Does this guy ever work?

This morning I met with the Community Liaison Officers from the Niagara Regional Police, to talk about their new colouring book. I made 2 offers. One is based on me doing the drawings, composing them with text, formatting them for the page, and finally turning them into electronic files. The other was based on me just doing the drawings. They'll get back to me.

I took all the Mad Science gear back to the lab after a coffee, and hung out there for a bit. It's nice to hang out with April. I brought her some bean salad from Wright Brothers Market. I told her about my nightmare birthday party. I also found my new book of Zen poetry that had been lost in the car(nage) seats under all the Mad Science gear.

On Sunday, Kim took me to find a place she new where the Canada Geese go to molt, so I could get loads of feathers to make quills for summer cartooning camp. We watched a movie at her place while the feathers soaked in some bleach. I picked up a collection of short stories by Roauld Dahl for her daughters - not kid stories, but not adult stories either. Today, I walked from my house to meet Kim at the Fine Grind, but stopped at Serendipity on Duke on the way picked up some turquoise beads to string into a mala. (Tomorrow is the Karmapa's birthday.)

Tonight I went to the NAC for a Selections Committee meeting. That is the way to see all the proposal submissions from all the artists that want to have a show in the Main Space. Now, even the Members' Space requires approval from a Selections Committee. So many people were getting memberships for the sole purpose of having a show that the NAC said "enough!" From 15 - 20 submissions. Perhaps only 1 - 3 proposals might be selected, and those selected depend quite a bit on the people that show up at the meeting. A different group may end up selecting a completely different artist. That's why I like to go. I know there are lots of magazine articles, and websites, and galleries, but the Selection Process is different; it feels vital.

Quill Pen

Today I made a quill pen out of one of the goose feathers I found on the Niagara River on Sunday. I carved the tip into a nib. The curve of the feather points upwards, and the quill is used in a way that looks upside-down for someone like me who is used to a steel nib. I tried it out, and I can make italic lettering with it, just fine, thank you! Here is a poem, (from a book I just bought today from Hannelore Headley's): The Poetry of Zen, translated and edited by Sam Hamill &
J. P. Seaton.

With a bit more practice, I may have to use this quill more often!

Weekend review

I saw the Cuds on Friday night. Dan Brown from my University painting classes was there. So was a young lady with tattoos who told me she had seen me on the CBC. She pretended to measure my arms for shirt sleeves for a while while talking to me. I forgot to tell her I was going to be in a magazine article soon too. For their last set, the band left the stage and played sotto for us right next to the serving area. What a treat!

The Art of Peace Festival on Saturday was a success. Lots of people were in the audience to see Crooked Trail, a band from Ridgeway. They were a family for the most part, and I liked seeing people having fun like that on stage. I'd go see them again. Anthony Sweet filled in for a Speak Your Peace segment. I noticed right away that he was singing into mthe mike rather than shouting into it, and when he was done I told him I appreciated it. He handed me a CD. His myspace is: http://www.myspace.com/anthonybesweet . He has a bit of a Radiohead thing going; it's good. Another art instructor from Rodman Hall was in the white tent making a quilt with the kids, but the sheet I was reading said she was making a mural with bells and whistles. I got the gears from her for a while. She even called me her nemesis. I tried to explain but she would have none of it. I may be having an interesting summer.

June-Etta Chenard was there with the Quakers making T-shirts with people that read: War is not the answer. Mine is orange. I feel happy every time I see June-Etta.

Sunday I met with my teaching partner at the Strega (which was closed for Fathers' day) to plan out 1st week of camp at Carousel Players. Our theme is going to be boats! We've both lived in Winnipeg, and we both loved going to the Museum of Man and Nature. One of our inspirations is going to be the Nonesuch - a replica of a sailing ship in a harbout built right in the museum that made a big impression on both of us.

Sunday night was BBQ burgers at dad's with the brothers. Dad passed around some of gramps' fishing lures, then I drove Darcy and Danny out to a possible new location for a geo-cache. Darcy seems to like my suggestion. I won't spoil his fun by giving it away here. Then I had a horrible sleep. I'm blaming the burgers. There was nothing wrong with them, but I hadn't eaten any meat for a month.

Colouring book news

Niagara Magazine took my picture today at the Strega. I put a few of my colouring book pictures on the table. The photographer brought his kids, and they were playing with the 2 balloons by the counter that had been there since the 6th anniversary party in April. I told the kids they could take the balloons with them.
Yesterday I bought a laundry basket full of vintage magazines for $20 at the flea market. I'll use them for subject material for the colouring books for seniors. Last week I found a 1959 Fort Lauderdale High School year book. It has great images for the colouring book as well.

Art of Peace Festival

I met with Elizabeth Chitty today for the Art of Peace Festival. There will be bands, art activities and speeches, all about art. Elizabeth asked me to emcee 2 years ago and I've been doing it ever since.

Steve Saturn set off a smoke alarm in Port Colborne today, using the cotton candy machine. What an albatross that thing is. Every one of us dreads carrying the thing up the stairs to classrooms because there are so many large pieces. The thing sends wisps of sugar into the air, and sometimes the smoke detectors can't distinguish sugar from smoke. All the kids and all the staff had to leave the building until the firemen let us back in. Then I had to finish off my class with indoor fireworks!

Normally on Monday nights I would have been meditating with my kagyu group. We have switched to Sundays now, so Fred can continue teaching without being miserable right after a chemo session. Pascal and his daughter came out for the first time yesterday. Pascal has a wee bag of sand from a Tibetan mandala made in Buffalo during the Dalai Lama's last visit, and he was looking for a group to share with him when he releases it's blessing into some running water. We might try to get some people together at the end of the Peace Festival. Or, not.

I've included a couple of pen drawings I did last night in Port Dalhouisie. Ron and I got caught up over a couple of pints. I kind of like the inky blots. So much visual culture is so slick lately. I really like the proof of a thing being made by a hand. There were drawn on the inside of a beer ad thingy that I had to open up to scan. It was a challenge to draw on the inside of this triangle table display thing. The humidity in the air made the glue come apart easily for scanning.