 I've really been enjoying using my studio sketchbook for a variety of things, including a monthly 're-cap' of sorts to document my personal highlights which usually tend to lean towards getting some studying done and drinking tea. :) December's journal touches on:
 I find that I'm drawn to art books that are quite different to the way I work but, also, those that tend to focus on sketching. Some of my current favourites are quite old, but there are a few new ones, too.
 Teacup: 'Strawberry Thief' by Morris & Co.  I have a deeply hidden and inarticulate desire for something beyond the daily life.  There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.  Inferior work can be tolerated for the sake of the design. I painted the portrait of May Morris some time ago and wanted to add two additional portraits of women who have inspired me. May was a feminist and designer who ran William Morris & Co. for many years. Jane Austen was also a feminist and a writer whose work I have been studying as part of my English major for a few years. Finally, Virginia Woolf, another feminist and writer, wrote a book I read almost annually, A Room of Her Own, which influenced me in creating my studio space. I was concerned about painting Jane as there are currently three paintings/engravings that have been attributed to her sister, Cassandra, a family friend, and her nephew though that was after her death. I find it very difficult to work from someone else's artwork, but it was all I had and I think I am pleased with the final result. I find it interesting that I chose 2 writers and 1 artist, but literature has definitely influenced me throughout my life. Now to wax these three so they can go up on my wall to encourage and inspire me every day.
 One of my greatest privileges is staying connected with patrons of my work over many, many years. I recently received this new photograph of a set of mini interior paintings I had created so very long ago...I love how they have been framed together. I also had the honour of meeting Susan on one of her trips east and I'm so grateful that she still keeps in touch as, though I am a chatty person, I am actually quite introverted so I tend to stay comfortably in my little creative space here at home and don't venture out too often. I happily live in my little dream world and only venture out on occasion, which is why I can create bodies of work, and also why sharing my work through exhibits is very important to me.
 "I wish you lived nearer,
just along the way. I wish you lived right here, a thousand times a day."  Several months ago I heard an interview with an artist on CBC Radio. She learned that her family had been placed in Japanese internment camps in British Columbia during the second World War and, during that time, were only given a few hours to pack a suitcase before they were removed from their homes. As she began to ask questions, she was surprised to learn what they had actually packed to bring with them, which reminded me of the fires in northern Alberta and the surprising things people threw into their suitcases as they had to leave quickly. This made me wonder, what would I bring in my suitcase? As I wander about my home, I realize that my "must have" list is much smaller than I originally thought, though I will keep adding to my "packing list."
There is one spot that I like to paint along Nose Creek just down the street from where I live that has this beautiful little set of rapids. In that place, there is a nice rock that I can perch upon, which gives me so much joy. From this vantage point along the creek, I have encountered herons, beavers, muskrats and lots of birds while I sit quietly to paint. In spring and summer, the rocks are often covered with water, but in autumn and winter, I have the best view...and the sound of the rushing water is so peaceful. I feel very fortunate that this is just a short walk away from my home.
  I recently returned from my second trip to England to visit my daughter. Previously, we travelled to areas outside of London but this time my entire visit focused on London and it was wonderful with only 1 day of rain. I arrived just in time to catch the blooming spring season.
This is also the smallest kit I've ever travelled with:
I chose the Case for Making set because it included 12 convenience colours, requiring less mixing, which are in muted tones to capture England in the spring. I wanted to use handmade watercolours and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the palette and painting dried so that I could pack up quickly. These are the colours in the palette:
The highlights of my trip are:
There is also a sketchbook tour available on my youtube channel here.  Teachings / 24x36 / acrylic & embroidery on canvas I've continued on the path of mixing my media in my work on canvas, this time, returning to canoes. I think this will be the last of this exploration for awhile as I need to buckle down and complete my studies on Shakespeare and my thesis on Jane Austen. Plus, with recent exams and travels behind me, I have a lot of work to do. This has been a nice way to re-visit my history as I was initially taught to draw and embroider by my Oma, who was from South America where embroidery was an important part of the culture, when I was very young. I will continue to create small paintings with watercolour on my walks throughout the weeks ahead as that time is absolutely necessary while I have so much work to do to finish my degree this semester. Fingers crossed!  Affectionately / 30x24 / acrylic & embroidery on canvas   This is my favourite 5x7 landscape painting so far and it's basically because of the sparkly gold paint that I added to the wild grasses growing along Nose Creek. I never used to be particularly fond of shiny paint, but Beam Paints has totally shifted my perspective...in fact, my two favourite colours in their repertoire are Dreamer's Gold & Wild Salmon. I especially enjoy how the paint shimmers or looks matte dependent upon the angle that you view the painting. I think I need to add these sparkly colours to more pieces going forward.
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