Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Hi,  Happy Mother's Day - May 5, 2016

I just wrote a long blog and somehow it just disappeared!  Don't you hate it
when that happens?  Now........... what was it I said.

Oh yes, Was at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour yesterday.
So great to see everyone again.  Rayne Tunley does such an amazing job of being President and
keeping everything running smoothly.  Sheila Davis was the speaker.  She spoke about marketing and
social media. I know all of us could use some help there.  It does get confusing.

The Art Gallery of Burlington is holding its annual Art Auction on June 3rd.  There will be a preview
starting a week before hand on line.  I have had four paintings accepted.  So thrilled about that.
My painting of the three homes across from the Gallery called "Ageing Gracefully" is in the live
auction. "Heading Downtown" an urban style painting is in the silent auction and I have two more
in the small gallery which are 12" x 12" called "Ontario Cottage" and The Workshop"  I hope you
get to the preview if you cannot get to the auction.  It is always so exciting and such a fun evening.
Try not to miss it.

I had an exhibition at Flagship Gallery in Hamilton in March along with Amanda Fintelman.
It was fun being there for the Artcrawl.  James St. is really starting to come alive.

Some time this Fall (I hope)  I will be having a show at Artspace of  the heritage homes in Oakville.
Chazz has three of my large florals in the gallery now.  Artspace is on Reynolds St. just North of
the Lakeshore.  Pop along to visit.  You will be amazing at the wonderful collection of artwork
that grace those walls and besides,  Chazz is charming and welcoming and will make you feel at home.

The weather is getting better so be prepared to get out and paint plein air.  There is nothing as
wonderful as painting out.  It almost feels like playing hookey!  Don't tell anyone how much fun it is.
Soon be iris and rose time in the RBG, another wonderful place to paint.  Remember, paint with passion for a painting without passion is not art.

Hi!

Just a short note to say that I am part of the Art in Action Tour in Burlington this coming
weekend.  It runs from 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th of
November.  I am in Gallery 8 at 23 Main St. Waterdown, Ont.  There also will be Katia Liberator
Potter and Kathy Fenton a jeweller.  It should be a great weekend and it is getting closer to Christmas, time to look for those special gifts for those special people.

Busy painting today.  Working on Urban & Rural, the exhibition coming up next year.
It will be interesting to see all of the work will look like.  Exciting!!  All of the Burlington Fine Arts people  are busy working and looking forward to our 50th aniversary next year.


Not too warm today, even if they did say it was going to be 18C.  Maybe we're too near
the lake or something.  Not too many sunny days like we have had.  It has been lovely and
we're getting spoiled.

Sad news.  Jeannette La Belle, a fellow member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour
has passed away.  What a bundle of energy and joy she was, an amazingly original painter and much loved by everyone.  She will be greatly missed.

Put those i phones and i pads down and pick up those brushes and get going.  Life is short you
don't want to miss any of it.

Happy Autumn!!!

Hi again!

It's been a long time.  It was a busy Spring and Summer with lots of
family situations to look after but now things are looking up.

I have a new website.  It is www://fratesifineart.ca.  Hoping it is working
well by now.  Had a little problem in getting it to come up in Google.  If at
first you can't access it, please keep trying.  Now to get new cards made up.

I've been painting as often as I can.  Large canvases, small ones and in between.
Many of my larger pieces have been sold(thanks to the AGB and Artspace Gallery.
I have to get busy and paint, paint, paint!  If you have time, take a trip to Oakville
to Artspace Gallery.  It is a wonderfully quaint old home filled with beautiful
art and you will find Chazz very welcoming and helpful.


Next weekend, the 7th and 8th of November is the Art in Action tour in Burlington.
I will be in Waterdown at Studio 8, 23 Main St.  Hoping to see you there.
We have 9 studios and  29 artists all with wonderful new pieces to show you.
Also there is an exhibition of the Art in Action artists at the AGB that is on now
Take a trip there to see it and to browse the Art Etc. shop as well as all the other
interesting art the Gallery holds.

I love this time of year and am sad to see the beautiful coloured leaves falling.
There has been so much red and gold this season.  It invites you to take long
walks and breathe in deeply the crisp, clean air.  Gardening chores take up time
but it is such good exercise.  Remember to take a break when you are painting to
stretch and maybe run up and down the stairs a couple of times.  Have to stay
healthy.

I will be teaching watercolour painting at Oakville Art Society in January for four
weeks.  Always good to see up and coming artists and when you are teaching,
you are also learning.  The company of other artists can be such an inspiration.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Art in Action tour next weekend and hope
you are all painting up a storm.  Remember, perseverance will reward you
just keep painting.

Once again I have let time slip by without updating this page.  No excuse,
just busy with painting and life and bemoaning the snow and cold.

It seems to many things come up this time of year.  It's time to submit
for the Art Gallery of Burlington's Annual Art Auction which isn't til
June but needs to be in by the end of February.  There is the Hamilton Art
Gallery's Spring Art Sale, there is the Art in Action Tour and there is the
"Burlington, Urban and Rural"exhibition which takes place next year but
the submission needs to be in by the end of March.  With this many balls in
the air it does give me inspiration to keep painting and painting and painting.

I heard the cardinals outside my window singing this morning.  That means
that perhaps we can't see Spring coming but they certainly can.  Can't wait for
warmer weather and being able to paint plein aire.  Some people paint all winter
but not me.  I hibernate til Spring!

I will be giving a watercolour class at the Oakville Art Society come April for
anyone who would like to brush up on their skills.  The Pelham Art Festival is
coming up Mother's Day weekend in Fonthill.  That may seems like a long way
away but time seems to hurry by.

Enjoy every single day, regardless of snow or wind or any other happening the
weatherman throws at us.  Keep your spirits up and keep painting.  Of all of the
qualities  we possess, perseverance is the most important when it comes to painting.
Just do it as the slogan says. Even when you don't feel like it step up to that canvas
or paper.  Don't look at other peoples work with wistful envy.  Be so busy with your painting that
you have no time for that and "surprise, surprise" you may have enough for a solo
show.

I read a few art magazines, Plein Aire, International Watercolour, American Art Collectors
etc.  If you can't paint, at least read about it to see what is relevant and what is happening.
As artists we spend a lot of alone time and we need to keep ourselves up on the art world.


Won't be long now before we see some green out there.  Be ready for it!!

The days are getting shorter.  Here we are again, headed into the Fall.
What happened to the summer?  I hope everyone painted every day and
had a great time.

I am painting every day, mostly in acrylics. My canvases are getting larger
and larger.  My storage space is getting smaller and smaller.

In early August I took a plein air workshop with Laurie Wonfor Nolan in Waterloo.
It was super. Laurie is not only a fabulous artist but an accomplished teacher.  Not to
mention lots of fun.  If you get the opportunity to study with Laurie you won't be
disappointed.


On Thursday, Sept. 25th, this Thursday, I start teaching again at the Oakville
Art Society.  I teach from 09:30 a. m. to 12:30 p.m. .  I'm teaching watercolour and
it feels good to be working in that amazing medium again.  Watercolour does
things that no other medium can do.  Sometimes it seems to have a mind of it's
own and it is so exciting.  This time of year with all of the colour in the trees and in
the end of summer veggies and flowers, it is a crime not to try and get those
colours down on paper or canvas.

This November 1st and 2nd I am once again on the Art in Action Tour in Burlington.
I am in studio 4 with Ann More and am looking forward to seeing everyone again.

If you have not had the opportunity to paint much this summer due to guests or
just being busy with the garden and home, make an appointment with yourself to
paint for at least an hour a day.  It is a good start.  First thing in the morning before
life gets to you, slip away to your table or easel and start something, anything, just
to be in the moment.  There is nothing like going to bed knowing you have something
on the easel crying out to be finished.

We are so very lucky to be painting.  We look at the world with different eyes and
see what others do not.  Although it is not Thanksgiving yet, let's give thanks for
all that we have been given with this gift of art.

My work can be seen at Artspace Gallery in Oakville, a very nice gallery in an
historic Oakville home.  Chazz is very welcoming if you like to browse  art on
a day out.  I also have work at the Art Gallery of Burlington in their Art Sales Rental.

Now, get to work!!!!

June 20, 2014


June is here.  My favourite month.  Roses and peonies abound in my garden and I
love being out in the fresh air painting.  Wish it would stay like this all year.  But alas,
not to be, so we have to take advantage of the weather now

Last weekend was spent at the Baldwin Resort on Lake Rosseau. A great time
spent painting, drinking wine and singing with a group from Central Ontario Art
Association.  It went by too quickly but looking forward to Geneva park and another
retreat at the Baldwin's next year.  So good to get away from the every day musts. Oh, another
thing, there were NO black flies.

Yesterday I was painting at the Paletta Estate in Burlington with Burlington Fine
Arts Plein Air group.  Lovely day with very nice friends.  I took my water soluble
oils and did a small painting of the house.  I came home full of inspiration and continued
painting this time with watercolours.  The peonies from my garden are almost finished
and I like to have at least one large painting plein air of these beautiful flowers.  If you
have not painted plein air.  Try it!  You just might like it.  Paintings done outside have
a spirit to them that eludes some studio paintings.  It is helpful in teaching you to
actually see what you are painting, not just looking! It almost feels as if you are playing
hookey, it's so much fun!

My classes at the Oakville Art Society are finished for the season but will start again in
the Fall for eight weeks.  Check with the Societies website for dates etc.

Come November I will again be in the Art in Action Tour in Burlington.  Looking
forward to seeing everyone and painting with this in mind.  Doing some small
oils to show.  Now that the weather is good I can paint outside with oils.  Asthma
prevents me from using the oils in my studio during cooler weather.  Seriously thinking
about doing plein air this winter.  Might make the winter fly by quicker.

Took the Mel Stabin workshop in May at Oakville.  What a charming and accomplished
man he was.  Mel is one of the first painters to do workshops around the country , his and
ours.  He was taught by Edgar Whitney who gave a start to so many wonderful workshop
teachers.  It was a great week and a good refresher course for me.

Have a wonderful summer and keep painting.  It is only by "just doing it" every day
that we become the artists we are striving to be.

May Ramblings

Hi!

Spring is here, the warm weather surely makes us all feel better.
time to get out there in the great outdoors and do some plein air.

It won't be long before the iris and peonies are out in the Royal Botanical
Gardens here in Burlington.  It's something that you don't want to miss if
you paint florals.  It's a feast for the senses.  I'll be there as soon as I can confirm
the days the Japanese peonies and the iris are in bloom.  They are in the Laking Garden.
You can call the RBG for directions and parking.

This coming weekend "Mother's Day Weekend" I will be at the Pelham
Art Festival in the arena on Haist St. in Pelham.  It starts on Friday evening
with music, wine and nibbles and continues Saturday and Sunday.  A nice
drive in the country if you are considering taking your Mom out for lunch or
dinner.  There are 68 artists, a very accomplished lot.  It is good to get out
and see other peoples work.  It can be very inspiring and if you have been
having a bit of a "painters block"  it may very well open that door.

I've been taking a class with Wayne Moore , drawing and painting the figure
in watercolour at the Burlington Art Centre.  Wayne is a very good teacher.
If we stop learning , we get dull and predictable  Don't want that! 

Last Saturday was the AGM of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour.
It was a super day with seven new painters being elected to membership.  It is
a goal worth trying for.  Think about it.  Try an associate membership to get
your feet wet.

Busy, busy, framing and organizing for the weekend.  Sometimes it seems that
I need to be two people to get things done.  Will have watercolours unframed
and acrylics on the walls.  I share a booth with Kjell Orrling who is a wonder
with wood.  His cutting boards make wonderful gifts.

Remember, if you just keep painting something wonderful happens.  That's
the secret, practice, practice, practice.  It is too easy to give up!  Keep working
even when you are discouraged and one day you will have that great AHA!!
moment.