Summers on the lake are not complete without the thousands of water lilies blooming in shallow waters. When we were young, my siblings and I would paddle to the end of the bay of our cottage, and pick armloads of waterlilies! Nowadays we know they won’t last very long and pick only one to admire in a glass bowl on the table.
We are so fortunate to live in an area where we are surrounded by a gazillion lakes. And though we have long winters, when summer rolls in we are more than rewarded with sunny days, clear skies and fresh clean northern air! And with all these lakes, you can bet we are all over them…fishing, swimming, canoeing, waterskiing, jet skiing, and my favourite: kayaking.
Kayaking is a great way to get around on the lakes. They’re lightweight and convenient for a single person to transport. My sister and I are out quite a bit on Lake Lauzon with our kayaks, which is what inspired me to paint this picture.
We’ve spent countless evenings sitting on the dock at my brother and sister- in-law’s cottage on Dunlop Lake watching the sun go down. These summer nights seem so endless. But here in northern Ontario, our summers are short and we’ve come to appreciate these warm evenings long after they have gone.
There are a ton of beautiful wildflowers growing around the cottage, and in the mix are some hardy ones we have transplanted over the years from our home gardens. These spectacular irises and daylilies are among them.
This trio will cheer up any wall in your home or cottage. I love the yellow and purple/blue combination! Each of these sweet little paintings come framed in a black shadow box which gives a nice finished look.
Having cute grandkids gives you endless inspiration for cute paintings. And I am that lucky grandmother.
My first-born son had white-blond hair that he inherited from his Norwegian father. It has now darkened with age as he just hit the 40-year mark. He may even have the odd grey hair, I might add!
To honour the occasion, I decided to paint a picture of his adorable, and rambunctious two boys. The boys also inherited the white-blond hair and handsome Scandinavian features.
There is such an innocence and curiosity about all things when they are young. They are older now. I think they were 2 and 3 years old in this painting—super-inquisitive and active as little boys tend to be at that age.
As I painted this, I often reflected on the time, many years ago when my own boys were young and I painted a watercolour of them.
They grow up and become the people they are meant to be. Who knew that day many years ago when they were just playing in the dirt that they would both become fathers themselves.
Watching them in their roles as fathers to their kids today is a big source of pride for my husband and me.
My son and his family live on the other side of the world, which means I will have to ship the painting. Unfortunately, Covid-19 travel restrictions have put an end to the hopes of a reunion any time soon.
Artists these days often ship paintings internationally. With proper cardboard and bubble wrap packaging, this is not a problem.
When it’s the middle of March and there is still plenty of snow on the ground, and the world is changing every day with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, I sought solace and peace in painting this beautiful hot pink flower…
12′ x 12″ Acrylic Painting Cost: $175
Advice from a Hibiscus
Live with joy, bring beauty into the world, create a colourful life, open to love, and be dazzling!
In troubled times it truly is an asset to be creative, or to have a hobby. As each day brought more serious, shocking and sometimes sad news of the progress of the coronavirus, I turned to my easel for an outlet and a diversion for my emotions and anxiety.
I had also been painting a lot of winter scenes lately. When you live in northern Ontario, winter consumes at least 6 months out of the year. You are surrounded by beauty and also the harshness of the endless cold and snowy days. So painting winter is to be expected and requires a lot of blue paint! The idea of painting a pink flower was really exciting. And I just happened to have this lovely photo of this stunning hibiscus flower from a hibiscus bush that bloomed non-stop all summer long!
I hope it brings others as much joy as it did for me.
Order these attractive blank notecards, handy for everything from a personal thank you note to birthday greetings. A nice gift idea as well!
$4 each or 3 for $10.00 Add $2 to cover mailing costs. Contact Cornelia at studio@corneliasvela.com with your request today! More designs now available.
Visit Cornelia's online gallery to view her current collection for purchase.
Read Cornelia's monthly blog. Learn art techniques, follow her work, and stay informed with art-related articles.