Quattro done and dusted!

Our show Quattro gets taken down tomorrow. It was a load of fun putting it together. Can't believe I haven't really posted anything about it. This was the band Epiphonics that played at our opening reception.

There were four of us displaying our works in this show in the Chase Exhibition room at the Nova Scotia Archives. A hidden gem of a gallery.. Daina Scarola, Joel Sullivan, Lori MacDonald and myself!

Lots of folk turned out for the opening.  Here we all are feeling pleased with ourselves and grateful for the positive reception it received.

One of my fave paintings... 4 feet by 3 feet

Merry Christmas!

Hope your holiday is happy and peaceful!

Blue.....

My latest painting.........Blue 12 x 24"

December dawn

Amazing how the same place can look so different depending on the day. This is Point Pleasant Park at sunrise taken about a week apart.

Heartwood

Yesterday I took my mum out to lunch! We stopped in at Heartwood Bakery and Cafe, a cute little spot at 6250 Quinpool Road. Now open 10-10 seven days a week! It was  taken over this year by new owners and the entire place has a fresh new look and a yummy revamped menu!!! (now licensed too)

Cosy and welcoming, Heartwood serves up fresh organic, local (as much as possible) vegetarian food. They also sell their delicious bread (wheat free varieties too) baked daily in their wee kitchen AND cookies and sweets.

I had a hard time choosing what to order for my lunch because everything sounded so good and refreshingly for me, there were a TON of choices for this new Vegan. Every day they also  have different meal specials, one of which is their "wild card". Yummy creations that  the chef whips up daily depending on what is fresh, tasty and seasonal in the kitchen! Gluten free options available too.

 I finally decided on a lentil roasted squash burger with a spicy cashew mayo served on their fresh foccacia bread.YUM! Steamed greens on the side too.....BONUS!

 Mum had a tomato avocado sandwich with some pesto on top!

The walls are covered with amazing metal creations by Joel Sullivan, so it is also a place to come and enjoy the art as well as the food...... It was busy when we were there, a good sign on a Monday:)

I was really full after my meal but saw this........and wanted to have a closer look.......

Whoa!  AND cookies of all kinds too! Heaven. Means I have to come back

My mum loved her meal too and said she plans on making this healthy place one of her regular hangouts:)

 Yes, I would agree. Pop by for a visit! This restaurant has been given new life!

We finished off with a pot of tea.......ah..... 

Oh, and all of these pictures were taken with my iphone! Not too bad huh? I forgot my camera and had to make do. Not quite as crisp but better than I expected:)

December...

Gosh where has the time gone. I can hardly believe the year is almost over. It has been a busy one for sure. A year full of changes for me. Some challenging ones and some great ones:) Physically, artistically, emotionally, you name it......
My show at the Chase Exhibition Room started on Thursday night. There are three of us showing our art and the opening reception was a blast. So much fun.  I am happy to have all the large paintings out of the way!  I'll post some pics soon. Here is an article that was written in a local paper just before the event.

50% off sale, all prints!

I'm having a sale! 50% off all the prints in my shop! COUPON CODE is "merci". Thanks so much for all your support. Hope you have a fab week:) SALE IS OVER NOW

2013 Calendar

Hi everyone! I've finally put together my 2013 calendar. Whew. This time it is a mix of Nova Scotia landscapes and cats. Click on the little triangles to go through each month. It ships worldwide:) I've been so very busy painting for my upcoming show in December that I have not had much time to hang around the interwebs. Hope you are well!

Big Day (night) Downtown 2012

I've been waiting for a chance to post this picture, isn't it wild? The two Purdy's Wharf towers with the Casino in the foreground. It's my intro pic to this year's Halifax  Big Day Downtown promotion (actually it was a big night downtown:) This is the third year I've participated and it has been terrific enjoying all that Halifax has to offer! 28 bloggers were each given $100 to spend downtown and requested to share what we did with our readers! This year we were given partners and my partner, the fabulous Perry Paris of ParisalaMode and I partnered up with Cheryl Cook of WryandGinger and Asheley Ramey of AsheleyEats for a fun foursome night on the town!

We started our evening at The Wooden Monkey, a healthy organic food restuarant in the heart of downtown on Prince Street. That is the camera shy Cheryl in red. The only picture you will see of her:) I wanted them to try the Vegan nachos ....so good. Really.

 After lots of laughs.....it was Asheley's turn to recommend a place.

And off we trundled to...

 The Bitter End...

to try their Caesars, voted best in the city for the last 8 years!

and.....yes, they were delish!

Cheryl and Perry decided they wanted oysters and steak at  Le Coq Bistro

So that is where we went next...

 A perfect little French restaurant on Argyle Street. Nothing here for a vegan so I had frites cooked in duck fat with truffle aoli and dare I say I ...

had an oyster and a taste of Cheryl's steak tartare which was surprisingly delicious! This vegan makes exceptions occasionally. Perry had steak and Ashley chose the cheese platter.

Haha, even Asheley tried an oyster, a thing she said she would never do! Here she is seconds after slurping it in. Not the most flattering picture but hey I am recording an historic moment!! (Ashley is really beautiful)

We had a terrific night and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the places we visited:)

Thanksgiving

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. I am grateful for so many things. One of which is you, my dear readers. I have been an often absent blogger this summer and I am not sure what that is all about but I want you to know that I do feel like I have been neglecting you. Makes me sort of sad. I have been writing so consistently these last years that not writing as often feels like a failure of sorts. Weird huh? I miss my time here but have not been able to find it as often. I do have some stories in the pipeline and hope to blog more frequently.( Have you heard that before? :)) We shall see......... in the meantime, know that I do appreciate and value you. Hope  the rest of your weekend is grand. xo

night out

I went out on the town the other night and had a grand time! I was given tickets to go see Sweeny Todd at Neptune Theatre which was a nice treat, so decided to have dinner out first. We started the evening at the Wooden Monkey. This is the view from our table out over Argyle Street. A friend of mine ( hi Jenna!)  said I must try their Seitan Donair. I was a bit skeptical but wow! was it ever delicious. Hard to describe but surprisingly close to the real thing! That is it in the background. (Seitan is a wheat gluten product, first time I've tried it). A meat free donair, who knew?

We then strolled over to the theatre feeling very stuffed and satisfied. This is Neptune's 50th anniversary year. It is where I had my first job when I was 16, as an usherette. Our uniforms were horrible. Navy blue polyester sleeveless mini shifts with gold lame jackets! Ouch. 
I wasn't sure about seeing this Musical as the subject matter is a bit gruesome and weird but I am so glad I did!

 It was fabulous! I enjoyed everythiing about it. The set was small and versatile and at one point served as a screen for a cleverly done back story to the play. You will have to see it to understand what I mean.

The two main characters, Shane Carty who plays Sweeny Todd and Shelley Simester, Mrs Lovett are strong and compelling. Just loved the interaction between the two of them. The music and singing were superb. The ensemble worked well together. Really can you tell I enjoyed it? Go see it.

Le Studio

Ta dah! The view from my new painting spot....at least for the next few months and then we shall see how it goes. In December, I am going to be part of a group show and needed a place to paint larger works, so one morning I decided to go on a hunt for the perfect wee studio space downtown.

I found it in a building on the corner of Sackville and Barrington Street. Above a wine bar, a sex shop and across the street from Starbucks. Ha ha. It is full of light with a north and east exposure. I LOVE it.

The paintings I am working on at the moment are 3' x 4'. A big change for me and such a different way of working. I have to stand back to really see them. Bigger brushes, more paint and more time. Having a dedicated work space is very freeing. I can leave a painting mess, come back to it and just pick up where I left off. When I want a break, I just sit back and watch the city flow beneath me:)

 My mascot:) Don't ask me why, I just liked the look of him and up on the wall he went.

Vegan Anniversary

Wow, it has been a full year since I started eating a "plant based" diet. Last year on September 1st, I embarked on this new adventure and I can't believe a year has passed already! I really had no idea if I would stick with it, I just wanted to improve my health and see how I would feel.

Well......I feel great. I've lost about 30 pounds, my blood pressure is lower, my energy is higher and I am sure my cholesterol is lower too, must be, I am eating no animal fat (haven't had it checked) It is because of all these benefits that I am still with it.

 Interesting fact: I used to LOVE cheese and could not pass a block or slice without popping some into my mouth. At bookclub, everyone would have maybe one triangle of Brie.,,,..I'd have three and while we were chatting about the book,  I'd be thinking about the cheese on the plate and wondering if any one would notice if I took another one or two. Ha, ha true confessions. Now, cheese doesn't even remotely interest me!! Weird huh? I wonder if I was addicted to it?

I eat a ton of food and enjoy wine and beer. Do not feel deprived at all. I'm not saying I will never dig into a juicy burger or German sausage again but for now.....I'm doing ok.

Debbie, the Happy Healthy Librarian is really the person I have to thank for sending me along this path. She has a wonderful info packed blog all about plant based eating and healthy living! I've learned a ton from visiting her site. Here is her latest post about calorie restriction. I'm always learning something new from her!

Did you miss me?

I missed you! I've had a busy summer and it has been hot and humid and I have really not been keeping up with all that I used to. Blogging is one of those things. I think this is the longest I have gone without writing since I began!

Last week I was at a terrific get together at this little green house by the sea. We ate delicious food, drank wine and danced outside in the fog until the wee hours! It was wonderful.

Later in the week I also met up with a friend for lunch at the Foggy Goggle.

 This is a great pub/restaurant on Argyle Street. Good food and always some Vegan selections:) I had a quinoa burger with peanut sauce. mmmm.

Check out the menu. Haha, love the description of the Goggle Burger

Like I said, it has been really hot and humid here. I cannot remember ever having a summer as warm and sunny as this one. Not complaining....winter is out there waiting. Sitting out on the patio with cool drinks was heaven. Ahhhh.

I also have been working on my season girls. This is WINTER

 and here is SPRING. They are 16 x 20 with 1" sides and available for purchase. Drop me an email if interested:) I am currently working on Autumn!