Shining Stars!

Currently, we have a gallery show at The Historic Sites and for this show, we had several of my original acrylic and oil paintings framed. A very special thank YOU to Lucy from Artistic View Custom Framing in St. John's. She is the most amazing framer and has an incredible eye (well, she has 2 eyes, but has a keen eye for framing!). If you live in Newfoundland or Canada for that matter and need something framed, we highly recommend her. Her frames are so great, I want to get everything framed.....shopping lists, recipes, the sky is the limit!
Also, a big thank you to Shirley Newhook who wrote a lovely review of the show in The Telegram. http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Columns/2010-11-26/article-1996018/Laughing-out-loud/1

Image: Gallery Right....Artwork by Cara Kansala/Pam Dorey

Artistic View Custom Framing 709*579*1307

Now They'll Want Their Friskies Au Jus.....

I have a crazy addiction to Zip-Lock bags. I am obsessed. I break up things that are whole just so that I can say...AH-HA....clearly, this wee bit of that needs to be zip-locked for safe keeping. They are my magic, polyurethane treasures.

Yesterday, the catsies were acting very strange. I had given them their afternoon cat-nip and instead of rolling around like caplin, doing pirouettes and polkas, they were acting quite subdued.....almost sophisticated. Booboo kept looking at me with an air of haughtiness and contempt.

HMMMM, thought I. Que ce que c'est?

It wasn't until I was making dinner that I realized that instead of giving them their cat-nip, I had sprinkled Herbs de Provence on their carpet. The cats weren't acting strange at all....they were being Purresian!

Needless to say, I got out my biggest Sharpie marker (it is BIG) and labelled all of my zip-lock bags.

For those of you who were here recently for the lamb dinner........sorry if it tasted funny. Now I know why "you know who" was making googly eyes at my antique, tin chicken....it was the cat-nip rub on the lambs leg.

Next time, I'll do better. I promise.

Image: CAT TAILS* Mirror Detail Cara Kansla/Pam Dorey

The Big Mix Up

Sleeping off the herbs de provence

Angels and Devils.......Angeli e Diavoli !!

Below: Little Baby Jazz. The cutest puppy in the history of the universe, since the beginning of time....(with the exception of his sister Clio and um, Gretel.....just in case she reads this.)

Some people have angels. Furry angels that just sit in your lap looking lovely. They play nicely, they don't eat the furniture and they never, ever try to cook their own meals because they are not satisfied with the food you have provided.

And some people have devil-egged spaghetti cats that dive-bomb the kitchen counter when you are trying to cook and play "needle in the haystack" with the very last of the pasta. I think he was trying to tell us something and so we added a few noodles to his Seafood Pate....

Pasta con Frutti di Mare.

After all, he IS Italian.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow.....

We brought dearest MOTHER-IN-LAW to the airport on Sunday night and bid her adieu. Lots of tears and fond farewells (we've become quite attached to her after her being at our house for 64 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes).

Yes, she will be missed.

Here they are at the departure gate...SHE is giving me the thumbs up....ER, I MEAN SHOWING ME HER SORE THUMB FROM WHEN SHE SHUT THE CAR DOOR ON IT....Yes, that sounds good, the car door!

Images: Gallery Set-Up 2

Bye-Bye!!

Thank YOU!

Today we had the opening for our show "I SAW THREE SHIPS" and a grand time was had by all! Thank you so much to everyone at the Historic Sites Association and to all of our friends and clients who joined us this afternoon. We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did!

(Lollipops, you looked GORGEOUS!)

Thanks a squillion!! Cara and Pam

P.S. The show runs until Jan. 8, 2011.

Images: Gallery Shots from the show set-up!!!

Come One, Come All!!!!

We have a gallery exhibit opening this Sunday afternoon in St. John's! The cats are VERY excited, as they will be home alone for the afternoon and WE are very distressed because it will be MOTHER-IN-Law's last day with us. (Yes, she is STILL here....DAY 58). Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there. You TOO, can meet MOTHER-IN-LAW....just before we drive her to the airport!!!

(MOTHER-IN-LAW just told me that I am lucky she has such a terrific sense of humour.)

Yes. Lucky.

I. AM.

OPENING RECEPTION:

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2-4 pm

THE HERITAGE ART GALLERY

309 WATER STREET

All in Good Time......

Hopefully, after a few more months of living at our house and getting to know the Newfoundland cats, the little Italian orphan will feel less stressed out and more at home.

Images: Wee Lucca and Lily Have a Snooze

Gulliver's Home in Time For Lunch * Cara Kansala/Pam Dorey

SHE says I was Smocking her.....

Below: This is the window of the art store in Florence...and the smock she gave me.
Today I got in BIG trouble. While walking through the hall, I brushed by her favourite, BESTEST, orange poofy vest and got paint all over it. (I didn't notice that I had WET paint on my shirt)

SHE was extra grumpy about it because I refused to admit that it was me and tried to blame it on MOTHER-IN-LAW (who is STILL here).

HER..........." I BOUGHT YOU AN EXPENSIVE PAINTING SMOCK FROM THE FAMOUS ART STORE IN FLORENCE AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WEAR IT AND TAKE IT OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR STUDIO!!! WHY DON'T YOU WEAR IT?"

me......"Um.......well, it's so pretty and new and clean. I don't want to get paint on it."

Photo: DOWNTOWN DANCING HOUSES by Cara Kansala and Pam Dorey

An Innocent Bystander

I was happily painting in the studio when I heard a kerfuffle from the hall.
Investigation.
BooBoo and Nana had convinced the wee Italian to unravel the almost-complete scarf that MOTHER-IN-LAW has been knitting for the past 3 weeks.
Wool.
Everywhere.
Scarf.
Significantly shorter.
Sock-length. (Bobby socks, that is)
(You can't wrap a sock around your neck for warmth unless it is a knee-sock. This much I know is true.)
MOTHER-IN-LAW wondered why I had spent so much time watching the carnage and taking photographs instead of performing a search and rescue on the wooly casualty.
I
WONDERED
TOO.

Image: TOWN by Cara Kansala acrylic on canvas
The Horrors 1
The Horrors 2

We've Imported the Devil

Sure, he LOOKS like a sweet, little kitten but really, the tiny Italian orphan is the devil, indeed. Our poor, jelly-bellied, gigantico Newfoundland cats are suffering from the torment from this little rascal. He bites their bums, dive bombs them at every turn and closes doors on them, locking them in and out of rooms. He even cornered Lily in the top drawer of my newly painted dresser (some paint STILL wet, might I add) and wouldn't let him out. Come to think of it, MOTHER IN LAW (yes, she is STILL here!!) and SHE have been missing for quite some time. I should check the cellar and under the bathroom sink....who knows what he's done with THEM.

(I said I SHOULD check.......busy at the moment waiting for kettle to boil)

Image: "Hanging Out Your Drawers!" Dresser by Cara Kansala

Lucca Antonio's Dresser of Horrors