Calm in The County

A Part of Your Heart

When I was a child, my family would often go for drives in the country admiring the fall leaves, stopping for a frolic at the beach, weaving and rolling through the hilly forested dirt roads,  stopping at the cheese factories for some fresh curd or scouting out new campgrounds for our holiday adventures. It was a day discovering new places, buffalo or alpaca farms and revisiting our favourite places in the area.

These drives often took us into Prince Edward County where farmers' fields rolled along dotted with cows or crops.  We often visited pretty Lake on the Mountain (once thought to be bottomless by settlers) or frolicked in the waves at the Sandbanks provincial park admiring the big sand dunes and the vastness of the great lake.  I always loved walking out to the sandbars on the rippled, firm sandy bottom.  No squishy muddy bottom here!  On occasion we'd  take a ride on the Glenora Ferry or pick our own apples at Campbell's orchard.  A winter drive found us weaving through the giant snowbank tunnels left over from the most recent winter storm that pushed in off Lake Ontario.  PEC was only just across the bridge from my home of Belleville, but it felt like another world where we would escape the city and relish the peacefulness and natural beauty of the county.  Today, it still holds a very special place in  my heart and soul and elicits wonderful childhood memories.  I still visit the beach and jump through the waves like my 8 year old self.

All of these years later, the county is a major draw for tourists visiting it's famous vineyards, cideries and eateries.   The beautiful, big, ripple-sand beaches draw people in hordes. To the visitors it will be an adventure, another check on their bucket list.  For me, its a place that always reminds me of home.

This next painting, "Calm Before The Storm", was inspired on one of my recent drives home from the county.  The sky was dark and moody, heavy clouds were lingering above creating a dramatic contrast against  the bright  red barn that sat squarely below.   The bright yellow-green field glowed below the roiling sky and I couldn't resist capturing this moment to memory.

Now sold, this painting always brings a warmth to my heart that reminds me of those childhood days with my parents, exploring a part of my heart that remains ever fast.

Prints and cards are available for purchase.

What place speaks to your heart and brings you joy, comfort or peace?

Travelling Through The Doorways of the Past: Puglia Inspired Art

For me, Europe has a charm like no other place on earth.  It's rich history, picturesque countryside and ancient buildings that still stand today make my imagination run wild.  My home of Canada has its own beautiful landscapes, iconic buildings and history but its still a young country in comparison to those such as Italy, France or  Greece.  You won't find many Medieval castles popping up around  here on your Sunday drive. 

No matter which European country we visit, I have this one odd fascination that has me snapping pics left and right.   The doors.  Or as I like to refer to them, Portals Through Time.  Whether they're painted in bright rich colours, adorned with brass knockers in the shapes of  lion faces or mermaids, or they're constructed with studs and rusted steel, they all get my equal attention.  It's awe inspiring to think some of these doorways have stood for centuries guarding the occupants, welcoming visitors and worshippers and providing safe havens for travelers.    

The stories these entryways could tell us, if only they talked.  What battles or struggles passed by these doors?  What storms from sea or dessert did they defend against? Who were the people who worked or lived behind those doors?  How did they make their living? How did they live and survive?  Who were the passersby?   Of course, history can fill in some of those answers, but my curiosity dwells on those specifically who lived behind the doors.  I love to spin a story in my mind bringing this space to life. 

Some of my most favourite doors and alleyways are found in Italy.  These doors soon become my next painting subjects.   

The acrylic painting below is my favourite Puglia door with its old, gnarly, weathered wood entry, crumbling plaster and a  very determined little bush clinging strongly to a crack in the wall.   I titled this  painting, "Weathered By Time".

We  found this beaten up door down an alleyway next to a bakery in  a little town called Mola Di Bari.  I imagined it was battered by decades of salty winds blowing in off the Adriatic and the scorching summer sun.  Its character spoke of strength and duty, living a long, hard life on the edge of the sea and its commitment as protector of all who dwelled within, the keeper of their secrets and a portal to another time.

Do you have a favourite photo subject when you're travelling to new countries? 

 I'd love to  hear from you!

Coming Full Circle: A Painting, A Dream, Reality

What first comes to your mind when you imagine a perfect little English village?  Flower gardens and golden stone buildings? Churches, castles and bridges?  Market squares and stunning countryside?  

Years ago, in 2004, early in my painting journey, I stumbled across an image of a beautiful, Medieval,  English village that immediately grabbed my attention and pulled me into its historic charm.   

Its stunning honey-coloured houses built of Cotswold stone, the old stone bridge over the curving Bybrook river and the 13th century St. Andrew's church nestled against the backdrop of trees was an idyllic representation of one of my favourite parts of this stunning country. Nestled on the most southern edge of the Cotswolds, home to the most beautiful cottages and villages in all of England, Castle Combe captured my heart and ignited my creative spark.  

This pretty little town would become my next subject, my next acrylic landscape painting.  Having only returned to painting in 2020, this painting presented many a challenge; water and reflections, clouds, perspective and depth and colour mixing.  I took on the challenge with excitement, some frustration and much perseverance. In the end I was very pleased with the outcome I had achieved.  I signed it, framed it and proudly hung it in my home where I look at it every day.  I dreamed of standing in that little village surrounded by its beauty and hoped to one day visit.

Years later, when we took our little family to England on vacation in 2013, I was determined to find this charming village.  I could no longer remember the name but I didn't give up.  After numerous image searches, web pages and rabbit holes I finally found it.  I would soon be standing in the very painting I'd created years ago.

It was a surreal moment walking down the path along the river, looking at the bridge with the church's spire shooting up behind the buildings.  This summer, the water levels were low.    Some local fisherman were seated in chairs on the rivers bed, rods in hand waiting for a bite.   The sun was shinning and the stone homes stood proud and strong as they had for hundreds of years.  The flowers bloomed, the roads were quiet and I felt blessed to be there.

What started as a painting and became a dream would become reality. 

I had come full circle!  

I bounced up onto the  bridge and posed for a photo in the ever-so-familiar scene that captured my heart so many years ago.  

Is this my best painting?  Skillfully, honestly no.  Is this painting special and loved as it is?  Absolutely!  I could let my inner critic and perfectionism steal the joy this painting has given me by analyzing all the ways I'd improve it now, but I choose to look at this piece with love and pride.  

What I see, what I feel and what I remember from that day on the bridge is priceless and perfect just the way it is. 

It holds a piece of my H'Art and Soul.

An Artist's Creative Warmup: Neurographic Art

I'm not afraid to admit it, sometimes I need a little brain boost to kick my creative ideas into gear. 

Just as you might grab your morning coffee or hit the yoga mat at sunrise,  run your 5k before the kids wake up or write in your diary before you roll out of bed, warmups are my equivalent of an energizer  to wake up the senses, loosen up my hands and get my imagination engaged!

Some days the ideas flow easily, faster than I can catch them.  Other days, the dreaded white-canvas paralysis sets in and my imagination takes a temporary holiday.  

So what do I do when the ides aren't flowing?  Or when I haven't been in my studio for awhile?  Or when the blank page or canvas stares back at me taunting me to make a move?  I pull out one of my warmups and just get moving.  

Neurographic art is one of my absolute favourites.  Its quick, easy and completely organic.  

How to Use Neurographic Art as a Warmup

Step1:  Grab a sheet of paper, printer, watercolour, marker or any piece you have on hand.  I usually tape it down to a board to give it a nice even border but its not a necessary step.

Step 2:  With your marker ( I use a black fine tip sharpie or any other permanent marker I have on hand) and draw one continuous line, that curves and twirls, up, down or any direction that feels right for you while intersecting other areas of the line.

Step 3:  Begin rounding out the intersections of the lines making them as thin or thick as you like.

Stop drawing when it feels right.  Your drawing will look something like this:

Step 4:  When its complete, grab some markers, paints, pens, crayons or any medium on hand and begin filling in the cells.   You can use colour themes, a monochromatic theme , patterns or any combination that feels good.  Be free and let you imagination run wild. The idea here is to go with the flow, don't let  your thinking brain get in the way.  

Once you feel you've completed your piece or you've done enough to get your creative energy flowing remove the tape carefully, sign it and  take a good look at what you've just created.

What do you see popping out at you from within the shapes?  Maybe you'll spot a bird, a fish, a woman holding a child or  a goofy giraffe.  Maybe you won't see anything in particular other than the beautiful colours or patterns that are pleasing to your eye. Either way, the exercise accomplished its goal:  your senses are engaged, your hands and fingers are warm and your imagination is engaged!

Use the momentum you've created and see where your imagination leads you today.  

"Imagination is the beginning of creation" - George Bernard Shaw

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Copyright Patricia Bond, 2025