 I've been following an online tutorial by Rae Missigman in order to create a perpetual journal out of an old Robert Service book of poetry that has fallen apart. I've created a notebook using her Field Notes workshop in the past but wasn't excited to work in it but am hoping for more success this time as I'm including 300 gsm watercolour paper. A perpetual journal consists of a single botanical illustration that is created weekly and added to annually. I'm looking forward to observing nature more closely over several years.
It's been a lovely summer...writing, sewing, knitting, and spending time with family & friends. Along with sketching, too. It has been several years since I've been able to focus on handcrafts as I was focused on attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree. I loved every minute of it, but am really enjoying this slowing down of life right now. It's also been nice to step back into knitting socks from an old family pattern which has been passed down for several generations in my husband's family and is my favourite sock pattern. It's always interesting to knit with wool in the summertime but will be welcomed when the weather turns. Small projects such as this are always a pleasure to work on as they can be done everywhere...just like work in my travel sketchbooks. It's been a wonderful time to slow down and pay attention.
 I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought what wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie in vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. ~ William Wordsworth  "SWEETEST of the flowers a-blooming In the fragrant vernal days Is the Lily of the Valley With its soft, retiring ways. Well, you chose this humble blossom As the nurse's emblem flower, Who grows more like her ideal Every day and every hour. Like the Lily of the Valley In her honesty and worth, Ah, she blooms in truth and virtue In the quiet nooks of earth. Tho' she stands erect in honor When the heart of mankind bleeds, Still she hides her own deserving In the beauty of her deeds. In the silence of the darkness Where no eye may see and know, There her footsteps shod with mercy, And fleet kindness come and go. Not amid the sounds of plaudits, Nor before the garish day, Does she shed her soul's sweet perfume, Does she take her gentle way. But alike her ideal flower, With its honey-laden breath, Still her heart blooms forth its beauty In the valley shades of death." ~ Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War, Dunbar began writing stories and verse when he was a child. He published his first poems at the age of 16 in a Dayton newspaper, and served as president of his high school's literary society. Much of Dunbar's more popular work in his lifetime was written in the "Negro dialect" associated with the antebellum South, though he also used the Midwestern regional dialect of James Whitcomb Riley. Dunbar also wrote in conventional English in other poetry and novels and is considered the first important African American sonnet writer.
 "...less altered from the original blue cornflower
of the roadsides and railway embankments of Europe, these bachelor's buttons. But it isn't the railway embankments their featherweight wheels of cobalt remind me of, it's a row of them among prim colonnades of cosmos, snapdragon, nasturtium, bloodsilk red poppies, in my grandmother's garden" ~ Amy Clampitt  
 It's been a summer of accomplishments and milestones...and, yet, it has also been extremely peaceful. I've been able to paint outside and to read for pleasure, which I always have but have also have been more focused on my studies and exhibits for such a long time. It's also been a surprising season for commissions, which has been very fun as they've all been focused on work that I'm traditionally known for, which makes it a pleasure as I've not had to re-direct anyone. I learned very early on that if the vision and my style do not intersect, than the process and completed work will not fulfill either of us. All in all, it's been a wonderful summer. :)
 With allergies in my family, I have had to become creative whenever I'm asked to create an acrylic painting so I am very thankful that KraftGeek Inspire Easel reached out to me last year. This easel is so quick to set up and take down but is also extremely sturdy. Unless I'm painting larger on location, I tend to keep the easel at home as it is a wonderful addition to my studio as it is a bit heavier, which means it handles my aggressive brush strokes very well. I definitely recommend it. For a 15% discount, use code FUNK2025.
Many years ago, a friend from India gifted my daughter a pink & purple sari, her favourite colours. Recently, as I was helping her to prepare for their baby, we stumbled upon the sari and I thought it might be nice to give it a new life by turning it into a lap quilt. I decided to use a thin cotton quilting pad and variegated embroidery floss which ranged from blue to gold in order to create a type of Sashiko stitching. I'm still deciding whether or not to add another row of stitching between the current or, perhaps, stitch across the current rows to create a plaid of sorts...or, just leave it as is. We'll see as I'm also knitting a new pair of wool socks and sewing a linen wrap dress. It's going to be a fun crafting summer.
 My first travel palette was an Altoids smalls tin to which I added three full empty watercolour pans. I had to cut one down a bit to fit, but it worked extremely well on our trip to Nova Scotia. Small, light, and filled with three primary colours that I had picked up on sale at a local art supply shop. My only issue was that I had to mix all the colours while away, which is fine, but can be a bit of a challenge when travelling with a partner as it takes a bit longer. Now I use an Art Toolkit Demi palette with a mixture of 12 convenience colours. One of my favourite colour palettes which I use in my studio is a Kaweco fountain pen tin filled with Beam Paint Stones. I love the vibrancy of the colours and the fact that they are Canadian made paints created by an Indigenous woman and are fully compostable. The only issues I have with them is that they require pre-wetting and take a bit to dry before I put them away, which is fine in my studio. Also, because they are thicker they require more space to store and so they are not the best for travel but contain so much pigment so they are excellent to use in my studio.
 In celebration of my 60th year, I decided to begin a 10-year diary to document what I'd like to see in the year ahead, what I do each day, and, also, to capture highlights of each year. I found this one by Midori, which also comes in red, and I'm so happy to work in it. I know that I quickly forget all of the things that felt so important and gave me so much joy, so this is a beautiful way to remember. Plus, each day on each year are documented on the same page, so it will be interesting to see what kinds of things I did at that time in prior years. It's a great way to capture my memories going forward...plus, it will be interesting to see what happens when I turn 70. :)
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