The New Year

 After all the December craze and our traveling, it’s taken me this week to settle back into normal life which may be pretty boring, but it suits this almost 70 year old.

Before Christmas I started some pages in my large sketchbook dedicated to drawing birds that come to our feeders.

We get lots of Chickadees, bluejays, some crows and a pair of downy woodpeckers. It is very much a learning process.

I’ve been working on a few on line courses since I indulged in some after Christmas sales. I’ve been painting flowers to make an accordion fold book with Hellen Wells .

She does it in three steps, paint, make book, make collage papers, and cut out paper vases for collage.

Free form crochet is a blog written by Patricia Fentie with lord of how to videos. Bought a ball on Briggs and Little yarn made here in St Andrews’s, NB and the dyed by the Fleece artist.

Last but not least is a tiny painting that I bought early December at an artisan market on PEI that I went to with my daughter. It is by a friend of hers, Jessica Sherrard, who she went to school with here in Bathurst,NB. I really love the low horizon depicting a field, trees and big sky in PEI. It is one I see often on our trips there.

I hope you’ve had a nice holiday, and that you’re settling in to the new year.

💜

A Christmas stocking, knitting, painting, and sketching

 I’m having a rest after an hour of veggie chopping and lentil cooking for a vegan Wellington for my son’s fiancé’s Christmas meal. It’s full of onions, leeks, garlic, carrots and mushrooms. There nuts and oatmeal. Tomorr I will sauté veggies and assemble in the phyllo dough. I think it will be yummy. I don’t seem to be able to copy a link but if you’re interested, it’s on plantbaes, called Vegan Wellington.

Now, I’m resting with heat on my back which is why I’m writing this.

Yesterday I finished a Christmas stocking for my daughter’s partner as we found hers.

A couple of weeks ago I donated 5 of my knitted baby afghans to child services and it made me happy how pleased they were. I need to knit at night watching tv and it’s enjoyable. I’ve already finished another one and almost done a second one.

I’ve just started to learn how to sketch birds so don’t laugh at my beginner technique. One must really fill many pages to improve. These are from my own photos. The first ones are bluejays and next crows. I think it will be a while before I could paint them but it’s a goal.

This is a picture from the trail where we walked this morning. It was -11C but ok out of the wind. I really love the sunlit trees in the background and the shadows up front.

This crocheted ornament is one I made many years with fine crochet cotton. 

These were made by my mother in law around the same time. She is now 88 and unable to do it anymore. The stitches and details are so tiny. I cherish them.

This is one of my last paintings in my sketchbook that I want to paint over on a canvas. A goal for the new year.

I’m wishing you  a joyful, peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

🎄 ❤️

A Christmas stocking.

 When we visited my daughter and family last week, the boys were decorating the tree and as we found the hand knit ones I’d made for them, my daughter wanted to know if I had hers still. I said I didn’t because I’ve cleaned out my boxes and didn’t remember seeing it. I wouldn’t have given it away. She insisted I had it and I insisted she’d gotten it.

So, the other day I put my Santa collection out and emptied the whole box as I’m still clearing out. At the bottom wrapped up with mine and my husband’s was the stocking.

I 

I had already started knitting new one which will now go to her partner.

When I need a break from counting and following graphs, usually later at night, I switch to the no brainer baby afghan. I had 5 that I took to social services last week and the woman was so excited. It made me feel good to feel so appreciated and I enjoy doing them.

With never an idle hand, I’m still addicted to mandalas and doodling in my light sketchbook during the suppertime news. I find it so relaxing.

My legs are recover from the severe sciatica I had last week and I’ve been able to get out for my walks. We had sunshine and fresh snow today and even some sparkle on the trees if you looked up. It felt magical.

Unfortunately, rain is forecast for Wednesday and it’ll be ruined. We always have a good layer of snow here for the winter though.

I painted my first abstract on a gallery wrapped canvas and I’m pretty happy with it.

What I’m doing

 I’ve been having a little trouble getting around lately. My herniated disc and the sciatic has gotten worse. I have to talk to my dr at the pain clinic to see if there’s anything else he can do. If not my dr may refer me to the surgeon.

We spent the weekend with my daughter and family for Ollie’s birthday. She had a nerf gun party at the CrossFit gym and though I’m usually against guns of any kind they did run around and climb all over things for 2 hours. Great exercise. My daughter said it was the easiest party ever. His brother, Gussie and a few other boys were there.

When I’m tired and sore I sit with my feet up and sketch or draw manadalas. They are very meditative.

This is a continuous fast line drawing which I love.

The first mandala below is drawn freehand without the circle guides. I kind of like the wonkiest.

My night time knitting projects- a hat using double strands of sock yarn.

A baby afghan that I’m knitting.

Baby afghans to be donated to Social Services.

My latest floral abstract.

We don’t have family here usually for Christmas, although I’m not sure yet. Even so, my boys are not sweet eaters and the women are vegan and vegetarian, so I don’t do much baking. It’s better not to have it on hand.

I will some small decorating and a table top tree. We will be going to PEI to see the grandkids the day after Boxing Day.

Finding my soul

 When I first started this blog, one of my intentions was to publish a daily journal of my life and my creative endeavours, mostly in fiber art. I wanted to connect with other like minded people too.

Probably no one will be reading this but I felt it would be nice to write it any away because I enjoy looking back on it.

I have not taken up sewing or fiber art since July when I started feeling creative again after a reduction in my depression meds, but I have really creatively blossomed, having taken courses, one by Suzanne Allard, the second by Yvette St Amant and a small one by Helen Wells. I am determined to learn to be an abstract painter and paint every day. I’ve got a ways to go but it’s lots of fun!

Most of the time I’m working in a sketchbook, so no pressure. I’ve bought some small canvases and I’m working on the confidence for that. This is my first one.

I’ve also been working on my drawing skills and learning to paint acrylics and mixed mediums, again in my sketchbook. My cutting has become my painting table and I still have a nice view.

I still love birch trees and want to learn to paint them.

And, I once again enjoy May nature walks and my little journal sketches.

Finally, in August, I started knitting again. I like to do no brainer knitting when I watch tv at night. I’ve made one regular afghan and 2 baby ones.

I’ve had a reduction in the lithium in October and the final amount will come late November. I am becoming myself again, being inspired by the world around me on the trails and even the plants in my own yard.

Seed pods of the milkweed plant above.

I’ve been pulling things out of my cupboards and off of shelves to draw and play with.

I confess to feeling a little stress over the US election and I hope I will continue to stay positive and creative as we reduce my meds.