Keep It positive....

Doesn't this time of year just make you feel like this?

Photography by Cleo Sullivan

I know I should be upbeat, positive and just plain happy. I have just spent all this time with family and friends, the indulgences of my taste buds are still lingering on my lips , and Santa's gifts are still gleaming new... but with new years resolutions on the brink of breaking, holiday decorations coming down, bills coming in, and cold winter temperatures, it is hard to be Ms. Optimistic! Luckily, I have been though a January before and know that its brighter from here on out! (and I am not just talking about the hours of sunlight each day!)

Less we forget

Some natural images of the Poppy... Some beauty to remind us to care.

Mary Edwards

Georgetown Galleries

J. Grabenstein

Island Calm

Yesterday I went down to Toronto Island. I spent some time on the south beaches - and well couldn't get enough!


This is what I wrote while I was over there, on the back of a receipt while lying on the beach:

The busy city is just a memory, a distant silhouette on the horizon. Here you feel raw uncomplicated calmness. You don't need a yoga mat to feel the ohm emanating from your body. Sundresses, straw hats and bathing suits are a must. The small waves entice you into the crystal clear blue body of water. Looking out at the sail boat in the distance and the disappearing blue sparkle on the horizon you question if this isn't the ocean - But one splash of the crisp water lets you know it is salt free. Kids jump and swim in the lake while their mother keeps an eye on them from ankle deep water. Wooden boardwalks and grassy dunes remind me of the east coast, but the dry light breeze brings me back to Toronto. It is just the right temperature, surprisingly not humid at all. Planes are the only thing that break the expansive blue skies, their propeller engines hum and grumble as they descend their way to the island airport. As I lie back, I ask myself - why have I never come here before, and how am I ever going to convince myself to leave?

Well luckily for me, I managed to take the ferry back to reality. It was surprisingly not difficult to leave the island. Once I moved on from the beach side (south side) it was a natural progression back. First there was the boardwalk around the water, then glimpses of houses, then a small little 'town' or in other words, grid of houses (more on that in the next post), and then a little walk through cafe to re-energize me before facing the big city.

Below are some images of the beach side of the island. "Life's a beach and then you die"

Looking down the beach from the main pier
The Sailboat in the distance
Pebbles on the shore instead of shells
The CN tower in the distance, sand dunes in the for front

Dear Toronto Island - You are just what I needed- With love, Ashley

Balancing Act

So I have been neglectful and not posting anything for a very long time. Last week was a blur of work, new people and getting ready for the weekend (we went on a surfing trip). This week I am on vacation from work, taking an art course for fun - who knew that I would use up vacation time to go to school?!? I guess this whole beauty/design/art thing is really getting under my skin!

Today we had a basic lesson on Balance - the negative and the positive space. It was amazing to see how a lack of balance between these two things can really put off an image. I am now see why many images that I see and think that I shouldn't like (due to colour or texture, or a displeasing theme) can still look good, even great!

Below are some images that I like because of the balance, not because of the content.
I have never really liked these advertisements - When I was a little kid I really liked things like this, with the old coke-cola signs and rusted tins but it seems like I have outgrown it, until I see something like this - Love the green and pink combo.
I'm not usually one for formal French design, but this is one I like, a lot. I love the repetition of squares, and the balance between the blue and white - its just perfect especially with that splash of darkness. This makes me reconsider my dislike for Formal French.

Despite being an image of a cage - I just like looking at it, all of the detail in both the negative and positive forms is memorizing.