The house, the church, and the flowers

These are some of Robin's earlier works; the house was inspired, I believe, by one of our trips to the east coast, likely PEI. The churches and crofts were on the Lossiemouth Harbour in Scotland where our friend Rita took us for lunch. I had the best mac & cheese, and a cup of tea, in a converted fish-monger's warehouse, while watching the fishing fleet go about their business.

Giant Magnolia-type blossums and white dasies - summertime!. Since our move to St. Thomas, we always seem to have fresh flowers in the house; our wonderful neighbours on the East and West, Laura and Lorraine, keep us well stocked with bouquets from their gardens. We also have our weekly supply of Orchard Hill flowers that we pick when we collect our produce.

Robin's Studio

Robin's studio - all the mod-cons, and looking out the window
We see bees buzzing around the flowers and sometimes can
hear the rain on the leaves. It was a quick adjustment from life
in Toronto for me, and Robin's studio is twice as big as it was.

Inspiration

When we were in Scotland a few years ago, we took roll after roll of pictures, many only subtly differing from the previous shot. We were overwhelmed by the scenery and speed at which the weather changed, often watching clouds moving across the sky through the camera view-finder. The trip was a long overdue visit to country of Robin's birth, a response to his DNA calling him back, and the trip provided a wealth of inspiration and images for his paintings. Wonderful, powerful memories. This is our photo of The Kyles of Bute, outside of Tighnabruaich (sometime home of Robert Carlyle) taken while on a wonderful, magical road trip with Robin's rellies Margaret and David (and their charming, Harry Potter obsessed daughters Naomi and Sapphire).

Robin's paintings at Southern Accent Restaurant

Robin was a part of the Toronto hospitality industry for years, from Hazelton Lanes, to the Rosedale Diner, to Southern Accent Restaurant. He has a million stories, particularily from his many, many years at Southern Accent Restaurant. Taking Patti Labelle into the kitchen to meet the chef because Patti loved the Blackened Chicken liver; spending a day with Maya Angelou as she hosted a wrap party; Shirley MacLean; Johnny Depp; Louise Lasser with Rita Coolidge, Cloris Leachman, Gregory Hines ... so many exciting times, tons of fun and great food!

Robin preps for a show

Robin is prepping for a group show which is fast approaching; it'll be his first show in Port Stanley as part of the The 9th Annual Port Stanley Artists Tour September 25 and 26 and his first big, official showing since we moved in May. He's been working on some new landscapes, experimenting with mottled colours and a slightly different palette. These are some of his older works which I think are still pretty strong.