With the temperature soaring to 30C, I'm minimizing my sorties today...

Instead, I launched into an assignment for Stampington. I had an idea that I thought would be perfect but as I created it, I didn't like it very much. It wasn't "singing" to me. Then, yesterday, as I was preparing to go out to an appointment, I got another idea and started work, just enough to know that this one would work for me. [This usually happens; whenever I'm on my way to something else, inspiration strikes and I start working on it right away with one eye on the clock.]

I can't show you anything before publication, except for this sliver....

But I can show you this. A new item in my Etsy shop.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Olives, "a taste as old as water."

Acrylic on canvas paper, DETAIL. (c) Colette Copeland. This painting is available HERE.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Friday's child

 I have a little nighttime ritual: before I go to bed, I survey the day's work. Then I finish something, or add touches to it, or make something small, like a tag.
     Last night (technically this morning since it was after midnight), I looked at all the color in my paintings and went black and white. Painting in black and white is like a sorbet to cleanse the palate so that you can taste the next course more cleanly and accurately. It's the same with me and my colours.

Winter Night, acrylic on canvas paper

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Tag heaven. These tags are really for notes. First, I stamped them. Next, I'll write notes on them, starting on the front, continuing on the back, and if I have more to say, continue on a second tag. Last step will be to mail them (in envelopes).

Stamps (L to R): La Blanche, Teesha Moore, Catherine Moore

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Daily work. After painting seven paintings ...

..... two hearts. [Both are available here.]

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Switching from canvas to paper gives me so much freedom (of space) that I continue painting.

This is a detail from Study in Pink. I mixed medium magenta with titanium white.

 This is a detail from Everything Begins with a Seed.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

I brought home the first of my plants, two baby geraniums. I love the lemony scent of their leaves and they are a hardy sort. I'm having to keep them indoors until I re-pot them because the little wind on the balcony keeps toppling them over.  I used to keep hibiscus and gardenias for years, and I'm thinking of getting some more. They do well inside during the winter months. I don't have much luck with herbs for some reason but I'm planning on some anyway.

On the balcony.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

The painter in me woke up, and I started painting. Given the lack of space, I'm painting on 9 x 12-inch canvas paper instead of actual and larger canvasses. Then I got a reminder from BigCartel, where I had signed up more than a year ago and done nothing with it. So I opened a shop there dedicated to my paintings.

This canvas is 16 x 20 inches. I painted it in 1999. It hangs on my wall.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

So far it's not been the end of the world (I know, I know, the day isn't done yet, although the day is done is other parts of the world and they're still standing). It can't be the end of the world anyway because I have too much to accomplish......

In fact, it's a lovely sunny day with enough of a cool little breeze to keep me happy. There's a plant sale going on for the residents of my building (with complimentary barbecue) and I'll be having a look to see if there's anything I'd like for my balcony garden. I haven't done much with it in the last couple of years, but this year I want to create a decent outdoor space.

Meanwhile, indoors.....

Collage available in my Etsy shop

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Friday's child

Heatwave coming on. Long weekend begins.

While ploughing through stuff, because my sorting out/cleaning is an ongoing thing these days, I found the little cotton bag I'd forgotten about. It is decorated with gifts from two friends, a cute birdie image and luscious trim.

While ironing transfers onto organza, this happened. Of course, I realized that I should have put something under the organza, but I like having this permanently on my ironing board!

 Next was this half-bird -- I gave it a body with my sewing machine!!

Available in my Etsy shop

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

There's a break in the weather.... oh, joy! It was a pleasure to go out today.
Not for long, though. I've been working on a commissioned piece. Here's a sneak preview.

 Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

 No surprise, it rained all day. I did go out a couple of times (get coffee beans, check email at Internet café, etc.), but was mostly in my sweatshop workshop, sewing, gluing, cutting.

I embroidered this on a faded sugar bag and framed it in a vintage metal hoop.

 And machine stitched this on paper salvaged from cardboard.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Tech story

 [UPDATE: I decided to try something although I didn't expect it to work. I unplugged the modem and plugged it back in again. this time it worked. Half an hour on the phone with the head techie and he never suggested that. Never mind. I'm still getting a new modem tomorrow... sometimes the answer is very, very simple. You just need to be stubborn, like me!]

Internet down.
New modem being rushed over & will arrive tomorrow.
Meanwhile, from the Internet café on the corner....
Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Favourite quote No. 23

 Consider... that when we open our mouths and speak to another human, we are either spreading seeds of love or fear -- and that there is great power in both.

-- Michael Brown

 Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Silent Sunday

 On my wall today. A sketch on tissue paper.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Friday's child

My Thursday post disappeared into Blogger's black hole....I saw it briefly yesterday and then Blogger went into problem mode, and pouf! post gone.

So now it's Friday.
The work in progress that I posted yesterday is finished. It was about using tears and holes in old fabric as part of the overall picture.

I also did some free-form stitching; a little woodland creature..... (the faeries have gone to lunch).

New hearts in my shop.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Fish on Wednesday.

The lacey netting was a gift from my friend Jackie. I loved it on sight, knowing it would be perfect for something... And so it was!

My fish are available here.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

In my journalistic career, I covered food at one time. I wrote about it, and eventually illustrated it. While writing was my first love, illustration quickly became another great love, and being able to combine the two was sheer heaven! When that job ended, the two separated. I continued to write and paint but they remained separate. Until...........

Years later, I find I'm combining writing and art again in the Stampington magazines. This is my ideal role, I think; it makes me very happy.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

The buds of May are everywhere; it's good to see the park become green again and to see all the robins cavorting on the grass. I've noticed that they stand still and look up --  at what, I don't know. I haven't mastered their language yet!

Detail of The Bird in the Meadow, available in my Etsy shop.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

 Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

I was out enjoying the day; the weather is just the way I like it, warm not hot.
This evening I attempted sewing with appliqués. I thought I was making a coffee cup, but it turned out to be more of a pitcher. I stitched the outline, then filled it in with fabric that I cut to shape. It's OK. I'm not thrilled with it... but I would try it again.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Friday's child

I finished this piece this morning and I'm proud of myself because I'm learning to control the free-form stitching. I lightly pencilled the shape of the face, then took it from there. You have to be fearless with this free-form stitching thing!

I've been possessed by transferring images onto fabric with iron-on paper (I like Lesley Riley's TAP best). It frees you to make the transfer onto your own fabrics and bits and pieces. So when I came across this ethereal handkerchief, I wanted to keep it intact and add something to it.

So......

To hang it, I used a cream-painted safety pin.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

 I'm late posting today for a very good reason. It's a beautiful, sunny day, and you could hear the whole city breathe a sigh of relief. I met Jocelyn downtown and we enjoyed walking around the shops, the Bay, Holt Renfrew, Anthropologie, Pusateri's..... I haven't done that for ages. Outings with Jocelyn are always fun, not least because of her lovely energy.

Meanwhile, a work in progress...

Little tiny garment...

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

Salvage: When something is falling apart, there's usually a piece of it that can be salvaged. This is something I love to do. Perhaps it's a metaphor for life. The fabric around this embroidery was very fragile, tearing at the slightest tug. So I cut out the embroidery and stitched it to my home made tags.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

 Favorite quotation No. 47: ‘Of course, I have moments of doubt. All women have times thinking, “My God, I can’t go out, my hips are so big today!” Nigella Lawson


 My textile and collage palettes tend to be mostly (not all) whites and sepias. But when I paint, it's colour all the way. In this piece, on wood, the tags are the art, rather than the background for the art.

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

DIY

There are many templates for making your own envelopes. But instead of downloading one, printing it, trimming it, etc. etc., I carefully opened an existing envelope and there was my template. No trimming needed, either.

So here's an envelope made from scratch: the envelope itself, made from kraft paper that I stamped; the label (one of my collages, turned into a black and white image, and printed); and a little house I carved from an eraser.

 For Jc and anyone else interested:

Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.

The merry month of May begins. We can only hope (that it will be...merry).

My new favourite rubber stamp -- the True North Strong and Free!


Be good to your friends -- Kevin Bacon.