Goodbye Winter...HELLO Spring!

 I really must start by saying HURRAH...SPRING is HERE!!!!
Although from my pictures below...we really don't seem to be getting much "Spring" as of yet!
Those where taken from our walk the other day...crisp,white snow...and high contrasting  silhouettes.

Here's a family portrait I finished before the weekend. I'm really excited about being able to schedule Photo sessions in my new/future studio....this way I'll be able to use better lighting and gain better contrasts. Trust me, I appreciate the commissions I received...but trying to create depth from a flat image, can sometimes be a challenge.
I love the little Baby...she really is JUST as bright eyed as in the picture!

SO happy to be in Spring....but sad to loose all these shadows and bright days, snowflakes and snowmen.



 What will you miss about Winter??

So...we say finally..."Goodbye Winter"...and HELLO Spring!
I will be starting my seedlings soon...herbs, tomatoes,peppers...what are you growing this year?

Until tomorrow's Monday Mentions...bon nuit...
Char.x

Wordless Wednesday - a snack in the snow...

warm sweet hugs,

Char.x

ICY greys

 

Happy Friday to all you fabulous readers...thanks for stopping by this week and leaving such lovely comments!

The above pictures were from the big freeze (lol) in England and below you can see our girls are getting their skating legs back...Mr.R made a rink again this year...thanks Mr.R!!! We love you!

YAY it's the weekend...enjoy!!!
We'll be back on Monday with a JAN GIVEAWAY!

hugs
Char.x
P.S.I think I want to re-vamp (or maybe de-vamp) my site a little...feeling a little crowded...de-clutter...de-clutter...de-clutter...
***BARE with us as our Blog gets a RENO this weekend!***

Wordless Wednesday

snowy HUGS

Char.x

Snowy Blackbird...oh so plump...

 sitting at the breakfast table with the girls working through their holiday school work...a little plump blackbird sat on a snowy chair top basking in the light of the Sun...

 quick...get the sketch book out.
I really have never drawn birds from life...but have noticed it makes a HUGE difference to my lines of the little creatures.

He was so still that his silhouette was pefect against the white of the snow.

I used watercolour crayons,Mr.R bought me a wonderful Faber-Castel set before we came over to the UK...sketch in pencil crayon and then finish with water...

I adore this little watercolour pad I have...Strathmore watercolour Postcards...paint your own postcards and send them to those special people in your Life...

Talking about special people...thanks to you all for your Holiday wishes and sweet comments...we're counting down the sleeps...and will be celebrating on Christmas Eve as this is a Scandinavian Tradition.

More about traditions this week...today we are celebrating Morfar's Birthday...back with pics tomorrrow.

Wintery HUGS...

Char.x

SNOW strikes hard on the UK...really!!!

 Decorating our Christmas gingerbread ornament cookies with all the cousins over here is always fun...only little M was running around by our feet without patience to sit and place tiny silver balls on the icing...oh well...those pitter patter of feet will grow bigger very soon...and then we'll be waiting for the next little cousin to be on the move...my sister is expecting another one in January...busy times...the families are growing!

 this is Miss J's gingerbread house which she is right this moment as I type...stealing spaceships from and spiling sherbert ALL over the mantel...(SUCH fun!)

 Miss A needed a break from cookies and switched to play-doh for half an hour...

 then out came the lego...aaahhhh the lego...they both can play with this for hours upon hours...

 down went the Sun and out played the girls....we had another 15cm of snow yesterday afternoon...wonderful for us...not for travellers over here in the UK...they REALLY have NO idea how to function in the Snow...
LUCKILY Mr.R arrived early Sat morning and on time...3 hours later Gatwick and Heathrow closed down for the day...and I do beleive are still cancelling flights.

 Jumping in the snow never looked like SO much fun! Wouldn't that hurt ones knees though?

 I drew SNOW KINGS in the snow...and the girls made mazes and snow houses...

the trees are covered with with snow...as are all the roads...and the news can't stop talking about it.
England has a LOT to learn about how to deal with Winter conditions, but I don't think they want to pay out what they would need to to keep their Country running in these conditions....

How is the weather where you are?

Snowy wishes for a wonderful week...hey, perhaps we'll have a white Christmas!
HUGS
Char.x

On the 9th day of December...

We have arrived in the UK for our Christmas stay with our Scandi family over here...and we have INTERNET!...YAY...I was getting a little worried as it's been 4 days since we arrived and I had the SLOWEST dongle in ALL the Country...

Mum is walking SO brilliantly...I am amazed at the difference between our Summer visit when she had both hips replaced to now...just wonderful.

Little miss J is enjoying the fact that the weather is VERY similar to in Canada right now here...LOTS of snow and Sunny skies this morning.

Missing Mr.R...but he'll be over just before Christmas...

HUGS to you all and thanks for your patience...I can now visit you more often and leave little comments...because even though I visited your blogs...I was not able to comment as it would time out as I pressed enter...so frustrating...

Until tomorrow...we're off to see Santa and his Reindeer.

Char.x

Wordless Wednesday

 

SNOWY HUGS

Char,x

FELIZIDADES... and congrats to...

ESTI from Pintame el Dia ...# 46 using Random.org.
Esti is our February Giveaway Winner for the Original Watercolour Once Upon a Time painting...she chose, a Bear with 2 girls on it's side...I'm SUPER excited to paint this for her.
She is a wonderful Artist and lives in Spain...I always love the idea of a piece of me travelling half the way around the World.
Esti also has a wonderful Blog where you can see all her talent.

Sorry I couldn't paint ALL your desires, I had SO much fun reading all your wishes...some extremely imaginative and fun images came to mind whilst going through them all.

I really do appreciate all the very kind comments regarding my Once Upon a Time paintings...and it was lovely to meet new creative bloggers throughout this giveaway...thanks for entering!

This is what I did yesterday::

picked up little Miss A from school and had some fun in the snow...

meet Mrs Snow and Mr Snow...

and then she came to life...with a little food colouring...tortilla chips and chestnuts...oh, and a whole lot of imagination from our 2 little Misses.

I finished a commision which I had started Monday evening...

I am thinking my watercolours need filling! Anyone know of a good Art Supply store which sell the little watercolour blocks?

So...it was a busy day yesterday...today...that's another matter.
Both our girls have playdates planned for today...which means a little spare time for Mummy...yay...

Sorry if I haven't caught up on your blogs recently...I hope to today.

What are your plans for Today?

Until later...
Char,ON

Weekend wonderland...

Snow sitting waiting for the Sun to melt it...although little does it know that the Sun is not rising over the hedge until probably the New Year...this was one of the coldest and brightest days since arriving in the UK...I think that the snow had a HUGE part to play with it being the brightest.

crisp white snow...untouched, untrodden...the Sun is low...the shadows long...

Happy 65th Dad!

I think our little girls and niece enjoyed the fact that it was a birthday more than anyone...these are images I treasure in my heart and mind.

We had finished a wonderful Lobster with salad dinner...and Champagne for drinks...no-one switched to red or white wine...

Ended the dinner with Birthday Cake...actually the same one that I made earlier in the week...cooked it for 10 minutes less...and it was divine with honeycomb vanilla ice-cream.

I opened my moleskin today(yes it's green) and sketched Little Miss A...must get my eyes or my camera checked out because I am noticing a slant to the right with many of the drawings I photograph...or perhaps I just need to wear my glasses?...lol...

my parents live in a Log House...and the heating is all under-floor heating...I can not tell you how cozy BUT how dry it is...this is my hand...dry and looking rather warn.

I was wondering (as you do)...because I have only noticed this on a few people and they are usually either artists or do something creative in their lives...

Look at your hand...is your index finger substantially longer than your ring finger? And does this mean anything?

Have a wonderful weekend.

HUGS

Char,On.

P.S. Tam, thanks again for coming down last week...did you get home ok?