Martha's Garden

Two weeks ago at our Jack Purcell Community Centre watercolour workshop, Martha brought in some beautiful honeysuckle from her garden. Then last week, she brought in some incredibly pink peonies that her neighbour had given her.

Omer de Serres leaves Centretown

I was the last customer at Omer de Serres as it closed its Bank Street store for the final time on May 31st. I knew the 31st was their last day ... however I didn't know they were closing 1/2 hour early. So when I arrived around 5pm, I thought there were a lot of last minute bargain seekers milling around the store ... turned out they were movers. So much for my observational skills!

I bought a 4x6 pocket sketchbook, moleskine style, house brand. Over the past few weeks, they had been giving away coupons with each purchase .... $5 off at their new store. Since I was the last customer, they gave me a whole bunch of them, which I'll pass on to my artist friends this week.

Their new store opens June 6th at the St-Laurent shopping centre. There's been an art supply store at Bank x McLeod for decades ... E-Z Art for a long time; then Loomis & Toles (I think they bought out E-Z Art); Loomis & Toles was bought out by Omer de Serres. Although in recent years, they had been getting heavier into crafts and scrapbooking (at the expense of fine art supplies), I will really miss having Omer de Serres in walking distance. Fortunately, Wallacks Art Supplies is still in walking distance. They've been on Bank Street since 1927 or something like that ... hope they stick around!