Here’s your chance to mingle with local artists and enjoy an evening out: artists at the Sunset Arts and River Road Galleries, located west of Purdy’s on River Road, invite you to their 2010 gala opening June 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Grand Bend Strip publisher Casey Lessard is among the artists selling art at Sunset Arts this summer. His photo of tundra swans mid-flight is one of the works featured in his Casey365.com project from 2009.

The Grand Bend Studio Tour runs May 1 and 2 in studios and galleries across the area. This year’s roster includes: Adelaide Glass (Linda Rupp), Anne Luxton, Barb McKnight, Barry Richman, Bill Nieuwland, Bliss Studio, Casey Lessard (I’ll be at Pine Dale and Sunset Arts), Christopher Grimes, David Bannister, Debra Bailey, Fran Roelands, Gallery Algo, Helga Otton, Jack Winn, Josy Britton, Kristyn Watterworth, Laura Jones Wright, Mary Lynn Fluter, Michael Billett, Patricia Downie, Sunset Arts, and Teresa Marie. Admission is free to all.
The best place to start is at Baillie’s Framing, where you can find maps to the various locations, including the River Road strip of galleries, Pine Dale Motor Inn, Bliss Studio in Port Franks, and various home studios.

Fran Roelands is ABCA feature artist

21st annual Conservation Dinner
Thursday, April 15
South Huron Rec. Centre, Exeter
Tickets: $50
Phone: 1-888-286-2610
http://www.conservationdinner.com

West McGillivray watercolour painter Fran Roelands is this year’s Ausable Bayfield Conservation Dinner feature artist, and is offering her painting, Along the Banks of Mud Creek (above), to this year’s auction. The painting depicts a late winter scene at the back of her family farm on Creamery Road, where she has lived for 30 years with her husband, Matt.
Casey Lessard visited her home studio and gallery to discuss art and conservation.

As told to Casey Lessard

I’m an outdoors type of person. I enjoy the scenery and we’re blessed to have this beautiful climate we live in with all its seasons. I enjoy every kind of weather.
We live on the land. We appreciate the beauty that we’re surrounded by. We appreciate the clean water and clean air and try to keep it that way for generations to come. We tap into all the resources we can to do things properly.
I was inspired (to pursue art) years ago when I was young. My dad had a lot of books with drawings and I felt someday I could do that.

The artist’s way
My approach is very simple. If I’m driving around, I always have my camera with me, and if I see something interesting from a different angle, I like to capture that. I’m also interested in our modern agriculture. As much as I like the older antique nostalgic feeling, I appreciate the newer, more modern ways of farming as well. I’m interested in painting what I see as the way our future generations will be farming.
It all starts with the initial drawings, figuring out what lines of direction you’re going to use to get your viewer into the picture and to what you want them to see. You do a light and dark value sketch to make sure that image is going to work. You don’t want something that is off-balance or boring. Contrasting colours are huge; everything you do, you try to create conflict. You try to just bring that emotion out in the painting. That’s my goal.
I take lots of photographs and sometimes combine different images from different photographs. I’m very particular about the design and composition. I look at what’s important to me in this painting and I do everything I can to get my viewer to know that that’s the focal point.
My colour choices come into that. It shows what kind of day it was, or what I was feeling that particular day. Along the Banks of Mud Creek is a painting more of what I was feeling that day than the actual site. I just felt the warmth of the sun and thought, this is the best day to be back here appreciating this winter day. We’re lucky to have that in Ontario.
Local details add an emotional feeling that I want my viewer to get. I painted an old barn near Dashwood, and I love the aspects of decaying wood; I have an appreciation for things like that because I know they won’t be here forever that way. As far as animals in pastures, I see changing times. Life is change and I’m trying to capture images of this moment in time as well.
Light can give you the mood in the painting. I like to paint something that gives the viewer a positive feeling. It’s not part of the business approach; it’s my outlook on life. I try to be positive and have a good attitude about what I’m doing. I just feel I need to be true to myself when I paint. I enjoy the interaction with people coming and talking about the art, and it’s a really personal decision to them whether they would like a piece of art.
I hope people get a peaceful sense of pleasure looking at it. I did a painting once of a crazy storm in the summer time, and it was the wildest sky. Three quarters of the painting was the sky, and there was a streak of light on a farm. I did this painting and I got it framed. That was the first year of the studio tour, and I hung it up. A couple came in and said, “When we drive to our work in London, there have been so many storms this summer, and we saw that sky. And that is exactly what we felt when we saw that scene.” They bought that painting. When someone buys a painting of mine, they are buying something of me. It’s very personal.

Moving forward
I hope to keep growing and never lose enthusiasm about what I’m doing. I’m an independent spirit and I will go where I think I need to go. I hope to venture into more colourful scenes, and this one is part of that journey. I’m having fun with it, so that’s where I’m going now.

If you’re not passionate about what you’re going to paint, don’t bother because you won’t enjoy it. You have to know what inside of you drew you to that subject, and do everything you can to make your viewer know that, too.

Fran Roelands
Creamery Road Studio and Gallery
519-294-6710
http://www.franroelands.com
Viewings by appointment. Giclee prints available at Baillie’s Framing in Grand Bend and Beside Mom’s café in Parkhill.

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

After winning Best in Show at Paint Ontario several years ago, Josy Hilkes Britton used her cash prize to buy a canoe. Her ensuing paddling excursions resulted in Reflections, Britton’s second Paint Ontario Best in Show painting.
“That’s how I get inspired in the first place, canoeing,” Hilkes Britton said after winning the prize Friday night. “This year’s painting is what I see when I canoe down the Ausable River, where you see the full reflections of the trees and it makes the water look really deep.”
The complexity of the work requires a skilled artist, and a discerning eye.
“I like a painting to work from two distances,” she says. “From a distance, I want it to draw you in closer. Then, when you’re close, I think you shouldn’t be disappointed that you took the trouble to get close. In this painting, from a distance, you might think it’s upside down. Then, when you get closer, you see the leaf and it makes sense.”
The realism of the painting is pervasive in much of the work at Paint Ontario, a show that showcases representational work, in other words, paintings that illustrate real things.
“When you look at the artwork, you will know what the artist was trying to paint,” says founder Barry Richman. “That doesn’t mean the artist can’t push the boundaries toward abstraction. This isn’t by any means a competition of magic realism, of who can paint the most fur on the fox or feathers on the loon.”
Still, that type of work is welcome at the Lambton Heritage Museum hosted show. About 145 artists from across Ontario submitted 288 paintings, and 180 were juried into the exhibition. In its 14th year, Paint Ontario has sold more than 400 paintings over that time, resulting in more than $250,000 in sales for artists.
“We will bring in more than 2000 people to the museum in the shoulder season,” Richman says. “It’s a win-win for the artists and the community.”
Artists interested in entering work in the 2011 exhibition should contact Richman through http://www.paintontario.com.

Zurich photographer opens shop in Exeter above Village Vines

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

One of our favourite area photographers, Sandra Regier, opened a studio and office above Village Vines in Exeter in July. Regier hosted an open house Friday to show the new place, which is a photographer’s dream. The former apartment has two floors: the floor above the flower shop is her office, and the top floor is a wide open loft ideal for studio portraits and classes.
“I wanted to separate my work and family life,” Regier says, noting she was previously running the business from her home. “I got busy a lot faster than I thought I would. When I was at home, I was always working. Part of it was to separate that. I also wanted to show people that it is my business and I take it seriously. I love doing it, but it’s not just a hobby.”
Now that digital photography has made photography a hobby anyone can do, it seems like many are trying to also make it a business. The Strip asked Regier what she thought of the trend.
“For me, it’s making sure the images last a lifetime and are well taken care of,” she says. “I also want to make sure your children and grandchildren have pictures to look at. It’s not just about having pictures on a disc, but also prints that can become family heirlooms. Digital is really easy, it seems, but if you never make a print or album, there’s nothing for people to look at. It’s important to me that you have something that has lasting power.”
To get a sense of Sandra’s work, visit http://www.sandraregier.com or stop by her studio at 391 Main Street in Exeter.

Story by Casey Lessard
Painting by Helga Otton

After a trip to Cuba, an inspired Helga Otton returned to Grand Bend with plans to document the town in the way Caribbean artists do. The result is Dreamin’ Grand Bend, a surreal collage of favourite Grand Bend landmarks painted in acrylic on canvas, as seen at left.
“I put in what I wanted, but I’m sure some business people will say, ‘How come I’m not in there?’ But I was looking for interesting architecture.”
The buildings that are included are iconic, Otton says.
“I knew I had to have a steeple in it for the skyline, and the rest are landmarks of Grand Bend. The church is a landmark as are the lighthouse and the bathhouse. I used a couple of cottages from the old village. Dairy Dip is pretty important; you can’t come to Grand Bend without having an ice cream. FINE is a cute little building.”
Otton, who is inspired by Lake Huron and often paints the lake, admits she left out some iconic parts of Grand Bend.
“I don’t have any sand. I couldn’t put sand in it. (Casey: “No bikinis either.”) I do have T-shirts in the Island Beach Company window!”
Several prints have already sold, including one on its way to Florida, and another to Toronto. It’s enough to inspire Otton to consider more using this technique.
“With the response I’ve gotten, I think I might do more.”
If you’re interested in getting a print, Otton will be part of the Sunset Arts Christmas show November 7 and 8 at the gallery in the River Road art complex. Otherwise, you can contact the artist directly at 519-238-6671.
Prices are as follows: 8×10 matted prints are $55, 8×10 framed prints are $100, 16×20 prints on canvas are $275, and 20×25 prints on canvas are $385.

Needs supporters to maintain River Road presence

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

The Grand Bend Art Centre could give up the lease on its River Road space if a fundraising effort fails to generate enough interest before October. Artists (including this reporter) use the space to teach art workshops to community members. Artist Teresa Marie, who launched the centre last summer, hopes to sell enough books of coupons valid year-round at local businesses ($40 each, available at the River Road Gallery and elsewhere locally) to pay the rent and secure programming for the fall.
“We have to let Milford know by October whether we’re going to keep this facility as an art centre,” Teresa Marie says. “If we can sell 150 coupon books before the fall, we can probably pull ourselves out of this. Then in April we’ll do the coupon book again with more coupons and have a fresher book for the new season.
“I’m looking for people who want to support the art centre, and this is our gift back to them and our gift to the community to keep the money spent in the community.”
The centre has $15,000 in annual expenses, and rentals and workshops do not cover the cost completely. Even with donations from Rotary and some private donors, the centre has not been able to cover costs.
“We fell short of our budget last year. Milford Purdy, who has been very forgiving, has let us continue to have the place and we’re paying him on a catch-up basis right now.
“As a painter, I was trying to get all of the painters in town together to form groups to use the art centre. For the short term summer season, I wanted it to be available for visiting artists who would stay for the weekend, take some workshops, meet some artists, spend some money in town, and get to know our community through the art.”
Regardless of whether it has a permanent physical space, Teresa Marie says the centre will continue to operate.
“If we can’t come up with the funds to keep that location, I will have to farm out the workshops elsewhere. I will continue to do this on a smaller scale, but I would like to see it continue here.”
Judy Steeper of Corbett hopes the space can maintain the status quo.
“I love the classes,” Steeper says. “They’re Grand Bend’s best kept secret. We’re really fortunate to have it because it’s a treasure. It’s great, especially for me. I work as a wedding planner and designer, and this helps me keep my creativity up.
“It’s handy and it’s close to home. It’s adding tourism and it’s a plus all around.”
Marie Hughes of Bayfield agrees.
“I hope it keeps on going,” says Hughes, who has taken several classes at the centre. “I’ve been hoping to do this for years and years. It’s an opportunity to do some learning close at hand without driving to the big city.”
Hughes notes that the centre is special because students of all abilities are welcome.
“It’s suitable for people who have never picked up a brush. I like that everyone in the class is at different stages in their ability.”
That’s what attracted Rosemary Stevens of London to the Teresa Marie’s painting workshop.
“I always wanted to find out if I could paint,” Stevens says. “I just retired in January and I established a bucket list of things to do that I never had time to do. My mother painted for pleasure and I always admired her work. I thought I’d like to try that and come down and take a class.”
How has the experience been?
“It was very scary when I first started, but now I’m developing some self-confidence. It shows you that you just have to try.”
“People don’t always want to buy things,” says Teresa Marie, “but they want to do things. Grand Bend needs to offer that so people can stay active physically and mentally.
“I started to paint when I was 28 years old and I learned to paint from Barry Richman, David Bannister, and Klaus Verboom. Through them, the art gallery developed. Good things happen when good people get together. Out of that has grown a second gallery. I was taught by other people hands-on, and I want to share that with other people.”
For Rosemary Stevens, supporting the art centre is important for Grand Bend, not only for the students but also for the greater community.
“I think it’s an expression of people in the community and their appreciation for where they are. It’s very important.”

To show your support, buy a coupon book ($40 at River Road Gallery and elsewhere) or sign up for a class.
To find out more, call 519-238-8978 or email grbartcentre@hay.net.

Paintings by Lorraine Thomson and Tony Miller on display at Bliss Studio in Port Franks

The Art of Bliss
Bliss Studio, 519-243-3598
7617 Riverside Drive, Port Franks

Story by Casey Lessard

A winter storm set in motion a collaboration that led to this summer’s final show at Bliss Studio in Port Franks. Owners Lorraine Thomson and Tony Miller started working together on paintings after Thomson came into the studio where Miller was working in December. Asking if she could add some strokes to his painting, Miller agreed, and by the time they were done, they had to push the door together to get through the snowpile that had built up.
“I was working on the Red Dancer,” Miller says. “She said she’d really like to paint on it, too. So we went for it. It worked out so well, I got her to make me a commitment to work on a series for a show. Just wanted to show how two different styles can work together.”
“It was Tony’s idea, but it was meant to happen,” Thomson says. “After all these years, it was inevitable.”
Together, the pair painted six works that are on display at their home studio/gallery. Work by the individual artists completes the show.
“It’s surrealistic,” says Miller, describing the work. “I do some high realism work and some abstract work. Lorraine’s a contemporary artist, but she paints a lot of realism and abstracts it a bit. Combined they’re abstract, surrealistic and fantasy. It’s hard to put a label on them.”
“Our work is experimental,” Thomson adds. “If it doesn’t work out, it’s no big deal. It’s not the end of the world.”
There were times, though, when Thomson surprised Miller with her contributions.
“She shocked me sometimes by totally covering something I just spent an hour or two painting,” Miller says. “You just have to trust each other knowing you have the best wishes for the ultimate outcome.”

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

When Deb and Jim McCann bought a lakefront cottage last year, it came complete with a dead tree. Of course, they thought what anyone would: make a pirate.
“It’s an elm tree that was hit by lightning about four years ago,” Deb says. “The bark flew off it one winter and we got it cut down last fall. We left the stump, and Jim thought a pirate would look good looking out to sea.”
They asked around if anyone knew a carver, and the Wilhelms of Exeter suggested Paul Frenette, who had carved one of their trees. Frenette, of Kitchener, has been carving for five years.
“I carve all kinds of stuff, but my favourite to do is stump carving,” Frenette says. “Bring a tree back to life and give it a second life. I’ll do pretty much anything they ask, but if it’s up to me I do something mythical, like spirit faces, dragons, or gargoyles.”
For this project, he took his inspiration from the Wexford shipwreck off the Lake Huron coast, and from popular culture.
“I like pirates, so the Pirates of the Caribbean movie was the ultimate resource. I did a clay model of what I wanted to do, and I do that for complex jobs. Otherwise I carve what feels good.”
Neighbour Daphne Johnston is impressed.
“It’s terrific. I think it’s a very creative way to use a dead tree stump rather than cutting it up. It’s neat to have pirates guarding our little section of Elmwood.”
The pirate took several visits to complete, and is all freehand carving using a variety of tools.
“It’s about 99 per cent chainsaw, so I have five chainsaws of different sizes, and when I get to the details, I use chisels for eye balls and fine details I can’t get into with the chainsaw.”
With proper care, the carving can last a long time.
“I’ll use a wood hardener because it’s already been dead for four years. I’ll treat it and finish it. This should last 15 to 20 years if they take care of it. Ideally you would cut it off at the bottom, seal it and reattach it. Then it would last forever because water’s not getting into from the bottom.”
Frenette’s clients include homeowners like the McCanns and several Kitchener area golf courses. For more information, visit http://www.rantandrave.ca or call 519-744-9544.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I want to send my gratitude to everyone who came to my art exhibition opening over the weekend. It was not only a pleasure to see old faces, but also to see the silent supporters who had never previously said hello. I had people visiting from as far away as England and Denmark (thanks for coming Darren). I am especially grateful to the few, including the Brits, who supported me by buying my work; you know who you are, and I hope others follow your example. It proves to me that the work I’m doing is valued, so thank you very much.
Thank you also to Anjhela for performing, and to Tony and Lorraine for hosting. As always, my mom is my biggest fan, so thank you especially. The show continues until the 26th, so be sure to stop by Bliss Studio in Port Franks when you get a chance.
Thanks also to you, the people who are reading this paper right now. If you have this in your hands, it means that you believe in what I’m doing, and for that I’m grateful. If you’re not a subscriber, I hope you will consider signing up as it is the best way to give me the flexibility to cover events and find stories that no one else is covering. This area is full of interesting stories, and I do my best to report on as many as possible.
It’s a short summer, and we’re already into it. Enjoy the good weather when it comes, and stay safe.

Caroline Bruce creates exotic accessories at home in Parkhill

After spending a couple of years working in Jamaica, Caroline Bruce decided home is where her heart was. The 28-year old recently launched Tweak jewelry (http://www.tweakboutiqueonline.com/), her line of unique hand-crafted accessories made from semi-precious stones, metals and woods.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photo by Casey Lessard for Casey365.com

The biggest compliment is when someone sees what I make, falls in love with it, and can’t resist wearing it three days in a row.
I make necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets. I want to be sure I’m making things people couldn’t just go out and buy at the mall. If it doesn’t make sense to be hand making it, I don’t. The collection is pretty narrow, but it’s stronger because more time has been put into the composition and base design of the pieces.
I’ve been making jewelry for about seven years as a hobby. Then I started selling things so I could buy more beads. People liked it and I liked it even more, so it grew from there.
I grew up in Parkhill and went to school in Toronto for human biology. I decided that wasn’t for me, and did a degree in interior design. I spent a couple of years in Jamaica doing interior design and decided I wanted to be back at home with my parents. I couldn’t think of anything that I wanted to do more than turn something that had been a hobby into a business. My bills are reduced, and I don’t have any other commitments, so I thought, go for it.
I had seen before that it was possible to preserve orchids in resin, and I was enamored by it. I bought a few brooches and things, but they were gilded with metals like gold or silver. I thought it would be better to see the entire flower. One day, I found exactly what I was looking for on the internet. I eventually found someone who would do the colours and sizes I wanted. The process is complicated and because orchids aren’t native to Canada, I get them from overseas and they do exactly what I want.

The challenge of starting out
It’s easy to waste your time and not to realize that your time is your money when you’re trying to make a business out of something you’re doing personally. Since I’ve narrowed down my collection, I can be more productive in purchasing my materials, in the design time, in the time to put things together. I don’t create things I don’t like.
It’s not profitable for creative people to make what everyone else is making. You need to set yourself apart. Quality raw materials are a big thing. I’ve learned to find out exactly what the stone is and whether or not it’s been colour enhanced so you can tell the truth about your raw materials. Know as much as you can about it. You also have to learn what your niche is and how to portray your company. You want people to know something about you when they look at your advertising materials.

Advice to other creatives
Take to heart what people are saying about what you’re making. You’re making it and you love it, but other people have to love it, too. It can’t be all in your head. If you’ve given people things, listen to how it’s working for them. Don’t get caught in trends or fashions, and don’t compromise your dream for what you see out there.
Home is the best place to be when you’re starting out. You know everyone, you have family and friends to help you, you can ask advice from people who you know are experts. Businesses are smaller, so the wait time is less. Even running errands takes less time because it’s close. Living with my parents has made this all possible. They’ve helped me in so many ways.
I’ve done private shows, which are put on by myself for friends and family. I find them productive because everyone who comes wants to see your work. I’ve done craft shows and clothing shows, but the sales are proportionally less because people didn’t come specifically to see you.
I’ve realized I have to broaden my base by creating a website (http://www.tweakboutiqueonline.com/) that can showcase the work and where people can buy it. E-commerce is the way to go right now, and is probably the best bet for me.
My dream customer is anyone who loves unique accessories; anyone who’s going to love their piece is a customer I want.
To learn more, visit http://www.tweakboutiqueonline.com/

The Grand Bend Horticultural Society hopes this year’s Festival of Homes, Gardens and Arts sells out like last year’s event did. On board for the June 27 event are nine homes and gardens, 23 artists and 2 nurseries. Passports for the tour are $15, with locations disclosed that day. The passport includes treats such as homemade cookies and lemonade, and samples from local restaurants, Parmalat Cheese in London, and Brantford’s The Cider Keg. M&M Meat Shops is a major sponsor, and is donating proceeds from a lunch barbecue to the event.
Entertainment will be provided by UWO’s New Horizon Band, with Paul Seagrave performing at the Putherbough home in St. Joseph during the afternoon.
To reserve your passport, call 519-236-7884.

Focus of annual show is representational art

Paint Ontario
March 14 to April 5
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Lambton Heritage Museum

By Casey Lessard

“Fight poverty, buy art.”
That’s the mantra Paint Ontario founder Barry Richman uses to encourage people to support the representational art show he started in 1996.
“Paint Ontario was established by me, selfishly,” says Richman, “to serve artists like me – representational artists. We paint something that looks like that thing. Not abstract, not installations.”
This year’s juried show accepted 300 entries from about 110 artists; only 120 fit on the walls at the Lambton Heritage Museum. Most artists are from Ontario, with some from Michigan and elsewhere. Some artists will have no pieces accepted into the show, and the most an artist can have in the show is three.
It’s an attractive venue for artists for a reason. Forty-three paintings sold last year, an increase from the year before; this year may be different because of the economic climate.
“I don’t know any place that sells 43 pieces in three weeks. I don’t know how sales will go, but we’re up 50 per cent in entries from last year.”
All of the art is available for sale, with prices ranging from $175 to $6,000. Last year’s average sale price was $645. To prize for best in show is $2000, with other prizes offered. They include purchase awards for two pieces: $750 for a local piece featuring people living a healthy lifestyle that will be purchased by the Grand Bend Area Health Services and paid for by John and Helen Walsh; and $500 for a piece chosen by Richman to join the Paint Ontario permanent collection.
Richman is available to give tours to anyone coming to the show for the first time; he also has a wall set up with a good cross-section of the different subjects represented in the show.
“The biggest thing I enjoy is watching how artists have grown compared to last year. Artists come and are very objective about why not all of their pieces got in the show, or why none got in. They find out where they’re falling short and talk to me about what makes a good painting or a great painting. To me, that’s very important.”
For more information, visit www.paintontario.com

To get you in the mood for spring, Grand Bend artist Jack Winn presents an exhibition of small panels of winter scenes at Baillie’s Framing (beside the Grand Bend post office). The 15 panels, ranging in size from 6”x8” to 12”x15”, all depict local scenes. Some of the paintings are part of the juried show, Paint Ontario. The show runs from March 14 to April 3, with an opening reception Saturday, March 21 at noon. For more, visit jackwinn.com

Meet Me at the Diner
Exeter Skating Club Carnival
Sunday, March 29
12 and 4 p.m. (two shows) – South Huron Recreation Centre
$8 (advance) or $10 (at door), $4 for children 12 and under

While skaters prepare their routines for the Exeter Skating Club carnival March 29, students at South Huron District High School are preparing a backdrop to match the theme, Meet Me at the Diner.
“In groups they came up with images that reflect the various eras from the 1950s to now,” says visual arts teacher Carleen Hone, who is supervising the project by her Grade 10 art class. Among the images are portraits of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Garfield, as well as images of breakdancing and iPods.
The SHDHS band will also perform at the carnival, which features junior national skating champions and local skaters.

The Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority hosts its 20th Conservation Dinner April 16 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. This year’s feature artist is Bill Nieuwland of Huron Woods. The 64-year old self-taught artist frequently paints scenes that capture the ABCA’s mandate area. Nieuwland is donating three pieces: two giclée prints of previous work (Blue Point Sunset and Diamond Lake in Temagami), and a new, original work that he painted from the vantage point of his home on the Old Ausable River Channel called My Backyard.

As told to Casey Lessard

We moved here because we loved the trees, the beach, the river, the wildlife, the solitude, the quiet.
I always painted nature as a kid, and that’s what I love doing. I paint a lot of local scenes and a lot of water scenes. I did one of Arkona, and they sold a print of that at their silent auction last year.
My favourite spot is either the beach or the river. Most of my paintings are made in those areas. I’ve done four of my backyard, but you can only do so many of your backyard. I’ve done several of the Pinery. Then there’s the beach; I’ve done logs on the beach, geese on the beach, a lot of scenes on the beach.
I try to paint as much detail and dimension as I can. You want to outdo yourself every time. To do that, I look at other artists who do excellent work and wonder how they do it. I try to catch the methods they use, but I’m not trying to outdo them; I’m trying to outdo myself.
Four years ago, Doug Ellison suggested we join him at the dinner, and we were impressed. The dinner and atmosphere were great. They’ve picked some real good artists in the past. It’s quite a recognition and I’ve been donating prints to the silent auction ever since. I’m able to show my art to 450 people and be recognized in another area other than just Grand Bend. It’s a way for them to raise money. Plus it gives me exposure to people interested in my art.
I live on the river. I want it maintained in good standing. The ABCA does a good job and they have a lot of support, with a lot of people coming to the dinner. I believe in what they stand for: conservation areas are very important. I love nature, so I want to keep it as good as we can keep it.

For more information, visit www.abca.on.ca or www.conservationdinner.com

Grand Bend artist Josy Britton was recently honoured with entry into the Society of Canadian Artists. For each submission, the society’s jury looks at five paintings made within the last two years, examines the artist’s résumé and determines which would be a good representative of current art in Canada.

At told to Casey Lessard

We lived in Freelton and had 10 acres of maple trees. Gord’s work got transferred to Sarnia, and we were looking for a place there. Then Gord worked at the Bruce nuclear station and had to drive to his office in Sarnia. He had to pass through Grand Bend, and knew I had camped for years at the Pinery, so he timed how long it took to get from here to Sarnia.
He blindfolded me and brought me to what I thought was one of the houses in Sarnia. We stopped here on this lot and took off the blindfold with me looking up, and all I could see was this canopy of trees. He said, “Could you be happy here?” That’s how we ended up living here.

I have to live in a forest because I like feeling like I’m part of nature, and I think people can live in harmony with nature. I love every day looking outside when I wake up and seeing what kind of day it is.
Right now I’m working on a series of water paintings. I find it an exciting subject because water doesn’t stay still. The movement is fun to create.
My calling is to paint and I find it really easy to paint, but the other part of being an artist is the promotional part, which doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve had shows in Toronto, but I don’t have a gallery that represents me there. I think the next time I approach galleries, this will help give legitimacy to my request.
My long-term goal is to have work in the National Gallery or the Art Gallery of Ontario. This is a vote of confidence from my peers that my work deserves to be there. That’s what I’m hoping.

Paintings by Josy Britton
http://www.josybritton.com
http://www.societyofcanadianartists.com

Exeter writer Rick Hundey set his first novel Death at the Bend in Grand Bend. It was released in November by Faux Pop of Goderich.

As told to Casey Lessard

I’ve been playing around with writing for years. I didn’t get serious about it until about six or seven years ago. I joined a writers’ group and we would share our writings and critique. I sent short stories to various contests, and I finally won one in the summer of 2005, and that was the Alice Munro writers’ festival and short story contest. It made me feel I was on to something.
I had been working as a management consultant and had enough contracts to keep me going, and I had some wonderful clients, but I wasn’t as interested in what I was doing as I should have been. I was working on manuscripts, and I got to the point where if I got a phone call from a client while I was working on a manuscript, I saw it as an interruption. That’s when I thought it was time to get at it full-time. That was a year and a half ago, when I was in the first draft of Death at the Bend.
I worked at it quite steadily and did seven or eight major rewrites; some authors do 20. Realistically it was two major rewrites with the rest fine-tuning.
The last few drafts were the result of the review process I went through with a couple of people in the writers’ group, a friend of mine who judges short story contests, and a couple of author friends. Then I linked up with Faux Pop in Goderich and decided to go with it.

In a nutshell, it’s about a coffee shop owner in Grand Bend who used to be the town’s police chief. I know they haven’t had one in recent memory, but I made up an amalgamation story where he turns down a job offer with the OPP and decides to put up his shingle to run a small consulting business and buying a small Main Street coffee shop with his girlfriend.
An ex-girlfriend reappears and she was a major problem in his life; yet here she is, needing help, having been charged with the murder of her spouse.
I found that the characters would end up telling me what was next. I always knew the ending and the main events, but the shifts along the way added more suspense. I’ve read a fair number of books on writing, and these people tell you that this happens to you. One writer in particular said to write biographies of your main characters. I did, and they’re fairly detailed biographies. You find yourself getting to a point where you know what your plot outline says but you ask yourself, what would he do? If he did this, what would happen?
I was done in the early summer and I was hoping to have something by the end of the summer, in time to catch the Grand Bend cottagers. I discovered that my expectations were unreasonable. There’s a copy editing process where revisions can affect other parts of the book. There was also a fair amount of work regarding decisions about the cover.
We weren’t ready for a launch until three weeks ago, and we’re thinking for our first stage that we’ll print three blocks of 300, and two-thirds of that first block are spoken for. That part has gone pretty well when you think that it’s only been two or three weeks.
Most of the sales have been by word of mouth or through library readings. After this stage we want to go to independent bookstores and possibly the chains. I think this is the more common approach than it used to be.

This is fun. Especially the writing part, and I really enjoy interacting with people at readings. If you’re a painter, you either sell your painting or you hang it on your wall. Either way people are going to look at it, and that’s your goal. When you write a book, it’s not just for you. Your only proof of its merit is that people buy it and tell you that it’s good. It will make a little bit of money, but that’s not the goal; if that’s your goal, there are better ways to do it.
For more, visit: http://rickhundey.fauxpop.tv/

Rick Hundey’s writing advice:

Just do it
I was writing when I was working full-time. This is as much a lifestyle decision as anything else. If you can write short stories with success, then you can do it part-time and it’s a great leisure pastime. I don’t think working on it full-time is required.

Hone your skills
I now think it’s more a skill than a talent. There are a lot of good books out there, and good courses. I took a fantastic course at Fanshawe with Susan Regier, who is this sister of our fire chief John Morgan.

Find others
It also helps to get in with some people that write. Talk to them, and exchange your work.

Write, write, write
The other thing you have to do is write a lot. If this was the old days, I would have a cedar chest full of manuscripts. My computer’s full of stuff. Just write and keep trying. Throw stuff out that doesn’t work or that you’re not happy with.

Favourite authors: Walter Mosley, Robert Crais, Tony Hillerman, and Elmore Leonard

By Casey Lessard

Capture action
Like our cover photographer Kelsey Brand’s photo of her sister Logan, your photos will be better if you capture life in action. Experiment with fast shutter speeds (like the cover) or slow ones, in which case you should move with the subject or stay perfectly still (i.e. use a tripod).

Find a great venue
Darlene O’Rourke’s photo of the McCarthy family shows that sometimes a portrait is as much about the venue as it is the people. Build a database of great places to take photos, remember when the light is good there, and bring your subjects when the time is right.

Be ready
Great moments like Jenn Moxham’s photo of her son Grayson aren’t waiting for you to pull out your camera. Have it ready, then shoot until you get the picture you want. It might take one shot, or it might take 50. Don’t let your guard down if your instinct tells you something great is going to happen.

Look around
Lea James’ detail of a knot is one of those shots you don’t see every day, yet it’s there every day for you to see it. Look up, look down, look around. Often the best photos are the ones you can’t see because you’re too busy looking at something else.

Change your schedule
Want to get a photo like Brenda Parsons’ of the wind turbines near Ipperwash (#1)? Brenda was up at 5 a.m. Now that’s taking photography seriously. By the way, bring your tripod and leave the shutter open as long as you can. You may need to use a night setting or bulb depending on your camera. Make sure the flash is off.

Use existing light
Andra Brand’s photo of her daughter Logan (#2) looks great because she’s using the light from the Christmas tree. You could use window lighting or really any light, even a street light. Just watch your white balance setting to make sure the colour looks the way you want.

Bring in several layers
Thinking of shooting another sunset? The reason Lynn Wilbur’s sunset (#3) is so beautiful is that she brought in several layers: a foreground (sand), middle ground (water), and background (sun). Try looking for those three elements, and then incorporate people.

Composition rules
Emily Marks’ photo of two people walking down a wooded road (#4) takes advantage of one of several composition rules, including balance, rule of thirds, dominant colour, leading lines. Wondering what these are? Visit http://www.grandbendphoto.com

Don’t be afraid of people
Karen Brown’s photo of the South Huron senior concert band in action (#5) requires the photographer to overcome the fear of being embarrassed by getting close to the action. If you get a good photo, and the subject is okay with it, it’s usually a good idea. See also Jane Miklovic’s photo to its right (#6).

Macro for flowers and bugs
Shooting flowers? Find the macro setting, which looks like a flower. Use it for bugs, too. Maggie Brennan used it for both (#7).

Frame within a frame
Look for opportunities to shoot people framed by an object such as a window or other frame, like Anita Deline did (#8). The frame acts as a foreground element, as discussed earlier.

Make your subject comfy
Once your subject is comfortable with you photographing them, interesting things happen, as Judy Jewell discovered (#9). Just tell people to pretend you’re not there, and act as comfortable as you want them to act. It takes a few photos for people to do that, but keep shooting and don’t draw attention to yourself.

Look for abstract details
Vreni Beeler was carving a pumpkin when she looked closer. She’s glad she did (#10). The closer you get, the more abstract everyday objects become.

Use your tools
Mies Vandeleygraaf’s photo of sunbeams through smoke (this page) incorporates several of these lessons. The more you bring together, the better your photos will be.

Keep your sense of humour
Martin Page’s raccoon photo and Paul Maguire’s photo of his granddaughter share a sense of fun that forces the viewer to smile.

To learn more, call Casey Lessard at 519-614-3614 or visit
http://www.grandbendphoto.com.
Future classes will also be posted on this website. Special thanks to the Grand Bend Art Centre and to the students who shared their work with the Strip.

Story by Casey Lessard

If you’re looking for an escape from reality, stop by Sarah Kane’s solo retrospective at Bliss Studio in Port Franks (7617 Riverside Drive, 519-243-3598), running August 11 to September 7. Twenty-five year old Kane, originally of London, sets up dreamscapes involving real people and transforms them through Photoshop before using graphite or acrylic to make art that bears her brand of escapism.
“It’s a literary term that’s been used a lot,” she says, “but it’s a form of art where you create a fantasy world to lose yourself in. When people come and see my show, because I create a theme for them to come and see, they enter a different world and it’s a new take on reality. The images aren’t so farfetched that you wouldn’t see it, but they’re a more beautiful and idealized version of what we see every day.”
Kane buys props and costumes to build her imaginary world, and often uses her younger sisters as models. Her art is beautiful and unsettling, and has matured into a solid enough body of work that at 25, she can have a retrospective show, a feat normally reserved for much more seasoned artists.
“I create a lot of art fairly fast. I do it full time, so I produce enough work to do two full out solo shows per year.”
Launching a full-time art career two years ago “was kind of a gamble because my boyfriend was in school,” Kane says, “so we took the chance and surprisingly I have been making money at it. I’m surprised at the response I’ve been getting. Everyone told me you can’t make it as a full-time freelance artist. I was uninspired by that and have never been interested in having a part-time job or in teaching, so I immersed myself in it. So far I’ve been able to make money off it to keep it going and it’s been rewarding so far.”
Bliss Studio is a sort of home for Kane, whose first group show was at the Port Franks studio.
“Usually we don’t do very many solo shows,” says owner Tony Miller. “But we’ve seen how hard Sarah’s been working and we thought it would be good for us and for her.”
“A lot of galleries are only interested in people that have already have been successful because they’re looking at the monetary factors. Who are they and can they sell? A lot of galleries are not willing to show up and coming artists, even if they think the art is visually appealing.”
Unlike many other galleries, Bliss enables young artists by charging a smaller percentage, and no hanging fee. It’s a bigger risk to take, but in the long run, Miller and Thomson think it’s worthwhile.
“No matter where she goes,” says owner Lorraine Thomson, “and I hope it’s to the top, I hope she see this as a home base.”

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

No one can deny the fact that the arts are an important part of our community. All you have to do is look at this issue of the Grand Bend Strip to see the creativity of the people who live in our community. From musicians to actors, dancers to cardboard boat builders, you can’t hide from the interesting ways people spend their spare time.
That’s why it’s such a joy to see an expansion at the River Road building home to the River Road Gallery and now Sunset Arts and the Grand Bend Art Centre. It’s been a long time coming, and the leadership of people like Teresa Marie and Milford Purdy are what we need more of in this community. Not to say other people aren’t stepping up; I see other artists and arts supporters on a regular basis taking leadership roles in community projects and organizations. It’s just nice to see a building that houses the arts almost quadruple in size (the River Road Gallery expanded this year, too).
The Art Centre et al are symbolic of the change that can and needs to happen in this community. If you support such change, show it by becoming a member of the Art Centre, shopping at Sunset Arts or the River Road Gallery, buying tickets to the Playhouse, or simply attending one of the many cultural events hosted in this town year-round. You can’t make this place better sitting in your house watching television. And why would you stay home when there’s so much to entertain you just steps away?

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

“We’ve been talking about it for ten years,” Grand Bend artist Teresa Marie says of the newly launched Grand Bend Art Centre. “I just got tired of listening to my own voice.”
The centre, housed in the same building as the River Road Gallery and the new Sunset Arts gallery on River Road, runs one-day workshops for visual arts lessons and is intended as a home for arts in the community.
“There was a space left open (after renovations by landlord Milford Purdy), and I thought this was as good a place as any for an arts centre. I made a deal with Milford and he let me have the space.”
The room is just enough for about a dozen people to sit and work at tables, although the space could accommodate other activities, such as yoga.
“I want to see it used four or five days a week,” Teresa Marie says. “I want to see at least three or four workshops a week. We have a place to get together, grow and share creative ideas.
“We have a large retirement community here, with not a lot to do. What do you do when it rains? What do you do in the winter? I hope we’ve planted a seed here for anything that’s creative.”
“All of us have a lot of creativity in us,” says Toronto French and Spanish teacher Dorothy Donley, who took one of the centre’s first workshops, “and it’s a way of releasing it and getting satisfaction out of something you’re not used to doing.”
The location is ideal, especially to fit Teresa Marie’s goal to create an arts core.
“It’s gorgeous being here on the river,” workshop attendee Cathy Lawn of Poplar Hill says. “It’s not far for me to come; it might be as far for me to go to London.”
Grand Bend artist Debra Bailey is one of the instructors, and she sees the centre’s long-term potential.
“I see the Arts Centre as a 12-month enterprise, not just for the summer. I think a lot of local people would be more inclined to come starting in September. There’s a good opportunity for teaching, and I think it will help tie the art community together.”
While workshops are the key attraction, memberships are the principal funding source. It costs $50 to join, and members get discounts at area restaurants and art supply stores, as well as discounts on workshops and the River Road Gallery calendar. The centre needs 350 memberships to be fully funded for the year.
“My long-term goal is to get this into the hands of a future arts foundation for Grand Bend. It’s part of a larger plan to get Grand Bend focused in an active direction that’s creative. I hope this will grow into other buildings, that more artists will come here, and that Grand Bend will develop a really strong cultural artists’ community.”
It’s an idea supported locally; among other donors, the Rotary club gave $3000 to support the project.
“This was Teresa Marie’s vision,” says Debra Bailey, “and bless her, she’s accomplished it. There’s been no place to take a workshop in Grand Bend.”

Workshops run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and include:
Saturday, July 26
Plug into your Creativity w/ Suzette Terry
Sunday, July 27
Basic Painting in Oils w/Teresa Marie
Wednesday, July 30
Drawing w/ Teresa Marie
Sunday, August 10
Basic Portraiture in Oils w/ Teresa Marie
Thursday, August 14
Shoot like a Pro! with Mary Lynn Fluter
Friday, August 15
People in Watercolour w/ Mary Abma

Members pay $75 (materials supplied) or $55 (own materials). Non-members pay $80 (materials supplied) or $60 (own materials).
To register or suggest a class, visit the River Road Gallery (River Road, Grand Bend), email grbartcentre@hay.net, or call 519-238-8978 or 519-238-6874.

The inevitable day has arrived.
I had hoped I would be able to continue to provide the Grand Bend Strip newspaper for free indefinitely, but after thinking long and hard this spring, I realize that the only way for the paper to publish this winter is to ask for your support.
Like you, I value the ability to learn more about the people who live and work in this community. I love meeting you and capturing your memories for the paper. This is what I feel I can bring to this community, and I want to stay here.
I also feel it’s important to bring to light some of the problems that exist here, and the challenges we face in this community. I’m willing to put the work into creating quality journalism here, but I can’t do it alone.
The Strip will continue to be free until the end of the summer, which on most people’s calendar is the Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it will be available only to Strip Club VIP members. Even the website will be restricted to VIPs. I have yet to decide whether the exclusivity will continue next summer.
I promise to make membership worthwhile, and hope you will contribute to surveys to improve the paper, and take advantage of special offers from our advertising clients.
For more information about club membership, please see our subscription page.

More than 60 artists are taking part in the fifth annual Hensall By Design, which runs July 12 to 18 at the Hensall United Church on King Street. Funds raised from the event support local initiatives.
The juried art show and sale attracts artists from across Ontario and the United States. Cash prizes are awarded for all categories, thanks to generous donations from local business and private individuals .
Among the categories are: flatwork; sculpture; fabric; photography/digital art, junior and senior youth categories; and a first-time exhibitors’ category.
To sponsor the event or for more information, call Ann Bayley at 519-262-3500 x208. Admission is $5 daily, with half-price admission for seniors Monday, July 14. The event is open Saturday to Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Tuesday to Thursday from 2 to 9 p.m. The event is wheelchair accessible.

Two new art ventures are launching this month in the same building as the River Road Gallery.
Sunset Arts is hosting an open house Friday, June 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the 63 River Road gallery space. The new gallery is a venture by artists Ana Mattos (wax), Bill Nieuwland (acrylic), Catherine Weber (pastel and watercolour), Debra Bailey (acrylic and watercolour), Fran Roelands (watercolour), Helga Ottan (acrylic), Mary Vener (oil and acrylic), Renata Kolarova (mosaic) and Susan Garrington (watercolour and acrylic). For more information, call 519-238-6914.
Meanwhile, artist Teresa Marie is seeking members for a new Art Centre, which will provide a space for art and photography classes, or any other creative endeavours suitable to the space. The centre is seeking members ($50 with benefits such as discounts for classes, local restaurants and for framing at Baillie’s), sponsors of all levels (from $200 to $5000 or more), teachers, and any other supporters. Charitable tax receipts will be given for qualifying donations. Several artists have offered to teach classes at the centre, including David Bannister (photography), Teresa Marie (drawing, oil painting, portraiture), Debra Bailey (watercolour), Mary-Lynn Fluter (portrait photography), and Suzanne Terry (painting). To become a charter member, contact Teresa Marie at 519-238-8978.

South Huron District High School hosts its annual Art & Design show Tuesday June 10 to Friday June 13 in the small gymnasium. The show starts Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., continues Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Friday until noon.
Admission is free, but donations to MS Research will be gratefully accepted. This exhibition will feature a wide variety of creative projects from the Visual Arts, Communications Tech, Construction Tech and Manufacturing Tech classes.

Tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Grand Bend Youth Centre, amateur artists with the Grand Bend Art Association host a year end show for their members. They’d love for you to attend!

How a former Grand Bend entrepreneur made his way into the movies and became an Internet star

By Casey Lessard

Sarnia native and Kitchener resident Robert Stirrett opened a hot dog and hamburger stand for his brothers in the 1970s. Today, Stirrett is a Flickr sensation, posting photographs that consist of two images fused and therefore called a PhotoFusion, which is his Flickr name.
Back in the early 70s, I ran the Ponderosa off Ipperwash. I ran a riding stable for a couple of summers, and then I rented for my brothers (thinking they’d want to do it) a hot dog and hamburger stand on Main Street Grand Bend. There was lots of business, but my brothers didn’t want to run it unless it was the weekend, so we kept it shut during the week. To make any money, you had to wait around for the bar crowd from across the street to let out.
In 1979, I was running a shoe store in Petrolia and I came into some money ($3500). I had always wanted to travel, so my brothers took over the store.
I was with a group that takes about two months to go from London to Katmandu. You get in the back of an army truck and you go all through Europe and Turkey. Then you go into Iran. I got out of Iran three days before the hostage crisis in 1979.
We went into Pakistan and went up to Srinagar in Kashmir. I wound up in New Delhi and they had a sign at the camp where we were staying looking for extras. I was a day late, but I went to the hotel to see what it was all about. They said, “You’re Canadian, can you work for three months?” and I said, Sure. Because I was Canadian I didn’t need a visa.
I was hired to be a stand-in for David Niven for The Sea Wolves with Roger Moore and Gregory Peck. A stand-in stays with the actor at all times and when the actor goes to wardrobe and makeup, you have to be their height and same skin tone, so you become the actor when the director sets the lighting and the camera.
It became more than stand-in work. Three days later, they had difficulty finding extras to play German and British soldiers. They had a big dance scene in New Delhi before they flew us to Goa. I said, Why don’t you use the people from the embassy? So they sent me to all the different embassies and wound up getting all the people to work for free. They hired me and I became an assistant to the director – without the title. I did all the hiring of all the extras throughout the movie. They paid me well and I had a blast.
Goa was Portuguese for 400 years. They had hired all these Sunday school teachers to play hookers and they told them they were playing party girls. They were Indian, but Portuguese Catholic. None of the local girls would do it because they’d be tainted for life for playing a prostitute in a brothel. They all quit and we needed them for this big scene. I went to an all-nude beach and found the girls with the darkest tans to do it.
I was in Sri Lanka when I had a chance to go down to film Indiana Jones; Steven Spielberg came up to recruit people for Temple of Doom. But I wanted to go to Nepal first and then to Thailand. I wound up in Bangkok and I knew The Killing Fields was going to be filmed. The director, Roland Joffe, had just won the Oscar for Chariots of Fire. I immediately got hired because I had experience. It was probably the most intense of all the movies I worked on. I was in a scene with Craig T. Nelson (who was the star of the TV series Coach). That’s my big scene.
I started doing Toronto skyline pictures in 1998, and I always look for a good beach. Grand Bend’s got a perfect beach for it because it has the beach house. Some of my best pictures are out of Grand Bend.
I know what I’m looking for. You have to match shadows, but it’s a really simple process. Now with computers, it’s amazing what you can do with them.
I invented a comb that you put in your wallet and to go along with the comb, I thought there should be a mirror. I wanted pictures on the back of the mirror for advertising, and Toronto has four million people, so I thought they would sell if I had a nice picture of the skyline. I went over to Toronto island, and found it difficult to get the swans to match the sky, so I started slicing with a razor blade across the harbour and put another bottom in.
I’m having fun with these pictures and am getting a great response. I haven’t had a day under 1,000 hits for about two months now. You get comments from around the world and I’ve been able to resurrect a whole pile of my old pictures.
To see more of Robert Stirrett’s work, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/BlairStirrett

Things to Do
July 7 to 11
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Arts Camp. Summer fun for boys and girls aged 9 to 12. How would you like a week of drama, music, creative movement, painting, sculpture, pottery, wood working, drawing, hiking, games and MORE? Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

July 14 to 18
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Theatre Camp. For all those Drama Kings and Queens out there, we have a Cider House Theatre Camp for boys & girls aged 12 to 15. This camp will focus on theatre tech, improv, staging, performance and MUCH more. Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

July 21 to 25
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Junior Science Camp. This is the first time for this camp for boys and girls aged 9 to 12. Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

The Pinery Flea Market opens for the season today, Sunday, May 4 and runs every weekend until Thanksgiving. Also today, the Grand Bend Studio Tour continues from 12 to 4 p.m. at various sites around town. Get out and enjoy the spring weather!

The Grand Bend Studio Tour runs this weekend, featuring 25 artists at venues around town. For more details, visit the Grand Bend Studio Tour website. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 3 and from 12 to 4 p.m. Sunday May 4.

ABCF Conservation Dinner featured artist David Bannister’s art shows love for the area’s water

ABCF Conservation Dinner
Thursday, April 17 – 5:30 p.m.
South Huron Recreation Centre
Tickets: $50 each
Contact: 519-235-2610, 1-888-286-2610 or info@abca.on.ca

Story and portrait by Casey Lessard
Paintings by David Bannister

“I’ve noticed that water features in my work about 80 per cent of the time,” says David Bannister, “whether it’s the river or a lake scene. I think the quality of the water around here is probably more important to me than I even realize.”
Bannister is the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation’s featured artist for its 19th annual Conservation Dinner to be held April 17.
“It’s an event that supports many different conservation activities,” says ABCA’s Tim Cumming, “including accessible trails, conservation education, fish stocking in the Morrison reservoir, and commemorative woods tree plantings.”
“When I was asked to do this,” Bannister says, “I was really pleased to help out. I’m very attracted to landscapes that involve farmland and water – rivers and things like that. It still strikes a chord with me from my youth being raised on a farm. I think you quite often see the management and the boards of the conservation authorities tend to be farmers. It’s really a way of making sure the land and the farms and the rivers that connect the rural and urban areas are healthy for all concerned. The conservation authority plays a vital role in the environment. They were environmentalists before the rest of us even heard the word.
“Having grown up on a farm, we always felt the water you grew up next to was important to the farm operation. I think it’s important to all of our lives. You realize you have to be stewards of the water, that there are people living downstream, that your livestock may depend on that source of water being relatively clean. You have to keep it free of pollutants, and we’ve all seen what happens when those things fail and the consequences.”
And water continues to be important for his life in Grand Bend.
“People are attracted to the water,” Bannister says. “I can’t imagine not living next to it anymore. In terms of tourism and attracting people to the community, water is a key part of that. The health of that watershed and the lake water is vital to maintaining both a tourism and living environment. As the lake comes increasingly under threat from septic tanks, farm runoff, or high E. coli for whatever reason, it’s important that those of us who already live here do what we can to protect the water and in some cases improve it.
“I keep a sailboat in the cut off the Ausable, and in the summer particularly, six days out of seven I’m on the river at some point. Certainly the quality of the water and the fact that it’s lively and active with fish you can see, it’s a reflection of the water quality for the community and the ability to attract tourism. It’s integral to our lives more than we realize.”
Bannister does a lot of photography in the watershed’s conservation areas, particularly Rock Glen in Arkona. His paintings are heavily influenced by the local environs, including Morning, Ausable, the painting he donated for the dinner’s auction.
“The subject matter is dear to my heart because it’s both the Grand Bend Yacht Club, where I keep my boat in the summer, and the building that the River Road art gallery is in, and those are two areas in my life that are important to me. It’s actually painted from a photograph that I took very early in the morning a number of years ago, and it’s just bathed in a nice warm light. It has a soft yellow feeling about the whole scene.”
The painting is among the many items available at the event, which features a live auction, silent auction, general and special raffles, and door prizes. Seating opens at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. Cumming says most people arrive early so they can get a good seat. This year’s master of ceremonies will be Scott Miller of A-Channel.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Cumming adds. “The community comes out and it’s a dress-up event, there’s a buzz, an excitement, and it’s a great night all around.”

Bliss Studio
Group Exhibition
Opening August 25, 3 p.m.
7617 Riverside Drive, Port Franks
(519) 243-3598
Featured artists: Tony Miller and Lorraine Thomson (studio owners), Stephen Shellenberger, Tamara Croxall, Sarah Kane and Kim Ange
Music by Joani Paige

Story by Casey Lessard

“I’ve been walking around here in my pajamas showing people our work,” says Tony Miller in the studio and gallery he shares with partner Lorraine Thomson. “They show up here and say, ‘Are you open?’ I’m walking around in my housecoat. We’re very low-key. We’ve taken that mystery and snobbishness out of art. We’ve got people walking in here in bikinis and stuff right off the beach.”
The beach is where the artists and former art gallery managers took their first step toward creating their studio in Port Franks. Taking a cue from American mythology professor Joseph Campbell’s “follow your bliss” philosophy, Miller asked Thomson during a vacation in Costa Rica what her bliss would be.
“Her answer was, ‘To live with you, do art and be near the water.’ I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
The two did not set out to run an art gallery out of their home, but after discovering the former fishery and setting up the Bliss art studio, they decided it would make a great gallery, too. The building was once a stable and barn; now, the upper level is their living space and the lower level is a large open gallery and storage space. Wide open doors let in natural light and the room can easily accommodate a crowd of art lovers.
“A friend of ours told us about it,” Thomson says. “A lot of people who live in the Port said that they considered buying it but it’s an unusual type of property as far as space. I think it just works perfectly for what we’re doing here.”
Outside of her work as an art instructor in local schools, Thomson has used the gallery to teach art classes for children and adults, including a course called ‘Everyone is Born an Artist,’ which has helped many local seniors discover their drawing and painting talents.
Their focus now, however, is giving new artists a place to show their work as they develop.
“It’s hard for young people to break into getting into a gallery,” Thomson says.
“It really is,” Miller adds. “To get your first exhibition is brutally hard. You usually pay the gallery a fee and then it’s 40 percent commission on all the works you sell. We don’t do that. We do take a commission, but we don’t gouge people. The main thing we want to do it show the work. We don’t rely on this for an income. We just love doing art.”
Miller and Thomson also believe in giving customers a chance to test drive art in their homes to see if it fits.
“Take it home,” Miller says. “If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, bring it back. No one leaves here with something they don’t want. That’s a number one rule.”
“A painting or a piece, any piece of art work is a very personal choice,” Thomson adds. “You can only buy art for yourself. Either you connect or you don’t. Our art work isn’t for everybody. We’re not doing high realism. There is a lot of meaning behind our pieces. A lot of emotion and meaning.”
The Port Franks community has welcomed the gallery and its owners with open arms – and a big opening party. “When we came here we weren’t sure if people would accept us,” Miller recalls. “The day before we opened the gallery, there’s a bouquet of roses on our front porch. No card. Then the day we opened there’s a parade of people walking down the street with trays of food. We hadn’t even met them, except for one couple. They all come marching down with trays of food and welcomed us. The River Road Gallery people showed up. They brought us a nice plant. We probably had 150 people our very first day. It was wonderful.
“I guess they accepted us, and they’re happy we’re here. We’ve had a lot of people come by and say, ‘This is what we needed.’”