Sunflowers for Ukraine

I’m hoping to make a small difference instead of sitting with knots in my stomach and an ache in my heart. I’ve listed a Sunflowers Print in my shop. It features a painting I did years ago and still love, and one that seems pertinent for the time we are in as the sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. 

For the entire month of March 2022, I will donate $20US from each US order and $25CDN from each Canadian order of my Sunflowers Print. The donations will go the the Canada-Ukraine Foundation which is providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in their country as well as countries where they’ve taken refuge.

The Sunflowers print measures 8 x 6 inches and is on beautiful watercolour paper. I print my art with love and care in my studio.

UPDATE: Thanks to the purchases of my customers, I was able to donate a total of $220US ($275CDN) to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation to help the Ukrainian people. Thank you for your love and support. We did it together. (This special fundraising effort ended on March 31, 2022.)

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Flowers for Change

I've been quiet on my blog. I've been pretty quiet in my life recently too! I'm still staying home as much as possible while we wait out this crazy pandemic! But I haven't been idle. One of the most important things I did recently was to create a painting to support the Black Lives Matters movement. In June, I painted a bouquet with flowers individually chosen for their significance as a tribute to George Floyd and so many others lost to racial intolerance and injustice.

Black tulip - power, strength and supreme elegance

Dill - powerful against evil

Borage - directness, courage and sometimes seen as a remedy for a heavy heart

Black-eyed Susan - justice 

Blue iris - faith and hope

Thyme - courage and strength

Forget-me-not - remembrance

Here's my rough sketch and the early stages of the painting. I used reference photos from my garden for most of the flowers. 

I added a print, note cards and bookmark to my shop in mid-June, all with a fundraising aim. I'm happy to say that as of July 31, 2020, I've raised US$160/CA$222 in total from my "Flowers for Change" print, note card and bookmark sales! Your orders have helped to support the work of: Black Women in Motion, Afrique au Féminin, the Black Health Alliance and, mostly recently, the Black Solidarity Fund. Thank you to everyone who has ordered and, by doing so, supported these important organizations.

The Flowers for Change print, note cards and bookmark continue to be available in my shop. In August, the proceeds from orders of these products will go to the Black Solidarity Fund which unites over 50 Canadian Black community organizations. Donations to this fund are being doubled by P&G Canada up until August 31st! (They will donate $2 for every $1 given up to a million dollars up until the end of August.) So it's definitely not too late to order and help!

 

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During the past few weeks, I've been doing more gardening than painting. I've also been reading and baking. I'm trying to take advantage of the summer days and create a soothing rhythm out of the weirdness we're living. Every time I'm working in the garden, I'm thinking that I really should be painting this flower or that. New paintings are in my head for now but I hope to get up those studio stairs soon! I know it would do me a world of good and I will share whatever I do with you.

I hope that you are safe and well wherever you happen to be at the moment. Thank you for dropping by. It's nice to have guests, even if they are virtual ones!