ART SPOT: TYLLUAN O'SINEND

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4287 Highway 1, Berwick | 902-375-3033 | jonnysberwick.com ART SPOT: TYLLUAN O’SINEND

In a few sentences, please tell us about yourself:

My name is Tylluan and I am of Gaelic heritage. I’m very lucky to have found myself a home here in Wolfville. It is a beautiful place and I am very inspired by the gorgeous scenery and the vibrant artistic community. I use art as therapy, to brighten up my day and keep myself in a positive state of mind. I have a disability which is challenging and it prevents me from doing a lot of things but art I can do and so I indulge in it to my heart’s content.

What is your artistic medium? how did you come to this style?

I’ve always been creative and experimental. One day I was making background scenery for a puppet theatre and I was using everything I had lying around, old drawings, things cut out from old magazines—of course now I know it’s actually an art form called collage. I soon enjoyed making the collages more than puppets and so that’s how it all began. I love bright colours and cheerful scenes, nature, and the ocean. I amuse myself and I hope in the process other folk might smile when they look at one of my pieces. I love kids and you can tell from my art that I view the world with a childish wonderment— something I’m glad I never lost when I grew up.

Where do you work and where can we find your work?

I work at home but my ambition is to have my own studio and invite others to join me in having fun with creativity: my own makery! In the meantime, the Wolfville library is the only place you’ll see it.

At what point did you describe yourself as an artist? at what time of day do you work on your art?

I don’t really call myself an artist. I would say I am a creative person who goofs around and has fun and hopes that the end result turns out alright. If I call myself an artist, I am now expected to sell my work, making art with selling it in mind, and then there it goes out the window, all the freedom and fun I enjoy in the creative process. Pressure like that is counterproductive I find. I work on creative things any time of day depending on my level of enthusiasm. I believe that if you love doing something and its good for you then you should give yourself permission to do it every day!

Why art? Why your art? Art allows me to express my appreciation of this beautiful world. My style reflects my personality—I don’t take myself too seriously, where’s the fun in that?

Works by Tylluan O’Sinend are on display at the Wolfville Memorial Library, 21 Elm Avenue, throughout January and February.

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A Glorious Day at Bent Ridge What gets us through the cold winter months is thinking about our favourite summer destinations in the Valley, such as Bent Ridge Winery. Sandra and I love their decor, which has a sunny, Mediterranean flavour. My painting hangs in our kitchen where it greets us every morning with the memory of a warm June day. Ron Lightburn’s art cards are now available at Tides Gallery, R.D. Chisholm, and the Kings County Museum in Kentville; The Port Pub, and Sea Level Brewing in Port Williams; and Saunders Tartans & Gifts in New Minas.

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ank you to our valued gu ts for your continued su ort, p ially this past year! We a r iate each and every one you and look forward to serving you for many years to come!

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THE CHRISTMAS STAR Kathy France

Dear Diary,

Well, um...don’t really know what to say. It’s been...I mean…wow I mean it’s been a hell of a year like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of year a lot happened a lot of it bad some of it good but a lot to take in

Like in January Australia caught fire and that pretty much dominated the news for weeks but then this thing cropped up in China but early days I was like “So what?” It didn’t really matter because Prince Harry and Megan exited the Royal family and settled in Canada and England brexited the EU And a president got impeached And then Covid forced China to shut down a province of millions and I was like “Whoa….”

In February, Harvey Weinstein went to jail and I was like “Yay!” But then the WHO confused everyone by calling the new virus Corona-19, which had a lot of people talking about how Coronas 1 thru 18 were no biggie so this too would pass, just another flu.

In March, Corona settled in Canada Italy shut its whole country down and we officially had a pandemic uniting the world in fear And then Weinstein got corona and I was like “No!!” I don’t want him to die I want him to sit in a cell for a really long time” and then he got better and I was like “Yay!” And then everything shut down and toilet paper became a hot commodity while the stock market plunged

In April, Zoom became a thing while taking showers and putting on actual clothes didn’t And then the Pentagon showed us videos of UFOs but nobody noticed cause they were too busy noticing PPE, ICU and ventilator shortages Then researchers created AI software that can evolve without human interference There were no shortages of anxiety and I was like “Wah!”

In May, We got locust storms and murder hornets and I was like “What? No way!” And then the cops were way out of line, and a knee to the throat of George Floyd sparked mass protests around the world and I was like “I wonder if tolerance and justice will spread like a pandemic?” But then the Karens came out, clutching their pearls, and I was like “Really?”

In June People started pushing back against lockdowns and I thought “No way, it’s too soon, let’s all be careful” And then a dead whale washed up in the middle of the Amazon rain forest and an asteroid passed damn close to the earth but we didn’t even see it coming because we were too busy watching the Black Lives Matter movement take flight Meanwhile, wearing masks and following rules became political and Facebook wars erupted over selfish people vs sheep and I was like “Come ON can’t we just get on with it and get along?” But the Proud Boys and gun activists got behind the Karens and the China-bashing and everything looked about to fly apart and then scientists said they’d discovered a mysterious mass at the earth’s heart and I was like “Don’t EVEN!! Just leave it alone!!” But THEN they discovered a mysterious, repeating radio signal coming from a distant part of the universe and I was like “Don’t talk to aliens! Stay 6 million miles apart” And then New Zealand’s Prime Minister wowed us with her humanity, proving you can be a politician and honest and smart too. Who knew? All the while, people in my neighbourhood were so bored that garden boxes became the new toilet paper And I was like “Nice…” In July I was just tired, like can’t this year just be over but no we got Meth-gators AND flying snakes and Kanye West decided to run for president and now anybody can be president, you don’t need to know anything

But in August the experts said you gotta know about climate change cause we now got a firenado wrecking havoc and you gotta care about economics cause Beirut just blew up because big business and government were too cheap and corrupt to deal with proper storage of highly flammable material.

And then in September Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and women got nervous because the world seems to be walking backwards

But in October Trump got Covid and I was like “Yay!” but then he said “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life” which was kind of dumb as that’s what it had been doing for the last SEVEN months and I miss hugs with friends so I was glad in

November when Trump got voted out whew! Well maybe whew, he’s not gone yet. Then monoliths started appearing and disappearing all around the world And I was like “Cool”

Now it’s December and I sit by the ocean, looking up at the night sky, looking up past the street lamps, past the 5G wavelengths and the StarLink satellites, past all human activity, past our fears and squabbles, up at the Christmas Star, the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn And it really is great It comforts me in what has been a dreadful year for Nova Scotians: Canada’s worst mass shooting, the loss of a local Snow Bird pilot, the loss of 6 Halifax-based Canadian Armed Forces members in a helicopter crash and, just last week, the loss of 6 fishermen at sea. And Covid hanging over all When the sadness gets hold of me, I reflect on my 2020 hero, a Nova Scotian pilot who, after each tragedy and without fanfare or even announcing it, secretly flew his little private plane on a flight path that traces a heart over each Nova Scotia community grieving for the loss of its members. That flight plan unites the province in community, binds us together That flight plan gives me hope. I see, on the horizon, a vaccine I see a social lesson that asserts Silence is Violence A pandemic lesson that affirms a One Health approach which acknowledges the interconnectedness of human, animal and ecosystem health A global lesson that we are all in this together, whatever “this” is.

And that’s the magic and beauty of the Christmas Star

Spoken word by Kathy France, artistic director of Caravan Theatre

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WHO’S WHO BURTON L. RUSSELL: MISTER VALLEY SPORTS Mike Butler

I am going to start my 2021 Who's Who roster with someone who embodies two of my favourite things: community and history. Now, these qualities barely scratch the surface when describing Burton L. Russell but they're a great start. Burton L. Russell is so Valley-famous that an introduction seems almost pointless, but I love writing introductions so I'm going to do it anyway. Burton is a preserver of Valley history, something that is a lost art in my mind, and over the years Burton has produced an incredible wealth of historic Valley literature both pleasing to the mind and to the heart. His connections are vast, his legacy is immense, and his love of community goes above and beyond what I can only hope to achieve. After a very tumultuous 2020 for many, when the world was turned upside down and most didn't know what to do, where to turn, or how to adapt, Burton reminded us of how reflecting on the past can give us a better sense of self in the present and made us look to the future with a more positive outlook. This is a very special man and a Valley treasure. I am both proud and honoured to begin my 2021 Grapevine Who's Who writing assignments with the one and only Burton L. Russell.

Burton L. Russell is a well-educated man, in both schooling and in life. Experience is part of education and this man has lived more in his lifetime than most. Burton spent his first nine grades at Upper Church Street School in Chipman Corner and then completed grades 10 through 12 at KCA, graduating in 1954. He received his BA and BEd from Acadia University in 1957 and 1958. He also holds diplomas in physical educational and supervision from the province's Department Of Education.

"I spent nine years at Cornwallis District and Central Kings schools teaching English and physical education," Says Burton, "and for the last 25 years of my teaching career (19681993), I taught high school English at KCA, with 15 of those years also coaching the KCA hockey team and ten of those years coaching senior boys softball with a highlight being named Coach of the Year on two occasions in the Valley High School Hockey League."

Since 1972, Burton has written 13 books focusing on the history of sports in the Annapolis Valley with emphasis on hockey and baseball. His latest literary endeavour, entitled Down Memory Lane: Highlights of Kentville's Sports is a treasure trove for any sports enthusiast and lover of Valley history: 418 pages of incredible Valley sports facts and stories with many nostalgic photos to accompany them. I encourage you all to pick up a copy of the book, by contacting Burton at the information below or stopping by R.D. Chisholms in Kentville, and become absorbed in a history that I have a deep connection to. I was not the most sports-minded fella but growing up in Kentville, sports was a thriving activity for so many. My father, Everett Butler, owned and operated Everett's Sporting Goods in Kentville , with many other locations in the province and he also played a multitude of sports so Burton has generously honoured my dad with photos and mentions in his book. Peek closely at page 377, you might recognize someone!

"For the past five decades," comments Burton, "I concentrated on the writings of several major sports at the Nova Scotia level. I also wrote two books about Acadia University and with the opening of the Kentville Museum Society, I thought a book about Kentville Sports may be timely. Since the age of 11, I have been gathering scrapbooks and albums of Nova Scotia athletes and individuals in the sports world (from 1946-2020) and at nearly 75 years, I'm still going strong with this hobby. I devote at least two hours a day to NS sports history projects with the hopes of writing the next great anthology."

While engaging in his love of sports and history are the driving factors for his books, Burton also commented that one of the best rewards in this hobby are the many friendships, relationships, and sports discussions that have stemmed from his research. And the accolades have been pretty amazing, as well, including being named to the Acadia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and to the Maritime Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Anyone who has encountered Burton is never shy of singing his praises and if I ever thought I was a busy man, Burton has certainly put that to shame with how many activities he's been a part of. Through history we learn and grow and change and Burton has contributed so much historical information to various athletic associations across the province over the years. He served for thirty years as statistician for the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League and first and foremost, all historical facts aside, Burton has been Valley sports' biggest fan for seven-plus decades and that, in itself, is worth all the praise.

For questions, comments, book inquiries and more, you can contact Burton at burtonrussell0@gmail.com, or pop by R.D. Chisholms, Kentville and pick up a copy of Down Memory Lane for your reading pleasure. It's never too late to be a part of history! And to Burton, Mister Valley Sports, I bid the best for the new year. May it be filled with peace, joy, and many more facts and stories for the next great book. Thank you for being YOU! ❧