Got back from snowshoeing up in the near far north to find a letter from obviously a wonderful woman who bought several of our works way way back in the early 80’s when doing a show in the winter meant sleeping in the car overnight

pod at dusk    22″ x 30″   ( 1980’s)    watercolour on arches paper

as such i thought i would post her letter on the blog;

Dear Micheal,

On a bright and crisp February morning, you have again filled my spirit. Thank you.

You did that thirty five years ago, too, when in the fall of 1980, I was attending university in Windsor. My father, ill at the time, came to visit and as it turns out, it was the last fine day we spent just by ourselves. We decided to go to the mall and there I was captivated by your painting – displayed in a little kiosk holding all kinds of treasures of your work. My father, a casual artist, and I took our time – in silence and appreciation – looking at all of your work. When we had had our fill, he told me to pick out something I liked and so I did. Gifts from him and from you alike. I acquired two small paintings that day – one entitled “stragglers” – a wisp of a sapling with its hangers-on, poking through the snow on the side of a hill, the other called “long shadows” – a rather misty grove of evergreens on a mild winter morning, over there… across a snowy field.

I wandered through your on line gallery this morning, from my desk and found it hard to leave the forest and the stream. You bring me back to walking through the woods at every season – going back in my memory from today and back to when I was about 4 – the hush of the woods, the whirring of the grouse hidden somewhere beyond… getting boots stuck in the depths of snow through to lying on my belly beside the stream, hearing the gurgles, watching movement, smelling the leaves, transfixed with the shadows, the colour and the light. You do that for me. Your work touches all of me.

I am so glad you have continued with success in your life of creation. I have never tired of my two little works and I have always treasured these.

I hope you keep a record of everything you bring to life. I want the book.

Thanks again, Micheal.

Yours very sincerely and with great appreciation, Yvonne

autumn on the pond (Mavis” Doe Lake Rd)  24″ x 24″  (1980’s) watercolour on arches paper

it is neat to have confirmation that the paintings hold up over time;

especially as, each individual painting is an expression of our life; each painted experience expresses the energy of the day; the painting all together are a daily progression of an attempt to come up with some meaning / significance to my existence, a chance to share my humanity with others, a chance to connect with the outside world.
The strength of any painting of mine comes from inside me. It begins
outside, is internalized, but in the end is the spirit of the work itself. Any
recognizable style to / in the work is me simply not knowing any better..

june shallows / jesie’s stream ( a trib flowing into the saugeen river) 30″ x 22″  watercolour on arches paper