Sunday 31 January 2010

Light me up!

We're on fire!

The Olympic flame spent a couple of days in Calgary two weeks ago, passing within three blocks of our home at an ungodly hour in the morning. Nevertheless, I figured it was my best chance (i.e., not in the middle of a goofy crowd) to see it, so I hauled myself out of bed and grabbed the camera on my way out the door.

My reward was getting a prime spot -- right where the next torch-bearer got off the shuttle bus (that's the nice lady on the right above) -- although I was subjected to the exceptionally commercial hype (RBC and Coke) from the sponsors. Such a change from when Calgary had the Olympics in 1988.

First spinning

Days have been filled with working in the studio. The first week, as well as moving in bit-by-bit, I created 98 artist trading cards, which I took to the local ATC meet-up last night.

With my wheel down in the studio, I was able to start spinning in Week Two, the resulting ball (100 g of laceweight handspun and hand-dyed mohair) is above. Plus I spun last week as well (pictures to come), and have now started knitting on the new installation/sculpture piece.

A trip to the moon

As much as I love having the studio, it has two faults. First, it's in the basement at Art Central so I don't get to look outside -- I've tried to remedy that by having pictures like the one above to look at.

Second, the next-door neighbour likes to play her music LOUD, and spend hours on end chatting to her friends on the telephone. While I'm sure the person at the other end of the line finds the personal details really interesting, I don't.

My solution has been to go in when she's not there (mornings, and selected afternoons when I stay down all day) or to clamp on my headphones and work away, oblivious to the tales coming from the other side of the wall. Before I took the headphones down, the noise was almost enough to drive me to drink....

Although I've not been this desperate. Yet.

Plaid Tongued Devils #3

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Pause to inhale

Over the bank

Weather here is always interesting: an Arctic outbreak in the middle of December created an ice jam in the river near our place, and forced the rest of the flowing water up over the bank, where it created a wondrous scene for a few hours before succumbing to the cold.

The weather, the impending holidays, and the crush of trying to get two major residency applications off before my studio time began has meant that blogging hasn't been high on my list of things to do, which is really frustrating. That being said, the residency applications went early, and I also got in a book review and obituary to the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artist Guild newsletter.

Mmmm, dinner

Which is why I was grateful to take Christmas Day off: after putting our turkey into the oven, we went down for a long walk through Fish Creek Park, where we got to watch some of the local wildlife enjoying the banquet that someone had provided for them as well.

But then it was back to the computer: writing, sizing images, writing, writing, thinking, writing, writing, writing.

Interruptions included mourning the death of Washington, DC sportscaster George Michael, Art Clokey, and my friend Jim Rimmer: as fine a graphic designer, typographer, bookbinder, and all-around funny guy as you could ever want to meet.

C'mon in!

My studio door -- entry to my creative working home until March 6.

Books for Sale

The shop is currently empty.