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This Saturday, April 23, is the annual Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra Jam-a-thon at the Maberly Hall from 1pm to 6pm. The Jam-a-thon supports the orchestra and will also celebrate Tay Valley Township's 200th anniversary of the Perth Military Settlement. The 50-member fiddle orchestra will play all afternoon and is inviting any local musicians to play with them. It’s not just for fiddlers; guitars, cello, viola, mandolin, penny whistles, dancers, listeners and anyone who appreciates home-made acoustic music is welcome to drop in and join the jam circle anytime during the day. The public can sponsor a musician to participate. Admission is by donation and refreshments will be available throughout the day. The pie auction starts at 4:30 and promises to be a highlight. Bring your friends and family and join the fun! For more information, contact Cindy McCall at 613-278-2448 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Published in Lanark County

Two Centuries of Life in Tay Valley to be Musically Celebrated

Party on! From Aboriginal heritage to the struggles of immigrant settlers to the building of community, life in Tay Valley Township over the past 200 years will be commemorated on Saturday April 16th by the Tay Valley Community Choir and special guests. Tay Valley 200th: A Song Celebration is the 40-member choir’s spring concert, to be held at Maberly Hall at 7:30pm.

Choir director Rebecca Worden says there is music for everyone, touching on the rich history of Tay Valley Township over two centuries. “Drumming, Scottish and Irish ballads, Canadian waltzes, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and even a hint of music associated with James Bond—we will present a lyrical evocation of life in Tay Valley going back to 1816.”

“And bring your noisemakers and streamers!” says Worden. “Help us celebrate the joy of living here in beautiful Tay Valley!”

Special guests for the concert are Jane Cunningham on flute and talented Sharbot Lake teenagers Natalie and Lukas Reynolds, on fiddle and piano. The Choir’s new accompanist on piano is Mary Lou Carroll. As is usual at Tay Valley Choir concerts, there will be plenty of opportunity for the audience to sing along.

Tay Valley 200th: A Song Celebration is sponsored by the Tay Valley Township and Blue Skies in the Community. Admission is $10 at the door. There will be time to chat with neighbours and musicians over refreshments at the end of the concert. Please bring a food item for The Table Community Food Centre.

Published in Lanark County
Wednesday, 23 March 2016 18:03

Make your own maple sugar and maple butter

Maple syrup season is in full swing. From the buckets hanging in the maple bushes as you drive around, there are a lot of back yard syrup makers following this traditional pioneer art. Most new producers will be happy to just make some syrup for their pancakes or breakfast cereal but the more adventurous ones will go the next step and try making other pure maple products, like maple sugar or maple spread.

Here are the recipes for both of these delicious maple products, the way we used to make them in earlier times at Beaver Pond Estates when we operated the sugar bush every spring.

To make your own maple sugar and maple spread:

Maple sugar and maple butter, also called maple spread are made essentially the same way, with only the temperature and finishing method being different. Both start with pure maple syrup, preferably No. 1 Light or Extra light. The lighter the syrup, the better the sugar or spread that it will make. A convenient amount of syrup to process for home use is one-litre batches, done in a 3 to 4 litre stainless steel saucepan with a thick bottom. Use an accurate kitchen thermometer to check the boiling temperature. Work on a sunny day for best results as the change in boiling points from atmospheric pressure will have the least effect.

If you do the boiling on the kitchen stove, you have to watch it constantly. Even walking away for a minute, it will boil over, leaving you with a sticky mess that’s tough to clean. If you can, its much better to work outdoors.

Maple sugar:

Boil the syrup until it reaches 240 deg F, or 28 degrees above the boiling point of water. Remove from heat, cool partially to 180-200 deg F, then stir until it starts to whiten crystallize. Pour into moulds and let harden. For extra creamy consistency, continue stirring until it becomes thick and creamy before packing into moulds.

Maple spread (maple butter):

Maple butter is the more difficult to make as you want the end result to be smooth and creamy with no detectable crystals.

Boil the syrup until it reaches about 235 deg F, or 22-24 deg F above the boiling point of water. Chill the thickened syrup rapidly in ice water until it is cool, around 70 deg F, being careful not to disturb the syrup. Stir with a wooden spoon until it whitens and starts to lose its glossy look. Quickly pour into jars, avoiding leaving any air bubbles. The trick here is to pour at just the right moment, when fine crystallization is complete but before it stiffens too thick to pour. The maple butter should be smooth and easily spreadable with no detectable crystals.

To get the temperature accurate, you can “calibrate” your thermometer by checking the temperature at which water boils. Water boils at 212 deg F at sea level. As atmospheric pressure drops, it will boil at a lower temperature, and it boils at a higher temperature when the barometer is rising. On a cloudy day, with a storm coming, it can boil at 210 or even 209 degrees. Once you know the boiling point of water, just add 28 to it to get the right temperature for sugar.

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts result in an imperfect product. It takes a lot of practice to get it just right. In any case, you can enjoy whatever lumpy concoction you’ve made because it’s got that same lovely maple syrup flavour. And, of course, next year, it will turn out as smooth as silk!

Be sure to come to the Annual Maberly Maple Festival Pancake Brunch at the Maberly Hall on Saturday April 16, 10am to 1pm to celebrate the end of the maple syrup season. Volunteers from the Maberly Agricultural Society will be serving thick, delicious pancakes topped with the best quality new maple syrup made by local producers. The price is still the same, $10 with baked beans, sausages and coffee included, half price for children under 12. As well, you will be able to buy new maple syrup and fine, creamy maple butter made locally. Gordon Patterson will be on hand to tell you how it’s done!

Paul Pospisil is the owner of Beaver Pond Estates, Maberly

Published in General Interest
Wednesday, 10 February 2016 17:46

Tay Bells In Maberly

Tay Valley Township is joining with its neighbours in the Perth and the townships of Drummond/North Elmsley and Beckwith in the 200th anniversary celebration of the Perth Military Settlement of 1816. In that year, the first wave of settlers came into the region after the War of 1812 and they were granted land in the municipalities surrounding Perth.

In Tay Valley, there are four signature events being planned by the municipality in addition to a number of events being put on by community groups and businesses.

The first of the signature events was the Tay Bells Winter Celebration at the Maberly fairgrounds and the Maberly hall. The event featured heritage-themed games and races, such as a plank race and a tug of war, horse-drawn wagon rides, hockey, and indoor games, as well as performances by Fiddlers & Friends and Jessica Wedden in the hall.

Organisers were pleased with the turnout, and members of the fire department as well as others provided a strong volunteer crew to make sure everything went as planned.

The weather was not exactly as wintry as one would expect in February, but that didn't stop people from enjoying themselves.

The other three signature events in Tay Valley are the Scotch Line History Fair at the EcoTay Farm on June 11 & 12; the Settlers Heritage Days and Lanark County Plowing Match on August 19 & 20; and finally a Betwixt and Between family potluck and dance on December 28 in the Stanleyville Hall.

A host of other events are scheduled, both in Tay Valley and the other municipalities throughout 2016. For a full list, go to lanarkcountytourism.com, click on the 200th anniversary icon, and then where it says “events page” on the next page. There are one or two events just about every weekend until the end of the year.

Published in Lanark County

Those with a love for fiddle music and looking to extend their holiday cheer for a few more days following the New Year did just that at the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra's 16th annual “Little Christmas concert”, which took place at the Maberly hall on January 3.

The concert, which was emceed by Linda Grenier, a member of the Long Sault Trio, showcased the all-ages, multi-generational group of fiddlers under the direction of their fearless leader, Cindy McCall. The concert opened with the sounds of the orchestra's newest beginner group, the prep orchestra, who have been playing together for just 11 short weeks. They demonstrated how far they have come in that short time with their confident version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and two favorite holiday carols.

The intermediate group, who have begun to explore harmonies, played next and nailed their three selections, which included “Old Toy Trains”, “Gypsy Wagon” and “Emilyn's Schottish”.

The next group to play was the Unspoken Rests, who last year opened for a concert at the same hall for the East Pointers. Grenier introduced them as “the cream of the crop” and “the area's future in fiddling” because of their desire to challenge themselves with faster, more complicated playing, and they certainly energized the audience with their impressive, polished selections that included “Winter Wonderland” and a lovely, rousing version of “Val's Dream”.

Grenier entertained the crowd with one of her own original tunes titled “Falling” while McCall prepared to lead The Lanarky Fiddlers Guild as the group's chosen new leader.

Members of the Lanarky group introduced their unique and highly entertaining selections, which included a number of tunes with vocal parts that were expertly performed by group members Gary Glover and Randy Weekes.

Last but not least to perform was the main orchestra, who took to the stage and performed a wide and eclectic program that included some Christmas singalong favorites as well as a number of fiddling carols like the Coventry, Breton and Galician carols. A number of original tunes were also included in their program, like “Lois and Richard's Trip to Harmony Junction” written for the Websters, who made the trip with the orchestra to PEI last summer. Other selections inspired by the group's summer trip included a medley of Acadian tunes: “The Sweetness of Mary”, “Kennedy St.” and “J. Dickies”, which demonstrated how travel can introduce new music and inspiration to players of all ages.

The concert closed with the warmly welcomed finale “Silent Night”, when the lights were dimmed and all the players on stage performed while the audience joined in with their voices in one last joyous outpouring of holiday fun.

Anyone wanting to learn more about the BSCFO can contact Cindy McCall at 613-278-2448 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Lanark County
Wednesday, 16 December 2015 18:00

“Singing in the Joy” in Maberly

On December 6, the voices of the 45 members of the Tay Valley Community Choir filled the Maberly Hall with the sounds of joy in the group's 23rd concert to date.

The choir, which was formed in the fall of 2004, has been performing a wide and diverse repertoire, and their annual holiday concert, which this year was titled “Sing in the Joy”, as usual attracted a full house to the Maberly hall.

The four-part choir opened the concert with a tune aptly called “Open Up”, with various soloists singing the verse and the entire choir joining in in unison, and with celebratory hand clapping, which set the tone for a joyous afternoon of song. The group began by lining the walls of the hall, enveloping the listeners in their warm sound as they made their way onto the stage. A fancily clad Town Crier (Paddy O'Connor), also a member of the group, introduced the choir and the group's relatively new conductor, Rebecca Worden, who took over the baton from Grace Armstrong in the fall of 2014.

Worden is a capable and enthusiastic conductor and it was her third concert with the choir.

The program included an African song sung in Swahili, the title of which translates to “Grant Us Peace and Prosperity”. The choir gave the audience many opportunities to join in for a number of favorite carols that included “Joy to the World”, “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas”. The choir was at their jazziest in tunes like “Christmas Time is Here”, the heart-warming tune written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi and made famous by Peanuts, as well an exceptional version of “Sleigh Ride” that was also arranged with jazz at its heart.

The singers also took on a number of challenging classical pieces like the “Carol of the Bells”.

The group was accompanied on piano by Yu Kwei, who is currently doing a musical internship with the choir. Kwei was joined in a few numbers by Bob Leviton on guitar and a number of choir members also played bells, drums and other instruments to give added depth and colour to the program.

The eight-member group known as Fiddlers and Friends then took to the stage, donned with holiday head gear and they performed a number of tunes from their accomplished repertoire that included “Red Wing” and “The Log Driver's Waltz”. Lois Webster and her puppet pal were front and center for the tune “Maple Sugar” and the group also performed a composition written by group member Marily Seitz titled “Laurie's Delight”, which she penned for her daughter.

One of the concert highlights was the joining of the two groups for “Lulabye Noelle”, in which the entire hall became a stereophonic hall of sound and the audience was engulfed from all sides by instrumental and vocal sound.

Highlights in the choir's second half included John Rutter's “Angels Carol” and “Cool Yule”, which was also memorable.

They finished off the afternoon by dimming the lights, holding up tea-lit candles and singing “Silent Night”, which is a long-time tradition for the group. The choir, who practice regularly on Monday nights, are always looking for new singers and are also presently looking for a new accompanist. Those interested can visit www.tayvalleychoir.com

Published in Lanark County
Thursday, 01 October 2015 08:25

Final worship at Maberly United Church

On Sunday, September 27, Maberly United Church, founded in 1885, hosted their final worship to mark the official closing, and de-commissioning of the church in an open service with special music provided by Fiddlers and Friends. The congregation will now gather for their Sunday services at Sharbot Lake.

During the hour-long ceremony Amanda Avery lit the Christ Candle and between hymns, prayers, and scripture readings, members of the congregation stood up, one by one, and recounted their favourite memories of Maberly United Church: Reverend Rock, from the rock (Newfoundland) led a Sunday service from this church on a rock; the excellent meals that were served after some services; the people who arrived late because they had earlier chores to do.

Then there was the memory of the groom whose father turned the car around at the top of the church hill, and backed over the other side. Someone from Maberly had to come with their tractor and pull the car back up.

Sue Munro expressed that she started playing the organ there in 1995, and worries that she might have been responsible for the dwindling congregation over the years!

There were touching memories as well, especially when Paul Pospisil shared his thoughts on the power of prayer.

Not all memories were good ones: Irene Hawley shared her worst memory - the hill in winter! Maberly United Church was built up on a rock; to get up there you have to walk up a steep hill. Irene recounted that while a couple of people might have made it up the icy hill, most did not, and ended up sliding back down on their rear-ends, the women ruining their stockings!

Even though population patterns are moving targets and are often the reason for a declining congregation, if one were to consider the number of people who were in attendance at this last ceremony, one would wonder why the church is closing. People came from as far away as Brockville, Ottawa, and the far reaches of Lanark County, and totalled over 90.

The Maberly congregation has generously donated their organ to the Anglican Church up the road since the one they have is very old and doesn’t sound so good anymore. Other items inside the church may be offered back to the families that donated them, or they might be moved to Sharbot Lake United Church. Other items might be dispersed among other United Churches, depending on their needs.

When the ceremony ended, Rev. Jean Brown walked the Christ Candle down the aisle and placed it on a table inside the entrance to the church. The parishioners exited past the candle and made their way towards Maberly Hall, where lunch was served. The church was locked up.

Since Grace was said at the church, it was agreed that no mealtime prayer was needed and so the line-up started. It was a bountiful meal that included all types of baked beans, jello salads and casseroles, and, of course, desserts, and was enjoyed by all.


A brief history of the Maberly United Church

As told at the church's final service on Sunday, September 27, 2015

Built on a rock on top of a hill in Maberly, the Maberly United Church is one of the many United churches across Canada that have been closing at the rate of one per week over the last 12 years. Church services began in Maberly long before the present day church was built and in the early decades of the 1800s were performed by a Methodist circuit rider from Perth. Prior to 1845, the first church in Maberly, which was located in the Laidley's Maberly United Church cemetery, was a Methodist church built entirely of cedar logs and aptly called the Cedar Chapel.

The second church, which was built in 1845, was located one mile west of the village since in those days of the horses and buggies, churches were built based on the distance that a horse and buggy could easily travel.

The present day Maberly United Church was built in 1885 by George Charlton and was at that time called the Maberly Methodist Church. The story goes that Charlton and Richard Duffy had sat for many hours on a large stone on a hill top in the village to discuss the building site for the new church and that long after dark the two men reached their final decision and these words were expressed, “On this rock we shall build our church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” That rock still lies under the existing church floor roughly 10 feet from the pulpit.

In January 1885, a service led by Rev. Whitting was held dedicating the new church. At that time the church included a very tall spire, which was built on the floor of the entry vestibule and was pulled with ropes and pulleys through an opening in the roof that caused many involved to fear for the safety of the volunteers.

It is believed that Art Munro's grandfather, Joe Munro, placed the ball on top of the spire that was engraved with his initials. The spire unfortunately was later struck by lightening and a fire bucket brigade that stretched from the Fall River to the church saved the building from burning down. Around 1940 the wind blew the spire away and the hole it left in the roof was filled in. Back in June 1925 with the founding of the United Church of Canada the Maberly Methodist Church was renamed the Maberly United church and a newly formed pastoral charge that included the churches of Maberly, Brooke and Bolingbroke was formed.

On October 6, 1935 the church celebrated its 50th anniversary with Rev. G.A. Beatty of Balderson presiding. The program was formatted on a Seth Parker old-fashioned song style service and included choruses, duets, stories, prayers, poems and addresses and the event was attended by 270 people.

In 1947 Maberly's sister church, Bethel United Church, built in 1893 and located eight miles north of Maberly on the 11th concession of Bathurst Township, collapsed. Twenty years later the Maberly church united with the United churches of Sharbot Lake and Parham to form the Centenary Pastoral Charge. On June 23, 1985 the congregation celebrated their 100th anniversary with former minister Rev. Ron Smeaton as guest speaker and presiding clergy Rev. James Armstrong. Over the year the church congregation took part in a regular joint Sunday school and joint women's and men's groups with Maberly's Anglican church.

Countless funerals, weddings, baptisms, communions, lunches, suppers, weekly worships and confirmations have been held at the United church over the years along with special events for the annual Maberly Fair.

In the winter of 2015 the members of the Maberly congregation made the decision and chose to worship in Sharbot Lake. On May 20, 2015 the church voted to amalgamate with Sharbot Lake United. On September 3, 2015 the Maberly church trustees introduced a letter requesting that the Maberly church be sold. At Sunday's final service, the spoken history of the church concluded with the words “As the doors of Maberly United close in the final service of September 27, God is opening new doors of opportunity and hope and new ways of being the church.”

This history is a condensed version that was written with files by Josephine VanAlstine, Rosetta McInnes, Bethel Women's Institute Tweedsmuir History Books, Dayle VanAlstine, and conversations with many, including Doreen and Roy Warwick. It was read at the service by Doreen Warwick and Amanda Avery.   

Published in Lanark County

The Ontario Festival of small Halls made a big splash in McDonalds Corners and Maberly last weekend, and all the rest of the concerts scheduled for Lanark and Renfrew Counties this soming weekend are sold out, including one at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke featuring Bealoch and Tichborne fiddle whiz Jessica Wedden.

Taking its cue from similar events in Prince Edward Island and Australia, the organizers of City Folk in Ottawa sponsored a series of concert featuring nationally known roots musicians in some of the unique local halls in Eastern Ontario. In each case the major acts were paired with some of the best local musicians around.

On Saturday night (September 19) at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall the Long Sault Trio (Linda Grenier – guitar- from Watson's Corners, Victor Maltby – fiddle - from Carleton Place and Dave Tilston – guitar - from Maberly) opened the show. Each of the three members of this band are songwriters, and in their show the sound varies from swing to bluegrass to celtic to all of the above. The trio has been playing together for several years and it shows in the smooth interplay they have developed and the serious speed they bring to some of their bluegrass and celtic inflected numbers. They set the stage well for Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys.

Gordie MacKeeman has a personal website called Crazylegs.ca and it did not take long to see why.

He started off the show by tapping at break neck speed, legs flying every which way or so it seemed, and then he started playing fiddle at the same time.

The Rhythm Boys, who all come from PEI, did not fade into the background either, taking turns singing and playing lead on guitar, double bass, drums and banjo. They performed a varied mix of styles just as the Long Sault Trio had, from Bluegrass to Celtic to Rockn'roll. The dance floor was active from the start of the set, which the band appreciated, and the music never wavered in its dynamism throughout. MacKeeman has an infectious, mischievous energy, and great skill with the fiddle. There was no let up right to the end of the set.

The Festival of Small Halls concert at the Maberly Hall the next afternoon, September 20, was sold out.

It opened with The Unspoken Rests, an eight member youth ensemble made up of players aged 8-16, all members of the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra and led by Cindy McCall. McCall said she formed the group “as a way to challenge the younger students in the orchestra and give them a chance to play faster, tighter and with more harmonies in a smaller ensemble setting.” The group enchanted the audience with their a line up that opened with “Swinging on the Gate” and included the famous Ottawa Valley tune “Pig Alley Rip” and “St. Anne's Reel”. The group received a thunderous, heart felt and well deserved standing ovation following their set, which no doubt may have inspired a few listeners to answer McCall's recent advertisement for a new “absolute beginner” fiddling group, which will have a maximum of 10 players and will start up on October 21. Call Cindy at 613-278-2448 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

The concert then continued with the East Pointers, the full throttle traditional PEI Celtic trio comprised of fiddle player Tim Chaisson, banjoist Koady Chaisson and guitarist Jake Charron, who also got the crowd to their feet with their rousing set, which nearly blew the roof off the Maberly hall.

The three, who are each talented players in their own right, have come together in this trio, and they demonstrated in their original tune, the title track of their new album titled “Secret Victory”, how they love to play all out. The album will be released on October 9. This tune has them slowly increasing their intensity, only to be silenced abruptly for a beat, then come right back in louder, harder and faster than before. These songs are what inspired the many listeners to jump to their feet and swing along. While the trio's all out Celtic swings and stomps are what they are likely best known for, they are also diverse in their repertoire and they nailed some more sombre and reflective tunes like the original “The Wreck of the H.M.S. Phoenix”, a sad tune based on the true story of a P.E.I. ship wreck, and their funkiest song of the show, their cover of Gotye's “Hearts a Mess”.

They also sing gorgeous harmonies together and their a capella original titled “Blainey's Laughing Eyes” was pitch perfect, seamless and perfectly weighted. Tim's virtuosic abilities on the fiddle are mesmerizing; Koady's fingers can pick out the quickest and most precise leading lines on banjo; and no matter how fast and hard the playing gets, Jake Charron can hold down the lower end and keep everyone in check with his solid rhythm guitar.

Published in Lanark County
Wednesday, 16 September 2015 18:41

Festival of Small Halls

Every small community has one: a treasured building that brings people together for town meetings, yoga classes, bingo games, local theatre, white elephant sales - and the list goes on. The Ontario Festival of Small Halls is about sharing a love of music in a beloved place. Brought to you by the Team Behind Bluesfest, the Festival of Small Halls brings exceptional Canadian musicians to small venues across Eastern Ontario.

These buildings have rich cultural histories and countless stories to tell. No two are alike. During the festival, communities across Eastern Ontario will throw open the doors of their small halls for an unforgettable night of music. Some of Canada’s best musicians will step off the big stage and hit the scenic back roads to perform in legions, schools, churches, or town halls. They will receive a warm, small-town welcome from communities of music lovers who are eager to show off their treasured halls and their hospitality, all in the name of excellent music.

Small Halls festivals are popping up around the world. What started in PEI has spread to Australia, and now to Ontario. The Festival of Small Halls is proud to join this international community dedicated to showcasing first-rate music in intimate venues.

The Festival of Small Halls is about sharing big music in small, cherished places. It’s about settling into the heart of a community, and then experiencing music with heart. Advance tickets may be purchased at www.thefestivalofsmallhalls.com or see below.

  • On Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30pm, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys with Long Sault Trio will perform at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall. A community dinner will be provided at the hall from 5-6:30pm. The dinner will be a $15 buffet and includes dessert, tea or coffee. Show and dinner tickets are available at The Hill Store in McDonalds Corners or from Sally Andrews, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4pm, The East Pointers with The Unspoken Rests will perform at the Maberly Community Hall.

  • Sunday, Sept. 27 Beòlach from Cape Breton with Jessica Wedden will perform at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke at 3pm. Note: this concert is sold out. 

Published in Lanark County
Wednesday, 09 September 2015 23:59

High flying art at the Sundance Artisan Show

This year’s Sundance Artisan show in Maberly offered up an impressive lineup of the creations of local and not so local artists and artisans. Organized for the first time this year by the new owners of the Fall River Restaurant, Therese Steenberghe and Jeroen Kerrebijn, with the help of canoe maker Brent Kirkham, and photographer Paul Shuster, the show attracted close to 4000 guests over the three-day holiday weekend.

Among the impressive art work was the figurative art of Mary Lynn Baker of Addison, Ontario. Baker is a long ago graduate of the Ontario College of Art and design and she has been making her unique brand of high-flying fantasy figures both in the form of aerial papier-mâché sculptures and paintings for decades now. Much of her work seems familiar, which is likely due to the fact that she has been showcased on a number of TV shows, commercials and in various publications world wide. Her aerial sculptures are vibrant and buoyant, both literally and figuratively speaking; they often elicit a laugh or at the least a smile from those who see them. Because they hang in mid-air, just fastened with thin, invisible pieces of fishing line, they are constantly in movement, which makes them even more eye catching and a delight to behold in person.

These cheerful aerial subjects include winged pigs, flying everyday super humans, as well as lawyers dressed in their courtly attire, one in particular with one hand clutching a brief case and the other stretching forward in a simulated superman pose as he seems to cut through the ether almost effortlessly.

“I like to make anything that strikes me as fun,” Baker said when I visited her booth at the show, “and as far as I know, I am the only person who makes suspended kinetic sculptures because they are what people most seem to enjoy.”

For these figures, she uses her own long ago perfected recipe of papier-mâché, a specialized formula comprised of only flour and water, which she bakes in an oven. This gives the pieces their smooth surfaces which she later paints using household paint colours.

Sculpting is not everything for Baker; she has also been painting for decades and many of her canvases depict similar subject matter to the sculptures; cheerful and colourfully dressed couples and also larger groupings of people, most often women, dressed in brightly colored and patterned outfits and seemingly caught in an instant of joyous merriment. “I love to watch ordinary people when they are dancing at, let's say a wedding or some other event where they are having a really good time and seem to just really be getting out of themselves. These are people who may not be at the height of fashion and maybe aren't the best dancers but still, they are enjoying the moment and for me there is something very charming and interesting in that”. She is a muralist as well and has painted 16 large murals commissioned by the towns and schools of Brockville, Athens and Shelburne, Ontario.

While most of her work is not titled, her flying “super grandpa” is just one in a series that have included titles like “super guy”, and “super woman”. One free standing table-top sculpture depicts a woman in matching harlequin, horn-rimmed glasses and hat, sporting a spotted leopard patterned suit, and is loosely based on Andrea Martin's famed SCTV character, Edith Prickley.

Baker’s most recent paintings, which she paints in acrylics, have moved into the realm of personal memories and are more realistic in nature than her older, solely figurative works. Here she is painting cheerful scenes based on specific memories from her life. One shows a costume party on an ice rink that she remembers from long ago in Ottawa.

Baker was just one of 38 artists at the Sundance show, which, while under new management, still continues to offer some of the best work by artists and artisans from Eastern Ontario.

Published in Lanark County
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With the participation of the Government of Canada