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I took a short walk through the PC Village yesterday evening. I had wanted to go to the concert in the park in Beaconsfield but I thought it looked like rain and convinced myself they would have moved it indoors. I had no desire to bicycle to the park to make sure and then have [...]

Though it’s officially summer, you wouldn’t know it by the cool and wet weather we’ve been having since summer began. It’s caused outdoor activities to head indoors, such as the concert-in-the-park I went to see last night. Normally I don’t go to these when they’re forced to be held indoors, but a friend asked me [...]

I took part of yesterday off to enjoy some of the Canada Day activities that were within walking or cycling distance of where I live. First I had a late breakfast at the Beaconsfield Yacht Club, where I leisurely sketched the aftermath of my meal while drinking hot tea. I also sketched a few of [...]

Our boat was never one to just be plopped into the water and ready to sail. Paul’s been working on wiring, electronics, the engine, etc., for weeks to get the boat prepared to be sailed comfortably. Only tonight did he get the last of the lights working, which we tested out with a quicky evening [...]

Last night I attended a dance show at Centre de créativité Gesù that was a fundraiser for Fondation André Dédé Fortin. Perhaps like me you don't know who Dédé was. I've seen posters around town for a new movie, Dédé, and assumed it was the same man. It was only at intermission that I finally made the connection that Dédé was a singer with Les Colocs. He committed suicide in 2000, and I remember hearing about it since I spent a couple months in Rivère-de-Loup that summer.

The foundation aims to help prevent suicide and make aware that suicide is still a problem. They write that in Québec on average 3 to 4 people commit suicide every day. That's a lot.

Last October I witnessed a suicide, as in I heard it occur. I happened to be laying on my couch so I didn't actually see it, but a man jumped off the roof of my building and I heard him hit the ground and the ensuing screams from other witnesses (the superintendant's wife was on the ground where the man landed). I'm not going to rehash the whole thing here, but suffice it to say it's not easy to see a freshly dead person.

I didn't go to the dance performance knowing what the fundraiser was for. A good friend of mine was performing and she said it was something about suicide awareness, but that's all she knew. It really was great watching the dancers on stage, though being contemporary dance I can't say I "got" it all. Some pieces were uplifting, and some were tear jerkers. Some were just weird. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening raising money for a good cause.

So this post is just a reminder that you're not alone; if you're feeling depressed and hopeless talk to someone, anyone for starters. And if you have a hard time expressing yourself, I find dancing always helps.

Lauren Digital Portrait Painting by Kayleen West I completed this portrait tonight. I was using a program I mentioned in the previous post to record the painting in progress however it distorted the image and so I am yet to provide you with a video. I am using (or trying to use) Capturix 5.61.630 but it was difficult to paint with it as I noticed it slowed the brush stokes down and as a result

Timothy Digital Portrait Painting by Kayleen West I have been testing digital recording software to create what is known as fast-forward or speed paintings. I had hoped to have something to post this week however I have had difficulties with trail versions. One screen recording software shut down at the end of a painting and as a result I lost all the files. The one I trailed today would not