Midsummer Magic

A cordial invitation to fairy followers near and far to join us for Midsummer Magic at Sovereign House, featuring paintings from The Illustrated Fairy Gazettes and Posy's Fairy Wardrobe.


This is merely a flutter away for some of us, across the 12-Mile Creek bridge in Bronte and down West River Street. There is a path through a fairy glade to Sovereign house, overlooking the lake.


Mazo de la Roche, author of The White Oaks of Jalna books, lived in this house from 1910 to 1915.


Saved from demolition by the Town of Oakville and the Bronte Historical Society in 1988 and modestly renovated with the addition of gallery space on the ground floor, it retains a quiet charm and is the perfect place for art shows.


This is the fourth year that we have hosted Midsummer Magic, and every year we have been graced by the presence of would-be fairies with best dresses, little flowered sandals and, of course, wings.

A Fairy Path

The deluge of new work is upon us and I have to separate myself from distractions for a time, like the little maid in this endpaper from my copy of Louisa May Alcott's An Old Fashioned Girl. But there is time for a walk first....
Despite the encroaching suburbs the woodlands are still to be found along the creeks and deep ravines. We went for a long walk in our nearby provincial park, where in a short while masses of trilliums and trout lilies will appear.


We started into the tall woods




following the edge of the ravine









then down the sloping trail
to the creek










for a stroll along the sunny banks





before starting home again,










to the fairies (in whose company time seems beckoningly elastic). As a child I bought every paper doll available in the local book stores. Now I design for Posy, her models and their wardrobes, for our Illustrated Fairy Gazettes.