Metal salt and pepper shakers on orange

Another early piece, completed before heading to Scotland in Summer 2025. Took it with me and gave it to mum, and only recently brought it home after her passing. 

Hung it on my art wall - love the way the metallic shakers reflect the orange around them, and am pleased with the strokes visible in the background. So easy to see flaws in my work at this early stage, but also lets me know how much I have learned throughout this first year of painting - I still enjoy painting metal.

 

Going through older paintings

As I look back on the start of my oil painting journey just over a year ago, I realize how far I have come over that time. Often, we can get caught up in how much we still do not know, when in actuality, we continue to improve (albeit slowly in my case) over time, while we continue to practice. 

I was so proud of this painting at the time, and still love it, even though I know there are many things I would do differently if repeating the painting now. I have also improved in how I take photos of my paintings and try to avoid shadows :)

    Two plums    July 2025

Restarting

 In the 15-16 years since starting this blog, I forgot it existed. Imaging my delight to have these small snippets of life turn up when I started planning a new blog for my artwork!

My photography and capturing small moments of life will continue.

However, I plan to also use this blog to document my art adventures, as I continue to learn to paint in oils.

I still feel like the luckiest, and am taking that description forward with me.

Red Cherries

June 2025

Preparing for the Danskin Triathlon

Today was the day - the arrival of the triathlon weekend. My heart and emotions were up and down throughout the day as Pam and I got ourselves registered and bikes racked. It's not 10:34pm and I'm getting supposed to be getting up at 4:00am - I doubt I will sleep tonight. Just trying to keep in my mind that I will start and finish and in between there will be some highs and some lows, but I will finish. We got our numbers written on our biceps and calves, 2735 feels lucky to me. Let's hope so!

Firefly Lane

Friday night, Sophie was in agony with her finger. She slept with me, but I didn't sleep well because I was so worried about her. I was so happy we had a free weekend, and was so tired so I made the most of it. Sophie and I read, read and read. I started and finished Firefly Lane, which has been on my bedside table for the longest time. I could not put it down. I related to the friendship the two main characters shared, and cried my way through the last chapter of the book. It took me almost all day and night - Euan had a party and Sophie read with me for a lot of the day then concentrated on her homework and I couldn't remember the last time I felt so indulgent with my time!
I finished The Beauty of Different this week too. Thought provoking to read what others though made them different, and also the lessons that were shared between the people interviewed for the book. Definitely one I'll be going back to re-read.

Three things:
1) So grateful Sophie has much less pain with her finger. Seeing the Dr again this week will hopefully get it sorted out.
2) Glad to have time to go to a meeting for mother/daughter philanthropy. Even though I don't think it's for us, I'm glad I had the chance to think about what we can be doing as a family to make a difference.
3) Grateful for a schedule-free weekend. So nice to relax, go at a slow pace and enjoy one anothers company.

sore finger

Today I took Sophie to the Dr to check out the sore finger she's had on and off for 2 weeks. It was x-rayed and there's no break in the bone, but there's damage to the ligament - the top part of her finger isn't aligning properly. I feel terrible. I really thought it would get better on it's own, but apparently not. We're going up to the hospital in the morning to have a hand specialist look at it. Hopefully it'll go well, and the damage isn't too bad. She still managed her soccer practice fine, with her finger in a splint, but she won't be doing keepering any time soon! Fingers crossed it fixes soon, without much pain.

forty

A wonderful birthday today. The kids came through in the morning and gave me a wonderful present that I'd been hoping for, for a long time. They went back to school today so Calum and I went downtown for the day. We walked around, window shopped, spent a chunk of time in Sur la Table then went for lunch at PF Changs - delicious.

I was so full of excitement today. I'm not sure where it came from, but I had been really looking forward to turning 40, and it did not disappoint!

Jan 2nd

 

A lovely brisk day. Started by calling home to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Spent the day getting ready for school (starting back tomorrow) and spending some quality time together. The storm drainage pond at the top of the road is frozen over so Euan and I headed up there in the morning to try our luck at breaking through the ice. We did manage to break through in a few spots, but were largely unsuccessful. After an early dinner the four of us went back up there and had fun trying to break through again. Sophie met some friends and Euan scoured the forest for logs to toss and break ice.
Getting soccer gear ready and school gear ready and talking to Sophie about what new things she might be interested in trying. Shower, watching AFV together and then time for bed. The day flew by, but we all enjoyed it.

Three Things :

1) Speaking to family back in Scotland

2) Having a lovely morning with Euan at the pond and going back again, the 4 of us.

3) An icy day that Euan got so much enjoyment from. That kid barely had his snow pants off all day!

December Daily

I'm hoping to finish my December Daily project this week. I am almost finished, with just 21-24th needing documented then posted onto my Flickr page.
Being the third year of doing this project, some things have changed but some things have been exactly the same as other years. Things that change are the activities we do during the month, the amount of catching up I have to do at the end of December and the style and size of the book I make. The things that stay the same are my love of this project and the excitement I feel throughout the month, the amazement of myself for completing a month long project and the love I have for the little fat book that's in my hands at the end of it. It'll be packed away with the Christmas decorations and pulled out next December to go on the coffee table with the other books for the kids (and Calum and I) to enjoy.

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

A New Year. I love this time, for making a fresh start and making changes.
As well as my training for the triathlon, I'm making exercise a forefront on my agenda this year. I have my yoga mat rolled and ready to go!
I'm planning on doing an art journal page most days and continuing with a gratitude journal (and my Three Things).
I've started with Ali's Yesterday and Today course and have my Project Life album ready for weekly documentation of our lives.

I'm looking forward to 2011. I've a feeling it's going to be a good one.

12 Days of Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas Day yesterday. Excitement, joy and a very early rise!

Traci has features one of the tags I made this year on her blog A Mix of Madness. Feeling quite delighted to be featured with other great artists.

Three Things :

1) A happy, healthy family
2) Excitement and joy on Christams Eve and Christmas Day
3) Having candles around the house and working by candlelight only - beautiful light and shadows

Christmas Magic

Christmas has been working its magic on me - I was awake before 6:00am and up at 7:00, even though we were up so late last night. I love being up first, moving quietly around the house when everyone else is asleep. I'm so excited about tomorrow and know we're going to have a really happy day.

Three Things
- So happy we have such good friends. Spent 10 hours at Pam's yesterday with the kids, and we still were not ready to leave when it came time to go.
- LOVED our day at Alki Beach today. It was so nice to have Calum home from work - he's been working so hard lately.
- Thankful for our health. Thanking my lucky stars that my results were clear and follow-up yesterday went so well.

Gratitude

I've been thinking about gratitude a lot lately, especially from reading Karenika's blog everyday. Decided to aim for my own three things each day too. Such a good way to end the day, thinking of the good things that have happened.

Three things :
1) Enjoying a morning coffee and laughter with a good friend.
2) Having my daughter confide some bad news to me. Trying to be the best I can be when navigating through unchartered waters. Not giving into how I feel about a situation and trying to put myself in her shoes.
3) A friend confiding in me and feeling glad she trusts me with her thoughts.

Thinking about the past

Looking for a family heirloom for Sophie's school project. Only have a few old things and this was one of them. Sent my mind in a spin thinking of where this ring had been and what kind of life the wearer may have had. Funny how a little thing can have your mind racing for hours.

Memories

When I was  young, a 21/22 year old (1992), at the end of my summer inter-railing through Europe, I happenend upon a chapel in Italy. I remember wanting to go inside and feeling a sense of belonging, so inside I went. I was a bit dubious about leaving my rucksack with tent and all belongings at the front of the chapel, but it seemed wrong to bring it into the main area (I've no idea what it's called) with me. I sat at one of the front rows and I prayed. For many things, but mainly for a better life and to be a better person, and forgiveness for the wrongs I'd done. I'd made many mistakes and sometimes hadn't the courage to stand up for what I wanted, or what I believed to be true, so I prayed. I cried. The priest came close to me and saw the tears on my face. I felt embarrased, but relieved that there was a language barrier, so I didn't have to pour out my thoughts to him (at the same time feeling envy for the confessional boxes). I felt lighter, free'er and happy that my belongings were still there at the entrance to the chapel. I forgave myself. Life is for living and learning. I sometimes forget, but remembering always brings that 21/22 year old girl back to me and the realisation that I am enough and everything is ok. We do the best we can at that particular time and place, and that's ok. If only I had the knowledge then that I do now. What I could say to make it better. That's the beauty of life and living.

Random Thoughts

My head is spinning with thoughts. Thoughts of finishing the curtains for the patio door, putting 2 new buttons on Sophie's shirt, addressing all the thoughts that seem to fill my mind.... I sit and close my eyes. The sound of the aquarium that really needs a good cleaning, the hum of the washing machine and dishwasher promising newly cleaned goods for the morning, Calum testing out some new bikes that were for his birthday back in August, Sophie making it through her homework (due for tomorrow) working on my laptop, Euan with his funny everyday notions, firing on my bum with his Nerfgun as I cleaned the downstairs toilet. This is life captured today. Delight at purchasing red, felt ricrac for my December daily album, feeling a sense of achievement that this is the third year of documenting our month of December and feeling like an athlete for going for a run at 7:40am this morning when I could have stayed in bed. Small accomplishments that leave me feeling I am capable of taking on the world. Today was a good day, a very good day.

The Lost Symbol

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Symbol-Robert-Langdon-No/dp/0385504225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281322881&sr=8-1-spell

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this Dan Brown novel, but it held less suspense than 'The Da Vinci Code' or even 'Angels and Demons'. I do enjoy his books, especially the little insights into other religions, groups and cults and interesting geographic tidbits that are thrown in. Worth a read.

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

I loved reading this book, even though it was full of disfunctional family relationships and suffering. I am always shocked when I read books of this sort - realising that situations like this happen all over the world, and it's not just a 'story'.

man and boy ~ Tony Parsons

I bought this book in a small cafe/restaurant in Luss, Scotland. We'd stopped for lunch there and they had a small corner where they were selling second hand books, with the money going into an empty jam jar. I loved the way I came across this book and when I started reading it, I was so glad I came across it - I couldn't put this book down.
It was a great story of love, relationships, family and life. I could see me reaading this one again as I thoroughly enjoyed it this time round. One I'll be passing onto friends.

To Do Lists

Sometimes when I have a huge list of things to do, I feel overwhelmed before even starting. Then I have a day like today where I just keep chipping away until eventually I wonder why I was so stressed about starting in the first place. I like that, and hope next time I'll feel less anxious about getting started!