Snow, Relentless Snow

The sun tried to rise this morning....

after yet another night of  marshmallow snow.

It piled thickly to branches

Even the ash branches are piled with deep slithers of marshmallow.

A very clinging snow indeed.

Scratched Line Dancing

A week of trying out ideas for a piece I have in mind.

Couched rouleaux

stitched in between

On Thursday we received news that my car is a write-off

Destroyed by  mice.

We are still in shock!

We drove it home after a party one night

The next day it wouldn't start

and now it is dead.

Unbelievable.

The good thing is....

work can now start 

on one of my pieces for a show

with the theme

of patterns breaking down

and revealing new worlds

now that the technique is worked out.

Always Thinking Marks

Yes, I am always filling sketchbooks

Doodling

or scratching

and rubbing

Holding the pen with purpose or loosely uncontrolled

Mostly thinking repetition

and sometimes just creating a mess!

But that's okay

I consider a sketchbook a learning tool

not necessarily a thing of beauty.

The Mouse is Mightier than the Car

Not necessarily recording events

but certainly recording time.

My car wouldn't start on January first

and it still isn't fixed....

But at least now we know why....

Mice (bless their evil little hearts!)

have eaten their way through all kinds of wires.

The garage is basically taking the car apart

and finding mouse nests everywhere!

We used to keep mouse traps in the car

now we are going to have to think of more creative anti-mouse measures.

Between days of snow

the sun actually came out this week.

Behind the scenes I am working the beginnings of a theme

on pattern interrupted.

After studying the work of Australia's Aboriginal artists

I made a day of dots

raised dots

Interesting texture...

you don't feel the fabric just the little lumps.

Could explore this further.

And of course the week ends with a windy, blustery, snowy day.

Happy Birthday, Brett.

Our Wintry Garden

Piles of rocks

Piles of logs

branches piled up

blanketed

The stream is frozen

Five lines of tracks from the woods

making a beeline for the bird feeder

Must be the pheasants

Huge prints all over the garden

Snowshoe hares

leaping about the garden in search of juicy nibbles.

Icy snowline atop the woodpile.

Tennis balls iced solid are still playthings for rusty pups.

The sun has come out for three days now.

Thank you for that.

This has been a snow story winter.

Recalling Brett's Early Years

A boy's sense of humour

He remembered this project

We laughed and laughed

Tears running down my face

It's hard work finding that inner child again.

So this is what a bat should look like.

Obviously a sweater that made an impression.

Minimalist!

A scene that's part of every Canadian child's life.

Happiness is.....

Teacher's comment was always that it could be neater.

She didn't actually say colour inside the lines!

I hope you have kept your child's schoolbooks.

These brought back memories for Brett

We laughed and laughed and laughed.

Wintry Inspiration

As we slept snow was falling

a light and clinging snow

blanketing youngling Christmas trees

Piling onto long sinewy branches

Softening Winter's landscape

Creating topknots for last year's blooms

Have a nice day.

When There's no Time to Scratch!

I 've been a busy bee

no time to think

just stitch

When a son is visiting

just let the cloth tell you what to do

No time to design

A birthday celebration came in the midst of his visit

Cooking up a storm

Shooing away dust bunnies

for last Sunday's Super Bowl

Aaaah......relax

Just stitching some favourites

My, how time flies by.