Contented as the cats

The red scarf
art class drawing
18" x 24"
acrylic on watercolour paper

As I write this my two cats sleep at opposite ends of my bed,
the smell of chicken stew wafts up the stairs from the
kitchen to add to the overwhelming aroma of freshly
baked bread. We got a new breadmaker a few weeks
ago, but Steven isn't satisfied with the bread it bakes,
so he's making whole wheat bread from scratch and
baking it the traditional way in the oven. I heartily
support his choice, because the house smells super
for days.

Morning Glories climbing the banister
after the rain

It's been another wonderful day - rainy this morning
so we felt no obligation to be energetic. Steven
walked the dog then we chatted with our son in Korea.

I wanted to tell you about something happening
every Sunday that may interest you if you're
a portrait painter. Susan Carlin does a live video
cast. The pace is leisurely, you could
paint along, or wander in and out as I did watching
the piece progress and picking up tips.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/susancarlin

In fact she helped me solve a problem I'm having
with a commission with her method of breaking
the image down into smaller parts.

If you know the name of these white flowers,
please write and tell me.
They're a beautiful end of summer flower.

I've got to go to school tomorrow, so this is it for
tonight.

Have an everything-looks-new day.

To market, to market and Angela's Dahlias

I was planning to show you a photogra ph of my
former neighbour Angela's Dahlia today. For
more than 20 years the family living on the other
side of the wall in our semi-detached househad an amazing
garden, thanks primarily to the passion and work of
their mother, Angela. Despite her afflictions,
a brain aneurysm, and diabetes, Angela was one of the best
gardeners I've ever met. It's strange that I was planning to show
you this exceptional flower today, and today her
husband, Vince, who moved away a few years ago,
visited our neighbourhood to see old friends and
reminisce about his wife. It's the one year and six months
anniversary of her death.

Angela's Dahlia,
September was the flower's time to shine

Steven and I spent a delightful late morning taking in the
Saturday morning farmer's market at the Brickworks,
http://www.evergreen.ca/rethinkspace/?gclid=
COOYldHryJUCFSj2QAodgC-6iQ
then visited the St. Lawrence Market, and came home
loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, bread,
pie, strudel (but not just ordinary strudel, strudel
fresh baked this morning that was more like
delicious bread with fresh berries singing in the
middle).

The Brick Works market made me think of my
friend Flora in Nova Scotia. She would love it,
because they've made so many glorious gardens
surround the covered market area, with bent willow archways,
and little willow covered crawl spaces for children.
There's a grassed in circle dug down into the ground.
On a dry day you could sit down in it and lean back looking at the
clouds as bees from the ten foot high Cosmos, rambling
tomato vines, and giant Sunflower plants busied themselves
making honey. The beekeeper lady dressed in an
official white costume and netting head gear, said
the honey in the hives on site will be ready in two weeks.

We got home and had espresso with Vince on
our neighbours' porch. Yolanda served the coffee
and Angelo told us how to grow beautiful
geraniums.

Heading back across the street we saw
our neighbour Ely, who let us hold his bouncing,
blue-eyed baby, Lila. Chris, who lives on the other side
of the house, proudly showed off his huge, slick new
car, while the dogs and his baby chatted on our front lawn.
Louise and Joe saw us talking and came over to tell us
about a new art gallery planned for the neighbourhood.
We didn't get inside for lunch until four o'clock, and
just sat down when my sister knocked on the door.

It's true it's lonely without the kids, but if it is
true, we haven't had a chance to find out yet.

I'll drink a toast to Angela and her wonderful
gardening skills tonight. The inspiring thing
about the markets in town, is seeing abundant
evidence that her talent is spreading.

Have a growing-magnificent-flowers day.

The painted love lives on

Tonight I'm putting in one of my favorite paintings.
The sad thing is that it documents a happy time
in a loving marriage that ended. My friend can't
understand why I keep the painting. But I love it.
Not because it is of them, but because of the
emotion in it, the joy in the brush strokes. It has
to be about 7 years old, because I have been painting
exclusively in acrylics for at least 6 years.

The Dance
watercolour
(forgive the light reflecting off the glass)

The problem with art, is that it lasts long after children
have grown up, relationships have ended, parents
have died. But when we look at art from past
generations, isn't that part of what's vital about it
too?

Have a forgiving-the-past-and-living-happily day.

More class excitement

I went to the chiropractor today, and she told me it will be
a year before my foot and ankle are normal. The good news
was she approves of me moving it as much as I can. The
bad news is that following my own hunches to move
as much as possible can hurt. But she says that's fine.

To that end, after preparing my notes for class tomorrow,
I worked most of the afternoon on the formal portrait I want
to finish by next week. I gave myself plenty of breaks,
because I seem to need to go outside, and think, then come
back to it, and see with a clearer eye. Plus it's been hot out
for the first time all summer, and I want to enjoy my
garden while I can.

Art class sketch
acrylic on bond paper
18" x 24"

I can't show you the other piece yet, but I found a
painting/drawing I like from one of my art classes
a few years ago. I think I've mentioned before that
these aren't really classes, because no one teaches,
but I think of them that way, because they happen at
the same time every Tuesday, and the same people
always come out to paint.

In class I used to paint in acrylic on bond paper, until I decided
to allow myself to work on canvas all the time. The acrylic
on paper worked, but it isn't as easy to use as canvas, or
as convenient. If I want to hang the canvas up and look at it,
all I have to do is wire it and stick it on a hook.

Still some of the exuberant work I did on the Bond
paper makes me smile now, and this is one of those
sketches.

Plenty to work on

Detail kitchen study
acrylic on canvas

Here's a detail of a painting that needs some attention.
I like the colours, the theme, and the exuberance.

I just need to refine the piece. The painting is quite
a bit bigger than this, and I need to make sure all
of it hangs together (no pun intended).

I started teaching again today, which was extremely
fun, but quite taxing on my sore foot. I'm tired now
and heading off to bed.

Have an everything-works-out-perfectly day.

Back at art class -- oh boy

Starting out, drawing on a rust ground, too big

Tonight we had a beautiful model at art class --
her name was Gaye. I walked into class for the
first time since I broke my ankle, saw her and
smiled. She is so spirited and lovely to
paint.

New drawing and lights added



Adding lights to the dress



Working in the background colours



More drawing to refine the pose



As far as I got.

I photographed the stages for you. I painted
off and on for a couple of hours and this
is how far I got. I'm not unhappy with the
painting. School starts tomorrow, so I have
to be quick here tonight.

Have a happy and creative day.

Luxurious Labour Day

This was the kind of day that makes you ache for its
return all year. The temperature was perfect for
sitting on the back porch watching cardinal couples
and blue jays swooping into and out of my neighbour's
grape vines. I sat on the back porch with my cat Timbah
on my knee just drinking in the view. The warmth was
delicious.

Nasturtiums take flight
begun
7" x 9"
acrylic on canvas

For dinner we ate the fresh corn and tomatoes we bought
at a farm stand yesterday, and marveled at how
absolutely perfect that combination was.

Nasturtiums take flight
7" x 9"
acrylic on canvas

I finished up this little painting. The nasturtiums won't

be able to withstand frost, so we're enjoying them as
much as possible while it's warm. Here's a parting shot from
Port Stanley -- a rosy salute to summer.

Sunset Port Stanley
Goodbye August

Have a peaceful and happy day back at work or school.