Woldemar Neufeld was born in 1909 in Russia and moved to Ontario, Canada, in 1924, where he attended night school at the Ontario College of Art. He subsequently enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Art and then studied at Case Western Reserve University, graduating in 1941 with a degree in art education.
Part of an important group of women artists to emerge from Montreal between the wars, Lilias Torrance Newton was one of Canada's most successful and respected portrait painters. In some 300 portraits of friends, fellow-artists and leading Canadian figures, she conveyed sympathy for her subjects and an understanding of character. Of her subjects, it was her intimate circle that inspired her best work, notable for its informality and sometimes unconventional poses. Newton was the first Canadian to paint portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
When Ontario relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions at the end of the month, movie theatres will be able to reopen at 50 per cent capacity – though the concession stands will remain closed. Proof of vaccination will be required, and masks are mandatory for all staff, visitors and guests.
Restaurants/museums(YEAH) may reopen January 31 after temporary closure January 5, 50% capacity, masks required when not sitting at table, QR code vaccination proof required.
There is no supply chain breakdown in grocery stores the shelves are packed.
Defiling national war memorials is disgusting. Bunch of freedumb asses with their confederate flags.
Anyone else sick of Bloglovin's "servers are over capacity" nonsense?
Devastated to see Amy lose on Jeopardy. Even John said, the next day, it's boring without her. I had high hopes on Rhone, a librarian, who beat her. However, when he couldn't answer "author of The Good Earth" I threw my hands up in despair.
Saturday I made jam from some leftover fruit - tangerine, grapefruit, orange and lemon. I also made scrambled egg quesadillas for John's lunch, yesterday I had made him a ham and cheese quesadilla. He was out of gluten free bread and I had placed an order but the company has come back to me twice this week saying they are experiencing supply issues and hope to ship on Monday. I had coconut flour tortillas in the freezer so I am using those.
His bread arrived on Wednesday.
I received my new baking pans. My medium sized cookie sheet had bit the dust and the little roasting pan I liked had the "paint/coating" wearing off the rack making it yucky. Also had a brain storm of where to store these oversized pieces in water cooler cupboard!! I put the big pizza trays in there as well.
Also received a new bread flour to try.
Tuesday we scrambled to shower as the building was doing regular maintenance on the hot water tanks. Since John is nursing a sore ankle we had a movie afternoon and I finished my last cactus embroidery.
Picked up John's latest scotch order in time for Robbie Burns day.
Wednesday was cold and sunny, around 5 some fog rolled in and we had a short but spectacular sunset.
Thursday after using the golf simulator (now back to 2 hour bookings) he headed to Costco, the first time since early December.
COOKING
Saturday slow cooker ribs and coleslaw
Sunday chicken fajitas, one sheet pan in oven
Monday pork chops, mashed potatoes and turnips
Tuesday since we are enjoying fruit and yogurt for breakfast I made apple raisin pancakes for lunch. I often substitute applesauce for an egg but this time I used a banana instead (I have a glut of them in the freezer because they are so cheap and plentiful from Costco's). The banana added such a great sweetness and creaminess to the flavour. Perfect for lunch since we still haven't received our gluten free bread order (supply chain issues) so no sandwiches.
Fish (haddock, shrimp, clams) chowder
Wednesday burgers and fries with dipping sauce (mayo, ketchup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar) should have added hot sauce as well.
Thursday lunch was air fryer grilled cheese, no mess no cleanup.
These hard shells are gluten free, however, we have no idea how you are supposed to pick these up, they break immediately. Instead we broke them up and ate it like a taco salad bowl. Served with salsa (Farm Boy, not a fan), sour cream, hot sauce, cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and cheese.
Call me a food snob but I have never bought a rotisserie chicken before and it was perfect especially at $8!!
So far, 2 dinners, 2 lunches and at least another lunch and possibly the rest will go into the soup. I took all the meat off and put the bones in the soup pot. Said soup pot is now on the porch (perfect freezer at the moment -18C feels like -25C). Forecast is for it to feel like -35C overnight!
Friday steak and loaded baked potato.
WATCHING
So there I was getting ready to enjoy Endeavour season 7 on Prime. The series that chronicles the early career and life of Inspector Morse, and Prime had pulled it. I can wait.
I found Britain's Best Home Cooks series 1 and 2.
We watched season 4 of Ozark and the first episode of Billions.
Also saw the movie The Tender Bar.
Really enjoyed The Courier, a 2020 historical spy film. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, a British businessman who was recruited by the Secret Intelligence Service to be a message conduit with a Russian spy source Oleg Penkovsky (played by Merab Ninidze) in the 1960s.
READING
Cooking with Mary Berry on my laptop. It would be an excellent book for a beginning cook, as it covers all the basics at the beginning. It has a great collection of recipes for a starting chef. I didn't really get anything out of it.
Finished the fourth in Jenny O'Brien's series Lost Souls.
Started Montpelier Parade by Karl Geary, a new to me Irish author and was nominated for the Costa First Novel Award 2017.
Eddy Cobiness was a Canadian artist born in Warroad, Minnesota in 1933. He was an Ojibwa-Indian and his art work is characterized by scenes from the life outdoors and nature. He began with realistic scenes and then evolved into more abstract work. He belonged to the “Woodland School of Art” and was a prominent member of the "Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation”, better known as the “Indian Group of Seven”.
"Life is a rainbow road, multicoloured with the most brilliant hues and contrasting with the darkest tones. It is illuminated by the light of success, and rutted by the tracks of failure. Tears of sadness and joy wash its surface while the clouds of doubt and insecurity dapple its course. As we traverse this highway we can reach the highest pinnacles or descend to the darkest valleys.
Finally, when the end of the road is in sight, we may cast our eyes to the distant horizon where everything began; and say with conviction, "That sure was one hell of a journey."— TED HARRISON
Scott's career began with landscapes, followed by cityscapes which reflected her social concerns. In the 1940s, she turned to abstraction, seeking inspiration in scientific literature.
In the 1930s, Scott was active in anti-fascist movements and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, which her husband had helped found. She also taught art to disadvantaged children as part of an organization set up by her close friend Norman Bethune. As a pacifist, she campaigned for nuclear disarmament in the 1950s and against the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
The precise, mysterious painting style of Christiane Pflug has led to her categorization as a magical realist. A devoted mother of two, her subject matter was often dictated by the objects and viewpoints available to her in her domestic space. Themes of nostalgia, melancholia, and tradition occur throughout her work.
Born in Germany in 1936 to a single mother, Pflug spent most of her young life in foster homes in Bavaria, Germany and Austria. Her mother had volunteered as a Red Cross nurse, sending a four year-old Christiane away to keep her safe from the violence of Berlin. Regine, a fashion designer by trade, encouraged her daughter to be creative and artistic, and once the family was reunited in the late 1940s, Christiane worked in her mother’s studio. In 1953 she relocated to Paris to study at the fashion institute of Ecole Baziot. It was in Paris that she met Michael Pflug, a young doctor whom she would eventually marry.
The two were married in 1956, moving shortly thereafter to Tunisia, for Michael’s work. There, the couple had their two daughters, Esther and Ursula. They and their toys become some of Christiane’s frequent subjects (Kitchen Door and Esther) (Kitchen Door in Winter II). In 1959, they moved to Toronto, Canada.
In Canada, Pflug enjoyed considerable success. She was represented by Avrom Isaacs’ Gallery from 1962-1967, and had retrospective exhibitions of both her drawings and paintings at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Hart House, and the Sarnia Art Gallery. She sold every one of her paintings exhibited in her first show with Isaacs (1962), and received Canada Council grants in 1967 and 1968. Christiane Pflug ended her life at Toronto Island’s Hanlan’s Point in 1972.
From 1963 to 1976, Friar's Tavern served as one of the Yonge Street strip's most popular nightclubs. When it opened, the tavern boasted that it featured "the finest in food." But its musical offerings were truly superb, ranging from jazz great Oscar Peterson and rock legends Bill Haley & the Comets to local heroes Levon and the Hawks, whose presence at the club brought Bob Dylan to town.
In 1965, Bob Dylan's world was a-changing. He'd already recorded his electric masterpiece "Like a Rolling Stone" and performed his plugged-in set at the Newport Folk Festival. But he needed his own backup band. Enter Mary Martin, a Toronto woman who was working for Dylan's manager in New York. At Martin's urging, Dylan flew to Toronto on September 15 to check out her favourites, Levon and the Hawks, at the Friar's.
He first heard them play on the morning of September 16 and for the next two nights, Dylan and the group rehearsed after hours and forged a thrilling, hard-edged sound. After touring the world with Dylan, and making a return appearance at Toronto's Massey Hall in November, Levon and the Hawks relocated to Woodstock, New York, and became famous as The Band. With Dylan, they went on to generate bestselling albums and a sold-out North American tour in 1974 that included two nights at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. But their fruitful partnership had begun at Friar's Tavern, an event that Time magazine declared "the most decisive moment in rock history."
The building now is, sadly, a Shoppers' Drug Mart, but they did create a small museum upstairs.
Photo courtesy of Canadian Encyclopedia
A year later, the music club shifted gears to rock ’n roll where acts included Bill Haley and the Comets, Robbie Lane and the Disciples as well as the Silhouettes. In the summer of 1965, the historic Friar’s Tavern was the first to feature go-go dancers to accompany the bands on stage. On raised platforms or in gilded cages, dancers in short skirts with rows of fringes dazzled spectators. The stage show and fad caught like wildfire at the local clubs and bands didn’t look complete performing without them. David Clayton-Thomas and the Shays were one of the first groups in Toronto to share the stage with go-go dancers.
Yonge and Dundas facing South in 1964. You can see part of the Friar's sign in this photo.
The 3-storey building was constructed in 1918 for the American restaurant chain, Child’s Restaurants. Designed by the restaurant’s New York City architect, JC Westervelt, the Beaux-Arts Classicism style building was home to the restaurant on the main floor with Karry’s Billiards and Bowling on the upper floors.
From 1978 until 2017, the building was home to the Hard Rock Cafe – a new Yonge Street landmark.
Photo from BlogTO when it opened.
Those famous walls were once again filled with music but this time with an extensive collection of rock’n roll memorabilia including musical instruments, autographed photos of famous musicians and even some of the clothing they wore. This is how I knew it looking. And no I don't think I was ever in it.
Thomas DeVany Forrestall, C.M., O.N.S., B.F.A. LL.D., RCA was born in Middleton Nova Scotia, in 1936. Forrestall's family later moved to Dartmouth which allowed him to attend Saturday morning art classes at the Nova Scotia College of Art in Halifax in the 1940s. In 1954, Forrestall was awarded a scholarship to the Fine Arts department at Mount Allison University, where he studied with Lawren P. Harris and Alex Colville. He graduated in 1958 and received one of the first Canada Council grants for independent study which provided him with the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. Upon his return he became assistant curator of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. He has been a freelance artist since 1960.
Forrestall’s art has been classified as Magic Realism – an imprecise term often used to describe the work of a coterie of east-coast Canadian painters who emerged after the Second World War (Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt). Although their geographic roots, styles and vocabularies were similar, these artists applied themselves differently, each adapting naturalism in a personal way.
