a long and meaningful life

I am sad to share with you the passing of my Grandfather (in-law), Edwin Stewart. He reached the milestones of 93 years of life, and 72 years of marriage. His wife, the 90 year old Ethel is quite lost without him. This man touched many people with his unique brand of generosity and spiritual advice. A pastor since his mid-fourties, Ed gave fair, seasoned advice on all matters of life. He once told Kevin and me, "Never let the sun set on your anger towards each other. Be sure to resolve anything before you go to sleep that night." Following this advice has made a real difference in our marriage. Coming from a man married 72 years, its likely the best advice around. I'm going to miss his stories of childhood rescue... he and his brother once rescued a rabbit from a well using a plow horse and a rope around his waist. Well, something startled the horse and it bolted pulling Grandpa and the rabbit out of that well at high speed. He was dragged quite a ways before he could get the rope off...and his "interesting" art creations which always involved either a soldering gun or a glue gun. Once in the seniors home he continued to use his "guns" until they set off the fire alarm, alerting the staff to their presence. Even so, his cheerful countenance, and joy for living continued. May we all have the ability to "live life from the gut" like Ed did!

inspirational artists.

Two have caught my interest today; Samantha Keely Smith who is painting in New York. Her work contrasts light and dark, heaven and earth. The net does not do justice to the riches and depth she manages to get with those oil paints. And Rick Bartow whose drawings articulate feelings of fear and discomfort. He quotes an influence from Mark Chagall, but I find his work more reminiscent of Francis Bacon or the illustrator, Marshall Arisman.

this is becoming pathetic

I was hobbling around on my crutches and I stooped down to pick up some kid laundry laying on the floor; I felt a sudden burst of pain in my lower back and I fell to the ground in pain. My back has been alternating between dull pain and spasms ever since. Yesterday I had to attend a referee clinic for Karate in MacKenzie. That was very difficult. It involved lots of standing, making calls during a kumite match. I made it, but I was exhausted from dealing with the pain all day.

you were doing what?

I was participating in a secret form of martial arts exersize (basketball game for warm-up), when my right ankle folded over and down I went. I didn't even think to do a proper break fall. Now I have an ankle the shape of a softball, and bruises on the back of my head and my butt cheek. What was I saying in my previous posting about agility, flexibility...etc? I think it will be weeks before I can train as I can't even put any weight on the foot. I am using crutches to get around...it is very frustrating for me as I am always busy doing something. Sigh, this boredom shall crush me.

enjoy what I do?

I was sore and exhausted, but satisfied when I arrived home Sunday night. I spent the weekend in Kelowna at a Karate seminar. It was a thorough workout with lots of new things to practice. I have been training in some form of martial art since 1989 when Kevin and I were mugged in New Westminster. It scared me enough to consider taking a beginners course in Shotokan Karate. I have found martial arts training to be the most complete physical and mental workout I have ever had. The style I am currently learning is Chito-Ryu. When I think ahead, I can't imagine a time when I won't be training. It becomes a lifestyle choice more than anything. At 41, I have excellent flexibility, good cardiovascular and fabulous blood pressure, why would I quit? Well, as a person learns more, it takes more discipline and more time to maintain what you know. Martial art is a jealous master for whom you cannot work part-time. At my level, (and my age), I should be training 2 hours, 3 times a week with an hour of practice on alternate days, not to mention daily stretching to maintain flexibility. I should be attending several weekend-long seminars, and learning the Japanese terms and history for my style. There are times when I am not able to train due to work or illness and it sure hurts (physically) when I return. I don't want to do that too many times! There seems to be a compromise to every good thing, and being physically and mentally fit is no exception. Still, I enjoy what I do.

a fitting place

I made a presentation to a multitude of 5 last Thursday. The talk was on current and historical work in Digital Art. We had a short discussion on whether or not these works can be considered art, and what separates art from someone simply using the technology...for example someone who uses Photoshop to manipulate a photo is not necessarily creating art. Although I was disappointed at the turnout for the lecture, those present were keenly interested and appreciative. We really enjoyed having the use of the best-equipt lecture theatre I have ever been in. It is one of two new theatres at the University of Northern British Columbia and is primarily used for northern medical students who join students and lectures taking place in other cities via electronic means. There are three display screens, each capable of projecting either a powerpoint presentation, a lecturer in another city, or other classes of students who have joined the lecture from other cities. As a student asks a question, there are microphones, and a camera which capture the students image and voice and project it to all other lecture theatres who are participating. Each lecturn has access to the internet, slide projector, VHS, and document reader enabling the instructor to use all manner of teaching materials. It really seemed like a fitting place to discuss the use of technology in art, and I really enjoyed playing with all the equipment! Thanks to my friend Tara for booking the space!

it's almost over

I am posting the last of the marks for the FINE 107 class at CNC this week, and as the dust settles in the mac lab, I am left to ponder who learned more this semester, the students or me. I must send a thank you to the students who helped shape me, mold me and humble me into a better instructor. As for the summer, my hope is to spend it creating so that I will actually have something to show in the 3 venues I have committed to this fall. It feels great to work towards a deadline!

we want one too!

Kevin and I went out for a fine dining experience on Saturday. His supervisor at UNBC is moving to greener pastures and a group of about 28-30 people gathered at one of the finest restaurants in town. The food was fabulous as was the service. I received some extra goodies that had everyone at our end of the table looking at me with envy. The parsley on my appetizer, grilled polenta, had a small, white, inch worm who was actively practicing his pilates. Well, the vegan sitting next to me was stunned into silence, and the carnivores at the end of the table were roaring with laughter. Our server, however was not amused and began an apology that lasted all evening long. While I waited for my replacement, the vegan next to me tore his salad into pieces, looking for any signs of the worm's cousins. Satisfied that they were not in his meal, he sighed in relief and timidly began eating his veggies. The carnivores were enviously looking at Kevin who's drinks were now on-the-house just because he came with me. "We want a worm too." They chanted. However, they dealt with a crisis of their own when the steaks they ordered were served well-done instead of blue-rare. Their replacement meal came and the steaks were double the size of the first set. As we were leaving, each woman in our group was given a long stemmed rose, I, however, received two long stemmed roses. It was truly a night to remember.

something to look at

Have a look at The Fire Painter, Russell Maier. One foot in the analog art world and one foot in the digital world brings about some surprising results. Right now he has a feature on Perry Rath who recently had a solo show at the Two Rivers Art Gallery. I find Perry's work to be conceptually sound, speaking about topics that are sometimes tough to talk about, like our mortality. Thought provoking work.

signs of spring

• dust and dirt everywhere, including my entry, down my stairs, and inside each pair of shoes
• rain, rain, rain
• excess dog hair clinging for dear life to all black clothing
• honking of the geese as they move northward
• kids with soaking wet clothing, every pair of shoes and boots are wet right through
• the reappearance of gardening books and magazines on every end table
• and the joyful way I feel inside as I think about the sun's warmth, the return of plant life and the buzzing of insects!

not for the faint of heart

My days have settled into a peaceful routine. I have finished two large freelance jobs and I now have time to relax. I am still teaching Digital Art and Media at the College of New Caledonia, but the class will finish by the end of April. What will I do with all that free time? My kids are still in school until June 29th and there will only be me and the dogs here most days. I am thinking this would be a great time to finish smoke-tanning my deer hides. It is an unusual hobby, but one that I really enjoy. Nothing feels softer, or smells better than homemade leather. I am hoping to finish 3 deer, one moose, a buffalo robe and a bear skin rug. The deer, moose and buffalo were killed by others for food, and it seemed a shame to waste the hides so they brought them to me. Sorry, I guess this post is not for the faint of heart. This work can be messy and smelly. And those of you who have emotional feelings about using animal skin for clothing may not like what you hear. In my defense, I am doing the same work that my great-grandmother and her family did when my dad was a boy. The resulting garments are ecologically congruent in that they will wear long, and return to organic material to nourish the earth when we are done with them. In contrast, think about what happens to those lovely synthetic garments once they hit the landfill. Post a comment and tell me about your own interesting projects you've planned for this spring.

unraveling a mystery

I attended an artist's talk at the Two Rivers Art Gallery last Thursday by Gary Pearson. His show One Way Ticket is a body of work that seems to be related through colour, size, and biographical mystery. Gary spoke through waves of sound and words emitting from 2 of his video installations which made it difficult to absorb the words he spoke, and as he spoke he gestured to various large canvases with faces which seemed familiar, and yet not. Words visually raced across his paintings in the same manner that they were audibly racing around the room. The result was an assault to the senses which, when tolerated for some time produced a dizzy, light-headed, feeling. Like the work hanging on the wall, his talk was filled with light drivel, punctuated with the occasional interesting, intriguing statement. It was humorous and light...until he began to unravel the mystery of who the individuals in the paintings were, and how he had produced the work. Admiration for perspective, size, and palette choice was replaced with disappointment that his schtick was no more that commercial art gimmicks. His skill seemed to be ability to use an overhead projector, photos and ads from old magazines to construct the paintings. And his concern seemed to be with his reputation, style and marketability, more so than any message his art might be conveying. May be I'm a romantic, but I was enjoying the work more before I knew this, it was too much information for me. Sometimes a person can say too much and a mystery is better left that way.

note to self...

update your blog!

we could all go crazy

In Gabor Maté's book, "Scattered Minds", a book looking at Attention Deficit Disorder, he says, "But what if illness in not a separate category, if there is no line of distinction between the "healthy" and the "non-healthy" if the "abnormality" is just a greater concentration in an individual of disturbed brain processes found in everyone?...we could all go crazy. Maybe we already have."

Kind of gives a new meaning to "normal" doesn't it? Perhaps everyone does have similar potential for abnormality and we are all sitting at different levels. I would speculate that levels rise and fall daily or weekly similar to a barometer. Too much of a bad thing can raise a barometer from healthy to non-healthy, and it can take a long time to return to *normal*. If things start to heat up for me I occasionally feel as though I am going to "lose it". Stormy weather can bring on the blues, sunshine can inject me with energy, and too much stress shuts down my short term memory completely. The key to keeping my barometer steady has been learning to say no. I said no to a lucrative career that was very stressful for me. I look forward to my days now. It was difficult at first, but the change has been worth the sacrifice in earnings. Yes, we could all go crazy, but is it necessary? If your barometer is feeling a little low, take a look at the things in your life that are causing the low, then prepare yourself for a change of weather!

no leap this year

Yesterday I celebrated my 41st birthday, sort of. I was born February 29th, 1964 at 11:57pm and therefore I am considered a Leap Year baby. My mom chose February 28th to celebrate for the years which don't leap. Last year I turned 10 birthdays old, while my son turned 10 years old. It was a special time when we both could be considered "10". This year I had to endure "over the hill" jokes from my younger brother who feels that 50 is just around the corner for me. I think I will always feel young as my true birthday only comes around ever 4 years....here's to birthday number 11 in 2008!