Light

The last few mornings have had the most beautiful light, so precious and almost bittersweet at this time of year as we move to the fall equinox. Shadows fall in new places on the walls of the house and the light has a certain chalkiness that makes me remember ocean light.

hooks on the hall wall

Missing stairs

shadows on the blinds

Smelling the roses

Garden time yesterday, weeding, edging, cutting back and general clean up. The roses are having a wonderful 2nd flush...late, but abundant. The color is richer than early summer and these beauties have a wonderful fragrance, what I imagine myrrh to smell like.

Mary Rose

Heritage

Dew drops on Mary Rose

The Big Bang

Sitting around having a beer last night when we heard an almighty crash from the house. J's newest painting that we had hung a few hours earlier had fallen off the wall. Now we have been using a system of hooks that fit into the D rings in the frames and all had been well for years. I guess metal fatigue had set in and the part of the system that hooks onto the wall board separated.  The frame, walls and floor got a bit bashed but the painting was fine, guess that's way we frame. Anyways if you are using a system like this you might want to check the hangers for metal fatigue. Needless to say we are back to nails in the walls. If any one has a way of hanging heavy works I would love to hear about it.

the broken hanger

the good hook

Late Sunday Morning, John Ballantyne, acrylic on panel

Wallpaper

We were walking Zoe last night, or as is usually the case Zoe was walking us, under the full moon and I thought of this piece I made in 2002 called "Holding the Moon". I't's a mixed media work and I thought it would be fun to see if I could make it as wallpaper  or a screen savor  for your screen or your Iphone/ipod touch. Sorry I don't know the size for the ipad. I think all you need to do is drag the one you wish to use onto your desk top, import it into Iphoto and then select it in your preferences. Have fun and enjoy.

Iphone/ipod touch screen savor 320 x 480

Computer screen savor  1920 x 1200

Picking up frames

more cement....the heavens are telling.......

In Montreal the other day picking up the frame for J. s newest painting and these images really caught my eye. I was reminded of all the old roadside crosses and devotional tableaux that you used to see on every road in Quebec. I adored them as a child as places of great mystery and magic. This old door was leaning against the dumpster.

cement tree

Pruning

red thread, 2009, mixed media on paper

Thanks Jim Dine , 2009, mixed media on paper

Needed to prune a couple of the old apple trees, actually cut out some of the dead limbs. I love the heart exposed. After I posted this I went outside and sat under an old crab apple with my morning coffee, while the dew slid of the leaves and on to me.

Morning Shadows

The light has been amazing these last few mornings......quiet and steady, without the exuberance of early summer. We are definitely moving towards fall. As I walked upstairs to photograph J. sleeping these shadows at the top of the stairs caught my eye and made me think of the tree cast I did last year and the photo of mushrooms ......don't ask me why

New Tree

I have been resisting buying this tree for 3 weeks.....but today it found it's new home in the studio garden. The leaves are gorgous and I love how it creates a soft cloud above the rest of that area of garden. It's called Gleditsia tri.inermis Ruby Lace. Welcome to my garden!

Sculpture in the Garden

Sculpture in the garden of Claude Girard and Maurice Ferland, Saturday and Sunday August 14-15 from 9 am -5 pm, 426 Spencer Road between Sutton and Abercorn. I can hardly wait to see all the new work and the gardens are gorgous!

More celebrations

Yesterday was a day of celebrations.....friends got married.....birthday and a SHOOTING STAR last night. Even the nasturtiums have decided to celebrate and become stand ins for the shooting stars

Party Time

We had a wonderful evening with friends last night. Celebrating, feasting and generally making merry. One of the highlights was the BBQ lamb, but for me the chimney used to start the BBQ was the surprise winner. here are some photos.

Weeding

Was in Toronto last weekend and spent some time yesterday weeding through photos I took. Concrete still facinates me and love the shot of a friends shoes in his studio, which I collaged with more concrete walls.

Ist Day

Well...here we go....not sure how this will work out but always fun starting a new adventure...so we were walking Zoe....our dog, and here is this amazing sky.