Me & The Girls

I'm a really lucky mom and believe me I know it.

My girls and I have always been super close.  I'm thankful of that each and everyday.  I knew when I first became pregnant that my intention was to have a relationship with my children just like the loving relationship I had and still have with my mom.

I mothered my daughters like my mom mothered me..... and there is such gratitude in that.

 I wondered as the teenage years approached if all that which change but with a few bumps and bruises along the way, it really hasn't.

So the past weekend was of course a difficult one as my oldest returned for her second year of university after an entire summer at home.   You would think these things get easier but they really don't.

Did I cry when I left?

Of course I did, as did she,  but I left with the knowledge that she is happy, she has lots of friends, she's an amazing, independent young woman with so much a head of her.  This is just another step on her path.  But....her dad and I are only a phone call away if she needs us and we always will be....she knows that.

But I am still a mom and couldn't leave without helping her.......

Put food in the fridge...

vacuum......

Clean......

and of course I drank a few of these just to make things easier...

The Times They Are A Changin'

This Too Shall Pass
36"x 12"
Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

I received an email yesterday from Connie who asked me if I was still working in textiles as she hadn't seen me post any work in a long time.  That got me to thinking that perhaps I'd forgotten/neglected to touch on this subject or that maybe I already did but am too lazy to go back and check ... maybe the latter.

Anyway, to make a long story short... for the forseeable future the sewing machine has been retired and I'll tell you why.

Blind Faith

24"x24"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

A little over a year ago I began feeling the need to work on a much larger scale but couldn't wrap my head around how I could possibly manage that in machine embroidery.  I started to get the itch to experiment and to try something new.  One week while my machine was in being serviced I was cleaning out another one of the dreaded closets in our house that seems to house all the junk we've collected over the years, and low and behold I came across a couple of canvases.  I started simply playing and wow could I ever feel the hook.  Moving the paint around the canvas just felt so freeing after the years spent being committed to each stitch my machine put down.  I produced two small pieces that I somewhat liked and could see a small glimmer of hope to where this might lead.  I continued to stay within a realm I was comfortable with which was 8"x8" or 10"x10"... I was pretty scared of going too big too fast, thinking that maybe I would get discouraged and give up.  

 Here I Breathe

40"x20"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

A few months later I had a couple friends over who wanted me to give them a tour of my studio.  Seeing that it is a tiny space it was a pretty short tour but they saw the few paintings I had finished and asked if they were for sale ..... it kind of took off from there.

I approached both of my representing galleries at the time, The Village Gallery and The Silverbridge and they were very receptive to taking my paintings.  In September I will head up the Blue Mountain way to The Matilda Swanson Gallery who have asked that I bring larger paintings since that is what most of their clients purchase.  Last week I was speaking with The Tangerine-Gecko Gallery in Markham and they are interested in taking a few paintings as well.  So it looks like I will have a fairly busy fall.

The Summer I First Believed

24"x24"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I've never really entertained any ideas of being a painter as I was pretty happy in my little niche but it just goes to show you just never know where life will take you.  Through unforseen circumstances, a desire to produce larger pieces and a whole hell of a lot of hard work .... this is where I find myself.

I will always love texile work and am so very proud of the quality of the work I've accomplished over the years but for now I am happy here in my tiny little studio, paintbrush in hand......

Strength of Character

11"x14"

Acrylic on Canvas

                

For The Love of A Lake

Lake Superior is the most beautiful lake I've ever experienced...hands down...enough said!  

It has the ability to be calm and serene but within a short period of time the waves are crashing in on the beach with such incredible force and energy it will take your breath away.   I will never tire of watching the beauty of that water and it's unpredictability. There is a feeling of aliveness that overcomes you just being there in that space. 

I did a lot of drawing while sitting on the beach as the skies were absolutely incredible ... it continues to remind me of how small I really am in the scope of things....makes you grateful...makes you humbled.

There was a crazy amount of blueberries this year.  We had them all around the camp (fyi...people in northern ontario call their cottage a camp...took me years to get used to this but think I've come around now) just pick em and eat em.

John's mom, Ruth,  served us the most amazing meal on our last night there right out on the deck overlooking the lake. Such attention to detail ....it was the most gorgeous setting for a dinner.

And even though I am not physically there today .... this place continues to live in my memories, my heart and my soul.

Home

So I'm back from Lake Superior ... wonderful trip ...catching up on laundry....more details and pics to follow.

Loving Summer

         The joys of summer and we've been taking full advantage with family, friends and food.