Bill Brennan

Bill is a self taught artist and a developing artist of the past twelve years. He paints in what he call the forgiving medium of wet on wet oil painting on canvas. He also paints with acrylics creating realistic and interpretive works. Bill regards painting a lifelong journey of learning which he continues to experience through various creative landscapes. He also creates whimsical birds from found wood materials. His humour is evident in the many "characters" and names he gives them

Lis Simpson's new work

Glass Mask Making – 3 kiln Firings

When you are combining glass components, such as in a mask, you have to take care that the glasses are compatible.  Otherwise they crack or explode when heated or cooled in the firing process!  The base of this mask is two layers of green and clear glass.  The eyes are layers of several other colours.  This got a full fuse firing in the kiln.

For accents I used glass rods, which I worked into different shapes on the torch.  I also created “strings” of glass for the hair.  Bits of rods were cut for the “teeth”.

After the base had cooled from the kiln, I arranged the rods to become eyebrows, nose and mouth.  I put in “teeth” bits between the lips.  Look he’s sticking out his tongue!  This design tack fused all the bits; tack fusing doesn’t melt the pieces totally down flat.

Finally the mask was slumped in the kiln to create the rounded shape.

Remembrance Day

Today is a day of Remembrance. We are sharing this story again first published on this blog a few years ago.  


Studio Tour artist Grace MacPherson shares memories of her experience serving Canada during World War II. 


July 1943, Grace MacPherson was 18 year old Grace Gauntlett...

Studio Tour artist Grace MacPherson, RCAF WD, 1943-45

"If you had good marks in your final year at school, you could leave early to join the Armed Forces. I went and saw a film, “We Serve That Men May Fly.” It was all about serving in the Air Force, and I thought that if I enlisted I would be sent to England. My brother John was in the RAF and was ferrying planes between Lagos and Britain. Later he was posted to Burma. At age 18, I enlisted and my mother didn’t really approve of what I was doing.

The Air Force was recruiting women to take over jobs, allowing the men to serve overseas. I was happy to be chosen for training as an operational clerk. This was a very selective course and top secret. We would be getting information from radar stations and plotting it on grid maps so they could be identified as friend or foe.

The enlistment poster that inspired Grace to join

We heard we were going to the West Coast, Victoria and were stationed in a lovely old home. It was at one time earmarked as a government house. It was called Kildonan House in the ritzy Rock Bay area. The officers lived in the house and we had barracks, which were built on the extensive grounds.

We had four shifts; the operational room had to be manned 24 hours a day. I was on D shift and about 12 of us living and working together became a happy family. We had a lot of time off, as the work was considered stressful, and our work area was located in the basement of the Belmont Building, across from the Empress Hotel. I would have to be checked by service police when I entered and left.

We were connected to several isolated radar stations on the West Coast: information was relayed to us by radio telegram. We plotted it in on a grid map. If the identification couldn’t be made, Fighter Control would send up an aircraft to check. Sometimes a plane from the training base would get lost and it was through the radar and the Filter Ops that they were located and saved. Another time a plane went off course and was headed for the mountains, and they were alerted on time. There was an aircraft detection post on top of the Belmont Building, and we manned it during the day shift. We had to identify, if we could, anything that we saw. We also took calls from civilians who were also looking out for aircraft activity.

Our time off gave us the opportunity to travel up and down the island, to Vancouver and to the States. Our commanding officer would give us a letter of introduction, and we could go and get second priority on the planes. First priority was the wounded. We flew from Seattle to California and across to St. Louis. Another time we just hitchhiked. Everyone was kind to those in uniform. We never had any trouble we couldn’t handle.

Here, Grace (2nd from the right) and her fellow WDs pose for a photo that later appeared in the newspaper.

Once coming home on leave I used every form of transportation: ferry, train, plane, bus, and hitchhiking. Stopping at Thunder Bay, and looking out of the window, I saw the faces of young, fair-haired boys waiting in the bus beside us. They were German POWs waiting to be transferred to one of the camps. 

 VJ-Day came and we paraded in Victoria. It was an exciting day for everyone. We went to a service at Beacon Hill Park—lots of service personnel there. The speeches were getting a bit too long so someone set fire to the grass and that caused a diversion. There was a big dance in one of the hangars. Aircraft took off and bombed the station with toilet paper!

Shortly after, I was given my discharge and I went to Vancouver for the final paperwork. I received $210 for my two-and-a-half years in the service. I was happy to be going home, though not regretting one moment I spent in the Air Force, to serve “that men may fly.” Maybe I didn’t get to England, but I found good friends, travelled across Canada by train and the United States courtesy of the government. We were told that our presence on the West Coast saved many lives, and prevented many serious accidents and loss of life."
  

In 2008 Grace attended a WD reunion in Ottawa; she stands beside a WD plaque that was unveiled at the War Museum

To Grace and the thousands of other Canadians who have served, we thank you.

Thank you

It has been several weeks since the Tour and we just had our last meeting on Thursday. Congratulations to Carol Gordon who won the $200.00 voucher to spend on art from one of our members

By all accounts it was another extremely successful year
Thank you to everyone

• the people who visited our studios.... you encourage us with your enthusiasm and support 
• our sponsors .... without them we would not be able to reach so many people. Please support them with your business
• our artists  .... they open up their homes/studios and share the process of their creations 
• and the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville for their continued support on many different levels 

Please continue to check back to this blog. There will be updates on our artists all year long. We have already started planning for next year .... our 15th 

Thank you!

Thank you Deb Kirk

Former tour member Deb Kirk shared her thoughts about the tour. Deb moved away from the area and we wish her great success..... we mis her enthusiasm

WOW!  having been a member of the Stouffville Studio Tour for years, I was always busy on the weekend of the tour - at my own studio.  Never had a chance to get out and see others' work.  Well, today I did and oh my, do we have some talented artists here in Stouffville.  The pictures on the brochure and website are just a little tiny tease of the works you'll see at each studio.  Absolutely gorgeous colours at Colin Whitebread's as well as at Sandra Cole Burke's.  Wonderful silver at new artist Monica Gennaro's place.  If you have any chance at all - get out on Sunday and see at least some of the studios.  Definitely worth the drive.

Deb Kirk

14th Annual Stouffville Studio Tour

Signs in place, 

check, 

Studios ready, 

check

Work displayed

check 

We are all ready to meet you

14th Annual Stouffville Studio Tour 

October 18th &19th

Maps available at all of our locations, sponsors or downloaded here

Hope to see you 

Three Generations

On our tour again this year are three generations of one family........ At Diana Bullock's location along with her work in mixed media, Sumi-e [Japanese ink painting]  you will find watercolours by Grace MacPherson, her mother and multi media work by her daughter Allison.

This is the link to the article in  Good Life magazine from earlier this year. Grace turned 90 this past summer, still paints and has many new pieces.

Diana has been also very busy with several different media types

And Allison's work has taken a striking new direction 

Something lurks

Their Studio location is #15 on this years tour. Stop by and say hello!

One Horse Farm ...... Studio #2

We seem to have a habit of adding an artist a year, if this keeps up One Horse Farm Studio will need to move to bigger space as we're now almost at maximum capacity! 

Joan (acrylic and watercolour), Bill (oil and acrylic) and Carin (totems, masks, glass flamework) are happy to welcome Petra Watson-Morton this year. Her mixed media Celtic art is truly amazing! 

"Playing with Fire" 

A Studio Tour first, One Horse Farm Studio will be opening the doors to the glass studio this year which will be open and fully operating. The oft asked questions, "what's in there" "how did you get that into the glass" will finally be answered as guests can view first hand how Borosilicate glass is taken from raw form to finished work in a torch firing at approximately 2000 degrees. A range of techniques will be demonstrated and all questions are welcome.

Studio # 2 on this years tour.  Four artists at one stop.

Wendy LaValle

Artist Wendy LaValles landscapes become more abstracted with the use of colour and interesting perspectives.  

From here series GHRE, this painting is 30 x 30, Encaustic on panel.

GHRE, 20 x 20, Encaustic on Panel

Wendy os # 4 on this years tour.

Colin Whitebread

From Colin

Here are 2 new finished works. And several in messy studio that are in progress and will be ready for Tour. Go to our Facebook page to see the studio spaces.

I will have 22 plus new works, with lots of new creative techniques.

Colin is Studio #10 on this years Tour.

Ray McNeice new painting

Anyone who lives in Stouffville will tell you there is an "interesting" store downtown. This wonderful new painting says is all.

Blight 

Ray, Margaret, Marie and James are at Studio #17 on this years tour. Make sure to stop by and see this painting.

James Wilkes

Photographer James Wilkes has recently returned from Nova Scotia, where he spent the summer working on an organic farm and road-tripping around the province in search of humpback whales, tidal rivers, and dilapidated houses. 

Check out his latest work at Studio #17, along with fellow artists Ray McNeice, Margaret Grandison and Marie Messina.

Check this out

Make sure to head on over to our Facebook page and see pictures of our artists studios.
SST Facebook Studio spaces

Like our page if you haven't already to keep up with all of our posts year round.

Less than a week to the tour. Get your map on this blog and plan your day. We are all busy getting ready to meet you!

Jane McLellan

This is Jane's second year on the tour.

Here are some of her new work. Visit her website for more examples of her painted glass designs.
http://shiverglassdesigns.com/

Visit Jane at Studio #14 on this years tour.

Margaret Grandison's House Series

If you look at Margaret's paintings you will see a pattern.  Her new work is a series of houses. They are lovely and whimsical. Here is the latest painting

Memories of Springtime

Margaret, Ray, Marie and James are at Studio # 17

One Horse Farm Studio

"The week before the tour is a busy one at One Horse Farm Studio. Jet insists her paddock be tidy for our visitors, she is doing her best to help"

Visit Carin Bacher at Studio # 2 on this years tour. At her location are guest artists Bill Brennan, Joan Humphrey and Petra Watson-Morton 

Plein Air

Husband and wife team Ray McNeice and Margaret Grandison enjoy painting outside or plein air.

As part of Cultural Days in Stouffville there was a call for artists to take to the streets of town and paint.

Here is Ray's painting ..... The corner of Main Street and Edward

And Margaret's ..... The corner of Main and Edward

It is alway interesting to see how different artists treat a similar subject. 

Make sure to stop by their Studio #17 on this years tour and see these paintings. Also at this location is James Wilkes and Marie Messina

Tour artists supporting the arts

"The Arts" always seem to be struggling for funding, recognition and support.

The Stouffville Studio Tour artists not only produce wonderful work but many of them are strong advocates for the arts. They "live" the artistic life and support arts in many different ways.

Did you know

• one of members is Chair of the Board of Directors of Stouffville's local public gallery, The Latcham Gallery 
• another one is also on the same Board
• one member worked for two summers during university at the gallery 
• one member and her husband financially supported an exhibition at the gallery 
• many members volunteer for various events at the gallery 
• many members donate their work to fundraising efforts at the gallery 
• one of our members is a docent at the Ontario Art Gallery 
• many members are on governing boards of various art organizations 
• many of our member share their expertise through teaching at various locations and organizations 
• several members pursue interests in other disciplines including dance and music 

This is only a very small fraction of the diversity of our members.
Engage in a conversation with our members during the tour. We are happy to speak with you about the arts. 

Lis Simpson ..... Busy lady!

Lis Simpson is a very busy lady! She participates in several studio tours and sales, her work is very popular and she must constantly replenish her supply of original jewellery and glass work

Out of disaster come new creations.  Lis’ thoughts on recent kiln projects:

"These “lacy light” tea lights look great!  I’ll make some more."

After slumping a newly made red tea light over a mold in the kiln:

“Oh, no!  This tea light has turned into a disaster!  The “tendrils” are sticking to the mold and bending inward.  I’ll fire it differently again in the kiln.  There’s room for this small pyramid, too.”

After this firing the red “tendrils” of the tea light ran onto the pyramid.  Another disaster!  She cut the two objects apart.  Look at these unusual creations – something totally new and fresh!

Make sure to stop by and see Lis Simpson at Studio # 13; Sandra Cole Burke is her host artist.

Maria Szente-Bodor

Another new artist to introduce you to Maria Szente-Bodor
Maria is a potter

Here are some pictures of her work

Marie shares ...... Two decades later still the most exited moment is when I open my kiln after glaze firing

Visit Maria at Studio #5 on this years Tour. She is a guest artist at Monica Gennaro's studio.