Monarch Flight

 Monarch Flight

This drawing was done many years ago , one of my first drawings with a pen.  This is a stippling technique , which for those that are unfamiliar with the technique , it is dot after dot after dot. I added color to it with colored pencil. This was , at the time, an experimentation  to mix the two mediums.    The pen work was time consuming but the technique of stippling perfect for the subject .

 This is an 8 x 10 acrylic painting with  the addition of rice paper collage .  I must use the same reference or just love the  orange/yellow color scheme.  This is a particular favorite  of mine.

These are samples of adapting the design from my painting to fabric bags, hand painted. 

 Finally I am taking this design and adapting it to this initially plain wooden stool. The stool is in the very early stages but I think it will look quite nice when finished. It is my Friday Decorative painting project. :)

This Monarch has definitely taken flight .

Year in Review 2013

Welcoming in the new year 2014 is a time to reflect on the previous year and plan for the New Year.  I love my time to reflect: we so often forget or not take note of some of the events and accomplishments that should be noted.
2013 was a year of some major personal accomplishments: travelling to New Orleans with a group of very special women, Sole Sisters , to run the New Orleans Half Marathon; running a 30 km race in Hamilton , the oldest road race in Canada; running a special Women's Half Marathon in Toronto and finally  finishing with the Montreal Marathon. The Montreal Marathon was  such a special Marathon for me ; not only my home town but a dream of mine for the past ten years. This is me having finished the Montreal marathon.

2013 was the year for my solo exhibit  : Nature's Gallery: Backyard Perspective . This exhibit ran through the summer at the Train Station Museum in Temiscaming,  Quebec. This was my second year exhibiting work at the Station Museum but this past year was special because it was a solo show.   I managed to exhibit over 35  works of art from some miniature paintings to large scale paintings 24 x 48.

I also had the opportunity to exhibit 

 3 paintings  at the Art in the Park 2013 Juried  art show. For most of the summer these works were exhibited at the North bay City Hall, including:  Algonquin Loon, Belted Kingfisher and Spring Sparrow. 

 I was thrilled to have  received an honourable mention through the people's choice awards  for Spring Sparrow .

In the end of 2012, I opened a Studio in Temiscaming to run some art classes for the Community. They have been well received  and also provides me with a location to exhibit my work.   I have been providing art classes for ages 6-adult  and hope to continue this year. I am planning to work more from my Studio  this year and would love to expand to working with seniors and would love love love to work in the hospital .  Not an art therapist and would never approach as one but would like to use art to assist those who are ill or  living with disabilities  or seniors who are housebound and would benefit from  some distraction that also works the mind and body. My background is physiotherapy so I can see how  art not only works the mind but can also help with fine motor and gross motor skills.

2013 was pleased to sell over 23 paintings, hired to do mural work , started making and selling jewellery,   and for the second year in a row painting  hired to paint windows for local businesses. 

All in all 2013 a very good year.  2014 will be great . Will be working on some commissions, my project Road to Abitibi , which I posted on my Blog  and finish a childrens's book.  

Happy New Year and Happy Painting!!!!!!!!!!!