These days have been happily busy - painting, delivering paintings, reading, and meeting with interesting artists because of the Airdrie Artists website my friend Michelle & I created in order to support the artists of our community.  I've been on many Boards and always had the intention to support and encourage the local arts community - creating a kind of artist's online 'hub' has always been a goal and finally a few months ago we decided to just do it instead of keep waiting for someone else to do it.  And I'm so glad.  Not only because I think it's important to support the arts but also because it is absolutely wonderful to get together with other artists and have these creative conversations.  I'm quite a homebody and would rather not add another 'job' to my list of day-to-day responsibilities, but I already feel that I've received more out of this endeavor than I've put in - which has actually been a lot...it's almost become a part-time (unpaid) job.  And tomorrow I've been asked for an intereview by our local radio station (AIR 106.1) because of my work as the Art Program Coordinator at the public library and also because of my role in the arts in this community.  What an honour.  Believe me, there are days I want to walk away from everything, to move to northern Canada into a rustic log cabin with no access to much of the outside world because I get so tired and at times discouraged, but I really, really am grateful for not only being able to do what I get to do, but also because of the support I receive in return.  I know I am lucky.

I've been busy working on more minis and a commission while at the same time interviewing a local artist - a dream my friend Michelle & I had when we started the Airdrie Artists website.  We're hoping to introduce a new artist to the community every month.  The fabulous thing about this is that I feel like I'm going to be able to connect more deeply to my art community and to get to know these people who I admire a little better.  I've also been contacted by the local radio station for an interview regarding the art programs at the library.  All so exciting and quite validating for me as both a professional artist and a supporter of local arts.  And finally I've had the pleasure of learning more about the fabulous artists in the 50's & 60's in reading books about the Abstract Expressionists and was touched by a quote by Jackson Pollock, "Painting is a state of being...Painting is self-discover.  Every good artist paints what he is."  As I look at my own work, I definitely see myself in it - my need for silence and solitude, my love of colour, in my canoes my love of the north, and, of course, in my interiors my absolute love of books.

Alone in the Classroom
by Elizabeth Hay

I just finished reading Elizabeth Hay's 'Alone in the Classroom' and was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it even more than 'Late Nights on Air'.  I really enjoy Elizabeth Hay's writing but tend to  prefer stories that are set up north being a northern girl myself.  This story began with a young teacher, Connie Flood, helping a struggling young man named Michael Graves learn to read in a small Saskatchewan town in the 20's.  Her neice, Anne, is fascinated by the life of Connie and so begins to learn the questionable history of Parley Burns, the principal of the prairie school, and follows the story of Connie, Michael, and Parley through their early years in Saskatchewan and their time in the Ottawa Valley over the following decades.  The writer shares Anne's challenges while she is exposed to obsession and opens the doors to the need to heal childhood sadness and misunderstanding in order to move forward.

I have so much to be grateful for:

• I painted my studio 'hot chocolate' by Benjamin Moore and I love it - it's cozy and I love how the colours of the paintings pop against the dark, warm colour.
• Delivered new work to Evanescence Gallery and saw Lisa Braun's 'Aviary' exhibit which is hanging with my 'Branching Out' series.  Funny story, on her way to the gallery opening on Friday, Lisa was delayed by a semi that had lost it's cargo - frozen chicken pieces.
• Was invited to exhibit at Cafe Koi in June, it's a beautiful space.
• An article about a new bookstore in Calgary was in the current issue of Avenue Magazine - one of my paintings was apparently the impetus for the store called 'Shelf Life Books' (it's featured on their homepage).  See page 19 of the January 2012 issue.
• An article I wrote awhile ago about being a 'Different' will be published on 'Your HeART makes a Difference' on January 31.

 

I am grateful for the wonderful people I've had the privilege to meet over the years and that I get to spend a lot of time with my daughters.  This has been a wonderful Christmas season and I'm looking forward to the year ahead.

My first canoe is on the poster for Art in Motion which I mentioned yesterday and I'm really pleased with the variety of the selection of work for this initiative.  We've been enjoying the most beautiful weather in this neck of the woods and despite the wind warnings I've been enjoying my time outside.  Yesterday evening as I was walking I came across the word 'LOVE' spray painted on the pathway and awhile later the phrase 'be yourself' stenciled onto a fence - I wish I had my camera with me, I guess I'll just have to go back.  I know this may be considered graffiti but I think if the message is positive, how can it be bad?  It brought a smile to my face and the couple I passed who were walking in the opposite direction stopped to look and smile, too.  I want to see more of that - not necessarily spray painting but positive art around my community.  I dream of a place with painted seats everywhere where anyone can choose to sit and rest or visit or dream, of sculptures and sidewalk art, of murals and banners.  I want colour in this place that is grey so much of the time when the branches and grasses die off for the long winter.  To that end, I have asked a friend to paint a mural on my garage door in spring - I know it is in the alley, but why not add colour everywhere?  Wouldn't it be lovely if back alleys were interesting instead of filthy and cluttered and dark?  There is a wonderful Saskatchewan artist named Wilf Perreault who has created a series of paintings of alley ways in the most beautiful colours.  Now wouldn't it be lovely if our world actually was like that?

"Human beings are of two classes:
those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure;
and those whose work and pleasure are one."
~ Winston Churchill

I like to reflect on accomplishments over the past year just to remind myself that I actually do something with my life :)  This year was another lovely one, I think they usually are, and I like the idea of focusing on gratitude:

• I have had the privilege of being invited to exhibit in two wonderful galleries, Evanescence Gallery and Inglewood Fine Arts - both director/owners are amazing people.  It was a goal to only work with galleries where I have the utmost respect for the directors and it is reciprocated.  I definitely feel honoured to be represented in these spaces.
• My work was included in 6 exhibitions in Vancouver, along with a solo exhibit and 9 additional group exhibits in Alberta and Ontario with artists whose work I admire tremendously.
• This year I published a number of articles I wrote about art and artists.  I just love to support the arts in any way that I can.  I also had the privilege of having numerous articles written about my work as an artist.
• My work was published in two art books this year which was a real treat after being included in three last year.
• My friend Michelle and I began a website for the local arts community called Airdrie Artists in order to create a community where not only the artists could connect but also the community in general to the arts.  I am proud of my arts community.
• I co-ordinated 12 more artists for the second AIRdirondack Project as a Director of Creative Airdrie and raised another $10.000 for arts & culture in Airdrie.  I also assisted with the coordination of the Main Street Project which brought together the creative efforts of over 1000 people.
• A painting of mine was selected to be part of the Art-in-Motion project for Airdrie Transit - I try to be involved in art in my community when I can and was happy to be included.
• And, finally, this year I felt particularly honoured by people I know who purchased my work and asked for commissioned work as well.  It touches my heart when what I do touches theirs.  I haven't been hugged so much in years!

So, I just want to thank everyone - for your support of my work in every way, through exhibits, purchases, words of encouragement, emails, etsy treasuries, links, facebook likes, and I'm sure I'm forgetting the myriad of ways that I've received this abundance of blessings.  Here's to 2012!