Dear Editor:
The Osoyoos & District Arts Council thanks Spirit Ridge Vineyard Spa and Resort and its “Festival of the Trees” for a wonderful opportunity for the arts council to pull together all its members to work on a collaborative project.
Early last year we choose a theme and potters, quilters, Kids Art, painters, residents of Country Squire, photographers, writers and arts council board members started making plans.
The Osoyoos Quilt Guild supplied a tree skirt and got started the earliest.
In April, they began crafting a variety of angels for the theme, “Angels Among Us.” And what a variety of angelic decorations those ladies whipped up!
The O’s Own Writers, who have taken it upon themselves to produce the garland for the tree, chose lines from carols and songs that included references to angels, starting with “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
Hand-painted on wide gold and silver ribbon, the garland went on the tree right after the lights and set up the spaces in which to tuck the angels.
The Osoyoos Potters worked together in the pottery studio, crafting the forms of a variety of charming angels.
Then began the lengthy process of drying, applying bisque, firing, glazing and firing again and perhaps again.
This was a long creative process that produced many very lovely ornaments.
Artists on Main led a group of artists from Country Squire in workshops to produce a range of ornaments for the arts council’s “Festival of the Trees” entry.
Their use of natural materials, such as this year’s pine cones, is always a charming addition to the tree. Pine cone angels. They really put a smile on your face.
Angels also appeared made from doilies, coffee filters, lace and ribbon. There was a cute angel choir complete with songbooks, wallpaper angels with gold harps, a Madam Butterfly angel in full song, a tarnished angel, a pigtail angel and teen angels.
You give the arts council associates a theme to work with and away they go.
The arts council is grateful to have had a generous donor purchase the use of a tree for our entry to “Festival of the Trees” for the past three years. Our supporters love the challenge presented when our theme is chosen and we can go to work.
Board of directors
Osoyoos & District Arts Council
