Back at last

First a preview of what I have been up to in the studio:

 

More on these to come but first news and a few photos.


Well I have recently had surgery on both my eyes and the difference is dramatic. I thought I was just having trouble with seeing close up, but now that I have had surgery everything has crisp edges again and I can see to read and paint. Hooray!

What was the problem???

Well when I had cataract surgery just over 2 years ago I didn't expect the cataracts to come back, and that is essentially what happened.

This is my distinctly non-medical explanation: some cataract tissue remained in the eye when the new lens was implanted and over time it grew to obscure the back of the artificial lens. The problem is corrected by a laser which "drills" about 100 little holes in the tissue clouding the lens and voila I see almost 20:20 again. Almost instantly.

It is an outpatient procedure and I was fine to take the bus home, I spent the entire trip reading the back of the bus ticket (tiny print) and all the signs along the way. What joy!

Here are a few pictures that I took recently of some fall sites or is that sights?

 

A perfect fall day at the beach and in the park.

 

 

Time for a look around...

 

 

Grooming time at the pond...

 

 

 

Time for a bath...

 

Who you looking at?

 

Mirror, mirror.... now that's better

 

This little fellow was so cute... 

 

and stopped to have a good look at me... 

 

 

maybe, just maybe ...

 

 

no I don't think so ..........

 

 

then realizing that I had no food to offer and was off

 

 

I have been fairly busy with a couple of projects recently:

 

First a new website just for my art at www.gillianolsonart.com 

Second an Esty site to sell digital downloads of some of my work at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/pswhimsy?page=1#save

 

Check them out and let me know what you think.

 

 

So I gave you a preview of two paintings and without further ado here they are:

 

 

First a poured watercolour of a Venetian mask called "Carnival 2"; this one is sold, thanks J

 

 

Second a watercolour painting of a statue seen in Italy last summer, I call him "The Professor":

 

You can see more details on my new art website (link above).

 

Well it is nice to be back, that is all for today, thanks for dropping by and happy Whimsy Wednesday.

 

Gillian







 

A tropical break?

Tropical break, no not really, I visited the Blodel Conservatory to walk in the warm tropical environment and  to visit with the many colourful birds; it's a great way to add some colour to a dreary winter day.

Here are a few of the pictures I took during my visit.

First here are Ruby and Kiwi, Eclectus parrots. This is a sexually diamorphic parrot species, meaning that the  male and the female differ dramatically in colour and size. The female, Ruby, is bright red and blue and the male, Kiwi,  is a dramatic green colour with patches of red on its sides.

Here is Casey, a Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot, with Monty, a Princess Parrot, in the background.

Casey

Monty

Nelson, below, a Hahn's Dwarf Macaw or a Red Shouldered Macaw, was a bit shy I only saw him once.

Carmen and Maria are Green Winged Macaws, beautiful birds.

Art is a Blue and Gold Macaw.

Rosie is an African Grey Parrot, and was entertaining the visitors with her whistling. 

Last bird pictures for today are both Budgerigars (Budgies), both are male judging from the blue colouring above their beaks, the females have a tan patch rather than blue.

Cheaper than a movie, and warm and entertaining, what better way to spend part of an afternoon?

I have a painting to show you today and also an annoucement.

First the painting, a watercolour, of a man wearing a mask. The picture was taken by friends visiting Venice at Carnival.

Secondly, I now have another blog! It is called GillianOlsonArt and gives more details about my paintings, including size and price. There is also a tab which features sale items. Click the above link to visit.

Happy New Year, best wishes to one and all!

Happy 1st Whimsy Wednesday of 2013, until next week..............

Summer Leftovers?

Yes, is almost the end of summer, and I have some leftovers for you. Not to worry I am not talking about stale potato salad, slightly composted greens and dried out chicken, but instead some pictures from the summer that I have not yet shared with you.

This gull is giving me the "Aren't you supposed to be back at work with everyone else?" look; the gulls did not seem to miss the people and umbrellas, but they may be missing the handouts and food leftovers.

I had a discussion recently with some friends about the origins of the term Indian Summer.  I have always thought that the term Indian Summer refers summer like conditions lasting through September and into October but since I didn't know for sure what it meant I thought it timely to do a bit of research.

Flowers into seeds:

According to Wikipedia: "The expression 'Indian summer' has been used for more than two centuries. The earliest known use was by French-American writer John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur in rural New York in 1778: "Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer."

Here are some theories about its etymology (from Wikipedia):

• "In Colonial New England and New York, Indian Summer referred only to a January thaw, when American Indian raiding parties could be expected in the western and northern areas: the ground had briefly lost its snow cover so tracking the Native American raiders back to their winter camps was much more difficult for the Colonials. " 

• "In The Americans: The Colonial Experience, Daniel J. Boorstin speculates that the term originated from raids on European colonies by American Indian war parties; these raids usually ended in late autumn (due to snow covered ground), hence summer-like weather in the late fall and mid winter was an Indian Summer, a time raiding parties could be expected. "

• "It may be so named because this was the traditional period during which early American Indians harvested their crops of squash and corn." 

I have usually heard the term Indian Summer used when summer weather lasts well past the fall equinox (third week in September), not necessarily preceded by a period of cold weather. It is probably too soon to say for sure but I have heard predictions of an Indian Summer for this year; fingers crossed that it happens.

A colourful array of summer produce (tomatoes, eggplants and artichokes):

The summer's progression of colourful flowers: Lilies, sweet peas, lobelia, vicars mead, fuchsia, roses, day lilies, rhododendrons, echinacea, laitris and euphorbia.

 

 

 

 

A nest, now vacated, that a neighbour found and gave me:

 

And a few bunnies:

This one had a close look at me, then realizing I was not a threat started rolling around on the ground, occasionally stopping to have a look at me.

I took a short video of him doing a bit of cleanup following a roll in the dirt:

This is one of the many baby bunnies from early in the summer:

 

Here is a whole family, and then their mother watching over them:

One last video taken from a dock on one of the gulf islands this summer:

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this "leftover" version of summer photographs.

"Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart." Thomas Fuller
 

 

I have just finished a painting of a large wooden mask that I saw at an indoor garden. It is a watercolour that I have called "Sun Washed":

Thank you for dropping by, hope you enjoyed your visit and Happy Whimsy Wednesday.

Until next week ...............