Art Show Commeth

Soon, Soon, Soon!

I'll be putting in: pods and corals

Tides out

Flower Face

Lotus #2

Red Hibiscus

And others

See you there!!

Flower Face

I've played with a couple of names for this one, Face first in Flowers, Face Down in Flowers, Flower Face-plant, or just Flower Face.  I loved that this bumble bee dove into the centre of the Cosmo as I was taking it's picture, and I'd like to honour his enthusiasm, but what to call it?  Coming up with a name is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you've been at this a while and you've used the obvious ones :).
I'm madly making art for the spring shows, yes spring is just around the corner, and the count down is on for the shows. More details soon!

And a detail:

A Valentines Hollyhock,

Happy Valentines Day to all.

The ideal of perfect love, may be an invention of Hollywood, the reality a bit more pedestrian, a bit more roll up your sleeves and get to work-ish, none the less, love is the best part of human kind.
Love does trump hate, just as good ultimatly trumps evil, and light chases away the dark.
Beware of apathy.  Let the world feel your passion, love with your whole heart, let the light of your goodness shine.
I can't think of a better Valentines blessing than that.

Every one loves frogs

Well in my house everyone loves frogs...

Early morning entertainment is standing coffee in hand and counting, our record is 39 frogs, in the big (18x24 ft) pond. The 3 small ponds usually have at lest 2 in each record 9, in one.

Is it any wonder they so often appear in my art!

As my work gets less representational, you may have to look harder for them, but like the bees I hide in the work, they're there!

So why? Why are frogs and bees so important to me?

Frogs and other amphibians are extremely sensitive to pollutants and changes in water chemistry. A healthy frog population means a healthier environment for all of us.

Pollinators, especially bees are also sensitive to chemicals in the environment that affect us all, plus with out them, life on this planet would be irreparably damaged .

I'm preparing my newsletter to go out again (sign up if you want to get it in your inbox) and I'll be adding a few tips for encouraging the hoppers and buzzers in your garden.

Really, everyone loves frogs♥

Dawn flight, Mixed Media Painting

The Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique, is taking shape. We've been accepting art all week and 12 of our 30 artist's have hung their work. We also start the accepting work of our gift boutique artisans tomorrow.

It looks so amazing, I get shivers.

This painting is hanging in the new gallery, originally I had three bees flying in formation, but somehow a single bee made a better statement, so the other two were removed. Sadly that reflects the fate of bees. We have lost so many to colony collapse, mites, viruses, zombie flies, pesticides and so on.

I've mentioned the pollinator patch project before, follow the link, and see what you can do to help.

Looking for a Bumble Bee, Subtle Beauty

The first painting for this week 'Subtle Beauty' celebrates the 'Common Wood Nymph'. These little brown butterflies have bands of gold surrounding the 'eye spots' on their wings that catch the light and transform a plain Jane into Cinderella. Though called common, they aren't so common anymore. The Caterpillar host plants are grasses, in our manicured pest controlled world that's a bad place to be a bug.

The second painting is called 'Looking for a Bumble Bee'. One of my favorite native plants, columbine has very long nectar tubes that have evolved especially for long tongued pollinators bumble bees, hummingbirds, and hawk moths. Nature is fascinating!

Classes are getting going again after a hiatus in January. I have a kids 6-12 class going at the Art Gallery of Lambeth on Thursday nights, and Catherine and I have a March break kids class we're accepting registration for. All of the details are on my website along with details of other classes I'm offering.

I've got to get my minis done for the March Miniature Madness show at the AGL, so back to the studio I go, talk soon!

Dance of the Pollinators

New piece, this is a larger one - 18x24.

I have to get at lest a couple of larger ones done for the 1st of February, which is fast approaching, for my solo show at One London Place.

This is a bit of an expansion on 'daisy chain' a 5x15 painting from a couple of weeks ago. Of course the ideas are already pinging around for the next one and of ways to make it better. I don't want it to get formulamatic, but I do have a bunch of ideas I want to keep playing with in this series for a while.

I'm not sure yet what this one's name is yet...suggestions?

Of course there are butterflies, and bees, me and my pollinators :)

colony collapse disorder

I have to share this site which has some great info on the dying bees
http://biostate.blogspot.com/2007/02/silent-spring-revisited-bee-dieoff.html
as you know this is an extremely important topic we all need to pass this on.

Well, two awards in two and a half weeks...what can I say, but... whawhoo! and thank you!

I was nominated for, and won, an award for developing environmental awareness, given as part of the Elgin Growing Together program. This is the 'new' county oriented version of Canada Blooms. Elgin being primarily rural, found that the categories dictated by C.I.B. didn't reflect the county accurately.

The award I was given was for my environmental work, art, education, and promotion of sustainable gardening. As you may know my property is certified with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, for more information on things you can do to aid wildlife in general and pollinators specifically go to their web site.

There was an interesting interview on the CBC today about the plight of the bees, the word is getting out, if we all do what we are able, we CAN make a difference.

This is a copy of the handout I took with me and gave to interested people at the banquet.

Did You Know
Many of the small creatures of our summer childhood memories will soon be just that, memories. We can change that, if we act now.
Declines in the health and population of pollinators pose a significant threat to the integrity of bio-diversity, to global food webs, and to human health. Factors which could contribute to declines include: improper use of pesticides and herbicides; habitat fragmentation, loss, and degradation causing a reduction of food sources and sites for mating, nesting, roosting, and migration; aggressive competition from non-native species; disease, predators, and parasites; climate change; and lack of floral diversity. Some Examples:
The number of commercially managed honeybee colonies in the U.S. has declined from 5.9 million in the 1940’’s to 4.3 million in 1985 and 2.7 million in 1995 (Ingram et al., 1996 In Kearns et al., 1998). Feral bees are essentially gone in the U.S. (Watanabe, 1994).
At least 2 bat and 13 bird species listed in the United States as endangered by the Fish and Wildlife Service are pollinators. It remains unknown how many of the listed insects are pollinators or how many listed plants require pollinators (Nabhan, 1996).
At least 82 species of mammalian pollinators and 103 species of avian pollinators are considered threatened or extinct according to IUCN criteria (Nabhan, 1996).
Source http://www.nappc.org/pollinatorEn.html
On Ontario’s species at risk list You will find such once common creatures as Monarch Butterflies, frogs, and salamanders.
You Can Help
Do not use pesticides, Hand pick or wash pests off with a strong stream of water. If stronger means are needed a mild solution of dish soap usually is enough. Be aware of who you’re squishing, not all bugs are bad, in fact 80% are either beneficial or benign.
Grow a diverse and predominantly native collection of flowering plants. Such as purple Lupin, Milkweed, golden rod, etc. Grow white clover in your lawn, it’s good for your lawn (fixes nitrogen, crowds out weeds, increases tilth of soil) and good for the pollinators. http://www.toronto.ca/trees/pdfs/Fact_2_How_to_Select_and_Buy_Native_Plants.pdf
Check out the guidelines of, and join, the Back Yard Habitat program of the Canadian Wild Life Federation and create a pollinator oasis.
Tread lightly on the Earth, we are custodians not owners. Your grand and great grand children will thank you.
　
　
　

bee "painting" -you make my world- revisited

This 'painting' is quite changed from when I first showed it to you. It's one of those paintings that just keep talking to me... whispering I'm not done... I'm not done...
I think though, that finally it is.
The various elements were added over a period of several weeks, the last being the 'honey' dripping down.
This 8x10 mixed media and 'a little copper' (earlier post) are at Tabby's Treasures, 355 Talbot St., St Thomas, which is the gift shop attached to the St Thomas animal aid.
I'm an animal rescuer from way back, all of our dogs and most of our cats have been rescues. So I'm delighted to use my talent to help support this work.

As you know our upcoming Fall colour and Studio tour is a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Society. The planning is going well, more artists and 'attractions' are coming on board.

Sadly, our dear friend, and founding member of the Dorchester Artist Network, lost her struggle with the dread disease on Saturday Spt 5th.
Sandy Greason, was both feisty, and kind. She was a great advocate of the arts, and of the community. Every one knew Sandy, and everyone loved her. She was active and doing the art she loved right up until days before the end. She never complained, and always had a kind word of encouragement. We were privileged to have her with us, for oh so brief a time, Sandy was in her 60th year. Sandy we will always love you, and miss you.

rose and bee finished painting

Perhaps the title should be rose and bee finished?

Twice before I thought this one was done, and then when I turned on the studio lights the next morning... it wasn't. Some paintings are very demanding, they want more attention, then more again. So - third time the charm, as they say, and I think it is done this time.

Spirals are symbolic of eternity, and re-birth, and of the power of nature. They are found in many cultures, especially the Celts, -my own ethnic roots- and perhaps that's why I find them so attractive.

When combined with environmental issues the symbolism is particularly poignant, we need the power of nature and re-birth to survive.

The full richness of the rose hip is symbolic in this painting of my hopes for the future of life on this planet. The miniature the rose hips are painted on also has a snippet of my personal history on it. Attached is a telling of a story my Mom shared with us many times of her childhood in war time Britain. Rose hips are one of the planets richest sources of Vitamin 'C' and so the children were sent out to the hedgerows to gather them, as the Nazi blockade of shipping meant fruit, and other foods were in short supply.

Don't forget that Art in the heart of London is still on, Sundays, on the Cloister lawn at St Paul's Cathedral. The summer is quickly waning, and outside art festivals will soon be over for another year, so join us, have some coffee and treats, enjoy the music and art, for fall is around the corner.

rose and bee W.I.P.

This is a work in progress of a rugosa rose (see the one I picked from my garden in the glass bowl) with a bee in the center. Photo credit for the bee goes to my pal Alison from the Ontario Bee Keepers tec team. The rose is painted with Golden Acrylics (love 'em) on archival tissue, not the easiest support to work on, but it gives me the look I want. The tissue is taped to glass, laid over white paper.
The rugosa's flowers are a favourite of the bees, butterflies and humming birds in my garden, and the hips are consumed by the birds in the winter, I've even seen the chipmunks, running off with hips from the lowest branches.
The hips are very high in Vitamin 'C' and make a tart jam. (recipe)
The finished piece will include a snippet from my Mom's girl hood journal about growing up in war time Britain and collecting rose hips to be dried for the 'war effort'. Sadly when I went to pick hips for the next part of the painting, I noticed that only about 1 in 4 roses had been fertilized. More motivation to keep the message in front of people. Our most immediate environmental threat isn't rising sea levels, or changing weather patterns, or even swine flue, it's the loss of the pollinators. Create habitat, grow pollen and nectar rich flowering plants, don't use pesticides, grow white clover in your lawn, and DON'T swat, and do it all now.

Old East Studios Show and...

It is surprisingly difficult to paint for eight hours a day. In the past when ever I've had the opportunity to do so, I was cognizant of the press of time, as it was a temporary phenomenon. Now that it's a permanent situation... it's unbelievably easy to get distracted.

Of course I kind of gave myself permission to do some spring cleaning, organizing, the taxes (ugh) and to spread the mulch the Easter Bunny left for me, (a whole trailer load). Now that that's all taken care of, not that cleaning, garden care etc ever totally go away, it's time to roll up my sleeves, and I'm surprised.

Robin Z offered a very timely challenge today on wetcanvas to do a thousand pieces of art. Not all today, or even this year, but to have that as a goal. at the rate I create I think I would be have to really stretch do it in 10 years. That's 100 paintings a year .

Two a week, hmmmmm that's only do-able if they are all small ones like the two I've done this week.

I'm giving a talk on xeriscapeing at Old East Studios Friday night, as well as talking about the backyard habitat program a project near and dear to my environmentalist heart.

Since most of my stuff is still at Cherryhill until the end of the month these little ones will be going with me Friday night. The organizers are giving me the opportunity to sell some of my work, or at lest show some of it, which is always good.

I picked up my stuff for the St Thomas Studio Tour last night, and today I wrote an article for the local paper, about all of the up coming events for The Dorchester Guild so busy times ahead.

Thank a Pollinator

After almost 3 months of work... here it is! Like the other 3 completed pieces in this series, Thank a Pollinator is 24x30 on Masonite. each of the small paintings is 3x4 collage/paint/printing and the center circle is 13 inches across. All are on board so there is a bit of a 3d effect going on.

The piece speaks to my concern about the world wide dieing of the bees. Colony Collapse Disorder is frightening. It has spread rapidly and has caused huge losses in the population of pollinators, the best known being honey bees.

Just about everything you put in your mouth is thanks to a pollinator. Fruit, veggies, dairy products, including the steak, nuts, etc etc the list goes on. The bee either pollinated the flower that made the fruit or the seed that grew the veggie. Bee's pollinated the alfalfa flower that became the seed that grew the forage the cow/goat/pig ate. Need I go on??

There is hope. They think that perhaps they are beginning to understand the cause, or should I say causes of C.C.D.

It would seem that the mono cultural practice of our agriculture is causing malnourishment of the bees. Pesticides farther the weakening of the bees health, then viruses, particularly Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus finish them off.

YOU CAN HELP. Grow a diverse variety of flowering plants. A perfect lawn, trimmed with a row of non-flowering ornamental plants, looks like a desert to a bee, no nourishment there. Especially focus on native flowering plants, and flowers that set seed (just dead head so they keep blooming ), go easy on the pesticides or better yet don't use any. And if you are blessed with a bee's nest, don't destroy it. If it must go, call a beekeeper and ask to have them removed.

This work, and the others will be at our show starting April 1st, Catherine and I hope to see you Tues. April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Cherryhill library for our opening reception. Bee happy

Thank a Pollinator nearing compleation

Getting there. The 'little guys' are laid out on the wrong side of the back board, which you can just see the GAC100 sizing on. I put a star of GAC 100 on the back to help prevent curling and warping of the board. It seems to work pretty well. What you can't see here are the cradle strips that I am in the process of gluing and clamping around the outside edge. The purpose of the cradle is to help prevent warping, and also to give me something to attach the floater frames, I favour, to. Floaters have an edge that over laps the back of the painting, v.s. the front the way a traditional frame does, which means that you can't use points or small nails to keep the frame and painting together, the frame and painting have to be screwed together from the back.

The center of the piece has to be finished yet, it's under way, and then it's just the final putting together.... I've really enjoyed working on this piece, and I've learned a lot doing it, but I am ready to move on, the next piece is calling me, and I have a giant canvas I want to paint for my granddaughter ...so much to paint, so little time. Plus the spring/summer show season is about to explode!

Catherine and I will be hanging our show on the 31st, with the opening 7:00 p.m. April 7th, at Cherryhill library in the Sam Katz room. I hope you can join us.

Thank a Pollinator

Work has been proceeding on 'Thank A Pollinator'. The piece on the left has a painting of alfalfa on it. Like steak? How about ice cream... alfalfa is the feed of choice for cattle, and... that's right it needs to be pollinated!

The one on the right is just fun, I may yet add a dream catcher to the red circle, or maybe not. I like it just the way it is. It will tell me once the whole piece is assembled if it wants it or not.

I know I talk of my paintings speaking to me a lot. No I don't hear little voices, not quite. The artists out there will know what I mean though. When you're in the zone, there is a magical kind of sinking into your work that happens, and a dialog of sort develops. That is when your best work is made.

I need to complete a minimum of 3 of these little parts each week to have the whole finished for the April 1st opening of my show in Cherryhill Library . Catherine will have a few pieces of her sculpture in the display case there at the same time. I'll keep you informed, just remember the opening is on April 7th at 7 ;00p.m.

March I'll be in the Port Stanley Library for the month, and I'm looking at a couple of other juried shows that are just around the corner.

I realized something to day, or I suppose I became conscious of something that has been growing in the back of my mind. The 'At Risk' series isn't for sale, not yet. I would really like to take the whole series on the road. I know of artists who's work travels to the various galleries, and I don't mean just the 'big guys' (like the Warhol show in Kitchener)

There is a woman, who's name I have forgotten, who spoke at a Port Stanley Guild meeting about her travelling show. She did the most amazing fabric art, quilts like your grandma never dreamed of. Each piece told the story of W.W.II from the perspective of a woman who worked in the war effort. Women who made bombers, and ammunition. Women who worked at all manner of 'men's work' during the war. Women who flew the new made bombers to Britain, and flew the damaged ones back... if they made it back. Women who never received any recognition or thanks, were remembered in her art, which is now going around the world.

I don't know if it's possible, but I'd like to try. I'd like to get my message in front of as many people as I can, so I can say WAKE UP WORLD! This is fixable, but only if we start NOW.

snow and The Art Exchange

Snow, Snow, Snow. Add to that
Cold, Cold, Cold.

It's good weather to stay in side and paint!

Yesterday I took a couple of pieces into The Art Exchange for their February Miniature show. This is a Juried show which means that there is no guarantee that my pieces will make the cut and get in. Kim (art god of London) was enthusiastic about the pieces so I'm hopeful. I always find this waiting to be approved nerve racking. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of one of the pics before I handed them in. I try to keep a photo record of all of my work, but every now and then one slips by. I remembered to take pics of the following two though.

Once again thanks go to my friends at the Ontario Beekeepers Association for permission to use their photos for reference.

I used the flash on this one in the hope that the metallic gold I used would show for you. I do love metallics, but you have to be very careful not to over use them. I've been having so much fun with these bee-autiful little pieces that even though the mini show submissions have been met I plan on doing some more. I've always liked bees, but now I think I'm in love :) but really, they are fascinating little creatures.

I am having some trouble coming up with names for all of these though, so if you have any ideas let me know.

bees and ash borer miniatures

Thank you to my friend Mark at the Ontario Bee Keepers Association for permission to use his photo for reference . This little painting is for the miniature show in The Art exchange The painting is 3x5 mixed media, and called 'Pollinator Gold' . I'm planning on putting a 'blurb' on the back like this...

BEES
A pollinator is directly responsible for 3 of every 5 bites of food we eat, and indirectly for the other 2. The ‘gold medalist’ of pollinators is the bee.
Bee keepers are reporting 30-90% death rates in 35 American states, 5 Canadian Provinces, and several European countries.
Scientists think a combination of parasitic mites, climate change, pesticides, habitat loss, Israeli and Kashmir bee viruses and a mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder are to blame. No one knows what causes CCD, only that it causes the hive to become so toxic that adult bees abscond, and predators like hive beetle will not enter. Crop losses are all ready in the millions, and will continue to rise.

This one is the same size and called 'Eating the Ash' and it's blurb is...

WHITE ASH
FRAXINUS AMERICANA L.
The graceful Ash tree is a medium size tree who’s tough wood has been the traditional wood for baseball bats, oars and handles. It makes beautiful furniture. It’s winged seeds, much like maple keys, are food for many birds and small mammals.
Emerald Ash Borer arrived from Asia in 2002 via hardwood packaging. They first appeared near Detroit and have spread rapidly to Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, West Virginia etc etc . It’s rapid spread is due entirely to mankind, as the insects rarely fly more than 1/2 mile in their lifetime. The EAB has caused 10's of millions of Ash trees to be cut down, and cost governments 10's of millions of dollars trying to stop it. Once infected by EAB a tree will die in 2 years.

Wow am I a wet blanket or what.

The 'secret commission is also progressing, I think by next week it'll be done, once it's delivered, and I have permission I'll show it to you.

I had some major excitement this week when my pug painting was chosen for the featured artist of the day on fine art views on thursday.

whoot! and then today on painters keys 'in praise of weeds' was featured! double whoot! it's just a shame that I haven't finished with the adjustments that I want to make to 'weeds'. Working toward the mini show deadlines I've been focused on the little guys.

Things are rocking and rolling! MUST PAINT ttfn

Art Exchange & Portside miniature shows

Belated Happy New Year. The holidays were extremely busy, with all the usual craziness and a bit more besides.

To top it off my poor computer 'got sick'. If a window comes up on your screen that says 'antivirus 2009' with the Microsoft symbol in the corner, and if it implies it's from Microsoft, and that your anti virus is 'not found'.... turn off your computer, immediately! don't X it out, don't go through the shut down procedure, turn it off. X'ing it out will install it, clicking on anything will install it, and it's a really nasty bug. My computer guy ~Phil Hudson~ is a miracle worker and it took him hours to get rid of it. If you need Phil click the comments bar below, and send me an e:mail, I'll forward it to him.

Let's talk art.

The February Miniature Shows are around the corner. This year I think I'm going to try the Art Exchange show as well as the Portside show. I've done Portside, successfully in the past, and I know I'll be accepted there again. So time to up the anty, The Art Exchange is a prestigious gallery in the Wortley Village area of London, I've never attempted acceptance in one of their shows, I think it's time.

Therefore, as well as working on the 'secret commission' I've been working on some Minis.

The piece above is a miniature (3X5) and is called Manitoulin Gold. These tiny daisies are found in only a few places, one of which is just across the lake from where we spent every summer for over 15 years. They are classed as 'at risk', and so are part of my series. Here's their 'blurb"

MANITOULIN GOLD
HYMENOXYS ACAULIS
Manitoulin Gold or Lakeside Daisy, is a native of the rocky windswept limestone cliffs and rocky expanse of Manitoulin Island, the Sudbury area, and occasionally Northern Michigan.
It’s sunny yellow flowers bloom in May through July on short thick stems 4-7 inches high. It is classified as a threatened species in Ontario and Michigan.
This remarkable plant grows in cracks and crevasses in almost no soil, and very little water. It’s existence is threatened by both mankind’s activity and climate change.

Bees are next. I've been in an exciting dialog with the Ontario Bee Keepers Association. I contacted them regarding permission to use images in their members photo gallery. (Bee's being at risk) and they not only gave me permission, but have offered to contact their membership to help me find more photo's. Very exciting.

Time to go paint,