CTV Update

I got an email from Tracy, the super nice producer of the 1 year Olympic Anniversary special telling me that it will air in Canada, from 8-10 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 13th. Only 13 more days left!

Please do double check your local listings though, just to be sure that's the time in your region, so you don't accidentally miss it!

In other Olympic related news, I am going to be a part of a Flash Mob. That's all I'm saying for now, but the opportunity presented itself and I thought "Why the heck not?" It's just the kind of goofy thing I'd enjoy and I'm always up for a laugh!

Today In Pictures

And a little eyecandy purchase:

The Olympics; The Gift That Keeps On Giving!

Just over a week ago, I came across a post online, about a call CTV (Canada's national TV network) had put out, looking for people to share their Olympic experiences. As you know, from my previous post, I made a submission. What I did not tell you was that I got a call from a producer in Toronto (hi Tracy!) asking me if I would be willing to participate in the 90 minute, 1 year Olympic anniversary special. Would I?!? Who loves the Olympics more than I do? Of course I would!

After several phone calls and emails back and forth, I was scheduled to meet with a camera crew to shoot my clip on Monday. Monday, turned out to be a wash-literally. We had a record rainfall (practically a monsoon!) and the outdoor location we were planning to use was impossible. It would have been like Shamus O'Toole doing the Vancouver version of News from Away and surely, I would have needed a nor'easter! Tracy called me and saved me the trip in. We rescheduled for Wednesday.

So this afternoon, I headed downtown to Jack Poole Plaza to meet up with David and Jeff. When I was waiting on the platform for the skytrain to take me into the city, some Asian tourists came up, asking for help with directions. Clearly, the Blue Jacket has made an impression-it means something to people around the world. I'm kind of proud of that.

See how beautiful the day was? And yes, that is a "pixilated" orca, an art installation at the plaza with the beautiful North Shore mountains in the background.

This is where the outdoor torch is. It's going to be relit on February 12th to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the Games. One thing that cracks me up is that lots of people refer to it as "the cauldron". It's kind of odd because there's nothing bowl-like about it. It's a torch, formed in the same shape you make to start a campfire. But still, people call it a cauldron.

When I arrived, David and Jeff were just finishing another segment. We chatted for a few minutes about how the light had pretty much gone from this location. It's bordered on the land side by high rises, so as soon as the sun starts getting lower in the sky, shadows start to fall on the plaza. I mentioned what a shame it was that the weather had prevented us from shooting at the other location, which would have been spectacular. They thought about it for a moment and then asked if I had time for us to go there. I sure did! We hopped in their car and whizzed over to the other side of the city.

David looking at the raw footage

Where did we go? To the big Inushuk* on English Bay! There's a panoramic view of the ocean and mountains there which is why I was more than happy to make the trip if it meant I could have that as my backdrop. It's so beautiful and there was still plenty of light.

The only thing was, there was also a noisy bit of construction going on right bedside the monument. *rolls eyes* David set his camera up while Jeff scared the lone seagull off his perch on the inushuk's head. I got wired for sound and then we began shooting. Or tried to. Just as I began to speak, HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!! A dump truck decided to move on out and let the entire neighbourhood know it. There was nothing to do but laugh and wait it out. It seems that once you intend to film, you attract all manner of loud, random noises.

Once things settled down a bit, I got a few takes in, then it got noisy again and so we had to wait, again. David changed up the shot and we did a few more takes. He and Jeff were really lovely about it-they said they weren't satisfied till I was satisfied with what I'd done and they were both great cheerleaders. I have to say that shooting outside is alot harder than shooting in a studio. It's easier to concentrate on a quiet set, as opposed to being outdoors with city noise and people stopping and staring at you. I did my best and I hope Tracy's pleased. David and Jeff seemed happy with what we'd done. (YAY!)

I got to have a sneak peek at the raw footage and I know it's going to be edited, so it will probably look alot different from how it looks now. Only 16 days till it airs!

I had a really lovely time with these gentlemen. They were very kind to me and it was fun working with them. One of the best parts of being involved with the Olympics was the opportunity to meet all kinds of people. I've had some amazing experiences and this one rates right up there. I've far exceeded any hopes or expectations I ever held for what my Olympic dream was. I got the dream and then some and I'm deeply grateful and appreciative of that. They guys asked me about my experience and when I said it was the best time of my life, I meant it with all my heart.

So...if you're in Canada and you want to see the special, it airs on CTV on Sunday, February 13th. You'll need to check your local listings for the time. I'll be the one in the Blue Jacket (ha! that's a bit of an inside joke) standing on the beautiful west coast of Canada with the oceans and the mountains all around.

Thank you CTV and Tracy, David and Jeff for this amazing opportunity. I am honoured and humbled to be a part of it and I hope I've done you proud.

*Which oddly enough is actually an "Inunnguaq", if you were going to refer to it by it's correct name. I posted about this here after my visit to Canadian Northern House just before the Games.

In Memory

  Kenneth George Chick

October 31, 1921-January 25, 2004 

I miss you every day.

Wouldja?

So about a week and a half ago, I made a submission to CTV (which for those of you not living in Canada, is our national TV network.) about my Olympic experience and last night I discovered they have it posted on their website!

I would love it if you would pop on over to leave a comment there.

Really, I would appreciate it a great deal.

 Here's the link.

Thank you, thank you!! <3

Message to Myself

Just a short post today because I am tired. I woke to the sound of Indy's deep growl at the foot of my bed (which is never a good thing) very early this morning. He was just doing his job (good dog!) but I hadn't planned to be awake so soon.

Anyway, continuing on with my hand self-portraits, here are two I worked on today. The first has just a snippet of my fingers, but it kind of shows my soul, really. My love for the beauty of this province is immense. Every single day, I get to look at mountains and trees and the ocean. You cannot live here without feeling a deep connection to nature. Any time I can be outside breathing in fresh air and hiking, with my husband and best dog in tow, that's what I'm doing.

That big starfish you can see is an souvenir from my last trip to Artfest in 2009. Penn and I were beach combing at the ferry landing when I spotted it. Normally, I prefer live creatures to remain alive, in their own habitat, but it was high up in the tide line and completely dried up. I've never seen one of this variety before-usually the starfish here are either thick fat purple ones or they are shaped like the sun and are deeply submerged. I figured finding this one was a gift and brought it home. It's been in my studio with the rest of my beachcombings ever since.

This one is about something someone once said to me. A friend, John Nunnah once wrote me a note on a scrap of paper that said

 "You were born to be a leader. You will surely be one."

I've kept that note for 22 years. It was one of the most meaningful things anyone has ever said to me and I am still awed that he felt moved to write it down. I carried those words in my heart all these years.

*****

Today has been a banner day. I got a phone call and email that was some very exciting news. I'll be sharing it here once it's a done deal, but it's really cool and was a lovely surprise. Actually, come to think of it, I've been showered with all manner of good things in the last week:

 Vivienne gifted me with her class, which you can see by my posts I am enjoying immensely. Thank you Viv!

Jeannette Janson had a give-away on her blog and I won second prize, which was a $10 gift certificate to spend in her Etsy shop. Thank you Jeanette!

 And then this mysterious phone call and email today that just put my happiness over the top. Thank you Mystery Caller!

Yes, I'd say that 2011 has been interesting so far. I love it when the new year starts off like this. Not unlike how 2010 started off, come to think of it. I'll take all the good kharma I can get!

The Work of My Hands

 Today I decided to focus my camera on my hands. My hands have become a big issue in my life because 3 years ago, I lost all the feeling in my hands. It was caused by the damage MS did to my spinal cord. I can now only sense hot, cold and pain and those sensations are blown way out of proportion. (A paper cut feels like I've chopped a finger off, touching something cold or hot hurts.)

 When I first lost the feeling in my hands, it was pretty scary. I was in the process of being diagnosed and so I didn't tell anyone, other than my close friends and family. It took a long time for my brain to adjust. I had to relearn how to do everything you do with your hands, on my own. It was very trying, struggling with even the simplest of tasks. I got frustrated alot and many times I thought I'd have to stop making art, the thought of which was just soul crushing.

If you put on a pair of oven mitts and then spend even an hour trying to go about your normal day, you'd have a small glimpse into what it feels like to live with no feeling in your hands. Try buttoning something or zipping a zipper, brushing your teeth or tying your shoe. Not so simple now, is it?

I feel a sense of awe at how the body trouble shoots the things it can't heal. After about a year, with alot of hard work and persistence, I managed to regain understanding between my brain and my hands. The communication between them is not the same anymore-instead of using a cellphone, they are using two tin cans and a string, but it works. It means I can sit here and type this post. It means I can make art. It might take me a little longer-somethings are still challenging, but I still get the job done.

When I think about my hands, I can't help but think of my Gramps. He suffered multiple strokes over my lifetime. He was a gifted carpenter and cabinet maker. He worked with his hands his whole life, even when he too was robbed of the feeling from neurological damage from the strokes and the effects of diabetes. I think about how hard it was for him and he never complained-he just quietly went about his business. He taught me everything  about resilience, grace and courage.

So that is why I have turned the lense towards my hands today. I wanted to honour how they serve me and in turn serve others in my life. They are powerful tools. The work they do is sacred and vital and I look at them with awe and respect.

The Real Gift

So further to yesterday's post, I wanted to talk some more about what I've learned in the last 24 hours of Vivienne McMaster's class, Wading In.

First of all, let me just say I am in love with the b&w setting on my camera. I think the nuances and quality of the light show better in b&w and there's less distraction for the eye. I tried sepia as well, but b&w won out.

I felt really good about the images I took on that setting. They seemed more artistic somehow. It's probably got alot to do with the lines feeling cleaner. There's nothing I love better than beautiful, clean lines. I notice them all the time, in architecture, in nature, in the profile of my gorgeous dog Indy...

I am also enjoying the exchange of ideas. A fellow student was talking about how when you are publishing, you're often asked to include a photo of yourself. I've always found that really challenging because I don't really have any that I like. Well, no more! I am grooving on the idea of having a selection of self portraits that I can choose from the next time I'm asked. I'll have some artsy images, created by ME, not just some lame run-of-the-mill, make-do headshot.

Like perhaps this? I did this this morning, in about 5 minutes. I'd say it would make a pretty cool bio pic. It says more about me than a regular everyday photo does. Being able to to shoot my own self portraits is really quite empowering. I'm seeing myself through a whole new lense.

That first photo I posted, The Blessing was a gift of light and experimentation. I love how the individual strands of my hair picked up the light and the angle I shot it at. It looked to me like the light was blessing me.

The real gift in this is how in a few short hours, in a handful of photos, I've begun to see myself differently. The filters are changing. I've been deeply angry with my body for such a very long time {which is part of the grieving process when you live with an incurable, life-altering disease} that I'd forgotten there was anything beautiful about it. Maybe as this process unfolds, I will become gentler with myself.

A Gift

I'm not sure how I've managed to be so lucky lately, but on Friday, I won the gift of an opportunity to take a self-portraiture class with Vancouver artist Vivienne McMaster through a give-away on life coach,  Kate Swaboda's website.

Vivienne's class, Wading In will be a good exercise for me to try being in front of the camera, instead of behind. I've never been someone who is comfortable posing for photos. I can remember hiding under a bed or locking myself in the bathroom when I was young because I hated it that much. I can't really say why, I just did. Perhaps it had something to do with feeling vulnerable. I'm not particularly good with that.

Anyway, I took some images that I am pleased with. This is one. It's amazing to me how I see my history in this image. I come from people who made their living with their hands.

This one delighted me when I realized the light had caught the tiny invisible hairs on my fingers. I am in love with the way the light and shadows create magic when I use the b&w setting. I love the clean lines. When you strip away colour, the eye focuses in a very crisp and definite way. This pleases me. I am all about the lines of things.

I made this using an image I shot of myself in the mirror today. ONE DAY in this class, squeezed into the space between dealing with stressful medical stuff and cooking dinner and this is what I managed to do. I haven't felt such a happy sense of wonder about something I've created in some time. While I take photos all the time, I've never done it with a sense of purpose like this. I've never gotten behind the lense to put myself in front of the lense before. I always feel my spirit light up when I am learning something new and I'm already seeing myself in a different light.

I think it's always good to edge out of your comfort zone. Vivienne's grabbed my hand and pulled me gently to the water's edge and I'm Wading In!
If you'd like to test the waters too, registration for this class closes later tonight, so hurry!

The 365+1 Countdown Begins!

Okay, so you will have to forgive me, as my blog will be shifting focus for the next while to the one year anniversary (365+1) of the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Games. As you can imagine, having been so intimately involved in the Games, I am extremely excited about the upcoming celebrations.

Last night I had dinner with 17 members of my Athlete's Marshall Team. (AKA Team Brazil) We basically took over an entire section of the restaurant
and as each and every member arrived, everyone jumped up to hug them. It was so lovely being with members of our Olympic family. We sat around the table and talked for FOUR HOURS, reliving the almost surreal moments of our journey together. It was so good to say "Remember when...?" and 16 other people knew exactly what you were talking about.

Next month, on the official one year anniversary of the Games, there are events being planned. The cauldron will be lit at Jack Poole plaza and Blue Jackets from far and wide have been invited to attend. There will be a breakfast just prior to that and we'll get to hear John Furlong tell our story. I will be getting an autographed copy of his book Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country.

I wanted to share with you this video clip that explains how the incredible graphic art that became the look of the Games came to be. It's really interesting and inspiring and I hope you take a moment to watch. The man who was behind that inspiration, Leo Obstbaum, passed away suddenly in August 2009, at the age of 39. His hand touched every visual aspect of the Games from the mascots, to the medals, to the blue and green graphics that were plastered on every surface imaginable for the Games. His incredible work is his legacy.

Getting Glossies

 While I was out and about today, I picked up some goodies at Chapters. First, I found the current issue of CPS, which I wanted to get because the mysterious and talented Seth Apter has a feature in this issue. He was involved in a collaborative project called "Self Contained" and I want to read the article. Not only is this work in the magazine, but it also made the cover! Way to go Seth! I can't wait to read all about it!

 The latest issues of Stampington's magazines were also on the shelf and I made the mistake of picking up Somerset Life. This particular magazine appeals to me simply for the photographs. I will confess that I'm not in it for the articles-it's all about the eyecandy. I thumb through slowly and daydream about making the things in it, about getting those things as gifts in the mail, having those things gracing my studio...yes, I'm just a tad smitten with the contents of this magazine. I had to buy it. At $18 CDN it's steep but I couldn't resist.

The other little goody I bought was this Verso clip light. I find that since our place doesn't have overhead lighting, in the winter evenings, especially when the weather is ugly, I am straining to read at night-so much so that I've pretty much given up. I spotted this little gizmo and thought it would be worth trying. It was all of $20. It came in blue or white, so I got white. I wish there had been red ones in stock. (My fav colour.)

The batteries already in it, so it's ready to use and the box claims you can get 20 hours of light out of it. You can clip it to your book (if it's a hardcover) or if you own a Kobo or iPad (sadly, I don't) you can clip it to that. The neck is adjustable. I'll give it a whirl. If I don't like it, I can return it.

While I was standing there looking at the lights, a clerk came running up and asked if I had a Kobo. (The display with the Verso lights had all the Kobo stuff on it too. I think she thought I was looking at the Kobos.) I told her no, I have an iPod and before I'd even finished getting the words out, *poof* she was gone! Why waste time talking to someone who isn't going to enhance your commission? Not terribly impressed with that Chapters! The staff all seem to have better things to do than help you shop. *rolls eyes* She didn't even stick around to tell me about the darn Kobo, about which I know nothing. Maybe if she had, I might have bought one. She'll never know! Silly woman!

Anyway, I'm off to dinner shortly with my Blue Jacket team. We're celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the 2010 Games tonight. It's a month early, but some people were coming in from out of town (including the girl from Quebec whom I hosted for 3 weeks) and there's a big day-long party next month for all the Blue Jackets, so we wanted to be able to attend that. It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was sitting on the secret that I was going to be carrying a torch for the Paralympic Torch Relay. How time flies!

It will be great to see my team and catch up. We've been getting together every couple of months for dinner-we're pretty tight. It's nice that that was part of the legacy of the Games-we all got to make new friends and we've stayed in touch. I'm excited to hang out with my travel partner Sharon tonight. We spend 99% of our time together laughing. We had THE BEST time travelling back and forth from the venue during the Games. Every night was an adventure. We have stories!

Okay, I must fly, but do check out Seth's blog, if not the article in CPS. Lots of inspiring stuff there.

A {sorta} Silk Purse

 Quite some time ago, on a trip to Urban Source, I picked up this scrap of t-shirt material out of one of the bulk bins. I was attracted by the texture of the fabric and the lovely print.

When I got home, I tucked it away and forgot about it. I was purging some excess fabric from my stash yesterday and came across it again. I made sure this time I put it on my desk so I would remember to do something with it. As you can see, with a few quick seams, it sewed up nicely into a drawstring bag this evening.

 The hem had these Chinese (?!?) characters and numbers on it and I thought they were too interesting to throw away. I carefully cut the hem off and top stitched it around the centre of the bag.

See what I mean? I'd love to know what it says! There was just enough fabric left over to make the drawstring. Did you know that if you cut a piece of t-shirt (jersey) material in a long strip and then gently pull along the length of it that it will curl into a string? Yes indeedy!

In November, I bought grey jersey fabric and using the same method made personalized drawstring bags to hold the mini journals I made for the 12 Days of Xmas Exchange this year.

And that my friends, is how you make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!

iLike: Flickr Favourites

1. Journal Pages, 2. Ghiaccio, 3. paper wrapped sprial pendant - robayre, 4. orange and aqua, 5. fabric and paper page, 6. Red clothespin detail, 7. Pincushion, 8. playing with scraps, 9. RotD Journal II, 10. DSC_0005, 11. inner circle., 12. nest is best., 13. Front Cover, 14. RODpg1, 15. sky high., 16. stamp garlands 4

So for ages, I've watched people posting their Flickr favourites to their blogs and never got around to posting mine. I don't have a very big collection, not because there aren't many, many, many wonderful things posted to Flickr, but because I just don't have enough hours in the day to sit and peruse them all very often. I am going to try and find more time for that this year. Maybe I can surf Flickr while I am stuck waiting in Doctors' offices or at the hospital 'cause lord knows that would be a better (and happier) use of my time!

Anyway, I finally decided to share some of my random favs* with you. (Random, meaning I wasn't aiming to have a particular theme when I made this mosaic-it's just things that make me happy.) I thought they might help chase away the January blues.

If you have a Flickr mosaic you've posted, please drop me a line in the comments here so I can view yours. It's always interesting to see what inspires other people and to explore the worlds of other artists.

*Some of the photography (11, 12, & 15) is by my friend Lisa Ryder from NZ. Isn't she amazing?

First Projects of 2011

My friend Penn gave me a 1/2 yd. of this scissor fabric, from Spool of Thread. I love their modern/retro sensibilities. (See what I mean here.) When I was out buying thread the other day, I came across the grey fabric and knew it was the perfect foil for the scissors fabric. I sewed this ROD journal cover as soon as I got home.

I spent the weekend sewing pages for this ROD. It's been a long time coming-my friend Tracy Riffle and I swapped a signature's worth of pages about this time last year. I've held onto them and just now got around to sewing more pages so I can make a complete journal. These are 8 1/2 x 11 sewn sheets folded in half.

The pages I'm sharing are just at the very beginning stage of the process-I have lots more work to do before they will be ready to be bound into the cover.

While I was working on these pages, I learned something: I don't enjoy working big. It's not my thing. I like to work 6 x 6 or smaller. It has to do with the fact that when I work small, the pieces go faster-there's almost no thinking about it-it just happens. When I work on large pieces, it feels like I am always looking for elements to fill up the space. The flow of the working process feels herky-jerky and unnatural to me. It's too much like work-I tend to be more intuitive about creating.

I will finish this journal, it's just going to take me awhile and it's probably going to be one of those things I pick up and put down a few times before it's completed. All of the other journals I've made are sized to fit in the palm of your hand. They're a nice little mitt full and they were fun to make. I think after this, I will stick with what feels right.

The other projects I am working on right now are a small Valentine's exchange with two friends and a handmade book exchange. I've already begun working on them, as Valentine's is just over 4 weeks away and they have to go in the mail to arrive by the 14th.

So, that's where I stand as of 1-11-11.

Before I get back to work, I'd like to share a link with you to My Owl Barn who have generously offered up some beautiful owl images for you to create your very own custom calendar for 2011 for FREE. You get to choose which ones you want, decide the order you prefer and then print them off. They print as 4 months to a page and I suggest printing them on cardstock, so they will hang nicely. I love this calendar and have already printed one for me and one for a friend.

Thanks My Barn Owl!

iLike: Libre Tea

Back in mid-July, I posted about a lovely tea glass I'd won from Libre Tea, a local Canadian company that makes beautiful products for tea enthusiasts. They sent me a pretty tea glass (it's poly and glass actually-polycarbonate on the outside, for on-the-go durability and heath conscious glass on the interior so your tea always tastes good.) and I've been happily using it ever since.

Yesterday, I won a package of their new Ming Mei green tea! (Yes, I am a lucky girl!) I am excited about it because so far, I've only made tea using teabags in my glass. The glass has a built in stainless steel filter so you can either put loose tea right into the water and the filter will only allow liquid to pass through when you drink it or you can put the loose tea in the filter, pour the water through to brew and then remove the filter with the loose tea in it when you're ready to drink it. Genius!

I'm a hardcore tea drinker-I drink tea like most people drink coffee-pretty much all day every day. I'll be posting about the tea when it arrives and I try it. This will be something new.

In the meantime, since I like Libre so much, I've posted a link to their site on the sidebar of my blog. Just look for the Zen tea moment icon (it's the pretty leaf as shown on the box in the first photo) and give it a click. It will take you right to their site.


If you want the chance to win goodies like I did, then I suggest you "follow" them on Twitter or "like" them on Facebook. You never know when you might get the chance to win and have a zen tea moment of your own!

Zines for Sale!!

Just before the holidays, I designed this wee zine, 78, Rue du Maison as my swap for our ATC groups birthday exchange. It was fun to make and I decided to create a few more and put them in my Etsy shop, Tattered Edge Mercantile.

Also available in the shop are the last issues of Manual Dexterity issues #1 & 2. If you want to have the complete set (I've had alot of positive feedback on the first two!) then now's the time to snap them up-once they're gone, they're gone! Future issues are in the works, so keep watching here for info on their release.

EDIT: Issues #1 and #2 of Manual Dexterity have sold out. Thank you!
You may still purchase 78 Rue du Maison!

In the meantime, I am busy packing up to have a weekend away with friends dedicated to art-making. It will be nice to get out of the studio and commune with "my people". More on that when I return. In the meantime, I will leave you with this image of the winter sky, dawn breaking over Mount Baker on Monday.

First Book of 2011

I was at Chapters the other day and I came across this book, Body of Work, by Christine Montross. I liked the cover, so I stopped and picked it up to read the jacket.

The story is Montross' account of her year-long dissection of a human body during med school. Her work leads her to explore the history of dissection in medieval times which led to this medical practice today. The book is beautifully written-Montross was a poet and writing teacher before she decided to go to medical school. While this story could be perceived as gory, it's not. What it gives you is an intimate look at the human body as seen through the eyes of someone who never loses sight of the fact that the corpse she is working on was a fellow human being.

I had to have this book. I enjoy medical science. When I was 5, I wanted to be a forensic pathologist. Why? Well I watched "Quincy", alot. It was fascinating to me. (Yes, I know that makes me an odd little kid.) The best part of finding this book was that it was on the $5 or less table. I paid a whopping $2 for it! (It was a $31 CDN originally!)

I am three chapters in and loving it. It's engaging from an artistic standpoint, the way she relates her experience and the wonder she expresses in the beauty of our anatomy.

Next up will be Holding Fast: The untold Story of the Mt. Hood Tragedy by Karen James. My son gave me this one to add to my mountaineering collection. He was smart enough to call me from the book store when he was shopping. He stood in the sports section and read off the mountaineering titles to me. I was on the other end saying "Read it, read it, read it, read it."

There's very little on that subject I haven't read-it's a bit of an obsession with me. Eventually he hit on a couple new titles I hadn't read and he bought one. I'm looking forward to reading this one, as it's "local"-it takes place just south of us in Washington State.

There's nothing I love more than a good book!