I'll be uploading content almost daily when on the trip. Please check back again for updates... thanks.

- the most recent log is at the top -

 

Oct. 21-31  |  Nov. 01-10  |  Nov 11-20  |  Nov. 21-30  |  Dec. 01-03

 

 

NOVEMBER 1-10 2011

 

 

November 10 2011

Up at 8:30.... slept pretty darn well, and so I should have. I've been feeling pretty sleep deprived. 

Kym was up ahead of me by a few minutes. Averie and Carmen had already left by the time we got up. Kym and I had a coffee and a chat, then I went for a shower.

We got our stuff together, packing up van with 3 boxes of wine (to be delivered to the cabin) and a ink jet printer so we can print out a small selection of photos I've taken.

I punched up the Garmin GPS for breakfast and found Barb & Ernie's Diner, and obviously thanks to the PS, drove straight there. Nice thing too, as we were hungry!

We had a great breakfast... Kym had poached eggs and potato pancakes.

I had steak and eggs...  it was very good. they serve all their breakfast dishes all day. Good to know!  ; ))

We then for London Drugs to get printer ink, then the bank and liquor store. Again.. thanks to the Garmin GPS... no problem driving straight to any of our destinations.

We then hit the road for the Cabin, stopping in at gas station on route to put air in the tires.

Upon arrival, the first thing's first... I had a power snooze before supper and paint.

6PM had some supper... Kym made soup. Then some written stuff for the trip journal, and ready to paint... finally at 7 PM.

Painted until 11PM, then a bit of email before packing it in.

(Above: Evening Sky at Wabamun Lake.)

 

 

 

November 09 2011

Did the diner for breakfast... another yummy omelette with, green onion, cheddar cheese, bacon and tomato. They make them loaded with cheese. Very tasty.

Worked on some stuff for John at Scribe Graphics. He needed a logo update for the Rowing Canada logo. Although minor things, there were several changes by the client. It all takes time, and while I was at it, chose to revamp 'the build', simplifying the elements and file.

So... worked on that at the diner until the battery on the laptop was shot, then went back to the cabin/studio and finished that project off. Then... paint paint paint, working away on paintings until almost 9 PM.

At that point, I made myself some supper... 5 'easy overs' with a banana on the side. Then.. took off to pick up Kym (Mercurio Gallery) at the Edmonton International airport. Pick up some gas at the Shell station at the highway before making the 50 minute run in.

She arrived just before 10 PM. I got there at 10:20, just in time to meet her at the curb. Good timing.. no need to park, go in, or do any tracking down. The way it should be.  ; ))

From there, we drove to Averie and Carman's in Edmonton for the night. (Kym and Averie are sisters.)

Kym and I hung out with them (and some wine and cheese) until almost midnight.

Averie and Carman hit the sack at that point, and Kym and I headed towards our bedrooms with that goal in mind as well, but ended up chatting until 1:30 AM.

Then, finally, lights out...

 

 

 

November 08 2011

Not much happened today.

Up around 6:30. Started off at the diner for an omelette breakfast again this morning.  Worked on processing photos and photo panoramas for the site while I was there.

Then, back to the studio for more painting time. The painting seems to be going a lot better now, and I'm very happy with that.... I seem to be loosened up and laying the paint down in a way that seems good to me. I guess I've managed to get rid of that rusty, hesitant feeling that I started the trip off with. I felt like I wasn't in the groove, and more to the point, felt like I couldn't paint... not a feeling I like at all.

Hey... as a painter, "I'm only as good as my last painting, and as fortunate as my last sale".

So... nice to feel like I'm producing some satisfactory work at the moment!

(Above: Everning in the studio...)

 

 

 

November 07 2011

Sorry.. I know it's starting to sound like the Bill Murray movie, 'Groundhog Day', but what can one do... I'm just making notes about the daily goings on...

Got up at about 6 AM, stayed at the the lakeside studio this morning and had breakfast here... some Raison Bran and milk, with an orange. Worked on paintings here, photographing a couple and getting the pics on the laptop, processed (cropped and colour adjusted) for print, the web, etc.

Painted for a good part of the day, having a snooze early afternoon. I was beat... and slept for almost 3 hours!

I got up and made a cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich, and went back to the paints, working until 10 or so. Then some emails and website stuff, and crashed out about 12:30.

 

 

 

November 06 2011

My day wasn't a painting day started about supper time... a bit different to how I thought the day would play out. But... I think it ended up being a better, and more fun day.

I got up around 6:30, showered and took care of a few emails, then went over to go over to 'the big house' to help Averie clean the floor. 

We spent all morning on it and by 12:30 PM, we were hungry, so I said let's go to the diner... I'll buy you lunch.

She said OK and while we were on Wabamun she'd like to stop in at the hardware store, as she needed to pick up a new sponge or one of those squeeze mops we where using on the floor. So, that's what we did... lunch at the diner and the hardware store, and then back to the cabin to finish up the floor. 

I had a quick snooze. Averie said she'd go for a book read and snooze as well. 

I got up about an hour or so later and went back over.

The cabin smelled great. Averie had been baking more cookies. Nice!

We put the furniture back in place, and that was about that. 

She left shortly after that and I came back to the studio by about 5:30 and started to paint. 

I put a few finishing touches on the last 2 and then started a fresh one. I think I'm starting to roll... finally. The paint's laying down pretty good, and this last one rolled off the brush pretty good. I haven't finished it yet but I'll be in the morning some time.

Then, onto the next one.  I'll have to get some pics of the work up soon.

 

(Above: Yet another couple shots of a beauty sunrise on Wabamun Lake.)

 

 

November 05 2011

Forged ahead today and made some headway. I'm feeling a bit better about the work. Pushed paint all day and I think it's paying off finally.

Averie arrived at the cabin here at about 3 PM with her sister in-law and another friend. I went over to say hi.. and got the word that they were making a spaghetti and tomato sauce supper, with a Greek salad. They asked if would like to participate, and well, what could I say, but yes...?

So, I put a bit more time in at the easel and then went over for said, and all too delicious nutritional products.

The two gals left and I stayed, chatted with Averie, and helped finish the rest of the wine while she made cookies. Got out of there about 11:30 and hit the sack.

Great sunset this evening...

(Above: Reflection of sunset on the cabin windows.)

(Above: Sunset at the cabin on Wabamun Lake.)

 

 

November 04 2011

Stayed in the studio all day. Hmmm... and how best to describe my painting day...  Oh, I know. How about this... "A long tough day at the easel."

Yup... I think that about covers it. Not much else to say about that.  Tomorrow's another day.

(Above: The main cabin and studio over garage at  Wabamun Lake.)

 

 

November 03 2011

Not a bad night.. slept pretty good. Got up around 6 and showered up.

Hit the diner early, but no photos along the away this morning. Wanted to get to the diner to start in on finishing up a logo project for John at Scribe Graphics. This is a logo for Rowing Canada which I did some roughs for about a month ago. They really seem to like what's been designed, so, now it's time to finish it up.

Had another great omelette this morning at the Wild Rose Cafe in Wabamun. The gal in the kitchen at the makes some good ones!

Worked on the logo all morning, staying long enough to have lunch.

"What the heck", says I, "I'll have the buffalo chicken and beef barley soup for lunch, please..." And so I did.  ; ))

Good thing I've got a new battery in my laptop, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to work there till lunch.

Anyway, back to the studio. Worked on the logo until about 3 and got the job off to John.

Painted the rest of the day in studio and, while doing so, made a big decision...

For the next 3-4 days, I'm going to lay off the laptop, the photo taking and processing, and not look at my email until evening.

I'm removing all digital aspects from my day. I need to get into the painting, and unfortunately, as much as I love doing all this stuff, painting has taken a back seat.

It was in the back seat for the last 4 - 5 months actually, and now that I've got a couple days of painting under my belt again, I'm going to keep first and foremost.

In the evenings after painting is done,  I will be writing a the daily deal on the day's goings on and putting that on the site, so please keep checking into the trip Journal. I'll get some photos of work etc. on there too, and may pad up some of the other content from other days as well.

(Above: Sunset at the cabin on Wabamun Lake.)

 

 

November 2 2011

Up early again... out the door around 7:30.  Took some pics of the sunrise around Wabamun Lake on my way to my morning haunt, the diner. I picked up some cereal though, so now I can make the diner an option, and... options are good.

 

(Above: 2 sunrise panoramas at Wabamun Lake.)

Came back to the studio and brought up all the remaining painting gear from the van so I can do some studio work as well.

Painted in the studio and did some laundry. Had a snooze during the day for the first time in a long time... I needed it, as I've been burning the candle at both ends lately.

Felt good about my painting day. It was a good one.

 

 

 

November 1 2011

Up early... out the door around 6:30.  Took some pics of the sunrise around Wabamun Lake, and from the highway as well.

  ​

(Above: A sunrise panorama at Wabamun Lake.)

I hit up the diner for breakfast, and worked on the laptop for a while, messing with the trip website and processing photos.

Had an Omelette: cheese, bacon, green onion and tomato along with hash browns and toast. Oh yeah... and way too much coffee.

Back to the studio as I was almost out of gas and didn't want to drive around much. 

Kym phoned to let me know she had put money in the expense account so I would be able to get gas, food. She also put money into my regular chequing account so the studio rent in Victoria would e covered.

I went into Wabamun at 5 to get a haircut and pick up some groceries, then back to the studio to work, and take a couple pics of the sunset on teh lake. I was in bed around midnight.

​(Above left: Me in the studio this evening, and right: tonights sunset at Wabamun Lake.)