Colon Carry All

Here is the Colon Carry All I have made for the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show.  It is part of my Organs and Organisms interventions taking place on Friday night in the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District.  I am heading  to TO tomorow: the car is packed, the price list is printed, all glue has dried.  [FAT] starts on Wednesday night, so I'll likely be hanging in the Distillery hood for the duration.  Should be lots and lots of fun...!

I've also just posted an image gallery of my Creatures from the Crichton Community Centre exhibiton.  The opening went really well, and the place looks great....and rumour has it that the show has been reviewed for this weeks Xpress.  Pick up a copy Thursday!

 

Creature #2

Here is creature # 2, Bellus Bestia, which in Latin means Beautiful Animal.  The show has been installed at Crichton Community Centre, and is looking rather lovely.  I have a busy week getting things ready for the fashion show [FAT] the week after next, so lots to do!

Creature

This is one of the odd little creatures I've made for the upcoming show at the Crichton Community Centre.  More images coming soon!

Here are the details:

Crichton Community Centre
To Build a Vibrant Centre: The Corridor Gallery
Vernissage: Friday April 4, from 6 pm - 10 pm
2nd Floor 200 Crichton Street
The exhibition runs until May 31.
Artists: Karina Bergmans, Leanne L'Hirondelle, Alex Leblanc, Theo
Pelmus, and Tavi Weisz. Curated by Alisdair MacRae

The artists were asked to respond to the gallery space on the second
floor, the history of the building, the local area, or similar spaces
that provide a meeting place for a variety of community groups. Even the
concept of community itself. For the Crichton, Karina has created an
installation of fibre sculptures 'air cleanser' creatures. As a way to
aid the air quality in the facility, the air creatures are at once
beautiful and frightening, a reflection of the microscopic world
existing beyond our five senses.

Happy Spring!

Why isn't a glorious sunny day?  All I see is slush and freezing drizzle in the forcast... Well atleast the -40 windchill is unlikely to return.  We just need to celebrate the small things: days above freezing, melting snow, puddles, and maybe, just maybe, there will be warmth in the air soon.  We will start to wear the thin gloves, go without long johns, change to the short coat.  The change is gradual, almost imperceptable, but it will happen...

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

I am going to take this gorgeous mirror with me when I head down to the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show in April.  I'm schedualed to exhibit some Organs and Organism sculptures (and do some public interventions, hehehe).  I think this mirror is going to fit in nicely.  I made it back in January and I've been enjoying it at the end of the long hallway in my flat.  But it will also be quite stunning at a fashion show...and all those fashionistas will be able to gaze at themselves.  I guess I'll just have to make myself another one :) !!!

 

I Heart Wellies

Since there are piles and piles of snow all around, and the first day of Spring only one week  away (yes, ONE WEEK!),  I thought it was important to pick up a pair of cute wellies in anticipation of The Great Thaw that will happen shortly.  There are already many slush puddles that are hard to navigate in not-so-waterproof-winter boots.  These boots are practicle AND cute, my favorite combination.  Happy puddle jumping !

Winter Snow

Ottawa got 50 cm of snow on the weekend...I don't know if I've ever seen so much snow in one big snowfall.  J took this little video of me jumping into the snow.  I like the super 8 quality of the video.  It also a bit hard to see, but I am actually about 6 feet off the ground on top of a snow pile in our parking lot/backyard.   I made a photo album of some of the crazy snow fall starting from my walk on Saturday afternoon, out at night and then another walk/shovelling event on Sunday. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-VjSAX6BVA]

I thought it was a good day on Sunday to made banana bread.  Yum!

To appease myself for indoor acitivites, I splurged on a British Vogue.  The image on the left sold me on the mag.  Its not too apparent in the photo, but its just a riot of colour: a photo shoot in Peru.  When can I go? And those boots on the right! wow!

Spring Countdown

Ottawa got 30 cm of snow yesterday...I love winter, but its always at this time of year that it seems to going on a bit long...and we're forcast for another snow dump on the weekend.  To cheer myself up, I've made a Spring Countdown calender.  Infact, I'm wondering why there are no Spring Advent Calenders.  It would be nice to have a piece of chocolate to eat everyday.

I skiied to the studio yesterday.  It seemed to be the most sensible way to get there.

skis at the studio

What Has kept Me Busy In February

I have been working on this amazing floor painting commission this month.  This is a kitchen, an eat-in area and den, about 300 sq/ft.  The original floor was white linolieum, and my client was looking for something exciting and inspiring.  The pattern was taken from a couch textile design, lots of colours and patterns.  I have put together a little photo album here (or click on the icon in the left colomn) of before and after images, and textile example.  Instructions for linoleum paiting came from here.  The process is: clean, sand, prime a few coats, then paint the pattern (I used good quality house paints) and the about 6 coats of varathane.  It has been a super challenge to do this work, and the results are pretty incredible.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF0R7W0jh_4]

Regional Contact

For all of you outside the CTV Ottawa viewing area, thank goodness for the internet :) My Regional Contact episode has been posted on the CTV site.  The link is here.

They did such a good job putting everything together!  I love it!  Enjoy the show!

Studio video tour

At the end of January, I made a video tour of my studio and Exhibit #2 of Gallery 155b, which has since come down. My studio is looking pretty tidy and organized. Good timing too, as last week a camera operator from Regional Contact came to shoot my work and I was interviewed by Kathie Donovan. The episode is scheduled to air on February 23 at 6:30pm on CTV/CJOH (Ottawa). I can't wait to see how they edited all the shots and voice-over and interview together. I have a feeling that their professional cameras and lights are going to make my work and studio look fab :)  Pretty exciting!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpe7kmU1ORQ]

Randy, the CTV camera operator in my studio:

New Shelves Change Lives

I got some new shelves in the studio and it has made such a huge difference in my organization!  What a way to start the year off right (although we are well into the new year by a month).  I love looking at my fabric all neatly folded and organized.  Hope it stays that way!!

New albums

I have posted 2 new albums of Mexico pictures and of WARM pillows.  Enjoy!

Mexico Texture

 

Mexico Colour

Happy New Year!!!  2008!

What a way to start a new year with some travel and time to observe, absorb and enjoy.  Travels took me to LA and then south to Mexico, San Migelle de Allende.  What a beautiful city!  I have a ton of photos to sort through and make sense of.   Everywhere I looked is a new lovely tidbit...Here is a sampling of Colours in Mexico.  Soon...a photo album coming. 

WARM

I took these photos of my new WARM pillows on the crazy blizzard day on the weekend.  It seems so appropriate, as it was not at all warm that day.  Also, I have been pondering WARM in the winter, as I am going off to a warm place for the next few weeks.  A trip to visit my brother in California and then down to Mexico to join my friend Tiffany at her photography workshop.  I think the WARM pillows will come with me to enjoy some warmth in these various places.  I'm not sure I remember how to dress that doesn't involved 4 layers of clothing.  Happy holidays to all!!!

STAY WARM!!!

Snow Expected

YES!!!!

Group SHow

I have a few pieces in the Ottawa Art Gallery Sales and Rental exhibition Winter Delights. It opens today from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.  Should be a nice event with quite a few local and regional artists.  I am pleased with the pieces I submitted, a few more flowery bits and fuzzy things. 

   

New Hat

I got this super cute new hat at the ladyfest craft show.  I wasn't planning on buying anything, but this hat just jumped out at me and onto my head.  And I really did need a new hat: my old one from the last few years kind of fell apart, and I was trying to mend it, but it had just lots its entire hat-entegrity.  I like how I've been getting bemused smiles from people as I wander the winter streets.  The craft crochet queen who made this doesn't have a web site, but if anyone wants her email, I'll send it along.  She had a whole table full of these lovely creations!

Exhibit # 2

If I was looking to see some interesting art on Friday night, I'd head over to Gallery 155b.  I saw Margie putting up her installation of the group exhibition and it was pretty disconcerting/intriguing.  I really wanted to take a photo of it to post, but like I said, my camera is giving me some troubles, so just go and take my word for it.  I am off to visit some old haunts in TO this weekend, like sushi, dim sum, and other fav eating.