As I post my second painting inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Spirit Park I am learning of the tragic new from Portapique in Nova Scotia. I send my thoughts and condolences to all those grieving the loss of family, friends and colleagues. Tonight we are all Nova Scotia, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.🇨🇦
Salute to a hero 17.4.20
Captain Tom Moore completed his goal of walking the 82-foot length of his garden back and forth 100 times before his 100th birthday on April 30th and in the process raised $23 million for Britain’s NHS. Soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment formed a guard of honor and saluted him as he crossed the finishing line. Can there be a more uplifting moment for us all to be inspired by?
This sunset two nights ago over English Bay in Vancouver needed to be shared.
For just a few minutes nothing else mattered.
Enjoy the moment with me.
The great bell of Notre Dame sounded today on the one year anniversary of the Cathedral fire.
Our camellias are more abundant than ever this year and some of you will know that whilst they are blooming I can’t deny my camilliaddiction.
  
Here is one of many camellia posts from four years ago entitled:
camelliaspectives
For this week’s Discover Challenge: Perspective Ben states “We each inhabit a specific vantage point from which we blog” and asks What’s yours? As those of you who follow my blog will know my vantage point is always both visual and written, so in response to Ben’s question I thought I would express my camelliaddiction once again today with pen, ink, watercolor and photography, with one final image that is clearly very much about perspective.
camellia studies 31.3.16
12.4.20
Spending time in the studio during this time of self-isolation I have been enjoying putting into action the word’s of Tony Smibert from his wonderful book Painting Landscapes from your Imagination. During the summer of 2016 I undertook all of the exercises in his book and some of you may have followed my progress at that time. Here is a re-post of one of them, which reminds me of how much fun I had during that memorable summer four years ago.
In Chapter 2 of Painting Landscapes from your Imagination Tony Smibert describes the Nature of Watercolor:
“The essence of painting in watercolour is to understand and work with the simple mysteries
of suspension, settling and drying, which takes place everytime we lay down a wash.”
He then adds perhaps the perfect mantra for watercolour painting:
“There are no rules in watercolour, only consequences”
Today’s exercises, which are full of “consequences”, some more successful than others, finishes Chapter 6 with more washes, dots, dabs and the addition of knife work to remove the dried paint creating white highlights from the underlying paper.
    
   
There are lots more great exercises to re-visit.
I wish everyone a peaceful Sunday but if you are working please know you are never out of my thoughts.
A little light relief, with a message from one of our newest essential workers. Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend as we thank all those who will be working for us while we stay at home, and thinking about all those whom we have so sadly lost.
Commemorating in the studio today all the members of the Canadian Corps who were killed or injured during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in Northern France from April 9th to 12th, 1917 but also thinking about all those heroes giving their lives in the battle taking place on our frontlines today.🇨🇦
thechangingpalette 