Recapping my ARTful year

As I look at the year ending art wise. I realized I focused on painting in a sketchbook rather  than on canvases. We had a real travelling year so this worked perfectly (including helping our daughter and family for a month after welcoming our beautiful grand daughter June). I used different sized handmade sketchbooks for travelling and bought sketchbooks for working in or learning on. I took a couple of online classes just to keep myself painting and accountable, below is one I forgot to post. Most of my unposted work is in sketchbooks, which I did for me.

I am also grateful for the wonderful art groups I have had the heartful time with it's members: The Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous B.C., The Courtyard Gallery in Enderby B.C. (which shows and sells my art and cards), and The Plein Air Group in Mexico.

Jed Dorsey of Acrylic University put out a challenge over the summer to complete 7 acrylic paintings that he did a demo of. I worked in my sketchbook painting 7"x7" square. I really enjoyed this as it was fun to follow his demo but using my own colours, sense of placement and stopping when I felt it was completed. I loved his use of different base colours and even one that he made up in his head!

​I wish you a creative and fun 2026. Hopefully you will be able to try new creative challenges!!

Top Row: "Small Flowers, Big Dreams", "Chasing Daylight", 
Second Row: "Discovering Beauty", "The Colourful Alley"
Third Row: "Porch Party", "Always My Heart"
Bottom Row: I forgot to write down the name this one Jed made up with no reference