Listening to The Minstrel of the Dawn by Gordon Lightfoot while painting a Blue jay on wood

This is one of the Blue jays that visits our backyard!

This is my first painting for the year 2017, 
my second painting on wood 
(the first was The Birth of Jesus)

The Minstrel of the Dawn is a song from Gordon Lightfoot's 1970 album Sit Down Young Stranger which was later renamed to If You Could Read my Mind. 
(I've been listening to Gordon Lightfoot since the '70's 
and his music plays a vital part in my paintings!)

Get the album and the song on iTunes

Blue jay

11"x14" oil painting on wood

“We Are Not Afraid”- Majek Fashek

We Are Not Afraid is written and performed by Majek Fashek.

This video features 150+ stars including Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Sting, Mark Knopfler, Ian Anderson, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr,  ....

Read more here

The cardinals are here to wish us a very happy first day of winter!

Christmastime

Over the years I have noticed how people tend to not celebrate Christmas because they are reminded of things that someone said or did to hurt them. 

First of all Christmas is not about you and me, but about Jesus!

When you truly love someone, it is very easy to forgive them and forget any of their wrongdoings to you. Just like a mother would forgive her child, or a child would forgive an aging parent. 
True love is unconditional. 

Therefore a lack of forgiveness must mean the absence of true love. 

It is the characteristic of some people not to ever forget. 

They tend to bring up old stories and remind you after several years. 

(Thankfully GOD has blessed me with the right amount of forgetfulness☺)  

So how do you deal with such people? 
Forgive them, pray for them, and keep a safe distance from them.

Never allow negative people to disrupt your Joy. 

Remember, the darkness of evil never has and never will extinguish GOD's light

And rather than curse the darkness by criticizing, bringing up negativity etc. 

light a candle and be the light!

Christmas is a time to show that kind of love and forgiveness.

If you are reading this, may you be blessed by HIM, 

And may you experience true Joy and Peace this Christmas Season!

"When the heart cries only GOD hears" - Sarit Hadad

Lyrics and translation of this beautiful song

You can get the song כשהלב בוכה on iTunes

or from the official website of Sarit Hadad

For the movie nights ahead

December Dove

When it's -20 degrees C, the December dove prefers to sit in its plate and eat, 
rather than sit in the cold snow!

Just dug up a foot of snow to feed the birds, and they are happy

Listening to Songs from the Wood (Jethro Tull) while painting Deer at Mukurthi

Mukurthi is a place I have visited almost thirty years ago in India, 

long before it became a National Park. 

In those days when I went hiking, I saw lots of wildlife including the Nilgiri Tahr locally known as Ibex, saw a Black panther once (some call it a leopard), herds of bison (known as Gaur in India), dholes that have followed me, and Sambar deer. I've also encountered wild boar, which was scary!

Today Mukurthi is a National Park and also a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you need permission to visit.

This is a painting of a deer at the edge of Mukurthi Lake from a photograph I took in the '80's

Mukurthi Peak in the background is about 8,300 feet, and one of my favourite hikes!

The music of Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) has always had a tremendous influence on me while painting such themes.

Deer at Mukurthi 

24" x 36" oil painting on canvas
is also available as a high resolution print

Integrity

Giving

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving" - Mother Teresa

Winter Moonrise

As the sun sets in the West, look East, beyond the snow-laden trees, 

and snow-covered rooftops of Mississauga, 

and you'll see the winter moon rising into the pink December sky

Winter Walk

Feels like -12 degrees C, with a little snow on the ground

Love December sunsets!