Artist in Residence @ Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

This year I am enjoying the much needed isolation after 5 months of intensive and challenging projects. This is a time to reflect and simplify while make work between scattered bike rides and hikes.

A  powerful thunderstorm rages above the artist cabin, a perfect time for me to update my blog.
Here is whats up on once blank walls so far. Some pieces from last year for inspirations, and a bunch of stuff to finish and blank stuff waiting to be made into something new along the floor.

While hiking I collected a beautiful little bird skull.The reason I have a heavy bandage is that I chopped off the tip of my finger while using my new axe while super tired. Blood spurted everywhere but It is healing nicely after a week. I focused in meditation that it would grow back like an amphibian. The force is strong in me, though I may be in the nubbin club with my two best friends. The core grounds keeper here also has the same marking, Maybe its a man's right of passage. lol.

This year I decided to time lapse the progression of my paintings as I create them. I posted them to my you tube channel and have them linked below. They are short so have a quick gander.

The first painting is in the style of Russian/Greek Orthodox Christian iconography. It is done with acrylic on panel. I intended on using real gold building but did not have enough, instead I used my next favourite gold product made by Golden Acrylics. It has fantastic reflection and glint, the nearest I have found to the real thing, though considerably less expensive and fare easier to apply.

I was inspired after painting the icon to paint a larger version of a gesturing hand to represent learning. I am also excited, not only to be time lapsing my work but also with my inventory and organization that I have been able to update while working in the Artist Cabin. Exciting! Stay tuned………Definitely more to come!

Cypress Hills Artist in Residency - final week

My time here is nearly up and after the week long of pissing down rain great weather has broken thru.

Here is a shot from the cabin porch from any given day this week.

In contrast with a view from the Butte on a sunny day.

I spotted this skull while out hiking. I'm sure ray would have liked me to pick it up and take it home to add to the collection. However, The only thing I'm taking from nature is pictures.

Some pretties.

Everyday I sit in this chair outside the cabin and read "the Believing Brain" by Micheal Shermer. It was a fantastic read and helped me get into the groove to make art. While sitting here the other day a huge moose turned the corner and was trotting toward me. I put down my book in shock and we made eye contact, the kind where I knew we both felt like shitting out britches. It recognized I was a people and gave a grunt as it bound past me. If I had stuck out my arm I would have brushed its enormoose face. Now that is close!!!!!

I was a bit stunned but went inside the cabin to grab my camera for some proof and snap a shot of the moose's behind as it walked away.

Here is an action shot of the stunt flying swallows that have become accustomed to me and swoop at me at the front door now. I think they are protecting their nest.

The internet signal is very weak and unstable, it has taken over 2 hours to make this blog post so I'm going to get back to the cabin and post again when I am back in town =:D

The camping continues....

I had a stretch of a few gorgeous days for some discovery. I've been starting some new work inspired by my camp and some of the surroundings.

Here is my Henessey hammock amongst the trees.

and a later version where I re-applied the trunk paint over the greenery.

I also started a piece where the camper is amongst the trees.

I used bronze and copper paint for the reflective pine leaves covering the ground and the trim on the camper.

On hottest day of the week-end, I cracked and I treated myself to some of Dar's ice cream goodness.

Nom. Nom.

I took myself on a bike ride but quickly found out it was a walking only trail so I parked my dreamy trusty steed against a big tree and went the rest on foot.





Bird, Butterfly and this little fungi - It is pouring rain now so I have plenty of time to sit down and crank out another painting inspired by my camp.

I sketched it out quickly on a Grumbacher artist panel.

I blocked in the background and base colours.

I worked in more depth on the forest floor.

I then used the a fan brush to block in the background and some of the mist.
 
I applied more textured lights and darks and painted in the hammock fly.

I still have more work to do on each one of the paintings and some of the other stuff I am working on while in the Artists Cabin.

Art in the Park - Mission refuel

Mission refuel.

I need both food and gasoline. I left the Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial park this afternoon to restock my camping kitchen. Having all this quiet time to reflect and relax has really helped make a concise list for the kitchen. I have had a lot of time to think what you really want to eat and drink.  I finished a book already and started another.

When I drove into Maple Creek and saw the high gas price,  I couldn't have felt more like I've been living in a bubble. I can see why disconnecting is nice, but it feels strange revisiting. Like Mad Max. I feel like I'm at end of the world coming back to discover its been obliterated. Mind you this is pretty close to the middle of nowhere. As I drove into the nearest town, my engine light has come on, I hope I can figure that out before I have to head back into the woods.

The weather has taken a turn for the wilder and windier. My camper door blew open waking me up super early this morning. I have been biking and getting inspired on interpretive trails before putting in some time at the studio. It's nice to have a place to go and work while camping, I am making the best use of it I can.

 Look up! These are the Lodgepole pine surrounding all the campsites and hiking paths.

 They whisper and sway in the breeze.

Down by the lagoon there are lots of entertaining birds. I love my new telephoto lens, it allows me to get nature shots without disturbing the critters.

And now for something completely different........ unnaturally bold in colour and man made, I copper coated my backgrounds then used the ammonia to blue them back up and began putting in some more time on the letter characters. I also made some more test boards and began some new pieces.

Here is a the wild flower that is beginning to pop up everywhere. The light is really beautiful here.

I think I've removed the last huge spider from my sleeping area so the next person to use the camper wont wake in horror to giant spiders in the face. I look forward to having another go at instructing some groups this week-end if the weather brings in a new slew of campers. Now off to pick up supplies and get back to camping.

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park - artist residency

I'm in Cypress Hills for a 3 week art residency. I arrived before the long week-end began, stopping first in Maple Creek to meet the organizer and to be given a tour and all the necessary forms.

This is the cabin that I get to use as a studio for the duration and where I'll hold classes.

Got wet? It was raining hard the first week-end. I had to unload a surprising amount of studio stuff and camping gear. It's amazing how much I can get into my Toyota Carolla.

More rain and cold weather means less campers and less people to attend my week-end classes. It'll give me time to settle in and get organized.

 Its a cosy little cabin. there are lights and electricity and a heat register if I need it. I 'm glad I brought an extra folding table it is already proving to be a necessity. I brought tons of things to work on and tons of art materials to use and instruct with.

Here si the classroom after a bit of my magic touch. I put a drop cloth down and hung my colorful prayer flags up. I dragged a big desk clear across the room which is where the tripod is seated for this shot with my new fish eye lens.

I decided, due to environmental factors and ease of cleaning, to NOT bring OIL paints. Instead I will be trying out tons of new acrylic materials because of their easy of clean up with water and quickness in drying. Here I've pried two stretched canvases and made some test panels to try out new neon colors, interference and iridescent paints as well as textured grounds in a variety of applications.

Here is a 3d lettered sign I began as a classroom example beside the cabin window.

Late last night I went to this Yurt/ Observatory for an astronomy presentation  with technical difficulties and glitches being the first of the season but none the less informative. Plus the clouds decided not to cooperate. I met the Astronomer in Residence and saw Saturn thru the large telescope in a way that made me fill like a kid again. Plus I always love yurts, they are so cool!

 As Artist in Residence I have been given a camp stall in the "war lodge" campground. There was a vintage camper waiting for me. This is camping luxury. It has two power outlets and an operating mini fridge. The sink and etc. dot have water and the stove doesn't work but its a warm shelter with cupboards etc. Much better than just tenting it.

I dumped all my stuff and started to get my camp settled. I still put up my Henessey hammock and found other uses for the cooler. The weather has turned gorgeous so I'm off to enjoy it and feed the mosquitoes. There is so much to do and see here, from mini golf and canoeing, to zip lines and hiking. I nearly forgot to mention that there is an ice cream shop below the studio that is way too conveniently placed and extremely tempting. I may come back fat!

I hope 3 weeks is enough to help me unwind after the past year. Tomorrow and the few following days I'm going to get out biking and hiking in the days to take pics then make work in the studio until dinner time when I'll return to my camp and stare mindlessly into a fire until I feel like sleeping.