". Arranged Words: Fall
Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall. Show all posts

10 Nov 2020

Tall Shadows


         

 Hi there,

              The snow melted and we are back to the most lovely weather. Today, I've thrown open all the windows as high and as wide as they will go. Perhaps we may have a mild winter after all. But even if we don't, these warm days are a nice bonus.

Did you hear? Hasn't everyone you say. Well, apparently the world has changed over night.  A vaccine-- 90% effective. Now wouldn't that be wonderful! We could all get back to the business of living and breathing a little easier. Living more fully--not that I live in the fast lane, but just being able to go to shopping without worrying about it would be wonderful thing.  However, I know we have been so lucky, and I am certainly not forgetting about those we have lost. I do feel so sorry for all of those people and for their families and friends. 

After this, I reckon, everyone will have a new appreciation for what we all took for granted before. I know I will. Let's hope the vaccine comes soon. 



  The sun has other places to light up these days, although before it sets early it highlights beautifully whatever it touches.

                                                              I love these colours.


The willows are really hanging onto their leaves. 

                                                                           Memories


From the easel...


Beginning, Pastel on pastelmat paper.  




 In progress.



First time working on Pastelmat paper-- trial runs review.  I noticed a lot of painters seldom blend on this paper.  I wanted to blend the sky in the top photo, but I am fresh out pipe insulation foam to use as a blending tool, and repeated passes with the pastels didn't work on the top pic at all. Must be a bit defective, or using harder pastels first might have been the way to go and then blend the first layer.  I will experiment with the paper again soon. I love how the colours pop on this paper. The grey shows though, and that is, of course, with pastels, perfectly acceptable, and often when using underpainting enhances the painting.  But I think I might like the maroon colour paper better.
Who knew working with different pastel papers would be so much fun. ( I usually use Uart paper.) Of the papers I've tried so far, I really enjoyed Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper and today’s choice: Pastelmat. Next up, Vic Bearcroft's Pastel Velour. Because the paper is flimsy, I will order self adhesive foam board to mount the paper on before I give it a try. And I am going to try making my own sanded paper too.


Thank you so much for reading along...

'Til next time

Cultivate Your Dreams

Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. Thank you, lovely ladies, for hosting!











21 Nov 2019

Golden Light


Hi there,

The golden light and beauty of fall can be difficult to leave behind, and since we are in the blogging ethereal realm, and I am the captain, I've decided to extend fall, at least, pictorially.



Pretty Crab Apples

 


Tanker with its russet bow—Kingston bound.


A Pumpkin with an attitude.

* * *

Pastel


 Sometimes I enjoy the spontaneity of sitting down without a plan,  reaching for a pastel and beginning. These two paintings I fashioned from bits of memory. The second reminds me of the boreal forest of Canada. When I lived in the north, I was surrounded by black spruce with a spongy carpet of reindeer moss covering their roots.

A fact of interest: Canada's boreal forest extends from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, covering 55% of the country and, at this time, is the largest intact forest in the world!
 It covers approximately three million square km.  

I own a limited pastel palette, but I am searching, most especially, for beautiful blue pastels for the sky and for lakes and the ocean.


On the needles...

Winter companion knitting.
A lovely pattern designed by Gundrun Johnston depicting the trees of Shetland.

'Til Next time...



Cultivate Your Dreams




Many thanks ladies for hosting.

27 Sept 2018

Watercolour/Knitting

Since it's been hot the fall colours aren't really painting the world yet with vivid red, orange, and yellow, but soon I hope.

 I happened upon the following lovely fall quote today.

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."

 Stanley Horowitz
Lilies


Cattails. A perennial favourite of mine.


A puff ball mushroom. Apparently you can eat it.  At first, I thought it was an old soccer ball.  Me being me I gave it a poke with a small reed. It felt like a mushroom but I couldn't believe my eyes. A friend of mine on instagram named it for me.  

Seeds of Queen Anne's Lace.

A low pressure system coming in.

If you've been reading along, you may remember a similar painting. I finished this one recently.

On the needles. A cabled hat. Yarn from Brooklyn Tweed.


We had a tornado warning about a week ago. I was oblivious to it. (I now have a weather alert app.)
Unfortunately, six tornadoes touched down in Ottawa/Gatineau region, causing a lot of damage and shock. Although Canada does get an occasional tornado it usually doesn't amount to much, so we are all reeling. Hopefully, people will be able to rebuild before winter sets in.

'Til next time, lovelies.    Cultivate your dreams.

26 Sept 2017

Different Directions

Hello lovely people!


 I hope you all had a great week. 

Sometimes people talk about the weather when there's not much to talk about. But the current temperatures are amazing and worth a few words.  30 C-33C, or 86F-91F.  The trees must be confused, but they are turning and many have already lost their leaves because of the cold nights.  Of course, these temps won't last but while they do hurray. But, then, when I think about it, it must be difficult for the kids at school. So it's probably better that temps return to normal soon.

Because they are available, I've been out buying pumpkins.




And this dapper foxy fellow dressed for fall was too cute to pass up.

* * *
Off road.

In case you don't know, dragon flies are accommodating. This one was flying around like mad, so I sweetly said, could you just stay still so I can take your picture and it did! My son just 👀 at me. 😉

Bee cause she's a worker. 

* * *
A little art.

 Mixed media on a wood panel.

* * * 
Stitching

Lately, I've been doing a little work on my cross stitch Shepherdess Sampler.
 One of these years it will be finished.
I've almost finished the large tree on this detailed final section.

 Enjoy the week. 
Cultivate a dream.

12 Sept 2017

Stepping into September

Goldenrod

Kissed by the frost.  Fall changes are happening slowly.

Sumac

The birds aren't singing and I don't see very many out there.  It reminds me of the title of Farley Mowat's book And No Birds Sang.  Already, I miss and long for their songs.
If you stand very still in the woods you may hear a peep here and there. They are molting and resting for their journey south where they will have many stories to tell and songs to sing.

Squatters on the turtles' deck. 

My Chrysanthemum has come into its own. It loves the cool nights and cooler sunny days. 


* * *

Besides enjoying nature, I've been throwing acrylic paints about and loving it. 
 

Cool Blues
And the brights
I finished this painting in August. They both will t be sealed with Krylon spray varnish.  I'll need to go to the great outdoors for that...ventilation and plenty of it is essential.

The annual autumn leaf pick-up has begun, although there are only a few "pretty" leafs just now. I'm thinking of adding leaves and seeds to my hawthorn berry painting that I painted last year. 


Using Arches watercolour block and Senellier paints for bookmarks.  For the front, I'll use the Jane Davenport paints. Unfortunately the paper for the colour coding is, for me, too slick for proper graduations, but nevertheless, as you can see, her colours are bright, beautiful, and transparent. What a lovely mix!

Laminated bookmarks would be nice, but the machines are expensive, so I'll try self-laminating sheets.  Ooooo. We will see what happens with that. I have visions of being stuck to the sheets. :)
Experimenting with different pens to see what works.



 It's difficult to say this but I know a few readers may have been in the path of the hurricanes, the earthquake, or the wild fires. I do hope you are all safe! Of course, I wish safety for everyone affected, and I do hope people are getting the help and relief that they so desperately need. My heart goes out to everyone.


'Til next time . . .