The curator of our church’s Inspired Arts Gallery has just hung a new show! “A Christian as Artist” features the work of sixteen artists. Each artist has also contributed a short written statement of how art and their practice of it is an expression of their faith and spirituality. Today I’m sharing my contribution to… Continue reading A Christian as Artist – exhibition
Since leaving Acrylic University, my focus has shifted from acrylic to… ?? There is so much stimulation online—so many things to try, courses to take, interests to pursue that I’m beginning to feel ‘deer in the headlights.’ To still this cacophony, I often I find myself going back to the simple way I started pursuing… Continue reading Waterlily series
Happy September! After a great summer which included a two-month blogging break, I’m back. One lovely summer surprise was an email from Stephen Kenned (former editor of the Testimony magazine and fellow poet). He told me about a new chapbook he had recently published and would I like a copy? YES! I Read Your Poems… Continue reading I Read Your Poems Out Loud (review)
On Monday, July 1, we celebrate Canada Day. WE LOVE YOU, CANADA! This week, in honor of Canada’s 157th birthday, a re-post of “Flag,” a poem about our flag that I wrote some years ago. Flag “National flag of Canadatwo by length and one by width, redcontaining in its center a white squarethe width of… Continue reading Happy Birthday Canada!
I have been noticing lately how some of the things I feel inspired to paint are another expression of poems I have written. Today’s little offering here is one such. I don't sew much any more (I'm way out of practice and my machine needs servicing) but this painting and poem take me back to… Continue reading Sewing notions
This Sunday is Father’s Day. My father passed away many years ago. I still remember him fondly as a quiet, shy, hard-working man who talked to his animals, played music, and entertained us kids with his sketches around the table of our Saskatchewan farmhouse. In His Shop In his shop Daddy improvisedlike a jazz musician.Virtuoso… Continue reading In His Shop (poem)
A popular activity for artists during the months of good weather is to paint en plein air (French for “in the open air”). My experience and kit for plein air painting are both minimal. But when our art club organized this as a four-hour activity on the property of one of our members yesterday, I… Continue reading Plein Air Adventure
One of the things I’ve found helpful as an artist is to work in series. This takes care of the problem of what to paint (to a degree). A series I’ve enjoyed, and is ongoing, is miniature Canadian landscapes. When I discovered tiny canvases (4 x 4x .5 inches stretched canvases and 4 x 4… Continue reading Miniature Canadian Landscapes
As soon as I heard about the publication of Mary Pratt—A Love Affair with Vision, I knew I wanted it. I put it on last year’s Christmas wish list and lo and behold it ‘mysteriously’ appeared under the tree! Since receiving it I have been savouring it in small bits and finally finished it this… Continue reading Mary Pratt – review
I have discovered a new watercolor instructor! Paul Clark was mentioned by many in a request for favorite teachers on the Watercolor Cards Facebook Group I'm a member of. I decided to check him out and found a great artist who has made hundreds of easy-to-follow videos, available on YouTube (link below). He even has… Continue reading Great watercolor instruction and some bridges
Violet Nesdoly 