I  thought last month was busy...well June is flying by ever so quickly.  It's been a mismash...busy events, unexpected events, happy and sad.  

And part of it is the weather...um...excuse me...it's supposed to be the SUNNY Okanagan...at least we aren't complaining about the heat or lack of RAIN!

While more hearts have always been on my "to paint more of" list,   I decided I to do it now...

These hearts are on 4X4 inch gallery wrapped canvases...small, but I think they pack a punch and they are a joy to paint.   These are going to very good homes...

This is a real plein air piece...done at Gardom Lake while watching my oldest son's classmates kayaking across the lake...it even has sand and rain on the canvas!

My youngest son Liam, came home with this piece of artwork that he created at school!   Isn't it lovely?!

He also mentioned something to me about painting shadows..."Mom I saw lots of people at school painting their shadows black...but I've watched you and you don't use black for that so I did what you do...I used a darker colour for the shadows. " Wow!!   An Impressionist and Colourist in the making!  He's correct!  One way to do shades and shadows is not to create dull neutrals, but keep the colours fresh by using a darker version of that colour!

And here's a video of Austin and I participating with our dog agility club at a demo during Oyama Fun Day on June 3rd!  We've improved over a year!  You can view more videos of other dogs here.

And one of our more happy and unexpected events was a visit from my brother in law, Allan.  He realized a life long dream on May 28 by summiting North America's highest peak, Mount McKinley, or Denali as many people call it.  Congratulations Al!  A remarkable feat...while Mount Everest is by far higher at over 27, 000 ft (McKinley is just over 20,000 ft), McKinley is as dangerous and formidable.  Not for the faint of heart.    Enjoy the photos.

Well this month I FEEL liked I've been climbing up peaks, and languishing in valleys...its all a process, like climbing to the summit.  I hope your climbs are interesting, have great views and are inspiring...like Al's climb!  Congratulations to you again Allan!