Bonny's Pages

My Walk Along Lac Léman

  Wow! It's been quite a few days since I promised more photos of my walk. Where does the time go?? Keeping busy, catching up and preparing for another trip. I'm hoping that the weather will be more consistent in the warmer temperatures this time.

  Three weeks ago in Lausanne, the days were usually still fairly cool, overcast and threatening rain. This one day, though, was different. The temps jumped from about 8 or 10*C to a wonderful 21*C!!! Everyone who was out and about, tried to take full advantage of the sudden shift. It definitely seemed like Spring had arrived!

I decided to  head down towards the lake shore to see the views. It ended up being a longer walk to get there then I thought. Behind the train station I descended through suburbs that have built up over the years from the waterfront. Lausanne and environs is set on hillsides and walking is truly an exercise! Fortunately, this time I was going downhill!                                                                                                                

This is going down towards Ouchy, a little village by the lake. It was to be the beginning  of my walk along  the shore to Pully. There were apartments and a few older mansions, a small church, even a very high class hotel. This looks like a castle, but it is a hotel, called Château d'Ouchy.                                                                              

In the summer, it would be fun to take one of these pedal boats out and enjoy the views directly from the water. The little rental stand was still closed. So it seemed to be quiet out on the water, but there was actually a lot going on. It is a busy waterway and certainly these freighters were chugging along with their loads. I saw a lot of birds on my walk, too.

At first, I really didn't know how far I was going to go. As time went by, I became quite hungry - and thirsty! - so I went on until Pully. That was the next village along the shore. It wasn't that far, but stopping to take photos, it took me longer than I thought. It was a great walk!

There is an album in the left column, if you would like to see more of my walk. Pictures are sometimes worth more than words. Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

It's officially Spring but the weather hasn't really quite caught up to the calendar yet. It's been too cold and damp on both sides of the ocean. Still, people have been busily preparing for Easter, a time for joyful celebration in its many forms. It is a time of rebirth on different levels. In the rites of the Church, it's a time of resurrection and reaffirmation of Faith. It's a time of rebirth and regeneration in Nature as well.

Trees are clothing themselves with new buds and new foliage. Flowers are bursting forth in all their beauty  adding cheerful color to days that are still a bit on the chilly side. Any sign of Spring is so welcome after a long winter. One day last week in Lausanne, the temperatures soared to 21*C!! The sun was shining and it was great to go for a walk along Lac Léman. (We also know it as Lake Geneva, but that is incorrect. The people of Geneva somewhat presumptuously call it lake Geneva and the appellation came into common usage, but they are only one settlement along the shores of the lake.) This is a Magnolia tree in front of the Olympic Museum.

I followed the footpath along the very edge of the shore, marvelling at the scenery  around every bend. This flowering shrub enclosed a magnificent estate from inquisitive eyes. I could not step back further to take a comprehensive photo without literally stepping into the water. I have no idea what this flowering hedge is called, but it had a lovely scent and a few bees were busily humming within its blossoms.

A few days later, we were strolling along the Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich and passed this bright window beckoning passersby to browse for gifts or indulge their sweet tooth. We did neither at that moment, but Switzerland is famous for its chocolate!

There will be more posts and lots more photos in days to come. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!

A Watercolour Weekend

  That was a great weekend! I had been looking forward to it since before Christmas and after all the anticipation, it's over already. Considering that I'm typing this entry on board a Boeing 777 en route to Switzerland, the weekend has definitely been left behind.

  Rob and I spent some time on Gabriola Island at a lovely B&B. We were away from the usual pace of the city in a quiet country setting. Both of us were really productive in very different ways. Rob had a lot of work to do while preparing for his meetings this week. Yes, he had to  work, but least he had no telephone interruptions and he was able to take a few breaks to enjoy the hospitality and be a little more relaxed and focused.

  I was kept busy in a totally different way. I had the chance to take a workshop with Dianne Bersea. At the time I found out about this workshop, I had never heard the name before, but a quick look at her website, convinced me I wanted to sign up. Boy, am I ever glad I did! She is a very talented artist and easy going. And she has a great sense of humour!

  Dianne taught us about 'Composition in Watercolour'. She shared ideas and tips with us and taught us different techniques to add to our 'tool kit' for painting. There are several things I learned but I will definitely need to find time to practise them. To begin, she showed us new ways of using photos as reference material without relying on them too much. I must admit, that has been a particular weakness for me. Photos have so much more potential as a proper tool to aid the creative process than I ever realized.

  There are certain elements of composition in drawing and painting that are vital to make your art a success. Dianne brought these elements to life for us. She simplified certain aspects to make them easier to remember. If they are easier to remember, they are more likely to be used. There have been many times when I have started a new project and been so intent on getting something on that blank piece of paper that focal points and other aspects of design were only vaguely remembered – if they were thought of at all.

  Sylvie, our hostess for the workshop at the B&B, made sure we were thoroughly spoiled! Each day we had a coffee break in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Coffee, tea, water and juices were supplied in abundance, but the best part were the muffins, cookies, pastries and fruit we had to choose from. Lunches were also provided and Sylvie is a marvel in the kitchen! She made sure we were well fed and had lots of energy to be creative. 

  Attending workshops can be a challenge. There is often quite a lot of information to absorb  and new procedures to learn in a short time frame. Before we can get really comfortable with one thing, the instructor will already have moved on to teaching another aspect. I know enough not to place very high expectations on myself to produce frameable masterpieces in a few short hours. It is a learning environment after all. Most of the time I'm still uncertain about using the techniques, and I must have a chance to practise them before I can use them with ease. That too has been a lesson I had to learn. Nothing is immediate and it's impossible to produce amazing results in a short time.

I had a lot of fun at this workshop! We were a group of artists with a wide range of experiences. All of us were excited to try out what Dianne taught us and even she was surprised at the challenges we set for ourselves.  Certainly some artists had better results than others. Throughout it all, Dianne encouraged us to keep going with her positive yet truthful critiques. My paintings from the workshop are certainly fairly naïve and rough, though I'm certain that one or two smaller pieces can be salvaged from the bigger formats. Not bad at all for two days of painting!