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Danforth East Arts Fair: Meet artist Eric Davy

It’s less than a week until the 2013 Danforth East Arts Fair (DEAF13) in East Lynn Park. There will be dozens of artists offering a range of artwork, gifts, crafts and clothing as well as food, live entertainment and other family fun. In this post, we learn a bit more about Eric Davy of Davy Glass. Davy and his collection of hand-blown colourful glassware were a fan favourite last year, winning the People’s Choice award. He speaks with DEAF13 organizer Shauna Rempel about his inspiration, where his art has taken him and what he thinks about beige.

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1. What is the best way for people to learn more about your work (besides coming to East Lynn Park this weekend)?

I prefer for people to learn more about my art through my website DavyGlass.ca as it gives the broadest scope of the work I make.

2. Please describe your work in 10 words or less.

Hand-blown classical shapes, featuring modern surface design.

3. How did you begin your creative journey? How did it evolve?

I began working with glass at 16, I dropped out (of high school) and apprenticed under Alfred Engerer, who steered me clear of trouble. Later I went to Sheridan College and now nobody asks about high school.

Since then I have worked with artists and in factories all over Canada.

Three years ago I began my own business and doing shows, gathering gallery representation along the way. I am now the featured glass blower at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Macao, China twice a year for two months and the resident glass blower at the Red Barns and Artists Play Ground for three.

4. What inspires you?

I take much of my inspiration from the feelings that certain times of day, in certain settings can conjure — in a word, nature.

5. How is your work different from that of other artists in your field?

I embrace a certain amount of chaos, my work is loud and aggressive. I feel we live in a beige world and we need more accents.

6. Finally, what are you most looking forward to at the Danforth East Arts Fair?

Winning the viewers’ choice competition a second year in a row.

E.J. (Eric) Davy of Davy Glass at work while an artist in residence at the Venetian resort in Macau, China.
E.J. (Eric) Davy of Davy Glass at work while an artist in residence at the Venetian resort in Macau, China.

To learn more about the Danforth East Arts Fair, visit deca-arts.ca/, follow us on Twitter (@Deca_Arts) or find us on Facebook.

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Farmers’ Market: Silly Fun and Cycle Chats

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Did you know that the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market is a certified local market – meaning everything that is sold at the market is actually made by the farmers who are selling to you? DECA partners with Farmers’ Markets Ontario to bring the farmers to our community each week so we can buy the real deal! Hope you’ve been enjoying the fruits of their labour so far this season and continue to support them as we head into this prime harvest season!

The photo contest is still on! Send your best picture that captures the essence of the market to events(at)danfortheastcommunityassociation.com. We’ll repost all the submissions in a few weeks and ask for your help to vote for a winner!

Songs, Stories and Circle Time with Silly Goose Kids

Our pals from Silly Goose Kids will be at the market at 4:30 pm. Talented mother-daughter duo Erika and Sally will run a storytelling session for the wee ones to enjoy! Plus songs and circle time. Check out the poster below for all the details.

Bike Tune-Ups with 32 Spokes

Members of 32 Spokes will be available at the market week for bicycle maintenance, advice, route planning, bike advocacy discussions and general bike-centric chats! They’ll have spare parts and some new tools to play with, along with our friends from Cycle Solutions who will be helping with more technical repairs free of charge.

Fall is the perfect season for bike riding, when the temperatures are not too sweltering nor too cold, so pop along and say hello and they’ll help you keep your ride running smoothly as long into the year as possible!

SGK

The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. between June 6 – October 17 at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave. Stay up to date by visiting the new East Lynn Market Facebook page.

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Dogs, Clean-Ups and Frisbee – our parks rock!

Is there ever any end to the cool things that go on in our local parks?

Clean ups for Earth Day this Saturday!

Merril Park Dog Association Spring Clean!
Saturday, April 20, 2013 10:00 a.m. – noon in Merril Park
Check out their blog to learn more about them!

Councillor McMahon’s Annual Spring Clean-Up – Danforth East
with DECA and the Danforth Mosaic BIA and Councillor Davis!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
2:00 p.m. onward (until it’s clean!)
Meet at East Lynn Park, bring gloves

Councillor Davis’ Clean Up Day
Too many events to list in and around our area, including our join event starting at East Lynn Park at 2:00 p.m. – here is the link to her website: http://www.councillordavis.com/action-centre/1356

Ultimate Frisbee at Stephenson Park! (Main & Danforth Aves)

A word from a local business we just heard from:

Our business is called REC Athletics, we organize and facilitate adult recreational level sports leagues. We are starting out our 2013 season with an Ultimate Frisbee league, operating on Wednesday nights @ Stephenson Park. The spring season will commence on May 15, 2013 running until end of June, with a skills workshop, and scrimmage being held on May 5, 2013. Our summer season will begin early July, running through until the end of August. We are also working with the city on some plans to include a fall season that would operate through September and October.


Registrations are happening quickly, but we still have several spots remaining for both team, and individual registrants. People can visit our website (www.recatheltics.com) for more information or to register! We will be launching a new website June 1st, this will better serve our customers and our business with a more efficient registration and payment system. Also people are encouraged to visit and “Like” our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/RecAthletics) to remain updated with all the happenings REC Athletics!

DECA is on Twitter @DECADiaries – help us get to 300 followers! Tell your friends!
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Skating this weekend

If you have not already heard, tomorrow (Sunday) is Councillor Janet Davis’ 10th Annual Skating Party

Sunday, February 10th
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
East York Memorial Arena
888 Cosburn Avenue

Cookies, face painting, crafts and of course skating.

Kids under 6 need to wear a helmet.

Speaking of skating, if you are around East Lynn Park this weekend and can help to shovel off the rink, our sources tell us that a bit of elbow grease is needed to get the rink back to skatability.

This just in: “skatability” is now a word.

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At the Market this week: Green thumbs of little ones

This week at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market!

Garden Jane: 

Garden Jane will be on hand to teach kids how to make compost tea and red wriggler homes for worm composting.  For more information on what this dynamic garden educator does, check out her website.

A family affair… 

Like many of the farmers who bring their produce to East Lynn Park each week, Larry Short of Sun Ray Orchards comes from a long line of farmers. He now runs the Beamsville farm that his great-grandfather ran and lives a farmhouse built in 1830 with his wife Tammy and their five children. You can’t miss them, just look for the tent filled with red heads.

Larry is always interested new and challenging ways to keep youth interested in farming. That’s why he involves all five of his children in the farming operations – whether it be picking the tomatoes, helping produce the baked goods and jams, or coming to help sell at the market; and, it seems to be working.  Larry says that his children are already excited to see what they can plant on their own next year.

So if you’re looking for some berries, peaches, watermelon, pies, jams, cider, or even a little parenting advice on keeping children interested in farming, check out Sun Ray Orchards.

Come see us! 

If you haven’t stopped by the DECA tent lately, you should.  You can find out about our upcoming DECA events, including the Arts Fair, Applemania and Harvestfest.  You can also pick up one of the colourful DECA t-shirts that we have for sale. If you live in the DECA borders, please consider getting or renewing a membership for $10 per household. We’re your neighbours, so you can even come and just say “hi”!

DECA’s borders are Monarch Park Ave to Mortimer/Lumsden to Main St down to the train tracks. To learn more about DECA please visit our website.

The East Lynn Farmer’s Market runs every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. between June-October at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave.

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Danforth East Arts Fair: Joan Jamieson of Norrie and Hank

In our series of artist profiles leading up the Danforth East Arts Fair, writer Shauna Rempel introduces us to Joan Jamieson of kid-friendly Norrie and Hank.

Jamieson spent 30 years as an elementary school teacher, so she has a good sense of what children like. The local artist also been sewing for 50 years and that experience is easy to see with Norrie and Hank, the imaginary friends behind a line of clothing, playthings and accessories for kids that puts new and repurposed fabric to good use.

In a unique twist, Jamieson chooses trims and embellishments from the trunk full of fabric she inherited from her mother, who was an avid quilter. “I combine these treasures with repurposed clothing, linens and other notions to create things that are comfortable for kids to wear and fun for them to play with.”

Baby boots fashioned from a lambswool sweater, felted to be extra soft and washable

For the Danforth East Arts Fair, Jamieson is focusing on three types of items. First, she’s making accessories for young children including soft fleece-lined baby boots, hats and mittens. Jamieson’s second focus is on fun, functional clothing that will grow with the kids, such as dresses that can later be worn as tunics. “I like to make things that can last several years,” Jamieson says. She’s also making playthings such as vintage-style hand kites. Included in this third category are a trio of playmats intended for preschool and school aged children to use while playing with toys. The playmats are designed to fold up into a messenger bag with a pocket so kids can tote their treasures with them. Take note, DECA fans, one mat is decorated with Toronto landmarks, including a representation of the East Lynn Farmers’ Market!

A pirate jacket that isn’t just a costume. It’s a functional jacket made from men’s pants and fully lined with what used to be a plaid flannel shirt.

The best part about Norrie and Hank? Most of Jamieson’s items are partly made with repurposed fabric so you can teach your kids about recycling while kitting them out with unique and fashionable items!

Joan Jamieson’s wares, which range in price from $10 to $100, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 15 & 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.deca-arts.ca or check out Facebook or Twitter.