Saturday, October 31, 2009

Witch Way...................

















































































Well readers its that time of year as Hallow eve,Samhain(Witches New Year),Day of the dead,All Saints Day is upon us....I send u blessings from my hood here in the outback of small town Canada.
The Art Residency continues to fill my days in and out of the studio...just when I thought things would slow.nope another creative event,project,proposal has my name on in large letters. This is not about complaining but more about counting my blessings each and every day for this new experience.
Studio time and the daily commitment is truly paying off in some big ways,I have approx 10 pieces in some part of evolving. This past Thursday I began volunteering at the alternative high school in the next small town about 10 minutes from me.Yep teenagers the kewl thing is its all about the creativity baby...Next week we are doing Graffiti on T-shirts..Let me give u all some history of this community..its all about the farming, a factoid is its the corn capital of BC..Mostly Dutch and German is a large makeup of the community.
Now I am going to throw this out which will give u more insight....Have u seen the movie "Pleasantville" if not may I make a suggestion to take a viewing for those of u that haven't experience small town living this movie sums it up in so many ways..ok so I digress moving along I feel at times like I'm of the set of this movie...lets see a combo of some ignorance and stagnation to change wraps it up here although I can laugh about it cause I've had many living experiences in small towns I grin and nod then take myself into my studio to work it out..
On Friday it was a full day of thrifting..Thanx to Tina K who so kindly took me about Chilliwack to show me where many treasures are hidden and I hit pay dirt which helps me bring my pieces into full being.
The next show here at Ranger Station Art Gallery is the Annual Miniature Show
November 4th- November 29th.
yours truly will have a small piece in this show which has limits on the size of piece hence the name..stay tuned for a peek at this show...
The Studio Happenings are as follows:
Friday Nights...Drop in Life Drawing 7-9:30pm All levels welcome
October 16- December
Artist Trading Cards....November 30th 12:30-2:30 pm
Hope Art Gallery
Snow Moon...... November 2 is the Full Moon
Plan for a ritual to work on ridding yourself of negative thoughts and vibrations.
Well All thanx for stopping in,let me know u popped in give a big shout out leave a comment or two....
In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda


Pics:
1. Samhain Altar in Living Room

2.Preparing walls for next show

3. Studio Piece in progress!!

4.Hang about Studio Skeleton

In my home i have several altars;

1.Bathtub Altar
2.living room corner altar
3.bedroom altar
4.bedroom 2 altar
5.primary living room altar

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Country Roads
















Hola
my Dear readers;

Yep here i am as usual these days time got way ahead of me,i haven't forgotten u as u pop in looking for an update on my residency. Its been almost two months that I've been here living and working in Harrison Hot Springs and i gotta say that i continue to love it here for so many reasons. The solitude is a wonderful thing,many of u have asked if I'm beginning to lose it with nothing to do in a very small town and that i must miss the city.In reply to that no,if anything i have settled in to the point that i go into angst over going past Maple Ridge and when i do visit Mission,Chilliwack i am anxious to scurry back to my sanctuary in front of my electric fireplace and put on the quiet that surrounds me here.

What i feel that after being away from the familiar with my work and travels for a year that Harrison has allowed me to integrate all those diverse experiences in a peaceful way inside and out,which was such a struggle for me when i was living in the city,i finally surrendered to the city and was on autopilot until i left there.

My time is pretty committed here in all things art and its a steep learning curve as most things i jump in flying by the seat of my pants.The studio is such a blessing in my life and its all mine!!! my creativity is just a sparking with ideas coming from my dreams,morning walks and morning pages that i write daily. There are times that i have so doubted my process and belief in myself as an artist,Thank you to those that have allowed me to talk it through.

They say be careful what u wish for writing that i am very grateful for this latest experience as it continues to unfold every minute of everyday before my very eyes.Blessed Be.The song "Country roads take me home to the place i belong" by John Denver thus far has been my life here as i speed down one country road after another and being the directionally challenged person that i am,i find such comfort in the country roads ,this comes from my growing up years in the country in New Brunswick...i felt so found on those roads as i do today.

The morning walks are morning wake up rain or shine that i stroll.Whether its a raincoat or a heavy sweater half asleep i begin the walk with my headphones and my head swirling with nothing but lots of thoughts..around me is the landscape that is becoming a part of me and the quiet!!

Visitors have been part of the blessing here for me,i love when my friends come to visit to witness my life here some thinking that i am totally out of my element others feeling I've come home.The studio is a very sacred space that allows everything from my mind,heart and soul to spill out into a creation of some kind or another,what i am learning is to be led by my instinct which is easier said than done as my will gets in the way.

So my dear readers thus far i am living a beautiful creative life out here in the middle of nowhere with some things making sense while some its a work in progress. Thanx so much for the calls,emails and visits they are appreciated. Its time to say see ya as i turn off to go down another country road to my place for today that i belong..

Bright Blessings;
xoxo
Rhonda

Pics:

1.First workshop at the sanctuary

2.pick up of driftwood at Rainbow Falls

3.I went sailing for the very first time with Ernie a local Harrison resident...

4.My creativity..Bingo Shadowbox

5. Sailing trip we docked at Rainbow Falls accessible by boat only

6.This piece I'm submitting to the miniature show here at the gallery its still a work in progress

7.New Show for October being hung