Merit badges

For the family that does not want for things, a little commendation. I made a merit badge for each person in my family.

For trying new activities: 

Running

Yoga

Wood-working

For first-time experiences:

A teaching job

A new career path

Traveling with a passport

For exceptional performance:

Most appearances in 'The Canadian Mennonite' in the family.

Most miles traveled on the Yellowhead Highway in the family.

Becoming a superb cleaner in his 80's 

Creatively working through a transition

Life time achievement award:

For 63 years of shortbread cookies.
May the cookie-press rest in peace.

Small canvas 2

Looks nicer than barbed wire, same purpose. 

Small canvas 1

You have seen this, and this. 

Now we have this:

A "peace barrier" was thrown up over night!

Moving on involves revisiting "We must"

In September I posted about 2 projects: one completed We must.... and one beginning 26 x 24. Time passed, travel happened, Christmas preparations happened, but the painting with a beginning did not happen.   

Try as I might to get the vibe for the new painting, conceiving and discarding loads of ideas, I could not push it forward. I don't necessarily know when a painting action is right, there is always risk that the idea or execution will fail, but I try to avoid the ones that I know are clearly not right. So nothing happened. Finally I imposed a picket fence on the beginning painting. Then nothing. 

In doing some shifting around for Christmas, I moved We Must.... When I walked past it in its new location I knew that what was bogging down where I was trying to go was too much happening in the one before: We must ..... was too full and busy. Something was lost because too much was there. My intention when I started the frame part was to just have enough to suggest or imply it, but it was fun to do and I didn't stop until it was all there. Finally I could see that it was overwhelming the can't get around it template. Everything needed more space to breath. Here, once again is We must.....    

And here is 26 x 24, becoming: 

Just Food online exhibition

In 2010, 18 artists from Canada and around the world were asked to interpret the meaning of the human right to food. I was one of 6 artists from Canada involved. The show will finish touring at the end of this year, but is now available at any time online. My 2 paintings are at the very bottom. 

Justfoodart.com

Christmas 'card' 2012

In our Element in the Blue Ridge Mountains         2012

Parade....................9

2009

Acknowledging roots in their crazy splendour.

The getting-ready-to-move edition. It was time to think inside the box.   2010

A partridge in a pear..... 2011

Our new yard had 2 uberproductive pear trees.                    

Parade..................8

"Take time"    2006

"Merry Christmas time"  2007

2008

In Norway, tassels on wedding clothes promise fertility. 

This paper Christmas tassel promotes fertility of gardens, ideas, etc.

Parade.................7

Both of my children were away to school. The light was in the window to guide them home. Our cat, forever watchful (and still living at 19 1/2) on the lookout.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

2003

2004

Homage to Gaudi. I spent a month in Spain in 2005.

Feliz Navidad

Parade..................6

The year of house renovation    2000

"O hush the noise and cease the strife and hear the angels sing."

Writing off the Rural West, edited by Roger Epp and Dave Whitson published   2001

"When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendours fling."

"O rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing."  2002

Parade..............5

The flying frog - my turning 40 symbol     1997

"God rest ye merry"    1998

(Year of the 'Camrose Doors' poster)   "Joy abound within"    1999 

Parade..........4

The 'hanging-on guy' (some years are like that)  1992

1993

 Angel     1994

Parade .....3

Obi knot   1989

Mary and Elizabeth   1990

madonna    1991

Parade....... 2

May your Christmas be merry ..... and white  1986

1987

(No_L) 1988

The Christmas 'card' parade - 1

I have always made cards. A lot of years ago my Christmas 'cards' became less card-like and more like decorations. The self-imposed rules are:

1) A design has to merit repeating about 65 times. It has to be simple enough to make many times, even given an unconventional dedication to this project.

2) It is preferable if the design has some element of 3 dimensionality.

3) It is OK if recipients have to do a little work to put a 'card' together.

4) The 'card' has to fit in a regular business-size (4 1/8" x 9 1/2") envelope and be sent flat. 

Some years there was no assembly work. One year, the red hat year, there was too much. I suspect that some ended up as a gluey mess in the trash can, although no one ever admitted it. 

What will follow over the next several days is a review of the 'cards', dating back to 1983.

Warm wishes    1983

1984

Tonight earth is blended with paradise   1985 

Its here!

That's my painting on the cover. I am looking forward to reading the essays inside.

In the meantime, it looks really nice on the coffee table.

Small canvases, many experiments

These little paintings have already appeared as 'Blinders', and seem to hang around the studio for experiments. What I have done is not very profound, but I wanted to see how simple little landscapes would work out, possibly for another project. 

Birthday number

 Happy birthday 28!