July - Summer Bouquet

The sweet scents of summer.

Well it is starting to smell a lot like summer. The sweet scent of peonies, the heady fragrance of sweet peas, the delicate scents of roses carried on the warm evening breeze. 

Lavender,  rosemary, mint, oregano and thyme all thrive, sharing their scents as we brush up against them.

The smell of freshly mowed grass and of the ocean mixed with the sweet coconut oil scent of sunscreen; these are summer scents and they make me smile.

The buzzing of the insects busy in the garden, yes it is summer.

The taste of sun ripened berries, the first tomatoes from the garden, meals outside on a summer day .... ah.

 

White peonies, especially those bright red details in the centre are a favourite.

 

These beauties belong to my neighbour.

  

 

 

 

My roses are not bad this year

 

 

Sweet Pea Bouquet:

 

 

 

Close up of one of my hanging baskets

 

 A dragon fly drying its wings:

Oh, those local strawberries:

 

 First raspberries of the season

 

 

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News from the studio

 I am working on a few things in the studio, but this time of year the garden takes priority.

 

New 10" x 10" for fall show.

 

 

Ink drawing of fountain, almost finished

 

 

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Couldn't resist sharing this one!

 

That is all for this time,

 

happy Wednesday, with whimsy,

 

Gillian

 

June at Last!

 All in June

A week ago I had a fire
To warm my feet, my hands and face;
Cold winds, that never make a friend,
Crept in and out of every place.

Today the fields are rich in grass,
And buttercups in thousands grow;
I'll show the world where I have been--
With gold-dust seen on either shoe.

Till to my garden back I come,
Where bumble-bees for hours and hours
Sit on their soft, fat, velvet bums,
To wriggle out of hollow flowers.

William Henry Davies

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Yes the weather has improved at last and the garden is growing.

Good news, I finally have a crop of peas that the squirrel didn't eat; I had to put a wire mesh barrier around the seeds to keep him from eating the new shoots, but it looks as if I might get some fresh peas this summer. 

Last week I welcomed a small visitor.

Here are pictures of a Wilson's Warbler that I spotted in our back yard. I don't recall seeing one here before, it is certainly a pretty little thing.

 

 

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News from the Studio: 

 

this past weekend was the art walk

 

 

 

 

 I was at Knox United Church with 14 other artists.

 

We had 449 visitors, and Boots the cat (who regularly attends church events), come to enjoy the event.

 

 

Part of my display

 

Below displays by my art buddies Robin and Beverly

 

This is the first time I have participated in Artists in Our Midst, it was a lot of effort but a good experience;

we are already discussing next year!

No new art to show, it is definitely time to start on something new though.

 

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A couple of months ago I mentioned that the South Delta Artists Guild (Gallery 1710) was raising money to donate to Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) through the sales of decorated birdhouses.

 

Alba (the barn owl) came back to Gallery 1710 for a photo op and to help pick up the cheque that the gallery had donated to OWL.

 

 

We raised more than $700 for OWL.

 

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That is all for this time,

 

happy Wednesday, with whimsy,

 

Gillian

 

 

Maybe or Maybe not

 Maybe or maybe not, that is the answer, but for all you Jeopardy fans what is the question? 

Will any of my pea plants live long enough to produce pea pods or will the squirrel continue to eat them all as they come up? So far the squirrel is winning but I am determined. I have tried barriers, no success but I will replant and I have a few more tricks up my sleeve (cayenne pepper may be involved); stay tuned. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind sharing with the wildlife, but they should not take everything!

 

 Fantastic News:

I know I am repeating myself but..

The Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) has just granted me signature status.
What does that mean? Signature Status with the FCA recognizes a high level of excellence achieved by an individual artist. I can now add the letters AFCA (Associate Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists) to my signature.

The "Success Spring 2022 Exhibit" at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island featured two of my paintings: these are two of the three paintings that went to the live jury portion of my signature application.

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News from my Studio:

New Watercolours (all varnished 12" x 12"s):

 

Purple Shells

 

 

Open Case

 

Barnacle Bill

April Sales:

 

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On Now at Gallery 1710:

Colour Your Dreams (May 6 to 29)

I am showing theses paintings:

Whimsy Walkway

Low tide at Finn Slough

 

Early Clematis

 

Summer Colour

Empress of Japan Figurehead

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

Artists in Our Midst

Roundhouse Exhibition (May 18 & 19)

10am to 9 pm

 This is what I will be showing

 

Artists in Our Midst

West of Main Art Walk- May 28 & 29

I will be at Knox United Church with 14 other artists

- 11am to 5 pm both days

 

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Ending with an artists joke:

 

Well that is all for this time,

happy Wednesday,

with whimsy,

Gillian

 

April News

 Fantastic News:

The Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) has just granted me signature status.
What does that mean? Signature Status with the FCA recognizes a high level of excellence achieved by an individual artist. I can now add the letters AFCA (Associate Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists) to my signature.

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Interesting weekend:

I had the opportunity to meet Alba at Gallery 1710 on Saturday April 2, 2022.

She is a Barn Owl, and such a beautiful bird, the feathers around her face are like spun gold. She is a permanent resident of OWL (Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society); a badly broken wing when she fell out of a nest as a youngster has rendered her unable to survive in the wild.

 

Barn Owl

OWL rep, Colin Iverson, brought Alba for gallery visitors to see, and talked about the OWL organization and their resident raptors.

 The Gallery show "Skies and Wings and Feathered Things" has 121 pieces of 2 and 3D art, 43 decorated birdhouses and two showcases containing16 whimsical corvids.

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 News from my Studio:

New Watercolours:

Chickadee (graphite)

Raven Watching (varnished watercolour)

 

 

unnamed shell paintings: ( both varnished watercolours)

 

 

 

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My paintings in Skies and Wings and Feathered Things show:

 

Chickadee and Raven Watching from above and

 

The Watcher

 

 

Pecking Order (diptych)

 

We are also selling decorated birdhouses, 40% of the sales will be donated to OWL.

 

My husband built two houses for me to decorate:

 

Blue Rapsody:

Tweety Bird Express:

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

 Federation of Canadian Artists - Success Exhibition 

Granville Island

April 12 to April 24 (opening reception April 14, 2022)

Here are the paintings I have in the Exhibition:

 

Paisley Watcher 2

 

In the Early Morning Sunshine 

Paisley Cobwebs

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Artists in our Midst - West of Main Artwalk

I am participating in the Preview Exhibition at the Roundhouse

and in the West of Main Artwalk - located at the Knox United Church at 39th and Balaclava with more than a dozen other artists!

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Bird Videos:

Ballet, bird style  

 

Alba visits Gallery 1710

That is all for this week,

 happy Wednesday, with whimsy,

 

Gillian, AFCA