Tuesday, March 16, 2010

River Thawing

River Thawing
(revised)
7x7"
acrylic on canvas
sold

It was another great day out painting yesterday afternoon and I really like how this painting turned out. It was a bit windier than on Sunday, but a with blanket wrapped around my legs, full body long johns under jeans and a sweatshirt, as well as a fleece and windbreaker I was kept comfortable for the two hours I had to get this little one done. Oh yes, and I can't forget to give credit to the Tim Horton's coffee that helped keep me warm! Mmmmmm. The whole setting was so perfect and seemed so right.... I really thought that when I "rolled up my rim" I just might win*! Even if it was just another coffee. But alas, I revealed the ever-so-polite "Please Try Again" message. Of course it is in Tim's best interest for me to buy another coffee and "try again" (which I did today), but in the bigger, more philosophical side of things it is also in my best interest to try again. I'm not talking about where coffee cup games are concerned, of course, but with my painting. Even in this funk I need to keep trying. And I know that if I do keep trying, keep plodding along, I will suddenly find myself "onto something". Smart little paper coffee cup.

As a side note, last night I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out how to add a slide show of my paintings to the right hand side of my blog. Good lordy, for a non-computer type like myself it was quite an ordeal. I am happy to say that I seem to have it up and running... and I am now on Flickr as a result ( I don't really even know what that means). Please have a look if you have a bit of extra time.

*Tim Horton's is  a Canadian coffee/donut company that runs a contest at least once a year where you roll up the rim of your paper coffee cup to find out if you've won a prize. You are most likely to win another coffee or a donut, but there are grand prizes like $10,000 or RAV-4 vehicles.

4 comments:

-Don said...

Zen and the art of coffee drinking... :-)

You're onto something here, Nicki. This is another beautiful work. I love those reds splashed on the far bank which compliment the green water so well. I'm glad you stayed warm, but I'm shivering just thinking aboot you being out in the snow painting. BTW, I'll do my ice princess mask from the warmth of my studio in the desert, thank you very much... :-P

-Don

Nicki said...

Ha! Hi Don, actually the desert sounds pretty good to me right about now! The temperature cooled off again. Thanks for your supportive comment. You always notice those little details.

Nicki

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Nicki,

Try again? You mean succeed again. Your paintings are always winners. Like this one. I opened it up, and didn't want to stop staring at it. It so perfectly captures the landscape I see in places where the snow hasn't melted. We've had a bit of a heat wave for the past few days, so most of the light snow we had is gone.

Nicki -- you are such a great painter, rivaling the Group of Seven -- anyone. You name it.
And you are an original. I buy Tim Horton's at school, and I want the van, or $10,000. So far only a coffee which I gave to a student.

XOBarbara

XOBarbara

Nicki said...

Hi Barbara,

Whew, your comment has blown my mind! You have no idea how much that means to me... I am not worthy of such praise, but it is so very much appreciated. This past summer my sister and I went to the AGO- I hadn't been there since I lived in Toronto twenty years back (very briefly- long story). I stood in the room housing the Tom Thomson "sketches" and soaked it all in. Then I hunted down the Varley's... and so on. I was literally moved to tears with some of the work. To hear my paintings in any way compared to theirs is beyond comprehension. Again, I am no where near worthy, but I am at least on a journey where I strive to be someday.

With sincere X's and O's,
Nicki