Art and Tea

Hidden Beach Cottage, original available on eBay

Friday! We are going to the Tattoo tonight. Something we try to do every year. I think it's the massed bagpipes that does it for me. Love them. I think the world is divided into those that adore and those that cannot abide them:)

Still great odds for getting a free Paul McCartney ticket.Not a single local has purchased a print :~)  I've sold three but not to anyone near here:) Makes sense I suppose because  most of the people reading this are from outside this area. Also, it has to be someone who would want to go and likes the kind of work I do. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea.

So enjoy the weekend!

This is my daughter doing something I've always wanted to do with her...... a photoshoot for the fun of it. Only friends are allowed to do that, lol. Aren't these great. They went to a graveyard at dusk on one of our recent gloomy wet days and created these. The tiny lips painted on my daughter make her look slightly creepy to me.

The photographer is Erin R. Bulger. A budding new artist! Good job! They ended up getting locked in the graveyard and had to scale a fence to get out:)

Don't forget, if you buy a print from either of my shops before next Wednesday, you might get a ticket to see Paul McCartney!

few things....
whee...a big GIVEAWAY with a twist!

Purchase a print from either of my shops.   
 AliceinParis or BroomhillPictures
Before July 9th and you will be entered in a DRAW for a ticket to the
Paul McCartney, Wintersleep, Joel Plaskett "Halifax Concert on the Commons" Sat. July 11! His only stop in Canada.

For $23.50 (that includes the shipping) you get a lovely piece of art signed by me and really good odds at winning a ticket to see the show!

This is open to anyone who can make it to Halifax for the July 11th show. I will make arrangements with the winner to hand over the ticket on the 9th or 10th

If you blog about it, and let me know, and I will give you another entry:) provided you have purchased a print:)

Also.......I have a new fan page on Facebook so feel free to join in the fun over there. I will use it for updates and news and bits and pieces:)
My friend, wilderness painter Mark Brennan has started one too:)

Hey, did you know that Nova Scotia has a thriving surf scene!? Just a thirty minute drive from where I live, is Lawrencetown Beach, where all year round you can find surfers doing their thing. Even in the dead of winter!! Wearing full body wet suits year round too. The water is chilly here.

I drove out here with my daughter on Saturday and we had a great time watching the waves, surfers, and listening to the deafening roar of the waves crashing and then raking over the pebbles. We talked to a young man and his girlfriend from Montreal who had come here to try the waves. It was an odd day with a giant fog bank just offshore, you can see it in the distance.

People come from all over the world to surf here. We counted 27 people on the water on Saturday. Who knew? Here at Lawrencetown, a small community of surfers has evolved. B&B's, shops, surf schools, and up high on the hill is MacDonald House, an old home now a tearoom and surfshop/rental place. H and I stopped in for lunch:) This was taken from that hill looking in the opposite direction. Way off to the right, strong rip currents have taken more than one life , swimming is forbidden there.

There are some cool website you can check out, one is Magic Seaweed that tells you the height of the waves. The day we were there they were 5' 6secs. Today I checked and they are 7' 6secs! A fantastic site is Scotia Surfer. Lots of great pics and info and links. Moonlight Beach Inn B&B, has a great aerial shot showing the area. Right now the beach is quite pebbled but depending on the time of year, tides and weather, it becomes sandy.

Those black dots floating in the water above the wave are surfers. Waiting for that perfect wave:) They sort of look like seals!

As always, my bold traveling companion, partner in crime. and daughter:)

Late in the day I always know where to find Monty. The sun streams into the back room and he can be found curled up on the bed smack dab in the middle of that pond of sunshine. I have a friend coming to visit for a few weeks. I hope she doesn't mind sharing:)

Tea is Magic original available on eBay
Print is available on Etsy

So I was quite shocked when I heard the news. I was surprised at how strong my reaction was . Michael was a sad mysterious character who definitely had some unsavory habits but he was a shining star in the musical world. His music made you want to move.
I have a lovely memory of listening to his music in Bermuda. We were staying on a small sailboat moored in St. Georges. In the warm evenings, from a small local bar just across the way, his music would float across the water and draw us out to dance. Good times:)
Rock with You 1980 .....before he got lost....

I've been having a lot of adventures recently! This is where I was taken for lunch today. Thanks Sandy! Fred. It is a gallery/cafe/hair salon! Bright and interesting and I loved the art exhibit on display at the moment. The Salon was off to the right out of sight at the end of this large and airy space.

I had a grilled veggie panini on multigrain bread with sweet potato honey and dilled cream cheese. Yum. A big chocolate Earl Grey cupcake for dessert:))

Afterward we went for a small stroll about the neighborhood to stretch out our tummies and poke about some shops. I really am not familiar with Agricola and there are lots of cool places to explore. I must go back.

We came across a wee shop "Heroine" (5775 Charles St.) which will be holding a Sweet Summer Sale (up to 75% off) only this weekend from 12-5 of Laura Chenoweth Organic Cotton Clothing. She is a local designer who works with artisans in India.

We had fun taking some snaps:) You know me....

The Lieutenant Governor's garden party was a fun event this year and what glorious weather! It was held in the Royal Artillery park because of renovations to Government House and for the first time ever, the Honourable Mayann E. Francis extended an open invitation to all Nova Scotians!

The receiving line, which went on for almost the entire duration of the tea. You were asked your name and then presented to the Lieutenant Governor. I made a ninny out of myself and said something along the lines of "I'm charmed to meet you". Ack. Embarrassing. I don't think Ive ever said that to anyone in my life.

Here she is , The Honorable Mayann E. Francis. A very attractive and intelligent woman!

The tables were festooned with rose petals and there were dipped strawberries and tarts, fruit and cheese. Waiters drifted about with silver trays of cucumber dill and chicken salad sandwiches.

Being asked to pour the tea is an honor and there were several women and girls who did an admirable job. One of whom was Emily of the Emily Fund, which raises money for insulin pumps for kids. It is a charity that the The Honorable Mayann E. Francis has taken on.

Everyone was decked out in summery hats and business wear. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides were also on hand to help out. Music was supplied by harpists on one side and a small orchestra sitting under the trees on the other :)

Hydrangea Bouquet available on Ebay!

I adore hydrangeas. Especially the deep blue ones. Thought I would try painting some, not super happy with it but love the colours.   As always, the computer fails to capture all the hues present in the "real" painting.

So, tonight is our final "bookclub" meeting until the fall. We always go to the same restaurant and I always order the same thing. I don't there often enough to get tired of it. I like traditions and this seems to have become one:) We are just a small group but we sure have fun. It also happens to be martini night:) Cheers!

Not only are these rhododendrons glorious to look at, the scent is AMAZING. I had no idea the orange ones were perfumed.

Today is a bit overcast and rain is forecast, a bit sad really because we had a wonderful week of sunshine and now, here it is, the weekend and wet weather. I have lots of projects to do as usual and a lot of internet catching up:) so I am ok with it.

Last night I saw The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, fun and fun. I enjoy her. I also saw My Life in Ruins last week and enjoyed it too. A bit over the top and hokey dialogue but at the end of the movie you feel good:) I grew to like the characters and of course the scenery was gorgeous Greece! Two light happy flicks. Mental bubblegum as my dad used to say.

Here is something I came across in a blog I enjoy and found it interesting. We are all doing sit ups the wrong way! Here's how to do them to protect your back! Watch the video also.