I am back!

I have been super busy these past few years and have been very neglectful of my own online presence. We moved in November 2019 - then before I could properly get my studio space set up, both of my parents passed away (father in Feb 2020 and mother 6 weeks later in March 2020). Then came covid and I became very reclusive. I lost my "mojo" and definitely was not productive. Started lots, but didn't seem to finish much. 

I am involved in a super exciting venture - I joined Vicki, Corla and Wendy as the four founding members of the Art Posse to connect artisans with the community. We have been attending many meetings to plan a fundraiser with the Saskatoon Food Bank to fill the void left by a great event, the Artists Against Hunger which had their last event in March 2023 (after 30 successful auctions). 

I have continued my membership with both the Saskatoon Painters' Club and the Prairie River Artists. 

I had been chair, then co-chair of the Reflections of Nature Art Show - but the 30th show in 2022 was the last one. The Saskatchewan Wildlife Art Association is still very active and I am still very involved with them. 

I stepped away from the Saskatoon Exhibition Art Showcase Board which seemed to keep me busiest in the summer when I would rather be at the lake. 

But now - I am back! As I get high quality images made of the paintings that I did manage to complete I will have Giclee prints available. I get those done at The Giclee Factory - an online business that offers high quality product at affordable prices. 

Family Day

I am hoping this painting is juried in to the Artists Against Hunger auction to be held on March 25.

"Family Day"

Acrylic on board

Singing Bandit

This painting is going to a new home today - via the Elrose United Church Auction. Some pieces are harder to part with than others and this is one of those. Once I am finished a piece my dad will ask: "How much you selling that one for?" And then has no comment when I tell him. When I told him how much for this one he said: "Oh, I think you can get more for that one."

"Sinding Bandit"
female yellow-headed blackbird

Whimsical Houses

I have had so much fun carving whimsical houses out of cottonwood bark after taking a great class from Paul Perron. This is the house created in that class; entrance to the house can be via the "steps" up the front, or by going up the stairs under the house to come out the other side to some stairs going up the side. 

Avocado Pit

I truly think that I would become very bored if I were to do the same thing all the time. You know over and over and over ..... would become work. And my brain keeps coming up with new things. This "lucky" avocado pit was one of my latest brainwaves ....... and even if I say so myself - he sure is cute!

The first few that I did I had tried to carve the pit while it was still somewhat soft. Works much better if the pit is hard - the carving knife doesn't get pulled to a place I don't want it to go. I have been using the pits that split to make pendants.

Baked Abstracts

More experimenting new last fall - poured acrylics. Funny thing is that I was dong them at the last minute to be included in the show with The Saskatoon Painters and they weren't drying as quickly as I had thought that they should. In fact, they were not going to dry in time for the show. It was a real problem. If I were to put them in front of a fan the paint would move. But I finally figured out what to do; I set my oven on as low as it would go and dried them there. So, I happily call these my "baked" abstracts.

Felted Sculpture

Trying something new - yet again. I got some felting kits to try it out with my grandchildren. But it has been so much fun and is so relaxing that I have been doing more. Started out doing some ladybugs. Then moved on to a penguin - a word of advice - DO NOT LEAVE ANYWHERE WHERE A DOG MAY FIND IT .... my penguin put up a hard fight, but ultimately lost. This is my next felting attempt - a little barn owl.