Did I need more paper?

Of course not, but when I spied a free class from Catherine Rains, I just had to try it.  Now I'm snowed under with sheets of papers, all in the palette of Pyrrol Red, Hansa Yellow, and black and white as directed in Collage Kickstart. As always, I'm amazed at the number of colours that can be obtained with a couple of tubes of paint plus  B/W.

The studio is chaos again as always, with drying paper everywhere and piles stacked up and near-teetering over.  This is only halfway through lesson three of five, so goodness knows how many sheets will be in the end count before the last lesson.  That will be one of creating collages from the stacks.

Of course, you know I'll be wanting to try it all again in a cool palette...I'm already salivating at the thought!

I also managed to remember my phone on an early morning walk to the gym...it only took three months!!  I caught a host of photos of shadows and reflections on a dark and rainy morning - here are two of my faves.

 

I'm looking forward to checking out your blogs this week.  It's always so inspiring.  In the meantime, please send help in the form of a front end loader to help move these paper piles, will you?  

All around us..

...are shadows, and they have fascinated me my whole life.  Whether they're organic and cast on a fence,

Fence peekers & climbers

 or man-made and include a reflection,

Vodka?  No, perhaps water. :D

they hold an aura of mystery.

Lamp dance.

 I love them in colour,

Screen door in the studio

 or in the muted tones cast on concrete.

My mom and I on our last trip together

In fact, I love them anyhow and anywhere.

Wood grain and flowers

What about you - are you a fan of shadows?  Do you have a favourite?  I'd love to hear about it, so let me know in your comments!

It's tiny...

...but lovely, our tree.  And with my fascination for shadows, I can't help but think how it's a metaphor for the world in which we live.  It is glorious, it sparkles, it dances with joy, and yet there is a shadow behind it all.

This Christmas, the shadows are hatred, bigotry, wars and terrorism, just to name a few.

With all our consumerism and penchant for believing things matter more than life, perhaps it's time to throw some light on the shadows.

This Christmas, and in 2016, I'll be spending a little more time reflecting on ways in which I might do so, just a little, from where I am right now.

I hope you'll do the same.  In the meantime, I'm wishing you and yours the best of the season as you experience the serenity of time with your family and friends.  Merry Christmas.

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!

Shadows

As much as I enjoy the richness and complexity of colour, I am also drawn to shadows.  To me, they are both a metaphor for the dark side of our psyche and a unique way of viewing an object.

They can be strong and hard-edged,

or soft and golden.

 They can be completely alien looking,

or recognizable in every way.

In all instances, though, they seem to have something mysterious and exotic about them, as though they, too, have a story to tell.

At this time of the year, the shadows around me are mostly long and diffused, seeming to speak of the coming winter.  What do you think the shadows in your life are trying to tell you? Can you see and hear their tale?