Winter's Back is Broken... Spring Has Sprung!!

The clock sprung forward this morning- day light saving time was begun... and while rising at my usual 5:30 am time was darker than the day before, it did not take long for the morning sunrise to amble in. I quickly grabbed by hat, coat and my "cuppa" and headed down to my seat on the dock to watch Mr Golden Sun take charge.

This is the scene which I enjoyed... alone...while the rest of the village slept. Shards of ice loosened by the increasingly powerful  new sunlight slide ever so quietly eastward.... carried by the steady current unerringly towards their destination with the Gulf of St Lawrence and Atlantic Ocean. No brush could capture the drama and colour of this brief moment. Is is a kaleidoscopic panorama of wild and constantly changing colour. It leaves one completely in a state of awe... and wonder!

These vertical shafts of red give momentary warning that a retina burning red ball of fire is about to come suddenly into view... and within brief moments... this drama reaches its zenith... and the technicolour show vanishes as quickly as it came. It is these events which place a fire in one's soul... a fire that triggers great "ideas" to come forth.

The morning is not just composed of visual pleasure alone. The morning air at first light is filled with the voices of rafted geese... simultaneously speaking in tongues... sounds unlike their utterings of winter. There is a distinctly new excitement and energy which was absent scant days ago. Coyotes add their plaintive cries from the length of Tar Island. Cardinals serenade continuously... breaking their self-imposed winter silence to declare their territorial presence. Even a gruff voiced raven chips in his two cents worth. All the world seems come to life... at the same time. Spring... has indeed sprung!

I spent the rest of this morning varnishing all of the winter plein air pieces... another job done... and work ready for the Gallery re-opening in May. After lunch, I played around with a "toon"... just for a change of pace to lighten up and just have some fun. The subject matter is timely... current and Spring for certain in these parts... and others too as you'll see below!

Roll Up the Rim is a Prize Contest offered by Tim Horton's cup of coffee. Various prizes ranging from free food and coffee up to cars and cash are hidden under the rim. Roll up the rim.... and become an instant winner! Canadians love and look forward to this Spring time event! We're really easy to please... after a long cold winter! HA HA!! The Cardinals????.... well "they"... the birds... are here and singing their head off... but... behind the scenes????....Well that's a story for another day! Stay tuned... and look for white smoke!


I did this small 5x7 pen and water colour sketch to fill in yet another space in that Rockport greeting card project. A great way to end another day... in Paradise. A bit of work... a bit of play... and a bit of work and play to end a productive day!

Looking Over The Grout Home to St Brendan's - 5x7 inch water colour and ink on paper


Good Painting to ALL!!