The Challenge for early August 2026 is “Mystery” / Le défi début d’aout 2026 s’intitule « Mystère ».

By Victoria Stevenson  I found in my archives that I did this painting for my cousin called Lion Sleeps Tonight, based on an improvised figure skating routine I did when I was a teen. He still has it so this is an old photo. I thought it would be a good one for “Wild”, since usually you think lions or wild animals.

By Barb Lehtiniemi It was halfway through June before I got the idea for a painting for the “wild” theme. The idea arrived fully formed* and it only took me six days to paint my “Wild Flower.” (*credit for the idea of wine sloshing over the glass goes to Mr L.)

By Laura Nussbaumer Peck

Summer on the porch
A time for socializing, and a time for reflecting
On life or the garden
On the life of the garden
And the garden of life.
Trust the plants to recover
Trust the soil to preserve the water.
Trust the humans to preserve it too.
In Europe, another heat wave.
In the world, heat waves don’t give up.
Or is it the humans?
The world is wild.
The wild and chaos belongs to the world.
Will this summer be hot, wet or wild?
Trees, fields and stones know.
So do the visible and the invisible.
I feel. I fear, what do I know?
Grateful for over six decades on earth,
Relishing in the most recent years.
I know my responsibility, and move towards my legacy.
 
Bien installée sur le porche,
Prendre un café, discuter, puis écrire et réfléchir.
Bien abritée des rayons du soleil
Implacables, durables.
En France et en Europe, la chaleur insupportable
Fait ses premières victimes.
Ailleurs, les conflits les accumulent, douleurs insoutenables
Continuent leurs dommages irréparables.
Faire confiance à nature
Plus qu’à la nature humaine
Pour préserver les vies et l’eau, si sacrée.
Le chaos c’est dans le jardin comme dans nos vies.
Faire confiance à l’humain.
Un défi nécessaire et incertain.

By Susan Irving The weather, as you all know, has been really wild lately. Returning from Ottawa recently, I had to outrun a thunderstorm.

I took the back roads as the 417 often makes me nervous in nasty weather. It was frightening, yet also very beautiful. I was taking note of colours and scenes all the way home. Behind me the skies were almost black with lightning and high winds. But in places, the clouds were beginning to dissipate and a lovely late afternoon sky was shining through. Here is my attempt to capture the feeling.

Par Louise Martin