Artists’ Series – Michael Dumas (Part One)

This is a series about Canadian artists I have known and, in some cases, have worked with.

Michael Dumas, to many, is known as an “artist’s artist”. The first time a saw Michael’s art was at the Buckhorn Wildlife Art Festival (now the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts). Back then I didn’t know much about art or Canadian artists. Judi and I had been invited to visit the festival with friends who lived in Peterborough, and it was our first “ART FESTIVAL”! Little did I know then how involved we would become in the “World of Art”! But that is another story! At the time I was working in Toronto for a real estate relocation company. Judi and I went back to the festival in subsequent years and got to meet many of the participating artists along the way. One of the artists we got to know a little was Michael Dumas. Year’s later I contracted to work for Buckhorn Publishing, Michael’s publisher! It was there that I got to work with and know Michael much better. At first, I was very intimidated, but as I got to talk with Michael, I began to realize that he was not only a fabulous artist, but a wonderful and caring person. The number of organizations that have benefited from his generosity is immeasurable!

To be continued in Part Two...

Aaron Bell – Ojibwa Storyteller

We discovered Aaron Bell at the 2007 Mississauga Waterfront Festival. Judi and I had been exploring the festival’s grounds when we came across Aaron and the White Pines Dancers. Aaron was on stage, in full regalia, preparing for his upcoming performance. The White Pines Dancers were also on stage talking among themselves. The beautiful costumes that they were all wearing fascinated me. I walked up to the stage and asked Aaron when they were going to perform. I thought he was one of the Dancers, so I was surprised when he told me that he was an Ojibwa Storyteller and that he would be performing after the Dancers. We talk for a while about the Ojibwa and their stories. I had a little knowledge about them because of my friendship with Ojibwa artist David Johnson from Curve Lake. Aaron suggested that we come back in about ½ hour for the start of the dance. We did come back and set up our folding chairs near the front of the stage. First came the White Pines Dancers who were introduced by Aaron. Their wonderful costumes certainly added to the drama of the dance! Then it was Aaron’s turn. There were a number of children in the audience and Aaron invited them to come closer to the stage. He then began to tell us many Ojibwa stories and legends! The audience, especially the children, were mesmerized! The whole ensemble, Aaron and the White Pines Dancers was very entertaining and I congratulate the Mississauga Waterfront Festival for bringing them to the festival! Aaron and his friends perform all over Canada and especially enjoy performing for and teaching with children

Artists’ Series – Eddie LePage

Many of the festivals Judi and I visit feature the art of Canada’s fabulous artists. We have had the pleasure of knowing and working with many of them. They are all different and yet, they all have one thing in common, their passion for their art! To honour our art community, I am going to write about some of the artists I have known and relate a few personal anecdotes about them.

 I am calling it the “Artists Series” and it will run frequently over the next several months. The first artist to be featured is portrait artist, Eddie LePage. Although Eddie is known he his wildlife portraits, his native portraits are outstanding and grace the homes of many collectors. I am starting with Eddie simply because I know him the best. We have been friends for over 20 years! When I was in the custom framing business, he was the first artist to trust me with his framing. This was a big step considering I had just started my own framing company and was a real rookie at it! He liked my ideas and instincts and we formed a great team for many years. With Eddie you always know when spring has arrived because Eddie became hard to reach during the daytime. He was working on his other passion, golf! Eddie starts golfing in the spring and finishes in the fall. He only lets up in August to prepare for the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival. Only once have I been able to reach him on the golf course by cell phone and I am pretty sure that was a mistake! I too love golf, but not to the same extent as Eddie. We have golfed together in a few tournaments and when we partner, we almost always win a prize! Believe me this is his doing, not mine! Eddie has a natural talent for both golf and art. The only difference is that he earns his living as an artist! Eddie’s animal and native portrayals are timeless. He captures the essence of each subject he paints. That is why he is one of Bradford Exchange’s best-selling artists and why so many wildlife conservation groups choose his art to use in their fundraising programs. 

The Shaw Festival… Part Two

Here she unloaded the truck of the car with chairs, a folding table, glasses, cutlery and a picnic basket! She had packed everything before we left without my knowledge (very sneaky!!). She laid the whole picnic out and we sat in our chairs quietly eating our lunch. It was the perfect start for what was to come next! After packing our picnic essentials back into the car, Judi instructed me to drive to the main street and head away from the downtown. She told me to stop and park at the Royal Park Hotel (now the Shaw Club Hotel). Our accommodations had already been reserved and we settled into the hotel to relax for a few hours. Then it was downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant, the Zees Patio and Grill. To say we had a fabulous meal would be an understatement! During the meal I wondered how much better the day could be. I was in for another surprise! I would get better! Right across from out the Royal Park Hotel was the Shaw Festival Theatre. Judi had purchased tickets to the evening performance! Judi told me to follow her. We crossed the road to the theatre and she presented our tickets! What a wonderful day and a fantastic surprise! Our anniversary extravaganza was topped off the next morning with a gourmet breakfast at the Charles Inn!

The whole experience was choreographed by the Shaw Festival and the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Working together, along with local businesses, they put together excellent “Getaway Packages”. Ours suited us to a “T”! The Shaw Festival has been an artistic force in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Canada since 1962. The Shaw Festival Foundation, established a year later in 1963, as ensured the Festivals continuation. The Festival was originally set up to as a salute to playwright George Bernard Shaw but now features plays each season by many notable authors. From small beginnings the Shaw Festival is internationally recognized and attended by people from all over the world! The strength of the Shaw Festival is the Shaw Festival Foundation and its members! The membership, through their generous donations, helps the Theatre’s creative team, directors, actors, writers, designers and artisans, sustain their work and their vision. There are several types of memberships available for all budgets. 

The Shaw Festival… Part One

I think anyone who has ever visited Niagara-on-the-Lake has heard of the Shaw Festival! Judi and I have been visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake for years. We had heard a lot about the Shaw Festival, but never really knew it and what it could offer! 

That is, until Judi decided to give me a surprise anniversary gift! Judi had sold quite a number of her original paintings at the Cobourg Waterfront Festival and had earned some extra money. She decided to spend it on a surprise anniversary present. The present, you guessed it, was a romantic weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake! And, the weekend included tickets to a play at the Shaw! Judi had planned everything and wouldn’t tell me anything! 

This silence even included directions to where we were going! Once we were on the Q.E.W. highway and heading towards Buffalo, it finally dawned on me where we might be going, but I still wasn’t sure and I had no idea what was in store for me! Our destination was the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and once we arrived, Judi instructed me to drive to the main town park. 
Continued in Part Two...

Getting Into Character…

Judi and I visited the Scugog Shores Museum and their Pioneer Fall Fair. We were impressed with village interpreters and how they assumed the identity of the pioneers they were portraying. It wasn’t just the costumes. It was the little things. The way they spoke. The knowledge they displayed about their tasks and staying within character during conversations with visitors. 

We have visited quite a few re-enactments and pioneer villages and they all seem to attract people who have these characteristics in common! Re-enactors and village interpreters are, in most cases, unpaid volunteers. They do it for the love of history and they have a lot of fun doing it! Just think, they are portraying our forefathers in the heat of summer! No air-conditioned buildings! Dressed in “hot” old fashioned materials! I asked one re-enactor how he coped with the wool uniform he was wearing. He just shrugged and smiled and said “You get use to it after a while!” I wondered what he meant by “after a while”! Did he mean when the leaves started to fall and it was time to stoke up the coals in the fireplace? No matter, these wonderful, dedicated historians continue to keep our past vivid and alive! Thank goodness there are people out there that care so much! 

If anyone reading this article is interested in becoming a village interpreter or re-enactor, the pioneer villages and re-enactment groups are always looking for new volunteers. Just contact your nearest pioneer village and they can steer you in the right direction. Who know, the next time Judi and I visit a pioneer village or re-enactment, we might be snapping a picture of you! If we are, let us know. 

Attention Animal Lovers…

It’s amazing how well festivals and animal fit together! I had never really thought about it until I started examining festivals and their common links. The more I thought about, the more I realized how large a part animal played in the majority of festivals Judi and I had visited. Out of the last 10 festivals visited, 7 had had animals’ involvement in one form or another! I’ll quickly go down the list. The Fur Trade Re-enactment at Lang Pioneer Village had a number of farm animals plus a horse drawn wagon ride. The Old Time Fiddle Championships in Shelburne had a number of horses in their parade. The Kingston Sheep Dog Trials was really animal oriented! There were, of course, dogs (Border Collies) and sheep, but they also included 2 horse drawn shuttle wagons, a birds of prey demonstration by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy plus two other animal presentations, one by Jungle Cat World and the other by Little Ray’s Reptiles! The Rural Ramble Farm Tour featured numerous farm animals including cows, pigs, chickens, sheep and horses. At the Fort Henry Sunset Ceremony, the Fort Henry Guard’s mascot is a goat named David IX. The Orono Fair had animals galore, chicken (lot of them!), ducks, rabbits, cows and horses! Finally, at the Dine and Shine in Lang Pioneer village, not only did they have their traditional horse drawn wagon ride, but they had their own unique brush with wildlife! Just as Village Museum Manager, Joe Corrigan, was about to welcome the attendees, a flock of Canada Geese flew over the event giving us all a very loud, but appreciated Canadian “fly-by” (NASCAR eat your hearts out!)! So, if you are an animal lover, Ontario festivals and events are a must for you!