So it’s Thursday evening and I want to share what I experienced over the past two weekends. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness…. it was a truly wonderful experience on so many levels.

Back in early 2019, I applied to be a guest artist in the Bancroft & Area Autumn Studio Tour and was thrilled to be accepted. Having never been part of a studio tour I was provided with advice from organizers and set out to prepare for the show. Time has a way of marching on and before I knew it September arrived. I packed up my car on Friday September 20th and headed north. I was really, really, nervous… and had a few moments leading up to my departure thinking of reasons why I should pull a no show! Four and a half hours in the car and my trusty google maps got me safely to my destination….

I walked into Nancy & Doug McKinnon’s beautiful home and was amazed at the place… perfectly situated on a lake and very homey and welcoming. Nancy is an abstract landscape painter and her work is gorgeous - her studio is on the lower level of her home with a walk out to the lake. Her work is bold and colourful - there were several pieces that I really felt drawn to …and I will have an original in my home at some point. Anyway, I spent the next few hours setting up the pieces I brought and secretly worried that I would be a flop! UGH - it’s hard to put yourself out there! Once everything was arranged I left Nancy’s - she gave me a big hug and I was soooo thankful for her at that moment she’ll never know! I got back in my car and programmed the google maps to my next destination - about 30 to 40 minutes away. I stayed with Michelle Bruce a talented jewellery designer and her friend Karen Gray a potter. These two are amazing women and their work is gorgeous… I did make a few purchases - I couldn’t resist. It felt very strange being completely out of my comfort zone, I literally didn’t know a soul. .. and they didn’t know me! Thank heavens for their kindness and generosity. I have to say everything went really well and we have become fast friends.

So here I am… I have two weekends as a guest artist in the Bancroft & Area Autumn Studio Tour where I got to showcase my work and connect with attendees and other artists from all across Ontario. Being a guest at Nancy McKinnon’s Rockwood Art Studio which is located on Baptiste Lake was a great location for a few reasons. One, the majestic views and beautiful surroundings provided the perfect setting for a creative and inspiring experience. Two, Nancy is a well known and respected artist in the area and has a large following. We had hundreds of visitors over the 2 weekends and it was surprising to me because it felt so quiet… no traffic to speak of … so where did everybody come from?? When I asked people I learned we had visitors from all over Ontario… and lots of locals too.

I experienced so many positive moments it’s hard to know where to start….. The thing I really loved was talking to visitors about my passion. Mosaic art… I was asked countless questions and I did my best to answer everyone of them. Over the many conversations I had - I met so many wonderful creative souls! Some fellow artists, others curious or interested in how I came to mosaic and what keeps me motivated and inspired. I heard lots and lots of great stories! I realized that many people participate in the tour to draw inspiration from the various artists they visit. To me…. this is a fabulous thing… me… Jenny May being an inspiration!! How cool is that!

I could go on and on… but I’ll write more on the tour once I’ve had more time to reflect on my experiences. One very important lesson I learned is don’t let your fear rule you… it’s okay to be afraid, but remember when you step outside of your comfort zone, this is when you actually grow and learn about yourself. I’m very proud of myself… I learned a lot! There are some things I’ll do differently and other things I’ll get better at… like social media! Hopefully, I’ll be fortunate enough to be invited back for the 2020 tour!

Also feel free to take a look at the article I was featured on below!

http://www.bancroftthisweek.com/?p=10057

Thanks for reading my blog… Stay tuned for next week’s … I’ll be talking about what’s next for Jenny May and #everything mosaic. Checkout the workshop I’m running October 26 & 27th, 2019 at The Hive London (the last weekend of October) I’ll be covering all the basics of making your very own mosaic masterpiece.

“Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them.” – Jim Carrey

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