Now that everything is white with snow

Every once in a while I'll come across an old painting or sketch and it'll time-warp me right back to the period of time when I was working on it. Once again I'll be there in that moment, struggling to get just the perfect colour or the right line.

It's comforting that now I can look at the end results with some distance and, hopefully, enjoy my hard work.

These are the beginnings of some new struggles (I wonder what I think when I look back at the end results?)

My pal Charles

Charles Frederick Drinkwater

November 16, 1954 - January 2, 1997

Charlie was a powerful force in our lives; a special, happy, funny guy.
He was gentle, but no push-over, and as kind as he was, he
certainly wasn't a saint.

deliberate, passionate, literate, smart, creative, colourful,
happy, happy, joy, joy

He was my best friend and we had a lifetime of plans that we didn't get to walk through together.
Ten birthdays have passed since Charles died and we still miss him, laugh with him and celebrate all the wonderful, amazing times we had with him. This rose bush was given to Neil and I by Sue, who was also a dear of Charlie's. It survived the move from Toronto and we planted in our garden where it bloomed all summer; in fact, it's blooming still, stubbornly.

Charles would have loved these luscious, fragrant, slightly rebellious blooms, still blazing with colour, long after our first snow fall.

Our new (middle-aged) son

Yesterday, following a whirlwind of interviews and test “walkies”, we welcomed into our home our new son, Frankie, from Barkin Rescue.

He’s 8 doggy years young, which is slightly shy of middle-age for a poodle, he's even tempered, calm and cute as a lamb.

My Southern show

There are moments in your life when everything seems so warm and rich.

This past weekend was one
of those times.

Showing my own work is unavoidably stressful and it's always a surprise when we invite people to a display of my work, and they actually show up! I must say I truly have a wonderful group of friends and family. Many are cut-off from buying any more pieces - they could already open their own Grindley Gallery!

It was the first time we'd done a Toronto show since moving to St. Thomas, and most of the time we were too busy hugging and catching-up to even notice the red sale dots appearing here and there. It was so fitting that Southern Accent hosted my show since the restaurant was my second home for so many years. Neil has his own special memories from his time there and, for both of us, one of down-sides of our moving away was not being able to see Frances as often as we used to.

I loved seeing all my friends and meeting a few new ones, and it was particularly touching when our late friend Charlie's aunt Mabel walked in. Mabel is very special to us and Southern was always Charlie's favourite restaurant so the combination was particularly touching. Thanks so much to Nancy for making that happen.

Big hugs and thanks to Frances for doing all the stuff she does and being so greathearted. I wish our schedule had been a bit more generous; dining at Southern Accent is still one of our favourite parts of life (I love the piquant shrimp, Neil loves the Cajun Martini's and Bourbon Sours).
And as always, thanks to Dana for being our chauffeur and indulging us in our big city must-dos (Mountain Equipment Co-Op, SOMA Chocolates, Whole Foods). Next time we do this, we're thinking of combining it with a Cajun brunch so people could have something nice to look at and something great to eat. Yum - can't wait.

Another full circle moment

We were in Port Stanley yesterday sourcing rental cottages with pal Lorraine and decided to make a quick visit to the Lake Erie Beacon to say hi to Linda and Andrew. Linda and Andrew were my fantastic hosts during the Port Stanley Art Tour some months ago, and I like to drop-in whenever I'm in town.
When I walked in, Linda say "I guess you've heard" to which I said "huh?". She gestured to the wall of the office, and hanging there was the painting I'd donated to the art centre auction! I wasn't able to attend the auction and hadn't even heard if my painting had sold. What a great surprise, that my new friends at the Beacon had bought my painting.

"Works well under a deadline"

I guess I do work well when the pressure is on.
Typically, as a show-date gets closer (just a few days away now) I'd be spending the remaining time rushing about packing canvases, getting business cards ready, collecting easels and such. But this time I'm getting inspired to do more works! The colder and grayer it gets outside, the more flowers I have inside.

New works for my November show

Annual Art Auction

I'm excited to be participating in the St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre's annual art auction. It's a great opportunity for folks to support local talent (like myself) by supporting the Art Centre. It's also a chance to see a really interesting collection of work and perhaps get a bargain at the same time.
Hopefully my canvas, entitled Green Road, will end up in someone's happy home.
Unfortunately, the auction is on Friday, November 2, and that evening I will be hosting a 70th birthday party for my favourite mother-in-law Barb, so I won't be able to attend.
Fingers-crossed!

My show at Southern Accent Restaurant

I'm super excited to be having my first Toronto showing since our emigration to St. Thomas (no passport required) and I've been quite the busy bee, enjoying my new fully equipped 800 square foot studio (a.k.a. our basement). Big thanks to Frances for opening the doors of Southern Accent for me; my work always looks fantastic at Southern and is a perfect match for the restaurant's groove, like washing down blackened livers with a Bourbon Sour.
Speaking of which, after my show, hang around for drinks or dinner, or drinks and dinner, or drinks and dessert ... you get the idea. I hope to see you then!

Red and Green Earth

mauve vase, shoes

My rilly big shew ....

Well, the Port Stanley Art Tour is over and it was a wonderful success for me. I sold a few paintings, made some new friends, had a deadline to meet so I produced some new work, and enjoyed a wonderful weekend. Thanks to all of my friends who stopped by; art shows are certainly about the art, but they are also partially (sometimes largely) about community and friendship. And I can't say enough fuzzy warm things about Linda and Andrew at the Lake Erie Beacon who hosted my display. Along with the coffee and treats, they also provided me with great support; it was wonderful spending the weekend with such strong community champions. The Beacon provided wonderful coverage in this week's edition (featuring a photo of moi) which will no doubt ensure an even stronger turn-out next year. Snaps to Lucky for providing additional cuteness when the conversation lagged and to Cindy for dropping everything on Sunday night to give me and my paintings a ride home. And as always ...

hugs and thanks to Dana for just generally being at my beck-and-call
(and always up for a walk on the beach!)

8th Annual Port Stanley Art Tour

I will be participating in the Port Stanley Studio Tour this weekend, September 22 and 23 and, in spite of the usual pre-show jitters, I can't wait for it all to start! There are over 30 artists showing their work at different locations throughout Port Stanley making for a wonderful strolling-around kind of art weekend! The town is has a busy marina, several wonderful restaurants (two of my favs so far are Me & Suzies and the Pineapple Room in the Telegraph House), a theatre, vintage train station, fish monger, ice cream parlor, shops, spa - just about everything you need (okay, I wish there was a book store). I have lots of new work, the weather is going to be perfect ... life is good. Thanks to the Lake Erie Beacon for showing my work and making a fantastic brochure!

Faces