Strawberry Stuff

This is a pile of 3 generations' worth of strawberry themed goodness. My grandma's signature icon was a strawberry (she was a painter and had a strawberry on her business card), my mom has followed suit in collecting strawberry themed items, and I am also in love with the cheery summer fruit! 

This is one of those fluke enduring cheer paintings...I painted it on a whim in an afternoon in 2009 and it still makes me smile. It shall be the new heirloom. Keep your eyes peeled for more strawberry stories...

First Impressions

I painted this tiny acrylic still life on a whim in 2011. It was my first attempt at Impressionistic flair, and its cheery hues and fruity floral goodness still make me smile. Also I'm a fan of mini canvases!

Piano Makeover: After

Ta-da, the Baldwin is now white! Compared to the dark wooden before, I particularly love how the columns and pilasters are all the more Classical in its fresh new finish. For 118 years old, this piano is looking pretty spiffy!

In the words of interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe (1859-1950) "I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint!" 

Piano Makeover: Before

 We're painting our 1900 Baldwin piano! This is the before...a very red mahogany. Before the before it was painted avocado green and orange by my grandma in the 1970s! I love to play it opened up and see the mechanism moving. Also on the inside are little treasures like a pencil note saying it was fixed up on February 16th, 1921. What colour might it be for its next phase of life?

Stay tuned...

The Store with a Smile

I snapped this photo of the original sign painted on the brick of Shaw's in Perth, Ontario. Sounds cheery!

Grandma's Ship

 My grandma painted this delightfully nautical scene when she was a teenager.

 The sunlit sails and the texture of the waves and clouds are so summery.

Best of all--here's a snapshot my grandpa took of it as a brand new creation!

Watercolour Paradise

These framed vintage Nicolas Markovitch, a.k.a. Marc watercolour prints are likely from the 1920s to 1940s. They left their Value Village lodgings and now radiate summery paradise sitting on my shelf!

Peachy

My Peachy design is up for voting in Spoonflower's Watercolour Fruit challenge!

Horizon

My Horizon design is up for voting in Spoonflower's Abstract Watercolour challenge!

April Bulletin 2017

Springtime tinge of earth and sky

Cat Eye Glasses

I found these fabulous cat eye frames at Value Village for (wait for it) $3, had my prescription lenses put in them, and may have also taken a brush full of gold paint to the tips...hello, bespectacled '50s secretary joy!

March Bulletin 2017

Spring cleaning, brightness, and freshness

Fête Galante

Pilgrimage to Cythera by Jean-Antoine Watteau--1718--oil on canvas 

February Bulletin 2017

Dainty details and dreams, admiration and affection

Inspiration: Sweet Country

A rustic baby blue rocker and spindly potted blooms

The Painted Watermelon

Every summer I pick these cute wooden watermelons out of my seasonal décor object boxes and sit them on my shelf. The small one was painted by my grandma, and the large one by her fellow-artist friend. 

Namesake Sign à la French Country

 No, this isn't me awkwardly posting belated Christmas stuff in January, this is a sign I made featuring my last name. My mom found the frame at Value Village a few months ago, but the art within was some folk art painting that had nothing to do with the fleur-de-lis on the metal inset. 

So, I flipped the picture around and painted on the black back of it. I whipped this vintage French ephemera font out of my mind based on the French Country style of the rest of the frame, and went to town with some white acrylic paint and paint pen. Voilà!

Annie Sloan's Room Recipes

I highly recommend this book. 

It features inspiration for a variety of my favourite styles, all with a touch of history. Here's a peek at some of the lovely images inside.

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele by June Woodbridge, oil on canvas. The palette is gorgeous. 

Anni's Beach

Here's a painting I made for a good friend after she came back from a beach vacation. It measures 4'' by 5''.