I know, I know, tulips are all over this city and you've seen one, you've seen them all, but they sure are PRETTY!!! and after the long and arduous winter, we've been starved of colour and foliage and anything to do with pollen. So I got myself over to Dows Lake and did a little tiptoeing. They have some interesting 'breeds' (is that what you call it?) and I was snap happy with the camera. Plus, my Dutch genes may make me more suceptible to the lure of the tulip.
Our sugar-bushing friends have a super dog Paris, and I just wanted to give Paris some props. He is a standard poodle and very friendly and affectionate and smart. Here he is brandishing a stick. So cute!
He also likes the water:
and playing a lot:
Last weekend we piled some friends in the car and headed out to a-late-in-season- sugar bush eating event. I was impressed right off the bat with the Bowl of Bacon (which, in Quebec, are referred to as Oreille de Christ, or Christ's Ears) :
Then came the eggs and other good stuff:
All gone:
Time for Pancakes and Sugar Pie
If that wasn't quite enough sugar, top it all off some maple syrop on snow.
I'm still full just thinking about this meal.
Every once in a while I take on an odd job or two through a temp agency to aid with cash flow, gain new skills, meet new people and be in places that I wouldn't normally get to be in. This week, I was sent to a condo development site in the Ottawa's byward market for a little industrial cleaning. The 18th and 19th penthouse suites needed sweeping. It was pretty interesting to be amid the contractors, labourers, and trades people. The view was pretty good too.
The exhibition at Chrichton Community Centre was reviewed in the express a week ago. The article (can be read online here) was written by Dipna Horra, who also did a CBC radio review found here. The show is on till the end of May, so there's lots of time to go see it..might make a nice spring bike ride out to Beechwood :)
Its taken a few days to process the excitment, anxiety, distress and tons and tons of mad fun that was the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show. I have made a galleries of the performances and of the pieces I installed there. Also, view the video documentation of exhibition space. Public Interventions included handing out dust masks to protect ourselves from the SARS satchel, 'Spilling my guts' from the Colon Carry-All, wearing my Heart-On-My-Sleeve, and wearing the newest in fashion accessies: Tumour Belt. Thank you so much to my Hazmat Gals for being my posse for the night and my friends who came to the show to cheer me on! YOU ROCK!
Here is the Colon Carry All I have made for the Toronto Alternative Fashion Show. It is part of my Organs and Organisms interventions taking place on Friday night in the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District. I am heading to TO tomorow: the car is packed, the price list is printed, all glue has dried. [FAT] starts on Wednesday night, so I'll likely be hanging in the Distillery hood for the duration. Should be lots and lots of fun...!
I've also just posted an image gallery of my Creatures from the Crichton Community Centre exhibiton. The opening went really well, and the place looks great....and rumour has it that the show has been reviewed for this weeks Xpress. Pick up a copy Thursday!
Here is creature # 2, Bellus Bestia, which in Latin means Beautiful Animal. The show has been installed at Crichton Community Centre, and is looking rather lovely. I have a busy week getting things ready for the fashion show [FAT] the week after next, so lots to do!
This is one of the odd little creatures I've made for the upcoming show at the Crichton Community Centre. More images coming soon!
Here are the details:
Crichton Community Centre
To Build a Vibrant Centre: The Corridor Gallery
Vernissage: Friday April 4, from 6 pm - 10 pm
2nd Floor 200 Crichton Street
The exhibition runs until May 31.
Artists: Karina Bergmans, Leanne L'Hirondelle, Alex Leblanc, Theo
Pelmus, and Tavi Weisz. Curated by Alisdair MacRae
The artists were asked to respond to the gallery space on the second
floor, the history of the building, the local area, or similar spaces
that provide a meeting place for a variety of community groups. Even the
concept of community itself. For the Crichton, Karina has created an
installation of fibre sculptures 'air cleanser' creatures. As a way to
aid the air quality in the facility, the air creatures are at once
beautiful and frightening, a reflection of the microscopic world
existing beyond our five senses.
Why isn't a glorious sunny day? All I see is slush and freezing drizzle in the forcast... Well atleast the -40 windchill is unlikely to return. We just need to celebrate the small things: days above freezing, melting snow, puddles, and maybe, just maybe, there will be warmth in the air soon. We will start to wear the thin gloves, go without long johns, change to the short coat. The change is gradual, almost imperceptable, but it will happen...
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!
