Odd Jobs and Good Experience

I have enrolled in a welding class on wednesday nights at Algonquin.  So far, it is going really well and it is really great to learn a new (valuable) skill.  I'm not sure if I'm drawn to welding because I could make some really cool art or because there are half decent jobs in welding.  Maybe its a bit of both.  Anyway, I needed something to help me make better (bigger?) infrastructure to my art, and a little continuing education is good for mind and soul.  In an effort to gain exprience in industrial settings, I also signed on with a placement agency for part time work.  This week's assignment was at a 50,000 sq/ft tile warehouse.  My job was cleaning.  So I swept, and swept and cleaned and put out the garbage.  It was exausting and empowering at the same time.  Its also cool to be in new spaces, get a peek of how these places work and the meet the people that work in them.  I wonder where my next assigment will be. 

Art Bus...Saturday

If you're looking for something fun to do in ottawa on Saturday October 13, the art bus is a super way to see a bunch of galleries at once.  I found this extensive schedual here.  For general info on the art bus, go here.  There's a route that going out to Atrium Gallery where my COZY show is at...and I'll be at the gallery for the day doing an artist talk when the buses pulls in.  It will certainly be worth the jaunt to the burbs to catch my show :)  !!

If you can't make it all to the way west end, you could also catch my work on the downtown Art Bus route that will swing past Gallery 155b (its at "The Stables" in the schedual).  I've got the SAFE pillows up at that gallery.  So get on a bus already and see some ART!!!!

Weekend

Here's the yummy spread at the opening on Sunday.  There were cookies, carrot cake mini bites and pumpkin squares and tasty hot apply cider to drink from cute cups.  I think I managed to encompass all things cozy to eat.  There was lots of turkey talk and general enjoyment of a beautiful October long weekend.  Thank you everyone who came out to see the show!  Soon I'll be posting a photo gallery of all the work in the show,  so if you can't come to the 'real' gallery, you won't miss out!

People enjoying the art:

The cute tree corner:

The real trees outside on our hike on Monday.  Glorious!

I can't get over how nice it is to park in our back lot these days.  I get to stare at the pretty vines changing colours day by day:

The Show is Up!

I installed the show at the Atrium Gallery yesterday.  It went really well and looks so good!  The space is a good size for a solo show.  I planned well, making just enough art to fill the space, infact, I had to cut one piece out.  Save it for another time.  I am excited for people to see the work and enjoy the COZY! 

The show's Vernissage is on Sun (Oct 7) from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  So come by just before eating turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving.  I will be baking up some cozy eats and sweets providing apple cider at the opening. Think of what a Cozy day that will be!   

Atrium Gallery is Located at 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa
Hours :
Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m
Sunday 1-5 p.m

The show runs until November 7th. 

Sewing machine

My sewing machine has been a little fritzy lately and I turned to YouTube for an instructional video on possibly how to troubleshoot the problem. I didn't find what I was looking for, but instead found this, which cheered me up quite a bit. If this person can make such a tiny sewing machine, certainly I can figure out how to get mine stiching properly.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKYC7O64pNg]

155b Gallery opening

where did the week go?  On Monday I was enjoying tomato salad and boom, all these other things happened and now its Friday?  Its the day the long awaited 155b Gallery is opening and I have some nice work to show in it.  Here's a photo of the SAFE pillows as they are installed at the gallery.  I took photos of the pillows in some 'safe' places.  The pillows turned out to be rather photogenic as well as easy to transport on my bike(s) so I took lots of pictures of them in various places.  I posted a little photo gallery to the left so you can view the images.  Then I printed the photos and made some sweet little fibrous wall pieces for the show.  They are $100 each, if anyone is interested.  So come out to the grand 155b opening tonight at 155b Loretta Ave from 4-10pm.  See you there!

Tomatoes

I had to get Pandora in the picture of the tomatoes we had lined up on the window sill.  See the one at the far left?  It is the hugest tomato ever, and it was given to me in exchange for soup.  How lovely!  I love a good food trade.   

It was so so yummy in favorite salad:  tomato, basil, onion and provolone.  Deelish!

Postcards and Business cards

I got my new business cards and postcards printed for my upcoming show.  It always makes it seems really real when they are nice shiny postcards to drop in the mail and to give away.  ahhh...

getting ready...new work

Things are speeding up around here....Good thing I took a holiday last month, the calm before the storm.  I have been bustling around in preparation for my upcoming solo exhibition at the Atrium Gallery, opening Oct 7.  I posted an album to the left, many of the images have been around for a while, new images coming soon, just as soon as I get the chance to document everything.  Here's the last piece I made for the show.  Its called Yellow (with Flagella).  I just love that word flagella.  ha!  The piece turned out pretty well too :)

The other album I posted is of the soon-to-open Gallery 155b.  Mr. Chris Healey is the mastermind behind  this operation. I added some images of the state it is in now, which are the 'before' pictures.  I will have some work in the inaugural show on September 28.  He interviewed me for a video blog which I will post shortly.  What is the handiest thing about 155b is that it taking shape in the room adjacent to my studio.  Needless to say, it will be easy to transport the art work to gallery.  Sweet!

 

Album

I've put up the photo album of my trip to the east coast.  All the images are there, I still need to add some text and info about what's what and who's who.  But you'll get the idea, just a bunch of pretty pictures of winding roads, waterfalls, beaches, camping, and sunsets.  Enjoy!

Return!

It seems that I neglected to bring the all important cable to get the images off my camera.  Here's a preview of the lovely coast line in Cape Breton.  Image gallery coming soon!

*new* chair

I reclaimed this chair from around the block from me.  I got a new foam pad at the fabric store and used this nice uplostery fabric (pillaged from an old couch) to recover the seat.  There are nice pheasants on it, but you can't see the pattern because Buckely has claimed the chair for himself.  I think that is a sign I did a good job, that the cat liked it right away.  I brought the chair in and within 1 minute the cat had snuggled in for a nap.  ahhhh, satisfaction :)

J and I are going on a little drive to the east and see where we end up.  We're bringing the laptop, so maybe I'll post some images en-route and stay 'connected'.

New Digs

I am really enjoying the new flat we moved into last month.  There is a spaciousness here that we did not have in the last place.  Its not that this apt is huge, but perhaps the last place was a bit small.  Also, this building is about 100 years old, so it has nice high ceilings and unique moldings and trim.  I have been enjoying putting up art and moving stuff around and generally settling in.  Here's a view of the sunny kitchen in the afternoon:

Puppets Up

There's a puppet festival in Almonte, this weekend.  I attended a puppet workshop.  There were various speakers with different involvement in the puppet industry, from the guy who produced Puppets Who Kill, to chezch performers to a Punch and Judy puppeteer from the UK.  I made a puppet a few months ago for my pal Lori, see below.  I'm not sure why I made a puppet, it was just one of those things that 'came out' of a studio making session.  I felt like I needed to explore this puppet phenomenon and meet other puppet minded people. 

Getting back into the swing of things, after some Canadiana travelling, family visit and moving into a new abode.  Lots of exciting projects in the works, so the blog ought to part of the routine too. 

Catching up

There's been a bunch of things going on as of late, keeping me from getting into the swing of blogging again.  Here's a couple of images that have been in my easthetic.

Paris, the dog, enjoying the Barn party in the country

Moving day approaching...stuff to throw out, or more likely swiped by neighbours.

The easthetic of the contract job: endless paper, carts and collating.

 

Old vs New

In an effort to be completly obsessive about my new bicycle, I documented the ugly dirty cog and chain from my old bike VS my new shiny bike.  I think by biking around with less dirt (and 21 gears...all of them working!) will make me go faster.

New Bike!!!

For all the specs on my sweet new wheels: KHS URBAN-X

 

Dress

I finally got around to documenting the dress that I wore to my friend lisa's wedding last weekend.  I found the crazy fountain fabric a few months back at a value village.  It was shoes that I found a few weeks ago (same VV) that clinched the whole ensemble.  I made the outfit sans pattern, which means it probably took twice as long to make if I had just been sensible and searched for a pattern.  But now its perfectly sized for in in all the right places and the skirt will be ideal for biking just as soon as I put in a side slit or two.  I'm telling you, this serger machine is working out really well :)

In a frenzy to have a bag to match the dress I made for a wedding I am attending this weekend, I whipped up this beauty in a flash of inspiration.  Its fully lined with the light green fabric and just the right size to haul all my stuff around.  I am particulary pleased with the framing of the sculpture and bird in the bird bath on the front flap.  It is rather loud fabric, I know, but what else would match a skirt and top made of this wacky textile?  More of the same :)

Dutch Show

I am preparing for an exhibiton at La Petite Mort gallery coming up this weekend.  It's a group exhibtion of first generation Canadians and our relationship to our native land Holland.  I will be exploring bicycle culture through a mini photo sculture as well as exhibiting my pimped up girly bike.  I 've always wanted to have one of my bikes in a gallery, so this is going to be fun!.  My third piece is a conceptual piece on the Dutch treat hagel slag.  The show opens on Friday from 7pm to 10pm and runs until May 22.  See you there!

This is my bike before its pimping:  Its gonna look so cute!