Hamilton Beach Walkabout ...

In contrast to the escarpment, the lake offers something completely different.
Played hookey for a few hours and put together this 4 minute vid. Enjoy.



(If the VIMEO video frame isn't appearing, blame Google, owners of Blogger and YouTube.
They don't own VIMEO ... ) Try this link instead ... https://vimeo.com/59609524

SNOW!! ... finally ...

The first major snow fall of the season ... about 14-16 inches ... FUN!!
The image on the right is the route to the woodpile ... 

 Conventional photography doesn't really do the FUN part justice ... 

stomping through fresh powder ... brilliant sunshine, clear skies ... 

and not THAT cold ... really ... :)

Town of Oakville: Parks & Recreation Spring Guide 2013 - Another 'mlh' FREEBEE

Cover photo image by m.l.holton, entitled  'Paint by Pixels'

 Image was chosen by Town of Oakville Parks & Rec Dept,
from over 90 entries from the 'Capture Oakville Exhibition' of last fall.  

I was solicited, and asked to contribute this work to the Town, for 'free'.

Cover credit in guide (upper right), distributed to 25,000 households in Oakville

My 'Paint by Pixel' image used again on the Town of Oakville website as the HEADER ... 

It certainly would have been NICE to have been PAID for this work.

Ah well, just another 'mlh' FREEBEE tossed out there ...

Can get discouraging.

WHEN will 'users' realize that VISUAL & WRITTEN CONTENT is CREATED ???? 

Sure, I get some local 'promo'/p.r, but seriously, I've been doing this for 35 odd years,

I don't need PROMO or PR as such anymore - 

I NEED people to PAY for my WORK. 

Cheers. mlh

35 ONLINE @ The Burlington Art Centre

In honour of it’s 35th anniversary in 2013, the Burlington Art Centre is pleased to announce an art auction in three parts – 35 Online, 35 On Site, and 35 Live.  There will be 35 original works by Canadian artists in each auction category.  

One of my oils will be presented in the ONLINE Auction, starting January 17th. - Link to 35 ONLINE Auction  **Direct link to my item - HERE.  

Feb 11th, update: SOLD. (Someone got that for a real steal!)

Virtual Tour of the Burlington Art Centre.

First Oil Painting of 2013

'Paint Poem to Wolf Kahn' by yours truly - oil on board 

For more info (price/size) - contact artist.

New Year: Wild Turkey

 A wonderful winter walk reveal earlier visitors - twelve wild turkeys ... 

Great way to start the New Year ... 2013.
Wrote a column about this, scroll down to bottom of this LINK. 

It certainly is a 'Merry Christmas!' on the world wide web ...

The internet is changing us. It permeates nearly every aspect of our conscious lives. It is altering not only the way we think, but the way we perceive the world: past, present, future and dream-time too.  Cumulatively, this is both a good AND a bad thing. But now is not the time to digress on a strident polemic ‘pro’ or ‘con’. Rather, in the short term, (and since you’re here anyway), consider these viral internet Christmas ‘treats’. To be sure, none would have the success they have had without our perpetual ‘clicks’ or ‘hits’.
Ho Ho. -- Surf’s up. (Adjust your audio to skip the YouTube adverts … ) 

 

Christmas Lights: GANGNAM style. 2 million hits, and counting. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9jWN5Myxtwg

Amazing Grace: Christmas Lights. Another festive folly at 23 million hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnk0KjWxgMA

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: an adapted Pachabel’s Canon. Visuals include a few cheesy velvet paintings, but hey, who cares, it has near 4 million hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45wmyMgyZuY

Again, Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Nutcracker Suite (like you’ve NEVER seen or heard it.)  Not as well known, but still pretty impressive at 250,000+ hits and climbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b20WvdNpomg

‘Santa Baby’ by The Good Lovelies (audio only) from Kingston Ontario. Obscure, with 4,000 hits, but delightful just to listen to their lovely harmonies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-o637BDGm4

Chipmunks Christmas: Jingle Bell Rock (audio only.) Ok, ok, it’s a stationary cartoon, but it’s still had 3 million hits. (Clearly many miss these delightful little animated high-pitched rascals…. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eU6yn1pUHY

Christmas Carols by the Westminster Abbey Choir. Lovely choral arrangement with 118,000 hits. Not much of a visual, but again, this majestic music does impress, even on the web.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikJF89dtDR0

 

‘O Holy Night’ by Carrie Underwood. Guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, with the added bonus of sing-a-long script (… pity about the ‘devine/divine’ typos though.) The poor script and visual design may explain the surprisingly meager 124,000 hits.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIRAlJSd0nM

A ten minute cosy wood-crackling fire with 2.5 million hits. (Time now for you to supply the Hot Rum Toddies or spiked egg nog.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsD1zoI7NYo

Why all this ‘feel-good’ webby Christmas fuss? Well, seriously, there was this child born approximately 2012 years ago. The Story of Jesus Christ: Full Length Movie (2 hours). With a paltry 214 hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox8XWYiKdNk&playnext=1&list=PLB36BACBD6EF64DEA&feature=results_main

Draw your own conclusions … 

Merry Christmas One & All.

Margaret Lindsay Holton  

Conor Harrington, Street Artist from Cork, Ireland

Detail from a Rodney Smith image ...

I was looking at some gimmicky Rodney Smith photographs recently - (in particular the background detail of an interior shot that evoked a somewhat predictable interpretation of another time & another era - look left) - and was also looking at an assortment of abandoned euro-castles shot by urban explorers ... when, by chance & consequence, I stumbled on the wonderful contemporary 'street art' by Conor Harrington.  WOW! To my eye, these images are a lovely fusion of traditional and contemporary that document the omni - 'colonial' decay of Western civilization as well as evoke a surprisingly uplifting 'future in-the-making'.  

On the other hand, it could just be the weather ...    
Samples of Harrington's work follows:

Marvelous, no? 

 p.s. I am trying a larger type size on my posts. 

You like? or not? Let me know. Thanks.