Moss-Laden and Memories of a Moose at Evrgreen in Waskesiu

Moss-Laden and Memories of A Moose
36 x 24"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2019
available at Evrgreen Coffee and Food in Waskesiu 

It's the July long weekend! The kids are done school and two months of (relatively) unstructured time is here! I am always SO ready for our days to be a bit more lazy, to not have to make sure there are groceries in the house for bagged lunches, which half the time don't get eaten at school anyway. My kids need time to recuperate. They are good students and work hard to earn good grades, they are active and committed to their sports. They set a pretty heavy pace for themselves during the school year and on top of that... they are growing which has GOT to be exhausting. Sleep and rest and free time are needed.

I, on the other hand, need to get more active and can hardly wait to get busy painting some of the spectacular photos I have taken recently!

Some of my recent paintings are available again at Evrgreen Coffee and Food this summer. I am thrilled to be back for another season and hope you will pop in for a delicious coffee and take a minute to view my art! Last year it was a real treat getting photos from people who took pictures of my art on the wall at Evrgreen, or in some cases, selfies with my art. Super cool! Let me know if you get there and what you think. Here are some of the paintings you will find there and more will be posted tomorrow...

View of the Points at Point View

10 x 10"

oil on panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available at Evrgreen Coffee and Food, Waskesiu

Approach From Seven Mile

6x6"

oil on board

©Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Evrgreen Coffee and Food, Waskesiu

 

 The Days Retreat

10x10"

oil on panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Evrgreen Coffee and Food, Waskesiu

 

Skirting The Field and Call The Game

Skirting The Field

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

 Call The Game!

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

North Country and A Prairie Good Morning

North Country

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

A Prairie Good Morning

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

I am trying to catch up the blog to the 8x8's I have already posted on Facebook and Instagram. There are about twenty-three 8x8's currently available at Darrell Bell Gallery. They make great gifts; something to keep in mind as wedding season is upon us.

First Heat of Spring and Dreaming of the Dugout

 First Heat of Spring

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

Dreaming of the Dugout

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

Yikes, that was an unexpected hiatus from my blog! I haven't posted for over a month which is quite unlike me. I find Instagram and Facebook to be more immediate and interactive and the blog is much more time consuming. Its purpose is changing for me. I'm trying to sort out how to make all the social media options work in the best possible way and how to rejig the way I've been doing things so that more time is spent painting than anything else.

At any rate, I popped in to Darrell Bell Gallery today and now feel up-to-date with what is available on the 8x8 grid. I will be firing off several blog posts of the available work in the next 48 hours to try to catch up with what has been posted on my Intsa and FB.

Aside from trying to figure these things out, at the end of May and beginning of June my sister and I were thrilled to host visitors from Australia! It was a really big deal and I am still glowing from the joyous reunion.

Years ago my younger sister and I took a Contiki bus tour through Europe visiting something like twelve countries in forty-two days. It was a bus full of young adults; a really great group of people from all over the world. There were a handful we connected with on a really special level and have stayed in close touch with ever since. Life-long friends, the stuff of wonderful stories. One of them has now been to see us in Canada FIVE times (after this most recent trip) and my sister and I visited him in Australia five years after the European adventure. Considering the distance between our countries, we have done a good job of remaining in each others' lives. His visit this time was made even more amazing by the fact that he brought his parents! He organized a trip of a lifetime for them starting in B.C. and ending in Saskatoon. It included a cruise to Alaska and riding the Rocky Mountaineer to Alberta. They were over the moon. Apparently it was a dream of theirs to come to Canada.

It was a special time for all of us. Our parents got to meet and really connected. I loved that they were able to spend time with my family - he could not believe how my kids had grown since the last time he was here. I loved laughing about old memories and that crazy trip through Europe. I loved listening to my friend talk... he is absolutely hilarious! It was five days that went way too fast.

Now I can't help but wonder when I will see him again, or his parents. It's so far away, but we have talked about meeting somewhere in-between and hopefully our other friends from the Contiki trip can meet us, too. It is a very special bond.  

Friends who are family.