One of my greatest pleasures is having the opportunity to see my work hanging in their new homes.   I was so glad to receive this photo from a friend as not only is the house stunning but I feel so privileged to see 'Flight' hanging in such a place of honour and so beautifully lit.  Thank you for sharing this with me Nadine.  And, please, if anyone else sees my art somewhere, send me a photo if you don't mind. 

The Wind Flower has always been known to me as Anemone and I have enjoyed it especially because it resembles a tulip prior to opening, which is my favorite flower, and also to a wild rose, another favorite wild flower.  It blooms in colours ranging from white to red blooming from May to August and then going to seed as a fluffy, almost dandelion-like fuzzy head (which is particularly fun for children).   

It is a toxic plant to ingest though Native Americans were known to use it medicinally to treat rheumatism, nose bleeds, and the common cold as well as to kill lice and fleas.  Bees are attracted to it and it is also used in creating green or living roofs.

Often I am asked for photographs of me at work or in my studio for interviews and articles so I am thankful to have two daughters who have a wonderful sense of composition but there are times when I have to set up the camera on my own, either on a tripod or on a surface like a table, box or floor for photos. 

I prefer it when the girls take photos as it is much quicker and not as many photos are required to get a decent one.  In this instance while on my own, I never noticed Walter come into my studio (bottom left corner) as I was distracted by the birds settling on my windowsill.  Though it's a funny photo I really like it.  I think it's a keeper.  Probably because it is a funny photo. 

I try to follow the same rules of photography as when I document my artwork...natural light, etc...you can read that post here.  Thank goodness for digital photography.  It has definitely made things quicker, easier and much more cost effective.

My picnic table, which was supplied by Mattamy Homes and supported by Volunteer Airdrie and the City of Airdrie along with Airdrie Paint & Decor, has been placed in Genesis Place for the winter, right by the pool and food court as well as by an art project that was created by local children when the facility first opened.  The neat thing is my daughter, who is currently in her fourth year of university, created one of the tiles for that project in elementary school.  Apparently, when the City was photographing the table a boy put his hands on the table and said, "I would pay a million dollars for this table!"  Who could ask for anything better!

In the current issue of my newsletter (available here) I am offering another copy of my book titled 'Sacred Vessel::A Painter's Handbook' - you can see a preview here.  I will be making the draw on January 15 so there is plenty of time to enter and many ways to do so...via social media, email (links upper right) or you can just leave a comment here.  And, if you really, really want a copy, you are certainly welcome to enter once in every platform.  Good luck & Merry Christmas!

I have always been enamoured of scarlet butterflyweed (not to be confused with the butterfly milkweed) not only of its beautiful whirling petals and stamens but also of its name. It is a perennial member of the evening primrose family and is also known as beeblossom or gaura coccinea.  The flowers bloom white, slowly changing to scarlet as the day progresses.  Navajo made a cold tea infusion to settle the stomachs of children after vomiting while the Lakota apparently rubbed it into their hands using the sweet scent to catch horses

For those who have asked, I now have ten of prints available - one of each of the above and a second of Twelve Moons and Grace.  They are $25 + shipping each, are printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and are ready to be framed.  For more information or to order, please contact me via email.  And thank you very much for asking.

My year of painting weekly wildflowers is almost coming to an end and I'm beginning to panic a little about the next project.  I've been doing these 52 WEEKS projects for three years now and though one part of me wants to give it a rest, another really, really, really enjoys not only the challenge of focusing on such a large project but also likes the weekly deadlines to work towards.  When I'm just working on studio work I tend to ebb and flow and jump from project to project until I have a date for an exhibit looming so having a self-imposed deadline works well for me. 

Plus, I do like working on a new subject matter each year as it is a bit of a change from my daily practice which currently consists of canoes, tipis and animals.  I can see wildflowers showing up more and more in my future and I do love how that happens, how what I've been doing for one year can morph seamlessly into my other painting.