Blog

Hard and yet easy to believe that it's been over a month since I've posted. There's been so much to do, with getting our new place sorted after leading a nomadic life, with all our possessions in storage, since January 1. And I think there's lots to be said for that too!

However, it's great to have a home again, and a beautiful one at that. Every time I look out at the garden, or drive past Okanagan Lake, I marvel at how fortunate I am to live in such a gorgeous place in the world. Not that I haven't seen lots this year!

Summerland is turning out to be even more of an artistic haven than I suspected. Within 3 days of moving in I found a show at the Shatford Art Centre in Penticton to put entries into. After a little digging I found three pieces that met the criteria and by last week they were viewed at the opening of an exhibition to honour the founders of the centre--those local patrons of the arts who funded this very active community art centre. Apparently one of my pieces garnered some votes for favourites, cast by the founders--but not quite enough to take any prizes.

I've also found time to get my 2013 calendars ordered (they should be arriving any day now)--same desktop style as the last few years, and a lower price ($12)--so if you want some put your order in! I've sold about 20% of them already. I've also ordered some new cards and magnets for the shows I have coming up, and for the two galleries that I'll be exhibiting in for Christmas, as well as on-going (Comox Valley Art Gallery Gift Shop and the Summerland Art Gallery shop).

I was pleased to hear that one of my canvas-wrap mermaid reproductions had sold, too! I'll be ordering a few more for my sales in November, as well as some canvas wraps in various sizes of "Faerie Woods" which I think will look super.

Also on the art front I've been working away on my new studio/gallery which, upon measurement, is going to be over 600 square feet! (And I've been scrubbing every inch of the concrete floor to get ready to put a stain finish on it). This detached building on the property has already had a few lives including storage shed for all our possessions for the last year, and prior to that it was a woodworking shop with vacuum filter system and all sorts of electrical outlets, for the previous owner. It's got lots of light and a garage door and I'm looking forward to getting the wood stove set up in it to keep me warm in the winter while I paint and show out there.

Here's a photo of it, with some of our things still there. Now they're mostly all gone and the walls are taped so I can do a different kind of painting than my usual.

Speaking of which I've got a great painting on the board which I'm very excited about--I think there'll be some fairies hiding in it and it's got a lovely golden woodsy glow. I've been careful to only work on it when I feel sufficiently "warmed up" to my painting--since I haven't had much time set aside to paint regularly with all the excitement going on in my life. That said, there are two local artist groups that I'm intending on getting involved with, and soon!

Meanwhile, I'm so glad we had our Komfort trailer for the summer on Vancouver Island...

and even more delighted to have moved into what we are affectionately calling "The Trout House" in the Trout Creek area of Summerland, in the beautiful Okanagan Valley of BC.

There's no place like home!

Stay posted, I'll be putting more art and stories of my "new" life more often now that we have all the "mod cons" like wifi, TV, phone, and address!