Canvas #25, By-the-Lake Park, Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Kevin writes: Autumn is a fantastic season. I enjoy being outside any time, but fall is special. My favorite outdoor places are private with few human visitors. I chose By The Lake Park to share positivity because it is a beautiful outdoor space complete with many human visitors.

I love Kevin's image of the fall harvest time in Alberta. It's such a gorgeous time to be on the Prairies! I happen to know that Kevin used a very interesting technique in this piece of art. Kevin works in the construction industry, and he noticed that the goop he used for sealing windows was a beautiful sky blue colour. So he scooped some up and slapped in on his canvas! How innovative and definitely an example of this project in action: focusing on the little beauties around you.

P.S. Kevin is my dad.

Canvas #126: a park, Evergreen, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

This project is meant to bring communities together. So I decided to put my canvas in my community. One of the things I love about my neighbourhood is it's right on the South-West edge of this big city. In ten minutes, I was in the country. Look:

This evening, I walked over to a park nearby. I wanted to leave my canvas in a place where people convene, so this was perfect. Kids come here to play.

My canvas is a painting of clouds. Alberta in the fall is so beautiful. The sky is Alberta's biggest asset, I think. It's huge and blue and gorgeous. And I think that so often, people don't notice it. Because it's always there. Because we take advantage of the fact that it will always be there.

I hope my canvas inspires people to notice what's around them. On my walk home from the park, I noticed a pretty wreath on a neighbour's door. I glanced into a window on my way past, and saw two kids sprawled on the couch, watching TV. I saw a pretty cat, perching on a fence post.

Notice. Pause. Stop. Slow down. Your life will be so much richer for it.