A summer filled with sea spray

Hello,

How's your summer going? Are you unplugging? Have you gone to explore distant lands or are you taking some well-deserved rest? So much has happened since last time! I feel like it's been an eternity since I wrote to you!

In this newsletter, I will tell you about our fabulous artist residency, the next event I will participate in, and the continuation of my project Biodiversity at the Heart of Our Municipalities...

The residency couldn't have gone better. The only hitch encountered: on the way there, bad weather grounded our plane in Sept-Îles for... three days! But since expeditions to the islands were awaiting us upon arrival, we decided to finish the journey by bus. One night at the hotel and 2.5 hours of driving later, we were finally ready for the adventure!

During our stay, we had the chance to work in a workshop offered by the municipality of Havre-Saint-Pierre, and then to explore eight islands of the archipelago thanks to the valuable collaboration of Parks Canada. And how can I not mention the welcome from the people of Le Havre: warm, generous, we felt like family! In summary: breathtaking landscapes, wonderful people and perfect weather (whatever the cold-sensitive people who don't like 15 degrees and strong wind 💨😅 say).

This experience pushed us to surpass ourselves on all fronts: physically (so much walking!), creatively (so many new techniques learned) and humanly, thanks to the valuable exchanges shared with my friend Chantal.

I'm returning home with a full mind, a clear head, and a touch of sadness in my heart. But above all, I come away with the certainty that artist residencies focused on discovering the natural environment are made for me!

Between mid-July and mid-August, I'm embarking on a very important stage of my project: creating sketches in the MRC's parks. It's a time to connect with citizens and create outdoors (thanks to the residency that gave me good practice!).

On July 24, I created in Roxton-Canton Park and at the Halte-Rivière in Béthanie. On July 31, I was at Donald-Martin Park in Acton Vale and Larivière Park in Roxton Falls. So I still have the municipalities of Sainte-Christine, Upton, Saint-Nazaire-d'Acton, and Saint-Théodore-d'Acton to visit in the coming weeks.

Also, I wanted to tell you that I'll be on vacation starting August 15th, because even if the artist residency was very rejuvenating, it wasn't a vacation!

I wish you a wonderful end of summer and say: See you soon...

Catherine