Westport Weekend – Artemisia

What a weekend was last weekend! It started on Thursday when I was part of a four artisan delegation who set up in Brockville ON at 55+ Canada Games. We set up in St Lawrence Park overlooking the St Lawrence river and 1000 islands, it was beautiful, I set up my knitting machine and got some knitting done. And though it was rainy I met some amazing people, including Moses (Zoomer) Naimer, my husband and I are members of CARP and have our auto insurance through them and get Zoomer mag every month. This is so appropriate as I had just turned 60 and am a breast cancer survivor as is his sister Libby. I also met a lady who hobbled along wearing a team t shirt and wielding a cane and a smile who I found out had had a stroke and also now ALS. She was there from Edmonton with her husband who at 80 had just won yet another gold medal in the running race. When he came along I thought I need to get back to my walking as he was so trim and fit and enthusiastic about life. (Meantime while it’s hot I’ll keep going down the road to jump in the lake).

Then on Friday I was a demonstrating artist for the Up the River Festival in Gananoque ON, along with other artisans as Ron Tidrow, Jane Thellwell, Patricia Van Asperen and others. Eight of us set up in the parking lot of The Firehall Theatre again overlooking the 1000 Islands and the river. Just a few hours (though hours setting up and tearing down) and showing onlookers and children from Summer camps how we make what we make. Thanks Pam Staples.

Saturday and Sunday I was one of the artists in ‘Meet the Artist’ at Artemisia Art Gallery in Westport. My dear friend owns the building (her new home) along with the gallery with her two friends Bonnie and Donna.  It was also the Rideau Valley Art Festival weekend….I had never seen so many people in Westport. Two wonderful hot days, quite a bit of knitting and finding out my Singer 580 that I was given has trouble patterning. My lace carriage works fine on my 580 in the studio but this one didn’t work well either in Haliburton or last weekend. 

I got to stay over with my friend (pictured above) and we had a lovely evening and morning eating both our supper and brekky on the side porch of this lovely old Victorian home (now home, gallery & studios.)

While I was there a trip to the grocery store for local corn netted us some of the free mags…including Fifly Five Plus. This month has Barbara McInnes on the cover, Donna came out with the article open saying ‘is this yours?’ about the photograph. Yes! That was the jacket Ms McInnes bought at the Ontario Crafts Council award winners exhibit last June!!! Yay! How cool is that?

I believe that is the last one I’ve ever made of that style and I made it especially for the exhibit.  I hope to meet Ms McInnes some day!

Well, a day at the beach yesterday (walking into the lake at the drop of a hat is soooooo good for hot flashes in hot sun!)…. now back at work.