Perambulatin' at the Paint-in

I've been making my way down to the annual Moss Street Paint-in nearly every summer for the past twenty years.  I used to take elder daughter when she was a little girl; one year, she made about half a dozen drawings ahead of time and presented them solemnly to selected artists along the several blocks between Fort Street and Dallas Road.  They were gravely and graciously accepted.

This year, I'm in the company of younger daughter, who enjoys the paintings and sculptures well enough, but enjoys the buskers and many dogs even more.  Moss Street is very much a residential street and all the kids who live along it are ready with lemonade and water stands, or band and orchestra instruments.  One small boy in a lemon-yellow shirt and bare feet, hollered soulfully and mostly on key, while a girl his age stood next to a music stand, either waiting her turn or ready to turn pages.

We started at Fairfield Road this year, making a tour of the Moss Street Market which is held each Saturday in the summer on the grounds of elder daughter's first elementary school.  Carrying a small bag of local German butter potatoes and munching on cupcakes, we turned south.  As you can see from the photo above, Moss Street is milling with strollers and it seems to be packed, but when you're in the in midst of it, there's actually plenty of room to breathe, stop, and look.

One of the first things that made me stop was this collage by Tricia Hodgins. It made me think of stained glass windows, and Demeter.  Sweet peas are her favourite.  You can see more of what Ms Hodgins does at her web site.

When I'm at any art exhibit, indoors or out, I usually let myself wander and see if something calls to me.  A few blocks farther, I found myself moving toward an extraordinary painting that exuded movement and the city of Victoria itself.  I recognised the viewpoint as being westward down Fort Street towards the water of the Inner Harbour.  The buildings lean in as a woman dressed in a style that reminds me of the thirties (not that I was ever there) walks a rather proud small dog north.  I can tell by the shadows that it's mid-to-late morning.

The other paintings were equally vibrant and whimsical (younger daughter loved a trio featuring a biking rabbit, a hula-hooping cat, and a pogo-sticking dog), and all had titles except my thirties dog-walking lady.  I suspected that this was because the painting had a buyer.  I found Linny D. Vine's blog, and discovered that the painting is called "Downtown Spot".   You can see it here. If you explore the blog, you'll see a lot more, including the paintings younger daughter liked.

The Paint-in features over one hundred and fifty artists, and I've yet to make it through the whole thing.  After a while, the steady use of all five senses and the odd fact that walking slowly is more tiring than striding purposefully takes its toll.  I could feel younger daughter switching off somewhere past Faithful Street.  Time to escape up Cook Street and field questions about our stickers.

Persephone goes home to Demeter

Desserts at Murchies in Victoria
Originally uploaded by christinekondo

I've now been one week in Victoria and the chief problem I have with this is...that means only five weeks left in Victoria...

The guy on the radio was warbling about this week being "unbelievably hot" -- at 27 degrees Celsius. That's a mild summer day in Ottawa, although the humidex would push the perceived heat into the early to mid-thirties. Here, depending on how close to Juan de Fuca Strait or Georgia Strait you are, a steady sea breeze will comfort you, and the temperature is guaranteed to plummet at sunset, something that almost never happens in Hades.

On Saturday, younger daughter and I were able to stroll from our house-sit to the Moss Street Paint-in . We were able to attend for the first time in three or so years because a) it wasn't scheduled the same day as a Harry Potter book release; and b) it wasn't scheduled the same day as Luminara which is unbelievably what they did last year. Who failed to talk to whom? Despite the claims at the link, there have been rainy Moss Street Paint-ins over the past twenty years. Victorians are notoriously forgetful about weather. However, this year the weather was, well, picture-perfect, a warm day with an ocean breeze wafting up the dozen or so blocks of Moss Street. Younger daughter delighted in the many varieties of dogs out for their strolls. I doubt they appreciated the art; aren't dogs colour-blind? I focused on the stuff that appealed to me and there was something to pretty much any taste, barring the pornographic. I particularly like the work of one fellow (and if I can remember his name, I'll find a link) who specialized in Breugelish, super-real folk-tale-like paintings.
We managed about five blocks which is about my limit for having all senses assailed.

Today, younger daughter and I grabbed an opportunity to visit Munro's Books and to slip in for drinks and treats at Murchies. This being our ninth summer since being banished to Hades, I know all too well that I must visit my favourite haunts quickly before the chances slip away with the all-too-brief summer weeks. Even if I'm miserable, the Resident Fan Boy will point out: "At least you're miserable in Victoria!" He's all too right.