Fenelon Station Gallery
  • Home
  • Gallery History
  • Artists
    • All Artists
    • Janice Addison
    • Marilyn Britt
    • Marilyn Clayton
    • Sandy Cogar
    • Lynn Cragg
    • Mary Firth
    • Linda Harris
    • Faye Jacobs
    • R. John Leggett
    • Janet McDougall
    • Sandi McNeil
    • Dagmar Pinney
    • Maud Skoog
    • Terry Sullivan
    • Janet Tysiak
    • Anne-Marie Van Brunt
    • Morris Young
  • Gallery Calendar
  • Application
  • News & Events
  • Location
    • Privacy Policy

Author Archive for Marys

One person’s illegal dumping…

By Marys
 on June 2, 2014
 with no comments

I am a basket maker working exclusively with locally grown natural materials. I now have to admit that I have become a serious scavenger and opportunist. These are not necessarily the most desirable characteristics one would think an artist should develop, but let me explain.

branchesIn the middle of May, early in the morning on my way to work, I was driving down my countryside road and noticed out of the corner of my eye, a large pile of brush illegally dumped on the side of the road. In fact, this brush looked a lot like willow. My opportunist brain kicked in and I made a mental note of the location of this brush with the intent to stop for a closer look on my way home later in the day.

All day long I worried that someone else would notice the willow and I thought there was a chance it might be gone. I hurried home at the end of the day and to my relief, the brush pile was still there. Apparently I worried needlessly as it seems that only I can get excited about a pile of brush. I got out of my car and took a closer look at what I thought was willow and to my absolute disbelief, this was indeed willow. In fact it turned out to be curly willow!. You need to know that curly willow is not just ordinary willow. Curly willow is very curly and twisty and interesting and this pile had all different sizes and I had to have them!!

About an hour later I unloaded a large pile of curly willow at my studio. My scavenger self was very pleased and excited about my great find.

Should I end here or continue……

weaving2After gloating and drooling over the willow that was now mine, I started to sort the branches according to diameter and length. I trimmed and discarded any broken branches as I went. Once trimmed up, I started to play with the branches to allow the personality of the sticks inspire me. I made three small wall weavings and then spent the next several days arranging and rearranging the larger willow sticks. I now have a stack of curly willow framework for many wall weavings drying in my studio. Each framework has been wired into a shape that will eventually dry, shrink and harden before I can weave on it. I predict it will be late summer to early fall before the drying is complete. At that time I will revisit the willow and the inspiration process will begin again, allowing me to turn someone’s illegally dumped brush into art.

Sandi McNeil

weaving1

In categories Artists Tagged with baskets, curly, fenelon, sandi mcneil, weaving, willow with no comments

Art from the Heart

By Marys
 on May 19, 2014
 with no comments

Dog by Janet SecordAs always, life events affect my painting – and with the long winter this year, I have struggled to be motivated. I have painted and sold a record amount of pet portraits for the Christmas season, and many more requests for our popular Cardinals and Blue Jays on slate – I opted to complete one lately with both birds together. Sort of a short cut.

I am a little different with my paintings, I think. I like to incorporate metallic with my colours for special effect, and always like to add an unusual element to each of my works. Since framing can be costly, sometimes I add a painted frame or wooden corners to my finished work; it just lends a little bit of novelty.

cardinalFamily and friends are always sending me ideas – and many times I incorporate two or more subjects into one piece of work.

I hope to take some scenic pictures around Fenelon Falls for my next projects – I love landscape and water scenes – and my little town has lots of those.

Looking forward to the Fenelon Station Gallery display this year – it is heart warming to see such beauty all in one historic building. See you there!

Janet Secord

In categories Artists Tagged with animals, fenelon, gallery, janet, painting, portraits, secord, station with no comments

Finding the Spirit in the Wood

By Marys
 on May 16, 2014
 with no comments

Bill van Koot carvingWith the exception of my ornaments, all of the carvings are done on old cedar rails or fallen wood that I have found while walking in the woods behind our home or on wood scouting expeditions at the property of friends. It may have cracks or knots in it – sometimes only uncovered once I begin to carve – and this is one of the things that help to make each individual piece of wood so interesting.

The size and shape of the wood will often dictate whether it will become a Wood Spirit, a Fairy House, or a face of another kind. I enjoy seeing the character that begins to emerge while I carve and it is this character that seems to draw people to a particular piece. There may be some similarities, but every one is unique and one of a kind. They look terrific both inside or out; in the garden or on a wall or table.

I have also had people bring me interesting pieces of wood that they already have, with requests to turn it in to a Fairy House or Wood Spirit.

I’ll be at the Fenelon Gallery this summer, check out the calendar to see when I’m on duty.  You can also experience some of my work by visiting my web site at www.caygeonwoodspirits.com

In categories Artists Tagged with bill van koot, carving, fairies, fenelon, gallery, ornaments, station, wood with no comments

Turning Wooden Flowers

By Marys
 on April 21, 2014
 with no comments

If you have been following previous articles (blogs) that I have written, you know that my wife Barb has the spousal right to abscond just about anything that I create. Last year she managed to claim an oak bowl and I was faced with the challenges of making fruit. Barb continues to make claim on what fancies her but this article mainly addresses the ongoing support and encouragement I continually receive from her. If you have noticed, I really enjoy turning vases and as you know, wood and water really are not that compatible. So, my initial vases were mainly ornamental or would contain a dried flower arrangement. Since Barb is an avid gardener she wanted wooden vases that would hold freshly cut flowers from her garden. With some trial and error I have managed to make some of my vases to hold inserts, enabling fresh flowers to be put safely into a wooden vase.

Several years ago, Betty Wilkinson (a good friend of Barb’s family since about the 30’s) and one of the founding members of the Fenelon Station Gallery started growing straw flowers for my vases. She taught me how to wire the flowers together and make a nice bouquet for my vases. (Indecently, Betty was the main reason I am at the Fenelon Gallery today). Anyway, since Barb is the avid gardener she attempted to grow straw flowers but with limited success. We tend to lack the required sunshine, so living in a forest has it’s draw backs.

Turned flowers in a cedar vase

Turned flowers in a cedar vase

With some research and a lot of experimentation I have developed a technique of turning discarded branches into flowers. I use aniline dyes to give the flowers color and use the skills that Betty taught me to put a wire stem on each flower. I was so excited that at the very next Kawartha Wood Turning Guild meeting I turned a small vase and a bouquet of dyed flowers for the Show and Tell table. When Art (the president of the club) held up my piece, he asked who had turned the vase. I indicated it was not the vase I was showing but the turned flowers in it. Out of a group of 75 wood turners not one realized that the flowers were turned from wood. Not only the Guild, but also my customers think that the flowers are indeed straw flowers. Now I keep a sample of a flower still attached to the branch from which it was turned to show how it was done.

Well since that time, I continue to experiment with different species of wood. Maple is my main source but I am starting to use sumac and not using any dyes. The variations between the sap wood and heart wood give an appealing contrast.

To date, I have given seminars in Peterborough, Barrie and Toronto along with private sessions to individuals and (can you believe this?)  I even get paid for doing something I love doing.

In categories Artists Tagged with flowers, Morris, straw, turning, wood, Young with no comments

And the winner is…

By Marys
 on September 25, 2013
 with no comments

Our annual draw took place on Labour Day weekend: Mary Schroder from Milton, Ontario pulled the winning ballot.

The 2013 winner of our $100.00 gift certificate was Lorraine Smith of Fenelon Falls. She picked out a beautiful platter made by potter, Janet McDougall.

Congratulations Lorraine.

Lorraine Smith won the $100 draw
Mary Schroder drew this year’s winning ticket

In categories Events, gallery with no comments

Potting In Tuscany

By Marys
 on September 5, 2013
 with no comments

Last April I had the most wonderful experience…… two weeks in the hills of Tuscany, Italy making pots and eating heavenly Italian food and enjoying a glass or two of great Italian wine. When Carol-Ann Michaelson (Clay Concepts Studio) thought about putting this trip together and asked her students at the time if anyone was interested I jumped at the opportunity and very happy that I did.

La Meridiana is an international school of ceramics. Check out their website. Carol-Ann put together her course ideas and La Meridiana sent it out on their site. A group of us – most of us only knew Carol-Ann – met at the airport to head off on our adventure. We met up with others who had signed up for the course in Florence to be transported by van to La Meridiana, about an hour south of Florence. How wonderful to meet potters from Brazil, Australia, Sweden, and the United States.

Our view on walk to studio
Back entrance to La Meridiana
Carol-Ann demonstrating
Our Studio

We were housed in nearby villas tucked in the hills surrounded by vineyards. Spring growth on the vines was just beginning so my 10 minute walk to the studio was a delight each morning and evening. The course Carol-Ann had developed was a perfect combination of studio work – trying out new techniques that were demonstrated – and site seeing outings to nearby villages.

The staff at La Meridiana were wonderful. The in-house chef provided exquisite four course lunches daily on site. We were on our own for dinner but with a such a great lunch we just got together with others at the villa and sat outside on the patio overlooking the Tuscan hills and the setting sun eating cheese, bread, olives…….. with a little wine of course, delighting in the good company of each other and the joy of being in Tuscany.

This September, many of the group are getting together again, even the Brazilian connection is coming to Canada for the reunion.

Janet McDougall

In categories Artists with no comments

Art is a Memory

By Marys
 on August 26, 2013
 with no comments

Sandy CogarThe summer after my brother passed away, our family hiked twenty four kilometers up a mountain in Alberta’s Yoho national park. His ashes were scattered in the presence of beautiful mountains, pristine lakes and a loving family. As we neared the end of our hike, I felt a need to bring a part of it home with me. My brother was a geologist and as we both shared a love for rocks, there was no doubt when I spotted a beautiful rock on the walk down that this would be what I was bringing back to Ontario! Shortly after, it was transformed into a life sized duck for my gardens.

This sculpture has travelled with me to our new Bobcaygeon home and never ceases to keep a little bit of my past in the present. To me, art is a memory – a reminder of the many hours creating it and the many more hours enjoying it.

Sandy Cogar
Garden Art By Sandy

For those like myself, who have a rock that holds a special memory, I would be happy to create a custom piece to showcase it.

In categories Artists with no comments

Maud Skoog’s inspiration

By Marys
 on August 16, 2013
 with no comments

Thanks to Fenelon Falls counsellor Carl Quaranto we started the Fenelon Station Gallery 8 years ago and are still running a variety of local art in this historical building.

We take turns to do “gallery sitting” and that is a wonderful time to meet locals and visitors to our beautiful area.

If time permits, most of us also use that day to create our specific art form, so if you drop in you could see original paintings being done or wood carvings created etc etc.

Since the start of our local art gallery, we have had approx. 60 different artists participating and selling their unique arts.

I paint mainly in oils and enjoy to paint flowers and landscapes in the thick layers .

After my trip to Iceland early this summer, I got lots of inspiration for paintings and have painted icebergs in acrylic in all sizes and shapes. Would love to go back to Iceland and re – experience its magical nature and warm lagoons again.!

[nggallery id=30]

Another venue for art lovers will happen during Labour Day Weekend when the 24th annual Kawartha Arts Festival will take place at Fenelon Fairgrounds.

Many of the artists from Station gallery will also show at that Festival. Some not.. so if you visit both places during Labour Day weekend you will be sure to get your art cravings looked after!

Hope to see you there!

In categories Artists with no comments

Mary Firth’s Big Move

By Marys
 on August 12, 2013
 with no comments

I’ve never written a blog before, so bear with me.

I’ve not done a great deal of work with glass recently as the house on 4 Mile Lake was sold in early July. That meant I had to get cracking on a commissioned piece, 4’ high panel that had to go to the US. Then I had to pack up my glass shop, and find a place to live that could accommodate me and my glass. So I’m now in an apartment (with a great sun porch) in a log home on 100 beautiful acres just south of Port Perry.

Once I get settled, I’ll be back at the glass with the Christmas season in the offing; I’ll probably be producing angels, which can be ordered in almost any colour. I’m still able to take smaller commissioned pieces but I am limited by my lack of a real shop – how about the dining room table as my work top?! No matter, I’ll still be cranking out the glass as long as I am able.

I can be reached at 1-289-354-1671

[nggallery id=29]

 

In categories Artists Tagged with art, glass, Mary Firth, stained with no comments

Model Railroader Magazine

By Marys
 on June 26, 2013
 with no comments

We are mentioned this month in the July 2013 edition of Model railroader magazine.  A fellow called Lorne Munro visited Fenelon Falls and took a picture of our station/gallery, and has made up plans based on his images.

He says

This building stands on a now abandoned 55-mile-long rural branch line that once connected the town of Lindsay to Haliburton.

The track may be abandoned, but we don’t feel that way!  You can check out his drawings and the short mention of us at Model Railroader Magazine.  You may even find a copy of the magazine somewhere!

In categories Canadian National Railway, gallery with no comments
Next Page →

Follow Us:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Recent Posts

  • Making a glass bird with Mary Firth
  • Painting the Fenelon Falls Museum – Terry Sullivan
  • Making Frames – Terry Sullivan
  • Ingorance is bliss – Sandy Cogar
  • Marilyn Clayton and 8th MOC Designs

Categories

Fenelon Station Gallery
Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved

Designed by m. sullivan