Some new paintings.....

Hello everyone,
I have added a few new paintings on my Acrylics page during the last month. I'm on a roll right now and am happy when I complete a painting because then I can start on a new painting and I am always surprised by the final outcome of whatever it is I am painting. They don't always look like how I envisioned them in the beginning. It is kind of like someone else taking over my brush and thoughts and going into another world when I paint. I love it but the fire goes out, the dogs don't get fed when they are supposed to and you never know where I might find paint when all is said and done.....on my front door, back door, window, drift wood windowsill, hair, nose, toes.......mostly my clothes!!! It's all good!

Enjoying the Fall

It's been a very different Fall for me. I am so appreciative of the fact that I don't have to get up so early in the dark and drive that windy wet road to work every morning in traffic for over an hour (I do feel for my husband but luckily he doesn't have too much longer to go). It makes a huge impact on one's mood to know they can hang around outside and enjoy the fresh air every day if they want.

At any rate, the walks through the newly discovered trails have been fascinating with the huge array of mushrooms pushing their ways through the peat moss and displaying their intriguing shapes, sizes, colours, and patterns.

Halloween is such a community event on a small island and a great way to meet your neighbours and others around the island. There were lots of events going on and all the kids were dressed to the nines, so to speak.

I've not enjoyed Novembers too much in the past due to the signs of a long cold damp winter on its way however I seem to be having an excellent start to this November. I've actually enjoyed the wind, rain and power outages as well as extremely sunny weather which I've taken advantage of to spread my seaweed into the gardens and dig 180 bulbs into the ground. And, I have been able to partake in the over 55 club luncheon with a very interesting talk. This is a great way to get out and socialize and it happens once a week!

Anyways, on we go. We'll see if I'm still this happy after another month. All signs appear to be postive!

New pages coming to you....

Hi everyone,

I just added a couple of new pages that are "in the works". I have many more paintings to add so please keep checking back. Hope you like these and if not.....TOO BAD!!! (Just kidding).

I am planning to start selling some of these, so if you see something you like, please don't hesitate to ask questions. I also appreciate any feedback or comments you would like to give me. You can use the "comments" section below or contact me at karenonhornby@telus.net

Yours truly... Karen

Rainy day and still life completed

Seeing as it has been raining most of the day, thought I better complete this still life before the fruit got really bad. I'm on a roll (maybe)....

Evolution of a retiree

As the seasons change, so do our lives......

It has been a whirlwind of activity since I retired. I have been spending the majority of my time at Hornby Island however I have also been to Vernon to spend my Mom's 83rd birthday with her, my sister and my brother's family who live there. I have been to Sooke a couple of times, to a wedding in Ladysmith, and an RV adventure to Port Renfrew. We have had quite a few visitors to Hornby, some spending as long as a week, and others just for the day.

When there is no company and I am not doing the touristy things or going to the beach, I have been spending a fair amount of time working in the yard doing clean-up, getting a few trees felled, gardening and walking. These past few months have been exactly what I have needed for quite some time and for the most part, I am feeling refreshed and alive again.

So, next on my agenda.........Well, I have started to paint again (finally) and have had one lesson from an amazing artist here on Hornby. I normally paint with watercolours but am looking for a new challenge so am now taking up acrylic painting.

This is the picture of my still life which was started at my recent lesson.

This is a heron painted in watercolours.

This is my latest painting of this particular heron but with acrylics and a totally different background (both backgrounds are from my imagination).

I am currently in the process of doing another still life with a mango, lemon and lime, two of which are starting to turn bad, and then onto a landscape scene.

This is the fruit in progress......

My intention is to eventually have a page with all my paintings, some old and some new that will evolve over time. Till then, Cést la vie!

Living in paradise!

There are no words to describe how I feel compared to how I felt 6 weeks ago.

My total years of working were 35 and that's not including my part-time jobs while in school. In the last 20 years I worked in the health care industry as an Executive Assistant to the CEO of a fairly big complex care facility. I knew that I needed to quit while my health was still fairly intact as it was getting worse in the last couple of years with extra stress due to increased workload because of health care cutbacks and the expectation that everyone should work at 110% (like yah...is that really possible). I was damaging my health and decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and retire at only 55 years young.

I am elated.... I feel free now! I almost feel as giddy as when I got out of high school and my life felt like it was just beginning with so many unknowns coming my way. What I am doing now is mostly for me, us (family) ...sounds a little selfish but as I recover from the insanity of constant pressure and expectations, I relish walking, gardening, talking, listening, tasting, cooking, smelling, reading........every bird that chirps enthralls me and my senses; every branch that sways in the wind, gives me a sense of how wonderful and beautiful nature is. Anyways, you get the picture.
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As an aside, I am sooooooo happy Katt is now bloggin - check her out at http://www.romanceandhorses.blogspot.com/ ; I'm really looking forward to her novels big time!

Turtle & eggs

Just got back from Puerto Vallarta, Bucerias area. Beautiful beaches and soooooooo relaxing in the 30 degree sunshine. The best part - the turtle that laid her eggs on the beach! 48 eggs from one little turtle.

They had to relocate the eggs as too many people in the area that she laid them. Was quite the experience for us!

Oh....and this is me surfing with the boogie board.............bwahahahhaahaaa