From South Shore to North

It's hard to believe that it's been close on a year since we closed the doors to the studio shop in Mill Cove for the last time. We packed our home and business into a ridiculous amount of boxes, and made the move from Mill Cove and the St. Margaret's Bay, to Annapolis Royal, close to the Bay of Fundy.

The quaint seaside town of Annapolis Royal is steeped in history and surrounded by beautiful scenery. With a community feel, it's more like a village than a town, but has all the amenities you'd expect and want from a small town. It's "liveable and loveable".  

Annapolis Royal is encapsulated by beaches, rivers, lakes and farmland. The town is walkable with boardwalks and trails that circle and dissect the town. The houses in town stand out to me not just architecturally, but because they are framed by abundant flower gardens, reminding me of immersive English flower gardens. The Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens are serene and magical, and inspirational. If you haven’t gathered, I love flowers, and they’re a joy to see, particular after a long, white (or sometimes grey) Canadian winter. 

Our new "woodland garden" seemed to reveal a new surprise every week with literally hundreds of spring snowdrops, forget-me-nots and crocuses erupting. I've never seen so many magnolia blossoms as there are in town. The excitement of flowers, nature walks, exploring with Henry and Arlo, and family visits, stirred me to create a flurry of new fused glass designs.  

Over the spring and summer, I experimented with a range of glass birds and animals. The kiln-openings revealed painted turtles, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, colourful rainbow inspired birds, and birds embellished with "proud" wings. Pink birds appeared - and I'm not even a "pink" person!! I hope that you enjoy some of these new pieces as much as I enjoyed discovering Annapolis Royal this year!