With a lovely shift in the weather, I've been painting by the creek again. The palette I took to England is slowly dwindling, so I'm a little nervous as I love all of the Case for Making Ultra-Blend colours in it. But, once they're gone, I can begin mixing my own colours to fill the palette, which is very exciting. I currently have so much pigment and paint that I've decided to refrain from any more purchases for some time...at least to give myself time to go through what I already have. I've also been having fun making more of these mini-sketchbooks. It's been especially fun to try out different papers and not to have a specific direction for what I will include, allowing myself to paint whatever catches my eye each day. And having such a small surface (3 1/2 x 5 inches open) takes pressure off and makes the process fairly quick. Plus, these fit easily into my shoulder pack, which is a definite bonus as it ensures that I take it out with me daily. 

Over the past couple of years, I've been experimenting with a lot of watercolour brands and palettes and hae finally landed on 5 that work well for me. These are my 3 Art Toolkit palettes: the small Demi, the card sized Pocket, and, finally, the larger Folio palettes. Though I may adjust which colours I use, these are currently favourites as they can be utilized for any subject matter I focus on. The Case for Making Ultra-Blends palette (Demi) surprised me so much as they are a bit more muted, but I can't stop using them as they re-activate easily and dry quickly, so the palette works very well when I'm travelling or just out and about. The Letter Sparrow palette (Pocket) has the loveliest rich colours that re-wet beautifully, though they do take a bit longer to dry. In the Art of Soil palette (Folio) I have replaced some of the pans for colours that I'm drawn to by Holbein, Winsor & Newton, and Daniel Smith. The Demi stays in my every day bag along with a card-sized Travelers' Notebook and brass pen to sketch wherever and whenever I'm impelled and the Folio works well in my Guerilla Painter Pochade by Judson's Art Outfitters. Having larger pans allows me to use a larger brush as well. All of them are used almost daily since they contain a nice variety of colours. What I especially like about the Art of Soil, Case for Making, and Letter Sparrow paints is that they are all handmade with a focus on being kinder to the environment...plus, they're all women owned businesses. I can't beat that!  

I love painting these hearts for anniversary, wedding, thank-you and baby gifts, but this is the largest I've created so far, measuring 10" x 10". Previously, I painted 8x10's but they were always separated into a grid of 4 or 9 hearts, so this was quite special as it was painted for a special little human. Of all of the older work that I have painted in acrylics, the hearts seem to be the only things that I still absolutely love to paint. There is so much freedom in the process and the colour choices I get to make, which makes it such a pleasure. Plus, the wonkier the heart, the more I like it. 

The last time I visited my daughter in England 2 years ago, I picked up an Emma Bridgewater mug in Winsor when we went to see the castle and was so happy to find this Matthew Rice 1/2 pint mug with illustrations of London. This time, on the final day of my visit, I stumbled upon another mug at Fortnum & Mason's, which was fabulous! The shop was so wonderful and the mug really commemorated my trip as we had enjoyed the most incredible hot chocolate at Laduree in Picadilly and then visited Fortnum's. The most amazing thing about this find was that, earlier on this trip, we had visited the Wes Anderson exhibit at the Design Museum and then enjoyed the afternoon tea in their lovely cafe. The mug really reflects Wes Anderson design to me in the colours and the imagery reminds me of our delicious afternoon tea. Plus, and this is the biggest bonus for me, it was, once again, designed by Matthew Rice. I love his illustrations. So, now the London mug has become my cream Earl Grey or hibiscus tea mug and the new Fortnum's mug is my new matcha latte mug. It's perfect for me!

This is the eighth painting I've created for the Airdrie Amazing Women awards and it's a project I look forward to every year. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity. This painting captures a serene moment of calm, care, and connection which perfectly reflects the spirit of At Dawn Wellness. Soft, soothing tones and gentle patterns bring to life a peaceful environment, where relaxation and trust are at the forefront. The subtle smiles of both figures evoke a sense of deep comfort and emotional release, while the surrounding botanical elements suggest renewal, growth, and harmony with nature. The intention in this artwork was to embody the restorative experience of wellness, where body and mind are nurtured in a tranquil, supportive space.

Awhile ago, I ordered a ColourJot colour wheel stencil from The Paint Spot in Edmonton and I love it. It was perfect to try out with my new Art of Soil handmade paints. There are a variety of stencil shapes - ovals, circles, etc. - and Kim Fjordbotten, who owns the art supply shop and designed the stencils, has an online workshop on how to use them. 

I decided to create a mixture of my favourite colours to use while I'm out and about in my community which consists of Case for Making (CfM), Art of Soil (AoS), Letter Sparrow (LS), Natural Earth Paint (NEP), Winsor & Newton (W&N) and Daniel Smith (DS) colours:

Top: CfM Algae & Monarch, LS Saffron, W&N New Gamboge, DS Indian Yellow, AoS 106-False Cinnebar, DS Quin Sienna, CfM Black Currant

Middle: LS Carmine, DS Opera Pink, CfM Hibiscus & Lupine, AoS 49-Sundowner & 73-Tephra, DS Rose of Ultramarine, AoS 54-Resilience & 81-Soil

Bottom: AoS 50-Coastal Waters, NEP Emerald Green, W&N Sap Green, AoS 95-Erosion, CfM Tide Pool & Mermaid, LS Turquoise, AoS 52-Deep Blue Sea, W&N Indigo

I'm grateful for Art Toolkit palettes that can be adjusted because of the magnets and so excited to try this out.

For each body of work that I have painted, I have created a book online through Blurb.ca and I'm so happy that the "Women of the West" project finally has its mini portfolio. In these, I like to include my artist's statement about the series, any articles or interviews about the project, the stories (if there are some to share), and my gratitude for information and any grants or residencies that were part of the project. I am so very pleased to have finally completed the last stage of this project.

There were many female artists working in Alberta in the early 1900s whose photographs and stories I was unable to locate, and I hope this project will continue to expand over time. Creating and sharing portraits of these women, along with their stories, has been a deeply inspiring experience for me as a female artist in this province.
 
I am especially grateful for the support of The Alberta Society of Artists, The Banff Centre, Galt Museum & Archives, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, South Peace Regional Archives, University of Alberta, Alberta Foundation of the Arts, University of Calgary, Provincial Archives of Alberta, City of Edmonton Archives, Shallon Cunningham|Salt Food Photography, Ose Irete|CBC Radio, Airdrie CityView, AIR 106.1, Where Women Create magazine and numerous others who reached out to share stories and photographs of these incredible women.