yesterday at 5:20 am
Heavy clouds overhead, a giant’s puffy quilt
straight edge parallel to mountain range
strip of sky beneath and between
brightening with dawn, rose and gold
a German Romantic painting
by Marja-Leena
by Marja-Leena creative license vs. copyright law
An interesting story at Alliance for Arts and Culture:
Vancouver artist collides with Olympic and Paralympics copyright act
Vancouver artist, Kimberly Baker, learned first hand the extent of Bill C-47 — the Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act — after producing artwork for a graduation exhibition at the Emily Carr Institute. Ms. Baker’s work, the Transit Shelter Project, includes photos of a person in a sleeping bag with “Vancouver 2010” written beneath. She learned the work indeed collides with the recently enacted bill in what appears to be a trademark infringement issue. She has detailed her experience in an article for Common Ground.
Click here to read the article.
To read the bill, visit this Government of Canada website and click on C-47.
by Marja-Leena broken
“It is a dying lamp, a falling shower,
A breaking billow: – even whilst we speak
Is it not broken?”
– P.B. Shelley: Adonais
by Marja-Leena Writing-on-Stone Park
This morning, I was very excited by an article in our newspaper about Writing-on-Stone Park in Alberta, a very important place for me, spiritually and artistically.
Unfortunately, the online version does not include the photos of some of the rocks and of Bonnie Moffet, the supervisor of interpretative services, who is quoted in the article (and whom we met last year). It was interesting to read about the recent opening of “the park’s first permanent interpretive centre” and about the petroglyphs and the first nations people who created them. I liked her words: “Our wish here is not just to talk about rock art and rock art preservation,” she says. “It’s to share with people the fragility of this place . . . and to change attitudes forever toward first nations people.”
Naturally, reading all this has transported me back to our amazing visit to Writing-on-Stone last year. I’ve been revisting this mystical and powerful place again by going through our photos and thought I’d post a few more here. And of course, I want to go back some day for I was keenly disappointed that the guided tour was unavailable the day we were there.
Interested new readers may like to know that I first wrote about my ‘obsession’ for badlands, hoodoos & petroglyphs over two years ago, followed up with an answer to a query from another blogger ‘what are hoodoos?’
As many of you know, some of the images I gathered on this trip became part of my art works since then. Which reminds me… I still have not shown those last works that I completed in the spring! I’ve been waiting a long time for Erika to design a web site for me, but she was too busy with her final year at art school and then got herself a great job a month after graduation (naturally I’m happy about that)! I had planned to make this grand announcement with the presentation of these pieces based on Writing-on-Stone. Hmm, maybe I should just post them here anyway.
by Marja-Leena August 12th stardust
Like Mouse in France, I wanted to wish on a star, or actually on the Perseids, last night but it was raining.
I have more than one good wish and remembrance on this auspicious day:
– Happy anniversary to our daughter E and son-in-law J
– Remembering both their late grandfathers’ birthdays that amazingly fell on the same day (though not same year, I think)
– Happy Birthday to nephew N, living and working in faraway South Korea
– Remembering the serendipity of my father’s name and birthday month
Feeling delight in these many far away connections of family and blogger friends far away, all under the magic of celestial showers on this August day
Image: Astronomy Picture of the Day
UPDATE August 13th: I was awake for about an hour early this morning. Just before retiring again, at 3:00 am, I remembered the meteor showers. The sky was clear so I bundled myself up and went outside. During the five minutes or so, I saw one quick flashing tail. Beautiful stars all over. Made my wishes. it was very cool and damp, and I was getting a sore neck so I went back to bed.
by Marja-Leena evening cruise
An invitation for visiting aunt and us!
from niece and boyfriend with boat:
come for a sunset boat ride!
Docked at Fisherman’s Wharf
by False Creek (Vancouver)
At the end of the westernmost dock,
here’s G’s boat!
Slowly cruising out west,
under Burrard Bridge,
out to English Bay
Cloudy and warm,
no sunset to admire,
but misty mountains and puffy clouds,
boats going by, freighters anchored in the bay,
city highrises lighting up with million jewels
as darkness falls
Returning in the dark
vibrating moving
all lights like glowing strings
and dancing arrows
shimmering reflections on water
Thank you for the wonderful cruise,
catching up with life’s news,
a memorable evening,
good night,
goodbye!
by Marja-Leena BC Day long weekend
Our long weekend was a wonderful, busy and mostly family-oriented one. First, a sister-in-law arrived from Idaho on Friday. It’s been almost a year since we last saw her.
Saturday morning a caravan of three cars of family drove up to the hot and dry high country area of Kamloops and east. Our eldest daughter and partner held a huge party for their numerous friends and immediate family. Their acreage turned into a campground with many campers and tents scattered about. They had renovated the old barn on their property and transformed the interior with whitewash and twinkling lights over numerous tables for the diners and the fantastic buffet of food. What a party, wonderful fun for all ages from babies, children, teenagers, young singles, couples and parents and a few of us elders!
On Sunday morning husband, youngest daughter and I drove to Salmon Arm, over an hour east from our motel in Kamloops to visit my brother and two of his sons. Lovely to see them again! Then back to the party – with a trip to the swimming hole on the Thompson River to cool off. Later the children (even some of us adults!) loved a visit with the neighbour’s goats. Then more wonderful food!
Yesterday, the BC Day holiday, we made our way home, tired from a lot of driving but happy. Great to sleep in our own bed again. Sister-in-law took a side trip to visit a friend in Vernon and is returning here later this afternoon for a few more days’ visit. So, we’re keeping busy, busy with family!
by Marja-Leena a labyrinth
I have often wished to visit some of the labyrinths found in different parts of the world.
Strangely, the very first labyrinth I ever did walk on was just a two days ago right here in the Vancouver area. One early morning we went looking for a new painted labyrinth that we read about in a newspaper. Painted on a parking lot of a church, off a rather busy road, my first impression was of a little disappointment. But as I slowly walked around the twists and turns, I did feel my mood become meditative.
With its rose in the centre, It appears to be similar to some that are painted inside modern churches. Yet, according to the brochure, available nearby, this one is “a replica of the 11-circuit labyrinth of Chartres Cahtedral in France. This pattern, once central ot cathredral culture, was inlaid in the stone floor in 1201.” Interesting…
But I still feel drawn to the ancient stone labyrinths, just like I’m drawn to ancient cave art.
by Marja-Leena oil spill
For over a week now, we’ve been appalled over an environmental disaster that occurred in the Greater Vancouver area. Last Tuesday, July 24th, there was a huge oil spill in Burnaby, a suburb just east of Vancouver, on the south side of Burrard Inlet. Contractors doing sewer work hit a pipeline and a 12 meter geyser of crude oil sprayed roads, cars and homes and spilled into the ocean waters nearby. This is part of Kinder Morgan Canada’s TransMountain Pipeline system, carrying crude oil from a pipeline terminal at the foot of Burnaby Mountain to a tanker-loading facility on the Inlet. (Can you see the oil tanks in the top photo below? – the disaster happened in the area to the left of them.)
Naturally this raised concerns for the health impacts on the residents and homes and environment in the immediate vicinity. Numerous concerns about the industry have also come up again for all of BC and its coastal waters.
Living on the other side of Burrard Inlet not far from the spill, we were worried about reports that the oil spill spread to North Shore beaches and parks, affecting marine life, First Nations’ clam beds, and the Maplewood Mud Flats, a local saltmarsh and bird sanctuary.
Last Friday evening right after sunset, we went on one of our regular walks to Cates Park, situated right across the water from the disaster area. We checked out the beaches and its families of Canada geese. Though there was yellow tape tied across the beaches and posted warnings to stay off, our untrained eyes could not spot any evidence of oil. Looked like the cleanup crews had done a good job here and will continue to be busy for a while in many spots on this coast. Several families in Burnaby in the meantime are still dealing with the damage to their homes and gardens – what a terrifying experience. When it comes this close to home…
by Marja-Leena Hornby Island rocks
From time to time over the life of this blog, I’ve been posting some of my favourite photos of the uniquely weathered rocks on Hornby Island. They’ve inspired and become essential portions of many of my works, first in the Meta-morphosis series, then the Paths and Nexus series.
Obsession, passion or a call from my ancient past? Whatever the reason, I respond and revisit these with new eyes each time. It’s been several years since we’ve visited this lovely little island and our dear friends’ cottage there. I think it’s time for another visit soon.