Woodland Tails - Skunk

I'd like you to meet Skunk!

She's shy and quiet... 

She loves flowers and berries...

 

She's the third member of my Woodland Tails card line!

"Skunk"

~ Woodland Tails ~

(watercolour and gouache, approx. 3.5" x 5.5")

I discovered something else about Skunk... 

...she loves perfume!

"Skunk Eau de Parfum"

~ Woodland Tails ~

(watercolour and gouache, 3.5" x 5.5")

Skunk collects beautiful antique perfume bottles... she especially loves the bottles with the dainty li'l atomizers... she thinks they are 'tres feminin' and lend an 'air of distinction' to her perfume collection!

♥ Cath-

Woodland Tails: Raccoon

    That "mask"...

    That shiny black marble of a nose...  

    Those dainty li'l feet that allow for scampering and climbing...

    That iconic banded tail so thick and fluffy...

- Woodland Tails - 

"Raccoon"

(watercolour, approx. 3"x5")

    I've always had mixed feelings towards raccoons... They are beautiful creatures, there's no denying that, but when I see one during the day and it's just sitting in a tree, staring back at me, it's rather unsettling!

    So in my li'l world of creatures the raccoons may sit and stare back at you but you don't need to be fearful nor do you have to wait long for a mischievous grin to break out across their faces and if you time your glance just right you might even catch them laughing at their own joke!!

 - Woodland Tails -

"Laughing Raccoon"

(watercolour, approx. 3"x5")

    Raccoons are very funny! They gather all the best jokes while they sit alongside the creek meticulously washing their food... They wash and scrub and laugh... all through the night! 

"Hey, what do you call a sliced potato in a monastery?"

Ummm... I dunno.

"A chip-monk!!  

    

 

    Yep, he's here 'til Tuesday and he recommends you try to the veal!  : )  

Maybe stand-up is in his future but for now he's happy to laughingly adorn 

some of my greeting cards, so smiles can be sent wherever they are needed!

    

 Here's hoping his smiling face and his li'l joke

have inspired felicity in you!

♥ Cath-

 

What a Fox!

    I've been busy with a rather large painting commission and every once in a while I just need a break from it because well, how do I put this... the work doesn't smile back at me!

    When the choice is mine of what I paint I will always begin with an animal of some sort, sometime they're serious and sombre but most of the time they are smiling...

    During a recent 'break' I created a new character - an animal I have not attempted before but have always wanted to develop... I chopped some paper down to "fun-size'" and inspiration soon took over!

    Introducing the flagship member of my newest card line:

 "Woodland Tails"

"Fox" 

(watercolour, approx 3.5" x 5")

 I love how Fox turned out but I "dearly love to laugh" so I just had to see if I could get him to smile!

Well, it turns out Fox quite enjoyed my sense of humour because 

not only did I get him to smile - I got him to laugh!!

"Laughing Fox"

(watercolour, approx. 3.5" x 5")

After that I just sat and watched him for a bit... a butterfly flitted into the li'l clearing 

where Fox was relaxing and I was able to capture a bit of their interaction:

 

"Fox and Butterfly"

(watercolour, approx. 3.5" x 5")

Other animals have already been added to the Woodland Tails family!

You'll have to check back often as I begin to introduce them!

♥ Cath- 

Watercolour at the Beach!

    Next week it's back to school and back to a regular routine! But that's next week - this is the last week of summer break and we are aiming to make the most of it!

    Today, the kids called a friend and we packed a cooler with some sandwiches, raspberry lemonade, and some sweet watermelon slices and headed out for a lazy afternoon at the beach....

    We've been adjusting to another bout of humidity and today a thick fog rolled in... the sun was shining somewhere up there - we could occasionally feel it's heat but the mist/fog mixed with the breeze coming off the water made for a lovely day for the kids to 'go jump in the lake' and for me to sit back and enjoy a few hours of painting!

    When we first arrived, we chose the little cove at one end of the beach to settle into and when I looked across at the expanse of the beach stretching away from us I loved how the mist and fog created 'layers' in the distant foliage... I've always been attracted to that kind of scene so I quickly pulled out my watercolour sketchbook and worked away at a loose composition while the kids strolled the beach looking for pebbles...  

"Fifty Point Beach on Lake Ontario"

(watercolour, approx. 5.5" x 8.25")

    The kids came back from their stroll to ask if we could move all our things down the beach to "the perfect spot - where the beach is actually sandy and not pebbly! Just beside the second pier thing-y."

    I love Lake Ontario beaches because the beach is pebbly - millions of perfect li'l pebbles just waiting to be discovered and photographed or picked up to be tucked into a pocket - they are beautiful!!  But the kids were still listing off every possible reason why moving our chairs would be worthwhile, so I began to pack up my paints and sketchbook.

    We settled down in our 'perfect spot' and the kids clamoured into the water and splashed happily while I looked around for something new to paint.  I didn't have to look far! The "second pier thing-y" we settled down by was an old weather-beaten pier... the once strong and mighty timbers held aloft by iron rods were now silvery timbers split and twisted from years of harsh weather and neglect - the iron rods now bent and rusting, grass-like weeds were growing lush atop some of the posts - it was wonderful and completely inspiring!!

    I quickly pulled my sketchbook out and set to work... Just as I was finishing my sketch a seagull perched on the post near the end of the pier, so I quickly added it in!

    "Pier at Fifty Point"

(watercolour, approx. 5.5" x 8.25")

    Now we're back home and I'm tired but happy!  I told the kids as I was packing up that I got two paintings done and that's more than I would've accomplished if we had stayed home so I was very glad our plan for a 'day at the beach' came together!! 

    ♥ Cath-

Feeling Blessed!

"Crab Apple Branch"

- 1st Study -

(Watercolour)

I am feeling incredibly blessed today!  

    I just gave our youngest an old sketchbook of mine - a big 14x20" hardcover that I thought I'd like but never ended up using - I've had it for years and since she was wanting to have some BIG paper to make some BIG art, I happily passed it on!  

    After receiving it, she created a list of supplies she would be needing to fulfill her new creative endeavours: an easel, a pencil and eraser, and some markers.  We gathered all the supplies and then she turned and said, "I'm headed outside to work in the yard, are you coming?"  I thought for a moment, then grabbed up my new travel-size watercolour pad, my paint box, selected some of my friendliest brushes, filled my water pot with some fresh water and followed her outside.

    We found a beautiful shaded spot near our creek under a huge weeping willow.  Soon the easel was set up and our daughter began her drawing... I looked around and discovered that the nearby crab apple was already developing fruit and the sun was shining through the leaves in the most amazing way so I positioned my lawn chair and set to work myself....

    Several times during the next two hours of drawing and painting en plein air with my daughter I paused and thanked God for the wonderful blessings He was blessing me with: eyesight to see the gorgeous colours around me, an ability to capture some of the beauty, and this wonderful time shared with my daughter as we explore our interests in art.  

    I looked up from the painting I was working on and watched my daughter as she worked away at her design.  She would sketch a few lines, then step back to look at her work... I couldn't help but smile when I noticed that she tilts her head just like I do when I'm considering something - I guess it's our way of giving ourselves a new perspective!

    I worked a bit more on my painting and then quietly said, "You know, God has blessed me through you today! I never would have thought of coming out here this afternoon but you asked me to join you and I'm having a lovely time sitting here with you and painting! Thank you!!"   

    A smile grew on her face and she stepped over to me, gave me a quick hug, then went back to work on her design.  A moment later she said, "I'm having fun too!"

 "Crab Apple Branch"

- 2nd Study -

(Watercolour)

♥ Cath-

    

It's Summer - Perfect Time To Sit Around A Campfire!!

There really is nothing like sitting around a campfire with friends...

    The sound of the popping and crackling wood.... The scent of woodsmoke wafting around and mingling with the cool evening air... the night gets darker but you don't even realize because you're too busy laughing and sharing stories with your friends as you roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the open fire.

    The original idea for this illustration came while visiting with a friend who enjoys campfires as much as I do. When the idea of woodland animals sitting around a campfire was mentioned, I could see the whole scene very clearly and when I returned home I grabbed up my sketchbook to work up this design:

That was almost one year ago...

    Just over a month ago, I was looking over this sketch again and knew it deserved to be worked up in watercolour  so I set to it and I have finally completed it!! Phew!! It was challenging but WOW, did I learn a lot!!

    "Campfire in Acorn Woods"

(watercolour, approx 8x10")

Everyone roasting marshmallows over the open flame, some eating them right out outta the bag, some having trouble getting the sticky confection from the whittled stick into their mouths... but all enjoying the simple contentment that comes with sitting around a campfire with friends.

♥ Cath-

Woodcarving: The Follow-Through

Follow-through: To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully. 

 

Well, up to 'til this week I had not followed-through on any of my carvings. Sure, I had finished carving them, but I knew deep down that placing each of them in an old shoebox wasn't really the end of the project.

  

After sitting down with my Dremel and paints and working away until I was finished, 

I looked at the little creatures 'looking' back at me and I wondered why I hadn't done this sooner!

    Without further ado, let me properly introduce...

 Clem & Clara:

The Hedgehogs:

 "Maury" The Mud-lovin' Hog:

:

and last but not least...

 The Pig "Perry":

    I guess it was easy to just keep adding to the slowly growing collection in that old shoebox. I was proud of what I was accomplishing in this new-to-me medium but they didn't come 'alive' to me until I had properly completed them.  As soon as these critters were painted and had eyes I fell for them in the same way I fall for the critters I create on paper in my illustrations! 

    I can't wait to discover what mischief they will get up to and what adventures they will have!

   ♥ Cath-