A Sense of Play is Opening on Sunday

I think this is our third show.

Just in case you don't remember...and why should you!

The Artists Way Collective was formed a few years ago

after having studied Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way together.

One feature of each show is always one communal piece.

This time we took three canvases

Nadine, one of the painters in the group, taped them together

We all descended on her lovely spacious studio

on the shores of St. Margaret's Bay.

Sherry had selected our palette.

I was supposed to be in charge of design

and they all know I hate being responsible for anything!

To get us started we took pieces of string and rope that happened to be lying around

and traced around them.

Then we picked up paintbrushes and went to town

with A Sense of Play of course!

Our first go at it was not that great design wise

so we came back for another day of play

and superimposed the leaf design all over the whole thing.

By the end of the second day I think we were all pleased.

It is not that easy bringing a show together with people

who are so different both in personality and artistic bent

and who use such different media.

As far as I am concerned I believe we have all learned

to listen....really listen to each other

and talk things through.

We always seem to be able to reach a compromise.

An impressive group.

Thanks Nadine, Grace, Sherry and Giselle.

A Special Gathering of Kindred Spirits

After a year of planning and organizing
Diane and I were able to welcome
A creative group of people
to ARCAC

for a week with Dorothy Cadwell
making Human Marks

What a great week we had.
Even the Carol Mahtab show
in the gallery downstairs
fit our workshop perfectly.

The weather was perfect
Diane created lunches for us to munch on outside

We made marks of every kind

some we hung in the garden to dry

then made them into books.

Dorothy was able to give each student a lot of individual attention

We were kept busy for five glorious days
and most evenings too.

Wish my battery hadn't run flat
I could have shown you photos of our last
evening with Dorothy
digging up earth at Red Head
and grinding it to a dust.
Then the perfect finish of Harold's fresh cooked
scallops and haddock.

With many thanks to
Diane who cooked and played house mother for the week
both at the art centre and my home;
Andi and Jocelyn who made us some lunches;
Handy Hubby who helped me host; 
and Rusty Pups who behaved quite well!

What a privilege it has been.
Now I am pooped!

The Tactile Notebook

Twelve of us gathered in ARCAC's beautiful new room

to a classroom filled to the brim with inspiration.

Inspiration on clotheslines

inspiration in piles on tables.

It had taken Sandra many hours to arrange the room

and all her materials.

She is a generous and caring teacher.

So many wise words

were dotted about the room

to inspire us in our personal journeys with words

Diane and Chris mixing paint for all of us.

Anything can make the word

 Linda, Karen, Diane, Celeste, Ilga, Sandra 

and Val with her back to us

sharing pages from her notebook.

Jamie showing

Val, Karen and Kathryn her handmade notebook.

I think we all have magical memories of our three days with Sandra.

As I said

Sandra is a warm and inspirational teacher.

Just two things Sandra reminded me of...

the importance of 

ritual in our creative lives

and

the equally important daily recording

of our very personal reaction to the words

and experiences of our daily lives. 

Wish it had been much longer.

Though we are complete novices at this

Diane and I hope to continue bringing inspirational

teachers to our region.

In fact the next one is 

Dorothy Caldwell in September.

Can't wait!