A Saturday Date

Beating the heat! Yesterday -- Saturday -- I took myself on an "artist's date" to the Art Walk in the Garden in Camrose -- organized by the Camrose Arts Society. I've been attending this event for years, including when it was inside assorted locations, when my friend Mary Wilton and I showed our collaborative exhibit, "Shamrock and Thistle", back in the summer of 2018.

Nowadays Mary's art is focused on wet-felted, quilted pieces -- largely landscapes and florals -- and they continue to be *amazing*. I'm blessed to own a couple, one of which was a gift from her. Her hubby Terry, aka T Wilton Dale, is an author *and* an improv pianist, and while his 'regular' gig is Saturday afternoons at 1908 Cafe in Camrose, for the Art Walk, he sits near Mary and entertains the artists and the viewers.

I went early today to escape the heat and smoke (yes; we have an air quality warning -- we didn't send *everything* down south... 😉) and visited 3 gardens. The first two were "side by each", and I found paintings, and hand-crafted mugs, and...art to wear. I fell hard for a hot pink hoodie. I don't generally wear hoodies, but my trusty sweatshirts are decades old and wearing out fast. This is a quality sweatshirt with a kangaroo pocket in front -- and a *glorious* original art print on the back. (Note: it also has "Chevrolet" trapuntoed on the front. Why? No idea -- but as our family cars when I was growing up were all Chevrolets, I'll take it as homage to my late departed parents!)

Simple Front...

Artful Back!

The piece de resistance, though, which really made my day, was a small piece crafted by Steve R. Mitts. He and his wife open their garden to the Art Walkers, and Mary and Terry grace the space with their art and music -- but Steve takes centre stage with his unique paintings on 100+ year-old wood scraps. I've longed for one this year, and today I put a tiny dent in my children's inheritence with this small piece: "View from the Cliffs".

View from the Cliffs
(C) Steve R. Mitts, Camrose, Alberta 2026

It reminds me of Scotland, home of my paternal ancestors, and of the village of Kilsyth not far from Glasgow, from whence they emmigrated to southwest Quebec, and where a piece of my heart will always be. A Rennie I was born, and a Rennie I will always be. And yes, there are still distant cousins there in Kilsyth -- they operate Rennies Bakery...should you ever happen by. They don't know me from Adam...but they and that place hold precious memories for me.

And I'm thankful to Steve for the memories, however unintended, that his work evoked in me.

NOTE: Gentle Readers who follow me on Facebook may have already seen this post; however, I wanted to share it here too, for those who continue to read my weblog -- definitely a bit "old school" these days. 😉 I appreciate all of you! 🩷

Thankful

For living in this land

Field on the edge of Mirror, AB

For being able to travel to this land

From the train - Glasgow to Edinburgh

For creatures great and small

Hebredian (L) and Cheviot (R) sheep

Don't forget the donkeys!

For friends, far and near

Artist Gillian Cooper & I
Hill House, Helensburgh, Scotland

Travelling buddy, Mary, and I
visiting Hill House

For new experiences

Tartan weaving - Locharron Mills, Scotland

For family history

Where my G-G-G-Grandfather's farm once stood
Kilsyth, Scotland

And family now

My kids!

My son and his Uncle L share a laugh.

Me and my sis!

And for all of you, Gentle Readers...

Happy Thanksgiving from Canada.

I wish you a blessed day, and as I link this up to Nina Marie's "Off the Wall Friday", I'll leave you with this poem from British poet, Malcolm Guite, who wrote it in 2010 following a visit to Canada...

Thanksgiving*

Thanksgiving starts with thanks for mere survival,

Just to have made it through another year

With everyone still breathing. But we share

So much beyond the outer roads we travel;

Our interweavings on a deeper level,

The modes of life embodied souls can share,

The unguessed blessings of our being here,

The warp and weft that no one can unravel.

So I give thanks for our deep coinherence

Inwoven in the web of God’s own grace,

Pulling us through the grave and gate of death.

I thank him for the truth behind appearance,

I thank him for his light in every face,

I thank him for you all, with every breath.

*To listen to Mr. Guite read this aloud, click HERE.  Note that, as do many Brits, he refers to us  "American"...meaning North American.  

Contemplating 65

2016 was a tumultuous year.

I know; I know -- I write that knowing how trite that sounds on this second-last day of the year.  There were many high and low points for the globe, on which I won't elaborate; that's already been done by pundits, analysts, and most folks on Facebook.

The year held many blessings for me personally, and for my family.

In April, I sold my first large piece at the Lacombe Art Show and Sale

Edging Toward Spring (C) 2015

In May I travelled to Stratford, Ontario to see my first successful entry

into a major SAQA exhibit, My Corner of the World: Canada

and My Corner of the World: International

It's Still About the Sky (C) 2016

In July my son Marty married his lovely Chereena

The Alberta Blanks, July 23, 2016

In October, I had several of my 'minis' and many of my larger works

accepted into the beautiful space at Bonavista Fine Art in Sylvan Lake -- and several have been sold.

That same month, my first solo three-part installation opened

at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.  Up for a month, with a companion book, to date Mark on the Body has raised $456 for Canadian-based research and education about the nature, cause, treatment, cure and prevention of Type 1 Diabetes.

In September, I crossed into my 65th year.

How will I mark 2017?

I've been pondering a different approach to my work, involving more abstraction, "improv" and sampling of "Modern" quilting...both as artwork and utilitarian pieces.  This will influence my minis and my 15 x 15 Group contributions.

I have a hand-stitch project underway, with the working title, "I Shall Wear Purple".

I want to do some serious practicing with my spinning wheel, my embellisher and my "new" treadle sewing machine.

I'm celebrating my 65th Birthday with two trips: first as part of a panel for SAQA Western Canada's first-ever Regional Retreat in Kelowna, B.C., in early May; and second, on a quilting tour to Scotland with friend and SAQA colleague, Mary Wilton, in September.  We are taking sketchbooks and supplies to record what entrances us...with plans for new work inspired by the trip.

Of course, there will always be knitting, making for others, a bit of making pour moi, and the ongoing blessing of relationships inside and outside this blog.

Linking this to Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday, and wishing you all a

Happy New Year, Gentle Readers!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my jo,

for auld lang syne,

we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

- Robert Burns, poet