Hello November . . .

Welcoming in the month of November with having my two art submissions accepted into

Art in the Workplace, McMaster Innovation Parks #40th Exhibit.

The exhibit runs from November - February 2025.

Always so grateful to have this beautiful, welcoming space, and have my art sharing the walls with other talented, passionate artists.

This submission was a bit different as I entered two of my largest canvas pieces.  I normally go with smaller pieces around 9" x 12".  As with my other pieces, they have a little story written & tucked in underneath all the paint. Inspired by woodland walks. xx 

They fly to her

***

30" x 30"

One gentle touch

and friends abound

who gather near

where kindness is found.

An open heart 

an outstretched hand

gentle whispers spoken

to friends as they land.

They fly to her

when a storm is brewing

with gifts of song

and gentle cooing.

~deb dunn~

As though I had Wings

***

23" x 31"

 Strength and strings

woven things

embrace my day

and all that it brings.

Take me on a journey

I may never have again

Let me ride with you

as though I had wings.

~deb dunn~

You can see both pieces in person at:

Art in the Workplace

McMaster Innovation Park

175 Longwood Road Sough

Hamilton, Ontario 

October sunshine .....

It's been a busy time in my little corner of the world & I just realized that it's been a while since I posted anything here!

We've been taking in all the beauty of our favourite season with lots of woodland walks, family outings at the pumpkin patch, apple picking, beach walks and because the weather has been so amazing, autumn picnics. Visits to Stratford and Niagara on the lake to watch wonderful plays made for lovely little getaways throughout the weeks. 

I finished an exciting project I've been asked to illustrate :-) and I will share more on that soon.

I'm thrilled to have two pieces of art accepted into Exhibit 40 at Innovation Park, Hamilton, Ontario which will run November -January 2025.

As though I had wings & They fly to her. These are two of my largest pieces of work to date, measuring 23" x 32" & 30" x 30.5".  Both are filled with lots of detail, texture & love.

 

~as though I had wings~

the words underneath the painting...

Strength and strings

woven things

embrace my day, and all it brings

take me on a journey I may never have again

let me ride with you

as though I had wings.

~they fly to her~ 

the words underneath the painting ...

One gentle touch

and friends abound

who gather near

where kindness is found.

An open heart

an outstretched hand

gentle whispers spoken

to friends as they land.

They fly to her

when a storm is brewing

with gifts of song

and gentle cooing. 

Next month I'll be at Appleby United Church's Christmas Market

 Saturday, November 23

4407 Spruce Avenue

Burlington, Ontario

9:30 am - 3pm

I'll be bringing small pieces of original art, prints, cards, weavings, painted stones and driftwood Santas.

All the driftwood for my Santas has been gathered on morning walks along Lake Ontario. Each piece is wonderfully unique allowing each Santa to be a bit different than the next. 

I love painting them and watching their personalities come alive.

"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons"

"October sunshine bathed the park

with such a melting light

that it had the dimmed expressive look

of a landscape by an old master"

~Elizabeth Enright~ 

Our home is all decorated and ready for trick -or-treaters Halloween night.

I hope you've been taking in all the beauty of this beautiful Autumn season.

Thanks for stopping by,

d xo 

September getaway ...

We had a lovely little getaway which took us to Prince Edward County, Vermont and New York (and lots of stops along the way) . Filled with wine tours, cruises, art trails, wonderful barns and shops and lots of r & r.

Spotting this adorable barn "LaLa Land" just down from Huff Estates winery put a smile on our face and we had to snap a photo after breakfast. My grandsons call me LaLa ;-) 

Sorry the photos are all out of order .... computer decided to be temperamental this afternoon!

A very emotional visit to Dog Mountain 

home of the Stephen Hunek Gallery and the Dog Chapel

in Saint Johnsbury Vermont.

We brought along photos with love notes written on the back of our three precious labs

Bentley * Ernest * and Archer * to add to the many thousands of other dogs loved and never forgotten.

Set on the most gorgeous grounds, Dog Mountain is a haven for people and their dogs.

 150 acres of mountaintop splendor, thousands of people from all over the world visit.

so much love and memories held within the  4 walls of Dog Mountain Chapel

We will never forget our visit.

Thank you, Dog Mountain, for your warm Welcome!

We absolutely loved visiting Brockville. Everyone was so friendly, there was a fabulous museum

and railway tunnel which was Canada's first constructed between 1854 and 1860.

The stunning Oeno Gallery Contemporary Art & Sculpture Garden 

Huff Estates

Beautiful 1,000 Island boat cruise along the St. Lawrence River.

Home, nice and relaxed ... getting ready for my Solo Art Exhibit closing this Sunday.

There will be coffee, cold drink, something to eat & conversation. 

Hope to see you there! 

Art Gallery of St. James

137 Melville Street

Dundas, Ontario

12:30 - 2:30

 

Hello September ...

ahh September, how I love the "ber" months!

I just realized that the last time I did a post here was in July!

August was absolutely jam packed with things to do. . . 

Here's a little August catch-up of some art stuff.

Art Walk 2024 was absolutely amazing.

We had fabulous weather; our tent was tucked under a beautiful tree which provided shade to us from the moment we arrived at 7:30 am until we began packing up at 4.  Tent set up went better and quicker than planned which was good. There were live musical performances throughout the day, we met so many lovely people who were interested in hearing about my art journey and shared their own.

Looking forward to next year!!

 

All through the month of August I had been varnishing, wiring, choosing frames for, creating labels, and documenting the pieces of art I was going to hang for my 

*first* SOLO ART EXHIBIT 

We hung 60 pieces of art at the end of August in preparation for my September Art Show.

It was very humbling to see my art hanging on the art gallery walls of St. James 

So very grateful for this wonderful opportunity.

So many thank you's . . . 

Thank you to Christine for spotting my art at Innovation Park and the invitation to exhibit at St. James.

Thank you to Frank for the lovely artist of the month webpage.

Thank you to my hubby for all his help and support and hanging the 60 pieces!

Thank you to my wonderful family - my love for you is woven into every painting.

And last but not least, thank you to everyone who reached out and left such lovely words of friendship and kindness.

All so very much appreciated. 

Vintage Sparrow Studio

Deb Dunn

SOLO ART SHOW

September 2024

Art gallery of St. James

137 Melville Street

Dundas, Ontario

Art viewing times: Tuesdays ~ Fridays 10 am - 2 pm

***

Closing Reception

Sunday, September 22, 2024

12:30 - 2:30 

I'd love for you to stop by on the 22nd for coffee, a cold drink, sweet treats and conversation! 

Hope to see you there.

D xo 

hello July . . .

It has been a busy and exciting start to July.

I had the privilege of being interviewed with Canvas Rebel where I shared a bit about myself and my creative journey/practice, shared a meaningful project, talked about being pro-aging in every aspect of my life and much more.

Canvas Rebel is an amazing organization that interviews and supports entrepreneurs, artists and creatives.

You can read the full interview at

https:// canvas rebel. com / meet - deb- dunn 

On the site you can find the interview on the homepage in an article titled:

Meaning & Purpose: the projects that mattered.

~flowers remind us~

Art in the Workplace

Exhibit # 39

McMaster Innovation Park

175 Longwood Road South

Hamilton, Ontario

Thrilled to have had both of my submitted pieces accepted into this wonderful juried exhibit.

Always grateful to have such an incredible space like the Atrium at Innovation Park which supports and showcases local artists.

Flowers remind Us * & Abuzz with Thoughts *

Acrylic on paper in beautiful, rustic frames. 

Both can be viewed on the Art in the Workplace website and in person.

~Abuzz with Thoughts~ 

Super excited to be a participating artist this year for 

the Elizabeth Gardens Creative Collective

Art Walk 2024

Saturday August 24, 2024

10 am - 4pm

at beautiful Burloak Waterfront Park

A free community event sponsored by the Burlington Arts and Culture Fund.

Artists will be displaying their work across this beautiful waterfront park, there will be art stations, activities, demonstrations and more!

Fun for all ages. 

I've been busy choosing what art to bring with me & ideas for decorating my art tent :-) and will post more information closer to the date.

Have a wonderful day!

d xo 

 

June gardening . . .

Warm weather combined with plenty of rainy days has made the garden fill in and pop overnight!

We are looking at spots to put plants that need dividing this year. The Hosta could do with a good thinning out.   

Lots of lovely Peony blossoms are still
appearing daily.

Along with the ants, they are attracting lots of equally lovely visitors . . . 

Maeve * yellow * pink * green * red * blue * 

Window boxes are filled to the brim with the "usual" tried and true 

coleus * marigolds * potato vine * geraniums * viola * 

Morning glory vine is beginning to climb up the arbors.

Subtle signs of Cosmos ... oh so delicate looking for such a hearty flower.

 

This little bird bath is a favourite of the Doves.

We have two dove nests this year - both successful with two babies in each nest.

They have both nested in spots where we can see what's happening without disturbing them.

This morning it was cool, windy and rainy and as I checked to see how one nest was doing, I spotted Dove tucking the babies under her wing ~ it was one of those moments that you are so grateful not to have missed!

Nature never ceases to inspire and amaze me.

I'm sure the parents are babies that were born in our garden . . .  they are very comfortable with us walking about which is unusual for the normally skittish temperament of Doves. 

Along with the Doves nests, we also have a nest of Sparrows, and two very inquisitive black capped chickadees checking out one of our nesting boxes . . .  hoping they will decide on staying!

And the bunnies . . .  well . . .  they are working their way through the garden at a rapid rate and enjoying the plants ;-) ... but oh my, the cuteness!!! 

My biggest thrill.....

the lavender that we planted last year made it through the Winter and is looking and smelling amazing!!

"My only desire

is an ultimate infusion with Nature,

and the only fate I wish

is to have worked and lived

in harmony with her laws"

-Claude Monet- 

~have a wonderful weekend ~

deb xo 

 

In our May Garden . . .

Lots of daily changes happening in our little garden. I take my morning tea outside and walk around spotting buds and new growth. The lilac is starting to wind down now, but it was filled with gorgeous, thick lush clusters this year and that unmistakable scent which permeates everything ~ seeping into our sunroom and kitchen windows.  

Pops of colour are all around us 

The honeysuckle has gorgeous, big shiny leaves and has completely

covered the pergola 

At the end of this post you will see who else is finding joy in this spot!

I switched lenses on my Nikon  to the Macro... 

love seeing all the gorgeous bokeh effect it produces! 

We've had two nests of bunnies ... surprised there are any flowers remaining in the garden as they have loved them all ;-) 

And like they have every year since we moved into this house, the doves have nested.

We watch them in the garden prior to nesting , underneath the bird feeders, cooing, and wonder where they will decide to "build" their home .... 

This year it's in the honeysuckle vine above the pergola. We have a fabulous view as we can look down onto it from our upstairs bedroom. Before I took this photo, a very large crow landed on the pergola scaring the male dove away for a few minutes. Both doves began circling the nest and thankfully returned! So far so good. We now have a dove nest in the front and back garden :-) 

 "But headlong joy is ever on the wing"

-John Milton-