I'm getting myself organized this week for the studio open house on the weekend. I've only been in the space for 2 weeks, so I've been able to set up and get aclimatized. I've even managed to make a few new things, like this interesting hybrid fibre flower. It is not quite finished, so I've got to dash over to the studio and get working.
Details for the Open House can be found on The Stables website. See you there!
I just found out about an episode 5 of UATV has been released from the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show . It looks so slick and fancy, I'm pretty excited to have been part of it. Jenny and I are in the first 5 minutes or so of the show, talking about cake. Also, Jenny has started a Cake Blog with our 'serious' artist statment about cake and images of her beautiful mixed media work.
An interview on CBC Radio came up suddenly on Monday afternoon. It was with regards to my lost mitten project and the miten sleeping bags. I brought one of the bags into the studio as a prop. I like that it seems my sleeping bag is being interviewed...and the nice framing of the Canadian Flag in the background tourist shop. I wanted to snuggle in at the radio studio and never leave, dear, sweet CBC!
Thank you to Lala who commented the other day about a little article that was written about my work in the Ottawa CityJournal from November 1. See the article on-line here.
What a flurry! and in between all the hoopla, I've been settling in nicely at my new studio The Stables, I even managed to plug in the glue gun again and get the sewing machine rumbling away.
I was doing some rummaging on the weekend and came across this image of me (on the left) in grade 1 in my traditional dutch dress, complete with wooden shoes and starched bonnet. I have a feeling that 'white turtleneck' was not part of the traditonal dress, but I don't think there was an approprate blouse for me. The gal on the right is Tracy Freda, who knows what she is up to these days... I believe we were wearing our 'costumes' for the 1980 Year of Child celebrations.
Oh, what would we do without YouTube. Stumbled upon this video, perfect for cheering me up since it has been a week of TooMuchToDo. What could be better than muppets AND cake???
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT_n__vsguk]
For halloween, I'm dressed as a mover. I seem to be somewhat innundated by boxes and trying to make some sense of all the chaos. everything has been moved into the new space now and I just need unpack and get set up. That's the part I like: finding the right nook for each little piece of fluff. As much fun as its been to have 3 studios (and 2 moves) this year I'm vowing not to move again for a little while.
Here it is! My new studio space. I painted the floor the other night, because it was a dirty and gross. The coat of paint will freshen the place up a bit. It is in a building that used to be a stables for the old bread factory next door. I'm lucky to have a few hitching poles smack in the middle of the space. I'm sure they'll be good for something.
The setting sun a few evenings ago was just so beautiful. I took this picture on the roof of the building I am moving out of. The sky was so dark in the back, and the sun shining so brightly... I'm ready to fly away!
After all the cake excitement last week, I came home to the reality of being a working artist: needing to find a new studio space. My current sublet is ending at the end of October, and I was getting anxious to find a new place for all my feathers, fluff, cakes, and fabric. I scored a new studio in the building adjacent to the one I am in right...which is really good, not too far to move.
These pictures are NOT of my new space, but of a creepy warehouse-like space that I had a look at back in August. It was a huge basement filled with stored medical equipment waiting shipment to some far off land.
Sure looks like this room needs a bit of electrical work:
I really liked this mini exit door, who can fit out of there?
Whirlwind week coming to an end, with the most fun part having been able to share the fun of Cake at the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show [FAT]. It seems that you just can't go wrong when it comes to Cake. Everybody loves Cake! Photo album link has been put in the left column. Huge thank you to my peeps who came out to support, my co-cake conspirator Jenny McMaster who is happy to 'Loaf' around with me, and Vanja for the FAT venue!
I'm not big on horoscopes, but this week's Free Will Astrology is too weird not to make mention of. How did he know??? And what are all the other Capricorns doing?
If anyone comes across photos, blogs, links, cake show discussion etc.. on the ole' internet, I'd love to know about it!
In preperation for heading to Toronto for tomorow's The Cake Show performance art at FAT, I whipped up a bunch of cupcakes for the event. I hope there are some left after the 5 hour drive :) Mmmmm, sugary goodness! Caution! There may be a fake one lurking in the midst!
In preperation for next week's Cake Show performance at Toronto's FAT, I thought I had to 'winterize' my cake outfit a little, incase there is a cold snap. As I am wearing only cup cakes for 'coverage', I want to avoid catching my death and crafted up this super fuzzy vest, that I think I will be able to use long after the cake show has ended.
Was it not the prettiest weather weekend ever, for the fall?
Found myself in a field of hay bales:
and happened upon the ottawa/gatineau chapter of paragliders. So tranquil...floating through the sky! I prefer to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground, but it sure was enjoyable to see people who need a broad perspective on things...
It has come up so quickly this year, this thanksgiving stuff. Since we are going to a variety of turkey eating events this weekend, I needed to make something yummy just to eat at home. I have never made a chiffon pie before, but this recipy looked not-too-hard (although it did involve gelatin, which is all new to me). So here it is, I am 'thanksgiving' my trusty Chatelaine cookbook for: Pumpking Chiffon Pie. Oh, dreamy fluffy pumkin goodness!
It cheered me up on this grey and rainy fall day to see that October issue of Tone Magazine has been published with my 'Flower Garden' art on it! This was in the works a few weeks ago, so it is nice to finally see an actual copy. Hourrah! That little Flower Garden piece is getting around...first it won over the jury at the Cambridge Galleries Fibrefest with an Honourable Mention, and now a cover of a magazine...where will it get to next???
Oh dear, it seems that I have neglected my blog for some time...For shame.
Here are some photos of my quick trip to LA, where my Rocket-Scientist brother is living. His web site is full interesting projects like a laser beam alignment system for coal fired power plants and he also does cool stuff with solid jet propellant fuel. He has lots of pictures of test firing things like here. Cool..
Lots of traffic...a nice way to see the sunset?
freaky graffitti in the Culver City Arts District:
Cute little cactii, don't you want to pick one up and give it a hug?
Someone has put a whole bunch of locks on the frence on the bridge over the freeway... a kindred spirit in LA.
I am taking a little family-related reprieve to LA-LA Land.
Back next week...
The cake show went very well on Saturday. It was quite fun to dress as cake. People are usually pretty excited about cake. I think they were more excited than usual. Performance interventions inlcuded singing good ole 'Happy Birthday', I did a reading from Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman, Jenny sang a song and did a little dance. We passed out cake and cupcakes. There was lots of cake eating and general merriment. What a fun way to enliven a gallery opening!
I got blogged about here! Cool! Thanks David!
Also today's Ottawa Citizen published an image out of cake shoes! I don't want to be a picky pooh, but someone at the Citizen really should have thought of printing it in colour. Cake shoes and Loaf-ers don't quite have the same impact in B & W. C'est la vie!
Its a bit of a blurry picture, but here's our interview on the CBC, from the National Arts Centre. Mmmm...radio and cake.
Jenny and I are going to be on CBC Radio in Ottawa All In A Day tomorow afternoon.
We will be part of CBC’s All in a Day live broadcast from the NAC on Thursday, September 14. As part of several Ottawa arts organizations launching their fall seasons, we will be discussing our upcoming performance art entitled The Cake Show, scheduled for the re-opening of the Pukka Gallery on September 16 at 7pm.
Listen in at 3:45pm as Jenny and Karina talk about cake rituals, cake songs, frosting, and all the goodness that cake entails. If you're not in Ottawa, tune in on the internet. If you miss the show, CBC posts archives.
I had such a good time in Toronto last week. I have put together a little photo album (link on the left) of the street painting I did at the Junction Arts Festival. It was fun to make the street beautiful with so much fun colour!
I also swung a little side deal with Steve's Meats. Steve asked me to paint his store's name on the side walk. He and his staff were very happy with the results!
When in Toronto, I had some time to go to the CNE. Here is a picture of a ride I did not go on. I've never trusted rides that can be taken apart in a day.
I took a little day trip to Cambridge to see the exhibition Fibreworks '06 at the Cambridge Galleries that I got juried into. It was so good to have a look at the installation of the show and see all the other works/artists who are in it too. There is some really interesting art being made in the medium of fibre and I am very excited about having my work recognized in this venue.
I saw my favorite funny bear logo in Toronto. If you pull the bear's hand, does he fart?
The aftermath of dim sum with a bunch of pals. Dumpling goodness. I was stuffed for the rest of the day.
I also picked up a set of Krissy's/Rat Girl sweet cupcake hair pins at my friend Sarah's shop The Rage in Kensington Market. These will come in handy for my upcoming cake performance. So tiny! So cute! Thanks, Krissy!
And I couldn't pass up this wicked dress at The Rage too. So comfy, so colourful! I'm sure The Rage has a web site, but I can't seem to locate it!
but it is also nice to come home. I have lots of work to do this month, so it's never a dull moment. On to the next....!
am excited to say that one of my new pieces 'Flower Garden' has been accepted into the Cambridge Galleries Fibreworks 06, a biennial of Canadian Fibre art. Not only that, but it won a jurors Honorable Mention!! Sweet! There are 35 artists participating in the show, selected from over 400 submissions from across the country. There is a bit of info (location, opening, ect) on the show here.
I am heading back to Toronto next week for some housesitting and also to do some more street painting at the Junction Arts Festival on Sept 9th. (rain date, Sept 10th)
I have added a photo album at the leff with images from the Busker Festival.
On one of the images, I thank Victor Mai, a man I met at the Busker festival. He was just taking pictures of me working and I asked him to email me a few, and he did! The kindness of strangers is alive and well. It seemed to be a good event to come with a good camera and looking for photo-action.
All the other images that I am in (and could not possibly have photographed) were taken by Jason. He also shot this cool video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om89rXLXEBA]
Here's is a video of what the Busker 'competition' was like. How can a lowly street painter compete with fire breathing jugglers? We even caught one Busker who juggled kinves, blindfolded on an 8' unicycle!!!! How absurd!!! Everyone keeps trying to out-do the next and the next. I think I'm going to stick with adding colour and liveliness to the streets! I don't want to handle weapons or combustables. I had a lot of fun making the festival more colourful and enjoyed the experience.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIoxPW1vzGU]
