Audrey Hayes Art - Canadian Artist

very {p}interesting!

Okay.  I am addicted!  A few months ago I became aware of this fabulous website called Pinterest.  I only went on it once or twice and then forgot all about it.  Then a few weeks ago I stumbled upon it again and...BAM!!...I was hooked. 

It is like a bulletin board where people pin up all the coolest things that can be found on the web.  It is like a magazine where every page is cholk-full of great ideas, amazing finds, unbelievable cuteness.  It makes me want to bake, create, craft, redecorate, get a puppy, cut my hair, and dress cool.   

Not only is it {p}interesting, it is so {p}inspiring.  Give it a chance and you too will waste time like never before.  

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MY ART:  I am taking an abstract art workshop right now, which I love.  Between this and the workshop that I took in the summer, I have several paintings in the works.  As soon as I have a chance to photograph them I will post what I have been working on.

JUST ME:  As I type this I am counting down the days until I am "over the hill".  In an attempt to not go down [the hill] without a fight, I decided to start running a couple of months ago.  I use the term "running" loosely.  It is more of a very slow jog or perhaps a fast walk in which I jump up and down to make it look as though I am "running".  Nonetheless, I am trying to get in shape.  Unfortuately, that "shape" continues to be that of a pear.  These things take time, I suppose, but I will get there.  

pears via pinterest

Until next time...

i heart ted + ken

I love TED.  A few years ago I saw Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talks video.  If you've never seen it, do, you will enjoy it.  

 

I was lucky enough to see Sir Ken yesterday at the British Columbia Teachers' Federation's Annual General Meeting which was being held here in Victoria at the Conference Centre.  He did not disappoint.  Now I really want to read his book "The Element". 

    

Of course, Sean has been at the AGM for the past couple of days, so not only did I get to see SKR, but I also spent the night at the Chateau Victoria.  Most of the delegates are staying at one of Victoria's finest, the Empress. But after major earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, I am much happier not staying there. The Chateau is nice enough.  We had a one bedroom suite with a nice view of the Empress, the convention centre, and the Parliament Buildings.

In other news:  One of Macy's good friends' dad is an Olympic rower.  He won the silver in Bejing in 2008 and is now looking forward to London 2012 and going for the GOLD!  As we all know, Canada does not really support their athletes financially.  Despite that, they still manage to bring home many medals.  Imagine how well Canada would do if our athletes were taken care of.

So in support of Dave Calder's road to the Gold, a fundraiser is being held the evening of March 31.  See the following poster for details if you are interested in tickets. (Click on the poster to enlarge.)  We will be there. Should be a great night.

Good luck, Dave!

Hope you are all having a fabulous Spring Break.

ooh baby i love your way

Every year around this time, as I start thinking of Christmas gifts for all the people of my list, I end up coming across so many cool things.  Other bloggers often post things that they like, so I thought I'd show you a couple of things that I like this year.

Caveat:  Even though my birthday is days away and Christmas is just around the corner, this is in no way a hint...Sean.  [We still need to pay off our TV which was our birthday/Christmas gift to each other].

 

1. Wacom Bamboo Craft Pen and Touch -  This is so cool.  This tablet allows you to paint or draw on the computer.  Customize photos with handwriting, sketches, doodles.  How cool!  And it comes with Adobe Elements and Corel Painter.  I saw the non-Craft Bamboo a couple of years ago and thought it was pretty neat.  Now they have the Craft version.  This totally excites me.  I bet it would be awesome for scrapbookers too.

2.  Camera Strap Cover - I love these straps.  So much nicer than the boring black strap. And comfy, too.

3. Glass Art - I have loved these little guys for years.  The dichroic bowl is by Jo Ludwig and the african basket bowl are by Naoko Takenouchi.  I like the green one. [Pam: do you have a red one or am I imagining that?]

I would probably prefer a Dale Chihuly, but I could buy a small car with that kind of money. 

 

What are some things you love right now?

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Watched Shawn Cassidy and Peter Frampton on Oprah, yesterday.  My first record ever was Shaun Cassidy. I was six and I got it for Christmas.

My sister got Barry Manilow. Ha!  I loved Shaun and the Hardy Boys.  I loved Nancy Drew, too.  Oh, the memories...oh the 70's, they were a wonderful time.

But when Shaun sang his classics yesterday...not quite the musician I remember.  I guess I liked him more for his looks.

Peter Frampton on the other hand...still love him.  

 

...night and day.

What songs are timeless for you?  

smile!

When Macy lost here 1st tooth last week I emailed the Canadian Dental Association so that they could send her a Smile Certificate.  It just came in the mail this morning.

They sent a nice letter of congratulations and a bunch of activity sheets like connect the dots, word search, maze, and a colouring sheet.  Nice, hey?

Macy will be pretty excited when she opens it.  [Note:  I did open the envelope to take this photo (and I am nosey) and then I put it back in the envelope and glued it back up.  She'll never know.  Please don't judge me.]   Okay, no more talk about teeth.

MY ART:  Tonight I will post a couple of photos of my latest painting. Today I am going to see if I can get another painting finished and maybe even start another.  I am on a roll and I love it. 

I am also working on updating My Gallery page.  I want it to be its own separate website where I can showcase my art.   And I want a more professional looking space where clients can go to see my art without having to always go through my blog.  I'll let you know when it is up and running.

So far, October has been absolutely beautiful in my neck of the woods.  What is the weather like where you live.  I hope it is beautiful wherever you are.  Have a fabulous weekend.  

my toms

I love getting new things.  It doesn't happen as often as I'd like, but perhaps that makes it that much more sweet.  

I have been in desperate need of new shoes, so today I picked up my first pair of TOMS. 

I love them!  They are so light and comfortable and I feel like I am doing something good, as well.

I bought the Ash Canvas TOMS but I really liked these Artist TOMS, below.  They say "Make Art, Not War".  While I love the message I'm not the kind of person to make a statement with my shoes, plus I couldn't find them in town.

  

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I prepped a bunch of wood panels today and I am going to work on some encaustic paintings tonight.  I finally bought a bunch of coloured waxes and a heating gun which fuses the wax layers.  I am all set and I can't wait to see what I am able to come up with.

Fall is here but we had the most beautiful, summer-like weather today and I am feeling great.  

Welcome Fall!

luck

Well the end of the school year is finally here.  Macy has officially finished her first full year of school.  I had hoped that Macy would enjoy kindergarten, but I didn't expect that I would enjoy it as much as her. We have been lucky. She had an amazing teacher and a great group of classmates.  And I have to say, I really enjoyed hanging with the parents.  I can be a bit anti-social when it comes to forced relationships, but we all really clicked.  I am sad to say good-bye to our school friends but look forward to seeing them all again in September. 

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One of the benefits of being teachers is that we get the summers off together.  I always look forward to Sean being home to help with the housework to enjoy family time together, but unfortunately I get to play butler while he recovers from a sprained ankle.  I guess we should look on the bright side, he could have broken it. He was lucky.

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On Friday night we watched from our deck as a flames and black smoke billowed from a house up the street from us.  Scary stuff.  Luckily no one was hurt (as far as we know), but I think the house is in bad shape.  

Be safe this summer!  Watch this video that I saw on another blog.  Talk about luck...

Ciao!

forgiveness

Forgive me father blog readers for I have sinned been an absent blogger.  I think 5 days is my absolute longest period between posts since I first started this blog.  To be honest I just haven't had the time to blog.  We've had 3 birthday parties, 2 sets of out-of-town friends, 6 loads of laundry to fold, and too many season finales to count.  That is enough to keep a girl busy for days, hence the absentee blogger. Please forgive me.

TODAY:   I went to the "teachers" store to buy resources for school.  As I left the store I was pretty excited with all my new loot, only to have my bubble burst when I found my driver side mirror hanging by a thread.  CRAP!!!  But thankfully the guy was decent enough to leave all his information, so I couldn't even be that angry.  Oh well, I forgive him

One of the cool things I picked up at the teacher store was this cool doodle pad of placemats. Doodles at Lunch. Check it out here to see inside the pad and other related books.

 

Each page shows the steps for a doodle based on a letter or a number.  There is a little tip or fact on each page and a large doodling area. Perfect for when you take the kids out for dinner and need to keep them occupied.  This would be a great gift idea, too.  Something that the parents would like as much as the kids.

MY ART:  If you noticed that Laundry Night looks a bit different since I originally posted it, well that's because it is.  It was a bit too dark for my liking and I wanted the buildings to pop, so I brightened them up a bit and I much prefer it. It is now glossed and ready for hanging. I have also added it to my Gallery page.

I will do my best to post more regularly from now on.  Feel free to subscribe to my blog and it will tell you every time I update.  Just Subscribe here, then go to "Subscribe in Mail" under "Action" on the right side of the subscribe page.  

Thanks for coming back. Ciao!

stuff

I like stuff!  I am not gonna lie to you.  I am a consumer, not at its worst, but not far from it.  In our house we have 5 iPod type things.  Check out this video if you've never seen it before.  I first saw it a year or so ago and it really makes you think.  It is about 20 minutes long, so grab yourself a snack.

Check out other videos from The Story of Stuff Project by Annie Leonard.  

Now I am off to PAINT!  The girls are out and I have the next couple of hours to myself.  

Ciao!

4D

We had a great time at the Vancouver Aquarium on Wednesday.  We met up with some old friends who have 2 girls similar ages to Macy and Emmy.  The girls became fast friends.  Within 10 minutes they were holding hands...so cute.

    

The aquarium was pretty cool. We saw beluga whales and dolphins and a lot of other marine life.  But the highlight for me was the Spongebob Squarepants movie in 4D.  If you have never experienced 4D, it is totally fun.  The movie is in 3D, but you also experience other sensory effects such as wind, mist, vibrating seats, scents, bubbles and dramatic lighting.  Something poked me in the back and tentacles tickled my feet. My favourite part was the scent of pickle that filled the theatre. YUM!!  It was quite an experience.  And I take back what I said about 3D the other day.  If it is done properly it can be really good.  This movie was done well and I don't even like Spongebob.

Our trip home from Vancouver was as quick as could be...only 4 hours from the aquarium to our house. 

Well, Spring Break has come to an end and I haven't painted at all.  I thought I'd get loads of studio time this week, but that is hard to do when I'm in Vancouver.  That's okay, being away was worth it.  I am going to try to paint tonight and tomorrow and get back into it.  

Have a great weekend.

warmth + love are in the air

We've been having spring-like weather here that past couple of days.  Hard to believe it's January.  I think the Olympics might be in trouble.  This will be the only time you will ever hear me wish for snow.  

I am enjoying the warm temperatures.  Here are a couple of outdoor shots that my MIL took at the Coast Collective Gallery the day of the art show.

And here is a much better picture of "Starlight" than in my last post.

 

"Beginnings" is still on until Sunday.  So if you are near Colwood, check it out.

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If you are looking for something cool and different this Valentine's Day, check out these cool prints and Sigg bottles by my favourite blogger/artist/designer.

These are her mini print sets.  She also has custom prints to which you can add a loved one's name.  So cool!  And if that wasn't awesome enough, check out these Sigg bottles with Kal's designs on them.  

[above images are from the lovelife blog]

Enjoy the warm weather, wish for snow, and spread love.

pure bliss

What a nice way to end the weekend.  Tonight, as the weekend was coming to a close, I sat down to read my favourite blogs only to find I had been mentioned in the Martini Mommas blog.  I couldn't have been more flattered if Oprah, herself, had mentioned me [well, maybe a bit more, but only by Oprah, no one else].  I love these ladies.  Thanks, Brandi.  So, if you have just linked over from the Mommas' blog, thanks for checking me out and I hope you come back.

A great end and a great beginning.  Yesterday, was a day just for me, me and only me [and my sister,Pam].  We left the kids at home and headed to the spa...aaahhh.  We had a deluxe pedicure at Bliss Spa.  It was heaven.  

After being pampered we headed downtown to Milestones for lunch.  

We felt a bit silly wearing flip flops in the pouring rain.  We got a few strange looks and our feet were freezing, but that's the price you pay for beautiful feet. Don't worry, I won't show you a photo of my newly pedicured feet.  Personally, I don't like to look at other people's feet, so I won't force you to look at mine.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon window shopping along Government Street and in the Bay Centre. 

Oh yeah, we also happened to see Pamela Anderson in Scallywags.  No big deal.  Just a day in the life...

It was a pretty fun weekend.  There was much more to it, but I'll save that for another day.  

MY ART:  Now I must go paint.  It is after 9 o'clock, the girls are asleep, my blogging is complete and my paints await me. I am still working on my "sleeping beauty" landscape.  I haven't taken any update photos, yet. Tomorrow, in daylight, I will take some photos and then I'll post some more "in progress" shots.  Until then...

Enjoy your last day of November.

i know, i know

Look what I received in the mail yesterday.  It is a collection of 3 interactive DVDs, a CD, and ABC cards called iKnow Animal, Letters & Sounds, Beginning Reading System.   

 

A few weeks ago I won this giveaway from the Peg City Momma blog.  I love it. It is a beautiful set of DVDs and the girls already can't get enough.  I love winning cool stuff.

 

A big thanks to Shannon at Peg City Momma and the folks at Take Pride Learning, for this cool, educational giveaway. 

MY ART:  I have started another painting based on this study I did last month.  One of my favourite bloggers is having an art show next week and she has been showing some of her paintings in progress and I am really enjoying watching the the different stages of the paintings.  I thought I'd show you an "in progress" peek of my latest painting.  I'll try to remember to take photos as I go and show you how this painting progresses.  

 

Happy Hump Day!

I am on a roll

A couple of weeks ago I was on a roll.  I won two blog giveaways in less than a week.  Today, I received this Silpada Sterling Silver toe ring from Anya over at The Daisy Chronicles blog.  Ain't it purdy?

 

I happen to be getting a pedicure next week, so I can try out my new toe ring then.  Then it will be hidden under socks and boots for the next 6 months.  I haven't worn a toe ring in years.  Is there any toe ring etiquette I should know about?  Should I wear it on a certain toe or foot?

Thanks, Anya.  I love the toe ring and your blog.  

MY ART:  My busy weekend meant no time to paint.  Last night I painted for a bit, but now it is time to get back into it.  I need to make a trip to the art store and pick up some supplies.  I got an Opus gift certificate for my birthday, so I can't wait to go wild at the art store.

Tonight:  eat dinner, shower, paint.   

Have a happy Hump Day!

fun stuff

Look at these fun things I came across today.  These mitts are a cute idea.  It doesn't look like the kid's hands would be completely covered, but I guess your child wouldn't lose their mitts anymore.  Not a bad idea.  

I love this sweater, below.  I'm sure pockets would work just as well for keeping you child's hands warm, but it sure is cute.  

 

I found the mitts and sweater at this cool site - http://www.oeufnyc.com/ Lots of funky stuff.  Expensive, but cool.

I am in need of a new duvet cover.  I love this Marimeeko bedding.  I can't decide which one I like more.  What do you think?

Oh, there are so many cool things out there.  Now it is time to start thinking about Christmas gifts.  Do you have any really cool ideas that you'd care to share.  It can be for kids, women, men...whomever.  They can be bought, homemade, handmade... anything you think is a great idea.  Do you make and sell anything you'd like to plug here. Be my guest. I'd love to see what cool things are out there.

MY ART:  I have a couple of paintings on the go that don't really feel like they are going anywhere.  I have a couple of ideas floating around in my head that I should try to get on canvas before I forget them.  

The Oak Bay Artists' Studio Tour is on this weekend.  Maybe I'll find some inspiration there.  I usually do.  If you have time this weekend, check out some of the artists' studios.  You won't be disappointed.

Happy End O' the Week, to you!

reconstructing

I am still working on re-constructing my blog.  If you click on something and nothing happens, don't fear, I will get to it...eventually.  I want to get everything hooked up right and looking good, but it takes way longer than I thought it would.  So I appreciate your patience.

Does anyone remember when you could only get pop in bottles? And you had to open it with a bottle opener.  Ah the good old days.  

Sean picked up this bottle-shaped can of Coke for me today. Cool, hey?

MY ART:   I'm going to start a new painting tonight.  A different style.  Colourful (as always), whimsical, fun.  That's what I like.  We'll see how it turns out.  I'll let you know.

Thanks again to all the lovely bloggers who commented on my two giveaways.  It was fun.  I think I might do that again sometime.  Maybe a painting???  Who knows, we'll see.

2nd giveaway

This is a giveaway you don't want to miss.  I am giving away two AVON products together as a set.  If you want to know why I am giving away these awesome products read this.

When you were a kid did the Avon Lady ever stop by your house?  We had the same Avon Lady for years.  She drove a little, mustard coloured mini.  I loved when she'd stop by with a package of goodies for my mom.  I got that same feeling the other day when the door bell rang and I found a package of goodies from AVON.  This time it wasn't the mustard coloured mini, it was a brown UPS truck.

So now you too can have some AVON delivered to your house if you are the lucky winner of this giveaway. Here is what you could win:

Liiv Botanicals moisture boosting body butter

and

 

Liiv Botanicals vitalizing face serum

Would you like to boost your body and vitalize your face?  Or do you know someone else who needs to be boosted and vitalized for Christmas?  Well, then enter this giveaway by leaving me a comment (click on Comments at the bottom of this post).  You have until Saturday at midnight (PDT).  I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday - Canadian Thanksgiving. [oops, Thanksgiving is actually Monday] 

Good luck!

we have a winner

PAT! [#5]  Congratulations!  You won the AVON women and men's fragrance set.  The odds were good.  [I used the random number generator at random.org but I couldn't figure out how to copy it to this post.]  I hope you enjoy these lovely scents.  Thanks to everyone who commented.

Don't forget, I am going to have another giveaway on Friday.  

MY ART:  I have been wanting to try different styles of painting.  The problem is there are so many styles that it is sometimes hard to decide what to try first.  So for the next little while I am going to try as many different styles as possible until I find something that really fits me.

Here is a small study piece I have been working on.  This is a style I am trying out.  This piece is a view from our campsite on Thetis Island, BC.  Sean's family has been camping at this private site for about 50 years.  It is a special place for the family.  We love the view of these hills across the ocean.  Sean and his family call these hills/mountains "Sleeping Beauty".  

This study piece is 10"x20", acrylic on canvas board. 

Happy Hump Day, everyone.  Remember to come back on Friday for my 2nd giveaway.  

giveaway

If you read this post you know that I was sent a basket full of goodies from AVON.  I was so touched by the generosity of the nice people at AVON that I wanted to share this gift with my blog readers.  

So, today I am having my first ever giveaway.  This will be the first of two giveaways this week. First, I am giving away a set of men and women's fragrances.  

The women's fragrance is called mark Sophistique eau de toilette spray.  

The men's fragrance is called Signature eau de toilette spray.

Wouldn't it be nice to get a new fragrance for yourself and your partner?  Or, with holidays coming soon, these would be nice gifts for those on your Christmas list.

If you would like to be entered in this giveaway, just leave me a comment (click on Comments at the bottom of this post).  You can make a comment until Tuesday at midnight (Pacific).  I will randomly pick a winner on Wednesday. Good luck!

I will have another giveaway at the end of the week - good stuff.

Have a great week.

it's tiny

There were many times when the girls and I were out and about and I wished I'd had my video camera to capture certain moments in their life.  My solution to this problem was The Flip video camera.  I bought it a couple of years ago and it's been great.  It's small enough to fit into my pure so I can whip it out whenever those precious moments happen.  But now it is getting pretty beat up. It doesn't have a lot of memory (it is one of the originals, not even the Ultra or Mino).  It's not as easy as I would like to upload video onto my Mac.  But it did the job...until now.  

The other day Sean showed me this:

It is an iPod Nano and now it takes Video.  How cool is that?  It plays music, has FM radio, can attach the Nike sports kit, and takes video.  The reviews say it is better than The Flip.  I think it might even have a pedometer application. And it's tiny.  

Isn't it awesome?  

Too bad I don't have a birthday coming up soon...oh wait...I do ;)

scary cute

Okay, it is that time of year.  Time to start thinking about Halloween costumes.  Every year I have great aspirations of making the coolest costumes for the girls, only to find myself buying some cheap costume on Halloween day. I have no ideas yet this year.  But I just saw these really cute Halloween Cuddle Clips made by Shannon at Cuddlecakes. 

 [image is from Cuddlecakes.ca]

Go check out these clips and other cool stuff at Cuddlecakes.  I'll have to get some clips for myself the girls for All Hallow's Eve.

MY ART:  I've finished the COMMISSIONED painting for my SIL.  I just have to sign it and top coat it.  My SIL really liked the original "Family Trees ".  It was one of my early paintings from several years ago.  I like it, but I thought it could be done a bit better and twice as big.  Here is a sneak peek of the new painting.

Once I have signed and glossed it, I'll let you see it.  Probably in the next day or two.  

Let me know if you have any great costume ideas, or if you've seen any around town.  

Hope you're having a great long weekend.  

p.s  If you didn't see yesterday's post about Avon's Paint it PINK campaign, go here.  Remember to VOTE everyday until the end of September.