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Showing posts from January, 2009

{ ... flawed ... }

I had a box of paintings returned to me last week. It had been almost a year since I'd seen them ... long enough to become artifacts of consciousness, like bookmarks for ideas ... these thoughts and emotions marked into them, in colour and in line ... successful or not, they still held the memory of my ambitions for them, my hopes. In a way it's like coming across an old box of your favourite toys, and remembering all the stories you made up for them. * * * * * More memory layering: the front of my studio door. I am a compulsive collector of imagery and scribbler of ideas, all these notions and picture-flashes assembling like clusters of pins in my thinking ... now if I could only line them up in some semblance of order, make them march and sing along to the sustained thought of a novel ... but I'll be a short-story writer to the bitter end. * * * * * Meanwhile, my blue kangaroo has gone to live in Ottawa. Happy birthday, Catherine!

{climbing ...}

Bad idea: on July 4, 1910, previously-undefeated Jim Jeffries came out of retirement to climb into the ring with Jack Johnson for the "Fight of the Century" ... Johnson knocked him down twice before Jeffries threw in the towel. * * * * * Climbing, from top: cigar-tin stories #26, #25, #24 ... twenty-four is the sometimes-muse (but-always-heroine) Kensey, you can see the original photo here ... twenty-five is almost abstract, there's a car and a cloud and a bush in the desert ... twenty-six is very sad and sweet, I think ... the original photo is here ... and all are on sale here or here {**cigar-tin stories are tchotchkes **} * * * * * Wondering at: my little spore from Singapore, my friend Kristal , who is so flippin' talented ... every so often I feel compelled to remind the world ... her lovely I Am A Lake is a dream ... * * * * * Reading: Krazy! , the catalogue for the Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art show at the Vancouver Art Gallery ... w

pale stories

Can you guess what this is? It was created with paint (and water), but it's not really a work of art ... although I guess the photograph is. I'll call it: The day Tooth wandered out of the jungle (and continued in his terribly pale ways) . This one's more obvious. To my mind, it certainly makes a good case for the accidental nature of abstraction. I'll call it: What I need are good city-glare colours. Hmmm ... how about: We are Pioneers 10, 11 and 12. * * * * * Hosted a poker game last night. It was a cash game, which is best when your guests are less experienced or just haven't played for awhile (the latter applying to most of us at the table); a cash game has a more relaxed character, with none of the pressurized and escalating decisions of a tournament. For a short bit I had most of the money at the table, but then I decided it would be fun to play *every hand* (it was fun, but expensive). I still came out ahead, though. * * * * * This rich, moody piec

for IF ... {the Adventure Costume Friendship Club} (or What is *Contained* Elsewhere)

The Adventure Costume Friendship Club ; mixed media on canvas, 6 x 6 inches. * * * * * I feel like this is a catch-up post; both paintings above and below, for example, were done in early December, in time for my open house, but somehow got lost in terms of posting. The title for the painting above refers to a club contained in one of my stories . * * * * * I hope I can do more and enjoy those things more. ; mixed media on canvas, 24 x 20 inches, the string series continues. This is a very dark painting, with subtle textures, and difficult to photograph. It now lives at the house of my friend Erika, whose husband will be making C a wee bench. * * * * * Also in December: my story Misery Guts came out in KNOCK magazine. * * * * * Sadly, my sale at artstream has come to an end. It is a lovely studio, and working with Susan is a joy. At the same time, I am beginning to put more items in my Etsy shop . Happy New Year!

I began to think ...

I began to think they wanted me to give them something to talk about. ; mixed media on canvas, 14 x 14 inches, the string series continues. * * * * * Putting a few cigar-tin stories in the mail this week, and happy with how they're being received.

resolve {for IF} ... plus how to buy a cigar-tin story

it happened, it happened ; mixed media on canvas, 6 x 6 inches. * * * * * As promised, I have now created a site just for cigar-tin stories , where you can look through the entire set (plus new ones as they're created), and getting one is just an email away.