Happy Fall…Every year I plan and anticipate with great excitement several “fall adventures”… unfortunately this year my adventures (due to circumstances beyond my control have been curtailed…)so I have been searching in my archives for some blasts from the past. These were taken back in October 2008 out at Deer Path Camp on Commando Lake ( Located just south of Lake Nipissing, Commanda Lake lies just south of the popular Restoule Provincial Park.

Good Saturday Morning…. love my backyard buddies.

Fast facts:The chickadee is the provincial bird of New Brunswick. Black-capped Chickadees are small birds that measure 12 to 15 centimetres long. They have grey backs, a black cap that covers their eyes, white cheeks and a black triangular bib on the throat. Their stomachs are white with buff along the sides and their wings and tail are dark grey with white edging.Chickadees make their chickadee-dee-dee call using increasing numbers of dee notes when they are alarmed.

Rainy Sunday afternoon… the chick a dees don’t mind at all… just leave the sunflower seeds and they are happy!

Excited to be embarking on this new endeavor. Please contact us for any information.

Hello All!This is a very happy post. We have been working diligently behind the scenes to bring Gateway To the Arts from dream to reality. We hit a few bumps along the way, mainly the one everyone is sick of hearing about, COVID, but a few others as well. However Dani-Lynn Redgrift-Berthelot, Shanan Thibault King and myself are exceptionally excited to let the cat out of the bag this afternoon. After looking at an endless stream of retail spaces we have confirmed (20 minutes ago) that the new location of Gateway To the Arts will be 151 MAin Street West in North Bay. This space is 1300 sq. Feet of beautiful upstairs space and 1300 sq. Feet of basement space that will be turned into studio space for rent and host several permanent artists. We could not be more pleased to have worked out a great agreement with the owner. This has been a long time coming but Gateway To the Arts finally has a CONFIRMED bricks and mortar home within the Gateway City. Our target open date will be October 1, 2020 just in time for the upcoming holiday season and we will be accepting artist applications as of TODAY. Gateway To the Arts will become THE place to go for gallery quality artwork from across the north with many membership levels. Our focus will be on promoting artists/artisans, mixed media artists and on promoting the sale of original art pieces. We will offer a directory of artists from across the north who will be available to facilitate workshops, seminars and classes of a professional quality while supporting the passion of a mature artists and children in positive learning environments. We will also be facilitating bookings for organizations, realtors looking to stage homes and film set design as well as offering quality events within the gallery and northern Ontario communities and organizations. Gateway To the Arts will follow a true co-operative model and our mandate will be to work together to help each other, teach each other and promote each other throughout the creative process.

For further information please contact us : gatewaytotheartscoop@gmail.com

Happy World Photography Day, August 19…. The soft click of the camera, a flash of light and a moment in time captured forever. Maybe digitally, maybe on film, the medium is never as important as the memory or moment caught. A group of people, a sunset, or even a fish jumping out of the water, a photograph is a way to feel the emotion and context of that exact moment. Celebrate that!Photography Day is a day whereby we pay tribute to the incredible art form that is photography. Just think about how important photography is, and it is not easy to see why this date is well-deserved.There are those personal photos that we all love and cherish, but there are also photos that tell a story. They tell us about significant periods in time or enable us to learn more about the planet. After all, they do say that a picture is worth one-thousand words, right?

Ta da! It’s Thursday…. August 13th, 2020. Almost the weekend! Saturday looking good weather wise…Sunday not so much! Enjoy!

Stay safe… hydrated… wear your mask!

“The flower doesn’t dream of the bee, it blossoms and the bee comes”

August long weekend on the horizon! This is my public service announcement… Stay safe… be diligent! Wash those hands… practice social distancing… wear your mask. RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBOUR and be KIND!

Special day in our family… my oldest son’s birthday! To those celebrating a birthday, anniversary… any kind of celebration.. NO it is not quite how we envisioned it to be but that being said.. we have made progress with OUR diligence, perseverance and being SMART! For following the science and those that are respected educators!!

Been out and about the last week or so and have enjoyed the company of some great friends… (from my bubble) My back yard/back deck has been my sanctuary during this pandemic… and I have been richly rewarded! As we move into Stage 3 here in Northern Ontario… please follow the advice of the Health Experts. Wear your mask, wash or hands, social distance, BE KIND.. and respect one another!

My piece for the Downtown Sudbury Art Crawl.” Before the Storm” 16 x 24 on wrapped canvas. It will be on display at The Gallery ” 180 Elgin Street. And will be of the Auction the week beginning July 20th.