Little treasures and Mermaids

Remember when boxes of tea would contain little treasures buried inside among the tea bags? I have fond memories of my Grandmother saving all the little porcelain figurines that were give-aways and later, the wee little cards that depicted wildlife, and wee vignettes. You could even send away for albums that were made especially for these little cards.   I loved all those little treasures and today, whenever I stumble upon these things in junk and collectibles shops, I can't resist! I had no idea what I would do with them, but when I wanted to do small mermaid paintings that included tiny bits of sea glass, I knew that the little cards I had in my collection would work perfectly. So...stay tuned for the finished painting. It will be one in a series that will be on display and for sale at this year's Mermaid Tears Sea Glass Festival in Prince Edward Island.

Take it in. Sing it Out!

SO...here is what happened to the Ladies 3. They have become 
"Take it in. Sing it Out!" 

You can see this work at an Event happening in Sydney this week put on by the

Cape Breton Stage Company Co-operative

called    

 NOTES FOR HAITI.

All Proceeds will go to the Haiti Relief Efforts of Doctors Without Borders

Cape Breton Artists in the dance, theatre, music and visual arts communities will come together for an evening of entertainment. Admission is Pay-What-You-Can and takes place Friday Feb 5th and Saturday February 6th at the Civic Centre Round Room. It's sure to be a great time and it is for a great cause...hope to see you there!

Or would you rather be a fish?

Would you like to swing on a star?

Carry moonbeams home in a jar

And be better off than you are

Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook

He can't write his name or read a book.

To fool all the people is his only thought

And though he's slippery he still gets caught

But then if that sort of life is what you wish

You may grow up to be a fish...

Inspiration for this piece, 'Baby Boy-Would you like to swing on a star?' (SOLD) came from an old photograph I found of a little baby in a very archaic looking 'jolly jumper'. The photo made me laugh out loud. The song Swing on a Star immediately came to mind! So, I put him in outer space, and painted his little knit hat to look a bit like a helmet. I cut a thin sheet of mica and put it over the jar of moonbeam Baby Boy is carrying to give the contents a bit of shine and to give the illusion of glass. The stars and blue 'bubble'-like embellishments were sparkly bits from a container of found odds and ends I have.

I do have more 'situations' planned for this Baby in the future. So, you can expect to see him again.

Myth in the Mist

I came upon this picture/postcard in a collectables shop. Apparently, she was a silent film star of note, the back of the card was autographed. I decided she would be front and centre in a new painting for an upcoming group exhibit that will run in conjunction with the Celtic Colours International Festival. Myth in the Mist is an exhibit to celebrate the Otherworld of Faeries, at the Cape Breton Centre of Craft and Design.



Not long after I found this beauty, I picked up a 1950's comic of Shakespear's A Mid Summer Night's Dream. I decided then that this lovely lady would be Titania, the Faery Queen of Shakespeare's play and I would submit her for exhibit in
Myth in the Mist.




After working on Titania over several weeks, this was the final result. She is lulled to sleep by her ever present subjects, the faeries that reside in the woodlands and as she drifts off images of a hummingbird searching for nectar, fishes swimming in the silence of the deep water and the glow of the moonlight that attracts the Luna Moth from the darkness fill her mind.
She is on cradled board, (size: 11" X 14"), is done in acrylics and is titled:
Titania's Dream-"Sing me now to sleep" (SOLD)

Myth in the Mist opens Thursday, October 8th at 7PM at 322 Charlotte St. Sydney, Nova Scotia.
All are welcome!