I have decided to participate in the Springbank Artists VIP Trail Contest. My initial reaction is YES I want to participate because I can’t resist a contest and being part of something happening and NO because it involves painting a landscape or something close to it. So what to do – Yes/No, Yes/No. Luckily my need to be part of an exciting event wins out. I’m in!

Now the hard part begins. No turning back. If you look at my paintings you will see that I never paint anything close to a painting that resembles a landscape. However I do like painting florals and leaves.

The David Culham trail is beautiful. To find this in the middle of large city is what makes it such a gem! This was my first visit. I took several photos – mostly leaves. The photo below became my major reference point.

While landscapes in general do not capture my imagination from a painting perspective I am always drawn to leaves of any kind whether they are found outside or inside. Leaves remind me of the word “renewal”. Leaves represent signs of new seasons. In spring we anticipate the renewal of leaves – we look for new shoots on trees and shrubs and we love when they appear. Throughout the summer vibrant green leaves surround us and in the fall we are presented with all the changing colors. During the winter season we look at all the branches and know that a new renewal will take place again in a short time.

My reference photos were taken in late November although I want my painting to represent all seasons – lifecycle of leaves.

Another discovery as I walked the David Culham Trail was the chickadees. They are everywhere and delightful. After doing some research, I discovered that they are not all chickadees. Who knew? There are chickadees and nuthatches.

Stay tuned for images of my painting.