Winter always seems like such an endurance test. Then February finally arrives and even though it is only a matter of a couple of days, it seems that much shorter, and passes more quickly. When March hits, even though it is still very much winter here, and will be for weeks yet, the brighter and longer days are more energizing, and I seem to get much more accomplished.

Now, the first show of the year is in just over 2 weeks, and then our big group show is in about 4 weeks. Zoom! I have done another few small paintings, and a still life with an orange, a sugar shaker and a small copper pot. I haven't got to any beach paintings after all, and given the time, it may just not happen until these shows are done.

When I was at the grocery store yesterday I found a blood orange. I think they are called Moro oranges now - maybe people don't like the gory reference, but I rather like the original name. I think I will do a small one of the intact orange which has an orange and red peel, and then one of some slices that are backlit to show off their great colour. I also have an avocado. Love those colourful fruits and veg!

This year, at our group show, we are going to have people painting so that the visitors can see how we do it. I hope that they find it interesting to see how we actually create the works. Well, back to it!

Now that March is just a day away (will the sun come out tomorrow?), I am sure that time will seem to pick up speed as it always does this time of year. Gardenscape is only 25 days away, to be followed by our annual Prairie River Artists' show a couple of weeks after that.

I have been focussing on floral pieces for Gardenscape. I am not sure if I will get any more done, as I would like to do a landscape piece next, or more likely a seascape/harbour piece. After months of gazing upon the backyard full of snow I am looking at my photos from the coast, and thinking about the ocean and beaches.

Also, Redberry Art is now being hosted on a new server, and the migration over the weekend seems to have gone smoothly. A couple of images need fixing, but that is minor. Thanks to my wizard(s) behind the scenes who makes everything up front look good.

So, off to make a decision about the next painting, thinking of mild ocean breezes, instead of the blizzard that is whizzing by the window today.

Thank you to everyone who came by our Escape Artists' show this past weekend. Saturday was a bit snowy, but it didn't stop most people, and by Sunday, we had some sunshine, which really showed off all the great art works. You can see some on Escape Artists' flickr site. We had lots of positive comments, and we got to enjoy mulled cider and goodies while we talked to our visitors each day.

Having the show in a home is really quite enjoyable. Many people commented on how it was easy to see how a piece of art would look in their home.

Now looking forward to the holidays, getting together with family and friends. I have one little painting I want to try and get done by the end of the month, and plan to start on it on Saturday at our regular Prairie River group meeting.

Well, I have a few more of the paintings to hang back up on the walls. It is a good opportunity to rearrange the paintings that I have as well.

Today is an odds and ends day, varnishing the little canvases that will go into the Gardenscape art show on Thursday, fixing the photos that will be going into the calendars I am making for the Prairie Rivers Artists' show next month, ordering my favourite Gamvar varnish from Opus (hadn't realized I was almost out! and will need more soon), and making a donation to the Saskatchewan Craft Council for the memorial fund for my friend, Gale Steck,  who died earlier this year. I also have to get my paintings together for Thursday and make the labels.

March and April are always busy months since I became involved in painting, and with Prairie River Artists, as April is annual show time. It is both an end and a beginning - an end to the winter, and a chance to show what I've been working on over the past few months, and the beginning of the outdoor season. Gardening begins in earnest at the end of April, and brings all the wonderful flowers that make such great subject matter. Also, a time to get out and travel.

Plein aire painting, that is painting outside on location is not something I have done much of. When I was in France, we did paint out along the lanes and fields and that was great fun. I just haven't done it here at all. So that may be something new to try too this summer. I have some new materials to experiment with as well. I have recently bought both oil sticks (Sennelier) and watercolour sticks (Daniel Smith). I haven't had the chance to do anything with them yet, so I hope that I can really get some playtime in with them soon.

So the changeover to spring brings ends and beginnings. Even the tulips are starting to poke out of the ground.

Now that we are well into March, the sun is higher in the sky, the snow is starting to melt, and thoughts turn to spring. For me, spring means art shows, particularly ones in which I will be participating. 

In about two weeks, the first one will be here, which is the art show at Gardenscape, March 26-28. This is such a fun weekend, both because I get to volunteer planting the demonstration gardens during the days prior to the show, and I participate in the art show as well. I have been working on some new paintings for the show, and have put up a few of the small ones that I have completed on the Gallery of New Works page.

Then, in about five weeks, we will be having our 8th annual Prairie River Artists' group show, April 17 and 18.  I am in the process of making new calendars for this show. I made some for our Escape Artists' show last fall and was very pleased with them so I am going to make new ones for 2011 to have at this show. Once I have the calendars printed, I will put up some photos of them.

I hope that the weather will be delightful, not frightful, for both shows. It has been both in the past as this time of year is very much transitional and unpredictable. I am really looking forward to seeing everybody as we emerge again from winter into spring!

I have been working on a large painting of one of my succulents. I must find out the name of it one of these days. I am planning to use it for our Escape Artist show at the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton this summer. It has been great fun to work on such a large scale (30 x 30 inches), much bigger than anything I've worked on before. I am looking forward to doing some more of these larger paintings.

For the Muttart show, we need larger works as the space is quite large and little ones would just disappear. I am hoping to go to Edmonton in March and will definitely go by the Conservatory and check out the space. I haven't been there is years, so it will be interesting to see what it is like again.

I am going to do a second painting for the show as well, but haven't quite decided what I will do yet. It will be somewhat smaller, and maybe floral. We need to keep to a 'nature' type theme in keeping with the Conservatory.

You can see the work in progress, which I think I am going to call 'Sun Seeker' on my flickr site, under 'Works in Progress'.

I really do enjoy painting succulents. They have such great colour and structure. I will be doing some more soon.

Now that this one is almost done - time to sit in what I call the contemplation stage - I am going to start on some small pieces for Gardenscape that is coming up at the end of March (see Upcoming Events on the side). I also like doing the little 4 x 4 inch pieces too. They are quick and I learn lots from doing them. So now to go and prime a group of little canvases.