lay around and paint the occasional picture then ask big bucks for it.

a bad photo of a new beginning

It seemed bright out when I took the picture. This is just getting started.

The Heritage building

Although Canal Flats has been a village since about the 1880's, there are remarkably few old buildings about town. Most of the homes are trailers or manufactured homes, I guess because it is a mill town and people think they are going to be transient? However, people who move here, have stayed here. Bruce and I were quite stunned when we first met people and they told us they have been here for 30 or 40 years...rather rare in this day and age. The village depends mainly on the timber mill, there is a gypsum mine that ships ore out and most of the women work at Fairmont Hot Springs.

We inherited this building with our property. At times it has been a credit union, the health centre and the district office. It's most recent incarnation was that as turkey coop! I have cleaned it out somewhat over the last few years and the grand-daughter likes to play house in there. I am hoping to spiff it up somewhat (although it will still be quite rustic) for a summer gallery. (See previous blog about squirrels!)

Granville Island Shop Girl

I took a photo of this lovely stylish young woman a couple of years ago. I loved her fashion sense and beautiful face. The painting unfortunately doesn't show her magnificent freckles. This is another background collage that I am rather happy with.

Why I hate squirrels!

I thought it would be a good idea to clean up the heritage building and use it as a summer gallery. I had Bruce rip out the ceiling boards so that I could clean out all the squirrel trash. I got a little more than I had bargained for. Those little buggers are hoarders! The truck was full when I got done (for the day, more to do).

Olympic closing ceremony --rant

I like that they tackled the flame fiasco head-on and gave Catriona her flame moment. I nearly fell asleep listening to the diplomats but I guess you have to give the polite thank you’s out.
I thought the comments by Shatner and Fox were rather lame but Ohara, that was embarrassing. And I'll add my two cents right here. I have lived in Canada 30 years and have yet to see this much vaunted Canadian politeness. Try growing up in the mid-western farm country were it really exists. I'm not saying Canadians aren't polite (some definetly aren't, especially the bozos who run me over whenever I open a two-sided door and they are too lazy to open their side and choose to run right over the top of me!!) but no more polite than your average Oklahoman, or someone from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana or Montana, to name a few. Get over it, it's a myth.

Loved the silly, campy Buble song and dance number. I vote we get one of those floating moose for the Village. Kinda lost interest through all the singing stuff but did like Nickelback's "Burn it to the Ground". That was kind of rocking. Liked Lavigne's girlfriend song but wish she could have looked a little less bored. (My favorite version is by the Ingram cousins [my daughters cousins]:
enter girlfriend lavigne site:youtube.com zeesters on youtube to check it out)

Best thing out of the olympics (other than all the gold medals and awesome women and men's hockey) that huge surge in patriotic spirit. It looks good on ya, Canada!!!

And then, Tess got the joke

I love the textures in this one. I started with painted collage papers, painted over that, then went back in with stamps in some areas. I really like making my own stamps with that soft eraser-type stuff and little cutters you get from the art store. Use a cutter! I tried initially with an exacto knife, the cutters are way easier.