The past 2 days have been a whirlwind.  100,000 people came to SuperCrawl and I was right in the middle of it, showing my photos, selling t-shirts and meeting some truly beautiful people.  The crush of happy people cruising our James Street was a renewal of spirit and energy to me.  So many happy people and great conversations about art, Hamilton and little glimpses of shared stories made for a fantastic day.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by and helped us to sell out our Ivor Wynne t-shirts (well, I think there’s 1 small and 1 2xl left in grey.)  Hamilton, you did it again. Just when I think I can’t love you more, you do something fabulous like supercrawl and I am smitten all over again.  And now, to rest.

It’s that time of year when everything starts to get a little cheerier, a little more covered in lights and a lot busier! Earlier this week I was down sick with a stomach bug that knocked me out for a day. Thankfully, I received excellent care in the form of gingerale, crackers, soup and hugs from my friend that sent me back on the path to recovery quickly. Now I just have to get caught up! There’s so much happening! Tonight I am hosting a JustOne gathering where my friends Sarah and Krista will be showing off the fair-trade wares that they’ve just brought back from Uganda and Kenya. Can’t wait to see them and hear their stories and see the beautiful items. Then tomorrow is my first Christmas dinner of the season. Followed by the Maker’s Market on Saturday down at the Cathedral on James St N from 10-6. It will be great! 40 vendors this year along with the food trucks for lunch. I’ll have some prints, postcards and gift certificates available for sale. Come on down and check it out!!

Recently I was fortunate to be able to document my friend Randy’s art installation at the New City offices during Art Crawl.  It was amazing!!  He’s put together a video of the sound installation along with the images that I took, to create a whole new experience for the viewer.  So happy to be able to support his fantastic work.  Check it out.

Tomorrow is the last outdoor maker’s market art crawl of the season… it will be chilly, but I’m looking forward to chatting with people and showing off some new Hamilton prints.  So many schools are being slated for closure and I thought it would be good to document some of these old, but beautiful buildings that hold so many memories for the people of Hamilton. While out picturing I stumbled upon an abandoned chair just sitting by a garage.  It reminded me so much of the time I was in New Orleans, post hurricane Katrina, and saw the same sort of welcoming chair amidst rough surroundings.

If you are on James N tomorrow night for the art crawl, pop by the Cathedral and say hi!

Lately I’ve felt like I’ve been in a photographic slump.  I’ve spent a lot of time working at a desk in the past month and have felt a little “blocked” when it comes to my ability to view the world around me with a heart wide open.  “Vulnerability is the birth place of creativity” according to Brene Brown – and I think she’s right.  So last night, exhausted after a long and weary day, I schlepped my photographs to the Art Crawl on James St. N.  While tired and thirsty, I did what I did not feel like doing. I put myself out there.  Striking up conversations with people, sharing the stories behind the art, risking all that exposure of a thousand people seeing what you’ve created.  And you know what?  Things began to change.  The tired turned into energy as I spoke with a woman who loves taking photos too and we talked about how it makes us see things differently.  The thirsty turned into a spring of ideas about a new series to work on in Hamilton as I spoke with a young woman who bought 2 framed pieces and a print. Out of that tired and dusty place in my spirit came sweet revitalization thanks to the good people of Hamilton.   Below are some pics from a random harbour that had some sweet light and loads of boats.  Water photos in honour of the thirst quencher that was Art Crawl last night.