Benched

The annual "Art in the Park" event was held over the weekend, and of course I love to see what treasures are created by the local arts community. It was a sunny day, just the right amount of cooling breezes. 300 booths were set up under the trees showing off paintings, photography, pottery, fabric arts, sculpture... you name it! I'm trying to declutter at home, so I definitely didn't need to buy anything although I was sorely tempted when I saw some beautiful applewood hand carved spoons. But I resisted.

My only purchase was an ice cream cone.

However I saw this beauty in the park.

View from the front. Dragonflies, butterfly, humming birds, even a little kitty.

View from the back. No indication who made it, but I love it!

Meanwhile, my giant sunflower (see previous post) seems to be taking a sudden U-turn towards the sun.

R & J

The Dream in High Park..... each year the outdoor auditorium in Toronto's High Park is the setting for one of Shakespeare's plays. This year it was the romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.  Shakespeare wrote this play some time between 1591 and 1595.  It was one of Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime along with Hamlet (last year's play), and is one of his most frequently performed. 

Shakespeare contrasts some of his very serious scenes with comedy, and as female roles were normally played by men in the 16th century, some of the scenes must have been very funny to audiences of the day.

This summer theatre tradition of Shakespeare Under the Stars has been running for 42 years.  I took Older Son to the park to see Romeo and Juliet when he was just a kid and even though he decided he wasn't going to enjoy it and wouldn't understand it, he loved it. And now I'm going with him and Oldest Grandson to see it again. We took folding chairs and sat high up at the back. a great view, and I didn't want to sit on the ground, I'm too old for that!

The ill-fated lovers come from rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, families locked in a brutal feud. They meet.... fall in love.... secretly marry in spite of their families.... and you know the rest.

Here is Romeo conversing with the good Friar.... and below here is Juliet on the balcony outside her bedroom. Oh so romantic.

But as we all know, there was not a happy outcome to this story.  A terrific evening's entertainment. I wonder what play will be performed in 2026. 

Mural

What's going on? Why is that road closed? What's that cherry picker equipment doing in the road? Who's that guy with the hard hat?

Our small town is getting a new mural covering up some ancient walls. Lots of older buildings in the downtown area that could do with a facelift and this is a great idea. This is the second large scale mural in town, the first one is here, although that photo was when the work was unfinished. I'll have to take another photo. 

Painted by local talented artist Colin Whitebread, the mural is bright and full of fun.

No doubt there will be grumbles about the waste of town money, but I think it's great! This is painted on the wall opposite the entrance to the Funeral Home. I hope it will bring some cheer to the mourners.

Art Show 2025

Our annual Lemonville Group of Artists 2025 Art Show and Sale is over for another year, and was considered a success, even though the economy isn't flourishing right now.  A total of 23 paintings were sold over the 2.5 days.... actually a good number considering we are 14 people, a mixture of amateur artists, some have been painting for most of their lives, and some are beginners.

Three of mine are shown here, the lone tree with the purple sky in the first photo, and the long grass habitat and the blue reflection in the second pic. 

There's a lot to do to put on a show like this. We use a local Community Centre, and the Town workers  install the lights and the picture hanger wires, and set up the tables for us.  The art works are hung on Friday afternoon, ready for the opening at 7pm. Of course lots of advertising needed, signs to be installed in the neighbourhood, snacks and nibbles and lemonade to be provided to our patrons, wrapping for the sold pictures, soothing music in the background.

I was astonished (and very pleased) that I actually sold four pieces. It's very satisfying to think that something I created will be hanging on the wall of someone's house. I hope they enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Wall Art

The local Art Gallery's current exhibition is one of the most important exhibitions of the year. It's when the students in all the elementary schools in town get a chance to show their talents.  

Just a few of the offerings.... lots of colour and texture and shapes. All kinds of subject matter. And lots of proud children showing their parents the artwork up on the wall.

I love this PositiviTREE with its important messages. Some great stuff on show, thank you to all the art teachers who have the ideas and give so much encouragement to the kids towards their creativity. A successful art exhibition! 

Up North

Would you like to live in this little house? The neighborhood looks a bit bleak, probably a long trek to the nearest grocery store for supplies. But lots of fresh air!

Imaginary landscape created from painted papers (yes, I have bins and bins of assorted bits of coloured paper, no piece is too small to keep) and little houses cut from an Arctic Adventure Cruise holiday book that arrives in the mail every year.  The cruises look like loads of fun but are far too expensive for me, and as the cruise company is kind enough to send the brochure, I make use of their nice illustrations. Waste not, want not.

School's Out

 One more from the Altered Board Book.

There's always an individual who insists on swimming against the current, isn't there? I'm sure we all know someone like that.

Image created using acrylic paint, potato bag string, home made stencils printed on rice paper using the gelli plate, Japanese washi origami paper, and Goldfish Crackers ad from a magazine.

Traffic Jam

 Another one from the Altered Board Book.

A map of.... where? Looks like a busy place with all those vehicles heading across town.  Streets printed on rice paper using string from paper potato bags. The cars were cut from the CAA magazine that comes in my mailbox. Sort of like the AAA but further north.  

Creatures of the Forest

 Another page from the Altered Board Book.

Beware the wild creatures of the deep dark forest. The noble stags arrived from Scotland on a paper napkin from a Rabbie Burns dinner, and the Swedish Dala Horse was lurking on a sheet of Japanese tissue paper.

And now they are living together in a forest of Canadian maple leaves printed on Chinese rice paper. Quite international.

Tea for Two?

 Another image from the Altered Board Book.  

My collection of fancy paper napkins is far too large, but so useful when looking for images to use. The zebras and the lizards are napkin animals released from their paper jungle.... did you know that all paper napkins (or serviettes if you prefer) consist of three layers of very thin paper that have to be separated before using the image in a collage?

I'm not sure where the teapot came from, but the background is a print of maple leaves on rice paper.  The zebras look quite puzzled, they are wondering where the teapot came from too.

Scary?

She was a gelli print transfer from a fashion magazine, acrylic on rice paper.  A bargain packet of assorted Japanese origami papers found at the local thrift shop provided the floral arrangement, with some black tissue paper.  

I put my scissors and glue stick to work and this was the result, I never really plan, I just let it happen.

Scary? Possibly. What do you think?

Fantasy Streetscape.

I've heard of a watchdog but this is definitely a watchcat.  

The girl came from a fashion magazine, Vogue or perhaps Elle, and the moggie was advertising cat food.  The streetscape is a page from one of those European River Cruise brochures that mysteriously arrive in the mail, even though I have never actually ordered one.   The sky is gelli print on rice paper. 

Suggestions for a title, anyone?

Flower Power.

Another page from the Altered Baby Board Book. 

Background is acrylic gelli print created with a home made stencil. Flowers were cut from homestyle magazines... Chatelaine and Style At Home.... and the balustrade came from Vogue, minus the model who was leaning on it, somewhere in Paris I think.

Altered Baby Book

 No I didn't alter a Baby, just some Baby Books.

You know the ones I mean... those colourful story books with board pages, about 6 inches (15.25cm) square, meant for little people to enjoy,  almost non-destructible. I like to remove the images (medium sandpaper does a thorough job) and add my own artwork.

So I'll post some of my refangled pages. I use all sorts of media and collage, lino prints, gelli prints, pages from magazines, origami paper, tissue paper, grocery flyers, whatever I can find.

This one uses origami paper, gelli print background, the sun is hand made wrapping paper from India, the lady arrived from a gardening magazine. Anyone got a title for this?

Work in Progress

Looks like the town council have voted to spend some money on paint.  This will definitely brighten the place up when it's all finished!  Snow... stay away!

Breugel-Boche Bus

The Bruegel-Boche Bus.... an amazing mindboggling piece of art displayed in it's own room at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario.  The artist started with an old 1960 VW bus, just like the one I had many years ago, and started elaborating on it.  He started in 1996 and the construction is still continuing. 

It's a marveroolus (love that new word, I just made it up by accident) piece of imagination. The bus appears to pull a post-industrial universe displaying a cornucopia of fantastic and seductive worlds, and I wonder if it will ever be finished!

More photos to come......

Finished?

I haven't painted anything for ages.... pandemic pause. This was a 16"x20" canvas with a failed rubbish painting from 4 or 5 years ago, so a couple of coats of gesso covered the horrible mess, and I started painting, no actual intention in mind.

I think it's finished. Possibly. I don't know. Is it?   .....   Update: I changed the sky colour to a shade of purple, made a few adjustments, and I sold it.

The Psychos

 I borrowed this from someone's facebook page, no credits shown to whoever thought it up. Banksy style.

Clever and funny..... but absolutely terrifying that these three psychopaths are in charge of (or want to be in charge of) a huge slice of the world.

Dandy Lions Roar!

Some people hate them, and spend hours and hours battling them every spring. Some people tolerate them, some love them. I think they are like a field of sunshine.

The perfect medium for a couple of outdoor art installation projects.

Or a subject for a lino print.

And did you know that many parts of the humble dandelion are edible? Have you ever tried Dandelion Fritters? Now's your chance, while there are lots of golden dandelions outside, just waiting for you to pick them.

Dandelion Fritters

Ingredients:  4 cups of fresh picked (washed) dandelion flowers,  2 cups flour,  2 eggs,  2 cups milk

Mix the milk, flour and eggs and beat until blended well.
Warm some olive oil in a skillet on the stove (keep at medium heat). Holding the underneath of the flowers, dip into the batter until totally covered in the fritter batter then place into skillet, flower side down.
Once they are brown, flip and brown the other side. If need be, continue flipping until the batter coating is light brown.
Remove from oil and allow excess oil to soak onto a towel or paper towel.
Eat plain or drizzle with maple syrup, honey, or even roll them in icing sugar while they are still warm.
Be creative – add your favourite spices or herbs to the fritter batter!

Earth Day 2021

 My painting for Earth Day.