It’s been such a strange year. We can all agree with that statement.

This year has had many down sides to it, but is so important to seek the upsides of it where you can.

In our own home I’ve been home with at least one child for 10 years a huge blessing, but my youngest child started school in 2019. It was time to figured out my new role and how I’d contribute financially to our family. I was enjoying painting again. Then in March it all changed, not just one but three home. We like so many were suddenly doing life together. I had to put my brushes down and focus on the children and their well being. I’d actually started a painting in February that I put away in March and to this day I haven’t touched it. I found new creative outlets blossomed from our worlds circumstances because my heart wasn’t in the painting now. These new outlets have been a beautiful God provided bandage protecting my mind from uncertainty and did not require the same emotional availability. I repurposed furniture, refinished some pieces, I’d been taught caning in the spring and was taking on pieces to restore. I was learns how to use some power tools that had previously intimidated me. My husband was home for 8 weeks as well so he was my instructor with the power tools and helped the kids when I needed to fight back tears. It gave me an outlet to hide a bit in the barn and focus on a task rather than worry about the furniture. It allowed me to pray and turn my focus to trusting in Gods care and provision for our family. Those are some of my positive takeaways.

I wasn’t sure how I felt when the first Christmas commission came in. I didn’t know if I’d be emotionally available, but God was there, He helped me focus on blessing others, who knew I’d have found my love of painting again. So much so that I even did a couple paintings just for fun. Three commission paintings came out of this challenging season. Three families chose to spread joy to others in very personal ways.

My clients blessed me with their thoughtfulness and excitement over their commission requests. Which in turn was infectious giving me the joy of picking up my brushes again to fill their heart felt gifts.

So thank you.

Here are the fruits of some of this season’s project:

I know my story is not everyone’s, that many of you are just not sure where the joy and hope can be found.

Look for it in all the little things. He will show you hope when you ask for it, and it’s usually through the things we take for granted. The tiny things as to see them. They suddenly start popping out everywhere and renewing your hope. I know it’s how He’s working in my life.

Blessings to you all as we move into this next season.

Wedding gifts/ Special Anniversaries, we are heading into the high season for these types of celebrations!

Have you considered how you will gift the special couples in your life who have invited you to witness the beginning of their new life together? Wedding season is just around the corner! A suggestion, why not have a commission done of a significant place perhaps where they met, or got engaged or even their ceremony location. Perhaps a shared memory, a candid moment the couple has shared together or even their first home. I’m always open to helping you bless others by capturing special memories on paper or canvas. Send me a line and let’s see if I can help you bring a tear to your loved ones eyes. Not to mention blow their minds on your gift giving thoughtfulness.

Have you considered how you will express love to that special person in your life?

A suggestion, why not have a special portrait done of

-a special place

-a significant memory

-a candid moment you’ve shared, or of the people dearest to you?

I’m always open to helping catching that special moment that some how just can’t be translated well in a photo.

Send me a line and let’s see if I can help you bring a sentimental tear to your loved ones eyes.

“On the Fence”

16×20

Acrylic on canvas

$275.00

Wow thanks to those who reached out after I shared that there were still a couple openings! I had a full plate right up till the end!

If you weren’t able to have something created this time, or were thinking oh I wished I’d thought of it sooner. I’m available throughout the year, and love translating your memories to paper and canvas.

Over the years I’ve grown to really love these projects because they are so much about people’s hearts for each other.

Here are a some of the heart stories I was able to be a part of this December alone.

Thank you again for inviting me into your lives, and sharing your hearts with me.

Merry Christmas

Kat

Are you looking for an original gift? Something personal with meaning between you and the recipient? Why not consider an original watercolour of a place with personal significance? I have room in my schedule for one or two more pieces. PM me if you are interested in a quote. I love helping others hang memories on their walls.

I look out over the beautiful landscapes God has blessed us with and I can’t help but fall more deeply in love with Him.

I have literally had my breath taken away in this last couple of months turning a corner and seeing an incredible landscape that has me pause and praise Him.

These are gifts he has shared with us to inspire us, to rest and draw nearer to Him.

I know nothing I create can compare to His masterpieces, but I know He created me to share His love in this small way. I just pray I honour Him in each brush stroke.

I’m by no means a writer (typos, grammar) what am I doing blogging? 😂. I’m not fooling anyone. But if this is how I can share my love for Him through art, then I guess you have to suffer through…

Fall Deeply

Acrylic on Canvas

16×20

$275.00

I just wanted to put a shoutout out there to all those wonderful folks who have shared work I’ve done for them with others. I can’t deny that since having three children and being a full time mom I’ve put a full time career as an artist on the sidelines.

I can very seriously say that without my wonderful community of commissioned art patrons, I likely wouldn’t ever have anything to share with you here and likely would be a much less fed soul. I’m going to loosely quote what a now dear friend once asked me when we were first getting to know each other. She asked “Is painting like life breath for my soul” and I remember realizing that YES, yes it is. God feeds my soul when I paint. In the more challenging times as a parent, painting can be an outlet, a major kick for the endorphins a connecting with Christ quiet time.

All this to say, thank you for sharing my website,email and FB pages with your friends and families, for proudly displaying my art on your walls! Thank you for feeding my heart!

On that note, I would love share a recent commission that came about via a connection, and word of mouth sharing. You bless me with your generosity!

I’m excited to share this piece with you. It’s one that has such a great story behind how it came about.

A couple of months ago I was admiring a beautiful fawn someone was selling on a repurposing site I frequent. This interaction opened up a conversation between the seller and myself, which lead to conversation about our Picton county connections. Many of my early watercolour paintings were subjects from the County. I was blessed to be asked to do a painting for her husband to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary. The subject of the painting, their two fur babies in a rare moment of affection and connection…I loved the image and was so exciting to work with it.

Now I get to share the results with you. I love what I get to do for a living, I have been blessed by so many fabulous unexpected relationships through it.

This time of year can be busy and and full, but I love it! I love the opportunity to say “Thank You” to those who have done wonderful things in our school community. My mother was a teacher, and I know the care and dedication she put into her students each day, and quite often into her evenings. I’ve volunteered on school trips and seriously needed a quiet evening or nap just to recover from one day! I don’t know how educators do it day in and day out. But I know I’m grateful they do!

This next commission tells me I’m not the only person who feels that way. A school requires a team of professionals and committed volunteers and sometimes you have to say goodbye to one of your team players. It never hurts to tell them what they’ve meant to you, this is how one school did just that.

Thank you for letting me be a part of honouring one of your.