a sunny day at the beach

It's mid-summer for those of us who live in northern latitudes but we always have a tendency to imagine or anticipate the opposite. This magnificent picture I found is what it looks like around here on a typical day six months from now. I know I'm supposed to be enjoying what I have and considering we experienced five very warm days followed by three wet, cold and rainy ones that other season is bound to prey on the back of my mind.

Last winter was cold and the wind knows how to blow hard in my new Maritime province. I like to walk so worst of all was having a bad coat - a raincoat with a light lining I wore in Portland suited me well there and was roomy enough to cover one of my office ready jackets. That turned out to be a lucky thing because by December last year I was wearing an undershirt, a turtleneck, a sweater, and an old fleece warmer under the coat to keep me cozy in sub-zero blasts on the nastiest days. I'm talking layers on layers. To add insult to injury that coat has lapels that would blow up and flap my cheeks as I walked so I was forced to hold them down. Now I know why northerners have rosy cheeks - it's because they constantly get slapped by flying bits of their clothing.

Anyway, I'd been keeping my eye out for a coat. I hate shopping and rarely buy anything other than replacements for what I prefer wearing but I'd been dreading another winter wearing that one. We walked past a shop downtown that had coats that looked just right and the sign in the window said 50% off. Naturally, that was a lie unless I was in the market for sundresses and t-shirts. The coat was expensive. It was also beautiful and guaranteed to be warm and weatherproof. It's the same kind of coat worn by the RCMP and the postal carriers. It has a coyote fur trim around the hood and even though I was assured the coyote was pleased to donate his pelt I was glad to see I can remove it so no one will ever know I participated in the fur market - even if it is the Canadian fur market and all the money goes to needy First Nations people. That's what Native Americans are called here.

So now I'm hoping all goes well with the immigration news because it appears I've made a commitment. I'm pretty sure I'd have little use for a Canada Goose Kensington coat in southern California, Virginia or the West Indies - my other choices for a nice place to spend winter.

Now let's get back to enjoying summer while it lasts.
♡

calling Qatar

Now you may be wondering why my artwork hasn't been jumping off the virtual shelves over at my 'Etsy' shop and to tell the truth so have I. Okay, so you might not know I have a shop at that huge marketplace but I've kept it pretty quiet since reopening the spot a few months ago after a 2 year absence. I don't expect my blog friends to be ready to purchase some of the work I've done these past few years because you provide more than enough happiness for me when you tell me you like the pieces I've shown here. Anyway, I've been selected to be in a large number of circles, favorite lists, and a few treasury lists too but although Etsy sellers may appreciate one another not many have the funds for buying art.

It would be nice to be appreciated at a financial level by those who can afford to collect art and just this morning I discovered that the oil rich nation Qatar is in the market for contemporary work in a big way. Just as some of America's wealthy industrialists built up great collections of art in the 19th century now countries in the Middle East are doing much the same thing. Nobody really knows why and, considering the general Islamic proscription on figurative art, I have to think they are buying as many examples of modern Western art as they can simply because they can. Rothko, deKooning, Lichtenstein, Koons, and Warhol aren't well known as figurative artists anyway but their paintings have been sold recently for up to $73 million dollars each. I mean, what are billionaires supposed to do with all that money once they've stolen it? Invest, of course. The collections now moving to the Middle East and further east once belonged in private collections belonging to former wealthy American industrialists. There have also been rumors that museums have been selling works from public collections.

Anyway, I need to find a way to let those rich sheikhs and sheikhas know about my Etsy shop. Once they've bought a couple of pieces from me they can always go and have a look at some of the shops in my 'favorites' collection. That way everybody gets to make a little money and know their work is being appreciated by a sophisticated international audience. It's not like the artists they're collecting now are around anymore to accept the kudos.

I may have to raise my prices.

♡

halifax is hopping

Boy, it was hot around here the past few days with temperatures that must have been close to 80. There's a line of enormous cruise ships parked at the pier making me wonder who these days has the money to ride around on them? It's the Season in Halifax and if the sparkle from the water isn't enough to dazzle your eyes then the flashing diamonds of promenading matrons will do he job. Many of the tourists here for summer holidays find walking not to their liking but summer provides several choices for getting around town other than hiring a limo, hailing a taxi, or waiting an interminable amount of time for a bus. Here's a picture of one of them (taken by a news service) across the water from George's Island. There are many stories about that little place but this one isn't about that.

The horse drawn wagons travel the city streets at the stately pace of a strolling Clydesdale. I love horses and many times when I hear the gentle clopping and tinkling bells I look out the window to see them pass. It's also not unusual to see a long line of cars forced into a slow moving parade behind.

Another choice for those who prefer spending their time at outdoor bars and cafes or meandering along the harbor piers rather than hiking up and down hills is one of the big pinks. Retired from duty in London, double decker buses ferry weary tourists around the major historical sites of the city. I wonder why everybody seems to prefer the top deck?

Of course there are the boats that will take people out for harbor tours or even whale watching but that's a different thing. When you're planning to travel across broad stretches of water it's kind of handy to have a boat unless one is an exceptionally strong swimmer.

There is one means of transport seen around summertime Halifax that includes both city and sea and that's the Harbour Hopper. It can be quite disconcerting to see something that looks like a cross between a dump truck and a tugboat driving around the city streets and I must say that the passengers do tend to look a bit silly perched up in the back as it lumbers along. Nevertheless, I may have to ride on it one of these days even if I do have to wear a big hat and dark glasses so none of the other locals will recognize me. You see the Hopper is an amphibious vehicle that dives down a steep ramp into the water. It kind of looks like fun:

It's a bit strange living in a city that appeared to be fairly normal up until 2 weeks ago that has turned into a fun park for the infirm. I think I'll keep on walking.

Enjoy your days ♡

celebrations are traditional

Last night Crow and I walked down to the harbor to watch the fireworks. I liked the ones that looked like chrysanthemum flowers best of all.

Unfortunately, we didn't get ready early enough to catch the Halifax Tattoo Parade but just because we missed it doesn't mean you have to:




This one was filmed a couple of years ago on Halifax's main business street, Spring Garden Road, but I have a feeling they're much the same from year to year. I particularly enjoyed the marching of the clans at the very end.

I hope you're all enjoying a fine holiday weekend.

♡

and the winner is:

One of Crow's friends came by this morning to help out with the grand prize drawing. Here they are standing at the balcony door with the winner's name they just picked out of the Ming vase Crow received in 1373 for services rendered to the Magnificent Emperor Hongwu .

Congratulations Francis. Let me know what you'd like it to say, wrist size and 2 main colors. I'll be delighted to make a bracelet for you to give away or keep - note: they are a bit girlish.

Speaking of girls, or women, rather a particular girlish woman of my acquaintance - today is Gina's Birthday. Happy Birthday, my friend! In honor of the day Crow has insisted that you also receive a beaded bracelet. I'll make one for you that says whatever you want (but no more than 16 characters). Or you can have this one:

I finally found the macro function on my camera.

♡

other people's work

If I had a house and that house had a garden and in the garden was a pond and I happened to need a gnome then this is the gnome I'd choose to live in the pond in the garden of the home that I'd have.

David Goode makes bronze sculptures using a lost wax casting process. The results are wonderful and if you'd like to see just how here's a link to his site. Sometimes I think I take a long time doing things but one of his pieces can take 6 months or more.

If you don't have that kind of time perhaps you'd like to see a story about a little guy made of scrap metal who's looking for a home in the world:


origins from Robert Showalter on Vimeo.


I love animation.


Crow or I will be back soon.
♡

mid-summer contest

 

A few weeks ago I went digging through some unpacked boxes looking for something or other and emerged instead with another part of my rather large seed bead collection. Are you aware that beading is one of the great addictions once you've been stabbed by a long and very thin beading needle? That happened to me quite a long time ago and after several years worth of projects I finally packed all the beads up and hid them from myself. Now I've found them again and just for the heck of it I made myself a new bracelet. For the further heck of it I've decided it might be fun to make one for one of you.

Here's the deal if you're interested: The bracelet above is 7½" x ¾" and fits my wrist loosely. You may notice it has writing on it (because I never forgot the little beaded belt I got that said Niagara Falls when I was a kid). I can't seem to figure out how to get a really good picture that shows detail and sparkle both so we'll go with this one. Anyway, to whoever wins this contest the prize would be a bracelet made to fit you (or whoever you'd like to give it to) made with the base colors of your choice. It will also have whatever phrase or name you'd like so long as there are not many more than 16 letters. The only thing you have to do to enter is submit a phrase with 16 characters. This doesn't have to be the one you'd have me make.

Crow will choose the winner at random on July 1st. After that it will take me about a week to make the prize bracelet. Then we have to hope the mail strike in Canada ends by then.

What if they gave a mail strike and nobody cared?

Who ever heard of a mailbox with an out of service sign?

kabuki Crow

Crow here. Favorable trade winds have carried me home from places further away than you'd easily believe. Before returning to susan's castle in the sky (and chasing some grungy pigeons off her balcony on the way in) I made a stopover in Japan for a visit with some old friends.

In Japan dragons have always been associated with the power of the sea. In March we witnessed the awesome destruction caused by a tsunami after a major earthquake. The results of that were bad enough but before any of us could really comprehend the destruction, the events at Fukushima took the spotlight position. Some may have wondered why the nuclear reactors were placed right next to the sea but in reality that's not unusual at all.

During normal operations older nuclear power plants require approximately 15,000 gallons of water per minute to keep the radioactive cores cool. Once the chain reaction begins it never really stops - not in anything close to the possible lifetime of any species currently living on Earth. It would have been nice if the scientists who first developed nuclear power had decided to look for a way to neutralize radioactivity (something that defies the laws of physics) before countries actually started using them as a means of cheap power. Did you know there are more than 440 nuclear plants currently in use and most of them have more than one reactor? The largest percentage of them are also more than 25 years old which makes it extra worrisome when you think of nuclear facilities as old tech. susan's electric toothbrush is probably smarter than the systems installed several decades ago ('You missed a spot', it cheerfully informs her.) Should I even mention that nuclear power plants produce tons of radioactive waste that would require safe and secure storage guaranteed to last at least 10,000 years? Nobody anywhere wants the stuff buried nearby.

Since people are often short sighted and greedy, it seems quite likely that when nuclear power plant operators have to decide between profit and maintenance it doesn't take much guessing to know which one they'll generally choose. Human beings tend to believe only in dangers they can see. If nuclear power plants spawned real dragons instead of particles that kill either fast or slow then everyone would demand they be shut down immediately.

Nuclear power is deadly to children and all living beings. Remember that the sun will always shine and the wind will always blow somewhere.

Now I'm off to have a snifter of brandy and a taste of the fine fruitcake susan just carried in on my favorite antique silver salver.

***

This is the painting I finished just as Crow arrived home. Please don't give me too much credit for the dragon since much is owed to the famous Japanese print artists Hokusai and Hiroshige. The mistakes, including weird color combinations, are all mine.

ps: The sign over the gate is the best copy I could make of the 'three non-nuclear principles' kanji which promised that Japan would not possess, manufacture, or introduce nuclear weapons. If only they'd passed on the rest.

the studio 2011

I've been tempted several times in the past few days to show you the current Crow portrait through it's drawing and inking stages but I'd rather save showing it until it's finished. Likely as that is to be a few more days I thought I'd show you this year's version of my workspace. Tiny, isn't it?

With the exception of a block of standing shelves to the left and slightly behind where the scanner, more paints, inks, and other supplies wait close to hand my studio occupies a corner of our living room on the wall furthest from the west facing windows. It's not ideal but there's a natural light artist's lamp that lights the work well enough throughout our frequent overcast days. There's another lamp I can use as required but no space to leave it permanently. My portfolios are under the left side of the table leaning against the wall and behind my saddle stool are the sketchbooks, two boxes filled with silk painting supplies I'm loathe to unpack, and a tall but narrow chest of drawers that holds peripherals.

Stretcher frames, sewing machine, boxes filled with silk and fancy fabrics live down the back hall where we luckily have some enormous closets. The framed artworks we brought with us are also still in their professional moving cartons in one of those closets. After eight months in Halifax we continue to wait for news from the Canadian government that my husband will be welcome to stay. Immigration allows itself almost a year to complete its review and in the meanwhile we'll remain where we are. Why add confusion to a complicated process?

I still feel like an ex-pat American far from home. Nova Scotia is a quirky place but the world is full of them and it's friends who make a place comfortable. You all help a lot with that.

My paper should be dry again now and Crow is calling.

♡

still slacking

If I had a dollar for every time someone has told me they can't draw I'd be a thousandaire by now. In actuality, I can't draw either and that's why it takes so long for me to come up with new bits and pieces that entertain me and occasionally a few others.. like you, I hope. Anyhow, if you'd like to try something fun while you're waiting for the next scandal to break, your muse to speak, or if you have a little downtime at your job you might like to try the Scribbler at zefrank.com. That's where I came up with this interesting rendering of two of my favorite characters yesterday.

If you don't have time for such nonsense you may enjoy a little story about how the panda ended up being black and white in a world of multi-colored animals:


TIJI "COLOUR" HD from AKAMA on Vimeo.


Keep up the good work, whatever it is. Come to think of it, doing nothing at all may be our best bet in the long run. Slackers of the World: Untie!

♡