Excursions Up the Bay

Duke and I went on a little excursion to a walking trail ‘up the bay’ one Sunday recently. Located very near Washed Ashore Antiques & Coffee Bar in Trinity (Centreville-Wareham-Trinity here in Bonavista Bay), we parked next to the playground and went for a stroll at Black Brook Walking Trail.

The trail was icy and so we had to be careful, watching where we stepped. But the natural surroundings were beautiful. I especially loved the mossy forest floors and the icicles at Black Brook Falls. It’s not often that walking trails are accessible without snowshoes in late January, but this visit remarkably had almost no snow at all.

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Excursions

Last week, Norton’s Cove Marine Inc brought us to Cobb’s Arm to have a look at a fishing vessel. It was my first visit to Cobb’s Arm, and I’d really like to return aboard Virtue during a warmer season- gorgeous landscapes and interesting rocks. I think this image of the arm would do well as a little print… what do you think?

Cobb’s Arm, NL

Excursions

My days here at Norton’s Cove have changed a little in the past few months, and I would like to tell you a little about what I’ve been up to.

Many of you already know that I worked with my father’s company as Managing Director from 2007 until 2017. I started working full-time with that same company again in September of 2022. But Davis Shipping Limited is no longer a shipping company, and so we have changed the name of the company to Norton’s Cove Marine Inc. This new version of our company offers marine surveys and consulting, and has been taking us on some pretty great road trips to inspect fishing vessels in many different ports that outline our beautiful province.

While I could never give up being a visual artist, it is incredibly difficult to make a living selling art in a small town. Luckily, I have other skills that I can use to keep the bills paid while still enjoying the atmosphere of my old general store and have some travel perks as well, which can easily lead to new artworks!

Caribou licking the salty roads on the Great Northern Peninsula during a recent road trip

Row Row Row your Boat

We are such lucky ducks, surrounded by this kind of beauty every day- do you notice how these beautiful moments in nature feel like therapy? I don’t know what the science is behind it, but I sure feel it! Duke took these snaps while out for a Christmas holiday row the other day.

Christmas Craft Fair!

It’s time for THE Christmas Craft Fair!
Duke and I are all set up and ready to greet visitors at the Jack Byrne Arena! Let the fun begin!

In on the Gander

We had an appointment in Gander today for a recall concerning faulty headlights on our vehicle. So after dropping off the truck, we had a couple of hours to kill.

I had heard that some interesting improvements had been made at the Gander airport, where I haven’t been for quite some years, and Duke was willing, so we went for a visit.

This is the new giftshop, Gander Goods, at the airport. What a beautiful shop!

The Gander Goods store has a ton of fine craft and wonderful things made right here in Newfoundland, including my cards and minis! I absolutely love the design of the store- very bright and appealing, with lovely friendly staff too!

This is the International lounge at the airport, which had always been closed to the general public. It is now open, with a welcoming entryway, museum displays of relics from the history of the airport, an era appropriate playlist, and a bar. I am thoroughly impressed! Hats off to whoever is behind the refurbishment of YQX.

Life’s A Beach

I’m taking a little time off this week, and I started my holidays with a walk on the beach with my favourite cousin at Cape Island.

We found these interesting balls on the beach, and with a little investigation, we deducted that they are balls of seaweed type grasses that have rolled on the beach to form balls.

A grey and beautiful walk with a treasured friend. A great way to spend some time away from the studio & office!

Happy Canada Day!

What a wonderful day it has been! This has been our busiest day of the year so far, with 30 visitors at the studio, and 64 people served at the Café. I’ve been hearing wonderful feedback from customers, and all feels right with the world.

I spent a wonderful couple of hours at The REACH today where there were so many happy faces- people genuinely pleased with the progress of the museum, archives, artisan marketplace, and the new exhibit by Tracy Blackwood in the art gallery… such a beautiful space made even better by beautiful smiles. So much positivity!

And then, to top it all off, the Town of New-Wes-Valley put off an impressive fireworks display right in Norton’s Cove, from the floating docks that were installed late last year by the province right where the old Brookfield wharf was.

Oh Canada! I know we’re not rated as the best country in the world, but man, it’s a pretty wonderful place that we’re living in. My little part of this country seems pretty hard to beat. And I’m very thankful every day to have been born just up the road at Brookfield Hospital as a Canadian citizen and a Newfoundlander.

Museum Spotlight — The REACH

For those of you who follow my blog, you might be interested in the blog over at The REACH as well! There’s lots happening at the old museum, the art gallery, and coming soon, artisan showcases! I’m really looking forward to seeing The REACH reopened this summer, and hope to see some of you there at events! Take a trip over to http://www.thereachweb.wordpress.com.

We are pleased to start showing you around our newly designed space! Our three room schoolhouse, built in 1930 as Memorial School, now uses those three rooms a little differently. One of those large rooms now houses four display areas for museum artefacts, plus two ends which make shelving displays, and the walls are filled […]

Museum Spotlight — the REACH

Excursions

We went for a hike out behind our house yesterday. The landscape is barren and striking, and I think the huge blobs of granite that make up most of the landscape are simply gorgeous with our recent dusting of snow. What do you think?

Today I’m doing a few chores at home and at work, including printing up a few cards to complete an online order…

The studio is in a bit of chaos while I’m counting cards and picking out some older stock to add to our 50% discount table. I’ve also got several new canvases painted with background colours to become the next few Smudge Herring pieces. I’d like to get to #100 in the smudge herring series-seems like it’s a good number. The door you see leaning on the steel pole used to lead to the pantry in our home which we removed years ago and has just been taken out of storage. I’m looking for a good place to reuse it.