Janet Goldblatt Holmes and Robert Holmes enjoy the calm and peace found in Barrie.
The body of water which I chose for this project, is Kempenfelt Bay, part of Lake Simcoe, situated in Southern Ontario. This is where we have a cottage, which we use throughout the year. We are 2nd generation, and my daughter and son, 3rd. I have been coming here since I was a young child, and my children, like me, have done the same. Process:I placed a piece of an old bedding sheet into the water and watched the end fold, sinking, and continuing to fold in slow motion until settling on the rocks. Reaching to pick up the material, I realized the importance of the area; the steps leading into the shallow water on our rocky shoreline. While drying on our waterfront, more became clear. This was where I spent countless hours with my daughter and son, when they were young, and learning to swim. This is where, as they got older, they would tentatively enter the cool waters of Kempenfelt Bay in the early summer, until the lake warmed up and they would run off the end of the dock, squealing as they cannon-balled into the lake. We have spent hours, year after year sitting, cuddling, talking, arguing, crying and laughing. Family and friends gather to watch the water, and the sun’s glimmering light dancing on the surface, especially late afternoon into early evening. Kempenfelt Bay is where my heart and soul reside, even when I am away from the water’s edge. Water Is: Healing, clearing, cleansing, clean; Spring-fed mountain stream; soothing, renewing; stress slips away; Ache dissipates; Refreshing calming, centering blue green,; clear sounds; Lapping serene; Read sleep, drift off breathe; Water is life energy
