Fun & Inspiration with March's ART Speaker.

Deborah Windsor

Our March Artists Round Table group was a runaway success and really interesting. We had Deborah Windsor as our guest speaker and we also had a good bunch attending.

Cathie & I sit near the cookies!

Deb and I are on the Board of Directors for the Kingston Arts Council together and while doing one of our charity Bingo shifts together we got chatting about being an artist and making a living....maybe someone had just won $150 or something. Deborah was full of ideas for me to pursue in different directions with my work. I said I had wanted to write a book about my 30 years in my branch of textiles....she suggested I go for a writer's grant....now how long would it have taken me to think of that? I would have only thought of OAC craft project or development grants. 

Jane contributes.

It was a lovely meeting also because as we now hold them at various members homes or studios we were at Jane Thelwell's and got to enjoy looking at her collection of a)cups for the coffee she brewed and b) her art.

We also were joined by a new member from Bath, Janice Teare who owns and runs the Academy Gallery in Bath. Welcome, Janice.

We always go around introducing ourselves and telling of anything we have happening by way of shows, exhibitions etc. Deb's method was to go around our number and have us talk about anything we had done with our art/craft/discipline that made us money and was a great experience and fun. 

A good group.

She then pointed out how we should endeavour to do that again or enlarge upon it or work in a different way in the future. I had told her about the theatre costume work I had done, especially while I was living in Toronto. It was good work and well paid. With her suggestions I've started by putting a Theater Costume page on my web site! (why didn't I think of that!!!)

It was good to feed off each other which is what we try to do each month, sharing our ideas and events.  Finding out what each of us is doing that we might also participate in or shoot for.

Tina & Chips...rapt.

 Speaking of things to do, Lindsey Fair asked me to tell everyone about the new Fort Henry plans involving a market that will last all Summer in the Upper Fort. A place they want to showcase artisans, a place for visitors to shop without having to pay to get into the fort...they will have to pay to get into the lower fort. Anyway here's the link for more info......Fort Henry Market

I'm not sure who we will have next month or where we will have it. I'll work on that but welcome input as I'm preparing for and participating in the One of a Kind show from March 27 - 31st.

FYI... Kingston Arts & Letters Club recent events...  

http://kingartsletters.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/new-happenings-at-the-al-club/

February's Really Fun ART

What do we do at an Artists Round Table meeting you ask. After this post you are going to be scratching your heads even more and wondering if some of us should be allowed out!

We had

Cathie Hamilton as Mermaid with Annie & Reg

On Tuesday we met at Puppet Annie's studio in the Upper Canada Academy of Performing Arts...a huge room overlooking Brock street and full of giant puppets, shapes, fabrics, sparkly things........

Annie brought out this mermaid of papier machè and Reg volunteered to model it....he had to stand on a chair...it's huge! Then Cathie climbed onto the chair.

Both Reg and Cathie are the two members who attended who have mobility difficulties but it was those two who climbed up behind this 'costume'!!! Annie are you working miracles with your fun?

Liza with a C!?

Well, then there was the hat and the phrase: 'Wilkomen, Bienvenue, Welcome'  jumped into my head. Yeah, that's me doing the Liza Minelli impression!!

I took this shot across the studio...in the foreground is a dragon with a purple dragon head by the door. I picked it up and realized it would take one person to hold the head alone. There are heads, hands, faces, hair, puppets...... Annie had just had a group of children in for a day so there was beautifully colourful disarray.

Yeah, Reg & Annie again.

We did settle down to talk about the 2013 Artist Educator Foundations Course for Artists which I would really like to take but I'm booked those weekends. Too short notice for this and we need to know more. Jane Thelwell might be taking it though ..... you'd have to ask Jane if that's what she is doing....if so I'm jealous! Next year perhaps.

As we have several photographers who meet with us Nicole brought us some information on copyright and licensing of photography. Here is a site to check out...
http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/Home?OpenDocument

A costume maker's dream.

We are having Deborah Windsor speak with us next month about grants, making your dreams work for you and moving forward as artisans. As a fellow Kingston Arts Council board member I've had some great conversations with her and really want to listen to her more and pick her brain.You will have the opportunity on March 5th at Jane Thelwell's place (details will go out closer to time on the Artists Round Table Google Group email).

If the shoe fits...Cinderella!

I had a question about HST so we discussed the how's and wherefores of the taxes to which we have been subject over the past few decades and Jane suggested that as the cost of living goes up so should the GST/HST limit. It's been $30,000 since it came in in the eighties. Before that we only had to collect/remit 7%.  I've decided to drag someone in from the tax offices of the government to clear things up, inform us and answer questions...I'll try for our April or May meeting.

See you March 5th.