Saskatchewan Cows Retire on West Coast

Yesterday I drove over to Port Alberni to take down my art show which had been running for the past month at the Rollin' Art Centre. Not only did I have a wonderful experience and had the privilege of showing my work to art lovers on another part of the island, but I also found a good home for my cows. They were sold to a lady in Port Alberni, where they will now retire on her dining room wall. I guess "From the Prairies to the West Coast" was a fitting name for the show as my Saskatchewan cows now reside on the west coast.

My advise to all artists... is to continue to paint ... and continue to show your work. We never know where, when or what will transpire by doing shows... but we do know that only good comes from them.

If you'd like to see how the "Out to Pasture" painting came about, please see my earlier blog of April 2nd.

Till Next Time ...

Love what you Do ... and Do what you Love.

Susan

From the Prairies to the West Coast

Sunday evening, and boy am I beat. Yesterday was my art opening at the Rollin' Art Centre in Port Alberni.

First of all, the show looked absolutely beautiful! The ladies who set it up did a great job. Here is a picture of the entrance .... as you come up the stairs the first thing you see is a couple of prairie cows. The title of the show is "From the Prairies to the West Coast."

I have 38 pieces on display - all acrylic artwork - of varying sizes. The pieces were displayed in different groupings, with themes. I was really happy with the look.

For three hours I painted and talked to art lovers about my work. The biggest surprise was when Shaw Cable showed up to do an interview with me that will appear on television this week. The local newspaper showed up shortly after that, to write a story about the show. Wow!

What a great day! I had difficulty sleeping last night, as I was on cloud nine, reliving the day.

By the way .... the the cakes and brownies that they served were decadent!

The show continues on till May 20th... make sure you to drop by, it's well worth the drive!

Till Next Time ...

Love what you Do ... and Do what you Love.

Susan

Out to Pasture

The time just seems to be flying by. This week I've been working on designs and layouts for both the Valley Travel Guide and also getting a start on the next Island Arts Magazine. In between that I've been poking a few seeds into the ground and getting my hands dirty! Oh the sweet smell of spring!

If you recall I was working on a cow painting, wondering if I should gesso it over, or turn it into a dog (or perhaps the painting itself was a dog). Take a quick look at my posting of March 12th for comparison. I am pleased to announce that I persevered, I questioned, I threatened, often standing on my head and many layers of paint later, I present to you "Out to Pasture", acrylic 30 x 24".

What do you think ... send me your comments, I'd love to hear from you.

p.s.

I bet you thought this blog titled "Out to Pasture" was going to be about my pending birthday. Ha fooled ya!

Till Next Time ...

Love what you Do ... and Do what you Love.

Susan

Art Expo

Last night we attended the opening for the Oceanside Arts Council Festival of Art. This is a juried show each March which attracts over 300 artists to display their artwork. The show is in it's 34th year. As you walk around the room admiring all the diverse pieces of artwork, it is truly mind expanding, as each artist is so very different from the other, but all with a similar passion for art.

Speaking of mind expanding - we have decided to host the first annual Island Arts Expo. We are in the early planning stages, but the basic concept is an extravaganza of artists and artisans, workshops, guest speakers and entertainment, along with really good food (very important). The slated dates are Nov. 14th and 15th, 2009. Please check our website periodically as we will bring you more details.

Not withstanding that .... just so you know that I continue to work on my own art .... here is the beginning of another painting. The barn is from one photograph and the cows from another - both are Saskatchewan born. At this point the cows look somewhat stunned ... as Jeff pointed out "There's something wrong with those cows!" What I say is, "Ha, this is just the beginning - wait for the transformation. It will be truly miraculous."

I better get to work on it!

Till next time.

Love what you Do ... and Do what you Love.

Susan

This is my Dog

Cheyenne, 16 x 20", acrylic painting


Today I'm going to tell you about my dog Cheyenne. He is a rescue dog, from the Regina Humane Society. He is approximately 8 years olds - I gave him a birthday date of March 1st as I wasn't sure when he was born. In this painting he was only 3 - just a young pup. He has been a constant companion and joy in my life. He is also one of the most intelligent doggies I've had the pleasure to meet. I often believe that he is a reincarnated swami. Sometimes he will walk by and wink at you - as if to say "I know,"



We both use to live in Saskatchewan on an acreage. His big job, was not only to patrol the acreage and mark his territory, but keep the coyotes away, catch the gophers in the yard, and also look after most of the neighbourhood dogs. He had a big job indeed. He also loved to tease the cows - but we won't mention that to the neighbourhood farmer.




About a year and a half ago, two coyotes took him on and he really got a beating. Long story short, we moved to Qualicum Beach on beautiful Vancouver Island and started him on regular VOM treatments (Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation ) - it's like a doggy chiropractic treatment. He is now in pretty good shape. A bit of arthritis in his back legs. Some days a bit stiffer then others, but he is comfortable and still a joy in our lives. Now there is no more chasing coyotes plus he has a much smaller yard to look after. The odd time a rabbit will dare to hop through the yard ... that gets him very excited!

Cheyenne now enjoys walks by the ocean and leisurely restful afternoon sleeps.

To find out more about Cheyenne you can check out my website

www.youngatart.ca/cheyenne.shtml