October 2006  Newsletter from SeaRose Studio

Through my studio window, I see long low bars of golden light alternating with blue bars of shadow falling across the dock, our fishing boat Miss Jenny, the ramp up to the land. On the wind whipped sea, white spray glows against dark indigo ripples. It has been a vigorously brisk and gusty autumn day, a distinct change from the strange summer weather we have experienced this year and a clear indicator that summer as it was experienced, is over. And it was quite a unique summer, all things considered, one of the most enjoyable I have had.

The weather, I might as well begin there, has been cool, often cloudy in the morning and clear and sunny in the afternoon. We had little fog, unlike our usual August weather, and no rain at all. It rarely got really hot though, which, depending on your point of view, was either a good thing or not....for us, the lack of oppressive heat and the moisture sucking westerly wind somewhat offset the stresses of no rain. Our thousand gallon watertank finally ran dry on August 23^rd, in spite of our most intensive efforts to conserve water. We had several guests this summer, friends, family and art retreat guests and we thank you all for your careful conservation efforts. Without that conscientious attention, our water supply would have been drained much sooner.  My valiant Engineering Genius constructed what he called an “out” rather than an outhouse. No house is needed for a dry weather biffy! He also plumbed in a water line from a small nearby creek which brought us a trickle to the dock so we could at least fill the water jugs daily. Although very dry, the summer remained cool and the garden suffered for it. I never did get a single ripe tomato....however the peas, lettuce, beets and beans have remained in steady supply as I dumped all the dishes slop water on them.

One of the best things about my summer this year was the presence of my daughter Theda who spent six weeks with us. She spent a lot of her time practicing her singing lessons from the classical singing program she is attending at Vancouver Community College, writing and performing new songs and doing massage work on a few appreciative clients. We want to express our thanks to Tove Landry of Pierre’s Bay who introduced Theda to the guests gathered at Pierre’s Bay for the Saturday Night Pig Roasts. She also gave a well-received performance of opera and contemporary songs at the Echo Bay Yacht Club Ladies Tea in August, our thanks to Jerome and Lucy Rose for creating this opportunity.

E.G. attended a ceramics workshop at Metchosin Summer School of the Arts with a great potter called Randy Brodnax. When he finally phoned me he said they had been firing pottery from 7:00 in the morning to midnight every day. He brought home a lot of new techniques and ideas he is currently engaged in practicing and sharing with me. While he was gone, Theda and I spent a very disciplined week working side by side at our respective projects. She sang, I painted, framed and otherwise prepared for attendance at Sointula’s summer festival of the arts, “Artopia.” From time to time, visitors would arrive at the studio and we would stop and visit and chat and often Theda would sing. Many people made purchases from the studio this summer and I thank you all for your support of my art. Artopia was a rewarding and simultaneously demanding weekend. I had committed to giving two workshops and to having a booth, which grew to two, one for the pottery, one for the paintings...thank goodness I had my girl with me, she tended my booth while I was teaching. Thanks Theda....and thanks Dani and Lionel for giving us a beautiful place to stay while in Sointula at the Koi Winds B & B.

Then, I gave myself a great indulgence, a holiday I did only what I felt like doing for the next three weeks and enjoyed every single second of mainly visiting and gardening and running about in my 16 foot speedboat SeaRose. I also spent several days minding Billy’s Museum and really enjoyed meeting all the people Billy usually gets to meet!

As usual, writing the newsletter involves long gaps between spurts of remembering and writing. I began it in September, it is now mid October and I have been away for two weeks and returned. October 7^th Billy Proctor came out to Port McNeill on Ocean Dawn to collect me, my son Logan and his girl Kim, and all the items I had collected on my outing. The most exciting of these items was three large double glazed windows slated for installation in the bay window of the kitchen.

I also collected a fourth Japanese maple tree to grace the garden, this one lacy and golden, plus two beautiful large turquoise planters to place on the flattened stumps of the two cedar trees at the front of our house. We had to take them down finally as the draping honeysuckle just made such a mess on the stairs. Now there is an abundance of light shining in to the pottery studio, right on the new glazing area E.G. created....a lot more light as well on the east side garden.

E.G. built a classy wood shower stall at the end of the bathtub and all I need to complete that project is the oval curtain shower rod. That was another of my purchases and it is en route from Courtenay. While staying with my friend Vicki A. I was introduced to eBay and bid on and won the bidding on a ceramic bathroom sink which, in the best of all possible worlds should arrive soon. I got pretty excited about winning that bid and tried on a couple more items, with less success. The other major house completion project was the installation of the baseboard hot water heating units on the studio floor. The old wood heater was retired and the end result is clean heat, much less dust and more efficient use of the firewood.

Bill P. and I went out on our monthly shore bird count for Bird Studies Canada. We hit the perfect high tide for running right up the Viner River Estuary and got quite a thrill counting all the chum salmon in there. It is a real banner year for the chum and the smell of spawned out dead salmon was intense. That chum salmon flesh nourishes the river, the coho salmon and every creature and plant in such a tangible way; you can almost hear the trees growing. Our eagle count was over thirty and we couldn’t even count the ravens. Dippers run along underwater gathering eggs. We drifted in the speedboat for half an hour, hoping to see a bear and just listening to the incredible variety of raven calls echoing from both banks of this lush and dreamy river.

Now E.G. and I are both hard at work, steady pottery production for the Sointula Winterfest and Christmas market being our goal. E.G. installed the bay windows this week and, as happens with the advent of each new window, the new viewscape pleases me hugely. I have shifted the kitchen table to give me the best view of the garden and the sea from both the bay window and the french doors at the same time.

 After the fair...painting! I have several commissions and ideas I want to explore throughout the winter.

Thus ends this note to you all. A pioneering  life in the Broughton Archipelago has it’s challenges yet I could not wish for a more stimulating, enriching and complex place to live. 2006 has been a good year for us. We wish you a good and happy Christmas and look forward to welcoming all who find their way to our shore in 2007.    Blessed be. Yvonne