Russian Box: Before & After

I love Russian lacquered boxes. My parents had a few of them at one point but the boxes are long gone. So I was excited to see one at a thrift shop the other day. But I kind of knew it was a fake. The originals have lovely, hand painted images on their covers. This one was a poor reproduction of an architectural painting of onion domes.


A friend came to tea just as I was unwrapping my "find." I showed it to her and she suggested I gesso it and create my own version of a Russian box. I painted my signature "flying" cat but this time, in a very ornate fashion to make it feel like it belonged on the box. How did I do?

And Dance by the Light of the Moon

Imagine a large full moon, (the Wolf Moon), in -20C weather from the vantage point of a massive bonfire. Richard with hot Swedish glögg in hand, me with hot Mexican chocolate.


The embers from the fire shooting into the cold, night air. Later inside, along with 50 or more guests, we warmed up to chili, corn bread and chicken mole. Great party!

Turkey Prints

I was in my barn fetching wood for another very cold day and it looks like last night I had a visit from (amongst other small forest creatures) a wild turkey! Had I known, I might have left him a bit of cranberry sauce or dressing or something...

Wanted: Dollars & Sense ATCs

Help! The centrefold challenge for the spring issue of ATC Quarterly is "Dollars and Sense." The artist trading card, which should measure 2.5" x 3.5" could be collage, drawing, painting...whatever tickles your fancy, as long as its theme is "Dollars and Sense."
To see some centrefolds from the past, click here. If you like, each one can be downloaded so you can get a good look at the fantastic cards sent in for each issue's centre spread.
Please e-mail them to me (hi rez jpeg please) to: editor@atcquarterly.com (or snail mail works too!)
Thanks!!

Places, Poetry & Prose

Click to enlarge
This month's round robin art journal had the theme Places, Poetry and Prose. I chose a Beatle's song and illustrated it with some of my more memorable journeys. Originally, I found the book's theme daunting. Now that it's completed, I'm feeling nostalgic for all those places.

Three Big KIds

Here are my nephew Adam, my niece Sam and their dog Caesar. My brother refers to them as his "Three kids." (BTW, Caesar is a Bouvier and weighs about 100 pounds!)

The Willow

On a cold, sunny day last week, I met a friend from Montreal at The Willow in Hudson, Québec. It's just about a 45 minute drive for each of us, smack dab between my house and her house.


We first met in Grade 6 and stayed friends right through high school. I hadn't seen her for a while but reconnected at our high school reunion a few years back.


Now both on Facebook, we started talking again and decided it was time to get together. She had the Indian inspired salmon at lunch.


I had the seasonal burger special with brie and cranberries.


And we spent the rest of the afternoon talking. It was as though we had picked up our conversation where we had left off twenty-five years ago. Amazing.

Smart Cookies

My friends Peter and Ron make fabulous gingerbread cookies every year, each one perfect in every detail. This year their raccoons were called "A Box of Critters."


I combined two years in a row. Last year was a forest of Christmas trees. The year before that it was a bunch of polar bears. I saved a few bears from the previous year and they were just as edible a year later as the current cookies. Hard to believe!


A few years before those cookies, they sent a box of Rudolph and his buddies. (And unfortunately I neglected to photograph their "Blizzard in a Box" (snowflakes) or their collection of "Seven Swans A-Swimming.")


A few years ago, Richard's sister Annie bought us each a silly gingerbread cookie from Queen of Tarts in Toronto. This one is of Martha Stewart, right after she was released from jail in her knitted poncho.


And this one is of Dick Cheney after his shooting incident.

More Realistic?

Okay so maybe being Marsha Brady is more reasonable than Wonder Woman albeit not as much fun and no golden lasso! But there was Alice and "Tiger" the dog and that dreamy Greg...

New Year's Resolution

Besides looking like this by the end of 2009, I'm going to master my golden lasso as well. Doable?

Happy New Year

Here's hoping that you find time to enjoy the sun, snow, fresh air and whatever weather surrounds you. And to wish my blog readers all good things in the upcoming year. Cheers!

Europa Bakery

On a recent trip to Toronto, we visited Europa Bakery whose pastry chef Antonio creates pastries originating from different European countries. These French éclairs looked fantastic.


These yummy looking flans are Spanish.


Cherry cheesecake? Isn't that American?


These apple strudel represent Austria in the bakery Olympics.


Not sure where Bread pudding originated but hey, these were tempting.


Leave the gun and take the canoli, right?


Something I recently discovered is "Torrone" a nougat confection made of honey, sugar, and egg white, with toasted almonds. At a little Italian grocery store, I found candies called "Torroncini" (little Torrone) which are single bites of this incredibly delicious concoction.

ATC Gang 2008

We had our annual artist trading card party on Saturday and unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. Freezing rain blanketed our region and only a few brave souls could make it. As it was, we had a nice trade as well as our potluck party. We're planning to do it again in June when (we hope) there will be no bad weather.

Look Who I Saw!

I was able to grab a quick photo of this guy who was delivering his goodies to all the good little girls and boys out there. Hope you all got what you were wishing for!