Summer has arrived in full force and brought with it a bounty of sunny tidings on the artistic front.

The first piece of happy news is so remarkable, I hardly can believe my good fortune. About a week ago, I learned that not just one, but three of my paintings had won awards in the 4th annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition.

The congratulatory letter went on to say, "This year's competition had over 1800 submissions from over 60 countries from the best of the best women watercolor artists, so you should be very proud!". My winning paintings are shown below.

Superior Jewels (varnished watercolour on 20 x 16 inch panel, private collection)

Won Third Place in the Landscape & Water Category

Where Garden Meets Rock (varnished watercolour on 40 x 28 inch panel, private collection)

Won Finalist in the Still Life & Floral Category

Superior Lady (varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel, private collection)

Won Honorable Mention in the Animal & Wildlife Category

I am grateful to the Women in Watercolor organization, which was formed in 2020 to "help encourage, support, and promote the outstanding women that are working in this medium on an international level, through online competitions, and in-person events". I also send heartfelt appreciation to the nine international judges who bestowed awards upon my artwork.

If you take a tour of all the inspiring prize winning paintings at https://womeninwatercolor.com/2023-award-winners/ you will understand how incredibly blessed I feel to have received these honours, given the level of technical and creative excellence among the winning artists.

The second piece of happy news arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, in the latest issue of Airstream Life magazine. This subscriber-based quarterly publication serves 10,000 enthusiasts of the iconic brand of recreational vehicles and related active outdoor lifestyle.

I had been interviewed last winter by one of the magazine's writers, for a series called Collecting Experiences, focusing on various creative pursuits that Airstream owners enjoy.

When the June 2023 issue came out, I was thrilled to learn that it contained a seven page feature article, illustrated with a dozen colour images of my watercolour paintings, telling the story of my artistic life and how my paintings are inspired by our adventures traveling in our Airstream trailer. (I wish I could share a copy of the article here, but it is only available to magazine subscribers.)

After many decades spent navigating through this topsy turvy artist's life of mine, I still feel as thrilled as a little kid when good things like this happen. I feel incredibly fortunate and often think to myself "Pinch me, somebody!".

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My annual Spring Open Studio event, held on the last weekend in April, was a resounding success, with several major works finding forever homes. I thank everyone who came out to my Lindsay studio to see my new landscapes and nature study paintings, and have a chat and a tour of my creative space.

Everyone who attended was eligible to enter a free draw for my 'Rocks of the Rock' painting, valued at $400. The winner was Erika Thimm, a naturalist and nature photographer from Port Perry (shown with me above).

Erika has been attending my art events for the last 20 years and she brought to my Open Studio a new Canadian Kurdish family of six from Syria, that came one year ago to Port Perry. The children, artistically inclined, especially enjoyed seeing some Canadian art. Erika made this comment after the show: ''I so much enjoy Karen's work, because she brings the spirit of the subjects to the canvas - what I see and feel in Nature.''

Shown below are several photos of my studio, taken just before visitors arrived.

The photo below shows three paintings in progress on my drafting table. Visitors enjoyed this glimpse into the process of my artwork creation and I spoke to many people interested in attending my watercolour classes.

I truly enjoyed hosting my Spring Open Studio. This was a perfect time of year  and I look forward to doing it every April.

If you have any ideas, questions, or comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.

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A few days ago, I heard a thump on my studio window. I thought maybe it was Santa's reindeer.

Upon investigation, I discovered it was the Christmas Turkey!

I took some quick photos with my phone from my studio window.  I think this fine fellow has his eye on the beautiful stones displayed on my window sill.

Maybe he was just checking out his reflection in the window glass.

Or perhaps the cactus garden looked good enough to eat.

The flock moved around our house and I took these photos below from my other studio window. What majestic, large creatures these are.

They look black from afar but are very colourful up close. Their body feathers are purple and bronze with black tips.

This photo below was taken from our living room window. My husband counted 18 turkeys in the flock. They are digging for food in a field that grew soybeans earlier this year.

These turkeys live year round in the farm fields and hedgerow behind my home and studio, but they don't always grace us with an up-close-and-personal visit. I guess they were full of Christmas cheer on this occasion.

I hope you are enjoying special holiday time with friends and family. I am profoundly grateful for the support I have received all year from friends, followers, students, galleries, new clients, and my faithful collectors. I wish you every happiness and success for 2018.

Do you have a wild turkey story to share? Please use the 'leave a comment' button at the top of this post.

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It seems I live a charmed life. From every show I have exhibited in, for the last few months, I have brought home an award. How long can it last?

My recent winning streak started at The Northern Art Show in Apsley in August, where my display booth won the People's Choice Award and a cash prize. Here are photos of parts of my booth.

In September, I had two paintings accepted into the Kawartha Art Gallery's Annual Juried Show, and they both won awards and cash prizes. Rhapsody in Red won the 'Technical Skills & Use of Colour Award', and Caught in the Rain won an Honourable Mention. Both paintings are pictured below.

In October, Ajax Mayor Steve Parish presented me with the Mayor's Award and cash prize at the PineRidge Arts Council Annual Juried Art Exhibition, for my painting Sunbathing Swallowtails, pictured below.

This show of 64 paintings is now being exhibited at the McLean Community Centre, 95 Magill Drive, in Ajax until November 26. The juror selected the paintings in the show from 178 pieces submitted by 96 artists, and the PRAC awarded almost $5,000 in prizes.

Here is a detail from Sunbathing Swallowtails:

My next big show will be the 40th Annual Buckhorn Fine Art Festival next August. Wish me luck!

And what did I do with all my winnings, you ask? Well, I tucked it all away in our 'vacation jar', ready to fund our upcoming winter snowmobiling adventure on Baffin Island. Stay tuned!

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I just completed a fun art project for a special fundraiser, to support newly-arrived or soon-to-arrive Syrian refugee families in Port Perry.

As one of 20 artists invited to participate by Meta4 Gallery, I embellished a wooden bird house with a totally new art form for me - Zentangle.

I painted the birdhouse white, and then inked all four walls and the roof with black Zentangle patterns. I used over 40 different motifs.

I decided to leave the colouring options to the buyer, and have included a package of Winsor & Newton artist markers with the birdhouse. The buyer can leave it black and white, or be creative with colour.

More than 20 of these one-of-a-kind creations will be on display at Meta4 Gallery, 200 Queen Street in downtown Port Perry, from March 18 to 28, 2016 as part of a silent auction.

And if you just can't bear to miss out, there's a "buy it now" option too.

Meta4 Gallery is open daily except for Good Friday, March 25. I hope you will be able to see the display of birdhouses, and perhaps make a bid or purchase one to benefit this worthwhile cause, before they all 'fly away'.

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You may have noticed the tag line on my web site reads "Making the world a happier place...One painting at a time."

This statement has more than one meaning for me. It refers to the pleasure that I feel when finishing a beautiful new painting. Viewers and purchasers of my art enjoy the serenity or nostalgia my work conveys. My students experience excitement and satisfaction when I teach them how to make their own paintings.

But today it occurred to me that there is another layer of meaning in my tag line, and that is the positive spin-off that is generated when I donate a painting to a charitable cause.

As with all artists, often I am asked to help this or that fundraising organization by giving them artwork to be auctioned off at one of their gala events. If the 'worthy cause' aligns with my views, then I give them a piece of my art. The funds generated help many people near and far.

This year, the paintings shown in this article have been donated in aid of women, girls, and children in crisis; various community and international charitable projects; and two public art galleries.

I am glad that the gift of my art is making the world a happier place.

These are the official photos of me accepting my medal and a framed illustration award from the Reader's Favorite Book Awards, for my book Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success.

I was one of about 250 authors honoured at the ceremony, which was held in the nightclub of the Regency Hotel Miami last November, during the week-long Miami Book Fair International festivities.

Among the award winners were two authors from Canada, some from Australia, Denmark, England and other foreign countries, with the majority from the US. Everyone was dressed in suits and party dresses, just like the Academy Awards in miniature! My husband and I had a grand time that evening, chatting with authors and their spouses, all with interesting life stories to tell (go figure!).

We also spent a morning walking through the street fair portion of the Book Fair. There were hundreds of booths showcasing authors, publishers, publicists, printers, and other facets of the international book industry. Many venues hosted seminars and presentations by writers.

The first picture above shows me with my book in front of the Reader's Favorite booth, and the second gives a view of part of the Book Fair, which took up about six city blocks in downtown Miami. I tell you, the book industry is a whole other world out there...

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