Blog

What a summer it's been! Finally the sun came out and I feel like I've had the most fantastic summer ever. Since late July I've spent 5 weeks out of town travelling, closed the deal on our new retirement place and studio in Summerland, and spent two weeks there enjoying, gardening (what a garden!) and dreaming about what it's going to be like to live there. Here's a couple of photos for your future visits!

We have a fantastic view of Giant's Head Mountain over the neighbouring orchard, and it's a 5 minute walk to the local beach, through that orchard, across the street to the park with tennis courts, and you're there!

There was a lot of work to do on the garden beds, and just sorting the house out a little, before we turned it over to tenants for a year. I spent some evenings riding my bike around the neighbourhood and admiring the houses, the beach views, and chatting with locals, neighbours, and getting to know a little bit about the wonderfully vibrant local arts community.

I can hardly wait to move up there now! There are a few local artists who do a studio tour (which I'll hope to join once we get there--probably summer of 2013?), and the Shatford Centre in Penticton has just opened, providing fantastic creative support and encouragement for art, music, drama, pottery, woodwork, and who knows what else!

On the creative front, I was delighted to have the opportunity to blow my own glass ball in a studio in Skagway, Alaska during our Alaska cruise.

Our instructor (or gaffer, as she was called) had actually studied with Dale Chihouli in Seattle and worked at some other prestigious glass-blowing studios as well. She was amazing!

It was unprecedented for me to be able to do some of the work myself (although she did all the tough stuff and kept a close eye on everyone's ball). I've been on a couple of other glass blowing tours but they never let you anywhere near the danger zone! I think I might have to look for a place that does some lessons--here or in the Okanagan.

It was very cool to plunge the huge pincers into the molten glass and then twist it, to create the vortexlike swirls.

Here's the final result--albeit upside down (it has a little loop that you can hang it by--you can see it on the bottom left), but I thought the white background showed up the colours better.

Looks like the earth, covered with cyclones!

On the creative front, below right is one of the paintings I finished this summer. It's quite different in style (which just shows you that I'll never settled down into any style, I think!) for me--very intricate, funky, letting my imagination run a bit wild...like the leaves and tendrils creeping over the

edges of the dress, the wings, and the paper!

Just a little fantasy to go with my summer!

I've put a few new paintings up on the "What's New" page--so please go see them & let me know what you think.

There's a lot for me to do in the next year--organizationally (logistics of packing & moving, keeping out what we need for 6 months travel, organizing that travel, arranging for our house to be rented out for a year), sales-wise (more calendars than I've ever ordered before to market, lots of new paintings to mat, frame, show at 3 more shows I have going on, to help pay for the travel and the new studio!!), and creatively (I guess I'm just one of those people who has to keep moving, pushing the envelope, exploring new territory--so I'm going to embrace it!)

My current show details:

Later this month I'm going to take a collage course with one of my favourite artists--Robi Smith of Blue Lantern Studio in East Vancouver. I've done a little collaging before but have been waiting for a mixed-media type course to come my way, so stay tuned to see what I get up to. I can hardly wait myself!

Don't forget to order your 2012 calendar & get yourself organized for next year!

Until next time, ciao for now!