Art Show Submissions - Juried Member Show

Today was jury day for our upcoming Juried Member Show at the Art Gallery.

I dropped these three entries this morning and I did not get a phone call to pick up any rejected entries. Very good.

Title: Art Detritus

Size: 10 x10 inches

Frame: Beech Wood Frame

Mat: Single White Mat

Photograph: 5x5 inches matte print

This is a close up photo of pencil sharpener wood shavings.  Typical of working on art projects with drawing pencils, colored pencils, or watercolor pencils.

Title: Bulrushes

Size: 8x10 inches

Frame: Silver Brushed Metal

Mat: Double Black and White Archival Mat

Image: Watercolor with black marker

This is a painting of the bulrushes I see along the lake as I walk in the mornings.  Beautiful green leaves with deep brown seed heads in the middle of summer.  A wonderful blue sky.  An absolute joy to have this nature in our urban setting.

This is a textile entry art quilt which I was not sure would be juried in.

Title: The Solar System

Size: 19 x 19 inches

The sun, planets, orbits, stars, asteroid belt and Kuiper belt are hand stitched unto a printed galaxy cotton fabric. 

The orange frame was machine stitched onto the piece.  I then added a facing which allowed for a dowel to have it hang. 

Ermine Stitch for stars, Seed Stitch on the Sun, Back stitch for the Orbits, French Knots for the tiny stars.  Running Stitch on the planets. Rock like beads in the Asteroid Belt and Blue E-Beads in the Kuiper Belt on the outer edge of the system.

The show will be on display on Tuesday, March 10th and the reception will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, 1-3 p.m. at the Spruce Grove Art Gallery in Heavy Metal Place. You are welcome to enjoy over 90 pieces of art submitted by members of the Allied Arts Council.

I did a lot of research and watched a lot of scientific videos to educate myself about our Solar System.  It was very interesting. Some of the information informed my choices for the fabric I chose for the planets.  

Of course, the distances between planets and the their sizes are not accurately represented. I did my best given the size of the fabric I was working with.

I prepared this bit of information and printed it onto fabric and stitched to the back so it would always stay with the art piece.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

This is the steam from a heating system rising above a building across the back alley.

Back to very cold days.  We have had warmer temperatures with no sun, rain, freezing rain, and now back to -22C.  This has created crazy driving conditions - school bus cancellations, folks not getting to work, and mostly chaos.  I have been staying home.

I cancelled a visit to a sewing center to test out a walking foot for my vintage Bernina 830 record.  I hope to get there by the end of the week.

I finished this book on the weekend.  The Brushstroke Legacy by Lauraine Snelling is a story of painting which crossed several generations.  The main characters Ragni Clauson is the modern day women working for an advertising agency with the pressures that come with it. Nilda Torkalson lived in the 1900s in the family cabin and she is Ragni's great-grandmother.  

Ragni goes to the family cabin with her 15 year old niece Erika to assess the required repairs and ensure the minimum is done to save the building. They will camp on the property for the first while till the cabin can be camped in. 

The neighbour Paul Heidelborg has been keeping an eye on the place and was the one to advise the cabin needed attention.

The girls get back to nature, clear the tall grass, fix some windows and the roof to ensure it is critter proof, remove the rust from the cast iron stove in the cabin.  During the process both reconnect with painting and discover some rosemaling painted in the cabin by Nilda.  

Rosemaling is of Norwegian origin.  Nilda came to the cabin as a housekeeper and cook for Mr. Joseph Petersen who ran a farm in North Dakota.  She takes her young daughter across the country by train to assume this new employment.  She living in a very rural area and in a rustic cabin which is so different from the grand house in New York which was her previous employ.  Assessing the meagre food stores in the cabin puts her in a state of concern.  Mr. Petersen and his hired hand have been living in the cabin and working the farm - being bachelors doing their own cooking and housecleaning.  Needless to say improvements are necessary.  

Mr Petersen has asked for a supplies list for a trip to town.  She faces her fears and makes a good list for staples, laundry supplies, and pencils and paper.  She will at least be able to drawing until she gets paid and can buy paints. 

Another story with story female characters who grow, find their way and eventually thrive.  Loved the book and would recommend it. 

In order to make my own gluten free baking I followed my sister advise to make my own oat flour.  Take some whole large oats. Place in a blender and chop/grind until it is a fine texture.

We have found this flour can replace wheat flour.  My Mom has been eating gluten free for her cancer and couple of us have adopted it to some degree.  This is also my Mom's vintage blender which still works great. 

I made muffins from Mom's recipe.  They were great.  You can use any gluten free flour - 1 to 1, almond, quinoa, buckwheat or corn.   She eats them with cream cheese so it is a snack she can still have at the lodge as she has a small fridge.  We need to bake them for her.  I will make some more before my next visit.

I have been working on a sewing project.  This is an Art Portofolio Carry Bag for my art work. 

You can check out the details here.

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week was to take a shot as close as possible with the camera equipment we had.  The limit is normally 3" but we should get much closer.   There were several tiny objects to use as subject matter.  We needed to include the measuring as well in the photo. You can check out my photostream (SMDPics). 

I am sharing with  Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #321 .

Garage Sale Bonanza

During a visit with my sister and brother in law and niece on the weekend we attended a community garage sale.  What a hoot!  All outside, a good amount of walking, and a ton of interesting things to look at.

I had a Tupperware Ultra21 Quiche pan on my list because I dropped mine last weekend.  It lost a piece and gained a crack so it's days are numbered.

I managed to find a brand new one for 3 dollars with the lid.

I use this to roast root vegetables.  Just love this ovenware.

It is no longer made and in a search on line I was looking at over $50 to replace it.  At the last house we visited!

I had a silicone trivet on the list for camping.  

This one will do nicely.  No brand name on it but the right size and material.  Nice color and pattern.

I think it was .25 cents.

They had one place with lots of books so maybe it was books from the library along with others that were donated.

Books were fill a bag for $5.  The three of us share the bag and cost.

I have not been to a library since the pandemic started so I 

I have been using small free libraries to get my reading material.  I quarantine the books for a week.  

I return them to the free libraries when I am done reading them.  I am sure there are others in the same place that I am.

I am happy with this selection.

I have always wanted a miniature tea set but to buy new they are pretty expensive.  This one is blue and white which is my favorite colors.  The tray is 4.5 inches wide and holds the 2 teacup and saucers, the cream and sugar and the teapot.  

This was a good score. This is a Hallmark 2007 Gingerbread Ornament Set and Display Stand.  

All the pieces are still there in their original packaging so I don't think it was every used.  Each of the gingerbread layers has small hooks on the underside for the ornaments. I believe it holds 12 ornaments.  No doubt at the time you could buy additional ornaments in the gingerbread style.

The three ornaments - angel, heart and snowman cookie ornaments are included.

I am always in for Christmas decorations.

I bought a rain stick.  

Yes, it is designed for kids but it makes a great sound.

Primary colors are find with me.

  

A set of vintage miniature fluted metal moulds also came home with me.  They measure about 1.25 inches to 1.5 inches tall.

Today, they can be used for candy, cookies, fondant, pastry, soap, tartlets, petit fours and a bunch more for sure.

I don't know what their original use would have been.  It must have been something very special because with only a few tins making any amount would have been very time consuming.

Again, just the right size for macro photography.   I'm not sure I will ever bake something in them.  You never know I might get inspired.

Small bottle vases are wonderful.  The first set was a scented oil diffuser set with the small ceramic discs for the oil.  The three glass vases are great.  I will not use the oil.  The set on the right hand side have a very nice feel.  About 2 inches tall so will do again for macro photography. 

Another small flower vase in a gorgeous red color.

I believe it is handmade.

It measures under 2 inches tall.  

I did get a package of dried flowers as well which will work well with these small vases and bottles for still life photography.

I have used the solid brass business card holder on the left in my purse for the last few years.   Gold is not really my color so when I saw the shiny silver chrome one I decided I would prefer that one.

The cost for the silver one again was less than a dollar.  After a bit of research turns out the brass one maybe worth a few dollars so I will see about selling it.

This is a battery operated candle. I have several plastic ones in white and red for photography.   

I seldom burn candles just because of the open flame.  There are times where nothing but the real thing will do. I use a wax warmer rather than scented candles.

This one is the best of both worlds because it is made of wax so it looks "real" from that point of view and is also battery operated.

Again, the price was a song.

A tiny blue glass swan in perfect condition.

Can be used for macro photography, love cobalt blue glass, and a beautiful object.

I have been wanting something to write quotes or words for my photography.

This turns out to be a My Cinema Light Box which came with letters originally.  I did look for the letters but they were not close by.  Of course they were clear so the light would show them nicely.  I did put batteries in and that works.

Here I have used Scrabble letters and I have other wood ones I can used.  I may consider printing letters on acetate so I could slide them in the slots. We shall see.

I used to have a large and small whisk and a while back I made the decision to get rid of the large one.

I have since regretted that decision.

A Pampered Chef Whisk still in the packaging.

Yes, please.

It has a skinny handle so it fits into my utensil caddy nicely.

A useful tool to have during a pandemic.

It allows me to open doors with out touching them, to use the bank machine with the touch screen stylus, bottle opener, elevator button pusher, and will hold my keys as well.

I have not been doing a lot of shopping in the last year and half.  The drugstore and the grocery store primarily.  I had not heard of these tools but at my last visit to the drug store the teller was promoting such a tool for $13.00.  I did not purchase one at the price but this one was .50 and still in the box.

For less than $20 dollars and a morning spent with family this was a great.  Checked off a few things from my shopping list with out going inside a store. The weather cooperated and it did not rain. It was cool but we were dressed for the weather.