Haliburton School of the Arts Fall Courses

I’m happy to announce that I am teaching two workshops at Fleming this fall.  A one day and a two-day workshop.  You can sign up through the links included.

Encaustic Workshop October 19, 2024
Venue: Haliburton School of the Arts
Times: Saturday October 19 (9:00am – 5:00pm)
Cost: $140.65

Description:

Painting – Encaustic & Photo Transfer Workshop
Course Code: ARTS1780

Explore techniques that will enable you to combine photographic images with encaustic painting. Gain proficiency with photo transferring, collaging photo images, and the basic techniques of encaustic painting. The creative options are virtually endless. Experience with encaustic or painting in general is not necessary to enjoy this workshop.
A $40 material fee payable to the instructor will be needed on your first day of class

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Encaustic Workshop October 21-25, 2024
Venue: Haliburton School of the Arts
Times: Saturday October 21-25 (9:00am – 5:00pm)
Cost: $451.41

Description:

Painting – Encaustic Mixed Media & Collage
Course Code: ARTS1488

Encaustic, an ancient beeswax-based technique, is currently embraced by contemporary mixed media artists. Learn how to integrate encaustic techniques into your mixed media work from textile to found sculpture, from ceramic to paper, or beyond.
A $130 material fee payable to the instructor will be needed on your first day of class

An Art Adventure

The summer of 2024 is in full swing, my tomato plants are showing promises of ripening tomatoes and the beans are growing plentifully. There has been so much rain this year that everything is lush and green although I’m not sure if this is perfect for some farm crops.

Haliburton Workshops

July started with a week’s class and one day workshop in Haliburton. Both went very well, the creative output during the week course was astounding and the energy on Saturday went through the roof!

There will be a repeat of a week class (October 21 – 25) and Saturday (October 22) workshop this October: I hope to add a segment introducing Cyanotype prints to Encaustic during the week.

This year I expanded more exploration with Polyfilla as a base and using plaster cloth as a sculptural element.  I have been so busy exploring new directions with teaching Encaustic and new art venue ideas there hasn’t been much time for my own studio time. That will come in August I think.

An Exciting New Art Adventure

This September I am introducing (insert trumpet flourish and cheers!) an exciting new art adventure. A short segue: I love travelling especially to foreign countries but also to quaint historical regions. When I travel I always take a sketch book and tools such as water soluble pencils even a water colour kit to record scenes more memorably than with my cell phone. Thus creating a visual travel journal with sketches, collected bits and bobs, a little poetic writing perhaps. A lasting memory of a delightful trip.

For September 23 – 25 I and my travel agent friend Carol Culp have organized and artistic escape to Prince Edward County, staying at the charming Angeline’s Inn in the bucolic historic town of Bloomfield. Weather permitting there will be opportunity for some plein air sketching, exploring the quaint architecture and whimsical stores and galleries in Bloomfield. I will be leading you in capturing the essence of a travel experience using sketching, found objects, words – whatever sparks your creativity.

Each day will end with a wine and cheese gathering to socialize and reflect on the day’s experience. To conclude the adventure we will enjoy an exclusive chauffeured winery tour. Please refer to the flyer included in this newsletter for details. I hope to see you there – the space is limited to 14 people so don’t delay!

Winter never really arrived this year and now I’m enjoying a glorious late March Wednesday with a 14C temperature, sunshine and lots of birdsong.  The wild bees are already buzzing around outside. I did manage one short cross country ski however and really no horrible weather to speak of.

A short newsletter, I’ll have a longer one for April but I would like to alert all you encaustic painters on my website who have enjoyed past classes in Haliburton. I have a new week coming up this May 13 – 17 and there are still openings. The advantage here might be better choices of accommodation and early spring weather. I’d love to christen this first Spring workshop with familiar faces mixed in with new ones. A great way to inspire your summer creativity perhaps! Hope to see some of you in May.

My course is listed on page 12.  Click here to see the courses.

2024 has arrived with weather here more like November at the outset but Mother Nature is now pulling out her winter tricks and giving us what we’re used to in the Kawarthas. I am itching to get out for a good X Country ski and snowshoe but there’s rain on top of the snow dump from last night so still waiting.

It’s so healthy and invigorating to get out and get active in the fresh winter air, also inspiring with the beauty of the winter landscapes. I love the way snow outlines the contours of buildings and transforms trees into majestic sculptures.

2023 was a year full of exciting events and surprises. The one sadness was saying farewell to Satchmo my erstwhile companion for 14 years, many memories remain to honour him.

Graham Gusterson entered my life in October 2022 and we have a sincere loving relationship through last year and are happily welcoming this new year together in his home. I am so blessed to have a wonderful true love partner I never thought would have been in my life again but here he is!

In my art world, there were numerous exciting adventures. I exhibited three paintings with ArtaVita at the 2023 New York Artexpo in April. Graham and I flew to New York for the grand opening – and it was a grand New York “moment”. We enjoyed New York – a first for both of us over the long weekend. The Ameritania Hotel was our NY home – right in Times Square. We caught an On-Off bus and explored Central Park, as well as several excellent restaurants. Even had brunch with a former student  and good friend Dr. Caroline Cole and her young family. We flew by Porter Airlines which I highly commend, you can avoid Pearson entirely.

Around Easter, we welcomed our new furry member, Sassy, a Golden Retriever. Since I’ve only had Springer Spaniels, a Golden is an entirely but delightful (mostly) new experience. She is now 11 months and every day has a new lesson! I’m looking forward to more training and when she’s old enough agility work.

The summer brought great weather for gardening and my herbs and tomato plants flourished. My weekend  Encaustic workshop and week class in Haliburton went perfectly. As always the students were inspired and engaged, producing an impressive display of work.

I am always amazed by the prolific creating. Haliburton School of Design offers a unique summer school from June to August with a tremendous selection of classes ranging from a variety of visual art mediums to music and theatre.

In September I was part of the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, sharing the Wilkins Art Factory space with Sarah St. Pierre. It had been a few years since I did the tour and the visitors were nicely engaged with both of our art.

My last venture was a solo show at Melt Gallery in Picton, Prince Edward County in November/December. Melt Gallery, owned by a good friend, Susan Wallis, is  located in the historical airforce compound Base 31. It was used during WWII to train fighter pilots from the UK and is now being transformed into a cultural centre. Beside Melt there is another gallery and a performance venue as well as an experiential playground area. This was my first solo show in quite some time and I was pleased with the space and the visitor reception.

So, I am anticipating an incredible 2024 and going forward with marvelous new activities and adventures! Stay tuned!

The Month of April

April is blowing out with gusts of wind and rain and rumours of snow! The Magnolias are breaking into bloom, though, and so are the other flowering trees, while Daffodils and early Spring blossoms give a much awaited burst of fresh colour. Birdsong can be heard early morning and evening as melodious chorus. Here in Peterborough we had a hint of summer warmth for a week with temperatures in the 20’s.

April was a most memorable and exciting month. I celebrated a first Easter with my new partner, Graham. I introduced him to the abundance at the St. Lawrence Market, Toronto where we bought delicious cheeses, paté’s and olives and selected some super fresh fish and steak. Everything is so tempting! I had wonderful memories flood my senses after a long absence of COVID years. Our parking ended up FREE because of a power outage – that was a good omen I think.

Art Expo

The absolute over the top event was ArtExpo New York March 30 – April 2. I booked Porter airlines for Graham and I. It was such a delight to experience a smooth embarkation from parking to boarding the plane. An easy park and short walk to the terminal, no long check in or security lines. All very civilized. We met a young woman flying to NY for business who shepherded us through all the confusion of taking a train into Penn Station – what an angel we were blessed with! Our hotel, The Ameritania, was perfect – right off Broadway at the beginning of Times Square. A spacious room with a walk in  shower, friendly and helpful staff. We’d use it again.

Thursday was the opening night and next year I’ll plan on going down a day ahead because by the time we arrived there was only an hour left. However – what a New York display of people dressed to impress. There was a very elegant woman all in sequins wearing a crown for one example. The art displayed was amazing, varied and abundant. Artavita, the gallery who represented me, did an excellent job of setting up a gallery within the Expo.

This being our first time in New York, we spent Friday and Saturday exploring. We did a hop on hop off day Friday and stopped at various points throughout Manhatten. My favorite was the Highline Park, a re-designed abandoned railway line into a wonderful promenade through the old industrial/shipping yards.

Saturday morning we enjoyed a New York brunch with some friends before heading over to Central Park. Trees were in bloom, Daffodils carpeted= the lawns, people were jogging. A very    playing Beatles tunes.

A small taste of what New York has to offer but an unforgettable first time experience! I look forward to the next trip, maybe I’ll have time to actually visit some galleries and museums. It simply felt like we needed to experience the outside, pedestrian New York instead of inside buildings.

New Pieces

I worked on and completed 3 pieces to submit to Melt Gallery’s Spring opening show  “Renewal” in Piction, May 7. Owned by a good friend Susan Wallis, I look forward to renewing  our connections. More later, but I do have a solo show there in November.

Meet Sassy

My last unexpected, kind of spontaneous action was welcoming Sassy, my new now almost 10 week old Golden puppy to my home. She is a delight and a new challenge as my memory is a bit fuzzy about puppy training. More adventures to relay in forth coming newsletters.

Haliburton

As May approaches I’m looking forward to refreshing my gardens for new herbs and tomatoes. I will be helping and advising Graham as he starts his own vegetable gardens.

My weekend and week teaching Encaustic in Haliburton is coming in July: July 8 – July 10-14. Please view the insert with information about the classes and where to sign up. There are 16 spots available and are filling up fast. Also be early about finding accommodation for whatever class you might be interested in – there’s always a bit of a scramble

Enjoy the exuberance of Spring, be inspired by it’s beauty to start some fresh new creative directions!

I’m included in the 2023 Art Expo in New York this year.  It takes place from March 30 – April 2, 2023 and my work is shown in booth 107.

Click on the image to look at the catalogue of all the artists.  My work is on page 42.

Susan’s Fall newsletter is now ready to read!  Find out about Workshops & Studio Tours.  Read it here.