Last Legs

IDSWest - Vancouver Interior Design Show Glimpse

I was lucky enough to get a comlimentary pass to the Interior Design Show at the Vancouver Convention Center. So I went to the opening last night.

This is part of the "Responsible, Design Inside the Box" installation. I love the handmade quilt backdrop.

 

This is part of "Future Masters: Young Designers West". Check out Mira Yung.

And this is part of an installation where 7 design firms were asked to create something using cork. One of the designers is Straight Line Designs Inc, also seen here:

There was a lot of naturally inspired work including this cool living wall by Green Over Grey. Lots of wood items, including two of my favourites, Maai Living, and Bowerman's Handcrafted Furniture who did this stunning dining room table:

(photo taken from the Bowerman's website)

  

The coolest electronic type thing was definitel the 3D tv. You have to wear those funky glasses, but the effect is quite amazing.

And of course there were the standard owl and teal items, of which I am a sucker.

 

My favourite thing was probably the kitchenware from Marimekko Vancouver.

I love the way they use hand drawings and the way they look modern and so vintagy at the same time. I would seriously love to have a collection of their dishes.

 
(Marimekko images taken from their website)

There was also a photographer there, David Burdeny, whose work I lovelovelove. 

There are hundreds of designers so if you are interested in design you really should go have a look this weekend.

Commit to a spot and dig.

  

I want to talk about Pecha Kucha. On Thursday I went to Vancouver's Volume 13. In essence, Pecha Kucha is a night of inspiration. A random selection of people are chosen to do presentations on their work. They are asked to share 20 images, 20 seconds spent on each.

Thursday's presenters included artists, curators, architects, musicians, activists, business owners, and more. It was spectacular. I left feeling overwhelmed, emotional, excited, and inspired.

I'm in the crux of a shit storm right now with deciding (for sure) what direction to take my "career", and Thursday evening inspired me to continue to take the reins on what I really want to do with my life and follow that dream. However, it also spun me like a top into the endless possibilities of what is out there. What does one do when everything interests them?

22 Chinese Proverbs Art Show at Libby's Kitchen

 

My 22 Chinese Proverbs show will be up at Libby's Kitchen until October 1st at 3pm. The cafe is located at 3429 Porter Street (at Victoria Drive, accross the street from the Trout Lake Community Center). Please go have a look!

 

I snapped a picture of the work when it had all just been completed and was all lined up on my couch before I packed it up to bring it to the cafe.  

 

The images are all 5x7 inches with a white 8x10 matte and framed in vintage frames. They are $75 each.

  

30Days - 0618Teal

30 Days Project - Day 18 

I started putting these little coloured drawings onto wood panels (same as the ones I use for my collages) and I think they look really cute! Here are the first two:

 

30Days - 0616Sideways

30 Days Project - Day 17 
  

Food, Photography, and Fun Things To Do.

This is the lettuce portion of my garden. Behind the lettuce you can also see fennel, peas, lemon balm, chives, thyme, parsley, and nasturtiums. I am trying to create a sort of herb section of the garden back there in the corner near the fence. After this picture was taken I planted some bergamot, too! I would like to get a larger container for the lemon balm. Maybe a foot and a half across. If anyone has one, please leave it at my garden for me! Thanks!

Above is a photo of my first harvest! I went back the next day (yesterday) and picked another batch just as big. It tastes wonderful.

The day I picked the first batch I found out it was my friend's birthday (he is kind of secretive) so I decided to bake him a cake - inspired by my Mother's Day cake, and my friend Jocelyn's sugar icing idea - so I got out all the ingredients and was pretty fricken excited about surprising him at work. Something went terribly wrong. It could have been the oven was acting funny, or perhaps I didn't whip the eggs enough. I was pretty sad so I decided to try again (even though I had washed all the dishes and put all the ingredients away) and it also turned out like crap. So after wasting 6 eggs and a bunch of sugar and flour I took him my delicious greens instead.

In happier food news, I made a delicious beet greens, mushroom, tomato, and shrimp dish with a lemon dill sauce, served over millet. I made the same thing again last night and used Enoki mushrooms!

My friend Priscilla is doing a show for the Fringe Festival in September and I took the photo that she will be using in the program guide:

 And finally, a couple of events/activities that you might want to/should participate in:

The 30 Days Project - Create something for 30 days straight and share it with people. Registration ends today, project begins tomorrow. FREE!

Craft Party / Etsy Meetup - Come hang out with other crafters and craft. June 18, 2-5pm. FREE!
 
Ricky Powell Slide Show - "The legendary street photographer is coming to Fortune Sound Club on June 2, and he’ll be doing a little show and tell session." FREE!

Swap-O-Rama-Rama - "Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing and craft supply swap in which a community explores reuse and creativity through the recycling of used clothing." $5/$6

Talent Time - "Talent Time is a live monthly comedy / variety / chat show & cable access television program featuring the country's greatest comedians, musical artists and novelty acts. Past guests include: Miniature Mariachis, Comic Hypnotists, Celebrity Impersonators, Extreme Wrestlers, Airbands, Drag Queens, Magicians, Laughing Meditation Demonstrations and Tribute Bands." $8

 

Art?

Can you spot the mistake in the above picture?

This is one of the art installations that appeared in Vancouver before the Olympics. It is at the underground train station on Cambie and 49th. I am completely torn about how I feel about it. On the one hand I think it is cool because it is so outrageous and out of place. And random. On the other hand, I think it is intrusive and a slight eyesore.

There is an exhibit happening at MoMA right now by an instillation/performance artist, Marina Abramovic, who sits in a chair across the table from individuals (people who have paid to get into the museum) and simply stares at them. From what I gather, you can sit there and stare back at her for as long as you like, and she just stares back at you. Apparently the effect that this has been having on people is that they can't help but cry. I don't exactly know what her intentions are, but I DO understand why people end up crying. Or at least, I think I understand.

There is so much going on in the world, constant motion, constant DO DO DO, RUSH RUSH RUSH. We rarely sit one on one with a person, and even if we do, there is very often simple silence between two people. There is very rarely complete and utter devoted attention, with the only expectation being that you give back the same.

I imagine that this devoted attention with no expectations, no speaking, nothing but her willingness to look at you in the eyes for as long as necessary, allows people to completely let go. And people carry heavy shit around with them. Most people have weights on their shoulders, pressure, that they carry around in silence. When given an opportunity like this, it doesn't surprise me that it all comes to the surface to be released. People cry in front of her because she - by taking nothing, and giving nothing - is granting them permission.

She is pretty much opening herself to these people, giving them unlimited time and individual attention. That kind of acceptance would definitely be moving. Moving to the point of tears.   

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I read a quote that I really like. "Listen carefully to first criticisms of your work. Note carefully just what it is about your work that the critics don’t like – then cultivate it. That’s the part of your work that’s individual and worth keeping." - Steinberg

Now obviously if you are creating something of which you enjoy the process and the finished product then keep making it. And if you are creating something that other people seemed to be pleased with, that's great.

But I think that this quote should be kept in mind for a way to push yourself and your art.

It should be kept in mind for when you do encounter criticism.

And it should be kept in mind to consider the idea that if you have only gotten positive responses to your work, you might be able to take it to another level.

Some Photos

Last night I spend a few hours resizing and adjusting some photos of mine because there is a deal with Moo and Etsy for a free pack of business cards. I thought there must be some catch, but I couldn't see anything so I figured I would just try it and see. Well, the catch was that they put a coupon on the front of your card. So after all the (wasted) time spent on designing them I didn't end up getting them. I just wanted to share a couple of them here, though, because I like them. These are all photographs of mine taken within the past few years.

 

 
 

House

This is a cool house on 12th and Clarke in Vancouver, BC.  

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My friend Chanda and I went peeking in an abandoned house near where she lives and I took some pictures then collaged them into this print that is for sale on my Society6 page.

 

I think the top left image would also look great on its own, as a print.

What do you think?

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The other day I posted two collages that I made for friends who sent me Moving On signs. Here are two signs that my friends sent me. 

By Christen

By Chanda

 

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Another picture of Kitten.

Purple

I was taking a picture of this beautiful Shamrock plant for Poppytalk's Spring Colours Week Flickr Project and Kitten wouldn't get out of my way. He is always trying to get involved with whatever I am doing. So I decided to give him a few minutes in the spot light.

 

I call this "Still Life: Kitten with Onion".