Shavasana Gallery & Café will be open this coming weekend – Sat. Mar. 22 until Mon. 24

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We are trying something new at Shavasana Gallery & Café!

Nancy Wells, who has been baking most of the delicious goodies!😋, found at Shavasana for the past year is coming on board to open up the Gallery Café, during my slower season, when I am typically only over one weekend per month. As things tend to evolve organically at Shavasana, this is an experiment for both Nancy and I, to bring this warm, cozy & inviting space to Mayne Islanders on a more regular, or semi-regular basis, between October and May, before I begin my regular weekly schedule. Nancy is very creative with her selection of baked goodies so come on down and see what’s on offer!

From the photos: Date Squares, Butter Tarts, Orange Coffee Cake, Sesame Bagels, Chocolate and Walnut Dunkers, Cranberry Orange Squares (and other items not pictured: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pear Cake, Cupcakes, and Oatmeal & Raisin Cookies) are but a few of the delicious goodies coming out of Nancy’s kitchen😋

Nancy will be there this coming weekend – Sat. March 22, Sun. 23, and Mon.24, with our usual hours of 9am – 4pm (except Sunday 10:15 – 4).

Please drop in to say hi to Nancy!

Cheers!

George

Shavasana Gallery & Café will be open next weekend – with extended hours: Fri. Nov. 29, Sat. 30th, Sun. Dec. 1st, & Mon. the 2nd

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Here we are – the last few weeks of Fall, as we head into winter. It’s chilly, wet, and overcast – a perfect time to come to Shavasana Gallery & Café for a little warmth, art, tunes & hot coffee! I’m coming over from the big bad metropolis for the much needed, soothing balm of the lovely people & chill vibe of Mayne Island.🏝️🙏

As now seems to be my slower season routine, I’m coming over – at least one weekend per month – to open up, turn on the heat & the music, scare away the spiders, and put on a couple of pots of Mayne Island’s finest coffee (if I do say so myself😄) A little Saltspring dark & Ethical “Lush” medium for the java inclined and a great selection of tea, for those able to eschew the over-caffeinated pull of “the bean.”

We still have a great exhibit of art on the walls – with over 8 island artists maintaining their presence at Shavasana Gallery with over 30 works of art on display.

Please come on by – it would be great to see you!

George Bathgate

Curator/Barista/Artist

Shavasana Gallery & Café

Let the Summer Hours Begin!

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OK, I might be a little optimistic to call them “summer hours” when, as I write this on April 30, it’s only 8 degrees outside, overcast and threatening rain…but I’m optimistic!

The Fall/Winter/Spring-ish season was good, managed to keep the hearth fires alive by coming over once or twice each month to open up, stir the embers, throw another log on the flames, and visit with my Mayne Island chums. The slower season also gave me more time to hang out with my partner Cathy, and with my Vancouver family, which includes my new grandson Mateo…he’s a cutie!

Mateo slurping a popsicle on a recent visit to Saltspring Island

May is also the beginning of our new show at Shavasana Gallery…the show is called “Island Eclectic” and features 9 of Mayne Islands most talented & creative artists. I am thrilled to be hosting & exhibiting their assembled brilliance😎…here’s a poster made recently by one of their talented lot – Bill Maylone – which will give you further details:

As mentioned at the outset, I am beginning my summer hours this weekend, so likely won’t be posting as much on this website or social media unless there is a change in my days/hours, or an event to announce (we are expecting to have a “Meet the Artist Night” on June 14…details to come) So, until further notice:

Hours of Operation:

Saturday 9am – 4pm

Sunday 10:15 – 4pm

Monday 9am – 4pm

Please come on by for a coffee or tea and a chance to view the 30+ pieces we have assembled for this show!😄

See you then!

George

SHAVASANA GALLERY & CAFÉ WILL BE OPENING Sat. Apr. 20, TIL MON. APR. 22

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I’m just making arrangements to open Shavasana Gallery Café for what is, ostensibly, the last weekend of my slower Winter/Fall/Early Spring season. If my previous weekend over on Mayne for the “Made on Mayne” event was any indicator (Mar. 29 – Apr.1) it’s going to be a very busy “Summer Season” which, for me, runs May through October.

The current show, 9 of Mayne Islands most talented artists, in no particular order: Bill Maylone, Linda Church, Ranjeet Dhaliwal, Dell Maxwell, Stephen Cropper, Tina Farmilo, Jodie Waldie, Famous Empty Sky, and Robbin Yager (and I’ve thrown in a few of my pieces in an act of unabashed self-promotion🤣)

Shavasana Gallery has become a little cultural hub (if I may say so myself) with art, crafts, hot coffee, spirited conversations, and Monday afternoon jam sessions. A large part of the joy I receive when I open up my shop is visits by friends & off-island visitors who drop in – (kids and dogs – and yes, sometimes cats – are always welcome, and add their own brand of joy to an already happy mix…there are treats!)

Esnie Shum & Joseph Loh hanging out with the Smith grandkids

Hours of Operation:

Sat. April 20. 9am – 4pm

Sunday Apr. 21, 10:15am – 4pm

Monday Apr. 22, 9am – 4pm

Please drop by for a coffee and a chance to view all the beautiful art!

Cheers!

George

Shavasana Gallery & Café will be opening Fri. Mar. 29 til Mon. Apr. 1

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Dear Friends…It’s Sunday March 24th and I’m sitting at my local Starbucks in Kitsilano – getting ready for my annual Just Push Play Theatre Society AGM https://justpushplayaudiomotion.wordpress.com/ (our 35th I believe) – and taking a little time, in what appears to be a very busy week coming up, to announce the “soft opening” of my new 2024 season at Shavasana Gallery & Café (my 11th!)

I’m coming over to participate in the bi-annual “Made on Mayne” event which is a really cool celebration of all things, “made on Mayne”…art, crafts, clothing, food – beer!…you name it, if it’s made on Mayne Island – we celebrate it, with a well-organized tour of all the local studios, shops, roadside stands, businesses & more! It’s a fun & informative couple of days with maps, websites & posters (thank you Arts on Mayne! https://www.artsontheislands.org/mayne.html ) and is definitely worth checking out👍

I’m changing my format this year – rather than the 4 or 5 rotating shows I’ve had in previous years (1 artist for 1 month) , I’ll be welcoming 5 new artists (Robbin Yagger, Linda Church, Ranjeet Dhaliwal, Dell Maxwell, and Stephen Cropper)and 4 returning artists (Famous Empty Sky, Bill Maylone, Tina Farmilo, and Jody Waldie) to join me for the Made on Mayne event, with the option to leave their art up or change it – as they see fit – throughout my May to October season. We are planning on having a “Meet the Artists” night sometime in June, the details of which are still to be determined, this may be followed-up with some kind of closing party at the end of season…also TBD.

I’m looking forward to hosting you all at next weekends “Made on Mayne Crawl”…drop in for a coffee and a chance to check out the fabulous talent we’ll be exhibiting!

Hours of Operation:

Friday March 29, 9am – 4pm

Saturday March 30, 9am – 4pm

Sunday March 31, 10:15 – 4pm

Monday April 1, 9am – 4pm

Hope to see you then!

Cheers!

George Bathgate

Shavasana Gallery & Café will be open, Sat. Mar. 2, Sun. Mar. 3, & Mon. Mar. 4

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It’s Sunday, Feb. 25th and I’m sitting in one of my neighbourhood cafés, on Broadway in Vancouver, just penning a few words to let you know that I am planning on opening the Gallery Café this coming weekend. Despite my commitment to my slow season, which allows me to spend more time with my partner Cathy in Kitsilano, I always miss Mayne Island, my little island business, and all the lovely people that I call my friends, and who make up the broader community there.

One thing I absolutely love about running my little gig on Mayne, are the oft-times unique and enriching experiences that I have there. When I was over, earlier in February, my friend Peter brought his friend Adam in for a coffee. Adam saw my little window table – which looks out over Active Pass and where I do

some of my own creative work – and noticed my collection of paintbrushes. “Are those your brushes?” he asked. “Yes,” I replied. “Do you have any paints?” he continued, “and canvases?” “I do, but I haven’t used them in a while so I’m not sure of their condition.” “Well, if you give me a canvas & some paints, I’ll paint you a picture.”

Thrilled by this offer – and curious to see what Adam had in mind – I hauled out my collection of paints and a canvas and let him have at it. He went right to work and within half an hour produced the above image.

Adam is an Ojibway resident of a small reserve on the shores of Lake Nippigon, and produced this image of a “Bondabée” (sp?) which is a being that his mother and her brother saw many years ago, when they were young, crawl out of Lake Nippigon and up onto the stairs of their local church. She described it as part man, part woman, and part mermaid. Anyway, as mentioned, these moments are – for me – pure gold. If you’d like to see the Bondabée, it’s on the wall at Shavasana winking at you as you walk in the front door…come on down!

Hours:

Saturday, March 2, 9pm – 4pm

Sunday, March 3, 10:15am – 4pm

Monday, March 4, 9am – 4pm

Cheers!

George