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| Fine Art Greeting Card by Lynne Gerard |
Percussive assaults of a cold, windblown rain are providing a sort of power-washing on my studio windows overlooking the heaving, steely blue bay.
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| Today's view from my studio window |
I am thankful to be insulated from the elements today, wrapped in a wonderful Norlha shawl (a gifted "hug" from a dear friend), sipping my third infusion of Nup Gong La Sheng Puerh and contemplating the lovely sights and sounds that I draw inspiration from.
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| Enjoying gong fu cha at my tea table while the rain pelts the window |
Up on the bluff, our wild stallions are likely positioned in one of the many forest windbreak sectors, nibbling the fringe of spring green that has begun to soften the otherwise bleak, post-winter landscape. Were I not here working on creative offerings for the gallery, a day like this might find me feeling the urge to don wool under-layers and rainproof outer-layers and hike across the preserve to hang out among those hardy Sorraia equines. Both my husband Kevin and I feel that when dressed to suit the conditions of the day, most every type of weather has its charms.
A few years back I wrote a little ditty that rather sums up how I feel about both ways of enjoying inclement weather:
Sometimes insulate yourself from the elements, sometimes DANCE in the rain. --L. Gerard
While I have used this verse to accompany several of my original paintings, until now, I had not offered it as a greeting card.
One of the paintings I paired with this verse was a large mixed media piece that was part of Confluence - Painting, Poetry and Calligraphy, the exhibition of my work held in the main gallery of the Gore Bay Museum last year. The painting is of Legado, one of our Sorraia stallions.
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| Legado by Lynne Gerard Original Mixed Media Painting Sumi ink and Chinese watercolour on Steel Blue Construction paper |
Our nickname for Legado is "The Pistol". While all the stallions are full of mischievous vigour, Legado is often the instigator when it comes to energetic activities. It's no wonder he has been one of the stallions featured in my work and even made the cover of a German equestrian magazine.
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| Legado, aka "The Pistol", leaping |
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| Legado (left) and Capaz, Sorraia stallions on the Ravenseyrie Sorraia Mustang Preserve, Manitoulin Island |
With the first day of May sweeping over the island with as much mischievous vigour as our beloved Legado, it seems the appropriate time to debut the new greeting card featuring a reproduction of the painting and the accompanying calligraphed verse.
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| the front |
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| the interior |
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| the back |
Each card measures approximately 5" x 7" and features hand painted details and an accompanying envelope.
$7 each
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Please, also enjoy these added glimpses into the shawl and tea and the horses that have assisted me in presenting to you this new greeting card on a wonderfully atmospheric day on Manitoulin Island.
The Norlha Story
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| Screenshot from Jalam Teas website |
The Tea Explorer a CBC documentary
Sorraia Bachelor Stallions