2014 BC Provincial Wheelchair Curling Championships

Best selfie ever!

This past weekend, the BC Wheelchair Championships took place in my community. When I heard we were going to be hosting, I called our local club and offered to volunteer. As it turns out, I was the only outsider (non-curler, non-club member) to be involved. That said, the Coquitlam Curling Club members were incredibly friendly and easy to work with. 

I was really grateful for the knowledge I'd gained serving two terms on the city's Universal Access-Ability Advisory Committee around accessibility and inclusion-it served me well for this event and was something valuable I brought to the table.

Friday night, there was a banquet for the athletes, sponsors and organizing committee members. The guest speaker was Richard Peter, a 5 time Paralympian and gold medalist in Wheelchair Basketball at the London 2012 Paralympics. We shared a table at dinner and he really is a lovely man.

Richard was kind enough to pass his medal around so everyone could enjoy it. It really is a thing of beauty.

While the athletes were curling over the weekend, I was entrusted with looking after Rumour, the service dog. She is so sweet. I have a very soft spot for Labs, so I was more than happy to have her keep me company. 

Rumour's athlete was playing on team MacDonald and they made it to the finals, only to be defeated by team Neighbours. Team Neighbour's skip is Paralympian Darrell Neighbour. Team Neighbour will be going to the Canadian Championships in Montreal in April. I wish them the best of luck!

This was the first time the new Poirier Sports & Recreation Centre has hosted a wheelchair event and I think it went exceedingly well. It's great to see our community hosting accessible sports events like this. I hope we see more in the future!

A Funny Thing Happened To Me...

A few weeks ago, I entered a photo contest. The idea was to post a photo that made you think of home and to write a short piece about "Home is...".
So I submitted this photo:

...and didn't even give it a second thought. A few days later, however, I had an email from the Knowledge Network who was hosting the contest. They said they had a question about the image I submitted, as there was talk that was a copyrighted image. They said it didn't look like a photo that was taken by me, that it had come from somewhere online and could I confirm where the photo was taken? They were concerned that I had just gone to "images" in Google and downloaded it. Yikes!!

To say I was stunned, was an understatement. I have never had someone imply that work I've submitted wasn't mine. So I emailed them back and assured them that the work was indeed mine-the photo is a selfie I shot up at one of the lakes where I often walk Indy, so it doesn't get any more personal than that. In fact, I sent them the link to the blog post where I first shared it.

I also sent them photos of the progression of editing the image and another selfie, this time shot out at UBC with me wearing the same shoes, socks & jeans:

They believed me, thank goodness. I can't imagine someone submitting a stolen photo to a photo contest. That would just be foolish-it's so easy to check something like that out. I told my best friend about the whole thing and she thought it was kind of awesome. I suppose it is, when you think about it-apparently I create real commercial quality images...I think I'll take that as a compliment.

Anyway, the upshot of it all was that last week, I got an email saying I'd been chosen as one of the winners! My prize was two tickets to an advanced screening of Take Me Home which features 36 BC artists, athletes and personalities sharing what home means to them and a reception afterwards.

Last night my husband and I went to the advanced screening and had a great time. The MC, as it turns out, is a fellow Winnipegger. As I was listening to him talk about where he calls home (the North End of Winnipeg) I was smiling and nodding-home is that intimate knowledge of where you come from and the common experiences of that place. I not only heard his words about my hometown, I connected with and deeply understood them.

 The series of films for Take Me Home were so beautifully shot. As an artist, I really appreciated the care taken in crafting of each piece. They were all, in their own ways, visually stunning. The people who they chose to feature were incredibly interesting. There were poets, (like my all-time favourite, Shane Koyczan) Paralympians (Josh Dueck and Donovan Tildesley) authors, astrophysicists, hockey players, Olympians, landscape architects, singers/songwriters and more. What I really loved was seeing just who calls British Columbia home. It's so inspiring to know you are surrounded by a community of creatives and dream chasers.

Afterwards, there was a reception, which we attended very briefly. On our way out, we crossed paths with Donovan Tildesley and had a really nice chat with him. We traded business cards and he was amused by my Moo card-he could tell right away, it was different!

If you get the Knowledge Network, I highly recommend watching the 3 part series that premiers November 14th at 7:30 p.m. (PST) 

I'll be tuning in. I hope you will too!

Under the Weather

Yes, I am still alive. (Barely!) I came down with a very nasty throat infection 12 days ago and have been in bed ever since. Fortunately I have antibiotics now, so hopefully I'll be feeling better and have my voice back soon.

In between doctor's appointments, I managed to take Indy for a walk in the park yesterday. Walking around the lake was a challenge because I am feeling pretty wiped out, but Indy needed the exercise and I needed the fresh air after being stuck at the hospital all morning. The leaves were just beautiful. Maple leaves are always my favourite (for obvious reasons) and I love oak leaves too. There aren't as many oak trees in BC as there are in Manitoba, so when I see oak leaves, it's a sweet reminder of home.

Just before I came down with the plague, I had a fresh bust of inspiration to work on finishing issue #4 of Manual Dexterity, which has been in the works for some time. All the art is completed, (the image above is a wee peek!) now I just need to work on the written content. My goal is to have it completed before I have surgery on my wrist. Since I'm still waiting to hear when that's actually going to happen, chances are good I'm going to manage to get it finished! Zines are alot of work, but I really enjoy making them.

Gearing up for Thanksgiving this weekend. It's probably going to be pretty low key as I am not 100%, but there will be turkey, one way or another and I am determined to enjoy CranberryFest tomorrow!

Scenes From the Weekend

On Sunday, we got up early to take Indy to check out a new (to us) park along the Fraser River. He loves anywhere where he has the opportunity to swim. 

This particular park is across the water from YVR (Vancouver International Airport) so we got to watch lots of planes coming in, which I enjoyed. I even spotted a seal swimming along.

I kind of love this silhouette shot of Indy playing in the waves.

The nosy nose that knows.

Plus a quick selfie, just for good measure. It feels good to be shooting with my Rebel again. I've been neglecting it of late, in favour of getting familiar with my iPhone camera and a bunch of photography apps. It's good fun, but really, my DSLR is my first love. There's just no comparison.

In case you're wondering, the apps I am enjoying are:

Over 

A Beautiful Mess 

Afterlight

Kaleido Lens

Typic Pro

 They are all good, but Typic Pro is my personal favourite of the bunch!

If you have some photography apps you love, please comment & let me know what they are!

All & Sundry

Time for a catch up post! I am still having a blast experimenting with my Gelli plate. I made this print the other day. I still haven't had time to shop for more paint colours to round out my pallet, but I'm hoping to fit that in soon.

The weather here has been spectacular. Over the weekend we hit highs of 30C. We took Indy to Davison's Pool, a hidden away swim hole in the Alouette River my husband grew up swimming in. Indy loves it. We had our first picnic of the year afterwards and I played around with the camera in my iPhone. I was aiming for sun flare and I got it! Still looking for great photography apps, so if you have a favourite you think I should get, please comment and let me know!

I took this shot after Indy got out of the river. Something about the intensity in his eyes make me think he looks kind of wolfish when he stares like this. People who don't know him are very cautious of him because he's big, black and lean like a panther. Thing is, he really is the sweetest boy. To know him is to love him.

He was completely tuckered out when we got home. He crashed on the futon in our spare room. It always cracks me up how he has to lie with his head on a pillow. When he lies on our bed, for some reason, my pillow is the pillow of choice. Dogs really are creatures of comfort.

Like my sexy new splint? For just $115 this too could be yours! Seriously, while I am not thrilled about having to wear it, it is making the wrist fracture easier to live with. I finally managed to get a referral to a hand specialist and it looks like I am going to need an MRI and a referral for a plastic surgeon to take out a tiny floating bone in my wrist (the pisiform) that is causing me grief. It's impinging my ulnar nerve and making my ring and pinkie finger numb, cold and when the swelling is really bad, change colour. It's not carpel tunnel, but sort of similar. It's very uncomfortable and has become a chronic problem. I've fracture my wrist every year for the last 4 years and as much as I've tried to ignore it and just carry on, it's time to do something about it. No telling how long this will take, but at least it's in motion.

In the good news department, I've had two really cool opportunities come up. The details are still being worked out, but I'll share as soon as I can! Lots of great things in the works!

Inspiration For the Journey

I came across this quote by Randall Munroe. It spoke to me, because in essence, it's the secret to how I live my life. (And I am all the more richer for it.)

I hope it speaks to you too.

Showing Up For Myself

February's self portraits for project 365 have been spotty, at best. I spent several days recovering from an IV steroid treatment that knocked me flat. I could barely function. Picking up my camera was the last thing on my mind. After that, it was hard to get back into the groove of shooting every day. Finally, I made a promise to myself to JUST DO IT and jumped back in.

On Valentine's Day, I felt I had enough energy (creative and otherwise) to shoot this idea that had been knocking around in my head. I think it turned out better than what I had envisioned. I love when I surprise myself-that's what keeps it fresh for me and keeps me shooting.

I could choose to feel bad about not shooting every day this month, but I don't. The great thing about this project is that it really is all about me. Given everything that's going on in my life right now, I'm showing up for myself to the best of my ability. The beautiful women I am sharing this project with get that it's about the journey and not so much about the result. No one's keeping track or passing judgement. There are no photo police. 

At the end of the year, I will not have 365 self-portraits. I am perfectly okay with that because what I will have is a year's worth of a life lived and some images I am proud of as testament to that. 

*****

If things are a little quiet around here, it's because my husband had surgery on Wednesday to repair the torn bicep tendon he suffered when he and Indy were attacked by the pitbull/mastiff. It was so badly damaged that they had to harvest a tendon from his leg to rebuild the one in his arm. (So he actually had two surgeries in one.)  He came home in a full cast with a sling, so he's pretty incapacitated. It's a minimum 8-10 week recovery. It's going to be a very long time till things return to normal around here. 

Project 365: January

It's been interesting shooting a self portrait every day. I was kind of worried that I may run out of ideas, but so far, so good. It's easier on days where I am out and about, but it's also a good creative stretch to shoot at home too.

Although there are a few more days left in the month, these are my favourite shots for January. I've been enjoying seeing what the rest of our group has been shooting. It feels good to be connecting with kindred spirits and sharing our stories with one another through photos and sometimes words. (When the spirits move us.) I am grateful to Amy for the invite.

Meanwhile, I've been busy firing up the sewing machine for a secret project. Can't say anything more about it, until the intended recipients have them in hand, which could be awhile. It's good to have a project 3/4 finished, well ahead of the deadline for a change. (Usually I like to work under pressure.)

Indy went to the vet yesterday and got his stitches out. He was not thrilled and was shaking like a leaf, but he let them minister to his wounds and he's much happier now. The biggest wound on his neck (which was the worst one) still needs to do some healing, but the rest have all closed up nicely and it's unlikely he's going to have any visible scars. He's been in contact with other dogs in the park recently, including a pittbull and seems completely unfazed. I am glad the attack didn't damage his spirit. That's the beauty of dogs-they live entirely in the moment. 

Walking the Path

I'm looking for

a soft place to land-

the forest floor,

the palm of your hand...*

 Two years ago I wanted to be able to create photographs that were like visual poetry. I wanted to find a way to tell my own story, in a way that made sense to me and in a voice that was uniquely my own.

I am walking this path.

I am growing as an artist, as a person.

The most beautiful part is that I keep surprising myself.

I ask you: What does your heart yearn to do and why are you not doing it?

I urge you, begin today. 

It will lead to somewhere vast and amazing: 

It will lead you to yourself.

*Lyrics from A Soft Place to Land, Kathleen Edwards

365 Self-Portraits

The other day I got an email from a friend, inviting me to join her and some other photography kindreds in a 365 day self-portrait project. There is nothing more cheering then an invitation from an artist friend to collaborate. It's one of my favourite things. I said yes, immediately.

There are so many things I like about self-portraits:

-I do not have to wait for anyone to participate. I get to show up for myself. 

-Digital  photography allows me the freedom to shoot endlessly, so I can experiment as much as I want to and it costs absolutely nothing. Experimenting=learning.

-It allows me to see myself differently which is pretty powerful.

-I can tell my story in a way that is authentically me. (This is the thing I love best about doing them.)

-A self-portrait can be a small glimpse of me (like today's photo, pictured above) or something that represents me.

We're only two days in, but already I am enjoying getting back into the creative groove of shooting every day. I am excited to see how this unfolds over the course of the next 363 days. I imagine at some points it might become challenging, but I will just look to the amazing women who I'm collaborating with for inspiration and that will give me the push to keep going. (Okay that and the fact that I am an Aries and therefore always finish what I've started.)

And by the by, do you remember the word I mentioned I'd chosen for 2013? 

VISION

I put it out there and the universe validated it immediately. This invitation could not have been more perfectly timed.

Moving Forward

Photos from week 2 of Rose Coloured Glasses. The first 4 were taken at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden the day I went to see the Tibetan Monks. 

 Rainy Day

 Lanterns

 Framed

 Golden Orange

And lastly, a self-portrait:

Tired

(On the day we were doing them, I was tired and stressed and in desperate need of a nap. Some days are just like that.)

It's been difficult shooting through this class. I've been having problems with my vision for some time now and recently found out that it's because I've had at least 4 attacks of optic neuritis since February. Over the summer, I'd finally learned how to shoot manually, but with the damage to my vision, everything I was shooting was coming out blurry, even with my glasses on. What I perceived as focused wasn't. Vivienne, ever the supportive teacher that she is, encouraged me to go back to shooting on auto. (Unless, of course, I am trying to achieve blur.) 

Despite setbacks, I still feel I learned something: I always feel better when I am creating, even if that becomes a challenge. I just have to keep moving forward.

An Old Favourite

My friend Seth sent me an email this morning, letting me know my favourite piece of art is being featured on his blog this morning as part of his Playing Favourites series. What's comical is that every time I submit something for one of his series, I totally forget what I've sent until it pops up. I am always just as surprised as everyone else. *grins*

So what was my favourite piece? Click here to find out!

It's a blustery, wet day here on the west coast of Canada. I am heading out on a really cool adventure with a friend. I'll post about it tomorrow! (That is if I don't get blown back to Oz!)

5 Shot Friday

My friend Greta and I are playing a game of photo tag. She's posted 5 shots from her week for Friday and this is my response. 

Wanna play along? Post a link in the comments if you do!

YAYOM Whistler Part 3

   

Some things I love about Whistler:

The people are friendly. 

The views from just about anywhere in town are spectacular. I am a girl who fell in love with the mountains. I never tire of drinking them in.

Lost Lake is gorgeous. 

Whistler Village is entirely walkable. In fact, it's also wonderfully accessible. As time goes on, I take notice of this more and more, not just because it's relevant in my life, but also because I believe it's important to build inclusive communities. I love it when I see thoughtful consideration and adaptations being made to a city so everyone is welcome.

Whistler is also incredibly dog-friendly. There are tons of patios where you can sit with your dog and enjoy a meal. Throughout the village you will find water bowls available for dogs to get a cool drink. There are also lots of stations with dog bags so you can pick up after your four legged friend. Whistler also has several dog beaches and parks with off leash times. Many of the hotels and several local B&Bs offer dog friendly accommodation, some of which do so with no extra charge. Gotta love that! 

On a side note, Indy's begun posting about his travels on his own blog, Left Coast Lab. There's very little information out there in cyberland about dog friendly travel in BC, so he's filling the gap. He'd love it if you'd follow his blog. You can also find him on Twitter.

There is so much to see and do in Whistler. I didn't get a chance this trip, but my plan is to go back and do Peak 2 Peak and Ziptrek. I did the Ziptrek across Robson Street in Vancouver during the Paralympics and loved it and ever since I've wanted to do the big long ziplines in Whistler. 

Here's a couple more photos from the YAYOM class:

(Setting up a shot.)

I learned so much over the weekend. I love how each class I've taken along the way has built on what I learned in the previous class. I love the process of learning and experimenting. I really enjoyed sharing this experience in person with my classmates. It was interesting shooting with others. I liked the camaraderie.

YAYOM Whistler Part 1

Okay! I'm ready to share a few of my favourite self-portrait shots from YAYOM Whistler. My hand series continues. I don't think I'll ever get tired of shooting portraits of my hands. I especially love this one.

Vivienne had us try shooting ourselves at odd angles. I was forced to wear socks (which I never do in the summer) because I had wicked blisters on my heels from trooping around in the extreme heat. (It was 32C on Saturday!) I was so annoyed those socks were going to be in my photos, but as Vivienne pointed out, they were part of the story of that day. I didn't even notice till now that I had two odd socks on. Whatever! Sometimes you just have to say screw it and soldier on. 

 More shoe gazing. This is actually an art installation in a park. It's a chair that sits atop a hill. It's made from plaster and chicken wire (so it's free form) and it's inscribed with a bunch of writing in different languages.

Mmm! How I love black and white. Touching a fallen log.

This one is pure magic. That's the real colour of Lost Lake and I managed to capture the sunlight dancing on the water, which makes the most beautiful and magical bokeh. Which brings me to my next point....

(On purpose, not just by chance, which makes me really happy.) I also learned that there's a whole manual focus function I knew nothing about! THAT was worth the price of admission, right there!

Here's a fun shot of our class! We had the best time together. I always enjoy meeting new people and my classmates were lovely. Hopefully we'll keep in touch!

I'm still sifting though a raft of photographs and I have lots more to share in another post-yarn bombing, the Olympic Rings, some amazing food, graffiti and the spectacular scenery. In the meantime, Vivienne has posted about the weekend, so go check it out! Click here  for Vivienne's first post and here for post #2.

Processing

(Our classroom at Lost Lake yesterday.)

I'm back after a 3 day weekend in Whistler, BC. There's so much I want to tell you about it but I'm pretty tired and have just begun sifting through my photos from the You Are Your Own Muse class. I think I need a day or so to process the whole experience, (as well as my photos) so bear with me. I'll give you the scoop real soon!

What's Going On

Last week I was working on a secret project, a gift for someone I adore. It's finished and I've wrapped it. I would love to share photos, but I don't want to ruin the surprise, just in case the friend it's for pops by to read my blog. 

Meanwhile, there's been so much going on, I feel like my posts lately are always of the "catch up" nature. 2012 has been insanely busy but my month and a half sabbatical begins this weekend and I can't wait!

I was remiss in posting here that I was a guest photographer over at Chickadee Road, which belongs to my friend Liz Lamoreux and Kelly Barton. I ordered a set of temporary tattoos and then shot a few self-portrait photos of me wearing them. I LOVE temporary tattoos! You get to have the fun of wearing something cool without the cost or pain of real ink. (I love real ink too, but sometimes it's nice to be able to "accessorize" on a whim.)

Last night I got an email from Natalie Dixon saying that I'd won the giveaway on her blog, which was a set of 6 swatch cards plus free shipping from Paper Coterie. Cool! I am working on designing mine and can't wait to order them! I think they'll make a fabulous mini portfolio. The next time someone asks me what kind of art I do, I can pull the swatch cards out and show them. Works for me!

Other than that, yesterday was a long day documenting a ton of art that came in for Papergirl. There was so much of it, we were starting to run out of room, which, if you think about it, is a very good problem to have. We got creative though and managed to get it all hung. I just took a quick peek before I left last night (I was up in the office, working on the computer all day) so I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibition properly tomorrow night. I am pretty sure we've exceeded the total number of art pieces donated, as well as the number of contributing artists. There are going to be alot of happy people receiving the gift of art on the streets of Vancouver on Saturday!

On a completely different note, I watched Being Elmo last night. It's a wonderful documentary on Kevin Clash, who is the extraordinary puppeteer behind the little furry red guy. His story is a wonderful illustration of how hard work and preparation will eventually meet opportunity. It's also about staying true to what is in your heart, even when people laugh at you and how important it is for parents to support and nurture their children's creativity. Watch the documentary. I promise, it's uplifting.

Speaking of uplifting, there are only FOUR more days until the Olympics begin! I just got next week's tv guide with the schedule and I can see I'm going to be up in the wee hours alot, watching events live!

I also got this in the mail today:

It's a bumper sticker in support of Canadian Athletes! I'd call that an excellent mail day! Now I just need to stock up on Kleenex, the {un}official sponsor of my Olympic & Paralympic Games! Four more sleeps! I can hardly stand it!

Okay, I *think* I am all caught up now. Whew!

It's Still Life

By the time you read this, I will be at the Roundhouse with the rest of the Papergirl team, working on hanging the show. It's a big job and I imagine it's going to take the better part of a day.

So, in light of that, I'm going to send you over to Seth's blog where I am one of the featured artists for his It's Still Life project. To be honest, I sent him my response so long ago, I have no recollection of what it was! Let's both go take a look and be surprised! 

Montage: Week 1

So ages ago, I drove across the line to the US to purchase this little gizmo, a Flip video camera. I've used it a bit since then, mostly shooting tutorials, flip throughs of some of my ROD journals and clips of Indy swimming, which I've patched together using Windows Movie Maker, which I really knew very little about. Other than that, my Flip has mostly sat in a drawer in my studio. Well, no more!

This week, Vivienne's new class, Montage launched and I've been working hard (or if I'm being truthful here, obsessively) on putting together my first video. At the beginning, I was kind of freaking out, not sure what I was going to do. This is usually what happens when I step outside my comfort zone but I take it as a sign that whatever's about to happen is going to be GOOD! After much hemming and hawing on Monday, I suddenly knew what I was going to do when I woke up on Tuesday. Sometimes, you just have to trust in the process.

I've learned a few things this week about Movie Maker, not the least of which is that it's possible to save something in such a way that you simply cannot revisit it later for further edits. Ask me how I know this. Yes, I did the impossible, somehow. Lesson learned. Fortunately, I was 99.99% finished when this happened, so essentially, it wasn't the end of the world. There are a couple things I would have like to have changed (which 1000's will pass and never know) but what's done is done and I'm letting it go. 

What I've learned this week about the process of making a soulful video is that for me, the magic comes in syncing audio to the video and stills. I love finding the most effective way of illustrating the lyrics, arranging things so that the rise and fall of the music drives the story and selecting the right transitions to underscore the important moments. It's exciting stuff!

My classmates have started posting their videos and they are so unique and interesting and beautiful. It's inspiring to catch a glimpse of who they are and to experience their stories in this way. 

Here's a peek at what I was able to create:

My Rules

So as mentioned in this post, Linda Woods and Karen Dinino have a new book out called YOU RULE! Inspired by Linda's life rules, I created my own, which they posted to their blog. There are a few more personal life rules I could have mentioned, but these were the top 6:

1. Act with integrity

If you say you're going to do it, do it. Honour your word. Integrity is everything.

2. When in doubt, be kind.

If you want the world to be a kinder, gentler place, you have to act accordingly.

3. Trust your intuition.

We have instincts for a reason. Overriding them is sheer folly.

4. Never apologize for being yourself.

Do not allow anyone to diminish you in any way, ever. 

5. Live fearlessly, believing anything is possible.

Because IT IS! When you have the courage to step out in faith, the universe will rise to meet you.

6. Rise above.

Life is going to throw challenges at you. Some of them are going to be extremely difficult but you always have the choice to rise above.

***

Today, Amazon is offering three of Linda and Karen's Kindle friendly books, YOU RULE, Stop Barking! and Meeting in the Ladies' Room for FREE! Details can be found here.