SUSAN MATTHEWS

A mysterious tree

2010-09-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

I discovered this tree in a forest. It appears that the sides are painted white. I can't imagine anyone would have trekked into this forest with a can of white paint to do this. The only other possibility that I can think of is the tree attempting to appear thinner. A freak of nature or an Andy Goldsworthy at work?

Late summer grasses

2010-09-06T21:44:00.001-07:00

All summer these grasses have grown in very uniform lines but recently the wind has blown them every which way.
At least I think it was the wind.

Babe's Honey Farm

2010-07-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

I visited a honey farm yesterday and while I took quite a few photographs, strangely none were of bees.

Sixty years ago

2010-07-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

Sixty years ago today I celebrated my first birthday by ( as I am told ) walking for the first time. I like to think that I toddled out into this field although in reality I was probably carried and plopped down. But however I arrived there it was then and has always been a place that I love to be. In a field, surrounded by grasses and wild flowers, close to the water, is perfection to me. At the age of one I already knew where I wanted to be.

Moss Street Market

2010-07-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

The neighbourhood market is in full swing now. Produce, food, crafts and live music make it a fun destination every saturday morning. Last week edible flowers encased in clear packages looked pretty and ready to adorn a salad.

Blake Matthews

2010-06-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

June 28, 1910 - January 13, 2000
My father would have been 100 years old today. He lived a long and good life, dying just a few months before his 90th birthday. He was a gentle man, quiet and witty. He loved skiing, dancing, camping, sketching, big band music, desserts and sherry. He worked as a salesman most of his life but told me once that he would have liked to have been a draftsman. I could easily imagine him in that profession. He always sketched and we spent many lovely times together drawing outdoors. I have included a few of his pencil drawings below, his favourite subjects were trees and boats. He always encouraged my artistic interests and I think that he would have been pleased to see his drawings here.

Singular Objects-The Broken Bowl

2010-06-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

I keep this bowl on a shelf in my studio, an example of the beauty of imperfection. It is very old and at one time in its long life it was broken. Whoever owned the bowl then thought it worthwhile to repair. At that time, before the advent of epoxy and polyester resins, the method of repair was the use of rivets or metal clamps fitted through drilled holes to hold the broken pieces together. This method seems to add more destruction to an already damaged item, the contrast of materials...metal against delicate china, is striking.
And yet, despite the unsympathetic restoration, I love this bowl. It has survived, with help. If I had broken the bowl I would have trashed it. At one point in my life that is what I would have done, but not now. I am thankful to the person who thought that this broken bowl was salvageable. It is still beautiful. perhaps even more beautiful now. And it is something that I treasure.

Camouflage

2010-04-30T20:01:00.001-07:00

When I looked at this photograph I was surprised to see how the tree trunk blended in with the surrounding rocks, lichen and moss. I can't decide if it is the tree or the background that is camouflaged.

Ghost Trees

2010-04-28T18:51:00.001-07:00

The branches are coated with lichen making the trees appear ghostly white although they are very much alive and about to burst into leaf. A hummingbird sat surveying the land for longer than I thought possible. Although it is spring and colour abounds wherever I look, I see these hidden landscapes in black and white.

Trees and Fences

2010-04-11T21:54:00.001-07:00

Late winter is an excellent time to photograph one of my favourite subjects...trees and fences. Recently I have been thinking about why I am so captivated by this subject. I think it is very simple, I admire the tenacity of nature, the strength to overcome barriers and adversity. I can learn a lot from looking at a tree and a chain link fence.

Pen and Ink Drawings

2010-03-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have recently been going through some of my old artwork. It is helpful for me to look at what I have done in the past, to see how my drawing has evolved. I used to do freelance illustrations for magazines, advertising and brochures. Drawings of plants and food were always my favourite assignments and that is what I began to specialize in. Because these drawings were for reproduction I worked in pen and ink, using a technical pen....a Marsmatic made by Staedtler. The nibs, which could be bought separately, ranged in size from 3, 2, 1, 0,00,000 and 0000. I was gradually using a finer and finer nib and when I reached 0000, the finest available, I began to think that I might have become a little obsessive. I found it amazing that a droplet of ink could actually come out of the nib but reproduction became a problem, the line breaking and appearing disjointed. I have since stopped using a technical pen but it is fun for me to see these old drawings. Maybe it's going against my nature but I would like to work in a looser way and that is something I constantly struggle with and work towards. Maybe not wearing my glasses and a glass of wine might help, I'll give it a try.

The Forest Floor

2010-03-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

I have been looking up at trees and missing what was at my feet. The pattern of a bracket fungus on a fallen log was right there. All I had to do was look down.

Tree and Chain

2010-03-05T22:20:00.001-08:00

Rock Tree Wall

2010-02-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tree and Rope

2010-02-25T21:52:00.001-08:00

An urban tree draped in heavy rope, no idea why.
I liked it for the contrasting textures and because
it is a mystery.

Trees and Surroundings

2010-02-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

The relationship between trees and their surroundings is a theme that continues to interest me. As with any relationship, the arrangement between nature and a man made structure is continually changing with aspects of adjustment, compromise, patience...a struggle for dominance. Naturally I am rooting for nature, in her sometimes slow determination and sometimes in her more energetic need to overcome and obscure obstacles.
Because I live in a city, the trees that I observe on my walks do not stand alone, they are but one element in relationship with their surroundings. It is this relationship that is of interest to me.

Harling Point Rock and Chain

2010-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

My daily walks are usually within a five kilometer radius of home and since I live close to the ocean approximately half of that radius is water, so unless I am out in my kayak what I find and document is found in a relatively small area. And yet almost every day I discover something new and exciting. This is a photograph taken in Harling Point, a place that I return to again and again. It holds a feeling of serenity and mystery for me.

The Darling Snowdrops of January

2010-01-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Drifts of snowdrops line the paths and lanes that I walk along. I like the contrast in this photograph, the roughness of the tree bark, the pattern of pinecones and the delicacy of snowdrops.

Snowberries

2010-01-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

White snowberries floating on delicate stems have
an ethereal beauty in the winter months

One year later

2009-12-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

The first item on my 2009 list of goals was to begin a blog. My plan was to illustrate and document, with photographs, drawings and watercolours, the natural world that I discover on my daily walks and further afield. I thought I would write a bit, but not too much, letting the images reveal my vision. I have discovered that my life long love of lanes, vacant lots, fields and waysides has endured and grown even stronger. I have discovered that while at times tempted and at times feeling negligent, I really don't want to draw pretty flowers and I won't. But I think weeds and wisps are pretty so I guess I do draw them after all. Just no roses, or azaleas or rhododendrons or......
I find it funny to look through the archives, fifteen posts in the months of January, February and March, ten posts for the next three months, seven in the next two, five in the following three and only one so far this month. LIfe can be art but it can also get in the way of art at times – more life, less art seems to be the rule. I like to think that life and art are one but that is not always the case, at least it isn't for me.
Although this was a year's project I have decided to continue. I have a lot of ideas and am looking forward to the new year. I plan to document and write about more of what I love, not only nature but other things that make me smile.
I have chosen to post the first photograph that I posted last January. I was new to photography then and I can clearly remember the thrill of being able to capture what I was seeing and feeling.
I would like to thank all of you who have found this blog and had a look, and to those who have become followers and have left comments, a special thank you.
Susan

Goldstream Park

2009-12-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

I visited Goldstream Park this week in search of the bald eagles that arrive each year around this time to feast on dead salmon. Either I was too early or too late, none were to be seen. But I did see a muskrat, two elegant young deer walked silently by and a walk through a cold rocky stream led me to this view. It took my breath away. It's called Niagara Falls which I thought was funny.

The Field

2009-11-30T22:12:00.001-08:00

I visited the field again recently, it was just as beautiful and as wet as I had remembered. I think the only way I can get closer is to wear either a wetsuit or hip waders that go up to my shoulders. If I hold the camera above my head I should be ok, it's worth a try.

Brussel Sprouts

2009-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't always been fond of sprouts but over the years I have grown to enjoy them, to eat and to draw. This drawing was done life size in graphite and painted with watercolours. I didn't really pile them like this but I thought it was a fun arrangement for their portrait.

Trees and Fences

2009-11-22T08:23:00.001-08:00

Searching for examples of tree and fence relationships has become a fun part of my daily walks. The search has led me to new areas of exploration, on foot and creatively. In this example it seems that the chain link fence was originally adapted to the existing tree but over time the tree has grown and happily begun to devour the fence.

Oak Bay Marina Seals

2009-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

My daily walk often includes a visit to the Oak Bay Marina to watch the resident seals...resident because they can always be assured of some tasty treats being thrown their way. But they have to be quick, seagulls have also discovered this spot for a free lunch.

The Salmon Run

2009-11-05T07:48:00.001-08:00

I witnessed an amazing and very emotional sight this week, thousands of pacific salmon swimming upstream to their home pools, to spawn and to die. Photography proved to be difficult, the fish are indistinguishable in the water...however dead salmon on the shore, while a startling image, were much easier to photograph.
Bald eagles will soon descend to feast on the fish carcasses.

Rockland Avenue

2009-10-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

Rampant Ivy

2009-10-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ivy framing the trash cans looks like it might eventually completely engulf them. It can be a problem in gardens and forests but down the lane ivy provides a useful purpose.

Free

2009-10-27T17:33:00.001-07:00

While out on my daily walk I see a variety of items placed on lawns with a free sign but this was the first time I had seen a home owner try to give away the telephone pole that was in front of their house.
I must return to see if it was taken.

Autumn Patterns

2009-10-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

This perfectly random arrangement of fallen leaves and reflections was on the hood of a blue car.

Down the Lane

2009-10-16T22:35:00.001-07:00

The slats of lattice fencing so closely following the tree trunk was remarkable.
I like the three strong vertical lines, all wood in different forms.

Tree and Rock

2009-09-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dawn Redwood

2009-09-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing tree, a massive deciduous conifer. It is growing on the grounds of Government House, a favourite place for walking and exploring.

Trees and Fences

2009-09-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Some tree and fence relationships are the result
of planning and some just happen, as in this case.

Down the Lane

2009-09-18T18:11:00.001-07:00

I am continuing walking down lanes and find myself continually fascinated with the relationships between fences and in this case rocks. It is the simplist of images but what caught my eye was the splatter of white paint on one of the rocks and the shadows.

Landscape with Grasses

2009-09-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

For most of my life I have been focussed on detailed studies of nature but In the past year I have looked up and through the lens of a camera I have begun to look at and to document the bigger picture. I have always found landscapes to be overwhelming, there is just so much visual information that I haven't known how or where to start.
This is a beginning.

Flowering Cabbage

2009-08-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Trees and Fences

2009-08-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Since I began this blog I have discovered that my creative vision has become clearer. I have been able to view my drawings and photographs more objectively and to identify a variety of interests and directions which hadn't been as clearly defined before.
This realization is helpful to focus on what really interests me and to expand and develop those themes. I have written about my love of lanes and looking through my photographs reveals how fascinated I am with the relationship between trees and fences, how fences are designed or adapted to accommodate an existing tree. What appeals to me is the care and consideration of the fence builder but also the visual image of the arrangement in varied forms.
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Saturday Mornings

2009-08-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

This summer Saturday mornings have become a delightful routine. After breakfast I begin walking to the local market and along the way I find garage sale after garage sale leading me on many detours as I follow each sign. On one recent Saturday the first sale proved to be so successful that I had to return home to leave my treasures before continuing on. A few blocks later more finds and another trip home. Having finally arrived at the market I found one stall which had simply and beautifully displayed their fruit and vegetables in brown paper bags, ready to take home and enjoy.

These are delicious little yellow plums.

Botanical Beach

2009-08-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

A day spent at Botanical Beach on Vancouver Island was just as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. Tidepools and sculptured formations have been formed by the sea and wave-tossed boulders wearing away the soft sandstone. It is a magical place.

Garry Oak Meadow

2009-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Water

2009-08-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Broom and Ivy

2009-08-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

A gardener had left this amazing broom leaning against a hedge. I liked the contrast of stark branches against lush ivy. Now I must admit that this is not exactly as found, I did do some repositioning.
I think that's called artistic license.

Postcards-From the Garden

2009-07-29T21:24:00.001-07:00

Down the Lane

2009-07-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

In Bloom-Lavender

2009-07-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

Whenever a plant is in bloom it seems to be everywhere I look. This week lavender is enjoying its moment in the sun, fragrant and abuzz with bees. I usually prefer plants pre and post bloom but sometimes it's just good to draw a flower.

Down the Lane

2009-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

A hot summer day is a good time to spend rambling down shady lanes. The lighting, particularly early morning and early evening, is perfect for photography.

Moss Street Market

2009-07-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

Every Saturday morning I visit a neighbourhood market and choose a subject for a drawing or painting. This week the onions looked particularly lovely.

Postcards-From the Garden

2009-07-08T19:05:00.001-07:00

I am beginning a new series for the summer...Postcards- from the garden, from the field, from my travels, from whatever interests me. The first postcard is one of my favourite plants, Silybum marianum, also known as milk thistle. You have to love a plant called silybum just for its name, but I love the look of it too. It is grown as an herbal remedy for diseases of the liver and gallbladder in Europe although considered an invasive weed in North America and Australia. I have seen it grown as an effective and beautiful natural barrier to protect crops from foraging wildlife. I grow it in a large pot in my garden, the seeds smuggled through the border at great risk.

Continuing Down the Lane

2009-07-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Down the Lane

2009-06-30T21:46:00.001-07:00

Red Onions

2009-06-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Farmers markets are wonderful places to be and the Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of my favourites.
These wonderfully coloured red onions with roots intact were already perfectly arranged for a photograph.

Wayside Plants-Chicory

2009-06-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

Wayside plants are some of my favourites. They are sturdy little things, growing and thriving in less than ideal conditions.This is a graphite study of chicory from my sketchbook.

A Bag of Peppers

2009-06-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

While on an early morning walk I noticed this large bag of mixed peppers sitting at the entrance to a closed restaurant. They appeared to be waiting for chef to arrive and would be part of the Plat du Jour ( It was a French Restaurant ).

Down the Lane

2009-06-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

As I have rambled down lanes over the years I have photographed whatever I find of interest. Some of these images are old slides, taken with an slr, which have been scanned and made into what I refer to as blogready. Although, even with modern technology, they still possess a roughness which I like. Twenty years ago I was trying to figure out f-stops, focussing and exposures. Now that I use a digital camera documenting the world that I see is much easier, fun too.

MIllet

2009-06-17T22:11:00.001-07:00

When I drew this plant I didn't know what it was. I thought it had a vague corn-like appearance. I liked the form and colour and that was enough reason for me to draw it. Last Saturday, at the local farmers market, I saw the same plant for sale...it's millet.

Continuing Down the Lane

2009-06-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Down the Lane

2009-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

This clematis covered white fence has a little clover design cut out.
It is a small detail but one that made me happy to see.

Lanes and Alleys

2009-06-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

I began to enjoy lanes and alleys when, at the age of seventeen, I moved from the suburbs to a city. They are honest and straightforward, not much pretention down a lane. Plants which are not deemed worthy of a garden are allowed to grow freely and unhindered in lanes. Vines run wild and engulf walls, fences are often sympathetically built to accomodate existing trees, weeds and garden escapees flourish. Given the choice I will always walk down a lane. You never know what you might find.

Camas

2009-06-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

The fields, meadows and waysides on Vancouver Island are coloured a beautiful blue-violet each May with a profusion of Camas, a native plant in western North America. Known as Quamash by the tribes of the Pacific Northwest the bulbs were roasted or boiled to be used as a food source.

Budding Foxgloves

2009-05-31T22:31:00.001-07:00

Signs of Spring - Yarrow

2009-05-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Three Dancing Alliums

2009-05-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Signs of Spring - Rosemary

2009-05-27T23:31:00.001-07:00

Signs of Spring - A Birds Nest

2009-05-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

I discovered this nest in the autumn so technically it is not a sign of spring but the nests I've seen recently are very active places so this will have to do...an empty nest but perhaps last years fledglings are now busily feeding their newly hatched families in a new nest.
I like to think so.

Signs of Spring - Forsythia

2009-05-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Beverly Beach, Oregon

2009-05-18T09:09:00.001-07:00

After the ocean and the trees and the rock formations I looked down and discovered shell fossils. The weather was what I refer to as 'camping weather', cold and rainy, the conditions less than ideal for photography, but I did want to share my wonderful day.
I hope to return.

Beverly Beach, Oregon

2009-05-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

At the risk of turning this into a TravelBlog I am going to continue with my Red Letter Day. The campsite was in a rainforest, a walk to the beach revealed a completely different world of sand and water and rocks and shells guarded by a row of trees.
This is the place that I wanted to be.

Beverly Beach, Oregon

2009-05-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

My Red Letter Day continued with the discovery of
sand patterns in a tidal stream leading to the sea.

A Red Letter Day

2009-05-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

These are days of special significance for me. They are invariably comprised of being in a place that I love, whether newly discovered or reassuringly familiar. On a recent camping trip to the Oregon coast I experienced such a day.

Signs of Spring

2009-04-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

A small drawing from my sketchbook,
the tip of a branch about to burst into leaf.

Oh Well...

2009-04-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

sometimes the magic works
...and sometimes it doesn't.

One more Wisp

2009-04-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

I took a few hours away from my studio today to do some much needed garden work and I discovered a lovely surprise....
a wisp, japanese anemone seed heads. I stopped gardening and
began to draw. The garden can wait.

Fairfield Artists Studio Tour

2009-04-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

I have not forgotten about the flowering artichoke, nor has it been relegated to recycling ( yet ). However, I have been madly matting and frantically framing in preparation for an open studio tour this weekend.
Please have a look here for all the information.

The Flowering Artichoke

2009-04-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be fun to document the progression of one of my drawings. I begin with a graphite rendering from life and then add watercolour washes. Watercolour is not the easiest of mediums to work with and for me it is often hit or miss. The misses are shredded in frustration and relegated to the trash, actually to recycling but trash sounds much more dramatic.

Catkins By the Sea

2009-04-15T06:51:00.001-07:00

The pussywillows, which I had drawn two weeks
ago, have developed into lovely soft yellow catkins.

The Field

2009-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Before sinking any further ( see previous post )
I was able to take a few more photographs.
I love this field and plan to return often although
anglers waders might be wise for my next visit.

Spring Landcape #1

2009-04-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

The field was deceptively dry today. I quickly sank up to my
knees and got very wet feet despite wearing rubber boots.
I held my camera high just in case I was to sink further.

Last of the Winter Wisps

2009-04-05T21:29:00.001-07:00

Signs of Spring - Fresh Asparagus

2009-04-02T18:33:00.001-07:00

Moss

2009-03-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

When I began to explore forests as a child in Quebec I was taught a simple navigational guide "moss always grows on the north side of a tree." Now living in British Columbia I find that I often walk in circles.

Signs of Spring - Pussy Willows

2009-03-30T21:04:00.001-07:00

A Stand of Poplars

2009-03-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Three Wisps

2009-03-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

Two Strawberries

2009-03-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

A bit of colour to brighten up a very grey day

Sunlit Trees

2009-03-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

Spring Fever

2009-03-21T00:10:00.001-07:00

It's spring fever.
That is what the name of it is.
And when you've got it, you want - oh,
you don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache,
you want it so!
Mark Twain

And I've got it.
Susan

A Wispful Couple

2009-03-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Bamboo

2009-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

a stand of bamboo
engraved and initialed
by lovers

The Vacant Lot

2009-03-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thistles and nettles and burrs....oh my

Almost Spring Landscape #1

2009-03-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Garlic...Again

2009-03-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Same garlic
Same page size
Same problem
But fun trying

Stone Wall with Moss

2009-03-06T19:09:00.001-08:00

Down the lane
is where I want to be
In a field
is where I want to be
By the sea
is where I want to be
Lucky me
I am where I want to be
if only
geographically

The Vacant Lot

2009-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

I went walking in the vacant lot today. Not much growing yet but there are some lovely prickly things ( that's a botanical term )
to be found.

A Pair of Wisps

2009-03-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Winter Landscape #7

2009-02-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

Garlic

2009-02-27T21:48:00.000-08:00

I discovered this garlic at a farmer's market.
From bulb to flower head it measured 3 feet.
My sketchbook is 9" by 12".
Some adjustments had to be made.

The Vacant Lot

2009-02-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

I am intrigued by a recently discovered vacant lot.
All that remains, where a house once stood,
are the vestiges of a garden and opportunistic plants.
Throughout the year I will be watching what
emerges and documenting what I find.

East Sooke Park

2009-02-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

Wisp of Grass

2009-02-21T22:08:00.001-08:00