Elderberry Hedge General Store

"Elderberry Hedge General Store"

(Watercolour, 7x10")

    As way of introduction, this is Zella the proud proprietor of the General store in the village of Elderberry Hedge.  Zella took over the running of this very useful shop several years ago and she quickly became well known to all who live in village as an extremely helpful squirrel; always willing to lend a hand.

    

    Zella's store has a "little bit of everything" and all is kept in excellent order.  Townsfolk and visitors often comment on the neat appearance of the store to which Zella will always smile and reply, "A place for everything and everything in it's place."

    

    Zella is quick as a wink at filling customer requests, so much so that townfolk say when you go to Zella's store and ask for anything, it's in your hand before you have time to change your mind!  Partly due to her amazing organizational skills but mostly due to the fact that Zella simply loves chatting with everyone who comes into her store.  "If you get business out of the way quickly there will always be more than enough time left for catching up with friends!"

    

     Every October the townsfolk of Elderberry Hedge celebrate the harvest with a Fall Festival Bonfire and each year Zella donates a big bag of popping corn kernals so that everyone can enjoy popcorn-on-a-stick by the bonfire.... You cannot attend the bonfire without becoming a willing spectator of an impromptu school: watching Zella show the younger children how to spear their popped corn with a clean thistle prickle and then instruct the older ones how to do the same with a Honey Locust thorn.

   

    When Zella is not at the general store she loves to go on hikes through the woods looking for interesting pine cones - she loves collecting them!  Her collection is quite extensive, even including a very rare Monterey Pine cone which she traded with a badger for a sack full of oats.  

♥ Cath-

P.S. I am indebted to Emily Ann for the imformation listed above.  I was only just being introduced to the village of  Elderberry Hedge when I documented Zella's store with the painting I included above.  I'm sure my travels will allow me to re-visit Zella's neat-as-a-pin general store and after a while I will hope to have heard enough stories to share some her wonderful adventures in Elderberry Hedge with you!  

   

      

     



I ♥ Sundays!

"I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go into the house of the Lord.""

(Psalm 122:1)

    I have decided that each Sunday I will post one of my photographs with a bible verse because Sundays are a wonderful day for my family and I to gather with other Christians to praise and worship God!

   

    ♥ Cath-

P.S. This photo was taken a few years ago on a beautiful warm day in early May at Brock University - a budding tree at the Pond Inlet.

A Discovery

"Oh, that’s the ol’ manor house, ma’am, no one has lived there for more than half a century.” 

Those words echoed in my memory as I stood and looked at the house that at one time I’m sure was the most beautiful estate in the township:  Elderberry Manor.  The brick stood sure and fast until your eyes trailed toward the crumbling foundation.  The paint was chipping on most of the woodwork, and a few of the smaller window panes had been broken.  It seemed a shame that such a lovely house know stood empty and – lifeless.   

Acres of property surrounded Elderberry Manor. Beautiful grounds complete with orchards, fountains, ponds, and long ago, prize-winning gardens...  Townsfolk say that there was even an intricate hedge maze tucked in among the other beautiful features, but now all overgrown and somehow forgotten.

Or so I thought.  Little did I know that just behind this lonely house was a place bubbling over with life;  I myself didn’t quite believe it – it took a little girl named Emily Ann to finally assure me of its existence, for one had to look very carefully to see it…

♥Cath-



The Doodle That Inspired

"The Library"

(Watercolour, 7x10")

    This is the 'doodle' that inspired a whole waterfall of ideas....    

    While making this doodle, because that's what it started out as, I knew it was just for me so I could simply play.  I began with the tree because I wanted to play with a new texture idea I had and then the hedge came into play because I like drawing leaves... a little girl - reading of course! - soon I realized she needed fairy wings. Next the window, and who should appear in that window but a robin wearing pince-nez! A whimsical, swan-neck flower and a Chinese Lantern flower over the door were some of the last bits to be included...  

    For me, at the time, this picture told me just enough of it's story to interest me into exploring this seemingly quiet village.     

    I have visited this l'il village quite often since the time I completed this illustration late last year and have documented through simple illustrations what I discovered there... there is still so much left to explore - I can't wait to share it with you!!

♥ Cath-

       

Springtime Joys Too

"Springtime Joys Too"

(acrylic, 12x12" stretched canvas)

    I do most of my painting while the girls are at school.  The house is quiet (ie. interruption free) and I can listen to my classical music and just paint.  I have believed that I need this kind of environment to paint - chaos is not condusive to concentration so when the kids are home, I'm a mom and not a painter... but over the last few days of busy-ness I have come home wishing to get more work done on my paintings and so even though I heard the voice in my head saying, "You can't paint now, the kids are home", I walked to my art table, sat down and painted!  I wasn't able to dedicate hours to the effort at any one time, but little by little over the last few evenings I painted a bit here and a bit there and finished my painting -  all while the kids were home and running from room to room, asking questions, needing help with projects and watching television - I don't know about you but I call that a breakthrough!!

   

Detail of Springtime Joys Too

  

    This detail of the field mouse climbing between two daffodils to get closer to the branch of blossoms is the exact image I saw in my mind while walking to the library one morning... I had just completed "Springtime Joys" and thought that since I had one more 12x12" cnvas left that a companion piece would be nice... I knew that a mouse would work well in the companion painting so I gave it a little more thought and then pow! This image popped into my mind and I smiled out loud when I saw it! 

    I continued my walk, a little more quickly mind you, using my time to focus on the image and as soon as I got home I ran to my sketchbook and recorded my thoughts!

      Simple joys appreciated become so much more!

    ♥ Cath-

Springtime Joys 'set'

  

Framed!

Stack of Teacups - Framed!

(Original print framed to 4x6")

    All it took was a wonderful, dear friend to get an inspiration about how to display my greeting card design for me to see my artwork in a whole new way!

    A whole new world seemed to open up to me today as I sat and visited with my lovely friend Lisa.... Lisa has always believed in me and has always seen potential in my artwork.  So when she went and retrieved a frame and put one of my greeting card designs in it she was really giving me a huge gift - she gave me the gift of believing in my artwork and seeing it as having potential to be sold...  She gave me possibility! 

    After traveling home, my mind swirling with new ideas, I stepped out of the car and saw the endless expanse of blue sky and suddenly said to myself , "That's how I feel right now!" 

   

    The possiblities are endless!! 

♥ Cath-

   

Tulips at John & Lisa's

"Tulips at John & Lisa's"

Watercolour

(Arches, 9x12")

    Sometimes you never know where your next inspiration will come from but when you eyes fall upon it and you know you want nothing more than to sit and paint the view - you'll know you've been struck by it!

    Tulips have the 'perfect' green stems and leaves - that particular shade of green gets me every time - I can't help myself from falling for it!  Pair that with a beautiful pink or red on the petals and I'm a goner - "Get me some paints and a brush - STAT!! 

   

    Hoping you have a inspiring day too!

    ♥ Cath-

    P.S. I'm continuing work on my second Springtime Joys painting and it's coming along nicely.  I worked on it most of yesterday and again this morning, that is until I visited John & Lisa's and well, you know the rest of the story! : )