creative endeavours

what's black & white & wooly?

2010-04-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

I've been experiencing a slow period, creatively speaking, but I've managed to eke out a few paintings. It seems that when my muse is off on holiday, I revert back to my comfort zone and for some inexplicable reason, that seems to be crows & seagulls (with the odd sheep thrown in). Here's a few that fit the above criteria. "Symbiosis" "No Parking" "Family Tree" "Fall Guys"

I can't resist a dog in a sweater...

2010-02-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

I met a lady once with one of those little naked hairless terriers. She explained that he needed a sweater for all seasons; in the Summer so he wouldn't get sunburned & in the Winter to keep warm. He was a nervous little thing, but she allowed me to pet him. He felt like warm rubber. This is a series of 8x8 acrylics.

Delicates

2010-02-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

You can't rush the sun. Might as well relax and have a cup of tea while you wait... Acrylic, 12x16

Food for Thought

2010-02-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

I remember the first non-picture book I read as a kid. It was called "The Green Grass of Wyoming" and I curled up on the sofa and got lost in another world. Now I need those glasses that are perched atop the pile just to see the pictures. Acrylic 11x14

Door with a Red Coat

2009-11-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

I like doors - especially old ones. This painting was done as a study for a larger piece. The larger painting hasn't happened yet. I'm hopeful that it still It might. Acrylic 20 x 16 inches

Hens

2009-10-31T22:48:00.000-07:00

I love to visit my friend Marion's chickens. I think they may be the best fed chickens around - Marion's chicken run is right next to her greenhouse and sometimes the produce goes directly to the "girls". They are certainly healthy and each shows her gratitude by laying a lovely brown egg everyday. I'm lucky to be the recipient of some of those eggs. On the day that I shot the reference pictures for these paintings, the ladies proudly fluffed up their petticoats and strutted their stuff for the camera! Pas de Deux, 8x10, Acrylic Steppin' Out, 8x8, Acrylic One Singular Sensation, 8x8, Acrylic

Still life...... goes on

2009-10-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Time for an update. Here's a couple of still lifes that may resonate with the baby boomers out there. "Childhood Retrospective" is a collection of my husband's old toys. I was going to call it "Ex Box" but thought better of it. 20x16, Acrylic I don't know how far the game of Tiddledy Winks goes back - amazing how universal it was though! I wonder what the kids of today would think if we took away their electronics & substituted a game of Tiddledy Winks? 10x10, Acrylic

Local Attractions

2009-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here on the "Sunshine Coast" we expect Paradise... but sometimes the sunshine is liquid. There have been myriads of paintings done of Molly's Reach, our most famous local attraction. It was the cornerstone of a long-running television series "The Beachcombers". Many people recognize the building still and it's not often one would wander around the village of Gibsons Landing and NOT find someone taking a picture of Molly's Reach. My version shows Molly's on one of those less-than-picture-perfect days. Acrylic, 12x12 inches I've always been a big fan of a good fish 'n chips feed. There's not too many coastal towns that don't have a local fish shop. A pretty good feed can be had here at Gibsons Fish. Acrylic, 16x16 inches

Sunday Morning

2009-06-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

This one would fall under the category of "seemed like a good idea at the time". By the time I got to "Betty" I was beginning to doubt my bright idea. I'm glad I persevered though, as I was pleased with the final result. I admit that I still seek out the comics section of the Sunday paper. Along with some home-made jam on whole wheat toast and a glass of orange juice, I'm good to go! On cradled wood panel, acrylic, 20x24 inches.

Welcoming Committee

2009-06-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well I guess it's obvious that I'm turning over a new leaf (for this week anyway!) since this is my second posting in almost as many days. Now that I've gotten over the excitement of my new computer, I'm back spending more time at the easel. While I'm in the process of musing over my current painting, I'm also realizing that there's still quite a few that I haven't posted here yet. I'm still irrationally fascinated by glass bottles of ketchup and after failing to find any in the supermarkets, I was quite beside myself with glee when I found one in a local corner store. Subsequently it has been the subject of, or taken a cameo role in several more of my paintings. This is a scene from another local cafe, "Truffles" in Gibsons Landing. I confess that I dubbed in the glass ketchup bottle as it was so much more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic one being offered. This painting is acrylic and also 12x24 inches, which has come to be one of my favourite formats.

Cyber Envy

2009-06-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've been checking out some other blogs recently and have discovered that some other folks have been kind enough to give my little blog a shout-out. I'm so impressed with some people's blogs; their obvious skill at spinning a yarn and their ability to make the blogs really interesting with all sorts of eye-candy. I feel totally incompetent in that respect. What you see here is basically all my feeble mind knows how to do. Well, on the bright side, it's not too confusing. I do wonder how people find the time though. In the past I have avoided the computer, because I know that as soon as I engage in the World Wide Web, I might as well say goodbye to several hours of what could be most therapeutic painting time. Recently, however, I bought myself a lovely new imac with a 24 inch screen, and this has made resistance completely futile. How can one resist images in brilliant colour that can be seen clear across the room? I'm ashamed to say that I have convinced myself that I do it in the name of research for my next artistic endeavour. And I wonder why my carpal tunnel is suddenly resurfacing... Alright, I'd better follow that up with something colourful. As an homage to the latest cyber-craze, "Twitter" I have come up with this. It's called "Tweeters" and is 24x12inches, acrylic. This painting was an antidote to one that I had been working on, over which I had been encountering a great deal of difficulty with perspective issues. Incidentally, I have attempted to "tweet", but again have been stymied by my lack of cyber-skills.

Buoyant!

2009-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

In these troubled times when it becomes increasingly clear to me that becoming a "professional artist" just might not put food on the table, I felt like doing something to lift the spirits. So I created a lady who doesn't care about all that. She's in her moment and has managed to find her bliss. Ahhhhhh......

there's something about condiments...

2009-04-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've done a few paintings based on this same scenario. I'm rather pleased with the outcome of this one. The person reflected in the teapot may or may not be me.... 12x24, acrylic on canvas.

Oils

2009-02-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've wanted to give oils a try for ages. I love the rough blend & soft edges that oil allows. And it feels so lovely & buttery. My first efforts are small - 8x8's, and the subject matter is small too - tchotchkes that I've found around my house (most of which found its way here from my in-laws). The little donkey cart amuses me - seems like every 50's family had one. I like the piggy penny bank too & admit to slipping him into several other paintings. "Space Dog" was a childhood toy of my husband's. I gave him back his eyesight which had fallen victim to the younger brothers many years ago. I also thought he'd appreciate being put back in his natural environment - hurtling through space. He does seem to be enjoying himself. "Spacedog - Back in Orbit!" 8x8 oil on canvas

"Tchotchke (Meiji Dynasty)" 8x8 oil on canvas

"Pearls Before Swine" 8x8 oil on canvas

Afternoon Tryst

2009-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, my apologies to anyone who's still checking in. My posts have been few & far between. Truth is, I'd rather be painting! Anyway, I'll try to be more current with my posts henceforth.

I'm still in my retro phase - fascinated with objects from the past - intrigued with their sense of history. This is a 24x24 acrylic still life with three objects from the same era. It has a tropical feel for me. Perhaps a couple has just come in to get a break from the afternoon heat and well, one thing has led to another...

Secret Keepers

2008-11-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

I'm very drawn to items and articles that imply a history. These bags and boxes more than fit that bill. They are all containers that were found in my in-laws' house after the passing of my father-in-law. They each held memories in one form or another; photos, greeting cards, children's drawings, baby clothes & toys, pressed flowers, certificates, letters, and even some rock-hard candies from a Christmas long past. The sifting process released a roller-coaster of emotion - what to keep and what to discard? Were these things kept deliberately, or were they simply stashed and forgotten? How do you discard a greeting card from soldier to girfriend all those years ago? The process itself is a journey back in time. I knew I wanted to paint these pieces and tried many different configurations before I decided on the one that I found especially pleasing. In the end I even cropped that image as I felt that it contained enough information to tell the story. Acrylic, 12 x 24 inches.

Three Bags Full

2008-10-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

I felt that it was time for a little fun. I've always wanted to try painting sheep, not only for the challenge, but because I have very fond memories of one particular sheep - Baaabara. She was a childhood friend and I raised her after I found out that the neighbour farmer was going to do away with her because she was too small & fragile. I begged my dad to let me keep her and with a whole lot of TLC she thrived and eventually became an enormous (and very smelly) ball of wool. She would come running when I called her over the fence, bleating loudly in staccato rythm as she trotted towards me. She was the only sheep on our farm (we had mostly cows) and Baaabara had a bit of an identity crisis. She wasn't sure if she was cow or human. These three are practising line dance. I think that's Baaabara in the middle - the confident one. The one on the left is Shona - she's a young sheep concentrating very hard, and that's Jennifer on the right. She's adding a "tush push" to the steps. (She's like that). Acrylic 12 x 24 x 1.5 inches

When Uncle Arthur Came to Stay

2008-09-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well this is my most challenging painting to date and I must say, I'm rather pleased with the result. It's a compilation of several images actually. The chair is one I've had for years, the door is from my daughter's house, the hat is from an elderly friend, and the suitcase belonged my inlaws. The light is courtesy of the sunshine and the window shadows are from my imagination. That was the trickiest part by far. The scene is intended to provoke thought; Who is the visitor? Was he unexpected? What kind of reception is he receiving? Acrylic, 18x24inches.

Gibsons Gulls

2008-09-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

This summer a curious seagull became a frequent visitor to our deck. He must have heard that I am rather fond of painting seagulls because he seemed intent on posing for me. In fact he was more than willing to share his many attitudes at a mere arm's length. All this he did in exchange for meagre tidbits from my kitchen (although he made it clear that he prefered baked goods to more healthy choices). We had somewhat one-sided conversations in which I told him what a fine feathered creature he was and I grew to look forward to his daily visits. Eventually, however, my model vanished without a fare-thee-well. I've done a few more gull paintings, but somehow it just doesn't seem the same since my muse has gone. Perhaps he felt that he was being exploited... Here's a sampler.

Molly's Condiments

2008-09-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Molly's Reach is an iconic establishment in beautiful downtown Gibsons Landing. The cafe was once a set for Nick, Relic and the gang who made up the cast of the long-running CBC television series, "The Beachcombers". It has now been reincarnated as a thriving little restaurant (I'm particularly fond of the breakfasts). The cafe exterior has been photographed and painted a myriad of times. Instead I chose to paint the condiments on the table. I know these could theoretically be any condiments on any table, so you'll just have to take my word on it! I confess however, the vinegar jug is a substitution for the existing sugar tray. I wanted all of the objects to be glass (because I love torture!) and because it was much better compositionally. The painting is acrylic, 24x12

Morning Slants Boldly Into My Kitchen

2008-09-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

On a rare & precious sunny Winter's morning, this scene greeted me in my kitchen. Sometimes a composition demands to be recorded. I got out my camera and photographed the scene, pretty much as it presented itself. An artist friend convinced me that it also begged to be painted. Acrylic, 24 x 20

More Crows

2008-08-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm intrigued by crow behaviour. We have a family of crows that visit us everyday. I believe them to be a couple and one (sometimes, two) offspring. They have become recognizable to us both by their appearance and behaviour. One of them, the one I believe to be the patriach, will linger on my deck railing long enough for me to take a few pictures now. He's happy to consume his treats while I watch, all the while he is also keeping a watchful eye on me!

"Watchful, Mindful"

"Midas Touch"

Laughing Matters

2008-08-11T11:13:00.001-07:00

Live at Five and CNN keep us all abreast of breaking stories that can tend to make us anxious and depressed. Problems with no answers hang on like some chronic cough. And every day some brand new issue rears it's head to piss you off. Bad guys win. Optimism's wearing thin. Things are spinning out of control. Cynicism's all the fad. World events could make us mad as hatters. Almost every day some underpinning slips away. These aren't laughing matters. Time bombs tick. People keep on getting sick. And a nickel's not worth a cent. Wickedness and greed abound. Just as peace is gaining ground it shatters. Hate is here to stay, and justice goes to those who pay. Friend, these aren't laughing matters. The truth is scarier by far than anything that Stephen King could write. The stories in the paper are the daily small decline and fall spelled out in black and white. Oh, what to do, what to do? How to take a brighter view when your noodle's totally fried. Human spirits need to be leavened by a little levity. So take those blues and bounce them off the wall. Keep your humor please, 'cause don't you know it’s times like these that laughing matters most of all. Bette Midler

Summer Sneaks, Some Are Flipflops

2008-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

I loved this image as soon as I found it. It takes you back to the summers of childhood - running barefoot under the sprinkler, sucking on colourful frozen treats from the ice-cream man, and games of "I dare you to...". My thanks to Nick Coonis for his original image.

For a Good Cause

2008-06-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

The following two paintings were my donation to a Rotary Club art auction. I've had pretty good luck with my seagull paintings, so I thought I'd have another stab at it. This one I called "The Caucus" The second, called "Out of the Woods" is a 12x12 inch acrylic. It was largely an experimental piece. I was the most pleased with the trees in the background as I consider landscape-type painting to be the the most challenging. The scene has evoked different reactions with different people. Some think it is slightly ominous, but that was not the intent. I think she's pleased to be out of the woods though, & is thinking about where she's headed next.

SLURPEE

2008-06-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

A gift for my daughter. From a picture taken about twenty years ago (where did the time go?!) of Kate & her cousin Laura sharing a slurpee. They both have a very firm grip on the cup in order to stake their claim on at least half of the freezing treat.

Various Abodes

2008-05-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

"Showoff Homes" "The Squeeze for Waterfront"

"Primary Real-estate"

"High Society"

An empty chair tells a hundred stories...

2008-05-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

I read that quote somewhere and thought it was a fitting title for this painting. It is my largest to date (30x30 inches) and has taken me the longest of all my paintings. I keep wanting to place another object in the room, but I resist. I'd rather have the viewer decide what is going on here.

Some Like it Hot

2008-04-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

A still life from real life. How often do we look at these things without actually seeing them? This was a challenge to paint but I was very happy with the result. I gifted this to a friend who is particularly fond of heat.

Old Dogs

2008-04-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Old Hush Puppies never die, they lead a second life as a pair of gardening shoes. This particular pair belong to my husband (who thought I'd lost my mind when I told him that I was going to paint them!) I had fun experimenting with various techniques on this one. 16x16 Acrylic

Just for fun...

2008-04-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

"Where's Wonderland?" "Delusions of Grandeur" - a gift to a friend. "Masters of Disguise"

Red Armchair

2008-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

This one's a little different. It's a scene in an hotel room that has seen better days. 24x24 acrylic.

Don't mind if I do...

2008-04-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

My husband claims to have a pet crow which he attracts to the deck railing with "treats". The treats have grown more elaborate over time and "Old Blackie" is living the good life. I joked to Jake that soon he would be feeding it cupcakes! 20x30 acrylic.

Crows

2008-04-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I really love watching crows. I'm convinced they have personalities and I'm impressed by the fact that they mate for life. Being black, they are tricky to paint and I'm still working on getting it right. "Nevermind"

You might want to hand over those fries...

2008-04-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

This fellow was very bold (or he really wanted to have his portrait done). The painting was an exercise in foreshortening and I am rather pleased with the way it turned out.

Patience

2008-04-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

This was an interpretation of a photo I took at the Gibsons wharf. It's a working wharf with a wide variety of fishing boats. This was a cloudy day and what impressed me most were the reflections of support wires on the water. This painting has been donated to a charity auction. 16x20 acrylic.

Seagulls

2008-04-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Seagulls are plentiful around here, so they make easy reference material for paintings. I actually quite enjoy watching their antics and I'm inclined to assign them human characteristics. The Board Meeting Domestic Dispute Domestic Harmony

Stillettos

2008-04-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Shoes are fascinating to paint - lots of curves and angles and detail. I couldn't actually wear any of these, so maybe it was my alter-ego telling me to paint them. They are titled from song lyrics. Each shoe is 6x6 inches on board and the boot is 6x12 inches.

Sirens

2008-04-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

The salmon Siren inspired a small series of "Substantial Sirens". These paintings are all 8x8 inches, on board.

2008-04-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

This was my 2007 donation to the Gibsons Salmon Festival auction. Called "A Siren of Substance", she is painted on a four foot long plywood cutout. This is a fun exercise that forces you to think outside of the box (or rectangle)and I credit last year's entry for inspiring me to pick up a paint brush again.

Curiosity Shop

2008-04-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of place that will draw me in like a magnet and keep me rummaging around for hours. There are treasures to be had here! I admit to being rather proud of this painting as it is my largest (24x30) and most complicated painting to date.

2008-04-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

This was painted as a thankyou gift to a fellow artist. Clarence creates fabulous art and carvings in his studio in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It is approximately 7x10, on paper.

Bliss

2008-04-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

In January of 2007, I had the opportunity to take a weekend workshop with local artist, Greta Guzek. I admire Greta immensely both as an artist and a person. She is also a marvellous teacher, providing the right amount of guidance, without over-influencing the painting. That weekend was better than going to a spa! Here is the result of the weekend's efforts; a painting (20x24) taken from a photograph of a Cuban scene. I chose this subject because I wanted the challenge of trying various textures and figures. I could never come up with a satisfactory title for this piece. It remains in my "collection" (fancy way of saying it is stacked against the wall).

Baroque and Bugs

2008-04-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

My next effort was rather ambitious. I had an idea for something somewhat surreal. I was not satisfied with the first version with the hand, however (I thought it appeared disconnected to the body) and despite labouring over the painting of it (hands are difficult!), I happily painted over it and added a few more bugs. There's two layers of Latin text on the final version too, although it doesn't show up very well in the photo. The border on the left has been distorted by the camera. This is on a 16x20 canvas. First Version: Final: Basic traslation of the Latin: :It was like that when I got here"!

Onward

2008-04-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've decided to post a few pictures everyday until I get caught up. Hopefully a progression (read that as "improvement") will be noticeable as I will post them more-or-less in chronological order. This was my first effort after "Incodnito". It's very small - 8x8 inches on canvas board. Tentative first steps. No reference & I think the inspiration came from a story I had read. The title is almost as big as the painting; A Dapper Little Man on a Stout Horse, Backwards". Trying to find a style, I emulated one of my favourite artists, James Christensen in this little diptich. Each panel is 8x12. I gave the paintings to my nieces. Here's "Soup" (bad title, but I struggled on this one). And then I bravely tackled real-life. I really wanted to paint my friend's dearly departed cat. I was surprised that I managed to get a reasonable likeness. She was pleased with the result anyway. Still small; 8x8 on canvas board.

A Change of Direction

2008-04-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been quite a while. Truth is, I haven't created a sculpted character in well over a year. I can't quite explain it - I just "hit a wall". My timing was poor, since I was right smack dab in the middle of a commission, but I suddenly realised that I just wasn't enjoying it the way I used to. At least I wasn't getting out of it what I needed to, creatively. I hadn't run out of ideas (far from it!) but the actual construction process was just too much hard work and too slow. I'm an "instant gratification" kind of person. Besides that, my sales fizzled and I wasn't prepared to give them away. So that is the whole sad story.... Well, actually, it's not. You can't keep a creative soul unfulfilled. Around the same time, a friend was organizing a local salmon festival. She had produced over a hundred 4ft long plywood fish. These were to be embellished by local artisans and auctioned off. She talked me into doing one, so I grabbed my craft paints and went at it. "Incodnito" is the result. Since then, I haven't stopped painting (I'm using better quality paints these days), and while I haven't given up entirely on the characters, I haven't felt the urge to revisit that artform quite yet. Maybe later...

so how do you get your ideas?

2007-07-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well I know it's been a while.... I've had a few enquiries lately, from people wanting to see my website (gulp). Truth is - I've been lax on that account also & managed (with no effort at all) to let my web-hosting expire... So the least I can do at this point is to update the blog! I've gone off on a bit of a tangent for the past few months and have given the character sculpting a rest in lieu of having a go at painting. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much, so my little diversion has become a major detour! Anyway, back to characters. I'm often asked where or how I get my ideas. Well there's no definitive answers - sometimes they seem to come out of the clear blue sky. Sometimes they hit in that moment between sleep and awake, but more often than not, it's an evolution of an idea that starts with a seed... Sometimes it's strictly about the character and sometimes it's about a technical challenge - something that I've not tried before. More often than not, it's a bit of both. Following, are a few of my favourite characters and a (hopefully) brief explanation of how they were conceived.

This is "Karl, King of Karaoke". I think karaoke is pretty funny in and of itself. There is usually alcohol involved and participants are often operating on false courage. Karl evolved from an evening when I had occasion to stay by myself at a downtown hotel. I was bored and upon entering the hotel I had heard odd music emanating from the bar, so I thought I'd wander on down to take a look. What I saw (and heard, unfortunately) were a group of Japanese businessmen egging each other on to sing. The miracle that happened each time one of them would take possession of the microphone, was that he would become Elvis! The more Elvis-like, the more appreciative the applause. I've hyped up the costuming considerably on my performer, but I suspect that his vocals aren't much better than those would-be Elvii!

This is Madelaine Monroe. I'm hoping that the connection to the famous Marilyn Monroe pose would have been obvious before I introduced her. This character formulated in my mind after I had seen the fore-mentioned image and had a desire to try something a little more difficult. I'm not inclined to make beautiful people; I gravitate to those who are somewhat "grittier", so the bag-lady idea was a natural. I wanted the character to be joyful, despite her less-than- fortunate circumstances, and I wanted her dress to look like it had been caught by an updraft. Originally I had even considered placing a fan under the grid, but ran into complications. As well, I thought I would end up having to price her out of the market if I persisted with that train of thought. In the end I wired the edges of her skirt. An interesting side story to this one, is that she has my husband's legs. Her original legs were far too thin for a lady who does a lot of walking. While I was pondering this dilemna, my husband walked by with shorts on. "Stop right there!", I shouted, "She needs your legs!"

This is an older sculpt called "Bridging the Gap". It's part of a series of "Interactions on a Bench" which I will talk more about in a later post. At my day job I work with at-risk teenagers. One day in a group discussion they were bemoaning the fact that some of them had been kicked out of the mall at lunch for making too much noise. We talked about stereotyping and they felt that they were getting a bad rap just because of the way that they looked and dressed. Anyway, I decided to create a couple of age-gapped characters who had met by chance on a bus stop bench. The technical difficulty in this one was to create a true interaction, and especially achieving eye contact.

Alright, well there's lots more that I could add to this theme, but they will have to wait for another day. I need to go get some exercise!

A Doll for Mum

2007-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

A while ago I posted a picture of one of my sculpted characters that bore an uncanny resembance to my mother (although her character was not that of my Mum's). Well last year I travelled back home to New Zealand to visit my folks on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. I decided that I would create characters for both of my parents that would epitomize their personalities as I saw them. This post explains why I depicted my mother as I did.

My Mum was a dairy farmer's wife and the mother of a healthy brood of six kids, and that's mostly how she defined her life - while I was growing up, anyway. But I know now that she would have been better defined by the word, "Diva".

Mum had enjoyed a short singing career prior to marrying my Dad, shortly after the end of WWII. In order to supplement the family income, she taught singing lessons to kids from a nearby town ("Snobby Townies", we called them). Mum would sit at her upright piano, the metronome ticking loudly on top, while an earnest student, hands clasped beneath her breasts, would practice a number of vocal exercises. This student would face outwards, as if performing to an audience, while Mum would listen for any notes that had gone awry. One poor girl (I think her name was Stephanie) would have more than her fair share of off notes. The reason for her ineptitude could possibly have been the terrible faces that my brother and I would aim in her direction from around the edges of a curtain that separated the parlour from the dining room. But I digress...

Mum also directed a choir and produced at least one operetta a year. I loved watching them rehearse and often got recruited to help sew beads on costumes. I had watched Mum teach for years, but never truly heard her sing. She had been a heavy smoker for a long time and it was generally acknowledged that she had "lost" her voice. Many years passed, I had moved overseas and Mum eventually quit smoking due to a health scare. Then my youngest brother was to be married and Mum announced that she would sing at the wedding. We (her children) all shuddered with pre-embarrassment. Well, the big day came (I had flown back to New Zealand for the event) and Mum took her place in front of the congregation. What happened next surprised us all. Mum began to sing "How Great Thou Art" in a voice that had obviously reclaimed its former glory. It was clear and true and robust enough to almost blow the steeple off of that old church! There wasn't a dry eye in the house and it was obvious that Mum revelled in it! I suddenly realised that this was what Mum was born to do.

Fast forward to 15 years later and Mum is planning once again to sing in that same church, only this time it is on the occasion of her own wedding anniversary. By this time Mum is in her early eighties and once again we wondered if we would be cringing in embarrassment. But this was no thin, bird-like performance. Indeed, the old girl's voice is still strong and true. I learned on this trip back home, that Mum had been offered a full scholarship to the Royal Conservatory of Music in London back in the 40's (no small honour for a Kiwi farm girl). She turned it down because she had already promised her hand and heart to a returning soldier. I can't help but wonder how her life would have unfolded if she had taken that opportunity... Funny thing though - when I mentioned that to her, she said she doesn't regret a thing!

I've depicted Mum as she might have been in her later years - as a Grand Diva, gracing the people with her presence, and stunning them with her voice at a fancy soiree. Hmmm, you know, when I think about it, that's kind of the way it turned out after all - it just took her a long time to get there.

Magoo

2006-12-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Canada at the ripe age of 19 with my new husband and very little experience of the world. I had no idea what to expect of Canada and not a clue what to do in the Winter months. We had moved to a small company village in Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron - a beautiful place, but awfully white and awfully cold in the winter. One day while I was staring out the window, pondering my new circumstance, a thoughtful neighbour rang my doorbell. She asked me if I had ever curled. "Well yes," I replied, "come on over and I'll do it for you any time you like". She shot me a perplexed expression and then realised that I had no clue what she was talking about. "Well, I don't mean hair', she said. "I'm referring to the sport - you know - the one they play on the ice where they throw rocks and sweep with brooms". This time it was my turn for the perplexed expression. What manner of country had I landed in where they throw rocks, expect to sweep them up with brooms and call it a sport?! Okay - long story short - it is a sport, and it's called "curling". I was willing to give it a go, and if nothing else, I met some great characters, but I learned that a curler, I was NOT!

Fast forward to many years later and I'd decided to make a series of characters of senior citizens enjoying their choice of recreation. My father-in-law used to have an expression, "Just because there's snow on the roof, don't mean the fire's out!" This provided the inspiration for this particular series. Around the same time, an artist acquaintance suggested I do an old-timer curler. He said he could get me in to Senior Men's Curling one Friday afternoon. Not to worry, he'd do the groundwork and all I had to do was show up with my camera. I'd be sure to find all the reference material I needed, he insisted.

So, show up I did, and sure enough, all the gentlemen curlers were expecting me. What a cast of characters! They were more than willing to explain the sport (I didn't want to spoil their fun by telling them that I was aware of the rules), show me their equipment & pose for photographs. I observed an assortment of styles, both in attire and in curling technique. Some of them used odd contraptions to to support themselves so that they wouldn't slip on the ice while throwing the rock. If a rock went seriously astray, the incident was usually met with good natured ribbing and while some of the old fellas had a bit of trouble keeping up with the rock moving along the ice, it was all in good sport and as much a social occasion as anything else.

Magoo is a composite of the Senior Men's Curlers. He's the Skip - the head of the team & the guy who tells his team-mates which way to spin the rock by holding a hand out to one side. He places his broom in the spot where he'd like the rock to be aimed. Magoo's eyesight is not what it used to be and he's got his fingers crossed because he's not totally convinced that he's making the right call.

The broom is made of wood & the rock is sculpted & painted. Magoo's glasses are handmade & the lenses (he wears bifocals) were created by carefully dipping the frames into clear varnish. The 'rink" has been scaled down in proportion to Magoo.

Footnote: I did take Magoo back to show the gents after he was completed. Each claimed he was the spitting image of so-and-so (several different candidates) and I, of course, agreed whole-heartedly and complimented them on their good eye!

Verna

2006-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well I've decided to start with Verna. If you're observant you will have noticed that this is the face that I use as my avatar. This is a bit of a joke. She's not me, but after I made her I had the feeling that she bore an uncanny resemblance to my mother. My husband confirmed this. Subsequently, people who saw Verna often commented that there was something about her that looked familiar. Since they had never met my mother, I had to conclude that perhaps the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree & that maybe there was a little something about Verna that reminded them of me!

Her character is neither that of my mother or myself. Verna is an incurable shopper. She's the kind of gal that just cannot resist a bargain (even if it's a mite out of date and doesn't quite fit). She believes you would be an absolute fool to overlook a 75% off tag. She proudly holds her prey aloft - the satisfaction of the conquest is almost as exciting as the thrill of the hunt!

and my point is.........

2006-12-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Someone once asked me what I would want written on my gravestone that would sum up who I was. I decided that; "Here lies Coralie, she was a great character!" would be nice. I'd like to think that it's true, but I'm not sure. I think maybe that's something that other people have to decide. But it would be nice. I'm definitely going to work on it. So that leads me to my next point - I think I know the direction this blog will take. I spend a good deal of my time observing the human race - most especially its idiosyncrasies. These observations manifest themselves in my artform; I create characters. Well, that's what I call them. Some people call them "dolls" or "artdolls". I've always been fascinated with great characters or anybody who's just a little "off the norm". My observations are the seeds from which my characters grow. More often than not, I've watched someone intently, only to come to the conclusion that if I recreated that individual as a sculpted character, people would be convinced that I had conjured it up from the warped recesses of my imagination. So I've decided that my blog will be about great characters I have met (or simply observed) and characters I have made (and maybe it will be hard to tell the difference at times). Okay - enough said for now. I have to decide who my first character will be.....

hey, you can teach an old dog!

2006-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here's my first picture.

This is Gustav - a paperclay art doll. Paperclay is not my usual medium so I'm not sure why I posted this one first - I just like the picture I guess.

Now I'm going to ask myself what the purpose of this blog is....

Just testing

2006-12-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hmm, I wonder if I can do this blog thing...