Emora's portrait unveiled

My cousin- Mike Koops told me to try this process for Emora's portrait.  He teachers art- so it was pretty awesome to get some actual guidance because I have been stimied with how to paint skin- which apparently is the hardest thing in portrait painting since skin is translucent.  Also, I've discovered that faces are crazy expressive.  At one point, I had a nostril off by a millimeter and it made her whole face look skewed! So it seems I started drawing her in the spring of 2012, after taking her pic. in 2011 (I do 2 year old pictures of each of my kids).  So it took me over a year to get up the courage to start it!

There were massive problems at this point as my graph was off.  I finally erased all her face and scanned her picture, recalculated and got the graph accurate.  It was very frustrating.

Basically, the process is doing the photo 3 times with what is called an underpainting.  I drew it in detail.  Then sprayed this with "workable fixatif".  I then painted a watercolor over it, adding layers for the darks and gradations of darks.  (I think I forgot to take a picture of that).

Coming along slowly even as my baby is growing older!

Finally to the color stage!  Normally, I was just putting on a sketch, then painting and the painting took FOREVER!  Probably easily 20-40 hours because I'm super slow.  But with the under painting there, I did it in 2 days- about half the hours and lots more fun!  Although I lost her face at one point and nearly called Mike in a panic to come rescue it!  I still have so much to learn, especially with the skin, but HA- I'm out of kids!! heehee 

What a journey!

Next up is to paint her room.

That'll be a lot easier and way more forgiving.

Here are my trio of portraits.  It's so nice to have Emora's up.  It always felt a bit bad to have the other two and some random kid artwork in the third spot!  Each pic was taken in their birth season.  I have a babe for 3 of the 4 seasons.  Ivan is fall, Dominique- summer and Emora-winter.  I guess it's good that she turned 2 in Canada so that it would actually look like winter in her pic!

And here are the real models with their pics.  I think it's awesome how they are showing their personalities here too.  Ivan is pensive, Dominique the smiling poser and Emora being funny.

Canadian winter cold

I take the trio skating about once a week and there is often a hockey game on afterwards.  The kids often beg to watch a bit.  So we were waiting for the zamboni to finish cleaning the ice.  I thought I'd get some pics.  SMILE GIRLS!  Emora!!

OK, now, SMILE-- Emora quit that!

SMILE- take 3-- as you can see, their personalities shine- Dominique the cute poser, Ivan- humoring me and Emora making us all laugh- the joker of the family.

Emora's buds from across the street got to play with us last week.  We've had a lot of snow this year.  Can you tell?  When I stand on the mound that was made from shoveling, I am looking strait onto our garage roof.

So- it's crazy cold here.  I mean REALLY cold.  Some of you reading this are Canadians- you know and feel my pain- you're living it!  Those of you reading this from the sunny south-- when I walk outside, the snot in my nose freezes, my fingers burn- especially if I haven't gotten my gloves on fast enough, my jeans become frozen stiff boards, if I just washed my hair- it becomes a matted clump of frozen ice (instantly).  A friend posted a picture- her eye had teared up from the cold and that tear froze before it fell.  No joke.  It's COLD!

This day was not too cold obviously, but at school the kids are having "inside recess".

Not only are the temps extreme, but some days we get wind on top of that- bone chilling, frozen sandpaper ripping at your face cold.  Yep- this land is not for wusses!  And yet, everyday, the kids on my street, walk to school- because their parents may not have a car, or the cars are not running, or the parents don't drive them for other reasons.

And during this freeze- I'm thankful for my hot water heater for scalding hot showers- otherwise I will stay shivering in my bed for hours.  I'm thankful for hot coffee, soups, the oven, my warm house, my working vehicles, my warm clothes, warm hubby and warm kids, the wii to workout with inside and my slippers, blankets on the couch as we read books...!  Also glad that we get awesome summers to compensate for these crazy cold days.  Brian said when we moved up here that we were trading extreme hot for extreme cold.  Maybe we are people of extremes!

Idle no more peaceful protest and blocade

Idle no more is a group that started up here in Saskatchewan recently.  They arose out of frustrations at how the government is not honoring treaties in Canada and is pushing legislation through that overturns treaty agreements.  They are for environmental issues and First Nations' rights and for giving a voice to those who have been so poorly treaty for generations.

I'm not very good at understanding politics, this is just my simplified perception.  But there is a movement in Canada.  There have been walks, and rallies and flash mob round dances, blocades and hunger strikes to raise awareness of issues that have been stewing for far too long.  We live in a community with a high percentage of First Nations people and we wanted to stand with them, walk with them, show our support that we hear your pain and we are asking the government for change, healing, reconciliation, right relationship, a relationship of honoring each other and building on our strengths- together.  There was a call in the states- "no child left behind".  That phrase echoes in my thoughts here often.  There is a significant part of our society constantly being pushed aside.  It's time for ears and hearts to be opened- to recognize our common past and move forward- together.  So as a family (minus my kids in school), we got to participate in a small way in Fort Qu'Appelle.  In the above pic, Emora tried on her cousin Arwen's mitts made of real fur by a First Nation's friend of theirs up North.

Here are the horses that led the protesters.

This was where we formed in a circle to do a round dance- temporarily blocking traffic from the highway.  It was so beautiful.  People in Fort Qu'Appelle were very honoring- from what we could tell as we walked anyways.  Horns beeping with waves, teachers brought out hot chocolate, people coming out of houses and businesses to wave and show solidarity.

In the back of the truck were the singers with drums.

I love the look of the mom's face to the right.  May unity come, may peace come, may the calls of the people be heard on receptive ears.  Give us ears to hear, eyes to see and hearts of compassion.

more winter fun

Emora has gotten brave and skilled enough to attempt her first glides on skates without the bar.  Here she goes off support!

This was our second excursion of sledding.  Several minor injuries resulted.  It was very slick!  The weather here is being very bizarre this year- lots of warm days, lots of snow, and windy- so things are icy:  streets, highways, hills.  It's caused some havoc since a lot of people commute around here.  Dance class has been cancelled a lot.  I saw an optometrist in town and she said they've had to cancel a lot too.

This day, we went on a walk along the road of the house Brian is working on.

It's a nice walk as it winds up over the lake and is closed off to traffic.

Someone is getting ready for a birthday!  She dressed up in Dominique's winter clothes and about made me cry!  I told her she could turn 4, but not be school age grown up yet!

Papa and Saba bonded over the holidays.  He misses his dog and Saba was glad to get the attention of going on walks.

This puzzle is harder than it looks!

Wow- Emora let someone brush her hair!  I think grandparents must have secret powers.

I remember seeing our neighbor at the acreage create this giant Moose for the city of Moose Jaw when I was a teenager.  Also in the back is one of the snowbird airplanes.

Who knew that Moose Jaw has the prettiest library ever?  It's in this huge old building and the foyer is all marble.  The library is spacious with lots of great sections and materials and very helpful workers.  We loaded up.  It's nice to be able to get some things that may not be available in town.  LOVE LIBRARIES!  Me as a pre-teen would be so shocked with me now!  I used to HATE reading with a passion and now I'm a bit addicted.

OK, so the puzzle's not quite done yet, but the most important parts are in place!

Ivan got to go skiing with his class today.  He was so excited.  He offered to make his own lunch last night.  Unfortunately, he still didn't make it off the bunny hill- but maybe some day he'll get up on the lift!  Glad he had tons of fun!  Next year Dominique will get to go, and Ivan traditionally masters a new skill the same day his sister learns it, so maybe next year he'll try to show off for her and make some leaps and bounds! I think we are going to take him to a trial class of tae kwan do this weekend.  It would have been nice if Judo were offered in town, since that is what the rest of my family got into and since that is more a defensive sport?  I think.  I really don't know anything... but Ivan's cousin and best friend are in Karate, so he's been interested in it too, but I'm not committing to driving him out of town, so we'll try this and see if he likes it.

RCMP museum

The same day we went to the Royal Sask museum, we went to the RCMP museum.  I hadn't been to it in ages.

It's all new from when I'd last been there.

The kids liked it a lot too.

They even got to dress up!

I think that part was their favorite.

I think my grandpa drove one of these Bombardier things to take kids to school if I have the story right.

Gotta pose like the mannequins.

On other news... Dominique had her first spelling test today and she was so excited!

She was especially excited about the bonus words.  All the words were 3 letter, one vowel words and then as a bonus:  animal, alphabet and around!  She studied and studied!  It was so cute!

Ivan's getting so much better at getting to his work and focussing- even though he'd much rather be playing lego!

Or doing some "real" work- like building something with his dad.

So far the year is starting well for us and we're thankful for that.  

We were without a fridge for half a week, but were mostly just inconvenienced with that.

The weather is being so crazy!  Minus 20 one day and melting the next!  Warm and windy one minute and snowing like crazy the next!

These 3 have their ups and downs too- as we all do, but I'm so thankful for them and enjoy them so much!  Little treasures they are!