Milé and I know that Small Pond is a special place, and we're always touched when others feel the same. Imagine our delight when our friends Elizabeth Fraser and Tom Denton asked if they could get married here! We'd hosted one wedding before so we had a good idea what would be involved, and after a bit of back-and-forthing with the couple, a date was set and planning went full speed ahead! The wedding took place on a sunny September afternoon. I'll let these gorgeous photos by Sweetheart Empire speak for themselves.
Nancy Fraser helps her daughter Elizabeth get ready
After the ceremony, a winding procession through the field... creative mowing thanks to our friend Guy Doucette
Tree-planting ceremony
Pedal-powered music courtesy of James Davis, mastermind behind the Bicycle Music Festival
If there's a puppet show (and there always seems to be) you won't have to look to far to find me
Morning comes to Small Pond...
Zzzzzzz...
We are so grateful that Elizabeth and Tom chose Small Pond to celebrate their wedding with their friends and family around them. This place is now part of the mythology of another great love story. We wish the happy couple a lifetime of love!
As our fourth summer at the farm draws to a close, here's a look back at what we've been up to over the last few months. It's been the best kind of whirlwind, full of art, guests, gardening and creative work of all sorts!
Find your happy place.
In June Milé completed his latest epic painting project, 33 on 33, which took him from one end of the County to the other, plein air painting this beautiful place. The paintings were exhibited at Blizzmax Gallery.
Australian artist Della Jackson works on some paintings in the Art Barn.
In August, the Bicycle Music Festival rolled into town to perform a pedal-powered concert at the farm. Local musician D'Ari Lisle of Nine Mile wrapped up the concert with singing and playing guitar while pedaling to generate all the electricity needed to power his own amplification. Well done, D'Ari!
August also brought us a house full of puppeteers working on our program Shadow Puppetry Plays for Grown-Ups. It's always so great to have this crew here, they are such a fun and talented bunch.
Rick Zimmerman as Professor Murk in The History of Shadows
Guy Doucette and Kat Letwin as Him and Her in Almost
Cast and crew (L to R): Krista Dalby, Craig Morrison, Susanne Larner, Brie Kaduc-Stojsic, Guy Doucette, Kat Letwin, Rick Zimmerman.
We had many, many more guests and resident artists, including painters, puppeteers, musicians and playwrights.
Paul Densmore does some early morning plein-air drawing near the silo.
Our last guests of the season were our dear friends Tamara and David, who enjoyed a mini-vacation camping out in the clearing. David Anderson is a long-time collaborator and co-conspirator, and was a great mentor to me during the four years I worked beside him at Clay & Paper Theatre. By special request, he played some music in our silo as part of our ongoing 'silo sessions.' I just love this song!
