Tree and rock 2010

Treeandrock2010

Dear Everyone:

This image is tough to explain.

I think it represents simplicity.

My work recently is about capturing

a kind of soothing, even spiritual

beauty.

When looking at this photo I

think objects we believe to

be inanimate such as rocks

actually have an energy

of their own.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Helen.

Mother's Day #3 2010

Mother'sDay#32010

Dear Everyone:

This is the third and last of my Mother's

Day images.

It is meant to be an iconic figure

representing all mothers and infants.

Like a goddess figure.

Helen.

Mother's Day #2 2010

Mother'sDay#22010


Dear Everyone:

This is the second of my Mother's Day images.

I am very pleased with it.

I used my own photograph as a photo
reference for the tulips.

I hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a contemplative day
today.

Helen.

Mother's Day #1 2010

Mother'sDay#12010

Dear Everyone:

Had a creative block for coming

up with images for Mother's Day.

Got past the block this morning

and came up with 3 images which

I will work on over the next 2 days.

This is the first image of a butterfly.

Hope you enjoy this image.

Have a engage-in-a-favourite-pastime

type of day.

Helen.

Rock portrait #7 2010

Rockportrait#72010

Resumed painting still life

compositions of rocks.

My own idea, I came across

paintings of rocks by Georgia O' Keefe

however and even more recently star

Jennifer Aniston is posed sitting in a

towel on beach rocks

for the ad of her new perfume.

So I am in good company.

Hope you enjoy this image.

Have a pay-attention-to-spirit

kind of day.

Helen.

Debra Dawes

debradawes-clockwisefebruary2004

debradawes-clockwiseoctober2004

debradawes-parallelplanes2007

debradawes-toandfro2008

debradawes-breathgreen2008

Dear Everyone:

Came across an uber-talented

Australian artist named Debra Dawes

(1955-present).

Specializing in abstract art

she is widely exhibited and collected

in Australia.

See her web-site at debradawes.com.au

and a few of her pieces here.

Have a let-art-inspire-you kind of day.

Helen.

Blogs New to Me April 2010

Dear everyone:

I wanted to share some blogs I have
recently come across.

The first is the blog of Dominique
Browning. Dominique is the former
editor of the shelter magazine
"House and Garden". I used to look
forward to her editorial page every
issue.

House and Garden was shut down
abruptly in 2007 and Dominque
lost her job. She entered a deep
depression and barely climbed
out of her pajamas, Work had been
her anchor. Fortunately
she recovered and has a new book
and a blog to show for it.
The book is titled Slow Love
and is due for release in May.
The blog is Slow Love Life.
(http://www.slowlovelife.com/).

She writes of her job loss
and recovery, personal notes,
and gardening. I check her
blog daily.

The second blog is by
Australian interior designer
Anna Spiro. It is titled
"AbsolutelyBeautifulThings.
blogspot.com". She has a bit
of a different sensibility and was
featured in the May issue of
Canadian House and Home.

Lastly, a terrific blog
featuring loads of interiors
is "delightbydesign.blogspot.com".
The author has a good eye and
I might revisit the site over and
over to gaze at the photos.

Have a day browsing-blogs.


Helen.

Magnolia Revisited 2010

Magnoliarevisited#12010

Magnoliarevisited#22010

Magnoliarevisited#32010

Magnoliarevisited#42010

Magnoliarevisited#52010

Magnoliarevisited#62010

Magnoliarevisited#72010

Magnoliarevisited#82010

Magnoliarevisited#92010

Dear Everyone:

Went back to shoot

a favourite magnolia.

Got some edgy shots of the

magnolia blossoms with forsythia

in the background.

Hope you enjoy these shots.

Have a keep-your-eyes-open-

for-the-unusual kind of day.

Helen.

Model portrait April 2010

Modelportraitapril2010


Dear Everyone:

Took a break from my still
life folk art paintings of rocks.

Sketched and painted an
image of a model from a
magazine.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a summer-is-pending
type of day.

Helen.

Rock Portrait#6 2010

Rockportrait#62010

The latest entry in my series

of folk art paintings of still

lifes of rocks.

I think the colours look like

jelly beans.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Helen.

Rock Portrait #5 2010

Rockportrait#52010

Another entry in my series

of still life paintings of rocks.

Hope that you enjoy this

image.

Have a challenge-yourself

with-something-new kind of day.

Helen.

Rock Portrait #4 2010

Rockportrait#42010

This is the next in my series of

still life paintings of rocks.

Former editor of House and Garden,

Dominique Browning, also collects

beach rocks. She has carried them

home from afar even carrying them

onto airplanes. See her blog at

slowlovelife.com. She writes

in a deeply personal fashion

and her site is one of the blogs

I read daily. Her site may also

be of particular interest to gardeners

as she is passionate about her garden.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Helen.

Rock Portrait #3 2010

Rockportrait#32010

Another still life painting of rocks.

Love the shapes. The deep blue is

actually an irridescent acrylic paint.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a slow-down-and-pause

once-in-a-while kind of day.

Helen.

Rock Portrait #1 2010

Rockportrait#12010

Dear Everyone:

Playing with my rock still lifes.

Took some shots.

Completed a still life folk art

painting of my first effort.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Have a basically-productive-day

today.

Helen.

landscape post-script 2010

Lower'l'for landscape032010

Lower'l'for landscape042010

2 revised images

Helen.

Lower "l" for landscape 2010

Lower'l'for landscape012010

Lower 'l' for landscape022010

Dear Everyone:

I have been inspired to

paint rocks and roses with

acrylic paint and form a vignette-

like a miniature landscape hence

the title "Lower 'l' for landscape".

This new direction for my work

was inspired by internationally

recognized landscape artist

Andy Goldsworthy.

He manipulates leaves,

branches, snow, ice, sand, clay and rocks

in installations in the outside world

or occasionally a gallery that may

only last as long as a few hours

before the tide washes them away.

One example was stitching a quilt of autumn

leaves on the trunk of a tree with thorns.

Another example is making a cairn of

slabs of ice or rock on a beach before

the tide washes in.

Not keen on public viewers/spectators he photographs

his work to be then shared with the outside world.

I have his book "Time" (2000) New York-Abrams Press.

Residing in Scotland he works all over the world.

My next source of inspiration is Vancouver artist

Eszter Burghardt. For her recent exhibit

at the Bau-Xi gallery (Toronto) she photographed

miniature dioramas made of wool dyed and sculpted

to resemble the landscapes of Iceland.

The exhibit is titled "Wooly Sagas".

I want my work to interact with the

outside environment with such materials

as rocks, feathers and trees.

I hope that you enjoy these initial

images. I am keen to see where

this new work takes me.

Lastly, I must acknowedge soul artist

Laura Hollick of Hamilton, Ontario

who has urged her pupils/students to follow

their spirit and let their soul manifest

itself in creativity and pursuit of dreams.

I picked up my paintbrush to

paint a beach rock right after

listening to one of her teleclasses

(http://www.soulartstudio.com/).

Helen.

Easter 2010

Crocus012010

Crocus022010

crocus032010

Crocus042010

Crocus052010

Crocus062010

Dear Everyone:

Wishing you a Happy Easter!

Blessings, Helen.

Moss Cascade 2010

MossA2010

MossB2010

MossC2010

Dear Everyone:

Saw moss cascading down a small

rocky hillside while out walking yesterday.

Returned a few hours later to capture

these shots.

Hope that you enjoy these images.

Have a revel-in-some-time-off-

kind of day.

Helen.

Snake April 2010

Snakeapril2010

Dear Everyone:

Playing with pattern and line.

Hope that you enjoy this image.

Happy Easter. Indulge.

Helen.