Frannie's Blog

Snow Days

2011-02-05T12:50:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is winter. We shovel. We curse.We watch for weather updates and hope nothing is on its way to sideline our plans. We consult the local rodent for early spring predictions. Some of us embrace the season and go skating or skiing. Some of us stay indoors till the snow melts. Some people go south. We do whatever we can.

I paint a lot in winter. Here's the evidence: a sampling of paintings I've done over many winters, some dating back to 1981. Snow is an inspiring subject. It's all about sculpture and shadows.

And now I'm going for a walk in the snow, maybe get some new inspiration along the way. Winter...love it or leave it.

A Lesson In Watercolour

2011-01-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

In my time I have worked at many different jobs; baby-sitter, waitress, retail worker, interior designer, book-keeper, mother (the job for life) and school teacher, and it is the latter I want to talk about now.

Teaching kids at school is the most difficult and nerve-wracking thing I have ever done and I admire anyone who has lasted in this profession for more than ten years without suffering from burn-out. I stuck it out for seven years as a full-time primary grade teacher and it took me the first five years before I began to feel confident enough to relax and feel that I was actually helping my students. Looking back now I believe that 19 years of age is too young to be put in charge of seven and eight-year-olds and it wouldn't happen today because of the increased academic requirements to qualify as an educator. At least I was somewhat older and a bit more mature when I returned to the classroom years later as a Supply Teacher, the worst of the worst positions in most cases. One day I'd be in Kindergarten, the next in high school. But the one class I never had problems with was when I replaced the Art Teacher. For some reason the same kids who behaved like juvenile delinquents in, say, a math class suddenly became keen and respectful in Art Class. That classroom was always quiet or at least engendered the low buzz of engaged concentration.

So today I'm going to teach another class: it's called HOW TO PAINT IN WATERCOLOUR. Actually it should be How I Paint in Watercolour, and my way isn't the only way, but it's what I know.

So here we go.

First you need to have your paints arranged on your pallette in some sort of order. I like to have my earth tones at the side and my primaries across the top with the yellows at the corner. My water container is at the top, divided in two sections, one for cleaning the brushes, one for mixing the pigment. It doesn't always stay that way but it's easy enough to get fresh water. Below the pallette is a wad of paper towel for damping off the bristles.

The pigment comes in tubes and can dry out there after a while once opened so it's a good idea to squeeze out a good sized blob into your pallette space. It can stay there for a long time; it will dry out but can be reactivated with more water. Use Artist quality paint whenever possible. It's pure pigment, no filler, and will last for ages. Better to have a limited selection of colours and learn to mix from them.

The brushes here: a 3/4 inch flat, two number 8's, pointed, one to paint with, one to lift out or soften colours, a number 2 detail brush and an old shabby brush for applying masking fluid if necessary. Masking fluid is liquid latex which dries where you place it to protect certain areas from being lost. It can be removed with an eraser. You'll see what I mean soon.

Because I'm a leftie my paints are at left and the light source is from the right.

The paper here is Arches 300 lb. It won't buckle like lighter weight papers and can take many layers of water and paint. The sketch is done in light pencil and the sky is washed in. To make a wash you first wet the whole area to be painted, then flow the paint on and tip the paper around so it will flow evenly. I used cobalt and cerulean blue here, letting them run together. I always do the sky first in an outdoor painting because it establishes the mood for the piece.

You can establish the trees now, right over the sky once it's dry. I used a sea sponge to lay in the greenery. You can see a yellowish line at the roof top. That's the masking fluid to prevent the sponge from landing on the roof, keeping the trees in the background.

Now the mask is removed and the roof begins, also a bit of shrubbery at the front.

Here I've added a dog, a couple of cats and the first wash for the front lawn. I also masked the animals and the shrubbery and added the darkest darks on the roof.

More detail is added to the gardens. A pale under colour is glazed on the body of the house. (Glazing is painting a thin layer directly onto the paper.)

I start to add the bricks, tedious but kind of trance-inducing. The windows reflect the sky.

The bricks are done now, also the shutters and the beginning of the shadows on the garage door. You can see the leaves on the front shrubs stand out from the brick wall because they were masked.

The shadows on the roof are started as well as under the eaves and around the windows.

More shadows on the lawn now make the house stand out. I added more leafery to the trees behind because I didn't like the empty space just above the middle of the roof even though it is there in the photograph. You can play around with elements like this for the sake of the painting as a whole. You can also have fun with the lines of the house as long as it remains in perspective and retains its basic personality. Note the paint blobs at the bottom...I use that white area to test colours before using them. The mat will cover them later.

And now I think we're done! When I'm absolutely sure I'll sign the piece and deliver it to my client.

EDMUND DULAC, one of my favourite illustrators.

2011-01-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

And another year bites the dust. Here's to the new one, whatever it may bring. We can never be sure what's coming but we can always try to be up to the changes and challenges.

My year has started with a little bit of interior decorating. I painted our two bathrooms a new shade of what I like to call apricot, inspired by the following illustrations by Edmund Dulac. A dear friend gave me a very old copy of EDMUND DULAC'S FAIRY BOOK, published in 1916 by Hodder & Stoughton. The book has been well-used, its pages are loose but the beautiful illustrations, separately 'tipped in', are intact. I have had some of them mounted and they now hang on the bathroom wall.

THE BLUE BIRD

"The prince took a carriage drawn by three great frogs with great big wings....Truitonne came out mysteriously by a little door."

IVAN AND THE CHESTNUT HORSE

"The chestnut horse seemed to linger in the air at the top of its leap while that kiss endured."

THE SERPENT PRINCE

"When Grannmia saw her strange lover, she alone remained calm and courageous."

THE FIRE BIRD

"There he found the Princess asleep and saw that her face was the face he had seen in the portrait."

I wish you all some enchantment in your life.

My Christmas Message (hem-hem-hem!)

2010-12-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

I just heard it on the radio (so it must be true): THEY say it's now o.k. to say "Merry Christmas" again. Apparently the p.c. 'Season's Greetings' has been deemed too wishy-washy by the Retail Council of North America because it has realized that 90% of its shoppers are Christmas oriented. H-m-m-m...

Personally I don't adhere to any organized religion but what I do believe is that we can always learn more about the origins of other faiths. It's a great history lesson.

In this part of the world right now the winter solstice is near, the days are short, it's cold outside and we all crave light and warmth and connecting with others. So whether it's Christmas or Chanuka or any other belief-system you're observing I hope you will light your lights, bring on the tinsel, food and gifts and celebrate whichever way you can.

This is my Mom, Phyllis, at age 17. What I like about this photo is the sense of mystery created by the light and shadows in the room. Indoor photography was tricky in those days but shots like this have a certain charm and quality lacking in today's digital pictures. And Mom looks happy here.

While I decidedly do not look at all thrilled to be sitting on Santa's knee (although the little girl on the right looks ecstatic). I can still remember clearly how tired I felt at that point when we were all encouraged to swarm the BIG MAN. I knew he wasn't the REAL Santa anyway but at that age I still believed in God and Santa. I used to wonder if God and Santa knew each other. Santa, I knew, had a workshop and made toys for children. And I figured God must have a workshop too, where he made children. Therefor they must know each other and keep each other up to date on the numbers.

For me Christmas was all about dolls. Here is my sister Lynne with her new walking-doll and me with my 'newborn baby' doll. She/he was actually quite ugly and I still have her (she ended up female) today, thanks to Mom who kept her well-preserved over the years. I don't recall what name I gave her originally but my niece called her Charlotte and that's now her official name.

Now Lynne and I are older and less enthused about Christmas morning. I think our parents had to wake US up at this point in our lives. This photo belongs in the category of Christmas Horrors and I hesitated to post it but I find it so truthful in its starkness.

And history repeats itself; my sons, Jon and Andrew don't seem too keen on the paper hat scene as they are relegated to the 'kids' section' in their grandparents' dining room while I try to cheer them on.

Meanwhile, at the 'adults' table a little more enthusiasm is evident. I think my sister and my husband George are trying to make music with their wine glasses while Lynne's husband Frank just wants to drink from his.

When George and I lived on Vancouver Island I made us an 'alternative' tree out of grapevines. It seemed everyone was into 'alternative' living from therapy to clothing so why not a tree? I was quite proud of this effort and it didn't shed needles. If you look closely you can see the statue of Michelangelo's David standing near the base. (It's small)

So that's my Christmas post for this year. (Glad I can say that word again! ) And I wish you all a jolly, merry, healthy and positive time, whatever your choice of celebration.

Or in the wonderful words of John Lennon, "Haddy Grimble!"

Bridget and Samantha

2010-12-07T15:11:00.000-05:00

I know the internet is deluged with pictures of kittens and cats doing cute things and I'm going to show more of them in this post so if you've had enough already stop reading now. But if you're still into felines here are a few new photos of our Samantha and our Bridget.

First, here's a shot of them the day we brought them home, summer 2009.

Sam

Bridget

Some of you may remember these shots. So sweet!

Well, here they are now, all grown up and playing catch-and-release with this poor little fieldmouse.

It doesn't matter that mousie is already dead, likely from sheer terror.

One can still toss it around and pretend it's alive.

"But now I'm getting bored."

Time for a nap. So sweet.

Return to Grant Road

2010-11-19T13:37:00.000-05:00

Now we're back on Grant Road in Bella Coola to complete the series of six watercolours. The next house I visited belongs to a serious gardener and an equally serious musician. I didn't get to see inside the music studio but really enjoyed the gardens and meeting this little gargoyle as well as the owners of the property.

This shot just begins to illustrate how well-planned and varied these gardens are.

So when I painted this house I made a big deal of the flowers. I happen to love lilies and missed my own this summer because I was here. Just as well because when I got home I discovered that the red lily beetle had devoured all my plants.

At the south end of Grant Road is Moore's Market and this is the Moore's home. Tom and Kathy operate an organic food outlet as well as a market garden and greenhouse, supplying the Valley with plants, veggies and fruit, especially blueberries which were just starting to ripen while I was there.

Here's my granddaughter Alberta, sampling the blueberries.

And here's Finn, my grandson. The Moores are his other grandparents.

The greenhouse and the store keep Kathy and Tom busy all season. I hope they'll be able to start up again next year in spite of the setbacks caused by September's flood damage.

So this brings to an end my little watercolour series inspired by the houses of Grant Road. By the way, Andrew tells me the Tilt'n Hilton survived the deluge.

Remembrance Day

2010-11-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a break from the Grant Road series because today is Remembrance Day and I've noticed that lately people are paying more attention to it than usual. I see more poppies being worn and more media coverage, including some excellent programming such as we watched on TVO last night, Paris 1919.

The gentleman above is my paternal grandfather, Valentine Smith, who died in France during WW I several months before the birth of his son, in 1916. This is the only picture we have of him and we know very little about him personally, a fact that has always bothered my Dad.

These pieces of metal are the only concrete vestiges of his participation in THE GREAT WAR; a bronze disc, a be-ribboned medal and his dog tag.

And this silver cross, delivered to my grandmother possibly around the time she was giving birth to her son. I can't imagine how she must have dealt with her conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow during that period.

And I wonder how she felt when this son, my Dad, went off to war some 28 years later. Fortunately he returned. Through good luck and good planning Dad spent most of his time overseas with the British Forces Network, broadcasting morale-boosting radio programmes from mobile army vans and other venues in London or Paris or Hamburg.

This is the notebook he carried in which he recorded his many experiences, some funny, some sad, many lonely. Of course this practice was forbidden during wartime but so were many things. And they were done anyway. This notebook fit neatly into the breast pocket of his uniform and my sister and I often suggest it could have also stopped a fatal bullet.

He did have one close call on the Arnhem Bridge but no bullets were involved that day. He did lose his typewriter, 'Betsy Anne'.

He must have been overjoyed to put this message into his notebook!

During all that time Dad wrote many letters home to Mom. She kept them all and I still enjoy going over them once in awhile. I don't know what happened to the letters she wrote to him; he says it was difficult to carry them around. I bet he saved them too and they just got lost along the way. He's too sentimental to have deliberately got rid of them.

The long-awaited telegram.

And of course...his signature locomotive, this one inked on the inside cover of the notebook. After his voyage back on the Ile de France he journeyed home by train with many other troops who were lucky enough to have made it.

He got some medals too but never wore them later. It was enough to be back home. He was lucky.

A Rock and a Hard Place

2010-11-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

I've always been fascinated by rocks. As a kid I liked to hunt through gravel for 'precious stones', always hoping to find something very shiny and beautiful like a ruby but still being satisfied with a piece of quartz. When our kids were young they found a rock tumbler at a garage sale and for weeks we patiently waited for our specimens to be polished to a smooth finish, like these.

I believe these are geodes though I'm not sure about the one on the left. Maybe if I could slice it open it would reveal a tiny crystal world like the one on the right. Maybe I should study rocks and become a geologist.

But no, right now I'm happy to just enjoy looking at them. A friend who had been to Egypt gave me this. She found it near the pyramids.

Yes, amethyst, from the town of Amethyst, Ontario. The Romans believed amethyst would protect you against drunkenness. I wonder, do you wear it or put it in your wine?

This piece of rock is embedded with garnets. It was given to me by my son Andrew, who lives in Bella Coola, and yes, this is my lead-in to the third house in my Grant Road series of watercolours.

Known locally as THE TILT'N HILTON, this is where Andrew lived when he first arrived in the valley. He didn't stay there long; lack of indoor plumbing and electricity becomes discouraging. But he did find, right where he had left them several years before, his collection of garnet rocks, still on the window ledge. I don't know how the little house fared during the recent flood but it looks as though it's one of those buildings that survive despite all adversity. I shall find out and report in the next post.

Rory's Place

2010-10-25T13:01:00.000-04:00

One day during my stay on Grant Road I visited my neighbour, Rory Villars, who also happens to be a watercolour artist and master of the whimsical, (yes, I know it's an overworked adjective but here it really belongs). Rory spends his winters in Mexico where he paints delightful scenes like this:

You can see the Mexican influence in the tiles. Cats are important creatures in many of his paintings. To see more of Rory's work go to www.roryvillars.com

This is my interpretation of Rory's Bella Coola home.During the flood the water reached to just below the window in the tower. I hope he didn't lose his art supplies or any of his paintings.

Down Came the Rain

2010-10-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm so glad to have had that beautiful day of my previous post because the next day was very different! We had rain all day and overnight and awoke to a flooded basement due to sump pump failure (they should be equipped with alarms, right?). It was at least two inches deep, everywhere-including the carpeted section. The first thing I did, in nightgown and rubber boots, was to rescue the kitty litter box so Sam and Bridget could finally relieve themselves dryly. What followed next was a flurry of activity between George and me, such as purchasing and installing a new pump, moving stuff and sucking up water through the shop-vac; two forgettable days of slogging which left me exhausted and cranky. But all is fine now.

However inconvenient that was it was nothing compared to the recent inundation in Bella Coola where my youngest son and his family live. Their flood was devastating to say the least. They had over 400 mm of rain, that's about 8 inches, in a very short period. The only road in and out, the famous Freedom Highway, is still closed due to washouts. Bridges were moved or cut off and many houses had to be abandoned including the one where Kim and Andrew lived. It's hard to imagine four feet of water in your living room but that's what they had! They have since relocated to a dry house but much work is still to be done.

The following picture is of Grant Road, where their home was. In fact when I visited there last summer I stayed at the far end of that road in the tall barn (see earlier post) and had decided to paint a watercolour series of the homes along the road.

"Grant Road Rescue"

It's hard to believe that I walked up that road many times last summer.

Just a reminder of 'my Bella Coola barn'.

And here's the painting, the first in this series, with more to come very soon. I promise!

Yesterday

2010-10-06T11:53:00.000-04:00

My plans for today have been shot down by rain; I was hoping to get back to the garden and split some shrubs and perennials that had made giant strides during the summer heat and rain. However, since I'm confined to the house I shall talk about yesterday. Not that yesterday was particularly significant unless it was someone's birthday or the anniversary of something special. No, it was just a Tuesday, but a very pleasant one here, one of those fresh autumn days with a piercing blue sky. So I went for a walk with my camera.

Can anyone identify these berries?

Or these?

O.K. I know these are our own grapes. They taste very sour on the outside but sweet inside.

The remains of my vegetable garden, reminiscent of J.E.H. MacDonald's painting THE TANGLED GARDEN.

And again, with asters.

Along the road...a wooley-bear caterpillar, signifying a cold winter by the looks of it.

Note the bird sunning itself.

Horses and cows in the shade.

And back at home the goldfish are still active. Soon they will slow down, stop eating and lie low till the spring. The frogs have already departed. Sigh!

So there you are, yesterday.

Today I'm continuing to work on a new series of watercolours. When they're finished I shall post them.

Summer Memories

2010-09-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

We had a gorgeous weekend, sunny but not humid. Our last week of summer is here and yes, autumn is lovely and all that but then comes winter. So I'm posting a couple of summer memories here.

Above is a quick loose sketch of the bouquet I enjoyed in my Bella Coola barn.

When I got home I had this commission to paint as a gift for the daughter of the owner of the garden. It turned out that this woman and I went to the same school, had the same teachers and even lived in the same town, but we had never met although we had some mutual friends. It's amazing how two years' age difference can matter when we're young. I enjoyed meeting her and discovering our connections. Both she and her garden are delightful. It was a treat painting this watercolour.

My Bella Coola Barn

2010-09-06T14:36:00.000-04:00

This is the barn I lived in during my recent visit to Bella Coola. I'd wanted my own pied-a-terre rather than bunking in with Andrew and his family; even though it was offered I prefer my own space during a longish stay. So Andrew kindly reserved this residence for me. It's at the end of Grant Road, a nice fifteen minute walk from where Andrew lives. It was perfect!

When I reached the second floor this is what was waiting for me; Kim and Andrew had arranged for this gorgeous bouquet from Moore's Market, also on Grant Road, and a bottle of red wine. I was set.

The kitchen had everything I needed including a good supply of herbal tea and fruit.

My bed was situated behind this unique spiral staircase. These stairs lead to the third floor and two more bedrooms but I never ventured up because of their lack of a handrail and attacks of vertigo whenever I made an attempt. Instead I used the steps as a handy place to hang my clothes.

When lying on my bed this is how I viewed the staircase. I also enjoyed the funky colours on the walls...hot pink and orange.

The views from my windows offered these natural sculptures...

...including the requisite abandoned VW bus.

I did not take pictures of the good sized bathroom and laundry facilities but I must remark on the efficiency of the composting toilet, a new experience for me. It worked just fine.

I think this little thumbnail gives a good overview of the resourcefulness of the people who live in the Bella Coola Valley. Everyone I met was ecologically responsible and respectful of the natural habitat. And the drinking water there is wonderful!

Old Photos Into Artist Trading Cards

2010-08-24T15:37:00.000-04:00

Some of you suggested turning some of my rejected or duplicated photos into ATCs and so I did. You will notice at once that there is a theme building here, as it usually is with a series of nine ATCs.

So there you have them. Yes, I could have photoshopped these but that wouldn't be recycling. Besides I don't have photoshop. If you're in the Dunvegan area this coming Saturday at 2 pm drop in and check out all the neat cards. We are a very creative and welcoming group.

The Great Themes of Family Albums

2010-08-11T11:31:00.000-04:00

I recently heard that a friend of mine has managed to reduce her collection of family photographs down to one single album. She is a minimalist, I am not. But it got me thinking about the twenty- something albums in my possession, many of them from my parents' collection and therefor many duplications. So last week during all the rain and thunder I decided to start a cull of my own and at least get the number of albums down to a reasonable size. So now we're down to twelve or so albums. It hasn't been easy and along the way I discovered some of the great recurring themes we all record, at times very badly. So before chucking them out I'd like to share with you some of my rejects.

"PEOPLE CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF EATING"

Actually these are some of our children enjoying Christmas dinner though it looks as if they hadn't eaten for over a week.

Hard to know what they were celebrating here but not a lot of enthusiasm.

A related theme: "PEOPLE LOOKING STUNNED IN THE KITCHEN"

Here I am in the dark, wondering why I am here at all.

And here's my sister looking pretty fed up. (Sorry, Lynne)

And now we come to "PEOPLE LEAVING"

And they just can't wait to get away!

Who were they anyway? Sometimes it's good to have notes on the photos.

Up next: "THE ROAD TRIP"

We've been waiting all year for this!

Oh, this is good.

As I said, it's always helpful to have notes on the pictures; wouldn't want to miss the moose.

Oh! Another moose. And a very tall one too. (Or very short hydro poles.)

Again, grateful for the notes on this wildlife shot.

Surely the end of the road...and a good thing too.

The next theme could be called "PEOPLE STANDING AROUND IN GROUPS"

Who are they and why are they there?

We have traveled from Kansas to the Land of Oz.

Well, I know that I am somewhere amongst this herd of graduates.

Living in Canada there is always the wonder of "SNOW"

And it's always so exciting, that first snowfall!

In the category of "YOU HAD TO BE THERE" we have:

This...on the back is written, 'septic system'

But here's a photo that was in the rejects pile until I reinstated it after noticing something.

Our cat, 'Ti-Gris', really looking like a tiger on the prowl. this one stays.

And so does the next one because it's so tiny and rare:

My great-grandmother, Eva.

I hope you enjoyed these photos and recognized some of the common themes from your own albums!

Bella Coola

2010-07-24T11:08:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my latest visit to beautiful Bella Coola, B.C. Above is a watercolour I did of the Estuary, looking across towards the original townsite. The town was moved, building by building, many years ago because of flooding and is now on this side. If you look carefully you can see tiny white shapes. These represent the remains of the Tallheo Cannery which ceased operation in the early 70's.

What follows is my account of my visit to the old cannery site.

We arrived in this powerful aluminum boat skippered by Jim, who also owns many acres on this side. The ride was a thrill in itself, with old rock n' roll music blaring and water spraying our faces. Jim took us along the coast for awhile where we were able to see many bald eagles and glacier streams feeding into the estuary.

This is one of the buildings we explored. All the rooms are beautifully maintained by Jim and his small staff and can be rented for stayovers. We opted not to stay this time because we didn't realize how comfortable it could be. Well, maybe next time.

Here is the entertainment lounge. The Wurlitzer works, 25 cents for any old tune from the fifties and up.

This is as close as I got to a bear.

The bedrooms are clean and cozy.

All the floors are gleaming.

The facilities work!

The windows let in the light through lacy curtains.

Next door is the General Store, now preserved as a kind of museum.

This room houses an old safe, maps and invoice records.

After exploring we all settled in the shade by the beach for a picnic.

In this picture: my granddaughter Alberta, nine-month old Rylan and his parents, Heather and Rod, who are friends of Andrew and Kim.

My son, Andrew, and his son, Finn, enjoying the moment.

Alberta of the Jungle!

After a little more exploring and trying to swim in the frigid waters (way too cold for me!) we got back into the boat and returned. Thanks, Jim, for your hospitality and for keeping this place so well.

And Now For Something Completely Different!

2010-06-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

In CONCEPTUAL ART it's the IDEA of a thing which takes precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. H-m-m-m...so Marcel Duchamps apparently decided to exhibit a urinal and title it FONTAINE. And sign it R. Mutt. Well, he certainly got noticed back there in 1917 or thereabouts, and so began a new art movement. Sometimes labeled DADA or INSTALLATION art, this unorthodox style continues to stir controversy. Think Yoko Ono or Christo of the wrapped islands and buildings and you get the picture. Or not. The answer is..."HUH?"

Here's Damian Hirst standing next to THE GOLDEN CALF, which is a real dead calf with 18 carat gold horns and hooves, standing in a tank of formaldehyde. I'm not sure what the concept is but someone paid 10.3 million pounds for it. The more outrageous the more bucks it brings.

So I've been casting about for more examples of potential conceptual art in my own neighbourhood.

And look at what I found! This installation was created by our neighbour weeks AFTER the annual pick-up of cast-offs so I think it qualifies. The concept was, " what would happen if I place this box (wooden) on top of this desk (steel) and leave them at the roadside?" The answer is: someone took it the next day.

I call this ROADSIDE OFFERING.

This is more an example of PERFORMANCE ART. My husband's feet are sporting cabbage leaves. The concept here is that cabbage leaves are supposed to decrease swelling to parts of the body, in this case, feet. And it doesn't matter what kind of cabbage.

Green cabbage will do just as well.

Now this is my Hirst-inspired example of nauseating art. The concept here is, "This is what can happen when you leave a bottle of wine uncapped in your basement and there is a mouse trying to escape a couple of cats, like Sam and Bridget.

It's amazing how little space a mouse needs to get in.

I call this CHATEAU SOURIS.

Yum!

And no, we didn't drink it.

I'm off to Bella Coola for the next few weeks and promise to be back with more traditional, less avant-garde paintings. But one never knows, do one?

Train Man

2010-06-05T14:10:00.000-04:00

My father has always had a passion for trains and books. He often used this icon below his signature; I found this one on the flyleaf of his 1912 edition of "Rhymes of A Rolling Stone" by Robert W. Service.

Here is young Jack with his stepfather who's name he adopted. Dad's biological father died during WWI and never saw his son. My grandmother later married the above gentleman, moved to Northern Ontario where he worked for the railroad, and proceeded to have four more babies, half-siblings for my Dad. And so began his life-long fascination for trains.

Like this locomotive engine...

...or this one on which he took an unintended runaway ride after a session of unsupervised fiddling with the controls, a tale he still loves to tell.

No, this is not the result of his adventure but it is an example of his enthusiasm, even photographing train wrecks.

Dad painted this when he was in his late teens. I love the way he did the smoke by spattering over a mask or stencil which he cut in the appropriate shape.

Here's my Mom, Phyllis, during their early courting days. Evidently she didn't mind sharing Dad's enthusiasm for all things railway. Or maybe she's saying, "You've gotta be kidding!"

And so Dad became an executive in publishing. He never worked for the railroad.

He did indulge his passion with a series of model railways.

This one was set up in his Montreal apartment which was Dad's pied-a-terre while working downtown during the week. I stayed overnight there once while my son was having his tonsils out at the nearby Childrens' Hospital and was treated to a demonstration of a train wreck while trying to sleep on the sofa.

A few years ago I invited Dad to join our local Artist Trading

Card group. I gave him some card stock and some magic markers the night before the trade. Here's what he came up with.

Pretty good for a guy of (then) ninety two. These are copies; his originals were scooped up quickly. Now, at ninety four, Dad is restricted by arthritis and degenerative eye disease and so is unable to attend get-togethers let alone create cards like these. He still has a lot of spirit and sense of humour. So, J.V.D., I dedicate this post to you!

Small Watercolours

2010-05-09T14:39:00.030-04:00

Several years ago I was visiting my son Andrew in Bella Coola, British Columbia.It's a pretty remote area of central coast B.C. with endless views of breathtaking natural beauty. So of course I had packed a tiny sketch book and watercolour supplies and was able to do many tiny paintings of the surroundings. The day I painted Mount Nusatsum, above, was the only time we had some fog, making the mountain disappear into the sky.

There were some Lombardy Poplars near my cabin, ancient and covered with lichen.

Some friends of Andrew let me sit in their yard one afternoon and paint their front wall and gate.Again I was intrigued by the mossy patina of the old stone wall.These friends also took us on a "drift" down the Bella Coola River which meanders through the entire valley out to the Pacific. A drift boat is a banana-shaped rowboat and Phil, the owner, was our expert oarsman. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera for that memorable experience and painting 'en pleine aire' was out of the question.

On Mothers' Day Andrew arrived at my cabin with this bouquet of flowers which he'd swiped from a neighbour. Naturally I had to capture that moment which I now share with you and all the mothers in the world. Have a wonderful Mothers' Day!

Collecting Art

2010-04-18T09:21:00.022-04:00

When I was in my young twenties I made a conscious decision to collect original artwork. It had to be art that, a) I liked, and b) I could afford. Over the years this is what I've accumulated.

The above Laurentian scene is a watercolour by Graham Norwell who came to Canada from Scotland. It was given to me by my Dad a few years ago. I think it was one of the first original paintings Dad ever bought and had hung on my parents' walls for many years. I'm happy to have it now.

Jacques Shrygens, a Belgian artist who moved to Canada, painted this and the two following watercolours of cities in which I'd lived by the time I bought them. Montreal, above, is where these were exhibited, at Place Bonaventure in 1969. I remember buying these three on time. It took me three months to pay for them. Framed, they cost $65 apiece! After paying for framing and commission to the gallery I wonder what M. Shrygens was left with?

...Quebec City

...and Toronto.

"The Nude and the Waitress"
This acrylic painting by Canadian artist David Armstrong was purchased by my husband, George, at the same exhibition as the previous watercolours. I hadn't met George at the time but when I did and saw that painting...well, let's just say I'm glad I now have both.

Leslie Coppold, who died in 2007, was a well known Montreal artist who gave classes to our art association in Hudson. He was a very patient man with a great sense of perspective and colour. I learned a lot from him. You can't see it without a magnifying glass but there is a pickup truck in the distance with his wife's name written on the back.

Tim Elliott is an artist who lives in Hudson. When I lived there too I asked him one day if I could visit his studio and watch him work. He agreed and this is the result. I bought it on the spot.

"Rainbow Man" is an acrylic painting by Susan Jephcott, a symbolist artist who lives in Vankleek Hill and whose works are widely collected around the world. Try googling her.

My talented sister, Lynne, does amazing portraits as well as being an accredited actor. Here's a pencil drawing she did of my son Jon, at age 16, the same year he created the following works.

Jon made this print and the next two watercolours while he was at art school.

He's a master of watercolour wash and detail...

...I've always loved these balloons he painted.

My younger son, Andrew, considers himself to be more of a fisherman than an artist but I consider this fish print he created from an actual catch to be highly worthy.

Last summer I spent a few days in Ottawa at a girlfriend reunion. Bar, Suzanne and I had been schoolmates eons ago and finally had the opportunity to get together for a great catch-up session. This collage by Suzanne Hill is called "Secrets" and hangs on my wall as a special memento of that occasion, (much wine and talking). Suzanne is a well established artist in New Brunswick whose unique work can be seen if you google her name. It's worth a look!

My friend and fellow blogger, Ronna, paints freehand upbeat images on ceramics. She does custom orders as well as her own designs like these olives...and...

... dragonflies and ladybugs.

Another friend, Diane Buckett, made this glass hanging. I bought it from her just before we left Vancouver Island. A whimsical souvenir.

"He Promised Her the Moon"

This collage by my friend Barb Glen caught my eye at a local art show last weekend so it's my most recent acquisition. The strip of birch bark along the bottom has a special meaning to Barb.

I often hear people at exhibitions say they don't have any more wall space. It's just a cop-out. If you really like something you can always make room for it.

Pink Monday

2010-03-23T13:12:00.006-04:00

It was a Monday and therefore a pink day as I sat down to cut out coloured letters to paste onto bristol board for a poster project I'd volunteered to do. I switched on the radio and found myself listening to a CBC program about Synaesthesia, the phenomenon of the crossing and combining of the senses and which I share with other synaesthetes. How a-propos, I thought, to be doing the thing I'm listening about. Sort of. Because the colours of the letters I was cutting didn't correspond to my own personal colour alphabet. That alphabet never changes and has been with me forever. I'll explain more about that in a minute.

But first here's an example of one of the posters. There are 12 in all of various designs and will be displayed at our annual ART FAYRE in Dunvegan this coming June. I wanted to get them done now before the gardening weather arrives. Plus they were kind of fun to do.

There were a lot of leftover bits from cutting out the letters so I turned some of them into ATCs (artist trading cards) such as the ones above which I'll trade at the end of the month at our local card swap.

So...PINK Monday. (Altho' it looks more lilac in the example above...blame my scanner)For me the days of the week have specific colour auras and have always appeared in my mind's eye as they do above. So do the months of the year and numerals. Though I was poor at math (except for geometry) the colour combinations helped with learning the times-tables. Other conditions common to synesthetes, or 'synnies' as we're now called for the sake of speed, are: left-right confusion, (many of us are lefties including myself); poor sense of direction (I study maps a lot); a photographic memory, which I have to some degree; and perfect pitch, which I don't think I have but I've noticed that when my scanner starts up it plays what sounds to me like the first three notes of a Hungarian rhapsody.

Some 'synnies' have a harder time with their condition as they are over-connected to the stimuli of their surroundings and freak out in noisy cities with traffic and neon lights. They might taste colours and experience sounds as physically painful.

One theory is that we are all synnies at birth but most people 'prune' away unnecessary connections between the senses. Those of us who remain 'unpruned' continue life with this curious condition.

Years ago I attended a meeting of synesthetes as part of a research project headed by a Montreal university student. At first we all had a lovely time sharing and comparing our own personal quirky experiences but after a couple of hours the interest faded. I think it was because our own personal take on being a 'synnie' was just that, personal and of little real interest. After all, if you see 'S' as green and I see it as red, where do we go from there? As I recall none of us exchanged phone numbers. But we did enjoy the moment and a piece of home-made apple pie.

Eva

2010-03-07T12:57:00.013-05:00

This little pewter pin once belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, Eva Eleanor Etienne, who was born in 1870. For International Women's Day I dedicate this post to her. I don't really know all that much about her except that she was of Huguenot ancestry and she married a man who worked in a tannery. But I do have some brief memories of her as well as a collection of old photographs, many with the patina of the years.

Eva posed for this photo at age 13. Note the pin at her neck and the trace of a smile, a rare thing in early days of photography. She lived in Montreal, then Ste. Hyacinthe, Quebec during her younger years. She later became known as "Memere" and I am lucky enough to have met her on occasion for the first ten years of my life.

Little Eva with her mother, Eleanor, who was about 18 when this was taken.

Eva at age 15, still wearing the pin and holding what might be a diploma but I don't know how much schooling she had or in what, so perhaps it's a prop.

Here's an old tin-type photo with Eve posing in front of a fake snow-scene, wearing what I'm guessing is a Red-River or a Voyageur outfit. Her cheeks are hand-tinted a healthy pink.

Eva married Ferdina (sic) a.k.a. Fred Chartrand when she was 25, which was considerably old for a girl to wed in those days. Above she poses with Fred and her father, Onesime Etienne. This was ca. 1895 as the clothes would indicate. To our eyes now people looked a lot older back then.

Another tin-type showing Eva with son Etienne in a horse-carriage. I don't know if it belonged to them but I do know that Eva loved riding in cars in later years, especially along country roads in the evening. I used to sit in the back seat of my grandfather's car with her.
A family portrait: Fred, Eva, Etienne and Irene, my grandmother, who was born in 1902.

I'm told she was a fan of Alan Ladd. Maybe that's who she's thinking about in this picture.

It's 1943 in this shot of four generations, Eva, Irene, Phyllis and me, at my christening.

For many summers when we were young my sister and I stayed with our Mom's parents in Elmira Ontario. Eva lived in the house with them. I remember her long white hair braided and pinned up. She also made braided rugs and sewed the rags together on her treadle sewing-machine before braiding them. She gave the rugs away to family and friends.

I remember Eva as a quiet little woman who minded her own business most of the time and who also enjoyed a good laugh. Once she poured herself a glass of what I thought was coke and set it on the kitchen counter. When she wasn't looking I swiped a hefty swig, and gagged...my throat on fire with her evening shot of brandy. She cackled like crazy at that. "Serves you right!", she said. It was true.

In the picture above she is holding my sister, Lynne. I was four at the time and appear to be looking for my gang of summer playmates. This is one of the last photos we have of Eva. She died six years later, following a stroke, at age 83.

House Portraits

2010-02-19T14:42:00.011-05:00

I love painting houses. This log house is in Northern Ontario and was done for the family of the late owner. It's now covered with vinyl siding but they managed to find an old black & white photo for me to work from.

I did this one for the owners of the farmhouse not far from where I live now.

I believe this house is somewhere in Nova Scotia. It was a commission done entirely from a photograph so I never saw the real thing.

This house in Vankleek Hill was painted for a local art exhibit straightforwardly entitled 'The Houses of Vankleek Hill'.

Here is a typical Vancouver Island house which caught my imagination. I welcome any opportunity to add whimsy to my paintings, making the buildings come alive.

Someone actually lived here. It was near Kendall Ontario where I took the photo and I might have added a bit of embellishment but not much.

This and the next two Hudson buildings are now gone. GLASSBLOWERS' COTTAGE was designated a heritage site as it had originally housed the glassblowers of the Como Glassworks. While I lived in Hudson it was variously a private residence, an art gallery and finally a restaurant, L'Ambience, which burned down one night.

I called this one 'Paved Paradise' because it was torn down to make way for a parking lot. At the time I painted it two unique clothing stores were operating; PATCHES and TEA & SYMPATHY. That was before the Quebec language laws were in full force.

The now defunct Hudson Hardware on Yacht Club Road was finally replaced by a much bigger but less quirky store adjacent to this site. I remember walking across the creaky wooden floor and hearing everything rattle as I approached the counter. This place was a true Hudson experience.

The Farm

2010-02-10T10:20:00.018-05:00

My parents' mid-life adventure began in the early 70's when it became a popular trend to leave the suburbs and move to the country. When they purchased this place it was in dire need of improvement. Such as plumbing. And electricity. My grandmother was living with them and prayed that the deal wouldn't go through but it did and she gradually learned to love the place as did everyone else in the family. We all called it 'the farm' but was no longer a working farm. But much work was lavished on it over the years. I think my parents were happiest during these years.

Soon after all the major work was done this sign was put up to welcome browsers. I didn't know that groundhogs could climb that high.

The shed became an antique shop specializing in Victoriana. Dad was still working in the city so Mom looked after the shop. There were a lot of clocks and they would all go off at once.

Mom worked all summer in the garden so that all winter they could enjoy its harvest. I believe that's a gooseberry bush in the right foreground.

This is an early watercolour I painted from the same vantage point.

Dad spent a lot of time on the tractor, especially in winter keeping the long driveway clear. I think he quit smoking soon after this photo was taken. Anyway he's still with us at age 93.

My sister Lynne enjoys the company of Jake and Bert while sitting in the sun on the front steps. Our Mom is at the door holding Lynne's daughter Melissa.

My boys. Andrew, ever the fisherman, sits with Jon and the dogs, Cornelia and Victor.

Here are the boys at the back door in one of my early watercolours.

This window on the upstairs landing is one of my favourite spots, especially when it's frosted and decorated for Christmas.

Many family meals were enjoyed in this dining room. Dad appears to be saying grace but I doubt it. Mom is perhaps glaring at him. My sons have a conspiratorial look while my grandmother, Mamoe, seems to be waiting for a glass of wine.

Dad, the patriarch, kneels in front of a gang of us in the kitchen. I'm standing behind him.

In 1981 VIA ran its last train behind the house. Soon after that the tracks were pulled up. I think that was a very foolish move. It's now a long, straight biking and walking trail which I find quite boring.

Victoria House as it looked after many years of TLC. You can just make out the image of Bert the dog in the shadows.

Victoria House, the watercolour.

Vancouver Island

2010-01-25T13:51:00.015-05:00

This is the tenth anniversary of our flight out of paradise. Here we are at the top of Mount Maxwell on Saltspring Island, gazing west to Vancouver Island which was our home for awhile. People often ask why on earth we would leave such an idyllic spot. The short answer is RAIN. In fact there were many reasons why we left but basically, despite having met many friendly people, we missed the east. It was an adventure though.

This is the closest I got to painting a mural in Chemainus. It's a garbage bin...oops...beautification barrel. Here I'm depicting a historical building, namely the first library in town. It was for a contest. I won a prize.

For Chemainus Day George dresses as a camera and cavorts in the parade with Neil, the clown.

He's happy to get out of that outfit. The blue tights are cute though.

George gets his picture in the paper as a member of the 'Brady Bunch' jazz band. They played a few happenin' gigs in Victoria, Duncan and at the Chemainus Daze (sic) parade.

Still our first year there. I get invited to a dress-up tea party and find myself in the paper. It's quite easy to be 'famous' here.

You can't believe everything you read in the paper. This publicity shot for the murals of Chemainus shows George and I 'scrubbing' one of them. As if. It was all a set-up. But when I saw the picture in the paper I began to question our reason for being there in the first place.

As volunteers for the community a bunch of us got to go aboard a minesweeper! I don't know why.This one, HMS Mirimachi, took us up to Ladysmith and around Galliano Island. And around...and around. Nice way to spend an afternoon.

Not sure what I was thinking while sitting on that log in the rainforest but maybe it was, "what am I doing here?"

This was our little house. It was described in real estatese as a 'character house' meaning you need a good sense of humour to appreciate it. Good thing we had lots of experience in the renovating and decorating business. It took us six years to turn this place from homely to homey. And then we sold it.

But before leaving I painted this little watercolour. If you click for a larger image you can see the two cats. (Not the ones we have now) They flew back a few days ahead of us.

January

2010-01-16T13:12:00.012-05:00

What to make of January? A month of good intentions, though I learned long ago not to make huge whopping resolutions that can only make you feel like such a loser when you break them. So now I just go about my days trying to appreciate the good things, like our fish pond, which is frozen over now but will come to life again ...in April.

And here's our tree of birds. Mostly mourning doves waiting for a chance to take over the feeder. Sometimes they sit there for hours, not making a sound, meditating on food.

A while ago we had some dratted freezing rain which kept us inside but made for some cool pictures like these.

Jailbird, Jailbird through my window...

Lately I've been doing what many of you have been doing: sorting through stuff with new resolve to start the year fresh. For me this involves a bit of a cull in my studio-again-and I've managed to turf some old canvasses and watercolours that had nowhere to go but the orange garbage bag. Then I had a relapse and thought I'd recycle the paper, turn it into papier- mache and make...masks...or bowls that I could decorate. Not a good idea! I soon remembered earlier attempts at this craft and what a lot of work it is. And as if to confirm my thoughts, Sam and Bridget got hold of one of my efforts before it was dry and tried to eat it. Yum, wallpaper paste!

So here I am down in the studio still wondering about the significance of everything. At least it's clean again, for now, and things ARE taking shape, just not papier-mache things.

The following pictures show our darling kitties helping me.

"I'll get you, Sam!"

" Now I'm the King...er...Queen of the Castle!"

"One false move and I'll flatten you!"

"Ha! Look at me up here. If I hold this pose maybe nobody will notice. But that's crazy because I know I can't sit still for more than a second." (And with that she climbed to the top of the drapes.)

"Well, I don't need to do all that posing, I just have to look gorgeous."

So cheers, everybody and here's to good intentions.

All About Eggs

2010-01-02T15:47:00.010-05:00

For Christmas my son Jon gave me some lavender and purple orchid soaps from his store 'Menagerie'. That got me thinking about eggs. As a young kid I was allergic to eggs but was always fascinated by them, loved to watch my Dad slice off the top of a soft-boiled one and dab in his toast. It was such a ritual. So here's my little riff on eggs.

This egg was decorated many years ago by my niece Joanna. The paint has faded and when you shake the egg you can hear the petrified contents thump around inside. It's very special and I'm amazed it has survived so long.

Which came first? Mom used to collect glass ornaments and this is my favourite.

Now here's a recipe for eggs that you might find appropriately simple after the holiday eating-fest. It's called 'Cheese and Eggs' and was 'taught' to me by my husband. In fact this is the dish he made for me during our courting days and is indeed a throwback to his bachelorhood. (George also used to visit the local butcher and trade wrapping-paper for choice cuts of meat including heart, tongue and liver, sometimes a steak. How could a girl refuse such gifts?)

So you start with onions, a goodly amount, simmering in water till most of the water is gone.

To the onions add some milk, the eggs and a bit of butter. Notice how photogenic these particular eggs appear?...that is because they come from Natalie's hens who are raised on a gourmet diet.

Now smother the lot with cheese and keep simmering till it looks like the next picture.

Perfect. The yolk's not broken and is ready for dibbing with the toast. This is a good comfort dish and really easy to fix. Happy New Year!

Tiny Pretty Things

2009-12-21T12:52:00.012-05:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last post and I'm still thrashing around in my studio trying to produce some new work...it may be a long time coming but I'm keeping at it and I promise to share once there is something worthwhile. It will take time.

Meanwhile here's my annual bird Christmas card and a few other things. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

For our last Trading-Card session I had done some quick ink sketches of faces but found them a bit boring so decided to cover them with masks done on tracing-paper. The result is much more exciting and gave me an excuse to embellish like crazy.

The three following cards were done using the NEVR DULL method I learned from Kate Strickland in her demo article which appeared in the last issue of Ronna's publication, ATC Quarterly. I found it a lot of fun in an experimental way.

Thanks for the lesson, Kate.

And now, a word from the kitties who are still roaring around the house at seven months old.

"All the very best to you in the new year!"

With love from Samanda...

...and Bridget

More From the Past

2009-11-23T13:57:00.021-05:00

Here are some more of my paintings that are not on my walls which people have sent for my blog. Might as well post them now because the 'new works' are slow in coming. I keep going off in different directions recently and have a lot of iffy unfinished unconnected work. I think it means either I have too much to say or nothing at all. And one of my big concerns now is ending up with a studio full of pieces that will some day be somebody else's headache. Arg-h-h-h!

O.K. I'm going now, back to the drawing-board.

'Between A Rock and A Hard Place'

I sold these two watercolours about 15 years ago and the owners were kind enough to send me these images, having discovered my blog recently. Bill took classes with me and went on to become an accomplished painter in his own right. This one is called 'Chez Minou' so of course the next one is called...

Chez Pitou'

I painted this for my sister and her family who were living in the country at the time. I included their two horses, two cats, the dog and their daughters who are now young women in their twenties. Lots of good memories. Thanks for sending this, Lynne.

What's Not On My Walls

2009-10-22T13:18:00.033-04:00

This is me circa 1998, painting by our little pond in Chemainus. What follows is a retrospective of some of the paintings I've sold over the last thirty or so years. These are the ones I was clever enough to record; there were many others that I'll never see again but wish I could.

I'm going to take a little break from regular blogging for awhile in order to spend more time with my paints so please enjoy these images while I try to create more. And please comment, I love your comments!

'The Waterford'
This and the two next paintings were commissioned by their respective owners while we lived in Chemainus, on Vancouver Island, 'The Little Town That Did'.

Another restaurant on Willow Street...I can't remember the name any more.

'Castle Cove Inn'
A Chemainus B&B on the ocean.

'Wanda'

You could say this and the following three paintings are from my Blue Period. It's the only one done in oils. Originally I had painted her naked but decided to clothe her, it was too distracting with all the fish around.

'The Bride'
The white fish is being pursued by a posse of males all hoping to pass on their DNA.

'Enough Is Enough'
Mixed media with glazes, glitter, sequins and metal bits.

'The Way Out'
A mixed-media piece, featuring plaster, oil glazes, fabric and gold leaf, this concludes my Chemainus- oriented work.
The following images were done in Hudson during the 80's.

'Strolling'
Here's a scene from what was the Hudson Gift Shop. It has changed hands and roles many times since then.

'Red Umbrella'
Hudson nostalgia: Legg's store with a bit of Glassblowers' Cottage at left. Both just a memory.

'Is This Seat Taken?'
From the terrace at the Hudson Yacht Club.

'Churchyard Gate'
( St. James Church, Hudson.)

'Tiny Maple'
This small watercolour is part of a series I did on Rigaud Mountain, near Hudson.

'Blue and Gold'
Nothing says summer more than this. Our kids used to play in the gully near the house, building forts and fishing for pollywogs. In winter we could skate on the frozen stream.

'Narcissus'
A true nature morte subject. Dead and wizened since their Christmas forcing these narcissi inspired me to paint them in spring. I still have the bowl which was created by my friend Glenda, though some bits have broken off over the years.

'Snow Shadows'

'Red Sled'
This late afternoon scene was taken from Simon's Farm before it was sold to developers. In those days we could hire Mr. Simon to take us for a sleigh ride all around his property. We did it for Andrew and his little friends one birthday many years ago.
And so concludes my little retrospective. Bye for now.

I'm Trying to Enjoy Autumn

2009-10-13T12:49:00.005-04:00

Maybe it's because we've had such a non-summer followed by a few glorious weeks in September then bang, a crashing descent towards winter, by-passing our usual Indian Summer over the Thanksgiving weekend but I have been feeling more melancholy these last few days. My tristesse is compounded by seeing George mow his last lawn of the season yesterday, though he is undoubtedly not unhappy about that . And then he put the mower in the shed and retrieved all the parts of the snow-blower hut, ready for assembly. He also put the lawn chairs away. And the big umbrella. And I cleaned off the cushions that have been outside all summer. And took down the hummingbird feeder. All the sad chores are being done. There are a few more to take care of but I'm still holding out for a slight warming trend so we can do them in relative comfort.

One thing that's still looking good is our pond. So here are a couple of recent shots as an attempt on my part to lighten up the mood. My mood default setting is usually hopeful and seeing the water so clear and the fish so healthy- looking gives me a lift.

A Day In the Life...Cuteness Alert!

2009-10-08T13:34:00.011-04:00

Hey Bridget, what do you wanna do?

I dunno. I'm getting tired of watching for birds.

We could rearrange the studio...

...or maybe play this kitty classic...

...or we could play 'Linen Closet". Turn on your headlights.

Isn't it lunchtime?

Sorry, I can't wait.

I'm in the bag.

And now we must nap.

Menagerie in Montreal

2009-09-29T13:52:00.020-04:00

O.K., summer is over and we're having a wonderful autumn so far and I know this will annoy some of you but I just did my Christmas shopping last Saturday in Montreal. Well, most of it anyway. And I did it all here. This is the Menagerie Experience....

Menagerie is part of the Beaux Arts building on the south side of Sherbrooke West.

The gardens are fabulous and designed by the owners, whom you will meet later in this post.

You go down a few steps and enter here.

Once you are inside Menagerie you feel as if you are in another world. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed with soft music in the background, (real music, not elevator) and so you slow down and take it all in. There is so much to see, a wonderful bazaar of beautiful and original things for your home or for gifts. If you visit give yourself a lot of time to look around.

This window looks out onto Sherbrooke Street.

Another window displays lamps, window hangings and elegant floor-length draperies.

Here's a wall of frames, trays, boxes and vases in leather, lacquer, metal and ceramic.

A row of silver (pewter?) birds wait to cross the road.

If it's pillows you're after this is the place! All one- of- a- kind. All gorgeous.

This pillow is all feathers.

This pillow needs to be adopted. By me.

This wall display, reflected in the green lacquered counter-top, features glass plates and paper weights by John Derian of New York, highly collectible signed pieces featuring birds, insects, animals and other whimsical subjects.

The two proprietors of this establishment are Anik and Jon, interior designers in both residential and commercial venues.

Here's Jon, looking busy. (Yes, he's my son and I'm a shameless promoter of his enterprise.)

M-M-M...I added to my collection of Margo Selby one-of-a-kind pillows from England. Her colours and patterns are delicious.

Here are the rest of my purchases...the question is, what will I give away and to whom? Another question is...what will I keep?

Sainte Anne de Bellevue...Again

2009-09-22T12:46:00.016-04:00

As you approach Ste Anne de Bellevue one landmark stands out: the watertower. When we were kids my sister and I would argue over who saw it first as we returned from a trip out of town, driving our parents insane, but in a good way.

Last weekend my sister and her husband, Frank, drove down to visit us from Toronto. It was another of the gorgeous September weekends we've finally been enjoying. So we took one more trip down memory lane, wandering around the town of our childhood and realizing what a fine place it was to grow up in.

We start with a walk to the boardwalk to visit the Farmer's Market and choose a suitable restaurant of which there are many, all with outdoor terraces for the season. George is at the far right, waiting for us to catch up.

The market is accessible from the boardwalk or the main street.

This shot is taken from across the main street, rue Ste Anne.

Here's William, surrounded by his heavenly honey. He also sells some great goat cheeses.

Lots of lovely veggies.

This booth provided some entertainment. It appears they're sold out of produce. Just as well, it was almost closing time.

After the market we strolled along the boardwalk...

...and saw a lot of people and a lot of boats.

Some of these boats are waiting to go through the locks to the Lake of Two Mountains which is really a widening of the Ottawa River. But I suspect that many are tied up more permanently and use the canal as a venue for sun-worship and partying. It's certainly a lively spot on a beautiful day.

We walked to the end of the boardwalk to Peter's Cape Cod for a bite of lunch. Lynne and Frank look pretty happy about that.

Lynne is wondering what the people at the next table are having. She and Frank had roast beef which looked delicious. George and I had the grilled salmon, which WAS.

And of course we all descended on Ryan's house again and had our pictures taken at 25 Lamarche. Thanks, Ryan, you've been such a great host!

What's On My Walls?

2009-09-15T15:29:00.007-04:00

The following paintings are what is sometimes referred to as 'the artist's private collection', a phrase meaning they haven't been sold yet but the artist still likes them. In this case the artist (me) has decided to hang on to them and display them on her walls. Naturally everything has a price but I really enjoyed the space I was in when I did these, they make me happy, so I'm glad they were never sold.

The first four were done without any preconceived idea of where they would end up. They began with plaster applied with a spatula, acrylic splotches randomly applied and developed further with oil glazes as the ideas began to form.

SPIES IN THE NIGHT
This is one of my all-time favourites.

WOMEN'S WORK
Another painting that just evolved.

MANY BELLS DOWN
I named it after a line from e.e.cummings' poem 'Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town'("with up so floating many bells down") simply because I liked the sound of it.

MARBLE GAME
That's what I saw at the time...maybe you see something else. It doesn't really matter.

ENIGMA
Using oil glazes and gold leaf I painted this to illustrate a poem about shattered minds. It is the only one in this group which began with a specific idea.

Sainte Anne de Bellevue---NOW

2009-09-08T14:42:00.015-04:00

This is the neatest thing! A few weeks ago I got an e-mail regarding my blog post about the house where I grew up. It was from the present owner, Ryan Young, who teaches media studies at John Abbott CEGEP. We arranged a meeting on Labour Day weekend. The above picture shows the house as George and I walked up the hill towards it. I felt pretty excited and a tiny bit apprehensive, but as it turned out there was nothing to worry about; we had a wonderful visit and met two lovely people.

This is it. 25 Lamarche. It still looks the same and as I was to discover, much of the interior remains unchanged.

I can hardly believe it, here I am sitting on the front steps with Ryan. I was 13 the last time I sat here. (in 1956, you can do the math!) Ryan and Kate graciously showed us around. To me it was like the Twilight Zone.

Ryan is inviting us upstairs.

Here is Kate at the top. The staircase is exactly as I remember it. The painting is one of many by Ryan's Mom. There is an elephant in this one. I'd like to meet her some day and talk about art.

The old grate is still there!

The only room I never saw when I was a kid: the attic. It was not like this back then! Ryan's Mom has hung it with fabric so it looks like a Moroccan tent and was used as a loft/t.v. room. There is a ladder permanently installed to gain access but being a bit of a chicken about heights I only went half-way up to get this shot.

My old bedroom window overlooks the screened porch. The poplar trees are now HUGE.

In what used to be our dining room a music studio has evolved containing a beautifully refinished old piano and Ryan's drum kit...

...and another painting by Ryan's Mom. Creative expression abounds throughout the house.

The door from the kitchen is still the same, leading to the porch.

After our tour we sat on the screened porch, drank tea and chatted. As you can imagine there was much to discuss, to remember and to discover. One of the bonuses was Ryan's film about the history of the village, its merger with the city of Montreal and its subsequent de-merger. George and I purchased his DVD called THE VILLAGE RESISTS and watched it when we got home, a perfect finish to this extraordinary day. I would highly recommend the film to anyone who has the slightest connection with the delightful town of Ste Anne de Bellevue. It's available through:

Vision 9 Productions,
25 Lamarche, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 2A9
(514)-457-9758

September

2009-09-01T15:31:00.014-04:00

We have to change our mindset. Summer is not over.( Not that it really had much to say for itself this year.) We still have three weeks of official summer and the forecast looks wonderful for the next little while, so Labour Day or not, Back-to-School or not, I think our best weather of the year is here. September in this part of the world is usually blue skies and relatively bugless except for a few welcome honeybees. Also on the plus side: humidity is low, nights are cool and the lawn-mowing is slowing down.

So I just did a quick tour of our gardens to share what I saw today, staring with this photogenic lettuce, probably bitter but not twisted, (above) as well as...

...green tomatoes, just ripening...

...some beets...

...a ferny frond...

...a few violas...

...a tiny blood-red rose...

...coreopsis...

...California Poppies ( I think!)...

...asters...

...and of course...

...more...

...glorious pond pictures. Here's to September!

My Mom and the Bedspread

2009-08-24T15:13:00.011-04:00

Here is my Mom, Phyllis, at the age of 17 or so. It is during the 30's. Sometime soon she will begin to make a bedspread out of scraps of fabric. This bedspread will have a long life, as will Mom. It will travel to many homes along the way and it will be remade several times. Many hands will work on it besides hers, but it will always be Mom's bedspread.

This is the bedspread today. I just took it out of the trunk. I learned it's called a 'Yo-Yo' coverlet and that this was a popular form of recycling during the 1930's, what with The Great Depression going on. Well, that figures, given my Mom's practical and patient nature. But I never found out why she never finished it herself. For years it sat in her bottom drawer, partly pieced together but never completely joined nor attached to a backing. So unlike her.

But then, many years later, as a 'surprise', my grandmother secreted it away to the neighbour's house to be finally assembled by a group of seasoned quilters. The backing colour was lime green and the edges were done in little points. When Mamoe presented my mother with this labour of love, no doubt expecting a huge outpouring of gratitude, she was met instead with barely concealed dismay. I guess Mom felt this was a tresspass, just as I would feel if someone finished up a painting I'd started. Nevertheless, she put the bedspread on the spool bed in the guest room and said no more about it.

A few years ago I inherited the bedspread and decided to make things a bit better by getting rid of the green backing and replacing it with a black one and no pointy bits at the edges. It was a winter project and when I showed it to Mom she was delighted. I'm glad for that because she passed away several years later.

I tried using it on my bed but the fabric was becoming too old and needed frequent repairs so I put it away.

Here are some closeups. I'd love to know what all these circles used to be before being lovingly cut out and gathered. Dresses, blouses, tablecloths? My Dad says he used to write little notes and hide them inside some of the circles for Mom to discover. He's such a Romantic! I never found any notes when I was working on the piece. I bet they were too mushy and Mom removed them. Too bad.

So what do I do with it now?

Oh Bridget, you're such a poser.

And now Bridget and Amanda (aka 'Sam') are exploring the possibilities of cavorting on it so I'm going to put it back in the trunk before it gets totally shredded. I would hate for all that work to end up destroyed by our adorable but bratty kittens.

Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, ( Way Back When...)

2009-08-17T12:59:00.013-04:00

This is the house I grew up in. I still dream about it and everything remains very vivid. It had a certain smell and atmosphere which I can conjure up at will. The rooms were small by today's standards but we were lucky to live there and particularly enjoyed the wraparound porch which was screened in the summer. The only room I never went into was the attic, understandably, since the opening was just above the stairwell and a pretty scary climb.

The rent was something like $25/month. There was no garage, few people owned cars back then. My Dad walked to work, Mom walked to the village to shop and we walked to school. Train service was excellent and again, within walking distance. It was a nice way to live.

Our kitchen had five doors; back-porch, side porch (pictured) front hall, dining-room and cellar. There was painted burlap wainscoting around all the walls with dark wood trim. The colours I remember were teal blue and cream. Mom made the vintage frilly curtains on her treadle sewing machine and did the laundry in this ringer-washer. Forget about clothes-dryers...she used the line outside and in winter the stiff clothes were arrayed over the various radiators which we referred to as 'coils'. I would sometimes wake up at night to the sound of urgent thumping followed by hissing. That meant Dad was 'bleeding' the coils. It didn't bear thinking about.

Mom used the coal stove which involved carrying lumps of coal from the cellar (not a basement, it was very rough) in a skuttle and feeding them in through a hole in the top and poking them around to adjust the flames. In winter she would warm our clothes by the open oven door. The neatest thing was the upstairs grate which let the heat up to the bedrooms and through which my sister and I used to spy on the visiting grownups, sometimes sending down messages tied to a string. Messages like 'We need gingerale' or 'Come upstairs and see us.' It often worked.

Here I am, aged five, proudly holding my cherished Maggie Muggins doll on Christmas Day. I remember the beige and white flocked wallpaper installed by my parents. Tres chic for the time! On the table next to me are several tins of cigarettes, either Players or Export A, destined to be given as gifts to the milkman, iceman or coal deliveryman.

This is the idealized watercolour version I painted for my parents some years ago. The property seems considerably larger and the adjacent houses no longer exist, but everything about the house is correct and the poplar trees and hollyhocks were really there.

Bridget and Amanda's New Hardwood Flooring

2009-08-10T13:55:00.011-04:00

"Here we are a few weeks ago, before the old wall-to-wall carpet was ripped up and the new hardwood flooring was installed. Little did we know what chaos was to come!"

"We didn't like it much when they banished us to the basement while all that noise was going on upstairs, thumping and vibrating and strange footsteps. But Fran and George did bring our food down and visited once in awhile so it wasn't too awful."

"Well, they did a pretty good job and now everything is back where it should be. We hate it when things are all over the place and we can't even find our favourite chair."

"We can really do a lot of sliding here. It's so cool!"

"It's been a lot of work and we're tired."

"Yes, we think it looks just fine. Now let us nap."

My Sister

2009-08-01T15:05:00.020-04:00

This is my sister Lynne Deragon at the age of several months. She was born after WW II and thus was in the vanguard of the Baby Boomer generation. ( I, on the other hand, was refered to as a 'war baby', conjuring an image of tiny Maurice Sendak fighting troops.) I remember very clearly the day I first met her.

As you can see I was thrilled to have a little sister!

A few years ago Lynne and family visited us from Toronto on her significant birthday. We all watched as she opened her gifts on New Year's Eve. What was she looking at here?

She was looking down at this pouch which contained something I had spent the previous autumn creating from bits and pieces of stuff and memories.

This is what was in the pouch; an art journal celebrating her life. Details follow.

These first two sections represent the day of her birth, January 1st, symbolized by a champagne glass bubbling forth, followed by the blue bunting bag she wore home on the first day I ever saw her, riding along in the back of the taxi. I remember feeling quite disappointed that she wouldn't even open her eyes to look at me, no matter how hard I stared at her.

Ever the actress, even in school she sometimes assumed roles, arriving for class in costume, ready for recognition. She has told me of her Dutch Girl attempt, showing up in grade three wearing a Dutch cap, folding her hands on the desk and awaiting the teacher's approval. Apparently that teacher was not impressed.

However, a few years later she got her recognition and starred as Snow White. I remember sitting next to Dad in the school gym, watching her sing and dance while Dad stifled tears.

In her teens she sang folk songs in the Joan Baez tradition, playing at Montreal's Yellow Door and Toronto's Riverboat coffee houses. She had long black hair and played the autoharp.

Then she went to National Theatre School in Montreal and performed major roles in plays at Centaur Theatre and other venues. She has also done a lot of radio, t.v. and film work.( You can Google her name to find out more.)

These sections show Lynne in her longest-running roles: as daughter to Phyllis and Jack and as sister to me...

...as well as wife to Frank and mother to Melissa and Joanna.

These final sections show Lynne, the friend to all creatures, holding her Bichon Frisee, Lillie. She has also cared for horses, dogs, (Lillie is not really a dog), cats, bunnies, canaries and even fawns.

The birthday cake depicted to the right is my idealized version of our favourite cake, butter-brickle, which Mom used to make so well.

And here is how the cake really looked when I made it. Definitely homemade, not so photogenic, but delicious nevertheless. I know she enjoyed it. So did we all!

Distractions/Abstractions

2009-07-23T16:29:00.006-04:00

This has been a busy week, visitors dropping by, my Dad's 93rd birthday yesterday and more visitors arriving on the weekend, which is all very delightful but I'm a bit scattered because it's also the last Saturday of the month which means ATCs . Also it's blog post day today if I'm to keep to my self-imposed weekly schedule. How to combine these two little activities in one afternoon?

Like this: look through my watercolour file for something I can cut up and rearrange as little art cards, then write about it, as I'm doing now. Above and below are the original abstract-y disposable pieces.

Then you make nine little 'frames' and judiciously place them over areas of your mother-painting where you think they might create a new composition.

Here is the set of nine

Now I'm ready for Saturday's trade.

Waterfront Property

2009-07-16T14:45:00.017-04:00

Last evening I was sitting by our pond, enjoying its zen-like serenity, and I thought, "here's a great show-and-tell opportunity for my blog." So here it is, my own first hand account of how to build a pond. (Or how we built OUR pond) There are lots of books and on-line advice on the subject as well. It would be good to consult them too if you decide to do it.

Like everything else location is the most important thing. As you can see our pond is small but can be seen from inside the house as well. The trees on one side afford afternoon shade. Too much sun (all-day) can cause problems with algae growth, though that hasn't been a big problem in this part of the country this summer so far. Also there's almost always a breeze where we sit.
The actual digging of the pond was quite easy; I did it after George removed the sod and discovered it was all sand so it cut like butter. Another factor influencing our choice of location was that it was the site of an evergrowing ant hill. The ants have subsequently relocated to the perimeter. Persistent little buggers.
When you dig a pond you should make it 30 to 36 inches deep with 'shelves' around the edge to support border plants. Waterlilies can be planted in the deep part and will overwinter, as will most of the fish. Unfortunately we have found a few dead frogs who didn't make it. (Frogs eat insects but we've seen a few eat a bee and get stung in the windpipe and die.) Toss in a few oxygenating plants like elodea and your pond will have a healthy ph balance. Oh yes, you must install a rubber/vinyl liner. The preformed ones don't go very deep so I'd advise a sheet. Make sure the liner overlaps the edge of the pond, hold it down with rocks and plant things around it.

From the road you can't see the pond as the land slopes down slightly. This is a huge safety plus. You don't want little kids wandering in out of curiosity.

It's important to have a power outlet near the pond so you don't need too much extension cord to reach the pump. The cord is dug under a shallow trench and camouflaged by rocks at the entry point. Also there's an indoor switch to control it, quite handy.

Here you can see the little filter which needs to be cleaned out occasionally. I'm hoping more plants will soon cover this inelegant piece of hardware.

This low-tech brass fish with plastic tubing through its belly makes a good splash and energizes the fish who like to swim against the current. We have to make sure the spout is always aimed into the pond, otherwise the water would be pumped out and bye-bye fishies.

This is not our pond. It was built by our next-door neighbour who took lessons and built this beautiful professional-looking pond complete with waterfall and a much bigger filtering system. Yes, he built his first. The sound of his waterfall was so enticing that we decided to start digging.

The waterfall babbles over the stones before continuing into the pond.

This pond is bigger, therefore the fish will grow bigger. These are the young ones from last year, already turned orange. Ours are still blackish and not as big. It's a mystery of nature how fish know how large to get, depending on the size of their pond.

Ponds can provide a lot of inspiration.

Summer Spectacle

2009-07-09T13:21:00.014-04:00

Our gardens are at their best now, as is always the case in July, a 'grande spectacle', which is French for a really big show, and then along comes August with the leftovers. Probably a good thing though as it's usually too hot to do much gardening then. so here's a sampling of what's happening here at Pleasant Corners.
The lilies are just starting to bloom despite attacks by a certain bright red insect that chomps their leaves off. A gardener friend told me you have to squash them, spraying doesn't help.

These roses attract some nasty looking bugs as well as honeybees. When the bees are away at their hives I shoot the roses with soapy water. It seems to work fairly well.

I love weeding by this beautifully scented lavender bush.

This aubergine coloured clematis climbs over the arbour that George built nine years ago. I call it Clem I.
Clem II
These succulents like the heat from the rocks. The pink flowers, called pinks in non-latin, just show up here and there, carried by the wind. They're almost at the end of their two weeks of glory.
With all the rain we've had recently I believe this is a good time to have planted a vegetable garden. The last one I planted, eight years ago, was a disaster due to drought. Not a problem this year so far. It's a jungle in there.

we're starting to get wild raspberries, not enough for a pie but a zingy touch in a salad made from our fresh young lettuce mixture.

I showed these waterlilies to my friend. She asked me if they were plastic! I know you can buy plastic ones at garden centers and they are hard to tell from the real thing but these are for real for sure. I'm just not a plastic person.

Are you my prince? Shall I give you a kiss?

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Having Kittens

2009-07-01T15:16:00.014-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything so I apologize and offer the excuse that I've been away, which is true; I was in Ottawa last week for a reunion with two of my childhood friends. We had a wonderful time but I didn't get many good pics because of battery problems so I'm waiting for my friends to send theirs. If they turned out and with permission I'll post on that later. ( I know that many people post blogs for later publishing but I'm not that savvy.)

Anyway, when I got back I found that my dear husband George had been doing a little research on line and found us some Calico kittens. At first we'd decided not to get anything of the feline sort for a few months...but then we discussed it and realized we didn't want to wait. So on Sunday we drove to the kitten place where there were six little darlings waiting for a home. It was hard to choose but here are the two we came home with. For all you cat-lovers, please meet:

Bridget
Amanda
So now our living room has become a kitty playground. It's a good time of year to get this kind of entertainment when so much on TV is reruns and asinine dreck.
'I guess I'm supposed to bat this thing around. Hm-m, kinda fun.'
These guys have all the latest toys. How long before they get bored with them, I wonder?
Aw-w, look, they're chewing my good Italian sandals. Isn't that sweet!
Thank you George!
Now I'm happy again with our new babies.
...very happy...
...and they're very happy too.

Our Louie...A Tribute

2009-06-18T15:28:00.002-04:00

This post is to honour and celebrate our beloved cat, Louie, who was killed by a car on Tuesday morning. He was a magnificent and affectionate animal who gave so much pleasure to George and me. He had a good life, as this photo illustrates, but he loved the outdoors, had his own cat door and could come and go as he pleased. Unfortunately it was this that led to his untimely demise. George buried him in the back between two pine trees, near the graves of some of our other cats, Danby and Charlie.

I've been too upset to do any postings till now. I know that when you have a pet you run the risk of heartbreak. Love for people and animals always comes at a price. But it's a price I've always been willing to pay. And I'll do it again, though not today. One thing George and I have agreed upon: the next cat will be an indoor cat!

Art Fayre

2009-06-18T13:46:00.009-04:00

Last weekend we had our annual Art Fayre in Dunvegan. Here are some behind-the-scene shots of the hanging. Above Flip and Barb check the titles and numbers. Incredibly all the works were delivered and hung/displayed on the same day. We're getting good at this after three years.

The hanging coincided with Ronna's birthday so of course we had cake, a psychedelic creation kindly made by Barb. There were also chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of Jennifer. After all our hard work we really appreciated these treats.

WELCOME
All is ready for the Vernissage. Flowers, finger food and fabulous art. The weather is perfect on both days, mainly sunny but not too hot. The stream of visitors is steady.

THE DEMO TENT
This is where some of the artists showed 'how it's done'. Susan is adding embellishments to a sun-print I'd just completed. We did this as a joint effort and we each ended up with our own piece as a souvenir. Other artists demonstrated their wood-carving, rug-hooking and sketching techniques to the amazed watchers.

THE DRAW
Ronna fishes for a winning ticket in Flip's drum for the final draw. She couldn't win this one though, the prize was her own donated ceramic coffee pot.

THE PARTY'S OVER
At exactly ten minutes to five a huge black cloud announced that the end was near.
The wind swept away anything not nailed down which included the contents of the Doodle Table, stickers, glitter pens, pipe cleaners and feathers. By five o'clock it was all over. The rain had started and people were rushing madly to rescue the tents, secure the trash, fold table-cloths and pack away dishes. Sold artwork was picked up by new owners, unsold works were returned to their boxes and blobs of blue-tak were removed from the walls.

It's amazing how quickly an event can end...a fraction of the time it takes to set it up.

And no, I didn't sell anything. No red dots for me. Lots of compliments came my way but there's nothing so nice as compliments followed by cash. I'd like to be philosophical and say, "it really doesn't matter, it's all about the art, blah, blah, blah..."but I'd be lying.

Art Fayre

2009-06-07T09:58:00.007-04:00

Next weekend our third annual Art Fayre exhibition & sale opens in Dunvegan, a tiny crossroads in Eastern Ontario, easily accessed within an hour from Ottawa or Montreal. It all takes place on the southeast corner of the crossroads where you will find several authentic log buildings which have been transported to the site over the years and which house museum artifacts from an earlier time. Our exhibition will be hung in one of the buildings which from the outside looks small but is surprisingly spacious and light-filled once inside.

Seventeen artists will take part including painters, sculptors, ceramists and fibre artists. To add to the fair-like atmosphere we will have designated tents for hands-on activities like Artist Trading Cards, a Doodle Table and artist demonstrations of a casual nature. And of course there will be refreshments available on the wraparound porch.

Our co-ordinator par excellence, Flip Flockton, keeps us well organised and informed, so thanks, Flip, for all your 'gentle reminders' and superb leadership. May we have sunshine and tons of visitors!

This is what I'm showing at the Art Fayre.

Yes, I showed these in an earlier post entitled fabrications but I took these shots in the morning sun to catch the highlights. These fabric assemblages are a departure from my usual watercolour pieces on paper and under glass. The drawback of the latter is the glare you get from the glass, making hanging in an exhibition problematic. I've tried 'non-glare' glass but find it compromises the painting somewhat.
Anyway these little works look their best in the sunlight so let's hope for a sunny weekend!

Artist Trading Cards

2009-06-01T10:20:00.021-04:00

When I first moved to this area I was looking for ways to connect with the local artist scene and stumbled happily upon a serendipitous group of art-card traders who meet once a month to display and trade tiny original works of art, a card for a card. We usually do a series of nine because that's what fits into the plastic sleeve which in turn fits into the three-ring binder.

ATCs serve several purposes: they challenge us to stretch our imagination, they show us new ideas and, most importantly, they socialize us. I now feel well-connected with many local and not- so- local artists. You can learn more about ATCs by clicking on Ronna's Blog and reading about her now-international publication, ATC Quarterly. I just finished reading my copy and it's fantastic.

The above image is the series I traded on Saturday. They're all gone but in their place I have nine fine originals for my collection.

Whoops...how did she get in here?

More abstract than floral

Nine fish, all swimming in the same direction, against the current.

Can't seem to get away from that fishy thing. Nine musical mermaids jammin' away.

Nine tiny perfume bottles = one theme

More bottles...

...And sometimes I like to fool around with collage.

And that's all, folks!

Waterbabies

2009-05-25T14:27:00.011-04:00

To continue with the theme of fairies and enchanted creatures I'd like to share some more of my early childhood influences. My Dad used to read to me a lot and HIS favourite story was The Waterbabies by Charles Kingsley. I must admit that as a very young child I found the going a bit heavy and much preferred The Adventures of Danny Meadowmouse by Burgess or tales from the gruesome Brothers Grimm ( though Peter Pan remained on top of my list).
I must also confess that I've never read the unabridged Kingsley version though I love the illustrations in the above pictured book, but more than anything I'm captivated by the idea of the existence of waterbabies. Thanks, Lynne, for finding this edition in the Oshawa Library.

This illustration by Mabel Lucie Attwell is from a shorter version of THE WATERBABIES which I read to my own children one Christmas Eve. I think all her illustrations are charming. Do you remember Kewpie Dolls?

WATERBABE
A fossil is proof that a thing existed, right?

Though I am old
I'll never die
Or cry...or lie.

SCARBOROUGH FAYRE
A walk across the Scarborough Bluffs in Toronto with my sister, Lynne, a few years ago inspired me to create this image for the Fairy Fossil series. It was a bright September day and Lake Ontario sparkled below us...

High atop the Bluffers' Cove
I danced the diamonds off the lake
and hid them in my treasure-trove
to show you when you wake.

NEW WORLD
And here we are within the elements, earth, sea and sky.

TIDEPOOL
A little mer-baby floats and dreams.....

Off With the Fairies

2009-05-16T14:33:00.012-04:00

When I was four years old I had my first crush. The object of my desire was Peter Pan whose exciting adventures were being read to me over and over by my parents from an illustrated childrens' book tho' not the original version by J.M.Barrie nor the Disney version which was to come a few years later. Anyway, I truly believed in Peter and wanted to meet him and go to Never-Never-Land. I was also captivated by Tinkerbell and wanted to BE a fairy.

Later other enchanting creatures joined my pantheon of favourites: Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, Good Witch Glinda, The Blue Fairy in Pinocchio...if they were tiny, had wings or could live under water I was their fan.

A few years ago I took part in an Art Exhibition whose theme was fairy-oriented. The following images are of some of my entries of "Fairy Fossils" which I created using plaster- of- Paris molds, oil-based glazes, copper wire and 'diamond dust'.

Do you believe?
Clap.
Please clap!

We guide the waves
We guard the shore
Our spirits have been here before.

Round the sacred stones we race...
We know who set them in this place.

Beneath the waves
Within the caves
I think of you
And wait.

A Froggy Blog

2009-05-10T10:51:00.010-04:00

One of my favourite sounds at this time of year is the chirring of the peeper frogs at night. Soon after we built our little pond the frogs started to show up. So it's true that 'if you build it they will come.'

Some seem to arrive from outer-space.

"This looks like a good place to stop for lunch"

"Do you think this is a good place to park?"

...and some arrive by boat. ( You can see my watercolour of this image in an earlier post on ponds.)

Unplanned Paintings

2009-05-03T13:17:00.006-04:00

The Band

La Vie en Rose

Sometimes I like to be led into a painting by starting with no particular idea and letting the first bursts of colour and shape determine the end result. To do this I must be in a fluid mind-set and not give a damn what happens.

These three paintings were done this way, using strong watercolour washes and plastic-wrap to create movement. After the paper dries I remove the plastic-wrap and stare at it, trying to conjure up an idea to develop further. I find it sometimes helps to do this with a glass of wine in hand but then I won't feel like painting so much so I wait till the next day. Usually the idea sticks and I can then attack with abandon.

To Paint or to Potter?

2009-04-24T14:53:00.013-04:00

Today I'm torn between my garden and my painting. I just took this shot of some of our daffodils, trying to get that 'Dr Zhivago' scene when spring finally arrives, the orchestra obliges with 'Lara's Theme' and Omar Shariff has big plans for Julie Christie. But I also have some paintings that are calling me. What to do?

Oh, sigh, what a lovely dilemma!

I have quite a collection of unfinished(?) pieces done in mixed media, experiments and explorations that I want to work on and perhaps exhibit some day even though people expect to see my more 'gettable' watercolours. Right now that side of me is wanting out. It's supposed to rain on Sunday so maybe I'll work on some of them then.

I started this one using crumpled tissue-paper, glue, acrylic, metallic and oil glazes plus some India ink. It could be a satellite image or some microscopic virus. It could be finished. still not sure.

I started this one using pulled-apart dryer sheets as a matrix and acrylic glazes swirled around and imprinted thru' the dryer-sheets which were removed after the glazes dried. It has a frigid arctic look but needs something...what?

This one is almost finished I think but will I work on it today or go outside and play?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind...

Book Reports

2009-04-18T15:04:00.003-04:00

As promised some weeks ago here's a synopsis of our last book club meeting when we discussed W. Faulkner's 'Absalom, Absalom'. ( I had seriously considered not going and staying in bed all day to nurse a vile flu bug but I rallied because a) I was so curious to hear what my friends thought about this incomprehensible novel, and b) the hostess had made a birthday cake in my honour and it would have been rude not to show up.) Anyway, the results:

Three out of eight women didn't get past page one, one member quit, not because of the book, so she said, ( hm-m-m ) three of us who had slogged through it were still confused and had found it a frustrating read. The person who'd suggested the title had to admit that she'd read it at university years ago but even with that advantage she couldn't enlighten us any further.

I'm not saying it's a lousy book, just a very obscure one.

Our next title is Steig Larsson's 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and I found it the perfect antidote to the rigours of 'Absalom, Absalom". I was glad to have had the excuse of the flu to stay in bed and read it through guilt-free. It's that kind of book, a page-turner and a completely accessable escapist read, though not without big issues to discuss. I'm the host for this one and am looking forward to it.

Some Very Tiny Paintings

2009-04-18T14:46:00.007-04:00

Fabrications

2009-04-11T13:02:00.008-04:00

In an earlier post, 'Pisces', I showed some images of unfinished fabric art which had been lying in my trunk for quite awhile awaiting inspiration. Well, the inspiration finally arrived last month, not surprisingly during the Piscean season. At that time of year the sun floods into our living room and draws me to my favourite armchair where I could spend all afternoon just basking like a cat. So why not sit there and stitch at the same time? And I did.

The result is the above, named "Swimmers" and the following pieces. They all started with a stencil design which I cut and placed on acrylic paint-soaked cotton fabric and allowed to dry. I then layered this 'matrix' with nylon mesh in varying colours and thicknesses and began random stitching and beading. The finished works are now mounted on foam core and framed very simply, ready for the June exhibition.

"Glitterfish"

"Harem"

"Dark Angel"

Spring

2009-04-03T13:49:00.010-04:00

Like so many others we observed the annual Earth Day ritual last Saturday night. It's really no sacrifice to switch out the lights and enjoy the candles, and yes, the t.v. was on. They say it's allowed.
And so in honour of Earth and Spring I took the following pictures.

The snow has melted and things are revealed. Here's a stepping-stone I made out of concrete several years ago, surrounded by wooly thyme.

Wonder of wonders- the goldfish have survived another winter! The babies are there too but are hard to see. They're black but will change to orange as they grow.

Tiny crocus bloom...

...and of course, the golden globe stands free.

The Art Journals Come Home

2009-03-29T14:43:00.014-04:00

After fourteen months of inspired effort, those of us who were able got together for the finale of our latest art journals, a few of which are pictured here.

Barb and Flip enjoy browsing the pages, as did the rest of us, eating, sipping and laughing.

"Let them eat cake", says Ronna, who treated us to one of her masterpieces. And so we did. Delicious!

This is the cover for my art journal which has visited 13 other homes over the past year and a bit, mainly here in Eastern Ontario but venturing as far as Oregon , Nova Scotia and New York state. The theme for my journal is GLASS.

Glass marbles in a Mason jar, painted 14 months ago to start off my theme, are now back home, just in time for marble season. Other peoples' contributions included a pencil study of a glass sculpture, collages of glass building facades, a bowl of flowers with focus on the stems in water, glasses as fashion items and coloured glass shards in the shape of flowers. All treasures!

Glassblowers pontils or blobs make perfect subjects for glass studies; here nestled in tissue paper. These were not in my journal but I stuck them in anyway as they fit the theme.

This watercolour and India ink on Arches 300 lb. paper is part of a larger work which I call 'Moses Leading the Israelites'.

The Owl and the Pussycat

2009-03-18T10:32:00.010-04:00

This coming weekend we will be exchanging our final Art Journals which have been in circulation for fourteen months. Here's a preview of my last entry for the person who chose 'Foreign Lands' as her theme. The earlier contributors had pretty much covered the globe by the time it was my turn so I decided to go outside the box by illustrating 'the land where the Bong Tree grows', from the Edward Lear tale of 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. This and many other of his nonsense rhymes were favourites of mine as a kid and must still be...it keeps returning in my images.

I painted this cartoon of a pea-green boat for a previous art journal whose owner had chosen the colour green as her theme. As I found out later the poem was among her favourites when she was a child.

Artist's Trading Card: '...and they danced by the light of the moon'

Inside My Studio

2009-03-11T13:39:00.010-04:00

Well, the winds of March are blasting across the fields so I've decided to stay in my studio today and just for fun give a
small studio tour. Nothing has been cleared away, this is it. As is. A 'work-in-progress' is on the easel and my watercolour drawing-board is to the right. I'm lucky to have this space to work in, it's quite large and cozy for a basement and has three windows, two facing north so the light is good.

Here's my messy oil and acrylic station. The table is ancient, with an enamel top and heavy wooden legs. It's hard to believe our family sat around it when I was a kid. When we weren't eating we were allowed to draw on the top. It took pencil very well and was also used as a kind of bulletin board. Before a meal one of us would scrub off the graffitti with Old Dutch and a rag. My little friends were envious of that table.

The ironing-board isn't always up but right now I'm working on some pieces for an upcoming exhibition in the spring which involve fabrics and which I will post later on.

Some tiny watercolours hang haphazardly while the mirror reflects a part of the work area. Not shown is the sound system, an essential part of my studio. I have an eclectic mix of CDs to suit various moods, including Dr John, Astor Piazzolla, Stan Getz and Rimsky-Korsakov among many others. Often I just listen to the radio which, down here, receives only one station, the local PLANETE-LOV, broadcast in French from Hawkesbury. It keeps my French sharper and the music is played in both languages. Right now Charles Aznavour is crooning away. (Where would the French chansonniers be without the word 'chagrin'?) Earlier we had Simon & Garfunkel, Billy Joel and Tony Bennett. It's all music I get, they don't do rap.

And here's Louie the studio cat, looking a little disgruntled after being disturbed mid-nap. When not napping he's standing guard at the windows which he leaps up to from a) my computer table or b) my drawing-board. It's amazing how cats can avoid disturbing most tiny obstacles in their way.

Art Journals

2009-03-03T13:24:00.015-05:00

For the past few years I've been doing art journaling along with a growing number of other artists, some local, others from quite a distance away. We each choose a theme for our own journal, interpret it, then pass it along for the next person to add something. For our first journal we all chose a colour for a theme. My colour was aqua so I painted my 'aqua' eyes, ready to enjoy what others might do with that colour. The results were fabulous, sometimes funny and always inspired. When all the creating is done (one month per journal) we get together and hand over the books to each owner. And of course we celebrate with refreshments.
Soon we will be receiving our latest journals which have been circulating North America for the last fourteen months. I promise to share; meanwhile here are a few examples from previous journals.

The artist who got us started doing these journals calls it a 'round-robin' of art. There were only eight of us contributing to this first set and her theme was:PATTERNS. And so I painted eight robins in a pattern going around,

It wasn't planned but somehow I worked birds into the same artist's second journal whose theme this time was FIBRES, so appropriate because she is a fibre artist.

"MacArthur Park is melting in the dark, all that sweet green icing flowing down..." That song (by Jimmy Webb) inspired me to illustrate this journal's theme of JUST DESSERTS.

This artist used an old photo album with convenient oval cutouts, perfect for her theme: EGGS