Painting...

I've put my three "colour studies" up on the wall by my painting area but I may do some more to them..I'll have to think about it.

I went around Canyon Sands today and took lots of photos of cactus….my next painting project.

Here are a few:

Itty Bitty Book Review: "The Various Haunts of Men"

"The Various Haunts of Men" by Susan Hill

Wow….I'm very impressed.  Perhaps she is the new P.D. James.  I really enjoyed this first mystery and there are eight in all so far so lots of good reading ahead methinks. I have her next one at the ready,  "The Pure of Heart".

Fun with colour….

I mainly had a lot of fun doing these (other than the orange needed to be painted a number of times…tricky colour) and they make me smile when I look at them.  They can go either way so not sure how I'll sign them.  They are both 12 x 24 in size.

A day for hot and sour soup at the Supreme Dragon

Wonderful lunch as usual,,,,starting with our soup,  then roast duck and pepper beef.  They have this great Australian Shiraz for $15 and they even decant it for you.

Jim felt this big guy in the fish tank looked like Grouch Marx….

First crocus sighting in Vancouver

Photo by Susan King posted on Facebook

Spring does come early to our hometown.  It's like a Vancouver day in the desert today.   Quite a lot of rain last night which everyone down here likes given the drought.  Just back from my swim.  I haven't missed a day yet.

And I thought the Celebration of Light in Vancouver is pretty amazing...

Spectacular fireworks from Hunan province in China….the inventors of fireworks.  Thanks for sending, Elaine!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_LpMB1OZ53g?feature=player_detailpage%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3e%3c/iframe%3e&autoplay=1

Great fun at Lulu's

We had dinner at Lulu's last night with Linda and Cec and Richard, their brother-in-law,  and Scott,  a golfing buddy of Richard's.  I hadn't seen Richard for about 50 years and it was great fun to see him again…he's as amusing as ever.  Richard is a very keen golfer and even owns a golf course in the Vancouver area.  It is a "links" course which means it's by the ocean like St. Andrew's in Scotland.  Richard very generously treated us all to dinner and gave Jim and I a complimentary round to King's Links by the Sea.  Thank you so much,  Richard!

After dinner,  Richard and Scott were headed to Blythe for an 8am golf tournament today.  Hope they enjoyed their game…I'm sure they would.

http://www.kingslinks.ca


Looks like a really fun course to play.

And this is the design for the new clubhouse they're building….love it!

Work in progress….

Susan mentioned this book  "Flora Bowley's book "Brave Intuitive Painting".  The book is all about acrylic painting on large canvases,".   The libraries here don't have it so thought I would just make up something that seemed to fit.  Lot's of fun so far…not sure how I'll finish them…

Wine tasting and appies at the Palm Springs Women's Club

It was the 75 year anniversary and Erna and Marvin invited us to celebrate.  Lots of yummy food and wine from local restaurants….we didn't need dinner!

Thanks,  guys!


Too busy eating and drinking to take too many photos and lots of people around the food so not easy to take those photos either…

People were dressed in every attire possible….shorts,  jeans,  smart business,  sundresses,  and formal dress.  You gotta love California.

More poured painting….

Well,  I used paper this time to pour my painting.  I don't really think pouring is my thing but it was fun to try and Patty even liked it!

I cut this one up into potential  Artist Trading Cards…I may add quotes.

Louise Penny talking about living with her husband's dementia

I know a number of my readers are big fans of Louise Penny.  You can become her friend on Facebook and she posts frequently about her writing and her life.  I found this interview very poignant.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/louise-penny-speaks-out-about-life-after-her-husband-s-dementia-diagnosis-1.2929638

Painting

I had a lot of fun with this.  Ever since I saw the Southwest Art Festival poster (posted previously) and learned that the artist poured his paint I've been meaning to "pour a Mondrian".   I was inspired to do it by a book Susan recommended "Living Color:  A Writer Paints Her World" by Natalie Goldberg.  I had read her "Writing Down the Bones" years ago when I was doing my Masters.   It was in the Palm Springs Library so I picked it up and just loving her use of colour and ignoring of perspective and any other painting rule.  Mary,  you would like her painting I'm sure.

So,  this morning,  in between reading the sections of the newspaper,  I poured my Mondrian.  I also used a bit of brushwork,  sponge,  and black Sharpie.   Hey,  Susan,  does this make me a mixed media artist…:)

"Poured Mondrian"

16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

Jan/15

She lives in Taos and this is an adobe house which of course would never actually be blue but she felt like doing it that way….love it!

Alicante

 My cioppino which was actually quite good

 Jim's paella was just ok.

Me and Erna

Although we had a good time as usual when we're together,  we weren't that impressed with the food,  ambiance,  or service.    So many places to go.

Painting

"Oranges in Blue Bowl"

8 x 10 acrylic on canvas

Jan/15

Paradise….

A wonderful swim this morning with not only the sun shining but songbirds giving us a concert.  Lunch on our patio listening to our fountain,  now to read a mystery for a while before heading out to dinner with Erna and Marvin to a new restaurant for us,  Alicante….Mediterranean food.  They have a paella and Spanish Fish Soup which both look like they need to be tasted!

The mystery is a recommendation of Susan Bing…"The Various Haunts of Men" by Susan Hill.  She was born in Scarborough and this imaginary town definitely has a Yorkshire feel.  She's being touted as the new P.D. James.  So far I'm impressed.

Speaking of P.D. James,  the PBS "Death Comes to Pemberley"  turned up on our Netflix so we watched it last night since we had missed it on PBS.  We had just finished the second season of The Fall the other night and also Ida so on a roll with good stuff.

And I just loved what Susan King posted on her blog!  I will take part credit since I've been playing around with Matisse lately…

Rosh Hanrika at Sunset

This one came to  me in a dream.  It must be all of the Matisse art I've been looking at lately.....

Happy Mail Day from Susan...

We get almost no mail so what a surprise and pleasure to ge a Happy Mail Day letter from Susan and she sent me two Christmas tags that she did as a project.  I asked her to do some for me to use as bookmarks since I thought they were so cool.  Thank you so much,  Susan!

It's Monday….we're at Bill's

A picture is worth a thousand words….

Pretty stormy in Victoria….

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=435686486578880&fref=nf

Just back from golf and sitting outside in shirtsleeves having a bit of dinner at the golf course and enjoying the sunset over the mountains.

Just in from a dusk swim…wonderful light

Of course we always swim in the morning but I really enjoy swimming as the sun is setting as well…lovely pink clouds against the mountains,  palm trees of course.

Out to Las Casuelas today and I tried one of their special dishes…

Ceviche Tostada
2 crisp corn tortillas topped with shrimp and cod in fresh lime juice mixed with diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, diced avocado, thinly sliced celery and fresh jalapeños.

It was different and ok but I don't think I'll get it again.

Very warm today….reached 80 F

 Folks enjoying the band.

 The "Buzz"….free trolley in Palm Springs

 It was refreshing.