Summer 2024

The summer of ‘24 was a beauty. As expected, it was full of highs and lows…is it my age, or are people dying at an alarming rate all of a sudden? In discussions of such a reality, my only response must be to Live for Today. Carpe the diem out of every moment we are granted, I guess? Friends visited from Malaysia, and northern Ontario, and we all celebrated our lives and the shock/surprise of still being here and hardy enough to enjoy ourselves. 

There was a beautiful riverside wedding near St. Jacobs, Ontario, of a dear friend’s daughter, but with my undiagnosed broken ankle, it was a frustratingly pain filled day. Since my bilateral knee replacements the previous summer, I find that pain is now relative. During the pandemic, I was in a one-person bubble and my survival still seems to be based on an isolationist’s existence. It mostly works for me as I’m often surrounded by grandsons who instantly shake me back into reality! They figure highly in my day-to-day life, but as I’m banned from posting their pics to the public, you’ll just have to take my word for it, and know that they are very energetic, loving and the centre of my world. Back to the wedding story: I left before the dancing (obviously…ouch!), but the venue, food, and décor were stunning and I was so happy to be there and to celebrate this special day!

Creatively, I worked on sublimation projects for my niece’s Fall wedding, and I (sort of) learned how to use a Cricut machine. Wow - that tool could very easily take over someone’s life and very existence. It does so much! And I definitely have more rolls of Cricut vinyl than I could ever use in 10 lifetimes!! Even the glittery stuff…yes! It’s at times like these when I can relate to the themes and hilarity of Michael Keaton in  “Multiplicity” and wish for a few more of me to go around!

My sister’s (@tracymheath) book was nearly finished (more on that later!) and she asked to use my alcohol ink art for the cover (fun!!) and for “a few simple graphics” for the inside. Fast forward to me getting a new iPad, stylus, and software (Procreate) to draw with layers and save images without backgrounds. It was an investment, but the ease of use and ability to edit quickly made it all worthwhile. The drawings were sent to the publisher and worked for what she had in mind. Yay!! Again, I could use a few more of me to make use of this tool, too!!!

And don’t think that my sister took advantage of my skills (and, ahem, talents!?), because I patiently waited for the opportunity to “get my own back”. When I was invited to go with her for a work trip to Windsor, I casually mentioned… (oh, so casually…barely a whispered suggestion, really) that “Chicago is only 4 hours from Windsor, you know…”. Thanks to her daughter’s recent - and fabulous- visit to the Windy City, she said YES! Hallelujah, it was on!!! 

While in Windsor I painted a jean jacket in the hotel room to keep busy, and once finished her work, my sister and I drove through Michigan, Indiana and finally Illinois to Chicago, and stayed at a downtown hotel with the biggest, deepest, longest bathtub I have ever seen! With Epsom salts, I would manage to walk and live to tour another day!! (Self care is important when you travel!)

As previously mentioned, my physical ailments require abnormal amounts of REST (“feet up, eyes closed, not watching tv or reading” according to my specialist) and socializing in person is frequently exhausting for me. During the pandemic I became more social with online art groups and met some truly fabulous people. This trip to Chicago gave me the opportunity to meet some of those incredible gifts from the universe – WOOHOO!!! 

Thankfully my sister has an excess of energy and is usually game to try new stuff. I’d researched the options and purchased a membership to the Art Institute of Chicago (parking discounts, gift shop discounts, and early/free access to exhibitions, etc – I highly recommend!) which we used as we dropped in 4 times over the course of our visit! I mean, we walked downtown and it was literally right there…how can you just walk past?! There was a Georgia O’Keefe exhibition that was beautifully curated, and held work from across her prolific years. Of course I bought the catalogue and will enjoy it forever. There are so many iconic paintings in the AIC collection that it was hard to choose what to see. The Seurat honestly took my breath away. It’s enormous. The pointillism edges even made me gasp. The guard chuckled and said to me, “Yes, there it is…” with reverence as she totally understood my awe. I practically drooled over the Sargent, the Chagall window, the Rosa Bonheur self-portrait, oh, there were many moments of stunned silence. Popping in and out allowed me to pace my overwhelm. It’s a thing – IYKYK.

We also saw The Bean, the waterway, (I’ve watched The Fugitive more times than any other movie. Seriously.) Lincoln Park zoo boardwalk, Lake Michigan, Evanston, Dick Blicks, the Picasso sculpture, and absolutely loved every moment! See how I sneaked the art supply store in there? You barely even noticed, right?? Well, we walked there, so I had to carry whatever I bought…that is a limiting factor, for sure. Still, it was great to see the supplies my U.S. friends often recommend.

The highlight, though, was an afternoon spent with my online art friends at our grand dame’s home – a visit that was not about tea in the parlour, but ripping up her hand painted papers and creating a collage piece of art “to remember the day” (AS IF I WOULD EVER FORGET!!) in her backyard, with little ones scrambling around and snacks beside the matt medium. I blinked back tears of unreality and barely knew where I was for most of the surreal afternoon. Gifts were exchanged and hugs and pictures and then my sister whisked me away for some deep-dish Chicago pizza on the ride back to the hotel. Spoiler alert: it was gluten free and (I wish) forgettable. 

Despite the limitations of a walking cast, my dearest Chicago friend took an Uber to our hotel room and we had another visit before our departure. It still feels like a dream. An unbelievable, “someone pinch me” kind of dream. Some people just change the energy of our world for the better, you know?

Closer to home, I was invited to join a new art group that would meet weekly for some outdoor “en plein air” painting. What an amazing opportunity! I love nature. I love drawing, painting, and being with other creatives. I met up with one of these lovely artists to see the Banksy exhibit while it was in London. Prior to the visit, I didn’t think his street art or exhibition was really my thing, but I was very, very wrong. It’s for everyone!! If you get a chance, go! 

Stay tuned for more of these adventures…