3rd Blogiversary

Fraserburg Ruin © 2010 Michelle Basic Hendry

Today is the 3rd anniversary for the Artscapes Blog. It is hard to believe that I have been doing this under my own motivation for 3 years! I have included this photo of an old ruin from Fraserburg, Ontario, because recently I found out I have deep connections with the Scottish town from which it was named.

I never thought I could write so much, nor did I expect how much of an influence the blog would have on my work and my creative direction. Journaling is supposed to be the best way to flesh out ideas or thoughts simmering beneath the surface and the blog has certainly served that purpose for me. When this blog began in 2007, I had not even discovered yet where I was going artistically. It was an experiment – an experiment that helped lead to a series and now to a book. I am hoping to have more news on that soon. In fact, there area few exciting things to come….

There are hints in recent posts of where I plan to go next, how my fourth year blogging and the beginning of my third year as, pretty much, a full time artist will unfold. (I still do some graphics work from time to time so it is now the part-time job!) I am still paying my dues, however. I know I can expect another few years of what, at times, feels like banging my head against a wall, even though I think I have been off to a great start. The blog, for the time being at least, is certainly a part of my plan. I have accomplished a lot here.

Since the the first post, I have had my first solo show, been involved in a few successful group shows, won awards and hung my art, albeit briefly, in the McMichael Gallery, where my love of art was born. I have been elected to two national and international arts organizations and I have felt the warmth of the traditional media more than my fair share, for which I am eternally grateful!

Blogging, as much as it it a personal experience, is also a community. I have made many virtual friends, wonderfully creative people that have been with me since practically the beginning and newer friends whose support and encouragement have been so important to me. Sharing and learning from each other has made blogging invaluable. I want to list them here because their blogs are wonderful and worth following; my oldest blog friends,  Lana Gramlich (amazing artist and photographer), Ingrid Schmelter (the creative KaslKaos), Jennifer Rose (Fuzzy Dragons – coloured pencil work like none I have seen), Kinsey (I hope I am like her when I grow up), Linda Blondheim (my long distance mentor) and Jean Levert Hood (who paints the best chickens ever!) – and more recent friends such as Robin Easton, (whose excellent inspirational book I am currently reading), Arti (a fantastic blogger on culture and entertainment), Debbie Lamey Macdonald (my east coast sister and wonderful oil painter), Patrick Morand (French photographer extraordinaire), Henry (SoulMerlin), and Eddie (thoughtful imagemaker on the West Coast), Chrissy (wonderful UK artist), Ed (our Muskoka HDR man) and our once local blogger Jenn Jilks.

I know there are many of you out there who read the blog silently and your quiet presence is also greatly appreciated.

So there it is. To the next 3 years!