Waiting for Ruby

Material:  Acrylic on 8x8 wrapped canvas.

Status:  Gone to a very good home!

Notes on a Canvas:  This began with the idea of painting a white picket fence. To create the fence, I dipped a popsicle stick in white paint and set it carefully on the canvas and pulled downward.  

The background came next.  I wanted the painting to be balanced, so originally I had two small trees beside the house on the left side as well.  I wasn't happy with it, thinking I needed something closer to the fence.  Cherry trees were in bloom at the time . . . so there you go.

I thought of painting children playing on the grass.  A cartwheel?  A picnic?  Flying a kite? I wasn't sure. The idea of a girl and her dog came to me.  I wondered if it would "work" with a girl leaning on the fence, looking like she's waiting.  

The blue house was a red school house for a day - but the red was too strong - so it went back to a blue house.  Our first house in Melville, Saskatchewan, was blue with white trim.  I really loved that house!

The puppy was inspired by my son's teacher and her new puppy, Ruby.  It seemed fitting that this painting would become a year-end gift for Liam's teacher.  

It just seemed right :o)

Boys in a Boat

Details: Acrylic and collage on 10x10 wrapped canvas. Status: Going to a good home! Note: This was done on a whim for my Father-in-Law for his birthday. Trouble is, it is still on my bedroom wall, and his birthday was in March! (I didn't say I was a good daughter-in-law :o).

Blooming Tree by the Sea

Materials:  Acrylic on 6x6 wooden cradle.
Status:  Gone to a good home.

Notes:  This little painting was a lot of fun to do - I used a paint knife to get a smooth effect for the sky, but thick texture for the lighthouse, hull of the boat, and the blossoms on the tree.  It had to be completed over several days as I waited for thick paint to dry, and added layers of colour.  Each time I sat down to work on it, I felt like I was returning to my happy place.  Ahh....

Knight's Gift 2 - Silent Auction

The black frame is digital - the painting appears as below:



Materials:  Acrylic painting on 10x10 wrapped canvas.  Text around the outer frame reads:  Even after all these years the sun never says to the earth, "You owe me."  Look what happens to a love like that.  It lights up the whole sky.  (Hafiz).

Status:  This painting is currently on display at Crumsbys - Royal Oak in Victoria until the fundraising event for Subha Gill on April 6th, 2012.  Thank you Keith and Maria for helping to spread the word about this important community event! 

HOW TO ENTER A BID:   You can place bids via e-mail at  carolnaha@gmail.com - I will post the bids in the comment section here, as well as on facebook. 

For further details of the fundraiser go to:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/270651553012125/  For more details about Subha Gill:  http://janislacouvee.com/subha-gills-5000-fundraiser/


On a Personal Note:  Subha's younger brother, Armaan, is in my son's class.  The class will be putting on bake sale in the next couple of weeks for the family.  This painting, the Knight's Gift, will be available through a silent auction - with full proceeds going to the family. 

Having been a little kid with a sick father, I know how important it is to know the community cares about you.  During my dad's illness (encephalitis, which caused brain injury when he was in his mid-thirties) I remember how the Great Lakes Pilots my father had worked with would raise money every Christmas for our family so my mother could have a little less stress at that time of year. 

Fast forward several years, to the birth of my youngest son, Aidan.  He was born with three holes in his heart.  We had just moved to Winnipeg, had no family there, and knew nobody.  Our neighbours were generous with their support and kindness, which meant the world to us.

Raising funds and awareness for families like Subha and Armaan is my small way of trying to 'pay it forward.'

Thanks for your support!

Carol N.

Two if by Sea

Material:  Mixed media on 6x8 wooden cradle.
Notes:  I find great comfort in combining my love of the sea with whimsy and poetry.  The text in this painting comes from an old book of Emily Dickenson.  I pour over the pages, looking for the right snippet of words to match the images.  It is a meditative process for me - and I love the peace that comes along with the process. 

The Lake Huron Carolers

I'm happy to say The Lake Huron Carolers art cards were a big success this Christmas!  It was quite fun to watch these little cards fly across Canada to their prospective customers.  I was thrilled to think about how many hands would hold the image, and pondered over how far The Little Gull has flown since its creation.

Many thanks to Tall Tales Books, The Cadboro Bay Book Company, and the University of Victoria Book Store.  Your support was greatly appreciated!

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.