All Through the Shopping

For many people, Christmas is about shopping and buying presents for all their loved ones. I almost got sucked in this year, as I browsed the Zellers toy section looking for a Barbie radio. Nothing. I thought, "hmm, where might I find such a thing?" but then quickly caught myself and vowed not to add to the carbon output of Canada by traveling from store to store looking for a plastic toy.

That said, I am running around town promoting the Affordable Art Fair at the gallery. 120 original works by local artists, all under $200. Each of these items holds a tremendous amount of energy, wild flowing artistic energy that continues to ooze out of the work for many many years. The same can't be said for that plastic Barbie radio. I realized that shopping can be a wonderful addition to the Christmas season because you can delight in finding the perfect personal gift for the people closest to you. The art of giving has its own energy. Done well, it makes everyone feel joyful. It's only the stress of line-ups, hot malls, traffic jams and cranky clerks or shoppers that spoils it. This is the best reason to come to the gallery and do your shopping there. We're much more relaxed. The Affordable Art Fair runs until Dec. 12.