The Lily The modest Rose puts forth a thorn, The humble sheep a threat’ning horn: While the Lily white shall in love delight, Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright. ~ William Blake You can buy a print of this on Society6. There’s phone cases, throw pillows, mugs, and rugs too!
The Lion is my latest watercolour painting and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It didn’t take a long time to complete, but I did have a few hairy moments (no pun intended) while working on it — the eyes and nose are usually a make or break for animal artwork (at least for me). … [Read more]
When painting with watercolour, my biggest challenge is never the detail, it’s those simple washes! I can’t quite get ’em right — always going a few brush strokes too far. But give me pictures with craggy rocks and weathered wood, and I get giddy! The more detail in a picture, the more light and shadow, … [Read more]
Whenever I see orchids I think of Georgia O’Keeffe and her sensual orchid paintings (and, of course, lady parts). Her work has always wowed me for it’s smooth lines and gorgeous use of colour.
Autumn, that wonderful time of year when everything looks burnt, cracked, weathered and aged. Here’s one of my favourite paintings that always makes me think of the sweetness of fall. You can buy a print of this on Society6. There’s iPhone and iPad covers too!
After a night of imbibing too much sangria with some good friends, I lazed in bed this morning and finished my first art portfolio book. This was the simplest Blurb book so far—not much text or layout styles required. Easy peasy. One thing that stood out while I was creating the book was the huge … [Read more]
Last year, I made a simple New Year’s resolution to start painting again. After procrastinating for more than eight months, I finally got down to it. It felt good. Like, really good. It became a bright spot to come home to after some frustrating days at work. It was in junior high when my art … [Read more]
For over a week I haven’t had a clue what to paint next. I was thinking weathered tree knots or rocks on the beach; something with a lot of texture. Well, as you can see, what I ended up doing was the complete opposite of that. I decided to try a simple, white orchid after … [Read more]
My latest painting comes from a photograph I took at the Portobello Road Market last year in London. The market is so vibrant and has lots of teapots and pictures of chickens, dogs and horses (why so many chicken pictures?). It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning in London. You can purchase … [Read more]
This week I started digging through some old artwork and brought out my portfolio. I’m not gonna lie, it creaked like an old man’s knees; it’s been so long since I opened the darn thing. Once inside, I found a few treasures I thought I would share. One of them is from 1990! 21 freaking … [Read more]
At home in my sun room there is a piece I completed years ago that is an overhead view of people carrying large yellow umbrellas. (Or “oh, those are pretty flowers, Kirsten” if you are my aunt Colleen.) It’s one of my favourites, so last week I set out to give umbrellas another go. This … [Read more]
While visiting Vancouver this year, we took a trek out to UBC so I could see my old school. We walked around campus, checked out the old dormitory, and ended up at the Museum of Anthropology. The building’s architecture is spectacular, and once inside, you will find a rich and fascinating collection of handmade items … [Read more]
Over the years, I have tried numerous times to grow bunches of poppies in the garden and they either die out or don’t even come up in the first place. Except this one, a light peachy oriental poppy that sprouts one or two blooms a season for me. They only live a few days, but … [Read more]
Don’t you just love the colours of fall? For me, the beauty of this season makes the short transition from Manitoba’s beautiful summers to harsh winters bearable. I’m on a roll with the painting right now. This is my latest piece. I’m using Michael O’Callaghan’s beautiful “Autumn Leaves” photo as a reference. It doesn’t look as vibrant as … [Read more]
So last January I made a simple resolution to start painting again. After 9 months of saying it, I have actually got off my butt and started doing it. Ah, procrastination, how I love thee. My first painting in over 2 years is of my favourite grumpy guy, Stanley. This feline friend isn’t your regular … [Read more]
