A Reading Resolution

We are book lovers in our house. We have bookcases everywhere. You may be wondering then why I have this large pile of books on the floor. This is my 'to read' stack beside my night table.

I don't always make New Year's resolutions and, when I do, I don't always make them public. Sometimes, they are just small private goals. I read recently that most New Year's resolutions are broken in the first week of January. I wonder if it's because they are too severe and unrealistic.

This year, I set myself a gentle goal. It is simply to read more. There are no quotas. It is a positive goal (rather than 'don't do this' or 'don't do that') that, as I pursue it, will probably set off a ripple effect of other small improvements.

In the past four years, as I became more and more involved in social media, Etsy teams and other online activities, my evenings have been spent on the computer. I've been reading books less and less. Instead of reading one more chapter, I was checking one more thing on my iPad before bed. My 'to read' stack became a daunting mountain.

One of many bookcases in our house

I have always loved to read. I loved taking out books from the library when I was a young girl and I would regularly read past my bedtime at night. I thought I was being surreptitious but, when my father would come upstairs, he would feel the lightbulb in my bedside lamp and know that I had just turned it out when I heard his footsteps.  My degree in university was in English literature. I would ask for books for gifts and have continued this tradition by including books in every birthday and Christmas gift I have given to my daughters. One of the sweetest memories I have of Emma as a child is her coming into my bedroom at age eleven or so with this extremely serious look on her face. As she said 'Mama' and began to speak, I remember being worried what she was going to say. She said 'Mama, I just wanted to thank you for giving me your love of reading.' My heart melted.

So this year is about getting back to the heart of what I love. It's about moving away from the computer earlier in the evening, not worrying about refreshing tabs yet again, and reading before I turn out the light. I am happy to report that I am reading my third book since Christmas and can't wait to choose the next one from the mountain beside my bed.

❤  ❤  ❤

When Anyone Talks About Trees

I haven't posted for quite a few days. Chloé had her March break last week. Emma has hers this week. The normal routine of my days has been interrupted not rudely but sweetly by the presence of my daughters in the house.  But it means I haven't painted as much or visited blogs as much or looked after my Etsy shop as much or any number of things as much. It's an adjustment but it's not a bad thing. Maybe it's a reminder to pay attention to the important things.

• I haven't been idle though.
• I've painted a little.
• I worked on a big print of my Lilacs image that a customer is potentially interested in.
• I've walked daily with Meeko (of course).
• I've watched the snow melt the past two days and heard the birds sing and know that spring is on its way.
• I spent a lot of time in the backyard today poo-gathering (one of the "joys" of the spring thaw for dog owners) and got to visit all corners of my garden. There are signs of life despite the fact that everything was covered by snow and ice two days ago. I am always amazed.
• I shopped downtown with Chloé last week, walked daily with her and Meeko, and enjoyed several days of one-on-one time.
• Emma went away for five days to visit friends (the longest she's ever been away) and I was happy for her yet also happy to see her again.
• I did some housecleaning (grumpily) to prepare for the visit of my sister Nancy and her family (not grumpy about that!). They won't be here long but we always love their company.
• I treated myself and bought some gouache paints for a painting I would like to do of a lovely tree with a heart shape on it. It's not the one in the photo above. That is another heart-marked tree I discovered on the same path I take with Meeko every day in the winter. I thought of posting the other photo but it's too special to me so I want to keep it hidden for now and let my painting be the reveal. Now the pressure is on for me to do it. 
• I am reading "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barberry. I have 50 books (not an exaggeration) beside my night table waiting to be read. I was an English major in university and love books so much. With my slow reading pace these days, that 50-book stack might be a little unreasonable, more like impossible (but I remain optimistic). It took me a long time to get into "The Elegance of the Hedgehog"--maybe even one-third of the book. I am a stubborn reader and am glad for that as I am now loving the book. This passage jumped out at me the other evening and I reread it more than once for the sheer pleasure of it. I love when that happens. And now you know why I chose the photo at the top.

After I'd had a chance to think about it for a while I began to understand why I felt this sudden joy when Kakuro was talking about the birch trees. I get the same feeling when anyone talks about trees, any trees: the linden tree in the farmyard, the oak behind the old barn, the stately elms that have all disappeared now, the pine trees along wind-swept coasts, etc. There's so much humanity in a love of trees, so much nostalgia for our first sense of wonder, so much power in just feeling our own insignificance when we are surrounded by nature...yes, that's it: just thinking about trees and their indifferent majesty and our love for them teaches us how ridiculous we are--vile parasites squirming on the surface of the earth--and at the same time how deserving of life we can be, when we can honor this beauty that owes us nothing.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Muriel Barberry

They Call Me Mellow Yellow

I am continuing to colour code my blog posts this week in sync with Poppytalk's Summer Colours week. Yellow is a lovely choice for today because there is no sunshine here at all.  All of these cheerful subjects will take its place.

My daylilies must have known about 'Yellow' day.  The first summer bloom opened this morning. What lovely timing.

1. One of the books in Emma's summer book stack.

2. Daylily - yellow is not my favourite colour in the garden but this soft, lemony yellow is perfection.

3. Buttercups

4. Shasta Daisy

5. Grape tomato blossoms

6. 'Pineapple' tomato blossoms - I cannot wait to see the fruit!

7. Yellow clematis tangutica - Gorgeous but highly invasive.

8. Gaillardia - Gallo Peach Blanket

9. Dandelion - so maligned yet really quite beautiful close up.

10. Heron and Canada Geese with reflection from the street light taken last night when Emma, Meeko and I went for a walk with the mosquitoes.  The photo is not super sharp because I took it at dusk but I couldn't resist including it.

Wishing you a sunshiny day!

Friends participating in the Poppytalk Summer Colours week include:  Sonia, Margie and Geninne.
Have a look!

Birthdays, Books and Cake

Each family has its own traditions around birthdays. In our family, birthdays always involve a homemade cake, a family dinner and books.

My eldest daughter Emma is 17 today. I'm having a lot of trouble believing how fast the years have gone by, but I am so proud of the beautiful young woman she is.  She is intelligent, kind, principled, a little bit quirky and very strong-minded. I love each and every part of her.

I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Emma. It was on the Thanksgiving weekend and that seemed entirely appropriate.  I recall how very hard it was waiting to meet her which I finally did on June 1, 1995. As a birthday bonus, Emma's cousin Erica was born the very next day.

From the look of these recipe cards, you have an idea of how many times I've made this cake. That peacock blue ink and calligraphy-style printing tells me that I copied this recipe in my early twenties, loooong before I was a mom. :)

Ever since Emma and Chloé were babies, books have been one of the gifts they have received from us on birthdays and at Christmas.  Of course, they would receive toys but there would always be books among the packages.

When Emma was about eleven or twelve, she came into my room and said 'Mama' in a serious voice to the point that I was a little worried about what she was going to say.  She said, 'Mama...I just wanted to thank you for giving me your love of reading'.  I thought my heart would burst.

This year, Emma has asked for an iPod as a gift. She has been using my old one that is not performing very well at all anymore.  A couple of weeks ago, she asked me if by requesting an iPod, would she still be receiving some books as she always looked forward to them.  I would find it very hard not to include them. Right now, I am making her cake. Later we will go to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner.  And tonight, along with a brand new iPod, Emma will receive a big stack of lovingly chosen books.

♥ Happy Birthday Emma! ♥

I'm Bookish

I've been having fun creating 'treasuries' on Etsy recently. For those not familiar with Etsy, treasuries are collections of items for sale on Etsy related by a theme. Here's one that I created (and it's true): I'm bookish.



I've found it much easier to create treasuries since discovering the treasury maker provided by Shmetsy.

A Confession

A year or so ago, my husband and I were invited to have dinner with my brother and a couple of his work associates from Toronto. Because we hadn't met his colleagues, my brother Bob wrote a little introduction for each of us. Knowing that your younger brother is going to write a description of you could be quite nerve wracking (especially if we were still 12 and 10) but he did a pretty good job of summing me up I think. I actually kind of like what he wrote.

Kathleen Maunder (Kathy to some) is an artist, in the painting sense. She once wrote speeches and such like for corporate folk and now is a tamer of flowers and wild dogs. She has an entire bookcase of well used recipe books, a standing invitation at a cool bistro in Paris and knows the difference between Sarah Harmer, Sarah Slean and Serena Ryder. 

Which bring me to that confession. Those cookbooks. I counted them. I now own (get ready for it) over 300 cookbooks.  Oh my.

I remember telling a friend about how many cookbooks I owned (and this was a long time ago when the number was much smaller). She said she didn't need that many books to be a good cook.  Good heavens. NOBODY needs that many cookbooks!  

It is a collection that has grown over the years. The first cookbooks I owned when I moved away from home were the Fannie Farmer Cookbook and The Joy of Cooking. Both are reliable and are now falling apart from use, although I don't dip into them very often these days. There are maybe a few books on our shelf that haven't been used, but most fall open on their own to stained pages containing favourite recipes. 

I particularly love the cookbooks where you have a strong sense of the author. Jamie Oliver's books (we own all of them) fit into this category. Nigella Lawson too. A new acquisition, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, would fit here as would The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.  I have some that are close to my heart. Novelist and food writer Laurie Colwin's books would be there. Whenever our organic basket contains beets, you can be certain that I will make Laurie's Beets with Pasta for dinner (from More Home Cooking).  Some are fun to use such as The Flavor Bible. It's really just a booklong list of food with flavour affinities.  My daughter Emma has Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours out on the kitchen counter most weeks.  Friday night dinners? It's probably Joie Warner's No-Cook Pasta Sauces that has been used most often.

We've tried to slow down our collecting in past years, but I can't think of  a birthday or Christmas when my husband and I didn't exchange cookbooks.  Well, because they are interesting and fun.  Maybe it's a little obsessive. But that's what a collection should be.

Cookbook links:  Fannie Farmer, Fannie Farmer Cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Plenty, The Art of Simple Food, Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking:  A Writer in the Kitchen, More Home Cooking, The Flavor Bible, Baking:  From My Home to Yours, No-Cook Pasta Sauces

P.S. I bought the tulips. I'm still waiting for mine to open in the garden. :)

Wood That I Could

When I was a little girl, I read a book called A Little Maid of Newport.  It was set in the 1700s just before the American Revolution. In it, two cousins rescue a piece of Newport's Liberty tree and decide to use the wood to make thimble boxes.  I remember asking my father if I could have a piece of wood and use his chisels to make a box of my own.  It didn't really turn out to be much of a box (I didn't keep it), but I think my love of making things out of wood started in the pages of that book.

A few years ago, I took two woodworking courses at a local community college. Eighteen men, two women. Some of the men were a little more welcoming than others. Add woodworking terminology in French to the mix. Being lefthanded always complicates things. It was all quite intimidating but I was excited to be there and so eager to learn.

The first course concentrated on using manual tools (pencils, rulers, chisels, planers, saws--I really liked using a Japanese dozuki saw and bought one of my own).  By the end of the eight-week course, we had all made our own wooden box--the dream of my childhood had come true!

The next eight-week course concentrated on using the big shop tools.  We worked in teams to create a pine chest.  I really tried to feel comfortable with the shop tools but was terrified of them.  I am a person who works slowly and carefully on things and the pace of the teamwork and my fear of rotating blades made this course much less enjoyable for me. Wild thoughts of becoming a furniture-maker came to a halt.

In our house, I like using handheld power tools. I own a power drill, jigsaw, nailing gun and circular saw. I have a power mitre saw that I like very much.  I don't own a table saw and never will.  With what I do own, I have made several things around our home.  I'm not sure that my creations would win woodworking prizes but I am proud of them and I like that my girls have grown up seeing me make things.  I enjoy the challenge of seeing a need and creating something to fit it. I made a divided cutlery insert for our kitchen drawer. I made a wooden wall vent to replace a noisy metal one. I've made a picture frame and a wallmounted bookshelf.  I created built-in shelves in my studio closet to hold my big watercolour sheets.

The biggest and most complicated thing I've ever made was a six-foot tall headboard for Emma's room. I designed it and built it from scratch. Now I am in the process of transforming it for Chloé's room. It was hard to think of removing the beautiful beaded shell insert (table runners!) and changing its colour but it is turning out quite nicely.  Chloé and I have been painting it a lovely soft white. Her electric lime green room has enough vibrant colour. (One daughter with electric lime and the other with pale cucumber!) I am growing to like the headboard in white. We have another coat of paint to put on it before it is moved into Chloé's room. I am happy to know that it will be used and appreciated for several more years.

Gifts for the artist on your list

With Christmas approaching and shopping time diminishing (I wish I was feeling more organized right now!), I thought it might be helpful to suggest a few gifts for the artist among your friends or family members.

I own a lot of paintbrushes that I've accumulated over the years.  But I have to say that the brush in the above photo is my current favourite.  I bought it in Paris this summer.  Well actually my daughter Chloé bought it for me for my birthday while we were in Paris. Those are reasons enough to love it, but it handles watercolour beautifully and has the loveliest point. (Isabey 6225 series No. 8 brush)

I use paper from a number of manufacturers (Arches and Waterford among others) but this handmade paper from a small mill in Montreal is a favourite of mine.  It comes in sweet, small sizes with four deckle edges.  It has a lovely soft texture. It is sold in stores across North America. (Saint-Armand watercolour paper)

I bought these beautiful bird scissors in a sewing store.  I use them in my studio when I want to cut a precise shape out of paper but I also use them for mending or sewing.  Truth be told, mostly I like looking at them. (Stork Scissors by Premax, made in Italy--sold in sewing supply stores and also in the supply section on Etsy)

Micron pens would be a welcome gift to many artists--whether young or experienced.  They come in all different sizes (the number 02 is my favourite) and have micro pigment ink that is waterproof and fade resistant. They are perfect for sketching or doing a pen and watercolour painting. (Pigma Micron pens by Sakura)

There are lots of lovely art books that you could give an artist--a reference book, a biography of a favourite artist or a book illustrated by an artist.  The book above is one I love. It is written and illustrated by English artist Mary Woodin and it answers my love of both watercolours and gardens.  It is a visual diary of a year in her garden filled with luscious watercolours, descriptions of her plants and beautiful quotes.

The Painted Garden:  A Year in Words and Watercolors is available here.  I have just found out that she has published a garden cookbook too.  Guess what just got added to my Christmas list? :)

If you are looking for a gift for a child with artistic interests, there is a wonderful series of books by Laurence Anholt.  We have five of them in our household but there are more available.  They were enjoyed thoroughly by me and my youngest daughter Chloé. And even though they are written for young children, they travel between her room and my studio because we both still love them.

Each book tells the story of a famous artist. You get to see some of the artist's well-known work but also a snippet of their life--in each case told through the perspective of a child who has a special friendship with the artist.  Wonderful educational books with an emotional core. (Author Laurence Anholt)

From Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

Most artists are inspired by other artists. A painting or print from an admired artist would be a very thoughtful gift.  Here is a print that is on my list this year:

Lemon botanical plate on vintage French envelope by French artist Lucile Prache of Lucile's Kitchen

I love everything done by this wonderful artist! You can find her here and here.  I am very lucky to count her as one of my friends. :)

And finally, here is an idea that does not cost anything but would be valued by so many.  Artists need time to be creative.  Give the artist in your family a certificate that is good for babysitting, washing the dishes, walking the dog, making dinner, mowing the lawn, vacuuming the house--you get the idea--so they can have a little more time at their work table or in their studio.

The Approach

It smelled so good in our house this morning.  Emma made gingerbread cookies.  It's funny how simple things can be such powerful mental triggers.  The spicy scent of those cookies wafting up the stairs started to get me in a Christmas mood.  The snow helped this week too, although sadly it has already melted. It'll be back soon enough.

We've put our Christmas lights up outside.  I love approaching our house from a distance and seeing the golden lights.  They'll be even prettier once the snow returns.

The decorations in the house will be next.  Chloé has already brought up the box of Christmas books and DVDs from the basement and I have tranferred them to a basket.  Even the books they have outgrown stay in that box. Tradition.

I held onto one of my Christmas books from my childhood and it still puts tears in my eyes when I read it. It's a beautifully written and illustrated book about family members making gifts for their little girl (and of course she makes gifts for them).

It seemed too soon to be thinking about Christmas before and all of a sudden I'm wondering if I'll have time to do everything I want and need to do.  It's that way every year. It's exactly one month away today.

In the end, it's important not to hurry and worry too much as I think this is the best part of Christmas:  the approach.

(Every Day in the Year by Phyllis Rowand - out of print, but still available used)

*  *  *  *  *

If you have started to think about your Christmas shopping, just a reminder that I have a special in my Etsy shop all this weekend right until the end of the day, Monday November 28th.  Just apply the coupon code THANKS2011 when you check out and you will receive 15% off your entire order.

Enjoy your weekend.

Satisfaction

I am back in my studio this morning working on some finishing details on paintings I started a while back.  Above are just some of the books I surround myself with in my loft.  Our house is full to the brim with books.  I've tried to organize them a little like a library.  Books on art are in my loft.  Works of fiction and books on decorating and home renovation are in bookcases on our upstairs floor near and in our bedrooms. Cookbooks are beside the kitchen.  And then there are gardening books, more fiction and books on music and cinema in our basement. Yes, we have bookcases everywhere.

I am working on some paintings I started a while ago.  I am happy with parts of them and not with others.  More work to do.  It is hard to get to the point when I am truly satisfied.

I really like how the clouds and water turned out, but I am not happy with the sand. Funny, you'd think sand would be the easiest part.  I started this painting this summer. It is a scene from a trip I took to Australia years ago.  I wish I could remember exactly which beach it is.

Here's another painting that I started a long time ago.  It is a scene from Prince Edward Island.  Anyone who has visited PEI will recognize that gorgeous red dirt. As usual, I have mixed feelings about the painting. :)

For anyone who works in watercolour or is wanting to try it, the book by Hazel Harrison shown in the top photo is a very helpful reference.  She describes the various techniques and has lots of examples by artists with all different styles.  The examples are my favourite part of the book.  The edition I have is only available second hand, but there is a revised edition available on Amazon.

Here's a quote that made me smile today:

"Art is never finished, only abandoned."
Leonardo da Vinci