Clear Light

I <3 Tool

2010-01-21T19:15:00.003-06:00

In personal news, I finished teaching my last class yesterday, so now I am free from the obligations of work. Assah! In a week from now I will be on my way to Thailand.
I. Cant. Wait!
I might just explode.

Aeigo!

2010-01-07T19:38:00.007-06:00

Hey folks,

More and more my stat counter tells me that I have new people visiting my blog. Thanks for reading! Unfortunately I'm really busy at the moment teaching classes and preparing for English camps. Also, I started reading some new books, which in reality is not a good thing for me. I can happily read all day if no one stops me. I read the new Stephen King book, "Under the Dome" in about 3 days. The book has more than 1000 pages. I'm not bragging, it just means I have no life :-(
Also, in the next few weeks I will also be preparing to move back to Canada. :-)

I hope that next week will be a little less crazy and I can post some sketches, although my sketches lately are few and far between. I can blame the books, TV, work but really someone just needs to kick my ass into gear. And that someone should be me.

In February though, I will be on vacation in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I hope to do many many sketches so hopefully I can find a computer in the midst of my travels and post a few of them.

In the meantime go look at this blog dakota mcfadzean

Cheers!

Pink Lotus Pond

2009-12-02T01:31:00.005-06:00

This was painted in my mulberry paper sketchbook. The paper is different from conventional watercolor paper. It does not allow for lifting of pigment from the paper. So every brush stroke is unforgiving and permanent. It also bleeds very easily. I have to say it is very difficult to paint on, but the paper is so beautiful it is worth it. The paper is very soft and has a wonderful shimmering quality, that unfortunately you can't see in the scan.

From the sketchbook....

2009-12-01T00:37:00.003-06:00

Cats!

From my mulberry paper sketchbook. It has a wonderful translucent quality but it is surprisingly tough! More about my sketch book tomorrow... :-)

Hem - "Half Acre"

2009-11-25T06:41:00.003-06:00

Here's a new (to me) band that I've recently stumbled across. Her voice reminds me a lot of Joni Mitchell, especially when she sings in the higher registers. This is a perfect melancholic song to me, both joyful and yearning at the same time. Apparently it is also from a commercial, but I've never seen the commercial. In any case I love the melody and the lyrics are quite beautiful as well. Really, I think that this song is saying that no matter where you go you will always have problems but the little comforts you have will always help you along the way. Or maybe this song is about people running from/looking for something, but really all along the answers can be found at home.

I read an interview from one of my favourite photography artists, Courtney Milne. I can't recall the exact words he said but the gist goes that he traveled all around the world looking for things of beauty and magnificence to photograph, which he did. But then when he came back home, he went into his backyard and found beauty there too.

I think often people keep searching for something "better" when what they are looking for is right in their own backyard, waiting for you to discover it.

Melissa Auf Der Maur

2009-11-15T19:15:00.004-06:00

I saw her in concert once at a small little dingy club in Regina, Saskatchewan. What was the name of that club? I can't recall... The State? I remember that it had a metal pole placed dangerously in the middle of the mosh pit. The State was a great place to see concerts (minus the dangerous pole). It was such an intimate space, and the band was on a really high stage, so everyone (even the shorties like me) could easily see. There was also a balcony that you could go and watch the show from, if you didn't feel like being smooshed between a hundred sweaty bodies.

I remember being blown away by her stage presence and killer bass solos. She was opening for Matt Good that night, whom we didn't bother staying to see. I do believe that we were so disillusioned with the crowd, who did not get into MadM's music and therefore pissed her right off, that we decided not to stay. Also, we really only went to see her. Oh, MadM, I wish you knew you had at least two fans in the crowd.

The Last Persimmon

2009-11-13T06:01:00.003-06:00

Blue Lotus 2

2009-11-08T05:55:00.001-06:00

Autumn in the Mountains

2009-10-28T23:23:00.004-06:00

Autumn in the mountains.
I walk this path today.
Softly singing her lament.
Come snow I will not stay.

Yearning yellows rusted reds,
on lofted boughs to hold,
should complement the bluest sky
kaleidoscopes of gold.

A small death may turn these leaves
into the warmest glow.
Yet bits of emerald want to cling
to the life they know.

Autumn's in the mountains.
Am I like the trees?
Burning cheeks are apple red.
The result of cold crisp breeze?

Autumn in the mountains.
Winter's on its way.
Sweet chickadee flits past me,
sing-songs along her way

I <3 Silent Hill 2 and Akira Yamaoka

2009-10-22T18:08:00.004-06:00

Now, while I've never actually played the game, I've sat beside Rob while he played it. (And undoubtedly annoyed him by telling him to "go look over there, what's that?")
I love the soundtrack of Silent Hill 2. Thanks goes out to Akira Yamaoka for writing this beautiful music.

Theme of Laura

Promise

Blue Lotus

2009-10-14T07:21:00.006-06:00

It took me about 3 weeks to paint this, but now I am allllmost finished. Just gotta put in some more highlights and shadows. I really envy people who can do a drawing a day. I wish I could do that.

This painting was inspired by a painting on a Korean temple. I've tried to paint a few lotus plants, but my backgrounds are not my strong point. I saw a painting with a great background of lotus leaves and I tried to emulate it, while trying not to copy completely. I think it worked out okay. I like the way the lotus flower on the left looks. I also like the tilted perspective.

The Fall

2009-09-05T21:36:00.004-06:00

This movie is a captivating and enchanting movie. A five year old girl and a young movie stunt man meet in a hospital, after both falling and hurting themselves. The stunt man starts telling the little girl a story about five heroes on a quest to kill the evil villain. This movie takes you all over the world, and has some spectacular shots. The story had me bawling by the end. You need to see this movie! And don't forget about Baraka! (Can you spot some similarities between the movies? ^-^ )

Indonesian Kecak Chant from the movie Baraka

2009-09-05T21:15:00.003-06:00

If you haven't seen Baraka, you really should. It's a beautiful movie, a kind of "silent" documentary of beautiful places in the world and their religions.

Boom Boom Satellites

2009-08-28T01:17:00.004-06:00

boomboomsatellites

Within You Without You by The Beatles

2009-08-27T22:07:00.005-06:00

"We were talking - about the space between us all and the people -
Who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion never glimpse the truth
Then it's far too late when they pass away.

We were talking - about the love we all could share
When we find it - to try our best to hold it there - with our love
With our love we could save the world - if they only knew

Try to realize it's all within yourself - no-one else can make you change
And to see you're really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you.

We were talking - about the love that's gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don't know, they can't see - are you one of them?

When you've seen beyond yourself
Then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we are all one
And life flows on within you and without you."

Megan Lane, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2009-08-27T20:18:00.000-06:00

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity...

2009-08-26T23:46:00.000-06:00

For all you Voyeurs.

2009-08-10T21:48:00.003-06:00

What do you look like right now?
A classy woman in silk pajamas.

Whens the last time someone told you they miss you?
Probably when I talked to my parents a couple weeks ago...

What were you doing last night at midnight?
I was sleeping. I sleep too much. This must stop.

Is anybody in love with you?
I'm pretty sure Rob is, but I think the amount of love varies depending on time of day...
I also have a disturbing suspicion that some Korean teachers are in love with me. It's terribly disconcerting.

Did you ever have one of those inflatable chairs or couches?
No, I imagine them to be sticky and uncomfortable. I'd much rather have a bean bag chair or hammock.

When is the next time you will kiss someone?
Who knows? when the mood hits.

Is there any emotion you're trying to avoid right now?
extreme depression ugh.

Last Movie you Watched?
I fell asleep watching "The Princess Bride". Hey, don't judge me, Rob downloaded it. LOL

Are you missing anyone?
Yes. Many people I left behind and people soon to be gone from here.

Did you get enough sleep last night?
Yes. Too much sleep.

Who was the last person you rode in a car with?
Rob. We meandered around south east side of Korea. It was great!

Do you believe in the saying "talk is cheap?"
Yes and "Actions Speak Volumes".

Are you looking forward to something as of right now?
Nine Inch Nails concert on the weekend.
Traveling around Southeast Asia and China, packing up and moving back to Canada.

How did your day go yesterday?
It was a day like any other. I went to work, did some lesson planning, surfed the net, read about the suffering of Moon Bears, the dog market, the boiling down of cats into a "herbal" tonic, and felt powerless and angry.

Do you miss the way things used to be?
Parts of the way things used to be, but it's never good to stay in one place your whole life. Both mentally and physically.

What's your mood right now?
conflicted, angry, powerless

What's something it seems like every other house has, but yours?
a kimchi fridge, a family, Korean people

What's your favorite Jolly Rancher flavor?
I haven't eaten a Jolly Rancher in years. I can't remember.

What brings out the worst in you?
Drinking too much and talking about sensitive issues, at the same time.

What song is currently stuck in your head?
amazingly i have no song stuck in my head.

Are you a private person?
I'm trying to be more open.

Would you like to see someone any time soon?
another vegetarian.

What's an important date coming up?
The day I choose to make the journey home

What do you say when you come home after a long trip?
"There's no place like home."

What brand toothpaste do you use?
"2080 original" it has advertisements for Korean universities on it. Rob gets them from his school all the time. I don't think we've ever bought toothpaste... or soap.

Have you ever passed out from heat exhaustion?
No, but I puked all night.

What kind of car do you drive, if you drive at all?
I don't drive, but i do have a bike. It's called a Lespo. I'm completely serious.

What do you think would be the most painful piercing to get?
I bet a genital one would kill, but also the bit between the nostrils (the bull ring).

Last person you played hide-and-seek with?
My nieces, Chloe and Ava.

How many more days till school starts?
I dunno, whenever they tell me that I will be teaching. Maybe next week. For the Students they never stop going to school. Vacation is non-existent here for Students.

When was the last time you went to Wal*Mart?
Mall Wart can kiss my ass. Who wants to shop at a place that supports child labor?

Do you need to do laundry?
Yes, but I don't want to. I think I'll just sit in my own filth for awhile.

How many windows are opened up on your computer?
eight

What are those windows?
blogger, plight of korean dogs (google search), International Aid for Korean Animals, Moonbears.org, some lesson plans for talking about moonbears with your students, and msn with rob

Who was the last person you texted?
Rebecca, a fellow teacher here, we went for supper together.

When was the last time you went swimming?
On the weekend I went to Heaundae Beach in Busan. I got the worst sunburn of my life.

Anything exciting happening this weekend?:
NINE INCH NAILS CONCERT!!!!!!!!!

When was the last time you saw lightning?:
When we were driving back to Taebaek at night, careening up mountain roads with a lighting storm looming in the distance.

When was the last time you watched Full House?:
When I was 5 years old. I hated it then too. Whose family is that perfect?

Are you currently dating anyone?
I'm pretty sure, chan shi manyo, let me go check. :-)

Will tomorrow be a good day?
It will be if I make it so.

Are you listening to music?
Nope.

Can you honestly say you're okay right now?
Not while there is suffering in the world.

What color are your pants?
Black Satin

What do you currently hear right now?
The generator from the grocery store, cars driving by, a man horking on the street, Korean language; "annyong haseyo". oh, the manager of our apartu is talking through the wall speaker, something about in two hours and now he's listing numbers. I dunno.

First person to text you today?
No one, I'm too old to be part of that lifestyle.

This time last year, can you remember who you were going out with?
Same guy I've been going out with for the past 10 years.

From the sketchbook...

2009-07-06T00:45:00.001-06:00

The school that I work at has a nice little patio that I like to go sit on when there is nothing to do. Here is a sketch of the view...

How Bubbles are Made

2009-07-04T20:59:00.001-06:00

If I make a painting as beautiful as this, then I can die happy...

2009-07-04T05:54:00.002-06:00

Henry Wo Yue-Kee

Mr. Wo was born in Quangdong, China. Wo studied art in China and Hong Kong with Prof. Chao Shao-An. The artist came to live in Hong Kong in his 20s. After traveling and exhibiting widely in Asia, Australia, Canada and the U.S., in 1975 Mr. Wo moved to the United States. Wo now lives in Virginia in the U.S. where he continues to teach, paint and exhibit. Wo is an admirer of nature. Every one of his paintings is a poem in praise of the wonders and beauty of nature. His painting reflect his deep appreciation for the beauty of nature and for the beauty in all living things. Among the more familiar themes of his paintings are birds, flowers, landscapes and animals and plants often represented in their natural surroundings. Wo is particularly a master of the many forms of the lotus, which are often represented in his paintings.

Enjoying The Pond, 1992
33x18 in.(84x46 cm)
Mr. Wo is a master of strong brush strokes, which are softened by luxuriant use of color and numerous washes. These combine to give his watercolors a dreamlike, eretheral quality which he achieves by detailing only the main subject matter in his paintings but leaving much of the composition loosely representational, a technique which combines eastern and western artistic elements.

dream land

2009-06-16T05:34:00.003-06:00

Press play on both videos at the same time. It's works really well together!

dream

did you know you spend approximately 6 years of your life dreaming?

Ink Drawings on Rice Paper

2009-04-29T18:49:00.003-06:00

Puck it. I've thrown caution to the wind and have accepted my compulsion to make landscape drawings. It's risky to make non-risky art. It's risky because it's safe. It's risky because it's not on the fringe or avant garde. In all seriousness, to be a famous artist nowadays, you have to make weird, confusing and pretentious art.

So, I've entered an art competition and show in Daegu, South Korea. I will probably send the two images above to the show, as well as some others that I am frantically working on in the hopes of finishing them in time.... yeah, deadline pressure! it does an art career good!

I'm bracing myself for the comments of, "Oh, Pretty!" and then complete silence.

Whooo are Yew?

2009-04-23T18:13:00.003-06:00

Yew Trees - Pencil Sketches

2009-04-15T03:58:00.006-06:00

Ok, these are a bit better. So, now I need to put the realistic drawings within a mystic atmosphere... Unfortunately these sketches are drawn from images found on the internet. This weekend, though, I WILL climb the mountain and sketch some trees from real life. I like the idea of looking up into the tree, as in reverence or as a child would look up to an adult. In Korea, Yew trees are believed to be the spirits of ancient ancestors. I plan to do the sketches on some rice paper.

I came across an interesting web site created by an English Professor who has been living in Korea for the past 27 or so years. Although the site is pretty simple it has some interesting thoughts about Jamok-namu(Yew Trees) on Taebaek-san and about san-shin (Korean mountain spirits). Taebaek-san is supposed to be full of san-shin.

In other news, there is a "foreigners" art show in Daegu in May and the deadline for entries is April 24th. Hopefully I can get something done and entered in it.

Meow Zen

2009-04-08T04:39:00.003-06:00

Isn't this awesome? I wish I had painted it...
But it was painted by this dude...

Despair, self pity and a painting of my "Short Cut"

2009-04-03T08:19:00.008-06:00

Well, I think my previous painting is a lost cause. On Sunday I'm going to climb the mountain, take my sketch book and draw some Yew trees from real life. I think the Yew Tree should be an ink drawing on a rice paper background. Also, Yew tree from memory is just not working out.

Anyway, I did this painting below to blow off some steam. It's a little sad to me that landscapes/cityscapes are currently looked down on now as frivolous and meaningless art. I really like them. Some exciting things happen in city-scapes. This painting is of a little short cut that I take everyday coming home from work. It's a smelly little sewer river, but pretty in it's own way.

I especially like the way these three buildings turned out. I like how natural and relaxed it is.

So, in conclusion,

I guess I'm forever destined to be in the Museum of Bad Art. I can only dream.

And here is a picture of my two biggest fans watching me work...Peace.

Grey Sky

2009-03-30T05:13:00.002-06:00

Grey Sky sleeps
cold mountain stone bed.
grumbling, Thunder rumbles
a distant drum.

Grey Sky weeps
tears fall on soft cheeks.
precious water drops in my hands
a clear light.

Making art can be frustrating!

2009-03-25T08:03:00.005-06:00

Well, here is Paper Art #1, AKA Pink Rabbit at Sunset. :-D It's not exactly how I imagined it to be at the beginning. I felt really bogged down by this piece, and just wanted to finish it. Sometimes its best to just move on. Not everything can be end up being the way you first imagined it. (In fact, most things I create become something entirely different. I'm not convinced that is a good thing, although happy accidents are awesome too.) But I must remember not to be too hard on myself, especially when experimenting with a new medium. Yes, I will try to keep telling myself that. I must admit it is a bit of a downer... Next picture I hope will go a bit smoother! I'm also trying to teach myself how to work faster. Faster and better. Like a machine? Too bad I need to sleep and work, it just gets in the way...

Here is the next paper project.

I think after this one though, I'm going to switch to watercolour for the next project (Painting of Yew Tree in Fog) Then I will probably do the Yew Tree in paper as well.

Anyway, just for fun here is an adorable picture of Micha and Nabi sleeping in their box together.

Night All!

Bloc Party

2009-03-11T04:52:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth Gilbert on coping with anxiety and the artistic process

2009-03-10T05:49:00.002-06:00

Beautiful Paper!

2009-03-05T05:13:00.005-06:00

Bought my rice paper today! I can't believe how inexpensive it is here only 1000 won (80 Canadian cents) a sheet, and big sheets too. When I was in Regina, home for a visit, I went and checked out the paper story there. Yikes, it was 7 dollars for a sheet of paper.

I am so excited. It's really gorgeous paper. WoWEEEE! Soon, I will begin! Hopefully tomorrow night or Sunday. (Art idea here)

p.s. *NEW* post on the travel blog Annyong Haseyo

Cool Music Alert!

2009-02-27T00:42:00.002-06:00

Harry Manx

M.I.A

Mother Mother

From the depths of the sketch book...

2009-02-26T02:49:00.010-06:00

My plan is to do some water colour paintings with these, like the mountain landscape painting I did earlier.
My other plan is to re-create these three images using beautiful rice paper that I see in the little supply stores here.
Wish me luck and the patience to endure the tedious path I've set out for myself.

Pink Rabbits at Sunset Over a River of Gold

Yew Tree and Grey Clouds

I Live in a Mountain Town

2009-02-26T02:32:00.003-06:00

i live in a mountain town
i live in a mountain town
she's turned my life upside down
this beautiful mountain town

we don't speak the same language
we don't speak the same language
i can hear people laugh and play
we don't need to speak anyway

the river said hello to me today
it sparkled and burbled on it's way
the mist came down from the sky
i greeted them with a sigh

i was firmly a prairie girl
then i was dropped into this world
and as strange as it may seem
these mountains are embracing me

i live in a mountain town
i live in a mountain town
she's turned my life upside down
this beautiful mountain town

NEW POST

2009-01-19T22:07:00.002-06:00

I've posted a new entry on my travel blog Annyong Haseyo

bzzzzt

2009-01-15T10:16:00.004-06:00

Christopher Robin, I think the bees S-U-S-P-E-C-T something.
Perhaps they think you're after their honey.
Well, it may be that. You never can tell with bees

Some more of my drawing... still not done though. I picked a largish bit of paper... my hand is cramping up.

Portishead "We Carry On"

2009-01-15T08:56:00.002-06:00

Dear Portishead, thanks for making this song. I always feel like dancing when I hear it.

P.J. Harvey

2009-01-14T08:31:00.002-06:00

Thank you Ms. Harvey for making sad and depressing songs, and making them beautiful too. xo.

2009-01-14T07:04:00.003-06:00

Just a glimpse of the drawing I am working on now.

I've got bees on the brain...

2009-01-08T10:45:00.002-06:00

I love Bjork and Radiohead

2009-01-08T07:29:00.002-06:00

Thanks for making weird and awkward cool. I appreciate it. xoxo.

Circus

2009-01-04T20:39:00.003-06:00

Mindscape #1

2009-01-04T20:20:00.001-06:00

2008-12-03T07:04:00.003-06:00

2008-11-06T19:02:00.003-06:00

Mother's Garden

2008-11-02T19:45:00.002-06:00

Glass Rocks

2008-10-08T20:29:00.003-06:00

Connected

2008-10-01T19:26:00.000-06:00

Finding happiness in the smallest of things.

2008-09-03T01:37:00.001-06:00

Inspired: Buddhism

2008-09-03T01:35:00.000-06:00

Interior of Souris Valley

2007-11-22T12:17:00.001-06:00

Hang Mans Hut

2007-10-31T20:35:00.001-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Creek Bed in Souris Valley

2007-10-30T12:45:00.001-06:00

More Landscapes of the Churchill River!

2007-08-28T11:04:00.000-06:00

"Little Stanley Rapids" acrylic on wood

"Morning View from Love Island" acrylic on wood

"Robertson Falls" acrylic on wood

Please keep reading and commenting on the Oil Sands Debate below...

Little Landscapes

2007-08-06T17:08:00.002-06:00

Its strange to be back in the world of fast food, fast cars, and fast living. I must admit (and how surprised are you really?) that I was more than happy to disapear for awhile. Leave all of this non-sense behind, and commune with nature, to simply enjoy the vast land and silence. It was nice to tend only to immediate needs, to use basic survival skills, to not have a roundabout way of obtaining what is necessary. The one thing I completely despise about our culture is how we are forced to work at jobs we don't really enjoy in order to feed and clothe ourselves. It is true that the lives we lead in Canadian cities are relatively safe and easy and fun, as compared to hunting and gathering all day every day. And I must also admit that I so very much appreciate hot water from the tap and a flushing toilet. After spending almost a week in a tent, I have really come to appreciate the comforts of home. Certainly when I fell ill in the second week I was grateful to be staying in a cabin. I often wonder, though, if something isn't lost when we distance ourselves from the real and chaotic natural world. I just read three thought provoking essays on the subject of Nature by Aldous Huxley. He discusses how often we look to nature as a place to renew our spiritual selves, but he also states that as we personify, humanize, and organize nature through spirituality, religion, and science we forget that the world is not united under human innovation, but is seperate, diverse, and chaotic. "Our direct intuitions of Nature tell us that the world is bottomlessly strange: alien, even when it is kind and beautiful; having innumerable modes of being that are not our modes; always mysteriously not personal,not conscious, not moral; often hostile and sinister;sometimes even unimaginably, because inhumanely, evil." He goes on to state that we need to leave the wildness in nature , to not try to make nature conform to human rules and regulations. Instead we must embrace the "Jekyll-Hyde of nature", and because we are of nature, also of ourselves. I believe that we learned this lesson during the last few days of our trip, when we were confronted with the threat of monstrous thunder storms. It made me think how often some people rely on dumb luck to get us through to the next day. Could you survive if the comforts and relatively easy living of city life were taken away? How would you eat? How would you keep warm? What if you were sick? This is why we live in cities with electricity, grocery stores, hospitals, and people who specialize. In the city it is easy to get help,especially if you have the money. Whereas, in the wild money is useless except as kindling to get a fire started.

Anyway, here are a few "Little Landscapes" that i painted while up north.

"Love Island" acrylic on wood, 5in X 7in, 2007

"Green Rapids", acrylic on wood, 5in X 5in, 2007

"Fisher Rapids", acrylic on wood, 5in X 7in, 2007

aren't you a part of society?

2007-07-30T21:16:00.000-06:00

i wish not. but here i am using wireless internet from somewhere nearby to make a blogpost. im a slave to blogging. enjoy these pictures of our canoe trip thus far. heading back out august 1 for five more days!

From my sketch book...

2007-07-10T21:55:00.000-06:00

I went to Moose Jaw and Saskatoon today, with my fellow Dunlop co-workers, to visit some of the other fine art galleries in Saskatchewan. It was very interesting, and I discovered that I would really like to work at the Mendel. It is a beautiful gallery, and has many great programs for the public. Anyway, on the way back home I did some sketches of the landscape, this one is my favorite.

Rooster in Flight

2007-07-09T23:41:00.000-06:00

Since I started on this rooster commission I've become aware of the various barnyard animal decor available- and there's a lot of it. It's like this weird barnyard decorating cult. Cows, pigs, sheep,and roosters are the four most common animals. You can buy almost anything imaginable with the barnyard animal of your choosing stamped or painted, or molded into the shape of it. I draw the line at barnyard themed wallpaper... thats just unforgivable. Well, I guess this is my contribution to the fine art of Rooster Portraiture. Actually, I would really like to have a real rooster as a pet, along with a few hens, they are pretty interesting creatures. Or maybe I'll just get some of those rooster and hen lawn ornaments instead, with the solar light panels so they light up at night. yeah!

Its a triptych, so here is the left side

middle

rightside

Dream of Losing my Right Eye

2007-06-28T14:10:00.000-06:00

In my dream I woke up one day with painfully infected eyes. The skin around my eyes was dark, discolored, and puffy. I examined my eyes in a mirror, opening my eye wider by pulling the top lid up and the bottom lid down with my right thumb and finger. My eye socket became the sole object of focus, and became a cavernous cave. There was horrible brown stringy goop in my cave like eye. When I leaned in to look closer, my right eye fell out into my hand. I was very scared at this point and asked Rob to take me to the hospital. Somehow we were transported there immediately. While waiting for a doctor to look at my eye, I decided that I didn't want my eye to dry out, so i put it in my mouth for safe keeping. Apparently that wasn't a safe place as it squashed in my mouth, pushing out a yellow goo that kinda tasted like egg yolk. I gagged slightly, spit it out, and then it was forgotten. Even though I no longer had a right eye I could still see. My perspective was a little flattened, yet sharper and brighter. The doctor finally looked at the empty eye socket and determined I had gotten some sort of bacterial infection in it. We determined I had picked it up at Regina Beach in the sand.

what the hell? is this supposed to mean something? or is it just a really weird dream...

photos of the storm at mom and dads

2007-06-26T20:23:00.001-06:00

the colours of the photographs are real. it was an amazing storm that happened as the sun was setting.

meditation in the park

2007-06-11T23:53:00.000-06:00

every sunday (i accidentally wrote sinday, is that a freudian slip?)there is this group of people meditating in vic park. i like to draw them, cuz they sit still for long periods of time and they don't notice that they are being drawn. hee hee hee.

blogger is dead

2007-06-06T21:24:00.000-06:00

Hello? lo? lo? lo?

well --
i do believe the blog-o-sphere has been abandoned. where did everybody go? poor old blogger, left for dead, as we chase the latest online fad. but i have not yet given you up. hip-hip- hooray! here are some images of Meenos and Jane, and a site-specific painting!

Souris Valley

2007-05-29T09:45:00.001-06:00

Psychedelic Trees...

2007-05-24T20:22:00.000-06:00

Picnic in Souris Valley

2007-05-13T14:22:00.000-06:00

A fun time was had by all!
Note the "Toxic Twizzlers" in the foreground of the last pic... Six disgusting mushy flavours: Tainted Tuna, Putrid Purple, Sultry Salmon, Gangreen Green, Citris Pee (AKA Vitamin P), Radioactive Orange (AKA Racist Halloween)...

pile of pups, a gang of cocks, and one duck

2007-05-09T20:54:00.000-06:00

here are some sketches/commissions that i am doing for other people. Aunt Alva enjoyed the sketch of Jayjay so she asked me to do one of Freddy (thats Jayjays ass-end in the pic). Also working on some Rooster portraits, so here are some preliminary sketches for the commission...

in other news, came home today and found a duck on the front lawn. pretty cool, it's not everyday you find a duck chillin out on your front lawn. there were also some kids running around so i gave them some bread to feed the duck. I think they scared the poor duck more than anything.
and, yes i did say a gang of cocks...

Happy Be-lated Earth Day!

2007-04-23T13:36:00.000-06:00

OH how could i forget! But really everyday should be Earth day!

So in honour of Earth day I would like to urge everyone to do SOMETHING to help out the earth. Pick up some garbage, start composting, have a meat free day (cow farms produce a huge amount of greenhouse gasses), take the transit, carpool, foot-it, plant a tree and just talk to others about how they can make a difference. Lets get some dialogue going.

here is a topic that you can talk about around the water cooler...
Inform people about bottled water. ITS A FARCE! DON"T BUY IT!

Bottled water, although often advertised as glacier or spring fresh is more often just reprocessed municipal water. Basically it is water transformed into... water! Advertising campaigns of bottled water use fear tactics to sell you their purified water, promising that their water is cleaner than tap water. This is just not true. Tap water must go through multiple purifying systems to make it suitable for human consumption and it is constantly tested and monitored. There is nothing wrong with your tap water. There is evidence that bottled water has contained such things as pesticides, arsenic, and mercury. Bottled water companies do not go through the same rigorous testing that municipal water does.

Have you ever heard the idea that you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day? I thought this was true until I saw it in a bottled water add telling me that this product (aquafina) was a good way to reach that goal. Think about this, you pay much less for tap water than bottled water, but sadly the bottling companies pay even less for access to your municipal water. Why then is a bottle of water upwards of $2.00?
Bottled water is a lucrative business that tries to convince the consumer that bottled water is environmentally friendly and good for you. (Take the Healthy choice,as Culligan water says)

Bottle water companies are taking your water away from you and increasing the price drastically for the same water. Access to clean water should be a universal human right. Speaking of which, Coca-cola extracts about 1.5 million liters of water a day from groundwater in Planchimada, Kerala from which the local farmers and citizens use. Nestle is responsible for drying up the Magnesiana in Brazil.

The bottles themselves are a threat to our environment. The waste produced by the bottles is staggering and they are ending up in our landfills. Yes you can recycle the bottles, but why make them when they are not necessary in the first place? Recycling is not the end solution to the problem of excess waste, it is just one answer. Also the trucks needed to drive the product to the consumer are not environmentally friendly.

I was trying to find out the names of water bottling plants around Regina, I was told there are many, but I could not receive a list of them. I will keep trying.Be aware that there are companies bottling our municipal water.

Most of this information I gleaned from a book called "Inside the Bottle: An Expose of the Bottled water Industry" found at the RPL. If you Google Bottled Water, though you will find many sites dedicated to informing citizens about the Bottled Water Industry.

here are some to get you started
http://www.polarisinstitute.org
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

A Weekend Trip to Winnipeg...

2007-04-14T21:31:00.000-06:00

Hey all,
here is a sketch I did of my Aunt Alva's extremely adorable dog JayJay. Sigh, tomorrow is the last day of our trip, and i have to say it was quite fun but far too short. Today I saw the coolest marsh creature that had the whole family stumped. It looked like a really long, skinny worm. It was about 16 inches long, and really most people would mistake it for a piece of dark grass, but i happened to catch it moving. it had no discernable head and no segments. just one looooong wormy thing, but not squishy like a worm. very odd, i shall be researching this further...
AHA! i did a little research, and it didn't take long to find out that it is called a Horsehair Worm.
it is a kind of nematode which is harmless to humans. it's only parasitic to small creatures such as crickets.

Winnipeg's downtown is probably the most interesting city center I have seen in all my travels, architecture wise. (I have to say that Times Square in NY was the most terrifying. Koln, Germany the most romantic and mythic.) Rob and I had a great day exploring downtown Winnipeg, visiting some of our favourite Winnipeg stores... but it wasn't quite the same without staying at the Roslyn apartments and having Mark be our personal tourguide:) But instead of staying with Mark we stayed at my big brothers house. Spent a lot of time with my brother Aaron and his two beautiful girls; which entails being bossed around by a 4 year old, but really how can i resist?

Also Went to the WAG and experienced baroque paintings. very dramatic paintings, they use a lot of symbolism and vanitas/still life imagery. but the painting style was very inspiring. A combination of realism and the added touch of a few choice areas being really painterly, so that you could see the movement of the artists paintbrush (it wasn't all slick with thin transparent coats of paint like most dutch paintings).

this isn't the best example of what i am trying to explain, but i did really enjoy this painting. the monks clothing was amazing.

But alas, its back to work (if you can call it that) on monday. and also how did that dress-as-an-emokid party go? sorry i missed it!! (i'm secretly an emo kid)

Up North

2007-03-30T08:40:00.000-06:00

Meenos

2007-03-28T15:03:00.000-06:00

BUGS!

2007-03-20T15:29:00.000-06:00

I have just discovered the most amazing site ever www.whatsthatbug.com. the bug pictured above is called a sun spider, and "is harmless unless you are a small arthropod". This humorous and informative site has amazing photos of crazy critters, bug love, and unnecesary carnage. At first you may feel a bit squeamish, but after looking at bugs for awhile you may start to appreciate their buggy beauty.

I recently read a book about earthworms. fascinating creatures that seem so delicate and weak, but over hundreds of years can change the face of the planet. Also did you know that there are no worms native to canada? All worms are introduced species (hitching rides in potted plants and bottoms of shoes)
Apparently Darwin believed that worms had a certain amount of intelligence. He tested them on their ability to bring paper triangles into their burrows. Strange but true. i am starting to read his paper now, and you too can read it here The Formation Of Vegetable Mould Darwin is pretty easy to read, so give it a go and you too may be sucked into the vastly interesting topic of worms.

A lesson is to be learned here. just because bugs look frightening, does not mean you should squish them. most bugs are harmless to humans. learn to appreciate them and a whole new world will open up to you.

In Memory of Pearson

2007-03-10T19:02:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry to say that I must share some sad sad news. Our family dog, Pearson, was hit by a car on the highway and died. Such a silly yellow dingo dog, I remember bringing him home when he was just a puppy from the neighboring farm, all ears and tail. He always greeted me when I came home with a hop and a perpetual wagging tail. Even after I left home, Mom would say that Pearson would wait at the driveway for the school bus to stop, and was confused when it just drove by. You were a great lovable friendly grinning dog, and we will all miss you.
Rest in peace, pup.

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high

2007-03-07T20:21:00.000-06:00

Reading Rainbow!! todays reading rainbow book is...

Inventing the Future: Reflections on Science, Technology and Nature by David Suzuki

In this book, Suzuki discusses issues such as ethics and morals in science, animal rights, genetics and society, pros and cons of technology, science and military (which he calls an “unholy alliance”), the war between economics and ecology, environmental issues (de-forestation being a large topic), politics and the environment, science education in elementary to university, and alternate world views such as aboriginal ideology.

Obviously he is speaking through his bias as an environmentalist, but Dr. Suzuki is also a scientist (geneticist), and an educator. He understands that we have become complicit in our destruction. We are stuck in a cycle of mass consumerism and mass waste, unable and possibly unwilling to change because we have already invested so much of our life in a certain path. He talks about the subtle relationships found within many issues but he also states that often economics and politics are blind to these subtleties and only ask what is profitable.

He proposes that change must be made in the way we view our relationship to nature, in that we are not above it, but part of the Earth and its symbiotic cycles. We must realize that clean air, water, forests, and wildlife is priceless and cannot be reduced to monetary value as economics would like us to believe. (I love the part when he talks about breaking down humans into base components, and that we could be sold for a few hundred dollars each. Is that really all human life is worth? The answer is no.) He has hope that if we teach our children to love nature (bugs included), rather than fear or abhor nature,then the future leaders of our world will choose technologies that will not harm the Earth- if there is anything left.

this is a grossly condensed blurb of the book, don't take my word for it, read it yourself! Its an easy read, but it is smart, funny, and thought provoking. If you like to read his newspaper column, you'll enjoy this book as it is in the same writing style.

I found this book at the Regina Public Library, and right now it is on the display shelf in front of the Dunlop Art Gallery. One of the best perks of my job is the time to read and stock the display shelf with books that pertain to the show (this show is about economics and ecology). Right now I am stocking it with books about global warming (pro and con), environmental issues, how to save the planet, books about reducing, reusing, and recycling, books about environmentally friendly products, eco heroes, and on and on and on. If nothing else, this is a way for me to spread the word, that we can make changes to our life styles that really isn't much of an effort.

Ice & Fire Carnival

2007-03-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

Hey all
As you may or may not know, I participated in this years Ice & Fire Carnival. Myself, and two colleagues Chad and Fazail, created a fabulous sherbert snow fort for the people to enjoy. Apparently over 7,000 people attended the event which is an amazing turnout for Regina. I hope that I will be invited back to carve next year as it was a great experience, even if our sculpture turned out to be a pastel floral bunker. oh well, the kids sure enjoyed climbing on it!

pictures of carnival

Katzenauge

2007-03-04T22:45:00.000-06:00

Portrait of Jaimee

2007-03-02T10:50:00.000-06:00

MotherEarth Pieta

2007-02-21T11:24:00.000-06:00

here is a link to the most famous of pietas, created by Michelangelo.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -Mahatma Gandhi.

2007-02-09T20:23:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

You know what gets me is that some people are saying that the fight against global warming is becoming a fad. Well its a fuck of a lot better fad then say - Pog. (I can only imagine how many trees were cut down for that waste of time) And others are saying its a corporate conspiracy to make money (what?) and that global warming is just a fear tactic. (I'm getting this info from the general public I talk to at work). But the truth is we are fucking our planet up hard core. Even if global warming wasn't happening (which it is) there is still ample evidence of the mass consumption and wasted energy and products all around us. Why, walking home from work today I picked up 5 plastic bags, a styro egg carton, and a bunch of random plastic crap. God knows how much i detest plastic. Plastic is the devil.

Anyway, my real point of this post is to show that you don't have to go to extremes to help out the environment. Here are a few things that i've been doing for a few years now, and things i've decided to do to help out my earth:

1. Walk to work or when I'm working in the North end, take the bus.
2. Recycle everything.
3. If i can't recycle, then reuse. For example, I buy shredded cheese in those zip up bags, I almost threw it away today, but then i thought, why am I throwing it away? its just as good as a zip-lock bag. so i washed it, and is now in my zip-lock bag box.
4. Speaking of which, I have decided to stop buying zip-lock bags. instead, i will use washable containers.
5. Wear a sweater or cuddle with rob if i am cold, instead of turning on the space heater.
6. Turn off all the lights, electronics etc. when not in use.
7. Grow a garden in the summer, reduces transportation emissions, pesticides, and tastes way better than store bought. If I can't afford to put in a garden this year, then I plan on buying my veggies from the farmers market. pretty much accomplishes the same thing.
8. Hang laundry out to dry in the summer. I really wish i could do this now, but i think our clothes would shatter. goddamn -40!!!!
9. Invest in green energy. i realize that you don't actually get the green energy around here, but at least it lets the crown corporation know that we want it.
10. As an artist, i feel like an ass for the amount of paper i go through. i try to sketch out stuff on the backside of printer paper. But for the upcoming drawings that i want to show in a gallery i am planning on making my own paper out of recycled flyers and so forth.
11. Make the change from paper bills to e-bills.
12. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products. It's really amazing what vinegar can do. Also Rob's mother bought us this amazing laundry soap called Malaluka. (not sure if thats the correct spelling, but I don't really feel like running downstairs to check). Anyway its environmentally friendly and so forth. I have found biodegradable dish-soap (presidents choice, for sensitive hands) and biodegradable bathroom cleaner called Method (found at shoppers drug mart) it is made out of corn. You can also buy Green paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels (Presidents Choice) that is 100% post-consumer recycled paper. I don't recommend the Green garbage bags, as they don't seem to stay together, unfortunately. Most of these products are quite affordable, so there is no excuse for not using them.
13. Buy groceries from those bulk bins whenever possible, such as pasta, trail mix,etc. There is less packaging that way.
14. Buy clothes from value village, not because I'm poor (even though i am), but to reuse perfectly good clothes. Plus i love old man plaid pants.
15. convince the Dunlop to stop using styrofoam at receptions.
16. become free from the material world, reduce my consumption to the minimum

The other day I was a little glum, because I thought that there wasn't anything I could do. I had a meteorologist come into the gallery and tell me that we are screwed. I was really depressed because I thought that the little things I do were hopeless and pointless on a global scale. My favorite quote ran through my head - "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I realized that every little bit helps. We have to start a sustainable living revolution. So i'm doing my very best to help in the cause. You should too.

vive la revolution!
kat

I speak for the trees.

2007-02-06T12:16:00.007-06:00

"Mister!" he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.
And I'm asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs" -
he was very upset as he shouted and puffed-
"What's that THING you've made out of my Truffula tuft?"

- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

and here is an artist that makes cool things out of reused corrugated cardboard.
corrugated art

2007-01-24T18:41:00.001-06:00

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf-course,
And drink their Martini dry,
And they all have pretty children,
And the children go to school.
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
And they all get put in boxes
And they all come out the same.

And the boys go into business,
And marry, and raise a family,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

-Malvina Reynolds

And now for something completely different...

2007-01-23T00:43:00.000-06:00

um... a self portrait? i'll let you decide. (drawn monday jan 22)

Where did I come from? Who am I? And where am I going?

2007-01-20T10:18:00.000-06:00

("D'où venons nous? Que sommes nous? Où allons nous?", Paul Gauguin)

Well dedicated visitors of Clear Light here is something new for you, my personal thoughts! Almost a year out of university and already having answered the first two questions,(sperm and egg, Katherine Deanna Binns) I now am venturing on to the third and final question. It sort of seems as if I am in limbo. (Waiting for...what? The starting gun!)

I feel like this weird anticipation, knowing that now everything depends solely upon myself. No one is going to do it for me. Up until this year I had a path that stretched out before me, and all I had to do was stay on it. Well, that was the well travelled path that most everyone takes (school, school and more school) and not much thought was given to afterwards. Now there is this pressure to follow the next steps in this well worn path. Which as I see it is, go to school or get a job, save money, get married in a traditional christian ceremony, buy a house, have kids, save money, raise kids, watch them grow up and leave, save money, prepare for your death. Really this is not the worst path to travel, and there is more to it than what I have listed. Obviously I am being a little cynical here. And there is joy and pleasure in raising a family. But Something keeps whispering in my ear, "take the road less traveled". (No Robert Frost is not visiting me from beyond the grave)

Sometimes I think, yeah, it would be easy to get a day job that pays enough to live on. and yeah then I could probably get a mortgage to buy a house. and yeah maybe then have children. It seems like such a realtively easy life, as compared to what I am trying to achieve right now. I must ignore the pressure to conform to the comfort of that path of life. Comfortable because that kind of life is what is expected and embraced by the general population (and parental units).

Where has this rant come from? Well, earlier today I was talking to my friend Natsuko, and she has a show in Winnipeg, and an article on her art in Galleries West!! WOW! To be published this early? I mean thats incredible, but of course she is an incredible artists (check out her website here). Another one of my friends who graduated with me, Angela, has curated a show at the Mackenzie (now on exhibit, go check it out). Which is also an amazing feat! These woman are the same age as me, and look at what they have accomplished thus far. Not even a year out of university, one is a curator and the other a touring artist. And even other friends, who may not be focusing on art right now, are overseas expanding their knowledge in numerous and exicitng ways.

I am so happy for these friends, but it also is a reprimand for myself. What have i been doing? Not Much. Squandering my time as usual. ("fritter and waste the hours in an offhand waaa-iaay") playing Okami and reading countless amounts of books. I often critique others for not pursuing their goals and seeing them through to the end, but I think I need to point the finger at myself.

These words of Timothy Leary keep running through my head. "Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities — the political, the religious, the educational authorities — who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing — forming in our minds — their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable open-mindedness, chaotic, confused vulnerability to inform yourself."

I realize that I am bending the interpretation of this a bit, but just bear with me. I apply this to myself in the perspective that if I really want to blaze my own trail in this chaos we call life, then I must question the authorities (i.e. parental) who have attempted to comfort me my whole life with rules, regulations, and their view of reality which they have firmly embedded in my mind. I must also be willing to step into 'a state of vulnerable open-mindedness, chaotic, confused vulnerability to inform' myself as to which path I want to take. Realizing, that it won't be easy and there will be a lot of unknowns. Which really is quite exciting to me. I've always been the one to not follow rules and the norm... why stop now?

post script: Don't get me wrong, I Love my parental units dearly.
post post script: rob, let's become hemp farmers.

Audrey Batke, age 15

2007-01-17T18:01:00.000-06:00

i know mother never reads this, but Happy Birthday none the less!

2006-12-16T23:03:00.000-06:00

an infants sorrow

2006-12-10T13:08:00.000-06:00

a nice contrast to the previous post "grief".

"Grief"

2006-12-09T11:55:00.000-06:00

An old woman crying for reasons unknown to the viewer. The imagery of her hand, with its creased tissue skin, covering her face just seemed to take her grief to a new level. It is written in the lines and folds of her hands that her life has not been easy. Does the drawing need more context for the viewer to determine what the image is? Probably, but to me her shroud and clothing just seemed to be extraneous information.

old woman

2006-12-07T18:27:00.000-06:00

did this drawing at work today (along with a few others). This drawing came from a picture in a photo-magazine. so i can't take all the credit for it, just my interpretation of the photo. i seem to have a lot of time on my hands in the gallery. today, not a single person came into the gallery. Its a little frustrating, as I really would like to talk to people about the show. So if any of you are in Regina, come visit me at the Sherwood Village branch and I will give you a personal tour. On the other hand I'm getting paid to sit and draw or read or sew or whatever. too bad there isn't wireless in the gallery. then i could watch youtube! although i might feel slightly guilty about that.

Aldous speaks (part one of three)

2006-12-03T00:33:00.000-06:00

self portrait #3

2006-11-27T21:24:00.000-06:00

artist in her studio

Current fantasy

2006-11-25T22:39:00.000-06:00

Self Portrait #2 Kat at Work

2006-11-19T19:47:00.000-06:00

man it's hard work looking at art. took this at the Dunlop Art Gallery, Sherwood Branch. photo editing done in camera.

THE MAXX!

2006-11-19T10:42:00.000-06:00

Portrait #1 (for rob's contest)

2006-11-11T15:52:00.000-06:00

went for a two hour walk in search of the car. rob told me that he left the car somewhere on athol street...

Cat!...Cat!...Cat!...Cat!...

2006-11-01T22:04:00.000-06:00

Through long nursery nights he stood
By my bed unwearying,
Loomed gigantic, formless, queer,
Purring in my haunted ear
That same hideous nightmare thing,
Talking, as he lapped my blood,
In a voice cruel and flat,
Saying for ever, "Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat!..."

That one word was all he said,
That one word through all my sleep,
In monotonous mock despair.
Nonsense may be light as air,
But there's Nonsense that can keep
Horror bristling round the head,
When a voice cruel and flat
Says for ever, "Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat!..."

He had faded, he was gone
Years ago with Nursery Land,
When he leapt on me again
From the clank of a night train,
Overpowered me foot and head,
Lapped my blood, while on and on
The old voice cruel and flat
Says for ever, "Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat!..."

Morphia drowsed, again I lay
In a crater by High Wood:
He was there with straddling legs,
Staring eyes as big as eggs,
Purring as he lapped my blood,
His black bulk darkening the day,
With a voice cruel and flat,
"Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat!..." he said, "Cat! ... Cat!..."

When I'm shot through heart and head,
And there's no choice but to die,
The last word I'll hear, no doubt,
Won't be "Charge!" or "Bomb them out!"
Nor the stretcher-bearer's cry,
"Let that body be, he's dead!"
But a voice cruel and flat
Saying for ever, "Cat! ... Cat! ... Cat!"

"A Child's Nightmare" by Robert Grave

Golden Light

2006-10-31T16:55:00.001-06:00

poppy study #2

2006-10-23T16:39:00.000-06:00

poppy study #1 and some lyrics

2006-10-20T12:51:00.000-06:00

Everyone's afraid of their own lives
If you could be anything you want
I bet you'd be disappointed, am I right?
Am I right? And it's our lives
It's hard to remember, it's hard to remember
We're alive for the first time
It's hard to remember were alive for the last time
It's hard to remember, it's hard to remember
To live before you die
It's hard to remember, it's hard to remember
That our lives are such a short time
It's hard to remember, it's hard to remember
When it takes such a long time
-Modest Mouse (Lives)

room for changing images

2006-10-18T18:41:00.000-06:00

Room For Changing

2006-09-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

our primal instinct is to fear the fire
destruction we believe to be its one desire
impossible to tell where the flames may go
as chaos directs this blazing inferno

completely consuming all in its way
the living, the old, the dry, the decay
unfair, i cry, this cremation of trees
in the air it is sharp, a death scented breeze

Though we may despise this ugly stage
natures rule is let the fires rage
when the land is cleared, with nothing remaining
there is room for renewal, growth, and changing.

walking through this black ash filled grave
a green leaf flutters, as if to wave
without old trees to block the sun
in pheonix fashion new life has begun

ART PROJECTS GALLERY
15th Avenue
The show is titled Room for Changing and has been a six week additive installation. I am the last show of this gallery and the reception is September 23rd at 7 o'clock. the poem is my artists statement for the piece. be there to congratulate Rob Boss on a successful gallery and to wish him luck in the future. There will be food, drinks, and oh yes...art.