The Old Front Doors

When we first found this pair of old antique doors about 10 years ago, they had broken glass, & were so heavily weathered that all the finish had worn away to the bare wood. But we felt the height & width of them would make a welcome front entrance at some point so we stored them away & went about finding other things that we would use when we eventually built our home here.

They originally did not have the Gothic arched tops on the glass sections... we added them as well as the zig zag under the windows. Now they will compliment the  zig zag we had cut in various areas of the cedar shingles and several Gothic arched windows we put in the house. We replaced the broken glass with thermal pane insulated glass....

Together they measure 5' wide by 8' tall. The width makes it easy to move things in and out.

We used Eastern cedar shingles on the house exterior and they have quickly weathered to a soft gray, due to being pelted with salt spray from the nearby ocean.... Love their durability...
Their gray color acts as a perfect backdrop for the "Carmine" red I painted the doors.... their brilliance cheers & welcomes us every time we come and go.... and now more salvaged pieces have a place to live another 100 years.

They were a ton of work to bring bake to life... but we think they were worth it....

Especially on a snowy day in the dead of winter.

..... Believe to date from 1880 -1900. We found them at a second hand shop in Quispamsis, NB... the vines that are twisting around the verandah posts are Virginia Creeper planted 5 years ago. You should see them in the summer!

My Interpretation of the Portrait, "Francis Bacon" by Lucian Freud

I am intrigued by Lucian Freud's paintings... The way he breaks down the range of color and  value... The way he has no care to make a picture pretty... or no care to make the people happy when they see the portrait he did of them... he just cared about putting down on the canvas what he felt and  wanted to express... An attitude of the Inner self... I like that.

After I finished this interpretive painting of his work, I did some research and discovered that his painting of Francis Bacon was stolen in broad daylight from Berlin's Neue Nationalegalerie in 1988... ... it has never been recovered.

Lucian Freud was the grandson of Sigmund Freud... Francis Bacon was a celebrated artist and a contemporary of Lucian Freud.

 I was interested in creating this painting  because it was a portrait of one national icon by another.



...my version at reproducing this master is 8" x 10" oil on canvas... on the wall in my studio.

Embellishment # 5

A colorful collection of semi-precious stones ...... Amethyst, Peridot, Turquoise, Fresh Water Pearl and Quartz Crystal....
combine with Indian & Czech glass and Sterling twisted wire.

They have lots of movement .... and are just plain Fun.

They hang from Sterling Silver shepherd hooks and are entirely assembled with Sterling Silver wire.

These and similar designs... $45.00   Sold

Sea Smoke

 One of the most unusual sights I have experienced since moving to the coast of the Bay of Fundy is the extravagant show the ocean puts on in the dead of winter when it gets very cold... I mean about -20 degrees Celsius or below... and calm...

It doesn't happen all the time.... just occasionally.... but when it does, be prepared to be Awestruck.

It is the natural phenomena known as "Sea smoke".

It is usually only visible in the morning as the sun begins to warm up the air... sometimes it disappears quickly & sometimes it lasts for a few hours....

The ocean never freezes... well maybe a bit along the edges at the very coldest times of year, but that doesn't count...






This phenomena occurs when the extra cold air comes in contact with the ocean that is still at its balmy year round temperature of 0 degrees Celsius/32 degrees Fahrenheit... Individual giant "Plumes" of what look like smoke, rise in gentle wafts over the ocean. It is amazing...



.... as if from below the surface, King Neptune is blowing smoke circles high up into the atmosphere.... They can rise hundreds of feet in the air where they congregate and form a huge fluffy cloud, full of light and shadow.... A sight to behold...

A reward for us stubborn people that bear the cold and live along this rugged coast all year round.



This photograph was taken from the top of our bluff in St.Martins, New Brunswick, just outside our front door.


Answers.com describes Seasmoke as........... "A form of steam fog common in coastal seas around cold land masses such as Labrador and Norway. As very cold air from the land passes over the warmer sea, it is rapidly heated. Convection currents carry moisture upwards, which quickly recondenses to form fog."

Out to the Bay

A few kilometers from our home, along the Bay of Fundy is the breathtaking Fundy Trail, where I based this watercolor. There are numerous inlets and rocky outcroppings...
...some you can pick your way through to the shoreline and walk along in perfect isolation.... in other spots you can only cautiously peer over the towering red sandstone cliffs, to watch the powerful waves crash onto the shore below....

The air guarantees to be fresh..... some days it may change hourly from crisp and clear... to diffused and foggy... to brilliant sunshine, blue skies and fluffy white clouds....  the tide comes in ... the tide goes out ... seabirds circle and glide in the air currents...   it entertains....

Here along the ocean, Nature never bores... it has Personality... it is a living member of your household....
 You develop a natural acceptance and healthy respect for it and a desire to experience it all. .... you grow to love the non-uniformity of it.... It is alive.... a definite Force....

On this beautiful day, it was clear..... it allowed the uninterrupted view to the far side of the bay... to Nova Scotia, about 45 kilometers away.... as the crow flies... or the fisherman sails...  or the kayak  paddles.
It is deeply satisfying...

When you live with  the Nature of the Bay of Fundy, it becomes part of who you are and it will never leave your soul....


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 *** background***  We discovered the Bay of Fundy when we went on a picnic to St.Martins, NB in 1998.  When we returned home that day  we couldn't stop thinking about it... it was as if we had just fallen in love or had a spell cast upon us.  Within the week we searched... at the edge of and overlooking the village, up on a red sandstone bluff, with an awe-inspiring view of the Bay, we found land!!!    it had been long neglected and looked as if it needed a helping hand .... we accepted and eagerly took on the challenge... 

It took us a year to clean it up...   the next year we began building our home/studio .... that is when our adventure really began...

We have been absolutely captured by the magic of the Bay.... It's hard to explain the feeling that comes over you....

Must be something in the air....


approx. 2¼" x 3½" on 140 lb. arches watercolor paper..... a gift for a friend

The Old Marble Sink

Reconstructing the past....

I love old things..... I love the feel of old things...... I love finding new life for old things.... And they are usually made of solid long lasting materials. They are real.....
We decided to take this collection of things and turn them into something beautiful..... Everything that makes up this old sink is salvaged and was no longer in any productive use.....
We found the marble sink portion in a salvage shop in Halifax, NS. .......


The legs....2 old newel posts, that are used upside-down, with the top 10" cut off, saved and used for another project, we bought at an auction in Springfield, NB with several other mismatched posts, several years earlier..... Then sometime in the intervening years we salvaged old baseboards from a half-tumbled down house from nearby Hillsdale, NB.

The sink had a minor stain on it but I thought it just added to its character, besides it never affected its function whatsoever. It even had a tall 9" back splash. The original porcelain sink was still partially attached to it with old corroded brass bolts. We felt so lucky to have come across it. We scrubbed it and since we didn't know how to drill holes in marble we had 2 holes drilled at a machine shop in Sussex, for the new fixtures. We figure most of the pieces used in putting this sink back into useful life are from the mid-1800's. ( note: We always ask permission before salvaging and pay what is asked.)


For the underskirt, we used the  reverse side of the baseboard, which was in beautiful condition... drew the scalloped designs along the edge... drilled holes for the circles ... cut the shapes out with a jigsaw. Then painted it all a creamy white. I love this pattern..... we used it to repeat the pattern that we made for our homes outside window trim and several other areas of the house for cohesiveness and flow.

Every morning when I wake up and splash water on my face, I appreciate the beauty of the past...... and feel very lucky.

The Man from the Paper

This was done a few years ago, in 2003.... We had been quite intense at building our house & I guess I just needed a bit of a break, doing something completely different from hammering shingles, building cupboards, devising ways to incorporate our old salvaged finds, ordering materials, making jewelry, taking orders & shipping jewelry, etc... the list was unending & so was the workload. Go till you drop then get up & do the same the next day.

We knew that this particular day had to have some "down time". Down Time was not in our vocabulary at that point in our lives.... this house was already taking too long to build..... No time to play.... Just head down & nose to the grindstone. It felt like we had set ourselves up with a never ending project......

Anyway.... downtime....

At first it seemed rather strange not being actively engaged in necessary work of some kind.... As a matter of fact, it took till 4:00 in the afternoon for my mind to let go & feel free....
It was then, that this fellow looked out at me from the newspaper & after staring at him for a while I nervously found a pencil & some paper & began to draw. Once I started I couldn't stop. Then I added some washes. I was so totally absorbed that a few hours went by in a flash & when I looked up it was dark out...... I only wish I had used a heavier paper as the painting buckled when it dried. Just the same.......................... What a release!!!!!!

I keep this pinned to my studio wall....... To this day when I look at him I still feel revitalized..... and I don't even know his name.

approx. 16" x 20" unfortunately on cartridge paper

The Sunset

Sunsets are magical and appear, it seems, from nowhere.... change suddenly and without warning....
Now you see them.... now you don't..... Turn your gaze for a moment and they may have vanished.... They wait for no one...

Moving, bouncing and reflecting color across the sky.... creating a fleeting visual display that spellbinds.

They feel right to be painted Wet on Wet.

I love painting in this manner. It feels natural. Splashing color ... quickly..... moving it... just like a sunset.

approx. 2¼" x 3¾" on 140 lb arches watercolor paper

Self Portrait

Playing with my watercolor...... doing a little analyzing of facial features.

They are so identifiable to each individual.

Thought I would experiment on myself for now.

approx. 5" x 7" on 300 lb. arches watercolor paper

Embellishment #4

Lime green, irregular shaped, Indian glass & semi-precious stone, Amethyst tear drop combined with Sterling wrapped wire & copper beads on Sterling Shepherd hooks.

Decidedly Classic.

approx. 2" long ... $50.00 sold

When Are We Going?

It is hard to wait.....

but most of the time they are pretty patient. Our 3 little black dogs, Tabitha, Toby & Pirate, who came to us by happenstance & livened everything up.

They are such wonderful companions. Always ready to go for a walk , to keep you company, to sit on your knee, go for a drive, lick your face, chase the ball, watch for the squirrel, do a trick for a treat......

& Best of all ...... make you feel like you are the most important person in the world.

Who couldn't love a dog?

William Morris

William Morris...... A watercolor I worked on arches 140 lb cold pressed paper...

Morris' talents were vast... Designer, writer, poet, architect, pattern-maker, painter, social activist, the Arts & Crafts movement, hand craftsmanship, the Kelmscott Press, the Kelmscott Chaucer , tapestry revival, jewelry, stained glass, etc. etc. etc........ He was forever dedicated to quality craftsmanship and beauty.

He did not discriminate between craftsman and artist... to him they were one, on a level playing field.   He felt they should be treasured, valued and encouraged.

His influence was far reaching.

He has always inspired me......

A true Artist..... William Morris (1834-1896) English artist, writer, textile designer and socialist.

....see here for a few William Morris designs...

approx. 5" x 7"

Crow #3

Another old crow perched on a branch.......... Can't get enough of them.

But it seems that I can never observe them, up close, for as long as I would like. They are always so cautious & wary. Maybe that is why I am ever watchful for them as I have never yet got my fill.

...... need to start painting some going the other direction, or flying or pecking or play fighting or ........

approx. 2" x 3" on arches 140lb watercolor paper

Hope

In this pendant the large silver dome symbolizes the world... coming out of chaos.

............It is called "Hope"...........




Chaos and texture ... formed from sterling silver and copper manipulated with the torch and the hammer....

The primitive nature of the piece... is something I aim for... the more raw and earthy.. the better...




Detail of the back showing patination and signature.. I think I like the back as much as the front...





approx. 2" long Sterling Silver and Copper fragments & pieces...
.....One-Of-A-Kind... $125.00

available..Please contact me if interested


Other Desideratum Art Jewelry Pendants here on my Picasa Web Albums
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Embellishment #3

Amethyst, Labradorite, Sterling silver, copper beads, varying colors & shapes of Indian glass on Sterling shepherd hooks.

.... this and similar designs... $50.00 pr

approx. 3" long sold

The Pear

Watercolor..... "Wet on Wet".............

The spontaneity of this technique is exciting..... Gentle guiding and persuading of the colors.... watching them merge..... letting them roam,to some extent, where they please.

Sometimes losing control is fun.

approx. 4" x 5"

My Piano

This is one of my favourite things...........

It sits in the living room near the doorway that leads to the kitchen. To the left is a large 6' glass patio door. Through the glass, looking past the front garden is the Bay of Fundy, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The view out those doors changes almost constantly according to weather conditions... I'm sure anyone who has lived near the ocean knows what I mean......

The amazing cloud formations over the water.... the magnification of light from the water & sky..... the undulating fog, diffusing all.... the huge tides rising, then falling away........ leaving me lost for words.

With this beckoning, I am drawn to sit and play almost every time I pass by.

It was my grandmothers piano. It's an Amherst made in 1917.

Embellishments #2

Various shapes & sizes of tiger eye, garnet, citrine & sterling silver, make up this pair of "Embellishments"......

I feel there is an earthiness about the combination of these semi-precious materials.....

I love their movement.

approx. 3" long... $75.00   sold

The Beloved Scavenger

Crows are scavengers. Entertaining scavengers at that.......

The whole act of scavenging is entertaining and rewarding. Be it done by a crow or a human being. Being able to get what you need by seeing value in things that have been tossed away or abandoned, is something I admire...... & live by.

This collaged crow came to life from black printed advertisement pages of an old magazine. I rather liked the way the white of the paper was exposed when the paper was torn to represent the sheen of the feathers.

I guess I also like the fact that I created a "scavenging' crow from "scavenging" old magazines & it was entertaining the whole while..... plus I was rewarded with a little crow.

approx. 3½" x 4¾" on watercolor card stock

Samuel Palmer ... Inspired

A quick little study that was inspired by a Samuel Palmer self-portrait ca. 1826, he had originally done using black & white chalk on buff paper. I was trying to reproduce it, in watercolor, as it appeared in the book,"Creating a Self-Portrait" by Tom Coates.
It began to take on a life of its own & I let it go there.

I have always found that one of the most difficult things about painting, is knowing when to stop. I tried stopping 2 times & couldn't.... this was my third try.
It is OK to finish with something you had not envisioned when you started. As it is a new creation that would not have come into being, without the initial inspiration...... We should never stop being "Inspired".

approx. 4½" x 5½" on watercolor card stock with a bit of pen & ink

Simplexity #1

This is one of my newer designs ...... a pair of abstract Sterling Silver disc Earrings with fused irregular shaped pieces of silver & aqua Indian glass.

They are simplicity & complexity combined.

approx. 1½" long handmade, one of a kind... $50.00 sold

Embellishment #1

I love creating jewelry with surprise.... I love creating one of a kind pieces.... I love the thought that people wear my work, as an act of expressing themselves.... I love being part of that whole process....

I think most art is about "the process".... The whole act of creation, no matter which discipline.

My "Embellishment" series was so fun to make.... Incorporating elements, that not necessarily match but feel really good together.

approx. 3" long Sterling silver, copper, Indian glass, Turquoise ... this and similar design... $45.00   sold

Deconstructed

I loved making this series of assemblage pendants. They gave me the freedom to play while I worked.

Quite chunky...

Aimed for the feeling that this is a remnant from a past, more primitive life that has "Deconstructed"......

approx. 1 ¾" x 3" Antiqued Sterling Silver & copper $250.00 available

The Garden

Gardens... growing things... the rows of texture, color, form...

The knowledge that someone toiled to bring this into being.... the knowledge that someone cared...

The urge to linger...

Gardens are beautiful; no matter what shape or size.

The garden made me paint this little watercolor.


approx. 2" x 3 " 140 lb. arches watercolor paper

Portrait of John

This is a portrait I did of my husband John....  It is a study of values.

I have always felt that doing portraits or the human body were the most challenging for me ...  I hate to feel there is something I can not accomplish.... so for that reason I keep plodding along.

The paint is not very thick but I have found that this is the way I paint at least at the present. I was happy with the likeness.

approx. 12" x 16" acrylic on panel

Crow # 2

Another simple little pen & ink Crow, my most favourite bird again. This is an old scruffy fella that hangs around the yard, cleaning up anything the dogs leave behind. Aren't scavenger's great.
I am working on a series of these little guys, exploring different medias but keeping most of them on the miniature side.

Approx. 2" x 2¾" 140 lb. arches watercolor paper

The Beginning of the World

This chunky little one of a kind Art pendant is an amalgamation of many small pieces of sterling silver & bits of copper that were accumulating on my work table.
I don't like to waste, so I pulled them all together & piled them in a heap and kept rearranging till they felt right.... then applied the heat of the torch.... I love the vast array of texture it holds & that I ended up wasting nothing....

Surfaces and Depths... Known & Unknown... It reminded me of the chance happenstance that continues to come together to create the known, as we see it.

To me it felt as if it must have been like that in the "Beginning of the World"... Hence its name...


approx. 1 ¼" x 1¾" .... $150.00 ............please contact me, if interested

My Interpretation of a Self-Portrait by Egon Schiele

There is something that really haunts me about the work of Egon Schiele. (Naughty stuff aside) Mostly the strong sure lines. Then the way he used color..... then the way he combined subtle and delicate to create Bold.... the importance of the eyes and hands..... The expressiveness he portrayed in each painting revealed a part of his inner spirit......





He died too young......






This is "my interpretation" of a self portrait he did. I used pencil, gouache, acrylic washes and india ink.......... He keeps us company in the living room.

approx. 15" x 18"

The Sunrise

We had fog today at dawn, but 1 year ago, I awoke to this brilliant display. This sunrise almost took my breath away. Caught quickly just when the sun was breaking the horizon. This is the actual sunrise we looked upon, stretching out across the Bay of Fundy. No color enhancement or filters, just good ol' Mother Nature. Made me stop & stare. What a way to start a day. Wow....

Crow #1

Crows!

Crows are my absolutely most favorite birds. I could watch them all day and I still would not get enough of them. They are captivating. So Intelligent. So social.

I always wished I could have had a crow for a pet, but I never did.


Last spring a pair hatched 3 young ones in the tall spruce trees at the edge of the field near our home. All summer the crow family stayed around picking bugs in the grass, fighting over the fruit of the elderberry bushes and raiding the compost pile. They were ever watching.

They are  creatures of habit. If we fed them once or twice at a certain time of day, they would be around at the appointed time on the third day sitting in the trees or on the fence or on the roof, keeping a look out for more tasty morsels. We could be sure of that, unless they had made a bigger score somewhere else!


....I did this little pen and ink in December when things slowed down a bit around here. I really want to do more.


.....Pen and ink and wash on Arches 140 lb. watercolor paper 2 ¼" x 3¼" 

The Embrace

This is my first day of having a blog...

I wanted to share one of my creations..... A rather large figurative pendant....

I try to create pieces with a feeling of antiquity and wonder, yet contemporary at the same time.

I love to bring these layered sculptural body adornments to life. And what better place to create a work of art for... than the human body...


approx. 3" x 1 1/2" Sterling Silver and Copper... $250.00

... other Desideratum Art Jewelry Pendants on my Picasa Web Albums..

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