Watching politics unfold

Tonight I've been watching the Democrat's convention in the
United States, and seeing Barack Obama make history.
Whatever your politics, or country, the fact that Obama
has become the Democrat's candidate to be
the next president of the United States will send a
profound message of change around the world.
I am glad that we were witnesses to that change.

I know some of my friends in America will not
be voting for Barack. But if what he said about
the United States has meaning politically, it
has even more meaning in the artistic community.
We are united no matter which political party we vote for
-- this is as true in Canada as in the United States.
Our party is the party of creativity, and all of us belong
together.

More than half of my relatives live in the United States,
in California, and I was thinking about them tonight.
The rest of my closest family lives in or near Ottawa,
our nation's capital -- the center of Canadian
politics.

The view through the trees
Chelsea, Québec

Let's take a break from painting tonight. I've been
painting all day, but nothing's ready. Instead
here's a shot taken from my brother's back
deck a few weeks ago, looking over the Gatineau
River. Let this picture, be what Oprah would
call a breathing space.

Have a space-to-breathe night.

Elegant spring

We've been on the road through the countryside of Ontario in one of the loveliest springs I can remember. After what we lived through in the winter, (the winter shot was taken
December 16 at the very beginning
of the season. You can still see our tree) it's not much wonder that people are anxious to
see the heat climb.


The instant the snow melted people were out
buying plants and sticking them into the garden.

Luckily the spring hasn't moved into summer
as quickly as it does some years, so the blooming
trees are coming out and lasting just a touch
longer. They are striking.

Awhile ago I talked in the blog about Angela
my neighbour, and how her tree made me
think of her. This is her tree, a glorious
memorial that will be unacknowledged when
we leave our house, but stirs my memory
now.

Back to spring I don't think I've ever seen
people appreciate the season so much.
They may be rushing the shorts, but big deal --
There's a sea of blue forget-me-nots in the
garden.

This is the next in the series of Elizabeth
pictures. At this point the painting is
getting close to finished. I overexposed
the image, and some of the colour's
vibrancy was lost. More tomorrow.

Have a revelling day!