Let Your Life Speak

I finally finished the first painting for our new house we get possession of end of May! SO excited!! This simple quote has been swimming around in my heart and soul for a long time, and for me, it sums up how I want to live my life.

It's not about saying what you believe, it's about living it.

It's HOW we live.

It's HOW we love.

I want my life to speak for itself. What my friends and loved ones say about me when I am not in the room. And after I am gone, how will my life have made an impact in others? If I live authentically - in the good and the bad, and love the absolute best I can.... then I will just let my life speak for itself.

Love en Pariee!

I was commissioned to do a painting as a wedding gift for a couple who live in Poland, but they fell in love in Paris. One of the pics I used as a reference for them, was them sharing a Canada Dry gingerale. I was informed they recieved the painting this past weekend for their wedding, and they loved it! Yay for love and painting!

Sugarplums.

I was commissioned to paint a special Christmas gift for an adorable little girl this year. The only thing I had to go on were the colours in her room, and the fact that they called her "Sugarplum". Here's what I came up with!

The quick character design:

The finished painting; acrylic on 18" x 20" canvas.

At Christmas, love is all around.

"Across the years, I will walk with you in deep green forests and shores of sand, and when our time on earth is through, in heaven too, I will hold your hand. xoxo"



About a week ago, I found this amazing quote whilst on my searches through the neverending net. It immediately made me think of the amazing woman in my life that I will marry in five short months, and how much she truly means to me.

So, of course, I thought of designing a painting around this quote and surprising her for Christmas. I could only work on it while she was at work, and made sure to clean up all my painting jazz every day before she got home, so she would be none the wiser! I designed it around our bedroom colours, so it could hang above our bed. All the text took me quite a while to paint, but I was very happy to finish in time!! I think it was a success...see pics for proof. :)

The final painting; 12" x 36", acrylic on canvas.

I am in awe at the blessings in my life.
Merry Christmas to one and all!

The courage to love.

One of the true heroes of compassion and servitude for others, in my opinion, is Mother Teresa. I am continually inspired when I read quotes from her, and things about her life's work. So, naturally, it inspires me to paint! I have painted this quote once before for a friend, and recently I had a commission request for it again. I don't like doing the same painting twice, so I designed a new painting with this timeless quote:

"We should ask ourselves, 'Have I really experienced the joy of loving?' True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray and ask for the courage to love." -Mother Teresa


The next time I paint, it will be in our new place in Vancouver!
Am I pumped? Yes indeedy, I sure am :)

Cherry blossom tree action.

I was commissioned for a piece I just finished; my client wanted a cherry blossom tree, kind of stylized and simple, mostly pinks and browns.

Here is what I finally came up with!

Commissioned piece. Acrylic on canvas. Original design. 24" x 36".

Fishy fishy.

Paint, paint, paint, more paintings! Me love to paint. This was a fun one - a friend of mine had a few of these ceramic fishes in her new place, and wanted me to paint something that would match 'em!




Just as I finished this commission, I got a couple more requests, so giddy-up!

New York and Merlot.

I've had the pleasure of doing quite a few commissioned paintings recently; one of my favorite things to do, especially in the summer when I can paint in our screened in summer kichen. Love it! Here's a couple paintings I finished last week.

Acrylic on canvas; 10" x 10" x 2.

Acrylic on canvas; 5" x 5".

Acrylic on canvas; 5" x 5".

I have a couple more paintings on the go, I shall post more soonly!

Evolution of a painting....a la Moulin Rouge.

I went away to Winnipeg Beach this past week to take on the [ad]venture of doing a large-esque painting for my cousin Brandi. We were chatting in her hot tub a few weeks ago, and she mentioned that they are looking for a big piece of art for their big blank wall, and me being the ever-eager gal with a paintbrush, I volunteered myself to take on the task! Good thing she trusted me :)

Here's how it all came together. Painting is good for the soul!

After I designed the painting on my computer, from pieces of photos and vintage French paintings, I printed out a life-size template in letter-sized panels, to transfer onto the canvas. [Which is 5 foot x 3 foot.] This is me outwardly saying ACK! I am going to paint this! :) I love a good challenge.

This is in Wpg Beach now, getting it all set up to start the painting process!

Smiling with a blank canvas! [Before the work began :) ]

Gettin' all the paints and pallettes and brushes and jazz ready to rock!

I mixed the background colour, and began to give it a good thick coat! I love painting with a big brush, it's so liberating! [I am a painting geek, aren't I?]

Lookit the speed of my brush, it's like SuperBrush!

After the bg colour dried, I began the arduous process of measuring and uber-carefully transferring the template onto the canvas. Since it was in pieces, and had so much detail, I had to make SURE it was completely accurate. I didn't breathe much through these few hours!

Yay, finally beginning the painting, near the end of Day 1!

It's tough to paint it in portions, mixing and fixing as I go... just because I know how I want it to look at the end of it all, and it's tough to push through the ugly unfinished stages!

Finished the gal in the corner, now moving onto the big letters!

Big brush on the big letters.

It's starting to come together, yahoo!

Now the tower is getting close to done, minus the windmill....

Phew! The windmill is done, WHAT a seige of little straight lines! No breathing there either :)

I took a little lying down break to stretch my back, it's tough to hover over a big canvas, as I found out!

Done the dancing silhouettes...moving onto the last big corner with the 2 ladies on horses.

Startin' on the horses now....stay in the lines, stay in the lines....




Gettin' closer....

Finishing off the wrap-around edges!

Done!! A view from the one side....

....and the other.

Yay! No longer a blank canvas! 4 days & a lot of paint later :)

Yahooooo! Done-o! I learned a lot, and it definitely encouraged me to paint more! I am super pumped it turned out, since I have never painted anything this big before.

Onto the next creative [ad]venture...

Palm leaves-ish.

Here are three little paintings I did for my cousin-in-law, Brandi, who moved into her new abode a while ago. She loves palm leaves, so these are created just for her!

Acrylic on canvas.

Wine of the Pinot variety

Here's a Christmas present I painted this year, I am happy with how it came out, and I think she was too!