The Object of Art
The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable. - Robert Henri
Soon I’ll say good-bye to this little island paradise… It’s been really wonderful to stay here with no pressures, no deadlines, no expectations… time to just BE…
The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.
- Robert Henri
Soon I’ll say good-bye to this little island paradise… It’s been a wonderful month with no pressures, no deadlines, no expectations… time to just BE.
It’s a simpler life.
And it’s actually been really good to have less choices. The small convenience store, for example, is only open a few hours a day with limited food choices, which means… simple meals, less shopping time, (I can walk there in two minutes) and a little more creativity in the kitchen! There are less things “to do”, so that means less distractions and more focussed time to paint and create!
Hrisey mountains - Triptych, work in progress
Most days I’m in the studio painting, or out in nature filling myself up with fresh, mountain air and inspiration. And if I do want a little more stimulation and people, the “city” is just 45 minutes away.
It’s everything I wanted and needed.
But before I return to Canada, and the busy city life of Vancouver, I’m off on a 10-day road trip around the West Fjords of Iceland, so more adventures to come!
To walk into nature is to witness a thousand miracles. - Mary Davis
Magnificent Mountains
I’m surrounded by mountains here in Iceland. There are very few trees, so I can see every crevice and cranny, every shadow and shape within their huge forms… They define the environment.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
I’m surrounded by mountains here in Iceland. There are very few trees, so I can see every crevice and cranny, every shadow and shape within their huge forms… They define the environment.
My favourite mountain is Rimar, which I can see from almost everywhere on this island, including my bedroom window. Every day I watch the changing weather reflected on this mountain. Sometimes it’s completely hidden by the clouds… but when the clouds lift, the mountain’s presence is like a majestic jewel across the ocean.
Mountain at Midnight
I’m working on a “mini” mountain series and I have just a few supplies and some small 8'“ x 10” canvas boards to paint on. I’m used to working on large canvases, so it’s an adjustment to scale everything down… especially mountains! But it’s a good practice and it’s giving me more ideas and inspiration… (and it’s nice to finish a painting in a couple of days!!).
Rimar might just have to wait for a larger canvas though…
Rimar
The mountains are calling and I must paint…
66 Degrees North
There’s something special about the northern light at this time of year. Especially during these long summer evenings… everything just glows, bringing out the vivid colours of the majestic landscape….
Hrisey Town at Midnight
It’s 24-hour daylight now in Hrisey, Iceland, and I have the opposite of “S.A.D.” (I’m suffering from G.L.A.D. - Good Light All Day!).
The light in the north is truly beautiful and the sunset just goes on and on and on…
There’s something special about the northern light at this time of year. Especially during these long summer evenings… everything just glows, bringing out the vivid colours of the majestic landscape.
Mountain and Moors at Midnight
When the sun is out, the sea looks cerulean blue. In the evening, the mountains reflect pinks, purples and greens… and the moors become golden.
There’s a celebration as everything comes alive… and the birds seem to go crazy in the never-ending twilight!
It’s hard to know the time of day… There are people here out doing yard work at 3 am! But somehow I’m getting lots of sleep… My days consist of going for hikes across the moors to the cliffs, swimming (in the geothermal pool just down the road), napping, making food or going to a local cafe, writing, reading, and of course painting!
I love the northern landscape. It’s rugged and wild… and I always feel a sense of “home”. Perhaps it’s in my blood…
So this is what I’m exploring - What is the importance of the land and environment to a ‘sense of place’ and the feelings of connection to oneself and one’s place in the world?
I’m getting to know this land. Through the sights and sounds of nature… and the colours, shapes… the feeling of this place.
I brought just a few supplies with me, including some small canvas boards with a limited palette of paints.
I made a time-lapse video of a little painting I made. I’m calling it ‘Wildflower Eruption’, inspired by the wildflowers and flora of Iceland.
Hrísey, Iceland
I’m spending a month here on Hrísey near the arctic circle. It’s a small island in Eyjafjörður (fjord), north Iceland, with approximately 200 people living here. Today I walked around town and checked out the amenities…
I’m spending a month here on Hrísey near the arctic circle. It’s a small island in Eyjafjörður (fjord), north Iceland, with approximately 200 people living here. Today I walked around town and checked out the amenities…
There is a grocery store with basic supplies (but they will also order other items for you by request), a museum, a restaurant and cafe, a guest house, a church, a geo-thermal pool, and of course, the Old School Arthouse, the international artist residency where I’m staying.
Right now the sun sets at 12:30 am and then rises again an hour or so later, so it doesn’t really get dark… despite that, I’m sleeping like a baby! Must be all the fresh air hikes and stress-free living. Soon we’ll have 24 hour sunshine…
It’s so quiet here (except for the birds and howling wind out on the moors!). A perfect place for me to rest and recharge…
An Evening Walk on the Moors
Tomorrow I start art-making!
Arrived! - Settling In And Exploring: Hrisey, Iceland
It’s my first full day here on Hrisey island (called the “Pearl of Eyjafjörður”) for my art residency at the Old School Art House in northern Iceland. I arrived in Akureyri, the closest city (pop. 18,000), and spent my first night there…
Arrived!
Art Adventures in Iceland
It’s my first full day here on Hrisey island (called the “Pearl of Eyjafjörður”) for my art residency at the Old School Art House in northern Iceland. I arrived in Akureyri, the closest city (pop. 18,000), and spent my first night there (sleeping a glorious 12 hours after my long trip!) and planned on making my way to the island yesterday by bus. I discovered, however, that no buses run on Saturdays! Fortunately I had a contact number to call and was able to catch a ride with a local last night. From Akureyri it’s a 30 minute drive and a 15 minute ferry ride to Hrisey .
I unpacked and settled into my room yesterday evening and then (despite the light skies) slept another 10 hours in my comfy bed.
My new home for the next month…
My Humble Abode
Gamli Skoli - Old School Arthouse
Arthouse Front View
I have a private bedroom with shared living-room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry and a studio space. There are three other artists here with me… a film-maker from Belgium and two “sound artists” (electronic) from the US. (They use headphones and it’s very quiet!).
So today I just settled in and went exploring a little…
Wind, Birds and The Fountain of Energy… Exploring the Land
It’s pretty cold here right now (about 5 degrees C) so I bundled up and headed out towards the cliffs. I came to the “Fountain of Energy”, a place to sit and meditate while listening to the sounds of nature… the wind, the sea and the multitude of birds… while receiving the peaceful energy from the mountain Kaldbakur across the fjord.
There are over 40 species of birds on this island, and right now it’s nesting season. A large part of the island is a bird conservation area where eider ducks come every year to nest. The soft eiderdown are humanely gathered every spring after the eggs have hatched (there are no predators on the island).
Although there are a few smaller trees around town (not much taller than me!) most of the land is rocky with small shrubs and wild flowers scattered about, creating pretty bursts of colour and a gentleness in this vast, rugged land.
And the wind!
I love watching the birds soaring around the cliffs in the wind…
Tomorrow I’ll check out the town’s amenities…
Hope for the flowers - part one
In a couple of weeks I'm heading off to Iceland to stay at an artist residency for one month. I'll be staying on a small island in the north of Iceland for the month of June (and then a two week driving tour of the West Fjords!) …
I've been painting away in my studio… but soon it’s time to put my brushes down…
In a couple of weeks I'm heading off to Iceland to stay at an artist residency for one month. I'll be staying on a small island in the north of Iceland for the month of June (and then a two week driving tour of the West Fjords!) …
I’ll be exploring the beautiful northern landscape for some new inspiration to create (and it won’t be trees!).
So now it’s time to put my paints away and prepare for an all new adventure…
Hope For The Flowers - work in progress
Stay tuned to hear more from the land of fire and ice!
Hope For The Flowers - detail
Seven tips to help you transition...
"Infinite patience creates immediate results."
I think of this every time I start a new drawing on canvas. I have the finished painting already in my mind... But I still have to go through the creative process to get there. Holding the vision has to be enough for now…
“Infinite patience creates immediate results.”
I think of this every time I start a new drawing on canvas. I have the finished painting already in my mind... But I still have to go through the creative process to get there. Holding the vision has to be enough for now.
And just enjoy the process.
“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and with that one, is what we are doing.”
Focussing on the present, it becomes more about the journey than the outcome.
It's the same for anything new I'm creating in my life... It's called transitioning the transition and I've written a few tips to help with the process...
PS ~ Find out where You are in Life's Cycle of Creativity... Take the Quiz!
North Shore Art Crawl 2019
The 9th annual North Shore Art Crawl has come and gone… And as always it’s been a joy to open our studios to the public for this weekend full of art and connection. We had our first group photo of the artists at Welch Street Studios!…
The 9th annual North Shore Art Crawl has come and gone… And as always it’s been a joy to open our studios to the public for this weekend full of art and connection. We had our first group photo of the artists at Welch Street Studios! (Check out our website to see what we’re all up to and for upcoming events.)
Welch Street Studio Artists
A big thank you to all those who came by for a fun and positive weekend!
Forest Art
Into the Mystic…
The Magic Tree
Fun with 3D Viewing
gudrun artwear
Fine Art, Clothing and Accessories
Celebrating Forest Week
It’s a beautiful September day… The sun is shining and the air is clear with that crisp, autumn feeling… The leaves are changing colours and starting to fall… Change is in the air. I think this may be my favourite time of year! It’s also National Forest Week and I’m celebrating…
It’s a beautiful September day… The sun is shining and the air is clear with that crisp, autumn feeling… The leaves are changing colours and starting to fall… Change is in the air. I think this may be my favourite time of year!
The Magic Tree
It’s also National Forest Week and I’m celebrating the forest and my love of nature!
I live in a large city, but I’m fortunate to live close to the ocean and forest so that within a few minutes, I can be hiking in the forest or swimming in the sea… Nature is what fills me up, inspires and nurtures me!
And it’s the beauty of nature that inspires my art and creativity.
Both visually and symbolically, the forest provides a powerful and beautiful subject, stirring a deeply rooted connection with nature. My current work, Forest Tales, is a series of paintings with a story to tell, each painting taking the viewer on a fairytale journey into their imagination, and awakening their connection to spirit through the beauty of art and nature.
There are many different ways we can protect and support our environment. One way I decided to give back is to donate $1.00 for every product sold (that’s one tree planted!) and donate $100 for every large painting sold (that’s 100 trees planted!). It’s one small way I can contribute to protecting and nurturing nature.
“The earth is what we all have in common.”
In partnership with One Tree Planted
Harvesting Dreams
Autumn is about stepping out, creating, energy and action.
As you emerge with a new sense of self in the world, you are clear on who you are and what you want to create. It's time to reap what you have sown as you harvest your dreams and make them real.
After Summer’s inhale into Being, Autumn exhales into Doing. This is a time for…
Autumn ~ Emerging Red
Red is the dynamic energy that flows through all living things... and emerges as herSelf.
Red is smart and knows what she wants. She takes decisive action to bring her dreams to reality... Red is strong, courageous and ready to step forward into her dreams. Bold and dynamic, she walks her own path...
ESSENCE WORD: CREATE
COLOURS: VIBRANT RED, ELECTRIC BLUE, BRILLIANT GREEN
ELEMENT: FIRE
Autumn is about stepping out, creating, energy and action.
As you emerge with a new sense of self in the world, you are clear on who you are and what you want to create. It's time to reap what you have sown as you harvest your dreams and make them real.
After Summer’s inhale into Being, Autumn exhales into Doing. This is a time for action and creating your visions into physical form.
Opportunity ~ You are clear on your passions, purpose and desire. With clarity comes effortless creativity.
Challenge ~ When you move into action, you can be drawn away from your centre and original inspiration. Caught up in the Doing you forget to rest and breathe in, running out of fuel for your fire.
Action ~ To keep your energy and creativity flowing, create a daily practice to bring harmony and balance into your life. Follow every action step with a rest period, just as the inhale follows the exhale.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter ~ Which One Are You?
Just as in nature, we are continuously moving through these cycles. I made a little quiz that you can take to discover where you are in this Life Cycle of Creativity.
