Morning Harvest

Another glorious morning in heaven!  I don't know about you, but I wake up really early in summer, by 6 o'clock my bedroom is bathed in golden light and I spring out of bed right away.  This morning, I went to the studio to have a fresh look at the triptych I finished last night.

In the garden, the blackberries and the figs are ripening to perfection. Yummy morning harvest.

Merlin is enjoying his nap in his favorite spot.  In a little while, I am off for a picnic and a swim at Pipers Lagoon.  Summer is good!  Have a lovely day!

Love Therapy - Gypsy Brass Band - Dale Chihuly

My trip to Quebec was special, I felt showered with love every day by my family and my old friends. I call it Love Therapy! It also turned out to be a gourmet holiday, we went to fantastic restaurants and ate fine cuisine at home, my brother Benoit is quite a chef, we had one feast after another, duck, scampies, brie with caramelized apple in maple syrup, yum! And of course, a bottle of wine and then, another one! The good life! Sunshine and hot weather went on and on, so did the swimming and sailing on Memphremagog Lake. Picnics at the beach, ice cream cones on the Main! I can't imagine a better summer holiday.  Thanks everyone!

I longed to walk blissfully the streets of Montreal on a balmy hot summer night at the Jazz Festival, strolling from one stage to the next immersed in the crowd, the heat and the music.

And I did it! It was just as good as in my memories from the days I lived in Montreal. People everywhere, all ages, all cultures, chatting, laughing and dancing in the streets. A crowd was gathering at la place des Festivals in anticipation of the joyous music of Fanfare Ciocarlia, a 11 piece gypsy brass band from Romania. The party was on! I haven't danced like that in eons, ouch my knees!

The glass magician Dale Chihuly has an incredible exhibit of his giant blown glass pieces at the Musee des Beaux-Arts. Twenty feet tall glass chandeliers hanging over polished black granite, hundreds of big colourful glass pieces, what a feast for the eyes and the soul.

 Montreal: full of surprises.  

On St-Denis street the hydro poles are wrapped in colourful knitting ready for the circus!

On Marianne street, a bench and a piano invites passersby to jam together for a musical interlude.

Hope you also had a fantastic month of July. I wish you all great happiness, all the creativity in the world and a beautiful August.

Afternoon in the Studio

An afternoon in the studio or better a Sunday afternoon in the studio. The weather was softly warm, with light rain and grey sky. The studio had become an art gallery again and I was eager to see everyone and show my new work. My friend Gretchen and her daughter Ana took great care of the guests.  There was white wine sangria with basil leaves served with preserved lemon and parmesan biscottis, I am still experimenting with that recipe, it needs a little herbs to bring the tangy taste of lemons to fullness, someone mentioned thyme, I’ll try that next time.  Add to all this a nice mix of guests and we have a perfect summer afternoon!

I called it The Delicious Series,  it’s my idea of a delicious afternoon!   

  The studio was filled with friends, artists and visitors giving me feedback on my work, enjoying each other's company, laughing, and drawing ephemeral master pieces on the Buddha board. 

Ephemeral Art by Rob Plante - photo by Titia

Talking art - Photos by Kerstin Bolseng and Carole Reid

It’s gonna happen again at the end of September to celebrate the change of the season.  As for now, Summer has officially begun, the sun will be here soon!! I am spending the month of July in Quebec visiting with my maman, family and friends and catching up on the art scene in Montreal.
I am looking forward to walk the streets at night from one stage to the other at the Jazz Festival! Cheers to you all for a Delicious Summer!

Urban Garden - Sigur Ros - Kids Fest

I treated myself to a little holiday in Vancouver, a whole week visiting friends, walking, eating well, and laughing a lot.   Sunday we took a long walk at Spanish Banks.  During the lowest tides we can wander over the sand bars and along the water's sandy edge for miles on end, examining the patterns left by the water on the sea floor as it retrieves away.  We made our way back through the streets of Point Grey for a little voyage in times, the neighborhood has changed but the red house on 11th Avenue close to Alma is still red, still standing tall, the stonewall is intact, there are renovation to rebuild the big front verandah where we had our Sunday night vegetarian dinners so many moons past, I can still remember the smell of Roz's wonderful nut loaf! Then we had the best falafel ever at a little shop down on 10th, it was not there in my days but sure worth a visit any day.  Yum!

Peaceful time in Hilda's beautiful urban garden

On Monday night, I experienced Sigur Ros live at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, the rain stopped at 6:15, just in time for everyone to close their umbrellas and have dinner on a blanket before the show started. This Icelandic atmospheric rock band offered a very special evening with their mesmerizing music. There were three violins, three horns, two sets of percussion, two keyboards, electric guitars, basses, bells, voices, electronic sounds.A rare treat!

Sigur Ros at Deer Lake Park on Monday May 27th

Wednesday was gallery hopping day, we started on South Granville and soon found out that sadly enough two other galleries have closed their doors: the Winsor Gallery and the Equinox Gallery. This cannot be good for the art world, they were both representing established contemporary artists. Going to the Winsor gallery was always a must on my visits to Vancouver and always a pleasure, I've spent many afternoons there marvelling at the work of Fiona Ackerman and Gabryel Harrisson, among others.   Erin Eshi was showing at the Ian Tan gallery, and as usual her kind of etheral rendering was inspired and inspiring. Then we went strolling about on Granville Island, admiring wonderfully crafted brooms, felted dolls, fused glass pieces and hand made paper.  Beside the community centre, we discovered that the Children Festival also had events happening on Grandville Island. More pleasant visual surprises for us!  Oh I just love Vancouver.

 

Children's Fest on Granville Island

Shavasana - Abundance - Joy in the Studio

Days are really getting longer, the moon is filling up, the seeds are sprouting, the strawberries are in bloom, soon yummy berries, now, that's abundance isn't it?  The more the merrier! I have also been blissfully painting away last week and finished three new paintings. 

Sailing Solo 36" x 60" oil and cold wax on board

Shavasana 36" x 60" oil and cold wax on board

Tendresses has become Tender Nest  30" x 30"

I have had 10 days uninterrupted painting time in the studio lately.  Images came together joyfully and almost effortlessly, I just love happy times like that in the studio. Have fun!

Clandestine - Tendresses and Transglobal Underground

NICE MORNING, the sky has returned to pale blue with a row of luminous clouds on the horizon, a breeze moves the branches where caterpillars are slowly turning the apple tree into a campground.

Today is a good day! The freshly finished Clandestine has found a happy owner! Love at first sight, she said. This morning, I took the time to send submissions to both Sydney and Sooke Art Shows.

Clandestine  oil and cold wax 30" x 30"

A year ago, I wanted to loosen up my gesture, be more free in my movements.  Soon after, I discovered cold wax which is mixed with oil paints to create a smooth paste applied with knives and spatulas. My work has transformed since then, and my new paintings have more fluidity. The two paintings in the studio at the moment are Tendresses and Sailing Solo.

In progress - Tendresses oil and cold wax 30" x 30"

In progress - Sailing Solo  60" x 36"

In the studio, an all times favorite Transglobal Underground

Cheers to blissful painting times!

Lilac Galore - Fado in the Studio

Oh, this is such a luscious time of the year, the apple tree is in bloom and so are all lilacs around, 

in and out, there they are.  The weather itself is delicious.  Tis' the sweetness of May.

I have spent little time in the studio this last week, just enough to finish the last two paintings. 

Still Life of Sins      Oil and cold wax      36" x 36"

One Morning      Oil and cold wax      36" x 36"    

In the studio, a Fado by Pablo Alboran and Carminho 

Carminho and Pablo Alboran 

youtubefado

A sad Portuguese folksong.