Haiku My Heart: World Cat Day

I can't imagine
life without my cats, bundles
of soft, loving fun.

According to the Internet, today is World Cat Day.  I only intended to have 2 cats and somehow, I ended up with 4.  They keep me company, they greet me at the door every day when I get home, they take turns sleeping on my bed with me at night, they love me unconditionally and I adore each and every one of them.

Playground Rules

A local school has this sign posted on its wall, setting out the rules for the playground.  I think life in general could be better if we all just followed these simple instructions, don't you think?

Neighbourhood Clouds

The clouds in the sky over my neighbourhood last  night were pretty awesome. Big, fat, fluffy white and grey piles of cotton batten, with sunbeams shooting out from all angles.  As you can see, I couldn't stop photographing them!

Three

I went to visit the blog of Debbie Smith Kaich Jones today, to drink in the beauty of her words.  From her blog post (which features an amazing image of the months of the year hanging out in a room together when they're not "on duty"), I learned about The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway, which features a list of daily photo prompts for this month.  Today's prompt was "three" so when I took myself out for a walk after work, while I was out enjoying that perfect summer evening, I was on the lookout for the number 3.  Here's what I found:

Three pretty clematis blooms

a padlock attached to a school fence

and a trio of hydro connectors (with a peek at that moon that's going to be super full by the end of this week!)

Simcoe Day 2014

For many of us in Canada, it was a long weekend but several of the provinces call this holiday by different names.  Here in Ontario, it is known as Simcoe Day.  You can read more about this holiday by perusing my previous posts on the subject, from 2012 (here) and 2010 (here).  (Hmm, it seems I only post about this holiday during even numbered years, interesting...)

I spent the weekend at the cottage, enjoying typical summer things, like (1) a late afternoon boat ride with friends

(not my feet!)

(2) sunsets

(3)  Kawartha Dairy moose tracks ice cream (that did indeed bring me much joy)

and (4) seeing the neighbours.

Too bad long weekends seem to go by so fast!

Sketchbookery

I did a little bit of sketching in Paris.  A very little bit.  Okay, maybe just this one sketch of the Hotel Sens, which I drew quickly while on our bike tour (long before I fell off the bike and ended up in Emergency!) and painted later.

I did a couple more drawings when I met up with a few members of Paris Urban Sketching group on my last day there.  Two of the ladies I'd met last fall at a similar meetup, one woman whom I hadn't met before. All 3 are very talented, creating beautiful, accurate, engaging drawings quickly and easily. Which I find intimidating, given my limited sketching skills.  I ended up drawing my Orangina bottle.

I'd like to do more sketching and improve my skills, because I do enjoy it. I find it quite soothing and almost meditative.  I do know that in order to get better at anything, you need to practice. Which is why I signed up for Mary Ann Moss's online class called Sketchbookery, which started on July 4th.  (For those who missed signing up for the current session, fear not, there will be another one beginning on December 26th. Stay tuned to Mary Ann's blog, Dispatch from L.A., for details and treat yourself!)

I hadn't really had a chance to dive fully into the course in July, since I was off on my Paris vacation for two weeks of it, but now that I'm back, I'm jumping right in.  I watched a few of the class videos (with Suzie beside me - she seemed to find them quite interesting and not just when Mary Ann's own cats were making their cameo appearances!) 

and then made myself a sketchbook yesterday, using a pair of book covers I'd picked up for a mere $2.00 somewhere and a pad of Canson 140 lb. watercolour paper. (I thought the title of the book, The Summers Readers, was appropriate for this month of August.)

I then drew myself a title page

and proceeded to make my first sketch in my new book. The subject matter was the pile of washi tape sitting in front of my computer.

My drawing is a bit on the wonky side (in real life, those rolls of tape are perfectly round, of course!) but that's just makes me like it more!

Looking forward to doing lots more sketching this month.  Many thanks to Mary Ann for providing the encouragement and inspiration necessary to get me going!

Haiku My Heart Friday: Happy Day

For those of us not
celebrating a birthday,
It can be bird day.

A friend is celebrating a birthday today.  I made a card for her using a gelli plate design I had created several months ago and a small piece of lime green ribbon:

to which I added a playing card with a bird on it and (rather cleverly, in my humble opinion) inserted the above message on the inside.

I decided that before I sent off the card in the mail, I would make a copy of said bird.  Here is my finished sketch, to which I added watercolour:

I was quite pleased with the results of the painting and the card, I hope the recipient will get as much enjoyment from the card as I did from making it!

Haiku My Heart Fridays are hosted by Rebecca at recuerda_mi_corazon.