“Petals, Birds & Branches”
Exhibit & Sale
The Central Library
Downtown 616 Macleod Trail SE
Calgary, AB T2G 2M2
Until September 25 you can see an exhibit of my art at the The Calgary Public Library downtown. The art is available for purchase.
Tag Archives: calgary arts
My Life is a Work in Progress
My birthday was amazing and all because of a random drive I took. Slightly lost on the range road I spotted a pond full of swans. What fantastic luck!
The first thing that came to mind was the symbolism, particularly in alchemy, where the white swan is the beginning etheric light-filled phase. No doubt in my mind, that coming upon this sight was no accident. Thank you fellow bloggers for sending all your birthday wishes!
By now I could have sworn I would have a full time job. Not so. I just have not figured it out yet. I know for certain age is playing a factor. The general mindset needs to change out there, because I am certainly not ready for the pasture!
And so I am seeking any kind of work, small jobs, big jobs, and of course mural work in Calgary and surrounding areas. I am submitting a proposal for painting on the traffic control boxes. The City of Calgary is hiring artists to paint them. Wish me luck! My Reiki Level III training has been postponed due to my budget, and I do hope I will be able to attend in June.
The business part of art is very time consuming, research, writing proposals, updating the portfolio, and sometimes it can feel like there is no time left over to paint. In trying to establish myself as a professional artist, there is much to be done.
I cannot say looking to the art galleries is the answer anymore at least as a mainstay. So I am thrilled to announce, I have signed with an art consultant. AdoptanArtist is a joint venture, between local artists and businesses and it does not cost the business anything. A self representing artist needs support as it is too big a task to manage without being part of a larger group. So if you are a business in Calgary who has room to hang some original art in your offices, please contact AdoptanArtist. It won’t cost you anything, and you can support local artists.
The buds are bursting and our weather is super warm for this time of year. The late spring snows have greened things up. I have been thinking about doing more sketching. At one time, I did it a lot, and also did some pen and ink.
Will I find time to keep a sketchbook journal this summer? Join an outdoor group that does group hikes? Perhaps a Plein Air outdoor painting group would be fun too, or I may just go out on my own. I am getting out a bit more to network with people who have the same interests. I would love to collaborate on some art and music projects, so I am hoping to connect with those people.
May Daze
My paintings are safely back home, minus the one which was sold. This is one of my faves, as I really enjoyed painting this.
My plan is now to regroup. I will paint, without the pressure of an upcoming show, and rethink my art business plan.
Gale force winds are pummeling us for the second time in a week complete with a rain-snow mix.
Still the temperatures have not plummeted, so I suppose this still qualifies as an early spring.
The magpies had to take refuge in the lower branches. The nest they built in the top of one of my trees was not serving them well in this wind.
My yard was sculpted by the arborists, readying the palette for gardening. And my bathroom was redone, which will allow for pleasurable soaks after playing in the dirt. Dreaming of sunny days! My kitty is recovering from a terrible abscess, and she was ill for over a month. I am so relieved to see her on the mend and we are thanking our lucky stars for homoeopathic remedies, l-lysine, and calendula infusion.
Our artist run centre, ARTPOINT, is in the news presently. You can read about it HERE! Since the city doubled our rent to 64,000 per year, our resources have been drained. We have a motion to restore our rent to the previous amount, retroactively.
The building is slated for demolition, and really is not up to standard for any other use. A strong possibility exists that the building would sit empty, if we were not utilizing it. We are one of the largest artist run centres in North America. Makes you wonder, if we cannot make it, how will anyone else. Our organization has an excellent history of fiscal responsibility, and interactions with many other arts groups in the city including Theatre Calgary, Alberta Printmakers. We house the Heritage Weavers and Spinners Guild, and host the Unseen Artshow, which supports emerging artists, to name a few.
Calgary Art Blog gives a clear interpretation of the issue, and the surrounding climate. This is not just about ArtPoint. It is about buildings slated for demolition, that could be affordable for use by arts groups to sustain culture in the community. We could certainly use your support. Community Support is ESSENTIAL!
If you are in Calgary, the best way you can help is to contact your alderman before the vote on May 11, 2010. Or you could attend the meeting on Tuesday, May 11, at 9:30 a.m. in a committee room at City Hall. IF you can attend this meeting, this would be extremely helpful. It’s hard to say no to a gallery full of interested supporters!