My latest rant:  It was a windy day - I confess.  And the march up and down Midshipman had done little to quell my feverish mind.  So by the time my friend happened to bump into me on the last stretch before the corner to my house, I was still burning with words that had not managed to be tugged out of my head by the wind!

A patient woman - she stood and listened.

We ended with an agreement to make crowns for her upcoming birthday.

Sadly we didn't, some ideas need preparation to be born….but my topic that day has still been gestating in my mind...

Summer: heavy humid air, searing sun, sultry ocean, creating a weight of time.  Many people have left to escape the heat or to explore new places, to vacation, take a break from the familiar.

When friends start to return I am interested how alive they seem, as if the
perfume of their vacation has vivified their soul and they still wear the
fragrance.  A fresh perspective, a time out or an adventure into something new,
will create that energy.

This summer, I have not gone away.  I have stayed to work on projects and
explore the peculiar state of being a childless mother...

I have known the Grand Bahama artist, Claudette Dean for a few years now, and I am always struck by her quiet intelligence.  It seems this ability to observe humanity through her warm eyes translates well onto the canvas as her success as an artist has grown from strength to strength.  A piece of her work has been purchased by the National Gallery of the Bahamas and is now part of their permanent collection - impressive for the Canadian born, who is now a true true Bahamian.  Exhibiting since 1993, Dean has exhibited in the Bahamas, the U.S.A and Canada.

With her Art Show, "Lumiere" running presently at the Freeport Art Centre, from April 25th 2008 until May 17th 2008, I stole sometime to ask the artist a few questions to offer us a peek of her vision of the world.......art and otherwise.....

Chantal Bethel is a woman whose bright spirit is immediately apparent in her eyes. Petite, well dressed and with a passion for earrings that betray her artistic passion, she is recognised as one of Grand Bahamas finest artists.

With a long and colourful resume she is well established in The Bahamas and has a well earned international reputation.

I went to her studio to have a sneak preview prior to her January 2008 show- “Paradise?”

This cold front is a shock!   Yesterday was beautiful, an impossible fusion of cool air, warm sun and endless blue sky. But today with the grey I am reminded of my home land. The children and I will be returning to Scotland for Christmas.   I am not sure my sun supine body is ready for frigid cold and dark!

However, the anticipation of freezing weather reminds me about the artistic possibilities in a cold climate.

Ms Smilla’s Feeling for Snow By Pete Hoeg, is a beautiful book, in which it is explained that the eskimo language has innumerable words to describe the many different states and nuances of snow...

Slavery is an immense topic. As an artist, I was challenged to find a point of reference in my life to explore when asked to participate in an art show that had this theme. I have lived an incredibly privileged life, the only ‘slavery’ I can imagine experiencing is my own dark thoughts and self deprecation, and the seeming endless slavery to possessions, money, power, and image that is the unrecognised plight of Western society at the cost of our environment (and souls). However widespread and communal this “mental slavery” may be, here in the relative ease of a ‘free’ Bahamas, this is NOT in any way comparable to the horrors of the slave trade and slavery.

On Friday, November 9th 2007, over two hundred people attended the opening night of Freedom Call at the Glory Harris Banks Gallery at The Bahamas National Trust Rand Nature Centre . This art exhibition commemorated the 200th Anniversary of the British Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and it was an amazing event, with songs, dance, poetry and speeches - an event that will be recorded in the history of this island...

I was no longer satisfied with a vicarious life. Instead of reading about Argentina I wanted to GO to Argentina. Instead of reading about a heroine- I wanted to BE the heroine in my own life. Instead of reading about other artists I wanted to BE an artist. I wanted the conversation with God, not read someone elses!

Today feels like another moment like that. There is something so cerebral about reading and writing.   SO clinical and somewhat dry, not truly expressing the messy wetness of life, even with a weighty thesaurus or dictionary. In this column, I want to share my passion for art, but suddenly the words seem so very lacking...

It’s that time of year, when my children have left for the summer, to spend time with their Dad in Canada.  I confess I find it hard.  Not only do I miss them, but I realise that part of the ache and disorientation I feel is due to the shift from being ‘mum’ to Susan.  Being ‘Mum’ requires my constant attention; the day runs on a schedule punctuated by the needs of my two children. Without them, the world tips and I have to rediscover my sense of self.

I have a friend who likes to ask challenging questions. “Who are you?” is a favourite...