Saturday, June 25, 2016

Watching The Night Fall

Watching The Night Fall
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2016
sold

Lots going on these days. Boy is June a busy month! 

I was able to get to the studio on Thursday morning only to discover a dead mouse in the hallway. It was a young one and quite sweet looking as mice go. I felt bad- I wondered if the fumes in the studio were too much for it. It looked like it just called it quits in mid-stride. 

It brought back memories of the teddy bear hamsters I had in first year university. I was taking an oil painting class and my parents let me set up a studio in the basement and that is where I had the hamsters. At that time we used turpentine to soak and clean brushes. My family went away for a few days, so we had a neighbor feed my hamsters. When we got home, she felt so bad... the hamsters had died. I always wondered if somehow it was the fumes from my supplies that did them in. It was quite upsetting- one of the little fellas even had his arm around the other like he was comforting his buddy. I will never forget it.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Complimentary Sunset

Complimentary Sunset
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2016
 sold

Looking forward to getting to the lake this summer and enjoying some more spectacular sunsets.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Golden Prairie

Golden Prairie
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2016
 sold

What a treat it is to feel like going to the studio! I have spent more time there in the last few days than I have spent in a month. I hope this new-found energy continues through the rest of June because after that my kids will be home for the summer and who knows how much I will get to paint. For now I am going to roll with it and do as much work as I can.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Forest On Sulphide Lake

Forest On Sulphide Lake
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2016
sold

I'm starting to get into painting again. Slowly but surely.

Friday, June 10, 2016

September Up Front

September Up Front
6 x 6"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2016
sold

It is a bit rocky as I try to navigate my way back into work mode at the studio. I sat there for an hour and a half yesterday looking through photos, listening to music and daydreaming. Finally I decided to paint this scene from my studio mate Bridget's acreage. I love the earthy gray-greens next to the vibrant oranges of the foliage. 

I have had another frustrating set-back... my van seized up on me. It could have been worse, as my twelve year old pointed out, but it is annoying none-the-less. At any rate, I will embrace the fact that there was no accident or injury and I am sure it will be fixable.


I hope your last few weeks have gone better than mine!

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Here's Where I Am At

photo © Nicki Ault

Hi!

It's been awhile. Sorry about that. My hiatus took me by surprise, too.

I think I worked harder than I realized as I got ready for the show at the University Club and two days before that was the Mother's Day Tea at the studio. Just before that my son was home with an injury. And the week after the show went up at the university I was sick, then the next week my son got sick. May was a long month. I honestly felt so worn down that I started to think I was done painting. For good. I had no desire to create, lift a brush, go to the studio or even talk about art. I thought that was it.

To top the whole thing off I got a call on Sunday night of the May long weekend from our tenant (we have a cute little bachelor suite revenue property) who was in a panic. There was water pouring into his home from above and he didn't know what to do. It was 10:00 at night- I stayed with the kids and my husband went down to check it out. As it turned out the owner of the unit above ours was doing some do-it-yourself plumbing and snapped a pipe in the wall. Our place was flooded. Over the next few days the extent of the damage became more and more apparent. A disaster team was called in and within a matter of 48 hours they began gutting our suite. As upsetting and stressful as that was for us, my biggest concern was for our wonderful tenant. What was going to happen to him? How could he live through this mess? What would he do? Well, the answer came soon enough- he had to move and nine days after the disaster, he was gone.

Every now and then things happen that illustrate how quickly things change. You think you are on a certain trajectory and then, wham! the tables are turned. I am still trying to wrap my head around what has happened and the fact that we now have a long road ahead of us, not to mention finding another excellent tenant. 

Thanks for your ear. I promise this page will get back to art soon.

~Nicki