yesterday i visited the cloutie tree for the first time since last december. it's in a very exposed area,open to the strong winds coming over the mountains or off the ocean. but i was still amazed at how much "fraying" had taken place. most of the chiffon strips were reduced to the tiny knots where i had tied them to the tree. the words had floated away. only 4 words were left: heart, joy, laughter and complete. the tree is leaving me a strong message...

i've spent the past week sorting and discarding and re-arranging and cleaning and painting my studio. last night i finished it off and this morning i start with a blank canvas.

the older i get (and yes, another birthday is coming up this week), the more i think about my ancestors. particularly the women. what do we share? what strengths and weaknesses? and what am i passing on? this piece is about two of my ancestors in particular. emma louisa (my great great grandmother on my father's side,) was a young aristocratic protestant british girl who fell in love with with a catholic irish soldier and immigrated to the wilds of northern ontario. what we do for love... and agnes, my great grandmother on my mother's side (in the photo) from edinburgh, scotland, widowed at a young age with three children and started up a shop on high street. agnes also died young and my grandmother took over the shop and the care of her two young brothers when she was only 16. this piece is about these women.their strength and fragility. the women who made me.

i'm delighted to announce the arrival of my new website! http://www.shawnohagan.ca/ thanks to the very talented matthew hollett (www.matthewhollett.com) who, with ease and insight, gave me everything i needed.

some major changes happening in the studio this week. it was a long dark winter and i'm craving light. so yesterday i had a beautiful large efficient window installed to replace the old slider. today i hope to start painting the studio a crisp white and will get some soft track lighting in.then i will let out a deep breath and get to work. in a couple of weeks time there will be apple blossoms and honeysuckle just outside my window.

                              deconstructing a lovely piece of vintage french lace

                beginning with big decisions and small steps in "midnight garden".