IF - Wings

Hello!  I'm back with another Illustration Friday.  The word of the week is "Wings."  I thought I was going to have time to do two images this week, since I did this first one on Sunday, but it turned out that it was very good that I did, because that was my only chance to do it this week.  Funny how that works.  Anyway, this is my painting for the week - pretty fun, I think!

BRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Hello! Well, winter has hit really and truly around here.  It's been between -12 and -26 (with windchill) for about a week now.  BRRRRRRRRRRRR!  We haven't been getting outside too much, so we've been trying to find ways to amuse ourselves in the house.  Thank goodness for videos from the library! Although Griffin had watched so many Max & Ruby videos that he was starting to use only one-word sentences.  Hmmm.  Not so good. They all went back on Friday.

We've made necklaces out of cut-up wool sweaters.  I got a giant needle, and Griffin strung them all by himself.  One for everyone.

And we've made muffins, and drawings, and paintings.  Holly is getting pretty good at using the felts.  But I'm ready for some warmer days now!
I'm sure there are about a million other fun, indoor things we could be doing, but I just can't seem to find the energy at the moment.  I'd rather sit on the couch in front of the fire, with a tea and a book!  Truly not my best parenting week, but I'm sure we'll snap out of it soon.  We did spend quite a bit of time playing with these toys I made the kids for Christmas.

I had initially thought of them just as little wooden animals, but then I started stacking them, and they became ten times funner.  They're kind of addicting, in an Angry Birds kind of way.

We all had a lot of fun, stacking them, knocking them over, and stacking them in new and wondrous creations (until someone knocked them down again).  I did have them all stacked in a big circle, all sitting on the bear, but I couldn't guard them long enough to get the camera out.  And, really, knocking them down is at least as much fun as stacking them up.  I mean, really.

Yesterday we made forts, but they were pretty weak.  We definitely have some fort-building practice in store for us.  And there's been talk of picking up another washing machine box for the kids to decorate and play in.  Sometimes I find it hard to find things we can all do together.

Holly is down to one nap a day now, and it never seems to last very long.  Not to me, anyway! Speaking of which, she just woke up!  Bye for now!

IF - Myth

Hello!  The word on Illustration Friday this week is "Myth."  I actually had a few drawings that I worked up for this one, but only one that made it all the way to finished.  Holly didn't nap this week while Griffin was out at preschool, so I went back to the pencil crayons for this one.  It took a lot longer, but was much easier to pick up and put down, so it was worth it in the end.
I don't know why I had so much trouble settling on an image for Myth.  I think because it's such a big, loaded word - something that I feel in the pit of my stomach, and I had trouble coming up with an image that could capture that.  Anyway, in the end the obvious choice was the simplest one.  And, looking up at the stars, I think, is something that anyone can connect to.

Hm.  Not the best scan, I guess (don't mind all that funky grey around the edges - the bears, it's all about the bears!)  I tried blending the pencil crayons with water, and the paper buckled a bit.  Anyway, I think the image comes across.  This is Illustration Friday # 19 for me!  Time is flying!

Snow Day

Hello!  I find myself with a little moment here, while Holly is down for her nap and Griffin is watching his John Deere video, and I thought I would pop in here to say "hi".  We're well and truly back into our routine now, so our days fill up pretty quickly.

But we have still been able to find some time to play in the snow, here and there.

IF - Ocean

Hello!  Back this week with a new painting for Illustration Friday.  The word this week is Ocean.  Those nearest and dearest to me know that I have a serious love for the ocean, and pretty much anything related to it in any way.  Most of the art that I make on my own references the ocean in some way, so I wanted to do something this week that I would be willing to hang on my wall.  I even painted it on a canvas, to make that easy.
So here it is, just can't resist those old-time ladies splashing in the waves:

IF-Edge

Ah, I didn't get this one done.  I knew it was ambitious when I thought of it, but I had been hoping.  Anyway, here it is as a work-in-progress.  "Edge" made me think of the story of Rose Red and Snow White, which I always liked as a kid.  Although it's kind of an odd duck of a story.  I really liked how they were so comfortable in the forest they would just sleep out there, even though one night they slept too close to the edge of a cliff.  There's a little golden boy in there somewhere, which didn't make it into my picture.  But what I really loved was that they combed the bear's hair while they lounged by the fire.  Why?  I don't know.  An odd duck, indeed.  Here it is, scanned from my sketchbook:

Better luck next week!

Winter Ramble

Hello again!  Hope you are well on this crisp clear winter day!  We currently have about a foot of snow on the ground, not counting the piles.  There are piles of snow everywhere.  It's absolutely heavenly if you happen to be 3-1/2 years old.

It's finally warm enough that the floors don't numb your feet (or hands, if you happen to still be crawling - you'd think that would be good incentive to walk!)  The sun is shining in the windows, once again.  So, naturally, I am sitting at the computer!  (Sheesh!)

Griffin has begun "swearing" as only a 3-1/2-year-old can.  If Holly does something he doesn't like, he shouts "Booger, Holly! No!  Booger!"  Yesterday morning, he added to his lexicon - Holly tried to grab his truck, and he snatched it back and shouted "Barf!"  I can't help it - it makes me laugh.  What a wonderful spontaneous way to express something we've all felt.  Plus, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before more mainstream words make their way into his vocabulary, so I am going to enjoy this stage while I can.

Holly has been busy growing teeth - two more this week.  She now has 4 on top, and 1 on the bottom.  A bit lopsided, but pretty cute.  She is happily quite a handful.  I just had to stop typing because she somehow managed to climb into a box that Jai had left on the couch and then managed to slide the box off the side of the couch, while in it.  That's my girl!

 We took Christmas down today.  It's always kind of nice, at the end of the season, to get your room back.  Now it feels like the new year.  I start thinking ahead... what will 2013 bring?  Jai and I are trying to make a list of all the things that need us to spend money on them, so we can try and plan out where our limited resources will be going in the next year.  As always, the list out is longer than the list in, but it is nice to be thinking ahead, and dreaming of little ways to make improvements.  My lists always start out with the fun stuff, and end up with the stuff that I remember as I go - things like maintenance, repairs, and bills.  Jai looked at my list, and said, "that looks right, if we do it in reverse order."  Booger!

IF - NEW

Ah yes, Happy New Year (again)!  It seemed appropriate to post this today, since the Illustration Friday word this week is "New".  This is the first picture I have made with my new Bamboo tablet (a drawing screen and pen) and I am still getting the hang of it, but loving using it, too.  It's pretty fun to see everything you do show up on the screen, and, although I do not consider myself a control freak, it's pretty neat to have so much control.  I suppose that is also it's downside.  Anyway, on to the picture!

I had a LOT of fun making this!

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2013.

I have a moment to sit and type, but I'm not feeling particularly introspective.  2012 was a good year.  Mostly, it was a lot of firsts for Holly - she went from a newborn to a toothsome crawling, climbing, singing and dancing little wonder.

Griffin became a potty master, went to preschool for the first time, learned his alphabet, and in general became even more of an amazing little person in his own right.

As a family, we made it out to Ontario to visit Jai's family, and introduce them to it's two newest members.  We all loved spending some time at the camp with all the Soloys, and are so grateful to them for flying us all out.

Also, my grandparents came out to meet Holly and visit with us, and we were all SO GLAD to have them.

Jai continued on his geocaching quest, and managed to ride all the waves of change that have been coming through the Bookmobile department.

I continued to grow my photography business, and began a commitment to create at least one illustration every week, despite it all.

We did some big changes in our living space, mostly moving furniture around and re-figuring things, so that we are even more comfortable in our home than before.  We managed to save up enough to get a new computer, which I am using right now to type up this post.

 It was a lot of little things, and a couple of big ones, and they all added up so fast it can make my head spin.  Mostly, 2012 was a year of family - of loving, and learning, for all of us.

And I look forward to a whole lot more in 2013!  Happy New Year to all of you.

IF-Glow

Hello!  This week the word for Illustration Friday was "Glow."  I almost decided it wasn't going to happen, what with Christmas and all, but in the end, I just really didn't want to miss one, now that I've started.  I'd love to do one every week for at least a year, before I take any breaks!
Anyway, here it is:

Inspired by my friend's Advent Spiral, where all the kids hold lanterns and walk a spiral through the snow for the Solstice.  Unfortunately we missed it, as it was on the same night as the Goulden Family Christmas Party, but this is sort of how I imagine it would have gone :)

Griffin's First Christmas Concert

Here it is - Griffin's first pre-school Christmas Concert.  As you can see, he was really REALLY good at Jingle Bells.  Once you start, it's hard to stop.  Check him out, front and centre:

Favourite Christmas moment of the year, right there!

IF-Snow

Hello again!  This week, the Illustration Friday word was "Snow."  My first instinct was to try and do something that could be a Christmas card one day, but then I came across this quote by Matsuo Basho (as seen in the picture) and this image blasted into my head, so I had to do it.  Hmmm... Not very good for a Christmas card, but fun, nonetheless.
This week Holly once again refused to nap while Griffin was at preschool, so I pulled out the pencil crayons (less mess).  I actually think they are perfect.  Hope you like it, too!

Cookies, Candles, Carols, and Teeth

 Hello!  I only have a moment before I have to go and pick Griffin up from preschool, but I thought I would pop in and say hi.

 We've been busy little beavers around here - making Christmas cookies, decorating Christmas cookies, eating Christmas cookies... Needing to make more Christmas cookies, because the first two batches are all gone, and Christmas is still a week away.
 I finally accomplished something I've been wanting to do for what seems like forever - I made some dipped beeswax tapers.  And I'm in love.  The whole process (which I did with a couple of girlfriends and a house full of kids) was wonderful - start to finish.  And the candles!  It's so much better burning candles you actually made yourself.  All the usual goodness, and then some.  Now I just need to get the beeswax from my own bees... well, a girl can dream.

 Griffin has been singing Jingle Bells all around the town.  Down the street, through the grocery store, at the checkout.  Everyone was smiling, in the whole store.  Hopefully he will actually sing it in the preschool Christmas concert!
Holly has grown two teeth.  One on top, and one on the bottom.  She likes to click them together, and grin.  She definitely has a mad wicked grin - something like I imagine her father had, in his early days.
Anyway,  I gotta run now, but I'll be back in the next day or two with my next installment for Illustration Friday - I just finished it today, and it's pretty fun.  Till then!

IF - Explore

The word this week on Illustration Friday is "Explore."  I started sketching and ended up with the idea of a girl flying around on the back of a bird.  Griffin thought up the kites.  This one I did with acrylic paint, and the computer.  I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

Post #401

Hello again!  Somehow I missed it, but that last post was #400.  400 posts on this little bog!  Somehow it seems like more and less.  Hmmm... we've seen some pretty big changes around here.

I'm sitting here, listening to Jill Barber, Rose Cousins, and Meaghan Smith sing Christmas songs, stopping every few words to just sit and gaze at our beautiful Christmas tree, which we just put up tonight, with all the love in the world.  I know there are good days and bad days, sad days and joyful days to come, but I can't imagine life getting too much better than this.

So I hope for you that you get a few moments just like this one, this holiday season.