Camp Goodtimes

Materials:  acrylic paint and collage on wrapped canvas.
Status:  This painting is on auction at Eagle View Elementary School.  Bids close on October 7th.
Notes:  Our friend, Alvin, is one of the riders in this years Tour de Rock (Cops for Cancer).  He is biking 1000 kilometres to raise money for pediatric cancer research and Camp Goodtimes.  Watching Alvin train for months - riding up Mount Washington, dyeing his hair pink, then shaving it off at a school assembly - and seeing the enormous commitment and support of his wife and family has really opened my eyes to the depth and breadth of this endeavour. 

Our school has a goal of raising $5000 by October 7th - the last day of the ride.  Our two oldest boys, Kieran and Liam, shaved their heads to show support for Alvin and the Tour de Rock team.  I am so proud of them!

Very Fond of Tea

Materials:  Acrylic paint and collage on 5x10 wrapped canvas.

Status:  This piece was a commission for a baby shower. 

Notes:  This is the first fox I've painted - and I must say it is my favourite part of the piece.  The text in the house and on the tree trunk is taken from a book about Emily Dickinson.  The text above the group is a quote from Alice in Wonderland. 

Lemonade for Superheroes

Materials:  acrylic paint on high-quality watercolour paper with collage.

Notes:   I have donated this painting to Tall Tales Books in Victoria to use to promote their Superhero Society.  It is first prize to the member who names the Superhero Society Newsletter.  

So - if you've joined the club - enter your choice of newsletter name!  Contest ends on July 31st.  Hurry, hurry!

For more information, contact Drew and Kate at Tall Tales Books.

If Birds Read Poetry 2

Materials:  Acrylic and collage on 10 x 10 canvas.
Status:  For sale.

Notes:
Collage has opened a whole new world to me with my paintings. I have been dipping into my memory of poems and text I read twenty years ago as an English Literature Major at Trent University.


I have a little someday dream. . . to have The Little Gull Studio in a floating house at Fisherman's Wharf. I would sell paintings, cards, t-shirts, mugs, and host little painting workshops. It would be cozy and lovely and a way of life to make you happy. The best part? Aidan would work with me. And, perhaps if he wanted to, he could live on the Floating House.

Ah, to dream a little dream.

The Owl Swing

Material:  Acrylic paint and collage on 8x8 wooden cradle.
Status:  Gone to a very good home!
Note:  The text is taken from the Down Syndrome Creed. . . and is used in honour of my son, Aidan who moves beautifully at his own pace.

Our Family at Sea

Materials:  acrylic on paper.
Status:  Father's Day gift for my husband....SURPRISE!
Note: About a month ago, James mentioned he would like a painting like this one.  It was a lot of fun to do, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I put in a representation of our family into it;  can you see the 3 boys?  Can you see me and James?  Can you see both sets of grandparents? 

No?  Okay, here's the cheat sheet: 

• The 3 trees on the right are the boys in order from oldest to youngest. 
• The two houses on the escarpment are for the grandparents. 
• James and I are on the boat between. 

Not sure what Freud would say, but there you have it!

The Teacher

Materials: Acrylic and collage on wooden cradle.
Status:  Gone to a good home.

Sailor

Material:  Acrylic and collage on canvas.
Status:  Gone to a good home.

Little Blue Bird

Materials:  Acrylic paint and collage on wooden cradle.
Status:  Gone to a very good home.

If Birds Read Poetry

Materials:  Acrylic and Collage on wooden cradle. Text is taken from a book about Emily Dickenson.
Status:  Gone to a wonderful home.

Owl do as You do

Status:  Gone to a very good home.
Material: Acrylic paint and collage on 6 x 6 inch wood panel.

Notes:  This is the first time I've used a wooden panel, and I'm definitely looking forward to painting on them more often. 

The text in this painting is from the poem:  Down Syndrome Creed by an unknown author.  I wonder sometimes if the author is aware of how popular this poem is in the Down syndrome community?  I hope so....it speaks to so many of us. 

This painting is dedicated to my son, Aidan, who is bringing out the best in all of us. 

Charlie de Gull

Material:  Acrylic paint and collage on 5 x5 inch wrapped canvas.
Status:  Gone to a good home.
Note:  I would like to dedicate this little guy to my Grandmother, Irene Wilford.  She had a playful spirit - and would get us excited about spotting the gulls at her cottage on Lake Huron. The text was taken from a book about Emily Dickinson.

Two in a Canoe

Material: Acrylic paint and collage on wrapped canvas.
Status:  A commissioned piece for a baby gift.

Notes:   It is so much fun to work on commissions because they challenge me to try different techniques, colours, etc.  It's a good thing to go outside of my own mind for ideas!  The name of the baby and date of her birth is collaged in the bottom left-hand corner.  I wasn't sure if the family would appreciate being "out there" on  the blogosphere, so I've censored it for now.  They haven't seen it yet, so after they do I'll ask what their preference is.

Walk on the Beach

Material:  5 x 7 acrylic paint on paper.
Status:  Gone to a good home.

Being a sailor's daughter, I love the water.  I also grew up with a fondness for gulls.  My grandmother used to call them Charlie - after Charles de Gaulle.  Long ago and far away, my sister and I found an injured gull....and in a moment of grand bravery, Bev wrapped her hoodie around it, and took it back to the cottage.  My grandfather was a doctor, and so we had it in our minds that we could fix Charlie up with whatever medical supplies we found in the closet.

"Charlie" lived in a cardboard box for a few hours until Mom convinced us that we were terrifying the poor creature.  We took it to the shore where it could feel at home. 

I like to think he made it to a lovely island and had a peaceful rest of his life.