What a year!
2024 started with my new tropical line of vegan leather tote bags perfect for summer or your next vacation. I am very proud of these beautiful, functional and ethically made tote bags.
As with all my textile products these are made in Canada. I work with a local community driven production studio in Montreal, Canada to create high quality accessories from my original watercolour designs.
From the printing to the sewing, everything is produced in Montreal, Canada using the best raw materials and with employees paid fair wages and working regular hours.
Watch me paint the design for this bag
Spring 2024
Spring arrived with the Renewal Group Show at Melt Studio and Gallery.
I entered two paintings in this beautifully curated show and both sold which was an amazing start to the season!!!!!
Representation
I was also offered representation by Melt Studio and Gallery and am thrilled to be part of the Melt Artist Roster.
Melt Studio and Gallery is located just outside Picton in a historical air force barracks in the former Camp Picton. Built in 1940 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). Seven hundred and one acres of land on the outskirts of Picton became the home of the Royal Air Force (RAF) where many young men from the Commonwealth trained in bombing and gunnery. Decommissioned in the 60s, many of these barracks are now workspaces for artists, carpenters and various local businesses.
Melt Studio and Gallery is managed and run by Canadian encaustic artist Susan Wallis and is the home to her encaustic working studio. This wonderful space showcases her work along with a selection of other talented artists and artisans.
Summer 2024
June brought my first outdoor art show after getting juried into the Art in the Park show.
I wrote a blog post about my experience, overall the experience of an outdoor art show was fun, rewarding but demanding. It took a lot of planning and organization. It was successful thanks to the generosity of my family and friends giving of their time to make the experience successful.
Fall 2024
September brought some much needed rest and a month spent up in Northern Ontario, painting, hiking and taking tons of reference photos.
It also brought the Fall Melt Artist Group Show
Winter 2024
Winter brought the “Give A little Bit” - Juried Holiday Group Show again at Melt Studio and Gallery.
Winter also means time spent in the studio painting - time to hibernate, read books and poems.
And on that note, here is a poem to remind us to be in the present.
Snowy Night by Mary Oliver
Last night, an owl
in the blue dark
tossed an indeterminate number
of carefully shaped sounds into
the world, in which,
a quarter of a mile away, I happened
to be standing.
I couldn’t tell
which one it was –
the barred or the great-horned
ship of the air –
it was that distant. But, anyway,
aren’t there moments
that are better than knowing something,
and sweeter? Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness. I suppose
if this were someone else’s story
they would have insisted on knowing
whatever is knowable – would have hurried
over the fields
to name it – the owl, I mean.
But it’s mine, this poem of the night,
and I just stood there, listening and holding out
my hands to the soft glitter
falling through the air. I love this world,
but not for its answers.
And I wish good luck to the owl,
whatever its name –
and I wish great welcome to the snow,
whatever its severe and comfortless
and beautiful meaning.
Happy Holidays
xo Brigitte