Accidents

With all the moving we have done in the last three years, the loss or damage of some items, I suspect, is inevitable. Our second segment in the saga brought the hole in this canvas. It is from the “Eve” series, the largest of the group measuring 72” x 48”, The Keeper of Wonder. The wind caught it causing it to fall against another object waiting to be loaded into the moving van. At the time all I did was look at it and without much emotion turned my attention to the next item to lift. My easy acceptance at this point could be explained by many similar occurrences during my childhood as we relocated from place to place and country to country. I had become accustomed to letting go of precious objects. In this case the damage is reparable. It has just taken be a few years to get around to doing it! Since I lacked the necessary expertise to do so I went to my favorite art store and asked the very knowledgeable people there how to go about it. I was advised to take some raw canvas, cut it small enough to cover the hole while allowing enough fabric to feather the edge. Being independent I had tried to fix another painting previously without success. I had not taken the time to pull the weave and the warp off the edges of the piece to “feather” it and I had cut it too large thinking the bigger the better… Using regular gel I applied a coat to one of the canvas patches and around the hole then pressed the bandaid into place. I had also noticed a stretch mark close to where the hole appeared and decided to administer another bandaid along that seam as well, for good measure. All in all I am delighted with the results. A little paint and no one will see the damage. They will again be able to appreciate the painting without interruption. Life is good.   

Competition

Competition usually means winners and losers. Our society seems to base the measurement of success on this concept of either/or, black/white, win/lose, survival of the fittest so to speak. It is how our politics, our economics and our religions for the most part function much to the detriment of our world on so many levels. There are pockets of cooperation emerging in the scientific and spiritual realms though and this is good news. Another arena of cooperation is found in the artistic world. Generally speaking artists love to share and to help each other along the way. Take the latest “Artist for the Year” competition put on by Pardee Art Trends Gallery. Several of us were voting for each other’s work, pushing the numbers up and encouraging a spirit of camaraderie. We laughed, we cried, we so enjoyed the ride. This is the kind of world in which I choose to live: one in which all people win. What a concept! And, yes, while only a few came out with a monetary prize, the rest of us found joy in what we do and how we live. Life is good.

The results: Pardee took the site down before I could get an idea of who won. I believe I came in about ninth. For more accurate statistics we will have to wait for 20^th June when Art in the Park opens.

Points of View

The opening reception for “Invitations” at The Bookstore was a blast. There were a constant round of visitors to keep me busy and entertained! Thank you to all who attended. I also really appreciated the wonderful hostess and photographer help from my daughter, Anna. She did a great job filling glasses and taking pictures while complaining about how hard my camera is to hold steady. As the afternoon progressed a few new insights came forth. One of the most interesting was the way the paintings changed with different points of view. Usually patrons wander around from one to the next in a standing position. Some dally a little longer than others; some are more pressed for time. On this occasion several people took advantage of the comfortable armchairs made available by The Bookstore and discovered an easier passage into the images around them most of which offer a peaceful and joyful ambiance. With this in mind do drop in and rest your feet while contemplating colourful moments captured in paint. The show runs to the 4^th May. The address is: 7 Perron St., St. Albert.

Easter

The warmer weather heralds the changing seasons as more enormous snowflakes descend from the sky. It is lovely if we can see beyond our desire for green. The green is coming. We can see it in the grass already. Renewed life. That is what Easter is all about. In this new season, in this new year, I have a new goal: to live serenely with my imperfections so that those around me find safe refuge in my presence.* I almost managed last night. While preparing some icing for the cakes I did get angry… it is all about perfection! I had dumped in the icing sugar and the margarine when I noticed some flour on the mixer. I had forgotten to wash it before hand. Ordinarily this would not be a problem except I was preparing the icing for some gluten free, dairy free cupcakes. Deciding not to waste the preparations I dumped in more icing sugar for the carrot cake, having in mind some cream cheese embellishments. The chocolate powder was there. Handy. I dumped in a scoop then I leaned on the sink trying to decide what to do with four cups of chocolatized icing sugar. Of course, my concerned husband asked me what was wrong. At that point I made a discovery about myself. If given enough time I can actually calm down enough to speak rationally. Explaining my mistake just adds fuel to the fire. My sojourn at the sink had helped enormously. In any case the chocolate icing was finished. My daughter said she could use it and took it home. I washed the machine, finished the “free” icing, made the cream cheese version and sat down to enjoy the card game… Life is good.   

*Adapted from a quote by St. Thérèse de Lisieux