My father passed away in June of 2012 from cancer.  My Dad was someone who I always felt was there for me... no matter what.  He always had my back and was a big supporter of my artistic endeavours.  I miss him terribly.  

There have been times since his death that I have felt his presence so strongly.  One particular time, I was sitting outside and the sun was streaming through the clouds.  At the same time, leaves were rustling in a nearby tree and I knew he was right there.  I've been trying to capture this moment through sketches for a long time.... feelings are not always easy to capture.  

The poppies in the foreground represent myself and my siblings.  I drew each one with care and with love.  We are all still struggling with his death in our own ways.  I am fortunate to have felt his closeness before and after his death.

New challenge starts tomorrow.... not sure what it will be yet.  Suggestions are welcome.  

This week's challenge…. Still Life.  I am not a big fan of still life.  I am not attracted to them when i see them and I have always thought of them as a bit sad, and lonely-looking.  So… what I learned this week, is that they don't have to be.  I am learning that a person can paint whatever they want to… and however they want to.  I think it is best to just paint, and it seems like your style just emerges.  I believe there is no "right" style.  Different styles will appeal to different people.  It is important to like what you do.  

Painting glassware is something I hadn't done before either.  I like how they turned out.  I also started the week by painting 7 panels each a different background colour and working with it.  I ended up with some interesting mixes.  

Now… what shall I do this coming week?  Perhaps a week of sketching since I will be on the road a bit.

Week 2 of my challenge.  I decided to challenge myself to do paintings using only 30 strokes.  I think this will help me get to know my brushes and also learn a little about composition.  I am expecting my paintings to improve as the week goes by.  With this first painting, I used the same brush for all strokes… my favourite, a filbert.  I learned to save some strokes for highlights, and to perhaps do a bit more thinking and planning before starting.  I'm going to be strict with myself… no throw aways, restarts, or cheating on stroke counts.  I will even post the ones I really am not happy with.  I am in Sun Peaks, BC right now, and really enjoying all the inspiration here.  The trees are lovely and it is snowing almost every day…. things that I really love.  Looking forward to this week.