Timid Turtle Creative News - June 2021

Greetings art-makers, art lovers and everyone who just plain likes visual arts! Spring has flown by and we have lots of news to share with you!

TAKE IN DIANA’S SOLO SHOW, MELANGE…AND WIN A CUSTOM PORTRAIT!

Art shows have been hard to hold lately, but we’re pleased to let you know Diana will be hosting a solo show at the Leir House in Penticton June 6-26 as part of her work as an artist in residence with the Penticton and District Community Arts Council.

Named Mélange, the show celebrates Diana’s mixed media work. Mélange means “mixture” and that’s just what you’ll find: a variety of mixed media works inspired by Diana’s love of nature…hiking, backpacking or just enjoying the stillness, sights and sounds around her. Some paintings incorporate natural elements like bark, shells or rocks, while others play with colours and shapes. In all cases, Diana uses a variety of media to create textures not possible using paint alone.

The best news? If you attend the show and bring a friend you can enter a contest to win a free 11x14 portrait of your favourite person or pet painted by Diana. Be sure to stop by and remember, you need to bring a friend to qualify!

For more, check out this short promo video we put together for the show.

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BE SURE TO VISIT OUR NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL, MAKE ART WITH DIANA!

In May we launched a new YouTube channel, Make Art With Diana! The channel is dedicated to in-depth art instruction and information for artists of all experience levels.

We're kicking it off by posting a series titled Creating an Abstract Painting Using Natural Elements. It’s a 10-part series that covers every step from a blank canvas to a finished abstract painting. We’ve posted six episodes with more to come soon.

Take a minute to visit the channel. While you’re there, please subscribe (it’s free!) and watch some or all of the videos. You won’t be disappointed!

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SOMEONE ELSE'S VIDEO YOU MIGHT ENJOY…

We spend a lot of time on YouTube (maybe too much time…) and often come across videos we think are interesting or entertaining. So why not share?

This video from the Sketchbook Skool channel recently caught our eyes: How a sketchbook can change your life. It offers a positive and uplifting message about why you (and everyone, really) should start using a sketchbook. And it’s delivered in a soothing, friendly manner. Give it a watch!

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OUR FAVOURITE GADGET THIS MONTH

If you're a painter, you know how hard it can be to get the last few drops of paint out of a tube. Heck, if you use toothpaste you know how hard it can be!

That's where the Heavy Duty Metal Tube Wringer comes in. Just put it on the end of a tube, crank the handle and enjoy the feeling of getting all the paint you paid for out of the tube. By some estimates, one-quarter to one-third of each tube is usually wasted, so this little tool pays for itself in no time!

You can find the metal tube wringer at Opus or here, on Amazon. Well worth it!

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Thanks for reading! Have a great month and hope to see you soon. If you have feedback, questions or just want to chat...please be in touch.

If you know anyone who would enjoy or benefit from the content in this newsletter please feel to forward it to them.

Diana and Paul Timid Turtle Creative

Photo featured for River of the Month

Good news! One of my photos (seen here) has been included in the Western Rivers Conservancy’s River of the Month feature, available both as a page on their website and as a pdf download.

The Western Rivers Conservancy (@westernriversconservancy) is a US-based non-profit organization that buys land along rivers and streams to conserve habitat for fish and wildlife, protect sources of cold water and provide public access. Their work is well summed up in their motto: “Sometimes to save a river, you have to buy it.”

Each month the conservancy publishes a guide to a river on which they have worked. This month it’s the Okanagan River, which starts at Okanagan Lake in BC and flows south through Washington to eventually merge with the Columbia River. The portion of the river in the US is referred to as the Okanogan River.

I’ve included small images of the River of the Month pdf below, but I encourage you to visit the WRC website at www.westernrivers.org to check it out at full size and to read more about the organization’s work. And check out their Instagram feed for some beautiful photos and inspiration.

Oh, my photo — it was taken where the Okanagan River enters Vaseux Lake. As you can see, it was a beautifully calm summer morning…the kind I wish we were enjoying right now.

Visiting a "secret" location

This year has been spectacular in the South Okanagan. True, that's the case in most years, but this year has outdone itself with displays of yellows, oranges and reds.

Fall colors are like catnip to landscape photographers, so for the past few weeks I've been getting out as often as I can to capture some of the beauty before it is gone.

It was on one of these outings that I discovered a gem hidden in a small corner just a little off the beaten track. There, on a rocky hillside above a vineyard, stood a tree that was positively on fire with yellow leaves. Not another living being was on hand to witness this beauty.

Although it was midday, and much too sunny for landscape photography, I stopped and climbed the hill to take a few shots. Predictably, when I sat down later to process the images, the harsh light made the task challenging. It was a beautiful composition, but it was hard to do the fall colors justice.

A week later, I visited again, hoping the colors would still be intact. This time, however, I came in the late afternoon, hoping to take advantage of the soft light near sunset. Upon arriving, I was surprised to find most of the leaves fallen.

The tree was still gorgeous, but half of its former glory lay in piles below. I captured the moment again, and this time was rewarded with a more manageable image.

Two weeks later, nearly a full month after first finding the tree, I returned to see what was left. Not much, it turned out. October had made way for November, and there was not a single yellow leaf left on the tree. Or in the vineyard across the road. All that remained were the skeletal limbs of the tree and the vines. Still, the composition was good and I committed the moment to photo.

It was later, looking over the three images I had captured in the space of a few weeks, that the full extent of the change became apparent. From a bright, sunny day and a tree full of yellow leaves to a dull, cloudy day with no leaves. Such is the pain brought by autumn, the price we pay for the fleeting, stunning displays of color.

As a landscape photographer, however, I can savor the images as often as I like. I hope you will enjoy them as well.

If you are interested in watching a short video of my last trip to this secret location, visit our Youtube channel.