Category: Abstract

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Holiday Cards!

The season of winter bliss is upon us! A lot of friends have been asking if I am going to create holiday cards. The tricky part is making them affordable to purchase multiples. I’m currently working on a possibility.

Winter holidays tend to carry so much meaning and emotion that I found this project daunting. What do people celebrate? How can I put that into paint? How do you capture the feelings that people have? Trying to paint for what someone else wants became baffling. and I had to stop. I had to just paint what I felt and hope people enjoyed it.
For me, the winter holidays are about family. Pretty vibrate colours among the white winter snow, and hope for the sun and light. And of course, a Peanuts Christmas. 🙂

I have found a lot of winter scenes quite challenging, as they are often bright from reflection and painting light continues to be a challenge for me. So far, these are my collection! Let me know what you think!

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Spreading A little Hope

My little guy has many medical appointments, often they require going back to Children’s Hospital for them. Lotta tests, lotta weird hours, lotta thinking about the ‘what ifs’.

This past week we were pulling an all-day visit starting with sedated MRIs and blood work. Trying to keep a 3 year old steady enough to do an MRI is very difficult. He has had about 25 of these so far in his life. It used to be so much easier mentally when he was a baby and didn’t know what was going on. Now he’s reasonably afraid when he sees we’re going to the hospital. My little guy is a Champ. He’s afraid, but he keeps going because he’s a brave little guy.

After our first set of tests, we grabbed lunch and spent a little bit of time outdoors so he could run about for a bit. Currently, our air quality is ranked somewhere between Horrible and Mordor. Our playtime outdoors was short, and we went up to Oncology to wait. I took this opportunity to create a piece for the parent’s common room. While this part of the hospital is newer than where we lived, I wanted to brighten up the space that I know every parent wishes they didn’t need.

We got some great news from our Doctor. Kyler’s scans, tests, and blood all are looking stable, and we can now go from every 3 months, to every 6 months! This is wonderful news! I want to be excited for it, but at the same time, I know how fragile remission is. My son and I live for each moment, every silly giggle and song. You hold tight to Hope, because some days it’s all you have to hold on to. #SeptemberIsGoldForChildhoodCancerAwarness

This was the first time I’ve left a random piece of art for people to enjoy. If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s we need to spread joy and hope whenever and where ever we can. Expect more random art gifts!

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3 Body Parts

Did you know that doesn’t include a head?

My joy, my mental break comes from the arts.

I’m going to be honest. I love butterflies. Love watching them, chasing them, and now painting them. Know what I don’t like? Feet.
True, mostly adult human feet, but bug feet are not much better. It’s possible that I never looked too closely at our fluttery friends.

I’ve been enjoying drawing outside while my little guy plays in the park. Many parents just stare at their phones, but that feels like a waste of time for me. My joy, my mental break comes from the arts. I highly recommend doing any of your hobbies outside if you can. Much like how food tastes so good when you’re camping, art just feels better outside.

Five minutes after I inked the body… My father pipes up, “You know… Butterflies’ legs don’t look like that.”
*Blink*
“You couldn’t have told me that 5 minutes sooner!?”
I still love this orange butterfly. I told this story to a friend an hour later getting ready for a hike. He takes a look at it, and says, “You know, butterflies are insects.”
“….yes… And?”
“Insects have 3 body parts.”
“Yah! The butterfly has 3 body parts and a head.”
“No… that’s not how it works.”
Thanks Barney.

The next day I was at it again. Refusing to give up! I started drawing at the next park. This time I checked, and double checked the body parts and leg placement. I created, Joy, the green butterfly. She loves to ride on bubbles kids blow in the park.

My flock is growing

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Butterflies

Things have been challenging lately. Lots of medical uncertainties, and family being affected. Currently because of Covid if a family member of yours is admitted to the hospital you can not visit or stay with them while they are even in the ER. You can imagine why I know this for sure.

When I’m stressed, you can count on me doing 2 things well!

Eating, and Painting.

I’ll be damned if I didn’t find a way to do both at the same time. Something I think my buddy Russell the Blacksmith can not claim he can do. I am one of those strange folks who has to do something when I feel powerless to do anything.

I sat down with my paper and colours and what came out? Butterflies. Lots of butterflies. Fragile, tiny and beautiful butterflies. Much like Hope, you want it so badly, but know how quickly it can flutter well out of your reach.

BlueButterfly

My first butterfly was blue. Been feeling very blue lately. My mother was admitted to the hospital this day.

ButterflyGreen

She was released to go home for the weekend, and my butterflies turned green.

Last night I had a quick visit with her and managed to be out in the park, see beautiful dancers spin pretty pretty lights and fire. My soul was appeased.

Colourful Butterlies

Today the butterflies multiplied and became multicoloured. Paint what you know? I believe I paint what I feel. My mother will soon have surgery, we are hopeful for the outcome. <3

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The Bunny

That started it all…

My journey into the world of art did not begin the way I thought it would. When my little guy was born three years ago we spent the next, over-half-a-year living in the hospital. There are no windows in many of my rooms so I started creating windows for him to tell him what the outside world would look like one day.

We lived there for three seasons, and I’m very thankful we didn’t go the full year. I love telling him about the colours of trees and the feeling of grass and the wonder of watching leaves blowing in the wind

…though it’s a long journey ahead I knew I was going to surround my son with the most beauty I could.

I found peace in my heart and my mind while I was working. The colours brought smiles to my baby and that gave me a hope. That one day my little super bunny would come home.

It was a joyous time when we finally got home and though it’s a long journey ahead I knew I was going to surround my son with the most beauty I could. I kept all of the art that I made while in the hospital and put them up along the walls.