Shelagh Ann McNab-Duffett
JANUARY 8, 1955 – JUNE 24, 2020
Sixteen years ago my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a cruise on the Queen Mary to New England and Canada. On a stop in Nova Scotia, we stopped into the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. Walking among the booths and cafes inside the market, I picked up a brochure about the vendors and saw photos of whimsical paintings by folk artist Shelagh Duffet, who sold her paintings and prints in the market on the weekends. I instantly became a fan of her many charming and colorful cat paintings!
Their bright colors and cozy scenes made me smile. The brochure linked to Shelagh's blog "Alice In Paris Loves Art and Tea," which was one of the first blogs I ever read! (It was on a "Vox" website back then and only called "Art and Tea," until Shelagh moved it to Blogger with a longer title.) We began to "converse" through her delightful blog, and became friends keeping our blog friendship all these many years!
I actually blogged about Shelagh back in 2008--click here to read that post-- when I began blogging myself and introduced her to all my readers, many who have told me they also became fans of her work. I was a brand new grandmother back then and bought some prints from Shelagh's ETSY shop to decorate my baby grandson's room, and I also bought some of her adorable cat prints for my daughter. It was always a joy to see a new painting by Shelagh and to acquire her yearly cat-themed calendars.
Another favorite theme that Shelagh painted were scenes from her beautiful part of Nova Scotia and fanciful flowers. She also took outstanding photographs and sold quite a few. Over the years Shelagh also published a cookbook of family and friends' favorite recipes and a children's book called "CATalphabet" which is the ABC's illustrated with her brilliant and joyful cat paintings.
Like most bloggers, Shelagh joined Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, but mainly used Facebook and would always leave cheerful and encouraging posts there almost every day, and I felt like we all got to know her even better. When the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine occurred in March she began a journaling group on Facebook to encourage her readers to journal their thoughts and gave us wonderfully creative journaling" prompts" each day or so.
Her last big effort was "Wild" -- a fundraiser Art Exhibition in support of Nova Scotia Nature Trust, held in February. The Facebook page is here. Ten artists, including Shelagh, held the event in support of The Nova Scotia Nature Trust's Campaign called "SAVE the WILD BLUE" protecting the Blue Mountain Birch Cove Lakes Wilderness Area, an area that was important to Shelagh. I know Shelagh worked very hard on this event and was thrilled to have it be a success.
I received this cheery postcard from Shelagh towards the beginning of May. It was the last time I would hear from her. Sadly, she passed away on June 24 after a very brief battle with cancer. Her husband said she had stomach pains for a while but put off seeing her doctor because of the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, in May, her pains became worse and she found out she had inoperable pancreatic cancer. She entered hospice and died peacefully, surrounded by her family. Her obituary can be read here. Her family plans on re-opening Shelagh's ETSY shop in the future, which I hope will help prints of her painting continue to bring joy to all.
I will miss you, Shelagh! It is amazing that although we never met we became such good friends and shared each other's worlds through our blogs and social media. You brought much joy to me and beautiful memories of you will forever be in my heart.
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29 comments:
How sad but what a beautiful and lovely person who won't be forgotten. Love her artwork
MB
Somehow I never got to visit Shelagh's sites. Her paintings are so bright and beautiful. So sad to lose such a vibrant person. Feeling your sorrow. Sending hugs.
Hello Pat,
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. Shelagh sounds like a beautiful person. It was great you were able to be blog friends, her art work is so pretty. A lovely tribute post, I will check out the Etsy shop.. Enjoy your day, have a great new week!!
A beautiful tribute to your friend, Shelagh's art work is amazing. I'm not at all surprised that you became friends through a love of art, distance means nothing when two people share something the way the two of you have for so many years.
Take care, stay safe.
Maggie @ turning the page
Oh I am so sorry to hear this. She was such a talented lady and a sweet blog friend to many. What a terrible loss for her family and friends. I'll keep them in my prayers. Thanks for letting us know. Sweet hugs, Diane
Oh, Pat, I'm so very sorry for your loss and for those who loved her work. This style is so happy and pretty, it just makes me smile. That is far too young to say goodbye to the world.
Pat, this is a beautiful tribute to your friend. What a wonderful talent she had. Thank you for sharing her gift with us.
Our blogging friends become very dear to us and losing one of them is felt deeply. I am so sorry for your loss. You gave us a wonderful tribute to her.
Oh no! I have followed her blog for years and loved her work.
I am so sorry to hear this.
I am so sorry for your loss, Pat. I have made many friends through blogging some of whom I have met in real life and some with whom my friendship is still virtual. I know how close you can become. Shelagh was definitely very talented and I'm glad her art and creative endeavours will remain a tribute to her. It's a terrible loss though, and I am so very sorry.
It is always sad when we lose a blog friend.
The memories and her beautiful, whimsical paintings will live on and bring smiles to you and her family.
Pat, I am so sorry for your loss. Shelagh certainly painted wonderful art. Very sad to have delayed a visit to the doctor. Thanks for sharing. Have a good week and be well. Sylvia D.
Big hugs, Pat. I'm sorry I hadn't known about her and her works until now. I love the cheeriness and the bright colors of her art. No doubt she made a lot of people happy, and will continue to do so.
Blogger friends are so very real. Similar to the pen pals of old. Virtual friends have been essential to so many during the shut downs. Sympathy in the loss of your friend.
Oh, how sad! I have lost a few blogging friends over the years and it's always disheartening because you typically don't know their family or live close by, yet the loss you feel is real.
It's always so sad to lose a blogging friend. The bonds are strong...
That is so sad Pat. Cancer is a b***ch and pancreatic cancer is one of the worst, as I know from my own personal family. You wrote a beautiful post commemorating her and her lovely artwork. I'm so glad you found your way to her art during your trip to Nova Scotia. I'm going to go read her obit now.
Very sad to read your post but a beautiful tribute to Shelagh. She kept making people smile right until the end.
How sad to lose your friend. Shelagh sounds like a lovely, warm human being, full of joy if her paintings are anything to go by.
Oh Pat I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend ..and I fully understand that blog friendships can be as meaningful as any other. . Shelagh’s art is so bright and colorful... and I also just love the whimsicality! So many smiles.
Pat - a lovely tribute. She was a talented and inspiring woman.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.
Very sad news about the passing of your friend. This is the first I'm learning of her work as I live on the opposite side of Canada. I love her paintings. They are so cheery and bright. Thanks for sharing her beautiful work with us. Hugs to you. xx
How very sad and my condolences to you and her family. I wish I had of known of her earlier, I'm a big cat lover and art fan. I especially enjoy supporting artist with a passion which is clear to see she had. Thank you for sharing and blessings, peace and comfort to all who knew and loved her.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
That was a beautiful tribute. It's amazing how connected I feel to other bloggers. I knew a gal who blogged for several years. Her tag was something like a Twinless Twin. She was from another country and she committed suicide. I was heart broken. she loved posting pics of flowers and I felt connected to her. You were even closer to your blogger friend. I love her art work! I have lost so many loved ones to cancer and I hate it with a passion. Blessings to you!
Thank you for sharing Shelagh's whimsical works. She will surely be missed.
What a lovely tribute to your blogging friend.
Love her beautiful paintings....
Feeling your sorrow
What a lovely tribute to Shelagh. Thank you!
What a lovely tribute to your friend. One of the many joys of blogging are the friends we meet in between the sentences and photos. xo laura in Colorado too!
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