A Family Visit

My niece, Dorothy, and I have come to mingle with the primitives

(Photo: Angie Timan)

Tourist season is in full swing and despite the strangely cool, wet July we're experiencing and the ever-present shadow of the economic recession, the island is receiving many visitors and my art gallery has been happy to show itself to those who have come before and those who are finding it for the first time.

My mother, sister and two nieces made their annual vacation stop here, arriving on the last day of the 15th annual Manitoulin Art Tour. This year I hosted a guest artist, Erin-Blythe Reddie, who set up her jewelry and textile offerings in the expansive foyer of the Wharf building. Erin-Blythe surprised me by taking photos of our happy reunion and emailed them to me the next day. Between her photos and those my sister, Angie, took we have a fairly interesting documentation of their visit to both my studio/gallery and our home. While still a little too busy to be able to write a proper accounting of what the horses have been doing these past few weeks, I will substitute instead a glimpse into my work environment and also some fine times shared with family at Ravenseyrie. I have supplemented a few photos of my own as well..those that are not labeled, are mine from earlier photo sessions. Enjoy your tour of the two Ravenseyries!

A panoramic view of Gore Bay taken from the East Bluff
(Photo credit: unknown)

Another view of Gore Bay from the vantage point of the East Bluff during the autumn
(photo: Kevin Droski)



The Wharf Building, in the winter of 2006, at the time I moved in. My studio is on the left section of the second story.

Marguerite and Dorothy greet their Aunt Lynne at the studio
Photo : Erin-Blythe Reddie




My mom waits expectantly for me to notice her in the doorway while Dorothy shows off her new hat
(Photo: Erin-Blythe Reddie)




Ah! A mother/daughter hug, after a year of not seeing each other
(Photo: Erin-Blythe Reddie)



A view into the working studio section
(Photo: Angie Timan)



A view into the gallery



More of the gallery



One more glimpse of the Ravenseyrie Studio art gallery




Two of the scenes one sees standing on the deck outside my studio door.
Everyday the Purvis fishing vessel comes to port in Gore Bay during the summer.
The Ravenseyrie Sorraia Mustang Preserve is up on that beautiful bluff--around the point and to the east is where the horses live! When I'm working, I often come out on the deck and think about what kind of day the herd is having up on the bluff. I love where I work and where I live!





With mother comfortable in the house, Dorothy, Angie and I head off to go see the new foals
(photos: Angie Timan)
I'm including two photos I took when we were walking out to see the horses...Dorothy, looking rather chic wearing Uncle Kevin's hat, climbed up the old gnarled (and sadly dying) Maple tree.


Back at the house the girls and Uncle Kevin have a good time goofing off
(Photos: Angie Timan)



And on their last day of the visit, outside the Garden's Gate restaurant, Aunt Lynne goofs off a bit too, first with Marguerite and then with Dorothy
(Photos: Angie Timan)



(Note: After publishing this journal entry, I realized that I did not have a photo of my sister, who was most of the time on the other end of a camera herself, so I wrote to ask her to send me any photos the girls might have taken of her while she was here. She said they only took one. It's a good one of Angie, I think. She titled it "Park Ranger", but to me she looks like she could be an archaeologist from the 1940's--the whole feel possesses a sense of female strength and adventure, which pretty much sums up my sister!)
Thank you Mom, Angie, Marguerite and Dorothy for another wonderful bunch of memories of your yearly visit. The photos are special for me to have and share!