Deborah Borsos's Weblog

Off to Cranbrook…

Deb Borsos — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:20:28 +0000

Well, we are off to the Key City Theatre today (“we” meaning myself and the paintings that is).
This is the last exhibit of the Art of Philately, and it is not the entire show. To my great surprise and delight some of the pix went to private collections in July; private collections which are far away, so not easily accessed to borrow the work back for another show.
However, there will be 30 something pieces, both original and sets of the stamps (yes! they are legal tender!) on display and for sale.

I hope for smooth sailing from Kaslo to Cranbrook and not a hint of snow on the road if Im realllly lucky…..
And so the Art of Philately project is just about done. By the end of October it will be 18 months since I started this project and Ive learned a lot about pastel, and culture and the Basin – and stamps….and many other things.
Thank you Columbia Basin Trust and CKCA!!!! I couldn’t have done it without your generous support.

I did not get up to the Kokanee Hut, alas; but hope in the near future to perhaps go and paint (with whomever cares to join me ) at the Creston Valley wetlands area….stay tuned for dates on that one. It may even be a winter excursion. A marsh , on a sunny winter day, can be a beautiful thing to paint!.
From here on in, this blog may morph into other projects, show new artwork (when I get a chance to produce some) or continue along as record of life in the west Kootenays. Who knows? stay tuned…til next time.DB

New-ish artwork….

Deb Borsos — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:18:31 +0000

©DBorsos Just Before Low Water

Thought you might like to see some of my most recent work, both pieces now gone to private collections. Both pieces also done on my new favourite support, “600 grit” sandpaper. Delicious to draw on!

chrs,D. See you on August 15th!

©DBorsos Argenta Marsh

August 15th and finding your way…

Deb Borsos — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:12:17 +0000

First of all, if you check out the website built especially for the occasion you will have a built in day of exploration in the Columbia Basin. How much more fun can you have than to poke around in the actual spaces that artists create their work in?
And if you’re really lucky (and persistent) you may even find one of these creatures hard at work and can see how all sorts of cool things are created…….but first you have to find them. …and its free. did I mention that?

Thus, the (beautiful,- really!) brochure will help you as will the website.
In the case of 12A (that would be me) you need to follow the signs that will be posted on the road once you get in to Argenta; unfortunately the wee little maps in the brochure aren’t exactly accurate.
Thats where your persistence (see comment, above) comes in….. we artists are here, hiding in the woods; just “look for the sign(s)”…!
Looking forward to seeing you on the day. There may even be some delectable refreshments available if you make it as far as my studio…
And as to those stamps…..some of them have been on display for a few weeks and in October will be at the KeyCity Theatre in Cranbrook for 2 weeks also.
The second complete set of stamps will soon be in the caring hands of Shawn Lamb (Archives curator in Nelson) and Im still working out details about the artist in residence which will happen between now and late October…somewhere in the Basin…!!!
chrs, hope you are having a happy and smoke-free summer! DB.

About that Kokanee Hut trip…

Deb Borsos — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:37:13 +0000

The best laid plans sometimes go a little screwy…
A year and a half (or more) ago, I started conversing with the Alpine Club of Canada about being an artist in residence (if ever so briefly) at one of their huts during the summer season as part of the Art of Philately project. We worked it out quite nicely, then I couldnt find a date to do it last summer. So last summer , I booked for THIS summer; July 13 to 16 to be precise…and then….
I arrived home from New Denver on July 1st (thanks to all of you who came out to my opening; it was great fun!).
And of course, thanks to Terri Freeman who as ever, does an incredible job as one of the hosts at the Hidden Garden Gallery. Oh yeah; and Pat Henman and Carol Street? Fabulous music ladies; thank you so much!.
Anyway… I arrived home to an email from the Alpine Club of Canada informing me (and all others who had booked for the summer) that there had been a massive rock slide and the trail in to the Kokanee Glacier Hut is CLOSED TIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Harumph. (and thats putting it mildly…).
What to do? Im busy trying to arrange “Plan B” or “Plan C” and will be sure to announce it as soon as whatever it is, is confirmed.
Geez, and I had even gone so far as to excercise (once or twice) so I could get up there in one piece. Oh well.!!!! Stay tuned.!…….chrs,DB

Small Town Do Lists

Deb Borsos — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:46:59 +0000

As Im sure it is with most small and smaller towns, I see people I know on the street, and in the bakery and at the health clinic…etc and that is where a lot of tasks get completed; discussions on the main street of town, which are a good thing to be able to do, particularly when everyone is so busy during the summer.
Due to the various events and projects I do, I also have an on-going “to-do” list when I go to Kaslo or Nelson. Town lists are a must in our house, where it may be a few weeks or more between trips “down the lake”.
As I had JUST completed the binder with the collection of stamps which will be given to Touchstones Museum in Nelson, I was of course musing (as I drove to Nelson on my way to the airport this morning) over whether or not I had missed any information and if I got all the dates correct or not, etc. One doesnt want to get historic fact wrong, when presenting something (about local history) to a museum.
As I rounded the corner to head down to the “Evil Empire”
(yes on occasion even I shop there…) at the mall, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a familiar face – ah ha! the curator of the Touchstones Museum. Perfect! I could way lay her and arrange a time and date to present the stamp collection to her.
She crossed just in front of me and headed down a short cut to the parking lot behind the mall. I screeched around the corner, drove by her in order to park,(waving as I did so) and leapt out of the car.
Shawn! I called; Shawn, Shawn!.
Im sure she has lived here a long time and knows when to ignore half crazed people yelling her name. And she did. (Im hoping she just didnt hear me.!… ) . She took a different route and headed to the front of the mall.
Back into the car I got, and drove around the front, just as she was going in the entrance. Parking again, I ran in….and could not find her anywhere. Vaporized. And its not that big of a mall….
Oh well, the best laid plans sometimes go awry. All this to save myself time in trying to phone her.
Guess I will have to put that task back on the list for the next time I have a minute. Dern!
Off to Pemberton for a day or two. more soon.chrs,DB

About that exhibit …

Deb Borsos — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:07:54 +0000

About that exhibit opening on July 1?
I know that if you got your invitation, (what? you didnt get one?- well just send me a message and Ill mail one out to you right quick), you have noticed that there is an address for this blog, but no address for the gallery in New Denver.
I decided that cute little New Denver was small enough that all you smart people would either A. find the gallery yourself, or B. Ask someone for directions, once you got there.
However, to make it easy on you, the Hidden Garden Gallery is on the corner of the main street and a side street, across from the food store. There; that should help, eh?. (I couldnt for the life of me find an address for the place…)
The garden is actually hidden. The gallery part is easy to find!.
Opening is from noon to 5, with food,music, art and artist all there.
What better thing to do on Canada day, eh?
And if you have been slavishly excercising and getting in shape in order to go up to the Kokanee Glacier hut with me on July 13 to 16th, well good on ya! I have been mildly doing the same thing…..but Im kinda busy with a few other events so Ill get around to the “getting in shape” part, shortly. (I hope…).

We had our first half decent thunder storm go rolling through this afternoon, but happily it had rain with it, so the chances are lessened for any wildfires. Yep, the season seems to be starting a bit early this year. (there are fires around, just not at the north end of the lake; yet).
Best go do some weeding. See you July 1st! DB

Spring into Summer

Deb Borsos — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:11:29 +0000

Dam Dam Double Dam

Well its spring and almost summer out there and Im finally getting back to the blog. Sorry! not enough hours in the day. Ive been to the coast, the Okanagan and lovely vancouver island in the past few weeks and realize (as ever) how lucky we are to live in BC. The Kootenays of course, take the cake, (but Im just biased!)
Im about to finish making the stamp sets; frame them, and then they will be ready for the July 1st opening.
Hidden Garden Gallery, noon to 5 pm. Its in New Denver. Food, libations, artist and great live music from 1 to 3 should you care to join us. Its just one more way to celebrate Canada Day…..
Then July 13-16 its off to the high mountains I head to the Kokanee Glacier Hut. Have booked perfect weather for that time, but one never knows if the order will get lost or mixed up. I shall pack for all types of inclemency (or clemency….), along with art supplies and camera, of course.
This is a very busy time, but lots of fun. The garden is very happy now that we have had a few days of decent temperatures. And more sun to come, apparently.
June usually produces some rain; but it may not arrive as readily we hear. Thus, another very dry summer and interesting fire season.
Never a dull moment.
And I see the lovely chicory is rapidly advancing along the roadways. I cant believe its been almost a year since I started the blog. (I know this since I did a blog about chicory in early July 08).
Keeping track of time by the flowers. Now theres a concept. More soon (I hope!) chrs, see you in New Denver! DB

A Cause to Celebrate…!

Deb Borsos — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:28:02 +0000

They are done! all 24 are completed and the balance of them gone to be scanned. But the biggest cause for celebration (this week)?….the snow is almost all gone from the garden. HOORRAAAYYYYy!. This winter has been far too long here in the W.Koots. I mean, at least that was good in terms of having time to finish my paintings, but now Im itching to get into the garden. I tried digging out there t’other day, and got …blocks of ice in with the garden soil. hrrummph.
But I see the croci and daffodils are bounding up now, so there is reason to hope.
Next, (as well as making the stamps!), planning for the Kokanee Glacier excursion are on the Art of Philately list, and just prior to that my W.K. (full) exhibit at the Hidden Garden Gallery in New Denver. And it will be a sad one also, without a visit (as ever she did before) from Lorna Obermayr at the opening, (since she lived just a spit and a whistle away from the gallery). Well, Im sure she will be there, if only in spirit. Heres to you Lorna; I hope you are having a grand old time, whereever you are.
Til next time.
DB

And Others…

Deb Borsos — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:07:34 +0000

Sacred Places

Sooooo, here are two more. I finally figured out a system of subject matter. Two of the 5 or 6 subject areas are “the Roots that Connect Us” and “the Routes that Connect us”.
Frog Peak, sacred to the Sinixt people is under the Roots category. We are all connected one way or t’other. and Coming Round the Mountains eludes to The Routes….section and the history in the Basin of mining and trains,trains,trains used to remove the goods. Quite a history there is of train travel here, though these days you would be hard pressed to find a train anywhere.
More soon.! DB

Coming Round the Mountains

The Final Toad and others…

Deb Borsos — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:01:19 +0000

The Final Toad

Well here is the final toad. No, it isnt like the others. I felt something was missing, and eventually realized that in order to reflect the colour and exuberance of J.Coopers work, this toad needed to be tarted up. Thus the orange and purple you find in the picture. And if anyone (by the way) personifies the arts in the Kootenays it is John Cooper, due to his free spirit and love of life and art. So there you have it.
More in thenext post.chrs,D