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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-10-14, Page 33777 ® Entertainment *Feature ®Religion *Family ®More GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1987 SECTION 1 4 lin � ( t,; Ctluw. WILLIAM THOMAS Dunnville oil painting sale is a big deal I had to read the flyer several times to feel the full impact of its message: • A Giant Art Show in Dunnville". In Dunnville, This islike reading an ad for front row seats to the premier of the Canadian Na- tional Ballet's Binbrook engagement. When you live in Wainfleet, an oil pain- ting sale in Dunnville is one big deal. It would be like someone from Geralton waking up and finding out there was a tasting of fine wines in Sudbury that very same day. And "Nothing Over $69". It has•been a life-long dream of mine to collect Renoirs and Cezannes for under $69 apiece. I was out of here so fast the car door didn't close until Lowbanks. There's a flat openness to the coun- tryside in old Haldimand that seems to spell honesty in a rural way of life. The roads are wider, the cars move slower and Hamilton and Toronto seem a lot far- ther away than they are. It was a Sunday and the churches, mainly Baptist, were doing a brisk business. Of course the golf 'course I passed looked filled to capacity as well. There you have it — a virtual tie between those who, atone for their sins and those who pefer self-flagulation . with driver and putters. I passed by a large sign that anounced "Stroinness" but I did not see a town. I wondered if -maybe irrsome mad scram- ble of amalgamation, a big city had taken the town but left the sign behind. The pleasantness of ' this Sunday's drive was shattered by reality — a' sign at Dunnville's city limits that declared: "C.U.P.E. on Legal Strike". ' Inside the Dunnville Memorial Arena — Home of The Dunnville Mudcats, 10 old guys go through the motions .of a hockey game. They have no substitutes, few front teeth and a significant shortage of enthusiasm. Last night's popcorn is piled high againstThe glass window of the' canteen. Across the entire lengthof one wall of the arena is spelled the word "Dunn- ville" in five foot letters. Redundancy. nags at me, If you're from Dunnville, you don't need a sign in the arena to tell you you're at home. If you're not trom 'Dunnville then you've ' just driven 40 miles on back roads, been lost three times and arrived in your seat in time to catch the last period of play. You don't need the huge "Dunnville" sign rubbing salt in the wound. If they really wanted to assist '. travellers they'd take the. "Dunnville" sign and put it in downtown Port Dover prefaced by the words "This Is Not ... ' In the hall upstairs the "must be li- quidated", "prices are ridiculous", "shop and compare" art show was in 1 progress. And it wasn't bad, it really wasn't. Any art show that doesn't have a silk screen of Elvis or a wrinkled couple- posing behind a pitchfork gets four stars by me. There were dozens of street scenes with flower vendors in places I recogniz- ed to be Amsterdam, Florence, Cannes and Paris. There were so many paintings ' of Paris' Place Pigalle that I thought if artists really painted what they saw, all these scenes would include bleachers full of other artists painting the Place Pigalle. That's what I was looking for — reali- ty, with a little bit of Dunnville on the side. The eighteenth century lady with her bonnet and parasol by the seashore was nice but I guess what I wanted was a frazzled looking woman dragging her husband by the ear out of his chair at the Queen's Hotel with six draught on the table and the clock showing 'five minutes to closing. There were paintings of deer and pan- da bears and seagulls and lots of mallard ducks but not a mudcat to be found. There were sailing ships and fishing boats and harbour scenes but what I wanted was a full -colour picture of one of the Bastien brothers hauling boxes of filleted perch off their trawler at Port' Maitland, a small bushel of pickerel they take home for themselves sitting off to the side. There must have been two dozen pain- tings of bowls of flowers and fruit but not one of big Elroy in front of Elroy's Market next to the arena grinning from a wooden fold -up chair. There were painted Indians on horseback but what I really wanted was an action portrait of Happy Ort in a 1950's moth-eaten Mudcat uniform, cutting in all alone on a goaltender who'd come too far out of his crease. A little girl building a sand castle off Cape Cod is okay but what I most wanted to see was a 10 -year-old in overalls tvrestling with a 12 -pound catfish in the bull rushes beside the Grand River. I was looking for the soul of Dunnville and what I found was the world in oil — i all for under $69. It wasn't a disaster mind you. I mean the mayor didn't show up to say a few Turn to page 10 • THANKSGIVING e walk on starry fields of white And do not see the daisies; For blessings common in our sight We rarely offer praises. We sigh for some supreme delight To crown our lives with splendor, And quite ignore our daily store Of pleasures sweet and tender. Our cares are bold and push their way Upon our thought and feeling. They hang about us all the day, Our time from pleasure stealing. So unobtrusive many a joy We pass by and forget it, But worry strives to own our lives, And conquers if we let it. There's not a day in all the year But holds some hidden pleasure, And looking back, joys oft appear To brim the past's wide measure. But blessings are like friends, 1 hold, Who love and labor near us. We might to raise our notes of praise Wl`e living hearts can hear as. Full,many a blessing wears the guise t Jorry or of trouble; Farijeeing, is the soul, and wise, Who knows the mask is double. Rut he who has the faith- alid strength To thank his God foto sorrow Has found a joy without alloy TO gladden every morrow. We ought to snake die mro encs notes Of i appy, glid(rilintisgiOffigo. 'hn lCnit3 aibdtl is i ~lint *wee its t g. • nd sed tie t e*l howl s. 41100 grow echo a td oaths; pass Vet us,