Just in time for #bannedbooksweek my little free library is open for business. The 2 @margaretatwood.bsky.social books have already been claimed. Yes, I changed 1 of the pillows after reading about libraries with political messaging being vandalized.

So I posted my sketches I’ll be using for my free library to Insta, & said I’m doing it because of governments attacks on literature. I guess they must be suppressing the post because no one is seeing it. What a bunch of fucking Nazi’s.

The US has ended the $800 exemption, but now is also requiring Canadians to prepay the tariffs. "Starting August 29, 2025, every package shipped from Canada to the U.S. must show proof that duties have been prepaid before the shipment can be accepted for delivery."

Innocence - Digital illustration Read a passage of Oliver Goldsmith’s The Deserted Village in alt tag. #Bookcoverillustration #illustration #womenwhodraw #artlicensing

Red Princess - Digital painting I have returned to doing bookcover illustrations. This piece is available for #licensing from Arcangel licensing.arcangel.com/asset-manage...

Painterly Peonies.

“Underwater Red” will be 1 of the limited edition illustrations newly arrived at Art Interiors. Museum quality pigments print on velvet fine art paper Edition 2 of 5. Grab it while you can! Not listed on website yet but you can call/email the gallery. www.artinteriors.ca/artists/robe...

A fresh new shipment of paintings & illustrations are winging their way to Art Interiors in Toronto. Including the whimsical 8x10” figurative oil painting titled Rope Swing. We need non-serious art for these heavy times.

Sing Soft And Low

I'm on a 48 hour no activity rest, so catching up on photo processing. This was a Magnolia tree from our spring trip to Sidney, BC. I bit the bullet and enrolled in the floral design class. Wish me luck in being able to find the supplies needed to do it! "Our Strength Is Softness"

A lot of my previous photography subjects have kind of dried up since moving to the city. I no longer have the diversity of birds & wildlife we did living in the country. But flowers are better. I am considering taking some floral design classes for my photography.

You know what a rainy day is good for? Forcing my arse back to the easel. I wanted to paint the chaos I feel inside but ended up with this. Pink Peonies 8x10” Oil

Seen out in the wilds. Actually my daughter dragged me to Indigo to show me this book, which features my illustration, was part of Reese Witherspoon's book club picks.

Can we stop? Someone’s worst day is not going to make your life better. You know what will? Showing grace and compassion to your fellow human. youtube.com/shorts/iHh4p...

The cherry tree is blooming! We planted it last summer & were told it may not bloom for a few years. So I am thrilled to see blossoms on the tree this year. 🤞 we get a few cherries! #photography #floral

Trinity Lodge in Calgary an assisted living residence has been without an elevator for 2 weeks. This for profit seniors home has 244 units. The only way for those on the upper floors to get out is a stair lift 1 person at a time. How can this be allowed to happen? ½

Let’s all go!! It’s important to show numbers.

Puddle Jumper Had a week off in Victoria/Sidney. I am wiped but have a bunch of new photos to play around with; as well as a bunch of catching up to do on everything else. My head is still on island time soaking up the sun and sea air. #birdphotography

Angel Can Fly 16x20” Oil on canvas This painting is 11 years old and still sits in my studio. It’s been listed for sale but I’ve never pushed too hard to sell it because it’s one of the favourite paintings I’ve ever done. To me it represents the determined spirit of indigenous people & women.

The swans are back!!!! A pair flew right over the house just now. It was their distinctive call that alerted me through the open office window. J'adore le printemps! Swan Song - Digital Illustration

To hear Elton John say “if you are a creative artist and don’t have self doubt, you are not a creative artist”. 🤯 Holy shit. That comment has smacked me upside the head hard.

So excited. I finally got to the city to buy fabric. So many pretty choices. Next step. Teach myself to sew. But this is not a cheap endeavour. If I don’t screw up, it will costing about $80 per shirt. Shout out to Rick Rack Textiles.

Maybe I’m not making great art right now, but others are. So maybe I’ll post things to inspire Canadians. youtu.be/niuxr0QqMSg

I know I’m supposed to keep on making art, to create the visuals to voice my thoughts or give people some beauty to rest their eyes & mind upon for a minute, to allow them a break from the turmoil of the world today. But I can’t seem to get beyond my own fears.

Jason Stanley, a Yale professor, author of How Fascism Works, is moving to Canada. Hear why in his interview on CBC. American’s you need to listen every bit as much as Canadians. youtu.be/Rn_dtBx0eLk

How can we have a democratic election when our riding does not even have candidates from 2 of our major parties? So far our riding has a CPC, PPC, & Green candidate. No liberal. No NDP. This is not acceptable. #Cdnpoli

Elbows up, Canada.

THIS is what makes Canada great. THIS is what sets us apart from the brutal regimes of the world (cough Maga). I hope some day this man is able to lead the entire country. #WabKinew View full clip here: vm.tiktok.com/ZMBS8fuhb/

“Canada. We’re more than just a place on a map. We’re an attitude. One with more empathy than ego. More unity than division.” Canada. We got this. #ElbowsUp youtu.be/3lj-Qf-ghIo?...

Doesn’t this just fill your heart with Canadian pride?! Our new Prime Minister @mark-carney.bsky.social youtu.be/W1B0zw3MzYg?...

OMG! I love this commercial from Alymer’s! No Campbell’s your Designed in Canada label isn’t fooling anyone. There’s still a tariff after taste to your soups. youtu.be/Tfq_Syd9_Ik?...

Has anyone ever moved from professional artist to hobbyist? If so, how did you do it? This is on my mind as I sit here trying to get organized to do my taxes, & am reminded of how much I hate the paperwork that comes with this as a business. But procrastination made my process a new painting photo.

Magnifique, bien fait. 👏👏👏

Captain Vancouver planning his strategy with a little help from our friends. #elbowsup

I often talk about bots, sock puppets & trolls; & the book Like War. Now that there is a new Liberal leader these accounts are really going to amp up the divisive rhetoric. /1 vm.tiktok.com/ZMBNMVaHv/

My mood today. Dear World: Could we not do this thing we’re currently doing? Could we not embrace the hateful rhetoric & intolerance driven by foreign enemies? Could we not ignite WW3? Could we all unite politically & morally to live in peace? Could we stamp out hatred? Grief - digital painting

I am working on my website, but it is with Squareup/weebly - American owned. I have yet to find anything Candian with e-commerce besides Shopify (who are Maga & just moved their head office to NYC) or a self hosted Wordpress site, which I don’t want to do. /1 robertamurray.com

I’m not sure Canadians really need anymore encouragement to be proud of our country, but this was too good not to share. Wouldn’t we all like Trudeau to greet Trump with a Shawinigan Handshake!? youtu.be/1LzhCLzfJFg

Have you tried the Peruvian grapes yet? Haven’t had grapes that good in a long time. Also got some delicious lemons from Spain. Who knew the produce quality from other countries is so delicious! Also ordered a beautiful made in #Canada leather jacket from www.theoldmill.ca today. #ElbowsUp

Hey friends; Say hello to Janice. She’s another amazing Canadian artist you should all follow. #CanadianArt

Buy #CanadianArt! For more artists to support see my Canadian Artists starter pack. A lot of us had strong US sales & are taking a hit. Many, like myself, are outright refusing to ship to the US & have their gov profit off our work. So support from others Canadians is needed. go.bsky.app/8sXq7kv

I will add, if you're thinking about buying some art, Buy Canadian Art!!

Sorry. Not sorry. It’s on Canada. We need to be united in our fight for Canada. #ElbowsUp

Hey everyone would you welcome Olive Chan to Bluesky! She is a Vancouver CANADA (since there is a Vancouver, WA) painter who, as you can see, is painting some gorgeous coastal scenes & skies. Give her a follow.

Do you need something to help you calm down a bit from the times we’re living through? Go to this link between 4-7pm or 6-9am central time. This has been happening for hundreds of years. Long after we are gone it will likely still be happening. #springmigration /1 www.youtube.com/live/wDYrRVU...

The new battle hymn of sovereignty, perhaps? #vivalecanada youtu.be/8peiLVFsLdw?...

#BlueskyArtShow #spring Another painting done to go with a Taras Shevchenko poem (see alt). I had been working on a series of paintings inspired by poems of my husband's great x2 uncle. The ones inspired by Shevchenko poems came about after a show at the Ab Legislature when a Ukrainian woman... /1

If you have conservative friends/family on Facebook, or any Meta products who became radicalized because of dis-information send them this article. Even if they still have critical thinking, send it. The conspiracies & dis-information is at the root of society’s collapsing.

SLAVA UKRAINE. SLAVA UKRAINE. America 🖕 Your president is a despicable Russian asset who has changed the face of the world forever. Zelensky is a hero. "When Flowers Grew Wild" 20x24" Oil - Sold A Ukrainian woman feeding chickens. (Read Alt text please for poem by Ukrainian Taras Shevchenko)