Winter Inspiration: Story Behind the Painting

Sometimes the winter months seem like they will never end. That initial delight when the first snowflakes of the season arrive can turn into a cold and dark dread of winter's final days. Even my creative spirit at this time of year can feel sluggish as if it was laden down with ice crystals.

In November, a lovely customer ordered my Autumn Leaf print with the Albert Camus quote: "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower". She contacted me once she had received her order and asked if I knew of the beautiful winter quote by Camus. I didn't and what a beauty it is: "In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer". Isn't that gorgeous? Quite beyond enduring unpleasant weather and dragging seasons, it speaks to the strength that we can find inside ourselves when life is difficult.

She said she would be interested in a companion print with the winter quote and had a wonderful idea of what to include with it. She suggested winterberry also known as Ilex verticillata. Do you know it? It's a beautiful shrub--a species of holly native to parts of North America. When the rest of nature is brown, grey or covered with snow, winterberry sports beautiful bright red berries.

While I wasn't able to find winterberry in my local forest, I did find branches of it at a nearby garden centre. I absolutely loved painting the berries. A greater challenge for me was creating the lettering in watercolour to match the quote I had done for the autumn leaf image. Watercolour paint is capricious. Hand lettering with a small paintbrush is not like using a computer font that remains the same each time you use it, although in the middle of this project I sort of wished it was! I did so many tries before finally coming up with a version that was similar in weight and tone to the previous quote. I am happy to say that my winterberry print is now available in my shop, on its own or coupled with the autumn leaf print.

Thank you to my lovely customer and Albert Camus for the wonderful winter inspiration!

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You can buy directly from me below. Your order will be processed through my secure Shopify shop. Shipping is free in Canada and the US. A flat rate of $7.50 applies to all other destinations. Products are shipped within 3-5 days of your order. ~ Kathleen

When Two Makers Meet: Trowel & Paintbrush and Ohhh Lulu

It was a very rainy Wednesday morning a week ago when I finally met my friend, Sarah Norwood, and her sweet daughter Isabel in person for the first time.

In January of 2013, Sarah and I both volunteered to take over the Canadian Etsy team called Team Canuck, now known as The Canadian Collective.  We didn't know each other at all except for both being members of the same team. Over the past three years, we have corresponded countless times about the team, Etsy, our online businesses, motherhood, our pets and everything else in between. We have shared laughter and tears. One of the coolest things was when we found out that we both were born on July 1st, Canada Day!

Despite our drenched state, I think we look pretty happy!

Sarah lives in Orillia, Ontario. My parents live in Gravenhurst about a half hour away. Because Gravenhurst is a seven-hour drive from where I live, we don't get there more than a couple times a year and our visits tend to be busy with family. I've thought so often about meeting Sarah and finally we made it happen! Sarah volunteered to drive to Gravenhurst so we could meet at the wonderful open-air farmers' market that takes place there every Wednesday during the summer.

That morning it didn't just rain, it poured, but we didn't care. It was exciting to see each other in person. I am also so happy to have met Sarah's baby, Isabel. What a sweetheart she is! The facial expressions she makes are completely adorable. She looks like she can't quite believe she met me either!

A model wearing one of Sarah's lovely creations. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ohhhlulu

If you don't know Sarah's beautiful lingerie business Ohhh Lulu, you should have a look. Her creations are exquisite and are all handmade by her. She also sells sewing patterns of some of her pieces. She was just featured in a big article this past weekend in the Globe and Mail about handmade Canadian lingerie. I am so proud to know her!

When at the Gravenhurst Farmers' Market, I can never leave empty-handed. Aside from the happy memory of meeting Sarah and Isabel, I left with butter tarts to share with my family, chipotle hot sauce, mango jam, some Thai dipping sauces and this gorgeous succulent garden!

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My New Website is Open!

www.trowelandpaintbrush.com

Happy summer, friends! (And happy autumn to those on the opposite side of the seasons!) In tandem with this lovely season's beginning, I am excited to announce that my completely revamped art shop/website is open! I hope that you visit and look around. It took me three weeks to get it ready and I hope it conveys a sense of me, my art, my heart and my appreciation for all those who support my 'métier'. 

If there is something on the website that could be better (whether big or small), I would appreciate you telling me. I value your opinion.

Thank you to all those behind the scenes I asked for advice and who gave me encouragement while I was building my website. I ♡ you.

To celebrate my opening, I will be tucking extra goodies in all orders received this week on www.trowelandpaintbrush.com. (Up to June 28th.)

And, of course, I will be adding more art to my shop on an ongoing basis.

Thank you for your support and inspiration! 

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Exciting News! My Own Shop!

I have wanted to have my own website for so long!  A couple of weeks ago, I bought my own domain name (trowelandpaintbrush) and began setting up my own shop.

I customized a design that is offered on the Big Cartel site. I am so proud of myself as two weeks ago, I barely knew a thing about HTML. By googling when I got stuck, I was able to learn enough to tweak the format to something that reflects me and suits my paintings.

I love how it looks and hope you do too. It's pretty and filled with light.

www.trowelandpaintbrush.com

This is where I will now sell my original watercolour paintings. There are a still a few originals in my Etsy shop for now but any new paintings will be listed on my new website. I also plan to list some of my cards and prints.

While I have thought of having my own shop for a couple of years, changes in the past year on Etsy made me feel even more motivated to be in a place where I have more control over my work. This is especially important to me when it comes to my original watercolours.  If you know me, you will understand how much thought was put into this. I consider things carefully and think about each and every detail of what I do.

I am hoping that my followers here on my blog, on Instagram and Facebook, will enjoy seeing my work in this new setting. I'm not abandoning my Etsy shop but feel better having my own site where I can showcase my work in a clean and uncluttered environment where I have full control both as an artist and a businessperson.

I hope that you will visit my new site and have a look around. I've added some background information on me. Maybe you'll find something out that you didn't know! If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it.

I wish I could pass around a plate of cookies and some tea, or maybe a platter of cheese and some wine.  I feel like celebrating with you all!

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