Michelle’s Blog

Where art and life are interchangeable…

(Click on the excerpts for the full blog post)

Dive into Diversity (Awareness & Acceptance)

I am about to share a story I have written. It’s a message about “acceptance.”

October is Autism Awareness Month in Canada.
I wrote this story because “Awareness” is still needed, but “Acceptance” is needed even more.
* * *
“I’m not missing any pieces.
Nor am I a puzzle, as some might say. I’m one colourful piece of the big picture,
Fitting in a different way.”
The Evolution of My Work with Acrylic Skins

From pouring paint…

To finding uses for all those “leftover” bits…

To purposeful “fracturing” for a stained glass window effect (on canvas)…
Monarchs

You know you’ve met a nature lover when…

…You visit their house and as you approach their front door you notice some rather tired-looking, chewed-up milkWEED plants dominating the garden, where a much more beautiful specimen-plant should be. Yes, that’s my house. Well, until this week, that is, when the last generation of this year’s caterpillars finally had their fill. The ratty looking plants are now in the compost bin, and our Rose of Sharon is in full bloom, getting all the sunlight it desires.
Ability and “Dis”-Ability (Part Two)

The most difficult thing about SPD, over and above the crippling effects of the disorder/dysfunction, is how much I have to ask others to go without, just so that I can be involved in something with them. When they are willing to go to that extent for me, I am touched by their kindness and I’m incredibly grateful.
Ability and “Dis”-Ability (Part One)

What can I possibly know or say about this subject? I don’t look like I have a disability.
Screened-In

Ahhh, this is the good life! When at home, enjoy the bug-free outdoors in your own screened-in porch! Day and night.

I’m blessed to have such a peaceful haven for a backyard. Now, I can create art out here too!
New Artwork: “Ruby”

As promised, I’m sharing a finished piece (finally) that I started back in February with intentions of entering it into the spring members’ show. My other two pieces took too much of my available time, I guess. This one is much smaller (8″ x 8″), but I wanted to do the subject justice, since I consider these creatures to be amongst the most awe-inspiring in their beauty and power, contained within such tiny bodies.

“Ruby” is the title of my latest painting of a ruby-throated hummingbird, which is hovering in front of a hibiscus flower and about to sip its fill of the flower’s nectar.
Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

My “Phoenix Rising to New Life” painting is a very personal piece, as I’ve always felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Since the phoenix is mythological, I took the liberty of depicting a more peaceful bird to represent new life.
Meanwhile, its old body lies in death, which is represented by the rocks in the lower right corner of the painting. It is a human body, with female form, lying in the position which it fell in death. But it wasn’t all for nothing. There are already spring flowers bursting from the fertile ash in the crevices of the rock, indicating that we leave a legacy that helps others to learn from the past and look forward to a better future.
Upcoming Art Show: Uncorked, Unbuttoned, Unbridled

This upcoming art show is for Huntsville Art Society (HAS) members only. As a brand new member of HAS, I must admit, I struggled with selecting which of my finished pieces fit the theme, “Uncorked, Unbuttoned, Unbridled.” I narrowed it down to 3 pieces, and then I asked my husband how he thought they fit the theme. When he heard the show title, he gave me a look with raised eyebrows, and I could immediately sense that his imagination conjured up some interesting ideas.
First Hummingbird Sighting 2018

Hooray! I’ve been following the sightings that people have been recording on this website, so I knew they were getting closer to Muskoka in their migration. In eager expectation, I put out the hummingbird feeder a few days ago. When I saw them today, I had to submit my own sighting on the website.