Newsletter

I have been recently spending less time painting and more time relaxing in our garden.This hasn't been completely by choice, but more by necessity. Life is full of surprises and one morning I woke up surprised by a very sore back. Painting seemed to exacerbate the problem so....

...short stints of sketching and taking photos in our garden have had to suffice. I have been unable to attend several Gallery Painting Group paint outs and missed the Opening at Westland of The Square Foot Show.

Things are improving, however I am ignoring the calls from a partially completed painting in the studio for a few more days.

Yesterday we drove to Strathroy as I was suffering from a severe case of cabin fever. We visited an antique store where I fell in love with several things, some of which may appear in future paintings. Of course we drove on some country roads and stopped long enough for me to photograph some delightful wild things growing by the roads. I am sure that the manufacturer of our car did not have sore backs in mind when they added heated seats but they sure help!

I will be delivering two paintings to the Glenhyrst Gallery in Brantford for the Biennial Juried Show. This year there were 636 paintings submitted and 59 were accepted. The dates for the Exhibition are July 28 to September 23 with the Opening taking place on August 3rd from 7 - 9 pm.

Two more juried shows have entry deadlines quickly approaching. I will let you know if I am accepted into either of them.

In the meantime, enjoy summer in whatever way you love and may all of life's surprises for you be pleasant ones.

Bonne Fete de la Bastille!

As Midsummer approaches you will find me with my sketchbook in our garden and our neighbourhood or on location with the Gallery Painting Group or in the countryside. As my sketchbook slowly fill with bits and pieces of Southwestern Ontario, I return to my studio and use some bits and a few pieces as inspiration for paintings. Recently two such paintings were juried into Flora, an exhibition at Gallery In The Grove located in Bright's Grove. One was awarded a cash prize for third place. I was very honoured. This exhibition is certainly worth the drive to see and the location is wonderful too. A great place to enjoy a picnic or a walk by the lake. The show ends this coming Saturday at 3pm.

Gallery In The Grove, 2618 Hamilton Road, Wildwood Park, Bright's Grove

Mon.- Thurs. 11am to 5pm

Fri. -closed

Sat. Sun. -11am to 3pm

Three pieces, which also began their lives on a sketching field trip, have been submitted to Westland Gallery's Square Foot Show. This show is always amazing so don't miss seeing it.

I am currently preparing submissions for two more juried shows as well as painting for the Fall Stratford Studio Tour.

I am writing this on Father's Day and am reminded that my late Dad often used to say to me, "Susan, you're always happiest when you're busy, busy, busy, just like a little bee!" He was right about that and so many other things. I miss him. I am both busy and happy.

For those of you who love hot weather, enjoy the next couple of days. If you are like me, I hope you can find somewhere cool to escape the heat. As always, thank you for taking the time to read this and for your ongoing support.

Sue

Yesterday afternoon I took a long break from wrapping and packing paintings for the Spring Stratford Studio Tour and sat in our garden with a delicious murder mystery which had been recommended by friends. I looked around occasionally to enjoy the flowers and redbud blooming. The lilac will soon be in bloom too. Its scent always reminds me of home since my parents' garden had a wonderful lilac hedge running across the bottom of the yard. i was reminded, too, of a man i worked with who gave me some forget-me-nots from his garden with the remark, "Plant these in your garden and you will always remember me." He was right. They pop up everywhere reminding me of him.

As I read, the resident male cardinal began singing his heart out. The sound coming from our neighbours' maple tree reminded me of the celebratory pealing of church bells and continued for almost an hour. I decided, with no proof at all, that he must be announcing the arrival of his offspring to the world. Today both the male and the female cardinal have been feeding constantly. This is unusual for them as they normally feed in the early morning and again in the evening. I have decided, again with no real proof, that they are busy feeding their young. Since life isn't a murder mystery, I find that I have no need of proof. I can tell myself and others whatever story amuses or makes us happy. Do any of you ever do this? I come from a long line of story tellers. Some stories are truer than others, some contain lots of exaggeration, but all are entertaining, and completely true or not, there is always a grain of truth in them somewhere. It occurs to me that the same can be said of my paintings. They are exaggerations of colour and form, embroidering the truth (as my mother used to say) to make something which speaks my own truth in my own way.

I am now almost ready for the Stratford Tour and am looking forward to the coming weekend. Stratford is such a pretty place, especially at this time of year. I hope some of you are able to visit me during the tour. You will find me at #7 on the tour map, 46 Norman Street.

Other opportunities to show my art may be at hand. I have entered some juried shows which will take place in the summer. If my work is accepted I will give you more information in upcoming newsletters.

Thank you to all of you who visited my home and studio during the London Studio Tour. I enjoyed the chance to visit with you. Winners of my raffle as well as the Passport Winners have now all been contacted. Congratulations to all of you. 

Thank you to all of you for reading and responding to my newsletters. Enjoy the spring season, tell yourself some stories, embroider the truth, and when all else fails, read a good murder mystery.

Sue

In March, the month of my birth, our suburban garden begins to waken with snowdrops blooming, other bulbs poking through the soil and the buds on trees swelling. Then winter revisits and snow covers everything... madness threatens and then suddenly the sky is blue and the sun is shining and hope returns. The overwintering birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and a few early robins keep Merlin, my resident art critic and studio assistant, amused or annoyed depending on....well depending on who knows really? Of all the animals who have made their home with us, Merlin is the hardest to read or understand. There are rabbit tracks in the "sometimes" snow and something, ( a skunk?), is madly digging up our lawn overnight.

Inside our home we are tiptoeing through, not tulips, but stacks of paintings waiting to be delivered to various places or to be hung here for the London Artists' Studio Tour. There are still more to come from my framer, Olga Guthrie. 

I am number 31 on the London Artists' Studio Tour map this year and I hope you can visit to sample some Rhubarb Lunar Cake, watch demonstrations, enter a free raffle for a giclee print of my work, and see my paintings.

I will have paintings for sale at Regency Florists, 1080 Adelaide Street North, Unit 9, beginning March 21 as well as at the following locations.

As always, thank you for reading my newsletter and for your ongoing support.

Sue

April 21, 22, 23 

Hearts and flowers to you for Valentine's Day!

Here at the Garrington residence preparations for this year's London Artists' Studio Tour are well underway. I have completed lots of new paintings which are currently stored away safely while we work (not the fun kind) in the studio. A few years of hanging paintings and then moving them as they were sold then patching holes (by me) and replacing them with new paintings has resulted in a need to more carefully patch and sand (by Brian) and then to paint (again, not the fun kind). This time we decided to paint one of the walls a different colour called Hiking Trail. I can hardly wait to see how my paintings will look on this new colour! I will be so happy when the is project is finished and I can get back my studio to paint (the fun kind!). 

This year I will have paintings at The Brush and Palette Show in APRIL at St. Paul's Cathedral. To see a preview of my work for the show go to The Brush and Palette website,  www.brushandpaletteclub.com and check out my gallery. While you're there take a look at the work of the many talented people who are members of this club!

 And finally, my upcoming shows and events are listed on my website, www.susangarrington.com . If you select Upcoming Events from the menu you will find detailed information including, venus, dates, and times.

MY PAINTING PROCESS AND OTHER THINGS:

As is always the case, January's weather this year alternates between cold bright sunny days when the snow squeaks underfoot and miserably grey days of freezing rain, snow fog, whiteouts and storms.

The first sort are energizing, invigorating and full of hope.These are the kind of days I love and they are what makes winter my second favourite season. I clean and organize my studio, take inventory, make lists, make plans, make drawings and paintings.

The second sort lend themselves to sitting by the fire, perusing old sketchbooks and journals, dreaming and recalling fond memories and, alas, worrying and despairing over THE FERN. Many of you who have visited our home have seen the "Monkey Tail Fern" as it was known in our childhood home. More commonly called "Rabbit's Foot Fern", this particular specimen is about 50 years old. I inherited it from my mother and every January since it came to live with us, it begins a frenzy of fern shedding and causes me to worry that I have, at last, killed it. Then I try to remind myself that it does this every year and that some botanists believe this type of fern ( Davillia fejeensis ) predates the dinosaur! Surely if the species has survived this long it can survive life in the Garrington household. Each year when the early spring days lengthen it shoots out lots of lovely new fronds and I breathe a sigh of relief.

In a similar way each time I paint sooner or later I arrive at a place of despair where everything seems wrong and ugly. I need to remind myself just to keep going, to reject the impulse to rip it up and toss it in the garbage, to listen more attentively to what it is trying to tell me. The conversation requires time, patience and above all hope. Like many other endeavours painting needs faith that a good outcome is within reach.

In case you are filling in your calendars for 2018, here are a few of the places I will be showing my paintings this year. As the dates get closer, I will provide you with more detailed information in my newsletters.

UPCOMING EVENTS 2018

Brush and Palette Show: April 5, 6, 7

London Artists" Studio Tour: April 20, 21, 22

Stratford Studio Tour (Spring) May 19, 20 21

Stratford Studio Tour ( Fall ) Sept. 22, 23

Gallery Painting Group Show: Oct. 18, 19 20

Wishing you the very best of the season and happiness in 2018.

Merry Christmas from the orange cat, Merlin, my husband, Brian and me.

Our first snowfall, cold weather, death of my trusty old car, impatiently waiting for its replacement, Remembrance Day, returning to Eastern Standard time, Christmas Bazaars and Open Houses and Art Shows abounding; November is an exciting and busy month , if occasionally bittersweet. I love the cold weather and its accompanying change of wardrobe and menus, the increased activity at our bird feeders, the building excitement of Christmas preparations, but I dread the impending scary driving, scraping windshields, and freezing rain that winter brings.

Here in my studio I have been getting work ready for Christmas shows at Westland Gallery (London) and Illumine Gallery ( St. Thomas). Both galleries will have my "tablescapes" available but in different formats and sizes. Westland's work is watercolour mounted on cradled board while Illumine will feature smaller paintings framed shadow box style. Any of these would make a wonderful gift for someone special on your list or a lovely indulgence for yourself, should you so desire. For more information about the shows go to Upcoming Events on my website, www.susangarrington.com .

I have been continuing to explore the world of linocut prints and am enjoying the technique very much. I am also planning and painting watercolours in preparation for the 2018 Spring Shows. I am trying out a few new ( to me ) colour palettes and subject matter as well as continuing with those I have been exploring over the past three years.

As always, my studio is open by appointment. Thank you for your continuing support. I hope that the remainder of your November is more sweet than bitter.

Belated Happy Thanksgiving to you!

There are so many things I have to be thankful about including those of you who have sent emails or approached me in person to let me know that you enjoy receiving this newsletter. I am grateful too, for the positive remarks you have made about my work and for those who have paid me the ultimate compliment of taking one of my paintings home. I am thankful as well for the opportunities I have been given to exhibit my work this year. These opportunities have allowed me to make new friends and clients.

The chance, once again, to experience my favourite season in Canada’s first and oldest Provincial Park, Algonquin, is high on my list of things for which to be grateful! My husband, Brian, and I spent several days in the park and met people from all over the world who had travelled here to enjoy Fall in Algonquin. We stayed at a lodge, a relaxing place in a great location. Our days were spent sauntering down trails ( and up, let’s not forget up,  where sauntered was sometimes replaced with struggled!) It was so much fun to follow the trail markers, take photos, and while Brian occasionally fished, I sketched.

                                                                     Algonquin sketches

 I suspect that there will be some landscapes developing in my studio in the not too distant future.

Just before we left home for Algonquin I received an email informing me that my painting, Windflowers, was juried into the Colour and Form Society’s Open Juried Exhibition. It takes place at The Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery from November 1st to 29th, with the Reception taking place on November 5th from 2 to 4 pm. I am both happy and honoured to have had my work selected.

I am exhibiting three paintings at the Byron Memorial Library with the Gallery Painting Group from October 19th to 21st. Check the Upcoming Events page on my website for times and details.

I hope that you have had a chance to savour this wonderful season, to gaze at colourful trees, to saunter along a leaf covered path, to breathe in the intoxicating scents of Autumn and perhaps to bid farewell to flocks of geese overhead. 

As always, thank you for your interest in my work and for your support. They are both appreciated more than I can express.

You may wish to save reading this until you can pour yourself a cup of coffee or a nice cup of tea or beverage of your choice and put your feet up. I apologize for such a long newsletter this month but it seems I have a lot to say.

We spent the last week of the summer at a cottage in Kincardine with our grandson. (Now I know summer isn't yet officially over quite yet, but for me, as soon as school starts summer ends.) While the weather wasn't exactly what you would call beach weather, with the exception of a day or two, it was perfect for walking along the beach gathering rocks and fossils, fishing, playing UNO, reading and sketching. Evenings were spent laughing and enjoying each other's company and so summer came to an end in a delightful way and we could look forward to Fall with lots of good summer memories to savour.

I wonder if any of you think of summer as the beginning of a new year as I do? I have spent the majority of my life in schools either as a student or a teacher and so September always seems like a new beginning. Maybe that's one of the reasons I love Fall so much. It is a chance to begin again, to be better this time around. It is filled with limitless possibilities and chances to make new friends and to reconnect with old ones, to learn new skills and to practise and hone those previously learned, to visit with former teachers and to adjust to new ones. It is an intoxicating and exciting time and just a little scary.

This September I am taking a print making class, something both new and a little scary. 

I went to an Opening ar Shane Norrie"s Contemporary Gallery in Stratford ( www.sncgallery.com ). A delightful show and an opportunity to chat with Shane and with Mary Philpott. Shane's paintings are magical and Mary's sculptures captivated me once again. This time one followed me home!

I was excited to learn that one of my watercolours was juried into  the Annual Exhibition at St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre. (www.stepac.ca ) The exhibition takes place from September 2 to October 21 with an Artists Reception on Saturday September 30th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. I hope you get a chance to see the exhibition or to attend the reception.

I delivered new work to Art And Soul in Port Stanley last week. Stop in for some delicious food and great art the next time you visit Port Stanley.

I am continuing to enjoy working on the little square watercolours I mentioned in my last newsletter. I have been so encouraged by the response to them that I am considering doing some larger pieces in a similar style and format.

Breakfast In The Garden

I am looking forward to the rest of Fall and to a trip to Algonquin Park with Brian in October. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your ongoing support and encouragement. It is appreciated so much. I hope you have a wonderful Fall filled with excitement, things to look forward to, limitless possibility and that you try something new that's just a little scary.

Sue