Pencil Shavings

Planet Songs

Well, here you go.  It's no secret that I am a geek and love this kind of stuff.  I'm coming out of my geek closet to share this with you.

The first link is the sound the earth's magnetic belt makes when solar particles hit it, the second is the sound the rings of Saturn make when meteorites hit them.  I think that they are really cool and beautiful. I wish that the earth could sing so we could hear her, maybe we would respect her more if we could hear her voice.

http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080627-earth-sounds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGeWBiLVn8g&feature=related

Songs In The Key of Eh! (Happy Canada Day)

I was listening to the radio this weekend and heard a special about Canadian songwriters and singers, and was reaffirmed in my belief that we hosers have had a pretty significant impact on the arts scene, not only at home, but world wide.

I decided to work up my own top ten list of Canadian songwriters, nearly all of whom sang their own tunes on this list, who have impacted me greatly.  Most of these will be songs from my youth, some have come to me recently, but all have a lot of Canadian Cred.

(No, there will be no Terry Jacks in this list)

#10 Paul Anka:  Yeah I know.. there is a lot of Canadian Cheddar in old Paul, but there is one song that he wrote that was sung by Buddy Holly that I know every word to.  It came out before I was born, but I had a recording of it (lord knows when I acquired that) and played it a lot.   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore

#9.  k.d. lang/Leonard Cohen:  I’ve been a huge fan of k.d.’s ever since - well ever since I first heard her voice.  She has a voice that can alternately make you weep or laugh.  But, when I heard her version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”  I got shivers, and I got tears in my eyes, because it was just so damn beautiful.  If you want a full blooded Canadian pedigree, this song has it.

#8   I came to this song later in life, but you know I think it’s just a relevant now as it was then.  The Five Man Electrical Band, Signs.

#7  There are no top ten Canadian Songwriters lists anywhere that don’t include this guy.    I have lots of songs of his that I love, but this one has a special spot in my heart, for reasons that are none of your business. Harvest Moon, but Neil Young 

#6 This song had slipped from my radar for a while, until Randy Bachman started his radio show “Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap” on CBC radio... then I heard it again in my brother’s car, and we cranked the volume up loud and car danced in a way that was totally unlike the 40 somethings we are in reality.  BTO’s Takin’ Care of Business 

#5 This is another with a great Canadian pedigree.  The Barenaked Ladies, and the first song I ever heard them sing, that was written by another Canadian musical god, Bruce Cockburn.  Lovers in a Dangerous Time

#4 Bruce gets another mention here on my list.  I am a huge fan and he is on almost every play list I have ever created.  This one was a great foil for my teenage angst and anger at the way the world was being used by my parent’s generation ... now I’m one of the parents, but the anger still burns in me.  If I Had a Rocket Launcher 

#3  Joni!!!  how can any list not have Joni Mitchell on it?  I could write for pages about her, but she speaks so well for herself. Coyote.

#2  Down to the short strokes now, and I have to tell you that this band was on every radio station, was present in every day of my life it seems for years.  I love this song, and for those of you who think you know it as a Lenny Kravitz song, you don’t know anything.   This is The Guess Who and American Woman, and it ain’t no love song. 

#1  I can’t imagine any musician in Canada growing up didn’t want to be a part of this band.  A band that came from the heart of Canada, but spoke directly to the heart of the US midwest.  I could list a the whole discography of The Band.  So many evocative songs that wove into our collective consciousness.  I rolled the dice on this one, I was seriously torn between several great songs... I let my playlist randomly pick this one.  The Weight. 

Well there you go, my nostalgic trip for Canada Day.  There are so many other great artists that I could include... and maybe I’ll have a secondary list of more modern groups and songs.  But these are the greats  and this is the soundtrack of my youth. and really are there any songs that play to our hearts like the ones we heard when we were growing up?

Hello Sunshine

Wow a whole week gone just like that!

The kids are officially off school and I am dealing with some territorial battles as the youngest watches some of her time, things, and space being occupied by the big kid who used to be at school all day! 

 I haven’t had time to work on any big projects.  And when I do have time I mostly just want to turn on the TV and turn off my head for a while.

But I have been doing some miniature tiles for necklace/pendants.  The bamboo tiles are 3/4 of an inch by 1 1/2 inches.  The smaller ones are scrabble tiles.

Next weekend, me, my blog, and my store will all be on a little vacation.  (She says, like she’s been slaving away at this stuff 24/7 for the last month)  But I will be sure to update you about what is happening upon my return.

Happy Summer Solstice

It’s been busy around the “Artist’s Residence” this week.  The end of the school year is lot like the lead up to Christmas, with lots of excitement and expectations.

I haven’t finished any new art, but I am slowly working away on a piece for a friend that I really want to get done before we leave for the annual family vacation.

Things on eBay are still chaotic and fruitless as far as I can tell.  I have this sense of watching a train wreck in slow motion.  This is another reason why I’m glad I’m taking a break from listing right now.  The upheaval is impressive, but also the potential for personal disaster is enormous.

The rumour is that there will be a 5 cent listing sale on Monday.  I might relist a few things  - but other than that I’m content to let this one go by.

Personally I am so busy being a mom  (and fighting a cold) that I’m not missing the efforts of trying to sell my art.  Instead I got to go to the preschool graduation of my youngest and shed some tears as she goes on to big kids school, and I got the privilege of having my oldest child teach me how to make a podcast on our computer.

What a delight to share that creative process with her.  We recorded a story the two girls made up and mailed off to the grandparents.  And the responses were so great that the girls want to make another.  It really was so much fun, and I have to say that GarageBand made it so easy that a six year old can do it... well a 42 year old too! 

Tonight my girls and I made some Artist Trading Cards to share with each other. 

If this is any indication,  I think that summer holidays are going to be awesome!

Happy Father’s Day

So.... did you miss me? 

I know I’ve not updated this week - getting back home and trying to get everything in the house back on track and getting the schedules for the end of school organized for the kids has really knocked me off track. 

I had a really great trip to San Francisco.  It was nice spending the majority of the day with adults instead of kids.  Although the adults I was hanging out with are pretty young at heart.

There were lots of things I loved about San Francisco.  The cable cars, the weather, the galleries, the atmosphere, the water, the walking.  The thing I loved the most though was the look on my daughters face when I walked in the front door the evening I got home.

It’s not often you get a moment of being loved so much. 

Today was a relaxed Father’s Day in our house.  I even had a surprise nap when I fell asleep reading a book.  We had a fun day, my husband got some great gifts that the girls made him, and we had a nice dinner.

Tomorrow the schedules take over our lives again, but this weekend was nice break from the routine, and reminder of the promise of summer holidays.

I did manage to get some painting done today.  This work is not quite finished, but I’m enjoying the experimental nature of it.

I hope your week brings you something delightfully unexpected.

Have Palette

Will Travel...

I'm all packed up and waiting for the cab to come.  There is a certain amount of anxiety that comes from leaving my kids behind this weekend, which really only proves that I need this break.  I feel like I'm missing a limb when I go out without them these days, which does make me a Mom, but it also means that I've lost touch with who Kathleen is too.

I'm ready to go.  I packed too many art supplies (just in case) and not enough clothes (cuz that's what stores are for) and have loads of batteries for the camera.  I have one magazine to read and lots of pens for writing and deep desire to leave, and to stay, all at the same time.

I know that my family will be fine, that they will do better than cope, they will likely have a delightful time while I'm away, and the menu for tonight is pizza and ice cream!

when I get back I hope I will have lots of work to show you, or at least lots of ideas to share, and that this knot of tension between my shoulder blades will be lost somewhere mid-flight on the way to San Francisco.

Talk to you soon.

Spring Has Sprung

The garden is all in.  I planted the last seeds yesterday (assuming the evil mouse king doesn’t let his subjects eat any more sunflower sprouts!), and today my daughter and I finished the last of the transplanting.  We are actually a little ahead of last year.  Last year I didn’t finish all the planting until the middle of the month.  I could do some more planters... I have three largish ones that are empty right now, but I might ... either... plant them with bedding plants that will be on sale in a few weeks, or plant them with carrots, lettuce and tomatoes... since my youngest daughter has taken over my planting beds with experimental corn and pumpkins!

On Friday I’m abandoning my family to go to San Francisco with my girlfriends.  They are the same support crew that came to Las Vegas with me to run the marathon, this trip is totally for fun, and I can hardly wait.

My travel palette came in the mail yesterday.  I wanted it for painting on location this summer (and for my summer vacation) but it came early and I’m considering bringing it with me on this trip.

I might not use it, but it will be nice to have - just in case.

I am looking forward to this break.  I need a little time to collect myself before summer holidays begin.

Artist on Hiatus

When this last Mandala auction expires today I will be putting my marketing self on hiatus for a little while.  There are too many things to do in the up coming six or seven weeks and I am afraid that I if I do put up new art for sale I won’t be able to deliver it in a timely manner.  Which isn’t fair to my buyers and collectors.

Next week there is a school field trip, more blood work, and a weekend with “the girls”.  Following that there is Father’s Day, preparing for the end of school and all the stuff that goes with that, and some other big changes in family routines.

The start of July is family vacation time, and I am hoping that some time with sand between my toes will ease some of the aches I’ve been getting in my shoulders and back from spending a lot of time sitting at the computer, and at the art table.

Then the kids’ summer vacation of camps and running through the sprinkler starts.  During that time, when the schedule will be a bit more defined, I will have a chance to paint and sell some of those paintings again.  I will also be taking care of some technical glitches on the home front, being able to fully separate the equipment used for the art business from that that is used for “non-business” around here.

I’m also hoping to get a little more organized and define my space in the house for my art endeavors.  Because come September 4th I will have more time every day to work more on the business and the art and I want to be able to take advantage of that.

She’s Leaving Me

Well, all the months if denial have finally caught up with me, I booked Emily’s “First Ride” on the school bus this week.  She is going to learn the rules of riding the bus, so she is ready for kindergarten in the fall.  She is going to school, and I won’t be nearly as important in her life.

I’m going to miss her.

What will I do with my days?  (besides painting)  Who am I going to watch Sesame Street with?  Who is going to sit on the counter and help me measure ingredients for cookies and bread, and who is going to sit on the floor licking the spoon and watching the goodies bake through the oven window?

Who will hold my hand when I cross the street?  Who will open the mailbox for me and tell me what is inside?  Who is going to sing the itsy bitsy spider song for me, and built tuffets in the living room?

Who am I going to play rain fairies with , and rescue worms with, and splash in puddles with?  Who will I make magic wands with, and who will hug me tight when I am sad and tell me in a soft squeaky voice that I am her best buddy?

Who will take me down to the creek so we can listen to the frogs sing?

Who will explain to me the mystery and magic of rainbows and butterflies?

She will tell her stories to her kindergarten teacher now, and I hope this mysterious new person in our lives appreciates what an amazing girl my Emily really is.

I am going to miss her so much.

Superhero

At the bus stop this morning “the boys” were stomping on worms.   My two girls were disgusted by this behaviour.  They know that worms are wonderful things for the earth, and they know about not hurting things that are smaller than you.

My oldest hugged me, my youngest watched as another boy started to rescue the worms, scooping them off the wet pathway and putting them in the grass.  Emily realized that you don’t have to follow the crowd and started to save the worms too.

the wind was blowing hard and cold from the north but we had to go slowly on the way back to the house to save all the worms we could.

We called grandma when we got home and told her about Emily’s Great Worm Rescue.  And grandma said, “The world is a little bit better now.”

I told Emily that she was a hero, for saving creatures that needed help, she looked at me with those clear blue eyes and said, “It’s what we are supposed to do.”

More heroic words were never spoken.