Better Late Than Never

I wanted to enter a new post a couple days ago but you know the old saying "The best laid plans......" My daughter had the flu and I was so behind on everything I needed to do around the house that my blog just had to wait one more day......or perhaps two. Working from home does present it's challenges and remaining disciplined is one of the biggies. Because my studio is in my house, whenever I walk to the kitchen, bathroom, etc., there are always clothes that need to be picked up, dishes and laundry that need to be done, bathrooms that need to be cleaned.....the list is endless. I do remind myself that all those things will be there when I am finished working but it is difficult to resist the urge to stop the work in my studio and start the work in my house. I remember discussing this a with friend of mine once and her asking me if when I die, do I want people to say "and she kept such a clean house". Cheers to great friends.

This piece was created from a photo I took when we were up at the maple sugar bush. I have such great memories of that day, the warmth of the sun, the cool spring breeze and maple syrup tea that was provided by my mother in law.

I created the snow with felted wools as I like the texture I can achieve once I start quilting it. The entire tree was machine embroidered in thread as well as the background trees. A large variety of browns and beiges. I collaged the border using various wools, threads, cottons, and even threw in some metallics for a touch of shimmer.

Friends

A few days ago I gallery sat at the Zephyr Gallery which is downtown. I am part of a group show celebrating "International Women's Day". The theme this year was "Friendship" which is why I entered this piece........... "Good Company".

I think when we reflect back on our lives we find our friends were so instrumental in celebrating our happy moments, encouraging us in times of despair, giving us a soft shoulder to cry on during our "crisis" situations and just generally "being there". There is great comfort in knowing that no matter what life throws at you, your friends will be there to pick you up when you fall.

That being said, it was wonderful to spend time at the Zephyr and to read all the wonderful stories that accompanied each piece of art work. Each story was inspiring and uplifting.

Each friend in our life is truly a gift and if you are fortunate enough to have a great friend who makes your life brighter......count yourself as very blessed.

This was the view from the cabin on our last night on the Lake. As you can see the ice had moved back in creating a strange but silent calm. Sunsets like this one are common on Lake Superior.......anyone who can take one in is awestruck.

I came away from this trip with a sketchbook full of inspiration and the feeling of gratitude for being able to spend a week here. It is truly nourishment for the soul and the spirit

Watch for new work based on my time spent here.

Monday morning we took our snowshoes and headed up to the Sugar Bush. My inlaws who live full time on the Lake have a large patch of maple trees they tap every spring for maple syrup. No plastic tubing for them. The tree gets tapped the old fashioned way and then the sap is collected in metal buckets, boiled over an open fire in three large pots until the syrup is ready to be bottled. It is extremely labor intensive but also a labor of love since they give almost all of it away.........lucky us.

This day was the warmest yet....t shirt weather. Mild, sunny and absolutely gorgeous. The chickadees ate sunflower seeds right out of our hands. A truly fabulous day in which lots of syrup was made as well as many memories

View Over The Lake

What an amazing spot!!!

The day this photo was taken the ice had moved out but by the next morning it had moved back in. Superior is like that. The weather can change in an instant. We had a fabulous walk this particular afternoon.....not a soul to be seen. It felt like walking in the Arctic............

Inspiration from Lake Superior

So here is Superior in all it's beauty. I feel so fortunate to own a small piece of property here. We will be heading up again soon....I call it my "inspirational well". Here I get so many new ideas for my artwork....everything from colour to design to storytelling.

There is something truly mystical and magical upon being on the shores of this beautiful place that makes me feel such gratitude.......for simply being alive.

So once again I will take my sketchpad, my pencils, some fabric and paint and allow Lake Superior to work it's magic on me.

Acrylic Paint, Canvas and Wools

This is a new way of working for me which I'm quite enjoying. I am so passionate about working in fabric and thread but the idea of painting has always intrigued me. Anyway, decided I would play around with the idea and ..........here it is. Since this is a small piece there is no way I would be able to do the main figure in fabric and thread so painting her worked out perfectly.

This piece originated from a photo I took of a young girl on the shores of Lake Superior. We have a small but beautiful log cabin there which we try to spend as much time as possible at. The day this photo was taken was quite blustery but with a warm sun shining beautifully on the water. Just her stance alone drew me in ...what was she thinking about....with her life spread so big and wide out in front of her

The water and the girl were painted with acrylic on canvas.....the border around her is done in textile collage with felted wools, machine embroidery, various theads and wools. This piece was then batted and quilted to create a three dimensional artwork.