1. The show that Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers put on at the Marquee last Wednesday. Wow. It was awesome; especially loved the scream-along audience participation segment, very cathartic. The Marquee is looking pretty awesome too, with the Seahorse Tavern having relocated into its basement.
2. Nova Scotian Crystal. Established in 1996, this is North America’s only hand-cut, mouth-blown crystal maker, making some of the finest crystal available in the world! Now here's a feel-good story of a business that got saved from closure by a private investor coming forth to buy it such that it could continue to run without government money or similar assistance. From what I heard the business was bought by someone retired from the banking industry. Three cheers for people that have realized they can take responsibility to use their wealth to help their own community, rather than shoveling it into foreign investments or what have you. Better yet that in this case it is promoting a beautiful craft, and a landmark on the Halifax waterfront, hopefully for many years to come. Apparently the raw materials for crystal are only made in 2 places in the world. Cool.
3. The Turbine Fashion boutique in the Historic Properties. Speaking of local investing, Turbine is owned by Canadian designer Lisa Drader-Murphy and mainly features her designs as well as some really wonderful hats made by her manager/hat making expert who formerly had a very popular successful hat shop on Granville Island in Vancouver before coming home to Halifax. The shop is unique in that all the clothes in Lisa's lines are made locally by a small staff, and with that in mind the prices seem quite reasonable. Plus I believe they have another shop at the Sunnyside Mall in Bedford. Between Turbine and Nova Scotia Crystal I got to thinking that Halifax, as desolate as it seemed on a January weekday, could be on the cutting edge of a move towards a locally-based economy which would be so resilient to, and maybe even buoyed by all the global craziness going on with respect to things like oil prices and interest rates. A cheerful thought anyhow, reminding me of this video. I've posted it before but I'm not sure if it's been a favourite thing yet:
4. Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein.
5. Still digging that Infinite Waters guy and watched a tonne more videos. Here's a favourite, How to Stop and Spot Mental and Emotional Manipulators. Wish I'd seen this years ago, but better late than never! This is a favourite too: Seven Signs of a Spiritual Awakening. I like the bit about being all about "promoting what we love instead of attacking what we hate" much more conducive to stress-free living.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
This Week's Favourite Things! January 12th - January 18th 2015
1. Still the movie Case 39, here's a brief documentary I found on youtube about the making of it which explains why it's so great.
My very most favourite part of the movie seems to be around minute 59 (spoiler alert). I was able to find these quotes on subzin.com
Emily: "What is she?"
Lilith's 'father': "I can tell you what she's not, she's not a daughter of mine. She's not a 10-year-old having trouble in school. And she's not some innocent victim whose door you busted down and life you saved. She's not going anywhere soon, lady. Not till she's good and done with you.
Emily: "Done with me how?"
Lilith's 'father': "However she wants. You think it's an accident her ending up with you? She saw you coming a mile away. Kindness. Decency. That's what she feeds on. Bleeds you dry, moves on to the next."
Oh my that is some excellent script writing!
2. Bird feeders! I cat sat for a friend who has so many feeders her yard looks like a scene from a Disney movie. So, monkey see monkey do, now I have a couple too. I learned that the cheap birdseed with corn isn't as delicious to native birds as black oiled sunflower seeds. So far we've seen a bunch of chickadees, a blue jay, and a couple of woodpeckers. Plus some starlings we shooed away so they don't get used to hanging around our fruit bushes and cherry trees.
3. This super awesome Gregg Braden talk on youtube, "How To Control The Matrix". It's over 3 hours long but addresses links between spirituality and science in an excellent way, including an interesting discussion of bits that got removed or condensed from the bible in the 3rd century.
4. This entire youtube channel by Ralph Smart called "Infinite Waters - diving deep". Youtube suggested I'd like the video on how to decalcify your pineal gland (aka third eye) and I got so hooked on this guy's cheerfulness I ended up listening to dozens of his videos while sculpting - progress pics will be coming at some point. I thought wouldn't it be cool if he and Teal Swan did a video together and it turns out he did interview her in 2013, and the discussion they had is super interesting; here is the video of the interview on youtube.
5. This recipe for Crack. ... the no-bake relatively healthy coconut dessert kind - I used honey for the sweetener and threw in some cinnamon and cardamom, it was delicious.
My very most favourite part of the movie seems to be around minute 59 (spoiler alert). I was able to find these quotes on subzin.com
Emily: "What is she?"
Lilith's 'father': "I can tell you what she's not, she's not a daughter of mine. She's not a 10-year-old having trouble in school. And she's not some innocent victim whose door you busted down and life you saved. She's not going anywhere soon, lady. Not till she's good and done with you.
Emily: "Done with me how?"
Lilith's 'father': "However she wants. You think it's an accident her ending up with you? She saw you coming a mile away. Kindness. Decency. That's what she feeds on. Bleeds you dry, moves on to the next."
Oh my that is some excellent script writing!
2. Bird feeders! I cat sat for a friend who has so many feeders her yard looks like a scene from a Disney movie. So, monkey see monkey do, now I have a couple too. I learned that the cheap birdseed with corn isn't as delicious to native birds as black oiled sunflower seeds. So far we've seen a bunch of chickadees, a blue jay, and a couple of woodpeckers. Plus some starlings we shooed away so they don't get used to hanging around our fruit bushes and cherry trees.
3. This super awesome Gregg Braden talk on youtube, "How To Control The Matrix". It's over 3 hours long but addresses links between spirituality and science in an excellent way, including an interesting discussion of bits that got removed or condensed from the bible in the 3rd century.
4. This entire youtube channel by Ralph Smart called "Infinite Waters - diving deep". Youtube suggested I'd like the video on how to decalcify your pineal gland (aka third eye) and I got so hooked on this guy's cheerfulness I ended up listening to dozens of his videos while sculpting - progress pics will be coming at some point. I thought wouldn't it be cool if he and Teal Swan did a video together and it turns out he did interview her in 2013, and the discussion they had is super interesting; here is the video of the interview on youtube.
5. This recipe for Crack. ... the no-bake relatively healthy coconut dessert kind - I used honey for the sweetener and threw in some cinnamon and cardamom, it was delicious.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
This Week's Favourite Things! January 5th - January 11th 2015
1. The movie Case 39. This topped the list last week but I've since rewatched it, and yes, I find it makes a fine metaphor for not just my experience of 2014 but probably for all of 2010 - 2014 so it is now one of my all time favourite movies. Thank you, makers of Case 39, for helping me make sense of my life. It's set in Vancouver which is cool. Just to be clear I relate to the character played by Renee Zellweger. I think Case 39 is underrated and possibly full of great life lessons if it is true that demons lose their power in the absence of fear from their victims... bringing me to
2. All sorts of songs, lyrics and videos on the AWOLNATION youtube channel. What a lot of great lyrics, like the line "never let your fear decide your fate" from Kill your Heroes, "If you're feeling like I feel then run your life like it's a dance floor" from Burn it Down, and all of Jump On My Shoulders. Plus there are lots more I like, what an awesome band!
3. This TED talk about the Prison of Your Mind by Sean Stephenson which I liked so much I ended up watching his video on How To Create Powerful Connections With Anyone which I really liked as well.
4. Pranayama. Yogic breathing! I'd forgotten I used to do it after learning about it on a trip to India in 2001. It's nice so I've been watching various videos on youtube about the different techniques.
Here's an example for Kapalabhati Pranayama, and here's another video that goes over a few different breaths with a focus on Pranayama for weight loss.
5. Sprouting! I was researching what sort of sprouter to get when I found this video link from the Mumm's Sprouting Seeds Website pointing out that glass jars with screens work just as well. They do. I found a pack of paint strainers that we got a hardware store that are a perfect mesh for cutting up to put over jars.
2. All sorts of songs, lyrics and videos on the AWOLNATION youtube channel. What a lot of great lyrics, like the line "never let your fear decide your fate" from Kill your Heroes, "If you're feeling like I feel then run your life like it's a dance floor" from Burn it Down, and all of Jump On My Shoulders. Plus there are lots more I like, what an awesome band!
3. This TED talk about the Prison of Your Mind by Sean Stephenson which I liked so much I ended up watching his video on How To Create Powerful Connections With Anyone which I really liked as well.
4. Pranayama. Yogic breathing! I'd forgotten I used to do it after learning about it on a trip to India in 2001. It's nice so I've been watching various videos on youtube about the different techniques.
Here's an example for Kapalabhati Pranayama, and here's another video that goes over a few different breaths with a focus on Pranayama for weight loss.
5. Sprouting! I was researching what sort of sprouter to get when I found this video link from the Mumm's Sprouting Seeds Website pointing out that glass jars with screens work just as well. They do. I found a pack of paint strainers that we got a hardware store that are a perfect mesh for cutting up to put over jars.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
This Week's Favourite Things! December 29th, 2014 - January 4th 2015
1. 2015!! Hello, 2015! 2014 was a rather challenging year though full of good learning experiences. To sum up what I learned in 2014 the movie "Case 39" keeps popping up in my mind as a reminder that situations aren't always how they may first appear. Anyhow, onwards and upwards!
2. Jenny Jib! In thinking of "2014 in review" this shop in Lunenburg takes top prize for things I'm grateful for, it's super awesome, I'm super grateful for the relatively low consignment rate, the fact that it's close by, how low key the owner is about how awesome this shop is, and I can't wait to make lots of Jenny-Jib-specific items in 2015. In fact Lunenburg County in general is a favourite thing especially the signs about it being the Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Capital of the world. It's inspiring living near so many Christmas tree farms. As a random aside here's an interesting article about where a lot of ornaments come from in China.
3. Dried beans! Aha, so if you soak dried beans first for a day or two before cooking they actually don't take all that long to cook and have way more taste, fiber and protein than canned, plus fewer chemicals. Plus they're cheap! I had a bad experience trying to cook chick peas once without soaking them first years ago but just gave it another shot with black beans and ended with awesome soup.
4. The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner. I read her first book (The Hormone Diet) years ago and this one is a really good reminder of lots of stuff, my big resolution for 2015 is to turn into one of these people that goes to sleep early and wakes up really early instead of staying up really late all the time.
2. Jenny Jib! In thinking of "2014 in review" this shop in Lunenburg takes top prize for things I'm grateful for, it's super awesome, I'm super grateful for the relatively low consignment rate, the fact that it's close by, how low key the owner is about how awesome this shop is, and I can't wait to make lots of Jenny-Jib-specific items in 2015. In fact Lunenburg County in general is a favourite thing especially the signs about it being the Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Capital of the world. It's inspiring living near so many Christmas tree farms. As a random aside here's an interesting article about where a lot of ornaments come from in China.
3. Dried beans! Aha, so if you soak dried beans first for a day or two before cooking they actually don't take all that long to cook and have way more taste, fiber and protein than canned, plus fewer chemicals. Plus they're cheap! I had a bad experience trying to cook chick peas once without soaking them first years ago but just gave it another shot with black beans and ended with awesome soup.
4. The Supercharged Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner. I read her first book (The Hormone Diet) years ago and this one is a really good reminder of lots of stuff, my big resolution for 2015 is to turn into one of these people that goes to sleep early and wakes up really early instead of staying up really late all the time.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
This Week's Favourite Things! December 22nd - December 28th 2014
Happy New Year!
1. The books of Stuart Wilde. Wow! I like listening to random stuff on Youtube while I work and find this really good background listening, a lot to do with Taoist philosophy. Youtube randomly recommended one of his audiobooks and I've since listened to The Little Money Bible and Infinite Power. My big resolution for 2015 is to put more consciousness into my art, so listening to these audiobooks and lectures seems helpful to this end.
2. #CalmDownABand This was a twitter hashtag that started up last weekend I think and was soon trending worldwide with people altering Band names to make them more "calm". Eg, "The New Pornographers = "The New Stenographer" or "Nine Inch Nails" = "Nine Inch Nail Clippers". Fun, and a cool example of the power of social media.
3. Dr.Suess' Rhymes and Reasons Documentary. Super interesting History Channel documentary about Dr. Suess.
4. Miracle Farms, A 5 Acre Commercial permaculture orchard in Southern Quebec, Canada
Great example of how abundant the earth can be without the intervention of Agribusiness.
1. The books of Stuart Wilde. Wow! I like listening to random stuff on Youtube while I work and find this really good background listening, a lot to do with Taoist philosophy. Youtube randomly recommended one of his audiobooks and I've since listened to The Little Money Bible and Infinite Power. My big resolution for 2015 is to put more consciousness into my art, so listening to these audiobooks and lectures seems helpful to this end.
2. #CalmDownABand This was a twitter hashtag that started up last weekend I think and was soon trending worldwide with people altering Band names to make them more "calm". Eg, "The New Pornographers = "The New Stenographer" or "Nine Inch Nails" = "Nine Inch Nail Clippers". Fun, and a cool example of the power of social media.
3. Dr.Suess' Rhymes and Reasons Documentary. Super interesting History Channel documentary about Dr. Suess.
4. Miracle Farms, A 5 Acre Commercial permaculture orchard in Southern Quebec, Canada
Great example of how abundant the earth can be without the intervention of Agribusiness.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
This Week's Favourite Things! December 15th - Sunday December 21st, 2014
Merry Christmas Everyone! Or whichever winter holiday you prefer! All the best and a giant thank you to all the customers and merchants who've supported my art practice this season.
Favourite things...
1. Christmas Carols, especially "O Little Town of Bethlehem". The lyrics for this carol in particular (which I spent an afternoon playing on piano last week) made me see Christmas in a whole new way. Especially the lines "above thy deep and dreamless sleep" and "yet in the dark streets shineth the ever lasting light" and "in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in." Anyhow to me the whole song seems to me to be about Christmas being a time where everyone realizes humans have the capacity to live in Christ consciousness and experience heaven on earth. It's a nice idea. I was raised Catholic but as a kid, and as with most Western religions, I think my understanding of God was more dualistic than that.
2. A sign I saw in Bridgewater advertising a community Christmas Carol sing along that said something about "putting the Christ back in Christmas" which, with respect to point #1, and some other Christmas Carols I've been enjoying, sounds like a fine idea.
3. This one is more fascinating than favourite, but Elf on a Shelf and the book that came with the elves' Reindeer Pet. Wow. I'd never heard of Elf on a Shelf before this year and will say that I think the practice of people creating creative vignettes with the Elf to share on Social Media seems to be a fun, entertaining use of the internet, and from what I've heard kids seem to enjoy having the Elf around as part of a Christmas Tradition. But there's something a bit slick and commercial about marketing Elf accessories and pets, and the storybook that comes with the reindeer seems to make Christmas all about getting presents (rather than receiving Christ consciousness). Plus there are a couple interesting articles around about how the elf may in fact be grooming children to accept an untouchable, surveillance-presence in their life, though members of the pro-elf camp may dismiss those claims as hum-buggery. Still, as marketing and branding to kids - wow, fascinating, and in a way, inspiring. It also reminds me of the simplicity and spirited message of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", merchandise for which became marketable after the fact because the book was so great, not the other way around; with a book written to sell merchandise.
4. Further to #3: All the writings of Dr. Suess.
5. Further to 'merchandise' the whole Jonathan Adler brand and story. I didn't know anything about Jonathan Adler other than I see Jenny Jib sells some items by the brand, but the story is super fascinating: a potter in NYC who expanding his business dramatically by use of fair trade shops in Peru. The whole backstory can be found on the Jonathan Adler website. It has made me consider changing identities from "Artist" to "Designer", even if I only make a few of whatever I designed, something about the word "Designer" strikes me as having more... cachet... while the word "Artist" can unfortunately evoke images of an impoverished mentally ill Dutch painter who just lopped off an ear or similarly broke and downtrodden people. Something to think about, in any case.
6. War is Over (If you want it)... Happy Christmas from John and Yoko. This is a link to a10 minute youtube documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, their interest in peace, and ending with a music video for their Christmas song from 1971, War is Over.
7. Portland Street shopping in Dartmouth. Cool! I heard about Kept Shop and The Dart Gallery but finally made it in for the first time during this week. Both are really great shops full of awesome local work, plus there seems to be more going on in the downtown Dartmouth area in terms of restaurants and other shops. If I didn't live so far from town I'd be a more frequent frequenter for sure.
Favourite things...
1. Christmas Carols, especially "O Little Town of Bethlehem". The lyrics for this carol in particular (which I spent an afternoon playing on piano last week) made me see Christmas in a whole new way. Especially the lines "above thy deep and dreamless sleep" and "yet in the dark streets shineth the ever lasting light" and "in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in." Anyhow to me the whole song seems to me to be about Christmas being a time where everyone realizes humans have the capacity to live in Christ consciousness and experience heaven on earth. It's a nice idea. I was raised Catholic but as a kid, and as with most Western religions, I think my understanding of God was more dualistic than that.
2. A sign I saw in Bridgewater advertising a community Christmas Carol sing along that said something about "putting the Christ back in Christmas" which, with respect to point #1, and some other Christmas Carols I've been enjoying, sounds like a fine idea.
3. This one is more fascinating than favourite, but Elf on a Shelf and the book that came with the elves' Reindeer Pet. Wow. I'd never heard of Elf on a Shelf before this year and will say that I think the practice of people creating creative vignettes with the Elf to share on Social Media seems to be a fun, entertaining use of the internet, and from what I've heard kids seem to enjoy having the Elf around as part of a Christmas Tradition. But there's something a bit slick and commercial about marketing Elf accessories and pets, and the storybook that comes with the reindeer seems to make Christmas all about getting presents (rather than receiving Christ consciousness). Plus there are a couple interesting articles around about how the elf may in fact be grooming children to accept an untouchable, surveillance-presence in their life, though members of the pro-elf camp may dismiss those claims as hum-buggery. Still, as marketing and branding to kids - wow, fascinating, and in a way, inspiring. It also reminds me of the simplicity and spirited message of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", merchandise for which became marketable after the fact because the book was so great, not the other way around; with a book written to sell merchandise.
4. Further to #3: All the writings of Dr. Suess.
5. Further to 'merchandise' the whole Jonathan Adler brand and story. I didn't know anything about Jonathan Adler other than I see Jenny Jib sells some items by the brand, but the story is super fascinating: a potter in NYC who expanding his business dramatically by use of fair trade shops in Peru. The whole backstory can be found on the Jonathan Adler website. It has made me consider changing identities from "Artist" to "Designer", even if I only make a few of whatever I designed, something about the word "Designer" strikes me as having more... cachet... while the word "Artist" can unfortunately evoke images of an impoverished mentally ill Dutch painter who just lopped off an ear or similarly broke and downtrodden people. Something to think about, in any case.
6. War is Over (If you want it)... Happy Christmas from John and Yoko. This is a link to a10 minute youtube documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, their interest in peace, and ending with a music video for their Christmas song from 1971, War is Over.
7. Portland Street shopping in Dartmouth. Cool! I heard about Kept Shop and The Dart Gallery but finally made it in for the first time during this week. Both are really great shops full of awesome local work, plus there seems to be more going on in the downtown Dartmouth area in terms of restaurants and other shops. If I didn't live so far from town I'd be a more frequent frequenter for sure.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Now Available At The Dart Gallery!
Today I took a few favourite pieces to The Dart Gallery in downtown Dartmouth. I'm very excited about having more work here at this very awesome venue in the new year, and have been working away in the studio on some new pieces. In May 2015 there will be a group show with a Jim Henson theme which sounds like lots of fun!
Here is the work that's now available:
Here is the work that's now available:
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| Sullivan's Pond Goose, stoneware, 14" tall x 10" wide x 9" long. $175. There will be figurine-sized Sullivan's Pond Geese coming in 2015! |
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| Spirit Animal - White Stag. Wall hanging, stoneware 11" tall x 4" wide x 14" long, $95 |
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| Owl Statuette: stoneware, 11" tall. This wise owl is a very favourite piece that has long been the 'mascot' pic on my blog: $175 |
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| White Rabbit #1, stoneware 5" tall x 5" wide x 10" long $150. Like all my pieces, each of these bunnies was hand-sculpted without the use of molds - although I don't use molds, sometimes I create work in series. |
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| White Rabbit #2, stoneware 5" tall x 5" wide x 10" long, $150 |
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| White Rabbit #3, stoneware 5" tall x 5.5" wide x 10" long, $150 |
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