Give yourself an infusion of joyful Spring energy!

Easy version:

Find a picture of a favourite colourful flower, and make it the wallpaper on your phone. Or stick it on your bathroom mirror. Put it somewhere that you’ll see it multiple times a day.

Less easy:

Paint a picture of flowers, or make a collage of floral images. Treat yourself to a small bouquet from a local florist. Look through seed catalogues (printed or online) and order a few types of flowers that will grow in your climate.

Why do this?

I’m not sure when you’re reading this, but as I’m writing it, it’s -15 C and there’s about 3’ of snow covering my garden. Nothing says hope and joy like a colourful bloom (unless it’s a whole painting or garden of colourful blooms!).

My personal choice:

I’ve been working on creating some new pieces, with an intention of them feeling light, bright, cheerful, hopeful. The best way I can think to communicate these things visually is with flowers! Over the past couple of years, I’ve been creating and planting the gardens that I want to photograph to make my layered artwork. I knew this would be a slow process, but some days the progress seems almost invisible to me. So last year I planted some things that would pop up quickly and renew my faith that this work in progress is working! The Gazebo Garden gave me joy from the moment it started to sprout until the last lingering vines were covered in sparkly frost. The piece below is entitled “Lush”, and is made of many layers of photographs I took of the flowers, fruit plants, and vines that grew in the Gazebo Garden last year. It makes me so happy to see them in the middle of February!

{This is still a work in progress, so I’d love to hear what you think of it! I’m planning to debut it during the Summer Madawaska Valley Studio Tour, which is the weekend of July 19-20, 2025}

Ideas for sharing:

If you’re on social media, you can share a picture of your flower(s) - think how cheerful it will make other people to see these colourful blooms! Add a quick description of the activity to encourage your friends and followers to try it too!

If you’re doing a “daily Joy texting” partnership with someone, send each other a picture of your flower(s) (or the floral painting you’re working on, or the seeds you’re going to plant come spring)

Feel free to share your picture with me by emailing me :)