Monthly Archives: March 2012

Painting Process: Tulip Farming

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Laura

For the last couple of days I was looking around the internet for images of the tulip fields in Holland because I was reminded how lovely they are. I thought with too with having spring early, that it might be sort of interesting to paint one of those fields. I also thought it might be a fun painting to show to the people who read my blog (or who just look at the photos and paintings) what they look like when they are underway.

So if you read my posts, you will know what I am up to and if you just look at the pictures then hopefully you will see that there is more added later.

Anyway, I will post today where I take the image from, along with the first draft of my painting. It is just a tiny little 6×6 gallery matted canvas.

First I painted the entire canvas blue – which I regret now because blue is very hard to cover – so on the first good coat of colour the piece is totally dull when compared to the original image. As I paint more I will post more. March 31.

Development of colour depth. April 1 morning.

Some more background colour in and the beginning of the three farmers. 6:00 pm April 1.

Babysitting my friend’s dog. His name is Bailey and wanted to see what I was painting. Poor Bailey Blue, isn’t he cute though? He has beautiful eyes, like the singer Björk, I think.

A little more work on the details this evening. April 2

Turns out that this is the fiddliest painting ever! Looks so simple – a few stripes on a canvas. Am I right? Oi Veh!

Finally here it is!

Tulip Farming 6×6

Categories: Art, Laura Moreland, Original Art work of Laura Moreland, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

Tiny Tiny

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Laura

Yesterday, when I went to the art store (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), they had a sale on. If you purchased $100 worth of stuff, you got $15% off. My total came to $97 so I decided to pick up a few TINY items. I wanted to get a TINY chisel brush for those little lines that I like so well, but I also thought it might be fun to try tiny canvases. I picked up a 4 pack of 2 &3/4 by 3&1/2 inch canvases… The total was $98 dollars when I was done with my tiny shopping spree, so this painting does not have much in the way of materials into it! Either will the other 3 when I do them.

I don’t think that I like painting quite this tiny – even though it is quick. Here is one of them…

Do you think that something this small needs a name?

Here is another one…

Categories: Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment

At Home

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Laura

This painting is of a place that is very special to me. It belongs to people who I love, very much. It is 24×24 – SOLD

Categories: Art, Kingston, Laura Moreland, Ontario, Original Art work of Laura Moreland, Sustainable living, Tiny House Ontario | 4 Comments

Grandma Moses Children

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Laura

When you arrive on Wolfe Island, and turn left off the ferry, not too far down the road sits this lovely Tiny House which is actually a child’s play house, I assume.

Having grown up in the country, I could never understand people’s reluctance to move kids to the country because there is “nothing to do”. Nonsense!

In this little image alone, the little girl in me can find at least a hundred things to do. The grown up me too.

I hope that the owners of this beautiful place did not mind my laying on my tummy in their lawn to get this angle? No one yelled at me anyway.

The bench faces out toward Kingston to Lake Ontario.

What I am after in this painting, is the simplicity of Anna Mary Robertson, the solitude of Lawren Harris, the movement of Emily Carr and the light of the Dutch Masters, the mood of the impressionists and the story telling of Douglas Coupland… not asking much of myself, am I?

8×10

Categories: Art, Douglas Coupland, Emily Carr, Laura Moreland, Original Art work of Laura Moreland, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario, Windmill painting, Wolfe Island | Leave a comment

Fortunate to be Porchin’ it

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Laura

Last weekend it became official! The cloth porch made it through the winter. The damage was close to zero. A couple of staples out and one of the boards is slightly warped. The cloth is in perfect condition! All the stuff in the porch undamaged too. Unbelievable really!

So this year, I will not spend the spring fixing the porch, rather I can get the boxes put in for my raised beds. I can build my washing station (hopefully), get the eves troughs up and the rain water diverted. All great stuff! YEAH!

It will be easier to work there this spring because there will be a little escape hatch to get away from the black flies.

So here is what it looks like inside the cloth porch on a sunny spring morn’.

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Minimotives and Tiny Housers

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Laura

It is spring! It is spring! Now is the time to get those houses off the ground, or off the wheels if you so desire!

This is a bit of a lazy Laura post but one that had to be done and I think, why reinvent the wheel?

In this case, Minimotives blogger and artist, Macy, has collected a wonderful list of Tiny Houser links for any of you who are researching the topic, this is a GREAT place to start!

I also have to say that her article on Tiny House design inspiration is divine!

For this little post, if you want photos have a look at Minimotives. :-D

Happy Housing!

Laura

Categories: Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment

Sailing Bye

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Laura

When I was a young girl, I was a guest from time to time on Simcoe Island with my parents, to visit Bruce Orr and his family. They had a fantastic cottage there on the beautiful shore on this jewel of an Island.

Bruce’s family had owned the land for a long time and actually his ancestors had been lighthouse keepers there since, I believe, the light houses were built. When I was a teenager and learning to paint he asked me to paint a photo of the Simcoe Island lighthouse for him. I tried, but I did not have the skills to do it.

Over 30 years later, I can paint quite a lot better, so I thought I would give it another shot. It is still difficult to paint because of the roof lines. Finally, at long last, here is my best shot. I hope you can see it from Heaven Bruce, it is just a little 8×10

(Special thanks to Colleen Murphy who gave me some great tips for photographing the water in this image. I am sure you will agree that this is a much clearer capture than the first version which I have since removed)

This is a genealogy link to the Orr family and this lighthouse.

Categories: Art, Laura Moreland, Ontario, Original Art work of Laura Moreland, Simcoe Island, Time, Tiny House Ontario, View | Tags: Simcoe Island | 4 Comments

Rain Water Wash

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Laura

Tiny House Ontario is in the process of installing a little place to wash up with our collected rain water.

The drainage is fantastic on the escarpment due to it being limestone bedrock with natural faults every few feet, so even when it is raining like crazy, for days, the ground is not wet. Thus a simple drain tube should do the trick. A sink and shower will be added… hopefully… on a raised platform. It depends on what the building inspector says about adding on to a non existent building/art project…

Here is the beginning.

Categories: Building code, Environmentalism, Nature, Off Grid, Simple living, Sustainable living, Tiny house, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

Home Sweet Home

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Laura

It was wonderful to get back to Tiny House Ontario even though it was just a Friday to Monday trip. The weather was perfect! I am very comfortable here in Hamilton in my small house, which has lots of light and a wonderful small studio for me to paint in; evenso, my home is Tiny House Ontario. This is not just because I love it there, but it is a place where people know my name. Mostly everyone.

My husband was also down with me and we brought the dogs out for a few walks while we were there. Unfortunately Honey got a tick and since that particular area of Ontario is awful for Lyme disease… we have to keep our eyes on her.

On one of the walks we went to the bottom of our escarpment and I found a wonderful old tree which made me think about how simple places can be and still be home. This single tree, rotting and twisted is the home to so many creatures. Additionally in the top there is a little nest.

Tree House Condo?