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For International Women's Day this year I'll be doing something a bit different – particularly for an emerging artist and chronic pain patient, I think. This afternoon I'll be teaching a full 2-hour university class on the Limbic System, for a course called "Brain & Behaviour". I'll be doing this as a Patient Partner, from home, as a volunteer.

This speaking invitation was from a professor and researcher who's also a woman, and a firm believer in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for girls and women. My focus will be on teaching these future healthcare professionals about chronic pain, which predominantly affects women. And veterans, a point that I'll definitely highlight as a former Air Force reserve officer. 

A few weeks ago I taught another class for this professor, for her course on "Perception & the Brain". It went so well that she and her students convinced me to come back, to teach a class for her second course.

That first 2-hour talk was for final-year students, and I presented on "Perception & Chronic Pain"; not only the patients' perceptions, but also how pain conditions are viewed by healthcare professionals.

My goal was to teach these health-sciences students not to dismiss, disregard, or disrespect their future chronic pain patients, because that’s something that still happens today. 

My talk this afternoon will be on the body’s Limbic System, and how it's involved in our experiences of pain and chronic pain. I’ll also touch on its’ role in anxiety, depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), stress, serious trauma, vicarious trauma, and more. What exactly does the limbic system do?

“Processing of emotions, positive or negative, has long been attributed to the brain’s limbic system, which is nestled in the inner part of our brain and consists of at least a dozen smaller structures… the limbic system also enables us to sense and react to our environment through pain.

Like physical pain, emotions have evolutionary importance.

For instance, fear helps us avoid danger... emotions are powerful motivators of our actions and reinforce behaviors that help” ensure our survival.

[Emily Orwell; When Everything Hurts. Science in the News Boston (SITN); Harvard Graduate School, 02 Nov 2018.] 

Perhaps the most important of these brain structures, for my presentation at least, are the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, along with the prefrontal cortex which helps us process or control some of our emotions and reactions.

There are tools and techniques that can help us influence our limbic systems to a certain extent, such as art practice and creativity, breathing exercises, mindful meditation, physical activity, visualization, etc.

So hopefully my Women's Day activity will have a positive impact at some future point, for other women living with persistent pain – or even with my own disease; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS, formerly called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD. 

My motto is “Art Despite Pain”, because my art practice is heavily intertwined with my chronic pain awareness and outreach activities. This is a good example, as I’ll be discussing the benefits of artistic and creative practices on the limbic system – on the brain – for managing chronic pain and other conditions.

On that note, I’ll wish you a happy and inspiring International Womens’ Day. And, as I'll say to the students today for attending the class, and to the professor for inviting me as a guest speaker: "Thank You", for taking the time to stop by the website.

This weekend I participated in an art workshop in England, via ZOOM. "Virtual Owls" was hosted by Art Safari, the group of artists with whom I first picked up a paintbrush two years ago.
Our instructor was British artist Alice Angus, known for her quick and lively plein-air (outdoor) sketches. Her work expresses the movement of wildlife, something that I've struggled to do.
This workshop was about sketching owls - including from "live-cam" video feeds - rather than creating detailed paintings, and I learned even more than I expected to.
We began the first day by studying owl anatomy, creating pencil sketches of the skeletons and skulls of these magnificent raptors.
That gave our small group a solid foundation for understanding how owls move, the true length of the legs which are so often hidden by masses of feathers, and much more.
From that we progressed to pencil or charcoal sketches of owls, adding colour only at the end of that first session.
Day Two of the workshop began with an exploration of mark-making, finding different ways to rapidly create an impression of feathers or movement.
By the time that we progressed to sketching owls from "live-cam" video images, I had a better grasp of how owls move - whether flying or roosting - which was very helpful.
This two-day workshop led to what I view as a real improvement in my owl sketches, so I'm looking forward to getting out and sketching some owls en plein-air... once our Montréal weather warms up a bit.
In the meantime, I'm sharing my favourite sketch from this weekend's workshop; a sleepy owl who seemed to be winking at us from the live video-feed.

In the weekly virtual watercolour painting classes that I've been taking, we learn at least one different technique or challenge each week.
Then every second or third week each student in this intermediate-advanced class email one painting per weekly challenge to our instructor.
She then provides her feedback and suggestions, called a "critique" in art circles.
These critiques are very very helpful, particularly when learning a new technique.
These are the some of the paintings that I've just submitted for critique later this week, all in very different styles.
These were all painted from my own photos, with some in-my-mind editing to improve the compositions; raising the height of mountains, moving some buildings, changing the colour of a barn to that of a prettier one a bit further down the road...
Although I ensured that my photos were somewhat similar to the sample photos provided by our instructor, I prefer to paint from my own references or photographs.
The watercolor below is from an area of old farms, just a thirty-minute drive from my home.
In this one, my challenge was to "use a straight road to show perspective, with one midground + several distant background buildings".

Next, in a completely different style, is an abandoned and about-to-implode barn.
I ride past this one on my bicycle almost every day during Montréal's warmer months, and have been watching the bulge in its side wall grow from year to year.
The goal for this painting was to "create an impression of texture on a wood surface, in a close-up or from-below perspective". And to paint darker than my usual style, as well.

I'm curious to see what my instructor will have to say in her critique of these two watercolours, and expect to learn as much from her comments as I did from painting these.
Given that I couldn't even draw a stick figure - let one a building - when I began learning to paint just two years ago, I'm quite pleased with these two farmland watercolours.

This afternoon I attended an absolutely fantastic virtual art and exploration talk by David McEown, for the first "Speaker Series" event of this year presented by the Canadian Society for Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC).
His presentation - "A Walk in the Wild Blue Yonder" -  included several on-site video segments which he narrated, sharing his up-close yet respectful guided adventures with wildlife.
These included bears - even Spirit Bears and polar bears - in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, in Russia, and elsewhere.
Penguins, walruses, whales, and other wildlife in Antarctica, calving icebergs in the Arctic, skiing to the North Pole...

Not only a master watercolour artist, David McEown is also a member of the Explorers Club and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
And an enthralling presenter!
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take a virtual watercolour workshop with David last November, four Saturday afternoon sessions of 3-4 hours each, and to see how he layers his work with a limited palette - and no environmentally-unfriendly cadmium pigments.
A truly inspirational contemporary Canadian artist.
For more information about David, visit www.davidmceown.com.

I've just finished this little watercolour painting of the Pont Royal (Royal Bridge) in Paris, from a photo I took almost twenty years ago, and am quite pleased with the result.
For landscape or cityscape scenes in particular I adore both the warm pink light of dawn and the cooler mauves and blues of dusk.
So the light of this sunrise scene intrigued me, because of the contrast of 'warm' and 'cool' tones within the same area.
The sky above the bridge was a warm pink, while the bridge itself was bathed in the much cooler blues being reflected by the blue-grey water of the river.
Adding to this atmospheric feeling, each of the distant buildings had a a cool mauve or purple tinge on its shaded sides with a warmer tone where it was lit by the rising sun.
I hope you enjoy it!

Absolutely mesmerizing! That’s my summary of the 3D holographic show that my husband and I saw this evening, here in Montréal, which brought a well-known era of art history to life. A giant screen took centre stage at the front of the room, while smaller but very tall vertical screens lined the side walls and even parts of the rear of the space for a rather immersive experience – even before the 3D portion of the show.
The event began with an Introduction by Sophie Renoir, the great-granddaughter of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, then we toured Paris during the time of The Impressionists who painted in France.
Using a combination of still photos and historic live-reel film, we glimpsed scenes of Paris during the early days of motion-photos – what we now call video clips or reels, without our 3D glasses. We got to enjoy late-19^th Century Paris, at the time of The Impressionists.

Delving into some art history, several of the best-known Impressionist painters were then profiled in words and film, and I was happy to see several of the oft-forgotten female artists of this period included Marie Bracquemond, Eva Gonzales, and Berthe Morisot, and other women are so often omitted from art history that it was lovely to see their names and histories up on screen. 
After an “entre-acte” or intermission that included some lovely “mignardises” or miniature bite-sized French pastries (for which we paid a bit extra!), we donned our 3D glasses for the highlight of the show.

The holographic technologies used in this 3D film created a form of animation, bringing movement to many classic impressionist paintings by Degas, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, and others. It’s difficult to describe the feeling of floating along on a boat, as the landscapes of Van Gogh pass along the shore. Or of floating over Monet’s lily pads, being in the rehearsal room with Degas’ dancers:

“Lasting Impressions invites you to rediscover the emotional power of art through a breathtaking new immersive experience.
Witness the spellbinding transformation of the Impressionist masterworks, brought to moving life by a team of artists using cutting edge 3D Motion Sculpting technology.
You’ll bathe in the shimmering light of Van Gogh’s Starry Night and feel the breeze on your skin as you wander among Monet’s swaying Poplars.
With an exclusive introduction by Sophie Renoir, Lasting Impressions is an astonishing travelog through Old Europe, presented on a custom ultra high-definition screen with an entrancing soundtrack to match.
Come alive with Lasting Impressions.”
From the website of the Lasting Impressions show in Montréal 

One of the most touching moments of the show was – fittingly – the choice of music for the final segment. Hearing the lyrics of Don McLean's classic song “Vincent” (often thought of as Starry, Starry Night), covered by tenor Adam Fisher, while seeing Van Gogh’s paintings brought to life in 3D was truly moving:

“Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue

Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand

Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now”  -- Don McLean

If you have an opportunity to see this show, which is touring the world, I highly recommend it. The Montréal venue is the Canadian première of this event, so if you're elsewhere in Canada you can start looking for tickets now.

Here's a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the reality of "Art Despite Pain". Into the time-consuming daily life of a CRPS chronic pain and rare disease patient, and volunteer in numerous pain research and healthcare projects.
One of the 'tools' that helps me manage this autoimmune and neuro-inflammatory disease - apart from art! - is to eat a mostly anti-inflammatory and plant-based diet, without additives or processed ingredients. This means preparing LOTS of vegetables for homemade meals.
With my right hand seriously affected by CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), I'm now quite slow with all this chopping, dicing, and slicing. 
Even though I get much of our fresh produce in pre-chopped formats, I still spend a significant amount of time cutting vegetables.
To carve out more time to paint, I tend to prep veggies while doing something else; multi-tasking.
Today, for example, I got up at 0530 for an in-clinic medical appointment all morning.
I barely had time to eat a delayed breakfast when I got home at noon, before starting a series of virtual meetings.
. 1215-1600 - The brilliant watercolour painting workshop via ZOOM from Brazil, with Fabio Cembranelli, in the photo below. I was watching and listening, while chopping, with a notebook at hand - and yes, I did take notes!
. 1600-1700 - A chronic pain research project meeting via MS Teams, as a Patient Partner.
= 1700-1830 - A virtual "Chronic Pain Patient Mentorship Program" (CPPMP) meeting, with the McGill University Health Centre hospital network, where I mentor other patients who live with pain.
= 1830-1930 - A live-online art lecture, with the McMichael Canadian Art Collection museum.
=1930-2030 - My sweetheart and I quickly ate my homecooked happens-to-be-vegan dinner together, when he got home from work.
= 2030-2130 - Participated in a virtual discussion, with multiple stakeholders, on the involvement of Patient Partners in medical conferences and other healthcare events. These have traditionally barred patient participation, but are starting to see the benefits of input from people with "lived experience" - particularly in the area of rare diseases.
= 2130-2200 - Took notes of my day because my CRPS-related 'mild cognitive impairment' means that I often won't remember tomorrow what I promised today that I'd do later
= 2200 - In bed and trying to sleep despite high-impact (severe) neuropathic pain that tends to worsen at night. Meanwhile, he's asleep before his head hits the pillow. If he could bottle that ability, it would be helpful to so many others!
I rely on deep-breathing exercises, visualization techniques, mindful meditation, and often use distraction as a pain management tool by imagining how I'll approach a future watercolor painting - when I actually find time to paint!
= The alarm will go off at 0530 and we'll both start the day with an indoor cycling workout, because today was our 'rest day'.
Aerobic or cardio exercise is an important facet in my pain management plan, and I'll often read art magazine or books while on the stationary bike; the 90-minute workout passes much more quickly when I'm focused on art!
Because strenuous exercise seems to temporarily improve my cognitive issues, this is the best time for me to read.
Through the past few years, I've also noticed that I tend to have better recall of articles or books that I've read while pedaling.
Which is probably why my favourite type of art practice is plein-air painting - specifically while using the back of my bicycle as an easel during rest stops on long rides.
So, are you windows when I wrote this post?
At 0200, because I'm woken by severe neuropathic pain a few times each night. It's fairly severe at the moment, so I'm walking around in the dark in my studio and typing this out onto my phone.
And planning how to finish off the paintings that are still on my easels!

The stars must be aligned in some special way, or maybe it's the creative and artistic influence of the Year of the Rabbit that I wrote about on January 22nd.
Whatever the reason, this is the first time I've ever had watercolour paintings in three different group exhibitions - all at the same time!
First is the "Entre-Nous 2023" gallery exhibition at the historic Trestler House, marking that building's 225th anniversary, which opened on January 19th and continues to March 19, 2023.
Then there's the gallery show and paired online auction with the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA), which runs until February 27, 2023. This is my first participation in an international exhibition, in the United States.
And today the third art show opened, this one a virtual event with Artists in Montréal (AiM). The theme of this "Virtual Valentine's Art Show" is "Object of My Desire", and I took a nature-lover's approach to this one:
What does a kingfisher desire?
A fish, of course!
So my watercolour painting in this virtual art exhibition is "I got one: Kingfisher".
You can view this exhibition by clicking on the Artists in Montréal link below, and then just scroll down on a phone or tablet to see all the artworks.

And feel free to vote for your favourite artwork, whoever the artist is!
View the 2023 Artists in Montreal "Virtual Valentine's Art Show"  

One of my watercolour paintings will be included in a new fundraising auction and exhibition, opening tomorrow, to benefit youth art outreach and other art education initiatives.
This will be my first participation in an actual gallery show in the United States. It will raise funds for an organization of which I've been a member since I began learning to paint two years ago.
Based in California, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) has been part of my artistic journey through their virtual plein-air painting webinars and workshops.
Their 2023 "LPAPA Strong - Painted Postcards" event will begin with a virtual or online auction, followed by a gallery exhibition.
All artworks are 5 x 7", the size of a standard postcard, in a wide range of styles and subjects.
The bidding on each "painted postcard" will begin at $50 USD, increasing in increments of $10 USD.
This is a fantastic opportunity to buy an original painting, and I plan to bid on a few myself!
The online auction will open tomorrow, January 30th at 1300 ET (1000 PT) and close on Thursday February 2nd at 2300 ET (2000 PT):

LPAPA Strong 2033 Painted Postcards Auction

Keep an eye out for my 5 x 7" watercolour "Sunrise silos", painted on a Multimedia Artboard.
After the online auction, an exhibition of these painted postcards will open at the LPAPA Gallery in Laguna Beach, California from February 2 through 27, 2023:
414 North Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, California 92651

Hope to see you online at the auction, as I won't be in California for the gallery show!

Today marks the start of the lunar new year, the Year of the Rabbit. I've been looking forward to this particular zodiac year, for its strong association with the arts:

"In general, Rabbit years abound with creativity and an appreciation for the arts.
You might feel yourself being pulled toward exploring museums, music festivals and performances."

Doesn't that sound lovely?
Whether or not this turns out to be true, I have to admit that my husband and I booked tickets today to a few upcoming artistic events.
First up will be a concert of Montréal's Métropolitain Orchestra next week, and then the "Lasting Impressions" 3D experience in February.
The latter is being billed as a "mesmerizing transformation of Impressionist masterpieces, brought to life by a team of artists using state-of-the-art 3D motion technology".
An "immersive 3D visual event" and tour "through late 19th century Europe, presented in 3D on a giant ultra-high-definition screen", this show has garnered rave reviews. The "Lasting Impressions" visual arts event has even been featured on PBS (formerly the Public Broadcasting System), in the United States.
For later in February, we booked tickets for a virtual museum tour of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection - which would otherwise be about a six-hour drive from our home in Montréal.
And next week I'll be participating in the virtual four-day "Watercolor Live" 2023 conference, from Wednesday through Saturday.

I wish you a Year of the Rabbit that does indeed "abound with creativity and an appreciation for the arts", as my own lunar new year is definitely starting out that way.
On that note, I'll close with one of my watercolour sketches of the eastern cottontails that spend their days in our gardens. And with the very artistic words of a well-known known and much-loved old rabbit:

"Everything that is real was imagined first." ~ The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, 1922.

Happy New Year!