Venice 22.5.20
Five years ago today I was also in a Venice frame of mind.
Studio 365: Day 142 22.5.15
Venice study I 22.5.15
Painting this watercolour and ink sketch in the studio this afternoon allowed me to re-visit our magical trip to Venice in July 1999, a visit documented in a precious journal that I kept throughout our Italian travels that year.
The tulips featured in Canada Remembers have taken on a renewed beauty in their final hour.
My post from five years ago today looks remarkably similar
Studio 365: Day 136 May 16, 2015
As these glorious deep purple petals fall away revealing the pistils, styles and stamens that have been enveloped so protectively and majestically in the flowers core, these tulips seem to have taken on a renewed beauty in their final hour.
Pacific Spirit Canopy 3.8.15
With our daily walks in the Pacific Spirit Park it seems like a good time to look back to some of the paintings that walking in the Park inspired five years ago.
Studio 365: Day 216
Pacific Spirit Park Variations I – IV 4.8.15
Since it continues to be National Park Week and in follow up to yesterday’s revisit to Bryce Canyon how could I not post the second day of our visit when we hiked into the Amphitheatre. What a day that was.
But first, today’s painting from the studio: Pacific Spirit III with continuing thoughts of those grieving in Nova Scotia; also today in Toronto on the second anniversary of the attack on Yonge Street; and of course all who are mourning loved ones lost to Covid-19.
The heartache continues as our brave healthcare workers and volunteers are there for us each and every day and we thank them all.
Studio 365: Day 113 April 23, 2015
The Navajo Loop Trail from Sunset point descending into the Bryce Canyon Amphitheatre.
The perfect finish to our visit to Bryce Canyon hiking the Navajo Trail into the Amphitheatre, connecting with the Queens Garden Trail and returning to the canyon rim at Sunrise Point. Look for Queen Victoria in the photo gallery.
One final view before leaving this precious jewel of a place and a thank you to the National Park Service for maintaining it so perfectly for us all to enjoy.
Written in chalk beneath a rainbow on the entrance to Tatlow Park here in Vancouver these words are perhaps the perfect way to recognize this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. We are indeed all in this together.
Since this is also National Park Week, and following my look back to Antelope Canyon, I thought I would re-post our visit to magnificent Bryce Canyon five years ago today together with the painting that it inspired.
Studio 365: Day 112 April 22, 2015
From the wonder and awe of the magic of Antelope Canyon to the breathtaking majesty of the vistas of Bryce Canyon. It has been another unforgettable day and once again I will let the pictures do all the talking…
…the final shot at the end of a perfect day.
Five years ago today we visited Antelope Canyon in Arizona. My paintings and photographs from that never-to-be-forgotten visit have taken on new meaning today, as we continue to grieve for Nova Scotia.
Here is the original post from 5 years ago. Enjoy our visit to Owl Canyon
and learn about the feather on my studio wall.
A treasure in Owl Canyon
Who would have thought it could get any better, but today was another magical day with unforgettable visits to Owl, Rattlesnake and Upper Antelope Canyons. Here are a selection of more amazing images to share with you, and many thanks for all your comments and visits.
The feather from a great horned owl from our visit to Owl Canyon will indeed be the treasure of the trip. It will take pride of place in the studio back home and I can’t wait to use it for more pen and ink drawings. I did ask our Navajo guide Kim, from Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours, if I could keep the feather and she very graciously gave her permission. Thank you Kim for a day we will never forget.
On to Bryce Canyon tomorrow.
Nova Scotia Strong
“Art is that which despite all gives hope” Frederick Franck 1981
Anemones 31.3.20
Since the 100 anemone bulbs I planted have yet to appear I used a bouquet that five years ago was the subject of Day 90 of my daily posts during 2015. I had been re-reading one of my favourite books The Zen of Seeing by Fredrick Franck that week. Here is the original bouquet together with my pen and ink drawing at the time, and if you would like to see the rest of the post and learn a little more about Frederick Franck why not visit Studio 365: Day 90
Anemones 31.3.15
a midsummer’s day bouquet 20.06.16
The Monday Bouquet makes a special return appearance today
with which to celebrate the summer solstice.
For those of you new to thechangingpalette I posted a bouquet every Monday during 2014
which you can enjoy here at A Year of Monday Bouquets.
Day 365 Celebration 31.12.15
I’m going to consider that tonight’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are really to celebrate the successful completion of my 365 days of daily blogging. When I started out on January 1st I didn’t think it would be possible but here we are on the final day of the year and with this post I’ve actually done it.
My thanks to WordPress who two days ago sent me my 2015 Annual Report full of all sorts of interesting statistics. It begins:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 20,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
They then provided me with the posts that received the most views this past year, thanks to you all.
What a lovely surprise to find that the post that received the most comments this year was on Day 178, the day our beautiful granddaughter was born.
The report informed that the busiest day of the year was November 29th with 304 views. The most popular post that day was Weekly Photo Challenge: Transition which showed how my painting of Cypress Alleyway at Castello di Reschio was created.
One final set of statistics that WordPress did not provide might be of interest to you. Over the year I posted 736 photos, 223 paintings, 25 pen and ink drawings and 54 different palettes. It seems only appropriate to end this last post of the year with some of those paintings in a concluding gallery with a painting from each month of the year.
Finally, a big thank you to all of you who have been with me all year long. Your support, interest, encouragement and wonderful comments throughout the year have made it all worthwhile. Knowing you were travelling along with me made me more determined than ever to reach my goal; I couldn’t have done it without you.
I’ll finish with the words of Winston Churchill: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. The beginning of what you might ask? All I can say is when I know the answer I’ll let you know.
Happy New Year everyone
December: As you will have read yesterday we spent Christmas in Los Angeles. On Boxing Day morning we walked through Grand Hope Park in downtown LA where this poetic plaque welcomes you at its entrance…
…It was a beautiful, clear, warm, sunny morning and the trees, buildings, blossoms, shadows and architecture, all created a perfect reflection of the magic of the city. It was also an opportunity for me to experiment with my new iPhone 6S with which all the photos were taken…
…and Star Wars The Force Awakens in the afternoon did not disappoint
See you for New Year’s Eve and Day 365 tomorrow.
thechangingpalette 