Right now my kitchen is filling with the smells of coconut butter, oatmeal, walnut cookies.
Continue readingWhen Cookies Baking in the Oven and Gallery-Opening-Time Coincide
flower painting
The Healing Properties of Daffodils, Turtles and Goutweed
Something fairly profound happened for me this month.
I have felt quite sluggish this winter. Not actually depressed but just completely unmotivated, disinterested, lazy and believing that my strong desire to paint had completely abandoned me. This was quite distressing because there was absolutely no substitute interesting endeavour that came to mind. Nothing. Not writing. Not gardening. Not visiting. Not travelling. I wondered if this is how the end begins.
Continue readingPaintings Hopping in May at the Lucky Rabbit Art House
Today my month long solo show “Courage My Love” opened at Lucky Rabbit’s Artist House Gallery in Annapolis Royal where 21 of my paintings are on display until May 28, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am till 4pm.
My Grandmother’s Garden Planted Seeds of Love
The first months of the pandemic in 2020 activated a lot of distress and anxiety for me. It was hard to imagine that there had ever been calm and happiness in my world. Therefore, memories of those good periods took on a deeper significance. I reached back to memories of early times in my life when I felt happy and content. Like the times spent visiting my Scottish grandmother and her wild garden of flowers and vegetables and experiencing with her love and kindness. But that garden. What was it about that garden that brought me such joy?
Continue readingInventing a Blue Flower While Breathing
If you love flowers, you’ll know that actual blue flowers are rare. Horticulturalists try to develop true blue blooms, and sometimes they come up with a purple and call it blue. And even though some flowers are blue, like a Cornflower, a Delphinium or a Forget-me-not, you can’t find a blue Zinnia or Daisy.
Except if you are a painter, and you can imagine it. You can paint the flowers any colour you want to.
Continue readingAre You Up for a Coffee and a Whole Lot of Paintings?
I had a lovely time last week with the small, but enthusiastic art friends who came out to see my new paintings at Sissiboo Cafe in Bear River.
I will be in the cafe gallery again this afternoon, Friday September 11, from 2 – 4pm and would love to meet you for coffee and to share my painting stories with you. Continue reading
Paintings Revealed – Exhibition of Art by Flora Doehler, daily until October 13, 2020
I am so pleased to invite you to my exhibition of new paintings at Sissiboo Coffee Bar and Gallery in Bear River.
The 16 paintings celebrate the beauty of living flowers and gardens. All the scenes were created in my garden and studio in Bear River, Nova Scotia Continue reading
New Paintings, Soft Openings and the Love of Flowers – Sept 3 – Oct 13, 2020
I am so happy to be able to show you my newest paintings that will grace the walls of Sissiboo Coffee Bar and Gallery for 6 weeks. This summer we didn’t physically open our artists’ Gallery, Bear River Artworks. We just had a virtual presence. It never seemed like the right time to open as we waited for life to go back to ‘normal. Continue reading
A Virtual Paint-In and Auction Happens this Weekend for Paint the Town, Aug 15, 16, 17, 2020
Paint the Town is THIS WEEKEND…. but with a Covid-19 twist.
Instead of hordes of artists and collectors congregating in Annapolis Royal for this annual arts festival, the event has been scaled down and will be online.
For me, this means I can paint at home in my studio and garden and post pictures of my progress online on Instagram and Facebook. So will a total of 25 artists. Continue reading
Reimagining the Garden – Painting with Ink
Usually, I paint from life. It is a thrill to study the subject in all its aliveness and life energy. But this time as I was looking for a scrap of drawing paper, I pulled open a drawer and my eyes landed on a sweet little crayon and watercolour sketch that I’d made a few years ago of Bee Balm in July.
I really liked the composition of it – that off-centred bloom and the undefined green in the background.
But can I translate it into an ink painting?
Yes and no. Continue reading