Reno Mania

Somehow fixing the plumbing issue in my studio has turned into a full fledged reno of the adjacent family room...all the painting I've done lately has been to walls! Well almost all, we at the Art Emporium have also been busy painting a table and chair for the Chair affair, fundraiser for  the St Thomas Elgin Hospital.

Ironically ever since we painted a Heron and pond, my pond has been under attack! They're coming in family groups to fatten up for the long flight south. The net over the pond has done no good, since the buggers have figured out how to wriggle underneath it. Frogs and fish ......gone.
Sigh, off to Moore's (water garden store) I go.

Mexican Hats,

This painting is going to the Lexus Invitational in June. It'll be hanging in the David E White Gallery in downtown London until then.  The event is a fund raiser for Prostrate Cancer Research, this is the 2nd year I've been asked to participate. It's an amazing event, Lexus knows how to throw a party, lol. I'm not sure how you'd get an invitation, but contacting Carrie Fisher at Lexus of London (519) 680-1900 would be the place to start.

The Mexican Hats used to be plentiful in my garden, then last year we had that late frost, and they're gone...but..I have seeds started.  What a miracle a seed is, often so tiny you can barely see them, they contain such bounty and beauty, if you haven't started a few yet, do it! The universal symbol for hope should be a seed, in fact, I think it probably is!

Work In Progress

It's a w.i.p. week, this is just hours away from completion, but it's just been one of those weeks...and the next one and the next one and the...hmmmm seems to be a pattern here.

The back ground is done, but unfortunately I tried to hurry the drying process and the masonite warped, so now I've got it damped down and weighed down in the hope that I can straighten out the mess my impatience made, sigh.

The collage element is almost done, I have one more butterfly to do and the bowl the flowers are in, and yes for those of you who aren't familiar with my kinda weird process that's tissue I'm painting on :)

The Amabile Choir fund raiser art show/sales is hanging at Masonville Library, the opening night sale/auction is Saturday Feb. 5th 2-4, I have three pieces in, there are 90 works ranging from work from textile to clay to glass and of course lots of paintings. Reading the list of the artists who have put in work is like reading a who's who of London Artists!

And don't forget, the opening for Portside's Mini show is Sunday Feb 6. 1-4. See ya there!

openings and auctions

It's the season for art shows, but then again it's always the season for art shows :-)

Friday night was the opening for the mini show at The Art Exchange . What a crush, how exciting! My friend Sharon Veldstra took pictures that I'm hoping to share here.

The show is on until February 28th at 247 Wortley Rd London, Ontario. I'm sure you'd enjoy it, should you drop in. There is some of Kim's (art god) work there too, not in the mini show but in the permanent collection, you've gotta see it.

Tuesday evening was the opening for Betty

le Blanc's show at the Arts Project Again an exciting crush, after that Catherine and I went across to Jonathon's for a sneak peek of the show he's opening on Thursday. Any trip to Jonathon's is amazing, if you've never been, your missing something wonderful.

The rather askew piece above (I was trying to avoid glare on the glass, oh dear) is going in the silent auction at au chocolat at the Grand Theater this weekend, this is their annual Valentines Day bash, and is a totally hedonistic chocolate orgy.

Through out all of this, I delivered the 'secret commission'. The woman who commissioned it is delighted, as soon as I get the go ahead I'll post it here. The bee project is proceeding too, I need - as far as I can calculate 14 of the little pieces, which will then fit together to make the whole. Very exciting!

back from holiday

Last week I was on holidays from my jobb (four letter word lol) I take a week off in May most years to work in the garden and get it off to a good start. Last year we put in a larger pond this year was finishing the waterfall and landscaping around it. My to do list is still huge, like most gardeners I always have another project in mind. The picture was taken from an upstairs room through a screen window, on a dark rainy day (today) so please excuse the resolution as I had to lighten the exposure, or we would be looking a a dark blob. Perhaps on a better day I'll get a better picture for you. Right now the rain is sluicing down, I'll soon have fish swimming in the lawn if this keeps up. And yes those are a few of the bird feeders.

My Mom came and stayed with us on Mothers day, and the birds put on quite a show, we had Rose Breasted Gross Beaks, Cardinals, American Gold Finch, Oriels , Nut hatch, various Sparrows, Doves, Grackles, Chickadees, and I'm probably forgetting some one, all at the feeders while she was watching. The high light this week was the humming bird having a splash bath in the waterfall in the small pond. I've heard of this, but that's the first time I've witnessed it.

The small pond is at the base of the retaining wall at the bottom of the photo.

The pond pictured is approx 20' x 15' and 4' deep in the center. the water lilies have only just begun to spread their leaves... it's early in the season here. As I've barely begun to work on the other half of the yard, I'm not showing you that, it's a mess!

So this is my excuse for not doing much painting this week. I did finish and deliver the table for the charity auction. And again I must apologize for the photo's distortion, The items for bid will be at White Oaks Mall Wellington Rd S. London in the atrium, Friday June 13th to Friday June 20th, with silent auction sheets on them.

The actual auction will be on Saturday June 21st (I think, I'll confirm these dates for you) with a dinner at the Four Points Sheridan on Wellington Rd. South in London (Ontario). Denice Pelly will be performing, and it will truly be a gala event, tickets are available from Jocelyne at 519-686-3000 ext. 334. Make sure you get into White Oaks to look at the pieces, there are some extraordinary items for bid, and perhaps I'll see you at the dinner.

In preparation for the summer art fest season, I've been reworking some older pieces that I knew I could improve, It's funny, when I did them I thought they were great, but as I learn and develop more skill I can see where I can change these older pieces to make them better.. so that's my plan, then maybe, I can sell these works this summer. I also am working on some new stuff too so don't despair, there will be lots to see in the up coming weeks. Until then....