Art In The County 2008

My painting, “Monhegan Island Cemetery, Maine,” has been accepted into Prince Edward County’s annual juried show, “Art in the County.” I am delighted to have been included by the esteemed jury for a second year in a row. If you are in the area, come see the show! It runs from June 20 to July 6th. The opening reception is tonight at 7pm, at Picton Old Town Hall.



From the web site:

Vision

Art in the County is the best summer art show in Ontario.

Each year, Art in the County displays the work of County artists and artisans. Now in its 15th year, the exhibition is a highlight of the summer season in Prince Edward County, attracting residents from around the Quinte area and visitors from across Canada, many US states, Europe, Asia and Australia.

All of the art displayed at Art in the County is carefully chosen by three distinguished and experienced art experts who are professionally qualified jurors.

These jurors are solely responsible for the content of the show, for the five Jurors’ Choice Awards and five Honourable Mention Awards. The People’s Choice Award, determined by ballots completed by visitors to the art show, will be awarded at the end of Art in the County on July 6/08.

The Art of Flight

Come join my fellow artists and me!




Opening Reception for
The Art of Flight: an Original Art Show and Sale
Thursday May 8, 2008 7:00pm - 9:00pm at Black Prince Winery

Exhibit schedule: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm May 09 through Sunday, May 25: 11am – 5 pm

From 2008 **New Event - THE ART OF FLIGHT **
by Terry Sprague:

Thousands of birds migrate through Prince Edward County annually en route to and from their nesting sites in the Boreal forest. The Art of Flight, a spring art show and sale will celebrate this miracle of migration through the creative flights of fancy among the many participating artists. The Art of Flight will be held in the art cellar at Black Prince Winery.

Proceeds from the show will go to support the migration monitoring of the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPtBO), specifically the monitoring of the fall migration of the Northern Saw-Whet Owls.

Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, situated on the south eastern tip of Prince Edward County is an ideal migration monitoring location. In the bird research field, PEPtBO is rapidly gaining an international reputation as a significant site for the observation and study of many migratory bird species. In fact the south shore of Prince Edward County was designated an "Important Bird Area" by Bird Sites International, a UK based agency that advocates for bird conservation on a global scale. With over 300 bird species recorded at PEPtBO (there are only about 500 in all of North America) many people believe that PEPtBO will one day rival Point Pelee as the premiere bird site in Eastern Canada. It is the first land that birds see as they migrate north and the last land they find as the head south before crossing Lake Ontario.

Admission to The Art of Flight is free. Black Prince Winery is located just west of Picton at 13370 Loyalist Parkway. Visitors to the show will be able to sample Black Prince wine while viewing the wonderful art in the ‘Art Cellar'. This brightly lit room will house approximately 70 pieces of original art representing a variety of mediums including watercolour, oil, acrylic, pottery, photography and encaustic. The diversity of the art work provides an interesting mix for every buyer and every budget. Artists will be available during the show to discuss their work or answer any questions.

This event complements the Prince Edward County Birding Festival which runs from May 10 to May 18.

Notes from my Barbados Journal: Part 2

Grrrrrrr.... Insert creative cussing and sourpuss LOLcat here. I am not having a good day health wise. Can't move. Was to go to Bathsheba today to paint, but have postponed til tomorrow. I could just cry.

I sit on the patio hilariously bundled in a blanket (I am freezing!) and half-heartedly watch for Mick Jagger and entourage, who are apparently in the lounge having lunch before flying off to Mustique. Dad says everyone is ignoring him. (I bet he likes that!)

Next morning:

My fever broke in the night, and I am doing better. Painkillers, check. Off to Bathsheba! I can barely contain my excitement. It is one of my favourite places on Earth. On a par with Lady Agnes MacDonald Tea House at Lake Louise, Alberta.

En route, Banana Flowers! Invasion of the bodysnatcheresque Banana Flowers!!







Bathsheba is on the remote East coast. A rugged terrain that seems like another planet.







These hunks of coral are as big as my garage.



I am in texture heaven!






His bones are coral made…




A psychological portrait of my Father. I wonder what he is thinking?




I found out the hard way that there be jellyfish in these caverns.






Bathsheba, The Round House restaurant, and adjacent St Martin’s Bay: When I shoot in sepia, this relatively untouched part of the island looks just like an old postcard from 1887.










The food at The Round House is authentic and delicious Bajan style: Macaroni Pie with jerk spice, grilled flying fish, and a special grated coconut pie that patrons fight over for the last piece.

_____

Upon awaking, I have a sudden, uncomfortable and disturbing thought about my dear paternal Grandmother and hope she is okay. Two days later on the way to the airport, my Dad tells me she is dying of kidney failure. It could be a matter of hours: she could pass while I am in the air.

Grammy is 94 years old, and an amazing, self-made, intelligent woman. Three time cancer survivor. I get the chance to tell her what she means to me and to say good-bye. I thank her for fostering in me a lifelong love of Siamese Cats. It was her seal point male, “High-liner”, that I fell in love with as a little girl. When my parents asked me what I wanted for a pet when we moved to Canada, I said quite confidently, "a skunk or two Siamese cats!"

I remark that she is kind of “going like a cat”. Curled up in her bed. Not moving much, but at peace with this. Caring relations like Auntie Lynn and some great grandchildren are there to pet her. Dad appreciates that comment and mulls it over. I bet Grammy would roar with glee at it.

But for now, I do not know. I just wonder what he is thinking.





(It's Dad’s.)

Notes from my Barbados Journal: Part 1

Arriving at Barbados' Grantley Adams Airport, fresh from the Canadian Music Week 2008 conference. Still grinning from getting to snap Alanis Morissette at her presser, I was delighted to get out of Toronto's white-out conditions.



The flight was late, and wild. I was SO GRATEFUL to have brought Dimenhydrinate, as turbulence plagued us for most of it. Roller coaster - like drops and highs. Comforted by the thought of P's tracking the trip's progress on her laptop from Bongolia , I slept for two hours like a stone. We were lucky to get off the ground. My fellow passengers and I were cringing in unison that the pilot would come on the horn and say we were turning back because visibility was nil. Instead, the pilot ordered a double de-icing of the entire airplane, and we took off on a wing and a prayer. Ha.

Upon debarking the aircraft, the pilot chatted me up when he saw my portfolio. He escorted me to the customs gate, and explained that, while he did not want to die, he very much wanted to get the plane here today because it was HIS VACATION, too! His grin was as big as the ocean.

A twenty minute drive (on the “other” side of the road, eek) gets me to my destination. A generously loaned sofa in a suite at this heavenly place! I love the palm shadows dancing on the walkway to the room.



Palms and their shadows, sounds and shapes will captivate me for the whole week. That, and sea turtles. The place is stunning, vivid and drenched in sunshine. This is one of the cliffside pools at The Crane Residences.

Down below, the beach stretches endlessly...

... while eyes of shelter watch the waves.


We enjoy a lovely light dinner of Salade Niçoise, a fine bottle or three of Pino Grigio, terrific conversation, and these dramatic skies after a killer sunset.




I fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing and tree frogs chirping. My Mom always jokes it is a cassette tape they play so I will have to paint these sounds to be certain they are real.

////

The next morning, I drink a cup of coffee in a garden at 6 am, gazing over the cliff to the sublime teal sea.

I spy this! A cat in a palm tree, stalking the doves. (He got down safe and sound.)





I spend the day painting at Foul Bay , which is anything but. I used an overturned skiff as an easel.




WhereTF is my signature pink hair? I took it out for this trip. Last time I went swimming in the Caribbean sea, the semi-permanent colour ran in magenta runnels down my body as I sashayed out of the water. Think Carrie, at the end, when she gets doused with the bucket of pig's blood. I had a good time with that! But it was not worth a repeat performance.

I leave you with this, from Foul Bay. Listen….

Painting and Photo Schedule, 2008

Just back from another gloriously productive stay in Barbados with lots of new creations to catalog. There are several new paintings in the web site's galleries, notably new winterscapes from Lake Louise. Although the snow still fills the hammock out back that I was too busy to take down, I can smell Spring in the air here at Quinte's Isle. Here is my painting schedule for the coming year. If you are interested in a special piece from any of these areas, or if you are a fellow traveler and can offer some location tips, by all means comment below or drop me a note!

March, 2008: Documenting Barbados paintings. Continuing work in studio on large canvases for January 2009 show in Barrie.

April, 2008: Painting on site in San Diego, Laguna Beach, Oceanside, (yay!) and Palm Springs, California. Doing Coachella Music Festival as well!

May 9-25, 2008: Join some wonderful fellow artists and me for "The Art of Flight" in the lower gallery at Black Prince Winery.

May 14 - 18, 2008: I will be painting and photographing on location in British Columbia. Hoping to get up to Quadra to see Nanci at Firesign B&B!

Summer, 2008: Gananoque and Hill Island, Upstate New York, Monheghan Island, Maine, and Maritime Canada

Autumn, 2008: Germany and Austria (pending)

Winter, 2008: Arizona and Utah, where some incredible canyons are calling my brush.

As always, I offer my sincere thanks to my dear friends, beloved family, fellow artists, galleries, mentors and my treasured clients: I could not accomplish my goals without your continued support!

Lake Louise Snowscapes

Watching the Stars While They Were Watching Me (2008) acrylic on archival panel, 8x10

Having taken a time out upon my return from the Rocky Mountains to investigate what is going on with my health, I am now back at it. After being poked, prodded and, as Monty says, "garden hosed", lymphoma was ruled out for a second time. Hopefully we'll know more at the end of February. They suspect an auto-immune disorder like Lupus. I can deal with that! I just want to make art.

Many new works are now up here.

I have noticed two different directions in recent work, with regards to what I am seeing and how I am putting the paint on the support, be it paper or canvas:
1. The mark/path making, combined with a move to more abstract method and textures - -
versus 2. the softer, idiomatic 'scapes - albeit some with daring cadmium red peeking out. ("Winter Conversation") I am hanging onto both approaches, but the pull towards the former is very strong.

I welcome your comments and questions! Someone asked me today: "Do you think you see color and contrast differently when you are ill? I am asking because you said you had a fever while you were at L.L."

YES! This is absolutely true. As my agent Roxanne will attest, I then push that and see where it goes. Creating when you are tired or mourning or angry can be interesting, too. Some of my more successful work for bands was done while suffering from insomnia. (KiTTie, Daniel Powter, etc.) Of course, painting while happy, stress free and rested is a process to consider as well. Hee hee... (Barbados!) That is when I have time to loll and return to the spot, and take my time. Some of these works go into the trash however, because I tend to overwork them. (Thank you, M.)

Rocky Mountains

At the beginning of January, I headed off into the mountains of Alberta to work. No cellphone, no tv, just quiet skies, ravens, snow and hypoxia. I slept and painted, painted and slept, and skated on the frozen lake with my dear P. Spent a day or two with a fever, painting right through it from the windows of the place I was staying. One result:



More soon. It is starting to snow heavily. Have to drive into town to the pharmacy and pick up some foul liquid to swallow prior to tomorrow's MRI. Apparently it is to give the body scan a contrast. Mmmmmm!