52 Weeks #18

Well it's Monday...time for painting number 18, this time a humpback whale.  This time I wanted to challenge myself further by removing alizarin crimson, napthol red and pthalo blue from my palette and I'm pleased with the results.

Whale is known as a nomad and a healer.  They are highly perceptive and nurturing, reminding us that in order to heal we must love ourselves and others, knowing intrinsically that we are all connected.

These days I've also been reading a ton of fiction (currently 'The Art Forger' - So. Good.) and have been very fortunate to read one great novel after another, here are two recent reads:

When God Was a Rabbit
by Sarah Winman

This story revolves around the relationship between a brother and sister from England beginning in 1968 but also incorporates a few major happenings in the world throughout their lives.  What I enjoyed most about this story is the way each character in the novel responds to both positive and negative situations in their lives.  Full of quirky and interesting characters, I was enthralled with the story from beginning to end.

February
by Lisa Moore

Set in eastern Canada, February opens with the sinking of an oil well off the coast of Neufoundland and follows the lives of one family and their response to the tragedy.  First of all, I tend to enjoy stories set in the east coast and secondly I enjoy stories that move back and forth from the past to the present and because it was beautifully written, this was a real treat.  It is a novel about how the past forms us...which I believe whole-heartedly...but also how we can overcome anything.