💤 SLEEP WALK 💤

Does Music inspire you? It does for me. I have always loved the instrumental piece by Santo & Johnny, "SLEEP WALK",one of my favourites.

I love many things like cats and dogs , music, art and stories and much more.

I once again was inspired by a song or should I say by an instrumental piece to create art and inspired by a place I once used to call home a very long time ago.

There really does exist a place called Wychwood across the Ottawa river on the Quebec side at Aylmer, Quebec. And so, I painted "SLEEP WALK".

SLEEP WALK

It snowed all day. It was a very deep and frosty snow. All of Wychwood was under a twinkling blanket of snow; a purrrfect night to tuck in early to bed for a good night's sleep but Genova , the witch couldn't sleep.

She was in an old cottage in the woods , with candlelight reflected in the large parlour room window; by her side, her 3 ghosts ; Ghost, Spooks and Boo. The view of the front lawn was an enchanting site, all sparkling and glittery, just like a Christmas postcard only it was just October.

Oh, my, I'm so tired but I can't sleep! said Genova. Lying on the sofa she reached for the knob on the radio and turned the dial to on, suddenly over the waves there was the song that always sent Genova to a far, far away place.“Sleep Walk”. Genova closed her eyes and drifted to the land of nod. Ghost, a big fluffy white cat, the biggest of the three cats became drowsy to the sound of the still guitar and soon he too was sound asleep. As for the other two cats, Spooks was transfixed to the window, something had caught his attention. It was Boo he was watching,once again sleep walking .......outdoors!

Spooks wondered just how long it would be before Boo would wake from the chilly air and realize he was not inside the house.

Waiting On a Friend *** The Veil Between Our Mortal World and The Beyond

The Veil Between Our Mortal World and The Beyond

When I first posted this painting on Instagram I had no idea where it was going from there only that I wanted it to convey something supernatural.

As I continued painting, the ghosts began to appear 👀👀👀 

Well, I finally finished the painting yesterday and when it came down to giving it a title it was easy. Always loved The Rolling Stones song ; “Waiting On A Friend”, (first recorded in 1972 and later released in 1981) and when I painted Casper The Ghost Cat sitting on a fence post between Heaven and Earth, “Waiting On A Friend” to check in, it was my obvious choice.

Waiting On A Friend

 Waiting On A Friend * Black &White

Waiting On A Friend * Original

Casper The Ghost Cat and a new way of signing my name ***
 A with 2 dots for ghost 👀's  

The Gate to The Beyond

Casper and a little ghost's eyes peeking out from behind the gate.

Look 👀 closer and you will find some ghosts about the house.

I cut in a few holes for the ghost eyes and stars, eventually I will insert wire lights at the back of the wood panel to light them up.

WYCHWOOD & THE MAGIC COTTAGE

WYCHWOOD & THE MAGIC COTTAGE 

For me,there is nothing more peaceful than being alone surrounded by the silence of nature, uninterrupted,with a mind free to wander and think all sorts of things.

Sometimes paintings will have the same effect on me without me ever leaving home for truly I am an introvert at heart. Looking into the watercolour field of this old painting someone long ago had painted instantly brought me back to the place I once lived as a young girl.

I believe I was 16 at the time when my dad was offered 2 teaching jobs, one in Ottawa and one in Bermuda, he chose Ottawa and my life had it's coordinates set . The little cottage in the woods of Wychwood my father discovered in Aylmer, Quebec couldn't have been more delightfully Spooky filled with mystery and strange occurrences of which I will write about in later stories. Wychwood or like my friends and I fondly called it, Witchwood was magical; a secluded spot hidden from the world, forgotten. Sadly, today everybody knows : )



We settled in a tiny white cottage steps away from the Ottawa River and many of the cottages including ours were surrounded by fragrant White Pines, one of my very favourite trees. My years there weren't the happiest, my parents split and the dream house my dad built next to the tiny cottage had to be sold but out of the stormy days there was one very cold night in September 1976, when my friend Diana and I ventured to town to the local pub,The British Hotel which still stands there today.
On that chilly night I took a motorcycle ride of my life with a tall skinny fellow from Val D'Or,Quebec, who later became my husband !Thirteen years later to the day of our meeting our son, Ty was born. Back when I lived in Wychwood I may have not been cognizant of it's magic but today I know just how special a place it was and still is .....for me!