painting

I spent a couple of days travelling to and working in Halifax last week. What a beautiful city with so much to explore.

I was greeted by a fabulous sunset on the day of my arrival. Have to say those Atlantic sunsets can easily rival the beauty we see on the prairies.

The next day, with a few daytime hours to spare before getting to work, I decided to adventure to an area that I had not visited before. Hydrostone Market is a block long village that was one of the first to be rebuilt after the Halifax explosion of 1917. It was originally designed with concrete bricks and tree lined avenues to recreate an English style suburban garden feel.

It was recently restored in 1993 and now you’ll find a vibrant community of shops and restaurants. I strolled a few of the bystreets – where an ivy covered veranda caught my attention. Set up my stool and my sketchbook and captured it in the morning sun.

Enjoyed an almond croissant and coffee at Julien’s Bakery. It was fun watching the locals come and go for their morning visits and errands.

Shopped the village strip, and then settled down at Epicurious Morsels for a late lunch of smoked salmon, seared scallops, on a bed of spinach with a bacon vinagrette. Gave me time to catch another sketch of the vibrant street scene.

Hydrostone is a bit off the beaten path – but  a great place to spend a few hours in the autumn leaves and sunshine. Thank you Halifax.

On September 8, between 50 and 60 friends, family, clients and colleagues joined me in celebrating my 25th anniversary in the speaking business, the launch of my latest book (Press Pause…Think Again), and the public debut of my watercolor paintings and prints.

It was a great afternoon. It felt so good to be surrounded by all of these supporters and encouragers. I’m grateful for their presence in my life.

I’m also delighted to still be doing what I love after all these years – helping others ease their loads while building a more thoughtful and appreciative world.

I’m relieved to finally have the latest book off the press and on its way into the hands of people who are looking for a bit of relief and encouragement.

And, I’m tickled by the positive reaction to my adventures into the world of art.

I thought you might enjoy sharing in a few images from the event. You can see more photos from the day in my Facebook album. You can learn more about the new book and arrange for your very own copy by visiting the Pause Shop. Please stay tuned for upcoming bulletins on the art front.

I’m spending the week here in Bend, Oregon, at the Art In The Mountains program. Taking a watercolor class from well known Wisconsin artist, Karlyn Holman.

Bend is a beautiful high desert location. Too bad we’re not spending time painting plein air. There are such beautiful landscapes around us.

I flew in a day early to have some time to explore and did get out to see a waterfall on the Deschutes River and some of the countryside around. Bend, itself, is a sweet city – very walkable and picturesque in the downtown and Old Mill areas.

The class is quite experimental in nature – in addition to watercolor, ink, prints, collage. All kinds of new materials and ideas in the mix. Good for stretching the creative mind and spirit. Thought you might like to see a couple of bits from the first couple of days.

Well, we’re back after a 10 day get away from frosty Saskatchewan to the toasty Caribbean. Quite the shift to leave Florida at plus 27C and arrive back in Saskatoon at minus 23C.

My top five vacation experiences rank up like this:

1. Time away with my sweetheart.

2. Feeling the warm tropical air and watching the coconut palms swaying in the cool ocean breezes.

3. Snorkeling off Grand Turk where the vibrant sea life just off shore shares the drama with a sea wall that reaches down some 7000 feet. On your right sponges, coral and schools of colorful fish. On your left, nothing but the pure azure blue of the deep blue sea. Spectacular!

4. Painting beach and tropical scenes – getting to use the most beautiful blue pigments.

5. Sailing on a catamaran, sipping a rum and coke, bopping along to the reggae music, watching the sun paint the sky as it drops into the sea.

Ah, sweet memories! And now, back to work!

PS – For a peak at a few more paintings from the adventure, see the Colors Of The Caribbean Album on my facebook page.

Winter has definitely arrived in Saskatoon. An Alberta Clipper blew in yesterday and left about 4-5 inches of snow in its wake. I’m not a huge fan of winter. Autumn is my favorite season – mostly because of the colors.

That’s what made flipping back through my sketchbook so much fun this morning. It was a treat to be reminded of the brilliance of September and October – as captured along the Atlantic in New England and the Maritimes. A bit of a seasonal antidote to the whites of winter.

You might enjoy flipping through the images, too. Here’s a link to the Atlantic/Maritime images as posted to an album on my Facebook page. You don’t have to be a FB friend to take a peak. Enjoy! And, if you’re in the snow zone like me, stay warm!

For Pause Blog followers who are interested in travel adventures and art, here’s a link to a collection of sketches from our week in New York City. These are posted to an album on my Facebook page, but you don’t have to be a FB friend to take a peak. Enjoy!

Nothing says New York more than Times Square – unless of course it’s the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty. Well, come to think of it, there are a lot of things that say New York!

We walked through Times Square many times during our visit to New York. The Square is central to Manhattan and the Theatre District, and it’s a great place for people watching.

Aside from the people, the other thing you can’t escape in Times Square is the advertising. Every surface that can be turned into a billboard, marquee, or projection screen has been nabbed by corporate America eager to promo the latest and greatest. The displays are dizzying –  up, down and all around. In my opinion, it’s worth a look, but not a linger!

Here’s my take on the commotion that is Times Square. Quickly sketched from my sidewalk perch looking south down Broadway from w50th (Gershwin Way).

Although I took lots of photos and painted many sketches while visiting New York City and traveling the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada, as you will have noticed, the blog remained silent throughout the vacation. I found myself too absorbed in the experience to want to spend time at the keyboard. So, now that I’m back to the everyday world again, I’m planning to post a few treats from my days away throughout the next couple of weeks. Here’s an appetizer – a sketch done at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine. Wonderful landscape views and vibrant colors. I ate it up! Hope you enjoy it, too!