Little Treasures Art Show at The Courtyard Gallery

Can you believe November is here. This morning the temperature was below 0, 6 degrees below 0. I was happy to have the hand me down snow pants from my daughter Yolanda. She stopped wearing them when she was 10. They keep me warm, that is what matters.

Sunday the 9th I took a large box of my art work into the Courtyard Gallery 61 pieces, photo greeting cards, small fabric zippered and lined bags, for jewelry, makeup, travel, great for small gifts, watercolors, wood and acrylics canvases. One of the Artist and writer Howard Brown built a tree to hang the glass painted ornaments, I hear it is beautiful, and the gallery is jam packed with small canvases, pottery, felting, glass, wood, books, jewelry, and much more.  

It can take days just to prepare a canvas. This 8 x 10 is being prepared for the small canvases with the dragonfly and flower.

Saturday the 15th is the opening of the show, after we vote for whom we feel is going to do the best job for our community, we plan on hanging out at the gallery. Virginia says she is bringing chocolates, how can I not go. 

The finished work.

This 8 x 10 canvas has many layers of experimentation, creating interesting textures and crackling effect. I painted what I saw in the textures.

4 x 4 canvases. Steve was sitting at the table admiring my small canvases and he started laughing. He said "It's like a totem, that tells a story, went for a sailboat ride, walked on the beach, had a heart attack.
  

I took this picture on November the 11th, In memory of my nephew Ian, this morning the flowers were frozen.

Hope to see you at the show, enjoy.

Ideas Pop

Ideas  flit around my head, popping up unannounced, expecting me to do something about it. I take them in and roll them around my head, evaluate their necessity or if I need a ladder to get it done. In my life before epilepsy I could pounce on each idea with a reassurance that I would be able to do this.  At least in my mind I don't need a chaperon to take me there. The writing I love has been minimal, it's in there just give it time, it could come in abundance.  When the weeds are shouting, their love for the garden and the sun beckons  you into it's warmth, I will leave the confines of this house and roam the garden, taking in the pleasures of scent, color, taste and the intricate patterns of nature. Then again I might just sit down and read a book, which insights more ideas, and regrets that I push away. How much can I let go? 

On my trip to Trout Lake I collected rocks, this is a small 4" x 4" canvas, inspired by Sheila Peter's Facebook profile. I'm also reading her new book "Shafted" a mystery.

I Have been busy with new art projects, Enderby has been busy too, with some wonderful new art around town.

Another 4" x 4" canvas, reminiscent of Pete's boat "Constant Virtue" "Connie" for short. 

The Enderby downtown breeze way has had a major lift of color and whimsy, you must check it out. This is Todd McCormac  the artist hired by the Arts Council to do the make over of the breeze way. I love how the butterfly has fluttered softly through his head.

This is at the skate board park, if it says something it is beyond me but it looks great, well done!

The Girl Guides of Canada were happy to swamp Enderby this summer, more than doubling the population. Heather was hired to help the girls paint the building that houses the washrooms etc, Thank you Girl Guides for the amazing visit, if I could just inspire you to change your cookie receipt to no chemicals, GMO's and all organic.  

The birds didn't want to be outdone and left and artfully dropped "Yin and Yang".

I finally finished my Creature from a dream. I'm hoping that when I look at it next I don't see another touch up.

My latest 4" x 4" canvas, abstract "Heart Attack".

It is good to pause, step back from progress, do I go straight, do I meander left or right? Day dreaming is a good tool, and I love what it brings, even if it doesn't suit me. Let it in, let it out, stomp on it, embrace it, give it the juice it needs to unfold and give you what you need to live.

Works in progress, if the table isn't a mess, nothing it being created. Where does sewing fit on this table?

Trout Lake B.C. A Weekend Retreat.

Chocolate was the catalyst that led me to Trout Lake BC for an August weekend. Karina makes the best dark chocolates I have ever eaten, and she has been inviting us to their vacation house in Trout Lake for a couple of years. You know how it is, you want to go but coordinating when you can all go together can be a tricky balancing act. Last weekend worked out to be the girls weekend with Karina, her 6 month old boxer cross, Piper girl,  and myself. Quality girl time.

The community of Trout Lake is south east of Revelstoke BC in the West Kootenay district, at the north end of the lake. Trout Lake city was in it's heyday between 1897 to 1907 when it's population exceeded 2000, with a silver mine in full swing. When the mining shut down the population dispersed. Not that many years ago a molybdenum mine was opened; they had too many cave-ins and could not continue the mining. Now Trout Lake is what I would call a transient community. In the summer it is cottages and RV's in the winter it's heli-skiing, with maybe 20 people living there year round. A lot of Albertan's have cottages on the lake.

Galena Bay on Arrow Lake, waiting for the Upper Arrow Lakes Ferry, this is a free ferry. Check out the people on the rock, jumping into the water.

Piper "pretty girl" loving the walk break after a long drive to the ferry.

The scene from the ferry.

Forestry buildings just down the street from Karina's place, with the Glacier on Saddle Mountain

The Windsor Hotel, 518 Kellie Street, was built in 1892, these days you can't rent a room or eat in the restaurant or drink in the pub unless you are related or know the owner. The hotel hasn't changed much from the outside.

Trout Lake Marina, use at your own risk.

Piper learning how to swim, the next day you couldn't hold her back she loved it so much. 

Beach art to me.

Throw the stick, I'm ready. I couldn't believe how she could catch blue berries when I threw them at her.

The camp grounds.

Wilkie creek.

Kids, dogs, and families so drive slow.

Lots of bears roam the neighbor hood, you can't grow fruit trees, so this cottager has fake fruit hanging in the tree.

The house that Dave built. Check out the carved bear on the post above the porch! Click on the picture for a larger picture.

Many people enjoying the beach sunning, swimming, water skiing, the motor boaters were not respectful to the people on the beach or in the water with their wakes and the quads should not be driving on the beach.

Maxi with Piper trailing behind, trying to take his stick and having the best time.

Fields of wild flowers along the road.

The front door of the house that Dave built. Love this door.

The swing I sat in and read my book "Angela's Ashes" it was like floating, so peaceful. 

I came home a little browner, well rested and with a lot of beautiful rocks, looking forward to my next visit. Thank you Karina and Dave.

Flower Focus

First thing to focus on this morning was a small leaf from the weeping birch tree, caught on a blooming echinacea. In the evening, sunflower petals, bright yellow, would not let me pass without playing.

The Voice

Meditating on the sofa at 3 am, I think of my life as being fickle with mediums of various forms. I miss writing this blog, but lately I have felt the need to sing. Music is the silver thread that is woven through my life, starting with my first three months of life, crying at the top of my lungs, keeping the neighbors awake, making my young mother crazy with little sleep. Did I want to be here, was I scared, maybe I was just strengthening my lungs, what better way to get ready for singing? Singing encompasses the whole brain, if I sing everyday will I stop having seizures?

Fathers day has come and gone, Fathers Day, Sunday,  June 15th, 2014 I sang for Dad, myself and my friends. Dad has been gone ten years now, he was my singing inspiration, I loved the concerts he performed with "The King's Men" a male chorus group in Cincinnati. I don't know if they still exist, that was in the 60's and 70's. 

Balkan Chorus left to right Cathy, Mimi, Hillary, Dianne, Jean, Karen and Michelle. Gretchen and Sue were not able to be there. The banner in the back ground says 10th but it was the 13th Peony Tea.

Fathers Day was the 13th annual Peony Tea at the Curly Willow Farm in Grindrod BC. I have been singing with a women's Balkan Chorus, haunting rhythmic a cappella melodies, sizzling around tongue twisting lyrics.  I felt honored to be able to sing a solo, in "Joc De Laegane, thank you for the opportunity to sing out.

The "Peony Tea" is a fundraiser for "Runaway Moon Theater" click here to get to the web site for more info and what "Runaway Moon" is doing for the future. Many exciting and interesting projects to come. Also performing at the Tea was Mimi and her mellifluous voice, Murray MacDonald, Zampopo Flores, and Steve Fultz. The desserts were delicious, I had Dianne's cheese cake with walnuts, yummmmmm. 

Cat, taking donations and handing out scissors to cut the Peonies.

The field of Peonies, the heavy rain the night before spilled some of the peonies to the ground, but there was still enough for all to take home and enjoy an arm load of soft petaled delicate scented peonies.

In the puppet museum this guy stole my attention, with his mischievous, toothless grin.

"June Pole" coordinating the excited and colorful patrons.

Music for the "June Pole" Thanks to Michelle and the rhythm section.

My question is, after 13 years of the Peony Tea why is there still a mud puddle in the middle of it all? Sloshing through the mud of life, Surrounded by the sweet smell of flowers and cake, the sounds of mosquitoes buzzing, energetic rhythmic vocals and guitars, the sights of vibrant swirling colors, energizing the mud that makes us stronger.

Anatomy of a Project

Paper presentation turned into a gift bag.

How does a project start? It's starts with a dream, our perceived wants and desires, a need to make things better. The Enderby & District Arts Council wanted new table banners with their logo and a new splashy design. For my presentation I cut a large piece of paper from my pattern making roll to the size of the table banners, and sketched in a design with colored pencil, an estimate was written up. After the presentation it was rolled up and tucked into a safe place in my attic workshop. Would I get the project? You know how it goes, it all must fit, time passes and finally yes the call comes, let's go shopping for the fabric! 

Karen Desimone was the project coordinator and had specific ideas as to what should be painted on the banners. Karen is a water color artist and her ideas were on small pieces of water color paper with water color paint. Could I expand  her water color designs and turn them into banners on fabric with fabric paint, two very different mediums. Luckily I love watercolors as much as I love fabric painting and understand how the paints work. Next step pull out the presentation and using the other end I sketched out Karen's design to fit the fabric. Next drawing and cutting the many stencils, I keep all the pieces that are cut out, you never know how they many be of use. After the stencils are cut I get to play with the paints and fabric. Karen came over to see the finished sample which I stenciled twice, she loved it. I had to explain, it isn't the real thing this is just a sample. I was happy knowing it was going to work out. 

The three table banners were painted and sewn, each one with it's own character and colors. After all that work the banners needed a storage bag. A friend had just given me a bag of fabric samples from a furniture store and I have been using them. Cutting in half a long fabric tube I glued on the EDAC logo and instructions as to how to roll the banners onto the tube, all rolled up they fit nicely into the bag. At some point I looked at the sample painting and thought it would make a great bag. 

Karen would soon be leaving EDAC as a director, she spent many years working hard to bring art to our community. I felt the bag should be hers as a reminder of what she has done. I look forward to doing another project together. The sample was rather large at 32" by 27", as our friend Virginia Halper  pointed out you could get a large painting in a bag that size. From the sample I created a bag that could be folded and zipped  from the large size into a bag with five pockets a quarter the size of the big bag, a versatile bag for art projects. 

How it would work was a challenge, challenge should have been my middle name. I seem to have a knack for finding them. My grandmother had many sayings, one of them was "Waste not want not." I wasted very little with this project. The paper I used for the presentation was folded into a gift bag to hold the teddy bear for one of the grand nieces. She carried the bag all around the house and slept with the teddy bear. Now I can relax before starting in on my next project which is patiently waiting in the attic workshop.

One of three painted table banners.

Ready to be hemmed, it looks good hanging over the table.

Karen Desimone's design, the new design on the pamphlets and the many stencils it took to paint the table banners. 

The storage bag to keep the banners safe and keep them from being folded, no creases for these banners.

Thanks for the fabric samples, Karen's new bag all folded and zipped.

The two Karen's with the bag from the sample opened to it's full size. As you can see this can hold a large art piece or fold and zip and it holds many small pieces.