I’m a Fan of……Art Galleries

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of……https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/03/20/a-ride-to-the-park-fan-of-198/

I love to browse through art galleries for a variety of reasons. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon or even just an hour or less. It informs me on what is happening in the world, the values of other cultures and the diversity of art itself. I don’t always love everything I see but I can appreciate what the artist went through to make their art. The one comment I despise from other people who think that a piece of art is unworthy to hang in a gallery is….”I could do that”. The problem is that they didn’t do that and never will.

The big art gallery in Toronto is the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and I love going there but I also enjoy going to smaller galleries like the Dignam Gallery at WAAC, the Assembly Hall Gallery and all the smaller and larger galleries we visited on our trips in Europe.

The galleries below are: The Louvre in Paris – first two photos. The Musée de Beaux-Arts in Tours, France – photos 3, 4 and 5. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tours, France – photos 6,7 and 8. The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London, England – photos 9, 10 and 11. The Barbican Art Gallery in London, England – photos 12, 13 and 14. The Tate Modern in London, England – photos 15m 16 and 17. The Dignam Art Gallery at WAAC in Toronto – photos 18, 19, 20 and 21 and Neilson Park Creative Centre in Etobicoke – photos 22, 23 and 24 . The Assembly Hall Gallery in Toronto – photos 25, 26 and 27.

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Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Old

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/02/11/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-old/

Getting old is not just a number but it’s a state of mind and declining physical abilities. We need to work at staying in shape and it becomes harder as we get older but the benefits outweigh the aches and pains that may come with it. Not caring how you look is not embracing old age or aging gracefully. Even though my husband is suffering with pain and discomfort he would never think about going out, even to a doctor’s appointment without showering first and putting on clean clothes.

26-EE9-D4-D-A763-4360-93-AC-1348-B59-E14-A3 — *Knight’s Armour*

DC82-E5-E5-E399-41-AA-93-C2-24845-EE5908-E — *Kevin’s 70th birthday*

670-D8-CF4-6-D18-4-A99-9538-CD6-DCA435753 — *My 70th birthday with friends and our grandkids*

As plants get older they wither and dry up. Our pets get grey around the muzzle and they slow down and sleep more. My grandmother was very wrinkled but she stayed active right up to her last three years of her life. She walked everywhere, rode her bike and travelled. My father was the same. He was less wrinkled but he walked every day, worked on his crosswords and at 90 he made one last trip overseas to visit his younger brother. He wasn’t without his faults and as he got older he said things that could be hurtful but in his mind he was just being ‘honest’. He passed at 94.

4-E333769-1-A98-491-C-9337-A494-D4-D8-F7-D3 — *Frances at 14 1/2 years old*

C1514090-F200-488-A-96-C8-E05312-A2-DF98 — *Dad doing this civic duty right to the end*

DEB25152-F04-C-4-D4-F-A865-945-F8969-C222 — *Dad on his 93rd birthday*

Furniture and paintings fade as they get older if they aren’t properly cared for. Books and papers yellow and can get musty and brittle. Old things in museums are stored in carefully crafted atmospheres to slow down the aging process and skilled hands can bring masterpieces back to life for future generations to experience and enjoy.

27-FD72-CE-0-C75-418-C-B2-DF-ACB2-EA6-B0-A04-1-201-a — *Degas’s Ballerina*

1-F774-B12-602-A-4399-A36-A-F161923-FCCFB — *The Mona Lisa*

EF57934-A-D5-BE-43-D2-B1-AD-99-DF0-DFCE14-F — *A Cathedral in Paris*

40590-A42-FFD3-4-EF4-9-F85-3944-B2-D21-DCB — *The Medieval section of Tours, France*

BCB13-F05-3-CFD-473-E-894-F-79549800-E442 — *The Cathedral in Tours, France*

2-E98-AFD1-7-F2-C-4-B0-A-B9-CE-6-E0-C8228-CB0-D — *The Chateau Amboise in France*

589-EA76-B-87-A8-4-A95-8457-663043244409 — *Furniture in the Chateau*

RDP – Fancy

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting the RDP challenge, https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/02/06/rdp-monday-fancy/

06340-D27-C0-D1-47-E0-AD9-D-F8-A6231-C1646 — *Fancy dress for a wedding*

2-D360712-CDE4-4-FB2-9-AC5-74009-BF293-DF — *Fancy church in Munich*

A7-AAB0-A8-7826-4598-A287-41-AEEEA83169 — *Fancy fingertips*

EA357561-92-A1-466-C-B1-F1-B26-CB21-E8221 — *Fancy pastries in France*

6-A646-DED-C1-E6-4-F07-B5-BE-C67-AD8-D6-BF70 — …*more fancy pastries*

3713-A2-D2-E360-421-C-8-E25-E66-DADC20962 — *Fancy boudoir*

29-D0021-D-2-E2-A-48-EF-AAF9-D41-BABAB8863 — *Fancy period costumes*

7482-A3-E5-64-D7-4-F7-E-B4-A8-F2378-D14585-F — *Fancy birthday bouquet*

31-F688-D3-1961-45-ED-AA31-1-C54-B8300-DC7-1-201-a — *Fancy baubles*

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Belonging

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/02/01/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-belonging/

Before COVID I belonged to a group of bakers. Every week, twice a week, we got together to make dough and bake bread in the wood burning oven at Montgomery’s Inn, one of Toronto’s Historical Museums. When COVID hit in March 2020 all volunteer jobs were eliminated and bread baking ceased to exist for almost three years. I loved belonging to this group of men and women who came together every week and I look forward to the day that we can once again get together to make bread.

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I also belong to an organization of mostly women artists but also some men and that too has reduced it’s in person activities considerably since COVID hit. I love belonging to such a creative group that shares knowledge and ideas so freely and openly. It’s given me the confidence to pursue my art journey and I even hosted my first solo art show in 2022.

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I also belong to a lawn bowling club and this past year we’ve been able to get together in person to play ‘normal’ games where we can have three people per side and use all the lanes at the same time. We were also able to celebrate Canada Day and we had a year end dinner. A great group of people that I’m happy to call friends.

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The most precious of groups that I belong to is that of my family and friends. COVID has been difficult but thanks to ZOOM and WhatsApp, I’ve been able to stay connected. In the past year we’ve been able to travel again to visit family overseas and on the east coast and we’ve even gotten together for celebrations to acknowledge milestone birthdays.

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Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge – Fences and Gates

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Cee for hosting CBWC https://ceenphotography.com/2023/01/26/cbwc-fences-and-gates-3/

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Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Bend

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting the Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/01/21/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-bend/

Bending implies that you or something is flexible, either physically or mentally. When a person bends mentally they are able to see both sides of an opinion or argument and can ‘bend’ or change their own way of thinking. Bending physically is easier to demonstrate in photographs.