Newsletter

September and October have truly been months of Thanksgiving for me, beginning with my painting trip to Killbear Provincial Park. I am so grateful to live in this wonderful country, where the lovely drive, the fellowship of other artists and the opportunity to experience the extraordinary environment of Killbear are all possible. While there I did a couple of plein air paintings as well as some sketches and have accumulated an abundance of material to work with in my studio over the next few months.

On returning home I was delighted to show a couple of my paintings at Richard Sturgeon"s studio as part of the London Artists' Studio tour exhibit during Culture Days. It was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and to chat with Richard and Carol Finkbeiner Thomas about painting, art and the London Studio Tour.

I was astonished and very grateful to be informed that the painting above will be one of the people's choice works selected during the Westland Gallery's Square Foot Show this year and one of twelve which will be included on their 2017 calendar. The calendars are available to order on their website, http:/www.westlandgallery.ca and are $13.50 plus HST.

So much to be thankful for....my painting, Solitude Nature Reserve, was awarded a ribbon at this past weekend's Gallery Painting Group Show, by juror Peter Lam. As well, I had the chance to reconnect with many friends and to sell three of my paintings too! I am very grateful for this opportunity and to everyone who worked so diligently to make this year's show a success.

I am so very grateful to my husband, Brian for his support, encouragement and patient tolerance of the disruptions to order, schedules and space in our home. I simply could not accomplish my goals without him.

Last, but not least, I am grateful to you for reading my posts and very thankful to those of you who have taken the time to respond to them by email.

Upcoming Shows and Events

ART AROUND TOWN, 2016 SOUTH HURON JURIED EXHIBITION AND SALE

OPENING: October 28, 7:00 pm

LOCATION: Ironwood Golf Course (outside of Exeter)

Open daily 11am to 5pm until Nov.4

Nov. 5th, 11 am to 8pm

Nov. 6th, 11 am to 1 pm

FACTORY ARTISTS' OPEN STUDIO EVENT

Richard Sturgeon's Studio 630.5 Lorne Ave

Nov.5 and 6

ILLUMINE GALLERY CHRISTMAS SHOW

364 Talbot Street, St. Thomas

Dec. 1 to 24

All pieces $250 or less

Gratefully Yours,

Sue

Magic

I hope you have enjoyed our very hot and wonderfully sunny summer. I have been busy finding wildflowers, sometimes deliberately on paint outs and sometimes accidentally while doing other things or running errands.

There is something magical about wildflowers. They suddenly appear in the wild spaces and sanctuaries around London as well as in neglected, abandoned, forgotten places. Some are very dependable and return to the same location year after year. Others are more elusive and must be sought out or found by serendipity. The disorderly abandon of wildflowers, their independence, their forms and colours, the way they grow and mingle so well with other wild things, have all captivated me. Many are not indigenous and some are considered invasive. They are all magic to me. I love finding, sketching and painting them. They have given me subject matter close to home and so much more.

Fenceline, Emily Carr Public School parking lot

Queen Anne's Lace with purple loosestrife growing in the ditch behind them, Gainsborough Road

Wild Grape, cat tails, purple loosestrife beside the parking lot at Fringe Gallery, Hyde Park Road

Two Invitations

LONDON CULTURE DAYS AND OPEN HOUSE

Seven London Studio Tour artists will be at Rick Sturgeon's studio, Metal In Fusion, Oct. 1st and 2nd from 10 am to 4 pm., located at 630 1/2 Lorne Ave.

Check out the link to learn more.

http:www.londonculture.ca/things-we-do/doors-open-london-and-culture-days

GALLERY PAINTING GROUP EXHIBITION

KILLBEAR

At the end of this month I will be travelling north to Killbear Provincial Park with a group of artists to sketch and paint. Life is good and I am grateful. The trip will be the focus of next month's Blog post.

What Inspires my Work?

The inspiration for my work comes most often from sketching. I am rarely without a sketchbook. I sketch while travelling, when waiting somewhere, with friends, with the Gallery Painting Group during our paint outs and at home, both indoors and in our garden.
My sketchbooks are my most important source of inspiration, my workbook, my greatest teachers, my visual diary and the place I can experiment freely.

Here is a sketch I did at Solitude Nature Reserve this spring.

And here are two of the paintings sketching trilliums inspired.

If you would like to see more trillium paintings or those inspired by other Wildflowers and Weeds, visit my website at

www.susangarrington.com or visit Paintings by Susan Garrington on Facebook to see what I am up to!

For the last several months, since returning from a painting trip to Cornwall, U.K., I have spent several hours nearly every day painting in my studio. It was such a productive time and something unexpected and exciting happened. i began painting in a totally different way than I had before. I found my voice, and so I decided to apply to the London Atists' Studio Tour. To my delight I was juried into the event.

​The experience exceeded all my expectations. Meeting with other artists, many of whom were returning to the tour, some who had been in the tour since its inception, was great. All were encouraging, generous with good advice and welcoming. Thank you all.

During the tour it was exciting to meet so many new friends, chat about my paintings and my process, demonstrate, and share. It was also wonderful to see many of my friends and fellow artists who stopped by to see my studio and lend their support.

​My sister, my daughter, my husband and a good friend all helped out and I am very grateful to them all. I am also grateful to everyone who decided to purchase one of my paintings for their home and to all who made positive comments, both in person and in writing.

​I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this event and to everyone who made it possible.