DVSA Art Auction

It's that time of year again . . . 

The Dundas Valley School of Art

Art Auction starts today and runs until April 7 th.

I've submitted two pieces of original art for this years sale. 

Elephas

The Magpie's nest

Online previews of all the artwork available (over 1,400 pieces)  and you can view all the work in person ~ always a treat to visit!

April 3 & 4 : 9 am - 9 pm

April 5 : 9 am - 4 pm

April 6 : 9 am - 2 pm

DVSA

21 Ogilvie Street

Dundas Ontario 

 

 

this week . . .

If you follow me on Instagram (vintage sparrow studio) , you will have already seen my wonderful news . . . 

I've been published in the first issue of yoonyen (pronounced Union).

Yoonyen ~ where passion and creativity unite~

I am one of 72 artists and you can find me on pages 42 & 43 

where I have 4 of my paintings. 

For I will protect you

Mystic Circle

One Day

Melodious Reservoir

Mystic Circle and One Day are in the Art in the Workplace #38 juried show

and can be viewed in person at

McMaster Innovation Park

175 Longwood Road South

Hamilton, Ontario 

Many thanks to Sara Purves ~ publisher 

I am thrilled to be part of your vision for this gorgeous magazine and share the pages

with other creative beings. Yoonyen has only just been published and already sitting at  #2 

on Amazon's best selling list. 

Starting my mornings with a nice long beach walk . . . 

I never take for granted that beautiful Lake Ontario is at my doorstep.

 

It was only that I could hear the Sparrows singing that I knew they were there.

 Safely camouflaged amongst the beach grapevines.  

 I'm always surprised by the amount of beach glass I can find on any given walk 

not to mention the number of times I must have bent down to pick them up!

The best "workout" routine I can think of. 

Beach glass * a few pieces of driftwood * long stretches of sandy beach, calm waters, beautiful blue skies, bird friends ~ bliss! 

Once home, I make a nice cup of tea and take my beach treasures

out of my gathering bag. It's like a meditation to me as I arrange them, piece by piece on our family room coffee table.

 

The table is indestructible. It's a vintage railroad luggage/factory cart. Originally used to transport luggage at railroad stations. 

The "raven" stone is an oldie, and you can imagine my joy when it was found on a beach walk! I keep him on top of a wooden dough bowl full of beach glass. 

Happy Friday ~ thanks for stopping by! 

Have a wonderful weekend ;-)

d xo 

Art and Found Day 2024

Yesterday was Art and Found Day

March 12 2024

where artists worldwide leave free art in their neighbourhoods. 

Hubby and I headed out in the morning

 (hence the coat, hat and gloves)

bag filled with 4 free art packages 

I chose my usual spots that celebrate two of the things I love most

dogs and books!

leaving my parcels of art in 3 little free libraries and at the leash free park

Our weather has been all over the place, 

so when I was packaging up the art, I wrapped each in a 

recycled plastic sleeve to keep it dry.

Turns out, yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day which seemed to bring

lots of people out walking and hopefully looking for art! 

To see the art before it was wrapped up

please have a look over at my IG account

vintage sparrow studio

The birds were loving the weather

serenading us with their sweet songs as we walked home... joy!

We had commented on the amount of Robin's spotted

when we saw what we thought was an albino Robin.

A quick google search and we read that it was a leucistic Robin , quite rare 

1 in 30,000! Very, very beautiful! 

Happy to be participating again this year in Art and Found.

Next up, Art and Seek July 1 2024. While Art and Found is worldwide, Art and Seek is celebrated in and on Canada Day. 

 

Great Backyard Bird Count . . .

It's that time again . . . 

the Great Backyard Bird Count is happening

February 16-19, 2024

We were all ready yesterday, feeders were freshly filled, pen and pad of paper sitting by the window seat anticipating who would visit the garden.

It's been a very quiet so far which has surprised me

as yesterday we had snow and I thought everyone would be hungry!

 I have however been cooed by a pair of lovely turtle doves while drinking my tea.

Hopeful the weekend will bring more birds into the garden.

Speaking of snow . . . 

we were pretty excited to see the white stuff yesterday (it's been a very mild winter). 

While my husband shoveled last night, I made us a lovely little snow person to sit on our garden bench.

He's only tiny, so no scarf, but he needed something, so I wove some garden vines into a wreath. 

It was too dark to take a photo, I will head out later and take one ;-)

I'm very happy to say that I am the Cover Artist for The Country Register of Ontario.

 

"Warming Station" 

is on the cover of the February/March 2024 issue.

Thank you so much to publisher Harriet Ramos for choosing & supporting my art! 

 Happy birding

& have a wonderful weekend

d xo 

January joys. . .

The huge fluctuation in weather has our French pussy willow tree full of silvery catkins already.

I think we will be cutting branches sooner this year to catch them at their peak.

First time ever seeing a scurry of squirrels!

I was checking to see if we had mail the other day and to my surprise started seeing squirrels, one after the other running down the road in front of our house.

A mixture of grey and black squirrels following each other  ... I quickly started counting and while I'm sure there were more, I spotted 15.  Only wish I had my camera handy.

Did a quick google search and read that it's very unusual to see this and it's the result of squirrels nesting together to keep warm in frigid temperatures.

Happy to be at the right place at the right time.

I love creating inspiration/affirmation collages and have done this since I was a teen.

I keep a basket filled with old magazines just for this purpose.

My January collage has found itself amongst others in the wonderful

January Ageless Possibilities newsletter.

Thank you Helen!

I

My "guiding word" for 2024 chose me.

The word Ardent spoke to me originally after spotting it but I wasn't sure if it was the word  

Ardent: expressing passion, spirit or enthusiasm

It was the word Joy that showed up over and over.

 I was writing "January Joys" down 

while writing in my diary . . . 

then I looked down at my new monthly planner and there it was ... 

today, choose joy.

I like that!

Wishing you a joyful day,

Thanks for stopping by.

d xo 

 

Happy New Year . . .

Happy New Year 2024!

One week into one of my favourite months :-) which is filled with so much of what I love . . .  

a brand new year * fresh calendar filled with boxes of potential * my birthday * my daughter's birthday* the month I met my husband (47 years ago ... yeah us!! ) * snow (we had our first snowfall last night) * hockey & watching our goalie grandson in tournaments * winter walks * cozy nights in * comfort food *baking* soups simmering on the stove*the smell of hazelnut and vanilla coffee beans freshly ground* turtleneck sweaters* hats and scarves* flannel everything* heating blankets* dinner for two by the fireplace* new books to read* . . .  

"The bright New Year is given me.

To live each day with zest.

To daily grow and try to be

my highest and my best!

I have the opportunity once more

to right some wrong,

to pray for peace,

to plant a tree,

and sing more joyful songs!"

~William Arthur Ward~

Such a wonderful way to begin the year ~ I am the Cover Artist for The Country Register of Michigan

with my painting "Warm words on a cold day" 

Thank you so much Leslie for this wonderful opportunity and supporting me/my art for many years!

"One kind word

can warm three Winter months."

~Japanese Proverb~ 

 Happy New Year ~ Happy Everything!

Thank you for stopping by 

d xo 

Give the Gift of Art . . .

"Trio"

Available for sale

Grimsby Public Art Gallery

18 Carnegie Lane

Grimsby, Ontario

December 9, 2023 -January 11, 2024

 

I like to begin my paintings, on paper or canvas, by writing a few thoughts down in pencil.

As anyone who knows me, I have a great deal of affinity for Sparrows. I think of them as my spirit animal (if you are wondering why, reading the "Sparrow" section of my blog will tell you) xx

I feel a great deal of comfort when they are around me. 

Not surprisingly, sparrows will be tucked into lots of paintings! Sparrows and nests seem to be a common theme ;-) 

Even though multiple layers of paint will cover up the words that are written, they are forever romantically intertwined creating a visual poetry. A little hidden treasure.

Watching these little sparrows in our garden was such an inspiration and I could not help but think that thankfully, the sparrows did not agree with "two's company and three's a crowd".  All were welcome here; the branch was large enough for all.

The little poem under the layers of |Trio reads: 

Three little birds

sitting side by side

singing such a joyful tune

with happiness, with pride.

Some may say that two is company

but three, well that's a crowd

which only makes each little sparrow

sing their song clearer and more loud!