Red is our favourite colour.

When I was  little  my dad used to dress me in bright red rain-gear when we walked on our beach

up north.When I was about seven we hiked the west - coast trail for the first time. Again.. I wore bright red sweaters and clothing. My first gore tex parka was red. My back-pack too.

So was our land-cruiser. The kayak was also was red come to think of it. 

I used to assume that vivid red was just his favourite colour. It was and still is. Then he told me that he dressed me that way for visibility in remote areas we spent a lot of time in. He liked being able to spot me in the landscape easily. It gave me the  freedom to wander further.

I thought that was a bit silly.

I really do love red. And I also like being able to spot our girl in the landscape easily. She  likes to wander ahead you see.

'Your World Dolls' brought to you by Angel-Blue

All of these photographs were taken by our 10 year old .Except the one of her setting up a shot.I took that one.The following words are hers.They are in response to an ad campaign that arrived with Owl magazine in the mail.The advertising was selling Maplelea dolls .They sell for about $100.00 per doll.The clothing and what-not is also very costly.They are nothing special. Designed in Canada.Just plastic dolls manufactured in China like so many other dolls.Except these dolls have a VERY seductive ad campaign.

So seductive in fact that lots of little girls save up their money, and beg hard-working parents to spend hard earned money on these things.

Our child watched children be pulled in by this advertising.Then she asked me if it was possible to make inexpensive things "popular".I told her that with the right advertising nearly anything can be sold.( Don't I know it.)

She reasoned that her old dolls were really just as beautiful and should be made fashionable ,so that all children could afford the popular thing.

So here it is, our 10 year old's advertising campaign for second-hand dolls, that anyone can afford :

'Your World Dolls' are dolls that range from $2.00-$7.00 each.You can find them anywhere almost.Garage sales and secondhand stores have them.With 'Your World Dolls' you can make set-ups like you never dreamed of.

Imagine you and your doll are in your magical world.What do you do together ?

Please write and tell me the adventures you have had with your doll.

Because these are  'Your World Dolls' , they don't come with pre-made personalities or any stuff.You will have to get or make the stuff yourself.The dolls always come with the out-fit they are wearing .It will be up to you to change it somehow.And you will  also have to make up a personality for it.

This months adventure that is photographed is titled "Down by the Bay"

Rosaminda,Gina,Ellana and Luna go down to the bay to play.Luna and Rosaminda ran off to play while the grown-ups set up the pic-nic.After lunch Rosalinda feeds the fire.They decide to camp at the beach.Everyone is happy to feel the warmth of friendship as well as the warmth of the fire.

Luna sips hot-chocolate and watches the fire burn.

Ellana likes to wander off and think.She wandered off a little too far and got trapped by the tide.For a moment she swore she saw a mermaid splash.

Gina got in a boat to save her.At the end of the day they sat by the fire.They are getting ready for a new day full of new adventures.

As you can see ,you can make an adventure practically for free, and the total cost of my dolls was 

Rosaminda -$7.00

Gina-$7.00

Ellana-$6.00

Luna-$5.00  

that is  $25.00 in total.So there is no need to spend a lot of money to have fun.

Yan Tan Tethera

Yan Tan Tethera :

It's meaning is ancient and simple.It is pre-roman english for : one-two-three.They would count the sheep, and put a notch in their stick to keep track of them.
Like the yarn and hats themselves,ancient yet modern.From a time that wasn't.An old method.A new twist.
One,two, three.Count the sheep.One two three.Count the stitches.
No pattern, each one unique .A bond between two species,spinning and dancing..one,two three.

   Artist statement excerpt  from Jane Ellerington of Yan Tan Tethera

photography by gina-rae horvath
Model   A.B.

Trevor "loaned" me this boat at Ford cove

One freezing cold March day I went to Ford cove for a coffee,  and I saw this great little boat.I wanted to know who owned it,so I started asking around about it. A few folks wondered why I was so interested in this particular boat. I explained that I really wanted it for a photo-shoot ..hopefully that day.

Trevor asked me to show him the boat I wanted..so I pointed it out to him.He said "sure, by all means.enjoy your shoot.just put it back when you're done".  "Great,thank-you so much" I said.

Angel-Blue patiently suffered through another cold day shoot for me.

I put the boat the boat carefully away, and took my model back to the "cove" store for some hot chocolate.

Trevor was still there sipping his coffee, so I thanked him profusely for the use of his boat.

He smiled broadly and told me that it wasn't his boat.

Everyone laughed. I think of Trevor every time I look at those small boats down at the "cove".

I still have no idea who owns this boat.And I still miss seeing Trevor down at Ford cove.

Small island stuff that makes me smile..

With so many e-things in the hands of children,it makes me happy that this crappy old bike tire brings so much joy.

245 Carlaw...24 years ago..It was empty

 I had the first Studio in that building.You see, one time I broke into the place to find a cool location to do a shoot.I was wandering around when I bumped into Adam Krehm,and Jonathon,the owners.After reprimanding me for about two minutes ( because I sort of busted  a window ),Adam and I started to chat.He couldn't believe that I loved the place so much.He  offered to build me a studio, but only if they could show it to future potential renters.  So...in the fairly deep pigeon shit, we drew out a 40x40 studio plan..And it was built.I moved in .The building  was completely empty except for myself ,Randalls' Fine Art black and white lab, and a bunch of pigeons.. At night it was a bit scary to be  there.Sometimes if I left the windows open the pigeons would fly in to nest..I liked them sitting behind me on my half-wall.Then they started shitting on my prints.It took about a year for them to move on.And then I missed them.

One time when the upper floor was not being heated ,the water pipes burst. I came home to find fire trucks out front  and  a fast river running down the stairwell to the front entrance.I ran in while the firemen yelled at me to STOP.I ran up the stairs ,knee deep in water to rescue my newly purchased  lighting  gear.The idea of loosing it to a burst pipe was too much for my young mind.Fortunately the concrete floors were about 100 years old and had been heavily used .There were gentle pathways that somehow coaxed the water to flow away from my studio doors.

My studio and contents were safe and dry.

After that the entire building was heated normally.  245 Carlaw became a creative hot-spot for the next 20 years or so.It was full of commercial photographers, and a few fine arts types.Then it became a bit gentrified and many moved on.I stayed in that building till 2002.It was a wonderful time.

Fairy-Tale imagery leaked into my commercial work frequently...

It's hard to say exactly when I began shooting the Fairy-Tale series.It appears to be a long time ago.These are a few out-takes from the Juans'. Advertising 

campaign.I loved shooting for this company because they always wanted me to move beyond the commercial a bit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Designs and styling by Pam Chorley of Fashion Crimes.Hair and Make-up by Rocco Campanaro and the creative team at Axcess.The cute white pony was brought in from a farm  for the day... that little pony probably hated Toronto now that I think about it.He was such a friendly little guy,and all the models fell in love with him.We were so sad when he happily stepped into his trailer to go home.