Birds of a Feather...
Every visitor is somehow shaped by the space. Today the visitor was Maya.
All the World's a Stage...
...and we are merely players.
Interrogated by Light
There is a line in a Shakespeare Sonnet-
"Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines..."
which I am reminded of in this photo.
The brightness exposes all and leaves no place to hide,
inner definition is lost and the background becomes dark by contrast.
The shadow looks on from a distance.
A Winter Poem
This is the beginning of the new exhibit in the Genesis Gallery.
Good Will to All
"Soul Cake"
A soul cake, a soul cake,
Please, good missus, a soul cake,
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry.
A soul cake, a soul cake,
Please, good missus, a soul cake,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
And three for Him that made us all.
God bless the master of this house
And the mistress also,
And all the little children
That round your table grow;
The cattle in your stable,
The dogs at your front door,
And all that dwell within your gates
We'll wish you ten times more.
A soul cake, a soul cake:
Go down into the cellar
And see what you can find;
If the barrels are not empty
We'll hope that you'll be kind;
We'll hope that you'll be kind
With your apple and your pear,
And we'll come no more a-soulin'
Till Christmas time next year.
A soul cake, a soul cake:
The streets are very dirty,
Me shoes are very thin,
I have a little pocket
To put a penny in;
If you haven't got a penny
A ha'penny will do;
If you haven't got a ha'penny
God bless you.
In and out of Focus
It is interesting to note that I can only truly focus on what is close to me.
What is more distant becomes blurred, less articulate, more open to interpretation.
Trying to fit a lot on our plate
and looking for a moment of empty
A Work in Process
Zan continues to make new pieces to add to the exhibition, here, in the collage gallery.
Visitors can view her extraordinary masks and also see the materials and way that she uses them.
A reception will be held this Saturday, November 10th from 2 - 5 pm.
Visit arcturus.ca to see more.
Holding Possibility
What is empty?
What is full?
Somewhere on an Island Far Away
The mystery plays on...
Discombobulated
Today
my head is somehow not connected to my body.
A giant puff ball with two little eyes looking out.
That is just how it is today.
Alive
Zan Redcrow takes us with her into the woods
and through her work introduces us
to those beings who dwell there.
Faces that look out at us
often without our knowing
hidden as they are
behind all that grows.
Work is on exhibit from today October 25 - November 24 in the Collage Gallery.
Feeding the pigeons
The figures in the west Genesis Gallery have taken a walk to the east side
where the pigeons gather and the sun shines brighter.
Corduroy
A corduroy day
small hills and valleys settled with chill
not familiar yet
this morning sharpness
snaps cold fingers
in a call to attention
cutting through pretense and falsehood
only an arms length away.
An epidemic of such proportion that it infiltrates my dreaming
stirs itself into my first bitter sip
I can sometimes hear it whispered in the periphery of listening
to your calm reasoning.
Insects are intensely scary when they are swarming
a plague of locusts
are not anything like the grasshopper you find and hold in your hand
spellbound by the fine precision of its creation.
Mobs are the wasps that sting
so better not to get too close
but their wings, like the butterflies a thousand miles away
are causing the winds to lift the edges of our smooth flat sheets.
They may soon resemble sails with us on boats
we no longer know to navigate.
A corduroy day
with nap and ridges
like fur on the back of a fearful dog
reading the morning news.
Choir
I am learning to sculpt soap stone from a master
my first attempts are from his cut offs
small twisted bits resembling cashews
but larger
each one fitting inside the palm.
Where the saw blade severed them from the whole
that flat is now vertical
seven heads standing in a row
small twisted mouths singing their hearts out
cashews don't sing
but they are compulsively delicious
and sculpting is quite compulsive
even more than cutting one's nails
filing the rough edges and a nose appears
or a forehead bevelled on the cusp
fingertips feel the smooth countenance appear
holding three dimensions in the hand.
An Excursion
Yellow door and a tailless black cat
we enter the day
striding up the slight incline
towards the car.
A purposeful departure towards coffee.
There are still puddles after the nights rain,
all else has been blown dry.
Autumn sun shines bright and rises late,
roses are still blooming at the café garden as we park.
No one is sitting outside.
We are on a mission
to pick up stone.
(notice the journey is not of one)
A highway destination
I navigate from the passengers seat,
turning my head to examine the pattern of balconies in the clouds,
reading the bill boards as they flash by.
An undulating fleet or army or troop all moving as one,
the Roman army on wheels peacefully invading Jerusalem
or the Spanish armada crossing the channel.
A cinematic view of the expressway.
On the return
the vehicle is heavy with purchase
five unfinished sculptures in the back
carried in strong arms and laid on the floor in the gallery
waiting for hands to shape them into life.
Living Stone
by Master Sculptor Floyd Kuptana
This piece was created in the 'beneath the stair' studio at Gallery Arcturus and was finished today. It is on view for a limited time in the upstairs Kuptana Gallery which features his most recent sculptures and drawings.
Singing the Japanese Blues
A little bit happy
a little bit sad
to be back
A Patch of Sun
I am sitting in a patch of sun
the only place I found today
to stop my pacing restlessness, from moving me around.
I don't need glasses
except to read signs and headlines
the fine print and ingredients
price tags at the local second hand.
Some five dozen pairs of magnifiers
stashed on every floor
all dollar store zoom lensers.
It's a gift of age not to see the details
the shock of loose skin and spots,
which fade and tighten
when seeing hangs from a string 'round the neck.
What are we all trying to do?
Sweeping up the butts outside
picking up the shit.
Overall,
trying to clean up the mess left behind
to create some semblance of beauty
some hint of order.
A lasoo or drawstring around what matters.
Sometimes hunger is demanding and insatiable
mostly it can be forgotten
lost in boredom or enthusiam
equally displaced.
Maybe we'll get a dog
I can't imagine what that will change
fear of complacency
barks on the inside and frightens what might be different away.
We are sitting on opposite sides
of a small table
or kitti corner
or lying like spoons in the bed
one end of the couch
or the other
driving fast forward
sometimes reverse.
It's a journey we are on, together.
the five faces of Floyd
Being your apprentice
I watch
what you had finished yesterday
disappear
in your fearless hands
soft agreements disagree
dangerous spinning blades
make time move faster
a lifetime
from birth to death
in minutes
and in the aftermath
something survives
with all its struggling
visible.
Journeys
Sae will be travelling to Japan and deborah will also go on a short trip at the same time.
We will continue to post our blogs but they may be somewhat erratic due to time differences.
Introducing our resident sculptor and rock star...
Floyd Kuptana occupying his studio under the front steps of the gallery,
where he is creating a new masterpiece while teaching me, his newest student, the tricks of the trade.
The Space Calls the Show
What began last week in the gallery as 'o v e r t u r n e d' has evolved to include 'Hortense and Hernan'
and has added the important quality of seriousness.
All the exhibits which take place in the gallery are a conversation, in the space, with the space and for the space.
It is the medium of the space which allows visitors to have an experience of something other.
Wondering which end is up?
Part of a new installation in the main gallery entitled;- 'o v e r t u r n e d'
A little bit scary, a little bit risky
This image is telling the story that humans are part angel and part donkey (the horse is just pretending)
Sometimes the donkey is wild and crazy.
Sometimes there is balance and agreement between the parts.
Inspiration is a well kept secret
it just happens
Robot or Puppet?
feeling mechanical
Staying Afloat
Learning from those who went before
how to focus on what's required,
pick up the oar and paddle.
It is the engagement with practical mundane tasks
that keep us independent and grounded.
Call to Duty
What side of the bars am I on at any given day?
And why, I wonder, must I feel cornered before I can even know what skill or effort
it is possible for me to make.
Life calls us to attend to life.
Family Reunion
An interesting cast of characters, four generations meeting for lunch.
Finding Language
It seems to me that language is as personal as perception.
We can only describe what we know
and each of us must attempt to do that by whatever means we have available.
Creativity is an attempt to communicate.
tHe dePth of uNknowIng
Light and shadow create shapes
shapes create forms and landscapes
landscapes have roads that twist and curve and disappear into distances
and there is a sense that someone is watching all this
an observer who wonders and sometimes questions
what is this all about?
Three Days to Get Through
Meet you again on Tuesday.
Trying to Find the Line
Like blades of grass
to many to focus on a single one
a storm threatening but not arriving
beginnings but no completions
the line is there
but cannot be grasped
just that kind of day.
Finding a Rock
Today we went on a road trip
to the Sculpture Supply Center
To find a rock for Floyd to carve.
Stay tuned to see what emerges.
Becoming the Space Between...
...I meet the centre
Leaning Towards the Center
Side by side
each coming from the opposite direction
we come to know the centre as it is contained
in the space between.
Today's Theatre
a box
tall enough to stand inside
one open pink umbrella for the roof
a lizard, a parrot, two giraffes and a bear
and no idea!
A Different Saturday Outing
We invite you to come to the reception for this exhibit this Saturday, July 14, from 2pm to 5pm
Layers
Today was a day of many layers
laughter and tears
under a dark cloud
under a bright cloud
all of us around the table
Eron, Vivian, deborah, Sae,
sitting, standing and dropping to our knees.
The Depth of Language
Each word is shaped by the meaning that it holds.
A word has a weight and a form.
It can be obscure or transparent.
With curiosity it is possible to see into it and sense its many lifetimes.
A word rarely stands alone but reflects the context in which it is placed.
Words are vehicles of travel
carrying us towards understanding.
"I have the ball"
"Catch!"
Mood Indigo
sultry and passionate
Looking for and Finding
'C U S T O D I A N S' is the new exhibit in the Collage Gallery.
The Colour of a Question
In asking a question, with no immediate answer, we enter into a place of unknown possibility.
In asking a question, with no immediate answer, the question may lead us home.
All the World's a Stage
And all the men and women merely players...
Shakespeare
A Place to Sit
There are times when I have been given to
and there are times when I have the impulse to give
both in receiving and in giving
trust is the inspiration.
Carrying our Prayers Heavenward
This line of prayer flags had fallen from where they were strung, onto the ground beneath.
A squirrel came, stuffed the one end into its mouth and carried it through two backyards,
up into the tree where it has its home. There they are, still hanging.
Repetitive and Random
Most of what I do in my life is repetitive.
I learn from what I repeat, when I am able to observe.
And life itself supplies the random, the unexpected, even the unwelcome.
Those are the challenges I react or respond to.
Somehow it's all right here, even while I look for something more.
Asking to be with myself
...is an opening
You seeing me seeing you
a mutual regarding
Alive
A fish in a bowl is totally dependent on us for its survival.
It can endure our neglect for a surprisingly long time
but also it can revive dramatically with care and attention.
It is possible for us to have relationship with every creature
when we recognize it as living.
Between Inside and Out
there is a cloud of unknowing
and in the splitting of the tree
new life growing.
Lost on the Street
Today Sae 'n' I ventured out onto the street, far from our stomping grounds, looking to find who know's what.
We took with us a CONTACT map and gallery names but never found any.
The bus was crowded and hot and we couldn't remember where we were or why we were there.
Sometimes everything we need is right in front of us.
Returning to our familiar was a great relief.
Finding the Rabbit (today's hunt for inspiration)
...not the rabbit!
Shining a Light
...on the seriousness of work
We are calling this door Friday...
...and it opens to the weekend
An Open Handed Gesture
Ready to receive what comes
and what falls away
Now What?
After working towards the completion of a body of work
and the opening which follows
there is often a dry patch
when there seems to be no direction.
This is today.
Closing the Gap
When we close the gaps we alter the landscape.
Cropped Short Stories
Starring
Black Dog
Red Foot Pigeon Theatre
and Guernsey Cow
Coming soon to a gallery near you!
Gallery Arcturus
Show Time
Saturday May 5, 2 - 5pm
Seats still available
The Tools of the Trade
Today Sae 'n I spent all day hanging what is to be 'her show'.
It was very finicky work and exhausting.
We should finish tomorrow.
It will be beautiful!
All the Better to See You With
This is a small glimpse into the space where Marina Hashemi is exhibiting her collages:- Anatomy of a Soul
Trusting the Other
In a collaboration each participant is moved by the other,
quite literally they are each mobilized by a recognition
of potential to create something of beauty and perfection.
Collaboration requires heart and seeing.
It is always surprising and its essence is joy.
Up Coming Event
Marina writes: "'Anatomy of a Soul' was born out of solitude and self reflection.
The skeleton is a form that supports and moves me through life.
My intuition, which I rely on to be my sight and guiding light,
is felt deeply in my gut and pelvis, that is where I placed eyes.
My heart, an organ I associate with deep states of anxiety,
love, empathy - that is why I placed bursts of colour,
delicate butterfly wings and soft flower petals, in the chest.
These are my first collages.
They document an exploration and discovery
of what lives inside my soul."
Brushes in Motion
Today's conversation between Floyd Kuptana and 'that woman' aka deborah harris
Artists Together
Floyd Kuptana and deborah harris have been collaborating together for many years.
His sculptures have inspired her drawings, collages, paintings
which have in turn inspired Floyd to expand his talents into drawing and painting.
This show documents their creative conversation to the present.
Mirror, mirror on the floor...
what was once in the ocean,
is found on the shore.
This installation ushers in a new exhibition,
F e r o c i o u s J o y
This whale bone was found on the shores of Tuktoyaktuk, NWT in 1940,
at the mouth of the MacKenzie River where it enters the Arctic Ocean.
Puzzling the Pieces to Come Together
Puzzle: To perplex or confuse;
to discover or resolve by long
cogitation.
The Rhythm of Repetition
What happens to the creative process when we try to repeat or reproduce it?
We may find our self stuck in the same place just spinning our wheels.
Something we can also call habit.
Against All Odds
Against all of our resistances,
justifications and reasons for why not,
some hidden, forgotten, longed for essence
continues to be.
The Title Unknown
Trying to find the story
as it enters from the outside in
If it comes in I will find it.
A moving stream full of images.
One floats to the surface and lets me catch it.
That one image holds a memory of the whole.
If I can begin with that slippery fish
it will lead me through to an ending.
It is always surprising
and always known.
The ON Button is Pushed...
...and pointing up
Wondering Which Way to Go
Sometimes, but almost never
we touch what we desire.
excerpt from 'Robert Frost at Eighty' by Peter Boyle
Returning to One
Something rich comes from our conversations
that I take home with me to ponder.
An Agreement to be Moved
Sometimes we cannot initiate.
Sometimes we do not want to do what we are asked to do,
or we cannot decide what of all the things we think we must do
that we can do.
We are surrounded by movement.
Simple, mundane tasks require our attention.
They insure that we continue to engage.
We must only agree.
Hanging by a thread...
...turning to face the now.
A stroke of the hand...
grass in the wind
Playing a Song of Green
"Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves."
Ed and Gina Go to the Theatre
I asked him, "What kind of day do you think it is today?"
And he answered, "A little bit flat but friendly."
And so I thought maybe it looks like this.
A Gift of Flowers
The Collage and E.J Gold Gallery have joined the present show 'In Memory of Spring'
with what is being called - 'A Delicate Response'
One Step at a Time
The day began
stepping on my own toes
but slowly the steps became more sure
more steady and evenly paced
one step following the next.
Flowering in my Head
More than an idea.
Meetings
Matthew Bates is the nephew of a dear friend of ours, Pete Corr,
who passed away this last week, February 15.
Matthew has been here from England for the last days of his uncle and after.
He has inspired the next show entitled 'In Memory of Spring'
and has left us with many of what he is calling ' floral sculptures'.
This is one of his first excursions into collage which will be part of the new work shown in the Collage Gallery.
Finding Home
How much further must we go?
It's a Matter of Scale
An immensity of blue
small enough to fit in our mouth
or to hold in our hand.
An immensity,
too vast to comprehend
and yet infinitesimal
in our sight
New Life
Moving from the darkness towards the light
Indigo Dream
Watching the snow melt.
Windows
Working from home
seeing the familiar in an unfamiliar way,
through the camera's lens and Sae's eyes.
They are windows too.
Another benefit of home.
Don't Touch
Sometimes we have to wear armour,
spikes and thorns pointing out,
to protect the soft inside.
Today is a prickly day.
Many Hands Make Light Work
We can do things more quickly and easily when we work together.
Today we were four working together.
These are two examples by Eron Boyd (top)
and
Vivian Felsen (lower)
As the Moon Wanes
The moon tonight may appear as full
but its face has begun to move into shadow.
An almost imperceptible turning
we sometimes look up to see.
Into the Deep
Blowing bubbles
like small moons rising from the deep.
Feet fluttering to propel
a slow motion turning
along the ocean floor.
Far From the Maddening Crowd
Very close to the gallery is another world,
a lush tropical world,
separated from the outside
just by a layer of glass.
The Beauty of Cold
Today is a poem
written in shadows.
Lines which speak of roots and cracks.
Ice a broken voice
waiting to be fluid.
For now content with silence.
Just Out of Reach
How can we touch something which is floating?
It can be like a question which is not easily answered.
But even the asking inspires us to stretch our understanding.
Looking at life from both sides
Looking from one side I think that is all there is to see.
But life itself keeps turning,
rising and falling with the tides.
Through time I may receive the possibility of seeing from the other side,
a picture of the world,
more expansive and complex than anything I could have imagined.
Somewhere in between
is looking.
I could play with you but I don't wanna
well maybe just one touch
We are back in the saddle...
...coming out of the tunnel.
Shadows in a Rice Field
There is a story whispered here
stillness and movement
coming towards and going away
from the one who stands watching
Deerly Beloved
We are gathered here to remember our roots and our gentle nature.
