Ode to friendship

A close friend gave me those lilies, and it means so much to me. I love them not only for their elegance, but what they symbolize: innocence, purity, devotion, sympathy, and most of all friendship. 

Ode to friendship

Bursts of lilies, your offering

in graceful shades, ease suffering

O what a thrill to have you back

Sweet scents you bring with your presence

with much remorse break your silence

O what a thrill to hear you sing 

The clash of minds tore us apart

but in our hearts the bond remained

for love that's free cannot be lost

expands along in all weather

in forgiveness grow stronger

with you my friend

I share my soul

in truth and trust

ever closer

Art in nature

On a walk through a park, in the fresh spring air, I saw paintings everywhere. 

Sometimes I feel nature is the best artist ...

Abstract Tableau

ice sparkling

snow melting

beneath the cold

warmth of gold

sprouts dormant

hidden, latent

wait for spring

to have their fling

when hearts perceive

and eyes can sieve

with awareness
a mundane mess

the alchemy

shifts silently

the grunge below

to abstract tableau

The Magic of Creativity

We are all born creative. Some may have more aptitude or dedication, but that should not discourage us to follow our passions and learn new skills that bring magic into our lives. Creativity in all forms are elixirs for our well-being.

As much as I love creating stories, and getting into the heads and hearts of my characters, I also need to feast my eyes with delicious visuals and allow the intuitive shapes and shades to flow into my photography. Creating images balances the heaviness of thinking.

When winter is tough, this quote from Shakespeare's Richard III sometimes slips into my thoughts, Now is the winter of our discontent. It sounds depressing until I remember the next line, Made glorious this summer by this son of York. Yes, it makes me wonder if spring would be as joyful without the struggle of winter ... It's perhaps the contrast that makes us appreciate each season better ... the natural balance that brings harmony ...

Welcoming spring, my favourite time of the year with this photo montage: Winter melting into Spring

Authors' Afternoon with Sarah Stanners

Hello book lovers, writers and artists, It's a pleasure to invite you to meet Sarah Stanners, our guest author this month. She will talk about her book Jack Bush: In Studio (2016), which was launched at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, where she served as chief curator from 2015 to 2018, and will also tell you more about her other books. Hope you will join us for an exciting discussion about her work, and the importance of art in Canadian culture.

Connecting with nature and those we've lost

I love being by the lake. Even when it's frozen. Nature has a way of bringing balance and perspective when we connect with it. I feel immersed in a spiritual magnitude in which the mundane world is secondary.

It's made me think about some friends who are going through grieving from the death of their dear ones. The physical loss is painful and overwhelming, but there's comfort in knowing that the spirit of the one who passed lives on ... in an otherworldly dimension that is hard for us to define ... suffice to say  the  connection is intuitive.

When we connect deeply with someone, often distance and loss can't erase the emotional bond. The person is still with us because of the profound, positive ways we've touched each other.