all reach out to surrounding waters the playground for sea creatures, sailors, swimmers delight. Smitten in love with our island heritage I paint for the sheer fun of it.
]]>
]]>I am learning a few skills I believe can be life changing to augment my view, my world.
According to Feng Shui ourhome has portals, cardinal directions of enhanced energy. When we align with these areas using colour, shape, harmony of intention, it activates the perfect beauty purpose you wish. For example, The top left corner of a room is the creative wealth abundance area.Originally enhanced art that carry the energy of wealth, creativity, vitality, purpose gives added energy to manifest our desire. For me Originally Enhanced Art with Flowers or pleasing Landscapes can open doors to this flowing wealth of a spiritually aligned abundantly creative life.Colour has resonance. Purple, warming pinks, oranges lift my spirits. I place crystals close by knowing their frequency amplifies the intention I give.A home life filled with heart centred intention gives me abundant vitality.Each day is an adventure in discovering tools to awareness of what, how, why this one life is precious.With each aware moment I know we together can create a beautiful world, harmonious, while enhancing our life it in turn enhances others.A ripple effect is felt around the world with each intentional vibration.
As Mothers Day approaches I am reminded of a painting I created with my Mother in thought. My mother was an avid gardener. I fondly remember Mom joyfully picking wildflowers one very warm Spring. The glee she emanated was so palpable that to this day I smile in recollection. Today I often garden with my daughter Lauren. Each of our gardens side by side are as different and yet similar values as my mothers. I believe our energy vibes are shared with each other, like treasured jewels we continue to pass along these good feelings.
Enjoy this sneak peek of a tiny new original series called "Good Vibes"
‘Wildflower Simplicity’ although painted a few years ago I am thrilled to be featuring it again, now on fine art canvas, It’s new translation is more powerful especially when I give it original enhancing.
In the spirit of Mothers Day I introduce a beautiful study series I call "Rose Bud and Daisy's" mini paintings that again take me back to my love of gardens and flowers.
‘And So My Garden Grows’ This Spring, although slow to warm, is gifting my return to hands and knees in my garden in delight of unfolding colour, as in slow motion the usual crescendo of burgeoning blossoms takes on deeper appreciation for each slow emergence.
]]>
Painting is but a dream of the world I choose to see for its beauty.
As our world twists and turns navigating a rampant infection that has affected everyone for the past year my personal solace is deepening into the visual story of my recent France adventures, as painting is but a dream of the world I choose to see for its beauty.
Flowers en mass fragrance a whole village. It is little wonder Yves Rocher the herbal master alchemist sourced the abundance of nature’s healing gifts around him.
‘Alchemist Home’
‘Tent Flowers’ and ‘Sing to the Flowers’
I explore flower stalls at the little town markets that roam across every region.
Sitting at cafes a favourite occupation is sketching the abundance about me. It’s nuances only plein d’air offers.
Our last six weeks of France was spent in the small canal village of Poilhes, in Languedoc.
‘The Canal du Midi’ with moored holiday boats occupied hours of gazing at the creative array of floating homes.
By far my sacred wanderings were most thrilling in discovering remote hamlets in the mountains separating France and Spain. Since 1971 Duart and I have explored the narrow roads through Basques country, the land of The Cathar, edging into moorish Spain. By chance we came across Mount Bugarach enroute to Perpignan.
Jules Verne authored ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ because of his long fascination with caves and tunnels about this mountain. My exaggerated imagination wide open to extraterrestrial presence felt its presence. The mystery a metaphor as the cloud cover that ever so slowly wafted over its rugged face. .......... ‘Portal in the Pyrenees’
Thousands of photos, dozens of FB and Instagram posts, pages and pages of writings while experiencing the richness of my favourite places it is these and a dozen more paintings I treasure. Their rich colour combinations, captured moments in my mind as I filter my perceptions from kilometres of traveled roads, thick dusty books found on owners shelves in century old stone houses we called home for our brief time in their magical world.
‘Russell Island Homestead’ and ‘Mahoi House’ two views of a beloved heritage home on tiny Russell Island, located at the mouth of Fulford Harbour by Salt Spring Island.
Painting Mahoi House in my studio.
Maria Mahoi of Hawaiian descent acquired the island, raised over a dozen children, farmed the wilds and sailed for her pleasure about the island. Legendary! Her relations over the years have come into the gallery asking if I would paint the old homestead. With abundant pleasure!
Painting Russell Island Homestead in my studio.
Over my boating years this was a favourite destination. Now a Provincial Park, only boat accessible without dock and so moorage is the only option. Once anchored, a row ashore one is transported to a century ago. A worn path twists about part of the island eventually finding its way to this tiny house. Overgrown orchards, yesteryear homestead are the treasure.
Roses Blooming
I am caught in the presence of nature, enchanted with each flowering. My climbing red rose meanders across our weathered wall giving life fragrance, joy to all who walk past. Deepening into this Rose, it’s old world crimson has a visceral vibration.
My paint palette now juicy with newly squeezed pigment beckons me to swirl my brush and dance deeper with my canvas capturing the moment.
I feel invisible forces lift my spirit as my heart, it’s guiding wisdom gifts self empowerment a knowing this is my place of joy.
The old cottage home I live in near the sea has perfect combination of wind, salt, sun and love. Graced with many roses in my surrounding each has perfection, yet different. A towering apricot billows above a wood trellised gate. A sweet heart floribunda pink cascades over our bedroom balcony. I pick a few for the dining table, hardly able to part with them and so as they fade I dry and string in garlands. This Spring roses are embedded somewhere in each of my paintings. Original work inspired from Fall and Winter travels in France The Rose surfaces lending support, context to each story.
Alchemical Rose properties is the aid I use in my meditations. The energy of The Rose used since The Essenes andTemplar times is a gift to assist in our rise of consciousness. A simple tool for clearing, uplifting is my daily ritual.
A painting image, a dried potpourri, or fresh flowers from a garden, The Rose is love powerful and healing.
My art catalogues below is a link, features most of my paintings that roses with their healing love energy embrued.
We settle into our new home for the next six weeks, Poilhes near Beziers, 25 minutes from the Mediterranean.
We chose a tiny village house by the Canal du Midi. Terracotta flattened roofs replace the steep slate of the Dordogne region. Stone is smeared with gnarled crumbled stucco, shutters and secrets are closed shut most of the time. Plane trees line the avenues, vineyards and olive dot this areas more level landscape. The Languedoc, its ancient history has fascinated us since we first visited in the early 70’s. Then we charted a canal boat and navigated The Canal du Midi. A feat of brilliant engineering by Pierre-Paul Riquet, 1667 to 1681.
Sete to Castelnaudary we floated and motored this narrow canal twisting through marshes, entering locks to upland farms and orchards. This canal originally provided transport of grapes to the Atlantic. But 49 years ago we climb the slimy ladders to open or close one side of the lock while the lock-keeper with cigarette in mouth gives staccato conversation winching on the other side. His wife sells us eggs or whatever is growing in her garden. We in our early 20’s are young explorers. France tourism in the remote countryside was an adventure.
Languedoc is a calling I believe. For almost 50 years we find our way back to discover more of its secrets. Books by Kate Mosse, Henry Lincon and others have stirred our caldron, feeding our desire to understand something about us our relationship to this land. It quietly calls us back.
This time our compass is set towards the west, southwest. We will explore from sea level at The Mediterrean to vast vineyards and olive orchards, to the foothills and mighty Pyrenees. Hamlets, villages, thermal bains, chateaus and ruins, roman edifices and caves. Village markets, Cathar and Albigian history, pilgrimage sites and churches. The energy of its dwellings and the lands all stir that special something to believe in, remember and document. The backroads of the Languedoc will take us up the western Pyrenees spine as far as St Jean Pied a Porte. South to Spain. East to Montpellier. I need slow travels to instinctively stop to walk, converse, take a meal, linger in a village centre or vista point. We are adventurers with appreciation for old worn loved pieces I thrill to experience and share with you what I discover.
]]>
Painting France from my little centuries old farm house in Le Lot is a meandering remembering visual of conversations while driving the back roads of The Causse.
“Oh look there’s a house for sale, back up, look at the swale of the roof, of how the building swoons to the land, of the stone and vegetation that climb, integrate, becomes a story of lives living in harmony with with this very place. Colours, texture even the sounds of distant sheep.”
Church bells ring out the hour, I photograph then we drive on. A town in the far distance it’s spire high above the huddle of slate and clay roof tops mark out ‘CentreVille’. Winding narrow roads only a car width, with firmly clipped verges neat as could be lead us to the edge of town. Ah a ‘village fluerie’ indicates a small community that cared enough to create plantings on road ways, window sills and even boxes placed in equal spaces on railings across bridges in order to get their designation. 1,2 or 3 flowers indicate the dedication the community has to their beauty. I imagine neighbours pride in maintaining their baskets. The uplifted feeling of cared for villages energizes the buildings, the faces of the inhabitants and the care that drivers have in slowing down making a stop at the village square for a walk about or a stop for lunch.
I love France for all of these things.
]]>