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Pretty wiped out today. Will try to take some R&R today before diving into the difficult icon commission tomorrow.
It was a tiring day yesterday, especially given that I was already tired before starting it. The pack up in Parksville went well, thanks to everyone's help, and now I have all this stock sitting in my small hallway until I sort out where to put it. Then had lunch with my friend at the Coombs Cafe in the Coombs Country Market 'Goats on Roof'. No goats yet. I returned to Nanaimo and stopped at the totem carving site at VIU in case there was someone there. There wasn't but the experience of seeing the totem in progress was very moving. I felt as though I was standing at an observation window, looking at a newborn. It was very special time, as I took in the uncovered killer whale section being carved, laying tranquil while the other sections were covered, and the cedar chips and pieces on the ground. Standing in the drizzling rain, I was happy to have stopped by. So, very tired, I got in cue for the 3pm ferry. It was a cold rainy crossing. The other thing that warmed my heart was a message passed on to me during the pack out; from the First Nations storyteller who's event took place the evening prior in the same space as the totem painting series. She liked the series and referred to some during her presentation, but she wanted me to know that she greatly appreciated how each painting acknowledged the carvers, stories, and historical significance of each. So a full day.
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 Such a wonderful way to complete the ' Journeying With The Totems' exhibition at the McMillan Arts Centre. It is such a privilege that the series can be in the room with Gisele Maria Martin.
I've just been advised that the last day for the show in Parksville has been changed to this Friday, March 27th! So I'll be going to Parksville this Saturday to pack up instead of next Monday. If you were planning to see the series on Saturday, I hope you can make it to the McMillan Arts Centre before the closing at 4pm this Friday.
If you've missed the show, you can view the paintings gallery here on my website, even though it isn't the same as seeing them in real life. Thanks to everyone for your support. Here's to a great closing week in Parksville. It has been a privilege to have had the series at the McMillan Arts Centre for a month.  When the McMillan Arts Centre reopens on Tuesday March 24th, there are only 6 exhibition days left! Where has the time gone. If you haven't had a chance to see them yet, MAC is on 133 McMillan Street, Parksville.
I've heard that there have been lots of ooohs and ahhhs as people walk through the show but I don't have a sense of what the numbers are like. It has been different being away like this because of location. With a week remaining, I'm still hoping for a few more sales. You just never know. My hope was, that through a few more sales, I could afford the fee for the Vancouver Art Show at the Convention Centre on May 21-24. I can't process the application until I know whether I could have the funds or not, as the fee has to be paid upon acceptance. I will have enough paintings from the series to still present a good showing in May. It would be great in keeping the momentum going while I wait and prepare for the next mid-August exhibition in Port Moody. With a bit of luck... Only 8 exhibition days left at the McMillan Arts Centre. There hasn't been any further sales since the one during the Opening Reception. I've been hearing that people are really enjoying the series though.
If no further sales happen during the last week of the show, I won't be able to apply for the big Art Show taking place in Vancouver in May. It doesn't charge a commission off sales but does charge a huge up front fee upon acceptance of your application (depending on the size of wall space you arrange for). I just don't have the finances to cover that before any prospects of sales. There is always the possibility that sales will cover it in the end, but it goes to show that the old saying 'It takes money to make money' holds true. Please note that, for the next 5 weeks, I will be working on a centenary icon commission which needs to be completed by April 22nd. It's a complex piece that will require my full attention. Once completed, I will be able to return to my totems paintings and begin preparing for the mid-August Port Moody Arts Centre solo exhibition.
 It's been a busy few days, with the Opening Reception at the McMillan Arts Centre on Saturday, followed by a day trip to Victoria and Duncan to see the totems.
The people who made it to the reception enjoyed the exhibition, expressing similar thoughts as during the first show in West Vancouver. The staff of the McMillan Arts Centre is so supportive. It was also great to meet the other artists, who are also showing at the Centre. It's a wonderful combination. And the afternoon was capped by a sale of the Thunderbird Totem painting. The following day (Sunday) was devoted to the rebuilding my totem photo library. I hadn't seen the Victoria totems for a number of years, and with my hard drive dying 5 months ago, I had lost many of those photographs. Having begun this series, I saw the museum's exhibit through very different eyes. I was actually quite disappointed in how the museum treats its totem collection. I hadn't noticed how much before. The interior collection is taken over by the theatrical lighting, and with it, anyone who goes there to 'see' and study the totems, can't. In so much darkness and dim amber lighting, it is impossible to see colours and wood textures of the pieces. I tried taking a few pictures with flash (prior to be being told not to use my flash), in the hope of seeing the natural colours but flash only brings out the grey patina. In the one totem, there is a hint of a bit of the original red on the upper lip, but it's lost in choices for this exhibit. * An aside about the flash - Being there to study the totems, and scolded for trying to use my flash to actually try an 'see' the totems, while at the same time, a group of rambunctious children were actually hanging off the beak of one totem. But that seems OK with the museum staff. Which leads me to wonder whether these are authentic, with the combo of theatrical lighting, which conceals their 'details' and allowing them to be manhandled if they were in fact real artifacts. Just a question. And then there are the beautiful totems sections in the separate building with thick windows all around. Again, this is so poorly planned. It is impossible to really see them as the thick windows reflect everything outside, from the sky to neighbouring buildings. Enthusiasts, who are there to study them, and appreciate them, can't. You simply can't find any angle where you can see them clearly and study the wood, colours and beautiful carving. So I moved on to the few outdoor totems. I'm not sure if the position of the sun improves in the summer, but it is often a problem where the totems have their backs to the sun. As with the UBC collection, for the outdoor totems, you need to get there by 6am. So that part of adding to my library of totem studies wasn't as useful as I had hoped. After a quick lunch, rather then doing my usual stops to some of my favorite places in Victoria, I started the trek back up towards Duncan, to see the totems there. I wasn't sure what to expect as I knew these were part of a mayor's plan to add a tourist attraction for Duncan. Many were indeed commercial but there were many interesting sections within them, which made the journey worthwhile. I was back in Parksville by dinner, and tired. A lot of driving and haven't had any time for some R&R on my weekend on the Island. Today (Monday) didn't turn out to be as forecasted, being extremely foggy rather then having sunshine. So that changed my day of lazing around the beaches for the day prior to catching a ferry back home. But I do also enjoy the fog; its invigorating mist and salt air. So I experimented with my new camera. There were sea lions out in the water but they were too far out to get pics of them. But you could watch them come up and jump out the water, occasionally vocalizing. But there were lots of birds that I could experiment with my camera lens, as they too were often far away. I was then going to head back to Nanaimo but decided to go a bit further north along the Island Hwy W, until I saw a female eagle sitting on the beach rock. I stopped to have a better look through my camera lens, when 4 - 5 other eagles arrived and kept me entertained for quite some time. It was great being able to keep clicking shots as they swooped everywhere. Now it has been years since I’ve done any serious photography, and I have much to learn about my new digital camera, but I was pleased with what I was able to get this weekend. The shots are of such high resolution that, even with cropping the small images of the eagles in the far off landscapes, they are impressive. The clarity of their faces would have been better on a sunny day. I am now back in North Vancouver after a very foggy ferry crossing with the horn used every 2 minutes. So much to think about. So many suggestions about the totem series. My totem day trip yesterday affirmed that my research does need to extend to the central and northern totems of BC and even Alaska. But that is financially impossible at this time. But the totems of my series to date, even though many are at the UBC MOA, they too are from these areas. I need to experience the places of their origin and the other treasures there. Some have even suggested that I could play an important function in recording these precious totems within my paintings, as a means of preserving their memory and beauty for others to see. But like I said, so many ideas, so much to think about… But my task now is to jump into a centenary icon commission, which has to be completed by April 22. It is a large piece (43”x63”) and with a complex theme. The panel has been started and there is much to do. It will give time for the totem series to percolate, and the McMillan Arts Centre exhibition is still on until March 29th. I will be keeping a similar Journal for that icon project, but under the Iconography tab of my website. The timing will work well as that will allow me to get back into the totem paintings by May 1st, allowing adequate time to prepare for the next mid-August Journeying With The Totems exhibition in Port Moody. I often think about that early decision to call this transition 'journeying'. The act of moving still in progress: a journey of discoveries about the totems, about myself, while creating a whole new style. |
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