The Adventures of Naked Chicken

A few years ago my friend Wendy sent me a package. It contained what Wendy referred to as "Naked Chicken," a bird that was found at a craft store that I assume was intended to be decorated. A note in the box asked me to take Naked Chicken around with me for a month and record our activities together.


At the end of the month, I was to send Wendy back her chicken and she'd pass it on to another friend for more adventures. When enough images were gathered, Wendy's intention was to put a book together.


I introduced Naked Chicken life in the country. And lots of snow.


She especially liked feeding the birds and seemed to make friends easily.

Weekend Odds 'n' Ends

Richard and I went Christmas shopping in Hawkesbury yesterday. It was snowing and the store was playing all those wintery songs... kinda fun. Loading up the car with parcels, I noticed this dog. Looks like he was waiting for his own Christmas gift.


After shopping, Richard and I had our first foray into the woods and started dragging in wood (for next year's use). Dad planted pines and spruce in this meadow over 30 years ago. I love it because it's always so peaceful back there (except when Richard has the chainsaw going).


Meanwhile inside, Domino (18) and Cinnamon (13) basked in the heat of the woodstove. It looks like Cinnamon is saying, "No more photos please!

Mini Show at Curves

Next week some of my ceramics will be included in a mini show at our local Curves in Alexandria. I was part of it last year and it was a great idea for last minute gifts.

Centre Spread: Dogs

The winter issue of ATC Quarterly has gone to the dogs! Check out the centre spread challenge and all the fantastic ATCs people sent in. Thanks to everyone for sending! (Click on the above image to enlarge.)
Next issue's challenge, for these trying times, is: Dollars and Sense. Deadline is March 15/09. You can e-mail a hi-rez jpeg to editor@atcquarterly.com or snail mail it with an SASE to: ATC Quarterly, 19698 County Road 24, Dunvegan, ON K0C 1J0 Canada.

Signs of the Times

It's too bad people feel they have to keep updating things and making them look "better." This sign for the Glen Motel in Alexandria came down a few years back. I drove past it everyday for years and always got a kick out of it.


Another sign on its way out in Alexandria is this "Coke" sign advertising the Meloche and Sabourin meat/grocery store and abbatoir. The store has been closed for years.


I love this sign which I shot a few years ago in Morrisburg, Ontario, about an hour west of here.


Another sign close to the Iroquois Motel is one for the Lamp Lighter Motel.


This little grocery store located just down the road from me in Greenfield closed a few years ago. The owner had a penchant for cats and they used to climb all over the place so I visited often.


I love the old fashioned typography on this sign, taken in Toronto last year.


This sign is preserved, thankfully and kept inside at Sheppard's Motors in Alexandria.

Thai Lunch

My friend Peggi and I found a great little Thai restaurant in Casselman, about 15 minutes west of here. I had a delicious plate of my favourite Pad Thai noodles.


Peggi ordered a lemon grass/shrimp soup. We both liked how her sweater matched the broth.

Snowy Cedar Hill

The view out my bedroom window is lovely at all times of the year but it is especially pleasing in winter. This colour pencil drawing is what it looked like this afternoon. Today we were expecting a snowstorm but got rain instead which meant I was running around with buckets at 3:30 a.m. to catch the drips from my leaky roof. The sun came out unexpectedly at one point but didn't stay out long enough to melt the snow from a few days ago.

Yesterday's Art Show

Well another one bites the dust, eh? Yesterday was our Fifth Annual Art Sale and boy did time fly.


I had tons of stuff and I think it looked really good on the long, wooden tables at the Dunvegan Hall.


We had lots of people which was great...


...and they bought lots of stuff. Also great.


And we even had a bit of music to go along with some refreshments. Great day.

Preview of Tomorrow's Art Show

I decided to do some small folk art paintings on 1" thick pine boards for tomorrow's art sale in Dunvegan. They are all about 8" wide with the largest ones at about 12" long.


This would work well in a cat-lover's kitchen.


A colourful chicken would work on a kitchen wall too.


Don't you just love the expression on Mrs. Chicken's face?


Never saw a purple cow...?


Here's a more standard Holstein with sunflowers.


How about a silly pink elephant?


This cat actually looks like a cross between my cats Oreo and Domino.


I especially love how this rainbow trout came out.

Egg Specimen ATCs

At this weekend's artist trading card meeting here in Dunvegan, I'm trading this series of ATCs I did called "Egg Specimens." They are done in watercolour, india ink and gouache on coloured mat board. Although they are based on the speckles and dots that appear on real eggs, none of them are actual eggs. Kind of an amalgam of a bunch of designs. Me playing Mother Nature perhaps?

A Few Painted Dishes

I'm getting ready for our 5th Annual Art Sale at the Dunvegan Hall on Sunday. Here are a couple of last minute radish and leek platters.


I did this keepsake plate for a fellow who plays the bagpipes, violin and piano. Wow!


This baby plate is for Cole from Ottawa who loves playing with trucks.


And this plate is for his little sister Madison whose favourite colour is pink.

Lucky 13!

If you're a subscriber to ATC Quarterly, be sure to check your mailboxes in the next few days. Issue 13 has just been printed and will be mailed shortly. Cover art is a crazy quilt ATC by Lynda Lien of the Arlington, Washington traders, a group we profile in the current issue.
And if you're not a subscriber, check out the website ATC Quarterly to see what you're missing!

A Moment in Montréal

I had a dental appointment in Montreal yesterday, about an hour and 15 minute drive east of here. I was a bit early so had a few minutes to walk around and photograph this great sculpture outside the medical building just beside my dentist's office.


I took a short walk on Greene Avenue and had to stop in at Oink, Oink a fabulous kids' store with tons of interesting fiddly bits, as my mother would have said.


And apropos of absolutely nothing, don't you just love my neighbour Bonnie's latest assortment of wild kittens up for adoption? Anyone want a kitten?

Big Things: King Lear

I came across this "Big Thing" in Chicago for my ongoing collection. This one is a giant King Lear. Cool. To see all of them, click here: Ronna's Big Things.