I am running and busy and crazy and so overjoyed with this sunshine ...Yeaaaa the sunshine...let the sun shine in... isn't that how the song goes?

But I am also dying to share with you this terrific print by Mati Rose that I won a while ago at Dr. Brene Browns' site and it arrived yesterday, its soo lovely!!!! Thank you , you lovely women...I have to say there is nothing better than receiving a gift by mail. (some saintly types would say sending one but I am not that type...) And I have been quiet because I have been painting, and I took out my acrylics again- one more go- I am so delighted with the transparencies I can achieve with watercolor that I feel my acrylics are just pasty- but I will work on it- it just takes some discipline, hold that brush ,wait, wait ,wait, don't rush. Not rushing is so hard...

But I will show you these are little ones from the studio downtown.

I love this one 'my new red dress', I was so happy with the way the figure is there but not there, she has good volume but then she is all feathery light too.

This one was a different model, she looked so gentle, I thought of her as a little girl and I just wanted to paint that softness and that dreaminess.

That's when I came up with the idea of using : "artful daydreaming" as a phrase to describe my artwork in my Etsy shop. What do you think?

Have a great weekend!

Proposal: Breakfast Day

I was thinking about how I love breakfast and how lots and lots of people love breakfast too. So I think we should establish a 'Breakfast Day' because we should celebrate the really wonderful things about life. And you know mothers, fathers, earth, and all the other things that we have attributed days to , they can have some iffy things about them- hmm- whereas breakfast need never be dissappointing-(unless you are on a diet...yikes)(But of course you have to break the diet on Breakfast Day...) And the very best thing about Breakfast Day is that you get to eat breakfast all day. One long breakfast feast...Honestly, if I dare say so myself, this is such a bloody good idea! So I drew a little something for you , 'Happy Breakfast Day' (its,ok, you can have yours tomorrow)

This is where I get my inspiration from this week- you can't go wrong with a bird sitting on your head!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Illustration Friday-'cracked'

Just had to- I came across Penelope's blog( as one does in the blogging world) and today I just had to throw fear to the wind ... and just post this. And anyway, Penelope( who is an amazing illustrator and a darn good writer at that), is all about facing your fear monsters head on...


So talking about being inspired by good writing, I just finished 'A handmade life', and Molly has absolutely inspired me to add some new and terrible things to our kitchen life. I just had to microwave chocolate on a baguette last night- Molly is making me do wicked things- it was so bloody better than I thought it would be....

On a healthier note, she inspired this roasted tomatoes meal- I roasted them for six hours-yes, six hours, at 200. They were yummy, but next time I will add more olive oil. You know, having been raised in Greece and all, I need a swimming pool of olive oil... But my problem is with Molly's descriptions of breakfasts in France- to tell the truth we have eaten the best croissants ever in Belgium- does it matter?- I WANT ONE NOW- a very nice ,extra large croissant with butter-divine butter. You see, just because I was raised on olive oil doesn't make me prejudiced against butter- oh no, not me...

So this morning I dreamt of travelling- yes, actually taking a vacation, walking around a new city, preferably Paris( because of Molly), having breakfast all day, with intervals of drawing and visiting wonder-filled museums, maybe thinking a bit too...

Were you travelling for breakfast today?

The Monday list of ten

How was your weekend? Ours was lovely and sunny and gorgeous even if with a cool breeze. The airs of change are always strong in spring, are they not? I am kind of divided about change, even though I do lean on the loving- it -side. A part of me panics and I wake up in the middle of the night with the worry boogieman screaming terrible,(but very imaginative) worries in my ear...It's great watching him dissolve with the rays of sunlight sneaking under the curtains. I joined a group of morning pictures at Flickr. Will I remember to post one every morning? Hmmm

And a flower for you from our weekend walks.

Lucy got some free goodies at a garage sale.

And one more thing- or rather ten more things, so I can start the week with some mental goodness:

The Monday list of ten things I am grateful for:

1. my watercolor box, waiting to be opened after two whole days of being neglected

2. The color 'permanent rose'

3.my white shirts(that's my uniform-with jeans)

4. my camera- I never thought of myself as one to pick up a camera- I always sucked at photography so I stuck to painting- then when I came across '3191 A year of mornings' at the library, I impulsively took it home not really knowing why. So it was on my desk for a week but I didn't really look at it- It just wasn't the sort of thing I usually did- I usually have so many books I am reading at the same time-and the printed word seemed so much 'wiser' and important- I returned the book to the library unopened, but two weeks later it was staring at my face again, and I sighed and I thought ok. there's something in this book that I am supposed to learn from- I borrowed it again and this time I looked with eyes open- and that was it- love- and then the blogging world ,and then rolling up my sleeves and rethinking the whole photography thing- and so more love, and then my own blog, more love, and then Flickr and then Etsy and then meeting great people, and then -I can't wait for whatever else this ocean's tide will bring...

5. So I should definitely add Stephanie and Mav of '3191 ' on my list-thank you- thank you-

6. I guess I am also grateful to myself for my willingness to learn- I do - I will to learn- always

7. All the artists, and craft-people who blog- you add so much fun and delight to so many lives

8. For the moms who try to juggle art- career- craft- home- relationships- sanity- you are bloody incredible

9. To all the writers who have written books on positive thinking- its true- it works- not by itself- but its a big, important ingredient for the-true-path-soup

10. to the economic downturn ( that's a good one, I know...), because it forced me to reevaluate my life , my art and reconsider how much responsibility I was really taking for it- Taking responsibility has pumped wondrous amounts of fresh energy into my life

and this one more 11. I am grateful for the ability to choose-

Do you have a list?

Have a lovely day( of conscious choices)

New reality show: the fig tree

The tree has tiny figs now. When did that happen? And these little ones were just staring at me and my camera. It was windy so I was lucky that I got this. We had another exceptionally beautiful day, not too warm, but sunny with an amazing blue sky. Hey, in Vancouver days like these do not come in abundance , so they are totally special.

I am still trying to figure out my Etsy shop. I can't find my work in the most recently listed, its probably my tags , it took me a while to get it. It's so frustrating ....$%^#%^%$^%&&$^%$$#$#$!!!!!!!!

Oh well, I got it out of my system now... did you hear the screaming?

So what about you? Do you have a tree you love? Is that a crazy question?

Working, working, working

Finally, some more artwork to show you. No its not new, but I go through phases of hating things I have done, and I put them away and then one day I rediscover them and especially if its a sunny day, and I go hmm I like that. So, this are rejects that were reevaluated on a sunny day and were loved again. Watercolor can be such a pain, it goes so yacky grey so easily and that's what I hate the most.

So the house had been quiet all day, Nigel is away again, Montana this time, and I worked , worked, worked. At about five in the afternoon, I went upstairs sat on my bed and thought of artistic suicide or something of the sort. Then I rearranged my brain, decided once more it was either this or nothing at all, I went back downstairs and finished up three little watercolors that now look hmmm very, tres jolies. But I am not posting these yet. They have to be digested first.

Do you love your desk? With an all consuming love? I do. And its clean, its tidy. I try to keep the surface white because that's what gets my creative juices going. I guess I have always liked desks and tables. My grandmother had a table in her summer house , it had a little drawer in the middle for a few 'summer' knives, spoons forks. I have never told anyone before how much I delighted in that table, but unfortunately its gone and they don't make them like that any more. Anyway, going back to the desk, I scrub it, with nail polish remover for weird stains, alcohol for acrylic stains, and baking soda for a good , bright white surface. I think I am a maniac of sorts.

Do you love your desk? Do you have desk stories?

One more thing, have you ever listened to Lhasa? I have the 'Lhasa Living Road ' cd and its so totally gorgeous.

Some heaven

This was the most delicious afternoon that I can remember for the longest time. I actually opened my studio's window and sat on my desk right next to it and drew and painted. I didn't play any music, the house was silent, but I could hear the sounds from the road, the backyards, the sky above, I didn't want to miss a thing. The drawings started off so well and then I hit this wall and hit it again and again. Well, I don't know about you but that is how I grow. It's a family tradition. In kindergarden Lucy couldn't do the monkey bars and she really, really, really wanted to beacuse her friend Victoria did it, and with total mastery of the art. Now I can't be sure what motivated Lucy exactly. but she practiced, and practiced, every day after school she practiced. First she got to the second bar and we stayed on that level for a month then she went to third bar, by the end of the year (and after thousands of blisters in her little palms), she was doing the whole thing, by this September she was doing it backwards, upside down, over the top, hanging from one arm, I was just glad I wasn't there most of the time because I would be a scarity chicken mother and say no, don't do that darling, oh no ,no no... But I try to turn my back when she is doing the works and I am so bloody proud of her, my stubborn, totally determined monkey. And I learned a lesson too.

I added this picture because it was a photo from my daily walk and then right above it is my drawing and I just realised the connection... It's so funny, its all there. My oh my, I do say I am inspired by my walks and here it is , the total proof!

What inspires you?

This very clever bicycle

We found this very clever bicycle on our walking travels today. What a charming way to recycle a perfectly attractive white bicycle. A bicycle that has finally come home to stay. I am like that too. When we left our previous home in a whole other continent, there was much fury from various quarters. I was told that in five years I would wake up one morning and wail with regret. I admit to have been a bit concerned about this fifth year of our residency in Canada. When someone says something like that its almost like a dark prophesy that haunts you... But I can tell you now that I love our new home, with the best kind of love, the one that comes from choice-not a simple choise, mind you, but one that you have agonised over-and over. Yes, I love Vancouver ...Especially on days like the one today when it was raining fiercely early on, then it became refreshingly cool and sunny, and finally we were visited by an even fiercer rainpour which eventulally teamed up with glorious sunshine!

And I have made some wonderful friends in Vancouver, like Krystina who is always so amazingly generous and just out of the blue gave me this gift, a cutting from her garden for me to replant.

My son comes home for lunch with his buddies and they make pasta for themselves or fry some eggs, or make sandwiches. These boys like their food and come Friday there's nothing left in our fridge...But I really enjoy having them around at lunch time, Dimitri of course locks the door of my studio and they play their music or watch a hockey or soccer game on tv, but then when they leave( after cleaning up, mind you) they all sing in a barrytone chorus :thank you for having us- Aren't you jealous?

So what's not to love about being here? Even this birdie sat patiently as I quietly approached trying to get a good photo of him.

Enjoy your walk today-do you walk?

Holiday cleaning, a thank you, a good read.

I spent this holiday (Victoria Day) catching up on my house duties. I had another motive too, I wanted to upload pictures from our home for Flickr. I know, I know, I am a total addict now, hopefully, the desease will take its course and one day it will cool down...Hmm. I have a few plants but really very few because I know I wasn't born a gardener, but the ones I do have I adore.

I also adore my studio space, especially when its clean and tidy after the painting storm debris has been all cleared up. I decided this time to store the acrylics in the closet for a while, and concentrate on the watercolors and the drawings. Its all too much sometimes and I have to make some choices.

But there is one more thing I wanted to share. I was so thrilled that Shash from Mecozy has picked one of my 'small blessings' as a Friday Flickr favorite. I only started reading blogs two or three months ago and her blog was one of the first that got me so involved. I have loved reading biographies for the longest time so this was a brilliant new discovery for me. I even made a red cabbage soup that she described . She had taken the most color-perfect pictures of the soup -making process, and I just had to try it, and yes, it was so totally delicious. I've admired her artwork as well and I was over the moon she found my little watercolor pleasing. Thank you Shash!

This one turned out too dark. Hmm.

Another discovery through the blog world was Molly Wizenbergs' book: 'A Homemade Life: stories and recipes from my kitchen table'. And you know what, I inquired after it at our local library and the very nice young woman there, said: "None of the Vancouver libraries seems to have it ,would you like us to order it?" I fell off my chair... But now here it is on my lap. Read it, share it , get your libraries to buy it, it's wonderfull! What moves me deeply about this book, is not just the stories and the recipes and the fun stuff, but the fact that it is really a love poem to a dad...

So, what are you reading these days?

Ikea Sunday

I have a challenge for you, can you make an interesting photo of eating ice cream at MacDonald's or lunch at Ikea? Tough one...

Well what happened was that yesterday Lucy spotted a pink rocking chair at a garage sale(we were still in the car and she screamed:look,pink chair!!!) So we had to buy it, (five dollars)and she washed it this morning but it needed a cushion. Unfortunately, her mom doesn't have the green-sewing-thumbs she would have so loooved to have had, so we went to Ikea, of course. I don't know about you but darling Ikea has saved our bottoms many times... (the truth is I could spend long happy hours at the kid's section, I think they should do alot more of that stuff in grown up sizes)

And look at this happy reader-it was all worth it I say...

Finally,this mom is also a frustrated Etsy shop owner, empty of course because I am still trying to figure this whole thing out- there are so many interruptions you see- everything is done in small bits and pieces, and sometimes I lose it all with one wrong click just like I did with today's posting and I had to rewrite it all...And what I was getting at was this self-portrait for the shops' avatar(whatever that may be) Nigel said I look uncharacteristically serious in this shot but really I am trying to be serious about this. It's so important. Lucy has caught on ,she said she is also going to have a shop when she grows up but hers will be a restaurant. I can't wait.(I must be doing something right after all)

Do you have quiet Sundays?

Struggles and blessings

This is a beautiful flower about to bloom- not how I feel at all- what has happened to me? I had a week of painting and I am heartbroken at the results- I am trying too hard says Nigel- I think I am in a ' transition'-you know, one of those monsters that hold you in their palms mid air and you just can't move, just sit there holding your breath, knowing its just not really up to you-not now. But I did do a lot of little drawings between the struggling acrylics. I love the drawings. Should I make little cards with them?

Have wings, will travel.

Listening.(ususally, to Tom Allen , or Richard Fry on CBC2 Radio Canada- they are awesome!)

I couldn't resist this frothy London Fog- with as much honey as I can legally get away with...

Ah. This, I love. The fig tree is coming to life. I wish I had the time to draw it daily, record the little green bits that appear magically every day. Maybe I should. I always return to my 'small blessings'. That's where my heart is. Definitely where my heart is.

Where is your heart? What brings you back to life in spring?

Everything in place

It may be an obvious thing for many people, not for me. I realised yesterday ,as I was working feverishly away in my studio, that everything was in place. In my studio first and it's trickling on to other rooms of the house too. Of course there are a million and one things still to change and fix and repaint, but really everything is in place.I don't remember this before. I remember a constant restlessness, a continuous search for this or the other. Now, I know where things are because I have made sure they have a place where they belong. I feel this is awffly significant, like maybe I have finally made a home for myself where everything has its place, even me.

Quiet Monday

These pictures were taken yesterday at Stanley Park. Anonymous art. A whole forest of rocks standing on rocks. Precariously. More parts of the forest.

I didn't really have time to do the subject justice because Lucy was on her new bike and we were walking. I am such a worry-worry-worry mother, I can't let her out of my sight. Thankfully, Nigel just laughs and tells me to relax. Yea. Maybe when they are all married. (but probably not)

This week I am spending at the studio at home. Painting. Painting. Painting. I have set up a store on Etsy and I still have to finish off certain things. There is so much I need to do with shows coming up and all sorts of things to do. Oh well, a quiet,working week would be great.

By the way, I will be participating in the second round of the international sketchbook project.It sounds like an amazing opportunity to connect with artists all over the world. Check it out!

Happy Mom's Day

Happy Mom's Day to all you lovely moms!

Saturday outing

Lucy got up this morning earlier than all of us, just to make this little hairclip. It was broken by the end of our outing but it doesn't matter because here it is in this photo. She has been so industrious with her beads(she inherited those from her sister Rea), and also with lots of small but adorable plasticine projects. Rea used to be a busy crafting bee as well, all the way up to the last year of highschool. Then other things became priority and of course now there's university. Don't say this to her but I bet my bottom dollar Rea will one day rediscover her crafting soul with tremendous hunger and joy. Look at these two pretty things.

Just like Lucy's hairclip, gone by the end of our outing. Does it matter since we did recognize their beauty and captured it with a lense?

For Lucy everything is potential treasure. 'Look mom at this beautiful rock...'

And to end this very sunny day, two colors which don't lose their sunny nature even behind a fence.

Cheers.