Because I live in the country and the city, I get to experience the pleasures of both. Some things are the same in both places, but with little differences. For example, I have outdoor balconies at both my city apartment and at my country house. This is my country balcony (a deck, really). It is spacious, surrounded by trees, and has a view of my garden. It is very private and there are no people around, just a lot of birds (especially hummingbirds, who come right up to say hi to me) and the occasional small wild animal.
This is the balcony at my city apartment. Unlike the deck at my country place, it is very small, up high, and looks out over a city street with cars and buildings and people walking by. I enjoy sitting in the sun on both balconies and appreciate their similarities and differences. I like to think that there are lovely simple pleasures like this no matter where we live!
Last Saturday, I went to the wonderful country home of my friends, Bonnie and Greg, for dinner. We sat outside at this table. Isn't it beautiful? We decided that it looked like a scene from Tuscany. What a fabulous way to enjoy dinner on a gorgeous summer evening.
Just this past June, the people I work with set up an office pool for the FIFA World Cup. I was asked if I would like to participate and I said "Sure", not thinking very much about it. I don't watch sports and know nothing about Soccer (or Football, or Hockey, or Basketball, or anything like that). So I put in my money and made my picks and didn't pay attention after that. Well - lo and behold - I WON! I got the highest score! Wow! People in my office were as surprised as I was. Just last week, they took me out to a victory lunch and gave me my winnings. They also presented me with this fabulous little whistle, shaped like a soccer ball.
So here I am, holding my victory whistle!
A couple of blasts and everyone pays attention. This is going to be fun!
I decided to try it out on one of my colleagues - Alex. I told Alex that he should work harder or I am going to blow the whistle on him! As you can see, he took it very seriously!
Last Saturday, my friends Holly, Fran and I went for a walk in the woods in Voyageur Park. We planned to make an installation out of found materials somewhere along the walk.
Our route took us along the edge of the river. It was very lovely in places.
We found a nice spot where there was an opening to the river and a tree that was leaning over. Holly wedged some branches upright at the base of this leaning tree using rocks and placing one of the branches in a crack in the tree. I found a piece of red plastic and placed it between the branches.
We added various found materials to the branches. I found some tin foil from an empty cigarette package that someone had tossed in the woods, and wrapped it around the branches. We also made paper loops from the package and hung them here and there.
Holly and Fran foraged for more materials by the water. There was a lot of litter - pieces of broken glass, bottle caps, a fish hook... Everything got added to our installation. Happily, the sun came out while we were working (it had been such a dull grey day until then!).
We kept adding our bits and bobs, placing more rocks, hanging, weaving things together.
As we worked, a beautiful pale white dragonfly landed on one the branches in our installation. It was like a living addition to the work. It also felt like nature sending us a sign of approval!
The final installation had a lot of colour!
Anyone walking along the path would be able to see it. We are hoping that other people will add to it.
Finally, we signed our work. F(ran) E(vlyn) H(olly). So we decided our little group was called FEH, which could stand for all sorts of things (some rather funny!)
It was a really interesting, mind-stretching and fun way to create something. We hope to be able to do this again.
The National Art Gallery in Ottawa just opened a new exhibition of the work of Gustave Dore, one of my favourite illustrators. I visited the show this evening and really enjoyed it. These very large posters hang outside the building on a wall near the entrance.
I always enjoy going into the National. Last year they underwent some major renovations but they are all finished now. It is nice to see all the windows again - they were covered over completely last summer.
I was not able to take any photographs of the work while I was inside the Dore exhibition. I will just have to recommend seeing the show, if you can. It was interesting because I always had thought of Dore as an illustrator, but this show demonstrates that he was much more. He was also a very good painter and sculptor. There were also some fascinating photographs and videos that showed his influence on film makers. Worthwhile seeing.
Anyway, although I couldn't take photos inside the show, I could take photos in the foyer and had lots of fun getting these really abstract-looking shots of the ceiling. Aren't these great patterns?
Here is another pic of the ceiling. I think the light was just perfect for taking this picture. The weather was cloudy and overcast so although this picture is in colour, it looks like it is in black-and-white. It looks like a geometric pattern - and also has this lofty, cathedral look. So I enjoyed a feast for the eyes both inside the Dore show and outside in the foyer, looking up at the ceiling.
Last Sunday, May 25, I went to the opening of the Second Annual Sculpture Garden exhibit at the Skelly Gallery in St. Eugene, Ontario. One of the first works of art I saw was this fabulous snake by my friend Holly Kelleher. It was wound around a tree a looked very biblical.
The face was great - lots of personality. Holly made him using recycled plastic bags and chicken wire. Isn't he wonderful?
Next, I saw a totem pole. This piece was begun by an artist named Joann Brown who, unfortunately, died several years ago. The sculpture was completed by another artist, my friend Lis Skelly. It is a lovely story and a beautiful piece.
Up the hill from the totem, this beautiful sculpture by my deceased husband, Peter MacElwain, sits in a great spot, practically right in the middle of the sculpture garden. The piece is called "Homage". I took a picture of my friend, artist and fellow-blogger Ronna sitting on the Homage.
Following the path, one comes across this fun piece by Susan Jephcott among the trees.
Here is the other side of Susan's piece.
At the farthest point in the walk around the sculpture garden, this celestial piece, by Philippa Lesniak, is perched high up on a very tall tree trunk.
On the walk back, I discovered two wonderful little sculptures hanging in a tree. This was one of them......
...and this is the other. They were made by 2 artists called Two Barn Owls. I loved these pieces - they were so whimsical.
This piece by Adele Reeves is especially interesting because the heads turn on the poles and can be rearranged to face in different ways. Also, there are holes in the top with those peephole things that are put in apartment doors so one can see who is at the door (they probably have a name but I don't know what it is). So you can look through the peepholes in the heads and view the other sculptures in the garden.
Almost at the end of my walk, I enjoyed this beautiful tile water-fountain fish by my friend, Dody Dines.
This piece hangs on the outside wall of the Skelly Gallery. Isn't it great?
The Sculpture Garden is really worth a visit and will run all spring and summer until Friday, October 31st 2014.
The other evening, as I was driving along the road to my home in the country, I saw this strange light phenomenon in the distance. I came to a screeching halt, jumped out of my car, and took some pictures.
I guess it was some sort of rainbow effect, but it looked like a pillar of light against the blue-grey clouds. Quite amazing - and beautiful!
