Eramosa paintings

ruralrob's post yesterday, with its images of watchful horses in muddy fields, inspired me to wander far afield Wednesday morning in search of similar late winter vistas. The most interesting subject matter, however, appeared upon the return to my own backyard, or back pond rather. Two notable Guelph artists, Laura Coots and Scott Abbott, had decided to make the best of this mild weather. You can see my own Old Man Willow in Laura's painting.



Burly, bearded Scott appears behind the cut. ( See more )

I needn't have walked so far for these pictures. The hike exerted me because the melting trails have lost their hard-packed surfaces. I found no muddy fields or ephemeral ponds. In fact my findings accentuated the fact that Guelph received more snow this year than the easterly regions inhabited by Rob and Meirion emjaybaxter. Much of this fell in the January 27 storm.

One more image: ( behind a cut, for those who have trouble with my 700 pixel panoramas. )

Churches on Ossington

While strolling along Harbord Street last Friday morning, I peered down an alley and spied a shining Byzantine steeple several blocks distant. It seemed practically a mirage hovering over rotting fences, sway-backed garages and a tangle of power lines. It begged to be photographed, so I went in search the following afternoon. I found the apparition on Leeds Street, one block north of Bloor and Ossington. It turned out to be Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church. Apparently I have walked or ridden past en route to Danny's many times without noticing, but then I was always intent on finding my way, or peering through darkness for the right bus stop.



The elegant structure in the left foreground, understated but equally pompous to my jaded eye, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Both were immaculate, stunning and utterly incongruous in the plain West End neighbourhood of Toronto. I felt like I had somehow wandered into Epcot Center.

( +3 )

With amusement I wondered how these congregations, placed back to back by constituency and economics, regard one another. Their faiths are disparate as are both their architectures with the surroundings.