From Single Malt Cove - January 20, 2011 Column: PEC as Cultural Artifact

Discover the world in PEC

From Single Malt Cove

By Brandy Gale

Single Malt Cove in The County is my home, but the other day I was thinking of how one can never know any place completely. Making foreign places not so foreign has been a passion of mine since I took my first baby steps in the Grottos de Han, a cave system near Rochfort, Belgium.

As a military brat, growing up all over the planet with my beloved family exposed me to constant challenges of adaptation and taught me to explore new cultures rather than fear their different-ness. As a young adult, I peregrinated for many years: a jaunt here, an expedition there, learning and exploring.
More recently, I've painted during my forays. I invent an alternative landscape of sorts, a semi-abstract one that hopefully captures some essence of the locale.

In between creative sessions, my artistic soul moves among the location's people, landscape, customs, ideas, and culture. Whatever a place's gifts are, I seek to communicate them to others on canvas: souvenirs of my own journey to seek beauty, light and all things centred and positive. To me, this is happiness worth pursuing anywhere.

If you're interested in the world, in people, in art and culture, in discovering a meaningful way to live your life and how to be happy, then The County is a wonderful spot to...

read more!

Introducing: From Single Malt Cove

To my great happiness and honour, I have been invited by the local paper to write a column.

Meet the new columnists at the County Weekly News, from left, Bryan Bondy, Pat Larkin, Brandy Gaile, Vicky Roy, Graham Sayers, and Ange Stever. JEROME LESSARD/The Intelligencer

PICTON – County Weekly News (CWN) will soon be offering the Generation X's perspective.

Starting Thursday, a group of six young and dynamic columnists will share their views and opinions on a variety of topics. From social media and current events, technology, lifestyle, local business community, to cultural scene, everything Prince Edward County will be open for discussion.

read more!

More Muraliciousness with Milé

Just back from a painting trip to Sedona, Arizona. Will post about this soon, but in the meantime check out this wonderful artist!

Picton Gazette: Real variety in art found along Rednersville Road

Picton Gazette: Real variety in art found along Rednersville Road by Adam Bramburger

I was delighted to open the paper tonight and see this wonderful coverage of the Rednersville Road Art Tour.  Thank you Adam Bramburger and The Picton Gazette. I adore living here in Prince Edward County! (Click to gigantify the image)

Studios on the Bay

I am delighted to be welcomed as a member of Studios on the Bay, a small group of artists along the Bay of Quinte on Rednersville Road. Watch for our "Open" flags this fall!

Rednersville Road Studio Tour

The Rednersville Road Art Tour was an amazing success! Had over 600 people through my little studio, Single Malt Cove, over the Labour Day Weekend. My lovely assistant Kyley and I were delighted with the wonderful people who came by to see all the creativity that our little hamlet has to offer.
Many thanks to my neighbour, talented actor Rick Zimmerman, for taking these photos and making a collage of them for me!

What I Saw in Texas: painting my heart in

Have returned from a 3 week trip to paint in the Texas Hill Country, the results of which can be viwed in a new solo exhibition at Tall Poppy Café in Wellington, Ontario. The show runs from Sept 1 to October 31.

Works available can be viewed online at this link. Lots of larger ones!

Muralicious!

Have just completed a large mural for Chesterfields Homegrown Café in Picton, Ontario. "Trees of Life" was a real labour of love. Thank you, Vicky, Graham and co. for such an amazing, creative opportunity. I absolutely loved doing this project, and happily welcome further inquiries for murals in public spaces.

Here is a video made by Crowe Video Productions!


Chesterfields - Time Lapse Mural from Crowe Video Productions on Vimeo.

Share the Canvas with me at Art in the County 2010

The proprietors of Chesterfields Homegrown Café "share the canvas" with Brandy Gale (John Oster photo)

From the countylive.ca blog: Art in the County  invited visitors to express their inner creativity and “Share the Canvas” outside of the exhibition last Thursday, at the corner of Ross and King streets, Picton. A large blank canvas was set up between 4-7 p.m. where all were encouraged to pick up a paint brush and add their creative flare. Organizer Brandy Gale and assistant Anne Sheasby were pleased with the turn out and noted both young and old participated to create a vibrant piece that will be on display and available for silent auction bidding until July 4th.

Picton Gazette: Rotary Wine Fest features Brandy Gale's art

 Thank you to the Picton Gazette's Adam Bramburger for the great press for a worthy cause.

Read rest of article here.

Rotary to Feature Brandy Gale's Conch #5 at Wine Festival

Wine Festival 2010 Featured Artist – Brandy Gale 

April 5, 2010  

tags: Brandy Gale, Featured Artist, Wine Festival  

by Steven Draper 

Brandy Gale (Click for Bio) is one of the most exciting, energetic and collected artists currently living in Prince Edward County. Her colorful works of art are painted plein air, capturing the experience and feeling of being somewhere at some time.

We are very pleased to announce that Gale is the Featured artist at the 2010 Wine Festival and her large painting “Conch #5″ will be for auction on the night.

Read rest of article here

Solo show announcement: 13º North of the Equator and 59º West of the Prime Meridian

13º North of the Equator and 59º West of the Prime Meridian

New plein air works by Brandy Gale

Opening Reception: April 2, 2010  6-8pm

Exhibition: April 3 - 30, 2010 with a preview during Maple in the County

Black Prince Winery

Art Cellar Gallery, lower level

13370 Loyalist Parkway

Picton, Ontario

Prince Edward County

Canada

Tel: (613) 476-4888

Get Map

Image:Tropical Bouquet -- watercolour, 16"x20" Arches Hot Pressed. Self Portrait, painted on location Barbados, WI. Private Collection.

Art in the County 2010

I am really enjoying being on the Art in the County Committee, what a wonderful group of people! Thank you to their blog master for the mention. :-)

Arts on Main Gallery "HOT HOT HOT!" show opens

Image: Brandy Gale with her painting "Arizona Lemon Tree 2" on unbleached Belgian linen. Available at Arts on Main Gallery, Picton, Ontario. Photographed by Mia Lane.

So excited to announce that yours truly is now an artist at Arts on Main Gallery in beautiful Prince Edward County! 

Last night the gallery held their inaugural invitational Salon for special clientele, featuring three artist speakers (Mia Lane, Bruce Milan and Kirei Samuel), fabulous local wines from Black Prince Winery, and yummy catering by gallery member Viola Michalski. 

The HOT HOT HOT! exhibition continues from January 20th to March  22nd, 2010.

Having it all

I understand this. S you will be missed. xo

You Want a Social Life, With Friends

You want a social life, with friends,
A passionate love life and as well
To work hard every day. What’s true
Is of these three you may have two
And two can pay you dividends
But never may have three.

There isn’t time enough, my friends—
Though dawn begins, yet midnight ends—
To find the time to have love, work, and friends.
Michelangelo had feeling
For Vittoria and the Ceiling
But did he go to parties at day’s end?

Homer nightly went to banquets
Wrote all day but had no lockets
Bright with pictures of his Girl.
I know one who loves and parties
And has done so since his thirties
But writes hardly anything at all.

                                    —Kenneth Koch

Make a Paintbrush

I have made my own paint brushes on occasion, and was happy to see this in wikiHow! Try it, you'll like it.

How to Make a Paintbrush

Steps

1. Use any material that will hold paint for a brush tip: horse hair from a horse's mane or tail, grass, pieces of foam, cardboard, various plant fibers, cotton clumps, shredded strips of cloth...
   
   • Horse hair brush: gather together lengths of horse hair in the thickness and length you want. Most barns and horse boarding places might be willing to let you use old discarded horse hair. Wash it first.
     
   
   
2. Cut and shape the hair. Keep about 1-2 inches in length and about 1 inch in width.
   
3. Find a handle for your brush: try sticks from the yard, bamboo, tongue depressors or a yardstick.
   
4. Place the glue about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch around the bottom of the stick where the hair will go.
   
5. cover the glue with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the hair from one end.
   
6. Tie the string around the hair and handle. add more glue on top of the hair if you want.
   
7. Let the brush dry for however long the glue recommends, at least 2 hours.
   

Tips

• Gather all your materials together and experiment with different combinations before using any glue or twine
  
• Keep an eye out for materials in nature or other things you would normally throw out you can use for brushes
  
• Experiment! Leaves make good brushes too....
  

Warnings

• Do not use a glue gun, scissors, or any harmful materials without an adult's help if you are a child.
  

Things You'll Need

• Material for handles such as sticks, Popsicle sticks, yard sticks. Any 6 inch to 6 foot object that is thin and rigid.
  
• Material for the brush part: horse hair (mane or tail), pine needles, dryer lint, foam, etc.
  
• A binder such as Elmer's glue or wood glue, or even a hot glue gun.
  
• A length of string or twine to tie the brush material to your "stick"
  
• An adult's help if you are a child
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Spark Box Studio Residency Award!

Spark Box Studio in beautiful Prince Edward County is offering free residencies to fine art students and emerging artists. This residency opportunity is a unique way for young and emerging artists to cultivate new ideas, access a rich library of arts resources, learn about career-building opportunities, and develop an understanding of the art world from a business perspective.

Four emerging artists will receive a one-week residency, 10 will receive a two day residency and 30 will receive one day at their Open Studio. Any emerging artist living in Ontario, between the ages of 19-29, is invited to apply for the Spark Box Studio Residency Award. Applicants are asked to fill out the online Residency Application at www.sparkboxstudio.com/award. Deadline: November 16, 2009

Scenes of Sandbanks and Beyond opening @ Black Prince Winery

My visiting Uncle and I had a great time at the opening reception for Scenes of Sandbanks and Beyond. Yours truly above with Heirloom Hollyhocks I and III, watercolour originals I made for this exhibition. (photo: Ken Friesen)

From Black Prince Winery:
Join us in the art cellar as over 40 local artists explore all that is Prince Edward County particularly the burgeoning wine industry and the Provincial Parks of this glorious area. A variety of disciplines including; pottery, sculpture, photography, oil, watercolour, encaustic and acrylic paintings will be on display at this years show. A specially selected wine will also be available for sale for a limited time featuring the work of participating artist Richard Brzozowski on the label. Proceeds from the art and the wine will be directed to Friends of Sandbanks.

Show continues weekends until November 8th.

Map

7th Annual Worldwide Paint Out starts today!

7 th Annual WORLDWIDE Artist Paint Out
International Plein Air Painters Organization

September 11-12-13, 2009

Grab your paints and get outside this weekend! Join plain air painters around the globe, and post your pix on Facebook's WWPO Page after the event here. I'll be painting in and around Quinte's Isle, Prince Edward County, Canada.

Cheers and happy painting!

Lake Champlain as artists’ muse

The Art of Lake Champlain was profiled on North Country Public Radio! Click on the link below or simply visit the NCPR website to hear an eight minute conversation about the book which features two of my paintings made on location in the Lake Champlain area. The Art of Lake Champlain was published this year as part of the quadricentennial of the lake’s discovery. The book includes oils, watercolors, pastels, photos and poetry.

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/14167/lake-champlain-as-artists-muse