Monday, January 13, 2020

Exhibition Proposal: CANADADA by MLHolton



MLHolton by Ewout de Gelder

At the start of the New Year and New Decade of the 2020s, I realize that by the end of this decade I will be 75 ... This realization is a bit startling, primarily because I just bumble along doing what I feel I MUST do, creating what I feel I MUST create, somewhat oblivious to the passage of time ...

With this new-found respect for what is increasingly 'a limited time-frame', I have decided to post a project that I have been trying to get off the ground for over four years - but to no avail. 

At this point, it seems unlikely to me that it will happen in my lifetime. So, for the record, I've decided to post the entirety of the 'Exhibition Proposal' entitled:

 CANADADA: 
... The Life & Times of Margaret Lindsay Holton ...

Consider this post my offering to the #FUTURE ... 

It is my sincere hope that in 10, 20, 30 or even 50 or 150 years from now, some soaring cultural hawk who is researching ... #whateverhappenedtoCanada ... will fall upon it. With some study, (no doubt through translation), they will recognize this grassroots contribution for what it is: - the development and manifestation of a thought-filled and curious girl/woman, who, whilst raised within certain pre-existing societal structures, quietly stood outside of those imposed expectations and profoundly understood that this #ONEEARTH - that we can see, touch and feel with our own vital living and breathing #beings - is our most precious & sacred communal #HOME. 

By trying to 'own' everything, we have nearly ruined everything -  including the fresh water, clean air and good soil that daily supports us. Obviously we do so at our own peril.  But even more stupid then our relentless greed is our cruelty to other species. Our consuming presence is ultimately jeopardizing everything else on this finite, living and truly amazing planet. ... Must we BE such a Destructive Species?

So, that's the basic theme, observation - and question ... 

Please note, there are likely better places to 'post' this document, but, frankly, time is getting shorter, and at this point, I'd just rather get it done and out there ... 

If anyone is interested to pursue this Exhibition Proposal in the short term - ie. within the next five years - please print out the following and follow-up with me. After that, please contact my Estate Representatives who will be managing this blog. Also, kindly note, what follows is the Original proposal pitched to the Art Gallery of Burlington in early spring of 2017: it can be easily adapted to other spaces with some curatorial flair.

Thank you very much for your interest in my life's work thus far - and now, into the FUTURE ... Here's to a Bright New Decade! - mlh 

-- - Margaret Lindsay Holton,  Golden Horseshoe Artist & Author

COVER PAGE:  
EXHIBITION PROPOSAL
PART I.  
Working title:  CANADADA  
 
'  'Art Attack' / The Canadada Flag - by MLHolton - (Paws Off! Trademark & Copyright Protected :)
Sub-title:  ... The Life & Times of Margaret Lindsay Holton ...

INDEX
PART 1.
A: Purpose of Exhibit
B: Exhibition, Disciplines & FLOOR PLAN
- includes Exhibition Schematic in 3 ZONES
C: Exhibition Catalogue outline & authors
 ---
PART 11. 
Visuals to Support Exhibition
PART III.
Current C.V. of MLH & Support Material/Press
Prepared  & Posted on-line by MLHolton - January, 2020

--- 

Part 1 - A. Purpose of Exhibit:
 
           - introduce the public to the breadth & depth of the #CanadianMaterialCulture creations by local Southern-Ontario-based #Canadian #artist, Margaret Lindsay Holton.

This retrospective will present more than five decades of #self-taught Margaret Lindsay Holton's paintings,  drawings, as well as samples of her Canadian fine furniture. It will consist of 100 of her most impressive works drawn from public and private collections, featuring her best-known pieces alongside those rarely seen.


Born and raised in rural North Burlington on a small sheep farm, Holton combined local flora & fauna iconography early-on in her Canadian fine furniture pieces made during the early 1980s to late 1990s. Her country roots also manifest her personal 'home-grown aesthetic' in her later photographic pinhole and photo-collage works.  Likewise, her 'grassroots' spiritualism manifests in her paintings produced over a 40 year period. Works on paper, canvas and board faithfully represent the deep roots of her geo-cultural origins.


Today, calling herself the only 'canajun' citizen in her playful - yet pointedly invented - 'nation' of #CANADADA, Holton continues to paint her provocative and signature 'naive-surreal-folk-abstracts' oil and acrylic paintings. Her graceful yet bold contemporary works also include representational imagery that reinforces the ancient paths of all humanity on the planet. 

"All of us are the Children - as well as the Caretakers - of Planet Earth." - mlh


The exhibition celebrates this extraordinary artist’s life work of creativity, perspective and acquired knowledge. It showcases her deep love of the land, flora and fauna, as well as her enduring passion for the vivid and varying water-scapes of the Great Lakes of North America. All of her works are infused with a artistic and quasi-political 'synergy' that places her overall oeuvre among the most notable #Canadianartists of our times.



           "In 2025, I will be a 70 year old artist living & working within the 'national' entity known to others as #Canada. My physical perspective is from the edge of a large lake, known to others as #LakeOntario. This lovely lake is part of a larger body of lakes, called the #GreatLakes. The Great Lakes are situated in the north-eastern part of the continent, known as #NorthAmerica. The lakes are seemingly split in two by what others call the national border between the United States of America and Canada. Only we humans, within the natural world, recognize these invented borders  ... The lake waters flow from shore to shore and know nothing of national boundaries. Birds migrate overhead, seeds float on the breeze and clouds float to and fro. It's a large canvas, constantly changing, constantly new and renewing ... The soft sweet waters drain down towards the salty sea, named the Atlantic Ocean, via a large river, called the St.Lawrence River. From this perch, beside the lake, I scan north, south, east and west, keeping an eye on all things - local, national and global. - My work represents my Point of View."-  mlh



'Naive-Surreal-Folk-Abstracts' MANIFESTO by #MLHolton  follows: 
Page 1 of MLHolton Manifesto / Copyright to MLH Trust

Page  2 of MLHolton Manifesto / Copyright to MLH Trust

Part 1 - B: The Exhibition   

     Disciplines to include:    
                                                                                  
1. Typeface & Book Design -  1980s - Letraset / Acorn Press Canada + others - to current day
2. Canadian Fine Furniture Design -  1980s to 2000 - custom residential Toronto  & int'l dealers 
3. Writing - (Poems/Novels/Screenplay/Journalism) - 1986 to current day
    -  with produced spoken word CDs & DVDs
4. Painting -  1970s  - to current day /  'naive-surreal-folk-abstracts' by MLH
5. Photography (pinhole & photo-collage & white-outs) - 2001 (pinhole) - to current day

   

Proposed Exhibition Location:

Lee Chin Family Gallery -- FLOOR PLAN (rough)


Gallery Schematic: ZONE 1 =  3 'booths' on NORTH WALL. To include: 

 Booth 1. early life & pencil drawings, Booth 2. film reel, Booth 3. photography

ZONE 2 = 2/3 gallery floor space for display of 8 MLH Canadian fine furniture pieces.

ZONE 3 = MLH paintings (x25) on 2/3 East Wall, Full South Wall and 1/2 of West Wall. 


Floor Plan for MLHolton Exhibition Proposal at AGB (2017)

Exhibition Schematic - in 3 ZONES 
(Via Above Floor Plan above:  Zone 1 is on LEFT, Zone 2 FLOOR is CENTRE 
& Zone 3 is on RIGHT)

ZONE 1:   THE EARLY YEARS OF MLH - A Rural World of Wonder, Family & People          
            - Booth 1. South-west corner of gallery - "Place is 100% character defining." 
MLH background - #SELF-TAUGHT - read & looked a great deal - as a kid, student & young adult - discovering Self & others via profound 'SENSE OF PLACE'. PRIMAL ROOTS = Stoneacres Farm in North Burlington & Bekanon, an out-island in Georgian Bay

 " 'Canada' is an IDEA - moreover than a large land mass & political entity."- mlh

           Zone 1.1.A.  WALL DISPLAY (1/2 North & 1/3 West Wall & Centre Booth wall )
        1. ONE photo montage of MLH 'Early Family Life' - 36x24 - to be framed = VISUAL INTRO
        2. Two pencil sketches,  from early 1970s (of artist's easel (1971) & a male nude (1974)
                                  + 10-13 Pencil portraits from 2000 -2008 - All 8x10 inches
       3. Two portraits from 2010s, on Booth wall, Chief Joseph Brant  & 'Saint' Jane Goodall
                      
          Zone 1.1.B.  One Cabinet Display- MLH Typefaces - licensed dry transfer & Letraset catalogue, plus digital conversion samples, as well as two sets of unlicensed work / drawings / + sample 'products' using design with type ephemera  - ie. NickelBrook Brewery label in Burlington  / MLH to assemble 10 paper ephemera
    
"Studying type contours at extreme short range is like perusing a map with a microscope: all is visible but strangely mysterious."  mlh  

                      * Note: Enlarge mlh quote below about SEEING type design as 'shape', affixed to 'floating' wall facing front entrance (see above floor plan schematic )
          
           Zone 1.1.C. Centre Booth  - MLH Filmworks - 
(Centre 1/3 of North Wall - as per schematic drawing above)
  - loop 1 hour short #documentary & art film works, ie. profiles of local characters - Denis Sinclair, Scrimshaw artist, (8 min),  Harold Dickert, guitar maker (14 min), metalworker, Doris Treleaven (10 min)  - all from North Burlington / --- include. 'Artist's Walk' (5 min), Burlington Lakefront / cut with 'MLH home movies' clips from 1950-70 -   MLH to compile ONE DISC for a ONE HOUR loop

                        ( Q: 'Special Screening' of The Frozen Goose (2016) as PROMOTIONAL OPP? )

           Zone 1.1.D.  Pinhole & Photo-Montage PHOTOGRAPHY Nook
                             - (1/3 North-East Nook - at service entrance portal)

                      1. In north-east nook, 10 image mix of pinhole & digital photo-collages  -
                               - focused on the heritage farm house & North Burlington rural property
                      2.  Cabinet display of mlh books  - including 3 novels: Economic Sex (1985), award-winners The Gilded Beaver by Anonymous, and TRILLIUM - and Artist First Edition photo books  & CD/DVD  display  - inc. early poetry books, later CDs - ie. Summer Haze (free form piano jazz) and spoken-word/garageband antics, CANADADA: TAKE TWO.
                                                                      
                          ( Q: include musical feed of CDs via earphones? )

                                                                                           Sub Total of Objects in ZONE 1 = 35
                                                                                                                  + one hour film reel


ZONE 2.     THE #DISCIPLINE OF #CRAFTSMANSHIP  
                  - (2/3 floor space + 4 drawings on floating walls)

           - 'self taught', (continued) - learned how to 'think' about materials  & processes by primarily watching and imitating my parents -  ie. measurement, construction, building & crafting fine furniture & boats by/with my father, and watching mum paint landscapes and portraits 'en plein air'

   ( Q: samples of both parent's works? small photo display ? to be determined ... ie. furniture templates of dads & Mum watercolour of HER tree at Bekanaon - MLH to source images)
          
           MLH 'Canadian fine furniture'  1986-2000

           2A. Drawings of speculative Canadian fine furniture works: unproduced -.ie. Caribou Table, Nunuvut Sideboard = 4 drawings -- NB: To be pinned on floating walls behind furniture displayed on pedestals/plinths supplied by Gallery

           2B. -  include 5-8 pieces of MLH #Canadianfinefurniture
          1. ONE of 4 'Canadian Fireside Chairs' - #WinterChair on Centre Pedestal / unconfirmed
          2+3. Temagami Pedestals (x 2)  - CONFIRMED - Toronto client - ON FLOOR
          4. Thee Mirror - CONFIRMED - Toronto client / - Mount on floating wall
          5. HEADBOARD (boys' carved-bear headboard) /  CONFIRMED  - Mount on floating wall  
          6 & 7.  Pair of Haida Gwaii Chairs by MLH  -/ Collection of Artist / on Side Plinth
          8. 'Ladies Dresser' by MLH - CONFIRMED - Toronto client / on Side Plinth

                                                                                                            Sub Total of Objects: 12
---

ZONE 3:   FIVE DECADES OF #PAINTINGS by MLH

         - (no floor space, 1/2 wall space: 1/2 East, Full South, 1/2 West Walls) --  1970 to current  
         - include enlarged excerpts from  'CANADADA: A Painter's Nature' - TBD
  
           WALL SURROUND - 25 MLH paintings = 5 from each decade (x 5) 

                                                                                                              Sub Total of Objects: 25
                                                                                                                                        +   misc: 5
                              (To be Confirmed : MLH paper ephemera for TWO cabinet displays = 20 items
                                                             + one hour looping film reel, to loop, compiled by MLH)

**TOTAL NUMBER OF Exhibition OBJECTS: 100**
--- 
 including
          Proposed Paintings: 1970 - 2020 ( 50 years of painting ) - 
          ... 5 paintings chosen from FIVE decades, presented, mostly, chronologically ... 
          ---NB: Items with asterisks have NOT been confirmed yet.

1970s
*1. The Kill - oil / framed - Collection of Artist   / locate & frame
2.   Gone Native - oil  / framed - Estate of Mrs. Bruce Matthews, Ancaster/Toronto - CONFIRMED
3.   MM & LJ in Dad's Boat, Georgian Bay CONFIRMED - to be framed
4.   Sweet Water.Ceremony. - acrylic, pastel, gold paint on stretched canvas.  - CONFIRMED
*5.  Going to the Farm - oil / framed  / locate

1980s - In Collection of Artist
*1.  With Every Breath - Words on Canvas / REVIEW CONDITION
*2.  Self - Portrait - WALL HANGING 6'x4' - to be tacked to wall -/ REVIEW CONDITION
*3.  'Hope Springs Eternal' /REVIEW CONDITION
4. Arrow & Axe / needs to be re-framed
*5. Rose Bush, OutPort, NFLD oil/ framed /REVIEW CONDITION

1990s
1. Two Peas in a Pod - oil / framed - CONFIRMED
2. 'Art Attack by MLH aka 'Canadada Flag' aka Wall Hanging - 4'x28" - (Collection of Artist)  
                       (NB: REVIEW SUITABILITY with Curator as EXHIBIT 'Brand' Image)
3. Eclipse over Beaver Rock - in hand carved pine frame by MLH  - CONFIRMED
4. Swan Lake - oil / framed  - (Via Toronto Collection) - CONFIRMED
*5. Bovine Bliss 2, Ontario - Cover of 'Canadada: A Painter's Nature' -
           UNconfirmed - (Collection of lawyer in Toronto - need to track down this item )
6. Prince William, Blind to The Alberta Tarsands  - CONFIRMED

2000s
1. Magic Hour, Georgian Bay - - CONFIRMED
2. Bruce Trail: Spring Walk - CONFIRMED (Collection in  Jordan, Ontario)
*3. Over the Hill, Under the Moon, Back to the Pond - locate
4. Spring Creek - acrylic/framed - CONFIRMED
*5. The Passage, Georgian Bay - oil/framed - locate

2010s to 2020 
1. Doe at Dawn, Banff - acrylic/framed - CONFIRMED
2. Dundas Valley - acrylic & gold paint / CONFIRMED - to be framed
3. Beneath Pine Boughs - acrylic/framed - CONFIRMED
4. Frozen Lake 1 - acrylic/framed - (64Wx32H)   - CONFIRMED
5. Woodland Deer - acyrlic/framed 30x26H - CONFIRMED

---

Part 1 - C:  Exhibition Catalogue

Working Title:
CANADADA:
... The Life & Times of Margaret Lindsay Holton ...
 
                      - approx. 800-1100 words  per section / author, (+ 10-15 images). Approx 40-60 pages.
                      Preface by - KatrinaAtanassova  2-3 pgs
                           Senior Curator,  National Gallery of Canada - e-QUERIED in 2018. She's away...
                      Foreword by AGB Curator OR CEO/Director -       ?                 2-3 pgs          
                      Intro & Bio   -   Matthew Ryan Smith, PhD - CONFIRMED         6-9 pgs
                      'Artist Statement'  - MLH - 'why & how'                                   5-7 pgs
                                                                 
1. Typeface -  Rod McDonald - To Query - Canadian Type Historian 2-5 pages
                       - 3 MLH, typefaces, including 'Lindsay', in context to Canadian type design 

2. Writing -    Poetry, Novels, Reviews Etc, by Jeremy Luke Hill - CONFIRMED5-6 pages 
----- NB: Include on-line examples -ie.  https://canpoetry.library.utoronto.ca/holton/;

  (** Note: Possible to combine the above two sections into 'one'. Review with Jeremy Luke Hill.)

3. MLH 'Canadian Fine Furniture' Jeff Mahoney, Arts, Hamilton Spec, CONFIRMED 2-5 pages - NB: include extracts from MLH correspondence with late Curator Emeritus Dr. Donald B. Webster & Peter Keallegran PhD, European Department of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto 

4.. Photography (pinhole & digital) Jeff Mahoney, Arts Critic, The Hamilton Spectator,   2-5 pages --- NB: on-line pinhole > https://samizdatpress.typepad.com/fall_winter_201213_hamilt/margaret-lindsay-holton-portfolio-1.html ,
                                                                   
   ( ** Note: Possible to combine above 2 sections into 'one'. Both reviewed by Jeff, 1996 & 2010.) 

5. Painting CharlesPachter, Preface/Canadian artist - CONFIRMED  
          
                                                                                              Total Page Count = 40-60 pgs
                                                                                                                                     

Essays provided by contributors to MLH and/or her Estate. Production/Design of Catalogue by MLHProductions/AcornPressCanada and the Art Gallery of Burlington, Print run of 800 - 2000.   Note to Gallery: 'Honorarium' to be paid to all #authors relative to page count.
----
End of PART 1.   

----
PART 2.  
VISUALS to SUPPORT Exhibition Proposal

 PART 2. is a series of visual thumbnails that support the above. 
To better view the disciplines as outlined, enlarge the preferred thumbnail.














PART 3. 
C.V./SUPPORT MATERIAL/PRESS
Contact the artist or her representative - mlholton    



Friday, January 3, 2020

Top Novel Pick of 2019 -TRILLIUM by M.L.Holton

Well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  -- A whole new decade is upon us - The 2020s! Without a doubt, it's going to be an interesting time and year ... Before we get too far underway though, I did just want to THANK a most gracious weekly book reviewer & #cozymurder authoress from California, USA - Veronica Cline Barton - for her sterling Christmas and year-end 'shout-out'.  I am both honoured and humbled that she has picked TRILLIUM as one of her Top 3 Novels for 2019! - Wow! 

Here's the link to read her very kind Christmas post >
https://myamericanalmostroyalcousinseries.com/2019/12/25/veronicas-writersdiary-celebrating-writers-my-top-3-book-picks-of-2019/

I have excerpted the portion about my Canadian #histficTRILLIUM,  below: 

Veronica’s Review: The surroundings detailed in Trillium pull you in to witness the beauty and splendor of the land, grand homes, and the drama as it unfolds. I couldn’t put this book down–I was enchanted and mesmerized by the story lines of the families, the characters, and settings from beginning to end. The scope and depth of this story is fantastically told, taking you through generations of family love, hope and drama—slowly revealing the secrets that will bind these families together forever. A fantastic read, highly recommended!
Author M.L. Holton, in her words: Set on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, three very distinct families slowly intertwine over 250 years in pursuit of land, lust and loot.
What inspired me for the story?
It’s a multi-faceted response.
1) I was not resonating with local Canadian literature that complimented what I knew about growing up ‘rural’ in Southern Ontario. There seemed a gap to fill.
2) My first two novels were predominantly focused on urban lifestyles. I wanted to write something more rooted, in a genuine way, to the land.
3) I had written a detailed outline of this then-unnamed-novel over a decade ago, but did not, at that time, have the sense of urgency to complete it as I did in 2018. ~ Why that urgency? ~ There are a lot of naive ideas about basic biology floating around these days. As an historical work, TRILLIUM follows the evolution of several generations of families working the land. It is hoped that TRILLIUM will re-connect readers to certain fundamental and unalterable Laws of Nature, while, at the same time, crediting the impact of Nurture. Nature sets the unalterable parameters of growth, while Nurture often dictates the outcome.
Favorite moments: I love the passage after Canadian-born Greg Di Angelo and his Italian-born father, Domi, are insulted at the hardware store during the war. Greg breaks down in the truck on their way home. A tender exchange follows between father and son that ends with a heartfelt father-son talk at the lake shore. It makes me tear up in the re-reading every time.. … Another fav moment is when Faith’s horse, Geronimo, bolts through the vineyard. … Finally, Tom Hartford’s early bush years in the late 1750s: he and Maakadegaagwan, the native fur trader, had some fun …
My favorite characters: I liked all of the flawed characters for a variety of different reasons. Anna is simple, but solid. Eric is reckless, but, in the main, well-meaning. Paddy is an over-bearing oaf, but admirable too, in a fundamental way, for his astute business acumen. June is a bit prim & proper, yet better understood when she manifests an inherited mental illness. Greg’s youthful arrogance is soon squashed by the realism of war. … Etc. ~ A fun bunch!
Who am I? A keen observer of the Life and Times around me. I’m rather a quiet person, more a spectator than a participant. That said, in the name of art, living and Life, I’ll generally try anything once in order to better understand human parameters. As example, I would never kill anyone. It’s absolutely 100% morally reprehensible. But I know, with absolute certainty, that I could. I know this after training for a firearms acquisition certificate. Handling and firing a gun provides INSTANT agency. Being aware of that capacity within myself keeps me very alert to this very ancient desire for ultimate power in, and over, others. It remains a cornerstone for much of basic human motivation …
Thanks again V! - And to all the other fabulous reviewers, critics and interviewers of TRILLIUM over the past year, your interest and kind words do make me try harder to please, entertain and inform you all. -- May 2020 be All it Can Be! - May your Spring be Warm and Wonderful! All Best! - 
Here's to a fabulous decade! - author of TRILLIUM - Margaret Lindsay Holton  

TRILLIUM is available as an Ebook, Paperback or Audiobook on Amazon dot CA and dot COM. 
(p.s A very special audio book is coming in 2020! More about that soon!) 

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Internet Rabbit Hole: Mary Borgstrom Rediscovered

... One feature that I do enjoy about the internet is the ease of 'cross-pollination.' An idea or interest ricochets into another idea or interest and then, ZOOM - in you go ... 

Here's a recent example: - I was flipping around YouTube one evening looking for some light 'reality' entertainment and stumbled onto 'Curiosity Inc' - an amateur antique vlogger's channel from Edmonton, Alberta. Videos are shot by the ever-inquisitive owner, Alex Archbold, in GoPro and hand-held. It looked interesting enough and I started to watch 'Part 1' of the 'Potter's House' ... I soon became entranced. It is one of those hand-held 'reality shows' you watch in a kind of suspended disbelief - 'how could anyone ever live like that?!' - WHY? Because this antique vlogger had been invited to review the contents of a century-old HOARDERS home.

After a single session of 'casing the joint', Alex immediately put in an offer to buy more than just the contents of the house, he bought the entire property. And thus begins a spontaneous YouTube series of 20+ episodes devoted to the renovation of the Potter's House. As the episodes unfurl and the work crew start to sort through the myriad piles of 'stuff', it becomes increasingly apparent that this jam-packed house belonged to no ordinary hoarder ...

Samples of Mary Borgstrom's wares up for auction 
It was, in fact, the boarded-up, run-down, mice-infested home of a now forgotten Canadian potter, Mary Borgstrom. 

Very active from the 50s to late 1980s, Mary's ramshackle house had become a repository of her life's work as well as a kind of shrine to passing decades. (She evidently did not throw out ANYTHING from that century-old house.)

So, who was Mary Borgstrom?

The YouTube series withholds the hoarder's name for quite awhile but eventually begins to pay her homage. When her name is finally revealed, I immediately did a 'Google search' and stumbled on an art site at Concordia University in Quebec, Canada, to learn more. 

And that website, the Canadian Women's Art History Initiative,  just explodes with information about obscure women artists from all across Canada. Intriguing ephemera from galleries, dealers and from artist's estates make it a fascinating portal ... Do spend some time there, snoop about and re-discover old/new talent. There are so many gifted and engaging Canadian female artists, pre-internet, who, like Mary, have slid into obscurity, and it really is a national embarrassment that they have.

Mary Borgstrom is a very good example of one such gifted woman of talent who just faded away ... so much so that her own family were quite prepared to 'auction off' whatever remaining artifacts of hers that they had ... Her well-lived life, (she died in April of 2019 at 102), and her legacy have been rescued, in more ways than one, by a hap-hazard discovery by a treasure-seeking vlogger ...Thank Goodness for Serendipity! 

Without this vlogger posting his discovery, and his subsequent 'on-line' renovation of the Potter House on YouTube, (Curiosity Inc, now has over 225K+ subscribers), and without the ease of Google Search and the vast on-line repository of the internet, I too would never have known anything about this seemingly obscure Canadian potter, Mary Borgstrom. 

Mary Borgstrom Signature 
Her pottery is now back in circulation, and even the CBC 'wrote her up' this past year. 

She now has her own dedicated Wikipedia page.

Continued 'google' searches provide ready excellent examples of her work. In short, Mary has been digitized!

Good on You Alex and family of Curiosity Inc  for spotting and resurrecting a bona-fide national treasure.

... and so goes the internet rabbit hole ...

Monday, December 9, 2019

Wonderful Read of TRILLIUM by actor Jens Hansen

It's proving very tough to find a good reader to do an audio version of my latest novel, TRILLIUM.
It needs someone with a 'good ear' as well as an expressive & dexterous acting 'voice'.

I thought I'd found the right person after hearing a 5-minute sample by local actor Jens Hansen. But, as so often happens, he's not available to do the entire work. So, back to the audio-drawing board!

In the meantime, enjoy this short clip from the start of the novel. I did the intro and he took it from there ... What do YOU think? - Like it? Loathe it? - Want to hear more? - Thoughts welcome! 

https://soundcloud.com/canadada/trillium-by-mlholton-5-minute-read-by-jens-hansen/s-3ipOQ

Soundcloud - 5 minute read of TRILLIUM - by Jens Hansen 
Consider reading it aloud yourself: TRILLIUM by MLHolton


Thursday, November 14, 2019

'Magic Hour' by MLHolton, at BAYSCAPES, Toronto

I have donated one of my older paintings - 'MAGIC HOUR, Georgian Bay' - 
to the annual fundraising auction for the Georgian Bay Land Trust - BAYSCAPES.
'Magic Hour, Georgian Bay' by MLHolton, , 24" sq, acrylic on plywood, framed
Auction Date: FRIDAY, Nov. 22nd, 7-11pm.
Location: ARTSCAPE, Wychwood Barns, 
601 Christie Street, Toronto

Join the Georgian Bay Land Trust on November 22nd for BAYSCAPES! 
This annual fundraiser brings the Georgian Bay community together 
for a Fun Night of art, entertainment & friendly bidding
---  in support of wilderness conservation on Georgian Bay. 

Enjoy complimentary food and drink courtesy of some of Georgian Bay’s favourite suppliers. 
Bid on fantastic bay-themed art, items, and experiences in the live and silent auctions. 



Live music! Horsey-do-overs ;)! 
Plenty of Art and Fascinating Bay people! 
I've donated this piece for a Great Cause! Get thee there!


Update: By all accounts a superb event!
Photos generously supplied by GBLT of 'Magic Hour, Georgian Bay' by MLHolton - in situ ....





Thursday, November 7, 2019

Short-listed for 26th Hamilton Arts Council Literary Award! TRILLIUM by MLHolton


So excited to announce that my third novel, TRILLIUM - by yours truly, MLHolton - has been short-listed for the 26th Annual Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards in 2019! How thrilling!

Narrowed down from a large field of diverse fiction titles, three works are now in the running to WIN!   (Wouldn't it be amazing to win again - after a hiatus of 20 years - when I won for my second novel, The Gilded Beaver by Anonymous ?!?)


Yeah! Come On! TRILLIUM!

Ebook or Paperback
'The Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards recognizes published books of literary excellence, written by authors residing in Hamilton. This year, we're celebrating the 26th Anniversary of our Hamilton Literary Awards!

Prizes will be awarded in all four of the following categories: Poetry, Non-fiction, Fiction and the Kerry Schooley Book Award for the book that is the most evocative of Hamilton.'

Please join a cadre of talented authors -
- hobnob with other like-minded readers -
or  - just hang out - at this well-known
*!Gala Literary Event!* 
 MONDAY, December 9th, 7-10pm 
at 
THEATRE AQUARIUS

UPDATE: And the runner-up is ....TRILLIUM by MLHolton!  - wink-wink :)
Congratulations to ALL writers who partook in the 26th Hamilton Literary Awards! 

Monday, November 4, 2019

Double Whammy! Author Interview & Another Solid Book Review of TRILLIUM

... Always fun when the stars align and two bright comets fire over my hemisphere at the same time ...

I have been very fortunate to have two solid writers engage with my latest novel, TRILLIUM, over the past few days. Marian Thorpe, a writer of riveting historical fiction, expressed interest to do a follow-up on her prior 4-STAR book review with an author's interview ... She supplied the questions and I answered with some never-before-revealed details about the writing of TRILLIUM ...

Write YOUR review on Amazon!
You can read it here:
 https://marianlthorpe.com/2019/11/02/trillium-an-author-interview-with-m-l-holton/  

Marian Thorpe Website - filled with novel excerpts, short fiction and poetry 
Likewise, an internationally well-known wine blogger and wine aficionado from beautiful British Colombia, Karl Kliparchuk(Twitter handle @mywinepal ), left his known sphere of oenology and entered the MLH orbit of fiction ...

Overall, he very much enjoyed TRILLIUM - as a story. He did take me to task, in private, on a few of the finer points of the evolutionary history of icewine ... No fault there. I gently reminded him that this was, first and foremost, a work of #fiction.  

Read his generous 'gift-giving' review directed at the wine-loving book-reading community here:  http://mywinepal.com/2019/11/04/book-review-trillium-by-m-l-holton/

Follow @mywinepal for insight in all things WINE ... 

Plus, MLH UPDATE: I have almost finished the FIRST YEAR OF PROMOTION for TRILLIUM and will soon be heading off into new territory to experience and explore. There are two more reviews coming in this year, then that's it!

31 reviews, interviews & media shout-outs since Jan, 2019! 
Not too shabby for a little #canlit #indie #title - #eh? 

Friday, October 18, 2019

Preliminary Painting - by Margaret Lindsay Holton

Preliminary - by MLHolton (2017) 
It's always fascinating to see which piece of art a client prefers

In 2017, I did the adjacent work, on some scrap paper, exploring a new brush technique on a fixed colour palette ...

I very much liked the 'cross-hatch' effect on this particular colour field and did a short series of landscapes to amplify my evolving discoveries.

A visiting client saw the effort, including this preliminary piece.

I was super delighted that he instantly bought it, then and there, unmounted and unframed. Bit of a surprise to me, but that's really how it goes sometimes. People just like what they like! - It really is that simple. - mlholton

The Hunt .... exploring and enjoying the bold palette  ... by MLHolton
... final effort in that series ... 'Sunset Thru the Trees' by MLHolton
Preliminary Painting - by MLHolton - SOLD
(NB: there's some colour distortion in this client supplied photo repro)

Monday, October 7, 2019

TRILLIUM at @THERAWF

2019 Poster for @THERAWF 
In new historical fiction, TRILLIUM, by Canadian artist and author, Margaret Lindsay Holton, character Johnny Di Angelo, a rough-and-tumble farm boy from the Beamsville area, mingles with the landed gentry at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. 

The mix of low-brow country and high-brow city folk is unprecedented at this near century-old event. Black tie attendees are as bewitched as the barnyard crowd during the world-renown horse carriage and dog shows. The international jumper class is one of the highlights of the fair. Johnny is there, dressed in his new black tie, on the arm of a stunning socialite ... With his canny intuition, Johnny knows that the after-show 'mix & mingle' in the exclusive Tanbark Club is all about business and new connections. His aim is to grow the TRILLIUM brand and he soon gets to work ...

Read more! TRILLIUM - #ebook or #paperback -
In CANADA: https://www.amazon.ca/Trillium-Margaret-Lindsay-Holton/dp/0992127289

In AMERICA: https://www.amazon.com/Trillium-Margaret-Lindsay-Holton/dp/0992127289

The Royal offers soooo much! 
WATCH MORE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=V5fPtY9PMuQ


Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Another 4-Star Book Review & An Author Interview!

Pinot Noir - Veraison - Beamsville, Ontario, Canada
The summer winds down and sun-loving grapes mature through #veraison ... 

I was delighted by a recent 4**** STAR review of TRILLIUM by Canadian novelist Marian Thorpe that appeared on Goodreads and the American Amazon book site - all the more because Marian is currently roaming around the backwaters of Asia Minor in search of snow leopards. She managed to post the review before she disappeared into the hinterland without WIFI access. We pray for her safe return!

I am always intrigued by what an author 'takes away' from reading TRILLIUM - especially when aware of the critic's background.  - "Marian Thorpe is a writer currently living and working in Guelph, [Ontario, Canada.] Originally from Southern Ontario in Essex County, Marian was born to British-immigrant parents and grew up thinking of the United Kingdom as a second home. Her father instilled an early love of British history and Roman-British history informed much of the fictional work of Marian's series."  So, Marian is second-gen Canadian. This fact does seem to shape her interest and interpretation of TRILLIUM.  

Excerpts from her critique follow:  
‘A sweeping, multi-generational, multi-family saga, TRILLIUM tells the story of the European settlement and development of the Canadian lands bordering #LakeOntario, the Niagara peninsula in particular. ...
For readers interested in the details of this area, from the names of personalities behind towns such as #Beamsville, or the vagaries of technological advances that left #Ancaster and #Dundas as sleepy towns compared to #Hamilton’s industrial bustle ..., Trillium is a wealth of detail and research framing the fortunes of three fictional families. ... Characters are to some extent place-holders establishing the foci and purpose of the three families. .... the same could be said of other sweeping tales, such as London and Sarum by Edward Rutherford. ..  As TRILLIUM approaches the modern day ... the three families entwine ... and focus shifts to personalities. The tone of the narrative changes ...The themes become more adult ... with the author reflecting .. on the increasing freedom and changing behavior of the post WWII years.
It is obvious that the author knows the #geography and #history of the #Niagara peninsula well. ... Her deeply appreciative eye shines through. Recommend for anyone wishing to better understand the long European settlement history of this area ... 4****STAR - Marian Thorpe
---
John Howard's Vineyard of Distinction
As a counter-balance to her somewhat distanced review, I am adding a slightly different tangent to this post of a recently released 'author interview' conducted by Vincent Lowry.  
In it, I explain how the idea of TRILLIUM came to be and what, generally, I hoped to accomplish through this new literary work. 
Yes, I did intend to focus on local history and farming life. But more importantly, I wanted to get at some inalienable facts about Family. 
I hoped to demonstrate, through fiction, how blood, genes, and general familial temperament are passed on through basic biology. I wanted to convincingly show how certain familial - and biological - characteristics manifest through generations ... 
When people say, "oh, you are just like your distant Aunt Marge and/or Uncle Bob", there's very good scientific reason for those pronouncements. It is basic science. We are a composite of what came before us. We all carry the genetic DNA of our ancestors. Farmers who breed livestock and graft vineyards understand these fundamentals very well.  The author interview can be found here : - https://eauthorresource.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/interview-with-ml-holton-author-of-trillium/

TRILLIUM by M.L.Holton 
(available as an ebook or trade paperback) 
via Amazon's Canadian & American sites. 


Helicopter buzzes over bucolic vineyard, Beamsville, Ontario  - Photo by MLHolton