Skip to main content

Employ Your Creative Mind

Last night I was invited to a very charming gathering at Fields On West Lake – better known in The County as The Red Barn.

The Red Barn is a romantic heritage spot in the middle of nowhere at the centre of everything. When asked to say a few words about this special place, the owners actually choked with sentiment; their passion for this inherited property was clearly evident.

When I arrived, I noticed the beautiful old century brick home surrounded by farm land and that locally famous barn. Upon entering the barn, I was delighted with the surroundings. High ceilings, large windows allowing plenty of natural sunlight in, and those hanging lamps that made for dreamy lighting later in the evening.

The focus of this gathering was on the ‘Creative Mind’ which in essence encourages and supports creative ways to exist in the County, or as I heard a few times during the evening 'igniting our Creative Rural Economy'. There was a wide variety of people in the audience, from farmers to wine makers, local shop owners to publishers, artists to authors, quite an eclectic group.

My favourite presenter was the very lively Peta Hall who delivered the most memorable quote of the evening (in my opinion). After briefly listing the many places she had visited around the globe in order to find her home, she related that upon coming to the County she felt instantly welcome. She was thrilled with her luck, loved this place and the people and said she felt as though “I landed my bum in the butter.”

Smiling

In these days of big box stores, over consumerism and the need to sell, sell, sell, this meeting of creative minds served as a confirmation of sorts for me.

One can certainly live on, by and through their true passion.

Comments

  1. Beautiful post and possibly an unforgettable experience! Living by true passion - I guess all of us must be assured this is not just a dusty dream at all!!!

    I'm eager to hear more about this Creative Mind meeting and the effects it had on you. Please keep me informed!!!

    Love from your friend in Brazil!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoyed reading and to know about "Creative mind" and 'igniting our Creative Rural Economy'...our home!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Howdy,how are you. Please visit me again.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Day I Saw Ty Conn

(This is being recalled from a very young mind...) When my father would begin telling a story from his childhood, he would begin with “When I was a little girl…” which would cause an uproar of high pitched objections from my sisters and myself. He would simply smile and continue on, as he now had our complete attention. I started this post at the beginning of November of this year when thoughts of my father return annually on the anniversary of his birthday. This story, however, is not about my father… When I was a little girl, I lived in a small house on Pine Street with my father, mother and three sisters. Ours was a busy, full house. Lisa was the oldest, very beautiful and very bossy. Pam was next, also very beautiful and we envied her fashion sense. I was the third in the line of my sisters, a middle child that cried a lot, made funny faces and was very comfortable at the centre of attention. My little sister, Joanne, enjoyed the status of being the baby in the family. She wa...

Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf

Rich in History. High in Achievement. Belleville is home to Sir James Whitney School, one of North America’s oldest schools for the Deaf, opening its doors on October 20, 1870. This past October, SJW held a celebration to commemorate its 140 th anniversary. One of my all time favourite grade school memories was touring this amazing school with my grade six class from St. Michael’s Academy almost 30 years ago. Recently, I was privileged to visit it once more. “The school was founded through the persistent efforts of John Barrett McGann, an Irish immigrant and educator,” says Gary Wheeler, a representative with the Ministry of Education. McGann was a pioneer of deaf education. The school is named after the former premier of Ontario, James Whitney, who was known for his advances in education.  Crossing onto the grounds and up the long circular drive, you can feel the rich history this school and the vast grounds hold. This history includes a self-sustaining community that at...

Linda Barber The Art of Painterly Realism

What exactly is painterly realism you ask? Well, that is how artist Linda Barber of Prince Edward County describes the work she does. Linda originally hails from the pretty little town of Marmora, Ontario. Her post secondary studies took her to the east coast where she studied Fine Art at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, graduating with a degree in printmaking. After graduating, she moved to the County and has made it her home for more than 30 years now. Visiting Linda at her studio in her beautiful old Colonial home, you are greeted with the charm of this historical place (her husband is the fifth generation on this farm), the beauty in this rural setting and the welcoming bark of their family dog, Benny. It is here at her home studio that she first began her painting and her framing business; both of which are still in operation. Although Linda has painted many works with watercolour; her medium of choice is now acrylic paints and working with a palette knife f...