A VERY ARTY POST

  

Hello dear Readers

We saw many museums and art galleries on our trip to Canada, and loved them all.

Above is an installation in the foyer of the Canadian Museum of History, located in Quebec, across the Ottawa River from the Canadian Houses of Parliament in Ottawa.  This time, we were there to see 'River of Dreams', Impressionism on the St Lawrence.  During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Canadian artists were influenced by the Impressionist movement in France, and many artists went to Paris to study.

We enjoyed the paintings very much, particularly the impressionist snow scenes in the newly industrialised cities in Quebec.

Henrietta Mabel May (1877-1970) 'Street Scene, Montreal, 1913. Camellia Cottage photo.

Maurice Cullen (1866-1934) 'St. James Cathedral, Dominion Square, Montreal.' c.1909-1912. Camellia Cottage photo.

Maurice Cullen (1866-1934) Ice Cutters, Longueuil 1923. Camellia Cottage photo.

There was also a wonderful painting of women sitting by the river in the sunshine, knitting...presumably socks for soldiers as women the world over did during WW1.

Henrietta Mabel May (1877-1971),'Knitting' 1915.  Camellia Cottage photo.

Another day there was an art show beside the local Mississippi River, with lots of artists from around the Ottawa area:

I really liked this artist's colourful work, but alas it was far out of our budget.

But I did buy a painting, in fact three, very tiny pieces which I could take home in my luggage.

These cute little houses are 3" x 4", and sit on tiny easels.  

Two sweet loons, floating in the water  6" square.  

I so love my little pieces of Canadian art.

Today I heard the sad artistic news, that four Renoir paintings had been stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Frence Riviera near Nice.

I quickly realised we had been to that lovely museum in 2019 and looked back through our photos.

Our tour group approaching the Renoir house/museum..

Turning the other direction, see Renoir's olive trees and beyond the village of Cagnes-sur-Mer.

Here I am in Renoir's studio, one of the last photos of me with dark hair.  Before we retuned home on that trip, I had an allergic reaction to my hair colour, and never coloured it again.  Six months later I had a head of snow-white hair...  

I do hope they find and restore those priceless wonderful paintings.

Renoir's palette and art materials.

His easel

What a wonderful morning we had there.

Have a good weekend.

Best wishes from the Camellia Cottage

XXXX

HOME AGAIN AFTER THE CANADA ADVENTURE

 

Hello dear lovely Readers.

Yes, we are back safely from Canada...

and what a wonderful time it was.

Our daughter's new home is large and welcoming.

We had the basement to ourselves, with our own TV nook, bedroom and bathroom, and were spoilt by a tea table complete with electric kettle and sweet treats to help ourselves any time.

As ever, I was overcome with emotion when we saw them waiting for us at Ottawa airport.  It has been more than two years since we saw the family, and a mother's heart longs for her child.

To recover from jet lag, we began walking the pretty neighborhood which included a path beside the swift-flowing Mississippi River (no, not that Mississippi, but a smaller version in Ontario).  Above is a small lake in the park and below is the actual river which has rapids, making it quite exciting to view...

The tree in the middle turned pink during August; Fall is on the way..

I will do a few posts about our many adventures, as we are still jet-lagged and catching up with life at home.

Puppet Parade at the tourist town of Almonte

Thank you all for your good wishes and lovely comments on my previous post before we set off.
Luck was with us and all the travel to the other side of the world went smoothly.
I had quite a shock this weekend when I went onto Blogger and tried to comment on your posts.
The system refused to Publish! 

It has been like that for two days, but today I was able to answer a few comments.

Fingers crossed, I can publish this post and we can all get back to normal.

Have a good week.

XXXXX



 

HOLIDAY PLANS AND HAPPY GARDENS

 Hello dear Readers

Soon we will be heading off to Canada to visit our daughter and her family, so I'm looking at a few photos from our last trip three years ago.

I saw these patriotic birdhouses at a Garden Centre...

Unfortunately they were a bit bulky to bring all the way back to Australia.

We enjoyed an overnight stay in a cabin at Parc Omega in Quebec, where there were wolves outside our large picture window.  They howled in the night which was both thrilling and terrifying, and a new experience for we Aussies...

In other news, the Camellia Cottage garden has been covering itself in glory during the cooler weather, producing the biggest roses we have ever grown.  Reader, these blooms were as large as my outstretched hand.  (And I do not have small hands!)

Our house is built on land which was a pineapple farm until 20 years ago, and has red volcanic soil.  It seems very fertile and we have not got around to giving our roses any fertilizer at all.  Not that we are agin it, we have just been very busy since we moved here...

Even the mini roses are bearing blooms much larger than those last Summer.  

I am off to start packing now.

The weather over Ontario way seems moderate right now, with some rains forecast.  I am taking a bit of everything: a sleeveless dress for ultra hot days, some light pants and short sleeved shirts, jeans and a couple of tees plus a light puffer jacket for cold/wet days.

You never know what to expect in these days of climate change!

Unlike our European Opera tour last year, I don't have to pack several 'glamour' outfits for nights.  More room to squeeze in some Aussie treats for the grands, and a few family items for my daughter.

I don't know if I will be able to blog while away. Since I started the new blog I have found the Blogger program difficult to work with and my skillset not up with the latest developments.

Hope you are all well, and I'll be back one of these weeks.

Love from the Camellia Cottage

XXXXX

FLOWERS, PARTY AND HEALTH

 

Hello Dear Readers

Last week saw the return of our dining chairs from a local Upholsterer...

I chose a floral print (previously these chairs were plain white linen), thinking it would blend in with the garden outside.

Other than a sage feature wall, the room is white on white.

It was hoped the chairs would be back before Mr CC's Retirement tea party.  Alas, this was unable to be achieved, but nobody noticed anyway.

The party began in our other reception room looking to the courtyard garden.  In the excitement of the day, I completely forgot to take photos!

However, the local caterer did a fine job with some hot savoury treats and sandwiches. Our guests were about 12 people who had been part of my husband's working life over 61 years.  All are very old friends now.

We had help from our sons and family members.

I made a little speech about the career milestones, including that we met in the office as very young workers for the Government, and were married several years later.

Everyone joined in with a few comments or memories, we enjoyed the champagne, and then retreated to the pool deck for tea and cake.

I made mini cup cakes, a lime and passionfruit sponge, a chocolate cake, and some almond cookies.  My friend brought a delicious lemon/ginger slice.

Last week I had to see an Endodontist for root canal treatment for an infection under an old crown on a back molar. 

Oh my, it was a long 40 minute process, very uncomfortable as he drilled through to the infection I had not known I had.

No wonder I have been very tired lately!

The Dr said he put in 'a paste' which I assume is an anti-biotic, and I have to go back in September and go through it all again and maybe get a new crown.  

Well, Old Age is not for the faint of heart.  As the Dr said, to have a good old age, they want us to see well, hear well, and eat well.

We are working on these things, and have also been for hearing tests. 

We do not always hear what the other one says, but in fact we are not defined as 'deaf' for the purposes of health insurance.

Our hearing is 'normal for our age', which means a slight decline.

The Audiologist recommended making sure we face the speaker, and choose where we stand for best hearing.

 Tomorrow I have a Covid jab, and hopefully we can now concentrate on getting ready for an upcoming visit to Canada to see our daughter.

I can't wait to get on the plane!

Have a great week

XXXXX

 

WINTER

 

This week the Camellias finished blooming...

What a spectacular time it has been, hundreds of gorgeous pink blooms and carpets of pink petals decorating our courtyard for several months.

Winter has come, and the roses are budding again...

I finished my new dress, and wore it to a concert at City Hall last Sunday.  In fact, it was so cool I took a coat!

Presented by Brisbane Chorale and Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, 'A Sea Symphony' by English composer Vaughan Williams was the highlight.  I have not heard it before, and enjoyed the powerful choral work, selections from Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass'  in four thrilling movements: A Song for all Seas, all Ships; On the Beach at night alone; Scherzo - The Waves; and The Explorers.  All very exciting and evocative.

The program included Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4' and the gorgeous 'The Lark Ascending' also by Vaughan Williams.

We had coffee with our friends, and had a wonderful afternoon.

Untitled 1999, Sonabai, [1930-2007] India. (Camellia Cottage photo)

Would you like to hear a true story?

A lady called Sonabai Rajawar was born in a village in Central India in 1930.  After marriage from 1953 to 1968 she was shut in their farmhouse with her baby, by her jealous husband.

She could tend to them but not leave.  She had no artistic training.

However, she dug clay from the courtyard, and made clay toys and figures for her son.  They are whimsical, colourful and beautiful.

During the hot Summers, she cooled the house by shaving strips of bamboo, and made grids covered in clay to catch the breeze.  Snakes, parrots and other figures were added, coloured by the use of herbs and spices from the kitchen and garden.  Eventually she transformed the whole house.  She enjoyed the effects of negative space.

Untitled,1999  Sonabai, [1930-2007]India (Camellia Cottage photo)

In 1983 Museum scouts came to the area seeking works for a new Folk Art museum at Bhopal.  They were shown Sonabai's work, and despite her protests pickaxed and took away some of it.  By then, her son had grown up.  Six months later Sonabai was given a solo exhibition and in 1985 awarded a President's Award in Delhi for her new art form.  In her isolation, without any outside influence, she had invented this beautiful Folk Art style.  

In 1986 she travelled to San Diego with her son to demonstrate how she made her work, and on her return to India was granted a Government salary to teach local artists her style.  Many of her pupils gained national and international recognition.  The style was named Surguji Style (her district was called Surguji).

Sonabai died in 2007.

Don't you love stories about women who survive and become successful against all the odds?  

I really enjoy her work and love showing it to people at our State Art Gallery.

Untitled 1999, Sonabai, [1930-2007] India (Camellia Cottage photo)

Out walking this week, two wild ducks share the footpath..

We have been spending a few days caring for grandkids during the current School holidays.  They are such a delight.  I have been drawing birds for them to paint with watercolours and we all have had a wonderful time.

Have an excellent week

XXXX

WINTER PLANTING

 

Hello Dear Readers

This week has been a mixed bag of chores -

with a long holiday coming up, there is always much to do.

Vaccinations:  As Winter has arrived here, we all encouraged to have the Flu Jab so I had that first.  Secondly, I had the new vaccination for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).  It is very prevalent this year, and I do not want a repeat experience of this virus which I caught when my small grandchildren had it about three years ago.  I am more than pleased they have developed a vaccine.

About two weeks before we depart for Canada, we plan to have Covid vaccination as many, many people we know have caught it when on holiday (as I did in 2023).

I have been in the Sewing Room by the Pool, trying to finish this dress.  Sleeves and hem to go, but the sleeves are being contrary.  I will get there in the end.

I have done a big more on this project, a jacket hand-stitched with lots of applique lace, embroideries and pretty fabric.

A pirate on the shoulder..

I painted some Daffodils because it is Daffodil planting time here.

At our previous home we had a 'bulb garden', a sheltered, cool bed with morning sun.  Every year a few Daffodils came up, along with other little bulbs.

I miss them.

There were no bulbs for sale here, but I ordered six online.  I know, if you live where they grow wild it seems odd, but this is a sub-tropical climate.

The bulbs have been planted, and I hope Winter helps them to grow for a September Spring.

When we arrived at Camellia Cottage, I bought this Garden Journal to record our new garden adventures.

It has plenty of space for writing and photos, as well as nice images of flowers, vegetables, and garden visitors such as birds and butterflies.

Do you record the happenings in your garden?

I went thrifting last week with my friend M.  

These plates caught my eye, only a couple of dollars each.

Downsizing might be considered a virtue these days, but I overdid it.  

When company calls, or we 'take a plate' somewhere, I have been rather short on suitable serving plates.   

And we are planning a small tea party here in the near future...

I hope the sun is shining, wherever you are

XXXX