Even a regular #MondayMorning could be enjoyable and relaxing—especially when #WorkingFromHome means you can attend Zoom calls in your pajamas. This is the view from my downtown Toronto home office: a dark rye sandwich piled high with salmon (nature’s way of saying “I’m fancy”), a small cup of coffee (the fuel that makes Mondays bearable), and the burning question on every artist’s mind: “What else could an artist possibly need?” Well, possibly some watercolour paint. And maybe a shower. But mostly coffee.

Paintings with oil pastel: A small cup of coffee for a busy-morning breakfast—because nothing says “healthy nutrition” like caffeinated courage and hope in a ceramic vessel.

Paintings with oil pastel. Coffee aromas come in all different flavours: fruity, caramelized, sometimes nutty, and occasionally burnt (which tastes suspiciously like Monday morning mistakes). It always energizes me. I take a few precious moments every morning to savour my coffee while watching the vibrant young Toronto hustle and bustle outside my window—basically, I spy on everyone else’s productivity while I’m still in my pajamas. Living the dream!

A cup of coffee and flowers—what could be better in the morning? Absolutely nothing, unless you count oxygen and consciousness. I add some bright and delicate colours to the grey downtown city landscape of #Toronto to prove that life doesn’t have to be monotone—a wild summer flower bouquet in a vase, basically nature’s rebellion against urban beige.

Bon voyage! Until the next adventure :) Stay healthy, stay caffeinated, and for heaven’s sake, use sunscreen—your future self will thank you.

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission. (Yes, even if you think you can sneak it past the internet. You can’t. We all know about screenshots.)