dominique fortin 'mues'

this is where you'll find me tonight.

click on image to take you to her facebook page

if you haven't seen her art, you must check it out.  she's a wicked talented artist.  and i'm loving her work. 

i'm REALLY hoping to come home with a little something.

on mothers day 2013

this little girl presented me with a seeded planter (sunflowers), which we're going to put in the sun and watch it grow.  she painted the pot herself and yes, i was a very proud mamma. here she is presenting it to me..

and my boy xavier gave this note rolled up bound by two huge tissue paper flowers (that he made in class).  and this is what the note said...

i got all weepy eyed, and lost it at the very last line.  .....and one german shepherd dog.  he knows how much i miss my samson.  he does this to me every. single. year.  he makes me a very proud mamma.

and then i got some free time to paint.  and paint i did....

4 x 6 inches, gouache on hotpress 140lbs watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches,  acrylic on wood panel

girls

and this is one of the reasons why i love summer.  watching these neighbourhood girlfriends that haven't seen much of each other during the winter reconnecting. making up games and songs and listening to endless giggles. it's so very sweet.  

2013
they look like they could be posing for a kool-aid ad

later that evening elisa was telling me how she very much "really really really doesn't like (so and so) because she's bossy and she kicked me on the side.  and she laughed at me when i bent down and my underwear showed when it was my turn to be the bunny and then (so and so) laughed too."

then her eyes welled up in tears as she tried to be strong so she could finish her story.

girls can be so mean.  and at such a tender age too.  i'm not sure how or why girls are like this but when i hear it affecting any girl and particularly my girl, it makes my heart break.  

it sounds like nothing to us but it was a big deal for elisa.  i told her to hold her chin up, and be proud of who she is.  that it's ok if your underwear shows.  we all wear underwear.  and to so tell so-and-so, 'what's the big deal, you wear underwear don't you?"

i told her to continue on being her great self and not to change one single little thing.  i reminded her that it's good to be different and unique and to be proud of who she is, regardless of what anyone thinks or says.  

i want her to grow up a confident young girl, with the strength to push through any petty nonsense.  so i have to keep reminding herself when things like this happen that she's loved, and smart, and an awesome kid.  

we also talked about not getting involved in mocking or teasing anyone else because of how hurtful it could be.  

2012

  

ugh.  it broke my heart to see her so upset, but she's a resilient kid and i know she'll move on through just fine.

BUT......   what i really wanted to do, was tell elisa to knock so-and-so out if she made fun of her again. like give her a good sucker punch (my mamma bear instinct revealing itself).  it was a gut instinct to protect.   but............ of course, i didn't...   i want my kids to speak out and to use their words and their brains out of 'sticky' situations without having to resort to name calling and fighting. 

after our chat she fell instantly to sleep.  

then as i was getting ready for bed, i was putting some papers and stuff away and ran into these pics of my samson.  oh man, how i miss this kid.  i miss his presence.  i miss his smell.  i miss his wet nose.  i miss him greeting us at the door.  i miss his whining and his very loud yawns.  but i tell ya, i sure DO NOT miss all his shedding all over my house.  i do wish i could just kiss him on that wet cold nose just one more time.

xox

painting the night away

4" x 6" postcard on 140 lbs watercolour paper
pastels, acrylic, faux gold leaf, white gel pen

the weekend was outstanding.  the weather was incredible, sunny blue skies and warm breezes.  dom and i did some gardening... he tackled the back yard and me and the kids tackled the front yard.  it felt so incredibly good to be outside, barefoot, and in tshirts.  the kids put on bathing suits and ran through the sprinklers....  the epitome of summer time fun.

4" x 6" postcards on 140 lbs watercolour paper
acrylic, pastels, gold leaf

life has become so sweet these days.  i'm feeling this sense of peace, calm and joy like i've never felt before.  so this is what the calm after the storm feels like.

late in the evening i pulled out my paints, and spent the night painting.  dom took the kids out to watch the hockey playoffs.  and i had the house to myself.  the radio was on, the windows were open....  it felt sooo good.  this is probably one of my favorites.

'....i would rather  walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light..' - Helen Keller
8" x 10", 140 lbs watercolour paper, acrylic

4" x 6" postcards
gouache, on 140 lbs watercolour paper

these are postcards that i've been making and hoarding.  they're in all different mediums.  but now i'm ready to let them go.  time to send them off to new homes, to a few special friends i've made around the globe.

4" x 6" postcards, on 140 lbs watercolour paper
shiva oil sticks on the left; oil tempera on the right with a glossy varnish over top

you may have seen them before posted on instagram, but these are better pics for my files.  am i the only one that has trouble letting go of pieces?  what's up with that?

another day another tooth

 it was a beautiful weekend.  my family celebrated the end of one chapter of our lives with the final sale and closing of my moms home.  life seems to have returned to a very nice 'normal'.  no drama, no tears, no anxiety, no stress.  and i must say, it feels really, really good.

i made some time to paint.  this lady takes some awesome self portraits of herself, and she has such a paintable fun face to paint, so this is what i did...

pastels, acrylic, on fabriano hot press 140lbs paper, 8"x 10"

elisa, 6 yrs old, april 28

and guess who's very proud of losing her very first tooth?  yes, this girl.  she was a real trooper and let her dad do the pulling for that very loose and wobbly tooth.  she was so excited about the tooth fairy visiting, that she ran and gave me a big hug.  now she can't wait for the wobbly loose tooth right beside that nice gap to fall out.  so damn cute. i can just picture her next school picture, all toothless and proud.  atta girl, elisa!

drawn to paint

this is where i'll be going in september.  random arts in saluda, north carolina. and guess who i'll be staying with at her home, the one and only, my pal, phyllis peterson. she called me the other night to tell me there were a few open spots in misty mawns class, 'drawn to paint'....

click on image to take you to mistys blog

so i made a last minute, gut decision and signed myself up.

the only caveat.  i have want to travel on my own, without my family in tow.  this will be a first for me.  but i am determined to move past this fear, and just do it.  'i will travel on my own this september and not be afraid', this will be my daily mantra until take off.  perhaps i'll believe it by then. :)

so this means fly into charlotte, then a 10 seater plane to ashville airport. it's the 10 seater deal that's freaking me out the most.  i figure, it's nothing a little bit of ativan and a shot of vodka won't cure. :))

wish me luck folks, xox

work in progress, oils on panel

If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' 

then by all means paint,

and that voice will be silenced.

                                                            ----vincent van gogh