New Years Eve

I just talked to a very good friend who called to wish me a Happy New Year!  She lives 5 hours away from me now so I don't get to see her very often but through technology we have been able to keep in touch and "be there" for each other although in an "arms length" sort of way.

Yes, it is New Years Eve!  I'm glad that I don't feel obligated to go out on the town, spend money that I don't have and worry about the cost of the cab to get home!! My hubby and I are happy to stay home.  We had such a great time for 5 days in Toronto with out daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter that we think that "life is good" and there is not much need to feel like crap after a night of heavy drinking.

I chilled a bottle of dry rose in the freezer and I am sipping on the bottle now!  My hubby doesn't like wine as much as me so it is all mine!  I will save him a glass for dinner.  He is preparing a fine supper for us; a personal favourite, ham with hot mustard and scalloped potatoes!  How great is that???!!!!!

He had to go to a funeral today for a good friend of his; a fishing buddy.  I spent the time doing housework and trying to get some time for art in as well.  I wanted to get some of the substrate made in preparation for making the postcard's that I will be swapping later.  It is a time consuming venture but I love doing it anyway.  The only issue is that I like to have the house to myself so I can turn the tunes on (loudly that is) while I make art.  I am so lucky that my daughter has keep me abreast of technology and I am not a technophobe.  I have a great set of Bose speakers attached to my laptop beside the kitchen. However, all that really means is, I have less time to actually make art because I am spending too much time reading my e-mails and surfing the net etc.

Yesterday I took this picture while I was clearing my car of snow, shovelling the path out to the car and a path out to the bird feeder.  It was quite chilly but it wasn't too bad.  The only thing that got cold were my hands because I was too stupid to wear mitts.

I love how natures hoar frost has made prickly sweaters on the grape vines!

And again on these wild cucumbers!  I had thought of picking these to use in a project but forgot since they were just beyond arms reach and too close to the ditch. I especially love the prickles on the prickles.  Very fun mother nature!

I should have made more grape jam this year since it was a bumper crop!   I wonder what would happen if I tried it now.  Grape "ice wine" jam, perhaps??!!!!

I am not one to make new years resolutions..... so..... Happy New Year to all!!!!   See you in 2012!!!

Year End Fast Approaching

I find it very interesting to realize that I am not really interested in year end this 2011.  I look back and think that I am glad that 2011 is over but really it is only because of my father's illness and death that really has had a real negative effect on me!  I miss my dad!  Yup, he made me angry about some of the things that he did or didn't do but really - he was my dad and he was what he was!  Regardless, I miss him very much!

The best news of the year is that my grand-daughter was born and is now gaining weight.  As of yesterday she now weighs in at 8.14 lbs.  At the last weigh-in she was only one ounce past her birth weight of 8.5 so there was some concerns about her health.  She is such a little sweetheart and greatly loved by both grandparents.

We finally have snow!  We are looking like a winter wonderland now and here is a snap that epitomizes the colour of winter.

I love all of the shades of "white" or maybe I should say black, white and grey!  These snap were taken yesterday and I really loved how the snow was sticking to the trees and vegetation.  A few more months of this I won't be thinking that it is so very pretty!

The roads were still pretty clear but my car is firmly encased in snow.  You can see the hood of my car peeking up at the bottom of the snap.

My hubby thought that we had best get some of the maples trimmed because they are growing like weeds and overtaking the roof of the house.  He finally got most of his piled up before the snow fell.

Christmas Tree Collage

Here is another "doodle" for want of a better word.  It really is a "doodle" in the sense that I had the felt pens but I wasn't really going anywhere with them at first. Then I cut out the Christmas trees from the wrapping paper roll and applied them to my sketchbook page.  I had to cover up a lot of doodling but that is no matter.  Although this isn't fine art, it was fun to do.  I sometimes think that is more important for me!
I think it keeps me calm and it is good not to think about all the silliness (whatever it happens to be) for a few hours.

I couldn't find my white gel pen so I had to use correction fluid in this multi-media piece.  I love spending time in my sketchbook and feel naked without it.

Christmas Tree doodle

Here is one of the Christmas icon's that I love....the Christmas tree!!! This is just a simple rendition using watercolour paint.  I found a box of semi-moist colours some time ago and I thought that I should get them out and try them.

Great news!  Our precious grand-daughter who was born late on November 30th has finally reached a benchmark; she has surpassed her birthweight by one ounce!  Yippee!  My daughter was getting worried and my hubby and I were getting worried for them both.  So that crisis has been averted and just before Christmas!  We just received our second present! We are all "over the moon"!

I got this cool app on my iPhone and I took some snaps while I was in bed.  It was actually early yesterday morning when I got home from my night shift.  I was given another present from my boss who let me leave work early.

This is what my duvet looks like after using the Paper Camera app to alter the image.  My duvet is white and was all jumbled up because I was reading a book using my Kobo app.  I was very amused by how many variations the app offers.  Simple and fun!

Christmas Pears

This is day one of my Christmas holidays and how glorious is it when you get a bill in the mail that isn't.  Ontario Hydro says that I have a substantial credit with them and will not have to pay a hydro bill for many, many months in 2012.  Ticks me off that I paid too much all year though; I mean, I lost use of that money and could have used it to buy something really cool - like an iPad.  Okay, I'll quit whining since it is the Christmas season.

It was fairly quiet last night at work so I had some time to do a pencil drawing.   We are not allowed to have any "personal electronic devices" on our person so I feel that my pencil and sketchbook is still fair game.  I totally love drawing!  Each time I make a drawing no matter how small or insignificant it might seem; I get a charge of transferring that which is real and getting the image on to the page!  However, I need, I must, practice way more! Oh my, did I just make a New Years resolution and in black and white no less???!!  Very scary!

I think I love the essence of the pear.  My subjects are all different but I forgot to look to see which is which.  Okay so there is likely a bartlett but I forget the names of the other two.  I guess it is time go Google pears!!  Obviously, I don't need to admit that I might like the essence of a pear but I am no connoisseur of the pear.

I don't know why but I just couldn't seems to get the camera situated in such a fashion to take a better picture of my pencil rendering.  I don't normally have such a hard time but for some reason my befuddled brain just can't seem to comprehend what I need to do to get it right.  So, heck with it; here is the photo as is.

When I compare my drawing to the photograph, I can see some things that I should have included and that my perspective is slightly off for the pear laying down.  I should have measured better using my pencil so that it didn't look like such a "gourd".   But nightshift being what it is makes me not the best visual thinker.

I know that the Christmas doesn't make you think of pears but really we must remember the 12 days of Christmas song.  These pears are just no longer on the tree!!

I have signed up for a mixed media postcard challenge and have to make 10 postcards and send them to people who will be like me....patiently waiting for theirs in the mail.  This will be my first and I look forward to it beginning next month!  I should link to her site so you can join too.  I'm off to see if I can make that happen. The author mentions that I could have grabbed a badge but I'm not sure how to do that so haven't.  Here is her address that you can copy and paste instead.  It would seem that I have some learning to do about using blogger.

http://musingsonrealities.blogspot.com/2011/12/international-mixed-media-postcard-swap.html

I'm almost done shopping and have wrapping to do!  Looking forward to that along with some spiced rum and eggnog!

Our Angel has Arrived

No need for Christmas presents this year; our first grandchild arrived on November 30th and she is so totally adorable.  We have waited nine long months for her arrival.  It seems that home birth was a good thing for my daughter (I had my reservations about it).   My hubby has finally put up the Christmas lights so I feel a bit more Christmassy.  We were waiting for our angel to be born and put everything else on hold.  She was a good weight 8.5 lbs; pretty good weight for a girl too.  My daughter just sent us a video of her after her first 8 days of life.  wow!  Technology is so fantastic!

Last night was the final art class at the McLaren Art Centre (I will miss going to them each Wednesday night).   We were still working on egg tempera.  What a strange medium!  I only got two layers so there really isn't much of a picture yet.  I'm very ambivalent about this way of painting; it just takes so long! We got to see a local artist who had a showing at the gallery and her work was lovely but just not for me.  Now there was a pencil artist work on show and I really loved his; Kelly Wallace.  Fascinating work!