September, Baby!

It's September already. So cliché to say, but how did we get here so quickly? 

After a stunning week canoe tripping in the Kawartha Highlands, where the lakes are still warm, paired with a contrasting slight chill in the air, for sure makes getting out of the water from a swim harder, but beautiful, refreshing and a simple thrill. A mental reset via nature is my go-to. I started camping in the Highlands when i was in high school, and the area was marked simply as crown land (what a dumb term). Cloudy Lake, Cold Lake, Gold Lake, Long Lake, Buzzard, Shark, Vixen, Sucker, Rathbun etc etc. Over the years i've covered much of the park, but this trip added a couple new lakes to my repertoire - Sparkler and Agate. Both are lovely, and distinctive. Agate, in particular, has a marsh filled with Pitcher plants, colourful moss, sphagnum and so much life! This was the vacation I needed!

With this mental refresh, we head into September with creative momentum, and some fun things lining up. The big deal is the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Autumn Studio Tour, which takes place the weekend of Sept 25/26. My studio, located in a garage at 478 Bonaccord has been going through a bit of a reno - cleaning, moving, sorting and readying with an eye to this event. Check out details on the Art Gallery's site, and plan to make a weekend of it. The area is blessed to have a high calibre of art, created by some of the best people. Check out the map, and plot your route. Support artists where you can.

Stay tuned for new work to be available - especially since this will be the first "show" i've had to talk about and sell my work to the public in 18 months. The last time was the Artspace Book+Zine Fair, February 29th, 2020. So, come, be kind, wear a mask, follow protocols and let's move forward, positively, together. Cards, broadsides and prints, and some of the first publicly available monoprints on plywood will also be available.

On a musical note – Joseph Arthur's voice IS September for me – languid, luxurious and sexy. The shortened evening light, cool bike rides and hot morning coffee on the veranda, tomatoes fresh off the vine are all the epitome of fall. Best wishes to all the teacher's heading back to the classroom this week - i'll be thinking about you.

Featured image: There Is Strength in Kindness, letterpress on card, printed in three passes - two of which are split fountain. Image from lino block and handset wood type. 11x14 inches, 2018.