Telling Tales Festival 2016, at Westfield Heritage Village

Main Stage Audience at Telling Tales Festival 2016 - Photo by M.L.Holton

I had the good fortune of attending my first Telling Tales Festival (now in it's 8th year) at Westfield Heritage Village this past Sunday. What a joy-filled & brilliant event this is!

The Festival convincingly engages & entertains on multiple levels, all geared towards developing and encouraging interest in literacy for youngsters. The focus is 'story-telling' at its very finest.

A 'Good Book' gives so much, much more then just 'a story'. Converting a child to read in this current age of 'screen dominance' is, seemingly, an up-hill battle. But, as the author, Dr.Daniel Coleman, rightly explains in this video, literacy can OPEN a child's IMAGINATION in ways unimaginable by just vision-based content. It creates complex synaptic associations that build the ground-work for future constructive & creative thinking. It envelops the MIND in worlds outside of one's own experience or knowledge. All told, a Good Book nurtures a profound love of the essential 'code' of language - WORDS. 

What follows are my own impressions from my first visit to this heart-warming Festival. It's like nothing I've ever seen or heard before.  I truly wish 'Telling Tales' would SPREAD nation-wide like wildfire ...

Much credit must go to the Festival founder, Susan Jasper: a woman with a clear & well-developed innate literate VISION ... KUDOS to the WHOLE 'Telling Tales' team!!

And, next year, For Sure, GO with your Children!

Impressions of Telling Tales Festival 2016 from canadada on Vimeo.

Footage from Premiere of The FROZEN GOOSE

NB: This is my first time posting with Bloggers innate video tool.
FYI,  it does NOT link to Youtube, so don't bother popping over there ...
(You can use the bracket tool on the lower right corner to enlarge the video to full-screen.
 Quality is not so hot when you do that. So far, it seems to work on PCs, but not on APPLE mobile products.)

Canadian artist/filmmaker, Margaret Lindsay Holton, introduces Mayor Rick Goldring at the World (!) Premiere of The FROZEN GOOSE at the Art Gallery of Burlington, (Ontario, Canada) on September 11th, 2016.  The Mayor offers up amusing insights into acting & local film production ... Missing is second speaker, CEO of the Art Gallery, Robert Steven. No footage of that.

Canadian Fiddler  David Clarence MacLean sets the pace for the 1st screening of classic Canadian short story The FROZEN GOOSE, during the World Premiere at the Art Gallery of Burlington (Ontario, Canada) on September 11th, 2016.

Between the two screenings of the FROZEN GOOSE, fab folk group Whiskey Epiphany - led by fiddler extraordinaire (and cast member) David Clarence MacLean - entertain with toe-tapping traditional rural reels. Excerpts of that fine performance are included in this final clip.

All footage generously supplied to MLH Productions by David's wonderful mum, Judy Holbrook.
THANKS JUDY!

Fall Newsletter 2016, via Canadian Artist, M.L.Holton

 

Art Attack, Painting by Canadian Artist, M.L.Holton

Fall Newsletter 2016, includes links for TICKETS to my short 25 min film, The FROZEN GOOSE Canadian Premiere at the Art Gallery of Burlington on Sunday, September 11th, plus, other links to additional up-coming exhibitions & group shows that I will be involved in during the fall.

Formally, the film is DONE. 
It is now time to move on to other things ...

Tangentially, one invaluable 'summer project' has been to read James A. Michener's mammoth historical-fictional novel, 'Hawaii'. What a lovely escape that has been. How enthralling to read such a masterfully written work that so successfully immerses one in an alternate time & space!

It has ignited a deep pleasure to read BOOKS again (... something I did a LOT of before the advent of the net...) I intend to do a lot more reading of BOOKS over the next little while, and, as a result, will intentionally forgo the incessant daily 'seduction of the screens'. I'm not 'leaving the net' for good - just pulling back significantly - to regain a necessary balance, renewed personal perspective and, to my mind, a solid dose of sanity.

I want to re-FOCUS on my life long work as a Canadian Artist now, and concentrate on those issues that concern and motivate me. I want the time to just THINK, unfettered by a lot of 'net noise'.  So, even though the up-coming fall WILL BE very busy for me, I am really looking forward to the 'away time' to meditate on other 'off net' items of personal interest - like sustainability and care-taking planet stewardship  ...

Canadian Artist - Margaret Lindsay Holton

I WILL catch up in the late spring or summer of 2017. We'll see where I'm at then! - Have a Great Canadian Winter all. If you do need to contact me, please use the contact tab on the upper right of the blog. Otherwise, as the infamous Red Green used to say, 'Keep your stick on the ice!' 

And, most important, ENJOY Life. 

mlh

FASM Fall Studio Tour, 2016! - M.L.Holton Pinhole Photos and Cameras, at Doris Treleaven's Metalworking Studio

Wow. Just got the snazzy looking brochures for the Fine Art Society of Milton Fall Studio Tour. 

36 artists at 26 different locations in and around the Escarpment area of Milton, Ontario.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

TWO DAY TOUR: 10am -5pm

Very please to announce that this year I will be showing as a 'Guest' of Doris Treleaven, a metal worker of both big and small projects. Her studio is HUGE! (Location 25, on above map.)  From my end, I'll be showcasing my pinhole photography  as well as giving small demos with my hand-made pinhole cameras, (no darkroom though!).

 AWARD WINNING Pinhole PHOTOGRAPHY

Copyright: ' Granny's Lounger'  by M.L.Holton (Canada)

Come check us out at LOCATION 25 on the map, 13016 5th Line. Just NORTH of Limehouse, EAST of Acton and WEST Georgetown. Very easy to find, SOUTH off Hwy 7.  The map/brochures are available around the area, starting this week, LOOK for them.

And/or download your own map/brochure, via FASM website in LATE AUGUST.

UPDATE, Oct 4th: A few quiet moments from this year's tour .... All in all, given the gray weather, it was surprisingly busy  - with people coming from as far afield as Toronto, Barrie and downtown. Oakville!  Doris's studio, just outside of Acton (as marked above, and seen below), is a treasure trove for eclectic 'metal-art' shoppers. She uses other materials too, like stain glass & wood etc., on commissions. If passing thru the area, make sure you do take 1/2 an hour to check out this truly unique artist & her busy workshop.

Short 12 minute documentary of Doris's metal-working 

studio now published on Raise the Hammer.

UPDATE: Nice bit of press from the Milton Champion. 
(Note -  tour has ALWAYS run for two days, that's nothing 'new'.) 
UPDATE: ha - who knew?!? Was also listed as a 'Culture Days' event, (listed by FASM.)

UPDATE, Jan, 2017.
Cleaning up the2016  desk top, came on this shot of my set-up.
Not the best shot, but hey, posterity! 

 

Get TICKETS to Canadian Premiere of The FROZEN GOOSE @ Art Gallery of Burlington

Please join the Cast & Director

at the Art Gallery of Burlington 

on Sunday, September 11th, 3-5pm.

Please note, there will be TWO screenings, (choose which one you prefer) at 3:15pm or 4pm, with a 'live' musical INTERLUDE by Whiskey Epiphany, and some fancy fiddling, before and aft, by fiddler extraordinaire, David Clarence MacLean. Surprise guests will head up the presentation. After the second screening, there will be a 15 min Q&A with the cast &  Director, Margaret Lindsay Holton.

TICKETS Now Available! - On-line ONLY -
via EVENTBRITE 

 LINK: Order yours HERE! 

Low Resolution OFFICIAL TRAILER below:

Summer Fleur - Photography by M.L.Holton

At the height of summer, operatic drama seems to overtake the persistent push of vegetation.  It can be overwhelming at times, even claustrophobic with all that smothering overgrowth ... (Horatio bellows: "Virginia creepers BE DAMNED!")  And yet, in the midst of it all, extraordinary colour plumes and exquisite delicate petals hold ground.

Hibiscus Supremus - Photo by m.l.holton

Queen Anne Lattice - Photo by m.l.holton

Hard Knocks Hibiscus - Photo by m.l.holton

Queen Anne in-Waiting - Photo by m.l.holton

Horatio Hibiscus - by m.l.holton

Demure & Potent - Photo by m.l.holton

Healthy Hibiscus - Photo by m.l.holton

Play Ground - Photo by m.l.holton

MLH on 'Art Jury Duty' for Inaugural 2016 'Art-in-the-Park', Country Heritage Museum in Milton, Ontario, Canada

Back roads, North Halton County - by m.l.holton

Very pleased that I can now announce completion of one intense day of art jury duty earlier this month with two esteemed colleagues, (from the Dufferin County Museum & the Ontario Crafts Council Board), for the inaugural 'Art-in-the-Park' exhibit at the incomparable Country Heritage Park in Milton, (formerly known as the Ontario Agricultural Museum), for August 21st, 2016.

There were a number of outstanding entries from both local and provincial artists for us to consider. As jurors, our goal was to aim for a good cross-section of works - and disciplines - that best reflect the strong abstract & realist trends in contemporary art and craft practices. We're sure the public will enjoy the chosen 35 exhibitors work very much. Details about the showing artists can be found - here. 

The Show & Sale will run from 10am-5pm, 

on August 21st, 2016, at the Country Heritage Park. 

Enjoy!

 

MAP: 

 Country Heritage Park

(formerly Ontario Agricultural Museum)

8560 Tremaine Road, Milton
Ontario L9T 2Y3

If you GPS Country Heritage Park, please use Postal Code L9T 2X3

Admission Per person - $10* (Children Under 12 - FREE)

Be sure to CHECK the website for Days OPEN. 

Heritage building, Country Heritage Park, Milton - by m.l.holton

The FROZEN GOOSE - TeaserTrailer 2 -with PRE-ORDER Link

Releasing SEPTEMBER, 2016. 

Pre-Order your Home-Use DVD Today! 

M.L.Holton in 21st Art-in-the-Workplace Exhibit at MIP

Woohoo! - Thrilled to be included in the 21st Art-in-the Workplace Art Exhibit in the wonderful atrium at McMaster Innovation Park!  I'm 'in' with a new work from this year, 'FROZEN LAKE II'. (With a 'tip-hat tribute' to my filmmaking efforts from earlier in the year on my short indie film, 'The FROZEN GOOSE'  - phew, DONE!!!)

This acrylic work below is now framed in a silver-tinted wooden frame. (Looks very sharp if I say so myself!)  If interested in purchase, please contact me directly for final framed size, and price. (Email contact is on the right of this post at the top of blog page.)Thanks.

The 21st Exhibit Grand Opening will be held on August 4, 2016. - 7-9pm

The art will remain on display until November 2nd, 2016. - Come SEE!

Frozen Lake 2 - Acrylic on board, by M.L.Holton

21st Art-in-the-Workplace Exhibit 

at McMASTER INNOVATION PARK
GRAND OPENING: August 4th, 2016
7-9pm

175 Longwood Road South, 

Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA 

Always a great show with diverse and 

 interesting paintings, sculpture and photography! 

(I think this is my 6th time showing at MIP!!) 

Easy access via 403 and/or QEW link-in. Southern Ontario, Canada.

 On-site parking is available for a small fee near the main building, 

OR park on the 'open field' lot behind main building for 'Free'.

COME on OVER and SEE some really GREAT art!  

Instant Bliss - by Margaret Lindsay Holton

Instant Bliss by MLH - acrylic on canvas

Sorry, not the best photo repro ... This item is 5 feet wide, 30" high, (I lost the light on the right.) Overall though, it should give you a  good sense of that moment when you just LOOK UP through cherry tree limbs to find INSTANT BLISS. -- Yes, SPRING is finally here. Contact artist for better photos (!)- and/or purchase particulars. - See you on the outside peeps! It's glorious out there. - mlh

Paint Poem to Lola Donoghue

Periodically I come across a painter whose work, for a variety of emotional and intellectual reasons, appeals a great deal to me. One such is a contemporary Irish painter, Lola Donoghue. I find her work to be equally titillating, nuanced and evocative. Subtle palettes are suddenly punched with boldness, suggestive shapes work magic in the imagination and the seeming simplicity cleverly masquerades a medley of masks ...

I've painted one of my 'Paint Poems', in gratitude, for the inspiration - and skill - she shares. The two images below show, first, her 'Flamingo': the inspiration for my work, then mine - an mlh Paint Poem Tribute.

Kindly note, my aim is never to slavishly 'copy' another artist's work. Rather, I prefer to 'explore' painterly processes within their preferred palettes. I find it very instructive, rewarding and, as mentioned, inspiring ...  ----  Lola - I just LOVE your work! Thank you.

Flamingo by Lola Donoghue - Prints available via Lola's link above. 

'Paint Poem to Lola Donoghue, 2016' - with gratitude, mlh

The Frozen Goose - Teaser Trailer 1 - with PRE-ORDER LINK

Releasing SEPTEMBER, 2016. 

Pre-Order your Home-Use DVD Today! 

ARTWORKS OAKVILLE - Annual Juried Show

Thrilled to be included in the 16th Annual Juried Show for Artworks Oakville. 

77 items entries were submitted, 39 were chosen by the judges. I'm IN.. - Honored!!

Opening Reception: 

Thursday, May 26th

7-9pm 

At the Queen Elizabeth Park Community Cultural Centre

23012 Bridge Road, Oakville  (map below) 

SEE YOU THERE!

Hours of the QE Cultural Centre: 

Mon-Thurs, 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Fri, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sat and Sun, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

 23012 Bridge Road, Oakville 

Easy access via the QEW from Toronto or Hamilton/Buffalo 

UPDATE:

 Great & Busy Reception - plenty of old, young and new faces! 
(also delighted to meet the very talented portait painter, Martha Southwell)
Lower Right: Geoffrey Nawn, Juror takes in my painting
'Woodland Deer' - a crowd favourite. :) 
 

WAAH 120th Annual Juried Art Show @ AGH

Thrilled to be included in the 120th Annual Juried Art Show by the Women's Art Association of Hamilton, showing at the Art Gallery of Hamilton during May and June, 2016. This energetic women's association has been active since the late 1800's, providing a head space & physical place for women to engage with, and expound upon, the arts.

A solid hundred years later, it continues to exercise it's primary mandate of 'exposure' to the art field. Many talented Southern Ontario female artists received their initial 'recognition' here. Senior members coax & coach them into greater public exposure. A diverse, wide-ranging and inclusive aesthetic envelops all with a hearty 'welcome'. Seasoned judges preside over the Annual Juried Shows encouraging greater exploration, experimentation and finer execution.

 Come see what the women are up to now!! 

The aims of the Women's Art Association of Hamilton are to:

• Create a general interest in art
  
• Establishing art scholarships
• Hold lectures and seminars
• Hold exhibitions of paintings, designs and sculpture
• Developing art and handicrafts of Canada.

The Women's Art Association of Hamilton's  

120th Juried Art Exhibition 

Opening RECEPTION - JOIN US!

- Sunday, May 1st, 2-5pm. 

 (Closes June 25th, 2016.)

***My final painting from last year - a 'naive-surreal-folk-abstract' beaut -

 'Doe at Dawn' has been accepted. Come SEE it!***

ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON

Womens Art Assoc.of Hamilton

123 King Street West | Hamilton ON | L8P 4S8 T: 905-527-6610 | F: 905-577-6940

Regular Gallery Hours: Day Hours Tuesday  11:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday  11:00 am - 6:00 pm Thursday  11:00 am - 8:00 pm Friday*  11:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday  12:00 noon - 5:00 pm Sunday  12:00 noon - 5:00 pm Monday  Closed (open select holidays) Select Holidays: The AGH is open on select holidays, including Family Day (ON, AB, SK), March Break, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, August Civic Holiday, Labour Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Holiday Hours are from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. *Friday Free Night: The Gallery and the Shop at AGH is open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on the first Friday of each month. Free admission to GALLERY LEVEL ONE exhibitions will be from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. +learn more

AGH Members receive FREE admission.

Non-Members Fee  Adults    $10  Students/Seniors    $8  Children (6 – 17)    $4  Under 5 years    FREE  Family (2 adults and up to 4 children)    $25

(Prices include tax.)

UPDATE: Great Opening Reception, good to catch up with Bryce Kanbara, one of the jurors. 
He kindly said mine, 'Doe at Dawn',  was one of his favs in the show.

Bryce Kanbara, owner of You Me Gallery, one of three jurors of 120th show, with yours truly.

UPDATE: The Hamilton Spectator reviews the show

The Dear Queen - #HappyBirthdayYourMajesty

I defy anyone not to be in awe of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, longest reigning monarch in British history. She has certainly done her DUTY - and then some. With surreal highs and lows, continued familial controversy and even hatred, this amazing woman has managed to weather the storms - and carry on. She stands, the penultimate expression and embodiment of Anglo Tradition. Sure, lots of haters out there, but, damn right, she has MORE admirers. I certainly RESPECT her. She is, and has been, a very good, living and breathing, Queen, devoted to the land of her birth, and 'her' people. - Thank you Your Majesty.

To mark the occasion of her 90th Birthday, I have resurrected an older painting, done in 2009 - 'Paparazzi'.  (I mean, SERIOUSLY, poor woman & her family are hounded 24/7.  It's no small wonder they get a bit 'curt at times.) Global INTEREST in this REAL 'Royal Family' is insatiable.

Long Live the Queen!

Paparazzi by MLHolton (2009) - Oil on Board. Contact artist for size & price.

MLH Spring Newsletter COMING SOON - 2016

 

First Painting for 2016 - by M.L.Holton - Contact Artist for Size & Price.

Hi Everyone - Just getting ready to send out my Spring Newsletter for 2016 ... If any of you do receive in 'duplicate' or 'in error', my sincere apologies. (It is getting very difficult to single-handedly manage a 5000+ personal 'contact list' without losing vital touch along the way. There WILL be goof-ups, errors & omissions. Please FORGIVE, and just let me know in the comment section below, I will fix it.)  - Otherwise, have a super spring & summer. I will continue to post 'what's happening' on route, and I do hope to catch up with a bunch of you in the fall - perhaps at the local launch of my short film at the Art Gallery of Burlington ...  The Frozen Goose is an an all-round Canadian family classic, starring a brilliant cast of six, set just after World War One ... Additional details on the launch will be coming in Early September ...  'Stay Tuned'. :) Oh, and if you're interested in the painting above, contact me directly. This work is now framed, in a contemporary silver wood frame, and is hanging in my kitchen .... ready for a NEW home.

Super Photo Spring Fun

 The Garden Gate. 

All photos in this series by m.l.holton

VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE that 4 photographs from this series are now available for purchase via my Fine Art America web-portal. Chose your OWN size, frame, backing material or product. Global shipping. Click on the Super Photos Gallery. 

 What better way to bring in Spring then with a new Super Photo App ... 

Lots of fun with this today, using the 'painter' filter.

 Driftwood

 Picnic Table with Stones

 Public Bench

 Snow Drops!!!! 

 Budding Trees!

 Fence on the Beach Strip

 Modern Architecture on the Beach Strip

 Pebbles on the Beach

 Swing, Rope & Christmas Lights

 Snow Shovel BE GONE!

 Wicked Witch of the Beach House

 Take Two- Wicked Witch of the Beach House

 Pussy Willows

 Birchwood

 Beautiful Beach

.Dory - contact artist for PRINT

 Welcome to the Beach!

 Lest we forget... We just got rid of this ... 

Still, love the seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall 

In CANADA

 Laneway 2

 Broken Bridge by M.L.Holton

Winter's DONE - Spring has come ...!