Saturday, February 07, 2009

My Current Gallery Show - Handmade Books and Prints

Secrets Between the Covers
Feb 3rd to Feb 17th Lee Matasi Gallery (Extended to March 3rd, 2009)
Ottawa School of Art
35 George Street in the ByWard Market


Currently I have a show of the work I made during my apprenticeship with Britt Quinlan at the Ottawa School of Art from September to December 2008. I focused on the topic of secrets and created a series of books to illustrate one secret in each book. I find the process of creating a handmade book completely satisfying. Within this art form you can include any art-making process you need to get your story across. It is endless.

As for my video skills, well I forgot that moving pictures are not still pictures and when I turned my camera so the view was vertical the image didn't follow.
D'oh!
So please forgive me this error and consider it intentional (in the best art-making sense of that word).

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Illustration Friday: Flawed


Though he tried to dress for success he often forgot a crucial element. On this particular day, his flawed belief that he was pulled together was betrayed by the fact that he forgot an antler at home.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Groundhog Day, Yay!




And the rodent has spoken...


Willie, Sam and Phil agree - North America faces six more weeks of
winter

WIARTON, Ont. -
The deep freeze felt right across the country this winter isn't about to end any
time soon, according to some famous prognosticating groundhogs.
A groan arose from a large crowd gathered in Wiarton, Ont., to hear Wiarton Willie's
prediction when the furry forecaster made it known there would be six more weeks
of winter.


It was clearly not the answer the crowd of about 200 people, some
wearing groundhog noses or carrying signs pledging love for Willie, wanted to
hear. There were a few cheers at the prospect of a long winter, but most people
looked disappointed - and cold - and then shuffled off to work on a Monday
morning.


He emerged from his den just after 8 a.m. ET and saw his shadow,
which according to groundhog lore, means more winter is in store.
Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam also saw his shadow Monday morning. The groundhog was roused by a town crier and the skirl of bagpipes at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, about an hour north of Halifax.


Had they not cast a shadow, as has been the case for Willie the previous four years, it would have signalled an early spring.


No such luck this year, said Mac McKenzie, who founded the
Wiarton Willie Festival 53 years ago. He said Willie's never wrong.
"Not Wiarton Willie," said McKenzie, 82. "He always is bang on - and I use the
expression bang on loosely, but that's the way it is."
He said he can't argue with the groundhog's gift of foresight, but wishes the pronouncement had been different.
"This has been the worst winter we've had in years," McKenzie said. "Snow, snow and more snow. So we want less snow next year.


Sam and Willie's U.S. cousin, Punxsutawney Phil, also predicted six more
weeks of winter when he stepped into the Pennsylvania sunlight.
His forecast was announced in front of thousands of revellers gathered at Gobbler's Knob, about 100 kilometres northeast of Pittsburgh.
German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow Feb. 2 - the Christian holiday of Candlemas - winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.

Copyright © 2009 Canadian Press

January Franklin


Here's Franklin in his Christmas-y outfit. We've had a bus strike so this image was taken from a car window. I can't reach Franklin on foot...
So, not the best image, but at least I got a record of what Franklin's been wearing since mid-December. I predict it's some Valentine's Day get-up next.