Praha. Moje nejoblíbenější město na světě.

Translation: Prague. My favourite city in the world.

I so love this city. I first fell in love with it through a picture, found randomly on the internet. It was one overlooking the roofs and spires, so perfectly depicting Prague as the City of a Thousand Spires. I started trip planning almost immediately. By which, I mean reading travel books and doing internet searches. I didn't think I could afford it, nor did I think I had the guts to travel alone.

And then...

My 30th birthday was approaching and I wanted to celebrate with something memorable. A trip to Prague, perhaps? I found a tour company that offered 'relaxed' tours. They handled the mess of hotels and transport between cities and only provided a half day of actual group touring before you had the next 2 1/2 days on your own. It was perfect. The entire trip include Prague, Vienna, and Budapest and I loved it. I highly recommend visiting the other cities too, especially for you history lovers out there.

But Prague? It was magical. The buildings, the history, the people (who always forgave my horrendous attempts at the Czech language), and quite honestly, the air created such a wonderful experience that I knew I'd make it back one day.

Luckily for me, that day was an entire weekend. Last weekend. Events beyond my control cancelled a trip to Australia and left me with a flight credit. It wasn't difficult to decide to hop on a plane to go see LynnieC in London. It also wasn't difficult to convince her to spend the weekend in Prague. This time, I made sure to take more pictures with painting in mind. I even made it to Charles Bridge for sunrise. It's a good thing pretty things come from getting up that early. I hate early mornings.

I'll be sad to head home, but I'll be painting for a long time to come. These are only a few of my favourites. Stay tuned for some actual paintings!

If you rub the plaque of John Nepomuk falling into the Vltava on his statue on Charles Bridge, it means you'll return to Prague one day. I'm not the superstitious sort, but every bit of luck and chance and what-have-you will help to make sure I come back.

London Travels

I've been in London a few days now and already have some fun pictures planned for painting! There's an abundance of historical sites to photograph and wandering the museums just makes me want to grab a brush and start painting.  My favourite so far has been the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House (even the small sketches are amazing!) but I haven't hit the National Gallery. Yet. I'm hoping to snag a ticket to the da Vinci exhibit that is focused solely on his paintings.

Here's a sample of a couple photos that I plan to paint at some point. 

The first in St. James's Park just outside Buckingham Palace. The second is looking out my friend's kitchen window.

2011 Resolution. Fail.

Okay so I didn't quite make my goal of finishing a painting a month for my 2011 New Years Resolution.  But when I think about everything that happened throughout the year, 8 paintings isn't bad. Plus, Fall Leaves should count for at least 3, don't you think?

I also haven't painted since September.  How in the world did 3 whole MONTHS pass without me picking up a brush?! No wonder I was a massive grouch for most of November...

So, 2012's Resolution is a modification of 2011's. The goal is to complete 12 real (no practice!) paintings throughout the year. Obviously one a month isn't reasonable but a total across the year is doable.  If nothing else, the regular painting will help me keep my sanity and save my family, friends, and co-workers from experiencing another November with me.  Hopefully.

Sad, Lonely Canvas

I haven't painted in what feels like forever.  Again, the day job has made me super busy-crazy, as it always does this time of year and I've just contented myself with hanging with family & friends and catching up on all the new TV shows when I have a free minute.


But every now and then my eye catches a blank canvas and I feel all this guilt for not making something out of it.  It's like it's all sad just sitting there blank and lonely. Like that lamp in the Ikea commercial.


Happily, I just found this quote from Joe Brooks and I'm totally inspired.  Not only do I get to see him open for Tyrone Wells in San Diego in a couple of weeks, he's made me want to go pick up a paint brush RIGHT NOW. Unfortunately, it's almost midnight and I have an early morning tomorrow. Sigh.


Sunday, though, will be a painting day.  Guaranteed.


The world is a blank canvas, life is a painting.
I don't want a pencil to rehearse,
I don't want an apron to wear.
I want a star shaped stencil
and a palatte of the brightest colours you can find.

                                                                       - Joe Brooks

Delivery

Fall Leaves is dry enough to take to my sister!!! Which is extraordinary timing because they're listing the house this week. I always do better with a tight deadline. Just ask my boss.

I delivered it tonight after work and helped get the house ready for listing pictures and fun staging. All personal photos are down and my generic pictures and paintings are up. It looks spacious and ready to sell. Fingers crossed for a quick sale!

Here are a couple pics of the painting on the awesome orange wall. I'm so glad nothing in the painting clashes with the wall.

Fall Leaves

This is one mother of a painting. It was an ambitious undertaking to say the least. It's 36x48. Let me clarify. That's three (3) by four (4) FEET. It's practically a toddler bed.

I don't often paint big paintings and now I remember why. It's hard to keep perspective, the canvas doesn't fit on my easel very well, and it takes a shwack load of paint.

It took forever to do - mostly because I did a bunch of other paintings in the middle and every time I looked at the size of the canvas and what I had left, I got a little overwhelmed. I had to use a grid on this one so I didn't lose my place and it felt like I'd work forever, think I'd put a pretty big dent in it, and then realize I maybe did 1 1/2 grids.

But finally, after months of going cross-eyed, it's done! It's going to look so good in my sister & brother-in-law's orange kitchen/dining room. Just in time for them to sell their house and move to the fabulous new place. I'll see if I can get a picture of it on the wall as soon as it's dry enough to take to them.

Fall Leaves (36 x 48)

Fall Leaves playlist is 25 songs instead of the usual 15 because I needed a little more variety to keep me going. It has lots of songs that are favorites of the kids' (Stuck Like Glue), some for my sister (Sweet and Low), some for my brother-in-law (Typical), some that just make me think of them as a family (Livin' the Life) and some just for me (Let's Get Lost).

1. Audience - Cold War Kids
2. Dear Avery - The Decemberists
3. Only the Good Die Young - Glee
4. Smile - Lily Allen
5. Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland
6. Livin' the Life - Martin Sexton
7. I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
8. Tighten Up - The Black Keys
9. Sunshine Song - Jason Mraz
10. Sleeping Sickness - City & Colour
11. Typical - Mute Math
12. Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
13. Modern Love - Matt Nathanson
14. Worried About Ray - The Hoosiers
15. Sweet and Low - Augustana
16. OK, It's Alright With Me - Erik Hutchinson
17. Let's Get Lost - Two Spot Gobi
18. Marchin On - OneRepublic
19. This Is Your Life - The Killers
20. If It Was Up To Me - Stabilo
21.  Rock and Roll Radio - Waxpoets
22. She's So Lovely - Scouting For Girls
23. New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
24. New Amsterdam - Travis
25. Sins of My Youth - Neon Trees

Summer Lull

I've been painting, I promise! I just don't have a finished product to share yet. Fall Leaves has been taking forever, I started a few smaller ones, and I've been putting the finishing touches on some other ones. Also, it's summer and I don't want to spend all my time cooped up in my sauna of an apartment, AND I have a new nephew and would rather spend time getting cuddles.

In other news, I finally delivered Sprocket to my friend; she took her to Pat yesterday and reported everything was a hit!

Phew!


I have a week off from the day job and plan to spent quite a bit of time painting. On tap:
  • Fall Leaves
  • More Fall Leaves
  • Even more Fall Leaves

and, if there's any time left:
  • Jungle Babies (new nephew present)
  • Happy Colors
  • mom present, yet to be named