In case you've ever wondered "What happened to Sylvia?"

 That's a great question! Sylvia has become my own personal museum and she now houses my Barbie collection along with my cameras, Avon bottles, trucks and other "Favourite Things"

 

 

 

Rain, rain go away - we really want to come out and play!

Hi Folks, sorry I’ve been a little lax keeping you updated on the goings on here at the Cloud. September really did blow right through!

The rain has keep our doors closed a bit more often than usual these day - but not today! It looks like things might actually dry out a bit and we are open and ready to share some of the lovely new creations that have made it into the shop.

We were happy to invite a few new members into the Flying Cloud family this past month.


First we welcomed Brendon Purdy Smith, a young entrepreneur living with an intellectual disability.

Together with his team Brendon strives to make socially responsible and quality products and hopes that creating his line of hand dyed clothing Mr B's Tees will become a self-sustaining part of his lifestyle.

Most recently we’ve welcomed Sarah Phelps to the fold. Sarah's beautifully hand printed note cards and bookmarks make a bit of a statement and they are the perfect addition to our collection of contemporary cards and prints.

Originally hailing from the North-East of England, Sarah now call the East coast of Nova Scotia home. As owner, designer and printer at Sarah Phelps Creative, she is on a mission to make the world a prettier place – one design at a time.

In other new news Flying Cloud Boutique has been accepted into the Acadia Christmas Craft Expo taking place November 16^th - 18^th in Wolfville. This is our first year participating and we are really looking forward to representing all of our artists and artisans at such a reputable show. We feel honoured to be showing along side so many other talented creators and entrepreneurs.  Now we just need to figure out how to create a mini Cloud within a tiny booth. A challenge I happily accept!   


　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Paint Windsor

This Sunday Flying Cloud will be closed so that I can participate in this year's Paint Windsor. This is my third year supporting this wonderful fundraiser hosted by painter Kelly Mitchelmore. I'll be on hand from 10-3 at the Spitfire Arms Pub on Water Street creating a small rug hooking that will be auctioned off at 4pm at Phoenix Hollow B&B, 65 Chestnut Street in Windsor.



A close-up of a hooking I created especially for this event

Artists from around the area will be displaying a sampling of their work throughout the event at the B&B. These same artists will be preforming and creating on location throughout Windsor. 

From musicians and jewelers to painters and sculptors  - Paint Windsor has grown beyond its name to a celebration of all artisans!


Even the local restaurants and cafes are in the spirit as they provide delectable treats for you to enjoy as you view the different pieces for sale at the B&B.



A selection of my Woodland Wool
Critters will be available for sale
at the B&B throughout the day!

You can purchase a piece on display or even bid on the one that is being worked on that day- the silent auction for which closes at 3:30!

Part of the proceeds will go towards the HCH Auxiliary Society, while the rest goes directly to the participating artists.

...as well as a few of my sloths!

    Maps are provided at the B&B showing where the different artists will be creating, as well as information about each artists participating, refreshments, and entertainment by preforming artists on the front covered patio.   While there is a good will jar at the door for the cause, no purchase or entrance fee is required.  

So come out and support your community, your artists and a worthwhile cause!




Here is a full list of the participating artists:

Kelly Mitchelmore - Painter
Colleen Underwood - Painter
Elizabeth Robinson - Painter
Tacha Reed - Fibre/Rug Hooking
Allison Stephens - Painter
Beverly Hubley - Painter
Allan Simm - Metal Sculpture
Jessica Uhlman - Mixed Media
Audrey Goucher - Millett - Painter
Kenneth Spearing - Painter
Raymond Smith - Painter
Hal Bruce - Performer - Singer
Gail Davis - Painter
Mike Aubé - Singer
Corinne Hartley-Robinson - Painter
Christine Sonntag - Painter
Andrew Harvie - Wood Carver
Rena Waters - Painter

For more information please visit www.paintwindsor.com

Only a few weeks of staycation left...

Just like that July has flown by and August is already half over! This means that there are less than two weeks left to catch our Flying Cloud group show at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia.

Featuring a variety of paintings, prints, photographs, wood carvings and hooked rugs, this eclectic show is well worth the visit!

In case you were thinking of going and would like to know a bit more about the participating artists, well here is an introduction...





Blythe Church, a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a degree in textiles, has a passion for dyeing, weaving and sewing that has always driven her. In 2007 she began a series of soft sculptures inspired by everyday objects. Made using hand dyed wool industrial felt with hand-embroidered details, each piece is a labour of love taking between a week and a month to complete. Blythe's largest project to date took 8 months and consisted of an entirely felt 6 foot Christmas tree complete with ornaments and toys underneath.

Blythe loves the humour in seeing an industrially made disposable, hard object as something precious, soft and with an obvious human touch. She questions today’s throwaway society and is nostalgic for a time when things were beautifully designed, treasured by their owners, who fixed them when they failed and used them for generations. She is constantly collecting new objects to be recreated in felt and welcomes commissions. Her soft sculptures have been exhibited and are owned by collectors worldwide, her boom box sculpture can be seen in the head offices of Etsy.

Inspired by her daughter Wren, Blythe has recently started a new line of works for babies and small children called Sewn by Blythe. Using recycled and repurposed wool materials that are dyed, stitched and felted she has been making heirloom gifts to be treasured by babies and their parents alike.



Soft sculpture by Blythe Church, prints by
Geordan Moore, Paintings by Kelly Mitchelmore
and Mary Garoutte, folk art by Jim Tracey

Mary Garoutte of Swallow and Twig is an artist-painter-turned-jeweler, who graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. It was while studying there, that hard work, challenge, and creative media were instilled into her.

She never thought while studying Fine Art and Painting that she would ever venture into the world of miniatures and jewelry.

She considers her work to be mostly miniature, wearable art, rather than jewelry, so to speak. No matter what other media she ventures into, she considers herself primarily and always a painter.

Mary’s post-graduation years have been spent painting through freelance and commission work, and it was only in recent years that she decided to incorporate her painting background & skills into hand-painted jewelry. It has stretched and challenged her in ways that have improved her overall painting practice as a whole, and she enjoys the wearable art component to her hand-painted jewelry, as she believes fine art should be a part of the everyday.

John McCarthy lives on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and has been capturing views of the east coast for the last six years. Being perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean absolutely inspires a lot of his work. As a self-taught photographer, John dodges and plays with the traditional conventions of photography and brings a fresh interesting look at one of the most picturesque regions of Canada.

John's work can be seen at Viewpoint Gallery in Halifax year-round where he is an exhibiting member. His work is also being served fresh daily on his own photographic stream of consciousness mostlythecoast.com where you can find a vast archive of images taken while on “staycation” here in the Maritimes.

Kat Frick Miller, a Brampton, Ontario native, started her BFA at York University in 2003 and graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2009.  After a yearlong residency at the NSCAD Lunenburg Community Studios, Kat made Lunenburg County her permanent home. 

She is a practicing painter and screen-printer, often combining the two techniques in her artwork and her line of home decor Fox Acre Row.  

Kat teaches and exhibits regularly around Nova Scotia and is an active board member of the Halifax Crafters Society.



Silk screened linen by Kat Frick Miller,
prints and hooked rug by Tacha Reed

Kelly Mitchelmore works mostly with knives, creating bold and luminescent works in both oil and acrylic. Her large knife paintings
reflect her approach to life and art, creating movement and texture through saturated hues and thick layers. Known for her vibrant pallet she enjoys painting flowers and nature trying to capture the moment of discovery. Determined to bridge the gap between artisans and community and support the local economy and charities all at the same time, Kelly is continuously promoting a more holistic approach to art and getting recognized for it.



Geordan Moore is the owner and operator of The Quarrelsome Yeti Press, a company he started in 2010. Geordan creates very detailed surreal and kind of silly narrative images, which he then reproduces as prints and t-shirts. Often he will use themes of the “Great White” Canadian landscape, or poke fun at supposed Canadian stereotypes as a starting point for his compositions. Saturday morning cartoons, 80’s professional wrestling, comics, and heavy metal album artwork influence his style. The detailed line work, and reductive woodcut style rendering characterizes his work.

Tacha Reed has been decorating the fine province of Nova Scotia with her images since 2003. While completing her degree at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design she developed a technique of carving photographs to reveal a graphic image. These humorous and sometimes thought provoking images later became known as “cut-ups”.

In addition to her visual arts, Tacha also has a never-ending desire to be crafting and creating beautiful, colourful decorations for our bodies and homes. Her materials of choice being found objects, recycled and natural materials. Other passions include knitting, rug hooking and stitching. Several years ago Tacha began experimenting with various felting techniques, which eventually resulted in a whimsical line of recycled critters and accessories called Woodland Wool, which she sells at various shops throughout the Maritimes.

In 2011 Tacha opened a mobile shop in a renovated vintage travel trailer
that features the work of 30 Nova Scotia Artists and Artisans. Flying Cloud Boutique, located in Ellershouse Nova Scotia, is open seasonally May - December. 

Tacha is also the current president of the Hants County Arts Council.             www.hantscountyartscouncil.ca


Jane Rovers grew up on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia and spent a lot of time with her grandmother, also an artist who always encouraged Jane’s creativity. These days Jane calls the Annapolis Valley her home. A Graphic Designer by trade, Jane currently finds herself experimenting with photography and digital art. Jane "paints" with photographs. She takes photos of people, places and things and layers them with texture, light and colour. She is always snapping new photos and creating new images. She takes her camera everywhere she goes.

During the day Jane can be found playing with her son Jude and making art while he naps. When she’s not creating she likes to go swimming in lakes, enjoys cooking (and eating!) and she loves hanging out with her husband, son and dog.



Kristie Sheehy grew up in a large family in rural Nova Scotia, surrounded by hills, streams and woods. As kids they explored caves and played in the meadows. Today she finds herself lucky to live on a beautiful farm in Avondale. A self trained sculptor, Kristie’s interests are Native and Acadian culture. Her sculptures often depict the interaction between people and animals - man and his world.



Jim Tracey has been carving his figures since boyhood.  Now near retirement, he has decided to offer his work to a larger audience and has found himself being asked to exhibit in more and more venues. From his front yard to markets, from commissions to exhibits, Jim is finding greater demand for his works. The subtle humour and political correctness of his work gives Jim an unending supply of fodder for his creations.  Some works are functional - like the birdhouses and feeders, others are satirical and entertaining, while still others are a beautiful addition to a garden or home.


The Flying Cloud group show runs until August 31st, be sure to catch it before it is gone!

Staycation Destination!

We were happy to reopen our door again for the 2012 season on May 19th, a full month ahead of last year!


We had contemplated moving the shop’s location, but seeing as I’m a maker myself and need to be in close proximity of my studio, we decided to instead renovate our garage and finally create that dream studio space I’ve been longing for. No more crowded mudroom for me! Now I have space to work on many projects at once… and the ability to close the door at the end of the day and head home and relax in a project free house! 

This past Sunday I opened up the garage for our first open studio day - going forward every Sunday and Monday my studio is open to the public to come and sit a while as I create... and perhaps bring along your own project to work on should you feel inspired?

The last few months have certainly been full of exciting projects, my own creations have been picked up by several shops throughout the Maritimes including Put Me On in Halifax, Window on the Sea in Lunenburg and Johnny Ruth – Integrity in Style in Saint John’s Newfoundland. In addition to being a bit of a production line these last few months creating new Woodland Wool critters and Flock Together feather accessories, I’ve also created a few new cut-up portraits for folk rocker Christina Martin’s new album, set to hit stores on July 10th.

Over the last few years I have been collaborating with the songstress combining quotes from her album with my graphic images to create an illustrated lyric book which she then provides to her fans as a thank you for their on going support. 

Larger limited editions of these prints are currently available exclusively at the Bread Gallery in Brooklyn as a part of our Flying Cloud group show “Staycation, all I ever wanted” which runs until August 31st.

Staycation features the work of ten of our Flying Cloud artists including paintings by Mary Garoutte & Kelly Mitchelmore, photographs by John McCarthy & Jane Rovers, screen prints by Geordan Moore & Kat Frick Miller, folk art carvings by Jim Tracey, sculptures by Kristie Sheehy and fibre art by Tacha Reed & Blythe Church.

Now that my heavy production load is out of the way, and we‘ve squeezed in our own little staycation exploring rural Nova Scotia, Flying Cloud is now ready to settle into our new summer hours – hopefully making us a destination on your next Nova Scotian staycation!

For the fist six weeks of this season we have only been open on Saturdays and Sundays, but that all changes today – with us now keeping somewhat regular hours throughout the week as well!

You will now find us open most weekdays 10-4, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all the happenings here in Ellershouse!

There is nothing wrong with having your head in the clouds!

A year ago today I opened the doors to what has proven to be a life long dream.

When asked as a child what my plans were for my future I shook my head "no" to ideas of being a nurse, teacher or secretary and proudly proclaimed I was going to be an artist!

Over the winter I decided to learn how to make stained
glass so I could recycle my broken glassware collection.

These pendants are now available in the shop along with
my Woodland Wool critters and the wonderful creations
of 30 other talented Nova Scotian artists and artisans!

Everyone warned me about the difficulties... and I admit that at various times over the years I've fallen down in complete defeat and accepted that supporting myself by working in the arts might be an impossibility.... but then I'd have a big bright vision of some sort of vibrant art community or I'd fall into a job surrounded by other creative folks... so that whenever I felt I was going to have to make due with a life that was a little less creative, well then life would take over and let me know that it didn't have to be so.
 

New in the shop this year, monsters by Sewn by Blythe.
I'm honoured to have Blythe's work in the shop, it was 
Blythe's felted vintage cameras that inspired me
to create my line of recycled wool critters.

I've always been a firm believer in fate, and because of this I play very close attention to my dreams - especially when my grandfather is involved. When I first started playing with the idea of applying for the government funded Self Employment Benefits program I was a bit nervous about the possible risk I would be taking. The night before my very first meeting to begin the application process I dreamt that I was working on a fast paced assembly line which produced food, print and television (combining all my many years spent in production). As I worked away I realized that I was just a cog in a wheel and that I was working my ass off with no satisfaction because I was not the one reaping the rewards of my hard labour - someone else was!

I sat down frustrated and watched the chaos. My grampy sat beside me and asked why I had stopped - this was my job, I had better get back to it. I told him that I just didn't want to do it anymore. "Well", he said, "why don't you do what you want to do then? Why don't you go to the meeting tomorrow and start your own business?"    

The next morning I made the trip into the city, met with an employment officer and told them of my dreams of an artist run creative community centre. I started the application process. After much confusion I later found out that I couldn't be served through Halifax and I had to start the process all over again, this time though Hants County. With an extra 4 months to think over my business plan it evolved. I knew my creative community centre would one day come... but I had to figure out what the first step would be to getting there. Perhaps a retail space!

Over the years I've been fortunate to meet many creative people, whether it was through my time spent working in print and animated production or as a crafter myself, traveling from show to show. I've come across many interesting people who all make very interesting products and I wanted to introduce them, or at least their work, to everyone that I met! Okay... now I was starting to get a bit more of an idea...

Next I began my hunt for the prime retail space. Since I was a resident of Hants County, and being funded through Hants County, my business had to also be in Hants County. The closest most populated nearby town is Windsor, so I began my search there.

It wasn't long before I was once again facing defeat. The cost to rent or lease in Windsor is practically as expensive as Halifax - there was no way I could dish out that kind of cash! I'm no fool, I may love my work and that of my colleagues - but I wasn't foolish enough to take on the financial risk that setting up a shop in Windsor would mean.

As my brain spun trying to figure out how to evolve my dream into something more feasible, Bryan came up with the idea of buying a trailer, gutting it and then having a shop I could set up anywhere. At first I was completely opposed... "oh that's so tacky", I thought. Then we started to look into how much work it would be to gut and renovate an older camper.... we could probably do something for under $5000.... maybe this could be possible?
 
As I laid in bed that night I thought to myself.... "nope, this was all just a silly dream... I'm still nowhere near making it a reality... I might as well go back to the job hunt tomorrow."

As I slept I dreamt I was packing up my studio space in the garage along with the help of my mom and my step father. As we packed artist Kelly Mitchelmore and her husband arrived with a bottle of red to cheers me and my new future. As we chatted I became distracted by a rhythmic beat and went down to the edge of the water to see if I could find the source.

As I looked across the water I felt a familiar warm fuzziness pass over my leg and looked down to see Mister Fluff... only Mister still had his glorious long plume of a tail intact. I watched Mister as he manoeuvred his way from tree to tree across the pond until he met up with the source of the beat... a young native, seated beside a fire, patting out the rhythm on his drum.

As I watched I once again felt that familiar fuzz pass across my ankle, only this time it was Mister as he is now, post critter attack, with his short little nub of a tail. As I looked back and forth confused over my twin cats I realized I had been joined by a much older native chief. He explained to me that I was experiencing a fold in time and that young man on the other side of the river was he himself as a young man.

He went on to explain that what we were witnessing was the very first time he took on the position of beating out the rhythm that kept the river running, something that he had done every spring since and something that had been done every spring beforehand for all of time. If this rhythm was not started again each spring then the earth would stop functioning properly and all hell would break loose.

Suddenly my mother informed me it was time to leave and I loaded myself into a van full to the brim with all my possessions. I waved my goodbyes and headed towards my future. As we passed through the North End of Halifax I saw my best friend from high school, Tanja, and her younger sister. We stopped at a light and the two came over to the van, Tanja asked where I was going and I answered honestly - "I have no idea?"

She then went on to ask  "well aren't you starting your own business? Don't you want to follow your dreams?"

Yes - yes I do!

Now I began to panic! She was right, I needed to follow my dreams, I needed to go back home! I opened the door, got out and started running for home, I ran and ran until I woke myself up.

I promptly went downstairs, opened up my computer and went to Kijiji and typed in camper. The first image that came up was a 1955 Flying Cloud Airstream and she had been completely gutted and was just waiting to be rebuilt. My eye then caught the date in the bottom corner... it was January 11th.... what would have been my Grampy's birthday. Tears started running down my face because I knew that once again I was being sent a sign, I was on that right path - keep following that dream!

I admit that my current business plan has evolved a great deal from when I first opened my doors last spring. Initially I planned to take advantage of the fact that Flying Cloud is a mobile shop and I intended to travel the province from event to event. A lovely and romantic idea indeed, and had I been independently wealthy then perhaps I could have made it happen... but the reality is that once you crunch the numbers traveling has a multitude of risks involved. It took me a while to admit that traveling wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, but as soon as I did the true nature of my business started to unfold.

Here we are a year and a half later, Sylvia is now transformed into a beautiful little Nova Scotian art and artisan boutique, I have a new big and bright studio space where I'm surrounded by all my treasures and supplies and I am just weeks away from hosting our first workshops and starting our weekly open studio day where anyone is welcome to come and create and dream their own little dream :)

Join us July 14th at noon for our first workshop hosted here on the pond together with the HCAC! Ottawa artist Andrea Warren joins us for an afternoon painting picnic! A sandwich lunch will be provided by the HCAC along with a goodie bag of Golden Paint products to take home.

Email us at info@flyingcloudboutique.com to book your seat!

Spring Up! A look back at the Halifax Crafters Spring Show May 5th & 6th 2012

This past weekend I attended the Halifax Crafters SPRING UP! show, both as a vendor, selling my Woodland Wool critters and showing off my latest rug hookings... but also as shop owner, checking out what some of my fellow Flying Cloud artists were up to this past winter and too see what goodies they would be bringing to the shop this spring. Here is a selection of images that will give you an idea of what to expect in the shop when we re-open on May 19th!



Some of my own new rug hookings and buttons

New panoramic prints by John McCarthy

New scarves by Poison Pear

New prints by Anna Stowe

Jewelry by Rita

Kitty mugs by Bread and Butter Pottery

New prints by Fox Acre Rowe

Bob Ross pins by An Oddity or Two

Cowboy boot key chains by Steadybrook Saddlery

New Jewelry by Jane Rovers

Baby tomatoes complete with card, by Joanna Close

Wooden spoons by Terron Dodd

Gift cards by Amanda Fullerton

Posies brooches by Heart and Hook

Unique prints by Vish

Baby onesies by Ella Mental

Monsters by Sewn by Blythe

Rings by Cranky



Paintings by April Baird

T-shirts by the Quarrelsome Yeti