The Quiet Promise of Spring

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye.. it also includes the inner pictures of the soul."

~Edvard Munch

This past Friday my good friend Melissa and I went out for a hike in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. This conservation area boasts 40 kms of trails and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. This green swath has some beautiful trails in it and is frequented by all types of people, bikers, hikers, runners, you name it. Melissa and I figured that a hike through this peaceful place would provide more stimulation to the senses than perhaps a brisk walk through the suburbs. 

Melissa and I love to get exercise and explore while we catch up with one another and enjoy each other's company. I know that the ancient philosophers loved to walk while expounding on morals, ethics and the like. I think that when we engage our bodies we engage our minds. Something happens that facilitates ideas and thoughts...it is as though through moving the body we give our minds extra oxygen and stimulate it to knit together ideas and thoughts with greater facility. Have you experienced this too? 

There seems to sometimes, but not always, be a slight mental stagnation if you are sitting in a static way while trying to engage in dynamic conversation or brainstorm. It can be done, but I find it easier when one is on the move, hearing leaves crunch underfoot, watch the sunlight hit the ground in patches below the fir trees...these moments an observations of beauty are noted and perhaps give rise to other thoughts of beauty or understanding that might have been elusive beforehand.

Melissa choosing our route

We  chose a route that had us hiking for just over an hour as I had to be somewhere else afterwards and Melissa had to get home as well. We began our hike along Sulphur Creek Trail and hiked up to Groundhog Hill with a great view of the surrounding area and a bit of the city of Dundas beyond. Although we had only walked 10 minutes to the trails...it was as though we stepped into another world, a world of naked curtains of tree trunks, patches of sun, intermittent mud, tracks made by horses and cyclists..and always the near-far melodies of birds feeling the promise of spring so very close.

The best part of this excursion was simply how near we could find in nature and yet how far away it felt too...that brief window of connection to the subtler nuances of the crack of a branch, the passing breeze, the transformation of the ground into newness and greenery, it serves to help give us balance in a world filled with clocks and deadlines, linear processes and the ennui that can come with a predictability of pace. I enjoyed getting muddy and scrambling down a few slopes, hanging on to branches and focusing on the task ahead, not falling, and the rest of the world dropped away during these moments. 

Plus, talking with Melissa is always wonderful, from grouting to portaging, our talks are always a treat. Melissa can change her own break pads and catalytic converter in her car. She can do any home renovation pretty much and has a great personality in that she loves taking care of the things and people that she holds dear to her. She is a true friend, like a sister that I never had in many ways. She's selfless and she gets things done...period. Nothing stops her when she sets her mind to it, and this resolve is a powerful thing. She is a doer, compassionate and one of a kind!

Heading along Sulphur Creek Trail

The trails were quiet, muddy in parts, but dry on the whole. It is that time of year now where hints of future explosions of fecundity are just around the corner. I like doing paintings when there are few leaves on trees. I find their simple, almost eerie forms devoid of foliage fun to paint. The muted colours form a natural palette with variations of greys and browns that contrast nicely with a splash of colour that a person might be wearing. Compared to the circus of colour that we find in June and July, the spring months, with their gales, rain and cool days serve as a catalyst that brings about the warmth and heat of the later summer. These transitions are quiet sometimes, but they are always happening, every day of every hour, there is a quiet growth of a slow drifting into torpor, the hypnosis of sleep overtaking the small and large creatures of scale and fur who then stretch sleepily months later, these being that call this beautiful place their home are just as cyclical in spirit as the trees that they climb. It is the great concert of life that we can be a part of, revel in and respect. 

As we continued along we encountered a small fleet of deer who eyed us cautiously, blending into the dun coloured backdrop of their home but then scattered in a flurry of white tails. We watched them bound away like things possessed and then continued on to Groundhog Hill. 

Perfectly still and well hidden, this deer is one of many that live in the conservation area

We stood atop the hill for a few minutes, enough to notice flies everywhere, buzzing near the ground in some sort of purpose that only they knew about...We scanned the horizon and noticed the water tower in Dundas off to the right, a familiar landmark on the skyline in the area. We saw that someone had dedicated a bench there to a family member who had valued nature conservancy, a lovely reminder in that place of the vast number of people who cherish the natural world and seek to protect it.

We made our way back to the entrance to the trails and then, seemingly out of nowhere, we were once again in the subdivision where Melissa lives...a strange contrast to be walking almost anonymously through the trees and then you suddenly find yourself walking by driveways and houses, kids playing and traffic rolling by. The fact that these two environments exist very close together there in Dundas helps me to appreciate how quickly one can feel so far away from it all...in a few minutes you can find yourself alone with your thoughts, or sharing them with a good friend. 

I am continuing with my paintings for the Newfoundland show. 5 of 9 pieces have sold already so that is just amazing. I am so grateful that the work moves people so much. Who could ask for more than that? To have your work, your passion, move someone....in a small way or in a profound one, is magical. I am thankful that my work might be able to do this. I cherish that and hope to be able to do this for the rest of my life! 

"We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope." 

- Wallace Stegner

Here is some information on the exhibition in November of 2009. I hope to see you there!

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

A Note On Music

 Flying over The Yukon Territory

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

~Aldous Huxley

I have fallen in love with music: classical music that is. I have loved it since I was a child (I still have my old copy of Beethoven's Triple Concerto tucked away somewhere) but recently I have found some new pieces that move me very much. 

My friend Brian, a music teacher and brilliant guy, has helped open my eyes to the beauty that exists within classical music. I always knew it was there, but the difference is that now I paint while I listen to it...and that brings forth some wonderful emotions and observations about the nuances of the my painting and the music in the air while I am working.

Please keep in mind I know next to nothing about music, how to create it or how to analyze it...I simply know what I like. I suppose this point of view is similar to many people who look at art- they don't know why they like something, they just like it. And really, that is all that matters isn't it? However, there is something to be said for having an understanding of how a thing of beauty is constructed. To have a knowledge of what goes into a piece of gorgeous music can enhance one's appreciation of it, and thus our enjoyment of it as well. There are three pieces of music in particular that have captured my ear lately. 

The first piece of music is the Prelude to Bach's Cello Suite No 1. You can see a video of it here. Now, keep in mind I have no idea how to play music or read music, other than two years of voice lessons when I was growing up, so excuse any inaccuracies that I might utter here. 

This piece of music, while widely popular, moves me every time I hear it. It reminds me of a soothing voice, a confident voice in the darkness. I also think of it as a breeze that circles around you on the side of a hill, you can feel it there and then it is gone. It is throaty and unrelentingly beautiful, from the first note to the last. 

The second piece of music that has literally hypnotized me is Erik Satie's Trois Gymnopedie. There is a video of it here. I first heard this piece of music as part of the score to the unbelievable documentary Man On Wire. If you have not seen this documentary, about Philippe Petit, go rent it now. Satie's music softly framed the beauty of Petit's unbelievable feats of patience, balance, and sheer courage. Now I paint to it and it transports my mind away from the paint and right back to it. It is sublime, truly. This seemingly simple piece of music, where the notes seem ready to fall to the ground but continue to hang in the air, casts a spell on me ever time I hear it.

The third piece of music is Claude Debussy's Clair De Lune. I remember hearing it over the years but finally tracked down the name of it last year.  There is not much I can say about it other than it is gorgeous. It has an optimistic tone to it, a sense of curiosity and a revelatory feel, as though whomever is listening to it is about to make a profound discovery. 

I think listening to these pieces of music really demonstrates how varied and beautiful music truly is. Music touches all of our lives, no matter where we are or who we are. It is an art that is probably as old or older than the earliest drawings in caves. Music and art have been around for so long I think perhaps because they unite us, they encourage community and create connections, they also take us away to another place and they can alter the way we live our lives. When we are affected by something beautiful or moving, be it Beethoven or Sargent, we catch our breaths sometimes, and try to grasp what it is we are hearing and seeing. Perhaps their beauty is elusive and thus even more attractive because of it. 

Here is some information on my upcoming solo exhibition in November of 2009. I hope to see you there!

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest."~Henry David Thoreau

Following Your Heart

Cape Freels, Newfoundland 

"I wanted movement, and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life." ~Leo Tolstoy, Family Happiness

In the past week I have received a couple of emails from fellow artists who have been out of the creative loop for awhile. These individuals wrote about wanting to implement change in their lives, about wanting to change the course of their existence by pursuing their love of art. They questioned how I managed to stay on course, how I coped with the financial ups and down and what kept my spirit afloat during the inevitable ebbs that come with the job. 

These emails fill my heart with happiness. To help someone by encouraging them or inspiring change is a large part of why I am a painter. Money is necessary and sharing your vision on canvas is imperative, but supporting and helping other people constitutes a currency that far outweighs money in terms of value to the human spirit. I am so happy that these folks felt compelled to write and share their stories. I thank them for that and hope my words might help them. I do not pretend to know the answers to any of their questions, because really everything is relative to our own situation...I can only share what my own experience has yielded.

I wonder if perhaps during this time of financial uncertainty, a rapidly changing world, and an overall tentativeness, this period of reduced activity, fewer jobs and a wait-and-see outlook encourages people to return inward, re-examine what makes them happy and perhaps lights a long dormant fire within them in the form of creative pursuits. However, transitioning from a job with regular pay, possibly benefits and relative stability, to one of uncertainty, sporadic payment, but unbelievable fulfillment is surely intimidating if not downright frightening. I can understand that. So why do it? The answer is inside of each of us, and it is unique to each of us too. But it is there, screaming out or quietly waiting, that voice is within us, that courage to take the leap is there. Will we listen to it? It is patient I believe, and we will answer it when the time is right.

 Gulkana Glacier

So how do you do it? How do you follow your passion and become a full-time painter/writer/poet? Here's a little list of elements that have worked for me:

Discipline. Follow regular work hours, or, if you need more flexibility, figure out how many hours you want to work a week and then implement that timeline into your week accordingly. I cannot paint for eight hours a day unless I absolutely have to, so I stretch my paintings hours out over a six to seven day work week. It is not a bother, because I am doing what I love to do. Therefore it really doesn't feel like work, which is the beautiful part of it. 

Develop a body of work. Have a solid group of paintings that you can submit to galleries, something cohesive and strong that you can stand behind and say "this is what I do". Galleries probably want to see a minimum of twelve recent paintings, but you are wise to have up to twenty paintings prepared. Then you are able to go about submitting packages to galleries for representation. You can look at Abbozzo Gallery and Loch Gallery, my two main galleries, for an idea of what sort of artistic diversity and quality they are looking for. 

Promote yourself. Your galleries will promote you but you can also promote yourself through your own mailing list with email newsletters/updates, as well as blogging, your own website (you can look at mine as an example), printed samples, advertising in books for artists, any number of options are available to you. I must say that I believe a website is mandatory in this day and age. If someone googles you and wants to see your work, your website, along with your gallery's website should come up for people to find you.

Network . This is a relatively new one for me, and I suppose technically we could group it under Promotion but I am going to give it its own spot here on the list. As a friend of mine says, emailing is fine, but nothing beats interacting with a person one on one, making a connection, leaving an impression. Many artists balk at the idea of leaving their studios to do this, but it is healthy to do and a crucial way to get out there and meet other creatives, spread the word about your work, and build relationships that can help you down the road. Everything and everyone truly is connected, and we can all help one another and support one another by sharing wisdom, tools of the trade, critiques and general social events that bring us together. 

Learn To Save/Budget. This one is really important. Of course your situation may be very different from mine, but if I want to take one soul-enriching journey each year, and afford to live, I need to be careful with money. Having a cushion for the slower periods is so very important. Learn to budget and watch your money as carefully as you can. Sometimes it amazes me when I receive money that it has come from something that I love to do. I still have that rush of amazement from time to time. I wish money did not enter into the equation, but it is a reality, and to support yourself with things you have created out of excitement and enthusiasm is priceless. 

See this 300 year old tree on Salt Spring Island, BC? It only knows how to do one thing: grow and thrive. You should do the same. Truly there is no where to go but up.

So that list contains a few of the most important variables that go into becoming self-sufficient as an artist. There are many other ingredients that are not included, but perhaps  these might ease your transition a bit. When the world seems poised to come crashing down on you, when the full swell of panic hits you in the chest from time to time when you ponder your uncertain future, walk into that fear. You never know what will happen, but with hard work, discipline, direction, and most of all passion for what you do, uncertainty is something to rejoice in and walk towards. Follow your heart. It will not lead you astray. You won't look back or, if you do, you will be to see how far you've come.    

"One must work and dare if one really wants to live." ~Vincent Van Gogh

Here is some information on my Newfoundland Exhibition in November of 2009. I hope to see you there!

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

Creative Evolution

The studio in Wesleyville, Newfoundland, Canada

"Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheeplike passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving."~John Dewey

Much has been happening in the studio lately. Four paintings have now sold in advance of my Newfoundland Portraits Exhibition in November of 2009! To say I am delighted is a huge understatement. I am finishing my ninth painting for the show, and commissions and other gallery work makes for a rather hectic schedule. Despite the frenetic pace it is important to keep a steady hand and head. I am susceptible to stress and so it is important to stay on task, be disciplined and just get the work done, and done with joy. I was out for a walk today and couldn't wait to get to the studio to paint. Acknowledging how much I enjoy what I do felt wonderful. Sometimes we do work that we have an obligation to do..however to paint what moves you and has no other genesis than from your desire to create something that resonates with you is priceless.

When you love what you do that energy is transferred and others can pick up on it. It is as if your mood can be felt when looking at the work. I find this phenomenon fantastic and mysterious, yet not surprising.

I have noticed recently that as I have shifted from a focus on the figure to one incorporating more landscape that my desire once again moves to wanting to examine portraiture and the human form. The Newfoundland paintings are exciting to me because they broaden the view to see more of the landscape that these people inhabit. That is the intent. That is the reason why I went there and to challenge oneself is the only way that you can evolve. I suppose it is a form of creative dissonance, wanting to delve into that which you are not focused on. Fortunately people/portraits and the figure occur in 95% of my paintings, so while there is a slight change of course with the landscape, it is not a total departure thematically speaking. I do know that when I move on to a new body of work that it will have a direct concentration back on the figure.

To challenge yourself, to take the path less trodden, to TRY new things encourages evolution as a human being and artist. When we try new techniques/subject matter/materials in our work we are growing, learning, testing the waters. We learn what we DON'T want to do by experimenting with new subjects, cropping, supports, philosophies . This is all a part of the process, and an integral one I believe. If we always painted the same thing, the same way, would we grow and learn and improve? Probably, but not as quickly or as effectively as if we periodically took broad strokes in a different direction. As someone once said "I need to leave in order to appreciate coming home". I believe this is the same principle. 

The Berry Picker, Greenspond, oil on panel, 50"x35"

Thus the knowledge that I will once again focus in more on directly painting the figure makes working on these paintings from Newfoundland even more special. They are a finite group, a set amount of visual memories and experiences placed on canvas. With each painting I am transported back to that windswept or fresh, crisp day, purple waters, the smell of the wood stove and mile after mile of unfiltered beauty.  I understand why so many people have been moved by Newfoundland. It had pretty big shoes to fill, especially coming on the heels of Alaska but it more than surpassed my expectations. Without the generosity of Abbozzo Gallery and David Blackwood, this journey would not have happened. I am so grateful to them. Here is some information about the exhibition. Please email Abbozzo or myself if you have any questions. I will be giving an artist's talk on November 14th to talk about the paintings. I will post the time of the talk when that is decided upon.

Have a wonderful day today and take good care,

Heather

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6, 7-10pm

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things a different way." ~Edward de Bono

Walking With Friends

Walking with Ed along the Stampede Trail, near Healy, Alaska

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."~ Hellen Keller

Painting is usually a pretty solitary affair. You sit or stand, you examine, you apply paint, usually without one word spoken to anyone but yourself. As I have said before, this solitary aspect can be helpful or a hindrance. It allows you to focus, it invites immersion into your task, but it can also produce anxiety too. Therefore getting together with friends is especially enjoyable as it provides an emotional and social counterpoint to all of that time alone. 

This morning I was thinking about how wonderful it is to walk with friends. Whether in the middle of nowhere in Alaska or down the street by your house, it doesn't matter. What matters is who you're with and the special connection that you have with that person. We are all worlds within ourselves, little universes contained within flesh and bone, and it makes sense that we would leave impressions and change the composition of those next to us with advice, opinions and a listening ear. Our interactions are as organic and impermeable as any leaf on the ground, but hopefully not as ephemeral! 

Hiking near Kanuti Hot Springs near the Arctic Circle, Alaskan Interior

I now have seven paintings completed for my exhibition in November. I am so pleased to see my walls fill up again, to see a whole experience grow piece by piece into its own, larger construction. I will put details of the show again at the bottom of this blog entry. I think that we all have places that we have visited that are almost constantly in our mind, even in a small nook of thought, but always there. Newfoundland inhabits a special spot in my heart and I really hope that this affection is transcribed faithfully in this group of paintings. I firmly believe that when you love what you do, when there is joy in the doing of your work, that others pick up on it. It is as though you literally can instill emotion into your work, a chemical reaction as authentic as any oxidation or exothermic event. 

Mel and I at the edge of the escarpment, Mt. Nemo, Ontario

Standing on Gulkana Glacier with Trevor in the Alaskan Range

Friends lift us out of pools of rumination that we sometimes slip into. They can soothe frayed nerves and alter our ways of thinking about things. They are a shelter for us and we can provide the same in return. For as long as we have walked this earth, places where people have gathered to share thoughts and nourish friendships have existed. Whether in a sunlit piazza or under the quiet shelter of a redwood, we need to commune with one another to be fully realized individuals. Friends are our touchstones and the anchors that we need when the gales become too strong. 

Billie and I on the beach in Virginia

The other day I was talking a friend and she made the astute observation that as our network of friends increases through travel, that our world grows smaller, but in a good way. It makes sense. If we live our lives in one room (as an extreme example), the world is larger than life, overwhelming even. But if we get out there and make some tracks, double sets, with people that we meet along the way, our world shrinks so that soon you realize that we are all connected more than we realized. I take comfort in that knowledge. 

Exploring Wesleyville with Rob in Newfoundland

As the spring starts to thaw us over the next few months I want to make a concerted effort to apply continued diligence in the studio but also balance it with a healthy dose of convivial communion with cherished friends and family. I think that work will feed off of play and vice versa. There is much to be said for spending time alone. There we recharge our batteries, distill our thoughts and form our opinions, and simply rest. Friendship takes energy, to give and receive can deplete us, but in a good and necessary way. However once we have spent a certain time alone we must strike out again, with dear friends, on new paths of thought and exploration. 

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends we choose". 

~Tennessee Williams

Here is some information on my solo exhibition this November. I hope to meet you there!

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

"Jim, Bennett's High Island", oil on canvas, 30"x40", 2009

"Cyril In the Sea Runner", Oil On Panel, 12"x16", 2009

If you are interested in seeing any of these paintings please contact Abbozzo Gallery. They will be happy to answer any of your questions.

Best and Worst Films of 2008

"A film is-or should be-more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."~Stanley Kubrick

I wanted to have this list compiled before the Oscars as a little deadline for myself but I missed it unfortunately. Nevertheless here are my lists for best and worst films of 2008.

I watched 150 movies last year, down from 167 the year previous. Clearly I love film and if I could choose another profession I would love to be a cinematographer, as a previous blog entry mentioned.

So the following 10 Favorite Films of 2008 are ones that spoke to me on a level that others might not have. I am sure that some of you will disagree, perhaps vehemently with my choices, but that's the fun of it....like art, its variety of opinion that matters and creates diversity.

Top 10 Favorite Films (In no particular order):

1-The Wrestler. I thought this film was the epitome of poignant. I love Aronofsky's work and I found the style of filming quite simple and uncomplicated, which added to its almost documentary feel. I love that we don't know what happened at the end. A story of a broken man, broken lives, broken hearts and the will to persevere through the pain.

2-Milk. Penn really owned this role. I was quite impressed at his transformation. Great study of Milk (though I still have to watch "The Life And Times Of Harvey Milk" if I can ever get my hands on it), his politics, his passion and his desire to prevail against all odds. Kudos to set design and production. Franco and Brolin were excellent as well. I preferred it to some of Van Sant's other, less accessible work.

3-Frozen River. Another difficult watch. Quite haunting. I wanted so badly to take the characters out of their situation and help them. Raw, unflinching and powerful.

4-Encounters At The End Of The World. I actually blogged about this film in its own entry here if you want to read it. Herzog is such an odd guy, I love him for his eccentricity. I, like Herzog, have a compulsion to seek out inhospitable places and study the people who choose to make these harsh climes their homes. I dream of going to Antarctica and Herzog's film solidified that desire.

5- Man On Wire. This could easily be my film of the year. I would argue that it is possibly the best documentary I have ever seen. The score, the shots, the entire production was flawless in my mind. Petit made me believe that if he could do what he did, that we can attain anything that we put our minds to. He is a poet, a dreamer, but also a realist. The film let him tell his story perfectly. See this film.

6- In Bruges. Martin McDonagh is a genius. I love dark comedy and this one was the darkest. I almost don't know if I would describe it as a comedy. There was a sombre atmosphere that hovered above the quips and jests of the characters. I think this film deserves many viewings as it has many layers. If you're watching the DVD make sure to watch all of the excellent extras.

7. The Dark Knight. Despite Bale's recently revealed on-set diva-esque shenanigans I still like him as an actor, especially here. This is my favorite film of the entire Batman franchise. I didn't care for the post-production effects on Bale's voice, however, Ledger, Oldman et al, combined with lots of technical prowess made this certainly the darkest of the oeuvre and most enjoyable by far for me.

8. Slumdog Millionaire. In accordance with all of the hoopla, I think this film is terrific. I have enjoyed Danny Boyle's work all the way back to Shallow Grave (one of my favorite suspense films of all time). With Boyle you know you are going to get amazing camera work and a fantastic score, both of which are evident here.

9. Kung Fu Panda. I am not really a huge animated feature person, but this film was excellent. I was in Newfoundland in a remote little cabin with no internet, tv etc...and I watched this film four times over a two week period and laughed every time. The beauty of Newfoundland pulled me away often but the film was a lovely little periodic diversion.

10.The Visitor. I was quote moved by this film. It did not seem contrived as the story was simple yet compelling due to solid writing, acting and camera work. I particularly enjoyed the musical thread that knitted the characters together. I genuinely cared about these individuals and their respective fates, for better or for worse.

Worst Films of 2008

Perhaps 'worst' should be put in parenthesis here. I love to watch 'bad' movies....I love movies that think they are good but really are 'chud' (as in 'bad',see C.H.U.D. the film for reference). High budget films that fail miserably have a certain schadenfraude attached to them. Thus some of these films know they are chud, and others simply are as a result of their own making.

1. In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. I didn't see the Razzies but I know this film was up for Worst Picture. Two words: Jason Statham. The rest of the cast is hilarious in and of itself: Burt Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Leelee Sobieski...and Matthew Lillard for crying out loud? My favorite line was "How do you like my Krug?" Brilliant. A must-see for those seeking a good mockfest.

2. The Happening.  Oh M. Night Shyamalan, what happened to you? I watched this on an airplane, and that didn't help it. I saw more action with the snack cart going up and down the aisle than in this stinker. Wahlberg has perfected the vacant stare. He must be taking lessons from Keanu. 

3. Max Payne.  Wahlberg continues to steal the spotlight of worst films with this piece of nonesense. I believe "bleh" is an understatement here. Thank goodness I had a friend who I could share mocking this marshmellow with. 

4.Vantage Point. Save yourself some wasted time and rent Rashomon instead. This film piggyback's on Kurosawa's creativity and isn't a tenth as compelling.

5. Death Race. Two words: Jason Statham. I applaud Statham for being the beefcake in the middle of a litany of chuddy films. He certainly does it with aplomb. This silly flick is actually hilarious..it falls into the category of an enjoyable time waster. So I would actually recommend as some empty meringue with some car crashes and gratuitous violence thrown in.

6. Anaconda 3: Offspring I'm sure its no surprise as to how this film made it onto the list.  The first Anaconda film was one of the best cheesy movies ever (skip to the scene with Jon Voigt winking at Jennifer Lopez...hilarious). Therefore I have seen all of the Anaconda films out of a sick type of loyalty...its really masochistic but there you have it. 

7. The Reader  Yes, it is on this list...sort of out of spite as it wasn't HORRIBLE, but it was fantastically mediocre and splendidly over hyped. As soon as she called the young man "boy" for the first time an inner voice said "oh please, don't call him boy when you're both old and have it be saccharine and pathetically ironic"...you guessed it, it happened. When the characters cried I yawned. I could not get into their roles or the entire film at all. 

8. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Talk about having huge shoes to fill. However, having that to live up to does not excuse a movie for being just plain ridiculous, which this was. Ford seemed genuinely bitter and there only for the paycheck. Dear Mr. Spielberg: Please see The Dark Knight to realize that successive entries into a franchise do not necessarily mean it has to be lesser than its predecessors. Thank-you. 

9. Australia.  I have heard this film described as "Titanic with kangaroos" but that would be insulting "Titanic" to say that. This was a sweeping pile of rubbish as far as the eye could see across the Northern Territory. Zero chemistry between Nicole Kindling and Huge Action. I was bored, bemused "I'm used to dealing with dingos, not duchesses" and quite disappointed as I really enjoyed Moulin Rouge and was hoping for something from Luhrmann as enjoyable as that.

10. Wanted. Ok, this one gets points, like Death Race, for fun silliness. Hello? A "Loom Of Fate"? Are you kidding me? Now, I have not read the graphic novel etc, but really, you should not have to do homework to see a film based on previously created material. It should exist on its own. This was an expensive waste of time. Watch Man On Wire again and steer clear of this one. 

Now, I'm sure you may well disagree with me on some of these films, and perhaps you may agree with some too. Either way, good or bad, as long as we are taken out of the moment and transported to another place for 90 minutes, the film has done its job. Perhaps we can learn from the bad ones how much more we appreciate the truly beautifully crafted films. 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Heather

"No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight of the soul."~Ingrid Bergman

Salt Spring Island Part 2: Déja Vu, Giant Trees and Happy Hitchhikers

"If you want to be happy, be."

~Leo Tolstoy

Salt Spring Island, a little piece of paradise between Vancouver Island and the mainland, has a reputation that precedes it. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, there certainly is a supremely laid back feeling that hangs in the air on the island. It is as if there is this bubble that protects Salt Spring from the rest of the world. My mobile phone barely worked there, which was fine as I appreciated having it on a shelf for once rather than in my pocket. 

I had my sketch book with me but again, I like to shoot with my camera to take in as much as possible rather than sitting and sketching for an hour. It is as though I suspect it will all disappear at any moment and I have to hurry to take pictures before it slips away.

The flowers were so vibrant wherever I looked

Perhaps it is the atmosphere, the mist in the air, the changeable and often wet weather that I love so much. Whatever the cause the COLOURS were so very intense. I know that I like to take pictures of my paintings for archival purposes right after or right before a rainstorm. It tends to intensify the colours. Perhaps this the reason for the same phenomenon happening on Salt Spring. 

Part of the property where I stayed while on Salt Spring, at the north end of the Island, there was a pasture where a couple of horses lived. Shena, the pregnant mare shown above, gave birth to a healthy foal the next day. My host Theresa and I were fortunate to spend a few minutes with Shena as she spent this last day patiently awaiting the birth of her baby.  She was rubbing up against a tree and seemed rather preoccupied, yet she eyed us with such a soft and gentle gaze that we did not stay long but talked with her and then left her alone.

I spent a lot of time driving and hiking around Salt Spring. You could cover the entire island by car in half a day and I made a small side trip down to Moonstruck Cheese, an organic cheese company on the south end of the island.  I am vegan, but my good friend Jim spoke of visiting this place years ago and then promptly forgetting his cheese in the fridge at the place where he was staying. I knew I had to find some for him. It was a quaint little place, with some chickens and horses on the property. One other couple was poking about like I was and we found our way into the little shop where there were two fridges filled with the small wheels of cheese and samples of each kind. I took their suggestion and picked up two small cheeses for Jim. It was only then that we realized that there was a little tin to leave our money in as no one works in the shop. Apparently the owners use the honour system of trusting the customer to not run away with the tin of money left there. I thought it was both brave and quaint at the same time. 

Chickens at Moonstruck Cheese. They were resting. I think I woke them up.

As I headed down to my friend Ron's place for a bite to eat I passed a hitchhiker near where I was staying. I stopped and picked her up. She was exuberant, had a beautiful spirit, wonderful energy and we hit it off straight away,  I gave her a lift to the south end of the island where she lived. She is from Mississauga, a city about half an hour from where I live here in Burlington, Ontario. We laughed at our Ontario connection, agreed on our love of British Columbia and chatted amiably for awhile before I dropped her off. It is people like Paula who stick in my mind; lovely souls with a history just as interesting as any pebble on a beach. Perhaps Paula and I will not be around as long as that pebble, but we live just as authentically as any rock shaped smooth by the water. We feel the gravity of the world just as consistently and we are flung about in tempests not terribly different from one another from time to time. 

Paula, a kindred spirit.

I went to visit my friend Ron as well as John and his family one evening. The view down from the mountain was wonderful, with lots of greenery and even some rainbows after the recent rainfall. I tried to squeeze every moment out of my time there, knowing I could use it as creative fuel for the fire at a later time. 

Probably the happiest fern I have ever seen

This was literally a carpet of green. A thriving little ecosystem within the space

 of one square foot

The trees seemed to be endless, invincible with an inner strength that was palpable. 

More wonderful arbutus. Look at the amazing colours! The "skin" that has fallen to the side is a terrific eggplant colour. Arbutus is one of my favorite things in the world. Each branch and root is a soft palette of hues that I haven't seen anywhere else. 

Some of the fir trees were true giants. One in particular was estimated to be over 300 years old. While walking below these trees I truly felt as though I was a part of something larger, a small cog within the wheel of a great organism. It was a humbling feeling, a feeling that I was in a very special place indeed. I was almost paralyzed from the thought of doing anything creative, because the stimuli was so overwhelming that I could only take it in and let it incubate for a later time. The air was temperate, a bit on the cool side. There was water dripping from branches, a few animals in the undergrowth, and a lovely quietness to it all. The silence was not deafening like it was in Alaska. It was different. Sound was different. It is hard to explain but each place has its own fingerprint of textures and sounds, qualities which make them exactly what they are, where they are, and found nowhere else.  

I know that I will get back to Salt Spring Island. I have made friends there, and as you know, people who live in a place draw us back just as much as any part of the landscape because they form the experience with their friendship as much as exploring on one's own. I would love to live there for a season, or for a few weeks. To set up a little studio and just work for a time, to let the mist sink in to my thoughts and onto the canvas, that would be wonderful. Anything is possible, its just a matter of making it happen. As they say, where there is a will, there is a way.

A full rainbow to end a very full adventure on Salt Spring. 

Artwork Update:

Here are some snippets of paintings that will appear in my solo show "Newfoundland Portraits" in November 2009 at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario. I am working steadily on new pieces each day. It will be an exciting show! You can find out more information about the exhibition on my website here. One of the paintings has already sold and the show is still 10 months away! If you are interested in seeing the pieces please contact Abbozzo Gallery. The show will run from November 5-22, 2009 with the opening reception happening on November 6th from 7-10pm. I hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful day, evening or morning, wherever you are,

Heather

"The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." 

~Emily Dickinson