New Mini Promo Site For The Garden Tour Is Complete

The new mini promo site for the North Bay Symphony Garden Tour 2010 is now complete & ready for your browsing. There are alot more photos to view than I included in my recent post, there is a short walk around video & of course the YouTube watercolour demos have a nifty spot here as well...OH AND this one has the cutest little buttons ever, teapots & bunny cut  from our photos, they are too cute...

I think Jonathan is abit disappointed that this is going to be the last little promo for my art/business for abit, ha ha...

To my Jonathan, who is the mastermind/creative hand behind these promo sites of mine (okay yes, with some often times demanding little requests from the artist!!!)  Thanks again babe, once again you did an outstanding job & I am completely honoured that you think my work/photos/little artsy events require such lovely documentation & attention...you are my most favourite & best supporter. XO.

Mandy Saile - Painting Demo In The Garden 1 of 2

My first EVER YouTube video...Oh Oh Oh, I am sooo excited:D  It's a two-parter & each one is about 13 minutes each BUT the demo is outside in natural light & has the loveliest music so we didn't think people would mind the extra bit of length...

(Thanks again to the amazingly talented musician Bert Alink.  He gave Jon & I permission years ago to use his music & we still adore it & think it fits these first videos of ours perfectly).

...p.s. I'll be giving this original watercolour work away...so stay tuned for that as well!

Mandy Saile - Painting Demo In The Garden 2 of 2

....and here is part 2 (sorry I don't know how to install both videos in 1 post yet, bare with me!)

...I sure would love it if you'd not only visit & have a watch but also if you'd leave a comment here or/& on YouTube to tell me what you think.  I am excited to do more of these so I really hope you find it enjoyable to watch?

...and thanks oodles once again to my sweet genius-y partner, Jonathan who put these videos together for me, I just love em babe XXOO.

The North Bay Symphony Garden Tour

Hi everyone, I finally found the time to get some photos together about the North Bay Symphony Garden Tour I was part of a couple weeks back.

There are so many favourite shots from this beautiful day but here are a few to give you a feeling for the day, which was so wonderful. (and Jon is working on another mini site for this event so they'll be more to share there, I can't wait!).

I was in Arlington Hoffman amazing Garden & he had his fabulous watercolour work scattered in frames, on little easels throughout his garden, it was the perfect touch...

I was set up on a table underneath a tent, which I was so glad I brought because it got pretty hot that day.  I decided to work with abit of watercolour myself & started in on a coloured bird with flowers...

Here is a beautiful watercolour of Arlie's I had never seen of a tasty loaf of bread.  He has the ability to bring beauty & serenity to most quiet of objects...

I took so many photos that I think will be really lovely to work from in coloured pencil later on down the road & Jon took many great shots & lots of video as well...(thanks again babe).

There were musicians playing for a few hours in the morning & that was wonderful & added quite abit of charm to the day, especially these guys (Andrew Palangio & Erik Faucon) who played & sang more current & hipper songs...

Here is my pal Julie with my adopted grandpa Arlie & moi...Julie is one of my few local friends who I can always count on to come out in support & interest...Thanks Jules.

And Julie brought along her little sweetie-pie Poppy, who was a complete delight & really made my day extra special...

I had all of my work set up on a long table, under the tent.  I decided to display mostly watercolour work as that was what I was demonstrating for the day.  I also had a selection of art cards for sale & a book for people to sign up for my email newsletter.

It really was a great experience.  When they asked me to join in on the event, I said yes without really knowing what to expect but I am so glad I did.  The whole event & day was just lovely & completley relaxed (for a change) and I am already signed up to participate again next year. 

This 16th annual event helped to raise over $2600 for our local symphony & more than 400 hours went into volunteer time including the time of the artists, musicians, volunteers & hosts.  It was a wonderful event I am proud to have been a part of.  Thanks for having a look.

Wishing You A Happy Weekend...

...Just hopping in to send you all a "Happy Weekend" shout out from Ella Luna and Me...

...I am doing the Symphony garden show/fundraiser all day today, well from 10-4pm. I'll take lots of pictures so I can show you all what the event looked like...Wish me luck, I am not used to demonstrating my 'watercolour' skills in front of people, especially next to the master himself, Arlie Hoffman (if you click here you'll see Arlie's amazing work & 1 of the Carousel Projects we did together)...kinda nervous about that, ha ha but looking forward to the day. Be Well everyone, see you Monday....

The Artist's Garden...

This past August I was part of a wonderful sale called "The Artists Garden" and I really wanted to share the two lovely days with all of you even if it's abit late...and espeacially since today it's snowing! so I shouldn't put off 'summery' posts much longer I think, ha ha... ...So here we go...At the end of this quiet country lane....

There is a lovely and enchanted studio called "AshCreek Pottery" and the even lovelier host named Pat Stamp...

She extended an invitation to me to join in her 6th annual "The Artists Garden" craft and art sale, something I had heard much about and something which I was very excited to participate in....

The event took place in breathtaking countryside and in very close proximity was a lovely pond full of ducks, a barn full of goats, a huge flower and vegetable garden... so I was of course in 7th heaven!...the only thing missing were some little romping bunnies but they were probably smart enough to stay low and cool because the whole weekend was indeed a scorcher, two of the hottest days of our whole summer.

But the ducks stayed cool in their peaceful golden pond...

Pat even set up a tea and dessert room in her porch high above the action of the sale and in her quaint little kitchen...The artists were welcomed up here before each day to fuel up on fresh muffins, bagels and coffee...it was very sweet and cozy...

Down below scattered around Pat's studio and throughout her incredible acreage was a sea of tents each housing very lovely and unique artisans and crafters, about 20 of or so I think there was...

The weekend was so busy with customer traffic that Pat's husband Lloyd had to take out the plough and cut more fields to make more parking room!

We had the sweetest parking attendant, Alexander, to direct the constant flow of browsers and buyers...

...and there was even a group of people demonstarting some of their Tai Chi...it was the perfect setting for such a thing.

So here is me, little Bijou of Bijou's whimsy with all of my handmade wares...phew it was a relief to get everything set up just in time and I was able to relax after finally giving in that the ground was very uneven and my stands were far from straight, ha ha....

I of course set my tent up right by the pond so I could keep in the good company of the beautiful Muscovy's and Mallards all day long...

I was pretty sure that even if I didn't sell a single thing that weekend would be just perfect from being in close company of the animals...every time the goats would bray or a duck would glide and splash through the water my heart would jump for joy and it really started me wondering on why we don't live in the country!!!

I think this is one of my favourite shots that I took...

A major surprise and treat both days of the weekend was when Lloyd played his bagpipes. We could hear the music coming from deep in the forest and slowly coming towards us but just across the pond...then out of the trees steps Lloyd and than he walked the whole distance across the pond serenading the artists and buyers alike...it was so fantastic and speacil...

My neighbour tempted me all weekend with her sweet country stuffies....

And across the way from me was my friend Jana and a fellow AOMer working on some of her jewelry, somehow she managed to look cool and lovely despite the sweltering heat...

Also across the way was another fellow AOMer, the lovely Rosemary Thomas, selling her newest collection of pottery.

My dearest Dave Carlin was there and I did have a tendency to float over to his tent to hang out with this beloved man and friend oh mine:D....

And of course it never takes much coaxing for me and my pal Rachael to find some laughs and fun together, I was so glad she was there that weekend also...

There was good company of all ages actually:D...here's me with Dave's daughter Allison and her sweet baby boy Kristopher.

Each day around 2 or 3:00, all of the snow white Muscovy's would waddle out of the pond and putter around my tent...sigh...heaven:D ha ha....

There is my Jonathan nabbing a bite of lunch behind my Nubbins:D The 2nd day we rearranged the tent so we had abit more shade...(Thanks Jonathan my love, for all of your help, it couldn't have possibly been so smooth or as much fun without you there by my side:D XOXOXOX)...

I was pretty happy with my display...I went with mostly white fabrics and blue highlights...I used my trusty rabbit weather vane and the old antique frames from my Nanny to present my necklaces, which sold like hot cakes I must happily admit.

It was a brilliant sale, I am already looking forward to next summer's...

Though admittedly, I do look back at that weekend with much bitter-sweetness, which is perhaps why I didn't post about it sooner. Because the sale was all day Saturday and Sunday, not to mention the long days beforehand to get ready and then that Monday was when Hazel passed away...so at first I was very angry with myself that I was at this sale instead of home during Hazzy's last days...but I know now after some healing time that I couldn't have possibly known, that it wasn't my fault and that I was always there for her beforehand and I was atleast there to hold her when she had to leave...sigh...so I am trying to look back on the sale with gratitude and love because it was a great and speacil sale, the best so far I think.

Thanks for sharing with me....join me back here in a few days for a aerial tour of our little hometown and hopefully next week I'll have new work to share, it's not been a great month for headaches, so I've not been getting as much work done as I hoped for!!!!