Started, nearly done...

and done.  In the studio, things are always in a constant state of flux.

From a Gelli prints piece that is finished

Stitching it Together  10 x 8 mixed media on panel  © Win Dinn

 to another that is nearly done,

 and one that that is 'almost nearly' done (I think it needs some Pebeo liner to funky it up),

to a stencil work that impresses me not at all after seeing my daughter use it as a springboard (see her result with this technique here)

and a piece that wonders where the heck it's going,

it's a kaleidoscope of colour no matter where I look.  Is it any wonder that my studio is a constant call, no matter the weather?

Sharing the studio...

...with friends and family is always such fun.  Rochelle (daughter) and her boyfriend Dylan had a play session on Sunday evening, and then Rochelle and I spent the day in the studio yesterday after Dylan headed back to Alberta.

Rochelle had a blast with the stencils,

Gelli plate,

mediums

 and paint.

Dylan enjoyed using the paint brush alone, and I found this starry night on my easel Monday morning.

All of Rochelle's pieces show a love of complex texture,

 and the inherited passion for colour, both strong

and muted.

 I'd say if she weren't such a passionate animal lover/healer, she'd have a great future as an artist.

Here she is at play - she got that hairy eyeball look from yours truly.  

I'm hoping your studio is filled with family and friends this summer, too - it adds such fun to the space.

From studio...

...to kitchen, summer is one colour hit after another here.

In the studio, I'm working on a scratch-back piece of claybord, liberally covered with alcohol inks...and it's taking forever  (Alice, I'll get you back for this madness!).  Note the subtlety of the colour combination.

 In the kitchen, I'm seeding mashed raspberries for later use.

Back to the studio, where I'm experimenting with heavy acrylic gel, squished through a stencil over a plastic wrap background - yummy effect.

In the kitchen again I'm stirring chocolate and some of that raspberry puree together to make some chocolate raspberry sauce.  WARNING:  Yummy to the nth degree, and very addictive.

This 3 x 3" miniature painting includes a Gelli printed background, a sticky dog-hair removal strip used to clean up the Gelli plate, and a paper towel that soaked up a beet juice spill in the kitchen...nothing goes to waste in either location!

The first batch of salsa came out of the garden this morning;  unfortunately it doesn't come ready-chopped or -canned.  

 Back in the studio, I played with Carolyn Dube's colorful twist technique just for fun.

 Even the pantry gets in on the act, as the sauce section starts to fill

and compete for space with the jam section.

Watch this space for further additions by summer's end, since the tomatoes have barely started to come on.

Meanwhile, I steal as much time as possible in the studio just to keep my sanity...bless those Gelli plate inventors!

I tell myself I'm getting my exercise climbing up and down the stairs between the kitchen and studio. What stories are you telling yourself about your summer?

An addiction...

to summer and the day lilies that arrive annually, means John has planted more than a few in the garden.

 They range from the softest of pinks,

 to wine-throated yellow.

They strut their colours of lime and dusk,

 or daffodil yellow.

Seemingly demure, they throw out exotic combinations,

that make the ladies of the night seem muted in comparison.

 One needs to admire their colour and variety,

as they flaunt their seasonal beauty.  And each year, I wonder how I could bottle those colours for mixed media...I think they'd make great colour sprays!

Time Out...

Don't we all need it?

This past week, I spent a day 'up the lake' with Laura Leeder and Eileen Gidman (thanks for driving, Eileen!).  Laura and her husband Ivor have a permanent campsite there, and it's a beauty.

Laura and Ivor's campsite

 We spent some lovely hours sitting in the shade on a day that was 33°+,

Eileen and I relaxing

 before we headed to the lake for a swim.

Laura and Eileen hit the water

Along with the relaxation, conversation and camaraderie, I was particularly entranced with these lovely shadows on the storage tent,

 which were even more beautifully filigreed close-up.

A stunningly beautiful day, wonderful company and major relaxation - what could be more quintessentially summer?  Thank you Laura and Eileen - it was a marvellous break!