Lesson in Abstract

September 28, 2025.Reading time 1 minute.

I signed up for a ten-day free painting course a while back. I compromised of 5 exercises and 5 zoom meetings to discuss the process. It was actually quite excellent. Lesson 1 was to tape off two large pieces of paper, each into six sections. Then setting a timer to 30 minutes, painting on the […]

Sunflowers and smiles

January 23, 2023.Reading time 1 minute.

A local craft shop owner makes votives in yellow and blue with sunflowers on them and all proceeds go to Ukrainians. A BC retailer saw her work online and ordered 100 candles, selling them at $5.00 each. Ryan Reynolds saw the effort and doubled the intake. She sent much of the proceeds to a non-profit […]

Creativity Is A Blessing

July 18, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Ideas follow me around like little children tugging on my pant leg, begging attention. I’ve been brushing them aside, too unwell to give any them any energy, but with summer’s arrival and pending visits at Grandma’s camp, I push myself to get out the paints. Untrained myself, I watch videos to gain knowledge and inspiration. […]

Birthday Art

May 2, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

I started the tradition – a challenge really – to create a painting for each of my family members’ birthdays. The challenge continues, as the birthdays keep coming. What to paint for my daughter-in-law, who has already claimed many of my art pieces? I wanted something personal and meaningful, so I decided to tackle an […]

Self-Portrait and Mountains

March 7, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Many moons ago, I won an award for my artistic talents and was immediately counselled to drop the art program. That same year, I wrote my first novel, and after it was graded, I burnt it. I wasn’t meant to be creative, I decided, and obediently signed up for advanced math and other academic subjects. […]

A Fresh Approach

February 23, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

It started with a tree. Something about the texture of the bark appealed to me, so I took a picture. Then I examined the image on my computer, and pondered what the image was saying to me. Did it need altering? Was it worth keeping? Every time I looked at it, I was drawn to […]

Art Inspires Hope

November 6, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

There is a painter inside of me busting to get out. She talks to me, while I am working – makes suggestions, helps me pick the right brush, encourages different strokes. I like it when she is present. Listening to her is an act of letting go. It is a form of trusting. A growing […]

Photo A Week: Fruits of Labour

September 8, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Finding an outlet to express myself creatively (beyond writing) has been my biggest accomplishment this year. Picking up a camera and a paint brush both happened simultaneously, as our adventures across country begged recording. Converting image to art, via watercolours, has become my passion, although to date, I’ve only had a few lessons, and each […]

Share Your World

July 17, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

(Cee’s Photography posts questions each week, inviting us to share our world.) Favourite ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet flavour? Recently discovered a mango sorbet/ coconut ice cream combo that is over the top good. How often do you people watch? Every opportunity I get. People are so interesting. Human behaviour has always intrigued me. […]

Let Me Sleep

Like an orphaned treeshivering in a coat of frost my soul wandersdreamless, alone a nobody, nowherein the pre-dawn chill. Beckoned by first lightbody twisting wakens Consciousness clingsto desolate slumber then, reluctantlyreality brings me home. (Image my own)

Spellbound

Discovery

Does life ever turn out the way we expected? I doubt it. A smooth ride would only serve to make us dull and unsympathetic beings. I didn’t know that I had the ability to crawl out of darkness until I did. When illness knocked me off my feet, I had the reassurance of knowing I’d […]