Sunday, December 18, 2016

The Joy Of Snow

It's snowing! I love snow.
 
A "quickie" painting I did today in celebration of snow.



Cheers!

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Bye Tex

 
The old Ausable river channel,
Pinery Provincial Park, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada
 
Wishing TexWisGirl all the best. You will be missed.
 
sharing with...
 
Cheers
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Take It, If You Need It




The holiday season is upon us...dare I say it- CHRISTMAS. Most of us are planning Christmas celebrations, dinners, and parties, mapping out our travel routes to be with family/friends, and shopping for gifts.
 
What so many of us don't understand, is that there are numerous people struggling to make ends meet, or just trying to survive during the holiday season (and the rest of the year).
 
Each year at this time I try to donate to charities that help the less fortunate. I don't have a lot of money, so this year I came up with the idea..."Take it, if you need it". I live in a cold country, freezing temps, high winds, ice and snow, (in winter), so I am knitting hats and scarves that I will leave in random locations around my city, for those in need. If you don't knit, you can buy hats, scarves and mittens at dollar stores, and randomly place them around your town. 
 
In a warm climate you can "donate" weather appropriate items.
 
Don't forget to add a note, "Take it if you need it".
 
Cheers
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Hope

Since antiquity, unicorns have symbolized purity, magic, healing, and the power to believe that anything is possible.
 
 

I painted this for my granddaughter "Beep" It's a Christmas present for her.
 
Her dad, my son-in-law has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
 
Beep needs a bit of magic, the hope of healing and reassurance that anything is possible, even a cure for MS. 
 
As someone who has been battling Multiple Sclerosis for many years, I know how important it is to hang on to that hope.
 
This painting is a gift of hope for a little girl that I love more than life itself.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Friday, September 23, 2016

A LIttle Magic

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. ~Loren Eiseley
 
Sunset, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada.
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday, September 16, 2016

Another Amazing Sky

 
Last night, sunset on the beach, Lake Huron, 
Ontario, Canada.
 
 
For those of you who asked about my last post An Australian Sky,
yes, I have been travelling to Australia for 20 years, I lived there for two years.
 
sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday, September 9, 2016

An Australian Sky


"Where is this" she asked. 
 
 
"Only in Australia" I replied.
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, September 5, 2016

Heart On A String

Summer draws to a close, Beep and I have had a very artsy one.  We have studied art history, genres and colour theory. We have been inspired by great artists, and experimented with our own style. We have thrown caution to the wind, and painted from our heart and soul. It's been fun, and I have had the privilege of guiding and watching a young artist in the making.
 
Textured acrylic on canvas by Beep.
 

 
 
 

Meet the artist...
Beep, my eleven year old granddaughter.
 
 
We have one project left to enjoy, have fun with, and complete...a Jackson Pollock inspired canvas.
 
Stay tuned!
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
 

Monday, August 8, 2016

A Painting For Mom

A couple of weeks ago, I posted that Beep and I were exploring the work of Gustav Klimt, Austrian symbolist painter, (Tree Of Life) and Vasily Kandinsky, Russian abstract painter and art theorist, (Concentric Circles). Circa 1900.

Great works of art like the aforementioned, are not meant to be copied, but are drawn upon for inspiration, and interpretation.
 
This is the result of Beep's study of those paintings. Her interpretation is fresh and fun!
 
Acrylic on canvas - by Beep
This one is a Christmas present for her mom.
 
 
 
 
sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

Monday, August 1, 2016

In Black And White

It can happen all of a sudden..... Blurred vision, loss of color vision, pain when you move your eye(s), trouble seeing to the side, a hole in the center of your vision, flashing lights, and blindness in rare cases.

It’s a common condition of relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis called optic neuritis

If you have MS, heat can make optic neuritis symptoms flare up -- usually after a hot shower, exercise, fever, a bout of the flu, or the weather. We are having record heat temperatures here, days of 35C-43C, that's 95F-109F, and my optic neuritis has flared.

For those who follow my blog, you know, I have started painting again, as well as mentoring my granddaughter Beep. So....I was really  pissed off upset last week when the optic neuritis reared it's ugly head. But, I am not going to let multiple sclerosis beat me!

I decided to paint in black and white, with shades of grey.



The world still looks beautiful to me.
 
Beep loves this one, and wants to paint one just like it!
 
Stay tuned to see her creation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
sharing with...
 

Monday, July 18, 2016

Inspired Painting

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am not posting regularly on my blog this summer. I am getting back into painting and teaching my granddaughter (Beep) to paint as well. She is 11.
 
Last week, Beep and I were looking at contemporary art and it's creators. We happened upon a British artist -  Yvonne Coomber. We fell in love with her paintings, and they inspired us!
 

"Summer meadow" by Beep
Acrylic on canvas 
 
 
 
 
Yvonne Coomber
 
This week, we are exploring the paintings of Gustav Klimt, Austrian symbolist painter, and Vasily Kandinsky, Russian abstract painter and art theorist. Circa 1900.
Hmmmm..."Tree Of Life" or "Squares With Concentric Circles"?
 
Stay tuned!
 
Thanks everyone for your kind comments on Beep's painting last week. She was very proud to have it showcased on my blog, and thrilled with the comments.
 
sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Art By Beep

 
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am not posting regularly on my blog this summer. I am getting back into painting and teaching my granddaughter (Beep) to paint as well. She is 11.
 
Beep's first painting -
 
Abstract birch trees
 Acrylic on canvas
 
 
 I think it's fantastic!

sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday, July 2, 2016

A Triumph

I used to be an artist. I used to paint. I made my living with my paintings. Then one day, I sat down to paint, my hands trembled, and my eyes played tricks on me.  There was something seriously wrong!  I went to my doctor. A few months later, after many tests..."they" gave me  the answer, you have Multiple Sclerosis.  My painting days were over. I took up photography, I could still make pictures. I was happy with that, but not content.
 
I haven't painted for 7 years since the diagnosis. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a canvas, and some paint. I retrieved my brushes that I had tucked away lovingly...all those years ago.
 
I sat down and I painted, I painted this. Not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. Nothing like I used to do...but it's a start, and for someone that has intention tremors, and vision problems, (blurred and often double vision), it's not half bad.
 
 
 
 A small triumph.
 
I am taking time out from my photography blog to paint. I am also teaching my granddaughter to paint, she spends her summer school vacation days with me. 
 
So for now, I will not be posting much on this blog.
 
Cheers,
Karen
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, June 13, 2016

Oriole Family

 
Every spring, Baltimore Orioles stop by the feeders in my yard,
for a yummy snack. This year I managed to get the whole family!
 
Female Baltimore Oriole

Male Baltimore Oriole
 
Juvenile Baltimore Oriole

sharing with...
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday, June 10, 2016

Fence Sitters

 
The fence between my neighbour's yard and ours, isn't pretty,
 but those who sit on it, often are!
 
Male Baltimore Oriole

A rather grumpy looking juvenile Mourning Dove.
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, June 6, 2016

Some Flowers And A Flutter


I love Columbines and have a few varieties in my garden.
 
 Origami, Red & White
 
Winky, Blue and White 

Granny's Bonnet, Double Pink 
 
Swallowtail Butterfly
 
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, May 23, 2016

Lunch In The Yard

Feed them and they will come!
 
 
Male House Finch
 
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Male Baltimore Oriole
 
 
Mixed colour squirrel (Chomper)
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monday, May 16, 2016

Spring In The Yard

 
The yard is always a busy place in the spring. A few visitors and things growing.
 
 Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak
 
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
 
Female Red-winged Blackbird (with a Grackle in the background)
 
The Grackle
 
Canadian Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis)
 
"Winky Double Dark Blue-White" Columbine (Aquilegia Vulgaris)

And of course, a black squirrel.
 
sharing with...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~