Nice Things

Today is a lazy day. I'm enjoying a weekend off, the first of many as I've got a great new job that has nice regular hours; so long shift work! Should be easier to spend regular time on jewellery and making beautiful things as well.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures of some nice things I've been enjoying.

The day before last, there was a brief but heavy rainstorm and then gorgeous, bright sunlight almost immediately afterward. The result was this rainbow that I could see from my living room window. It was pretty great, arcing all the way across the sky instead of just the little bits here or there I’m used to seeing. My neighbours kept arriving home as I stood in the parking lot snapping pictures, and they all had something nice to say about it.

Check this out. My African violet is blooming for the second time this season! Lucky or what? I don’t know what I’m doing right, but last year I got thirteen lovely blooms for a few weeks and then that was it. I thought that was good, so this is a nice surprise.

Here are Penelope and Loki. Penny made quite a mess with a role of paper towel someone left in the living room and then fell asleep at the scene of the crime. I had to take some pictures of course, so I got a few of Loki as well.

Penelope has grown so much since we first got her. First look at this....

....then this. Hard to believe it's the same precious kitty.

Anyway, I’m having some serious issues trying to write coherently, so I think I’m going to leave it at that. Thanks for looking!

Canlove International Funfest

This coming Sunday, I'll be doing my last show of the season. This one takes place in Bracebridge in Annie Williams Park, and is another fundraiser for Canlove International. It promises to be a big event; it will feature workshops, local food, vendors (of course) and live entertainment starting at noon. Kids are free and adults are $5.00; once again, all proceeds from the event will be going to Canlove, which is all about poverty reduction and human rights education. I'll also be donating 10% of my sales from the day to Canlove, so hopefully I can raise them some good money!

Hope anyone who is in the area can come check it out.
Pray for sunshine, wish me luck!

http://www.idealist.org/if/bridges/en/av/Org/189483-202
On facebook: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=canlove+international&init=quick#/group.php?gid=70912203001

Cows, Friends and Screaming Heads

A week ago, I enjoyed a great day with some of my friends from work. The sun was shining, the air was warm and the day just lasted and lasted.

It was just a small group of us; Tyler and Cam, Dave and Laura, me. The first place we visited was a store, the Circling Hawks Centre in Burk's Falls. I've only ever been a few times, but if you're ever in the area, it's worth a visit. http://www.circlinghawkscentre.com/

It's one of those new agey sorts of stores filled with trinkets and instruments, jewellery and books, various religious articles for various religions and all kinds of things for your general spiritual well being. There's tons to look at and it smells great. There's a bird named Chester and a cat wandering the garden in the back, which is worth a look too. Lots of plants, flowers, a fountain, a big beautiful tee-pee and a small stone labyrinth. There's also an art gallery, but we didn't stay for too long as we had lots to see. I bought myself a gorgeous harmony ball necklace -- it tinkles and chimes quietly when I move--and then we were on our way.

Next, we went to Cameron's parents' farm to see the cows. Dave wanted to pet them; he and Laura had never really been up close to cows before. I spent a lot of time on a farm growing up, and I'm familar with a few different barnyard animals. But not cows. They're much larger and more intimidating up close than you expect! But with Cam's dad there, they were calm and gentle enough.

After visiting with Cam’s parents, we carried on to our main destination, which was the Screaming heads, also in Burk’s Falls. I’d been twice before with my Gramma, but it’s always worth going back. The artist, Peter Camani, owns a farm which has become an ongoing art project. His house is like a castle, peacocks roam freely, there are gorgeous gates and heavy walls and the fields are filled with concrete sculptures of large, white heads, eyes and mouths agape. We walked around and took pictures of the art, each other and the scenery in general, which was beautiful too. http://www.mmage.com/screamingheads/

After seeing the heads, Tyler suggested we check out my Grampa’s memorial park, which was nice as I had never been there. It turned out to be a simple little spot with pretty rapids running through it, which I thought was perfect for Grandpa. He always took us out for paddles in his canoe and went for a dip in the river behind his house pretty much every day. Being there probably would have made me think of him even if the spot hadn’t been dedicated to his memory.

We finished the day with pizza and a movie and a visit with Alex and Nicky, a pair of cute brother cats. We spent that time in a small town I used to pass through several times a week, but hardly ever visit anymore. Just being there on the steps of the pizza place made me feel very comfortable and homey and close to my roots, somehow. It was a nice feeling.

If there was one day all summer that gave me the ‘summer experience’ feeling I hope for every year, it was probably this one. Summer’s not over just yet, there’s time for more. But if this was it, I’ll be content.

Great Day

Who would have guessed that the smallest show I did all summer would be the best?
Yesterday, I participated in the Fesitval of the Arts Art Walk in River Mill Park downtown. I did the same show last year and had a lot of fun, but this year was even better, I think, in part, due to the new location. Lots of people wandering town happened by and the set up was more of a circle than a line, so I was able to see the other artists there. There was drumming and dancing and a fairly good crowd, so yes, much better than last year.

My mother helped me set up my little booth, which was wet work as the ground was spongey and moist from all the rain the day before. My feet got soaked, but as it didn't rain, that was my only complaint all day long.

Lots of people stopped to chat at the booth; some cute kids asked lots of questions. As this was more of an exhibition/demonstration than it was a sale, I had my sketchbook and my samples on display for people to leaf through. Many people were interested in the design process and it was fun explaining my techniques to them.
My sketchbook display and work area took up one whole half of the table. Therefore, I had to downscale my finished jewellery set up quite a bit. The above photo is about everything I had out. It's a little windswept, but I still made some sales, which was great.

The other artists were pretty cool too. I met quite a few locals which was nice, as I'm still getting to know the arts community around here. The gentleman next to me, Terry Gill, was demonstrating his watercolour technique. There was a bit of a lull around the time that Seguin brought me lunch, so I went over to give it a try. It was very fun and freeing, he encouraged me to paint in the same way we were taught to develop our samples in school; that is, don't think, just go and let it happen.


This is a photo of the resulting painting. He also gave me a print of one of his pieces to take home. They're quite a bit more finished than mine...as I understand it, he kind of lets the paints do what they want and then develops a landscape out of what happens. You can check out his work here. https://www.impressionsofnature.ca

The show was only three hours long and the time passed so quickly. But almost the instant the last few items had been packed into the car and we all got in, the rain began to fall, hard. It was as if it had been waiting all day for us to finish up. With the rainy summer we've had, I couldn't believe our luck.

So overall, a very positive experience. I'm keen to do it again next year. Just one more to go this summer; Sunday, August 16th, look for me in Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge for a second Canlove International festival. More details as the time draws near.

Art on the Street Weekend

Here are a few pictures from the show and the weekend.

Thanks

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who came out and saw the work at the Art on the Street show in Guelph this past weekend. The turnout was pretty good and I met a lot of nice people.....you know who you are! So thanks to everyone who came and I hope you all enjoyed the show.

I also want to throw a thank you out to those who helped make this weekend happen: thanks to John, for driving me there and back again, thanks to Meghan for carting me around, helping me set up and giving me a place to sleep, thanks to Seguin for being understanding and to Mom for helping me buy the giant purple suitcase. I appreciated all of it.

Next up: those who are going to be in the Huntsville area (or at least the Muskoka area) this weekend should come by and check out the Arts Walk on Sunday July 26th. It's a part of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts and is pretty neat. Basically, a group of local artists and artisans set up their booths in the sunshine, and instead of just selling art, they demonstrate their techniques for the passers-by. Last year featured a photographer, one or two painters, a stone carver, a belly dancer and yours truly, among others. The event taking place in River Mill park this year, which is on the waterfront downtown. It's a great central location, I'm pretty excited about it. It starts at noon and admission is free, so if you'll be in the area, please come check it out! http://huntsvillearts.com/viewevent.html?eventid=61

AOTS Reminder

Hey everyone!

This is just a reminder that I will be participating in Guelph's annual Art on the Street show this coming Saturday, July 18th. The event is located on Quebec street in downtown Guelph and is completely free. In addition to 78 different artists and crafters, there will also be live music, acts of art and magic. If you want to know more, visit www.downtownguelph.com, and follow the links.

In addition to the show, I'm planing to see some friends I haven't seen in way too long. Plus, I get to travel a bit, which is something I always enjoy. So I'm looking forward to a pretty good weekend.

Wish me luck!