Author: Conal (Page 1 of 19)

When it comes crashing down and it hurts inside...

Paris: Water Lilies and Early Works of Henri Matisse 


This is the fourth story in a four-part series
about the 15th anniversary trip my
artist wife and I took to Paris.


Henri Émile Benoît Matisse was a French visual artist; a painter known for his use of colour. 

His was a name I would have recognized from my university Art History textbook had I ever cracked it open. Instead, I recognized his name as one of my artist wife’s top influencers.

Like a diligent husband of an artist, I did my research before we went to Paris. Quickly, I learned he has zero paintings in The Louvre. In fact, most of his famous paintings are in his own national museum, Musée Matisse, located 900 km away in Nice on the Mediterranean coast of France.

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Miscarriages and Men: Why I Can’t Go To The Santa Claus Parade


Between 15 and 20 per cent of all pregnancies in Canada end in miscarriage, according to estimates by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC).


Everyone loves a parade. Especially me. Or, so goes the conventional wisdom of people who know me. After all, I was the Canada Day Parade organizer for a decade in my western Canadian prairie suburb.

Many people are looking forward to the upcoming Santa Claus Parade in our city, but I’m not. Far from it. I’ve only attended one time since I left the Executive Director job at the Chamber of Commerce — the organization that runs the parade. It’s just too painful.

Let me explain.

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Artist Spotlight: Billie Rae Busby

I learned a lot while chatting with Calgary-based artist Billie Rae Busby recently. She took the dive into a full-time art career a few years ago and hasn’t looked back.

It was my pleasure to spend 30 minutes learning from her. I hope you can take some things away from our chat as well!

[Featured Artwork by Billie Rae Busby.]

Billie Rae Busby
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Paris: The Eiffel Tower


This is the third story in a four-part series
about the 15th anniversary trip my
artist wife and I took to Paris.


I’ve been married to an artist for 15 years. In that time I’ve learned that inspiration will strike anywhere, anytime. 

Just because I’ve learned that lesson repeatedly doesn’t make it any less surprising when it happens. 

And it happened — boy did it happen — the first time we visited the Eiffel Tower. 

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Artist Spotlight: Lorraine Bérubé

I spoke with St. Albert, AB-based artist Lorraine Bérubé recently. She’s watercolour painter who also will jump into acrylics, pencil crayon, and alcohol ink. She has some rich, colourful pieces mostly focused on flowers and scenery.

She is a big part of the St. Albert Painters Guild, serving as vice president and being their go-to person for publicity. That latter role definitely came out in our chat.

Later in our chat, I also had the opportunity to ask her husband, Paul, a question, which was a good piece of fun. I hope you enjoy my chat with Lorraine (and Paul) as much as I did!

[Featured Artwork: “Hollyhock by Lorraine Bérubé. Watercolour pencils on 10″×14″ Arches hot-pressed paper]

Lorraine Berube
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Paris: My Wife’s Louvre Tour


This is the second story in a four-part series
about the 15th anniversary trip my
artist wife and I took to Paris.


The day had arrived. We were visiting the Louvre on this crisp, rainy day in Paris. 

However, we had the small issue of her forgetting her membership at home – on a completely separate continent – to iron out first. Fortunately, the Friends of the Louvre Society has an office near the entrance. They replace lost or forgotten membership cards for a small fee.

With a fresh duplicata membership we beelined toward the entrance.

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