Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Promise fills the sky with light

"Promise fills the sky with light" [Milton] Happy Solstice everyone!

Sunrise, December 21, 2016


I'm writing this on the longest night of the year; always an important time for me as I pat myself on the back and say "well girl you made it!" and tomorrow morning [now today] at 5.44 am we start the journey back to the light. I think for many it has been a dark time, a loss of hope and vision that the world could be made a better place, a loss that all our good intentions have come to naught and the world is a darker place than last year at this time. And it never seems enough to send money to The White Hats, and Doctors Without Borders and the Stephen Lewis Foundation and whichever charities are on your list, and it never seems enough to go down to the studio each day and draw. But that's what I'm going to do, small things, and take great pleasure in them. I'm going to continue to push charcoal on to paper, I'm going to try and capture the blue glow of snow, continue to giggle at the turkeys outside the window and watch them glide away in the snow as it they were swimming. Then come summer I'm going to swim again in the pond and play/work in the garden. I'll try to follow the mantra on my wall from Margaret Meade "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world, for indeed it is the only thing that does." And I will continue to believe in the power of art.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Silence

It's something I look forward to every winter, the silence that falls with the snow. As the garden is covered with the first white blanket and all is reduced to black and white, so does the world of sound fade away. It's immense and heavy this silence as it presses upon my body.


Walking back through the garden on the way to the pond, 2016

Approaching the pond, still not frozen, 2016

Snowing, 2016

Across the pond, the gate to the woods, 2016

The pond beginning to freeze over, 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Rebelles / Rebelles

Hoping to see you this Saturday, November 5, between 2 and 5 pm for the vernissage of the 3rd edition of Rebelles / Rebelles, where J. and I will join with 40 other artists at Galerie Art Plus in Sutton. Each artist is working in the same 9 x 9 in. format  and you will find a wide selection of small yet irresistible and affordable artworks.


Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Washington

It took us 40 years to make our pilgrimage to Washington to see Robert Motherwells' Reconciliation Elegy, a work we both have longed to see in the flesh. Washington's museums are wonderful and spectular and free. And my favourite was the East Wing of The Museum of Art; an elegant space, beautifully curated, that made my heart sing. Below are some of my favourites.


Motherwell, Robert: American, 1915 - 1991. Reconciliation Elegy; 1978: acrylic on canvas: overall: 304.8 x 924.2 cm (120 x 363 7/8 in.

Donals Judd, Untitled, 1965, galvanized iron and plexiglass

James Turrell, Deep Sky, 1984, aquatints

Idris Khan, 2009 The Creation, chromogenic print [detail]

Morris Lewis, Beta Kappa, 1961, acrylic o canvas, detail. 

Michelangelo Pistoletto, Woman who points, 1982, silkscreen on polished stainless steel

Brice Marden, 1989-91, Cold Mountain 5 [Open], oil on canvas, detail

Fred Sandback, Untitled [Gray Corner Construction] 1968, detail

William Anastasi, 1966-2016, Issue, wall removal

William Anastasi, 1966-2016, Issue, wall removal, detail

Detail of wall treatment beside the escalator


Sunday, October 16, 2016

A Golden Walk

Yesterday while visiting friends we walked part of their land. It was glorious; the light, the smell of fall with pine needles underfoot, leaves drifting down, milk weed blowing open its' pods, a golden blaze of glory.


Pine needles drifting down towards the pond, 2016

The pine needle path beside the pond, 2016

The dock covered with pine needles, 2016

and more golden light, 2016

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

More Maquettes

I seem to be just a bit obsessed lately, now up to 57 of these maquettes. Distraction therapy from the American election?

Structure 15, 2016

Structure 20, 2016

Structure 22, 2016

Structure 33, 2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

Maquettes 1

Last spring, during the renovation, I kept some odds and ends of off-cuts of lumber, I liked their shapes and finally got around to sanding, filling and priming them, impatient to see would develop. The wood is construction grade lumber so not ideal, but definitely good enough for maquettes.


Structure, maquette #1, 2016

Structure, maquette #2, 2016

Structure, maquette #3, 2016

Structure, maquette #4, 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Continuing ...Colors of Dawn


I'm usually up early and love to sit outside with a coffee watching the sunrise. It's my quiet time; a time of wonder, of possibility, of hope, as the sun begins to rise and the new day is born.


A calendar of colors, August 30 - September 21, 2016

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

The Colors of Dawn

My favourite times of the day are dawn and dusk; that in between time when possibility opens and closes, that time of light so tender.



Colors of Dawn 7, 2016

Colors of Dawn 7, 2016

Colors of Dawn 8, 2016

Colors of Dawn 13, 2016

Friday, September 2, 2016

Cloud Watching

I have to admit I've been spending a lot of time lately cloud watching.



gathering storm, 2016


late summer skies, 2016

late summer dawn, 2016


Thursday, August 18, 2016

Hanging Out In Abercorn

The 4th edition of CONCERTS ET RENCONTRES CHAMPETRES A ABERCORN [link here for ticket info] opens tomorrow and I'm hanging out with them. Thank you Patrice, Sonia and Brigite!

Patrice and Brigite hanging Trying to grow, 72 x 40 in. ink on Kozuke paper

Patrice and Brigite hanging Chevron, 72 x 40 in. ink on Kozuke paper

Programme for  CONCERTS ET RENCONTRES CHAMPETRES A ABERCORN


Sunday, July 31, 2016

Last Day for "Under Construction"


I've really enjoyed my time at Galerie Art Plus and want to thank Brigite for all her hard work: for her enthusiasm and dedication, for her support and belief in art and artists, for her belief in the power of art, of arts necessity in our lives; Brigite thank you, you are a gift. 

Today is the last day to see the show gallery hours are 1 -5 pm.


A grid of sections from the works at Galerie Art Plus, 2016
Friends contemplating "Red Roof"  photo © Brigite Normandin

Over view of" Under Construction" at Galerie Art Plus, 2016



Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Abundance, The July Garden

When there are days, as my Mother used to say, "the world is going to hell in a hand basket", I take refuge in the garden. And this year despite the dry and then torrential rains with hail, she has rewarded me abundantly. These photos are the studio garden, a sloped area facing north.


Looking east from the upper level outside my studio. 2016

Looking west from the upper level outside J's studio, 2016

Walking down the upper slope from outside J's studio, 2016

The path to the studios, we can drive the car into this area to load work, 2016

July abundance, outside J's studio door, 2016

And looking out my studio door, 2016