what you are missing on my new blog

in january i started my new blog

www.nancylynndonaldson.blogspot.com

ive been creating a ton of work since coming home from the hospital

everyday i am working on something

above my recent encaustic painting

below some jewelry  and my new product of choice powertex

please stop by for a visit, i would love to hear from you

what a difference a year makes

a lot has changed in the past year

everyday I am getting stronger

cancer free, working part time,

creating lots of art and back at the gym

even taking zumba classes

( mind you I'm the drunk looking girl at the back

with a big smile on my face and

 just so grateful to able to participate )

a special thank-you to all my friends,

family and healthcare providers

for all your love and support

I couldn't have done it without you

 

check out my new blog

http://nancylynndonaldson.blogspot.ca

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above photos by eugen kertesz for the facebook page

Humans of Toronto 

encaustic class

getting back into a routine is a great feeling

i've always felt that creating art is my form of therapy

and since my surgery i've wanted to do something that

represented my spine

so last week i got the idea for using railroad tracks

luckily there is a hobby store close to my home

once i chose my color palette the rest just fell into place

i just started creating texture

layers of wax and then scraping, back and forth

until i achieved the desired effect

once in a while i used my iron

im happy with the results

 

 

 

a few details from the above painting

encaustic class

it's been a long 9 months since my last class

I've been dreaming about painting

 since leaving the hospital over 3 months ago

I have so many ideas in my head

it was a bit hard to focus at first

i had a vision of something that just didn't want to work

so instead of getting frustrated i put it aside

and started the piece above

working with several shades of blue

i just started covering the canvas

something soothing about blue

(like looking at clouds)

it made me forget about the first piece

and thinking about clouds why not add some white

and while i was at it i thought i would through in a silver lining



it was great to be back in heather's class

new beginning

happy new year!!!

wishing everyone a wonderful, exciting and creative new year

----

i'm not one for resolutions

i like to set goals

this will be the year of selfdiscovery

 who i am as a single person

 my true self

(through education and practice)

health and fitness

and creativity

another year

blogoversary

today i am celebrating my third year of blogging
i can't imagine not having this outlet

(i love looking back and seeing my art life )
---------

it has been wonderful
"meeting" so many talented people
sharing ideas and art
and being inspired by it all
i greatly appreciate every ones
comments and encouragement
and would like to say
" thank-you "
sincerely, nancy

digital journal magic

as the final week of my marie's online class comes to an end

i had a chance to combine my newly learned lessons

with my vision circle class

it's a work in progress

it represents what i see in my future

every picture is a reminder of what i love

and the statement is what i have learned about myself

i am a self healer

through my creativity

i've always said that my art is my meditation, my therapy

and it has always been comforting to be able to express myself
thanks leanne for you guidance and marie for the tools to express it

country weekend. part 2

a day in the vivian forest

823 acres in the north end of

whitchurch-stouffville five cowgirls and one city slicker

we could not of asked for a better day

and the ride in was wonderful and so peaceful

we wondered through meadows and farms

narrow sandy paths and wide ones too

up and down several hills

after 3 hours we finally reached the pond
what a great resting place
(i really do have to get used to "county time")
it takes me awhile to let go of the
hustle of the city


the horses seem to enjoy it more than us
3 paints having a "splash off"



back home 7 hours later
it was time to thank the horses for a
spectacular day

i am so grateful to have had this
lovely experience
a special thank you to
lisa for inviting me
and liz, erin, jerry and lorraine
watching out for me

weekend shopping, part 1

it was a wonderful weekend

and early birthday celebration

for ludgera and myself

we decided to take a drive down to rochester, ny

and visit the fine art store

when you google encaustic supplies

you get to their shop

when we arrive we were lucky to meet

cathryn bevier their encaustic specialist

i bought several enkaustikos products

which i'm looking forward to trying out

slick wax for cleaning your brushes

and xd wax medium used to create a glass-like topcoat

i also got some metal eyedroppers and a slotted brush

----

above a shot from the local coffee house-- java

very cool place with tons of art everywhere

after the art store we ended up at

hobby lobby where i found some cheap bezels

and some christmas stuff

(yes i said christmas!!!)

next stop joann's for some yarn,

crochet book and quilters iron

and a quick espresso for lu at barnes and nobel

and we where on the road to bufffalo

well sort of.........

we missed the cutoff to the highway and

figured we would just take the country roads back!!

the skies were blue and no traffic

we found several yard and barn sales

and lots of antique shops

at gibsonville

we met owner nancy walcott

who specializes in caning, rush and splint seats

i found 3 rusted tins filled with metal parts,

hinges, door pulls and hooks

plus some really cool barbwire

------

above, shots from nancy's store

gibsonville antiques and restorers

5864 gibsonville rd., leicester, ny

585.658.3164

one of the houses we stopped to take a look at




some of the stuff i found along the way
and at the flee market the next day
i will post more tomorrow

time flies

i've been so busy

with my garden, encaustic

and on-line classes
that i just noticed its been 2 years

since i started my blog

i've never been one to journal

so it is interesting to go back and

re-read my thoughts

and to have a record of so many things

------------

the blog world is a wonderful place!!!

i've met so many wonderful people

have been inspired and have learned

so much about this world and

can't image my life without it

a special thank you to all my friends

for taking the time to visit me

and all your encouraging and thoughtful comments

---------

above, a shot on my i-phone

while wondering through

leslieville

-----------

a few of my favorite postings from the past

a day of sharing words

been there, done that

my paris trip

beanie baby

artist spotlight

i'm so honoured to have been chosen

by lorrie grainger abdo

for her "artist spotlight interview" series

lorrie found me through

one world one heart

i love the blog world!!

it has been a wonderful source of inspiration

and i have met so many creative and generous people

thanks lorrie

------------

above

one of the many postcards i found in paris

getting back in the groove

i'm finally feeling back to normal

thursday was a long travel day

i worked friday and saturday

and was in a coma all day sunday

just cat napping on the couch and watching

all my taped shows i missed while away

i had a wonderful time in paris

took 5507 photos!!!

i'll be busy for a while sorting through them

i start my encaustic class next wednesday

i think i will be doing a "parisian" themed series

using my photos and metal i found at the markets

------------

above, a garden photo taken

on our way into versailles

thanks kim

for letting me know what kind of flower it is

fritillaria imperialis

bon voyage!

well, i off!

the next time i post i will be

enjoying a glass of vine

somewhere in paris!!
stay tuned...............

counting my blessings

Gratitude is the fairest blossom

which springs from the soul.

~Henry Ward Beecher

i'm truly overwhelmed

by the amazing support

from all my friends

who helped make my show

a huge success

thank-you

to dede and mary

for your love and encouragement

without you there would have been no show

to cathy and ann-marie

for opening their wonderful home

and hosting my show

to ron

for helping me face my fears

and guiding me though them

to my art friends

for traveling the distance

to all my friends and clients

who have all been

"cheerleaders"

and my new friends

thank-you

thank-you

thank-you

getting ready

with less than a week to go

for my first solo art show

i'm feeling a little tired,

anxious, nervous

and excited

-------------

anyone who would like to attend

email me at

nancy_allpulpedout(at)yahoo(dot)com

dreaming.....

i like to hibernate

stay inside

clean out my studio

purge my closets

organize my taxes
read a lot

watch old movies

and day dream...............

how many more days 'til spring??

i can't wait to get out there

i love the feel of the dirt in my hands

the winter gives me a chance to rest up,

plan a new layout for part of my garden

it gives me something to focus on

which gets me through the next few months

that

and i'm forced to sit at the computer

the rest of the year i always have an excuse

to be outside

but now i find myself sitting every few hours

playing with my photos

---------

above, one it took up north while

visiting some friends

layered over some texture

the original photo

cropped and added the poster edge filter


a background i made of old book pages and sheet music
covered with gesso
--------
once i layered the two in photoshop
it was fun to try out all the blending modes

many thanks!

i can't express how grateful i am

to my friend cat

for hosting such a wonderful and successful event

many thanks to all the guest

who made my jewelry sale

a unbelievable success

especially those who came in

all way from hamilton!!!

encaustic show

my teacher, heather gentleman

is hosting 10 of her students works

at the loft gallery at balzac's

(pump house)

in the distillery

the show starts today and

will be available until october 6th

---------------

i start classes next wednesday

at her studio (the case goods warehouse)

just behind the cafe

so if you are around come by

for a peek at us working

posts from blogger past

every morning after i wonder through my garden
i sit and read through some my favorite blogs

while visiting marie, the lost aussie

she posted about something seth , the altered page

he brought up a great point

and has challenged everyone to go through their "old" posts

and find a "buried treasure"

well, once i got reading, i realized that

this is a wonderful "self discovery"

when i started blogging , it was to take

the next step in my evolution
i was a little nervous, i'm by no means a writer

and was wondering how i would ever

come up with the words never mind

have something that would interest people

WELL

a year and a bit later
i've posted 235 times,

have had over 7700 visitors,

and 77 followers

i had a hard time deciding which was my favorite post

so i decided to use someone else's words

words to inspire

posted november 19th

for "a day of sharing words"

a challenge started by

lk ludwig

"we get so caught up in the furry of our lives
that we forget the essential thing about art-
that the act of creating is a healing gesture,
as sacred as prayer,
as essential to the spirit as food is to the body

our creative work reveals us to ourselves,
allows to transform our experience
and imagination into forms that
sing back to us in a language of
symbol of who we are,
what we are becoming,
what we have loved and feared.

this is the alchemy of creation:
that as i attempt to transmute a feeling or a thought
into and artistic form that can be
experienced by another,
i myself am added to,
change in the process."
jan phillips

--------------------
photos from my weekend trip to owen sound
it was truly a creative time which changed me
thanks to lk ludwig for starting this idea
(see previous post)

-------------------

some of my favorite posts

what's in a name?

good question

been there, done that

sacred

aince awa, aye awa

thanks seth, for sending me on this trip

and thanks too, to all my visitors

happy creating!