Art + Craft in Bear River = happiness

This weekend I took part in the very first Bear River Holiday Spirit Craft Show at the Rebekah Hall.

The tables were 6 feet long.

I had stressed a bit before the show about what I would display, whether I should even participate, did I have enough stuff, how would I display things, etc. , etc.

It’s not like I’ve never been in a show before, but I guess it has been a long time and my head has been in gardening not in art and craft shows.

It was SO MUCH FUN!!  In fact, I’d forgotten about how much I enjoyed the whole process of a show. The fun parts are:

• Seeing a body of your work together

The chaos of creativity in the studio can hide the previous weeks’ pieces. Placing your work together gives definition to your direction.

• Seeing other people’s work

It’s lovely to see other people present their work. It’s inspiring because hand-made work is so unique to the creator. It’s like a signature. It has an energy.

This detailed ornament is made from paper by Apryl Surette.

• Seeing the work of your friends in the village

When I know a person it’s even more interesting to see their work. It’s a window into their being.

• Visiting with your village friends

This is the first show I’ve ever participated in where I knew or knew of 80% of the vendors and many of the purchasers. It’s like having a show with all your friends and that’s an art party!

The people even dressed like works of art.

• Buying other people’s stuff

“Supporting the arts” is never so sweet as when you are buying beautiful things and tasty food from old friends and new friends!

• Selling your own stuff

I paint to satisfy an inner need to respond in colour to a scene or an object that moves me. It’s always a thrill and a surprise when someone else responds to a piece, especially when its creation was such a personal experience for me. It is wonderful to know that my paintings are enjoyed by others. Money is a good thing too!

• Absorbing the energy of others

Most vendors and participants at shows are in happy moods and the happy energy vibes are in abundance and are contagious.

This doll called me, but I had to leave her behind for now.

• Sharing tips and techniques with other artists

I exchanged printmaking stories and techniques with a storyteller artist  Sheila LeBlanc-Joyce. The photographer across the aisle from me shared his tips about digital photography, photoshop manipulation, printing, and paper preferences, all worth gold!

• Uping your own creative force

The end result of all of this is to send the artist home with new ideas and some inspiration for new work

Lots of people came through..like hundreds. Many of us were happily surprised to see such a crowd on a rainy day. It was an excellent turn-out for a first-time venue and it bodes well for the future.

Fabulous stories, photos and dolls by Ken and Amy Flett

And what did I buy? There were lots of beautiful things I wanted to buy, but I restrained myself. When I got home I noticed that all of my purchases were very practical and often food related.  I bought:

• Some coffee from Sissiboo Coffee Roaster, a new, fair-trade coffee roasted here in Bear River by Jon Welch.

The aroma alone is out of this world!

• An  especially-for-artists  week by week calendar that will help me organize my life if I cooperate with it. This was developed by artist Helen Opie who was frustrated with what was on the market and designed and printed her own.

• Some wild, handpicked cranberries from organic market-gardener Gilbert Doelle at Wild Rose Farm in Gilbert’s Cove.

• The tastiest loaded-with-fruit-and-nuts fruit cake I’ve ever sampled made by Barnwood Inn in Bear River.

The fruitcake is so fresh and so tasty.

I forgot to mention that there was also live music and carols.

Emily added some of her Deer to the table and they were a hit!

Thanks to Erin Schopfer and Jon Welch for providing the venue and more.

A very special thanks to a wonderful artist and woman, Jennifer Quercia who did a huge amount of coordinating and organizing and planning for this event. Jennifer makes beautiful felt creations when she’s not homeschooling or assembling yurts or working on  community projects.

Jennifer's felted 'tooth fairy' pouch.

It was quite a fun event. I can’t wait for the next time!

Cherry Carnival, Bear River

I am not going to talk about moving. The subject is so darned tedious at this point that I don’t even want to go there. Suffice it to say that today I took a break from oiling kitchen cabinets to check out the annual Cherry Carnival in Bear River.

The view of Bear River from our temporary housing.

The Carnival is the most well attended annual event in the village and attracts hundreds of people, most of them former Bear Riverites. It’s a real homecoming time.

The day starts off with a parade and most of the floats are, charmingly, home-made.

Next to the parade, the single most popular event is the greased pole event. This goes on for hours as all ages try their turn at walking it to capture the flag. Most fall into the river to sighs and moans and laughter of the crowd. Two hours after I took this photo, we heard the crowd roar for the winner…by the sounds of it, it was quite wonderful.

I dropped into the Bare Canvas Gallery for a book and poetry reading. Newfoundland writers Lisa Moore and James Langer read and it was such a treat to here them talk about their work while surrounded by the art in the Gallery.

Lisa Moore's book "February" is published by Anansi Press.

The writers hung around for signings, conversation and delicious treats that were prepared by the Bear River Cafe.

James Langer's book Gun Dogs is new to my collection.

James told humourous tales about how teachers influenced his love of poetry and his interest in writing. It reminded me that random  events of people in our lives have huge impact on our life’s path.

Life events are truly a gamble. On that note, I headed over to the roulette wheel…my very first time ever! The Carnival is meant to raise funds for our volunteer Fire Department. Fireman Jon enticed me into the game with his reminder that my real gamble was moving to Bear River. Since that has worked out beyond our expectations, I figured I could slap down my 4 quarters and turn them into gold.

The game is rigged, I’m sure. I was up to 3 dollars, got confident and bet wildly. In the end, the fire department won.

Tonight the sky will be on fire ….. with fireworks. Until then, I’m back at our house watching Don and Larry put the washing machine in place and move our bed upstairs.

Looks like my gambling days are over.

Bear River Volunteer Chain Gang

Pick-axes and shovels flying.

I went into the village today and saw what looked like a chain gang of people I knew and a few that I didn’t. They had picks and shovels and had decided to reclaim the sidewalks that go across the bridge that connects the Annapolis side of Bear River to the Digby side.

These 2 strips of concrete that span the bridge are the only sidewalks in this entire village. I suppose that’s why the municipalities of Annapolis County and Digby County (Bear River’s 2 governing bodies as we are not an official entity) don’t bother clearing the sidewalks.

Carol taking time out from her holiday week to bash ice.

In case you hadn’t heard, there is going to be a wonderful Winter Carnival here starting tomorrow and ending on Sunday. There are events happening for everyone and this is all being done on bake sales and donations and with no government funding. Well after all, if they won’t pay for clean sidewalks or to even put in sidewalks or for a water drinking system,  then how can one expect a handout for the events that are coming up.

Imagine 800 of them lighting the village!

People have been busy making ice candles for the event. How is this done? Well, you fill up a large icecream container with water and then insert a smaller yogurt container weighted down with rocks into it. Freeze and voila! A beautiful candle holder. Apparently there are already over 800 sitting in freezers all over the village, just waiting to come out and light the way across that bridge to the hand-made ice rink outside the fire hall.

There is even a contest for ice sculptures and there are already a wide variety of snow people and dragons too, appearing  around the village. I was out taking pictures of it today when I ran into one of the snow person creators:

Standing guard at the post office.

I know it’s kind of late and short notice, but I hear that at midnight tonight, a second chain gang of people are going to tackle the other side of the bridge. This time they’ll have a volunteer with a back hoe so it might be a little easier.

Musicians in The Same Boat

Cameron Cromwell played a rockin' blues guitar.

Musical events at the Oakdene Centre in Bear River usually happen once a month. It’s a great chance to get together with friends and to enjoy an evening of live entertainment for a mere six dollars (with a $10 membership).  This year Larry is on the Board of Directors for the Bear Rhythm Music and he designs all of their posters.

Larry's poster design.

Last weekend we went to the monthly coffeehouse at the Oakdene Centre.  It was much more than a musical performance.  A group of area musicians and friends have banded together to present music with a strong social message. Their musical styles are as diverse as their origins, so there was everything from African drums to Irish ballads to Acadian folk songs and Mi’kmaq music. 

Patrick brought his hand crafted drums. He even cuts down the trees.

Together they celebrated their love of music and shared with the community a message about economic and social equality, and self-sufficiency within coastal communities.

Many musicians are in "The Same Boat"

Terry Farnsworth, one of the last hand-lining fisherman in Nova Scotia, talked to us about the struggle of fisher people in coastal communities to preserve their way of life. Part of their battle is with corporations who want to strip away both fishing and natural resources that are the life blood of coastal communities.  He told us about a conference he had attended online with his counterparts in South Africa who are also trying to create a sustainable way of life that includes many of the original skills of the fisher people in South Africa.  And then he played a couple of tunes on his guitar. 

Drummer Patrick Jarvis gave a high energy performance by playing several of his handmade drums.  He carves them from oak, birch, apple and other woods and he finishes them off with a drum of goat skin which apparently is very thin and very strong – more so than deerskin which he also uses. Usually he will choose his tree and cuts it down when it is still in leaf.  When the leaves have dried out, he knows that they have drawn much of the sap from the tree and then he can begin carving.  Here is Patrick playing a tune for us.

Jeanne Doucet-Currie is an Acadian singer-songwriter who writes about the history of the area. One of her songs was a ballad about a legless fellow who was found on the shores of Sandy Cove in the 1800’s.  He was never able to communicate with the people who rescued him and the rumors about his origins grew over the years.  Jeanne put it all together in a wonderful song called Jerome.

There were more wonderful performances that I haven’t touched upon in this post. You’ll have to go to an event or invite them over. It was a true celebration of music, diversity and human fellowship.

Wanda St. Louis sings beautiful Celtic ballads.

This group of friends who will bring song, dance, drama, cultural workshops, and storytelling to your community. call themselves The Same Boat Traveling Coffeehouse.  Check out their website. http://bridgebuilding.wordpress.com/

From the Group's Website

They fired us up so much that afterwards a group of us headed down the hall to our studio for a couple of hours to wind down with a glass of wine and some more stories.

Enjoying the Experience.