Handmade Scarves and Berets

These one of a kind wool scarves and berets are wet felted. They are mainly Merino Wool with accents of silk and mohair. Other wool fibres are thrown in on occasion. Some are beaded and some have tassels. Each side is slightly different. They are hand washable. Flower broaches are coming...

Fall Shows

My booth at the Brighton Lion's show and sale in October.
I only displayed a few of my paintings deciding to feature my newly felted berets and scarves.




Setting up at the Arts Quinte West show Arts Extravaganza November 12.



New mixed media water study of St. Augustine Beach. 18"x 48".
I painted three paintings from the pictures I took last March while on holidays with my family in St. Augustine. It is a fabulous beach that I hope to return to some year.

BAC art at Tobey Developments in Brighton

The Basswood is Tobey Developments featured home in the Quinte Parade of Homes this weekend, October 1 and 2. Located at 25 Forest Drive in Brighton, this award winning home
is an opportunity to showcase the talents of Brighton Arts Council members, Bill Murtha, Darryl Stutt, Vernon Cavanaugh, Henry Mitchell and Lisa Farrell.

Friend's Raffle

My first felted beret and flower.


6x6 Oil on Canvas
Huff's Creme Brule
Inspired by 'A Painting A Day' blog I subscribe to, I thought I'd attempt a small painting in a day. It took two weeks on and off but I am happy with the painting and it is reminder of the great lunch date I had with my book club at Huff's Winery on the patio this summer.

My Presqu'ile lighthouse painting is nearing completion. This painting is a donation to Friend's of Presqu'ile for a raffle/ fundraiser. The draw will take place at 'Christmas at Presqu'ile' in November. I added the cupola and light back on but it was removed in 1965.

Brighton Drummer

Here is the latest addition to the Brighton Legion Highland series of paintings that I will be displaying this Saturday at the Trenton Scottish Irish Festival. I love the sound of the bagpipes!

11x14 Oil on Canvas.

New Paintings

11"x14" Oil on canvas. Brighton Legion Highlander
Husband is back to work, paintings are getting finished up. This piece is for an Arts Quinte West display and sale at the Trenton Scottish-Irish Festival September 10. Two more pieces are in the works, more pippers and a drummer.


12"x24" Oil on Canvas. Presqu'ile Marsh
I painted this piece in the shelter of the observation tower at the Presqu'ile Provincial Park Boardwalk. It is an incredibly peaceful spot and a beautiful walk through the marsh and cedar and cottonwood forest.

J helping me with my last blog post. He thought we should be doing some farming, not sitting at the computer.

20"x30" Oil on Canvas
Presqu'ile light painting is off to a good start. Coincidentally, Nana and Poppa are visiting and I finally have something to show. The finished piece will be framed.

Getting some work done!

Two days of not boating = two blog posts in two days and two finished paintings.

July has been a busy month with husband off work, boating, company and a few mini holidays. Did I mention boating? It's not bothering me that the past two days have been too windy to boat. Husband has the boat clean and shiny. Little guy has been busy overseeing the job. I'm getting some paintings that I started painting at Presqu'ile completed. Plus, the neglected bog is being attended to.

Wednesdays in July I could be found at Presqu'ile Provincial Park. What a day to look forward too. Sit in the shade and paint at one of my favourite places to hang out in. Visit with the happy campers and holiday makers. I'm sure they weren't all happy but everyone that stopped at the Artist in the Park sign to visit was. Thanks for stopping and to Jenny, Francis, Emmy and Sara who painted with me. I have four more Wednesdays as Artist in the Park. One of those days should generate a painting that I will be donating to Friend's of Presqu'ile for them to raffle as a fundraiser this fall. Watch for a preview in a post soon.

Hope to see you at Presqu'ile

Marsh Swan 6 x 12" Oil on Canvas

Lake Ontario Rocks 16 x 20" Mixed media on canvas

New mixed media in the works.

More felted scarves from Vanessa's photo shoot.

Felted Scarves

Thanks to my friend, Vanessa Walters for taking pictures of the scarves I made this spring. It was much easier then me carrying my bag of scarves around and making friends pose when they had on the appropriate colour of clothing. Here is a behind the scenes picture of the action at our photo shoot, I was busy running from very wet little kids between outfit changes.

New Paintings

Nana and Poppa have come to visit. Crazy J is happy, he is on a farm tour with Nana and Poppa. Mommy is happy, I'm getting paintings finished. Husband is happy. He is into his last month of school and can soon move home and drool over his boat. Maybe he can boat too. That really has nothing to do with the visitors. The dog is happy. She isn't being harassed by a bored preschooler.

My newest paintings were inspired by photos I took at St Augustine beach in March.

Mixed media on canvas 12 x 24

Mixed media on canvas 24 x 36

More painting pictures will follow soon. Including two commissions. It must be a huge farm tour the boy is on.

Felting takes over the painting room

The newly felted scarf/belt made from wool I found at a "Gathering" for spinners and felters in Port Hope last month.

Ah felting my new love. It's taken over my painting table. And the preschooler can help. He is quite good at soaking the wool. Unfortunately, he gets distracted and starts spraying the dog and then whatever else is in front of him. I don't mind if it isn't my freshly grated and slimed olive oil soap that I've just mixed up to adjust the ph of the fibers to felt.

After my next event organized by myself for Arts Quinte West June 4th called Arts UpFront, it is back to the painting table to get some paintings finished up for display and sale at Presqu'ile Provincial Park this summer.

Erika in the autumn blue/teal scarf. Vanessa in the blue/purple scarf.

Zumba

Zumba, Zumba, Zumba. The last month has been all about Zumba, the Latin dance inspired fitness craze. I decided to teach Zumba in January and took the Zumba instructor course in March. Now I am teaching twice a week. Fun! Now into my second week of teaching, I am back sneaking in a few hours here and there painting. One commission, one special request and numerous half finished paintings on the go. Unfortunately, they are all in the ugly stage and not yet suitable for posting. Quickly upcoming is my first show of the year, a fundraiser for the Trenton Children's Centre on April 9 at The Wing, 230 North Murray Street, Trenton. Exciting news for the Arts Quinte West group I belong to. AQW has launched it's web site artquintewest.ca.

Event Planning

My January goal of event planning for 2011 has finally fallen into place. Primarily due to my participation on the Arts Quinte West Steering Committee, soon to be Board of Directors at the next AGM. The events are in place. First up the Quinte West Home in April and then the UpFront Art Show in June. Both here in Trenton.

If only Grandma and Grandad could have stayed longer but Saskatchatoon calls. Sorry, I can't resist quoting from Adam Sandler's Grown Ups lately. I do have one new painting finished and the rest not as far along as I hoped but a couple weeks of painting in the evenings will fix that.