…have you experienced it? Chances are, if you live in Canada you have felt that autumn is not only on its way but it has arrived! From east to west, south to north the temperatures have dropped and the furnaces has had their first workout for the season. My friend from Nova Scotia texted this morning that it was 5 C and she was putting on the wood stove for a bit.
What amazes me is that everything is still lush and green here. Usually the lawns are brown and dry waiting for moisture from fall rains and early snow falls. Above is the view from my studio door taken a few minutes ago.
It has been a busy week. After a long day of travel home Monday outrunning the crazy snow in Calgary I have finally had some time and energy to unpack all the teaching supplies used this summer. A careful look around the studio revealed the strong need for a good clean up. I am hosting a CARFAC board meeting tomorrow.
I think I am ready in the studio… and as it always goes when fall is in the air, domesticity struck. I am providing lunch for ten board members, the executive director and programme coordinator. I prefer cooking and hosting to spending time in a car or van traveling for up to two hours to attend the meeting. Best of all – when everyone says good bye my time is mine and I can get something else accomplished.
This week was not all about cleaning and cooking, however. I spent some time manipulating a nature image. I was intrigued by outcome of combining the lines and shapes and am almost ready to revisit the Inktense experience… using my Inktense pencils and blocks. I am currently conducting a value study – I am leaning to working either monochromatic or achromatic.
Stay tuned and see what develops over the next week. One thing I discovered while in Calgary: A workshop participants shared that she had read about using pure Aloe vera gel instead of water or textile medium. I was skeptical and made no secret about it. During a few minutes of downtime for me while everyone was working in a focused manner, I tried out Lil’s claim – and I ended up “eating crow” at the end of the day. The Aloe vera gel samples turned out brilliantly! What a pleasant surprise. I am going to work my next piece with this medium. A detailed review will follow once I have completed the piece.
Photography was also part of my week. I finally finished processing the images I took during my day excursion to Boston. Once completed I realized that I had seventy pictures which warranted more than one post. If you are interested in my photo essays from exploring the Freedom Trail with my friend Glenna, click here.
With increased sun activity this week the promise of spectacular Aurora shows had us anticipate each evening with excitement… until the sky clouded over and destroyed all hope for night photography. Last night I was not going to give up. We went into Moose Jaw in hopes of a good sunset event but all we ended up with was this. Not much for color, but there is always another evening.
My hopes are rising again for tonight. At the time of preparing this blog post I am witnessing some blue sky peaking through the fast moving clouds overhead. Soon we will be organizing our cameras, tripods and warm jackets and look for the perfect spot to watch the stars and possible Aurora dance.
Enjoy your weekend… can you smell these wonderful quick breads that just came out of the oven? From left to right: Blueberry Almond, Earl Grey, Mexican Chocolate and Cinnamon Roll.
I found the recipes in this magazine – an impulse buy while waiting at the check out to pay for the Aloe vera gel…
…how could I resist this page?
.. and the smell of baking on a cool and crisp Saturday afternoon always puts a smile on everyone’s face. 
Happy weekend!
Anna Hergert, Art & Design 
Love your clean oven!
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Clean??? Haven’t turned on that self-cleaning feature in months… I haven’t been home much either!😉
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Nice studio set up you have there. Reminds me that I need to organize mine.
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Thanks – it’s not always this orderly…. actually this is ready for “outsiders”. When I am fully immersed in work there is not a level surface that is empty and as with any studio – It could be bigger… but I am not complaining!
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As always, you are a whirling dervish of productive activity, Anna! Well done!
I’d like to offer one variant perspective on “brown and dry” versus “lush and green”. While this may apply to the (artificial) lawns we (western Europeans especially) have introduced to places like the prairies, what actually happens to fall grasses is that they “cure”. Such curing is an important element in the life-cycle of producing the seeds that feed next year’s growth…
My altered perspective comes from reading Candace Savage’s superbly written and illustrated “Prairie. A Natural History”. I have come to treasure the “cured grasslands” I am currently inhabiting in southern Saskatchwan, and wish there was more of it set aside.
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Hi Minnie, The Candace Savage book sounds like a great read! I love the idea that the “grass is curing” – such a great way to make us all accept the changes in fall.
The grass surrounding our property has not been watered once this year and it is still a “juicy” green – so unlike any other year we have lived here. That is really what I meant with “lush and green” – and the fact that I am far from ready for winter. 😉
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