Snugs, Plants & Scones Oh My!

I hope your having a cozy cozy weekend all wrapped up fully in your favorite things...

For us it's rabbit snugs, movies, homemade scones & Sundays are my plant care day.

Going Solo At The AGO

I am thinking back fondly on this time last year during one of my last times in the city

when I treated myself to a whole entire day, all by myself, at the amazing Art Gallery Of Ontario.
(I completely forgot to share these photos & to tell you all about it, opps!)

 

 

You see, I used to go to the AGO when I was a student at OCAD,

we would get in for free

(I think it was for free anyhow, it was so long ago now, I can't 100% recall, yikes!) 

 

 

To go back there now,

after all these years, no longer a teenager (I started at OCAD when I was 17).

To stroll through, now as a full time artist myself, was really something special for me.

 

To take in the amazing landscapes of The Group Of Seven.

To see favorites like Lawren Harris, Tom Thomson, AJ Casson and the likes,

well how isn't that a treat!

 

To come across with such pure delight, I couldn't help but let out a squeal,

pieces that I actually touched, hung and handled myself during my years as a

Gallery Coordinator here in North Bay, when our small public gallery

hosted an amazing exhibition called "Antiquity Revisited"...well that was one of my favorite bits.

 

To bask in the beauty of Monet and Degas and still one of my favorites, Picasso...

(but to admittedly still not 100% get why some of them were/are the huge successes that they are!)

 

To stroll slowly in this architectural gem and have time to loop around again when I wanted too

(and wish that my Dad was there beside me to see the woodwork)...

 

To come across an espresso bar in this amazing space

and to momentarily revert back to my younger self,

a young girl who a) wouldn't have had the money to buy a coffee here

& b) wouldn't have had the nerve to sit alone for one

and c) think that I didn't deserve one...

to be able to easily brush those notions away and now know that

a) I can now afford coffee here and a bowl of ice cream too!

b) not feel uneasy to be by myself in the least

and c) that I sure as heck did deserve a treat!

...well that internal exchange with myself was priceless.

 

So I did buy myself a treat, halfway through the day, buzzing from all the art I had just seen...

I sat with no book & no distractions, just my current self & my past self for company.

I found myself smiling at my younger self and at my now self...

I found myself breathing in and out such immense gratitude for who I was than and who I am now.

And that's one of the reasons I wanted to seek out the gallery on my own...

to not only revisit the artwork but to visit with myself!

 

I was able to sit there & take in how far I've come

how far I've come from those 5 years that I lived in the big city,

and I wouldn't have been able to really do this, if I were in the company of anyone else,

so I hoped that my friends (who I barely get to see as it is), would understand.

I just had to trust that they would understand that at the time I was in a place where I really needed to 'check in' with myself, that it was a solo time much needed, wanted and enjoyed.

 

So I had my expensive, but so worth it, espresso bar treat, I re-shook off the guilt

about not inviting friends along with me during my gallery tour

and I continued on to find myself unexpectedly teary eyes in front of

'The Massacre Of The Innocents" (for as long as I wanted)

such power in those brushstrokes my goodness.

 

I continued on with my day of wonder,

no matter that I had seen most of these pieces many times before...

this time, like every other time felt new and impressive...

especially for a whimsical artist

to spot fun whimsical elements in sophisticated works of art...

 

 

to come across paintings by Varley felt like I was seeing an old friend,

because back as a student, I was obsessed with his work

and his brighter lighter colour palette that was and still is so refreshing to me and my own palette.

 

And to revisit one of my favorite parts of the whole gallery, the Henry Moore exhibition hall

was like entering a sacred space

because when the city and school and all the demands of life got to be too much for

this 17 year old who was coming from a city of 50, 000 to a city of over 2 million...

the cool muffled quietness of this hall, which always seemed empty,

the soft roundness and sturdy simplicity of this work was a calming refuge for me...

and I was delighted to find that, after all this time, it still felt that way...special, calming, rejuvenating.

 

If your feeling the need to self evaluate where you are in life,

if your feeling even the slightest hint of wanting to check in with how your doing.

I highly recommend seeking out a place where your old self can collide with your new self,

and hopefully, as mine was, the meeting of your two selves will be a happy and positive one XO

Wool, Looms, Bunnies and Books

This week feels quiet...it's been cold out...the perfect time to clean & organize inside...

 

 

It's also been about weaving & setting up my loom to work most comfortably for me & my neck...

 

It's been about bunny snugs & napping on the floor as buns walk all over our backs (which we love)...

 

 

and it's been about resting & reading as we wait for the warm weather to make an appearance!



On Jaks & Making His Butterflies

So I know I wrote earlier about being stressed out and sad over our spotted prince Jaks.

 

He was indeed rushed in for an emergency visit Monday evening

(we couldn't wait for the scheduled appointment for the following AM unfortunately)

and it is a diagnosis that we were expecting and fearing, congestive heart failure.

The crackling sound in his breathing and the little chocking sounds he's been making

are because his lungs are filling up with liquid.

 

But he's still extremely alert, enjoying his days and eating like a bear

so his doctor agrees with us, that it's not 'quite time yet' and we are grateful for that.

 

 

We now enter the very emotional topsy turvy time of balancing precious time with our boy

but than allowing our hearts and guts to tell us when it's time to gently help him pass

(I fear I am not so good with this part).

We've been through congestive heart failure with 2 rabbits before,

His doctor will come to our home when it's time,
but sometimes they are okay one minute & gone the next.

 

 

But we are hopeful and now have medication for him.

It won't buy us all much more time but it'll help him during what time he does have left.

1 medication will help his body drain the liquid from his lungs.

He had an injection of this drug on Monday and it definitely made him more comfortable

but the needle hurt so we had to wait for an oral fluid form to arrive.

The 2nd medicine will lower his blood pressure so that his little heart doesn't work so hard.

 

In the meantime we are with him, a lot (probably driving him alittle nuts!),

we are enjoying his royal cuteness, he's still making us laugh...

and he and I are making lots of new butterflies...these bugs were inspired by him after all!

WHEW & PHEW & AHHHHH!

Wow, that was a hard week with such hot hot hot motionless air and heavy humidity, ugh!

We ended up going old school by doing all our cooking outside or eating cold pasta outta a can!

 

 

It was too hot to even turn on the computers so pen and pencil were dug out for work!

We were getting near our wits end.  Days were kept quiet and dark as possible.

All I did was try not to pass out, drink tons of water, eat very little for my appetite was gone

and go from rabbit to rabbit, wetting ears, adjusting fans, doling out treats to keep spirits up!!

There was such a rare stillness in the air,

the whole city seemed quiet as though everyone was tiredly waiting & wishing for it to break.

But finally late last night, after a very long week, relief came whooshing in with a heavy downpour

and today we have wind....oh my goodness the wind feels heavenly today, ha ha!

 

 

We're finally able to get back to the outside...to have windows and doors and curtains wide open

we're all breathing a sigh of relief, especially the buns....WHEW & PHEW & AHHHHH!



Patience Poofing and Wrangler Wheels

Sometimes when I feel completely fed up with vacuuming bunny poo!
Sometimes when I feel like I can't take cleaning up another lake of pee!
Sometimes when I want to stomp & wail my fists in the air because I have yet another sore head!
When I want to curse the universe & crawl under the blankets at the same time!
When I cringe because I am spending more time online marketing my work than actually making it!!!
Sometimes...sometimes....oh sometimes...
my patience gets a tad short...I admit it!
 

SO than I gotta turn to my trusty method of therapy...Wrangler Therapy
I run away for a couple hours to harness my patience once again
(though usually about 10 minutes in, I miss my fur-babies and I am ready to come back home, ha ha)
It's a mixture of;
Sun shining

good music blasting...and I mean b-l-a-s-t-i-n-g so you can't think blasting!

honey beside me singing and whistling
with my camera in hands
as the road unknown flies by beneath our trusty Wrangler wheels.

What's your form of therapy???



Finally!...Well Atleast Half-Way!!

It's finally...finally...happened...

After almost 2 years of trying on & off to bond these rabbits.

After 3 to 6 hours every single night for the past 1.5 months

whether we wanted to work on bonding or not...

We now consider Teela and Frenwyck buddies.

 

 

It's so so awesome to see Frenwyck have a friend finally...he's just soaking it up.

We really expected Teela to be the problem...

But we were wrong, it's Yuuji that is the current 'problem-child'!

So we're half-way there atleast!

Now Mr.Yuuji-san must get with the program!

 



Bunny Honey's

A newest ink drawing...just a couple of bunny honey's.

 

 

Aren't they a darling couple?  How do you think they met??

Sheepish Ink

Feeling a bit sheepish???

 

 

Maybe you'll enjoy this new inkling of mine...prints will be in the shop soon.



Glitter Bug 1

Okay here we go...the very first of the 'Glitter Bugs'.

 

I decided against adding glitter (after doing one with) I just liked the cleanness without

and I think they still are jewel-like and "glitter-ish" without.

It is a 3" x 3" mixed media on a canvas board. 



 

The original is listed over at my shop already.   Only $30 Enjoy, I hope!

 

(This Glitter Bug is now SOLD and on it's way to Australia, YAY)



Happy 1st Year Biggens

I was hoping to start off with the first of the Glitter Bugs...

but I have to let the varnish coating dry really well before I can scan it in etc...so that'll be later today.

 

However, I can't let today go by without mentioning the Biggens.

For 1 year ago today we adopted them from the Toronto shelter.

 

It feels like we brought them home only a few months ago.

 

 

They've been so easy and so brilliant to have around.

 

My downstairs studio before them, had typically been a rabbit-free zone, for the most part!

When I decided to open up this room of mine too these two gentle giants,

I opened up even more of my heart cause they are just such wonderful souls to be around.

I now can't imagine not having them here sharing my studio with me.

 

So happy 1 year homecoming Elsie and Henrie Biggens, we love you oh so very very much XO.

Glitter Bugs For Jaks

So a few weeks ago we found a large lump on Jaks's tummy.

 

I didn't mention it here on the blog yet because it's was just stressing me out too much

and usually when something is freaking me out,

I need to take my own time to quietly process it and deal with it all in my own way.

 

 

On our doctors opinion and after many sleepless nights,

we've decided to go ahead with the surgery to remove the large lump

and to have it biopsied so we know if we're dealing with cancer or not.

 

 

So I've been spending alot of time in the upstairs studio,

which as you know, I share with Jaks,

just to be near my sweet spotted prince.

 

 

It's my routine whenever something is up with one of the buns.

It's my way I guess to deal with the scare and stress of it all....

to constantly be around, more than normal, offering an increased love dosage!

 

So as my spotted prince naps away,

I've been working on these bugs to cheer myself up.

I am calling them "Glitter Bugs".

 

 

They are all miniature.  A teeny tiny 2 x 2" and smaller and will be little mixed media gems.

I am going to finish up these first few this weekend.

 

Jaks surgery is going to be $600

and I thought maybe...

just maybe these little bugs can help pay for the cost of the surgery?!?

 

So starting next week, I'll start listing the originals...

they'll go for a great price of $20-$30 only. 

Each one unique & original.

They'll be filled with bunny mojo, they will be full of glitter...I think they are going to be really fun.

 

So hop in next week to see the first few all finished up and snatch up any that you love.

 

See ya all next week XO.

 



Leaping Lagomorphs

After a nice Thai lunch with my mom yesterday afternoon, I finished up this inkling at my folks...

 

 

Another leaping lagomorph, isn't she just so sweet? Prints will be in the shop later on this week.

The Week Looked Alot Like This

So, how was your week?

Mine was good than stressful than lovely again.

 

It started off celebrating my Dad's birthday with a great evening of good company & good food.

Which was was followed by snuggle time with bunnies in the sun....

 

 

...which was followed by art making time in the sun...

 

 

...than more sweet bun snuggles...Flynn has been falling asleep beside me in the mornings.

 

 

...which was followed by lots of ink drawing time with more Road To Avonlea episodes...

 

There was also a stressful vet visit (more on that next week).

Yuuji & I watched the grey squirrels wrestle and play every morning this week, so funny & sweet.

Spring is definitely here.

 

I am lighting a candle tonight for our Jin.  I can't believe she's been gone 1 year already.

Well, I hope your venturing off into a great weekend....see you next week I hope XO.

Lionhead Snow Play & Snarls

Emmett hasn't been an easy rabbit.
He hides, he growls, he bites & scratches and fights with the other buns...our poor little babe.

We've actually talked about changing his name from Emmett (Min-Min) to Oscar the Grouch, ha ha!

But we always remember that he's had really rough beginnings...he's extremely untrusting.

Though, he's very well behaved when it comes to using his potties, not chewing, etc.

 

But atleast for some small portion of each day, we see him mellow and trust a teeny tiny bit more.

He allows us to rest our heads against his for a few minutes at a time for a lovely warm snuggle.

He'll climbs all over our backs and legs (he just seems extrememly afraid of hands).

And he popcorns out of the blue, usually in the evenings
....when he popcorns we know we're doing a good job...and that feels SO good.