Snowmen

I don't know why I have a fascination with snowmen/people.  Their simplicity and brevity of life makes them appealing.  The reflected colours from their environment create levels of interest.  The character that emerges depending on placement of facial features is endless.

This afternoon, after a busy morning I got cozy on the sofa and created these little snow characters in watercolour.  They're in a watercolour Moleskine sketchbook and tiny, just 3 x 5 inches.  Just right for experimenting.

Christmas giveaways

Just to prove that I do paint other things than fish, here is a crop of a  painting that I'm working on of a pile of kittens.  Perhaps they're looking for fish...

“Be the change we want to see in the world.” Ghandi

Because Christmas should be about the spirit of giving, I will be giving away some gifts for seven days starting on December 24th, Christmas Eve.  The gifts will be a piece of my art, a set of notecards, prints, etc. Yes, I know Christmas officially has twelve days, but I'm shortening it a little to allow me time to catch up on other things over the holidays.

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on my blog up til midnight on the day of the draw.  I will draw the name using www.random.org and announce the winner in the next day's post.  Of course, here's the catch:  the person who wins then has to Pay it Forward. The winner each day must provide a creative gift or do a good deed for three people and post about it on their blog.  I won't be checking up on you, I'll take you at your word that you will Pay it Forward, but if you let me know about it, I'd love to share it on this blog too.

 Check back on December 24th and start planning your way to to Pay it Forward this season!

Many of you may have seen the movie or read the book “Pay It Forward”, a story about a  young boy who did 3 good deeds for others in need. In return, all that the child wanted was that they pass on the good deed to three other people and keep the cycle going.

One good deed might not seem like much, but if everyone did something good for someone else, then the cycle of generosity and kindness can spark us to become better people. Pay it Forward is a powerful reminder of the positive difference we can all make, regardless of our age, background or wealth.

New note cards available!

At last the Salt Cod I cards are available.  These are sitting on the wonderful Ruby, my lumpsucker friend.  These cards have a lighter background than the original cards and I think this pale turquoise sets off the gold/brown well.

These cards are 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches and include a plain envelope.  I'll be making them available for purchase on my Giclee and Cards page.  I will also have these available in sets of 8 cards in a kraft coloured, clear top box, with matching envelopes, tied with a ribbon.  They would make a wonderful New Year or birthday gift.  They may possibly be available locally in time for Christmas, but some wild winds are slowing the ferry delivering parcels to the island, so it may not be possible, but I anticipate they will be available by January 1, 2011.

Poinsettias

I did this little watercolour while on the telephone the other night.  Its a small piece, perhaps 3 x 5 in a little Moleskine watercolour sketchbook, that I'd forgotten I had. (Cleaning up the studio unearths all kinds of treasure!)

I love the look of really large poinsettias and have tried year after year to keep them growing until the next season, but eventually they curl up and die in my hands.  There's a trick with light levels I know for getting the bracts to turn colour, but mine just die completely with barren stems.  I think artificial ones might be better for me.

This little watercolour will be one of the Christmas gifts that I will be giving away in my newsletter.  Join today and see how you can have a chance to win it and other pieces. But be quick!  The newsletter is published on the 15th.  You can join the list by adding your email address in the box on the right side of this blog.

Tomorrow I pick up the Salt Cod I note cards from the printer.  They forgot me it seems.  Two weeks ago I ordered the cards then checked on them today.  Funny how quickly they can move when they realize they're at risk of losing a customer.  The cards were ready by end of business today.

Gyotaku exhibition

Tonight St. John's gets its first glimpse of my gyotaku pieces.  I brought six pieces to Bacalao, a wonderful nouvelle cuisine restaurant in a unique setting that will showcase the pieces in their dining rooms for patrons to view and purchase.  The restaurant is in a renovated older Victorian house in the centre of St. John's consisting of several small, cosy dining rooms with the original fireplaces.  The food is local and delicious and I'd strongly recommend that you book a table for a special lunch or dinner soon.

Bacalao (bak-al-OW) and its dirivitives is the word for salt cod throughout the Mediterranean and in Portugal and Newfoundland had very strong ties with Portugal for hundreds of years with the fishing fleets that populated St. John's harbour.  One of the pieces being shown at Bacalao is Salt Cod I - the first in a series of salt fish gyotaku prints, so the fit with this restaurant works very well.

I have a limited number of this print available as well as note cards that will be available for purchase soon.