and Tracy makes SEVEN...

Sometimes life can really throw a curve ball at us and when one really whops us in the side of the head, the simple pleasure of pointless creative fun with a group of like-minded individuals can be all that can be done to ease the goose-egg.  There's a comfort in keeping a commitment to meet and connect month after month, even though we all lead quite diverse lives and may not even communicate with one another all the days in between.

Thursday evening at Pam's house with our brand new member, Tracy Horsmen was one of those meetings that could sooth boo-boos and simply feel good to just be together with no purpose intended other than creative play. Like musical chairs (with laughter and chit chat instead of music) we each rotated around seven old windows, spending 10 minutes at abstract mark and colour making before moving on to the next.  Of course, some paintings worked out better than others, but so what, that wasn't the point.

Angela and Tracy checking out our altered books

Marie pleased with The Big Dipper

Kelly, Tracy and Pam hard at play

Kelly, our visual art-challenged poet looking for her groove...

...got it!

Pam being in the moment

Freddie being in the moment

I like how this one's coming along

A little dab here...

...a little flick here...

 ... brush strokes...

...and dribbles

So Tracy, tell us about yourself!

In our next post, Tracy will answer a few questions for us so we can get to know her.  Mine first - Tracy, your medium is clay and I want to know why clay?  How did you discover it and what does it do for you?

Sending Sunday sunshine happiness to one and all,

Deborah

What a Party!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  to everyone who joined us in celebrating the opening of our new exhibit, Udveksling, at The Craig Gallery last night.  People were so excited to be there (or perhaps just hungry lol!), that the place was hoping 20 minutes before the doors officially opened!

The enthusiasm and delight expressed by all who shared in our exchange with much laughter and hugs was the shining star on our many months of learning, exploring and creating.

Many thanks to my good friend, Sandra Gunther, for capturing these images.

Until next time....

Deborah

Peek

With our exhibition at the Craig Gallery opening in less than two weeks, I thought to peak your curiosity a bit by sharing my artist statement and one of my images.  I hope you come to our opening reception.  There'll be wine and cheese and yummy treats, great conversation, old friends and friends you haven't met yet and, of course, great art and all seven of us Valley artists!

My Artist Statement :: Streetscapes and thoughtscapes.   Reflected constructions of placeless places where fluid and fleeting exchanges between pedestrians and mannequins occur.

We instantly imbue any human form, whether corporal or constructed, with personality – with story. It's this autonomic exchange which drives my work. I particularly enjoy that this anthropomorphism is applied to strangers, animals, toys with faces and even headless mannequins!

Until next time....

Deborah

You're Invited!

No matter, how much planning ahead we do, it seems that all the tasks required to open a show bunch up in the final 3 weeks.  We're all excitedly working on our art, planning our artist talks and talking up our opening reception.

We're a happy group of creative individuals who take our art seriously, but know how to make time for laughter and sharing.  We'd love to tell you about our Danish and Nova Scotian experiences and we hope you'll share in our exchange at the Craig Gallery.  Here's your invitation:

Until next time,
Deborah

Intentions were good...

Sometimes life's adventures take up all of one's time, leaving little time to blog about life's adventures.  Such was the case during my adventure that began in Denmark and spilled over into these days since my return.  

I embarked on this artistic exchange, fully open to absorbing the Danish culture's art, design and aesthetic - consciously unaware at the time that these are, of course, methods of communication. I fully expected to return with a new clarity to “seeing” that one often experiences after time spent elsewhere. I certainly didn't expect to come back with a new-found awareness of intent in communication.

Placing visual communication aside, I quickly discovered that travelling with three other strong, independent women, places every nuance, word and expression under a microscope of scutiny. The situation challenges one to be conscious of word choices, tone, phrasing and even silences.

By immersing myself in this exchange with SEVEN, by stepping away from my usual surroundings, routines and companions, I gained clarity – clarity of my own communication shortcomings. I've been humbled to know that after 48 years, I'm still not the great communicator I was hoping to be.

But, through this exchange, the ground has shifted - or I've shifted. I can now see how deeply affected we all are by the intention behind communication of every kind. Our intent is paramount. No matter what form it takes - be it a piece of music, a speech, a painting or a conversation with a friend, what matters most is intent. Whether we consciously realize it or not, we all see through to the real intention - the true reason for the communication, which explains why we may be moved by one thing and not another.

My opportunity now is to enhance all facets of my communications, both visually and in my everyday conversations - to hold my intent close so I can keep an eye on it.   

Peace,

Deborah

Deborah's highlights from Day 5

Greetings from Copenhagen!

I could really relate to this piece yesterday!

Looking up.

Let's get down to the art of it!

Yesterday, we visited open studios and met several artists along Roerholmsgade.  They were all friendly, interesting and engaging and some even plan to visit our exhibit here in Copenhagen.  Speaking of which, we hung our work today and will put the finishing touches on tomorrow.  Here are some before photos:

Venlig hilsen,
Deborah

Breathe

One week before our departure and I'm feeling quite contemplative.  Looking back on these 18 months of preparation, I see that my journey with SEVEN has been ripe with personal growth.

Learning to deeply and fully think as a member of a collective and not as a self-focused individual, has been quite an exciting ride.  In learning to give consideration to other's ideas and feelings and making space for others to expand and change, I seen that I've also learned to give myself these gifts as well.

"SEVEN to me, is collaboration and consensus.  With much play, discussion and laughter in our group, I find I'm continually challenged to see my art and my ideas from the perspective of the others."

I wrote this statement for a newspaper interview many months ago, and I feel that it's the heart of my experience with SEVEN.  Thank you, ladies.

The purpose of SEVEN's journey to Denmark is exchange. Exchange of ideas with Danish artists. Exchange of our agricultural/tidal culture with our Danish cousins. Exchange of the myriad elements that form my sense of place and will cross the ocean for a genuine exchange with another place and it's people.

my place - a muskoka chair in the trees

As I prepare myself for this exchange, I think of the people, here, who create the heart of my experience of our region. They shape the land, the economy, the lives and routines of those around them by being passionate and authentic. They make you want to drive many extra kilometers out of your way to engage in an exchange with them. In fact, by going out of our way to connect with these people, the out-of-the-way becomes THE way.

 These people, who are far too numerous to name and honour in the short time I have before our flight leaves, are, to me, the very breath of our place. This is the breath that I'll take to Denmark.



Peace,
Deborah

What? Why? What The...? (The Importance of Explaining)

Powder room. First visit to the home of a delightful couple. Dinner party. Opportunity to get to know one other. Powder room: tastefully decorated, little shelves lined with hedgehog collection, and a bathroom guest book. How delightful! I sign - of course.

Post dinner party. Apologetic phone call is necessary to explain why I signed as I did in said bathroom guest book.

Explanation:
While traveling around England with my parents many years ago, I signed Hugh Jarse into every sign-in book I could get my fingers on. After a week or so of doing this, while in one particularly large, quite, somber, ancient church, my mother was signing in after me and read my signature:

"Hugh Jarse? Hugh Jarse!? Who the heck is Hugh Jarse?!" She exclaimed out loud (and rather loudly), attracting the disdainful stares of two old ladies lighting candles nearby. Suddenly my mother realized what she was saying! Very funny moment - gave us many years of rolling-about-laughter.

Why am I telling you this? Well, being an artist, I strive to explain my thoughts, musings and passions, using my marks, colours and materials. And then, because artists need artist statements, I search for the words to explain - Why these marks? Why these colours? Why this particular subject matter? And why does it matter?

Recently, we, of SEVEN, challenged ourselves to pare down our artist statements to 30 words each.  If you'd like to try this, here's how I met this challenge:


Take 1,000 (or more) soul-searching, heart-pouring, here-is-my-inner-being-laid-bare-for-all-to-examine, words

Question each paragraph. Combine paragraphs that have similar meanings

Question each sentence. Combine sentences that have similar meanings

Get rid of all redundancy.

Analize every word in your statement, using a thesaurus, to apply the most meaning, the most impact, the most power to your statement.

Now read it to select individuals and ask them to tell you what they understood from it.

Rewrite as needed.



And voila! You have a clear, suscinct, powerful, direct explanation of what you're doing and why. Very useful for verbose artists, confused artists, and non-artists at dinner parties, gallery openings and when your grandmother asks why you don't have a real job.

So, why did I choose to sign Hugh Jarse in the bathroom guestbook after all these years? Well, the dinner party hosts gave us the grand tour, highlighting furnishings that had belonged to her mother. Got me thinking about my mother and her furnishings and when I saw the bathroom guest book – well! My mother had one in her bathroom! In one sentimental moment, it became quite clear to me what I would do to honour my mom.

There's just so much inside ourselves that is meaningless to others unless we can properly communicate it.

Let's Do The Time Warp...

Because our blog is new and our artist collective is 3 years old, it seems appropriate to take jump into our time machine and visit some of our past creations.  In no particular order...

a bit of sculpture from Pam Frail...


... silk fusion with encaustic from Marilyn...

...acorns from Pia...

...Marie's copperwork...

...a painting by Angela...

... Deborah's digital serigraph...
















and, last, but certainly not least some of Kelly's poetry...

Staying Awake

by Kelly Marie Redcliffe

i . sleep

Awake? No, please, begin with sleep

a crow on murkied ice tugged out with tide. Bye

bye to time its hazards

no questions no accomodations

a herd of cloud-animals

galloping off to moon.

Quiet, the wingflap's darkling

I recognize as love.

ii wakesleeping

Waking is emergence, a yellow scope

poking from Calla Lily spathe.

Peek-a-boo I see you

squash-blossom horns delivering

pitch-perfect hellos

crayon streaks for sunshine

Now up

how to stay awake?

Gooped corners needing

excavation folding socks dirtied in a day.

Manners a white cane prattling pavement

safe across minutes.

Action a game of checkmarks

ta-dah! Cha-ching.

Washing machine is musac slish-sloshing upstairs

down. A sigh wants an excuse

a deep breath wants time

a trapped truth hates pretending

white lies white noise clutter

an aggressive unspoken wanting

forging forward

people aside

animal

human.

Don't walk away from it.

If you do you'll pay for it.

Shame an upturned tree

roots groping moss dangling.

Midday hoot of an owl

clear cylindrical.

Even ants build highways a pencil mark

through sand to get where they are going.

iii. waking up

If you want to change

you can! Vigilence

splayed under brush

chin stiffed into hand-heals pshaw

truthsayers and mimics here yea

hear yea stop waving exclamations at me

(please). Do not tease with aphorisms crowd

fear with sensations a throng of Cedar Waxwings

gorge fruit half-eaten spluttering to ground

red planets sweet squished

not an ounce of beauty wasted: eyes meet

in shared caring know that I love

doing as I said I would. Want

this.

Squash palms may ponder growth meanwhile

collect sunshine.

I lay on lawn on hand-stitched quilt from a friend's ex-partner's mother

sky-story writing shadows the universe on my back.

Being awake is what I do when

rested.

Skip routines try

a tidied entrance

soup made creamy with béchamel

spoon clunked in empty bowl. Satisfaction

yet incomplete weed-root

half in hand.

Learn flight

from reocurring dreams.

iv. awake again and again

It's so quiet I hear thirst lies

carelessly scrawled on chalkboard

sponged clean. A sunflower's root

drawing dew.

I am one who has not yet fallen

in love with herself believes it possible.

Squiggles of half-formed words

piled up falling asleep elongate into

stories lived in moonlit day. Sadness

turns orange is harvested. A last

yellow leaf twitches teardroplets plunk

in pond a harmonica note shudders

still a kiss is soft pucker blow

dandelion seed-darts are bubbles

encoded with hope

… poof

Sunshine!

Spring is in the air in our beautiful valley. Looking forward to our Seven slumber party at Marilyn's next week.  Lately, our monthly meetings have been all business, business, business - building up towards our trip to Copenhagen.  (It's mind-boggling how many decisions and tasks there are!) 

We all agree that we need more fun, more creativity, more cheer and perhaps some wine or chocolate martinis and popcorn.  Natchos and salza would be nice, and those yummy chocolate coated peanuts, and oooo humus and crackers!  Oh, and gummy bears, jelly beans are good too...  cake!  Got to have cake, oh and cookies!

- Deborah

Great beginnings and thoughts of world travels!

This is the year of exploration, the year of great expectations, the year of keeping ourselves on our toes from early morn 'till the moon comes up.

In August 2010 six of Seven, (Pam, Marilyn, Marie, Deborah, Angela and Pia) will travel over the ocean to Denmark to explore, exchange and experience ourselves and our work in a completely new setting - a different culture, a different language, different food habits and bicycle paths. 

Kelly will stay back in Nova Scotia holding the fort and preparing herself for sensory overload when we return and the next part of exchange and the talking starts.

We endeavour to keep ourselves and other interested parties up to date with our progess and plans on this blog.
Any and all of the participants: Pam, Kelly, Deborah, Angela, Marilyn, Marie and Pia will be updating this blog when we feel the whim to express and share our excitement of this upcoming adventure.  

We work as a group and separately - and here is an example of what  happened when we all got together with brushes, paint and a nice large canvas for an afternoon in a sun-filled greenhouse  working on our 2009 exhibit Awakenings.