Land of the big skies

Canada, a land of contrasts. Three great weeks in Calgary with my generous and talented friend Denise and her very cute dog Duffy/Duffer. This is him with a severe case of bed hair.

A trip out to Pike Studio today to visit Connie and Bob who are potters and metalsmiths. Had an amazing guided tour of their gallery and workspace including looking at a fully loaded kiln and Bob showed me how he designs his metal pieces and how the plasma cutter works. A very generous and talented, hardworking couple of artists. Bob made an amazing pair of gates for a fruit farm. Here is one side of them.

Anna kindly drove Denise and I to Black Diamond to see the Bluerock Gallery. That was a total overload with beautiful work from Canadian artists.

I have travelled west to the foothills of the Rockies, south through rolling green hills patchworked with canola fields and north to Prairie country. I have seen big horn sheep grazing at the side of the road, a tiny hummingbird feeding on flower nectar while having lunch, fir trees as far as the eye can see and bright red houses and barn scattered across the green undulating landscape.

Days of wonderful sunshine, days of rain and also hail. A strange summer for the Canadians but I have enjoyed every minute. I have gazed with wonder at beautiful flowers blooming everywhere, art work in galleries and apples weighing down branches swaying in the breeze. Everywhere is a photo opportunity. Calgary seen as we walk Duffy in the morning.

Denise took me to her friend Anna's gallery, studio and workshop in Calgary called Passion for Glass . Anna set up the vitrograph kiln for us and we pulled some beautiful murine which I will use to decorate some beads and glass pieces when I get home to Melbourne.