Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord...

"Humble yoursleves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

(James 4:10)

    This photo was taken a year ago at the Good Earth in Beamsville.... the land/business owner graciously allows participants of the plein air painting classes to have free range of the property including the area surrounding her sweet l'il cottage... this is a birdbath I discovered and fell in love with...

This year while visiting again I found the gardens are much overgrown and the birdbath almost completely out of sight, but it makes me smile to think that one day someone will pull back the tendrils of ivy and bits of brush and discover this l'il gem all over again! I imagine they would feel quite like the character Mary Lennox in Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden".

    ♥ Cath-  

Who will receive blessing from the Lord?

  

♥ Cath-

  

    P.S. This photo was taken at Charles Daley Park in Lincoln... I was fascinated by the 'striped' rocks along the shoreline and as I snapped away with my camera a beautiful crash of water struck them - very inspiring!! 

Plein Air in JUNE!!!!

   Today was the second half of my wonderful birthday gift from my generous husband - a day plein air painting at Good Earth in Beamsville!!  A extrememly talented local artist and all-round lovely person, Kim Rempel has plein air workshops at Good Earth once a month (May - September) and encourages all participants to shrug off limitations and just have at it!! 
    Well today, I took that advice to heart and let myself be inspired by the beautiful perennial gardens on the property and let the brush strokes fall!

"Black-Eyed Susans"

(acrylic, 12x12" stretched canvas)

   

    I don't know if you call these Black-Eyed Susans or Orange Coneflowers but they were a lovely golden yellow and a beautiful contrast to the surrounding flowers and foliage!

    And that's not all!! After lunch - which was AMAZING - I was inspired to paint a second piece - a companion of sorts to the first painting:

"Black-Eyed Susans Too"

(acrylic, 12x12" stretched canvas)

    I can tell that my mind was more at ease about accomplishing this second piece. Not to get all analytical about it but the strokes just appear more free and smooth - relaxed... that's the effect good food has on me! : )

Here they are together:

    A wonderful day that has renewed my faith in myself as a student - I'm still learning and developing!!  To prove the point - here is the painting I accomplished at my first plein air painting workshop (I've now attended four) on July 8, 2011 - one year ago, give or take a week:

    I've developed some in the last year! It's exciting to see that!!  I'm thankful to God!!  Woo-Hoooo!! 

    ♥ Cath- 



"Meeting in the Middle"

"Meeting in the Middle"

(watercolour, 8x8" approx.)

    I can't believe I am typing this but I have to write the truth of it - I was inspired by the heat and humidity today!  Ever since I was a kid summer heat mixed with humidity has been something I have longed to get away from. But today while preparing to paint it struck me that the only way to combat this horrid combination is to use my imagination to focus on something refreshing and cool... 

   Water... lake... ocean... Okay, now we're getting somewhere!  Underwater ocean scene with..... a polar bear, yeah, a polar bear! Okay, every illustration needs to tell a story so what is he doing, other than swimming?  Hmmmm... the polar bear is swimming to meet a friend! Now for a friend... a fish? No... Hmmm, an animal that lives in the ocean... oh, oh, I know - a penguin!! 

    Umm, Cath, penguins live in the Antarctic and polar bears, um, yeah, they live in the Arctic - opposite sides of the earth!

    Okay, okay, I can still work with this....  Haha!! I know, I'll title it "Meeting in the Middle" as though the polar bear started swimming South and the penguins why, they were swimming North, you know like a family vacation of sorts and they MET IN THE MIDDLE!!  Woo-HOOO!!!

   Well, it worked... I stayed cool and refreshed all day and we don't even have air-conditioning in our house - so my imagination has shown itself to be in full-working order!!

   ♥ Cath-

 

Give this illustration a title...

"___________________________________"

(watercolour, 8x8" approx.)

   Normally, I will think up a fun name for an illustration while I'm working on it but who can be normal on a Monday?  I made this illustration on a whim and so far I have not been able to come up with a title, so I'm asking you to look at my illustration and suggest one.  I love inspired "first impulse" titles so have at it!! Name this piece!!

   ♥ Cath-   

P.S. Leave your title suggestion as the comment! Also, I think if you are using Firefox it hinders your ability to comment - I suggest viewing this blog on Internet Explorer.  c.



Worthy of Praise...

Spend today thinking of all that you can say "thank you" to God for...

all you can praise Him for, and then do it!

♥ Cath- 

Strawberries with Edward

"Strawberries with Edward"

(watercolour, 8x8")

    A week ago I was invited to a tea room for luncheon and whilst perusing the adjoining giftshop my eyes happened upon a beautiful cast iron sculpture of a rabbit - a paperweight.  I knew without a doubt that this l'il fellow would make for a charming companion on my art table.  I asked him if he would like to come and join me on my adventures in painting and he seemed very contented with the idea.  So home he came!  He has spent the last few days getting aquainted with the tabletop and the girls asking after him and admiring him - which he quite enjoyed! At last settling in, he chose a spot on the table that is bathed in soft northern light for a majoirty of the day.

   Just a day ago I was invited by a wonderful friend to join her in picking strawberries at a local patch.  We had such a lovely time, enjoying the sun and the fresh air... when I arrived home and began tending to the berries I looked over at Edward sitting in his favourite spot and then down again at the beautiful red berries in my hand and inspiration struck!!  

   To capture a little more of the beautiful light which Edward enjoys I placed some of the berries in a glass jam jar and set them down in front of the window and well, you know the rest...

    ♥ Cath-

More Props...

The remaining props of which I have photographs are for the following plays being performed Thursday at our school by students who are in the Sunbit Theatre Company in-school drama program:
"The Princess Who Couldn't Cry" and "Oliver Twisted"

Royal Banners for the Princess play 

(One with a crown, one with an onion)

 

Chalk Outline for 'Oliver Twisted'

(a film noir-style mystery)

Two of these 'outlines' were put up on a solid black wall at

back of stage with caution tape artistically angled across them...

 

I also made matching thrones (yellow and red) for the Princess play 

but made them at school and didn't have my camera with me...

 

Looking forward to my current busy-ness calming a little bit as school

begins to wind down but loving these last days of excitement that

cause most everyone to walk around with a smile

and the energy to reach the finish line!

 

My mind is humming with ideas for summer projects!  Woo-hooo!

 

♥ Cath-

 

 

 

 

What I've Been Up To Lately...

    After completing the props for our school's play last month I was asked to make props for three plays that the local theatre company (who teach an in-school drama program) will be performing at our school.

    I've been busily getting all their props ready and this is what I accomplished for the first play, "Willabella Witch's Last Spell" 

Witch's Fireplace

(acrylic on cardboard appliance box)

The full stone wall is actually the side wall of the fireplace when the box is formed

Below are details from the fireplace mantle - complete with

a functioning bat wing cupboard to hold Willabella's wand!

For this play I also need to create a spinning wheel and this is what fell out of the brush :  

Complete with a metallic 'needle' (made from tinfoil)

to prick Sleeping Beauty's finger...   

    Sometimes a crazy one-week deadline and a little bit of inspiration allows me to come up with some creative things! I'm happy with how this fireplace and spinning wheel came together!  It was also fun practicing with my acrylic paints because acrylics are not my comfort zone...

    ♥ Cath-

P.S. I'll post photos of the other props I completed for the other two plays later in the week, God willing!

   

   



Hope in the Lord!

    This is a favourite verse and a favourite photo!

    This photo was taken an hour or so before dusk at the Beamer Conservation Area in Grimbsy, ON.  Beamer has three beautiful observation platforms positoned on the edge of escarpment and when we stepped up on the first one we discovered several butterflies feeding on the pretty milkweed plants.
 
    ♥ Cath-

Preliminary Sketch - E.H. Antique Shop

"Preliminary Sketch of Nicholas in His Shop"

(2H graphite, sketchbook)

    I didn't know how busy I have been until I realized on Sunday that I had only posted once last week!  I spent last week working away at prepping for our school's Fun Fair - I volunteer in the Tea Room (The Sweet Leaves Tea Room) - which is no surprise!  I worked at the plating station for desserts - my favourite job!  Little sprigs of mint and artistic dallops of whipped cream, fresh fruit - every plate is a canvas!!  All in all a lot of fun!

    I have been working away in my spare time at the next illustration in my Elderberry Hedge series.  This is a preliminary sketch of Nicholas.  I knew after completing The Bonny Baker I wanted to work on an interior and when I thought of Nicholas' antique shop I knew exactly which room I wanted to capture and it would show off some of his collected treasures at the same time! The sun shining through his window inspired me even more - I knew I had to paint this scene!

    I'll share this little sneek peek into Nicholas' world: Nicholas has been a long-time resident of Elderberry Hedge and his curious shop, "Antiquities and Things Found" has long been a part of the village. Nicholas comes from a long line of pack rats and....

   

    That's all for now! 

    Gotta get to work on the actual painting!

    ♥ Cath-

         



Let everyone praise Him!

"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

...Kings of earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven." 

(Psalm 148:1, 11-13)

   The innocent and honest heart of a child praising God! Nothing could be more beautiful! It is no wonder that Jesus said that we must become like little children to have a hope of heaven (Matthew 18:3).  

       

    ♥ Cath-