On Vacation...

I am visiting friends and family for a couple of weeks. Posts will be few and far between since some of them live in the country and have dial up... yes, it STILL exists! Thanks for visiting and I hope to back to a normal posting schedule as of August 13th.

Internet Hell

I am on day NINE of horrible service and internet connection and now it may not better until MONDAY when we switch to a new service. It is a long story and oh so frustrating! I will be heading to my husband's office when I can, like right now, to post but don't worry if I disappear for awhile...

Second Piece in Wanderlust Series

Here is my second piece in the series, entitled, "Tremendous Journey".

Park Radio Feature

Today, I was interviewed for a local radio program called Affecting You. It will run three times this week on the radio and is podcast so I believe I will be able to post it here eventually. I was approached by the program host, Alana McGregor, which was a nice change since it seems like as an artist I am always chasing the publicity... I was teaching a mosaic workshop for kids at the public library last Thursday, I will post photos of that soon, and I was handed a phone message. It was from Alana McGregor, wanting to talk with me about my art and the community classes I will be teaching in the fall. Amongst the classes I will be offering is a weekly recycle craft that I will teach as part of the Banff Elementary After School Program. I want to show the kids how to make something functional and artistic out of thrift store items and items they might have at home that are broken or not serving a purpose... Hard to put in a nutshell but it won't be the traditional kid crafts out of coffee can lids and toilet paper rolls. Much more creative... So, we talked about that, about my upcoming show, and about the environment. I am lucky to live in a National Park, where everything that is possible is done automatically by the town to make it a greener place.

Second Piece in Wanderlust

Here is my second piece in the series, entitled, "Tremendous Journey".

Wanderlust

This is the first mixed media piece in my series called Wanderlust, which is a solo show I am having at Ottawa Gallery D'OMMA in August. I also got the artist statement written today...

Artist's Statement for Wanderlust:

Long before talk of fossil fuels and the environmental footprint of travel dominated the news, people have had the need to explore their surroundings and beyond. This wanderlust is practical for some, while for others it is about adventure, curiosity, and a need to have new experiences. The reason that people travel, both now and in the past, are many. I seek to explore these reasons in my newest body of mixed media work. Using recycled materials, including Polaroid transfers made for past exhibitions, I have created a series of collages on 12 1/4" by 12 1/4" thrifted record album jackets. As someone who suffers from a serious need to roam and to learn new things, the concept of wanderlust appeals to me. As someone who is currently grappling with the present state of our world and how best to explore it while keeping my enviromental impact to a minimum, I am presenting an alternative to actual travel for the viewer. My hope is that these works will provide you with a green way to wander, by using your imagination in collaboration with my visuals.

To learn more about my commitment to create art using only recycled and thrifted materials please go to my other blog.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE UPCYCLE REPURPOSE THRIFT CREATE

Elle Moss Blog Feature

Wow, another blog... I am a big fan of Elle's work. We are fellow POE (Photographers of Etsy) team members. I appreciate that she likes my mini Polaroid transfer enough to feature it along with the other amazing photographers listed in this feature. Thanks, Elle!

Tongue in Chic Blog Feature

Thanks to Google Alerts I found out I was featured on this blog. The article is well written and interesting to those who enjoy the current vintage craze.

Renew Your Library Card

I have loved the library since I was a small child. I can't remember a time when I didn't know what the library was. My most clear childhood memories of the library

involve checking out the baby names books while the librarian looked at me sideways (I used to write name books and I still collect names), looking up the addresses to send away for my favorite stars autographs, shelving books (yes, I was a bit of a strange child), and just spending time with the books. Every Wednesday for awhile, I would take the bus after school to the public library across from the office where my mom worked one day a week. I had a bit over two hours to spend there and the time would fly by. I remember that place vividly, and I get giddy when I see it while in town on holiday. I also remember all the libraries in each school I went to. I can thank my Aunt Helen for my love of books. And I can thank taking a good look at my lifestyle and trying to make environmentally sounds choices for getting me back to the library. That and having a baby, whom I want to expose to the library on a regular basis. So far, so good. The Banff Public Library is a place we go at least once a week. We can walk there, hang out with the books, check some out, and go to the town park and sprawl in the grass with our new stories (well, not in the winter...). Our daughter already has a voracious appetite for books, both in French and English. And our library can keep her stocked in both. Recently, I even submitted my resume to the library. Nothing would make me happier than to be surrounded by books, to help people find and check out books, and to shelve books (yes, I continue to be a bit strange, I like to think it makes me unique...). Even my husband, who doesn't read for pleasure, sings the praises of the library. While moving into our new home he cursed my boxes upon boxes of books, but I think he realised that if it weren't for our return to the hallowed walls of the library, his back and my book collection would eventually becoming a growing concern.

Homemade Drain Cleaner

When we moved into our new house, the bath tub drain was slower than slow. Having made the commitment to not use toxic chemicals in this home, because of enviromental, health, and safety concerns, I decided to try to make drain cleaner. It was both easy and entertaining. I boiled a large pot of water, then added 1/2 c baking soda and one cup white vinegar. Ummmm, this basically makes a small volcano, or more like a flash explosion... nothing to be concerned about, but I am happy I had placed the pot in the tub for this little experiment. Then, I poured it all down the drain, shut the drain, and left it for 10 minutes. The combination is supposed to break the clog. And I'll be damned, it did. The drain emptied much faster. I am really happy that this worked because drain cleaners are one of the most toxic home chemicals. Please let me know if you have a good recipe for drain cleaner, or any cleaner, that I can post here.

Miss Me??

We moved into our new home last weekend!! As seems to be the way I do things, I also completed a bunch of new firsts in the midst of house renovations, packing, unpacking, cleaning, tripping over things, and trying to find toilet paper, a frying pan, and my underwear. I started a new job, working two days a week at my friend Pam's children's boutique, Silver Spoon (big bonus, Quin comes with me to work!); I taught a mosaic mirror making workshop for kids at the Banff Library (not the first time I teach this but the first time I teach a course for the library and it was awesome); I am working on a whole new body of work for a solo show in Ottawa in August at the d'OMMA Gallery (my first show of work containing mostly recycled materials, aside for adhesives and paints). And, as luck would have it, our internet, which should have been on at the new house as of Monday, was JUST CONNECTED TODAY, Friday, yes, 5 DAYS after it should have been. Needless to say, this has caused my blogging to grind to a screeching halt, and has made it quite difficult for me to answer all the emails I have received about booking photo sessions during our upcoming Ottawa/Maine trip. Sheesh. I guess with all the other things going on, it was better I could not hook up to the net. However, when I can't get on the net, that is when everything happens (when it rains it pours). In this case, everything is that Where Magazine in Ottawa, asked for images of my new work so they can feature me in their Hot Art Sections (Yippee!!) AND Jamie Ribisi featured me as one of her Fine Art Etsy Finds (Double Yippee!!) which lead to 6 new sales (Triple Yippee!!!). Thank goodness I am back, ahhhhhh, technology, I love ya!

I Hope Absence Has Made...

the heart grow fonder. We moved into our new home last weekend!! As seems to be the way I do things, I also completed a bunch of new firsts in the midst of house renovations, packing, unpacking, cleaning, tripping over things, and trying to find toilet paper, a frying pan, and my underwear. I started a new job, working two days a week at my friend Pam's children's boutique, Silver Spoon (big bonus, Quin comes with me to work!); I taught a mosaic mirror making workshop for kids at the Banff Library (not the first time I teach this but the first time I teach a course for the library and it was awesome); I am working on a whole new body of work for a solo show in Ottawa in August at the d'OMMA Gallery (my first show of work containing mostly recycled materials, aside for adhesives and paints). And, as luck would have it, our internet, which should have been on at the new house as of Monday, was JUST CONNECTED TODAY, Friday, yes, 5 DAYS after it should have been. Needless to say, this has caused my blogging to grind to a screeching halt, and has made it quite difficult for me to answer all the emails I have received about booking photo sessions during our upcoming Ottawa/Maine trip. Sheesh. I guess with all the other things going on, it was better I could not hook up to the net. However, when I can't get on the net, that is when everything happens (when it rains it pours). In this case, everything is that Where Magazine in Ottawa, asked for images of my new work so they can feature me in their Hot Art Sections (Yippee!!) AND Jamie Ribisi featured me as one of her Fine Art Etsy Finds (Double Yippee!!) which lead to 6 new sales (Triple Yippee!!!). Thank goodness I am back, ahhhhhh, technology, I love ya!

Our Little Robin Family

I will have to say I was a bit concerned when I saw the pile of hay, string, and other choice nest building materials beside my front step. The next day, I looked outside and watched a diligent mommy and daddy robin expertly building a nest, high atop a brick column under our overhanging veranda. The concern I felt had not lessened. You see, as this couple were building the home where their wee little ones would be hatched, we were in the process of loading everything we own into boxes to move into our new home across town. Surely, we were going to cause this little family a whole lot of stress in the not-too-distant future (that and we live just feet from a very very busy and loud street in summertime Banff). I was thrilled to have these lovely creatures right outside the window beside our front door, aside from the worry. Everyday, Quin and I have watched "Momma Birdie" (Quin is too little to tell the daddy from the mommy). One day, my heart sunk, when I spotted the broken half of a robin's egg blue shell on the landing... "oh no, we did this", I thought. But Momma was still sitting on the nest so we decided to wait and see. I sighed with relief when I thought I could hear little birdie tweets a few days later. And it was a few days after that that we witnessed Momma and Papa feeding their little ones worms. Soon after I would see them from a window in the neighbor's backyard, scrounging for worms. Now, we can see the little babes' beaks and heads, stretching and searching for their meal. They still have their eyes shut and they look bald and naked. Their are three, maybe four. Now Quin runs to look at them as often as she remebers, which is countless times a day. And when we leave the house we open the door very slowly and whisper, "It's ok, Momma Birdie, don't be scared." Tomorrow is our last day of moving, and this little family has hung in there so far. I am so glad. I feel honored that they picked our house, and that they could help me teach my little birdy a bit more about our feathered friends...

Joonbeam

Happy 4th of July to our friends to the south. As an American living in Canada, or a Canadian Permanent Resident, I am lucky enough to celebrate Canada Day and to have fond memories of all the wonderful 4th of Julys I also celebrated. In fact, it is one of my favorite holidays; no materialism, you share it with friends and family, there are often BBQs AND fireworks! What could be better.

Today, I thought of my friend, Joony, who lives in New England, somewhat near the part of the US where I used to be in Maine. New England is steeped in history and just so darn patriotic that it is an excellent place to celebrate the 4th. Just like Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is an awesome place for us to have been able to celebrate Canada Day...

So, back to Joon. Her slogan is "Environment is everything" and I agree. She is a fellow artist who makes "recycled art with heart © ". Have some fun checking out the other cleaver things she has to say and has made by going to her blog. Happy 4th, Joonbeam!

Facts About Recycling

These facts were printed in our local paper, The Banff Crag and Canyon. They further cement the reasons why we should all choose to recycle each day.

- The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail.

- If all our newspaper was recycled we could save about 250,000,000 trees a year!

- Recycling a single run of the Sunday Times would save approximately 75,000 trees.

- The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

- The average person uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year!

The Boon Potty

Boon n. a benefit bestowed, especially one bestowed in response to a request (the Boon website).

This is the greatest potty on the planet. I have been singing the praises of the Boon potty since the day I brought it home. If your child is nearing the stage if potty training this is one of the best options out there. I didn't know anything about it until I went to my friend's shop and I am so glad I listened when she gushed about it. It is the best $40 I have ever spent. $40 for a potty you ask? Yes, but this is not just any potty. It is a beautifully designed potty that is also a storage bench. It has roll down sides, like a roll top desk, where your child can put books and toilet paper. And when the lid is down it supports 300 lbs as a large, study step stool! When the sides are rolled up and the lid is closed, no one even knows it is a potty. Even my husband was impressed and amazed by how stylish and discrete a potty could be. We both love that once it has lived its life as a potty it can still be useful. And passed on and on, since it is so well made. The design makes it easy to clean. And my daughter absolutely loves it. She is proud a punch to show it off. The pull out drawer is deep and she is able to pull it out, and run with it, not so carefully to the toilet to dump it out, and she has never spilled it. She is comfortable using it and that is what matters the most!

PS Boon donates 10% of their profits to children's charities...

British Columbia Initiates Carbon Tax

Oh, Canada... Yes, that is the title of our National Anthem and since today is Canada Day, it seems fitting that British Columbia started their new carbon tax. Love it or hate it, this green tax is something that consumers will likely be seeing more of. In BC, it is 2.5 cents per liter, bringing gas in many places to $1.50 a liter (for our friends in the States, that is about $6 a gallon!). The tax is being phased in over 5 years and will be 7.24 cents a liter by 2012. There is also a 2.7 cent a liter tax on diesel and home heating oil that will go up to 8.2 cents a liter by 2012. The BC Premier, Gordon Campbell, "...who calls global warming a threat to life of earth, wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the province by one-third by 2020. He said his plan is the most aggressive green agenda in North America." Households in BC started receiving a one time check for $100 last week. Called a Climate Action Dividend, it is meant for people to use to help them make environmentally responsible changes in their homes. It remains to be seen if any of this will take place in Alberta. Stay tuned...