Last month I had the privilege of creating a painting for a woman who is retiring from her many years of service with the City of Airdrie. It was especially meaningful because she is a friend of mine and her final project was the new 'Inspire' arts & culture facility. As always, I wanted to incorporate symbols into the design that were meaningful:
  After a decade of trying to find my 'voice' in the landscape, I still struggle to call myself a landscape painter. And, though I've used watercolours since I met my husband almost 40 years ago, I still don't claim to be a watercolour painter. The interesting thing is that I always tell people to claim the title 'Artist' if they are creative and, yet, I don't allow myself the same privilege in this case. I wonder if this is all part of the creative brain? Is it the hesitancy to make mistakes or the extreme desire to continue learning that is a bit of a barrier when it comes to labelling what we do? I often think of the boldest artists, like Picasso, who did what they wanted, whenever & however they wanted. He switched from realistic painting to abstraction to printmaking, ceramics and sculpture without apology. Perhaps, it is because men are more confident in unapologetically staking a claim? I've been very grateful to exhibit and sell my landscapes and know, intrinsically, that I just need to keep going as it is in this that I will achieve success in my endeavours. I will feel stronger about my work the longer I create it. I have found that to be true multiple times throughout my careeer. Never give up. :)
   I have been gifted so many lovely tins and, currently, these are the ones that house the predominant art supplies I use:
 “Now in November nearer comes the sun down the abandoned heaven.”  Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. ~ Maya Angelou  "Well, as soon as we get ourselves cleaned up and we get a little smellum in our hair, why, we're gonna feel 100% better about ourselves and about life in general." This is my favourite photograph taken by Ariel Jade Imagery during the summer while both my girls were home. For some reason, even while we were having the photos taken, this one reminds me of the movie 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' which just happens to be one of my favourites. It was created by the Coen brothers and released in 2000, the year after my youngest was born and is based on the epic Greek poem, The Odyssey, though this version is set in 1937 in rural Mississippi. Three convicts escape from a chain gang to search for a (non-existent) buried treasure and, after many shenanigans, and lots of amazing Baptist and African American Gospel, bluegrass, country, delta blues and Appalachian folk music, they are pardoned.
While I was in Lethbridge taking care of my daughter's dog, I went on a lot of walks, did tonnes of homework, played with stencils using my Beam Paints watercolours and finished the second sleeve of my Fabel Knitwear Bela sweater in Jasper merino by Polka Dot Creek (just have the neckline to complete). The weather was stunning (love southern Alberta in the fall) and it was so quiet. I learned so much more about the history of the area on my visit to the Galt Museum...the last time I was there to do research for the 'Women of the West' project, but this time I was just there for fun. Plus, I picked up the best travel mug in the gift shop as I had forgotten mine at home. As is typical for Alberta, the weather did fluctuate, but it was still wonderful. As for painting, I finally picked up some blending brushes and played with stencils in my sketchbook and it worked wonderfully! If you ever want to layer watercolours using patterns, I highly recommend it as there was absolutely no bleed under the stencil. I love the effect and now wish I had learned about this technique earlier so that I could have used it on the backgrounds of my portraits. Another thing I recently learned to add more patterns with stencils is to remove colour by scrubbing through stencils using a damp toothbrush. I can't wait to try it on my prepared panels.   Recently, I've been wondering why I've been so tired and so I decided to look through my schedule for the past 5 years and was pleasantly surprised at what I found. My work has been included in 15 exhibitions since 2020, and five of those have been solo exhibits of work that I created during that time. In fact, I've almost completed my 6th body of work in 5 years. Plus, I've also worked and been enrolled in university courses during that time. I think it may be awhile before I feel rejuvenated again, but, after getting to spend time with both my girls (together) for the first time in 2 years, I took a week in October to read, paint and walk in the coulees and enjoy the autumn weather in southern Alberta. I didn't prepare any meals and just did basic home care. Since I was using a sketchbook, I wasn't too concerned about what I was painting but, instead, used the time to explore, experiment and just have fun. I highly recommend taking time out as it is important for both mental and physical health. I feel like I'm ready to begin something new again.
 After several years of trial & error, and after trading some of my Beam Paints with my daughter, I feel as though I've finally landed on the perfect palette. It is a mixture of gouache and watercolours which basically consists of three tints in each colour: yellow, red, orange, blue and green. I've also got a purple (lilac gouache), a neutral (timbrewolf), and a bright, sparkly gold (dreamer's gold - mixed with mica). I remember when I began using Beam Paints years ago, I wasn't sold on the gritty feeling of the dried paint, but knowing that these are non-toxic, which means they're healthy for me and for the environment, has helped swing the pendulum in their favour. Plus, the colours are so vibrant! I've learned that all I need to do is to spend time utilizing new materials in order to get to know them. Here is my current palette:
YELLOW:
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YOUTUBE
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