Summer Wrap-up

I can't believe it. How did it happen already? Summer is over and school is starting up again next week. I had a different kind of summer this year with no big trips, but instead lots of time spent with the family. Here's how it went down.  

I visited my parent's Haliburton cottage lots - for probably half the summer when you add all the days together.

I made one trip to the family cottage on Georgian Bay.

And went on one trip to Letchworth State Park in New York State (which you can read about here).

We visited Fort York again as we now had two guards (Kate and William) we wanted to see doing their maneuvers.

And the biggest surprise was that I did lots of art for the first time in my life.  I took a Sumi-e (Japanese Brush Painting) course at the Haliburton School of the Arts which you can read about here.

I sketched on several trips.

I spent a fun day with my Aunt discussing art and visiting a waterfall in Haliburton that we sketched and I later painted.

In total I painted five landscapes. 

Given that I have only painted seven paintings in my whole life this has been a very productive summer for me.  

A painting of my parent's Haliburton cottage that I gave to my Dad for his birthday

A couple of weeks ago I bought myself some brushes and five colours of acrylic paints and some canvases.  We also re-arranged the master bedroom so I could have a table by the window and paint in the light.  I'm learning lots about painting and it has me excited for the possibilities for this coming year. 

I'll be spending this weekend helping our youngest two get ready for university with last-minute clothes shopping, haircuts, packing of bags, and hopefully not-too-tearful good-byes.  Then after a couple of trips to the airport, we will be empty-nesters.  I remember sending them off to kindergarten and now the last one is heading for university.  Sigh!