Spoonflower

So I don’t exactly have a fabric line – but I’ve taken my paintings, I’ve done my best using the incredibly complicated photoshop to create a repeat pattern without any hard lines.  I’ve tweaked, and played and soon I hope I’ll have 6 prints available for sale at Spoonflower.com.

What? You want a look at them…  ok.  Here is the link. http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/riverwalker_arts

Step forth into the darkness

Step forth into the darkness – of fall and of winter.  The Darkness has returned.  It does every year, but every year I have to go through a period of adjustments as I learn to start the day without light.  Perhaps it is a figment of my imagination, but I resist waking in the darkness, and crave the comforts of my little night time nest for longer during the winter.  Whatever it is, my habit of going to bed has little changed, but I find it harder and harder to wake in the darkness.  The artificial incandescent lights seem harsh and I squint as I flick the switch and begin the day.   Sometimes I just go about my early morning routine in the darkness,  only to later find out that I have toothpaste dibbled on the front of my shirt….

The other thing that comes with winter is rain, and mud and all out wetness.  My exuberant black lab might be three now and in theory an adult dog,  she is however often cooped up in the laundry room when we are at work, and has excess energy to burn.  Once I would let her run down by the waterfront, next to the train tracks, frolicking in the ocean, and playing in the mud and ice covered potholes along the  frontage road.   The rail company has since shut down access to the area and no longer can we wander next to the sea. The alternative for letting her run free is a home made dog park of sorts,  an old but small baseball field full of sedge grass, where the locals have patched the holes in the fence and made it their own. 

Over Sized Rodent....  ©RiverWalker Arts

Chicken Little was asleep by 7pm and I took the 75 pounds of oversized black rodent to the “dog park”  and let her loose….   I waded it after her…. Yes waded.  Into a mucky swamp.  2, 3, 4 inches of water covered thick oozing mud.  My boots squelched as I gingerly made my way into the yard, hoping I didn’t step in a hole and break my ankle.   We played fetch in the dog park come pond, in the dark.  It is however hard to find a half submerged mud soaked tennis ball in the dark, even with my head lamp on.   And although I had to give my dog a full bath when we arrived home I did manage to ensure she’d had a chance to run, and burn off some of that excess energy. 

One of those perfect autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.

The sun has lingered late into the fall.  Don’t get me wrong we have had some torrential rain too,  but we have also revelled in blue sky in the afternoons once the fog has dissipated.  

Thick beads of frozen dew melt and give way to glistening droplets in the mid-day light.  People are out walking, playing in the parks and taking in the last of the warmth, the last of the light, and the vestiges of dryness before they hunker down for a season of darkness, dampness and cold.  

DH doing what he loves best 

© Arianne Loranger-Saindon 

We rarely have a fall that makes one feel like kicking leaves, and putting out the cornucopia of decorative gourds brilliantly coloured with yellow, oranges and red. While typically my I would never put out a wreath – I get enough exercise peeling my door mat off the side of the house and  chasing my garbage can as it rolls down the street in the howling winds and the down pouring rain, not to mention climbing trees looking for the garbage can lid.  So with the novelty of a “real” fall I’ve been inspired to crafting.  I’ve been making little pumpkins out of felting wool.  They are cute, fun and easy. 

Check it out!

My Little Felted Pumpkin.

Aside from evening crafting projects the family also managed to get out to the “bar.”  A stretch of gravel where the fishermen go to catch salmon making their way upriver.  A beautiful spot where you can light a fire, roast a hot-dog or a marshmallow,  and enjoy the day.  I invited everyone.  In the end there were 6 kids, 3 dogs, 2 kites and several dozen hot-dogs.  The sun shone, the smiles came out and all slept well that night. 

taking full advantage of the October sun

© Arianne Loranger-Saindon 

There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind. ~Annie Dillard

let's add crafting...

So that my friends marks the end of September.  Chicken Little has survived his first 4 weeks of Day Care, and seems to have adjusted well enough.  After much stress and concern on my part, I’ve found a place for Chicken Little that I’m very happy with.  A lovely lady who has her own two children, and has chosen to take on 2 additional children.  All in all she finds her days filled with 4 small children 3 and under…  she showers them with love and Chicken Little has even come home with his very first art project.

 

My art projects have been stymied by the presence of a uniformly beige cubicle wherein I spend some 40 odd hours a week toiling away with visions of shrimp and candle fish floating in my head.  I have however recently finished the 3^rd painting towards my Dutch Lullaby project.   All in all I hope to complete 15-20 paintings to complete a my children’s book project.

Here is a sneak peek at a recent image for this book:

I’m also in full swing, making preparations for the local craft fair which takes place in mid-November.  (You will stop by won’t you?)  I’m looking forward to it, as I will be showcasing some new stuff… 

But as if I were not busy enough I have decided to take on a NEW craft.  Felting.  I’ve ordered some supplies, and raided the local thrift shop.  I’m going to start with Dryer Balls.  You read that right… felted wool dryer balls… the purpose of which is to… Shorten drying time… Reduce static…, Soften and fluff your laundry gently, Use in place of dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener and besides if they are ugly  - who cares because they will be living in the dryer.  Of course if I manage to master the basics of dryer balls I do seriously want to try to make Christmas ornaments… including pumpkins, strawberries, and other mostly round things. While at the same time trying to keep my house from smelling like a wet sheep.

I can not ever imagine being bored.  I can not ever imagine having enough time to do all the things I want to do.

Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true.  ~william Inge

Getter Done...

It is, autumn. The leaves are turning colors — in places far from here.  In this place it is still wet and green due to a lack of deciduous trees, and in particular deciduous hardwoods like the sugar maple. The insects are going off to wherever it is they go all winter — I really don't care where they go, but if I could prevent them from coming back to terrorize my campground in summer I’d spend more time on the issue.  There are limits to what we can hope to know about the cosmos.

Photo by RiverWalker Arts

With the onset of this most delightful of seasons I’ve geared up and been remarkably productive...  (until I got hit with a nasty flu – but I’m drinking my tea and staying home in hopes of getting enough rest to resume my usual busyness)  Fall is when all the volunteer work I’ve ignored all summer suddenly comes and knocks on the door... this year is no different.

 I got unceremoniously roped into Girl Guides again.   So every Thursday I get to try to impart all manner of skills and competence to a group of 12-14 year olds girls who are more interested in giggling and texting on their cell phones than learning how to start fires, splice rope or knit socks.  Oh I also get to do enough paperwork to satisfy the organization’s  insurance company... there is mountains of the stuff.

Creative Jam! 

But on the more fun front, as Vice-Pres of the local Arts Council, I’m working on this year’s Creative Jam.  While not until February, there is a lot of organizing to do.  What is the Creative Jam??  Well.... CREATIVE JAM is a weekend of interdisciplinary creative workshops with participants jamming on a common theme. From the realms of photography, fabric, visual art and creative writing, four facilitators guide individuals and groups through a process of learning through active creativity.   Basically all the artsy people can get together and be creative!

I was so excited to contact Leslie Redhead and get a verbal commitment from her for the visual side of things. (if you are interested her blog is here: http://leslieredheadart.blogspot.ca/)  I think she will be great for our little venue!   Now I can finish my applications for community support and donations.   I feel so on top of it!

I’ve also signed up for this year’s November Craft Fair, and managed to get all my orders in for matting materials, cards, prints etc.  Wow.. how do I manage to get all this done?

Ok – now that I’ve finished patting my own back... I’ll get back to drinking my tea and getting some sleep.  

Establishing goals is all right if you don't let them deprive you of interesting detours.

Yes. The book. The sketches and the good intentions.  Really I did start, I have a half finished watercolour with a boat and a moon and a bunch of swirling glittery stars.  “They sailed on a river of crystal light and into a sea of dew” .  I got side tracked. 

I think it’s only temporary.  I went camping. Oh and I painted a few miniatures....

Spot Prawn

©RiverWalker Arts

Windfall

©RiverWalker Arts

©RiverWalker Arts

And now.. well I’m going through some challenges... like putting Chicken Little into daycare, and starting a new job.  It is pretty stressful stuff.. but I’m still working on it.  Oh and I started another sewing project... currently in UFO status.

But if you are in town... I did manage to get the handbill put together for this season of “Thursday Night at the Movies” ...

Come out and joint us... 

Art is the stored honey of the human soul

In the Blink of an eye a month a year has flown by.  The short weeks of the past month have been spent visiting family, camping and enjoying life.  They have also stirred my creative juices and I’m contemplating things I wish I started a year ago... when I began my year’s hiatus from the 8-5 daily grind of the working stiff, and began that most marvellous journey into motherhood.

Chicken Little will be a year old too soon, and I’ll resume my role in the workforce.  Chicken Little will be taken care of at daycare and the precious few waking hours a day I will have with him will be cherished - being that much more special.  What will likely take a backseat is all the fun creative stuff I’ve been able to do this year...  sadly I’m not ready to be done with fun stuff.  

lovely place to loaf about

©RiverWalker Arts

Maybe it was all the loafing about in a campsite away from the constant reminders of house work needing to be done and guilt about not walking the dog more frequently .... or maybe it was one thing leading to another... but after making my first foray into the fun world of fabric and creating a series of simple rag quilts and accepting that I’m really an impatient seamstress and what I really like is all the wonderful fabric that is out there. (Not that being incapable of sewing a straight line is going to stop me from my dabbling in quilting ).  In fact I knew if I started buying fabric it would become a problem... I deliberately avoided getting into fabric arts when my crystal ball while usually foggy and useless for divining the future showed a huge collection of fat-quarters in store for me, a fortune in fabric just for the beauty of it all. Nowhere to store it, and not enough time to work through it all.

©Jacquie

One day after realizing that the inevitable fabric collecting had begun.  I found myself lounging on the sofa at my friend’s place, the lovely owner of  fishskin fabrics (http://www.fishskinfabric.com/), drinking the splendid coffee she had made me, and discussing how there was more fabulous fabric to be had than one could ever hope to have time to sew with it, much like there are more books I want to read than there is time in my life to read them.  “and wouldn’t it be such fun to design those fabrics” I mentioned. This being as opposed to writing a book, something for which I have no desire - especially given the fact I can’t even figure out how to write a short little story to make into a children’s book. 

But fabric design... well this apparently isn’t so difficult... and so she led me to a place called SpoonFlower.  Oh the wonderful sounds Mr. Brown can do.... er ...  I mean the wonderful places the web can take you....   A website that makes it possible for individuals to design, print and sell their own fabric designs. 

©RiverWalker Arts

A day later... curtsey of some detailed ink drawings I did 10 years ago,  voilà. My first fabric design:  http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1333607

The first of what I hope to be many. I envision a whole line of RiverWalker fabrics!!!

Oh and that children’s book I can’t figure out how to write  I did come to the conclusion that, since I sing the Dutch Lullaby “Wynken, Blyken and Nod” by Eugene Field (he was an American so it beats me why it’s known as a Dutch Lullaby - but I digress) to Chicken Little at least once every night - it would be a good practice run for me.  I've no idea the copyright on the poem, but I’d like to produce a single copy for me and my Chicken Little.   Maybe I won’t go down in history as a great illustrator but I might just manage to realize my dream and illustrate a children’s story – even if it’s just for use in this house.

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —" 

Here are a couple sketches I’ve done towards that particular project.....  the final project will be in watercolours.

"The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod."

Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.  ~Stella Adler