Birdsong May Auction

Over the course of this pandemic lockdown, I have worked on a multitude of commissions interspersed with fun projects.  By my count, 56 originals have come off the easel since March 9th, the day that the World Health Organization declared this a pandemic. My productivity is largely connected to my mental health, which is always better when I complete (or nearly complete) a project almost every single day.

I’ve reached a point where the number of original works in the studio is nearing the number of gallery canvas prints.  That hasn’t happened in a very long time.  It may have happened a few times when we were in Fort McMurray and the amount of display space was much less than what we have in Birdsong Studio here in Okotoks.

All of that said, it is time to do an auction to clear some space for the productivity that lies ahead during the summer months.  As always, we would like to do some good in the world with our online auctions and that is definitely the case with this one.

As you know, Fort McMurray was our home for 25 years.  That community was dealt another devastating blow at the beginning of May with a one in a hundred year flood.  Folks in Calgary and High River know intimately the impact that water can have on homes and businesses.  Friends, clients and former neighbours suffered incalculable losses and are still cleaning up.  Many people are having to recover and rebuild without help from insurance, as overland flooding is often not covered.  Heather and I have already helped by sending financial support, but we want to do more.  

We will take 10-percent of the sale proceeds from our original works that sell in this auction and personally donate that amount to a charity providing support and relief in Fort McMurray during this difficult time.  

There is one original in the auction that was not created by either of us.  I bought an oil painting from an artist named Kong who was set up in a park near where I was staying in Siem Reap, Cambodia in February.  I felt inspired to support a fellow artist and bring something original home. That painting was professionally restretched and framed by Christine at Paintworks here in Okotoks.  We are putting this item up for auction with proceeds supporting the Covid-19 Relief program launched by Bracelets For Buildings.   The next building program would have normally happened in 2021.  However, the poor people in the rural areas of Cambodia can use our help now.  Covid-19 has devastated their number one industry: tourism.  Hotels, restaurants and attractions are closed and tens of thousands of families are without incomes.  Building homes now will not only help the recipient families, it will help the families of our construction crew members, contractors, and suppliers.  It will have a positive ripple effect that, according our volunteer extraordinaire Ross Mayer, will take a dollar donated and turn it into five.  

The Birdsong May auction begins on Sunday, May 17th at 6 am and goes until Sunday, May 24th at 9 pm MST.  You can register for free, preview all the items, and eventually bid here: https://www.32auctions.com/birdsongmay.