A baby eating quinoa

This is a baby eating quinoa. I think a baby eating quinoa is really, really cute. so I put it on my blog. I realize that you may think that is a little indulgent. But I am allowed to indulge, its my birthday. now, enjoy the cuteness!

art, design, education, and dreams....

Hi all.

so. I told you a while back that I am interested in starting my own business. Well, thats still true. I think many moms think that it would be a good idea to work their own hours, and be in charge of their own time. Also, being a mom you become pretty darn good at time management... and stuff...

Anyways, seeing as it has taken me...oh, around 12 years to almost be an architect, one may think I want to open my own design office. Well, fact is, at this point that doesn't seem so appealing. Its high risk and a lot of responsibility. Also, there is not a tonne of work out there and there is a lot of competition from more established people. so, no thanks, not my idea of fun...

So, what then? (and on second hand why are you writing about it in your blog???) well, I am firstly trying to pump up my business savvy by taking some courses at momentum. The first one I am taking starts this April, in business on the internets. I think it will be great. Then, in the fall I am going to take another course to develop my idea further. I will do all this while working and raising my family. yeah, I know.

I want to register as an architect and gain more skill in the industry before breaking out... (for those of you who work with me... just so theres no surprises!)

Then! I am thinking about combining my love of design, art and architecture, with my love of kids and education. I am taking Ruhi book 5 this month, which is a training course in working with "junior youth" or kids in that sticky age just before becoming teenagers. I am stoked about it and think that this age group would be perfect for my idea. I want to develop an after school program for this age group in design, sustainable living and art. (some urban agriculture would be good too...) Somewhat like the mad science program...only design and living...and probably much smaller scale (at least to start...)

Anyways, the idea is to run after-school programs, and workshops for kids, and to be able to promote the stuff I love. I'm pretty stoked about it right now...and I'm writing about it because its on my mind, and because I am open to ideas, suggestions, references, networking...and all that jazz...I mean maybe it already exists and I just dont know about it...

PS aren't those some pretty buildings? from the fall - wood design and building magazine.

all a twitter

its addicting. I am not recommending it, but Ive started "twitting" and I cant stop. You may see the widget added to my page. We will see how long this lasts, but I thought I might as well unite my web-fronts so to speak, so you can get more of me, more often.

OK, so this painting is the first of a few coming up that are attempts to replicate the mood and technique of my small paintings, but larger. If you are not a painter you may not have experienced the challenge of scale in a painting. Its not like photoshop where you can just hit "zoom" and the picture grows. Actually that's one thing I love about painting - it exists in the real world, which is influenced by such things as the size of paint pigment, paper sizing, and water molecules. So, I also have to deal with larger compositions, which usually dont bother me except Ive been working so small that its a totally brain shift to paint bigger. Earlier attempts have resulted in me leaving the image and subject matter all together as in here, here, here, here and here.

So far I am not so happy with my last few attempts. But that's how one learns eh? And aren't you privileged that I made myself a promise to post my whole journey - the ones I like and the ones I don't. Mostly so I have a painting for each post, and also so that you can enjoy my successes with me.

I am in the process of planning an art show in a Yurt on Vancouver Island, with a live marimba band and gourmet food in July. (I cant believe I just wrote that - its my idea of heaven on earth!) you are welcome to come! I'll keep you posted...in case you didnt catch my tweet...yo.

hands - working

This painting is of hands kneading bread. yup, its that obvious.

We have been doing some cleaning around here. It feels good.

Actually, its not really "cleaning" as per our usual, its more "CLEANSING". Yup, we've put our home on a cleanse...(well, it is the Fast you know...)

whilst on a small vacation I woke up in a cold sweat. I imagined going home and having boxes and boxes of trashy stuff falling on my head, and being unable to move in it all. It was a little melodramatic, but the truth is our house is bursting at the seams. Our living room a shining example - what do you mean you dont have a train table, a full telescope and tripod, a yoga swing bags and bags of toys, furniture, three guitars, three computers, mountains of books and cameras in your tiny living room?

So we have started a cleansing process. Every Thursday for the last three weeks we made a trip to the recycling, thrift store and consignment store. A by-product is that we sort through and organize cupboards in search of things to purge. wow. I tell you. it feels good!

In her book "the creative family" Amanda talks first about how creativity is easier when we dont have too much stuff. Well, here's a toast to that, and to all future purging Thursdays, when we feel cleaner, healthier and happier! And have more time and space for doing things like making bread...

a video of ...us

OK so this is sort of a geeky experiment to see if I can actually put this video on my blog. I made it today for my husband's birthday. I emailed it to his iphone. yup, he really digs stuff like that. The song is my favorite by Ane Brun. Called "treehouse song". I actually made this video entirely on my mac. I used the little camera and iphoto to do the video and imovie to edit the film. Super easy, and I did it during the day, while breastfeeding and doing other insane things.

Try it, surprise your spouse too!

It was well received.

on art, and fasting

sorry for all the food talk during the fast. My friend over at mudspice included a link to a site called "nineteen days". Its beautiful and inspirational. I find not fasting, with a family and a husband who is, just as precious. March is such a gift after February. We've even had days with all the windows open...and at moments it smells like spring! (oh, if you didnt know, Baha'is fast for 19 days from sun rise to sunset, every year... more info here...)

OK, to change the subject, here is the painting.

Its bigger. Its a different sort of style I was experimenting with. I like the way it looks like a wood cut. I love wood cut...did I mention my major in school was printmaking? I miss it so, and, well, this is a homage to it.

So, I did this painting and there are things I really like about it, but found I am moving quite far from the feel if the little paintings I was doing - and there is something there that I want to really soak in... you know, just delve into.

I started this project with some really stringent constraints. Uniform studio talks about that in her post about a painting she did with her kid. Its sort of a thing us architects love...the more constraints the more creative we can be.

Anyways, this series was based on a series of simple ideas I had sketched. I was to use only earthy colours, and simple compositions. I wanted the content and subject to be united, and to evoke a feeling of history, nostalgia, and mystery of the unknown future.

but now I am finding there's not enough constraints! So many directions and options! Its all so exciting. I feel I could spend my entire life exploring just one painting, one colour, one idea...sigh.

Oh "Art"... Thou art so...


big.

Yay vancouver...

So I dont know if all of you know, but us calgary chicken lovers are a little jealous of the Vancouver chicken lovers..check this out.

yup, chickens are now allowed in Vancouver. Thats a pretty big deal. There are quite a few nay-sayers. Particularly the poultry industry who are afraid of avian flu. I dont quite understand how a few backyard chickens are a problem - I'm not saying there may not be a problem, I just dont see how. If some backyard chickens get the flu from wild birds, and sadly die, how would the disease would get to a poultry farm? But maybe I'm missing something. Anyways, urban hens... this as all great progress.

Us at urban agriculture have also been talking about this article. Its interesting as these are all things I buy regularly. (big pat on the back here...) but I know people dont eat these things because every time I get swiss-chard, the check-out teller doesnt know what it is.

I'd also like to add Kale to this list, as I have a big crush on kale and eat it a lot. this is how I love it:

first fry in hot oil till crispy, then fry a little hot sauce in a pan, add the kale and a can of coconut milk. and let it boil a little. Mmmmmm - delicious.

Also I found this recipe for cookies. - awesome. except we never have pecans just lying around, so I made them the second time without, and added a cup of oats, some coconut, and chopped pumpkin seeds. I think that pumpkin seeds cannot be eaten in a more decadent and delicious setting...

Oh, and though its been mentioned before, the best way to eat canned pumpkin, in my opinion, is in a pumpkin pie. Which happens to be Marcel's favorite food, as I always say: when you cant get your kids to eat vegetables for dinner - serve them for dessert! We are making one today!

Oh, and this painting is of wheat...and an urban scene. These, along with the last one, are studies for a larger painting I did...(which I will present in my next post...cue suspense music now...) The paintings have taken a little turn in direction, but have no fear, I am turning back as we speak. such a journey...

a new hat, a painting, and a birthday

Today is a very special day. Its the birthday of the most important man in my life. Hes warm, loyal and happy. He always looks to the bright side of any situation and can always make me laugh. I trust him absolutely. Happy birthday my love.

I made this painting, its a grain mill - if you didn't know. I also made a little hat. Its really for Marcel, but its so small, it fits little Em pretty well, and he can grow into it. I made it with a knitting loom. Someone at the parent link gave it to me. Its fun to make something so quick.

boys at the table

I am sure that one day I'll take t for granted that my boys sit up at the table together. But today when it was for the first time...It was the cutest thing.

a bunch of stuff...

does anyone else out there have a problem with getting flour in their paint??? One would think I would move the paint... or the flour, but they are in just the right place - relative to their uses... just not relative to each other...



the virtue sun, a clock that we can determine our own time with, and the alphabet string...



a pink painting brightening up my kitchen right now. by Marcel.

The new Ayyam-i-ha traditions are all experimental right now. I have a son who LOVES chocolate, so to make the holy day special, I made chocolate cake. Then we made cookies and took them to neighbours and family with little cards we made from pictures of the kids and ripped up paintings of mine. Yup, that's where paintings I don't like end up.... I stamped "happy ayyam-i-ha" on them with my new text stamp set. That's so fun.

We painted a banner, on a piece of canvas with the kids tempra paint. That worked out well. We had a potluck party and had gifts for the kid every morning. (a pair of binoculars, a compass and a headlamp - all well received and useful for camping trips!)

And we made presents for a few friends. They are there in the photo - they are little boxes made out of cereal boxes. I used watercolour tape to hold them together, and stamped the kids names on top. We put little things in like water balloons, bouncy balls and key chains. The kids loved them...especially the boxes with their names on.

yeah, so, that's why we have been busy... I am not sure which traditions will last to next year, but it will be lovely to see what is remembered and cherished.

It was so warm out today, the whole world became a crumbling, rushing, dripping river.


This music video is cool, for at least 2 reasons:

A: because it is for the CBC
B: because she is playing a tenor recorder in it. I LOVE tenor recorder. I was trying to start a recorder group a while back, with very little success. I was really quite surprised you all are not out there just waiting to join a recorder group.

I mean...I am.

I visited my friend who is an artist living in northern Ontario. He is a Bahai and a mentor. He gave a good critique of my work - lots to think about. He has some amazing work, check out his website. He was asking if there is a website, or online space for Bahai visual artists... I dont know of one...but perhaps I am not in the loop.

Thats it for now...I think.