Discoverimg the Past, or from 43 Years ago two Portraits.....

The other day I got a message: “Look what we found in the local fish & chip restaurant.

“George” is a coloured pencil, pen & ink portrait, dated 1982.

I had zero recollection of “George” and no record.

But, the restaurant is fairly close at hand so a visit was in order. There was “George 1982” and companion “Angus & Lucy 1982”.

The former owner on retirement and selling up, had given the two works to the new owner. The new owner is delighted to discover she owns two original works by a well known artist. I’m delighted to rediscover the two works They were completed when I was very pregnant working on a 6’5” x 7’ drafting board space in our tiny unfinished house. The restaurant was in different place. It too less fancy.

Heliconian's Encounter 2024, encountering an art show

The Riverdale Farm’s Tamworth Family encountered an art show. Result. They are going to a new home

four others joined the family

“Backyard Bunny”, “See My Crown”, “See My Crown Too” and “See My Crown?, It’s Better!”

"A Portrait by Any Other Name" at the Toronto Heliconian Club

It’s the Heliconian Club's first “arts and letters” show, written and picture portraits.

Portraits can be other and more than just people. Here are three of mine, a fourth is Turpentine the Studio Cat for many years.

They were on view along with many others, in “A Portrait by Any Other Name...” at the Toronto Heliconian Club.

American Watercolor Society 157 Annual Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club New York

“I’ve Got My Eye On You” has done it again. He will be off to New York to the Salmagundi Club!

I’m honoured to have him accepted into this prestigious historic exhibition and sale.

Now he has gone on to win the Fredrick Wong Prize.

https://americanwatercolorsociety.org/2024-annual-award-winners

After New York he will be part of the traveling exhibit as it wanders around the USA

And, there is an article in Forbes Magazine about the 157th Exhibition.

It’s almost too exciting!

Women In Watercolor 2023

I’ve Got My Eye on You, Mr Sneerfulness, has now also received aa award from the Art of Watercolour Magazine in the 2023 edition of Women in Watercolor. With over 1800 submissions this is beyond a mere “That’s very nice”. The quality of the international competition is outstanding. In 2022 “Arctic Queen, Bee received an honorable mention.

For the full show of 2023 winners please go to

https://womeninwatercolor.com/2023-award-winners/

and scroll down to the five merchandise awards.

Pictures came before words. Depicting animals in art is nothing new, in fact it dates back over 17,000 years to the Lascaux caves. So what keeps me returning to animals as my subject? It’s the challenge of accurately depicting detail and texture of coats, feathers, skin and equipment in pricise glazed layers of pigments, without overworking a subject.

Muskoka Chautauqua 2023 Fundraiser

Every year Muskoka Chautauqua comes up with a uniquely creative fundraiser. This year’s a deck of cards of original Muskoka images. The originals will be displayed at the Gallery in the Woods, 1039 Golf Avenue, Windermere Village, ON P0B 1P0 Canada during the Summer Festival, August 4th-13th.

Come, See, Enjoy and take the opportunity to Purchase, one or more these very small original works.

left waterlilies watercolour, right "life drawing” a chipmunk on my knee graphite

Merriweather’s contribution, a watercolour and a graphite sketch of two iconic Muskoka subjects, water lilies and chipmunks.

I've Got My Eye On You & I've Got Your Back

Pictures came before words. Depicting animals in art is nothing new, in fact it dates back over 17,000 years to the Lascaux caves. So what keeps artists returning to this inspiring subject? Find out in the Federation Gallery’s Animalis! The pieces show our close relationships with those animals that are part of the family and reflect on the many ways we can care for wildlife and the environment.

“I’ve Got My Eye On You” His portrait was awarded 3rd Place. An honour to be sure for Mr Sneerfulness and his smirk.

I’ve Got My Eye On You 14” x 11” Watercolour

Last fall there were many critters wandering about at Breadalbane Lane Farm. The Muscovy Duck, Mr. Sneerfulness was quite clear, “I’ve Got My Eye On You” I did not need to speak Duck. 14” x 10” watercolour on 140lb Arches Hot Press.

The RAWF has lots of subjects. The original graphite sketch of "I've Got Your Back, RAWF Poultry Show" is several years old. I redid “I’ve Got Your Back” on a left over, but still black, scrap sheet, 9.75 x 7.5 inches in Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils.

See both at the Federation of Canadian Artists’ “Federation Gallery” Granville Island Vancouver, March 7, 2023-March 19, 2023 after that on line at the Federation Gallery

A Christmas Present.

Inspired by the Lawren Harris exhibition a few years ago at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I decided to experiment with both format and media. Primary Colours is the result.

14” x 11” on 300lb Arches Hot Press, it was created in Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils using only the primary colours.

Primary Colours has been in a couple of Exhibitions. This morning long time collector gave herself an early Christmas present. Primary Colours is now privately held in London Ontario.

Benno's Fancy or Lily of the Blue Eye

Lily, aka Benno’s Fancy, has a blue eye. Her owner loves this distinctive feature.

I first saw Benno’s Fancy, in the junior division in the mid teens at a CornerStone Farms Dressage at Palgrave Event. She was a lovely pony, with a distinct identity, a blue eye and a very determined junior rider. She did not return. Instead she went on to a number of different careers, including western dressage and barrel racing, and the undignified moniker Bubbles. Now at a mature 17 years, with the name Lily which better suits her personality and maturity, she is back at Dressage. This time with a very determined senior citizen A/O rider who is finally getting her first experiences in the Big Rings of Palgrave and Angelstone. Good for you Lily doing what you do best with an owner who waited a long time to realize her childhood goals of horse ownership for herself.

Lily is actually a very dark bay, seen in the very subtle area around her muzzle and a warm tone to her “black” coat. Lily was a fun challenge!

A Wonderful Person

Julie Tattersall and I first met at Ambercroft Farms in the 1960s. We connected through our mutual arts loves. Julie went on to a the professional horse career. Her career carried her all over. Julie was a legend in the Ontario horse show world. Always producing top quality competitors. Along her three daughters, Jane, Jennifer & Jacquie later Grandaughter Lola and many dogs, she part of the Canadian horse show world for over 50 years. We adventured together. I learned to drive a pick-up truck driving to the Kentucky Horse Park. Discovered you can hide a golf cart and forget it in the back of a trailer far from home. Had a wild Taxi ride to LaGuardia after see Leonard Cohen at Madison Square. Saw Canada Geese blacken the wet fields around Ottawa in spring breakup, and so on.

Julie passed in mid October 2021.

Congratulations Barb Millar 2019 RAM Rodeo Tour Barrel Racing Champion

Every summer the RAM-Case IH Rodeo Tour provides exciting rodeo sport competition throughout Ontario. For many years Barb Millar and Storm conquered the Barrels at the RAM-Case IH Championship Events held thoughout Ontario. Storm retired after the Royal Rodeo in 2019. The CanAm All Breed Equine Expo”s Saturday Evening Extravaganza includes a special fine art auction. My donation and Barb Millar’s purchase supports Equine Guelph’s important research. The portrait captures sliding speed coming around the barrel as our competitors focus Winning. See all the barrel racers in the main ring of the Coliseum Sunday afternoon at at the Royal Winter Fair Toronto Winter Fair Royal Rodeo.

Ladies Who Lunch, and Discover a Portrait.

Imagine yourself out for lunch with a friend. You look over their shoulder and find one of your own works looking back at you. This is just what happened in a restaurant very close to Queen’s Park.Lady Di of Carp was the 3 year old Clydesdale Mare Champion at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1989. Her owner Stan Carruthers of Ottawa decided to have her win recorded with an original portrait. The portrait, in pen & ink + pencil crayon was only half the task. Next a smaller 8” x 10” black & white Ink version was needed, for letterhead, business cards with a numbered edition of 25. This special image went to his associates in the Clydesdale world.