Ok, I don't really dream in puppets, if you are thinking that I am meaning the sleeping kind of dreaming. I often sit and ponder, I have my comfy rocking chair by my book shelf & faerie garden, facing the direction of the fireplace. It's lovely to sit there with a wee cup of mead, my book, the candles on, and watch the log in the fireplace burn merrily away. I will read my books for a while, then drift off in thought, eventually falling into day dream. This is where I dream in puppets.
I have this recent thirst to create giant puppets; and when I say giant, I mean the kind that are around 10 feet high. I have no experience building puppets, but I have a book from the Bread & Puppets society that has some instructions on the many kinds of giant puppets that one can build. Actually it was quite interesting because this thurst of mine started right before Bread & Puppets came to town. Not to say that I have not always loved puppets but the interest in building them is very recent.
Even though puppets are man-crafted and there is really nothing magickal about them except for the performer who brings them to life; I still find giant puppets to have a majestic presence about them that gives me a sense of magick. I can best describe this feeling being a sense of "anything can happen", there is more here then meets the eye.
I have a love of old traditional music from any culture, but in terms of my own singing, I am fond of singing Irish & Scottish traditionals. So I have been toying with ideas about how I can combine all of my interests & skills in one project. I also have alot of creative writing on the back burner, most of it abstract poetry that I keep thinking could make fun performance material. Often I have thought I would like to organize a performance utilizing my work, something with a touch of theatre and circus. But it is challenging to organize anything that involves more then one person and especially if it requires skill, and more so, especially if you want people to collaborate or volunteer. Most of my collaborators are very very busy and their focus, understandably so, is on paid contracts, which are often full time.
So the giant puppets open up some more doors. I have been thinking about doing a short piece to begin with, and there has been some discussion with my friend/collaborator, Marie Dietlin, about doing a stop motion-photography-film project together involving the puppets, body painting & 3-D art, but we have yet to settle on an idea & story. We want the final product to be around 2 minutes.
BOOK OF BALLADS
So I was sitting in my rocking chair in front of my fire reading one of my new books, the "Book of Ballads", it is a collaboration between some of my favourite authors and artists. Charles Vess spearheaded this book; his idea was to make a small comic book series based off of traditional folk ballads. The authors who have contributed to this book are Charles De Lint, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, Jeff Smith, Emma Bull, Sharyn McCrumb and more. There is a historical introduction by Terri Windling that is extremely interesting, so much so that I could write an entirely seperate blog posting off that introduction alone (and perhaps at some point I will). Oh yes and there is this excellent list of musicians the authors were listening to while creating their part of the collaboration. The artwork that Charles Vess has created for this book is lovely and stimulating for my imagination.
PUPPETS ARE DREAMING?
The Book of Ballads is highly worth reading, especially if you love Irish music, and I do. It also got me thinking further about a pre-exsisting idea I had for the puppets and what direction I wish to head with those puppets. I had already been thinking to do something influenced by old mythology and legends, but it had never crossed my mind to base the puppets off one of my favorite old traditional songs, and this book has the wheels turning in my head that this might be a fun idea, perhaps even for the stop motion film... hhhmmmm....
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Happy Solstice! Merry Christmas! Happy Yuletide! Happy Hanukkah!
.
I have some mixed feelings about Christmas. It started with the shock I experienced at the age of 10 when I realized I had been duped; Santa-Claus isn't real! All those years spent looking out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of good old saint nick flying through the sky with his reindeer! So sad was I when I realized Santa-Claus isn't real!!
One of my reasons for having mixed feelings about this holiday is I feel like it was taught to me out of obligation. It almost seems really fake because the public don't invent their own traditions, they follow, at this point, either a religious or commercial auto-pilot program. The idea of not filling the house with red/green decorations and either a fake or dying pine-tree, is not something most people consider. What with the pressures to "shop till you drop", often spending horrendous amounts of money on trying to express either one's love or one's duty through gifts. There is also the environment to take into consideration; on one hand, cards & wrapping paper is a lot of fun, but it isn't environmentally friendly.
For myself, I have had an interest in studying world religions since I was about 11 years old and it was about at that point that I declared I was not a Christian. I call myself a "non-denominational spiritualist".
I have decided at this point that what I like about Christmas, Solstice, Yule-tide, Hanukkah and any other religious celebrations that happen at this time of the year is what they have in common.
I now enjoy taking the time of giving thanks year round, but I do also pay some extra attention to gratitude during the winter festivities. I enjoy sharing both with strangers and loved ones alike. To give gifts that have meaning, often hand-crafted. If I decorate, I like to choose decorations that I personally identify with, often drawing from nature or old world influences. I love gatherings and I love music (however, the majority of Christmas music sets my teeth on edge).
Historically speaking, Christmas is derived mostly from 4 sources. A Germanic pagan religious celebration called Yule or Yuletide. Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year which celebrated the coming light as the days would grow longer again. A roman holiday called "Sol Invictus". Of course the birth (although some argue it's the conception) of Jesus and Christmastide.
Yuletide Arts & Crafts Fair!
This year I participated in the pagan community's arts & crafts fair at Melange Magick. Take a look at the video journal I created: (also includes brief history of Christmas)
I have some mixed feelings about Christmas. It started with the shock I experienced at the age of 10 when I realized I had been duped; Santa-Claus isn't real! All those years spent looking out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of good old saint nick flying through the sky with his reindeer! So sad was I when I realized Santa-Claus isn't real!!
One of my reasons for having mixed feelings about this holiday is I feel like it was taught to me out of obligation. It almost seems really fake because the public don't invent their own traditions, they follow, at this point, either a religious or commercial auto-pilot program. The idea of not filling the house with red/green decorations and either a fake or dying pine-tree, is not something most people consider. What with the pressures to "shop till you drop", often spending horrendous amounts of money on trying to express either one's love or one's duty through gifts. There is also the environment to take into consideration; on one hand, cards & wrapping paper is a lot of fun, but it isn't environmentally friendly.
For myself, I have had an interest in studying world religions since I was about 11 years old and it was about at that point that I declared I was not a Christian. I call myself a "non-denominational spiritualist".
I have decided at this point that what I like about Christmas, Solstice, Yule-tide, Hanukkah and any other religious celebrations that happen at this time of the year is what they have in common.
I now enjoy taking the time of giving thanks year round, but I do also pay some extra attention to gratitude during the winter festivities. I enjoy sharing both with strangers and loved ones alike. To give gifts that have meaning, often hand-crafted. If I decorate, I like to choose decorations that I personally identify with, often drawing from nature or old world influences. I love gatherings and I love music (however, the majority of Christmas music sets my teeth on edge).
Historically speaking, Christmas is derived mostly from 4 sources. A Germanic pagan religious celebration called Yule or Yuletide. Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year which celebrated the coming light as the days would grow longer again. A roman holiday called "Sol Invictus". Of course the birth (although some argue it's the conception) of Jesus and Christmastide.
Yuletide Arts & Crafts Fair!
This year I participated in the pagan community's arts & crafts fair at Melange Magick. Take a look at the video journal I created: (also includes brief history of Christmas)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hitch-hiking...
I am a very open minded sort of person and I enjoy connecting with people from all walks of life. Hitch-hiking is something I have a lot of experience with, which I feel is a bit of a taboo subject, which in and of itself, can make it more dangerous then it needs to be.
Old childhood friends, who are now parents, contacted me recently over the concern for the 18 year old brother who had not been heard from for a 24 hour period while hitch-hiking in northern BC on highways that have a reputation for people going missing. Those circumstances were unique and I won't go into those details, the brother did show up safe, but due to some of the folly that nearly cost him dearly, I felt maybe it would be appropriate for me to speak up as an experienced hitch-hiker.
Popular belief has it that hitch hiking is dangerous, and this is true, but it's actually a lot safer then what popular belief would have you believe, especially if you know the do's and don'ts of the road. Popular belief is largely based off of what we see on the news and is being perpetuated by the inexperienced, most people who teach their kids not to hitch-hike have never done it. Therefore it gives a very fear based slant with little information available about when hitch-hiking goes right.
Truth be told, I believe there is alot more positive stories out there that just aren't being spoken about because of the taboo nature of hitch-hiking. It might surprise you to know that it's very few people who actually have problems on the road compared to the amount of people who successfully hitch-hike without an issue.
I started hitch-hiking when I was 23 with the boyfriend I was dating at the time. Up until that point, I had always sworn I would never hitch-hike. But a family emergency came up for my boyfriend, and it became the only choice for getting from Kelowna to Nanaimo, BC. From that point forward, I gradually begin to hitch-hike more and more. Once I left that relationship, I started hitch-hiking small distances alone, mainly around the coast of BC but sometimes up around the Okanagan. Once out here in the east of Canada, I did quite a bit of hitch-hiking between Montreal and Toronto and one trip out to PEI from Montreal.
When I was 27, I did my 1st cross Canada hitch-hiking trip. First from Montreal to the Sunshine Coast, BC, then around BC and eventually back to Montreal. Going to BC it took 8 days and I was travelling with a tall Russian man, a friend of mine who wanted to ensure I would be safe. Coming back to Montreal I did half of the trip with a girlfriend, and the other half alone; this took a total of 3 days.
Why hitch-hike?
The trick is calculated risks. I have no regrets, but I also have entered each of my hitch-hiking experiences with the willingness to have full responsibility for my actions and whatever outcome there may be. The way I see it is everything in life can potentially be dangerous, we face danger on a regular basis, although I am sure we don't always realize it. I have hitch-hiked in the past because it enabled me to do something I did not otherwise have the resources to achieve.
Who picks up?
I have been picked up by families, old timers and single people. I realize it helps that I am a girl, many people view me as less threatening then a man so it opens up more options for me. The most common thing I have heard while hitch-hiking are the following comments:
"I couldn't bear the thought that you would get picked up by the wrong person."
"I used to do a lot of hitch-hiking back in the day, but now I am financially well off and want to return the favour."
"I have kids so I look at you as potentially one of my children, the more good people who pick up, the less likely a hitch-hiker will get picked up by a bad person."
"When I was a youngster, there were no buses, and hitch-hiking was normal. I want to return the favour."
"I have never picked up before, but I wanted to make sure you got safely to your destination."
"I am doing a long haul and wanted someone to talk to as it helps keep me awake."
"I have a long way to go and wouldn't mind some company."
How to safely hitch-hike:
1) Pick one person who will monitor your journey and keep in touch with that person as much as possible. Every opportunity you can access a phone (or better yet, bring a cell phone), phone and check in your progress, tell them where you plan to be hitching from, what highway etc, and where you are headed.
2) Try to have a friend to hitch-hike with, as much as possible, avoid hitch-hiking alone.
3) Know the environment, certain places are going to be safer then others. If you are hitching long distance, talk to an experienced hitch-hiker and find out what routes are more hitch-hiker friendly and avoid highways that may have an unusually high rate of missing persons.
4) Never get into a ride without talking to the driver first. Make eye contact. Ask them where they are going, why they have decided to offer you a ride. Anything to stall, so you can try to get a feel for who are dealing with and what their intentions are. Listen to your intuition; if it doesn't feel right, if you are hesitant, don't be afraid to say no. Saying no is ok and a good idea sometimes; just be polite but be firm. Someone who starts to be insistent that you should take the ride is definitely someone you should say no to, because someone who does not have ill intent will not care if you take the ride.
5) Learn to read people. I find that your first reaction/response, is the right one. Really good people you can feel that they are good people when you look in their eyes, you just know. But people who fit into the gray, there are many reasons it may not be clear. There are so many good people on the road that it isn't necessary to take a ride you are not sure about.
Bad people are obvious or will appear "grey", but a bad person will never appear to be a good person. If there is anything sketchy about a person, say no. I have seen alot of people make bad judgement calls that I saw coming, tried to warn the person but they didn't listen, largely because they did not know how to read people. Learn to read people.
6) Pick the right location. Ideally this will be somewhere public, near a gas-station, better yet, right in front of the gas station but this is only possible if the gas-station is really close to the highway as it will be the last stop for many travelers before they hit the road. If this is not possible, then go to the on ramp, just where the on ramp is about to merge with the traffic on the highway there is usually a large area appropriate for pulling over safely (remember safety must always come first for both you and the driver so think like a driver, where would you pull over if you were picking up a hitch-hiker?).
7) Have a large, bright sign painted/drawn that says the name of your next destination; this will make being picked up much much quicker then if you only use your thumb. Keep in mind alot people are not paying attention to hitch-hikers, usually due to their visibility, this will make you more eye catching but will also improve visibility for safety reasons (this will reduce the chances of being hit by a car).
Also wear light/bright colours for the same reasons as above.
8) Try to keep a smile on your face and look like you are having fun, even if it's taking a long time. People won't pick up if you yourself look negative in any way.
9) Don't hitch-hike at night. Good people generally won't pick up at night (unless you decide to be bold and stand in front of the walking traffic going in and out of a Tim Horton's near the highway) because they can't see who they are dealing with, so your chances of getting picked up by the wrong people at night is high. If you are stuck somewhere at dusk or nightfall, go pull an all nighter at a Tim Horton's, as long as you have a tea in your hand, they dont' care how long you are there and often they will turn a blind eye to a traveller (the big back-pack gives it away), even if you are sleeping with your head on the table. Or travel with a tent & sleeping bag and find a discrete place off the side of the highway to sleep.
10) Ideally try to have at least $100 emergency money on you as you never know what you might need.
11) Be grateful with your rides as they are not obliged to pick you up; you want this to be a positive experience and so be careful to leave a lasting positive impression. Be sincere, honest and take an interest in the person who picks you up.
12) Understand you are taking a risk and be mentally prepared to take full responsibility for that risk.
13) Make sure your intentions are clear with yourself, IE "I choose to be safe and reach my destination safely". This will program your psychology which in turn will help you subconsciously make a safe choice. If you are scared, don't go to the road until you are calm and ready to face this challenge. Like is attracted to like and hitch-hiking will show you this. When I have hitch-hiked scared, all the people who stopped were people I ended up needing to say no to. When I have hitch-hiked confident and happy, the people I attract are usually very positive people who it has proven to be safe to take rides with.
14) Set your intentions. Listen to your intuition.
Be wise, Be Safe!!
That's all I can think of for now to share with you about how to hitch-hike safely; I have been very successful as a safe hitch-hiker. If I think of anything else, I will update this post.
If you are planning to hitch-hike but have never done so but have any questions I have not already answered, don't be afraid to leave a comment as I will be happy to answer your questions.
Old childhood friends, who are now parents, contacted me recently over the concern for the 18 year old brother who had not been heard from for a 24 hour period while hitch-hiking in northern BC on highways that have a reputation for people going missing. Those circumstances were unique and I won't go into those details, the brother did show up safe, but due to some of the folly that nearly cost him dearly, I felt maybe it would be appropriate for me to speak up as an experienced hitch-hiker.
Popular belief has it that hitch hiking is dangerous, and this is true, but it's actually a lot safer then what popular belief would have you believe, especially if you know the do's and don'ts of the road. Popular belief is largely based off of what we see on the news and is being perpetuated by the inexperienced, most people who teach their kids not to hitch-hike have never done it. Therefore it gives a very fear based slant with little information available about when hitch-hiking goes right.
Truth be told, I believe there is alot more positive stories out there that just aren't being spoken about because of the taboo nature of hitch-hiking. It might surprise you to know that it's very few people who actually have problems on the road compared to the amount of people who successfully hitch-hike without an issue.
I started hitch-hiking when I was 23 with the boyfriend I was dating at the time. Up until that point, I had always sworn I would never hitch-hike. But a family emergency came up for my boyfriend, and it became the only choice for getting from Kelowna to Nanaimo, BC. From that point forward, I gradually begin to hitch-hike more and more. Once I left that relationship, I started hitch-hiking small distances alone, mainly around the coast of BC but sometimes up around the Okanagan. Once out here in the east of Canada, I did quite a bit of hitch-hiking between Montreal and Toronto and one trip out to PEI from Montreal.
When I was 27, I did my 1st cross Canada hitch-hiking trip. First from Montreal to the Sunshine Coast, BC, then around BC and eventually back to Montreal. Going to BC it took 8 days and I was travelling with a tall Russian man, a friend of mine who wanted to ensure I would be safe. Coming back to Montreal I did half of the trip with a girlfriend, and the other half alone; this took a total of 3 days.
Why hitch-hike?
The trick is calculated risks. I have no regrets, but I also have entered each of my hitch-hiking experiences with the willingness to have full responsibility for my actions and whatever outcome there may be. The way I see it is everything in life can potentially be dangerous, we face danger on a regular basis, although I am sure we don't always realize it. I have hitch-hiked in the past because it enabled me to do something I did not otherwise have the resources to achieve.
Who picks up?
I have been picked up by families, old timers and single people. I realize it helps that I am a girl, many people view me as less threatening then a man so it opens up more options for me. The most common thing I have heard while hitch-hiking are the following comments:
"I couldn't bear the thought that you would get picked up by the wrong person."
"I used to do a lot of hitch-hiking back in the day, but now I am financially well off and want to return the favour."
"I have kids so I look at you as potentially one of my children, the more good people who pick up, the less likely a hitch-hiker will get picked up by a bad person."
"When I was a youngster, there were no buses, and hitch-hiking was normal. I want to return the favour."
"I have never picked up before, but I wanted to make sure you got safely to your destination."
"I am doing a long haul and wanted someone to talk to as it helps keep me awake."
"I have a long way to go and wouldn't mind some company."
How to safely hitch-hike:
1) Pick one person who will monitor your journey and keep in touch with that person as much as possible. Every opportunity you can access a phone (or better yet, bring a cell phone), phone and check in your progress, tell them where you plan to be hitching from, what highway etc, and where you are headed.
2) Try to have a friend to hitch-hike with, as much as possible, avoid hitch-hiking alone.
3) Know the environment, certain places are going to be safer then others. If you are hitching long distance, talk to an experienced hitch-hiker and find out what routes are more hitch-hiker friendly and avoid highways that may have an unusually high rate of missing persons.
4) Never get into a ride without talking to the driver first. Make eye contact. Ask them where they are going, why they have decided to offer you a ride. Anything to stall, so you can try to get a feel for who are dealing with and what their intentions are. Listen to your intuition; if it doesn't feel right, if you are hesitant, don't be afraid to say no. Saying no is ok and a good idea sometimes; just be polite but be firm. Someone who starts to be insistent that you should take the ride is definitely someone you should say no to, because someone who does not have ill intent will not care if you take the ride.
5) Learn to read people. I find that your first reaction/response, is the right one. Really good people you can feel that they are good people when you look in their eyes, you just know. But people who fit into the gray, there are many reasons it may not be clear. There are so many good people on the road that it isn't necessary to take a ride you are not sure about.
Bad people are obvious or will appear "grey", but a bad person will never appear to be a good person. If there is anything sketchy about a person, say no. I have seen alot of people make bad judgement calls that I saw coming, tried to warn the person but they didn't listen, largely because they did not know how to read people. Learn to read people.
6) Pick the right location. Ideally this will be somewhere public, near a gas-station, better yet, right in front of the gas station but this is only possible if the gas-station is really close to the highway as it will be the last stop for many travelers before they hit the road. If this is not possible, then go to the on ramp, just where the on ramp is about to merge with the traffic on the highway there is usually a large area appropriate for pulling over safely (remember safety must always come first for both you and the driver so think like a driver, where would you pull over if you were picking up a hitch-hiker?).
7) Have a large, bright sign painted/drawn that says the name of your next destination; this will make being picked up much much quicker then if you only use your thumb. Keep in mind alot people are not paying attention to hitch-hikers, usually due to their visibility, this will make you more eye catching but will also improve visibility for safety reasons (this will reduce the chances of being hit by a car).
Also wear light/bright colours for the same reasons as above.
8) Try to keep a smile on your face and look like you are having fun, even if it's taking a long time. People won't pick up if you yourself look negative in any way.
9) Don't hitch-hike at night. Good people generally won't pick up at night (unless you decide to be bold and stand in front of the walking traffic going in and out of a Tim Horton's near the highway) because they can't see who they are dealing with, so your chances of getting picked up by the wrong people at night is high. If you are stuck somewhere at dusk or nightfall, go pull an all nighter at a Tim Horton's, as long as you have a tea in your hand, they dont' care how long you are there and often they will turn a blind eye to a traveller (the big back-pack gives it away), even if you are sleeping with your head on the table. Or travel with a tent & sleeping bag and find a discrete place off the side of the highway to sleep.
10) Ideally try to have at least $100 emergency money on you as you never know what you might need.
11) Be grateful with your rides as they are not obliged to pick you up; you want this to be a positive experience and so be careful to leave a lasting positive impression. Be sincere, honest and take an interest in the person who picks you up.
12) Understand you are taking a risk and be mentally prepared to take full responsibility for that risk.
13) Make sure your intentions are clear with yourself, IE "I choose to be safe and reach my destination safely". This will program your psychology which in turn will help you subconsciously make a safe choice. If you are scared, don't go to the road until you are calm and ready to face this challenge. Like is attracted to like and hitch-hiking will show you this. When I have hitch-hiked scared, all the people who stopped were people I ended up needing to say no to. When I have hitch-hiked confident and happy, the people I attract are usually very positive people who it has proven to be safe to take rides with.
14) Set your intentions. Listen to your intuition.
Be wise, Be Safe!!
That's all I can think of for now to share with you about how to hitch-hike safely; I have been very successful as a safe hitch-hiker. If I think of anything else, I will update this post.
If you are planning to hitch-hike but have never done so but have any questions I have not already answered, don't be afraid to leave a comment as I will be happy to answer your questions.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
New Years Eve - Body Art
Book your private appointment now to get some face or body art done for your New Years Eve celebrations!
$1.50 per minute
Conveniant Location, close to Lucien L'Allier Metro or Guy-Concordia Metro.
Email to discuss details: aprilanna@aprilanna.com
or 514-243-4315
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
New projects...
Howdy folks...
I have been so busy over the past two months, while actually life is like that regardless, but it's been intense enough to not allow me time to keep my blog as updated. One of the projects I just recently finished is for a friend of mine, Gillian Pritchert. Her mother is a talented poet, Milly Leonara, in England who has recently published her first book. Take a look:
I have been so busy over the past two months, while actually life is like that regardless, but it's been intense enough to not allow me time to keep my blog as updated. One of the projects I just recently finished is for a friend of mine, Gillian Pritchert. Her mother is a talented poet, Milly Leonara, in England who has recently published her first book. Take a look:
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Group Art Exhibition & Sale
Friday, Nov 20th & Saturday, Nov 21st I participating in a group art exhibition and sale at Hotel Europa on Drummond, downtown. I will be showing my work and selling merchandise that includes Greet Cards, Posters & my new book. I am very excited! I hope you will come down and say hi!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
long over due update...
Hey so just signing in on a sleepless night to say that yes, it's true, I have been neglecting my blog.... However, I have a good reason! Life got nuts!! Well actually, it's mostly that I have a compulsion to fill up my life with as much as possible... So of course it was a logical choice to spontaneously decide to full fill a life's dream by creating my first book, giving myself a deadline of one month to create.... Good thing it's an art book and not creative writing... Well, actually, I do have quite a lot of creative writing finished... Many books on the future horizon!
Despite being an art book, this book was alot of work and while I know it's logical to normally take at least a year to make a book, I of course, decided to try to challenge myself (not that creating a book isn't challenging regardless of deadlines)... I have been working around the clock, literally, for the past month, sometimes 12 and 16 hour days on this book and I made the deadline by the hair of my chinny chin chin.... There is some poetry in it, and writings about the images, but mostly images...
I can't believe I have actually created my first book! I will see my second proof today; hopefully I don't have more edits to do (fingers crossed).....
PS
Despite all my run on sentences and lots of ..... that I lean towards when writing informally; I do make the effort to use proper english and sentence structure in this book. The book is well written and thanks to my awesome friend Allison Ryan, it's been edited and approved by said editor! Yeah!
Now I shall try to sleep....
Despite being an art book, this book was alot of work and while I know it's logical to normally take at least a year to make a book, I of course, decided to try to challenge myself (not that creating a book isn't challenging regardless of deadlines)... I have been working around the clock, literally, for the past month, sometimes 12 and 16 hour days on this book and I made the deadline by the hair of my chinny chin chin.... There is some poetry in it, and writings about the images, but mostly images...
I can't believe I have actually created my first book! I will see my second proof today; hopefully I don't have more edits to do (fingers crossed).....
PS
Despite all my run on sentences and lots of ..... that I lean towards when writing informally; I do make the effort to use proper english and sentence structure in this book. The book is well written and thanks to my awesome friend Allison Ryan, it's been edited and approved by said editor! Yeah!
Now I shall try to sleep....
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween Make-Up: Oct 30th & 31st
Bookings still available in the afternoon of Oct 30th, and some appointments still available on Oct. 31st.
$1.50 per minute, 10 minute minimum.
Conveniantly located 5 minutes from Lucien L'Allier Metro or 10 minutes from Guy-Concordia Metro.
514-243-4315
$1.50 per minute, 10 minute minimum.
Conveniantly located 5 minutes from Lucien L'Allier Metro or 10 minutes from Guy-Concordia Metro.
514-243-4315
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
News Article about an Italian Eccentric who built secret temples under the country-side...
Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric
by HAZEL COURTENEY
Last updated at 09:58 22 November 2007
Nestling in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, 30 miles from the ancient city of Turin, lies the valley of Valchiusella. Peppered with medieval villages, the hillside scenery is certainly picturesque.
But it is deep underground, buried into the ancient rock, that the region's greatest wonders are concealed.
Hall of the Earth: An amazing room built on the 'supernatural' visions of its creator Here, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government.
For weaving their way underneath the hillside are nine ornate temples, on five levels, whose scale and opulence take the breath away.
Constructed like a three-dimensional book, narrating the history of humanity, they are linked by hundreds of metres of richly decorated tunnels and occupy almost 300,000 cubic feet - Big Ben is 15,000 cubic feet.
Few have been granted permission to see these marvels.
Indeed, the Italian government was not even aware of their existence until a few years ago. But the 'Temples of Damanhur' are not the great legacy of some long-lost civilisation, they are the work of a 57-year-old former insurance broker from northern Italy who, inspired by a childhood vision, began digging into the rock.
It all began in the early Sixties when Oberto Airaudi was aged ten. From an early age, he claims to have experienced visions of what he believed to be a past life, in which there were amazing temples.
Around these he dreamed there lived a highly evolved community who enjoyed an idyllic existence in which all the people worked for the common good.
More bizarrely still, Oberto appeared to have had a supernatural ability: the gift of "remote viewing" - the ability to travel in his mind's eye to describe in detail the contents of any building.
"My goal was to recreate the temples from my visions," he says.
Oberto - who prefers to use the name 'Falco' - began by digging a trial hole under his parent's home to more fully understand the principals of excavation.
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Breathtaking: The miles of tunnels enable air to circulate
House of secrets: Below this house is the Damanhurian temple which is one of the largest temple complexes in the world
But it was only as he began a successful career as an insurance broker that he began to search for his perfect site.
In 1977, he selected a remote hillside where he felt the hard rock would sustain the structures he had in mind. A house was built on the hillside and Falco moved in with several friends who shared his vision. Using hammers and picks, they began their dig to create the temples of Damanhur - named after the ancient subterranean Egyptian temple meaning City of Light - in August 1978.
As no planning permission had been granted, they decided to share their scheme only with like-minded people. Volunteers, who flocked from around the world, worked in four-hour shifts for the next 16 years with no formal plans other than Falco's sketches and visions, funding their scheme by setting up small businesses to serve the local community.
By 1991, several of the nine chambers were almost complete with stunning murals, mosaics, statues, secret doors and stained glass windows. But time was running out on the secret.
The first time the police came it was over alleged tax evasion and still the temples lay undiscovered. But a year later the police swooped on the community demanding: "Show us these temples or we will dynamite the entire hillside."
Falco and his colleagues duly complied and opened the secret door to reveal what lay beneath. Three policemen and the public prosecutor hesitantly entered, but as they stooped down to enter the first temple - named the Hall of the Earth - their jaws dropped.
Inside was a circular chamber measuring 8m in diameter.
Hall of mirrors: The hall has a classical Greek feel
Egyptian wall paintings: Damanhurian art is greatly influenced by both Egyptian and Celtic sytles
A central sculpted column, depicting a three dimensional man and woman, supported a ceiling of intricately painted glass. The astonished group walked on to find sculpted columns covered with gold leaf, more than 8m high. Stunned by what they had found, the authorities decided to seize the temples on behalf of the government.
"By the time they had seen all of the chambers, we were told to continue with the artwork, but to cease further building, as we had not been granted planning permission," says Esperide Ananas, who has written a new book called Damanhur, Temples Of Humankind.
Retrospective permission was eventually granted and today the 'Damanhurians' even have their own university, schools, organic supermarkets, vineyards, farms, bakeries and award-winning eco homes.
They do not worship a spiritual leader, though their temples have become the focus for group meditation. 'They are to remind people that we are all capable of much more than we realise and that hidden treasures can be found within
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Bread & Puppets!! Tonight!! Montreal!
I am so tickled pink with excitement!! Tonight "Bread & Puppets" are playing only two blocks from my house!! Free show tonight (Oct. 17, 2009) at Concordia University's D.B. Clark Theatre, in the Hall Building at 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. at 8 p.m.
I love Bread & Puppets, they are historic, utilizing old world arts, giant puppets, and other theatrical & circus skills, they come with a message. During the 1960's they were a group of artists from many disciplines who banded together to stand up for our rights, to bring awareness and promote change. Through out the sixties they were at many major protests and other activist efforts.
"The name Bread & Puppet derives from the theater's practice of sharing its own fresh bread, served for free with a strong garlic aioli, with the audience of each performance as a means of creating community, and from its central principle that art should be as basic to life as bread. Some have heard echoes of the Roman phrase "bread and circuses" or the labor slogan "Bread and Roses" in the theater's name as well, though these are not often mentioned in Bread & Puppet's own explanations of its name." (Quoted from Wikipedia)
History
"The Theater was founded in 1962–1963 in New York City. It was active during the Vietnam War in anti-war protests, primarily in New York. It is often remembered as a central part of the political spectacle of the time, as its enormous puppets (often ten to fifteen feet tall) were a fixture of many demonstrations. In 1970 the Theater moved to Vermont, first to Goddard College in Plainfield, and then to a farm in Glover where it still resides. The farm is home to a cow, several pigs, puppeteers and chickens, as well as indoor and outdoor performance spaces, a printshop, store and large museum showcasing over four decades of the company's work. The Bread & Puppet Theater has received National Endowment for the Arts grants and numerous awards from the Puppeteers of America and other organizations."
"Our Domestic Resurrection Circus - Mid 1980s"
"Until 1998 the Bread & Puppet hosted its annual Pageant and Circus (in full, Our Domestic Resurrection Circus), in and around a natural amphitheater on its Glover grounds. In the 1990s the festival became very large, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands of people who camped on nearby farmers' land over the summer weekend of the pageant. The event became unmanageably large and less and less concerned with the theater's performance. In 1998 a man was accidentally killed in a fight while camping overnight for the festival, and director Peter Schumann subsequently cancelled the festival.[2] Since then the theater has instead offered smaller weekend performances all summer long, and traveled around New York and New England, with occasional tours around the U.S. and abroad. In New York City, Bread & Puppet annually performs at Theater for the New City during the holiday season." (Quoted from Wikipedia)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"From Above"... "there's a murder of crows..."
Music feeds my soul, but so also does silence but I have been in the working buzz so I thought I would share a little of what I am listening to these days.
I love the music of Jess Hill. I originally was listening to "Tarran the Tailor" on myspace, but then needed new music and found Jess Hill. I really love this song and the video is extremely interesting.
I love the music of Jess Hill. I originally was listening to "Tarran the Tailor" on myspace, but then needed new music and found Jess Hill. I really love this song and the video is extremely interesting.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
New Book! ...Updated Oct. 17th...
This is my 1st book and it will be a small run of books printed off as orders are placed (either by the person or a store), or if I have an exhibition or show.
Do you want to order a book?
Early bird special: $25 if you pay for your order before November 1st, that's $10 off and it will be numbered & hand signed.
Early Release for the book is Nov 1st, 2009
(tentative; will let you know when I get the confirmation from the printer, right now the printers are processing my posters, postcards & cards,so I have to wait until that is finished before I can hand the book in).
Official Release is Nov. 20th, 2009
You will be the 1st to know when the books are printed and in my hands!
About the book:
52 page saddle stitch book, full colour and glossy; approx. 9"x12".
This will be an over-view of my work from the past 13 years, including both my fine arts and the transition into the body arts. There will be small stories about each artwork, or related poem or thought. There will also be an interview included, along with information about my collaborators such as the photographers.
Friday, October 2, 2009
A very unusual flight...
This is awesome.... I wish this guy would be the flight attendant when I go to Hong Kong! Why aren't all attendants as awesome as this guy?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Old Photo Projects....
In October 2005, I did a photo collaboration with photographer James St.Laurent and a local clothing designer, Sandra of Gypsy Circus. I never received a copy of the photos from that shoot until recently.
I love editing photos, partly because I love having perfect results, but also because it's good practice for me and helps me to build my portfolio for photo-editing/image manipulation. I have created another "Before" & "After Editing" photo for you to see what has been changed.
In body art, the person is my interactive canvas.
When I do the style of body painting that I did on Sandra, it's more of a dream of archtypical mythological charactors blended with the present and super-imposed onto the person who gives the painting life & movement. It is a form of story telling, even though it is sometimes extremely conceptual and sometimes vague with abstract results.
I love editing photos, partly because I love having perfect results, but also because it's good practice for me and helps me to build my portfolio for photo-editing/image manipulation. I have created another "Before" & "After Editing" photo for you to see what has been changed.
In body art, the person is my interactive canvas.
When I do the style of body painting that I did on Sandra, it's more of a dream of archtypical mythological charactors blended with the present and super-imposed onto the person who gives the painting life & movement. It is a form of story telling, even though it is sometimes extremely conceptual and sometimes vague with abstract results.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Utter Madness of students....
We live rather close to Concordia University, so every year when the welcome back celebrations begin, it is complete utter madness for two weeks; very overwhelming...
McGill University just had their "frosh" about a month ago, total drunken debauchery; it is quite impossible to navigate the cycling path that goes right through the McGill campus. Normally this part of the cycling path is very pretty, except for when you are trying to get out of the way of students who seem totally oblivious to the fact that there are high speed bikes coming their way. I had so many near accidents even when I was going slow.
Concordia students aren't quite as wild but still they completely congest the streets around the campus and they were just as happy and hyper as the McGill students. It also doesn't help that there is major construction going on right around the heart of Concordia's downtown campus, it's really overwhelming to navigate through the throng of excited students.
Normally during the welcome back celebrations I try to hide out and avoid the student congested streets until things calm down, but this year I was really excited to have two contracts for the Concordia Student Union; one for face/body painting on Sept. 16th, and the other was to decorate & tear down said decorations, at Reggies, Concordia's student pub. I will add some photos later on from the decorating contract.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Chitty chatty distant thoughts...
All photography by April-Anna Bremers
Summertime on my porch....
NEW ARTWORKS
In the beginning of August I decided to make this painting for a friend of mine who moved down to Arizona to be with her now husband; they have had a beautiful baby girl since being there. I considered doing a drawing by hand of the photograph but did not have time since I was trying to send the painting down with friends of mine who were flying to Arizona for conferences. So instead I used the photo-transfer techniques I learned with Melanie Mathews in her class at the Westmount Visual Arts Centre last spring. This is the results of the final painting.
Final Painting...
Earlier stage of the painting...
September and the Autumn is coming..... oh humm....
I have been rather busy lately, yes also with art but that has not been my focus for this summer and this past few weeks; I have become absolutely driven with trying to get into the state of health and physical condition/training I desire to be in. My thyroid went under-active when I was 12 and I gained alot of weight from this, that combined with some other factors as well as personal challenges in my family life, lead me into a way of being & living that was not really ideal. Ten years ago I was a size 18, 4 years ago I was a size 16 and now I am, as of the past month, a size 12 but I am starting to realize I must actually be quite petite, because while I am much much healthier, I still have more weight to loose and more muscles to tone. I am guesstimating that maybe I am a size 9? I am not sure since as an adult I have never been my body's natural healthy weight.
I have, as I have mentioned in other postings here on my blog, practicing a form of internal martial arts called Bagua Zhang for the past two years. But I have certainly had my good weeks and down weeks; but this past year, particularly this past three months I am making leaps and bounds compared to where I was at ten years ago. Now, as of this past week, I have officially begin the very slow process of learning traditional chinese medicine. I dont' want to pressure myself, as I choose to go with the flow, but if I can make it through the process, I would like to eventually become a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine. Not because I have any intention of changing careers, believe me, I will always be a career artist, but I wish to volunteer to help people in need as well as to just volunteer at the Gong-Fu centre to help my teacher because, well, just as a thank-you to life for all my blessings. I am so grateful for this life that I lead and the love and support I am surrounded by.
Summertime on my porch....
NEW ARTWORKS
In the beginning of August I decided to make this painting for a friend of mine who moved down to Arizona to be with her now husband; they have had a beautiful baby girl since being there. I considered doing a drawing by hand of the photograph but did not have time since I was trying to send the painting down with friends of mine who were flying to Arizona for conferences. So instead I used the photo-transfer techniques I learned with Melanie Mathews in her class at the Westmount Visual Arts Centre last spring. This is the results of the final painting.
Final Painting...
Earlier stage of the painting...
September and the Autumn is coming..... oh humm....
I have been rather busy lately, yes also with art but that has not been my focus for this summer and this past few weeks; I have become absolutely driven with trying to get into the state of health and physical condition/training I desire to be in. My thyroid went under-active when I was 12 and I gained alot of weight from this, that combined with some other factors as well as personal challenges in my family life, lead me into a way of being & living that was not really ideal. Ten years ago I was a size 18, 4 years ago I was a size 16 and now I am, as of the past month, a size 12 but I am starting to realize I must actually be quite petite, because while I am much much healthier, I still have more weight to loose and more muscles to tone. I am guesstimating that maybe I am a size 9? I am not sure since as an adult I have never been my body's natural healthy weight.
I have, as I have mentioned in other postings here on my blog, practicing a form of internal martial arts called Bagua Zhang for the past two years. But I have certainly had my good weeks and down weeks; but this past year, particularly this past three months I am making leaps and bounds compared to where I was at ten years ago. Now, as of this past week, I have officially begin the very slow process of learning traditional chinese medicine. I dont' want to pressure myself, as I choose to go with the flow, but if I can make it through the process, I would like to eventually become a practitioner of traditional chinese medicine. Not because I have any intention of changing careers, believe me, I will always be a career artist, but I wish to volunteer to help people in need as well as to just volunteer at the Gong-Fu centre to help my teacher because, well, just as a thank-you to life for all my blessings. I am so grateful for this life that I lead and the love and support I am surrounded by.
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