Wendy Clarke with the lieutenant – governor and Zora Buchanan, receiving the award on our behalf at the Arts & Letters Club in Toronto on October 19th, 2015…   while i was working the McMichael Art Exhibition in Kleinburg….now the fotos are a tad fuzzy, which may just be attributed to the interior lighting or lack of, but were taken by our friend Jeffrey who was there to see his wife, Laurie de Camillis, get her award…

we let many people know and some of the responses were worthy of notice here….

HEATHER SISMAN said: Wendy looks absolutely stunning in her suit (albeit slightly fuzzy around the edges). She’s a looker, ain’t she?                         __________________

SANDY GALET wrote: HI Michael and Wendy,

Kudos to you!!! I am not one of these significant people below but equally impressed by your work and by yourselves.. your.talent, love of nature, determination and togetherness, all of which result in being able to live life out the life of your dreams!

I am sitting here in my den, unable to move (and if I try, I look like a Keith Haring person, which does help me laugh this off…but then that hurts too) as I wrecked my back. Your painting that won is a nearly a twin to the one hanging on the left hand side in my den…I am swimming into the depths.

I hope you understand this: Mazel Tov…it is a hearty, hand shaking, big huggy phrase that means congratulations in Yiddish…!

Sandy and David, (who chose to go to the big artfest jam without me, but that’s OK without me today)

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ANN TUDOR sent in; Hi Wendy and Micheal–
I loved hearing about Wendy’s experience and your bronze award (complete with loot). Thanks for telling us about it.
ALSO, the images you sent of the Georgian Bay paintings are stunning! Beautiful work—and we’re so glad you’re getting the credit you deserve for your talent and the hard work you have (both) expended in the development of that talent.                       _______________________________________________-

MAUREEN MALONE  would have us know:    Congratulations Micheal! Winning a prize for your creative effort is so rewarding. But having some “loot” to go with it must feel great!                                                                             _________________________________

BOB COOPER AND DICK O’CONNOR agree with the decision:                           Micheal (and Wendy!)
Iris Pond deserves every art award available!!
Regards
Bob and Dick                                                                                     ____________________-
LORRAINE ROY and i have had a running conversation about this:  she started it by saying:  You hit it way out of left field, my friend! Congratulations!   and went on about the mcmichael show:  “Sorry to hear about mcmichael. Isn’t that usually a good show? We never had much luck with it, only the STARS did well.”  in response to my comment about it becoming a 200.00 show where only the newbies sell their underpriced thingys…                                                                                                   .and so i left her know that:   What is weird and rejuvenating at the same time – (almost like answering the door naked when Jehovah witnesses call)
Is that we emailed out – on Sunday morning the same email that you got – this one – to a good % of our mailing list and when got back after the fiasco at mcmichael – there were 2 emails from people each wanting to buy one of the late day sun paintings….there were oodles of others with all manner of comments but these 2 actually wanted to purchase the very things i could not get anyone of seriously look at in kleinburg…

And today, after getting back from being up north all day, (sketching the stream running out of devil’s lake again) i got one from somebody who was at kleinburg yesterday / liked the work and now wants to trade a years worth of billboard advertising in the muskokas (of our work) for 6500.00 worth of our paintings….

to which she replied:  You got the STARDUST, goddammit! Go ahead and shake it!

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there were a ton of others..a few of them below (without offending any n all not included here):                                                                :                                      .Margo Dean let us know she as impressed; / Donna Baptist said:Thanks for the update and CONGRATULATIONS on your award. Just wanted to say that the Georgian Bay series is GORGEOUS AND SENSATIONAL and I hope it brings you even more fans.Best wishes and warm regards Donna /  Catherine Hale simply said:Congratulations to you! What a great message to read while enjoying my morning coffee. You have such talent Michael and happy that you have been recognized and rewarded. All the best, Cathy /  Michael D went beyond a mere congrats: Congratulations, Micheal and Wendy!!! Love the paints too -how much is the gorgeous lake nipissing west arm 18 x 12 on panel? /  Elva Hook wrote in: Very cool!!! Congratulations! Its about time you received a good reward for all your hard work.
Hope McMichael goes well for you too  Cheers Elva / Annie Shultz commented: I love the new paintings – it’s great to see you using more colour. How did the McMichael show go?  Annie