A few of my favourite memories...

While I was in Mexico, I used the 6 pans of colour which are currently in my Art Toolkit Demi Palette in my larger Pocket Palette. The colours worked great in Mexico as they included:

• hansa yellow
• gamboge
• opera pink
• perylene red
• manganese blue
• French ultramarine

I used to use ultramarine all the time but don't enjoy using it so much anymore but I had received a free tube from Daniel Smith so I decided to add it. Unfortunately, the Daniel Smith paints didn't hold up well in such a humid environment as they remained sticky the entire week, which meant that I always had paint on everything (I'm a bit of a messy gal) though they're not as sticky as M.Graham.

When we were in England, I used Winsor & Newton exclusively and they worked like a charm in spite of the humidity. So, I decided to re-fill my Pocket Palette with the W&N paints I had used in England which consists of:

• new gamboge (Turner's favourite yellow which has also become mine)
• burnt sienna (a great orange or brown)
• rose madder genuine (can swap in for red or pink with more water)
• manganese blue (I prefer this to cerulean - nice sky blue that reactivates more easily)
• indigo (love a dark blue, especially for mixes & makes a great 'black' mixed with sienna)
• permanent sap green

I've travelled with both palettes at different times but find that I prefer the Demi as it doesn't take up too much room in my shoulder bag or when I paint...it attaches to my sketchbook easily with a butterfly clip. Unfortunately, I ran out of paint on my 16-day trip to England last summer so if I take it next time, I will be sure to pack 6 more prepared pans in a mini mint tin that I can keep in my luggage and then swap out as needed.

I've tried several other brands of paint for travel painting and though I love my Beam Paints to work in my studio, they are a little bulky for travel. My favourite travel watercolours, hands-down, has to be Winsor & Newton. Beautiful, rich colours that dry quickly so I can keep moving.

While we were in Mexico, my husband picked up this Frida image on bark cloth for me. I knew I wanted it at my desk but wasn't sure how I would like to display it until I saw this inexpensive unfinished wood frame. I decided to paint it using design inspiration from ceramics we had picked up in Mexico a number of years ago and I'm so pleased with it. Perfect inspiration while I continue my school work.

“Going to the mountains is like going home” ​
– John Muir

I didn't manage to paint as much on this trip since we travelled with my daughter and her husband, but I was able to fill a travel sketchbook that I began in 2013. Whew! It's fun to look through as it began with our first trip to Bucerias in this region, and includes trips around western Canada and the United States as well as a trip to the Dominican Republic. I really like this sketchbook as it's the only one that encompasses many short trips instead of a single trip. I'll post a few more pictures later this week.

The second mountain I have painted recently focuses on the sunset over snowy Cascade Mountain to compliment 'Rundle' which is heading to a local exhibit. I love how these two pieces look together and am still considering adding embroidery but will wait for now. They will be on exhibit at Kraft & Co Law until August.

I couldn't decided whether to add embroidery to this piece so, instead, I added more spray paint and stenciled patterns using acrylic markers and I think I'm good with it...for now. It will be exhibited as part of a show titled 'Earth' at a local lawyer's office, Kraft & Co Law. It has been such a privilege to hang my work locally again and I really do appreciate the support. It is also such a joy to paint the mountains that we get to enjoy regularly. I love living by the Rockies.

Since I have never officially learned to paint with watercolours, I decided to take a little online course to see how other artists approach it. As much fun as it was to see others' processes, I still prefer my own method of painting them. What is interesting, though, is how I have naturally tried out several of the different ways of painting without realizing that they were quite common. I find that playing with materials is the best way to figure out how do something, which is what I originally learned in art school in the 1980s. There are, of course, certain rules to follow depending on the supplies used, like water media under oil or, in this case, using watercolours wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry for different effects. Also, trying different substrates or different brands and colours of paint lead to different outcomes. These days I have certainly enjoyed playing again.

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Mexico with my husband, daughter & son-in-law. After my latest test results showing no change in the mass that was found in my breast last October, I really needed this. As much as I've tried not to worry, it has been challenging, but the other test results have been negative (thank goodness!) so I will only need a few more tests over the next 6 months...I'm beginning to feel quite optimistic. I was so relieved that I shed a few tears in the doctor's office. 

Since my parents are from South America, I always feel very at home in Mexico...familiar food, music, language, clothing and culture. A few of my highlights were the folk art (always), sunsets over the ocean, watching traditional Aztec dancers and Mexican Marriachi, exploring new areas and, of course, reading & painting. I did get one new thing for travel journalling which worked out great...it is a Pentel GraphGear 0.7 mechanical pencil with red leads which means I don't need a sharpener. Along with my inexpensive fine red Platinum Preppy fountain pen, a mini Pentel waterbrush and my Art Toolkit Pocket Palette (business card holder), I had a small kit that was easy to use anywhere. I think that the next time I travel I will use my Art Toolkit Demi Palette instead as it's half the size and works great for one week...though if I travel longer I will need to bring extra paint pans in a mint tin to change out as needed.

Plus, I completed two more English courses before we left...only 6 more and a thesis to go to complete my degree! I'll take a few days off and then get back at it. :)