I seem to be seeking out art that speaks to me. I recently rediscovered Melissa Harris, and absolutely love her work. I also cannot wait for November 2^nd’ because that’s when the Hamilton Region Potter’s Guild starts their Fall Sale. I attended their sale in the springtime and had a fantastic time.  I prefer using pottery to using ceramic. For me, it just feels more comfortable.

       I believe that what we use to decorate our home and the tools that we use everyday have an enormous effect upon the way we feel. For example, I find that drinking from a pottery mug is much more comforting then drinking from a ceramic mug. I find that pictures that use bright colours can help boost your mood. I have also found that certain art feels extremely feminine and powerful.

       I find Melissa Harris’s work to be an example of women’s art. She tends to paint images of women and she also paints women in active positions. In her pictures, women dance with leaves and reach for the stars. I find them extremely inspirational and empowering. She paints women in their ordinary lives and yet, by painting these images, she gives them strength and power. What represent women’s art to you? Have you ever felt inspired or empowered by art?

I also enjoy the works of Emily Carr. I would not, however, define most of her works as women’s art. Her works, to me, always depict nature as something threatening and unknowable. Women’s art, for me anyway, welcomes nature as a friend and ally. Emily Carr’s written work, however, I do define as women’s art as she describes the battles that she fights to be able to live her own life. One day, I plan to post a discussion on one of her autobiographies for our Book Club, if everyone is interested.

         Speaking of the Book Club, I have decided to make a scheduling change to encourage further discussion. I realized that I have not been treating the Book Club in a traditional book club fashion. Book Clubs tend to meet only once a month in order to ensure that everyone has time to read the next novel. For this reason, I have decided that I will only post Book Club discussion once every three weeks. (I don’t want to wait a full month.) I hope that will give everyone enough time to read the next scheduled novel and have an opinion that they wish to share. My next Book Club post will be on Karen Joy Fowler’s novel The Jane Austen Book Club and I will post it on November 13, 2012.

          I also hope that this scheduling change will give more space to explore women’s lives in reality as well as fiction. I want to talk about the issues that face us everyday. Please write in your recommendations for the next novel to be discussed. Also, share your opinions and thoughts on any of the issues that we have already discussed or should discuss. I love your stories and want to hear them.