Maud Skoog, Janet Tysiak and Morris Young attended fundraiser for the Coboconk Chamber of Commerce and New Horizons Seniors group last night. It was a Paint Party & Pinot event in which 65 would-be painters were lead by local artist Adrienne Chalaturnyk.
The Fenelon Station Gallery was there in support of the arts.
The Fenelon Station Gallery had the opportunity to take part in this past weekend’s Midnight Madness in Fenelon Falls. The wonderful owners (and one of our generous sponsors) of Sweet Bottoms Coffee allowed our members to showcase their work in the front of the cafe. It was a hot night, but we hope that visitors enjoyed seeing our artwork and know that we are just a short distance away from the downtown of Fenelon (15 minute walk or 5 minute drive).
Here are some images of our display. Click on any image to enlarge it.
My dad always said I had a green thumb but at the time, I thought that was just his ploy to increase my enthusiasm in dispersing seeds in his very large vegetable garden. I loved spending time with my dad and helping him in a hobby that he was very passionate about but I can’t say I shared the same passion for vegetable gardening.
When my husband and I bought our first house on an undeveloped one acre lot in the country, I was faced with the task of landscaping. I had no knowledge or interest in plants and flowers. Luckily, two good friends of my mom’s were avid gardeners and took on the chore of introducing me to the gardening world. I was intimidated at first, worried that I wasn’t planting in the right spot or the right depth but realized in a short time that as with anything else, it is all trial and error and nothing is permanent. In no time, I amazed myself that I could recognize plants, rhyme off their names fluently and was able to create a pretty outdoor space that our empty lot really needed.
Each year I got more and more engrossed in the gardening hobby. It never seemed overwhelming or like hard work. In fact quite the opposite. I got lost in the creativity and visual reward and found it extremely therapeutic and relaxing. Often, my husband would bring my lunch out to me because he know I wouldn’t stop for it!
My passion for gardening is what sparked my interest in creating sculptures. I put our old family plough in one of the gardens with some hanging baskets and I loved the rustic blend with the flowers. It added some interested and created a conversation piece.
My first creation was the blue heron in honour of my mom who used to love to do “walkabouts” among my gardens. She was thrilled when she was able to catch sight of a blue heron nesting in the bullrushes.
When we moved from our first house, I was sad to leave my gardens behind but excited to start new ones on another clean slate. It has been quite a challenge dealing with the rocky soil in Bobcaygeon but I haven’t lost my passion. When I’m working at my studio and a sculpture just isn’t coming together, I abandon it for a little “garden therapy” and then I am ready to face the challenge again!
Visit Sandy’s work at the Station Gallery. She will be in the gallery next on the 5th & 11th of July.
The gallery looks beautiful with all of our new work. We are open again this weekend and look forward to seeing visitors. Here is a sneak peek of what we have in store when you visit. Click on any image to see the larger/up close version.
All of the talented artists that participate at the Station gallery have done their spring cleaning, and brought in their artwork and it is all displayed. We are ready to greet you this first long weekend of the season and show off. We look forward to you visiting this summer, and bring any guests that visit you as well, they will find unique gifts or mementos to take home with them.
We look forward to another successful year and hope that you will take the opportunity to visit us and enjoy our showcase of unique artwork. As always, one of our artists will be there to welcome you and assist you. If you need a special gift or would like to treat yourself to a handcrafted treasure, the Station Gallery is a great choice. While you are there, be sure to fill out a ballot for our yearly draw. In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, the winner will receive $150 to go towards their favourite piece of art.
You may be wondering…what exactly is stained glass?
Simply answered: Individually coloured and textured pieces of glass, arranged to form patterns or pictures. These pieces of glass are held together with lead. Think of it as a glass puzzle – each piece is individually cut to precisely fit a pattern. It requires artistic skill to design appropriate and workable designs needed in order to build pleasing and durable glass projects.
Once a pattern is established, it is time to choose the glass. This can be a lot of fun, or really overwhelming, or both!
These two glass panels are mirror images of each other…with a few small changes. What is very obvious is how different they can look, based on glass selection. Maybe you can start imagining your own colour combinations. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
Welcome to my world of stained glass.
My studio in Fenelon Falls is open year round by appointment. 705-928-4341
I’ll be in the Station Gallery on duty on July 20th. Come on in and have a chat. I’ll likely be keeping myself busy with my glass while I am there.
I recently finished an octagonal piece for a young couple and am awaiting eight narrow strips of pine to finish the back of the frame. So, in the meantime I’ve begun an abstract square panel.
I don’t pre-plan a design – it evolves according to the colors and textures I have chosen. This project incorporates not only coloured glass but also many glass globs to give the piece lots of sparkle.
I began by laying out flowing lines of the globs then cut pieces of carefully chosen coloured glass to balance colour and texture. I just lay these pieces onto the globs.
The next step (which is long and tedious) is to cut and grind the glass to fit around the globs.
Now I have to put copper foil around every glob and piece of glass having made sure each piece is clean and dry. (The solder does not stick to glass.) The copper foil comes in various widths as the glass comes in many thicknesses. The foil must be pressed firmly onto each glob and piece of glass. I use a fid for the glass (having worn through the handles of two pairs of my good Henckle scissors over the years!) The globs are wrapped in 5/32 inch tape and take forever to get the tape firmly on each. I use a piece of acetate laid on cardboard then rub the glob so that the top and underside is smooth. Sometimes I wonder why I use so many globs!
Once every thing is taped it is time to solder. A liquid flux is applied to the copper so that the solder will flow smoothly. After soldering both the front and back of the piece I will cut the zinc came which I use for the frame. After a thorough cleaning using detergent and steel wool and drying completely, the patina is applied to darken the solder. Once again – a thorough cleaning, but no steel wool as the patina is only on the surface of the solder. Thoroughly dried once again, the zinc came gets painted as, after all these years, I still can’t get the zinc patina to look good.
The end is near! A good waxing and the piece will be ready to hang.
(I am only at the soldering stage but eventually this piece will be in the Station Gallery.)
My next shift at the Station Gallery will be June 26th. Maybe I’ll see you there.
In the process of gathering cedar bark I cut down the entire tree. However I use different parts of the tree for different purposes, and nothing is wasted. After cutting down the cedar tree, I cut all the limbs off, leaving a short stub on the trunk so the bark will lift off more easily. The peeled trunk is put aside and is used for landscaping, bridge building and kindling wood. The cedar bark that I peel off, is processed into weavers, and is one of my favourite materials to use for basket weaving. Large branches and small diameter trunks form the legs for twig furniture. Smaller branches are put to one side and are also used in twig furniture. This year however, I found a new use for the small cedar branches that I haven’t thought of before! I love it when I get a new idea that I am pretty certain will work out successfully. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this idea before!!
In the past, I have often peeled vines and used them for basket frames. I have peeled basswood branches for wall weavings. I almost always include peeled willow and peeled dogwood in my baskets, but I have never peeled cedar branches with the intent of making a basket frame. Impulsively, I decided to peel a pair of small cedar branches, exposing the creamy coloured wood that I knew was underneath. Then I carefully bent and flexed the cedar branch over my knee so it would bend to form a fish basket shape without breaking. This worked well because the branches were so fresh, so I made several fish basket shapes and wired each pair together. I have set these frames aside in my studio to let them dry out. If I keep them out of the weather they should slowly age to a yellowish patina.
I will use the peeled cedar frames in my basket courses this summer, and I look forward to using them myself to add to my basket repertoire.
I will be in the gallery next, on June 10th. Perhaps I will see you there!
We would like to congratulate this year’s winner, Judy Atkinson of Fenelon Falls. Congratulations.
On Sunday, September 6th, Ron from Lindsay (at left) assisted artist Bill Dopson, by picking the winning ballot from our draw basket.
