Do you see what I see? I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Peace on earth, and midnight clear, With a blazing Yule before us. So bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer. In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s a …
Hello Everyone, It’s been a while! My current book is in the virtual bottom drawer for a breather. I’ve not been writing daily as usual, and some speechless, sloth-like creature has slipped under my skin. But I thought I’d pop off this quick note to say hi and share some artwork I’ve been making. These …
We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates… Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty. JUN’ICHIRŌ TANIZAKI – as translated by Thomas J. Harper & Edward G. Seidensticker I used to be underwhelmed by flowers, pictures …
The following quote comes from a thought journal written by Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher. It’s amazing that he wrote this over two thousand years ago and the topic still resonates today. Suppose someone standing by a clear, sweet spring were to curse it: it just keeps right on bringing drinkable water bubbling up to …
Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. Erich Fromm Here’s a cheerful peony I painted for every person who is a mother or has ever had one. Happy Mother’s Day
It’s April and what better way to celebrate than with frogs? It’s my springtime fixation. I began doodling little frogs a few weeks ago when our first blossoms emerged in Stanley Park. These tiny creatures are great fun to draw. They’re more diverse than the U.S. Supreme Court. For your enjoyment, I’ve incorporated the sketches …
Hello everyone, I hope 2022 is treating you well so far. I’m going to attempt this blog without one mention of the “C” word or the “O” word. Instead, I want to share 3 things—a portrait of a favourite local tree, a short rant on climate change, and a generous review of my book “Deep …
When I was a schoolgirl, November 11 was a monumental day in our household. My parents were both veterans of the Second World War, a fact that shaped their lives and cut my father’s life short. Artwork by Laurel Mae Hislop I can still see my dad, grand and handsome in his Legion blazer and …
Defined as the song of the tragic sense of life, Deep Song is a profoundly expressive, intimate music. Violent, tense, impassioned, it depicts the durability of man, even as he is broken by external and internal sources. ¡QUÉ GITANO! Gypsies of Southern Spain by Berta B. Quintana and Lois Gray Floyd Hi Folks, My book, …
Artwork by Laurel Mae Hislop One thing I’d love to improve on, as a writer, is how to use humour. A story that makes you laugh and cry, in my mind, nails it all. So I sit at my computer and do an internet search on ‘how to write a joke.’ A piece by the …