Thinking about Christmas these days, and my grandchildren, I realized that I don’t want their perception of me to change over the years, as we all get older. For them, it’s always fun to go to Grandma’s. Grandma is always glad to see you, she always makes a nice meal for you, she can do anything, she can buy anything, she always has time to listen and talk to you, she always has lots of stuff around to do projects, she always has ice cream in the freezer, and grapes on the counter, she always takes you shopping for your birthday, she always laughs at your jokes... You get the idea. I like that that’s how they see me (or at least I think that’s how they see me).

Once more this year, I’m looking forward to Christmas dinner with my children and grandchildren, and I’m looking forward to still being ’always’ Grandma.

This will be my last entry this year so I’ll take this opportunity to wish you all the very best this holiday season and a whole lot of good things during the coming year. In view of current economic problems, if next year is not the best financially, I hope it will be the best in other ways, such as love of family and friends, health and success in achieving that which makes your heart glad.

Merry Christmas.

Suzette

"To love and to be loved is to feel the sun from both sides." (David Viscott)

I have just returned from one of my painting trips. This time it was Salt Spring Island for a week of quiet, relaxation, painting and visiting galleries. These trips are a good time to try new things, to let your creativity take over and guide you into uncharted territory.

I completed 3 paintings during this week. Two of them, one really as it’s a diptych (two paintings that from one image), is a lovely semi-abstract landscape. Different than my usual style of painting. I’m quite pleased with it and I’m now planning on doing a series of these using different colour combinations. This first one is done in yellow and burnt orange, a really lovely and rich combination.

The third painting I did this week was something completely different. I wanted to do a paper weaving to collage onto a canvas. So that’s what I did. I took a large sheet of watercolour paper and painted it in different shades ranging from yellow to red to burnt orange; I even included some gold. When that was done and dry, I cut the paper into strips ranging in width from ¼ to ¾ inches.

I then proceeded to do the weaving. I used a large piece of gatorboard (i’ts like a styrofoam board that you can push pins into). Starting with the vertical strips, I pinned each strip at the top and bottom. Then I started with the horizontal strips, weaving them over and under the other strips. I tried to use the brightest ones in one area in order to create a bit of a focal point.

When that was all done, I then asked myself ’Now What?’. I had this square shape, but what was I going to do with it? After some thought, I decided to carefully cut a large circle out of the shape. I then painted a canvas with a complementary colour and collaged the circle and 2 of the corners onto the canvas, in what I think is an interesting arrangement. You can see a picture of the finished painting at the top of this post.

Sometimes it’s good to try something different. It can energize and motivate you in unexpected ways.

Suzette

"Boldness has genius, power and magic. Engage, and the mind grows heated. Begin, and the work will be completed." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)