Eastside Culture Crawl

This work is what I showed at the Eastside Culture Crawl this year.
















www.eastsideculturecrawl.com for more information on this open studio art festival.


I decided to work on a different theme this year and it was all about round things. I called the show ORB BITS.

MORE MASKS

This series of photos is part two of our art collection. This first mask is by Davide Pan, a local Vancouver artist who uses a lot of found metal to create his sculptures. This one is made out of the top of a small oil drum.










This one as well is made from part of an oil drum














This is the first mask we bought in Baja, Mexico.
I love the real horns and donkey teeth.






















This last mask is a talking mask and made by a local first nations person. Notice on the bottom of the mask there is a wooden handle...the person wears the mask over his face and pulls the handle to make the raven talk. This is a very important part of the native ceremonies.

MASKS

I have decided to write about our art collection. My husband, Arnt and I have been collecting local artists, friends art and art on our travels. My first choice is our mask collection.



We bought this mask in San Blas, Mexico. The indigenous tribe, Huichol that makes these masks of bees wax, wood and beads live in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. They don't use a pattern to create these masks. It is done freehand. They are all sacred animist images. We went to a show at the musem and looked at all the pieces on display but really loved the half finished piece the artist was working on there. We talked and he said come back in a week and it will be done. The images are scorpions, lizards, snakes, deer heads, butterflies and other natural flowers and fauna.










Fiji is where we got this mask. This is a piece of wood that has been painted and then carved. The turtle image is very important to the island as it represents health of the surrounding ocean. We also bought a paddle done the same way and a couple pieces of jewelry.












Ebony is the wood in this traditional mask from Bali, Indonesia. The image is of a Garuda. The Garuda (Sanskrit: Garuḍa गरुड, eagle; Pāli Garuḷa) is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. ...
We bought this beautiful piece as we were lying on the beach in our bathing suits. Now that is shopping! The carvers of Bali are amongst the best in the world. When they carve with their hand chisels and mallet, they use feet as a vise.








We were at a fundraiser for the Local BC
NDP and this mask was on the
silent auction. We bid not thinking
we would get it but we did. It is
made of cedar, paint, horse hair
and the artist is Harold Madore.
a Coast Salish native from Kispiox,
BC. The west coast is getting an
amazing reputation for its first
native carvers.

Saltspring Woodworks

Spent the weekend on Saltspring at an opening for my husband Arnt and two of his friends, Peter Pierobon and Brent Comber called Inside/Outside. The show featured furniture and sculpture for inside and sculpture outside. The owners Celia and Nick know their stuff and create a wonderful place to show art. We also got to stay with them at their home and ate fantastic meals on their patio overlooking pond, sculpture and their amazing garden. The show runs until October 2009 and is at 125 Churchhill on Saltspring Island. www.saltspringwoodworks.com for more info.

Deer Lake Gallery

I am in a show at Deer Lake Gallery in Burnaby, BC, called 1 X 1 which runs from July 25-August 9. The theme is Fire. I chose the torch of the Statue of Liberty as I had just been in New York. Will be interesting to see everyone's interpretations.

Art Market

Well I went to my first art market as a vendor. It was in Abbotsford and its first year and maybe not advertised very well. Twenty artists and very little sales but met some great people and added to my mailing list and met the folks at Reach Gallery which could be a great connection for the ECC. Good thing I went with my gal pals as we treated it as a road trip and was actually a lot of fun. I think I would try it again.

ART RETREAT

Went on the second annual art retreat to Lasqueti Island, BC for a week. Stayed at one of the gals Mom's place right on the ocean for a week. Swimming, walking and eating lots of seafood was the order of the day. When not doing that we made art, read about art or talked about art. Five women working in all different mediums. I decided to challenge myself and paint. I prepped 6 canvasses and 3 panels. Of course being an assemblage artist I added another layer to everything. I learned lots and will use some techniques in work down the road. Paper mache was another material I took and made some bowls to hold the lovely small rocks I found on the beach. I like the intensiveness of working in another environment with other people around to challenge myself. We also did a couple of workshops for each other....one was drawing shadows of objects onto our drawing books...I found that very inspiring.