The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

B4 - The Oakville Beaver, W e d n e s d a y F e b ru a ry 6, 2002 Artist preserves special time in mother's life Mommy's Tummies makes lasting impression on customers By Carol Baldwin ARTSCENE EDITOR I wasn't that long ago when a pregnant woman was hidden indoors, ashamed of her protruding stomach and all that it symbolized. Nowadays, a line of swim suits. wedgies and teddies are available for pregnant women, and many women are commissioning plaster casts of their pregnant torsos, which they decorate and display in their homes for all to see. It's obviously not for everybody. For some women, pregnancy is a means to an end and tolerated for nine months. For others, it is a fleeting moment that they want to preserve for posterity and share with absolutely everyone. If you're the latter, then Gail Mowat is the person to call. The Oakville artist began her Mommy's Tummies business by fluke. When her doctor's secretary was pregnant, she asked Mowat if she would consider creating a cast of her pregnant belly. Mowat agreed and has done anoth"I decorate them according to specific requirements, or sometimes they let me have free rein." explains Mowat, adding, "I always put a jewel - a fake one - in the bellybutton. And on the inside I include a container of non-toxic moulding clay that air dries, for the parents to either do (imprints of) the child's hands or feet or both and put them inside the casting. 1 also encourage them to write a little letter or poem to the baby-to-be and include it inside (stuck to the back of the form)." Mowat says if the child is a boy. par ents often request that the torso be deco rated with geometric shapes in strong, bold colours, whereas they arc more like ly to let her creativity shine through with girls - clouds, gardens, more variety in colours, etc. The tree of life is popular, she adds. When she's not painting plaster torsos of pregnant women, Mowat enjoys paint ing landscapes and abstracts in a variety of media. Mowat started her painting career with oils as child at the family cottage, then volunteered as a docent at the Guggenheim when she married and moved to New York City. When she relumed to Canada, she took interior decorating at Sheridan as well as various art courses around the Oakville area, including the Oakville Art Society (OAS). Now she teaches at the OAS, as well as privately. She also teaches at Loomis and Toles (on Dundas at Ridgeway), demonstrating water-soluble oils. For more information on her Mommy's Tummies endeavour, call 905339-0884. I Peter C. McCusker · Oak\'ille Beaver Gail M owat, o f M om m y's Tum m ies, w orks on a cast of one er dozen torsos since then. the woman's home. Then, after about 15 Mowat begins by moulding wet plas- minutes of air drying. Mowat removes the ter to the woman's bxxly in the privacy of mould and takes it home for another week of her custom ers. of drying before priming it with clear acrylic to eliminate the plaster's porous quality. Then she is ready to decorate it. 4> ' I Entertainment O a U I I e s B i-W e e k ly D in in g s ' E n te r ta in m e n t S p o tlig h t There s food and th e n M F d ·SHAWARMA IfALAPEL TABOULI : t r k ofta :tKS 'S H A S H L I K M UCH M ORE! There's Rude Food For KVwwations call 905-338-1888 A G ABI Book N ow For Valentines D ay MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT 134 Lakeshore Rd.W . O akville 905.338.1888 O PEN EVERY DAY M o n .-T h u rv 1 1-I I. Fri.-Sat. I I - 1 1:30, Sun. 3 -1 0 Abbey Arms: The secret is out! By Paula Henriques 119 Jones St.. 465-0571, 142 Lakeshore Rd. E.. 844-3334 www.rudenative.com JQ!111!tLL®lJr2TG±r^^in^IT2rt2Jl^J^ZJ^rEliGir^QLf"GiriL2ioil dlf; -fhursthy, Feferuwy 13th ADVERTISING FEATURE Oakville's best kept secret is out! The Abbey Arms, an authentic British pub. want you to sit back and relax in their cozy quarters. Like the crest it bears, the Abbey Arms is an inviting pub where the welcome is warm, the staff are friendly, and the patrons are pleased. Classy cherry wood surround the pub, cushioned seats adom the snug little comers to offer privacy, and both the bar and the massive fireplace in the ccnter of the room give it a time less quality. Under new management since May 200I. this British pub offers more than traditional pub fare. Featuring a new menu with items such as pastas, seafood, succulent steaks, and their famous curry dishes, the Abbey Arms pride themselves on their fine food without high-end prices. An affordable wine list is available to complement every meal. Freshly baked bread and home-made soups are prepared daily - not just "pub grub" here. Need a favourite place to watch the big game? Their new addition, a big screen T.V. plays only the best in world sports. Watch English league and world cup soccer, golf, or the Leaf's, in good company with atmosphere. Test your knowledge Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. with their Trivia contests to win great prizes. The contest runs for approximately 12 weeks with weekly prizes and a grand prize winner. On Saturday night they feature live entertainment. Listen to the Abbey Arms favourite. The Harvest Moon trio back on Feb. 16 and an Oakville fave. 3MDM returning March 2. But visit the pub in the morning first for a traditional British breakfast. Bring a partner on Sunday for their Brunch for Two and devour a plate stacked with sausage, eggs, onions, cheese, beans, bacon, fresh biscuits and fruit. Visit the Abbey Arms at 481 North Service Rd. W. at Fourth Line. 905-825-1109. `gRU fft yO 'O K LO T S 1. Louisiana Steak Saute Vegetables * Red W ine Peppercorn Sauce 2. 5tufte4 Pork Tenderloin wttb Apples St Prunes Portwlne Sauce 3. Chicken Breast 'K iev'w ith M ushroom Sauce 4 Peaches A Cream Salmon All meals served wlthi Garlic Bread Soup or Salad o f Your Choice Baked or Roast Potato Roasted Vegetables Coffee & Dessert Having An Affair? We have Banquet i? Meeting Facilities fo r tip to 2(1) people. Perfect fo r Wedding Receptions, Rehearsal Dinners , Bridal Shotcers, Family Reunions, Holiday Parlies i? Sjsecial Occasions -fto w ic y s i EXrRAORDINARY WEEKDAY LUNCH M ENU $ from only Featuring our Special of the Day inducting I lomemade Soup, choiet of 2 wonderful Main Courses served with Vegetable, Potato & Dessert dt 1 joi ir... for only $7.95 (5 0 .0 0 Per Person plus Taxes and Gratuities Starting March 4th Open 7 Pays a Week Monday - Friday: 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Weekends: 8 0 0 - 10,00 p.m. -- 2 2 5 7 Royal W indsor Dr.. M ississau g a It'S W o rth T h e D riv e T o M a c y 's __________ w w w .io f o n io .c o m / m a c y s d in c r 8 2 2 -2 2 6 0 ^ O a k v ille 9 0 5 -8 4 2 -0 4 7 5 4 6 7 S p e e rs R d -,u a K ' cm (D r Asrv w s CWN65E RESTAURANT ( j ' FORMERLY I s t C H O IC E K ITCH EN yiU S: A IA IL - Y B Tp '/^ 'V a le n t in e 's C e le b r a + io * / ^ ^ o w 's -fKfc M a k e i f a V a le n fin cs -f® r« *)»*» b «r >>A L£*JT IH £'S DAY w f - f n P H IL T H Y M e .N A S T Y 'S / j ^ A / / Y ou C a n E a t ^ C h in e s e B u ffe t L U N C H B U F F E T <11.30 a.m. to 2 3 0 p.m.) M onday to Friday Thursday February 14th ABBEY ARMS Pub Restaurant +o w ia k e H a n s f® OAKVILLE' S BEST KEPT SECRET! T h e " H a rv e s t M o o n T r io ' Saturday, February 16 join us for Live Entertainment 5ZS95 V Saturday i Sunday SS 3S ar f o r y o o r c w l d r e n / fcoofc T o D A Y /___ D IN N E R B U F F E T IS-.OO p.m. to 8 -3 0 p.m.) Sundays to S Q & 9 Thursday ZT Friday to Saturday i H olidays J o in u t b « t w * » n 5 a n d 1 0 p m f o r a f a m i ly *»jrle P h i l t h y M i N a i t y 'i c e l e b r a t i o n i n c l u d i n g . . C H O IC E O F E N T R E E S . I l l H R F R E E P O O L . 2 F R E E V I D E O G A M E S A N D A S P E C I A L V A L E N T IN E 'S P A R T Y F O R T H E K I D S 11 M E N U ( K id s packages a r t a ll served u vtli (h o u r cltotce o f pop, ju ie r o r m ill4 a n d a kid s dessert.) 1'2 Price for children under 12. 10% OFF for seniors 1-3 years a n Free) Buffet take-out available t m BUFFET ONWUR BKTHWV? IU>. It m fktdl (includes. A ch o ice a s id e C a e sa r S alad, f S o u p d o J o u r p o r porson . c o tio o o r le a a n d a s a s p e c ia l troat. a C u p id s B an a na B ia sti) PARENT FO O D 1 2 o z . N Y SIRLO IN $ 219 5 "3 MOM" Saturday, March 2nd Join us Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. W eekly & G r a n d Prizes Every Wednesday after 9:00 p.m. _________ S T E A K & F R IE S $ 8 -9 5 K ID S P L A T T E R S y .9 5 K ID S W IN G D IN G F U N K Y CH IC K EN BUFFET O VER 7 0 IT E M S $1 9 9 5 for "TRIVIA" . S E A F O O D PRIM A V ER A M A P L E S A L M O N DIN N ER 10% OFF On all Pick-Up Orders Over $20.00 Before Taxes (Not applicable for set dinners) FREE DELIVERY o r d ers Over $18.00 (Before Tax) $2.95 Delivery Charge if under (limned area only) S1 9 95 69 5 $2 1 95 649 F o u rth L in e (at Speers Rd.) O a k ville 2 1 0 N ortfi S e r v ic e R d . W e st, Oakville Town Centre II, OAKVILLE BOOK _______________ Eaf-ln Only - for "WINGS 35c each 9 0 5 - 8 4 2 -6 6 6 6 9 0 5 -8 4 4 -8 7 0 3 NOW ^ 481 North S ervice Rd. West at 4th Line BU R L IN G T O N , OAKVILLE, W ATERLOO, HAMILTO N, P IT T S B U R G 9 0 5 825-1109