It's wet and warm today, but the leaves are turning. Slowly.

 My gift to myself this fall is the yoga class, and instructor, that I've been looking for. I did several years of hatha yoga, but then my teacher left. She was excellent and I never found a class to equal hers. For a while, I practised yoga at home, but my discipline would slip, and before I knew it, years had gone by. About a year ago, I looked around, tried a few classes in different studios, but every class diverged from hatha, being tweaked and added to by the teachers for reasons I cannot fathom. There was no hatha to be found. And the straw that broke the camel's back was a class with music so loud that I couldn't hear the teacher's instructions. To say nothing of the discomfort of all the "new" moves. I left with my nerves jangled and raw. So I stopped looking, until recently I walked past a studio that actually had hatha on its sign. I went in, and the rest is history.

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 I love what I call decorative aprons, that is, a pretty addition to your outfit. I'm not ambitious when it comes to making them, but I did try my hand at putting together a couple.


 

Finished.

 

This one still needs ties.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 When I first started doing collage, Lenore Tawney was a huge influence. She collaged postcards with old papers and drawings and mailed them off to her friends. As a result I have a pile of antique papers that I collected over the years. Yesterday I pulled them out, asked myself why I wasn't using them, and started tearing.... old school collage, there's nothing like it.

Postcard from the Bird, 4 x 6 in.

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Art I love, art that inspires me, art that makes me happy, art that pushes me to do better.
I thank them all.

Fritz Flinte

Gwen John

Kees Van Dongen

Matisse

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

It's officially fall/autumn, my season, when my energy increases. I'm an early October child. I prefer moderate weather, so I have no objection to spring, either! This painting combines the two. Maybe. I see something different every time I look at it.

acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

I'm a minimalist at heart. Minimalism speaks volumes to me, it's not as simple as it might look. It involves a lot of thought, imagination, many layers, and design. It's  how I began and it's a style I go back to again and again.

 Have a simply happy week!
 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Tags, tags, and more tags.

If you know me, you know that I love making these little works of art, telling strange little stories...
My tag box is overflowing so I've been putting together tag collections.
Just listed in my Etsy shop, a collection of 10.

 Happy weekend to you.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 It's a quiet misty day that brings to mind the words of the poet "season of mellow fruitfulness," or something like that.

Unsettling things have been happening around me lately, and I'm finally feeling peaceful again. I'm grateful to the people who gave me tools for times like these, who taught me yoga and meditation. And to my sister and friend Jc who let me blow off steam.

I finished yesterday's little painting. Another "tool" that helps to get me centred and calm.

Acrylic on canvas

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Another lovely day -- it's getting warmer -- spent mostly outside.
Indoors, it's back to work. Taking a break from writing an article to do a little painting. Going back and forth keeps me fresh.
My work table today:

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 The lovely weather continues. The leaves aren't falling yet, but this petal fluttered down onto my balcony from above, a little heart, a sweet reminder to notice the little things; they contain multitudes, to paraphrase Walt Whitman.

 New in the shop, Miss Sadie in her favourite dress.

Have a fruitful day!


Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Gratitude Monday

It's a glorious day with blue skies, warm sun, cool air... just the way I like it. I went out early (for me) and breathed it all in.

The bird and hearts mobile I made for my precious grandniece is now in place. Her eyes are riveted on it, and it makes me very, very happy.

There is so much in life that can bring us down, and the antidote is to look for those uplifting moments, those silver linings -- because they are always there, waiting for us to see them.

Gabby's mobile

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Wishing you a lighthearted weekend. Some of us truly need some uplifting, and that's my wish for today...and always.

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 And now for something different...

I came across this passage in a newsletter from Sylvia Browne. Whatever else you may think of her, she has a great sense of humour.

Question: Can you give us any insights on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn? Was he a dark entity? Was she a mystical traveller? Have they reincarnated?

Sylvia Browne: No, Henry VIII wasn't a dark entity, he was just crazy. By no means was Anne Boleyn a mystical traveller. In real life, she was conniving and overly ambitious. No, they haven't come back.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 It's been a while since I made any tag art.
I created my own paper, a photo-montage made with my own photographs, printed it out and cut it into shapes.
Coffee, dark roast, black, no sugar, is my drink of choice, and I've made ATCs on that subject before, even dipping my finger into the coffee grounds and drawing the cups...

Finger painting with coffee grounds

 I coffee-dyed my tags first, then got to work.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

It's been a few days since I blogged, and only because the days slipped by and I never got around to it. Or maybe I had nothing to share. I'm sensitive to the change of seasons, physically I get a little drained, and I tend to get quiet for a spell.

But this has energized me: My big summer project will see the light of day in less than a month. With the encouragement and help of editor Jennifer Jackson Taylor, and my friend Jocelyn who patiently took some of the step-out photos of my hands at work, I managed to complete what's been my biggest project to date.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

It's ironic that on a bright, clear day, a headache is chasing me, announcing a change in the barometric pressure and very likely rain. I've learned to function regardless of the migraines after I've taken some ibuprofen and a shot of espresso. The show must go on!

Peel me a grape

City

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Spending a lazy day on Labour Day. I saw this fungus on the trunk of a very old tree while walking in my neck of the woods. I am incredibly lucky to be living in "countryside" surroundings within a big cosmopolitan city.

There is a park at the top of this hillock, and a ravine on the other side. And trees, so many wonderful trees....

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown