I can almost smell it, spring is coming, it really is.  yes, I know it's only January, but a girl can dream, can't she?

I am IN LOVE with the Ampersand Artist Panels!

These beauties feature a pre-gessoed surface cradled in a gorgeous, stainable wood casing.  So, you can have the versatility of canvas with a beautiful, modern finish.  Let me say it again...I am IN LOVE.  :)

I have an art show coming this spring and I will most definitely be adding a small collection of art created on these lovely panels to the roster.  Ampersand has created panels for any and all media, even encaustic.  I have found them at Currys and can't wait to get to work!  Check them out below...

http://www.ampersandart.com/artist-panel.html

Hellooooo!

It's Sunday, and I actually get to just be at home today.  I am spending the day preparing for an artwork unveiling at the WECHC Heritage Hub tomorrow.  I'm so very grateful for the chance to work with a local high school art class and the Hub to create some wonderful pieces of art to reflect community, individuality and the concept of a hub and what it means on both of those levels.  What a wonderful opportunity to get involved in something inspiring, and I look forward to honouring that at the unveiling event tomorrow.

On another note, I spent my day yesterday learning about the value of using puppets in an art therapy practice, and I also got the chance to create ...

I have a giant, huge, 28-foot ceiling, open room at the back of my house (it even has a secret staircase, leading to a loft).  It is unheated, it used to be a sheep barn attached to the house back in the day.  The house is 160 years old and has required alot of renos and fixing up and this room has yet to be re-done, insulated or fixed up.  Right now, it houses all the outdoor furniture during the winter, wood for the woodstoves, gardening stuff and random things.

I found a picture today that is almost the exact layout of this room and that I want...no I NEED for this room to become.  :)  A swing, for goodness sakes, who doesn't want a swing in their living room???

So, do you like stuff?  Here's some...

My good friend, lovely human being and instructor, Karen Daley just sent me a link for her latest blog post featuring a lovely calendar featuring illustrations by yours truly from the Sunshine Designs rubber stamp collection.  It also features the Krista Schneider Tombow watercolour technique.  So, if you're looking to brush up on your watercolour skills, learn some basics and mark the new year with a fantastic project, check it out!  If you're in the Ottawa area, call Heather's Stamping Haven to sign up for the course on January 14th. 

http://thedaleystamper.blogspot.com/2012/01/calendar-class.html

On another kind of fun note, I ...