These are dry times. Summer slips away faster than you can catch it – a dime down the drain. The sky hangs damp and icy today. Across the globe, powerful little men toy with the world’s future like it’s a game of chicken. Hurricanes have ravaged large parts of our earth. Families will suffer the effects for years to come. Terrorists won’t let London sleep.
This planet can get so ugly. So broken. So disordered. So many of our mirrors are shattered.
There is order in beauty. A divine order, I believe, but whatever your theology you can feel it. The affirmation of disparate parts falling into place.
Jennifer Berkenbosch’s Cultivar matters because the world needs beauty today. We need to be reminded that there is goodness. There is a solid bed beneath this wild river.
Sometimes those of us who create for a living stop to question the value of what we are giving our lives to. Especially if we want to make the world a better place. Especially if I want to pour myself out for faith, hope and love. Especially when I encounter injustice. In the face of all this brokenness, isn’t there more we could do?
But artist, keep making. It is more than ‘just art’. To make art is just
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Way back in January, I issued a challenge. Myself included. Make something this year. Make something that will challenge you. Make something you can finish. Make something you'll share when this year is over. Just make something.
In the making, I thought, we'd grow as artists. The deadline, I thought, would pull us onwards and upwards together. I've been surprised along the way. But I've been right.
Even though I am not going to finish my project on time, I am right about this challenge. I've grown. I've accomplished more than I would have otherwise.
The surprising bit? I've grown in other ways. Not just in the straight line of this project, but laterally, into other projects.
But enough about me. This is the December check in. So those of you who made commitments, it's almost time to post the final score. Just seconds left in the third period. It's time to take stock, adjust, and finish what you can before the clock ticks out. How is your project coming along?
As usual, four questions;
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Saturday, December 6 was a historic Bleeding Heart day. We opened our new space at 9132 118th ave. Our first show, Blue Christmas, welcomed guests to take in blown glass by Keith Walker, landscapes by Dawn Saunders Dahl and participation by ... you.
Were you there? Do you plan on attending? Please share any feedback or questions below.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Do you know what a blessing it is to have artists grace your living room, bringing their brightest beauty through your door? To have your kids watch, wide eyed, as a painter reveals his new canvas, or a poet shares her verse?
I know that blessing, and I am grateful. I'm grateful for the 20 people who joined me last night for what may be the last ArtLuck we host in my living room. My family will miss hosting as we move to our new space, but what a finale.
For those who couldn't make it out for our ArtLuck, those who want to delve deeper into what was shared, and for the curious, here are 13 moments from our November 13 ArtLuck.
At 6:25, before anyone arrives, the house is warm. Ready. Quiet before the beautiful noise. There is something about that moment, waiting for friends and strangers to arrive. You don't know who will come, or when they will arrive. At an ArtLuck, you hope there will be enough food, and enough art, to go around.
There is always enough.
This photo reminds me of the beginning of The Friendly Giant. 'Here's a chair for two to curl up in.'
Wenda is first to present. No stranger to the Bleeding Heart Art Space, Wenda Salomons has shared her ethereal pinhole photos, and charming Instagrams, with us before.
On this night, she begins our evening with two blessings written by John O'Donohue.
You can find his book, To Bless The Space Between Us, at the EPL here.
We were indeed blessed. A perfect way to begin our evening.
You can see Wenda's work at http://wendasalomons.com
Next up was a newcomer to the ArtLuck scene, but an old friend of Bleeding Heart and Alberta Avenue. Photographer Rebecca Lippiat has strayed from her more commercial photography work for a series of well-planned images focusing on menacing red figures.
As we pass the lap-top around, these evocative images draw out varied feelings and associations, which makes for great conversation.
Image by Rebecca Lippiat
Discover more of this project at http://rebeccalippiatt.com/?s=monsters+in+my+head
Edward Van Vliet, in classic Edward style, is armed and dangerous with art references. He points out a resonance with the work of Joel Peter Witkin. His work is certainly fantastical, and very well executed. His images are often also difficult to digest and controversial.
I am reminded of some works by Fritz Liedkl I saw at the Glen Workshop two summers ago.
View Rebecca's Fine Art Photography at http://rebeccalippiatt.com
View Rebecca's Lifestyle Photography at http://dragonflyphotography.ca
Edward himself is up next, with 3 new poems. It's exciting to hear Edward's recent surge of poetry. While I cannot play any audio for you here (because I have none), I can share, with Edward's permission, his new poem "Forgiveness"
I
it was not at all
what I expected. nothing
really changed.
not then.
later, however –
later it was all
different. later,
there was recognition
of loss. the violence
of assumption
lost. something
we both took
from each other.
yours was the better bargain.
II
at that moment
all i felt was surprise.
that you didn’t stop
wouldn’t stop
when I asked, stop
i carried all that
unspoken
for years,
the weight
of that exchange
growing larger.
then forgotten.
or ignored.
III
i recognize the weight
of chains, what burdens
i carried forward.
i remember
how sharp
the hook, how deeply
buried, sweetly disbursed.
this is how we share
and in this sharing
i carry it away.
all that waiting.
Read more of Edward's work, and discover his visual and installation art at http://etechne.blogspot.ca/
Marcie is a flurry of thoughts, inspiration and emotion, as she shares where her art and her heart have been leading her lately. She shows us some beautiful books, including I Saw a Peacock With a Fiery Tail.
She also reads a gorgeous passage to us from The Rest of The Earth by William Haywood Henderson.
Marcie's own piece is in a new style - fine-point drawing in black and white covers the matte, while bright, bold colours splash in similar, but less controlled, watercolour patterns within. We all love this piece, which captures Marcie's passion for creativity perfectly.
You can find Marcie's work at Papercastle.ca
Erin and Megan from Hope Mission's Tegler Youth Centre are with us tonight. They share opportunities for artists to impact the lives of kids with limited access to art inspiration, education and materials. Even with that limited access, these kids are showing their talent, as we see from sample works Erin and Megan pass around.
These talented, creative kids are looking for mentors. Perhaps you can help?
If you have a creative gift you'd like to share with a small group of kids who need positive influences and opportunities, contact Megan (for elementary age kids) or Erin (for youth).
You can find more information on our site here.
Jared Robinson is a fitting follow to the art of the Hope kids, because his work has such joy and youthful energy. And a squid.
Jared's new painting is awesome, with wit and layered meaning. He presents a very strong visual that we all want to see painted large on a wall somewhere.
Anyone need a mural? Send this guy a challenge!
Discover Jared's work at http://jaredrobinson.ca
Michelle has so many creative interests, and is always looking to experiment, grow and have fun making art. She is most often a writer of poetry and fantasy, but tonight she brings us a drawing made at, and of, the Alberta Legislature. Or more specifically, two columns framing a portion of the grounds.
Not able to stop her creativity for even an evening, Michelle also snaps photos on her new camera throughout the night.
You can hear Michelle read her poetry on her podcast, The King's Poetry, on Soundcloud.
https://soundcloud.com/michelle-earl
Read Michelle's blog at http://michelleearl.wordpress.com
Our youngest ArtLuck participant of the night (but not our youngest ever), is Quetzal. Attending with his mom (up next), Quetzal shows a drawing he has done of a 'Mech', which, he explains, is a type of robot that people wear to give them extra abilities. The drawing is pretty awesome. Perhaps Quetzal has a drawing-enhancing Mech of his own?
Night Bird, by Penny Torres
Penny, new to our ArtLucks, brings two very different works to show. One was extremely tactile - with dozens of small plastic creatures fused to the canvas in bright ordered chaos. It reminds me of the work of Chris Millar. The other is a painting of a bird with a wily eye, full of expression and mystery.
You can discover more of Penny's work on her website at http://eloovias.wordpress.com.
Dan brings us back to the raw power of language with his two poems. We note how closely Dan knits spirituality with the body. There is no division between the spiritual the physical in his poems. Edward Van Vliet is reminded of the metaphysical poets, like John Donne. He is also reminded of Leonard Cohen, and any time the spirit meets the sensuality of the body, how can anyone not be reminded of Cohen?
You can read Dan's work on his website at http://thedanloweshow.wordpress.com
There is another author in our midst, and this one can also dance the tango. We don't get a tango demonstration from Aydan Dunnigan, but discovered that Aydan's work also traverses the territory between body and spirit. Aydan tells us a bit about his journey out of a dark, shameful view of the body and sensuality, discovering a way to dance towards hope.
I am intrigued, and more so when Aydan reads from his book Trauma to Tango. The writing is tight and engaging. Funny and relatable. Thankfully, Aydan is ready with copies to sell.
I buy one, and intend to dive into Aydan's story very soon. You can get your copy at http://www.traumatotango.com.
I'm fairly certain that Adam Tenove has been to more ArtLuck's than anyone. Each visit from Adam brings new work, exploring new territory. And a new culinary experiment. Thankfully, Adam's experiments turn out very well.
This ArtLuck offering (in addition to cookie pizza), is a new painting in a series. These works explore still, abandoned Edmonton spaces. This space, an immediately recognizable LRT tunnel, gains new significance through the care and attention of Adam's brush.
There is a long conversation about whether or not we want to see people or action in the scene, and why that is. Adam asks for feedback, as the piece is not done. He gets that, and I look forward to seeing the end result.
You can discover Adam's work, and his writing about art, at http://ellipsisartcollective.com.
And there you have it. Another fantastic ArtLuck in 13 moments. Let's do it again in the new year, shall we?
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Driving from Victoria to Parksville, BC, I see signs for the ‘World Famous Murals’ of Chemainus, practically begging me to visit. I do, but leave disappointed. The inner-city has spoiled me.
Driving the shadowy side-streets of cities like Vancouver, Portland or even Calgary, I’ll spot murals in vibrant contrast to urban decay and wonder, ‘Have I found this city's Alberta Avenue?’
I wonder if, where there are murals, there are people taking back their once neglected streets?
Along Alberta Avenue you’ll find art everywhere. A power box painted like a pack of crayons. Park benches etched with community-sourced designs. Nine of Jill Thomson’s paintings climbing alley walls near The Carrot Coffeehouse.
Perhaps we are trying to convince ourselves that our inner-city neighbourhood is just like an idyllic small town. Just like Chemainus. Or maybe it works the other way. Maybe, murals aren’t the cause, but the effect. Maybe when a community comes together, murals become our collective voice.
Mural map illustration by We Are Not At The Mall - http://wearenotatthemall.tumblr.com/
Kris Andreychuk has heard that voice. He spent years with the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) on Alberta Avenue, working with Arts On The Ave, the police, and others for creative solutions to neighbourhood issues. Here, Kris learned the power of the arts to transform communities.
Inside The Carrot, I try and get to the bottom of all these murals with Kris Andreychuk. Do murals really lower crime? Can paintings really save a neighbourhood?
Murals work, Kris says, with a caveat. The art has to involve the community as part of a larger strategy. There has to be ownership. Top down, enforced public art may bring something the neighbourhood is not proud of.
I think of the giant baseball bat down the road.
Murals can work wonders, Kris assures me, when the community is involved. It is for good reason that Edmonton offers matching grants up to $2000 for the creation of public murals.
Most obviously, murals curb graffiti, but their effect goes much deeper.
In 2011, Kris was part of Eyes On The Alley, where residents made their 82nd street alley cleaner and safer by installing giant photographs of their own eyes on dumpsters. The images were striking. Crime dropped.
Kris remembers a local crack dealer lamenting how she couldn’t deal drugs in that alley any more. She said it was like her grandfather was looking at her.
Eyes On The Alley drew positive attention. These residents moved beyond security cameras and neighbourhood patrols, and felt more than protected. They felt proud.
I feel proud, too.
Riding along the LRT tracks towards downtown, I slow to see Kris Friesen’s rich underwater world, painted on the back of a fitness store. Walking north up 95th street from 107th ave, I catch Grace Law’s stylized characters traversing brightly coloured stripes. Blocks later, a giant Lois Hole by Ian Mulder tends her sunflowers.
This is my neighbourhood. This open air gallery is a testament to transformation. These murals are both the cause, and the effect, of a community awake, alive and beginning to grin with pride.
This article first appeared in the premiere issue of Arts & Culture XL, and is reprinted here with permission. The second issue of Arts & Culture XL launches this week. Discover more at artsandculturexl.tumblr.com
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Sometimes you see an idea so good you just want to pull out your credit card with a resounding 'YES!'
I predict that response from many Bleeding Heart supporters.
BIBLIOTHECA is a custom designed, hard-bound Bible-as-set-of-books whose Kickstarter funding has gone through the roof.
If you want to experience the Bible in this new (old) way, you have until Sunday to get your name in for one of these signed, first edition sets.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Borden Park is getting a facelift, and I am loving it. A couple of months back these strange structures started popping up all over the place. How could I help but snap some shots?
Have you been yet? What's your favourite part?
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
The Carrot is beginning Poetry Nights this week! If you love to string words together - or hear such a feat done by others - this is an event for you.
Here is the official word from The Carrot's Brendan Van Alstine ...
"Just a quick note to let you know that starting next week on June 26, and continuing on the last Thursday of every month from 7:30-9:00pm we'll be hosting a new monthly poetry night facilitated by Dahlia Ross, a published poet who has been writing for over 25 years. It's a chance for poets and poetry fans of all ages and abilities to participate and share. We will run the night in a similar fashion to our Saturday open mic, so there's no need to sign up ahead of time either.
Please feel free to come down and check it out, and feel free to pass the info on to anyone else who you think might be interested."
Do indeed - perhaps I'll see you there some time soon?
The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse is located at 9351 118th Ave. You can find more info at their website, thecarrot.ca.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Marcie Rohr's submission to Bridge Songs: Dear Edmonton was exactly what I was hoping to receive. Something beyond glowing praise for the city. An honest, gutsy wrestle with this blue collar town.
"I have to say that nowhere else I know of could have propelled me to create work that focuses so much on daydreams and naïve notions of escape, so I suppose a thanks is in order."
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
Two Christmases ago, my wife bought me a wonderful little book. It is page after page of possibility. It is called 642 Things to Draw, and really, its self-explanatory. After two years, I've drawn far too few of these things. I could have finished the book with a simple daily drawing by now. Guilting aside, the book has reminded me that (a) I like drawing and (b) I'm alright at it. My first drawing from the book's prompts, a rolling pin, is here.
It wasn't long after I got that book that I got an iPad mini. And it wasn't long after that I downloaded the app Paper by 53. It's a very simple, incredibly intuitive program for drawing. Not a lot of options, just a few tools that work great and get out of the way.
I began using Paper to illustrate blog posts because it would take me about as long as finding or designing an image would. Here is the first drawing I did with Paper for this blog.
When it came time to write letters for the Dear Edmonton blog, it just made sense to me to illustrate those letters and bring a little something unique, and something shareable on social media, to each letter. So far, I've done 12 of these drawings. I hope you enjoy the gallery below.
[gallery ids="727,728,729,730,731,732,733,734,735,736,737,738"]
My next project is an ambitious one, inspired by a far more ambitious project, All the Buildings in New York, where an illustrator has set out to draw every single building in New York. It's a fascinating, beautiful obsession.
My project, starting next week, is called Avenue Buildings. I'm drawing the buildings of Alberta Avenue on a tumblr blog. I'm going to start at 97 street and move my way down 118th Avenue towards Rexall Place. Or maybe I'll jump around. I won't draw every day, but I'll try for a couple of times a week. I'll do this until it stops being fun, because this project is all about fun for me.
So, do you do drawings? I'd love to see them. Share a link below.
You have something to say–why not say it here? Email your blog post idea to dave@bleedingheartart.space and let's chat.
