Lily S. May–Life with Art
The Night of Dread has been a wonderful event in Toronto for many years. It's an event held to face fears, to mock and banish them. On October 29th, the 23rd annual pageant put on by Clay and Paper Theatre returned after a two year hiatus during the pandemic. My husband and I paraded among… Continue reading The Return of The Night of Dread
Autumn colours are magnificent in Toronto this year. We've been walking in the Brickworks Park and surrounding ravines for the past few weeks as the leaves turn. And we haven't been alone--there are many people (and their dogs) out walking and enjoying the vibrant colours. Here's a linocut I made many years ago about my… Continue reading Autumn!
Last week we went east out of town along Lake Ontario. We spent time in a small village and in three different Provincial Parks, walking along the beaches and a marsh boardwalk, watching gulls, terns, tiny fast walking birds, swans and egrets. It was a time both of quiet and of listening to the waves… Continue reading Dramatic Sky Over Lake Ontario
Last week we rented a cottage in Meaford, a small town to the northwest of Toronto. It was a peaceful break from the noise and busyness of the city. We took two beautiful hikes on Trout Hollow Trail which felt wonderful since we haven't been on wooded trails since the beginning of the pandemic. Here's… Continue reading Vacation
Since returning to Toronto from our week in the countryside, I've begun seriously organizing years of prints. Most recently, I've stored them in large boxes though in the past I had the larger ones rolled in tubes. I began printmaking in 1971 and have moved five or six times since then. So, as I was… Continue reading Gathering
I was out of town recently, on vacation east of Toronto. While I am accustomed to urban settings, having nearly always lived in a city, I was happy to go to quieter places away from the roar of traffic and closer to nature. My husband and I stayed in a small town and made day… Continue reading Black, White and Grey
While I was out walking yesterday among old houses and gardens returning to life, I saw that I was being observed. A cat in a window and I watched each other for a while and then I took out my phone and photographed the scene. Later I changed the image into a black and white… Continue reading Cat in the Window
The war in Ukraine has got me thinking about my maternal grandparents. I know my grandmother's story more than my grandfather's, perhaps because he died when I was very young. She, Esther, was born in Odessa in the late 1800s when it was part of Russia. She and her family fled their home because as… Continue reading My Grandmother
The first sizable snow came to Southern Ontario and Quebec yesterday. At the end of a grey and white day, the sky cleared and a dramatic sunset appeared. Today brought blue skies and sun on snow. I took a morning walk that greatly helped my spirits. Evening, January 17, 2022, looking southwest, Toronto These conifer… Continue reading Sunset & Snow Caps
The weeks before and after Christmas were hard ones, what with much cloudy wet weather in Toronto and the fear inducing news about Omicron. I found that walking in the neighbourhood helped. The appearance of a flock of birds was a welcome surprise and rescue. The occasional hawk or two gliding above the ravines was… Continue reading Birds, The Sun and a Collage
Arts of May 