Vital Imagery Blog

It's that time of year. Bug after bug is striking down typically healthy people, moving through families, making friends at social gatherings. One sneezed-on hand touching a doorknob at a public place can share widespread love.

When it comes to the type of illness there's no end to the possibilities. People are suffering from stomach ailments, sore throats, stuffy noses and flu bugs, complete with muscle aches and raging temperatures.

Two of our little grandchildren last week were a mess. Big sister started the fun with every symptom imaginable before her brother ended up with an ear infection and croup. Grandma put herself in the line of fire to go help out their working mom and celebrated at the end of the incubation period that she seemed to have avoided the nasty sickness which had infiltrated their home.

The universe, however, had other ideas for me. Nothing too serious, but two days after I felt safe it seems I'm sick. I couldn't avoid the January germs floating…

With careful, albeit sweeping, strokes the space between the lines fills with colour. In this case — one.

A vibrant blue had been selected to colour everything from the tip of the bunny's tail, to the carrot in its mouth, to the flowers on the ground. This was my granddaughter's project and she is becoming well known in the family for her monochromatic artwork.

Watching children colour is an interesting study. Seeing my favourite four-year-old put crayon to paper during some quality time this past weekend I couldn't help wondering what she saw in what she was creating and why she made the choices she did.  Having her select the palette for the flowers I was working on resulted in yellow stems and brown petals, nothing like anything in the spaces she explores outdoors each summer, yet she had confidently suggested them as the perfect choice in this.

Also, I decided  her approach to colouring rather reflected her personality. Despite her tender age, she takes great pride in…