A Room Of My Own

"Group of One" It is 1971, and at the age of 16, this free spirited and independent adventurer headed West hitchhiking across Canada with little more then a backpack full of art supplies and an open mind. After spending a summer exploring the West Coast, she hitchhiked back home to Toronto, only to return to BC a year later. Dania made Richmond Island her home, studied at the Vancouver School of Art and spent the next few years absorbed in the beautiful landscapes, rich native cultures and the slower paced lifestyle that BC had to offer. Ready for the next chapter in her life, the Toronto art scene was ‘where it was all happening’ and Dania was on her way. She was accepted at the prestigious Ontario College of Art on a grant. Not one to conform, Dania used the grant money to purchase more art supplies and spent the next 2 years auditing classes of her choice at OCA. It was there that she met Graham Coughtry and Gordon Rayner; these successful artists became mentors ...

I am reposting this, it is from my very early days of blogging... and it is appropriate to this time of year... This past weekend the girls and I ventured out on our annual search for ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ tree. On our way to a friends Christmas tree farm, we enjoyed the music of Vince Guaraldi in the aforementioned special. We reminisced about watching Charlie Brown and Linus on their pursuit to find the perfect tree only to find a myriad of aluminum, pre-decorated take-it-home-Christmas-will-be-perfect trees. Alas, lo and behold, there was one lonely, sparse pathetic tree just waiting to be loved; now known as the proverbial ‘Charlie Brown Christmas tree’. We have made the search for it our annual adventure. Upon arriving at the farm, we walked through the trails, found what looked like the best tree top and cut it down. That is, we cut the top down. I like this particular farm as the policy is to cut the top of a tree thus allowing it to re-grow. I am ever a...