It's a draw!

It's that season! Apples are appearing everywhere.
Gosh, last day of September already, that was a FAST month! My tomatoes are all getting overripe on the vine. I have so many tomatoes inside that I am trying to leave the ones outside unpicked. Thinking I should try to make some sauce with them and freeze it. Canning, as much as I want to try it, scares me. I'm afraid of not doing it right and poisoning all who partake!

Speaking of partaking...I am having a wee giveaway. Sign up for my "ShelaghDuffett.Art fan page on Facebook" and you will be entered in a draw for one of my cookbooks and a surprise goodie:) If you are already a member, leave a comment under the post in Facebook regarding this draw and I will enter you:) If you would like to post about it on your blog, I'll enter your name twice but you must let me know so I can do that. My "fan" page is mainly about my art and I will post there about special sales, goings on in my art world etc:) Oh yes, the draw closes midnight October 6.

Lingering Summer

Sunset Garden...original available on eBay and prints available on Etsy
I've had a tiring few days and the rest of today will be spent tidying the whirlwind that has become my home and getting organized, or at least writing some lists. I love my lists:)

If you are interested in in a wee swap, Susan is putting together a list of people interested in making up a parcel to send. 15 words to guide you. You need some imagination and I think thriftyness won't go amiss. I'm in:)

Amazing Race started last night! Love that show:)

going with the flow

One of the fountains in the Halifax Public Gardens....... don't you just love cherubs? I just looked up the meaning out of curiosity and it is "toddler angels"! Their plural is cherubim so I should have said, "Don't you just love cherubim":)

Last night's movie, Handmade Nation was fun. I recognized quite a few of the names and businesses featured. Very inspiring, makes you want to go out and make things!

I'm in the middle of Dan Brown's new book Lost Symbols. Another page turner, another movie! Actually, so far I am enjoying it. I just finished The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory ( good) and Becoming George Sand(ok) I am also in the midst of Will Storr vs The Supernatural by Will Storr but had to put it aside to get those "7 day reads" from the library done. I am really enjoying Will's book. He is a terrific British journalist and has decided to tackle the paranormal as a topic. Fun and interesting but then I absolutely love reading about things that go bump in the night.

Have a fun Friday!

Handmade Nation

Anyone in Halifax looking for something to do tonight? HandmadeNation, a documentary about the DIY , art ,craft and design movement is playing at 9:30 Park Lane as part of The Atlantic Film Festival. It is a quirky, fun and interesting look at creating.
Love,Me boutique, 1539 Birmingham St. ( just along from Park Lane) is holding a pre-screening reception before the film 7-8:30 and will be giving out prizes of lovely donated handmade goodies from her shop at the theatre! Should be lots of fun!

who me?

I've been interviewed by Karen for the Cat's Meow blog and am called the "cat lady artist. It is funny to me because that is not how I perceive myself but maybe it is how others view me and my work:) I DO paint a lot of cats!
Pop over and have a look!

I also saw an extraordinary documentary last night about a Slovenian man, Martin Strel. He is an endurance swimmer and has swum the length of the Yangtze, Mississippi, Danube and attempted the AMAZON! He swam the same distance as the Atlantic Ocean in his Amazon quest(3274miles). All this and he is 53, fat and probable alcoholic! A remarkable film and the question I had was, why have I not heard of this man??? He swims to bring attention the the pollution threatening the world. The film is called Big River Man and if you have a chance, go see it!!!!

September 22

Happy Autumn! First day of fall and we are going to have a day of high temps and sunshine! We always have wonderful Septembers here.

I was sent this via email and thought it was worthy of sharing. The world's oldest still performing showgirl! How inspiring. Makes me want to get out there and move:)

Today is a day of errands and doing deliveries. Hopefully I'll get some painting time in later. I've also got books to read. I order from the library and when the more popular ones arrive, they are a 7 day read and then the fines start. Often I'll get a bunch of 7 day reads at the same time so I have to read, read, read, otherwise they go back and I wait months until they get round to me again. Oh well,..... self inflicted problem :)

Have a great day!

tracing patterns

I happened upon this rock sculpture in the Tangled Garden in Wolfville. Labyrinths fascinate me. They are a symbolic form of pilgrimage. A journey towards oneself or away from oneself. A lovely form of meditation. I find it interesting that that they developed in different forms and media (petroglyphs, classic, medieval, pavement, turf, and basketry) throughout time in almost every area of the world.

Some hospices and centres for the care of elderly have started to include them in their outdoor spaces. One theory on why they work is that when walking among the turnings, one loses track of direction and of the outside world, and thus it quiets the mind. Great way to get a tiny bit of exercise and still your thoughts. One day I would love to have a walking labyrinth in my garden.

Here are people walking the labyrinth in the Cathedral of Chartres .

Illustration Friday

Infinite.....
This is my offering For Illustration Friday. I have not participated in a few years but because this is one of my favourite images and because it suggests Infinite to me I thought I would share it:)

Herbert!

This is Herbert, he loves Halloween and so do I! Original available on eBay

I've been trying to hang on to summer but the colder nights and cool mornings are telling me otherwise. We've had a glorious string of weather but that tiny snap in the air is definitely discernible. Autumn cannot be denied. Bring it on....my favourite season.:)

I've started on on some Halloween paintings. Fun stuff. They make me smile. I've put 2 prints in my store now too at my Halloween price! If they have sold, don't worry, I always restock right away. Boo!
5 Black Cats

and Cat's Night Out

Lunenburg continued...

Don't you just love the name of this place!

Tons of galleries in this town. Lots of art to inspire.

The shopping streets run parallel to the harbour and cross streets are steep slides down the hill to the water.

Magnolia Cafe, my favourite place to stop and have a bite. A quirky charming cafe with wee booths and kitschy decor and most importantly, fabulous food!

Riggings for the home and garden..... love that!

September Cove

September Cove, original available on eBay

I was up early today. Not sure why but I loved it. Nice to watch the sun rise and listen to the birds, although these days there does not seem to be as many joining in the dawn chorus. Sad.
Busy day ahead. Lots to do, starting with a visit to the gym. Always try to get that done first so it gets done! Otherwise there are too many distractions and reasons not to go:) I try to get there three times a week. Try:)

Oh, and look who popped in to a late dinner a few days ago. It was just a baby. I wondered why the bird feeder was emptying so fast:)

Do mermaids wear glasses?

I took a very quick trip to Lunenburg on Saturday. At the last minute we decided to jump into the car and head out to this picturesque seaside town. It is a Unesco World Heritage site. Actually the real reason we went, besides the fact that it was a glorious sunny day was to pop into an art exhibit that a friend of mine is participating in. As luck would have it, I never did get to see the exhibit but that is another story and gives me a reason to go back soon!

I had forgotten what a lovely place this is!

When we got there, the "Seafood Festival" was in full swing! We even got to judge a chowder competition. It was quite fun and delicious. Interesting to try five chowders side by side. You could taste how different they all were when compared directly. I liked one that had a slightly smokey flavour. Wonder who won?

It was hard walking around without my camera plastered to my face:) Really!

Lunenburg is a really attractive and interesting place to wander about. The signs are lovely and coax you into the shops. Who wouldn't want to visit a shop called Comfort and Joy!

Or how about ...


To be continued:)

yellow poppies

Yellow Poppies 5x7 on eBay!

Today the weather is changing. We have had a terrific run of sunny glorious weather. I am quite glad of a reprieve in the form of rain:) Makes it easier to get things done! My list seems to be growing rather than diminishing.

The Atlantic Film Festival starts on Thursday! There are a bazillion films I want to see and Bright Star heads the list. I think it screens on Friday night. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is another:) I've got to really look over the program soon and purchase some tickets, because they go fast. We are lucky to have such a great festival here every September with new features, shorts, documentaries, lectures, workshops, and galas!

Bad Hair Day

Just had to post this video of my daughter:) It was so funny to see. Double click on the video to go to YOUTUBE for bigger image.

Bountiful

These were taken in the Annapolis Valley. I love the country stalls this time of year, bursting with produce and the bounty of summer:) I want to buy armloads of food and make jam and preserves and fill my larder for the coming winter. The only catch is that I am not a jam or preserve maker:)



Pickled nails anyone?

Garlic...yum!

Dulse! Local seaweed:) Small snack bags. An unusual but healthy treat. I have to say I've never been partial to it but lots of people are.

Ok, so I took a break from the Rap Ditty contest, decided it was ridiculous and unfair to so many of the participants. I even wrote a letter to the minister of Tourism (did not get an answer). I thought why bother with such a poorly run contest and then........and then.......... my silly work ethic/ competitive drive/ angry kid/ not a quitter/don't stop what you start/ miracles might happen/ you're in it now!/ influences kicked in and I could not just give up after all. Sheesh. Ack. No matter what happens at least I know I gave it my best shot.
They've rewritten the voting page now and are encouraging people to vote more than once for their video. Close browser and vote again. The video doesn't matter. The votes do. I could have put up a picture of an old boot! Sigh. The person with the most time on their hands to vote over and over again wins!
RAP DITTY NOVA SCOTIA scroll down to find it, it is about 20 down... Thanks.:)

EDITED: I have decided to let it go. My time is worth more and it was making me crazy trying to swim upstream.

books and sunflowers

Books and Sunflowers, original now available on eBay

I painted yesterday. No day off for me:) Actually it felt great. I've been busy and distracted and to sit down and get to it was wonderful. When I was on the Northumberland shore, I managed to get some sketches done in my book. Always a good feeling. I like to have several so I am always ready with something to create when I sit down in my studio (ahem, dining room table)

The weather is still beautiful. September here is always a magical month. I am meeting a new friend for tea today. I wonder if they they serve crumpets:) Does anyone serve crumpets anymore? Do you even know what a crumpet is?

Have a great week.

diary of a sky, sept 6

These were taken on the Northumberland shore near Merigomish, looking towards Pictou Island. Beautiful....

Labour Day Weekend

Hooray for long weekends. Nice to have that extra day to catch up:)This is the Northumberland shore. Headed that way on Saturday.
Have I mentioned how much I love this month of September. The golden month. Cool nights, warm days. Veggie gardens bursting with produce. Blackberries thick on the vines. Really blue skies........
My talk went well last night. (at least I think it did) I was not sure what to expect. It is not something I've done before but people had lots of questions and were most interested in how to get their art "out there" I also talked about all the opportunities that have come my way as a result of having a presence on the internet. I hope some of the artists try:)

As always until the end of Sept. here is the link for RAP DITTY NOVA SCOTIA. Please vote if you can. I need a miracle:) Every person who reads this and votes would be a good start:) lol. Thanks to all of you who have been voting.I REALLY appreciate it. It is about the 20th video down.

Thursday

When in doubt, match everything! This was a hotel in Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness! Wondering if the designer had a few too many whiskeys. Hard place to sit for more than a few minutes:)

Tonight is my talk and I've been thinking about it all day. Eek. It's not that I'm not comfortable about what to talk about, it's just all those faces focused on me, makes one a bit self concious. I guess I'm suppose to picture them all in their underwear :D

Remember J, my Ironman pal... read her tale ,what a story.

Here is today's reminder to vote for RAP DITTY! Scroll down it is in the middle. thanks to all who have been voting:)

opportunity

September! The golden month. I have great plans for this month. Somehow the summer escaped from me. Don't know how it happened but it sort of slipped through my fingers. Yes, I have plans. I love making lists and organizing all those thoughts and ideas and inspirations racing around my head. Putting them on paper makes it feel like I am taking the first step towards accomplishing them:)
The problem is that I have too many plans. All for different areas of my life! Do I chip away at them all or throw myself into one area at a time? Ah choices. One of my goals is to tackle my health! Starting today! Time to put away the bagels and beer:) Polish the soup pot and shake the spiders out of my exercise togs!
My daughter and I have embarked on a wee project inspired by the movie Julia and Julie. (LOVED IT) We are both Jamie Oliver fans and have a few of his books. She has decided to cook her way through Jamie's Food Revolution as a way of learning her way around the kitchen. It's a great cookbook full of basic simple and delicious meals. I love the inside layout of that book. Our first meal was the just the other night and it was GREAT! She marked inside the book with the date and rated the recipes made and so it begins. We are (I am) thinking of starting another blog maybe just for that. Maybe over on the Jamie Oliver website. Oh dear, yet another commitment. I can't stop myself! But that would just be some pics and the recipe made and a rating.
Here's to a wonderful month for all of us!


RAP DITTY NOVA SCOTIA here. Thanks for your vote:)