JUNE

So sad about our Provinces exhibition.  We finally took it down June 13th. The Library had been closed since March 15th so not many people had probably seen our exhibition.  We were asked to take it down before the Library opened up again.  I expect they needed to have bare surfaces in order to keep things as clean as possible.  Sad though.

In the meantime, during the lock down, I kept myself busy by taking part in a Zoom drawing class given by Dionne Swift, from England.  Although I have done several drawing classes prior to this, I have really enjoyed Dionne's approach.  Each week, she presents a different aspect of drawing and also gives us lots of homework, which I think is the key.  I have carried my sketchbook all over the world, and never thought I had time or opportunity to draw in it.  Now, after doing the many quick drawings, I have already started drawing in my sketchbook.  Too bad I am limited in places to go!


Contour Drawing




Landscape - from photos


Landscape in plein air



Perspective


Atmospheric Perspective




Tonal Drawing

My other lockdown project was to finally finish my daughter's wedding quilt.  She was married 14 years ago so it was definitely time to get this project further along.  The material had matured long enough!  It is probably like everyone's unfinished projects.  You get stumped by things not working out as expected, you are not up to the task and need to learn more skills or just need the get up and go to work out problems as you go along, secure in the knowledge that you can do it.  It is a big project, a double wedding ring  quilt.  I have been learning and improving as I go along.  It is not finished yet, but finally the top and back are together and I am about half way through hand quilting.  It has been meditative work doing the hand stitching and has been great company for the many hours of Netflix we have endured.



I have started to have a few outdoor group get togethers recently, although I am not really comfortable yet with seeing people.  I feel that if I want to take risks, I would rather do it with my family and grandkids, who I haven't hugged in three months.  I still haven't set foot in a store and get my groceries either delivered or my kids get the odd extras for us.  Otherwise we have made good use of online shopping;  something we did pretty regularly before.  We have also done some click and collects which have been really successful.  We are learning to manage in the new normal and the Zoom get togethers and family Scatagories games have meant we are still keeping in contact with family and friends.

Here's to all the people who have been keeping us safe; the health care professionals, including members of my family who are taking care of those who fall ill; and all the unsung heros who keep doing their jobs from home, parents becoming teachers for their children, and many others doing the mundane jobs but without whom we could not survive.  In the meantime, I will keep my distance, wear my mask, keep doing things to keep my brain active and walking and doing online workouts to keep my body from disintergrating too far, and bake the odd loaf of bread;  until such time that we come out the other end of this.  Hopefully we will remembers the lessons learned and create a better more caring, clean and just world.

Provinces Exhibition

We spent this morning hanging Articulation's latest exhibition, called Provinces.  Actually, it is a portion of the body of work.  Each of the six members made two panels representing each of the 10 Provinces, 3 Territories and 1 general Canada hanging.  The Fish Creek Library, had enough space to hang three full sized pieces and one panel of the remaining pieces.  It is the first time we have hung this exhibition and we were not sure how it would hang together as the pieces were so different.  However, I really like the way it looks and Donna and I were really happy at the end of the hanging.

The middle piece is my depiction of Nova Scotia.  The piece is hung at the top from the Nova Scotia Tartan, and the colours represent the stormy seas and red soil.  There are also fish and Bay of Fundy Fossils appliqued.  The Blue Nose, which is still found on our ten-cent piece reminds us of the proud shipbuilding history of Nova Scotia.  I will have to go back and get a better picture of the piece.

A shot of the first pieces up.

My piece is depicting Ontario.  I had used a technique of laminating photographs onto organza in a Pojagi style to connect the pieces.  There is a mixture of photographs that include the Parliament buildings, maple trees, Trilliums which are the Provincial flower; as well as tulips that were a gift to the people of Canada from the Netherlands after the war.  Of course there is also a picture of Niagara falls as well.

This pieces depicts Prince Edward Island.  The colours reflect the sea and the red earth, so good for growing potatoes. The hanging pieces in front of the dyed cotton, depict the many motifs that make one think of P.E.I., lobsters, lobster pots, different shell fish and the bridge that was finally built after many years, which connects the Island to the mainland.

The exhibition is up for the month of March, so I hope lots of people are able to enjoy the exhibition and reflect on how lucky we are to live in this diverse and beautiful country, while they go about choosing their books!