adventures in rememberland

Went on an adventure to my home province. Spent a couple of days with a friend that I've had since

grade 7, then off to my mommies for a week. I also saw one of my sisters and her family.

While at my friends home I came across this wonderful painting she had done when we shared an apartment while she was in college. I had just returned from Toronto having completed my own 2 years of college in a diploma course for fashion design, and 1 year working in the big city.

We found a 2 bedroom apartment in an old house that had been converted into three apartments. 

We had a couple of cats and we painted all the time. We painted on whatever was available, cardboard, drywall board, the actual walls, and when we were feeling rich, art board. I also acquired an industrial sewing machine and made us and friends lots of cool shit. 

I realized with remembering this time in my life that I had forgotten (memories buried in carefully curated boxes in the deep recesses of my mind) what fun we used to have, how I loved and have always loved being creative and making cool shit all the time. Makes me want to it going. Maybe I need to set myself a challenge to do more creating in any form, painting, designing, making making making.

This was definitely one of the better vacations I have had and I am planning to keep exploring new things this year of 2016....

Peace out, have fun with life and give yourself a break once in while to get messy, or lazy, or just whatever you feel like doing.

Suzanne

My friend Lori's amazing artwork. I believe it is Gulliver.

One of my paintings that survived my travels painted on a chunk of cardboard.

the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016

So, the last few months of 2015 saw a surge of creative ideas
flowing frantically from my poor brain.

I set up and had some of my poetry and short stories printed into the sweetest
little book for my family for Christmas. I even managed to sell a few.
I received very good reviews on the book. Of course it was all from
family and friends.

2106 is a year I have decided to try new things, finish what I start,
work on volume 2 of my little book, and research and develop a book of knitting.

So far in learning something new, I have successfully knitted a pair of
socks from the toe up.  To accomplish this I purchased some really pretty sock yarn
from the West Yorkshire Spinners birds line.
It took me a month, but I finished the project. Yeah!
(I have neck/upper back issues that limit my knitting time)

A lovely friend birthday gifted me a pretty ball of
Caterpillargreen sock yarn which I have started a second pair of
socks with.  So far so good.

I was also birthday gifted an art class. 6 evenings called Creative Sketchbooks.
We are being inspired to take some time each day and do something
creative in our sketchbooks. I am enjoying learning to work with a new
paint for me--gouache. Works like acrylic and watercolour. Very fun.
Even though I have painted/sketched all my life, this class is actually
getting me back into doing a complete project instead of just little
drawings here and there.

It is all ready February. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by.
I thought 2015 was fast, but it seems like 2016 will be even faster.

Lets wish for peace to all, and a healthy, creative, fun and fabulous year ahead.