Art, art, art!

It's been a weekend (and month-end too) filled with art. Yesterday was an afternoon of experience at the Surrey Art Gallery -- from the current exhibit through a writing workshop to an opportunity to do some editing -- and yes, all at the same venue. 

The current show, the work of Victoria's Charles Campbell, is called "An Ocean to Livity." The exhibit is based in breath -- yep, the in-and-out of air that we spend our lives doing. It's complicated to explain, but the visuals were based on (I think) sonograms of breath. Wildly, they 'translated' into a variety of colours and patterns it would have been hard to just make up. 

And then, to the writing workshop which saw us responding to prompts from two wonderful poets, Kevin Spenst and Tolu Oloruntoba. Using their suggestions, we considered each of the lighted art works in the exhibit, and managed to find words spilling out of our brains. And then on to assembling a poem on the spot!

They also provided a series of 'editing' prompts, useful to anyone who thinks about trying to write. 

But the crowning touch was presentation of a how-to on making a mini-chapbook, a skill that Kevin has down to a fine art. Because I first learned how to make these little books from Kevin, I've always referred to them as Kev-bukis. 

But wait, there was yet another opportunity for editing -- this time a session on editing in Wikipedia. This was of special interest to me, not only because 'feminism' was in the workshop's title, but also because when I entered the room where the workshop was taking place, the first screen I saw contained an article about Torrie Groening. Not only did this pique my interest, as she's a Vancouver artist who's shown work in the Surrey Gallery, but I knew I'd be seeing her work on Sunday!

She and her partner Stephen run the Churchland Studio, a featured stop in this year's Capture Photography Festival -- and I'd already made plans to attend the exhibit there. 

Well worth the trek into the city, even with a few dribs of rain on the windscreen, as the photography collection there was simply amazing. And wouldn't you know, in amongst the many art treasures, what would I come across but an accordion book based on small cyanotypes. Wow. A little treasure. And a fitting close to comments on an art-filled weekend as well as the end of this year's National Poetry Month.  

Artstravaganza

It's been a kind of crazy time, with so much going on I can hardly slow down long enough to put my fingers to the keyboard. Still, there's been so much cool arts-related stuff, I probably have to post at least a few details.

Sunday the 28th (yep, over a week ago) started with me getting on the bus (something I've been doing a lot of lately, especially with fuel at $1.70 or higher) and heading into Vancouver for an exhibit getting ready to close. It was part of the Capture festival, an annual series of exhibits that's sure to engage anyone interested in photography.

Bizarrely, I was the subject of one of the photos in the show I was invited to visit -- not the usual for me, as I'm not exactly the most photogenic person in the world. Still, I was certainly honoured to be included in a show about "Women in the Way"-- women who've made strong social comments or initiated important changes. The woman I was most thrilled to meet there was Vancouver City Councillor Jean Swanson. She's long been a voice for decent treatment for the homeless and for protection for renters, especially from the recent spate of 'renovictions'.

Later I visited the Vancouver Art Gallery, where I strolled through a few of the current exhibits. The one I enjoyed most featured the French Moderns. The pieces weren't the 'usual' images one associates with these artists, but because I'd had such a wonderful art teacher in high school -- where we were led to really know so many of those painters, it felt like I was visiting a bunch of old friends.

But the part of the day that will probably stay with me the longest was a workshop offered at the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. It was up on the 9th floor, an open space that's the closest I'll likely get to being able to spend time in a penthouse. The topic? Haiku.

Who'd have thought that a two-hour workshop could be as enlightening as this -- certainly not me. But I'd gone with an open mind, and luckily so, as I learned more in that 120 minutes than I ever have in any other workshop I've ever taken. And amazingly, this one was free. Now, that's a library that offers valuable community programs!

Leader of the session was Michael Dylan Welch, an amazingly clear and engaging teacher who dispelled the many myths about haiku I'm sure most of us had been carting around for years. I do hope you'll click on the link to his website because if you're interested in writing almost anything (especially if you have poetic leanings), you're sure to find an immense amount of not only information, but also inspiration.

And if visiting there inspires you, there's still time to enter the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival's yearly Haiku Invitational. There's no cost to enter a maximum of two haiku. Give it a go.

fingers clacking keys

words fly from brain to fingertip

never quite perfect

A day for many celebrations

These flowers arrived yesterday, from an as-yet-undetermined person whom I can only think of as a 'secret pal' for now. Still, they look great on the table as I go forward in this day for so many celebrations.

The first, already starting to happen, is the annual observance of 4/20. This year Vancouver will see two such celebrations. One, the 'official' one at the always-beautiful Sunset Beach. The other, traditional but not sanctioned this year, outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

It seems most appropriate (and yet another cause for celebration) that our Health Minister, Jane Philpott, spoke to the United Nations today, offering Canada's plans to legalize marijuana with legislation to be presented in spring of 2017. And yes, Philpott is her real name, as is Jane. And who knows, maybe her actual first name is Mary? Joking aside, the sound-bite they pulled for the news was powerful -- a promise that the law would keep "...marijuana out of the hands of children..." and even more importantly, "and profits out of the hands out criminals." Exactly. To which I can only say 'about time' and yes, time to rejoice.

A celebration that's going on locally tonight is the Finale event for the Double Exposure photography exhibit, a show that's been on all month. To complement the exhibition, there's been a poetry 'challenge' -- one where poets took inspiration from an image in the show and wrote something based on it. Winners will be announced tonight, with presentations (and a reading) by Surrey's Poet Laureate, Renee Sarojini Saklikar. This, a National Poetry Month event, is her first official event down here in Surrey's south end, so I am very much looking forward to it.

Not to be forgotten is my dear little Honda Fit, who got her first car wash for the spring. She was soooo covered in pollen (and likely will be again by later this afternoon), parts of her were starting to turn green. While this may have been just in time for Earth Day, green is not a particularly good colour for a car to wear, unless that's the colour of its original paint -- and in my car's case, that's a not. Happy car, one that's at least for now, shiny.

A place for art

Just about everywhere I've looked the past few days has been a place where some kind of art is staring back at me. The painting, by Genevieve Pfeiffer, is a recent splurge. Some people fall for clothes or shoes or jewellery. With me, it's books and small pieces of art.


Friday was an opening at a gallery in Vancouver. Two of my closest pals compare notes on one of the photos in the show.


Saturday was supper (its own work of another-kind-of-art) at the home of an artist friend. The tour of his studio served as a second dessert. While in that very magical space, my friend and I talked about how interesting it always is to see what people hang on the walls in their homes.

What do you suppose the art in your home says about you? And really, isn't every place a place for art!

36 Frames

That's how many frames are on a standard roll of film. And that's how many pieces, taken with standard cameras, are in the current photo show at the Semiahmoo Arts Gallery.

The opening, last Thursday, kept viewers entranced -- not only with the prints hanging framed along the walls, but with the old cameras on display there.

Some of us even played around with View-Master reels, shot and created for the occasion by the artist.

There was lots about the night that was fun. Heck, even most of the food was in shades of black and white.

Black and whites on display

Last night saw an opening at the local Community Arts Council Gallery. They change the art displays every month and this month there's work by Tatiana Saydak and Chris Mackenzie. The show for March is an array of small sculptures in company of a room full of black and white photographs.
That's Chris Mackenzie, in front of some of his work. His photos, all taken with film - no digital work here - included images shot with infrared film.

Because I'm always uncomfortable taking photos of somebody else's photographs, I can only say I was impressed enough by his work to buy a piece. If you want to see his work, you should go to the gallery - or failing that, visit his website. Ones he's featured as 'peeks' for this show are some interesting results from long exposures at night time. Definitely worth a look.