500 Posts

I can't believe this is my 

500th post!

To celebrate I'm doing a

Pillow

GIVE AWAY

All you need to do is go to the shop and look over the pillows there, come back here and leave a comment. That's it! On Monday I'll announce the winner.

Good Luck

Works in Progress

 

It seems that Wednesdays have similar pictures of works in progress. You can see the new "Balloon Ship" and "Nest Detail" here. As well I managed to sneak these smaller images onto a screen:

 

A little beaver and the original modified nest from the drawing I did with the robin a few months back.

 

The Potters' Market, Guelph

Guelph, Ontario

We stole away to Guelph the other day (I can't tell you how rare it is for us to get away anywhere besides the grocery store!). I love Guelph. Years ago we tried to move there but unfortunately we couldn't find the right fit place. If it weren't for the cars this shot could have been taken 30 - 50 years ago.

We went to see the Potters' Market that is held in an old and partially restored mill. It was my sister's last show before she leaves for Nova Scotia to start a new and different life. The potters  participating in the show (including Lorraine)  can be seen here.

Andrea Vuletin's work I especially liked because of the life size bugs seemingly crawling around.

Barns Art Market

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

On Saturday I was doing my first show for 2012 at the beautiful Wynchwood Barns Art Market. Originally a streetcar repair facility for the Toronto Transit Commission (built between 1913 -1921)  it was abandoned in the mid '80's. Almost 20 years later it was "adopted" by Artscape.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi and support handmade. It was so nice to be out again and talking with you.

Wynchwood Barns Art Market: First Show of the Year:

Wynchwood Barns Art Market & Doors Open, Toronto

After sitting on the wait list for a few weeks, I've just found out that I will be in the Wynchwood Barns Art Market this Saturday (tomorrow). If you're in Toronto please come by. More than likely, I won't be on the map (so-to-speak) because of the late notice but I will be in booth 24.

Sparrow Avenue Nest Day Bag

 Before the week ends I wanted to show you the new "Nest Day Bag" that I've been working on. I really love the colour of the new linen for the strap and body of the bag. 

The weekend should be

glorious,

I hope you enjoy it

and if you can

don't forget to 

drop in at the Art Market

A Different View

Sometimes it's good to step outside the box, out of the comfort zone or whatever you'd like to call it. Stick your head out and see things from a different view. Be prepared to have people look at you like: "where did you come from?" And then wait to hear them say: "wait a minute..."

                                              1. banana                            2.  vase                                   3. potato                                                                                                                   

 

Wednesday's Work

I rarely have the camera with me when I'm out walking but today I needed it and was fortunate enough to come across this little fellow. What a great opportunity to study the feathers!

Back in the studio the piles of work are mounting once again. I played a little with the camera's aperture to get this shot.

I have been working on some new wallets that co-ordinate with my small Day Bag design. I will show you soon how well they are turning out. In the meantime, you can see my other ones here.

In the afternoons sometimes certain "characters" become very needy. With all the work on my table there is some neglect in this area and as a result there is some "crowding". under the table and on my feet.

The warm days and cool breezes

make it feel like 

I'm at the cottage.

(The cottage of many years ago)

I do hope 

you are having 

a wonderful week!

Tuesday's Treasures

anon

I thought it might be of interest to explain the deviation from the animal and bird drawings:

The inspiration for   the balloon ship originally came from 

Terry Gilliam's film, The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Gilliam's attention to detail has always impressed me and the balloon ship was so intriguing. Unfortunately, there are no images of it to show.

It was during the 1700's when Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier first experimented with hot air balloons. This period became known as the Age of Enlightenment because of all the philosophers and scientists, artists, poets and musicians. Currently I am reading Out of Our Minds by Ken Robinson in which he talks about the history of education and the subsequent marginalization of creativity. And it all ties in although I wouldn't be able to sum it up here which is probably why I'm a visual artist and my Balloon Ship is trying to say it for me.

 Perhaps it's just a reminder to be brave and adventurous in this world because there's no harm in trying.

Mosaic Monday

1. vintage tile  2. Sparrow Avenue Owl Pillow  3. Victorian tile

4. & 6.  old stamp from India   5.  Sparrow Avenue Postcard Day Bag

7. Victorian tile  8. Sparrow Avenue Porcupine Pillow  9. vintage tile

Hope you had a beautiful weekend. 

And all of the Canadians still at the cottage: 

don't you wish you didn't have to come back? 

I know if I had a cottage I'd re-locate the studio. I love being outside and am constantly trying to  bring my work out there. I hope this mosaic conveys that idea.

Finally, Friday

Balloon Ship

New and Improved?  Well, yes I'm at it again. I needed a larger version of this piece and it always bothered me that one of the balloons was a little asymmetrical so I decided to fix it. And while I was at it, I changed a few  other things too.
It's my Age of Enlightenment influence with a bit of whimsy thrown in.

I hope you had a good week. Here in Canada we have Victoria Day Weekend. Most people know it as Firecracker Day which is a bit sad because of the lost interest in history. Well, whatever. All I know is that Sonee is afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms so she'll be doing a lot of hiding.

Have a great weekend everyone

Thursday Things

The scent of the lilacs in the backyard was so amazing I had to bring them in the house. Here they are in a perfect vase that Art bought for me a few winters ago.

As vases aren't very plentiful in our house a bottle from tomato puree sufficed. I had to take a picture of them against this burnt orange wall.

Wednesday's Work

Last week I had mentioned that I was working on some new drawings. Along the way, there were some distractions. But this shows the beginning of what I've been doing each morning.

Here she is a little further along.

And the (almost) finished piece.

As a precaution to theft, I hide my signature amongst the lines.

I hope your week

has been going well

for you

and

that you can find

some time

to

enjoy

the sun 

Tuesday's Treasures

Porcupine Pillow

It was a perfect day for a photo shoot. I realized that all my images were from the winter and that with all the flowers and shrubs blooming, I should really take advantage of it. This was shot in the early morning; such a beautiful light.

Art bought me a gorgeous Potato Vine(Solanum jasminoids) as I've decided to start gardening again (after two years of fighting with an invasive weed and putting the garden under two layers of black plastic in an attempt to burn it out). I've put in Roma and Cherry Tomatoes with Marigolds for "companions" and some hot Red Peppers for Art.

Day Bag with Postcard Screen print

I've also brought back my small Day Bag in a slightly larger size and with the Postcard screen print done in light brown. I really love this colour combination!  And Aryn is such a good model for it.

Mosaic Monday

 

1. bird house  2.& 3. Extreme bird houses

4. & 6 copyright free image  5. bird houses

 8.fundesignideas  9. I lost the link to this one

I hope you had a lovely weekend; so much sun: what a pleasure.

While I was working on this mosaic it seemed like something Monty Python-like would appear, like some balloonist or gawky bird.

 

Finally, Friday

Lots of rubbish by the end of the week including little experiments. By Friday I'm sometimes caught up with the work I started at the beginning of the week so that there's a bit of time to "play".

A zipper-top bag has been on my radar for a little while so I've been playing with that for a bit. This one has a leather-like bottom that I've also been experimenting with. Still working out where to put the shoulder strap.

This one looks like it could pick up and walk away! But I can definitely put the shoulder straps in the front and back seams.

This weekend promises to be

beautiful.

I hope you enjoy it

and

Happy Mother's Day

to all

of

you

 

Thursday Things

  Storage has always been a big issue for me. I have a plethora of collections that are stuffed away in any shoe box I can find. So when I come across interesting ways of containing my stuff, I just want to find more.

Found these great wire baskets here at this wonderful  three potato four  shop you may have heard of.

 These ones are also way cool and can be found here.

These ones are rather charming too, don't you think? 

Hope your week has been going well.

I've just finished 

a wack of bags.

Maurice Sendak 1929- 2012

Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83 and lived in Ridgefield, Conn.

I was saddened to hear this news yesterday. Sendak was one of my early influences when I illustrated children's books. Amongst my favourites were " Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More To Life" and "The Light Princess".

 

Many years ago I discovered the work of Francis Barlow from the 1600's. Below is an image from "Fables" published in 1665. See if you don't see the possible influence.

 

 Thomas Bewick's woodcuts also had to have some influence in Sendak's work, I think.

Memoirs of Randall Jarell

"The First Schlemiel" from Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories" 1966

I suppose that not only did Sendak bring new light to children's books but that he also brought a strong sense of  Jewish history and story telling. I especially see it in his cramped compositions which capture the feeling of the schtetl, which of course reminds me of Chagall.

"The Harlequins" by Marc Chagall 1933

If you'd like to read a bit more, this would be good.