by Sally Hansen

Labour Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in Canada since the 1880s. The holiday originally marked the printers’ revolt in 1872 in Toronto, where labourers tried to establish a 54-hour work-week. In 2007 most Canadians view the event as the last long weekend of summer, with adults closing up the cottage and kids partying before they head back to school.

In the Valley, many of us celebrate Labour Day Weekend by heading into the beautiful Ontario countryside and enjoying one of the many wonderful artist studio tours designed to bring us closer to nature and our local artists. This year Labour Day Weekend marks the introduction of a new walking studio tour at Sundance Studio, the home and studio(s) of Carmen and Cam Allen, located a few minutes west of Maberly, and about 30 minutes from Perth.

"Carmen and Cam Allen Launch Sundance Studio Tour" »

Posted on August 7, 2007 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Sally Hansen

It’s really HOT. Chris Van Zanten is showing me how he creates his gorgeous blown-glass (a.k.a. “hot glass”) art. I’ve arrived at his glassblowing studio in Pakenham at 9:30AM on a sizzling summer day. Chris started work at 4:30AM while it was still cool outside. “Now that I have my own sandbox, I get to choose when I want to play,” he chortles.

If you look up “glassblowing” at Wikipedia.org, the second sentence says, “Glassblowing is a form of art that requires extreme training and an intense level of aptitude.” Just to make sure I fully appreciate the basis for this statement, my interviewee informs me that I will be blowing a piece before I leave. He responds to my obvious panic by reassuring me that he has taught many people, from kids to seniors, how to do so. I am hugely relieved to learn that at no time do Van Zanten’s hands leave the blowpipe on which “my” piece is created, and I leave with an even greater respect for his art.

"Chris Van Zanten — Redefining His Own Sandbox" »

Posted on August 7, 2007 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)