Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
okay,..here we are..with an hour to leave for the airport..trying this out for the first time...pics...of Seanna, TEd, Sierra...Johnny and Lindsey and I cheeseburgering it at Toronto airport...then...lots of Merit and Hans' house, caravan by Casey, glassworks on the front door, Hans' wood sculptures that I told you about..and the great wall of glass panels..enjoy! see you in Africa...tomorrow, Harare Zim..87 degree F. Hot.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Where was I?
Oh my gawd. Toronto airport..2 big bags bursting - too much stuff, too heavy. 28 packages of felt markers, Sharpies, 50 guache paddies of paint, overweight, paper..too much bug spray, shampoo, cremes, stuff..had to buy another bag, pay extra -LIndsey John and I all over the floor, repacking. Stressed.And I haven't left Canada!
Flying fast flight across..Amsterdam, 7am yesterday, Merit Dutch sister big welcome -Dominiques for eggs and creme cheese and lox and great glass studio and an orange round couch - European design, nothing better, I want to take it home..deep orange walls with turquoise trim and on to Merit and Hans full-of-art house,Ophmert. I haven't been here in 10 years since Bali and Douglas Walton and learning how first to draw, - no longer the cow house, once painted like a Holstein with black splotches on white stuccco, now deep yellow with...
Going back to bed, pics later - wish you were here to see this Merit and Hans magnificence covered in Casey McGlynn - full walls of Casey, a caravan of Casey - Casey everywhere..on the table Hans wooden sculptures, big smooth voluptuous, sensuous, you want to hold them, put them on your lap, touch them.He's created a wall of glass windows, some old, some new, some stained, rippled, clear, floor to ceiling, pics later in the light, brilliant.
Merit's studio bursting with work, on every surface, inside Hans made cupboards, so changed since we did Casey in Brooklyn 05..layers and layer of ink, paint, coffee, splashed, she's great with pattern, repeats colour, humour, sister Merit, since 1979 and Findhorn, so..lucky to be here with them, a haven of old friends,Dutch rum with coke, talking, politics, Iraq, Afghanistan,George Bush,friends, art and Zimbabwe and gorgeous Harare filled with flowers..I go tonight!
Oh my gawd. Toronto airport..2 big bags bursting - too much stuff, too heavy. 28 packages of felt markers, Sharpies, 50 guache paddies of paint, overweight, paper..too much bug spray, shampoo, cremes, stuff..had to buy another bag, pay extra -LIndsey John and I all over the floor, repacking. Stressed.And I haven't left Canada!
Flying fast flight across..Amsterdam, 7am yesterday, Merit Dutch sister big welcome -Dominiques for eggs and creme cheese and lox and great glass studio and an orange round couch - European design, nothing better, I want to take it home..deep orange walls with turquoise trim and on to Merit and Hans full-of-art house,Ophmert. I haven't been here in 10 years since Bali and Douglas Walton and learning how first to draw, - no longer the cow house, once painted like a Holstein with black splotches on white stuccco, now deep yellow with...
Going back to bed, pics later - wish you were here to see this Merit and Hans magnificence covered in Casey McGlynn - full walls of Casey, a caravan of Casey - Casey everywhere..on the table Hans wooden sculptures, big smooth voluptuous, sensuous, you want to hold them, put them on your lap, touch them.He's created a wall of glass windows, some old, some new, some stained, rippled, clear, floor to ceiling, pics later in the light, brilliant.
Merit's studio bursting with work, on every surface, inside Hans made cupboards, so changed since we did Casey in Brooklyn 05..layers and layer of ink, paint, coffee, splashed, she's great with pattern, repeats colour, humour, sister Merit, since 1979 and Findhorn, so..lucky to be here with them, a haven of old friends,Dutch rum with coke, talking, politics, Iraq, Afghanistan,George Bush,friends, art and Zimbabwe and gorgeous Harare filled with flowers..I go tonight!
Friday, October 20, 2006
5 oclock in the morning Dutch time..up all night since sometime last night with Water for Elephant by Sara Gruen,upside down with time. Memories of leaving, great dinner with Seanna, Ted, Sierra..curled up sleeping last time I saw her, the babies, Johnny, Shauna..and David Buwalda from ICA assuring mine that all would be wonderful these next four months, at the airport, LIndsey and I and almost Johnny crying like fools, all of us looking so hard at each other like the Von Trapp Family I said to the South of England guy behind me looking forward to going home..me, almost missed my flight - the hour lineup at security, racing down the running ramp,the KLM hostess running alongside, hurry, hurry, 15 minutes to go and they close the gate in 5, of course we make it, like the flat on my back tire blows they day before, first time, gets fixed, the gas stove at the River House leaks causing my tenant hospital overnight on oxygen, hot water spewing through Art Retreat pantry wall, sticking my finger through the gypsum, easy, and Gary there in a minute, plumber, Jean, and I take off, a last dinner with Geoff, are you leaving Canada or are you going to Africa, both I say. Both.
I'm on a PC in Dutch. Just hit something, and alas thought I'd lost this, enough to send me back to bed tossing..
Where was I? Gawd I hope I am not boring you to death.
Don't have my email addresses here, otherwise might try to write you individually.
Where was I?
I'm on a PC in Dutch. Just hit something, and alas thought I'd lost this, enough to send me back to bed tossing..
Where was I? Gawd I hope I am not boring you to death.
Don't have my email addresses here, otherwise might try to write you individually.
Where was I?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Three days to go! Full speed ahead...a hundred things to do - like tieing everything up, leaving your life, everything tries to be finished, done, in place..no time much less energy to digest the magnitude of immense life change, culture change, environmental change, emotional change - numb. Moments of sheer exuberance and excitement, wonderment, coagulating with strickened terror of plunging deeply into the unknown:
I land in Harare, Zimbabwe Monday morning...a hugely proud country once deemed the 'bread basket of Africa', now a place, of fuel, food and water shortages, 90% unemployment, rampant HIV positive and AIDS...a place the US have advised tourists not to vist, and yet, a place peopled by the most gentle, hugely expressive, beautiful spirits in all of Africa...I am told.
Oh, I hopeI have something to offer. People ask: what propels me to embark on such a journey: why would I choose to leave this life in Canada - a world of love, family, friends, comfort - the known. It's everthing, drawn at first to offering energy, light, artistic enthusiasm where creativity might help, just a little...imagining workshops as I do at my Art Retreat...spirit cards...gradated colouring, quirky upside down drawings... the Artist Way (by Julia Cameron),or Drawing on the Right side of the Brain..lots of possibilites?
Realizing the impossiblity of this: no materials as we know it, no art stores, no Rotblotts down the street, no Currys, no Gwartzman, no paint, no paper,no oil pastel, no pens, even paper... what to do? what to possibly use? Found objects. Powdered tempora mixed with ashes from cooking fire, mixed with plant, minerals, sand, dirt. Metal? Wood? Wire. Can't use coffee stain..can't use anything you could eat..drink...juice stain. No. Then what?
I HAVE NO IDEA...none..I will run around today and pack a bag of Sharpies, oil and soft pastels, a bit of paper, spiral notebooks in such abundance here is in dire demand there. Sponge brushes. Landing in Amsterdam Saturday morning..a day with Merit and Dominique...to buy more art supplies from Holland...but what to take?
The ICA (ZIM Institute of Cultural Affairs) give workshops to 'clubs' of people applying for micro loans: in leadership, business,HIV/AIDS education and care...I will learn, watch, witness..hoping to plug into what they are doing..hoping to add a visual element - But what effect any of us can have? How to participate? How to add to? All I do know, is that the more I know, the more I DON'T KNOW...I really don't...I can't possibly plan..I have no idea what to expect, I can only pray that what I have to bring will be of some use -
Son John is fully armed this morning with both babies, gurgling, hickcupping, gooing....Shauna upstairs exhausted after a night of feedings...the meanderings of a Wednesday morning in Toronto....got to run!
Friday, October 13, 2006
I'm back, still practicing...this week, done, so far:
-medical: picked up all my antibiotics, malaria pills, bug sting lotions, sunscreen, baby wipes.
-ticket, medical and cancellation insurance...
-photocopied 4 copies of passport, said insurance papers, credit card, health insurance.
-camera: bought two memory cards worth 1600 pics, thanks to Sonia., batteries, rechargeable, charger, adapter for Africa using British prongs...
-bank: US money...
-clothing: a skirt, two t shirts long sleeves, I think I have the rest...
-art supplies, picking up a few, lots more to do!
have to run, more later...
-medical: picked up all my antibiotics, malaria pills, bug sting lotions, sunscreen, baby wipes.
-ticket, medical and cancellation insurance...
-photocopied 4 copies of passport, said insurance papers, credit card, health insurance.
-camera: bought two memory cards worth 1600 pics, thanks to Sonia., batteries, rechargeable, charger, adapter for Africa using British prongs...
-bank: US money...
-clothing: a skirt, two t shirts long sleeves, I think I have the rest...
-art supplies, picking up a few, lots more to do!
have to run, more later...
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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