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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Old Florida

Just this March I visited my brother's family in Sarasota, Florida and spent a few days at Longboat Keys where the Gulf Stream waters gently ebb onto clean white sands. Dennis has a lovely condo that steps directly onto the gulf sands and the ocean. Visiting for the first time, I took that as a regular convenience most condos offered until I began to speak to an elderly couple that vacationed in the next unit.  They explained that this condo was quite unique, that it reflected 'the Old Florida' where probably back in the early twentieth century before so much luxurious highrise development, most vacationers could easily find shoreline getaways at an affordable cost. This exquisite condo is called The Diplomat Beach Resort directly on the Gulf of Mexico.

Contact Dennis Girard if you'd like to plan your next escape: 1 941 809 0041.

Here I'm presenting to you the first in a series of beach scenes from what I titled as Old Florida. As you enjoy the crocuses and daffodils of early spring of Canada, feast your eyes on these royal terns and sandpipers that made this gulf shoreline their home.
While you're lingering on my blog, have a look at the Celebration of Spring series I painted in 2011. And Happy Spring!















Credits for Old Florida series:

Longboat Keys 1-9, Old Florida                   encaustic on board; 16" x 20"           $400.+HST unframed



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Faded Poets, Forests and the Frontenac

Recently in my winter reading, a friend passed along to me a biography of Gwendolyn MacEwen: The Shadow Maker and I became struck by the intensity of this young Canadian poet whose contemporaries were Margaret Atwood and Sylvia Tyson to name a few. John Reeves also a contemporary Toronto photographer had photographed her as a young woman of thirty-two with her haunting Egyptian like kohl eyes and tiny pursed lips in a frankly intelligent gaze.


This encaustic piece is a mixed media photo transfer taken from the John Reeves photograph of Gwendolyn in Toronto.  She is surrounded by symbols connected to events in her life, her lovers and her poetry. She died tragically at 48 years old from chronic alcoholism.


Sure to follow will be another portrait this time inspired by The Life of Margaret Laurence. I found it very intrigueing to explore the artist through portraiture.


Just last week I sent off to the Frontenac Arch Biosphere: Call to Artists, a four part encaustic work inspired by Frontenac Park in the heart of this unique region. This is the 10th anniversary of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and a juried show will take place June 8-21 at the Marianne Van Silfhout Gallery of St. Lawrence College, Brockville. The Opening reception on June 8 will launch numerous 2012 anniversary festivities. Hope you can attend.


The third work you see here is a personal narrative about an exciting canoe trip my husband Bob and I took down the Rideau Canal to Kingston in 2005. We brought our camping gear and enjoyed staying overnight at campsites at the locks. It was a humble but challenging way to see the Canal on the 200th anniversay of its construction by Colonel By. I make reference through photo transfer of Kayaking for Cancer; celebrating my birthday at Opinegon; and of course, the trusty cargo canoe.


Tribute to Gwendolyn MacEwen                12" x 16"                    encaustic, mixed media        $400. & HST


Historical Journey through the Frontenac        24" x 36"        encaustic, mixed media         $800. &HST


Frontenac I, II, IV, IV                                  24" x 48"                   encaustic                             $1800. &HST