Dance Impressions

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

    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

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

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

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

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

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.