This weekend is the third 'Art by the Hearth' show and sale for the Escape Artists group I belong to. It is being held at my house on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone welcome!

I will have some new pieces for the show (I will get them up on the New Works page shortly). Here is a glimpse of part of one of them. It is a mixed media piece, something completely new for me.

I hope that you can come by and see us! Mulled apple cider available to all!

Thank you to everyone who came by our Escape Artists' show this past weekend. Saturday was a bit snowy, but it didn't stop most people, and by Sunday, we had some sunshine, which really showed off all the great art works. You can see some on Escape Artists' flickr site. We had lots of positive comments, and we got to enjoy mulled cider and goodies while we talked to our visitors each day.

Having the show in a home is really quite enjoyable. Many people commented on how it was easy to see how a piece of art would look in their home.

Now looking forward to the holidays, getting together with family and friends. I have one little painting I want to try and get done by the end of the month, and plan to start on it on Saturday at our regular Prairie River group meeting.

Well, I have a few more of the paintings to hang back up on the walls. It is a good opportunity to rearrange the paintings that I have as well.

Just 4 days to our Escape Artists' show - Art by the Hearth. I have most of my things ready - cards printed, calendars ready, paintings done. I just have a few oil paintings to varnish, which will be done Thursday. Also, a bit of housekeeping in preparation for having the show at our house.

It looks like the weather will be reasonable too. No snow predicted, sunny, and somewhat cold. Manageable! We will have goodies and hot drinks at the ready so people can meander around and see the show.

So - just a few more sleeps and then a couple of days enjoying the show. Hope to see many Saskatonians here!

It is just under two weeks until our next art show - Art by the Hearth with the Escape Artists. I started this small 6 x 6 piece of one of the lilies that I had in my garden this summer. Still a few touch ups yet, but it is nearly done. I also completed a large piece called 'Cosmos' that will be in the show. There are also some new small oils and watercolours I've done this fall. So there will be a several new pieces that I will have, plus those from the other six in the group. It is going to be at my house again. Last year, we hadn't had any snow by the time we had the show, but this year, snow has already arrived. I was thinking that I should make mulled cider - appropriate for a winter's day.

I am looking forward to this show. It was a lot of fun last year, and it was interesting to do it in a home. I liked the informality and also the way one could see the art in home situation. So, this week will begin the process of taking down all my own art in readiness to hang all the great pieces from the group. That is fun too, to have some new art on the wall for a few days.

Well, things to do, notes to send out etc. Better hop to it.

Tonight is the opening reception for the annual Mendel Art Gallery's Members' Show. It runs until November 7. It always has some interesting pieces in it, and is a fundraiser for the Mendel. Right now there is a William Perehudoff show on at the main gallery. He was a Saskatchewan painter who became an abstract painter and muralist.

He painted a mural on the office walls of Fred Mendel's office at Intercontinental Packers in Saskatoon back in the 1050s. Last year they were successfully removed the murals from the walls for preservation as the building was being demolished. I had a look at the show at the beginning of the week when I was dropping off my paintings for the members' show. The colours are still very bright and clear. I must admit to not being a big fan of abstract work, and sometimes find it hard to appreciate. However, it was worth seeing the show from the point of view of art history, and that I can appreciate.

This morning I put up the show of my own paintings at the Lavender Gallery, at Circle Park Mall. It will be there until November 20. If you are in the mall, or going to a movie, be sure to drop by and see all the galleries there.

Tomorrow, I drop off a couple of paintings for the Mendel members' show which will open at the end of the week. Busy days!

Yesterday, at our regular Prairie River Artist painting session, I did two small square oil paintings. I'll get photos up shortly. I was in the groove, or the zone, or whatever you call it, and everything just went so well. It has been a good weekend!

We have finalized the date for our Escape Artists' fall show - our second annual 'Art by the Hearth'. It will be held December 4 and 5 this year. The details can be found on our Escape Artists web site. All of our group members will be participating, although Linda will be doing so virtually - she is still in Costa Rica. I think this will be a good time - plus it is one of the few free weekends in the next while.

There is a bunch of putting up and taking down this week and next. Taking down at the Hilton Garden hotel, taking down the Prairie River Artists' group show at Circle Park and the same day, putting up my solo show there, in the Lavender Gallery. Then dropping off for the Mendel Members' show on the Monday after. You can check dates and times in the 'Upcoming Events' box over on the rights side. I do need to get some more bubble wrap! I don't know where it all went.

This weekend is the 8th annual Prairie River Artists' Show and Sale. It begins on Saturday at 10 am, until 6pm, and then finishes on Sunday, 11 am - 4:30 pm. I hope to see you there!