Sweetgrass Afternoon – by Dean Tatam Reeves
A few years ago, I had the chance to spend a quick 36 hours in Waterton, Alberta. Stay at warp speed in Calgary or wind down in Waterton – even for a short time? The choice was clear. All I wanted was a little fresh air to blow the city from my brain. Little did I know I’d meet a great plein air artist – Dean Tatam Reeves – in my travels.
In this post, I’ll tell you more about the day we met and the workshops he’ll be offering this summer.
Filed under Art Installation
The first time I posted an art installation on this blog, it was to talk about the work of my friend, the artist, Louise Savoie. Five years later, it’s been a joy to watch her evolve from representational art to flourish in her new passion for abstract painting. She has been painting consistently for about 10 years now and has a new show opening in Calgary this week. Continue reading
Filed under Art Installation
Peace Bridge (Calgary) – photo by Karen Anderson
When you go to a great city, what do you remember? For me after the people I meet and the food I eat, it’s the architecture, museums, parks AND – more and more – the public art. This post is about my favourite public art in Calgary. I haven’t captured it all yet, but this is a good start and if you find yourself in Calgary with a few spare hours, check out the link in this article to a map produced by the city.
Filed under Art Installation, Travel
I’ve written about my love of Aretha Franklin before. She’s left us now physically, but I will play my Aretha playlist loud and sing along in my car for all the days of my life. Just like dear old Murphy Brown’s character so wonderfully played by Candace Bergman in this 1991 video from her show, I will never sound like the Queen of Soul, but I appreciate that she knew how to make us all feel like a natural woman and that’s why I loved her so.
In my life Aretha, you will have an eternal encore. Thank you for helping me savour it all.
Filed under Art Installation
Terra Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist with a voice that delivers in multi-octave waves. I hope you’ll enjoy this song, Paradise. Let it be the gateway song that leads you to dig a little deeper. Find out who she is and how she rolls and you’ll have found yourself another great Canadian artist to support. The lyrics follow. Continue reading
Filed under Art Installation
“If something doesn’t exist, that you want to exist – create it,” says The Maritime Edit magazine editor James Mullinger in the video above.
I’m just back from a quick trip home to New Brunswick to check in on my folks. I picked up the first edition of this magazine at the Saint John airport and devoured it on the Halifax to Calgary leg of my trek back to where I live with my husband and son. The magazine is fresh in that it exists “to celebrate and highlight the discreet luxury of living in Atlantic Canada.”
I love that wording.
The people of the Atlantic are discreet, low key, unpretentious, muted, restrained and intentionally unobtrusive as they go about the luxury of living their lives. Their lives are a luxury because living at a slower pace, in proximity to ocean and earth and connected to family and culture is an antidote to the fast pace world of carpools and commutes, distance and indifference that is existence for most of us. I’m so happy someone will be celebrating and highlighting this wee corner of Canada. I’ve subscribed.
I’m looking forward to including this quarterly art installation in my life. My Atlantic roots and values help me savour it all.
Filed under Art Installation, Travel, Writing
This summer Alberta Food Tours, Inc. is involving as many Alberta food lovers as possible in an Instagram contest called #eatalberta150. Why? The goals are to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and to compile a very visual answer to the question, “what is Alberta’s food story?” Alberta has a number of signature foods and this contest will show the world what a fabulous food travel destination the province is. Every winner also gets a piece of birthday cake in the form of a Crave Cupcake (see above) and great prizes from Alberta food businesses and hotels.
In my work as a food and travel writer, I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of great photographers. In this post I’ll share some food photography tips I’ve picked up over the last decade. Hopefully they will boost your bravado and increase your likelihood of joining in the #eatalberta150 fun.
Continue reading
Filed under Art Installation, Travel
