We have two large spruce trees in our front yard and both drop many, many cones each season. In the past, they have been used as fire starter, both in our wood fireplace and also when we’ve gone camping in the mountains, but I recently learned that they can be used medicinally as well. Indigenous peoples used them in tea as a health improving drink, but also boiled a pot of cones and water down into syrup to use in the treatment of treat colds, coughs, and chest congestion.

For many years, I painted large interiors (3-6 feet) but, once I tired of doing the same type of work for so long, I stopped. Though I switched up my colour palettes and tools, I found that I needed other challenges, so I admire those artists who can continue with a theme for many years. Granted, I did paint these ‘Simple Pleasures’ for more than 10 years, but each year I made small adjustments, such as honing in on the subject matter. Needless to say, my husband’s leather chair has featured in many, many pieces since it was my home that inspired the work.

It began when I had my first daughter over 30 years ago as I spent so many hours sitting with her which led to a small sketchbook that I kept beside me in order to capture the inspiration I found in my surroundings. Then, after 10 years of interiors, I slowly switched to 10 years of canoes, the impetus being my childhood in northern Manitoba, and, after that, I painted portraits for 10 years. Now…well, I’m not sure what I’m focusing on, but, instead of one thing, I am allowing myself to be drawn by any subject matter and medium, which tends to mean a lot of sketchbook work.

Ultimately, I do enjoy re-visiting old subject matter on occasion, now in a bit of a different way. This has led to these small interiors, though this is definitely the smallest as it measures 6×4 inches. It is fun for me to re-visit this old series as I now add more details such as patterns in fabric and I also incorporate more of the interiors, instead of focusing on only the furniture, which has been a lovely little challenge.

Autumn Joy Sedum:

Hylotelephium telephium has been used in traditional medicine for wound healing, digestive issues, inflammation, and headaches due to compounds like tannins and flavonoids. Autumn Joy sedum is not just edible, but it is a very important plant that can be used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. This plant can be eaten raw; you can eat the leaves or make tea out of them. The most common way to prepare Autumn Joy sedum is by making it into a juice by placing the leaves in water and allowing them to steep overnight. The next morning, strain the liquid and then drink it. The flowers are edible as well, but they are also grown as ornamental plants.

The flowers of Autumn Joy sedum are able and can be eaten fresh, frozen, or dried. They can also be used in making herbal teas. For cooking, Autumn Joy sedum is usually processed into tea like other herbs, simply by steeping them in hot water for a few minutes.

The tea may then be used in many ways such as to flavor desserts and other sweet foods. The leaves and stems are often added to salads and they are often used as a garnish. Some people also blend Autumn Joy sedum with other herbs like mint.

The flowers of Autumn Joy sedum can be used to treat seasonal allergies, and the stems and leaves can help ensure that your skin remains healthy. Drinking the tea will help balance your hormones, making it useful for treating Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Another sketchbook I like to use, besides my leather-bound perpetual journal, is a moleskine art sketchbook. Though I use it for swatching and for anything that catches my fancy, every month I create a spread in which I document my highlights throughout the month. That can range from anything like the types of full moons for the month to art supplies, tchochkes, clothing, books, travel, etc. Typically, I include images along with some writing and I don’t limit myself to any specific materials, sometimes incorporating pencil crayons or watercolour pencils. On occasion, I’ve also included a sticker or two or different colours of inks, and, at other times, I write more or not at all. I am drawn to this process as it involves such a small amount of time, it captures my month in images, which is perfect for a visual person, and is a wonderful memento of that month.

Prunus virginiana, commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry, and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for P. virginiana var. demissa), is a North American species of bird cherry (Prunus subgenus Padus).

Forming a tree generally up to 6 metres (19+1⁄2 feet) tall, the leaves are oval, green, and smooth, with racemes of white flowers and red to black drupes. The unripe fruits are toxic, as is the stone and much of the plant, but the ripe fruits are edible, being part of Native American cuisine.