I've made my first online sale! I was contacted by a fellow from Colorado who stumbled on my website and liked "Beach at Carqueiranne". This is even before my special new website that Richard is in the process of creating. He has a very cool design for it.

I thought it was interesting how the Colorado fellow ended up on my website so am posting his email to me:

Thanks Janice:
That sounds fine-I will send payment via Paypal this afternoon. I have really enjoyed your accounts of travels in France, etc. You obviously have a  splendid joie de vivre! In looking at some of your earlier postings, I discovered how I happened onto your site. I recently had a yen for a good espresso, and got on ebay to see what was available in stovetop espresso makers. Someone in Australia had an "Atomic" for sale, and I was intrigued by the design (though not by the price which started at US$225). I went to google and punched in "atomic espresso", and it linked into your citation, among others. Amazing tools, aren't they, these computers and coffee makers?

Best wishes for the New Year!

Regards,
David

A few notable gifts under our Christmas tree this year...


Our new cat "Fluffy" (named after a long succession of cats in Jim's family who were mostly short haired...) on Fern's cosy blanket!


Richard gave us a DVD of his Filmography


And also some DVD's of a lesser light....


My usual stack of books from Jim...he always finds some great titles I'm not familiar with.


My gift to Jim...a professional chef jacket to encourage him to start cooking...he's had it on a number of times already. Don figures it should say "Sacre Bleu" not Cordon Bleu...!


We all got a laugh out of Don and Elaine's gift to Richard...boxer shorts from Google with "I'm feeling lucky" written all over them!

A few pix from Christmas 2003. It was really great to have the Soles clan and Jean to join us this year. Kate and Jean spoiled us with Nigella's sticky toffee pudding and Eric Akis' lemon tarts for dessert...also brought wonderful gingerbread and Starbuck's Christmas Blend coffee...yum...(Richard and I had some gingerbread for breakfast!) Thanks, Derek and Mary, for the wine (Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris...perfect with turkey) and accessories...and of course, what would Christmas be without the famous crackers! I got the best joke...What would the US be called if everyone had red cars?..."A red carnation"...Dad got the best "surprise"..."a game of jacks" and Richard got the most practical one..."nail clippers"...(I think the cracker makers were in a practical mood this year). And of course, all our hats were equally silly!


Most of us except Mary's hiding and Richard's taking the picture.


Dad with his new professional chef jacket faking it at the stove.


Kate and Jean.


Richard helping in the kitchen.

I got two more commissions for floorcloths! One, something with frogs, and another with a beagle. I'm working on the frog one now...it's been really quite fun designing it. Pretty much ready for Christmas. I've decided not to send any Christmas cards anymore. I'm in email contact with pretty much everyone and also our friends can keep up to date with this blog.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Great news...our very dear friend, Monique, is coming back to Victoria to live!
It will be great having her back...yipee!

I did this table of my painting "French Village" for my friend, Carole. I didn't post it before because I wanted it to be a surprise. It's been fun doing the furniture but it really is a tremendous amount of work and fiddling around and also very hard on my back so I won't be doing any more furniture. People scrounging the Oak Bay Dump Exchange area will have lots more to choose from!

I'm going to keep everything else I've done for myself since they are now "limited editions" except one small table I have in mind as a gift for a friend that I haven't given anything to yet. I will be doing one last thing, just the top of a beautiful old Victrola cabinet Don and Elaine are giving me that was Don's mother's. I'm thinking of something very special for this wonderful piece of furniture that will be my last piece of painted furniture...it is a perfect ending to what has been a lot of fun!

Got back yesterday from a fabulous couple of days up at Carole's cabin in Qualicum. Arrived to find black oystercatchers on their beach! Wow...none of us westcoasters and Gulf Island goers had ever seen them before. We had to look them up in a book. They are so attractive with their long orange beaks. They certainly seemed to be finding lots to eat along with hundreds of seagulls that were also hanging around until an eagle swooped in and chased everything away temporarily except the seals.
We had a super time painting, shopping, eating, drinking and baking. Qualicum and especially Ladysmith looked terrific with their Christmas decorations. We stopped on the way up and back at the Sunflower Cafe in Ladysmith and had the most yummy and imaginative soups...roasted red pepper pesto and carrot one day and chicken and hazlenuts the next. Thanks Fern and Carole...it was a great time!



Oystercatchers and seagulls on the beach




This is the "lonestone" in front after which the cabin is named




Beachfront with seagrass




Fern and Carole with our baking!

I got a commission to do a painting of something with sailboats by a fellow who has a new grandson. He wanted to give him something that would last. I thought this was such a charming idea (and it's my first commission!) that I thought I would throw in a second smaller painting that was similar so the grandfather would have a memento as well.


This is the one for the grandson.
The writing in the sand says "Je t'aime petit-fils"



This is the one for the grandfather.
The writing in the sand says "Je t'aime Grandpêre"

I'm posting pictures of some of the things I've been working on especially for the Oak Bay Studio Tour coming up this weekend. I've been really pleased with the canvas floorcloths...they've been great fun to do!

P.S. This is going to be my door prize for the show.



St. Tropez on lazy susan




CANVAS FLOORCLOTHS!

Walk on,
stamp your feet on,
muddy boots wiped on,
wet dogs shook on,
fluffy cats sat on (maybe...) art!

Canvas floorcloths are versatile small rugs that can be used in the kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom etc. They are particularly useful in front of entrances to take that last bit of dirt off shoes and in front of sinks. Each mat is handpainted based on paintings I’ve done and each one will have variations on the original painting. Designs can be chosen from the art portfolios, cards, or bookmarks.

Mats are given six coats of high gloss varnish and a coat of clear paste wax. They are very durable and are meant to be walked over! They do not need to be washed as dirt can be wiped off with a damp cloth. The back is sprayed with a rubber coating to avoid slippage. This rubber backing can be scrubbed with soap and water if desired.



Rockfish on provençale tablecloth - floorcloth
* SOLD



Lavender and poppies - floorcloth




Cassis Harbour - floorcloth
* SOLD





Pines in the sky - floorcloth





Peace on Earth - floorcloth



And here are some wood pieces I finally got round to doing....



Watersports on skateboard * From the Oak Bay Dump exchange area




Hotel Splendid on table * From the Oak Bay Dump exchange area





Carqueiranne Harbour on lazy susan




Pines in the sky on tray




Cassis Harbour on towel rack




Wrought iron bell towers on table