A Gift of Art!

Sugar plum fairy workshop... This lovely work is a part of the amazing workshop these girls are participating in this December at A Gift of Art in New Castle, Ontario, pop by the web site to see what's coming up...http://www.agiftof-art.com/

New photo blog...by shelly

http://sgphotosoflife.blogspot.com/

This blog will be used to share more of my photos on a more regular basis with anyone who follows me on blip or blogger,

Have a wonderful day everyone!!

Doris McCarthy

Blue Nude

My brief meeting with this incredible woman who changed my life... in such a brief moment in time... I am not surprised she lived to be 100, she seemed to be so full of life and had such a passion for the visual world!  We also had a few things in common, I love the Gaspe, I was born there and raised there, ... This was also a place that was close to Doris McCarthy's heart, she painted there for many years and captured it's magic and beauty with such grace, in her paintings.
  A few years ago...ok quite a few years ago now, ...after completing a course at The Haliburton School of the Arts, the group I was with  decided to have a group Art show. One of the instructors  invited Mrs. McCarthy, who happened to be in Haliburton at the time. She arrived and proceeded to blend in with the crowd, it didn't work... she was instantly a celebrity! We were all listening intensely, I finally had a moment to say hi and to shake her hand, she said hello and then in a very direct manor looked at my son who was probably 7 at he time, and said " look at me in the eye young man when someone is talking to you!... and so he did and so did we all after that! That's just the kind of person she was, I think when she spoke everyone listened! Then she looked at me and said "who did this one?"strangely enough, she pointed to my blue nude... I said it was mine, and she looked at me again and with a very serious and confident smile she replied," it is my favorite of the show!" I was a little stunned considering she was one of the greatest Canadian women artists of her time, a legacy to me  ... I felt instantly honored and humbled both at the same time. Then she proceeded without missing a beat, " and who's is this?" She again pointed to a piece at the other end of the room, ... it was my  drawing of a lighthouse on a cliff...I looked at her and said it was mine also. She did a moment of reflection looked at me right in the eyes and said, "well this is my second favorite..."
 That was a very special moment in my life, one I had recently sort of forgotten about, I felt so much appreciation for being able to paint my colors and to draw my lines with the freedom that I could, because it was mine.  I was shown how GREAT teaching from a GREAT ONE can stay with you for a lifetime, even if it is only a single vote of confidence for a brief moment in time...  I am thankful that today I can still feel that moment.

See What's Happening at A Gift Of Art!

Check out  the great art, as well as some new workshops and courses available here!

www.agiftof-art.com

Manatoulin, how beautiful!

Check out Darren's Superb Artisan chocolates at:

http://silverculinary.weebly.com/

photo/design by Shelly

"Building a Mystery" by: Shelly Gifford

Check out the show at the Journey through the Arts Gallery in downtown Port Hope..... Wonderful artwork of all kinds from local artisans and artists.
Come by and check it out ! http://www.journeythroughthearts.com/

Good Morning...

"THERE'S A PLACE IN THE SUN, ...WHERE THERE'S HOPE FOR EVERYONE..."  - STEVIE WONDER

What's new?

This website is where I'll be keeping friends, family, art students and clients up to date about what's going on with "me" these days. Please stop by, whenever the spirit moves you, to see my latest creations or browse through the the Art Blog and the Photo Blog. If you're interested in something special in my portfolio, or would like to talk about a commissioned work, or just want to keep in touch, please send me an e-mail and I'll be right back to you. I'd love to hear from you. -- Shelly

Scroll down to check out our favorite Web Sightings at the bottom of the page.

Shelly Gifford Workshops for Artists

At the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, I have taught painting in acrylic, watercolor and life drawing, (with the model) . Contact The Robert McLaughlin Gallery for more information on upcoming classes, or just email me for details of what might be happening locally in art.

Balancing Life & Work

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery was incorporated in 1967 to “...meet the growing and diverse needs of its community through the advancement and appreciation of the visual arts.” The public trust objectives of the Gallery have always stressed collection, preservation, and conservation of fine art, particularly related to Canadian arts and culture, as well as the exhibition and interpretation of the collection through educational programming. The Gallery’s collection and resources are available for research, and the Gallery strives to serve the educational, intellectual, and aesthetic needs of the community both locally and nationally, while collaborating with other galleries that have similar goals.

The Gallery fulfills its mandate in three specific areas of activity: exhibitions, educational outreach, and community programming. The motivation for all activity is: to tell the story of Canadian art, its history and its current state; to provide challenging art experiences, formal and informal, through exhibitions and education for all ages; and to actively engage the local community in the wider possibilities of meaning and enjoyment in art.

The schedules for art education at The Robert McGlaughlin Gallery can be discovered along with other interesting stuff at the gallery.

As well as painting for my own collection—I've been spending a good amount of time in the past four years painting with my little girl, Brianna, ( she is a great artist too!)