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Flowers and Another Seacoast

2009-07-04T18:34:00.004-04:00

Well, here I am again -- attempting to get back on schedule. Hopefully, you have all read the information about THE book which I posted yesterday and are making plans to purchase your own copy!

Tonight I will be showing you a few of the many drawings that got missed during all the weeks of working on the Stations. These were mainly done for relaxation between revising the icons.

The first one (above) is called a Japanese Anemone. I have never seen this flower before and I really find it quite lovely. I would love to meet it in person!

This second flower drawing was made working with a photograph from an Hawaiian calendar. The flowers are called Redlehua which maybe should be written Red Lehua. The lehua part sounds rather Hawaiian, I think. Anyway, I have never met these flowers in person either. I wonder if they are soft or hard to the touch?

Finally, I did a drawing of the coastal area somewhere along the coast of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, France.

I love all the greys accented with red while the fog rolls in. I can almost hear the seagulls crying out, unseen, in the foggy sky.

Meanwhile, my eye seems to be healing nicely. My vision improves a bit every day. I am expecting a great deal of improvement when I have the suture removed on Thursday. I really am starting to believe that I might actually not need glasses anymore! Won't that be grand?!

Remember, if you want a book, let me know as soon as you can as I am trying to have 10 requests before I order since I get a discount for every 10 or more I order at one time.

Peace be with you all.

THE Book

2009-07-03T10:37:00.004-04:00

I am posting today because I want a special column to tell you about the book.

Above is the cover. I have draft copies of the entire book at my place for those who live in the GTA and want to see it before purchasing.

Starting today, the book will be held in download for 15 days. If I don't order any before that time, I will have to download the book again. That is not a serious matter and does not cost me anything, but takes a bit of time. Not to worry. If you want to purchase, do it whenever you can.

Now for the important information:

The price of the book for U.S. customers will be $55.

The price of the book for Ontario residents who can pick up their copy from me will be $65.

If a Canadian customer wants me to ship it to them, then the cost will obviously be $65 plus postage.

I get a discount by ordering 10 or more at a time. I will need payment in advance before ordering.

If you would like to have your copy printed on premium quality paper, that increases the cost by $10.00.

Customers in the U.S. can receive their copy by what is called “Second Day”. Canadian customers' copies will be shipped by “economy” which takes, I have discovered, about two weeks.

I am sorry I don’t have a link I can give you so you can see the book online; however, as I said, I do have a copy at my place. So anyone in the GTA can drop by for a look. I guess the rest of you will have to purchase sight unseen. If, for any legitimate reason you are not satisfied, I will accept returns.

If you want to place an order, you need to send me a cheque ("check" for you Americans) in the correct amount listed above so that I can then place your order. If you let me know your cheque is on the way, I will go ahead and place the order so you can have your copy that much more quickly.

As noted above, the U.S. orders will be shipped directly from the company so that your postage is less and you will get your order more quickly. The Canadian clients will have to wait a week and a half to two weeks from the time their order is placed.

Now, the rest is up to you!

Peace be with you all. I will have a regular entry tomorrow night.

Pray the Stations

2009-07-02T17:31:00.003-04:00

Well, here they are -- all 15 Stations. The first one is "Jesus is condemned to death."

The second station is "Jesus receives the cross."

Third, "Jesus falls the first time under the cross."

Fourth, "Jesus is met by His Blessed Mother."

Fifth, "The Cross is laid upon Simon of Cyrene."

The sixth station: "Veronica wipes the face of Jesus."

Seventh, "Jesus falls the second time."

The eighth station: "The women of Jerusalem mourn for Our Lord."

Ninth, "Jesus falls for the third time."

Tenth station: "Jesus is stripped of His garments."

Eleventh station: "Jesus is nailed to the cross."

The twelfth station: "Jesus dies on the cross."

The thirteenth station: Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in His Mother's arms."

Fourteenth, "Jesus is placed in the sepulchre."

Fifteenth Station: "Jesus is risen from the dead."

So, here they are. Let me know what you think of them now that you see them all together. Thanks.

As for me, I am slowly recovering from my latest surgery. This time it did not go so smoothly, but I saw the doctor today and everything looks good. Best of all, I am already able to read this size type without the use of glasses! Hooray!

In my next post I will be showing the prices for the book and how you can order them in Canada and in the U.S. I am very pleased with it and I hope you will be as well.

Meanwhile, may peace be with you all.

Another Revision and A Busy Butterfly

2009-06-28T19:38:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my dear friend, E., I have made some changes to the final station -- the Resurrection. Please let me know what you think of it.

I removed the small angel from in front of Christ and put an angel in the air. I also added rays coming from the tomb in hopes of giving more of any impression of depth. I also added a few lines to the winding sheet at the foot of the entrance to the tomb to try to let people know what that white thing is! There was some confusion and it may still not work.

Unfortunately, these image are so small in the space I have for the blog so take a look at it enlarged and see what you think and please, if you have any suggestions, pass them along.

I am giving this next drawing a long title: "Butterfly feeding on Forget-Me-Not".

I was really attracted to this photo because it shows how much pollen the butterfly has already picked up in the process of feeding. I tried to show that in my drawing as well, but don't know if I managed or not.

This is a strange week coming up. I have to prepare for surgery on Monday and then have the surgery on Tuesday. Wednesday is Canada Day -- kind of like our 4th of July. Then the remainder of the week should be recovery and rest and getting back into my regular routine -- maybe glasses free!

As I have mentioned, the book is ready for sale. I will be preparing all the information of costs and ordering procedures, etc. during this week and hopefully will be posting it by Thursday. Remember, I won't be posting on Tuesday since that is the day of the surgery. So, I won't post again now until Thursday. See you then.

Peace be with you all.

A Revision and A House

2009-06-26T18:40:00.007-04:00

I met my dear friend A. for lunch today and, as always, she had a really good suggestion to make about Station Fourteen.

She talked about the possibility of making the lighting of the tomb a bit more realistic -- I have been working on since I arrived back home.

It is very difficult to do with the limited tools of my software. What I really need to be able to do is have the light coming directly from the opening and slanting across the face and upper body -- however, I cannot make my colour anything but solid. If I could make it translucent as I could with oils, I know exactly what I would do, but sadly this is my best effort so far. I will continue to look at it and consider how else I might change it, but for the time being, this is it.

Remember, if you have any suggestions, I would really appreciate them. This was only a small suggestion but it turned out to be just what I needed to hear. You can do the same.

This next drawing is a solitary house somewhere along the coast of Newfoundland/Labrador (some place I have always wanted to visit but never got around to it).

I was attracted to this drawing because of the snug looking house -- maybe a good place to spend a summer -- and the wind-blown tree in the front yard. It is really just a house and a tree and some land and some water, but it appeals to my artist's heart.

Meanwhile, we continue with our strike of city workers which means that the garbage is piling up all around the city. Fortunately, our building has a private service. Garbage strikes are definitely something that should happen in the winter! Phew!

May peace be with you all.

Hooray! The A/C is working again!

2009-06-24T17:47:00.004-04:00

Here is the 15th Way of the Cross icon. Let me know what you think of it.

I have tried to make everything as glowing as possible. The tomb is full of light (maybe angels). The tail-end of the bright, white shroud falls just outside the cave opening. The dawn sky is filled with bright colours which reflect off the rocks. Christ's hair is almost fiery. The angel kneeling before Him is small which makes Christ look almost super-human in size. Flowers have blossomed at His feet. All the clothing is white except for the gold-coloured band across the chest of Christ and the golden-light of the halos.

I added cracks to the big circular stone that had been covering the opening to the tomb to indicate the powerful way in which the Resurrection took place. I want this station to say: Christ is risen from the dead -- death is powerfully defeated -- Alleluia!

This second drawing reminds me of the photos I have seen of eastern Canada. Wherever it is, it is definitely some place I would enjoy being right now as it looks considerably cooler than Toronto.

I have named this drawing: "The Night is Far Spent". It makes me think of that time of night just before the sky turns grey, the moon fades from sight and you can see traces of fog over the water -- fog that will fade with the rising sun.

I met today with the surgeon today who will do the cataract surgery on my right eye this coming Tuesday morning. He said that my left eye is healing very well and he doesn't foresee any problems with the surgery on my right one.

Peace be with you all.

Hot Monday, Broken A/C

2009-06-22T18:29:00.001-04:00

Peace be with you.

Numbers 13 and 14

2009-06-20T18:19:00.004-04:00

Well, here we are. These are the final two stations in the traditional Way of the Cross.

Number 13 is a revision of an icon you have seen previously. I had worked on this icon some time ago with the idea that if I ever did get around to doing the Stations, I could use this one for the 13th or 14th station. When the time came, I decided that with a bit of revision, it worked better as the 13th station which is "Jesus is taken down from the cross" (and laid in His mother's arms).

You can see the open tomb in the background and the empty cross even further back. In the foreground we see the Blessed Mother cradling her Son's head while St. Mary Magdalene cries to Heaven behind her. This was apparently the last time our Blessed Mother would be able to hold her Son in her arms although I am sure she knew, in some way, that she would hold her Son in her arms again someday.

And here it is -- number 14. One of the titles of this station is "Jesus is placed in the sepulchre".

I chose to make this as simple as possible with the exception of the three figures in the doorway: our Blessed Mother, St. John and St. Mary Magdalene. One last goodbye and the stone would be rolled across the opening -- leaving the inside of the tomb in total darkness. Those outside left just as the Sabbath was beginning with plans to return after the Sabbath ended on Sunday morning and wrap the body properly with the spices that had been provided.

I have often thought about this plan to open the tomb on the third day after the death of Jesus. Had His followers had time to wrap the body properly before the Sabbath started, they would not have made plans to open the grave again at all. Jesus would still have risen, but I wonder how He would have dealt with His followers in making Himself known in His glorified body.

As I was telling a friend recently, I find myself wondering about many such things as I get older and seem to have more time to reflect on such matters. Just recently I began to wonder if Judas could have cried out to God for mercy in the final seconds of his life. If he did, I might very well meet him in Purgatory when, please God, I arrive there!

That's enough rambling for tonight. Please, please give me some feedback regarding these two stations -- especially station 14. On Monday I plan to post the 15th station and I will need feedback on it as well since it has just recently become a regular part of the Stations of the Cross.

Peace be with you all.

I Double-Dog Dare You!

2009-06-18T18:23:00.003-04:00

I double-dog dare you to climb up the ladder and run down this dock!

If you are wise, I think you would refuse to take me up on that dare. This drawing, by the way, is called "Shaky Dock"!

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the phrase "double-dog dare you". When I was growing up it was the absolute extreme dare and if you refused to accept the dare, you were truly a "chicken" (absolute coward). I remember accepting some of these extreme dares and ending up either badly bruised or in serious trouble with my parents!

This second drawing is of a grey kitten who appears to want more food. I have called this sketch "Isn't there any more?"

I am such a cat lover. I enjoy dogs and like having them around, but for me dogs are meant to live in a house with a yard -- or even better, a nearby field or woods. I had never seen anyone walking a dog on a leash until I came to Canada. Growing up out in the countryside in Alabama, everyone had a dog or dogs but they ran loose and came and went as they chose to.

But the only animal that was sometimes able to sneak into the house were the cats. I have always admired their tenacity among other characteristics!

Well, enough about that. I am going to start showing you the draft drawings of the 13th, 14th and 15th icons of the Way of the Cross. These are truly my concepts -- especially 14 and 15 -- so I am hoping for a lot of feedback from you folks about whether I need to change them or not. Please give me your opinions when I show you the first one in Saturday's posting.

May peace be with you all.

Two More Stations

2009-06-16T19:12:00.004-04:00

The eighth station is often entitled: "Jesus speaks with the women of Jerusalem"

These women, upon seeing Jesus beaten and bloodied began to weep for him -- so pitiable was His condition.

Hearing their cries, Our Lord said to them something that I think is amazing: "Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children..." (the Gospel of St. Luke). I find it amazing that Jesus, after all He has gone through and knowing what He has yet to face, could take the time to speak words of counsel to these women. In fact, come to think of it, the only people Jesus spoke to directly during His "carrying of the cross" were women: His mother and these women. During the crucifixion, of course, He spoke to His Father, to His mother and to St. John.

The other icon I want to show you tonight is of the second station usually known as "Jesus receives the Cross".

In the first station, we see Jesus with His hands tied and chained. In this station, I wanted to show Him with His hands still tied (just like you would keep handcuffs on a prisoner). The soldier is in the process of laying the cross on the shoulder of Jesus after which His hands would be freed so that He could use them to hold the cross as He drags it behind Him.

The remaining stations that I am working on are the 13th (Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in His Mother's arms) and the 14th (Jesus is laid in the tomb). I have just done the outline for what will be the 15th station (the Resurrection). In the past, churches usually only had 14 stations, but it has become more popular now to include a 15th station of the Resurrection as the story is incomplete without showing Christ's triumph over death.

We have had three beautiful days of sunshine and highs in the low 20's (that's the low 70's for you Americans); however, although tomorrow starts off sunny, the rain arrives in the afternoon and will stay with us for the rest of the week. Next week I hear we will be having our first hot weather of the year. That is only right, I guess, since summer officially begins on Sunday.

May peace be with you all.

A Change of Pace

2009-06-14T19:21:00.004-04:00

Tonight I wanted to post some of the other items I have been working on. Whenever I want to take a break from the intensity of working on icons, I usually like to sketch flowers or water scenes. So that is what you'll be seeing tonight.

This first drawing (above) is called "Ask Hylott". When I saw the photograph he had sent, I was pretty certain it was a hibiscus, but I never trust myself. I still don't know for absolutely certain that that's what it is, but it looks like a hibiscus to me. However, since I had already named the print "Ask Hylott" when I exported it from his email, I have just ended up keeping the same name. It's kind of catchy, don't you think?

This second drawing is called "Another Hot One" as the scene reminds me of early morning in parts of the deep south close to the Gulf of Mexico. In the summer as the sun is rising, everything is a hazy, yellow colour and you just know that it is going to be really hot and humid.

I have no idea where the photo was taken as it is one I came across online somewhere and no information was given as to the photographer or where it was taken, but it made me think of the canals near areas like Gulf Shores (Alabama) and Panama City (Florida).

I made it to Mass today because I really wanted to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi. However, it was such a beautiful day out there that I really didn't want to come home until I reached my neighbourhood, that is!

We have a festival each year in Toronto for dogs and their people and it is always held in my neighbourhood. When I left to go to church, the streets were practically empty -- just vendors setting up their booths, etc. On my return, however, it was a very different story.

Trying to maneuver a wheelchair through hundreds of dogs and even more people is a very difficult task -- in fact, it is the sort of situation that could cause a person to actually stop loving their fellowman and to consider the pleasure of running over some of the more obnoxious ones! You'll be glad to hear that I refrained from temptation and finally made it home to my quiet apartment and a sleepy cat.

Peace be with you all.

Falling Three Times

2009-06-12T19:15:00.004-04:00

Here are the 3 stations where Jesus falls under the weight of the cross.

This first one (above) is the same one I used for Jesus carrying His cross in the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. I hope it is not a bad thing to use the same icon in another series since it does fit very well for the first fall, Station III.

Each fall, of course, causes His captors to treat Him more cruelly. That always seems to happen with violence -- once it has taken control every little hesitation seems to kick the rage of the person up a notch.

I have seen a father so angry with a child that every time the child tried to say "yes, sir" through her tears, the father would strike the child again when the words did not come easily -- each time striking harder.

So it was with the captors of Jesus. Every time He fell, they turned on Him in fury.

In His final fall, just before reaching the top of the hill of crucifixion, the soldier uses his staff and his foot to try to push Christ and His cross over so the soldiers could yank Him up again and drag Him the rest of the way. So casually callous the soldier is -- for him it's just another day's work.

There was a story on tonight's news about a young man seen pulling a dog by it leash down one of those long flight of stairs at the subway. The dog had fallen and was not given time to try to stand as the man casually dragged him -- bump, bump, bump. The people in the station called the police and animal control who were on the scene quickly. Concerned passengers tried to comfort the dog while others held the man until the authorities arrived. Turns out the dog was 15 years old and had simply gotten exhausted by too long a walk and the man was the dog walker that a couple had hired to walk their dog each day!

Whether human or animal, angry people seem to be able to hurt and harm with casual indifference. Sadly, evil is alive and well in this world -- just as it was 2000 years ago when Jesus fell three times under the weight of the cross.

Peace be with you all

Simon of Cyrene

2009-06-10T19:40:00.004-04:00

Here is the fifth station.

Jesus was trying His best to carry the cross, but after all he had been through, he kept falling under the weight of it. So the Roman soldiers grabbed a man from the crowd, a man from Cyrene by the name of Simon, and made him carry the cross for Christ.

We never know when the events of life are suddenly going to reach out and grab us. There was Simon just walking down the street or maybe, attracted by the crowds and noise, trying to see what was happening and a Roman soldier reached out and grabbed him. He was thrust into what would turn out to be one of the most meaningful episodes in human history. His name has forever after been associated with the story of Christ's passion and death. Unlike Pilate, whose name has also been associated with this event; Simon of Cyrene is remembered by Christians with gratitude because of the help he gave to Our Lord.

Now, from the sublime to the ridiculous, take a look at the following photograph.

Yes, it really is me. I was a senior in high school when this photo was taken and one of three majorettes who pranced weekly in front of our marching band during half-time at our Friday night football game. The majorettes usually performed some kind of half-time routine as well. I was easy to recognize even from the highest rows of the stands -- I was the one always dropping my baton! Oh, well... what can I say!

Peace to you all.

Holy Napkins

2009-06-08T14:50:00.004-04:00

There are two holy napkins that I know about. One comes from the traditional stories of the Catholic Church; while the other one comes from a similar story tradition in the Orthodox Church.

The Catholic story is about St. Veronica. The story goes that a holy woman by the name of Veronica broke through the crowd surrounding Jesus as He carried the cross. She held in her hands a clean, linen cloth and as Christ came near her, she reached out and carefully wiped the blood and spittle from His Holy Face.

Christ's eyes met hers with thankfulness for her kindness before the soldiers shoved Him on His way. When Veronica looked at the cloth, she found that an image of Christ's bloody and beaten face had been left on the napkin. This event is now memorialized as the sixth station of the Way of the Cross.

The other story of a holy napkin comes from the Orthodox tradition. I have told you this story previously -- maybe a year ago -- when I posted the icon above known as "The Holy Napkin -- Not Made by Hands".

As you may recall, a messenger from a great king was sent to Jesus asking Him to please come and lay His hands on him so he might be healed. At that time, Jesus was surrounded by His own people -- people trying to question Him about His teachings; others seeking to be healed. There was no way He could walk away from His own people at that moment so He took a napkin and wiped His face with it, giving it to the messenger to take to his master. When the cloth was opened, it was found that there was a picture of the Holy Face -- not made by hands -- and the sick who touched the cloth were healed.

I placed an order for a single copy of the book today after making some adjustments to my previous attempt to order it. Hopefully it will arrive within the next two weeks and then I will be glad to start taking orders. I decided not to use their book selling service as they are a U.S. company and it would all get too complicated. So, I plan to order enough copies to cover the requests and then sell them myself. I can always order more copies if necessary. I get a 10% discount on the price if I am ordering 10 or more copies at one time so I will wait until I have at least 10 requests before placing my first order.

I am posting this early tonight as I have a young couple coming for a session in their marriage preparation course.

Peace be with you.

Another Try for First

2009-06-06T17:51:00.003-04:00

After several comments (only one of which made it to the blog), I decided that I needed to scrap the first Station and try to rebuild it -- which is exactly what I have done.

So, I would appreciate some opinions on this revised edition and feel free to make them as comments to the blog. If you have forgotten your original password, just check Anonymous and you will be allowed to make a comment. Then when you finish you can sign your name if you want to.

I was thinking today about why these are called Stations. The English word for station comes from the Latin for stand. When the stations were first initiated, they were walked in Jerusalem itself by pilgrims. This practise begin in the early centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ. Each time an individual or group would come to one of the locations where an event was supposed to have occurred in the carrying of the cross, they would stop and pray -- thus each stop became one of the stations. Finally, 14 "stations" were established as the norm and are still walked by pilgrims to this very day.

These days you will also find drawings/icons of these stations in every Catholic church. This practise developed during the centuries when Christian were no longer able to actually go to Jerusalem -- mainly due to the occupation of the Holy Land by various Muslim leaders. So, if any of you non-Catholics are ever visiting a Catholic church and notice someone walking a bit and then standing to pray before walking a bit more, you will know that they are making the Stations of the Cross.

This poppy is known as "Papaver orientale" and I think it would be quite beautiful to see it for real.

The photo I was working from was not that good -- rather fuzzy actually -- but I tried to do my best and express something of the beauty that was almost visible.

By the way, the book is ready for the first printing of the draft copy. Once I have checked it carefully, I can then either go ahead and print it or make corrections if needed and then print it. So it should be available soon. I think I am going to use the option offered by the book printing service. I will announce the book far and wide and then everyone who wants to purchase a copy will go to their web site and place an order. The company will then send me my share of the selling costs. If any of you would prefer not to deal with an online company for any reason, please let me know and I will purchase enough copies to send out privately so you will deal directly with me.

There is just one holdup at the moment and once that is settled, I will place my order for my own draft copy. After that things should happen fairly quickly.

Peace be with you.

Flowers and Foolishness

2009-06-04T17:49:00.003-04:00

Well, the flowers of tonight's title are "White Hydrangeas". The drawing was inspired by a photograph taken by Hylott -- my Alabama friend. He also sent me a photo of a pink hydrangea which hopefully you will be seeing a drawing of soon.

The foolishness part of the title comes from this next silly sketch.

I have named this one "I'm a Lion Too". Nothing much to say about it -- sketching it was just a fun way to take a break while working on another Way of the Cross icon.

Speaking of those icons, I finally got some comments from a regular viewer -- helpful comments I might add. I am still waiting for comments from some of the rest of you.

I am sorry I can't say too much tonight as my eyes no longer work well with my glasses and so my efforts to read and to see what I have typed are very tiring. I think I need to go and take another good rest. Maybe I will be able to do a bit more work later.

Peace be with you all.

Finally, my first posting for June

2009-06-02T13:37:00.002-04:00

Well, in spite of the fact that it is only 2:00 in the afternoon, I decided I had better go ahead and do my posting for today. I am already feeling quite weary.

I think it must be that I had two doctor's appointments that morning one of which included a procedure where they wrapped my legs in numerous bandages from my toes to my knees. Very interesting -- now let's just hope we don't have a sudden heat wave!

Then I had to endure another procedure known as a punch biopsy! This simply means that after deadening the area, the doctor took a sample of tissue for biopsy. It is nothing serious -- rather there is an area of skin that is misbehaving and no one can figure out why! So hopefully, the results will show that it is simply me trying to call attention to myself again!!

So, I think you can see why I feel like taking a good long nap -- and these days, these naps often turn into all-nighters.

Now to the drawing at the top.

This is Station I of the Stations of the Cross: "Pilate condemns Jesus to be crucified". It is very interesting to me that I chose to make the figures in this icon larger than in any of the others. I think it is because this moment is the beginning of the end of this most important battle between good and evil.

Pilate had had all sorts of promptings to let Jesus go. His wife pleaded with him to do so because of a dream she had, Pilate's own conscious bothered him as he tried to find ways to get out of having Jesus put to death and finally, in desperation to please the crowd, he condemns Jesus but seeks to separate himself from the act by publicly washing his hands and saying that they are guilty of this man's death, not he.

And so the march toward the Crucifixion begins.

I would ask you to compare this drawing to the earlier drawings and see if you think it will be all right to have the figures in the first Station a bit larger than those in the remaining ones. Thanks.

Now, I must get some rest. I hope what I have written makes sense as I wrote part of it with my eyes closed! I am sure I will be better by Thursday.

Peace be with you all -- always.

Just a brief visit

2009-05-30T18:19:00.002-04:00

I can't write too much as I really can't see that well. Just wanted to let everyone know that the surgery went fine and the doctor was pleased with the results when I saw him yesterday. Right now I am just having to wait for things to improve in their own sweet time. Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and loving thoughts -- they made a big difference.

This drawing, by the way, is the Station known as "Jesus is nailed to the cross". I actually got this far on it on Wednesday night, Thursday morning as I really couldn't sleep that well while waiting for the surgery. We left here at 6:30 Thursday morning and although the surgery did not take that long, I was able to return home and sleep for the rest of the day.

As you may have noticed from one of the comments, it was recommended that I leave off the titles of each station and just go with the number. It is certainly easier for me. If you have a different opinion, let me know.

Well, it is back to bed for more rest and sleep. See you June 1st.

Peace be with you.

A Quiet Day

2009-05-26T18:00:00.005-04:00

Not only have I had a quiet day, I have also had a couple of naps. I am not sure why I am so tired, maybe it is the idea of my approaching surgery, but whatever it is it makes me feel like an old lady -- nodding away in my chair.

However, in between working on my icons, I did take the time to try drawing a new flower. This flower (above) is called "A Lenten Rose" -- its Latin name is Helleborus x orientalis. This is a perennial plant and comes in lots of different colours. I obviously prefer the reddish-pink

I decided to include in tonight's posting a photograph of me taken a couple of years ago at the wedding of a Godson. I believe this picture was taken when I was reading the intercessions during the wedding Mass. It reminds me of the best thing to do during a quiet day -- spend lots of time talking with the Lord.

Remember that I won't be posting on Thursday as that is the day I have my cataract surgery. I hope to be posting again by the 30th.

The surgery will be Thursday morning, the 28th. Please remember me in your prayers and thoughts. It certainly is not serious surgery, but I guess I am feeling a bit anxious about it because it is the first time that anyone has done anything to my eyes. I am trying to be at peace and place it all in God's hands, but am having a bit of difficulty -- which is one reason why I need your thoughts and prayers!

Peace be with you.

Working on the Stations

2009-05-24T20:42:00.004-04:00

Well, I am continuing to work on the Stations of the Cross.

The drawing above "X -- Jesus is stripped of His garments" has reached the point where I will let it "rest" for a while before returning to work on it some more.

This next drawing, of the Crucifixion, is one I did almost a year ago. I was working on this one and the one I used for the Rosary icons at the same time. I chose the other Crucifixion drawing for the Rosary book and decided to use this one for the Stations.

There is no room on this one to put the title but I think most people can figure out that this station is called "Jesus dies on the cross"!! I did put the number on it, however.

Actually, I need some input about the numbers and the titles. Do I need both? Do I need just the number or do I not need any title or number on the actual icon? Give me some opinions please.

I have also been very busy working on the Rosary book. My friend, Patricia, edited all the text for me and so I spent time this weekend making all the corrections she suggested.

Now the only thing left to do is to talk to my priest friend about the commentary that I have with the Joyful Mystery of the Visitation. I got a bit carried away in what I wanted to say and need to find out if I have inadvertently wandered into some theological minefield where I shouldn't go.

Once that is done, I will get a draft copy printed up and see if all looks as it should. If so, then I will be ready to start taking orders.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Happy Memorial Day tomorrow to those readers in the U.S.

Peace be with you.

Is anybody out there?

2009-05-22T20:19:00.003-04:00

Tonight's title refers to the fact that when I posted another old photo of me as a young lady on Wednesday, no one made a single comment. Never before have I posted a picture of myself when I was younger without getting at least one comment. So I began to wonder if there is anybody out there still reading my blog! I know some of you are very busy right now and a few are having to deal with illness, but surely, I thought, someone would have something to say. Oh, well ....

The drawing above is entitled "Bougainvillea Blossoms". These blossoms are so beautiful in design and colour -- pink, purple, white and gold. My drawing does not do them justice as I do not have the means on the computer to create that almost paper-like quality that the brightly coloured parts of the "blossoms" have. Hopefully, however, I have given an impression of the beauty of the blossoms.

Interestingly, this drawing was inspired by a photo from my Alabama friend, Hylott. Even though he is busily nursing his wife, Patsy, back to health after her surgery (thanks for all your prayers by the way), he had a bit of time to take a few photos and send them to me.

And here we have another photograph of me! This was taken on the day of my graduation from the University of Toronto, June, 1973. Considering that I started my university studies in 1959, I guess taking 15 years to graduate is not too bad! My studies were interrupted by such things as immigrating to Canada!

It will be interesting to see if there are any comments about this photo!

I am continuing to make progress on the Stations of the Cross. I have done more work on the one I showed you on Wednesday plus I am close to finishing the basic work on another -- Station X; Jesus is stripped of his garments. I hope to be able to show you the first draft of this one when I post this coming Sunday.

May peace be with you all.

First Icon of New Project

2009-05-20T19:28:00.004-04:00

Here is the draft stage of the first icon I have been working on -- it is actually the fourth Station of the Cross but it is the one I choose to start with.

The fourth station is "Jesus meets his Blessed Mother". Often this station is depicted showing a haggard Jesus and a deeply grieving Blessed Mother. Since I am drawing it in the tradition of icons; however, I cannot show that kind of emotion. Instead I decided to show what appears to be an almost gentle meeting in the midst of a situation that in reality would have been full of violence and suffering.

I feel that the love between Mother and Son is so deep that their personal suffering simply cannot be expressed in images (or words). Thus, I am trying to make a statement about this encounter by showing the very opposite. Does it work? That is up to you to tell me.

I still have more work to do on this icon so you have plenty of time to make comments!

This photograph is one I have been debating with myself about posting. Why? Well, because it shows how slender I was for so much of my life which is so unlike the way I look now! See how vain I can be. Anyway, I finally said "why not" and here it is.

The photograph was taken in the late 1960's at Centennial College in Scarborough (Toronto). The college had just been open for a couple of years and this party, as best I can recall, was held for the official opening of the college library. I had been hired the year before as a full-time college instructor in the Communications Department.

I am amazed when I look at my hair-do. I did have really long hair at the time, but the style for formal events was to have it put up in great big curls that were sprayed within an inch of their lives so they simply could not move. I remembering thinking it looked quite elegant. The problem with this style, obviously, was trying to brush it all out upon arriving at home very tired and wanting only to collapse into bed.

Well, it is time for me to get back to work on the icons.

Peace be with you.

I Forgot

2009-05-18T09:57:00.004-04:00

I forgot completely about posting to my blog last night. I wasn't sick or anything, but I was working on my first icon of the Stations of the Cross and got so involved that I forgot until this morning! So, I will post this morning and change my schedule accordingly.

This first drawing pleases me. It is of Bluebell Lungwort -- I guess it was thought to help your lungs. I should check and see. Anyway, it is such a beautiful flower with really nice leaves. Most of all, it was fun to draw.

This next drawing is obviously some sort of water lily. I found the photo I worked from on a site within the Catholic Answers web site and the photographer did not name the flower. So, I am just calling it "Water Lily".

I just realized that I have been very lazy about these two drawings. I could easily have tried to find more information on them before posting; however, I was working on this icon, you see and well...

I really am hopeless when I get involved in drawing a new icon. I have to force myself to stop and go to bed. Fortunately, miz k.d. starts to remind me vocally that it is bedtime and won't quit until I show signs of getting ready -- like turning off the computer. She knows the sound Windows makes as it shuts down and she waits for it before she stops meowing, loudly. What a cat!!

Anyway, may peace be with you all. I will post again on Wednesday.

Cats

2009-05-15T19:57:00.004-04:00

Cats have always been a part of my life. Dogs also, but not nearly as much. I have a fondness and love for all creatures and all of creation, but cats, to me, are special creations of God -- it even seems to me that I can understand what they are thinking, sometimes.

The quickly done sketch above is entitled "Ain't Love Grand". The Calico is obviously female since all Calico cats are female. The "orange" tabby is the male. I am unsure what they are saying to one another, but it appears to me as though they are being very friendly!

Now, let me show you a picture of me with miz k.d. This photograph says a lot about my relationship with my companion kitty.

This photo was taken back in 1999 when I was recovering from surgery. I had to spend a lot of time in bed in those days and miz k.d. was in the habit of sleeping on my chest which I watched TV or rested.

However, she did not like to have her photo taken. So I knew that as soon as she heard the whine of the flash boosting up, she would most likely decide to go elsewhere. As my friend picked up the camera, I tightened my hold on miz k.d. You can see how my hands are gripping her. We managed to get the photo taken before I let her go as I never want to restrain any animal unnecessarily.

As you know I have done a number of drawings of cats. Just as with horses, I remain far from satisfied in the results. Maybe this is how it will always be; nevertheless, I will continue to try to do drawings whenever I come across a photo I think I can work from.

Right now miz k.d. is sleeping on my bed, waiting for me to join her. I am already feeling sleepy so I don't think she will have to wait too much longer.

In the meantime, let me wish you all a peaceful night.

Gifts

2009-05-13T16:53:00.004-04:00

Life is filled with so many gifts -- it is always just a matter of recognizing them as such.

The drawing above is, obviously, a type of orchid -- I am not sure which kind. Orchids always make me think of gifts as all the orchids I have ever had have been gifts. This drawing, for example, was able to be done because my friend, Walter, copied the photograph from a power point slide show and sent it to me so that I could draw it. This is why I have named the drawing "Walter's Orchids".

I have an interesting history with orchids actually. The very first orchid I was ever given was an orchid arm corsage at age 14. I was in the ninth grade at the time and had been invited to attend the prom with a 11th grade boy I had come to know. After clearing this with my parents and finding one of my older sister's old prom dresses which could be made to fit, I was all ready when he arrived carrying an orchid corsage. I was so thrilled as my mother helped me tie it to my arm.

In the photograph below you can see how I looked that night and you can also see the orchid on my left wrist. What a magical evening that was but, sadly, the relationship was short-lived. The sweet boy had a serious problem with bad breath and I had no idea how to deal with this so I started coming up with excuses until he gave up. As I scanned the photo into the computer recently, I looked at the back of the photograph and saw where he had written "To a wonderful girl -- I will never forget you." Ah, young love
.

Finally tonight, I want to show you a simple drawing I did of the Bunch berry plant. Obviously, I am calling the drawing "Bunch Berry". It is not an exciting drawing, but I really like the leaves of the Bunch Berry and the effect created with the different leaves for a background.

So ends another posting.

I did want to let you know that I have had an update from Hylott on his wife, Patsy's, condition and she seems to be recovering from her surgery and should be able to come home in a week or so. Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts.

May peace be with you all.