This is my latest art journal page:
It's always fun to do a journal page, so freeing!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!

I took my camera with me on my walk this morning, the sun was shining and Spring was definitely in the air. The CanadaGeese were gathered together:
The snowdrops are blooming:

The gardening tools are ready to go:

The daffodils are in bud:

The crocuses are ready bloom:

Yes, spring is definitely here!! We tolerate the grey skies and rain all winter and are rewarded with an early spring!! Not a bad trade-off!!!

This is a birthday card I made for one of my daughters:
I forgot to photograph them so I am waiting for my other daughter to send a photo of hers.

I wasn't creative today, I had to do five loads of laundry so that took up most of my day and then I had a nap!!

This is my first watercolour from my Imaginary Trip To Ireland: I have a lot to learn!!

I bought a couple of books to encourage me to start carrying a sketchbook with me. An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory and Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim. I find I have a real block to sketching - most of my art actually but sketching is a big one. I have no confidence in my ability and I find when I am out I don't know what to sketch. I really want to move past this and I think Imaginary Trip to Ireland might help me with this. We are learning to edit what we see and just sketch the most important parts. Self-confidence really is the key to success and any parent or teacher who can instill this in their children will give them the greatest gift possible. Also, I find the city is not very inspiring to me and feel I have shut myself down a lot because of the noise and crowds. I do so long for the country where you can hear birds sing and see flowers and the sky. However, I am here and I will search for things to sketch and move myself through this frustrating block.

I finished my February calendar:

It was lots of fun to do and I love using lots of colour. I have prepared the page for March and will work on it through the month so it is ready on time.

I started Imaginary Trip To Ireland and did my first painting. It is not too bad. I find I am very anxious about it because it is so new and it will be posted to a blog for comments and positive feedback from Laure. This is an old thing being very anxious about doing anything creative. I had the same problem when I was going to University and had to write essays. I could only write for about twenty minutes or so then I had to have a break. Wish I could get past this paralyzing feeling. Teri on Painted Daisies blog said today that "there are no art police waiting to arrest you". I am going to print that out and hang it up to remind me that nothing bad is going to happen if I mess up or if it isn't perfect. All this old stuff we carry around with us and even though we know it is old sometimes it is hard to shake it off.

Just checked out Painted Thoughts blog and her saying today is: "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new", Albert Einstein. And "A man's errors are his portals of discovery", James Joyce.

Lots of messages that I needed to hear today.

I am going to paint some more today.

"THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN HAVE GANG AFT AGLEY"

Robbie Burns says it so well. Our well laid plans so often get derailed for one reason or another. I started out the New Year posting everyday - that lasted for five days!! I realized then that when I set goals for the new year I often have to clear up leftovers from the past year. There are Christmas decorations to put away, that puts in motion come clearing out, some extra cleaning and then there are three birthdays in January, etc. etc. So in reality it is February 1st before I can really start focusing on the new year.

On January 31st, the class I signed up for "Imaginary Trip To Ireland" started. We got the supply list and I only had two of the paint colours that were recommended and because I want to learn the basics I wanted to get the paints and brushes recommended. One of the brands can't be bought in Vancouver so that meant going on-line and finding suppliers, hopefully in Canada to avoid borders and duty, etc. I found the other half of the supplies at Opus except for three colours which I couldn't buy in Canada so had to order from the U.S. So here we are at the 3rd of February and I am awaiting the orders so I can get started. For any of you looking for a Canadian on-line supplier of art supplies go to www.currys.com if your order is over $75 the shipping is free.

I almost finished my February calendar last night, just a few embellishments and it will be done. It was fun to fill in the January one and I will keep this up through the year. It is a fun, edited version of my day to day activities.

I made birthday cards for my daughters and forgot to photograph them so I have to ask them to e-mail me photos so I can post them.

I have continued with my walking and weight training and have lost 16 pounds and over 16 1/2 inches. Another four pounds and I will go shopping for some new clothes. They say 10 pounds is a size so my clothes are getting very roomy on me!!!

I am off to tear my large sheet of Arches watercolour paper into 5.5 X 7.5 pieces for my trip to Ireland.