Pamela Stewart —An Invitation to Escape and Breathe - theHumm March 2024

Pamela Stewart —An Invitation to Escape and Breathe - theHumm March 2024

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

theHumm’s mandate is to connect and promote Ottawa Valley people and events, and that is why abstract mixed media artist Pamela Stewart is qualified to be our featured artist this month. The website of this Kanata-based artist at paminottawa.com proudly proclaims that she is Co-Owner/Gallerist of the new Carleton Place Gallery located at 210 Bridge Street.

Carleton Place Gallery

In 2023 Pam partnered with two other Valley artists (featured previously in theHumm — Ginny Fobert, Oct. 2020, and Colleen Gray, Aug. 2020), and with the huge support of husbands, friends and sponsors, the trio has conceived and created an already flourishing community arts hub.

This invigorating addition to the Valley’s art scene is fast making its presence known, with a full roster of exhibitions and events that span the arts. A quick click on cpgallery.ca discloses the multiple offerings of local and regional fine art, studio and space rental, a plethora of fascinating workshops and a wide-ranging offering of events as varied as the Art House Music Series and the March Break photo camps for teens. And thanks to a partnership with artist and entrepreneur Patrick John Mills, the Carleton Place Gallery is a satellite store for Renfrew’s Art Factory, offering great prices on art supplies for beginners to fine artists.

Doing What Comes Naturally

Many of us escape into a good book or movie when we feel overwhelmed by the constant barrage of warnings about the state of our planet and what we humans are and should be doing about it. Not Pamela Stewart. She heads into her home studio and immerses herself in the creation of abstract mixed media paintings that celebrate the textures and shapes and colours surrounding us in the natural world. She says she has never quite experienced the world at face value, seeing a tree as a tree, or a lake as a lake; instead, she sees the texture of bark and the veins of leaves in an intense, macro way — almost like swimming, immersed in your senses.

Stewart’s paintings are stunning and evocative. Their titles are apt: Unearthed, Bubbling to the Surface, Force of Nature, Forest Bath… Her wellbeing is inextricably attached to nature, and her abstract art is the intuitive expression of that connection. In her own words, “Responding to the stunning array of textures, forms, colours, as well as sounds and smells, I have always reacted in a visceral way to my world, seeing objects and reacting to my senses abstractly and with intensity.”

She creates in an innovative and exuberant way, experimenting with modern materials such as art resin, synthetic paper, alcohol inks, glass paints and anything else that strikes her fancy. Her paintings are characterized by three-dimensional texture and visual depth. Their flowing organic movement and dynamic use of colour draw the viewer ever closer to examine each facet of her intuitive and spontaneous response to the wonders of the natural world.

Go With the Flow

Born in Moose Jaw to a military family, Pam lived in Germany and Winnipeg before embracing water sports in Edmonton, then going on to become “female athlete of the year” multiple times during high school in Labrador. Moving from Winnipeg to Ottawa after high school, she earned a degree in journalism at Carleton University, playing all four years on their varsity water polo team. She met her husband playing competitive volleyball at the age of thirty, and in her early fifties she is still playing in the competitive Ottawa league.

Water remains a major factor in her life, and her passion sparked strongly at the onset of the pandemic when she developed a love for long distance open-water swimming. She is an ice swimmer even now, in February in Ottawa, and she also loves to kayak and paddle on her stand-up paddleboard.

Pam is adventurous, and she really does go with the flow. After university she explored a variety of career possibilities, including an offer to relocate to the Ozarks of Arkansas to work as a copywriter. After she was denied a Green Card to work in the U.S., she spent most of her 20s working as an indie filmmaker, eventually becoming VP of the Independent Filmmakers Co-op of Ottawa. In her 30s she rewrote her job description and worked her way up to become the editor of award-winning Golf Business Canada magazine.

Swimming Upstream

Soon after giving birth to twins, Pam joined the Canadian Public Service. She was hired to leverage her early-adapter computer skills to provide guidance to several departments in modernizing their digital communications strategies and services. After several frustrating experiences where her well-received proposals were either left languishing, or her superiors claimed credit, she resigned.

Nine years ago, when the twins were four years old, she desperately needed a creative outlet. She signed up for an adult mixed media class and was introduced to textured modelling paste, gel media, art resin epoxy, alcohol inks, palette knives and more. As she puts it, “A whole new world of possibilities opened up!” Within six years Pam Stewart’s art was featured in Ottawa’s Luxe lifestyle magazine, showcasing her striking abstracts hanging in some of the region’s finest homes. She confidently offers a no-risk process for art commissions. As she states on her website, “If you aren’t completely thrilled with your original one-of-a-kind modern abstract work, no worries... you are NOT obligated to buy… To date, I haven’t had this happen.”

Pam also offers a variety of workshops for anyone interested in expanding their repertoire of media and techniques. She regularly offers a very accessible and fun class in painting with alcohol ink on synthetic paper, and registration is opening soon for her Textured Media Workshop to be offered over four Tuesday evenings in April at the CP Gallery. If you’re intrigued by exploring the exciting, intuitive, creative possibilities of orchestrating chemical reactions and interactions, and experiencing the thrill of going with the flow, consider signing up.

To discover opportunities to enjoy Pam’s energizing art, check out the back of her Artist Trading Card at the top of this page for her coordinates. Better yet, drop in at the Carleton Place Gallery and enjoy a soul-satisfying immersion in wonderful local and regional art.

Artist Trading Card

WHO Pamela Stewart

WHAT Abstract Mixed Media Artist, Co-Owner/Gallerist at Carleton Place Gallery

WHERE Carleton Place Gallery, cpgallery.ca ; paminottawa.com ; @paminottawa on social media; paminottawa@gmail.com

WHEN Until March 9, “I Am Beautiful” Show, The Art Factory, Renfrew; Month of March, Solo Show at Irene’s Pub, Ottawa; May 4 & 5, Arts Carleton Place Spring Juried Art Show, Carleton Place Arena

WHY “My art is my conscious catharsis in a complex world, and a way to be present and engage all my senses.”

 

Pamela Stewart —An Invitation to Escape and Breathe - theHumm March 2024

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

theHumm’s mandate is to connect and promote Ottawa Valley people and events, and that is why abstract mixed media artist Pamela Stewart is qualified to be our featured artist this month. The website of this Kanata-based artist at paminottawa.com proudly proclaims that she is Co-Owner/Gallerist of the new Carleton Place Gallery located at 210 Bridge Street.

Carlet......

...more

The Canadian Library
Truth and Reconciliation Through Art
- theHumm March 2024

By Terri Clarke

Art is a powerful medium. It can represent loss, grief, healing and hope. It can teach and open conversations. One very powerful example of this is The Canadian Library, a Truth and Reconciliation project. Now in process across the country, this initiative consists of communities creating an art installation together as a memorial to the 8000 murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQTIA+ persons.

The installation will consist of bookshelves filled with books wrapped in Indige......

...more

First-Hand from James Keelaghan - theHumm March 2024

JUNO award-winning folk musician James Keelaghan has captivated audiences for decades with his soul-stirring lyrics and melodies rooted in the rich tapestry of Canadian history and culture. With his latest album Second Hand garnering critical acclaim and a 2024 JUNO nomination in the traditional folk category, he continues to showcase his exceptional talent and dedication to preserving and evolving the folk music tradition. Keelaghan will be performing a concert at St. Paul’s Unite......

...more

Almonte Celtfest Ceilidh - theHumm March 2024

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Almonte Celtfest Celidh featuring The Broken Bridges. The evening will start with a session at 6:30 and continue with sets starting at 8pm. The Broken Bridges is one of the rare groups that formed in 2020. Fern & Willow Marwood were a fiddle/banjo duo that turned trio by adding Graham Lindsey on guitar. They bring an energy to the stage that you’ll love!

The Ceilidh takes place on March 16 starting at 6:30pm at the Almonte Old Town Hall. Tickets......

...more

The Bowes Brothers in Concert - theHumm March 2024

The Bowes Brothers have been entertaining people in this area for years with their distinctive take on Valley music. With four brothers singing together, the group is known for their terrific harmonies and on-stage banter. Their father Clarence also sang with them for years. And while they have di?erent day jobs, John, Eddie, Andy and Rod all live in the Carleton Place area.

The brothers have a special spot in their hearts for the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital, and this con......

...more

Building theFuture of Perth
The Linden Housing Co-operative Initiative
- theHumm March 2024

By Steven Welchner

A visionary project is taking root that will re-imagine affordable living in our community. The Linden Housing Co-operative is planning to develop an 80-unit eco-conscious, affordable housing complex behind Lanark Lodge on Christie Lake Road.

This initiative is born from the collaboration of passionate community members, including a small but dedicated Board of Directors, who are steering the project towards its goal. The proposed 4.5-acre site, currently owned by Lanark County, offers a u......

...more

Exciting New Book Releases
Recommendations to Rouse You from Your Winter Slumber
- theHumm March 2024

By John Pigeau

There’s one week in December when the days feel like they’re five minutes long. You wake in the dark, you eat dinner in the dark. It’s cold and grey and bleak, and your car won’t start. You wish you were a bear — hibernating. Every year, that’s right about that time I get thinking about spring. I’ll look up the day the clocks spring forward, and note the time when the sun will set that day. Invariably, this cheers me up a little. A little.

But now that it’s March — well, if you’re an......

...more

Basic Income:A Floor of Stabilityfor Creative Expression - theHumm March 2024

By — Rob Rainer is a founding member and the inaugural Chair of Lanark Basic Income Network. He is also the Reeve of Tay Valley Township, and in that capacity also sits on Lanark County Council.

The great novelist Julian Barnes (winner of the 2011 Booker Prize) has said of art that it “belongs to everybody and nobody,” that it “belongs to all time and no time,” that it “belongs to those who create it and those who savour it,” and that it “is the whisper of history, heard above the noise of time.”

In this sense, creative expression is arguably at the heart of the human experience, of what it means to be human. If this is true, one would think a humane society would wish to ensu......

...more

Seedy Saturday Returns to Almonte! - theHumm March 2024

By David Hinks

Are you developing symptoms of “garden-withdrawal syndrome”? Drooling over seed catalogues? Sharpening garden tools until you can shave with them? Haunting the garden aisles of local hardware stores?

Take heart, there is a support group; a place where you can meet like-minded souls whose green thumbs are itching for action. Scott and Marisa, proprietors of Indian Creek Orchard Gardens indiancreekorchard.ca , have bravely (and perha......

...more

Art is in the Air!
Celebrate Spring at the Maple Run Tour
- theHumm March 2024

Like a breath of fresh air, the Pakenham Maple Run Tour coming up on April 6 and 7 will refresh and energize after a long winter. A tour like no other, Maple Run is a unique blend of art, fine craft, interesting and heritage buildings and spectacular spring scenery. Art and fine craft are the roots of the tour, but the Maple Run venues are destinations all by themselves for their history, their architecture or their function. To top all that off, the tour takes place in maple syrup country, so a trip......

...more

Classic Troubadours Live - theHumm March 2024

On April 20 at 3pm, Classic Troubadours Live presents the greatest songs by James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne & Carole King… all in one unforgettable show!

Award-winning singer-songwriter Jacob Moon brings you a dynamic ensemble of incredible singers and musicians paying homage to these four icons. Join them as they dig into the catalogues of some of the most influential artists of their lifetime, including hits like Fire and Rain, Running on Empty, Big Yellow Taxi, ......

...more

Maple Weekend
Sweet Family Fun in Store for April 6 & 7
- theHumm March 2024

Maple syrup producers in Lanark & District are gearing up for the biggest maple festival in Ontario — Maple Weekend. Held each spring on the first weekend of April (April 6 and 7 this year), it’s a fun, free, family-friendly event celebrating the harvest of one of Ontario’s sweetest crops.

“Maple Weekend is an invitation for visitors to come out and see a sugarbush in operation, and learn more about how it’s produced,” says Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers’ Association president Le......

...more

Climb All the Mountains - theHumm March 2024

By Glenda Jones

Once again, the Mississippi Mills Film Society is pulling out all the stops with a moving drama of friendship and philosophy to be screened on Sunday, March 24. The Eight Mountains is beautifully set in the Italian Alps, a perfect backdrop for the story of two lives intertwining from Italy to Nepal and back. This film débuted in Cannes in 2022, and has since won many awards at several international film festivals.

It explores the delicate relationship of two childhood friends as they ......

...more

Soup for Thought(fullness)
Fill Your Bowls and Bellies at theMississippi Valley Textile Museum
- theHumm March 2024

The MVTM’s tastiest fundraising event is back and better than ever! Save the date and get your tickets for Soup for Thought(fullness), taking place on Saturday, April 20 from noon to 2pm at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. Doors will open at 11:45am, and this year will also feature a silent auction.At Soup for Thought(fullness), your $25 ticket includes a fabulous bowl, handmade by artists at the Almonte Potters Guild, and a delicious meal made by local businesses. If there are too......

...more

Celebrate Art with a Spring Fling! - theHumm March 2024

Spring is the season of creation, and to celebrate, the West Carleton Arts Society (WCAS) is once again presenting its Spring Fling Art Show at the Kanata Civic Art Gallery, located at 2500 Campeau Road. The Spring Fling takes place from March 4–17, and will feature works by local artists in a range of media.

“This show offers original works of art and is always a fun event,” says Derrick Hewitt, WCAS Shows Director. “You’ll find watercolour, oil and acrylic paintings......

...more

The Almonte Tea Dances are Back! - theHumm March 2024

Sunday afternoon tea dances organized by the Standing Room Only Big Band (SRO) are back in full swing at the beautiful Almonte Old Town Hall. The next two take place on March 3 and April 28.

The dances are held from 1:30–4pm in the upper hall at the Almonte Old Town Hall, located at 14 Bridge Street. Doors open at 1pm, and admission is $16 per person at the door or $30 per couple. Reservations are not required. Light refreshments are available, including delicious treats and a range of beverages (non-......

...more

Pancake Breakfast at Union Hall
Reserve Your Spot for This Year’s Event!
- theHumm March 2024

By Linda Camponi

Once again, the folks at Union Hall will be celebrating the coming of spring at our annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, April 7 from 8am until noon.

Diners will enjoy generous portions of pancakes, ham or sausages, baked beans and blueberries, with butter and maple syrup (courtesy of Fortune Farms), accompanied by fruit juice, tea and Equator coffee. Gluten-free option are available. Prices for large and regular portions are $12 and $10 respectively. Children five and under eat for free.

This annual fundraiser is organized for the benefit of the local community. Bring the family ......

...more

A Busy Time for Maple Farmers - theHumm March 2024

By — Jamie Fortune and his family run Fortune Farms <fortunefarms.ca>, located near Almonte in beautiful Lanark County

As I write this the snow is falling and temperatures are dropping, so our forests are getting a nice layer of insulation and future moisture for the coming maple season. It’s a busy time for maple farmers! We are pleased to report that our 2023 crop was average in quantity with excellent quality, despite a very warm February and a damaging ice storm in early April of 2023. Farming has risks, and we hope for stable weather patterns — not too warm, not too cold — throughout March and April, to pro......

...more

Call for Participants
Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour 2024
- theHumm March 2024

Are you a practicing artist or artisan interested in joining a dynamic tour with a long history of success? Consider joining the Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour for the 28th annual Thanksgiving weekend event on October 12 and 13 in Almonte, Clayton and area. 

Organizers have openings for new members who make professional-quality, innovative work. Does this sound like your practice? If “yes”, they want to see your creations. To apply, submit digital images of recent work, and......

...more

A Murder, You Say? - theHumm March 2024

By Glenda Jones

Yes, a murder, but only on paper! The Friends of the Mississippi Mills Public Library are one step closer to the March 10th benefit performance of the one-act play Who Killed the Curator, written by Almonte author Kathleen Reichelt.

Featuring five well-known local actors, this comedy will transport the audience back to the days of vintage staged radio plays when it was a social occasion to watch a reading. Ms. Reichelt has assembled a dynamic cast including David Frisch, Jennifer Pf......

...more

Lots To Do in Mississippi Mills
March Break Movies & Skates and More
- theHumm March 2024

It’s time to think about your March Break plans, and Mississippi Mills has got you covered! The Recreation & Culture Department is sponsoring two free March Break Movie & Skate events to keep families busy.

The first event is set for Wednesday, March 13 at the John Levi Community Centre in Almonte. Free public skating will be offered from 1–3pm, and the movie Migration will be shown in the upper hall of the community centre from 2–3:30pm. The Mississippi Mills Youth Centre (MMYC) w......

...more

Yikes!What Have I Done?? - theHumm March 2024

By Glenda Jones

Are you familiar with the phrase “fish or cut bait”? There are other variations, but this one is polite. We learned it in Nova Scotia, and it has stood me in good stead when decisions have to be made.

There are various ways to decide things. One is to flip a coin. You flip the coin, but wait — don’t uncover it yet. If it’s heads, will you be disappointed? If it’s tails, will you stand by this arbitrary way of deciding? Can you live with your decision, or will you throw the quarter back in y......

...more

I Feel Good, I Got My Leather Goods! - theHumm March 2024

By Leanne Baker

Leather goods that are locally made, durable, variable in style and distinctly unique are a rare and valuable find. I cannot recall how many times I have looked for the right wallet, a good quality dog collar, or simple goods that improve the look of things. It doesn’t feel right to settle for a product like a wallet, when I know pulling it out is like a statement; you want to feel good about the things you own. I really value quality products that are locally made, so I was excited to discov......

...more

Secondhand Stories
(Im-peck-ably Told, but Somewhat Fowl)
- theHumm March 2024

By Kris Riendeau

Secondhand Stories is a registered non-profit chicken sanctuary and online used book shop based in Rideau Lakes, whose mission is to provide a loving forever home to abandoned, abused, and neglected farmed animals. Owners Liz and Craig Wheeler have a palpable passion for chickens, but the story of how they went from living in the centre of Ottawa to caring for 19 birds on their property near Lombardy is rather egg-ceptional*, and truly inspirational.

Ellen

Back......

...more

Congratulations, Mississippi Mills Library! - theHumm March 2024

This past February, Christine Row, CEO of Mississippi Mills Public Library (MMPL) received the 2024 W.J. Robertson Medallion for Public Librarian of the Year! With much excitement and thanks, Row accepted the medallion at the Public Library Awards Gala held in Toronto.

Awarded to a public librarian who demonstrates outstanding leadership, this provincial award recognizes and honours significant top contributions to the library profession. In her acceptance speech, Row described how libra......

...more

Quality of Life — Not Just a Cliché at Home Hospice - theHumm March 2024

By — Wendy O’Keefe is a Volunteer Consultant with Home Hospice North Lanark

You may wonder why theHumm — an arts and entertainment publication — is running a story from Home Hospice North Lanark (HHNL). Well, on the masthead of theHumm it also says “…and Ideas.” That’s where we fit in. The “idea” we want to share is that everyone is entitled to a beautiful birth and a beautiful death. Yes, in most cases it can be beautiful.

The concept of hospice care was first championed by a woman named Cicely Saunders in the UK. She founded the first modern hospice and, more than anybody else, was responsible for establishing the discipline and the culture of palliati......

...more

Hang On to Quilts — There’s a Story There - theHumm March 2024

By Sally Smith

What to do with that old quilt? It’s been in the upstairs trunk for years. Get rid of it? Hang on to it?

What’s the story behind it, anyway? Did Grandpa make it, or Mom? It was probably Mom…

For Olive Pheby Johnston, back in the day quilting was a necessity; the quilts she made kept her seven children warm throughout many cold Ontario winters.

But it was not just having babies and quilting that kept her vibrant and active into her old age (she lived from 1890 to 1971); during much of her ......

...more