Where the Sun Don't Shine

Head Bangin' Blues

2012-02-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

Wednesday evening saw the return of epic blues singer-guitarist Matt Anderson.
Kitimat loves Matt Anderson.
I'm so glad I squeezed in to this nearly sold out performance. His voice is HUGE, his slide guitar skills amazing and the vibe was wonderful. He had far more challenging songs that revealed all his various musical skills and vocal range but I simply loved this beautiful song.
He had us all singing to his final number which was purely delightful.
It was like a mini vacation.

Goodnight Gracie

2012-02-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

Said good-bye today to the most light filled young lady I've ever met. She was 22.
Her father summed up Grace perfectly with this brief phrase: relentless zest.
The Art Club was blessed with her presence for a couple of years and this is where I came into possession of a couple of her whimsical cartoons at our season end art card trades.

She was afflicted with a disorder that first presented as hemiplegic migraines; these progressed to a seizure causing malady and was later diagnosed as a degenerative neuro-muscular syndrome that has yet to be fully understood. Her Vancouver physician vowed to continue searching for a cause and ultimately the cure that she always hoped to discover in time to save Grace.
A slide show of her life played throughout the ceremony and most photos featured her larger-than-life unique smile. As the casket exited the church with her crutches placed on top...we experienced one last painful, poignant reminder of her years of resilience and struggle.

It seems a very cruel ... law, almost... that these very sweet, gifted, young lights are extinguished after shining so briefly.

Buried

2012-01-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

View from the front door following a weekend worth of snow. In the past 3 days we've had 106 cm of snow and a season total of 590 cm. (19&1/2 feet) People are complaining of avalanches in their driveways or 'avalanches on their avalanches'.

The view down Angle Street; it's protected from the wind so snow accumulates there at an even more alarming rate than in other areas. I saw quite a few roofs covered in, conservatively, 6 feet of snow.
I'm fervently hoping we don't have to dig off the roof - that is one Sisyphean labor I'd like to avoid for the rest of my life.

Arctic Invasion

2012-01-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

It's crisp, it's sunny and the grey is gone. So has any shred or semblance of warmth because we are in the grip of an Arctic outflow more powerful than we've seen in years. I was attempting to capture the snow blasting off the the roofs and down the street but my timing was poor. It was -19 C this morning with a good solid wind to push it down even further to below -30 C. We have about 20 cm of powder atop virtual conrete. Snakes of dry snow slither and fly down the road as though on the Arctic tundra as frigid winds pour out of the north.
The hiking group is planning on commorating the one century anniversary of Robert Falcon Scott's arrival at the South Pole, (Jan. 17th 1912) next week by going on a 2 to 3 hour snowshoe ending at our fancy English Inn, Minnette Bay Lodge where they will dine on quiche and salads.
If they go out tomorrow maybe they can pretend they're actually AT the south pole. Make me less sad to miss these outtings for the next few weeks as I present art workshops in the elementary schools.

Fresh & New

2012-01-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

TwinB began her academic life at ACAD (Alberta College of Art & Design) yesterday morning with an Art History class. Today she's in drawing workshops for a total of 6 hours and I'm looking forward to her report in a few hours. *fingers crossed* hope all goes well...

One of her cigarette pack art pieces there, another Erin/Eileen collaboration which shouldn't be too hard to unload. I've coloured most of the cig pack, affixed it to the canvas and extended the painted area right around the sides of the canvas which I suppose amounts to a heck of a lot of work but hey...it's how she/we pay me back.

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore...

2012-01-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

...because my favorite place on the internet has gone dark.
It's also one of the least enjoyable weeks of the year.

The weather is always like this. Piles of heavy, wet snow, about 1 meter deep on the ground, slush puddles everywhere and it's raining. It's not like the rain washes the snow away; it could rain for days or even weeks and all it would serve to do is saturate and densify the snow.

Time to toss the tree. Another joyless task. The Husband was going to 'release it back into the wild' today but it's too crappy out. Maybe tomorrow.

Professional Photo Portrait

2011-12-29T18:22:00.000-08:00

Best. Prize. Ever. !!
In mid-December I attended an open house held by Doug Keech, one of our local photographers. He offered a door prize of a $400 portrait sitting to someone who dropped by that afternoon and looky!
He drew my name!
Doug has started composing photo collages to portray people in their professions and I feel these works are his strongest and most interesting, though his landscapes can be breathtaking. I went to his house yesterday for the shoot which was supposed to be 2 hours but as we both continued to make progress - I with posing and facial expressions, he with lighting - it went over 3 & 1/2 rather gruelling hours.
Drop that shoulder, stretch the neck, tilt, twist, look down...up, relax the eyes and...smile!
Repeat a couple hundred times. I also brought along a bag of art supplies which he used to make the final collage. Doug will also give me a dvd of 20 or 30 other face shots so now I have a very nice collection to choose from should I need to include a good photo for a submission or profile.
The weather and sidewalk are also significant and part of the 'story'. Very typical Kitimat type conditions and since my house is a half block behind me this is what I consider to officially be MY sidewalk where all walks with our little dog must usually begin.
http://dougkeech.com/ <--- to peruse his site

One little exception to my overall glee? He chose the only one with accidental cleavage!!
We don't *do* cleavage in my family.

Mini Mural: Fini!

2011-12-22T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here's the finished product following 14 hours of sometimes brutal and gruelling painting. Tuesday left me feeling wiped and completely physically drained; I was hovering in the 2 & 1/2 feet off the ground range for most of the day. I didn't realize till later that I was engaging in an isometric activity and was really stiff. All better by Wednesday though.
I showed the husband my daily progress via a little camera. He squinted at the screen then asked (in that oh so eloquent way he has) 'why it looked like crap?' I was quite perplexed -the home owner and I were rather pleased with it. His point though? Painting the 'H' car a different colour than the next caused 'UDSON' to stand on its own, so today I fixed it and yes, it does indeed read much better.

I added the bugs she'd requested and polished up the mural till I couldn't polish no more! I'm happy with the rather sedate palette I chose since it works nicely with the colours chosen for the bedroom and hallway. I'd really wanted to see young Hudson's reaction to the finished mural because he got a peek yesterday and his mom told me 'he was over the moon!'.

Evolution of a Mural

2011-12-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

I painted this little boy's room a year and a half ago but the family moved a few months later and so wanted the same basic composition but with his name on a steam train rather than on a line of laundry since the young master - at the advanced age of 2& 1/2 - has an enduring love of that era of train. (Thomas, you know).

Original sketch; didn't bother too much with the trees since, well, I've done them already.

One hour in, sketched in the composition and begin blocking in lights 'n darks.

Four or five hour mark; mostly blocked in with colour. The Mom wanted the train in shades of blue rather like Thomas but less bright and more tasteful. Tomorrow I'll continue to de-wonkify the backend of the train, paint on the letters and take a stab at depicting the actual railway. I find I prefer to tackle the more difficult, finicky bits first to get them out. of. the. way. Time permitting, I will fine tune the landscape elements.
Day three will, hopefully, bring it to stupendous fruition!

Concentrated Goodness!

2011-12-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

Meet my Wednesday evening watercolour class. Represented here is a huge chunk of local and regional - almost outta control - volunteerism.
Looking into the camera is Joyce who, with her husband heads up Search and Rescue for our very large region. She also gives various courses around the province and has been feted and recognized in Victoria for her efforts. Lani the Lawyer -our only relatively young 'un - has been at the helm of our local recycling and environment group, K.U.T.E. (Kitimat Understanding The Environment) for countless years now and is active in other related groups. (KUTE came into being about 20 years ago and was named by Gr. 10s) Ms. Jay in the green shirt is one of only 2 people who do Meals On Wheels and the night before this photo had stayed up till 3 a.m. baking 28 dozen cookies for a fundraiser. Hidden is Judy, one of the many hands keeping the hospital auxillary functioning and optimizing medical services for all Kitimites. Most are active in a church and all have many other irons in the fire in addition to being a pillar for their families.
Volunteering, creating and teaching art all provide the reward of being in the company of the best kind of people in the world.

The Sun Sure DO Shine...Sometimes

2011-12-07T14:51:00.001-08:00

The hiking group has morphed into a snowshoeing club for the winter & that's how we've been motoring through the wilderness for the past 3 weeks.

Last week, which was also my first real snowshoe trip, we up then down Fire Mountain completing a round trip of 6 kilometers and crossing 18 small streams each way. I could barely lift my feet by the time we returned to our vehicles.

Today we ventured off trail and into the woods, over uneven crunchy snow. We covered 4 to 5 kilometers in a 2 & 3/4 hour period. One person didn't even wear snowshoes due to how hard the snow is today. We can get snow (white concrete) conditions so hard that one can walk across it in high heels - the heel digs in but that just gives us more traction. How do I know we can traverse our snow in high heels? Probably from having to check on my backyard weather station all dressed up to go somewhere.
The big issue today though was ... noise. We made such a racket crunching over the snow that we all had to stop if anyone wanted to speak and that probably added the 45 minutes to today's adventure.

It Was The Best Of Days...

2011-11-28T17:01:00.001-08:00

...when TwinB received the phone call from the Alberta College of Art and Design informing her that she'd been accepted for January. They'd had a 70% increase in applicants over September so it took a long time to sort through however, earlier they had mentioned that her portfolio was 'a high priority'.
She had a few minutes...maybe even a couple of hours to savour the news and then

It Was The Worst of Days

when she got a message via facebook that her best friend ever - her 'soul-twin' Adam had died of a drup overdose a few hours earlier. The chain of information and message was exactly the same as a false alarm we'd heard 4 years earlier the day before TwinB moved to Calgary but somehow...somehow she knew this time it's for real. Our fragile yet endlessly resiliant Adam is gone. His addictions, a terminal illness.
I've been reading snippets of the messages he sent 'B that she'd posted on livejournal. They loved to play dress-up and write poems and stories together. They found each other endlessly inspiring.

He would refer to himself as a palsied little bitch due to his mild cerebral palsy and on occassion he was a real live...person with perpetual drug problems. He was also one of the sweetest young fellows I've ever met and am grateful to know him.
Your 23 years of struggle are over.

Wednesday's (Aborted) Wanderings

2011-11-23T11:54:00.001-08:00

Thought I would give snowshoeing a try.
Hah! Try again.
My good friend, the Gumboot Fairy, gave me a pair of snowshoes, declaring that she discovered she actually didn't like snowshoeing, despite her love of being in the forest. This was my second try and after a couple hundred meters I was convinced there was no way I'd keep up with the others.
This wasn't much of a surprise after seeing pair after pair of the same style snowshoe unloaded out of the back of the truck and they were about half the size of the ones I subsequently struggled with.
We were less than a half hour walk back to my car so I informed the group that I'd head back on my own. Got some lovely photos during the tiny window of sunshine we were treated to this morning.
Wonder if they're still out there? A fairly wicked maritime type blizzard has since descended upon us.

Welcome To Winter

2011-11-20T17:03:00.001-08:00

Wow. Haven't posted in over 2 weeks.
We've been through the season of the snow creations during those first heady days of normally wet snow that is so great for constructing anything one can imagine.

Then on to a chill. This clearing lead to temperatures of -12 with outflow winds that knock it well into the minus 20s. Two anomolies here; mist/fog which we rarely experience and limply hanging flags. The constant wind normally takes care of both those situations.
Today, it's the winter wonderland with probably a foot of powdery snow. I have every light on the the house and am cooking a roast and roast potatoes.
Oh...and TwinA is currently at 92% in her studies! (graphic digital communication)

Craft Fair 2011

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

This egg tempera is one of the paintings I sold at this year's Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair. I also managed to sell one of TwinB's pen and inks and displayed her two scratchboard pieces to much admiration and interest. I had them framed by my lovely Hamer The Framer who performed her usual magic on them. She's the cheapest and the best - how can you beat that combo??

This was her little corner and what's that? Meat-On-A-Stick?! Of course it is. Wouldn't be festive without!

Wednesday's Wanderings...

2011-11-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

...shall go undocumented for this week due to the neglectation of camera battery charging.
*pout*
We had our first snow yesterday too! About 4cm bracketed in by 48 cm of rain. Despite that, we still were treated to our usual window of fine (not rainy) weather for our trek through soaky forest. At least I didn't have to wear my stiff, sticky rain coat as I'd feared in the morning when I DID wear it to walk the dog and freeze.

Scratchboard by TwinB. I returned from Calgary bearing artwork rescued from oblivion and possible destruction, because prior to my visit she'd been watching Hoarders and almost tossed some of her brand new original artwork in order to 'de-clutter'. Just bought a batch of frames and had framing done - this looks lovely and if I never sell it, that's fine too.

Wednesday's Wet Wanderings

2011-10-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

I do love my alliteration, don't I??

The old gravel pit where we parked our two vehicles has, unfortunately, turned into this.
We encountered a white pick up with a business name on its side who passed by with averted eyes. One of the members of the group will contact the District with this info and a soggy mailing label that I happened to find as we sifted and sleuthed through the debris.
Finally we took off...straight up hill; quite the warm-up!

Following the climb we did a little bog stomping. I don't know how in the world our guide could tell where we were going since there was no trail through this stretch.

We reached a logging road which resulted in comments like "you mean we could have been on a road all this time??!"(they were joking) trekked along a fairly new trail through the woods that the Haisla had created then followed Cordella creek all the way back down to the beginning of the hike.
The boiling, brown, tannic waters of the creeks we encountered were especially high since there had been 31 mm of rain the night before and even though we're made for run-off they were all close to overflow.
Anyway...it was invigorating and emotionally refreshing as always!

Fall & The Freaky Fingers Of Fungus

2011-10-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Captured them!! Been on the lookout for a photo op with both the yellow and black fungus fingers. I noticed the yellow ones for the first time a couple weeks ago but didn't have my camera and couldn't find them in the days following. After a few days of slowing walking and scanning the grass behind Roy Wilcox everyone probably thinks I partake of the magic mushroom.
These black fingers are found behind the old hospital & I hadn't seen them in 5 years. Those previous ones were bigger and purple, but maybe their form and colour varies from year to year.

The maple leaf? Just because.

Sea:Sick Goes On A Road Trip

2011-10-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that the light was right (as in, you know, like, actually there) so I phoned Connie Across The Street to lend me a hand as I took Mr. Sea:Sick there to the beach.
I think he really liked it:

I wanted to take photos of him in his natural environment so first I positioned him near the water and then dragged him over to the piles of driftwood to see if that showed him off in all his glory:

Blends in a little too well I think though perhaps with a fabric backdrop he'll show up better. For now though...

He'll live in my back seat just in case the perfect setting presents itself. Thing's a bitch to carry and every time I do carry it, I'm impressed anew at how lethally effective moose antlers are.

Reflections 2011

2011-10-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

This acrylic painting is mounted on top of a board from an old fishing dory that rested on a Nova Scotia shore and was brought back for me by an art buddy who's aware of my love for anything worn, weathered or rusted. It depicts TwinB and her Big Bro exploring the flat grey beach on the northern end of Haida Gwaii...almost the furthest west that one can travel in Canada.

My Biggest Fan was raving about it to me & would like to commission it then commented that she's never seen a painting 'with so many shades of the same colour.'
I won the People's Choice award for this year's regional exhibit 'Reflections'! And I won it fair and square because I'm pretty darn sure the only vote who walked in the door from my camp was my husband. Didn't even get the brother-in-law vote this year.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yellow crime scene tape blocks off a house across the street, kitty corner to my church this morning and for a moment I thought it might be early Halloween decorations but the absence of any other embellishments quickly ruled that out. When we exited church I noticed three police vehicles and a quick look through facebook reveals the possiblity of a double stabbing. Don't know yet if it has or will result in an actual murder but one victim had to be sent to Vancouver. I'd heard sirens this morning and the number, timing and pattern of them was similar to our last murder so...wasn't too surprised.

Crime scene tape on a house on Thanksgiving looks particularily disturbing. Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year? (all the excuses for festivity and none of the pressure or expense of other holidays I could mention)
It sure makes one extra specially thankful. Gonna go call the kids..

Update Monday: The wife who is several years younger than I succumbed to her injuries Sunday night. The husband's in an induced coma for now. We all feel a pervasive sorrow for the senseless violence and it was physically/geographically so close to so many. I live about one block from the scene. Closer still is the thought that I dodged that particular bizaare bullet of being the parent of someone who went so far off the rails - the intruder, according to news stories is a 19 year old Kitimat youth, found in the backyard of the home, possibly 2 hours after the event.
Has psychosis written all over it.

Wednesday Hike: Haisla Cemetary Trail

2011-10-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

The Haisla cemetary is the most special place on earth for me. It's one of those rare situations in B.C. history where the two cultures co-existed and melded for a decade or two and it's set in our magical, mossy forest off a little bay. Haisla designs would have been sent to Victoria or New Westminster to be sculpted in stone commemorating the life or lives of various Haisla citizens. Actually the first dates in the 1880s probably reflect this; the later graves that represent up to 4 children may have been indications of the white man diseases that ripped through the First Nation populations.
On a happier and more inspiring note there is the gravestone above belonging to Sarah Legaiic 'The Great Hunter' who died at the age of 60. I've read an account of her strength and abilities that described excursions where she would portage her canoe 1500 meters to access a remote lake.

We hiked far past the cemetary and noticed this nearly complete skeleton but couldn't quite identify it. Wolf? Deer?* If all the teeth had been present it would have been more obvious. Didn't make it all the way to the end of the trail because those in the lead accidently treed two bear cubs and came briskly walking back to report the situation so we reversed our direction and retreated.
I remembered this hike as being much easier. Five or ten years ago.

*a little Googling seems to indicate 'deer'

TwinB: Artists' Statement

2011-09-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

TwinB is in the midst of applying to attend the Alberta College of Art & Design (ACAD); one of the requirements is an Artists' Statement. She composed a piece that sums up her life beautifully and it made me a tad teary. Her Grandma thought she was going to tough it out as I read it to her but was practically bawling by the end. (HAH-ha! she ain't so tough after all!)
TwinB told me she thought she should have gone back to school earlier but I pointed out that she most likely hadn't been ready till now. She responded that she was much 'shinier' now and probably had needed all that time in the tumbler.

"Personal Statement"

or, "A Brief History of My Time, So Far".

It seems too lofty an undertaking for me to write an Artist’s Statement, but perhaps my left hand is up to the job. After all, it was my left hand that set me apart from the first day of kindergarten, and later distinguished my supreme reign year after year as the class Artist. A “good drawer” was one thing, but a Left-Handed Artist? Those were words you could repeat to yourself in the mirror.

The onset of puberty and a stint in the psych ward complicated things. “Crazy Artist”, the mirror amended, and my left hand surged with the anarchic landscape of suicide. It was satisfying. More than that it was a reason to stay alive; I could destroy every part of myself, but never my left hand. It had value incongruous with what the mirror told me.

At the age of 17 I moved from my hometown of Kitimat, B.C., to attend the Art Institute of Vancouver. Propelled by my parents’ money and years of affirmation from teachers and peers, I left with my high school art award and every intention of being a Real Artist, a Digital Animator, a creator of imaginary worlds. I was shipped home ten months later, crippled by a second nervous breakdown.

“Mentally Ill Adult”, was the merciless report of the mirror.

Everything stopped except my left hand. I picked up addictions but never set down the pencil. Worthless, Failure, Drop-out, Stoner – these words the mirror spat in my face could not coexist with the woman who compulsively created and drew. Like the old jokes, my left hand really did feel like another person.

Without my mom I’m sure I would have ended up like any of the hometown heroes I wasted time with. But she had a ferocious love in her, and an “art room” packed full enough of every kind of paper, brush, canvas and pigment to render it a tiny labyrinth. I spent a lot of time in there, painting, penning and colouring images she would mount, frame, and hang in the local museum alongside her still lifes and landscapes. We presented lessons in watercolour, pencil, and pastel to every class in every elementary school in town. We orchestrated two school-wide murals involving all the kids. We designed and painted every set and backdrop for the high school theatre, semester after semester. I even had the opportunity to instruct my former teachers in the local Art Club, and they began to mistake my work in the museum for my mom’s. This was high praise, because to my mind, my mom – “Mrs. Hutson” to the kids – had always been primarily an Artist, as sure as the ocean was the ocean and a raven was a raven.

But the mirror still called me Unemployed. So in 2007 I risked a move to Calgary, where I would replace the label with more respectable ones like Janitor, Night Stocker, Cashier, and finally, Disabilities Worker. My left hand never stopped. Every spare moment, I drew on paper towels and unwanted receipts. (This made me more proficient in Bic pen than almost any other medium.) I’d draw remembered glimpses of the forest I’d left behind and abandon them to be found by coworkers – waiting, hoping, for them to call me that ethereal word I wouldn’t call myself – Artist.

Other times I just got in trouble for “doodling”.

It’s hard to see an artist in a face that’s been spattered with so much toilet water over the years. But there must be one in there, above the eyes and a little ways back, because every day it sends its signals like Morse code down the dendrites of my arm to my unstoppable, unappeasable, undeniable left hand. As a lifelong mental patient, it’s a daunting thought to look in the mirror and say, “Student”. I hope I’m ready to take on this new challenge. Because by now, I know there’s only one word to describe what I’ve always been, and what I want to be.

Artistic Endeavors...

2011-09-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

...from My Other One!

I love her handmade cards!

TwinA has never held her artistic abilities in high regard, not even her caligraphy and passion for typography and fonts. In her mind they're just the grunt work or poor cousins of 'real art' and since her skills lie in that area she dismisses them as something anyone could do.

Certainly doesn't help ones' esteem to have a twin sister with creative and technical ability in the highest percentile...however that might be measured...??

TwinA just started a 2 year course at SAIT in digital graphic communication; I hope she'll do well.

Success! YES!!

From Panic To 'Perfection' (Halfway Pleased) In 30+ Hours

2011-09-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

My Great Adventure began 2 weeks ago, today. First 6 days we hung out at our lot in Fraser Lake then I spent the night in Prince George before boarding the bus for a 15 hour journey to Grande Prairie. (the actual drive is only about 7 hours but construction delays, an Amber alert and long layover in Dawson Creek stretched it out).

These ridges mark the where one exits the Pine Pass on the eastern side of the northern Rockies; the weather was wonderful and not only did I have both seats to my self, I had an entire section so could bounce around shooting photos from both sides of the bus. It was at this point (when I realized I'd probably lose money on my pending venture that I decided to consider this a vacation that was mostly paid for)

Behold the grand vista one surveys from the Dawson Creek bus depot on a Friday evening! This is as good as it gets and I will be eternally grateful that I didn't have to wait on the bus during winter because the depot was locked and they didn't even have the lights on outside. Fortunately there were decent passengers to wait with me.
On to Grande Prairie and my assignment...

View from the stage. Yes, I found myself in a construction zone and now that I think about it, I'm lucky that was the case since it meant there were several people coming and going that I got to know over the 3 or 4 days I was there. I was stashed away with my flats against the back wall of the stage so was out of everyone's way except when a young construction worker was grinding something where the emergency exit had to be installed:

Look closely; he's in there with his still pristine lungs. I admonished him to wear a respirator since lifelong exposure will eventually bite him on the ass/lungs.

My job was to depict the strip club district of Bangkok circa 1975. I chose not to go generic Broadway 'cause I just don't swing that way...

Instead, I researched scenes old and new from Bangkok and Saigon then mashed 'em all together for the final compositions. I arrived with a fully developed sketch but the dimensions weren't what I'd hope for so had to scramble to re-design. Thank goodness I had a helper who stepped forward from the chorus because otherwise I really don't know if I could have survived alone (he was a wonderful assist). Technically I did get paid and it worked out to $1.38 per square foot. I believe I'd be paid more for painting a living room. So I've graduated from painting for free in Kitimat. I now travel 1100 kilometers in order to lose money painting sets.
And I'm still in a facility with no running water or bathrooms.
Could be good exposure though...will keep my fingers crossed and my web presence current...

Destination: Douglas Channel

2011-08-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

There's been a boat living in our driveway for the past five or six years but I've only had one tiny little trip down the Douglas Channel. It wasn't even a trip, more the smallest itty bitty hop to the nearest small bay five years ago. The husband resolved to get-me-on-the-channel-come-hell-or-high-water before summer was over and by golly he-did-it!!
The view above gives you a look down a small section of the north end of the Channel.

The water was calm enough that we were able to dash about and cover quite an area. Here, we're looking intoKildala Arm which meanders endlessly to the east. Would be fun to really explore it right to its terminus.

This fellow was the piece de resistance! The husband noticed a plume exhaled from quite a ways off so we roared over to the general area so we could get a better look at this young Humpback whale. We drifted closer to shore to watch him from afar when...suddenly he rose to the surface between us and the shore, exhaling a curtain of drifting mist, only 20 feet from our boat. He's obviously comfortable around boats and people (had to be rescued from a fishing net the week before) so we bobbed quietly enjoying the peaceful rhythm of his breathing as he leisurely surfaced, exhaled, inhaled and slipped back below the ripples until he decided to head farther out into The Channel.

Bye-bye whale!

Wednesday Expedition

2011-08-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

If this is Wednesday, it must be Hike Day and here we are trekking through the swamps of deepest darkest Hirsch Creek rainforest. Note the dainty picking our way through slipperey, icky places pose? It's surprisingly common; I've taken several photos depicting this very position featuring a variety of people from several excursions. The large leaves belong to Skunk cabbage, the surest sign of a wet patch around here.

We're pretty certain we disturbed a bear from it's salmon, that's how fresh it appeared. Unfortunately my camera wasn't co-operating and this turned out rather fuzzy. Nice to be in a larger group when following alongside a major salmon stream at this time of year.

Puny humans beneath a mossy deadfall, beside a fallen sitka spruce! The last part of the hike was rather cool because a youth group had gone in this summer and turned a few of those blown down trees into rudimentary but navigable pedestrian walkways slightly above the undergrowth.

Little Lost Girl

2011-08-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Both TwinA and TwinB had major meltdowns over the past few days with a distraught phone call from each yesterday so when TwinA went sort of incommunicado (smashed her phone Saturday night) this morning I was overwhelmed with apprehension. She's by far the more implulsive one and in the past has joked about taking 'a vertical exit'. As I was in the midst of texting her partner I received a call from her on his phone. And there she was. Just fine.
I still feel shaky though.

Wednesday Morning Hike

2011-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

What great adventure awaited us today??

The rushing waters and moss clad cliffs of Humphries Falls. I'd heard of them - TwinA actually visited there with friends once - and today I finally got to see them.

Here's one of our grey and grizzled group, leaning over to capture the best angle. Won't find me there.
Nuh-uh.
They can be the daredevils and I'll get a photo from them.
I don't think I've seen a more perfect waterfall; the deepening greens of the water, the weathered rock dotted with ferns and moss and then of course the series of falls all added up to a masterpiece of natural design.
Of course everyone expects to see the resulting paintings from these hikes!
Oh...and the mushroom du jour:

These babies. Never seem 'em before.

Vision Check

2011-08-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

Okay; let's check our eyes:
Which one's better...this?

Or this:

This:

Or this?:

It's been cold and dull and miserable. We had an inch of rain yesterday, though I must admit today it's quite a bit brighter. Why,some of the clouds are even a very light shade of grey!
Met Scarlett from Oklahoma this morning. She and her husband just arrived on Tuesday for an 18 month stint on the smelter rebuild.
Scarlett packed only summer clothes, therefore Scarlett is very cold.
She'll get the rest of her stuff in 2 weeks so I urged her to get over to the second hand store and grab something warm because I doubt anyone could 'tough it out' very well here with nothing but a light sweater for that many days.
As I sit here in a heavy vest over my sweater...

Outdoors Galore

2011-08-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

In a manic effort to enjoy our six days of summer and avoid smoking, I was physically active for about five or six hours from Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday evening I tried paddling in a dragon boat...though 'paddling' hardly begins to describe the exertion nor does this idylic view of Minnette Bay:

It was the most perfect of all evenings to be on the water though I had to leave my camera behind since it would have gotten thoroughly soaked. Always nice to grab a glimpse of our sometimes bee-hee-ootiful surroundings.

Wednesday morning, I went on a 3 hour hike around upper and lower Clearwater Lakes and their connecting stream. The light was perfection so I snapped over 80 photos hoping to find a painting composition or two in the batch.

We discovered newest Biggest Mushroom I've Ever Seen, with my bruised and wrinkled hand in there for scale. The way this year is going I expect that record's liable to be broken weekly.

Bonus spectacle!! When we returned to Onion Lake we noticed tadpoles the size and colour of black olives swarming by the shore. We surmised that this was for the dual purpose of stirring up silt to feed and soak up some warmth from the sun. They gradually gathered around any branches or rocks sticking up out of the water; the early maturers equipped with their complete set of legs perched right on top and below them, various stages of development descending into the water, looking like an evolution chart.
Those big kids with their legs, they get all the cool stuff!

Monster Mushrooms

2011-08-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's been wet this year which is light years different from the past two summers where the woods became dusty and even the moss turned crispy and dry. I find this weather far more reassuring though we're all relishing the warm sunny weather of the past 3 days, which so far represents our entire summer.
Mushroom season has arrived early and it probably shouldn't be a suprise that I encountered what may very well be the biggest mushrooms I've ever seen.

Tulips!

2011-08-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's a new painting! Three feet by four feet,acrylic on a crappy warped canvas bought at the dollar store (never doing that again) completed just before all the death and uncertainty of the past week or so. I'm not normally a floral painter, or if I am I've found an extreeemely narrow niche because:
a. I only paint tulips (more rarely poppies or other cup shaped flowers)
b. apparently I wait for this precise moment in the life and death of a tulip. Found a sketch from several years back which looks like this very composition. But it's not.
Even stranger is the fact that another artist I know through the art club, likes to paint tulips in this same state.
Maybe I's more common than I thought?

Memorial #1

2011-08-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Rod & Gun was filled to capacity this afternoon with coworkers and students who had appreciated Betty's passion for music and teaching. Many of us hadn't realized that she was essentially a very quiet and reserved person...she must have found her niche in Kitimat because we knew her for her exuberance, sarcasm and dry humour. She's seen here in the late 60s with her beloved clarinet which she went on to play professionally in several smaller city symphonies before turning to teaching. The high school band program quadrupled in the 7 years under her direction.

There is a Memorial #2 pending with a possible 3rd following a fatal highway accident on Saturday that took the life of another high school teacher. Her husband, also a high school teacher, has since been in a coma. She was on my facebook since we have that special bond as Mothers Of Crazies. TwinB sent a message of condolence to one of her daughters; they dealt with many of the same issues at the same time.

I discreetly mentioned to a good friend at the memorial that I felt a little paranoid at the moment - that it felt like we were being stalked by an invisible force. She told me that everyone felt the same way, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Hope we're done with death for the summer.

Today the Music Died...

2011-07-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Betty the Band teacher was a member of the group organizing the Arts Festival and she energetically coached her many students and attended concerts through the end of June.
Now she's suddenly gone.
Last Wednesday - one week ago - she was taken to emergency where she was diagnosed with cancer and we knew she didn't have long but who could expected her death on the Wednesday following?
I keep seeing her face at one of the recent meetings we attended.
Doesn't seem real and it sure isn't right.

Huckleberries! Hurray!!

2011-07-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

There is no plant/tree/shrub that is more West-Coastie than the huckleberry. They're the first thing to send out their incredibly delicate blooms in spring; hummingbirds count on it and this bush is so pretty in every season. Spotted these on a walk today and harvested a few. Prematurely it turns out. They were almost good so I guess they'll need a few more days. I noticed some ripe looking raspberries in my oh so neglected raspberry patch so will check that out now.

Evidence of Heading North

2011-07-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

See the feast laid before me?? This is the cuisine that Air Canada dishes out for their short haul flights. A 14 gram bag of mini pretzels (half an ounce for those still in pound mode) delivering a whopping 60 calories worth of energy. Fork out $6 for a crisp white wine to wash it down and you have a lovely pairing to occupy your restless self for about...15 minutes if you really stretch it out.

Then...what to watch...what to watch...
Apparently the only thing 'on' right now is an episode of The Dog Whisperer.
Cartoon curtesy of TwinB
I wasn't even aware that airplane seats normally come equipped with media screens until about 2 years ago when I finally flew east on a standard plane rather than just south to Vancouver.
And we get to pay about twice as much too.

Little Gems

2011-07-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, like, here I am in Calgary...those are the Rockies as I flew in a week ago. Whatta week!
Celebrated my birthday:

My ersatz son-in-law purchased this lovely cake seen here in the morning light but couldn't attend my little birthday event as he was working a side job after hours last week.

No Photo Available *

TwinB 'n me attended the annual Poetry Slam on Thursday where she opened the show being the first person to read for the Open Mic portion of a very intense and jam packed evening. She got a rather good response from a completely cold crowd (not warmed up) and I suspect folks would be surprised to discover that this was her inaugeral public reading. Ever.

I's a proud Mama.

*no chance to record my baby since she suddenly went on first and all I could do is enjoy. She asked them only minutes before so they were very gracious to give her any spot at all.

The following morning mah boy and I travelled to Grande Prairie to put in an appearance at my Uncle and Aunts' 60 anniversary. For some reason I figured on about 6 hours of travel...wrong!! Between construction, getting lost and it being 800 kilometers in total we were on the road for 11 painful hours. This is from the trip back a mere 38 hours later. Travelled through a massive thunderstorm; this would be the end and look what's at the end of the rainbow!!

Stampede is coming up so the Ctrain stations are alive with the sound of buskers. Threw a loonie in guitar case then decided I liked his sound so told him I was sticking around for a whole song. He did an amazing job of singing about divesting himself of various household goods in order to move to Victoria. Haunting even. We then chatted for quite a while: so, please meet Tyler Cameron, singer/songwriter heading to UVic to take sports psychology.

I however am hoping that his musical career takes off.

Look him up online at cbc radio 3

Rotary Dinner

2011-06-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago I attended the year end Rotary Club dinner since someone needed to be present on behalf of Kitimat Arts For Youth because we were receiving a donation and I was the only member willing and able. Rotary had also invited a brand new - two month old - Indian dance group to perform for the group and in the photo above they had encouraged various audience members to join in. It was entertaining, almost as entertaining as their name: Curry In A Hurry.
Ahhh...when young folk name stuff!
This was almost the end of my season; had to put away the panels we'd used for Dance Impressions then attended the final assembly at Nechako school yesterday where I was presented with a lovely thank you from the PAC and students that included a gift certificate to SeaMasters restaurant, right on the Douglas Channel. It was in honour of the work I'd done with the Nechako centre mural last summer.
A quick hike/walk that I'm guiding tomorra morning then it's almost time to head to Calgreee!!
w00t!

Big Blue Hall

2011-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the Blue Jungle, all set up with lights 'n everything. The Theatre manager made sure she took photos with her big expensive camera so I hope those show it at it's best.
Five hundred square feet, base coat to touch up: 20 hours.

Arts Festival 2011: Final Event

2011-06-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Spent a good chunk o' Monday striking the On Cue exhibit at the library then taking the various pieces back to their respective homes so I really wasn't planning on attending the final performance which was the Naden Band. They're the Canadian Navy's west coast band so I was expecting marching band/military type stuff. As I ran through the theatre I caught some very nice sounds while they rehearsed and warmed up so it seemed a shame to miss the closing event. I cleaned myself up a bit, dressed in theatre black just in case I was pressed into service at the Front of House (and I was).
As I listened to the incredible music they were producing it occurred to me that I've never been in the presence of a real, professional live band before. A Big Band, not a drony little marching band.
It. Was. Epic.
They played music from popular movies, jazz and swing, with a jaw dropping full length version of Sing, Sing, Sing featuring...well... what I can only describe as some ultra masculine drumming.
I'm glad that I went and I'm glad that it's over!
http://youtu.be/iInxEWAy8A4 ( here's a link to them on Youtube)

Dance Impressions; Installed at Last!

2011-06-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Just a tad behind original schedule, I finally installed all the artwork that the students produced for exhibit today. Hurray!! My fave - on the bottom left - would be 'The Sun Is Dancing', created by a grade 3 with Downs Syndrome, however I was impressed with all the kids and their fairly effortless grasp of the concept.
I love this particular project. *sigh*

Arts Festival 2011 (aka: WeekFromHell)

2011-06-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

The students here were participating in the workshops I instructed a while back for Dance Impressions which always proves to be a very delightful activity hence definitely not part of TheWeekFromHell. It's the resulting exhibit that I'm slowly piecing together at the mall that has become part of an overwhelming and gruelling amount of work.

On Cue for 30 Years is exhibiting at the library all this week meaning we have to find people to sit there in shifts or be there the entire week our (two) selves. Took 5 people 6 hours to set this up last Saturday. The other exhibit requires that all the artwork be mounted by Thursday at 4 when there is cake and coffee happening. I attended the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir last night and it became a challenge to keep my eyes open. Not because they were lacking in any way; it's a testament to their enthusiasm and skill that they kept me awake the entire concert!

Finally, I have been working on That Backdrop. 500 square feet in 15 hours. Lots of other crap involved with it though. I'll have to pack it up tomorrow, haul away the paint I no longer need, put aside the paint I do need for next week when it's installed and I will perform touch ups geared towards the lighting available.
Oh. Must disguise the paint I got on the wall of this newly renovated classroom...
shhhh...

Eerie Blue Fungus!

2011-05-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to create some lighting that looked like glowing blue fungus for the mural I'm painting; turned out quite well imho.
This consists of a battery operated laser light, a blue vase from the Dollar Store, plastic milk jug handles, hot glue and ~~old man's beard~~ on the base. Changed my mind and glued torn up drop sheet polyvinyl to the base. Better light and more eerie.
You can call me the Macgyver of squeaky cheap craft!

Jumping Into a New Mural

2011-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Look at how much copyrighted material I can knock off in 3 hours!! (I don't think it's recognizable just yet) Took 120 square feet almost to completion this afternoon...I hope. Guess time will tell; it always does. The beginning phase can be deceptive when one can tackle hundreds of square feet in little time. It's the fine tuning and polish that really streeeeetch out a project. *fingers crossed*

And More Bear, Yet Again!

2011-05-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

In nearly the same spot by the Kitimat river as our recent bear sightings just south of the orange bridge, today we saw 2 young grizzley sibs. I've used zoom and crop on the photo but still...both the husband and I had our fingers hovering over the window control. People are starting to stop right on the highway and if you're on the southbound side, it's on a curve so if one of those ubiquetous logging trucks come barrelling along, the resulting collision is going to be spectacular.
I think I've had enough bear for now.

Gasp Clutches Heart

2011-05-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Remember this purdy thing??

Well today, when I visited the scene shop I witnessed the evidence of its demise.

*sigh* Kinda thought it might be saved but...guess not. Bummer.

More Bear!

2011-05-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Second year grizzley cub munching on grass right beside the road near the Kitimat river. Mama was off to the right a bit farther back, ensconced in the bushes so we didn't get very good photos of her. This is how I prefer to view bears: sitting in a running car watching them intently focussed on 'not ME'.

Black is Back

2011-05-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

Bears, that is.

Saw my second bear of the season yesterday while driving from City Centre to Service centre. In both cases they were black bears which was surprising given our infestation of grizzlies last fall. This guy was heading from a block of old growth forest conveniently placed in the middle of town and just on the other side of those trees is Kildala neighborhood.

While at the gym today, the owner told me that last year when we had a white Kermode bear hanging around, local citizens were throwing caution out the window and practically walking right up to it because "Spirit Bears can't hurt you, can they?"

In addition the husband told me that people have been feeding a black bear not far from town on the highway. *smacks forehead*

You don't even want to know some of the sloppy garbage practices.

I can't believe that here of all places we have such bear unawareness...

May The Fourth

2011-05-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

...nope...not gonna go there.
But here; here we have spring creeeeping in oh so slowly.

This is the view to the backyard at the BFF's this afternoon. Spring comes a lot later for her than it does for me and my yard. There are still so many places tucked away around town where winter lurks either in a sheltered band to the north of a grove of trees or in the numerous piles where white stuff was frantically gathered during those frequent days and nights of unrelenting snowfall.

As Seen On The Cover of The MVAC Bulletin!

2011-04-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

One of my most recent assignments involved creating an image to be used on the weekly bulletin for my church. So ... you got yer Mount Elizabeth there, the building itself and the cross we see at the front of the sanctuary... three's a magic number so Bingo, Bango, Bob's your uncle!
Bottom line: it works, wasn't even that painful and the Mt. Elizabeth is a good standard view of the mountain to use on many a painting..
The transitional pastor who'd requested this was gracious/professional enough to ask what I would charge for this service; I of course said I couldn't charge for this especially given the amount of time others pour into our church.
It was quite the novelty to be treated as a professional rather than a rented mule especially when compared to some of the requests I've received from people who don't even know me except as a handy local name who'll realize their vision for no charge while they take the bows. The publicity's supposed to be good for my career...so I can attract more freebies.
To date I've managed to dodge three different free unpaid, large-to-mega projects that would have seen me donating services worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Now that I look at it written on the screen like that...NO! #4 is gonna be a whole lot easier.

The Happy Easter Snow Goose

2011-04-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

First spotted this goose yesterday morning while on a walk with our Rupert. At first I wondered if it was a domestic goose who'd managed to escape for an extended excursion but after watching it fly became fairly sure it's a snow goose. Fortunately I had my camera on me today so was able to take some halfway okay photos.

Today Rupert was confident enough to chase, though the goose landed not too far away and seemed rather unruffled. Even managed to get Rupert to 'come' after we'd called a couple of times.
Don't know why this double picture post that I can't seem to delete though...?

Meat-On-A-Stick And Fireworks!

2011-04-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

That's how we know we're having FUN!!!
Cause really...ya know, when you have meat on a stick...it really is... fun! And yum!
The husband and I checked out the Very Huge Building that Ushers In the New Era for The Company.
Impressive and Uber in every way, which is typical of all Company undertakings in our region
So...anyway...this building is 1200 plus feet long. Ree-healy!
3 football fields in standard measurements.
I'd mention The Company but then Ralph would have to check out my lil' blog entry. Sometimes I entertain the notion of referring to The Company in my blog 'n then saying "HA!! made you look!" because Mr. R.R. has set his computer or some program to flag all and any entries concerning the company.
For this one, I just want to be a little, local fly on the wall.
A very well fed, entertained* fly.

*O|H! the fireworks?! Amazing from my studio which is 5 K and 300 feet above where they were deployed.

'Icing' On The Cake

2011-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

The house has stood empty for years if not a couple of decades. It looked sad enough in this condition but then the past winter pulled down one of the trees in the backyard adding this final, perfect touch.

Cool Green Pool

2011-03-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Watercolour...8" X 10"

Another favorite spot for TwinB 'n me. Moore Creek just around the corner from the falls. I've always loved the small green pool created by currents rushing past rock jutting into the water. Straight ahead and almost below the overhang of the cliff is a larger pool, ideal for cooling down (if not rendering one absolutely speechless from cold) on a hot August afternoon.

The First Week of Spring

2011-03-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

All over town people have begun dismantling their snow piles; a few get a little over enthused with it. Our neighbor beside us commented that we might need snowshoes due the ammount of snow back on the road.
My husband looked outside and noticed the young fellow across the street going at his pile with an ATV. At first he thought the kid was high marking his snow pile but then it became more obvious that he was chewing at the edges.
And me? I've decided that my snow can be flung around to the side of the house where it can slow down that stinking piece of lawn that always gets a jump on everything else.
Finally - a good application for snow pile removal.

Robotic Rainbow

2011-03-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

Ever seen one before??

I haven't but it sure made sense when this Kindergarten student informed that's what this is.

I'd really been wondering about some of the extra little lines he'd carefully inserted between the normal bands of colour. So there you have it; robotic rainbow. Not sure if it has any extra functions.

And Piles To Go Before I Sleep ; )

2011-03-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Conditions have rendered the sign above a tad redundant.

Aaaand here we find ourselves uttering the infamous 'don't touch the powerlines'. Admonitions not heard since the '70s. We've only had 18&1/2 feet of snow this winter; the snowiest season I ever witnessed was 24 feet and the all time biggie in '72 totalled 40 feet. The difference is in having cooler days of sun rather than endless gray and ice cold rain following each snow. The rain doesn't make the snow disappear though it does pack it down a bit.

Epic Snow

2011-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

That's my house back there. The neighbor across the street took this photo following a 105cm snowfall in 24 hours from Sunday to Monday morning. It's not a record and all the schools were open on Monday.

We have a base of about 150 cm now in my backyard which gets a lot of wind so the more sheltered yards might be up around 2 metres.

Pretty ridiculous huh?

Just look what you can do with it though! A friend on facebook told me that she used food colouring in a spray bottle to achieve this graffiti so it's totally green. On white.

I Stand Corrected

2011-02-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

The husband treated me to a full on lecture this afternoon from the neighboring town of Terrace throughout every single tortuous kilometer back home.
Turns out my recent aspirations and career goals are...uppity.
Working towards Associate or Signature status in a national painting organization is 'uppity' and will only look pretentious to northern clients if they understand it all. Entering large international painting competitions was deemed the same but with the addition of "it's a suckers bet and a scam and you're way past old enough to know better". Regional competitions are approved however though unfortunately there is nothing of the sort in existence at the moment.
I should be painting large canvases in oil (local scenery) like he's been telling me for 30 years!
We have stretcher bars and canvas kicking around so he's decided to construct a few large ones for me.
So...I have a large Mount Elizabeth and Douglas Channel in my near future.
I think I'll pile up a batch of Large Scenery and see what shakes out.

Bright Blue Day

2011-01-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Determined not to miss out on another gorgeous Kitimat day, I packed the dog into the car and drove to Forest Avenue where we took a 40 minute stroll. We detoured into this log holding yard which had piles and piles of absolutely perfect logs. I dared to hope that maybe these weren't destined for China since I'm under the impression that those (completely raw) logs are trucked straight to Minette Bay and put on a self loading barge which then travels to the U.S. in some cases but more often to Japan and China. While driving on Highway 37 we've all come to cringe as every 5 or 10 minutes another truck races south to dump their load of our beautiful raw, raw logs.
Taking our jobs with them.

Wizard of Oz

2011-01-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

Drama teacher skiing in to the high school last weekend. We take theatre very, very seriously here.

(It's a condition that's being considered for the DSM-V)

It's opening night for Musical Theatre's extravaganza ! I've slogged through snow and, picked my way through more sawdust than I care to recall and navigated around and between dozens of cans of paint and tonight's the night. Didn't get to polish every set piece or the Munchkin backdrop to the extent that I would have prefered but I do have a couple more examples for the old portfolio.
The husband and I will take our seats there at 8 pm and then settle in to enjoy the show. Sure glad my part is over! Just hope that all the rigging performs smoothly.

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Dark of Night...Or More Snow

2011-01-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

...will stop us from performing our musical theatre duties. This little patch of bare ground - quite possibly the only one in existence in Kitimat this morning is rather deceiving. I had to trudge through drifted snow that was 6 to 18 inches deep to get here since the parking lots were completely inaccessable. Spent 20 minutes driving past the school and then around town before deciding that the only option was to park the car back at home and walk in. Was like traversing the tundra. At least 10 of us did so.
Maniacs, all.

This was yesterday afternoon and about a foot of snow ago. It's snowing and blowing harder than ever so I don't know how on earth I'll make it into the school tomorrow. I might have to ask the Theatre manager with The Amazing Subaru to pick me up and drop me there, where I'll work like mad to get the final backdrop as close to completion as I can and then clean up the evidence. It's all in the cafeteria for now so I have no option but to ensure it happens. May God have mercy on our souls.

Finsh the Yellow Brick Road...Finish The Yellow Brick Road...

2011-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

On Thursday and Friday I happened to be working at the theatre during B block so I was assigned all non rehearsing students to be my painting crew. Had to find the right colour and paint brush or roller for up to ten kids so although it did take me away from actively painting, we got a lot of base work done.
Bottom photo is a section of the large backdrop that I figure I decently completed today. It could be a heck of a lot better but it's acceptable.

The Very Last Rays Of The Very First Day of 2011

2011-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Our lovely Mount Elizabeth, as seen from the trailer court

The sun is just slipping down behind the nameless mountains that tower over the old Eurocan site at exactly 3:27 pm. Actual sunset would be 4:something. Me 'n the husband 'n the dog went for a rather vigourous hour long walk to the river and back to experience the perfect conditions we've had for SIX days now!.

Rockin' Out!

2010-12-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

Bahaha!

The top story of the witch's castle which is roughly 28 square feet and since I painted it from black to that in about 7 hours...means I painted 4 square feet an hour. Colour me happy!!
I'll have to line up the blocks once they're in place but that shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

Close up of the rocks and blocks o' stone. I found a couple photos of old British castles that were this random and ramshackle which is nice because it means I don't have to paint well crafted, precisely laid brick or stone. Cause this is waaaay more fun.

What We Don't Know...

2010-12-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

Pen and Ink/coloured pencil illustration by TwinB

TwinB left a comment on a blog we both read; it explained the cause of death of one of her friends in the fall of '09 that I had not been aware of to that point. What a waste...what a waste...

the stars have always been there for me in moments where the cold indifference of nihilism was a frigging relief. you go for years clinging to a life you just want to end, you come to some sacred, inexpressable conclusion about its inate value, and then your friend from back in the day chokes on her own vomit and dies on a camping trip because the guys who got her drunk couldn’t just turn her onto her side. abra-cadaver, two little boys don’t have a mom, the stellar atoms of amanda go into the ground, and you’re still here with your precious life.
the night sky smirks and whispers “life is fucked. you’re welcome.”

Wizard of Oz Updatie Thing

2010-12-16T00:11:00.000-08:00

Cornfield set piece for the scarecrow; it consists of a flat with a 'truck' and fence posts which I just faux wood grained today ...in less than an hour. (sorry...I have been taking great pride in my speed)

Detail from the hay wagon; it's on the reverse side of the gypsy caravan. Been trying to compose the large backdrop of the Yellow Brick Road leading to the Emerald City today and got good input from my one and only helper Gail...pretty sure we got it figured out so that was a gigantic plus. Next time might be the finisher!
*woot*woot*
Also got a fairly good jump on a very challenging commission so that's good ...but...don't know if I can actually pull it off and TwinB had a most depressing comment on someone else's blog regarding one of the deaths of last year.
This shit is so up and down.

Chunking

2010-12-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

When we get a type of snow that I've termed 'chunking', large clumps of snow fall from the sky to form a bumpy surface. No deep and crisp and even for us, no sir!
We had 40 cm of snow yesterday which fortunately wasn't followed by too much rain. Some Kitimites told me they saw clumps of snow the size of their palm falling yesterday which is actually a minor form of this type of snow fall.
Put your thumbs and forefingers together: now pull them apart by 2 or 3 centimeters; this is the size of 'flakes' that I've seen falling from the sky during some weather events. You should see the speeds these ...well...I guess snow bombs wouldn't be too strong a term...can reach and yes they really do appear to explode on impact.
By the end of such winters I dream of entire clouds falling in quick succession from the sky.

Burying Aladdin

2010-12-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I'm actually smiling.
Spent the afternoon obliterating the market scene from last year's production on Aladdin beneath the next layer of paint, blocking in the yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City. I was about halfway through when the musical theatre class traipsed in and gradually lined up side by side to mourn the passing of the previous scene; their reaction and empathy for my having to kill previous work was very gratifying.

Oldie But a Goodie

2010-12-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

The Alcan Christmas sets have been installed at Mount Elizabeth Theatre. I took a couple of photos of my areas which is Santa's toy shop. This was my very first paid Large Painting. from about 15 years ago and I'm still rather pleased with the results. (The chair, tree and toys on floor are set in place: the rest is painted which I fervently hope look like part of the scene)

Off To See the Wizard...very, very slowly...

2010-12-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the old theatre/set painting harness. On Cue community theatre has been recruited to assist with every aspect of the high school's musical theatre production of The Wizard of Oz. There are at least 9 of us on board - that's how many people it takes to replace former theatre technician John and his lovely and talented (slave) wife Heather. It feels so much nicer knowing how many other people are lending their abilities to the production since I normally am the only one to get snagged.

That's my partially completed corn field. Actually don't have that much time invested so far. Maybe...3 hours?? Kind of shocking how unfamiliar I am regarding what corn looks like...probably one of the most alien and exotic plants I've ever depicted! I even have way more experience with tropical foliage.

Coming in at a much heftier investment of time at 20 hours is the gypsy caravan. I have a commitment from the Drama teacher that this will live on, so the helper and I took a bit more time on it. She had studied tole painting and her skills really brought the perfect feel to this. Incorporating authentic wagon wheels shipped all the way from Winipeg (which is where a former techie happens to live.)

Beginner's Success

2010-11-23T14:21:00.000-08:00

I guided a student through figures and faces, ending with this face and exploring general proportions and shadows. I asked her if she has ever drawn a face before and she replied that she hadn't.

Took me by surprise! As first attempts go, this is probably the best I've ever seen.

New Horizons

2010-11-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

The assisted living facillity tried out a painting workshop for the first time; I had 7 participants and one observer which was a very good turn-out - better than expected. All really enjoyed the process (despite misgivings from time to time, naturally) and are looking forward to next week's adventure.

Would you have guessed that these were done by people with little or no experience? I was very excited with the results and hope it goes as well when we 'do' mushrooms. ; )

Craft Fair 2010

2010-11-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

The Art Club Team - cramming as many paintings on and around the table as we possibly could. Penny is posing with the bear paw mittens she purchased from a craft table. I had my best Fair ever, selling all four of my recently completed paintings and we sold 3 more by a couple of the ladies there.
I dropped a bundle of cash on various items, which was no doubt fueled by the regular sale of paintings.
Time to produce something for the Craft fair in the mall in 3 weeks time!

Martha Stewart Living...Dead

2010-10-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

Got an invite to a costume/birthday party - which is very exciting since I'm rarely invited to such events. Couldn't figure out how or what to transform myself into until TwinB suggested the Martha Stewart Living Dead angle.
So, I came; I costumed; I had a crazy good time!

Fresh From the Kitchen Table!

2010-10-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Four Kitimat scenes ready to go just in time for Christmas. Don't know if the bus stop will sell...just might give it to My Boy since he has none of my paintings and nothing says 'Kitimat' like the vignette above!
Shouldn't have too much trouble unloading the Mount Elizabeths or the Channel view.
I really surprised myself when these 4 suddenly finished themselves!

(((Bonk)))) ((((Thunk))) (((Bonk)))

2010-10-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

We installed brand new, energy efficient and very reflective windows last Fall and as a result, that's the sound of little bird bodies hitting the livingroom window approximately every 5 minutes.
We'd gotten used to the ocassional collision during the last 2 weeks of every October as flocks of robins and varied thrushes swarm the mountain ash tree and devour every last fermenting berry till all that remained were hundreds of empty stems. With the old windows, impacts were far less frequent but usually serious or fatal; the unlucky bird often transformed into a mess of puke, crap and feathers then sliding with the whole mess down the glass to land in the garden. (to the delight of neighborhood cats)
I had a private lesson yesterday afternoon and it was getting pretty embarrassing as I and my student involuntarily flinched each time a bird hit the window. "Is there going to be a pile of little bodies when I leave here?"
We go look at - and out - the window. There are a few splats and feathers but no corpses. A robin flies straight towards our faces then bounces off and frantically flies in a different direction. It seems these windows are far more forgiving.
Later, I head to the Dollar Store to pick up some blue place mats and masking tape. When I return home I tape a series of place mats over the window.
It isn't pretty but at least it's reduced the carnage to about 3 hits per hour.

A Mighty Wind

2010-10-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

This was the storm of 10/10/10. Wasn't too bad in Kitimat where the wind sustained 70 kmh with gusts up to 100 kmh, though the power was out for several hours. Prince Rupert saw gusts between 140 and 167 kmh, so they ended up with considerable damage. Trees, trucks, trailors and sundry were blown over or tossed around. The rain has eased off a bit now but over the previous 3 or 4 days we've had over 150 mm of rain. (also known as 6")
I think we've made up for the dry summer.

That?...

2010-10-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

...is some grizzly shit

I'm basing this on:

A. the size, seeing as it's as large as a horse crap

B. the form - carnivorous

C. we have 2 families of grizzlies wandering the town

I took advantage of the perfect light this morning to take about 50 photos around Kildala neighborhood. I did have a bit of concern about these beasts in the back of the mind until I came upon two mounds of these sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. (Do bears shit in the woods?? Oh, don't even get me started!! NO!)

The concern was suddenly nudged to an area more in the front of my brain, so I was a bit more aware of my surroundings for the rest of the walk.

A good buddy phoned me this afternoon to tell me about her close encounter with FOUR grizzlies. Yesterday evening, her yard was visited by the Mama Bear and 3 second year cubs. This is one successful mama because not only did the three survive, she's got them to the size of an average adult black bear.

And they were silent. BuddyGal said that they carefully picked their way over pots and planters never making a sound. Compare this to black bears who have a tendency to walk through anything and often make quite a racket. I mentioned all this to TwinB who commented "sounds like they might have been hunting" : 0

Mama bear makes her way to the deck and then pressed her face against the sliding glass doors which, thankfully don't give way. A few minutes later she rises up on her hind legs and makes eye contact with BuddyGal's husband watching from a bedroom window. Kind of gave him some willies.

Of course they didn't get photos what with frantically worrying about whether or not the bear would break in. Today, though they're getting more used to the idea and he was planning on sitting on the roof to take a photo if they visit again.

Sure wouldn't catch me doing that...okay...maybe from a 2 storey roof.

So Long, Joe

2010-09-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Joe - a long time member of our Art Club died at the age of 72 last May which is the end of our yearly season so even though we visited the family, attended the funeral...it didn't hit as hard as the first meeting of the year. Hard to process that empty spot across the classroom from me and I know the Craft Fair won't feel right without him standing by a table of his paintings at the end of the Activity Room in his 'Bavarian Suit' (it's like an business suit but with subtle embellishments that are definitely Alpen) He painted one size and one size only! Had to fit a 16" X 20" frame from Opus. We would tease him about his frugality but we knew we could always count on his direct and honest approach to life along with his quiet humour.
He didn't take up painting till he retired but became one of the most active members of our group.
This Kitimite got his 3 score and 10 - but he still leaves a significant hole.

Spoken word evening in Km@

2010-09-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Two months ago I finally attended my first evar! Spoken Word/Slam event in Calgary. I'd only experienced Spoken Word/Slam poetry on cbc radio so it was an inspiration to witness the process in person. Sherri D Wilson was a wonderful host and I (and TwinB) enjoyed the performers and whole environment. (But - My goodness...from the amount of smokes we bummed out could we ever tell we were in the presence of young, starving artists!) I couldn't help but notice that I have heard comparable material and presenters in our lil' old corner of the world so resolved to put together a similar event at the earliest and most opportune time here, so, seeing that 'Culture Days' were upon us this weekend - Sept. 24 to 26 - I arranged to hold an Open Mic/Spoken Word evening.
Here's what we got:...old fellas Storytelling, and young gals angsting - in very subtle and subversive ways - and older broads reading a variety of poignant material. We also were treated to a work in progress for young readers and a synopsis of a story I'd heard a couple of years back by a younger male writer. The crowd loved his punch line/spoiler and I hope that this composition will eventually see it's full development into a completed story.
The fella featured in this photo- (A well known local thespian - the reader should be wary of these creatures) was asked by my co-conspirator to read something - anything but Robert Service - and even though he had to help his son retrieve a boat from the bottom of Minette Bay, arrived to sing his own little dittty based on 'If I Were A Rich Man' describing what he'd do 'If He Won The Lotto'. It was very humourously delivered.
It was a great evening and everyone is looking forward to another.

Good Afternoon Mrs. Hutson...

2010-09-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

telemarketer: "How are you today, Mrs. Hutson?"
Me: "People keep pestering me with phone calls"
telemarketer: "Well then...fuck off"

I do a half laugh and hang up.
Wow. I've just been totally burned by a telemarketer. And I wasn't even crude, rude or offensive. To my mind anyway. The only reason I'd answered is because I'd been getting non-stop calls from them ALL DAY.
The entire conversation consisted of those very three sentences.
Apparently I'm The Straw.
Is this my hidden secret power - to push people over the edge with seemingly innocuous conversation?
It's happened before: I occasionally toss off a comment or sentence that elicits a reaction so far beyond what one would expect that I'm beginning to finally understand (at my late stage in life) there is something innately provacative in how I communicate sometimes.*
I really work towords that in visual art. It's a challenge, really. Not easy either since I like to convey my ideas in visually appealling ways. I think there's a subversive and compelling strength in that.
Getting countless calls, then that response initially made me feel just a little bit violated - but now...now?!...I'm feeling empowered!!

Oh yeah, Baby - You talkin' to............The Straw!!

*The Husband would attest to that!

Rio Tinto Proudly Supports The Arts

2010-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

The monthly issue of The Ingot - Rio Tinto/Alcan's company ~~propaganda~~ magazine arrived yesterday and what jumps off the front cover at me?? Supporting The Arts in BC page 9

So immediately I flip to page 9,quickly read through the article and subsequently had a rather undignified reaction because I was a tad pissed off...nay...outraged! However I did realize that any response to this would have to be measured and reasoned if and when I or any other Children's Arts Supporter in Kitimat decides to make a peep about all this.

So what's my major malfunction??

The article gushed on about Rio Tinto's major contributions to the Olympics (GVRD) and Arts Umbrella* (GVRD). A sub heading reads Arts are essential to the social fabric of a sustainable community and it is this recognition that guides Rio Tinto Alcan's support for a variety of cultural projects.

Another part of the article quotes Richard Prokopanko, RTA exec and vice-chair of Arts Umbrella as saying "Arts Umbrella builds the confidence, self esteem and cultural skills of over 17,000 children per

year"

Well it's really too bad that none of those kids are in Kitimat, home to a good 900 of approximately 1200 RioTintoAlcan employees. Another 200 - 300 live in Terrace.

I guess we don't qualify as a 'sustainable community.'

Maybe our own shoe-string budget, home grown, Arts Umbrella type program Museum In The Classroom isn't...what?....big enough?...sexy enough? Alcan did used to contribute 8 to 12% of our yearly budget (and yes, they always wanted 100% of the credit) though they haven't donated anything since being bought out by Rio Tinto. Kitimat Arts For Youth did benefit from several thousand dollars for 2 or 3 years but then suddenly disappeared from the RTA radar.

I know that RioTintoAlcan can give their money to any group they choose - I just don't want everybody thinking that here in Kitimat we're just wallowing in their largesse.

I also can't help but feel just a little bit slapped in the face by this whole business.

*I don't have the best history with Arts Umbrella either

http://eileenhutson.blogspot.com/2007/05/little-helper-monkey.html

Hangin' @ the SK8 Park

2010-09-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Assorted images from our ongoing Nechako mural. The first is by a grade 11 girl and very confident artiste. The sugar skull was painted by featured art grad Jordan and the frog in-progress is my contribution to make the bubbles make sense. The mural will probably continue next year and depending on how many people want to add their work, just might have to wraparound to the north side of the building. Every little bit is an improvement.

Oh, the things that you see-
And the things that you hear-
Oh my!
As I quietly painted in artificial anonymity - kids seem to think they're invisble once they're 20 feet away - I overheard some interesting stuff...
The older teens calmly cussed and conducted their actions in a very civilized manner. A group of tweens also f-bombed as they talked about material they and other friends were recording for facebook. Some kind of porn that inadvertently turned into gay porn...?
Then there was the littlest posse. Skinny little 6 to 8 year olds with a preschooler tagging along, all on their bikes.
They greeted me and we talked about the mural, what was or wasn't finished, had I dyed my hair - yes I had, in order to let the silver grow in. A couple of them said they too would have grey hair if they could and I mentioned that it's the only colour not available in a bottle. (yes! I'll be the envy of all the school kids!)
Then off they rode, about 20 to 40 feet away to hang out by the water fountain. F-words begin to fly...they cursed more than the older 2 groups combined. Pretty soon I'm hearing complete sentences mainly composed of 'F-ithets' oh let's say something along the lines of 'FUCK. why don't you fucking stop it you fucking fuckhead!'
I pretend I can't hear. No point, anyway, unless they start getting physical, but they don't.
They ride away into the neighborhood leaving Mrs. Hutson to paint in peace.

Sea: Sick

2010-08-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

Detail of Sea: Sick

20 years from concept to completion. Took so long pondering this that I missed out on the original issue that launched this fella. The original issue was clear cut logging...though given how many truckloads of absolutely raw logs are flying down the highway and off to China it may be re-ignited

It turns out we never had to spill a single drop of oil to spoil the oceans.

Ever since the Industrial Revolution they have quietly been absorbing carbon from the atmosphere as we burn coal and oil. When you change chemistry, you change biology. Of course this isn't the only assault on the ocean:
run-off from fertilizers create dead zones thousands of kilometres in area, lost nets - the infamous Ghost Nets indescriminately trap and kill every species they encounter, bottom trawling destroys habitat while discarded plastic collects where currents gather them into giant floating islands; one is reported to be larger than Texas.
No one can project what the outcome might be but already we've seen troubling effects such as the proliferation of jellyfish and the bleaching of coral reefs due to climate change
...right...climate change, let's add that to our litany of carnage.
Who could have imagined that a land mammal would have such far reaching effects on this massive aquatic environment?

Time Flies

2010-08-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

...when Rio Tinto/Alcan cranks the juice. Came home from a 3 week trip to find that all the clocks powered by electricity had gained about 22 minutes. It's an odd local phenomenon that is usually discovered following a rash of unexplained punctuality throughout town. The smelter sometimes pushes out more power than appliances are designed for and before we know it, the days go by just a little faster.

'Sunny' Calgary

2010-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

This apparently was a storm of note. Not that we realized it at the time - no tv or radio on to give us pertinent info - so we simply watched as Mother Nature entertained us with her capricious fury.
Next day we drove to Home Depot and noticed branches and piles of leaves crisping in the hot afternoon sun. We discussed the storm with a cashier who told us that they and all the customers had been huddled at the centre of the store because of tornado warnings. Tornado....whaaa??!
Okay. Radios or tv on next time.

Sunshine,lollipops...and chalkboards

2010-07-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

At long last my chalk pastels get to see the light of day again. I think I'll try to do more of this. Of course I managed to turn it into minimum wage - perhaps that's my hidden super power...no matter what the job pays I can somehow reduce it to $8 to $10 an hour when all my time is factored in. Oh well. I have had a few situations where that wasn't the case and I didn't go below $20 an hour.

The next step is to compose my own sign for Hutson Artworks in chalk and start getting my work out there.

Alrightie world...here I come. And this time I mean it.

Splitting

2010-07-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

I went to see TwinB's former doctor here and I learned a new term: splitting.
Update 07/17: when I looked up 'splitting' in regards to BPD it refers to the black and white thinking typical of the disorder...and I already knowed that so I don't know what the doctor was talkin 'bout. Must be something but I suspect it goes by a different term.
I was in there to find out how to access files that could be sent to Alberta so's the kind folks who work with Persons Of Challenge could get her on the AISH. (assistance for the severely handicapped) She doesn't need them for any income supplement at present but it would be nifty if they could cover her $200 a month meds and to step in if she relapses at some point. The doctor agreed that she really should have some ongoing mental health care and that he would find notes and assessments that would prove her eligible.
Her one stipulation was that it not include borderline personality disorder and after a lengthly debate he was able to assure me that he could swing it in the bipolar direction...which he considers a more stigmatizing label, oddly.
As he glanced over her history he noted that borderline PD had been suggested as far back as 2000 which would have been her first hospitalization. He listed 4 features they'd identified to support this, though it wasn't applied to her since she was only 14 and no firm diagnosis is normally made till age 18.
One of the terms he mentioned was this 'splitting' thing which is where the professionals don't all agree on the diagnosis - splitting the team - so they view the patient as being disruptive even though they're not present.
How convenient.
If someone decides you have BPD and someone else thinks they're on the wrong track well that's just more proof that you have it.
*smacks forehead*

Oh Canada!

2010-07-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the Luso Canadian float rocking out to some Portuguese tunes. Despite the forcast for showers we received absolutely perfect weather! July 1st is our 'big day' here in Kitimat and it's a great place in which to spend it. Could barely move when I got to the later festivities at Riverlodge.

One of the Spirit of the Kitlope dancers sporting a blending of cultures look.

There's our 'Duaniki' in blue! 'Ours' as in Mount Elizabeth Theatre where he volunteered as a tech through his entire high school years and then this past year while he was waiting to arrange entry to BCIT.

The final number of the performance was The Friendship Dance - one of the dancers graciously granted the little girl at her side the opportunity to particpate and to truly celebrate the genuine spirit of the dance. Got me a little choked up!

Dance Impressions

2010-06-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

We put on a show today! Reception for the Dance Impressions exhibit at the Mall...complete with Madame Mayor, cake, coffee...mmmm!...big honkin' piece o' cake. (been a while)
Leah came in from Smithers in May for Dance Month to give 7 different elementary school classes a 45 minute workshop in hip-hop and stomp. I then presented these classes with an oil pastel workshop where we first looked at rhythm in nature, the various styles that artists have used to depict dance and dancing throughout history and had a discussion on how we might present our own versions of what dance feels like for each individual. Was a pretty cool concept to spring on students from grade 1 to grade 5 or 6 - they all caught on and sometimes were even able to invent an interesting title for their piece. I encouraged them to think up descriptive and provocative words or phrases rather than use the first and most literal thing that came to mind.

Graffiti Group

2010-06-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

There she is...Tanya...community activist and outta control volunteer.

She's the one who dreamed up this little scheme and dragged me onboard as artistic advisor.

Of course I end up painting.

She organized priming of the wall yesterday, allowing students to wade in to slap up some primer. I ran from child to child, frantically giving brief tutorials on the best way to use a tray and roller.
You wouldn't believe all the pointers one has to ...well, point out until the task is analysed and tecnique assessed. I appreciate the value of having the kids invested in the mural and am thrilled that Tanya was in charge of that stage.
(no one ever wants to see the inside of my brain when confronted with the inefficient and sloppy application of paint.)
     When Tanya and I returned the next day to paint we noticed that Grad 2010 had found the freshly blank wall to be irresistable and I took great satisfaction in obscuring their work, a mere 12 hours after its application. This took me around the corner with some impromptu spheres/bubbles while Tanya went to work on the background colours of the main wall. It's about 100 feet long.
     I must get busy on a sign thanking sponsors and listing the artists who will be featured (i.e. welcome) on the mural, especially our star, Jordan who'll be doing authentic graffiti style work and who shouldn't be confused with the riff-raff.
     Then I'll go see if we had any more visiters last night.

Load O' Bullarama

2010-06-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

The inukshuks down in Strawberry Meadows are currently sporting cowboy attire. And that's about all that's sporting about it in my humble opinion. I would really love to enthusiastically endorse anything by the fine Oviatt family who really are a wonderful asset to our town but...but...Bull-arama involves bull riding/harrassment of the genital binding variety and Ah jes' don't take kindly to that sort of thing.
Hey - I LOVE a good steak now and then but I'm happier knowing that the creature who supplied it lived a contented life and died a good, quick death. People have argued that this is no different than what goes on at farms and ranches all the time. Granted, but a few select steers aren't singled out for continual abuse day after day for the frivolous amusement of a predator species.

This is all in aid of the Snow Valley Riding club (horsies) and will include a fundraising pancake breakfast for the SPCA (kitties & doggies). So....why are we tormenting these social mammals to raise money to better care for those social mammals??
The faux steer skull on the hat is ironically fitting for this situation.
Do unto cow as you would have done unto doggie/horsie/kitty.

New Mural

2010-06-09T22:04:00.001-07:00

Couldn't get in close because it was a small room. Completed this in 1/3 less hours than I had originally quoted so...a not too, too small mural for $210 for 7 hours. I surprised myself at how few hours it took me. Which is a nice surprise. Should be some spin off bidness from this project which would be what I was hoping for. Clients 100% happy.

Art of a Literary Kind

2010-05-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hey, I wrote a Pome! Now I have something to read at Writers Group on Saturday!
Wanna hear it?? 'Kay? Alright - here goes...

*ahem* *rattling of paper*

The Dream Rotisserie

Discomfort rules tonight.

I roll endlessly with the clock;

the promise of rest always a quarter turn from reach.

Hour by hour I dip into dreams

then inevitably float back up to briefly glimpse

the regular stops on my circuit:

Dresser/lamp/wall/ceiling/repeat

Each moment of half lucid awareness is compelled to surrender to a vague narrative

that builds and echoes through brief episodes of sleep.

The sheets - heated and wet

are thrown to the side until

a slow chill draws me back to my burrow and

the chaotic underworld of ever changing plot.

Dresser/lamp/wall/ceiling/repeat

The chapter shifts once more.

Brain - what are you cooking up?

Scenes are played and overlaid,

condensed to form some elusive conclusion.

A nudge from my unconcious:

"Do you get it? Do you get it yet??

But I'm blank so I'm gone. Again and again and again

I'll ride the dream rotisserie

and marinate in sweat.

The End. Soooo....anyhoo, I will request critiques and keep hammering away at this.

May Workshop 2010

2010-05-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

I delivered our watercolour instructor to the airport this afternoon, completing a 3 day workshop that we'd been planning for a year. It was a very worthwhile endeavor - most participants produced or halfway finished at least one nice composition and we generated a wonderful atmosphere that I hope we can maintain for an indefinite period. In less than 18 hours over the 3 days I came away with two half sheet sized watercolours and established a clear genre for myself - this being my light/shadows/fruit debris still life series. It's good to have a direction and I'll be pursuing gallery representation and Federation of Canadian Artist status with a portfolio of these kinds of subject and style

This would be contender number 2. Been meaning to paint this one for countless years so I'm happy to finally squeeze it out. The instructor Gerry Thompson treated us to a very straightforward and manageable approach to paintings and like most people we ship up here, kept us entertained as well.

Ducks In A Row

2010-05-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

These are my 'ducks': 2 bags for the home school art class, 1 black case full of watercolour supplies for art club tonight and the blue bag plus cd player for ballet classes in between. Let myself get talked into subbing for the ballet teacher who won't be able to instruct for 3 weeks. That meant that the little hoofers wouldn't have a dance class for 4 weeks and I couldn't let that happen.
Update June 5th - in the program for the year end recital I was included as 'Guest Instructor'! Really wasn't necessary but it's certainly very inclusive. Hueylin really tries to dot her i's, cross her t's.

QuiltFest 2010!!

2010-05-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend a strange, exhuberant and colourful crew descended on Kitimat and made a brief home at Riverlodge where they camped out for the annual regional quilting workshop, conducting their mad skilz and networking behaviours. Even had a demonstration in encaustic painting (which entails painting with pigments in wax...which they can somehow incorporate into fabric art...prettycool)

Anyhooo...quite, quite impressive!

Skeena Spring

2010-04-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Skeena is at its lowest level right about now but countless waterfalls stitching the steep mountainsides and rocky cliffs are beginning to set a Spring & Summer melt into motion.

Zipped into Rupert today to drop off a painting for the Icehouse Gallery's exhibition 'Legacy and Lace' celebrating the town's 100th anniversary. Thought I'd enter 'Unrequited' as a statement on the economic conditions of the region following the decades of boom and optimism from the last century. The husband had been exceedingly grumpy about this yesterday, declaring it a complete waste of time but he insisted on driving us in because he'd just changed my tires from snow to summer and didn't want to risk one flying off and plunging me into the Skeena.
He said there had been far too much joking about it to leave it to chance.
One of the assistants at the gallery was Dolly, formerly of Dolly's Seafood Market so the husband pre-ordered a small halibut for a month from now. He requested 20 to 30 pounds which I tried to ammend to 'more like 20' slightly alarmed at the prospect of possibly having to buy a $300 fish.

This is the famous Car Wash Rock, so named for the near steady run of snow and water onto the highway below. (uncharacteristically dry at the moment) We just missed having an oncoming train travelling by at the same time a few mere feet to the right which, when combined with a logging truck in the opposite lane is an experience seldom matched in much of modern travel. This section is representative of the old highway and there's just no wiggle room so that how it stays.
An icy cold, sometimes hair-raising blast from the past.

Where the Sun Don't Shine

Head Bangin' Blues

Goodnight Gracie

Buried

Arctic Invasion

Fresh & New

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore...

Professional Photo Portrait

Mini Mural: Fini!

Evolution of a Mural

Concentrated Goodness!

The Sun Sure DO Shine...Sometimes

It Was The Best Of Days...

Wednesday's (Aborted) Wanderings

Welcome To Winter

Craft Fair 2011

Wednesday's Wanderings...

Wednesday's Wet Wanderings

Fall & The Freaky Fingers Of Fungus

Sea:Sick Goes On A Road Trip

Reflections 2011

Thanksgiving

Wednesday Hike: Haisla Cemetary Trail

TwinB: Artists' Statement

Artistic Endeavors...

From Panic To 'Perfection' (Halfway Pleased) In 30+ Hours

Destination: Douglas Channel

Wednesday Expedition

Little Lost Girl

Wednesday Morning Hike

Vision Check

Outdoors Galore

Monster Mushrooms

Tulips!

Memorial #1

Today the Music Died...

Huckleberries! Hurray!!

Evidence of Heading North

Little Gems

Rotary Dinner

Big Blue Hall

Arts Festival 2011: Final Event

Dance Impressions; Installed at Last!

Arts Festival 2011 (aka: WeekFromHell)

Eerie Blue Fungus!

Jumping Into a New Mural

And More Bear, Yet Again!

*Gasp* *Clutches Heart*

More Bear!

Black is Back

May The Fourth

As Seen On The Cover of The MVAC Bulletin!

The Happy Easter Snow Goose

Meat-On-A-Stick And Fireworks!

'Icing' On The Cake

Cool Green Pool

The First Week of Spring

Robotic Rainbow

And Piles To Go Before I Sleep ; )

Epic Snow

I Stand Corrected

Bright Blue Day

Wizard of Oz

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor Dark of Night...Or More Snow

Finsh the Yellow Brick Road...Finish The Yellow Brick Road...

The Very Last Rays Of The Very First Day of 2011

Rockin' Out!

What We Don't Know...

Wizard of Oz Updatie Thing

Chunking

Burying Aladdin

Oldie But a Goodie

Off To See the Wizard...very, very slowly...

Beginner's Success

New Horizons

Craft Fair 2010

Martha Stewart Living...Dead

Fresh From the Kitchen Table!

(((Bonk)))) ((((Thunk))) (((Bonk)))

A Mighty Wind

Gasp Clutches Heart