Beauty in my backyard

Beauty in my backyard

There is beauty everywhere. Sometimes, you have to look really hard to find it. You may seek it out by travelling to distant places or to the spots you see in your Instagram feed (guilty!).

But you don't have to travel to find beauty. It's there, waiting for you to spot it. Peeking from behind your shutters or the edge of a cloud. Lurking in the shade of a tree or the curve of a blade of grass.

I've always been lucky because I've been able to see beauty everywhere. Even when my world imploded and darkness threatened to overwhelm me, I could be bowled over by the beauty of a sunrise or the way the light hit the clouds as the sun sat low in the southern sky on a cold January afternoon. 

This painting, of dusk on a summer evening, is based on a photo I took in my backyard while taking my dog for his evening constitutional. Something about the light struck me and I snapped the photo. When I turned it into a painting, I realized that what hit me was the contrast of the glow of the fading sun with the clouds and the trees.

I try to never be without my phone because I want to have a camera with me at all times. Living here on Amherst Island, I'm treated to glorious sunrises and sunsets affected by the water and humidity of Lake Ontario. This makes for some rather stunning displays. I try to capture them when I can because it's never quite the same sky twice.

You never know where you'll find beauty. Keep an eye out for it and you may be surprised.

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