Rhonda and Kasper have left the Building.....

Howdy All;

After two years of creativity as Artist In Residence at Ranger Station Art Gallery..I have moved on!!!

its sad on one hand but there have been many rewards from this experience and the wonderful connections that were made.Realizing a living dream of a live/work space while exercising and challenging my creative skills..How fantastic is that..

I will miss the sounds of the boats on the water,the serenity and the beautiful landscape.Its been alot of work since May to downsize for my next dream.....MEXICO!! yeah babies. but things to do and some people to see before i blast off.

The packing etc was not the only things that was being tackled at the casa,I'd been asked to create a piece for an upcoming workshop in Hope on racism...so without further intro here is my piece called "Jungle Fever"

Jungle Fever speaks to ongoing racism that consistently is dialogued throughout the world.

This Mixed Media piece addresses how multi layered racism is. The black and white flowers are pretty like flowers are,however ones perspective can be the black and white of the subject matter(or is it) or just enjoy the flowers ignoring what the obvious issue is.

The Jungle Fever piece is busy not quite knowing where the viewer should begin..there are little stories and many subtleties throughout the piece.

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe..We have all heard this one from our childhood,trying to catch a Negra by its toe.

My Picture..The words written across my face are associated with the many names/labels that blacks have been called throughout ages.

I am black,no i am colored,no i am a person of color,no i am dirty,no i am a negra,no i am Afro Canadian and so on etc.

Black Market..Racism continues in the 21st century to be about those that are in power as to how its addressed,truly one can buy anything on the black market including persons of color.

As we the world progresses,there is much fanfare "to deal" with and put and end to racism.We are not even close but further away as technology replaces face to face contact allowing society to use a computer as a front to racism.

Jungle Fever digs,touches and confronts the assault of racism on this artist as a black,colored,person of color.

Lights,Camera....ACTION!!!

Since i came out regarding my intentions of making Mexico home...the journey has proven to be eventful inside and out..The amount of prep work is staggering and i am only moving me and Kasper.Interestingly enough my gal pal Joyce is also making a move to Mexico although her transition is to Puerto Vallarta we've been a support for each other as we step outside the familiar.

There is always more than enough room for learning about self when major life decisions are made, again i see exactly what i am made of. The doors are beginning to close here, there isn't a sadness but an excitement of uncharted territory,the gypsy explorer is ready for another adventure.

I've always been a risk taker and this is just another one to do. Resourceful has been a life walk for me however its not easy as in this case it would have been a whole lot easier to have piles of money to throw at every aspect of this move,this is not the case for me or the way(sigh) I've had to employ a hell of alot of faith and trust plus the support from friends during those dark moments as i hang on the side of the cliff...

Did u know that i have a huge fear of heights? however i have lived much of my life in a literal/abstract sense on the edge as i adventure into one thing or another..Some may think its foolish or is it soul -full,but u have to figure that out for who u are.

One foot in front of the other is truly easier said then done..This last month I've delighted in planned and spontaneous times with friends..I've loved every visit with you.

The several loose ends will get tied up this week,then its a wee bit of decompression and Blast Off.....Pretty soon I'm gonna jump right off that cliff with THE ACTION BEING(holy shit) , my heart in my mouth and without a parachute..its all Angel Wings Baby lol lol

The card in the pic picked this morning Stay In Your Own Skin is from the deck Trust Your Vibes Oracle Cards(Sonia Choquette)

In Artistic Solidarity;
Rhonda

Play-Full Times

Hola Dear Readers;

Summer continues to grace us with its presence...Thank Goddess!!! gotta love the blue skies and heat..Looking about the Casa and studio there is space,space on the walls,open floor space. Let me tell u its a concept having all of this free space.. Has it sunk in that very soon i am outta here.....NO! there is much to do yet before i can close the door here and walk on,However my to do me in list grows shorter by the day..

The packing and getting rid of has felt endless but as of Tuesday the studio is completely cleared out,now its the packing of my personal art collection,suitcases, figuring out storage .Well i am sure u get the picture.Life here consists of more than prep for Mexico,I'm having play-full times hanging with friends,enjoying my backyard space,dinners and much more.This time i am opting out of a going away party so its catch me if u can,if not till we meet again...

Today was a playdate,it was a blast as i facilitated my gal pals Monica and Irene in spontaneous intuitive painting,the setting was bootiful in my backyard on the water with the boats in the background and Loreena Mckenna singing away.The gals were testing a workshop out that i want to facilitate in Mexico called " Losing your Senses"

Losing Your Senses

By freeing ourselves from the intimidation that many of us feel about painting, Intuitive Painting is a way to create art that is fun. It encourages spontaneous artistic expression. No previous artistic experience is necessary. Each of us is unique and will discover the painting process in their own way, expressing our own perspective through painting with and without all of our senses and traditional tools.

Willingness to be playful and open-minded is the fundamental driving force for intuitive painting. The principle is simple: ground yourself in awareness, ease, and let your inner source guide you. Who cares how you mark up a page, as long as your marks are created from your inner-spirit?

During this four week Intuitive painting PlayShop series, we will approach painting from a fun new perspective as we take away one of our taken-for-granted senses. Based on the age-old monkey story, we will explore intuitive painted by removing our reliance on one sense each week to express (paint) our own unique story.

Last Sunday was Andy Tuckers Artist reception called "Heads Up" this is a very diverse one woman show and her many creative mediums that she does,interestingly enough her 3D works consists of trash from the bush,this show has bought some challenges from the viewers perspective it comes down to u really love it or can't stand it. so definitely its thought and feeling provoked art.

The arts council,community residents and supporters surprised me with a going away send off here at the gallery i was completely floored somewhat speechless(not for long) lol lol it was very touching and certainly the reality hit home that the hour glass will turn over soon.

The next artist in Residence Aaron M. will be incoming with new creative perspective and i am happy and ready to pass the torch on.So my readers its time to say so long for now..as always good to see ya..

In Artistic Solidarity;

Rhonda

Thank You to Megan,Pam,Crystal,Laurie,Leah,Nonni,Petra,Luchia,Ed,Brian for your help in dump runs,packing,garage sale help,etc and so on and if i have forgotten to name u here Thank You sooooooooooooo much for your support..I am very grateful!!