Easter

magnolia.jpg

Axis of Ævil* is an interesting blog by an American expat who married a Finn, moved to Helsinki and writes irreverently about life there. Being the Easter weekend, I wish to point out a post called The Fazer Chicken* that really interested me because I’m fond of Fazer, an old and major chocolate, candy and bakery company in Finland. She writes about Fazer’s Mignon eggs, “… are the neatest Easter chocolates ever. These are real eggshells filled with an almond-hazelnut milk chocolate.” Made since 1896, “they are filled by hand, all 2.5 million of them each year”. Visit the links she’s provided to learn more about these wonderful hand-filled Easter eggs. Yum, I’ve had them occasionally a long time ago, wonder where in Vancouver I can find them?

More about Easter in Finland* and Easter cards* one hundred years ago.

Hauskaa Pääsiäistä, Joyeuses Pâques, Frohes Ostern, Happy Easter!

UPDATE January 2014: *Sigh, all links have gone kaput and have been removed. If interested in Fazer, I suggest a search – quite interesting!

Lesley Dill at Equinox

LesleyDillVisions.jpg
Lesley Dill: I See Visions
Lithograph on Muslin, Silk Organza with Hand-Sewn Elements
28 x 20 in. 2004

New York artist Lesley Dill’s work is showing at the Equinox Gallery in Vancouver (ending March 31st). An artist friend and I eagerly went to see it a couple of days ago and were not disappointed. This is the first time I’ve seen her work, and wished I’d known it sooner since so much of it resonates with me. The gallery website shows her amazing pieces, so have a look.

Here’s a wonderful review by Robin Laurence in Straight, beginning with this:

Language, fibre, body, and spirit–all weave together in this exhibition of new and recent work by New York artist Lesley Dill. Deeply poetic in both impulse and content, Dill’s interdisciplinary art–which includes photography, sculpture, printmaking, and performance–also manages to invoke a number of theoretical concerns. These include the ways in which gender is socially constructed and the body is inscribed with language. Not that we’re overwhelmed by post-semiotic ideas as soon as we walk into the gallery; the first impression here is one of sensuous beauty.

It is all very compelling work. Her delicately layered prints on muslin and silk organza, such as ‘I See Visions’ (above), ‘Listen’ and ‘Blue Voice’ are very inspiring and timely for me while working on my own series of layered prints.

Dill has done a lot of her prints at Landfall Press:
Lesley’s Dill’s images and constructions explore the nature of the body and its clothing. In particular, her work uses metaphoric imagery to explore the role of language in cloaking or revealing the human soul.

And at Graphicstudio:
… Lesley Dill is on the forefront of the trend in contemporary art of using visuals with language, lending an edge to their fusion by peeling away stereotypes to create a fresh and unique vision. Widely acclaimed for her sculptural, print and installation works which draw upon the poetry of another American woman artist, Emily Dickinson, Dill combines the word with the image, the fragile with the indestructible, the handmade with the computer-generated. A meeting of art and poetry, her works are rich in texture and temporal associations, evoking elusive, layered meanings.

More images can be seen at Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle and at artnet.

Flat Files needed

flat file.jpg
REPEAT POSTING from last fall:
This is an unusual request…several of my artist friends and I are all in great need of reasonably priced flat files or map files for our studios, to safely store our prints. The above picture is just one example, we are interested in different sizes. I personally need an extra large size. We have looked at auctions, classified ads and word-of-mouth for good second-hand ones but they are hard to find. Anyone out there, in the Vancouver area or even Victoria and Nanaimo areas on Vancouver Island (BC, Canada) have some that they are getting rid of, or know of someone doing so? Please contact me by email if you can help us.

vernal equinox

serendipity.jpg

Yesterday, or today depending on where you are, marks the spring equinox. Our first day of Spring in Vancouver was stormy with high winds, rain, some hail, even snow on mountain peaks and bright moments of sunshine. The past several weeks of spring-like weather has pampered us, and this felt rather like a step back in time.

Nevertheless we had a lovely day, getting family together to celebrate a birthday and happy family news with lunch, cake with candles and of course, lots of family photos taken by my other half. From that occasion, we’d like to share this “failed” photo that I find very mysterious and evocative.

On the drive home in the early evening, the lower western sky cleared to reveal a brilliant sun beaming like a giant spotlight beneath the dark and heavy rainclouds. West-facing drivers were shielding eyes with hands, and those driving east were blinded by the sunlight reflected off highrise windows. Then appeared an astoundingly brilliant and huge rainbow, which my husband captured from the front passenger seat of our moving vehicle. Serendipity and Happy Spring to us all!

rainbow.jpg

book meme

Amy passed on the stick for this book meme which I didn’t want to do for a lack of time, but it stuck in my mind. So here’s a quick list because I’ve not been reading as much as I would like.

You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
I haven’t read it, hmmm – how about a monograph of my work?

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Probably long ago, I can’t remember now, some romantic hero like the prince who wakes up Sleeping Beauty?

The last book you bought is:
The Power of Place, St. Michael’s Printshop & 30 years Printmaking in Newfoundland, in conjunction with the exhibition I visited

What are you currently reading?
1. Patterns That Connect: Social Symbolism in Ancient & Tribal Art by Schuster & Carpenter recommended by Anna Conti
2. The Dying Animal by Philip Roth – someone wrote about Roth’s latest books & I thought I’d check it out
3. Nick Bantock’s Artful Dodger, actually recently finished (a Christmas gift)

Five books you would take to a deserted island:
1. The Kalevala, both Finnish & English – still haven’t read it all
2. The Lord of the Rings, to re-read after 25 years
3. An Atlas of the World – I love looking at maps
4. The Gift – Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde, also recommended by Anna – I’ve not had time to read past the first chapter
5. Archaeology or Anthropology books such as Return to Chauvet Cave by Jean Clottes

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Anna because she recommends so many good art books
Miriam, English prof & lover of memes
Beth, beautiful & thoughtful writer, dare I ask for she is a busy lady
Later….Oops, I see Miriam has already done this meme!

UPDATE: Thanks to Anna for taking up this challenge. As I expected, she has some wonderful sounding selections. They’re going on my to-read-list if I ever have enough time for it all. Anna says she doesn’t usually read fiction, which for me has always been a favourite if I want to relax my over-tired mind and body, but I’ve been doing even less of that lately. Maybe reading so many great blogs is the reason?

Wrapped Figure

WrappedFigure.jpg

Veils Suite: Wrapped Figure
etching & drypoint 76 x 56.5 cm.

teaching archaeology

Stone Pages Archaeo News is on my regular reading list. The article below piqued my interest and the wish to share it. It’s copied in its entirety because their articles are not hyperlinked.

Teaching British children archaeology
A Decade ago they would not have known what the word meant, but programmes such as Time Team have filled today’s youngsters with enthusiasm. Wiltshire (England) children as young as five will soon be studying archaeology as part of their school curriculum – and the county’s world-famous landmark, Stonehenge, will help them.

     The Government says Key Stage 2 pupils can go back as far as the Egyptians to learn about history, and in Wiltshire many schools have decided to make use of the ancient treasures on their own doorstep. 22 teachers from around the county took part in a day-long session at Salisbury Museum and were given ideas on how to teach the wonders and mysteries of Stonehenge and archaeology in general. Children will also learn about the King and Prince of Stonehenge, who were laid to rest with their possessions, including fabulous gold earrings or hair clasps, 4,300 years ago. Their discovery near the stone circle at Boscombe Down three years ago was hailed as one of the most important finds of recent decades. Field trips to Salisbury and other Wiltshire museums are also likely, and children in other parts of the county may focus on sites nearer their schools, such as the Avebury circle.

     Amanda Feather, Stonehenge World Heritage Site educational co-ordinator, said: “Children these days are knowledgeable about techniques they have seen on TV and very interested in the whole concept of uncovering the past. They like the idea of becoming detectives and trying to solve the mysteries of the past. Many of them want to be archaeologists.” Last year a Stonehenge Scheme of Work was trialed at Amesbury primary school to support the teachers’ use of Stonehenge in their lessons. Ms Feather said: “This year we are launching the initiative to support all schools in Wiltshire.” Source: Western Daily Press (18 March 2005)

I would love to be in these classes if I were a schoolchild again! Does it seem that there’s a huge growth in archaeology and public interest in its findings? With education through schools, museums and through the internet, hopefully there will be more committment to preservation against vandalism and encroachment by developers. On the other hand, why do looters seem to have a very lucrative market?

Tomoyo Ihaya at SNAP

TomoyoIhaya.jpg

This email recently came from Tomoyo, who just finished an exhibition in Vancouver:

“hello, everyone. Spring in vancouver and semi-spring in Edmonton..
I came to edmonton hopefully to see beavers, buffalos and water..
Please come by to see the show if you are in edmonton. tomoyo”

“Searching for Agua” is on at the SNAP Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta March 24th – April 30th, 2005, with the opening reception on Thursday, March 24th 7 – 9 pm.

Japanese-Canadian artist Tomoyo Ihaya’s work centres on the theme of water. Her exhibition Searching for Agua delves into the expressions of the water/life duality – literally, symbolically and spiritually throughout the world. “Recently, I spent two months in Mexico. In such a culturally dense country, one of the most memorable things in every day life is a drinking water vendor coming every day screaming “Agua” every day, the word has become one of my favorite vocabularies to provoke my visual imagination and contemplation” – from Snap’s web-site.

SNAP is a gallery and printmaking studio run by the Society of North Alberta Print-Artists, which I’ve mentioned before in these pages. You may be interested in viewing the excellent website, especially their new Virtual Gallery, featuring prints by some of Canada’s foremost printmakers.

‘Rings’ debut in Toronto

The much-anticipated stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy will have its world premiere in Toronto, producers announced in London Tuesday. The $27-million show, co-produced by Toronto’s Mirvish Productions, will open in March 2006 at the Princess of Wales Theatre with a largely Canadian cast […] The show had been scheduled to debut in London this spring […] However, there was no theatre available to accommodate the massive and technically complex three-hour production. (from CBC.ca*)

Last year I wrote about some interesting Finnish connections to the ‘Lord of the Rings’. First it was about Tolkien’s study of the Finnish language and the Kalevala. Then I wrote about the contributions of Finnish culture including folk group Värttinä’s music to the stage adaptation musical of the ‘Rings’.

Now I also discover several Canadian connections, including a Canadian creator of the music score and composer of a Rings symphony:

The music is by Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, responsible for the U.K. hit Bombay Dreams, and Finnish group Värttinä’.[…] The Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus produced an opera adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit last summer and Toronto-born composer Howard Shore, who created the score for Jackson’s films, adapted his music into a symphony work entitled The Lord of the Rings: A Symphony in Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus. The piece has been performed to sold-out audiences around the world.

Some further reading in news around the world:
more in CBC*
BBC
the Aussie news*
Kaleva.plus in Finnish*

Thanks to a new reader in Finland who sent me a scanned clipping of the news item from the print version of Helsingin Sanomat. Now, I wonder if my cousin in Toronto has a spare bedroom?

** Updated 27.08.2015 – expired links removed

Bonnie Jordan

Another artist-friend of mine, Bonnie Jordan, has been doing exciting, yet very thoughtful and very leading edge digital printmaking for several years. Here are some of her latest works. Images are copyright Bonnie Jordan, used here with her permission.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#1.jpg
Journey Series #1 archival inkjet print 51 x 152 cm.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#2.jpg
Journey Series #2 archival inkjet print 56 x 152 cm.

BJordan_Journey-Series-#4.jpg
Journey Series #4 archival inkjet print 55 x 152 cm.

Bonnie says about her work:

The portrait has been an ongoing theme for me. Through the years this theme has undergone many transformations, each change bringing additional depth and texture to the concept of the portrait. I’ve always been interested in layers – looking beneath the surface of things. Working with mixed media excites me, specifically how that translates to the various print media. Before the advent of the computer I found myself exploring the possibilities of layers through multiple plate etchings. Since discovering the computer I have employed the digital means of exploring layers.

I’m interested in ‘people tracks’. Genealogy has been a great motivator in my art. Family history inspired yet another evolution of my portraits. I love to utilize images that I find through ancestral research, such as letters, articles, artifacts and objects. These objects/artifacts develop into symbols representitive of the sort of ‘time travel’ that takes place within the work. The images here are representative of the ‘Journey’ series, my most recent work.

BJordan_Journey-Series#3.jpg
Journey Series #3 archival inkjet print 49 x 33 cm.

Besides being a practising and exhibiting artist, Bonnie is also a Studio Art Technician in printmaking at Capilano University**, including the Art Institute. We both began the first digital experiments in this printmaking studio in 1998.

We have been in many exhibitions together, the most exciting one being our Traces exhibition at the Pohjanmaan Museum in Vaasa, Finland, also including Steven Dixon, in 2002. The Traces site shows some images of our work and the connections in theme.

Relating to that exhibition Bonnie and I were fortunate to have a great interview by Michael Boxall, editor of Art Alive Magazine at that time, which gives additional insight into Bonnie’s work!

Further reading:
North Shore News Interview about Bonnie’s project for the “Visions of the North Shore”
Bonnie Jordan’s CV (pdf)
c2si – Bonnie Jordan & Dennis Creighton’s business site

**Since writing this, the College has since been designated a University so name and link have been updated.
Edited January 15th, 2013 to enable larger views of images. Since writing this Bonnie’s name has appeared several times in various exhibitions, expecially our joint show in Squamish . Apologies for some now dead links.