On a walk to Lost Lake near Whistler,

I marvelled at the miniature pine cones that covered the track.

So tiny and perfect.

We joined our friend, invariably strides ahead of us, at a small lookout.

She pointed at the pine trees with their tips bent over.

They’re sad because they have small pine cones.

I loved that!

It spoke to a younger me.

Born and raised among trees and books, personification was literally part of my world.

Rather than sad, I like to think proudly gazing down upon,

Admiring, and cheering on their wee cones as they venture forth.

Sea to Sky

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, September 2026. Painted near Park Royal in West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! ☀️

When my nephew visited us for the 2024/2025 holiday season, we were hoping for a white Christmas and/or a snowy New York.

We didn’t get either, but we did find snow!

At Whistler and Grouse Mountain.

At Whistler, it snowed as we were leaving. We were blanketed with huge, soft, floaty snowflakes (my favourite sort!).

At Grouse, we walked through the trees, and my nephew built a little snowman, cute as could be, about as tall as his hand.

And snuggled him into a nook in a tree.

His little snowman inspired this painting.

Frosty

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, June 2025. Painted at Crush of Colour, St Stephens Anglican Church, Ambleside, West Vancouver, Canada.

I painted this one a while ago, but I wasn’t ready to share him until now.

Isn’t life funny? One minute we feel one way, and the next, another.

Have a wonderful day! ❄️

Today we’re back in Seatoun, at our little cottage in Wellington.

Lil, aged 7, is all set up for painting on our back deck.

It was a beautiful, sunny, early spring day in 2015.

Lillian Painting (age 7)

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, October 2025. Painted at our home, Park Royal, West Vancouver, Canada.

This is my most recently completed painting (the last of my backlog).

I hope I have more in me. If I do, I’ll share with you.

Thank you for being here with me.

Have a wonderful day! 🌱

When Lil was little, I’d paint her toes, and mine too.

We had a tradition: every time we flew from New Zealand to Australia, we would buy a new OPI nail polish colour at duty-free.

This painting is us playing tootsies while snuggling on the couch in front of the fire in our little cottage in Wellington.

Tootsies

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, October 2025. Painted at our home, Park Royal, West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! 🌱

Today’s painting has two sources of inspiration.

First, my nephew, a classical musician who is an undergraduate at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

I loved going to his concerts when we were in Sydney!

And I’m deeply appreciative of his passion for taking us to see the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Lincoln Center when we were in New York at the beginning of this year.

And second, the Orpheum here in Vancouver.

The Orpheum is a gorgeous old theatre, reminiscent to me of the old Broadway theatres in New York.

In the dark theatre, a small, shadowy, silhouetted element in the ceiling mural caught my eye and captured my imagination; a conductor, arms raised.

The Conductor

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, September 2025. Painted at our home, Park Royal, West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! ✨

For this afternoon’s painting, we were at Eagle Harbour, West Vancouver.

Back in 2023, when Lil and I first arrived in Vancouver, we arrived in mid-June, perfect timing for the wild blackberry, which is literally everywhere here, to be in full bloom.

And a short time later, juicy, sweet blackberries! (if you pick the soft ones)

My cousin’s daughter visited at just the perfect time for ripe blackberries this year.

We found some good ones at Eagle Harbour!

Eagle Harbour Mansions

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, July 2025. Painted at Eagle Harbour, West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! 🌱

On the last day of July 2025, we joined the North Shore Artists’ Guild at West Vancouver Yacht Club to paint as the sun set over the marina.

Summer days here are lovely and long.

Surrounded by quiet, focused artists, we were entertained by a family behind us enjoying their drinks and gossiping. I remember them talking about getting hair transplants in Turkey, he he, amazing what you can learn.

Talking about learning, my new favourite thing to do is listen to audiobooks as I paint. I’m devouring the free Audible books on history. I’m now learning about human evolution. I get so excited when I have time to just sit and paint and listen/learn.

West Vancouver Yacht Club

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, July 2025. Painted at West Vancouver Yacht Club, West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! ☀️

Today’s painting is of Vancouver from Waterfront Park in North Vancouver, looking across the Burrard Inlet.

Someone in the park was playing 90s techno dance music, that took me back!

Time flew!

Vancouver (from Waterfront Park, North Vancouver)

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, August 2025. Painted at Waterfront Park, North Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! 🌱

Over summer this year, we did en plein air painting.

Rather than mine old memories, they created brand new ones.

I found plein air painting difficult because there was too much going on in my field of view.

I had trouble honing in on what to paint, what to include in the frame.

Taking photos helped me.

My Painting Teacher (En plein air painting at Dundarave Beach)

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 30.5 cms (12×12 inches) by Arwen Munro, July 2025. Painted at Dundarave Beach, West Vancouver, Canada.

Have a wonderful day! ☀️