From Shirley Mancino Travel notes in India

Jan. 20,2009
We are spending 3 days in Panjim, Goa's capital city, an old Portuguese type city filled with ancient building and colonial charm. Next we head into the interior to Badami, then Bijapur, Karnataka. then on to Hyderabad and the east coast. We have been eating our way around this city as food, fish and sweets principally are cheap, great and plentiful. Today we toured Old Goa which at its height in the 1600's was bigger and more magnificent than Lisbon and most other European cities. What is left now are huge old churches and cathedrals.very interesting..........

Badami Jan 24-29/09
We are now on the road and having a difficult time adjusting. Our train trip to here was smooth but we had to get a bus at 5:45 am to get to the train and we don't usually sleep much the nite before when we travel....maybe we are getting too old for this.

Badami was a capital city of the Chalukya empire in the 300-600's. It has got amazing old cave temples with intricate carvings and this was a period of experimentation in free standing temple building so those sights are marvelous....one was a world heritage sight stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Also the old sites are built around a lake which was very peaceful and cool and provided a great respite. The new town sees very few foreign tourists so we are constantly stared at, smiled at, asked what is your name? and the children persistently ask for school pens or to have their picture taken and only occasionally do they ask for rupees. The more well healed Indian tourists with cell phones or cameras always want to take our pic with them. We are enjoying the interaction most of the time....it is better than being largely ignored in a more touristy place.

Republic day was celebrated here on Monday...I was taking pics of the dancers and was invited to come sit up on stage and they were taking my pic for their newspapers!

The atmosphere
The towns are dusty, dirty, filled with garbage, smoke from dung and wood fires and diesel fumes. I spend my time either plugging my ears, and /or holding my nose or have a scarf over my nose. Our hair and nose and ears fill up with dirt. We have hot water sometimes....usually out of a bucket instead of a geyser. The power is intermittent.
Bijapur
Now we in this ancient capital....the shahs ruled here from 1400-1600 so it is very Muslim in its vast mausoleums and mosques....one of which holds 2250 worshipers at a time. Another apparently inspired the Taj mahal and another has a dome as big as St Peter's in Rome. Another would not allow women inside, but they don't make me dress up in chador/burka like they made me do in Malaysia. In the court yard of one mosque were several people each chained with huge shackles to a tree....the only explanation we got was that they are mentally ill people.

Winter Painting Afar: Karen Phillips Curran comments

Cobalt, a colour, a place, a dream, a tradition.
A 7 hour drive from Burnstown, a path I've not taken before, led me to Cobalt Studios, nestled on the edge of the Catskills, wonder and experience anew awaits me there, tantalizing me, teasing me, almost scaring me, until I settle in. Once I arrived at Cobalt Studios, a short walk through the wintry woods of New York State brings me to their 4 thousand square foot workshop. I am here for a month, time enough to learn and rehearse, then embed most of the tricks of my trade, theatrical set painting. I am an artist, who, when called upon, paints scenically, for the theatre that is. My hope is that after my time here, I will feel comfortable calling myself a scenic artist. Turning hopes and dreams into reality is the stock and trade of the artist is it not?

Collaboration, risk taking, geometry, absolute rendering capabilities, strength of character and physical strength, flexibility, ingenuity, persistence, diplomacy, intuition...are just a few of the required traits to be a scenic artist. The best tool a scenic artist has is ingenuity. Process is as important as inventiveness. What to do first; then what, these are the important questions, ‘think ahead’ is the absolute reigning motto. To have to go backwards is a nightmare, a waste of time and resources, not to mention spirit. A beautifully finished foreground usually comes after a fast and easy application of background. The question of tools comes into play, which tool is best for the job, most efficient. Often scenic artists use common tools in unique ways, as well as a raft of unique tools of their own. Bow lines, scenic foot, hand chalked snap lines, long handled brushes, bamboo poles, sprayers...etc

Then there is motivation. What is artistic motivation? Usually the designer creates the artistic motive. At the end of my stay there, it is a project, a challenge. I designed and painted a “small” muslin canvas, (by scenic standards) ~ only 9x12 feet. I planned it to include as many different paint surfaces as possible within its borders. It is a piece of hung drapery, crumpled folded, trussed, above an arched doorway, also curtained with sheer lace, and a heavy satin curtain with gold tassels. All is encased by a marble doorway, with a stone wall and a marble floor. Surely, this was a gleeful test of my capabilities, with lovely results! The Drapery is now hung up in the back music room at the Neat Coffee shop in Burnstown. (looks fabulous there)


The rhythm at Cobalt is comfortable even though the learning curve is steep, as I discover new ways to tackle old challenges. A sense of collaboration and a common goal permeates each day. At Cobalt we worked together, ate together and lived together, surely a test of character, diplomacy, compassion and a healthy dose of a recognition that we are in fact all in this together. Only working together will get the job done. It is not for the faint of heart. Shoot for the stars I say, I always do, guess I am an idealist.

My time away at Cobalt Studios near White Lake New York taught me many things, new ways to look at the paint surface, new ideas about things to do!
Creative energy abounds right now. I am in love with it all.
Off we go~
Karen Phillips Curran
February 2009


Karen Phillips Curran is an accomplished watermedia artist who works out of her studio gallery, Riverstones Gallery in Burnstown Ontario. She is also the scenic painter for National Arts Centre productions in Ottawa. A selection of works by Karen Phillips Curran is available at Tay River Gallery in Perth.

Deadline extended for Artist Submissions

Deadline has been extended to February 21, 2009 for Artist Submissions for "Urban Landscapes" April/May 2009 group show at Tay River Gallery.

Urban spaces or cityscapes of any locale - high realism, expressionism or abstraction in oils, acrylics, pastels or watercolours.

Accepting submissions for upcoming Small Group Show "Urban Landscapes" with show dates April/ May 2009. Pls. submit up to 6 images (low resolution jpg format) together with biography, artist statement and website url. Email your submission to lbrown@tayrivergallery.com. Selection by review of electronic submissions by curating committee.

Deadline has been extended from February 15, 2009 to February 21, 2009.

Painting in Winter: Bill Veale comments

During the winter I do very little plein air painting because watercolour and acrylics require the use of water, which is not compatible with below-zero temperatures. Rather, during the cold weather, I prefer to take my digital camera out in order to shoot photos of winter scenes, especially the wonderful shadows that are cast on the snow. It goes without saying that I am definitely more plein air productive during the warmer months.

I am very fortunate to be a member of the R.L.A.A., a group of artists who paint once a week in Westport. There is generally a weekly turnout of fifteen to twenty people. Much friendly bantering takes place and help is offered if requested.

During the winter I like to paint such scenes as misty morning January thaws, as well as early evening sunsets over Jebs Creek behind my house. Overall, painting is one of my favourite year-round activities.

Bill Veale
January 2009



Bill Veale, Perth area artist has been painting landscapes in watercolour and acrylics for the past twenty-five years. His paintings depict the natural setting of wilderness areas including Lanark county, Algonquin Provincial Park and national parks in North America. Bill Veale is a member of the Rideau Lakes Artists Association and his paintings hang in collections in North America, Europe and Australia.

Painting in Winter: France Tremblay comments

I am just back from a two week trip to the East Coast of South Florida, where I have enjoyed studying beautiful and exotic birds in lagoons and along the sea shores, this under a radiant sun and temperatures of 28 C. I have not missed the Winter during this time!

The idea for your Winter show is great. Winter scenes can be beautiful, peaceful and inspiring. However, I personally never have painted any Winter scene! The beauty of the Winter could certainly inspire me, but as I suffer deeply in the cold, I do not go to the field to discover Winter jewels. Instead, the Winter encourages me to go away to warm places, which greatly inspire me and have a great impact on my art, as I spend enormous time and energy doing field studies under comfortable conditions.

France Tremblay
January 2009

France Tremblay's artwork has been juried into high profile exhibitions including "The Art of Conservation" (2008) presented at the prestigious Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum. She is the recent Grand Prize Winner in the "Paint the Parks Top 100" (2008). Tremblay's artwork has been selected as finalist in two categories in the The Artist's Magazine Annual Art Competition. France is a signature member of the Art For Conservation (AFC) group and also is a skilled teacher of art in the Ottawa community.

Winter Painting: John Stevenson comments

Winter painting, I love it. There are no bugs to bug you when working. The light is brighter and the shadows are deeper. I love the winter scenes, they are soft and beautiful and allow for contrasts that make the scene stronger and exciting.
The winter is a time of rest for nature and brings forth the wonders of spring when life returns to the woods.

John Stevenson
January 2009

John Stevenson is a professional landscape painter living in Aylmer Quebec. Stevenson worked as a graphic designer/illustrator for many years, and now dedicates all of his time to painting. Stevenson prefers to paint in oils using palette knives and creates impressive works in large formats. His paintings depict a lively sense of composition and attention to detail and colour from observations of nature interpreted on locale. </span>

Painting in Winter: John Shea comments

Winter is my most productive season as I seek out images to paint. I find the landscape much more interesting as the bare trees have a linear quality that compliments the many architectural subjects that I prefer. Outside my window Newboro Lake is frozen and the woods are still but inside the fire is warm and the many photos I have taken lay scattered on my studio table just waiting to be interpreted. January will see several new images in the gallery, with of course winter as the theme.

John Shea
January 2009


















John Shea is a watercolour artist who paints 'architectural portraits' set in landscapes. He has taught art in Perth for the past 24 years. Prior to teaching, he worked as an architectural renderer, which is reflected in his love of portraying local heritage buildings. Shea studied at the School of Art & Design at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Syracuse University and Queen's University in Kingston.