dog time

My dogs are constant companions while I work each day. They seem to know time as they watch and anticipate my schedule. It amazes me that they are so accurate, within 10 minutes. Every day at 2:30pm, I bundle myself up and take them for the 1.5 km walk to the school bus stop to pick up my daughter. Every day at 2:20pm they start following me around wagging tails and barking. I was curious to see how they would handle the time change (daylight savings). It only took them 2 days to adjust to the new schedule. Amazing.

creative play for today

click

in training

extreme ironing collage
Originally uploaded by My Art4Life.

I said I would be posting my extreme ironing sport events and to wet everyone's appetite I am posting this training session. It was a challenge to hoist that heavy ironing board from the '70's onto that roof. A lot of people who participate in this sport have fancier equipment than me, like battery operated irons, however, my iron still needs to be plugged in. Husband, Kevin lent me his super heavy duty, extra long extension cord for the event and I was greatful. He has even offered to loan me his gas generator so that I can perform "off the grid." I would like to issue a challenge to my friends and colleagues to compete with me. Email your photos of yourself "extreme ironing" and I will post them to my blog.

i felt it

Destiny and Temptation-i felt it, deserves a second look. This show at the Two Rivers Gallery is deep with meaning which spills forth like smooth flowing honey. Intriguing reminants from this performance by Barbara Scholz (a conceptual artist with a history in master dressmaking), grace the walls in the Galleria and the imagery stays with you after you leave. For those of you who are not in Prince George and able to see the "Guided Moments" in this show, watch my blog for further information about viewing it online.

form follows function...

and ornament is a crime. Principles once embraced and followed by Les Courbusier, Viennese modern architectAdolf Loos, Alvar Aalto, and other modernists. From a time when plain, simple steel water towers were seen as good examples of 'simple' design, (as recently as 1984), to design fantasy where Furniture Designer, Patrik Fredrikson says, "As we penetrate ever deeper into the digital age, we are leaving behind modernism's driving imperative - mass production by industrial means". His work, recently on display at the London Design Festival featured a table made from materials such as ice, and candles for which the stick and holder were both made from wax. Working with ceramicist Ian Stallard, Patrik calls their work "fairy tales for grown-ups". Are they functional, impractical, or a stepping stone to new ideas?

neurodiversity

The National Post reported on Oct. 7 on a show called "The Joy of Autism" which is showing at Toronto's Lonsdale Gallery. This show is put together by the Autisim Acceptance Project who embrace the idea of 'neurodiversity' which defines autism as a different way of thinking rather than a disability. The artwork is interesting, the concept of neurodiversity challenges my current understanding of autism and those "syndromes" that are considered to be on the autisitic spectrum...like ADD (attention Deficit Disorder).

extremely boring?

I don't think so. Returning from a holiday of any kind can sometimes invoke feelings of boredom as life returns to its predictable cycle. But I have been inspired by this extreme sport to take my ironing to a new level. Watch for photos at a later date.

reunion

25 years have past since the whole of my future lay ahead of me. High school was left behind and interests were pursued. There are those I remember having had an influence in what paths I would take. This man was one of them. Dave Johannsen still teaches art at Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain, Alberta. It was my pleasure to reconnect with him and classmates this Thanksgiving weekend.

think of yourself as a coach?

Idea #18 from the mini handbook How to Improve Student Learning* tells me I need to do this. It also tells me to be sure the students are performing for me and not the other way around. How many times have I felt like I was performing? I remember my first try at teaching adults. I was asked to present on using the internet to disseminate research information for a forestry grad class at UNBC. The students sat there looking at me with sleepy eyes. No matter what I said or did up front, I failed to impress them. Several of them began a 'wave' of yawning that knew no end. A couple of people folded up their books and replaced them in their backpacks. As Idea #18 says, I should have 'blown the whistle', I needed to 'coach', rather than to 'impart imformation'. I have since applied this to my teaching. Now, if only I could apply it to my parenting.

*How to Improve Student Learning, Dr. Richard Paul, and Dr. Linda Elder, published by The Foundation for Critical Thinking

I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing...

I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.

Oscar Wilde

"Dare to be naive." Buckminster Fuller

"Dare to be naive."

Buckminster Fuller

MFA the new MBA...

Or so says the Harvard Business Review (February, 2004), Daniel H. Pink, who claims that "an arts degree is now perhaps the hottest credential in the world of business." This is exciting news to me, even though it is potentially 2 years old. I guess it takes that long for revelation to travel all the way to Prince George. September 2006, Frieze magazine discusses the demand for interdisciplinary studies to feed the creative economies. This is in action at IDEO who designs,'products, services, environments and experiences'. Its employees work in interdisciplinary teams whose collaborative ideas and 'stimulating creative hybrids'(frieze,The Art Market, R. Jones)are the natural order of business. Innovation is a desired skill!

I think I'll be going ahead with my decision to pursue a MFA(MAster of Fine Arts)at Emily Carr College of Art and Design. It will require that institute to accept my 'interdisciplinary' background of post-secondary and experience on par with a Bachelor's Degree. After reviewing their site on Prior Learning Assessment, I think it can be done, but it'll be a long haul. None the less, "Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." according to Frank Zappa, and that is what I intend to do.

why even bother...

I have absolutely nothing to say. If you read this then you must have nothing to do. Isn't it great to have a blank mind and lots of time to enjoy it. aahhhhh.....

gifts of the spirit

A friend pointed me to this art by Irene Kordalis Pedersen which is created in the spirit. Moved by her faith in the God of Abraham, she uses scripture from the Bible as a backdrop on which she hangs words, colours and shapes as she is so moved by her God-breathed inner spirit. Otherwise known as the "Holy Spirit" or the "Rouach HaKodesh". In order to successfully do this, a person must clear the mind of any cognative thoughts, those of order, reason, evaluation, critisism and let the tools and the paint flow. I believe it is possible to connect with the creative spirit of God and let God move and direct the painting of a visual. These paintings by Irene are amazing and have some very interesting colour and symbolism that I immediately recognize and relate to. Others who have seen her work in person feel the same. This "spirit-led" work is not an isolated incidence. Musicians have attempted "spirit-led" Jazz, like my friend Jeremy Stewart. This work is large!

attendance is essential

if you are going to succeed. I repeated that phrase several times yesterday to the fresh and enthusiastic faces in my New Media Illustration class. At first it seemed like any other piece of advice offered by a knowing individual...something to quickly blow off, however, as I think about it this morning, this phrase may offer something more tangible. How many times have you gone through your day performing a series of automated responses? "Today is the same as yesterday and it will be the same for tomorrow." you might think. We are not really present in some (or all) of our daily tasks, but attendance is essential! We need to be present, in the moment while we go through our day in order to succeed. And I think this applies to everything we do whether it is bagging groceries or running the corporation. All have a dream, but none will ever succeed unless they have habitually applied discipline to whatever task they are currently engaged in! Making it a daily habit builds confidence and the ability to follow through.
Rick Bartow,an established, contemporary First Nations Artist says that it is not a matter of talent and inspiration that has given him success, but rather logging the hours in the studio. He goes every day and applies himself, whether he feels inspired to do it, or not. Marshall Arisman, Illustrator says, "Artists will never be satisfied, and anyone who tries to satisfy them is a fool." If you can substitute your name in the above statement, then all the more important is attendance for you. Know one else is responsible for your happiness and success...only you.