Tweed Flowerama

Tweed Flowerama is the event that goes on in the Memorial Park in Tweed on Canada Day. It's much more than a flower show -although that is a prominant part of it-hosted by the Tweed Horticultural Society. It is also about art, crafts and music. Nearly everyone is dressed in their red and white Canadian colours and waving flags. We are becoming almost as patriotic as the Americans!

There was a short, but very well attended parade, activities for the kids as well as free cake and drinks.
Artists present were Suzanne Cavers and Audrey Thomas and me of course! We were allowed to put up our dsiplays in the Kiwanis club house,as it looked as though we were going to have a rainy day, but in fact, it turned out to be a beautiful day. Someone wanted me to do a watercolour of the view from the clubhouse of Stoco Lake, but of course, I didn't have my watercolours with me. Typical!

Some of the Belleville Art Association members put on a display at Zwick's Park in Belleville, but I can't be in two places at once.

Madoc Music and Art Festival continued

Well, despite the rainy day on Saturday, the festival was attended by a lot more people than last year. Everyone seemed pleased with the new venue, although there was the usual problem of some vendors taking up more than their share of the allocated space.

The music was great, and not too loud! It ranged from gospel to bluegrass to classic pop.

There was barbecued beef or pork for lunch at very reasonable prices.

Some artists were very pleased with their sales and the positive comments about their art. Of note was young native artist A.J. VanDrie (see painting above) who sold a painting he was working on at the show before it was even finished! He also sold his biggest and most expensive piece at the show.
Look out for his art again at an upcoming show in August at the Tweed Heritage Centre gallery. See his work at http://www.woodlandartist.com/

Madoc Music and Art Festival

Sorry its been a while since I posted. It's a busy time of year.

Today I am packing my paintings and paraphernalia to set up at the 2nd annual Madoc Music and Art Festival. We have to get ready this evening, and there is a wine and cheese party for the artists, but it doesn't officially start till Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Its open till 10 p.m for music. Sunday 21st it is on from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Location the Kiwanis Hall on St. Lawrence St in downtown Madoc. You can't miss it. Madoc is not that big. Admission isFREE for the general public. Above is one of my watercolours -a picture of the gardens at the Tweed Heritage Centre that I painted sitting in the beautiful garden.

My show at the Heritage Centre in Tweed is still on for another week. See also works by international sculptor Paul Sheir.

Art for literacy, Tyendinaga Library

Ten artists and artisans exhibited there work for the day last Sunday and $400 was raised to help children learn to read, as well as artists making their own sales.

Participating artists were Cynthia Guthrie, who as art co-ordinater for the library also planned and organised the event, Suzanne Cavers with her expressionist abstracts, Rita Woodburne who draws beautiful cats and horses, Ann Buckley with her rug hooking and very fine weaving, Catherine McDonald with her "real"precious stones jewellry, Joyce-Empey Smith- terrific watercolours and myself amongst others. I think most of us sold at least one or two items.

Lots of people with bags seemed to be leaving the area where Ann was stationed! Vases of fresh lilacs were on every table and visitors enjoyed free home made cookies and tea or coffee.

Cynthia, Ann and I are also involved in a show along with internationally acclaimed sculptor Paul Sheir, at the Tweed Heritage Centre starting next week. The opening is on June 4th at 6-8 p.m. Free goodies! Unfortunately this clashes with a big show in Belleville Library ("Portals") so we may not have a large attendance. Come if you can. If you don't mind a half hour drive up to Tweed, why not take in both shows?

Quinte Arts Council Expressions Show

The Quinte Arts Council Expressions show was a great success. I went to the opening along with at least 100 other people. Good thing it was held at the John M. Parrott gallery as the previous location behind Capers Restaurant in Belleville would not have had room for half the people.

Congratulations to Virginia Dixon for her painting entitled "Birdie" and to Andrew Innes from Picton who entered a "sculpture" made with layers of Perspex entitled "Waiting and Wondering". They both won jurors' choice awards.

I was surprised to win the Ontario Crafts Council award with my entry "White Water" which is made entirely out of felted exotic fibres such as llama and cashmere.

Above is a picture of it. As a prize I get a year's free professional membership to the OCC, which comes with lots of perks.

Try to see the show. It is on till the end of May. There are lots of wonderful exhibits and the John M. Parrott gallery is also home to a travelling show put on by the Ontario Crafts Council which is also well worth a visit.

"Expressions" show in Belleville

The Quinte Arts Councils annual juried show will be held at the John M Parrott gallery at the Bellleville Library on Pinnacle Street from May 7th to May 28th.

The opening will be on Thursday May 7th from 6- 7.30 p.m. This show is generally of a very high standard so try to get there. There will be a mixture of paintings, sculptures, fibre art, pottery, weaving, quilts and more.

Sold painting

Congratulations to whoever bought this painting recently at the Stockdale Mill Gallery and restaurant! I hope you enjoy it. It is a painting of the Moira River near Leslie Rd, Roslin which I did for a special show at the Belleville Library . The show was called 'Inspired by the Group of 7. The painting was accepted into the show. I believe the judge was Toronto artist, Doug Purdon

Art and the United Way

This weekend, the United Way is taking over the Quinte Mall on Saturday evening for a gala fundrainsing event. This will be in conjuction with the Belleville Art Association whose artist members are donating paintings, sculptures, fibre art etc. which will be sold during the evening as part of the fundraising efforts.

A little more.....

Almost finished. Just a few more touches needed and I will paint around the edges of the canvas in a continuation of the front. This painting is on a fairly large 24ins x 24ins square gallery canvas with quite thick sides, so it needs no frame.

Somehow I seem to have got the cross piece of the top window pointing in the wrong direction! I will fix that, and then sign the painting.

Stockdale Mill painting stage 3

Here I have brightened up the colours of the building and worked on the rocks and water in the foreground. I have also put some highlights and shadows in the background trees.

As usual I am in danger of overworking the painting and making it too realistic!

Problems still to fix:

The perspective of the red building is still off a bit. The eavestroughing seems to get wider as it receeds, instead of getting narrower.

I haven't finished painting the left side of the picture yet. I think it needs some red to balance the large area of red on the right, but I am not sure what to do, as in the original scene there is no red there.

I will add a little detail to the windows that still need panes, but I will just suggest the cross pieces lightly.

The dead grasses in the foreground do not show up enough so need more contrast relative to the rocks.

In th orginal painting the yellow sky looks more even than it came out in the photo.