Wednesday, November 28, 2007

dear diary

Dear Diary

I'm feeling guilty. There are all these bloggers who are writing a post a day in November whereas I, after 2 1/2 years of blogging, have only managed to post, say, four days in a row on maybe a half dozen occasions. I haven't posted at all this week, and last week only provided pictures.

Okay, I admit it, I'm not really feeling guilty but it has been quiet (though always busy) around here lately. The high point was probably getting an update from the family of Carlos, the first of about a dozen dogs we fostered a few years back. Isn't he a handsome devil? After his early career in highway robbery, I broke him out of a shelter in Bellingham, Washington, and we fled north over the border. All the dogs were hard to give up but he was the hardest.

And we kept this evil-looking creature instead? On Monday night we had a sort-of snowfall (wet and short-lived) ~ perfect for lounging in, of course. Zappa is pretty but not too smart or brave, as he proved last Saturday when he used me as a shield while I kicked and screamed at a vicious Chow Chow who tried to carve him up and eat him for lunch.

Bit by bit the handmade stuff I've bought on Etsy for Christmas has been trickling in, and I got some work back from a gallery last week. I took two of the landscape paintings into town yesterday, so if you're in downtown Vancouver over the next ten days, pop into Royal Centre at 1055 West Georgia Street and have a look.

I also have five of these framed landscape drawings left to find homes for. These frames are so perfect for them that I don't want to sell the drawings by themselves, but shipping glass can be a pain-in-the-arse and finding a new venue also a problem as they're not exactly mainstream landscapes. Because of their reflective quality they do need to be seen by the naked eye. I've decided to put a couple on Etsy anyway, just to test drive the idea.

In other news, Carl was invited to go on the senior concert band trip to Kelowna next spring, even though he only had room for a guitar class and extracurricular jazz band this year. Adam also has a band trip to Seattle with the junior band. These band trips cost money and there seems to be two trips a year these days, either to Quebec with the French Immersion class or somewhere closer with the band. I can't ask the grandparents to help out so I foresee a few bottle drives in our future.

One of those bottle drives might be for me as I really want to go to a Nick Bantock collage workshop (I want to learn more about mixed media) on Saltspring Island at the end of May. Anyone care to join me? I've never read Griffin and Sabine or any of his other novels so I really must do some 'research' first.

Well, Diary, I have some painting to do so must go. What do you think I should do with this strange-looking thing?

31 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

… now you are telling! I am fan of N. Bantock collage works and would love to explore that dimension of artwork… what timing though, just when I run out of funds to travel. I do hope you go, though! Go!!!! What does bottle drive involves, anyway?

28/11/07 10:51 a.m.  
Blogger dinahmow said...

"...do with this strange-looking thing?"

Collage all 3 and call it an installation!

Can I send you all my empties?

28/11/07 11:42 a.m.  
Blogger Angela Wales Rockett said...

Nick Bantock?! I love his work. Yes, to second Albina, Go!!! Then tell me all about it! :)

Where the heck is Saltspring Island?

28/11/07 12:34 p.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Albina: Bottle drives involve you mailing me all your empties (see Dinah's comment) so I can cash them in!

Dinah: You'd better. Albina is, after all. :)

Angela: Ha! Salt Spring Island is probably closer to you than to me so what's stopping you? Photos of our last visit here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/didrooglie/sets/72157601571993937/

28/11/07 12:41 p.m.  
Blogger Jafagirls said...

Yikes, I don't think I could post a blog entry a day. I can't even visit others blogs every day, let along expect people to visit mine.

I remember those band trips that my son took, man they cost. mind he got to meet a rockette backstage when they went to new york and LOVED it. So I guess it was worth it LOL!

keep well, and hope you get to go on your workshop :)

corrine

28/11/07 1:27 p.m.  
Blogger WithinWithout said...

Chow-chows are always vicious, aren't they? They look more like hairy bears than dogs anyway.

Zappa, be cool. Your mother will protect you.

And what? You're asking someone who can barely draw a stick man to tell you what to do with those three canvasses?

Pick out three bloggers you know and put your version of their images or who they are on there.

Then get those three to bid on the resulting work of Andrea Art!

28/11/07 2:10 p.m.  
Blogger Janets Planet said...

Carlos is a great looking dog.

28/11/07 3:13 p.m.  
Blogger Alda said...

Oh, don't feel too guilty. It's quality that counts, anyway, not quantity.

I agree - that Carlos is about the handsomest dog I've seen!

28/11/07 3:18 p.m.  
Blogger Angela Wales Rockett said...

Within Without has a pretty cool idea about the canvases.

And Carlos is a very handsome dog. And Zappa is quite pretty. It's good he's got a great mom like you to defend him.:)

28/11/07 4:14 p.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Corrine: The costs for band kids seem endless, don't they? My brother-in-law lives on Saltspring so I even have a place to stay if I go!

WW: And this one is a teddy bear with people, too, so go figure. And you were fooled just like Dinahmow -- it's only one canvas!!

Jan: And you can't even see his beautiful plume-tail.

Alda: I don't actually feel guilty, I must admit, but I do wonder how those committed bloggers do it without becoming ... um ... committed! :)

Angela: Canvas. Only one. :) And when that dog attacked Zappa I felt exactly like his mother. How DARE that bully pick on *my* dog!!

28/11/07 4:37 p.m.  
Blogger dinahmow said...

OK, so it's one canvas. Never mind , I think you should go with Chris' idea.One image on each third. You can even use my flickr avatar!
Now...back to the serious business of providing bottles!

28/11/07 4:44 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you a friend of Bill W.? Denise F.

28/11/07 4:50 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, don’t bring up blog commitment issues – I feel inadequacy rising to the surface… One canvas, I saw that… How about something wintry and cold? Cool, sleeping trees and earth. Starry nights and wolf moons. Ah. OK, I seriously need to pick up my own brushes. Thanks for stopping by, btw!

28/11/07 6:23 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, don’t bring up blog commitment issues – I feel inadequacy rising to the surface… One canvas, I saw that… How about something wintry and cold? Cool, sleeping trees and earth. Starry nights and wolf moons. Ah. OK, I seriously need to pick up my own brushes. Thanks for stopping by, btw!

28/11/07 6:23 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmm, that was a glitch in the matrix, please delete!

28/11/07 6:24 p.m.  
Blogger Unknown said...

If there was a Nick Bantock workshop near me i would jump at the chance.
Go and read Griffin and Sabine.

28/11/07 7:09 p.m.  
Blogger Peyton said...

No idea what any of you are talking about ... but I haven't been around much lately so i dropped in to catch up and say "hello!". Blog when you feel like, Andrea, although you seem to be doing pretty well to me!!!

29/11/07 10:00 a.m.  
Blogger Rachel Schell said...

Saltspring Island....

I have no idea where or what this place is, but it sure does sound romantic. I would come if I could!!

29/11/07 10:00 a.m.  
Blogger Zig said...

Carlos is gorgeous.
so is Zappa.
I was bitten on the bum by a Chow - I didn't know I was suppose to stand behind someone.
I'll have the pictures, just deliver them personally that'll save the glass!
I spent many long frugal years supporting my children's bands and orchestras but I did get postcards from some fabulous places!
and finally the last picture . . . nice colours!

29/11/07 10:56 a.m.  
Blogger Merisi said...

Oh, here I came, tiptoeing, sneaking over here to peak. Haven't been around Bloglandia much lately, done this, done that, not done other. Not posted every day in November. Time has this creepy tendency of being evermore that thing that's mostly missing.
*
I do feel bad when I don't manage to visit and comment blogs I really like and enjoy, like yours.
Knowing how akward I feel sometimes, when not finding the right words or just hanging around for a little relaxation, enjoying other people's work, but not up to compose whole sentences, I therefore appreciate immensely when visitors do take the time to comment.
N.B.:
Believe it or not, I have photographed those potted trees at one of those palais more than one time. Do you think I'd manage to mail them to you? *sigh*

29/11/07 1:09 p.m.  
Blogger Merisi said...

awkward ... oh yes!

29/11/07 1:10 p.m.  
Blogger Merisi said...

awkward ... oh yes!

29/11/07 1:10 p.m.  
Blogger WithinWithout said...

Well then, if it's just one tri-coloured canvass, and we all know how you're so multi-dimensional, what about a self-portrait spanning those three colours?

Or stages of your life?

Or something...

29/11/07 3:22 p.m.  
Blogger nadine said...

We stick with you through the lean periods because every so often you treat us to a nice chatty post like this one :-) And no, please don't post everyday! I do have to get some laundry done once in awhile you know!
Having rcently gone through the f"inding a dog a home" thing, I commend you for all the work you have done in the past. I hope we get some Tiger updates :-)

29/11/07 5:38 p.m.  
Blogger Romeo Morningwood said...

I am sorry that you were attacked..
bad owner ((BAD))for not socializing their pet or restraining it. Why is it so easy to own a Dog?

My guess is that 50% of present owners should have their priviledge revoked.

I would turn owning a Dog into a Kafkaesque experience that entailed a detailed psychological screening of prospective owners.

Puppy mill owners would be sent to Russian Prisons to get a taste of their own medicine...anyone caught torturing them would be turned into kibbles...
and I'm not even PETA material..
Now you know why I have have never sought public office (sigh)

I'm ranting, sorry...

30/11/07 6:26 a.m.  
Blogger Ian Lidster said...

I love Zappa. I think I've told you that before, but I'm saying it again.

30/11/07 10:10 a.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Dinah: Drink up lassie!

Shabby: Nope. Who is Bill W?

Albina: I like that idea! And maybe some overlap between images. Good thinking.

Toni: I reserved it at my local library and was notified today that it's ready for me!

Peter: I haven't taken a really long (i.e. more than 3 week) break yet so I think I'm doing fine so far.

Rachel: Saltspring is the ultimate cool place, full of artists (Robert Bateman), writers (Nick Bantock), hippies, sheep farmers, musicians (Randy Bachman), rich people -- the list goes on. And the scenery is breathtaking. I'm sure I could come up with more au courant examples of the creative and famous contingent but those'll have to do for now.

Ziggi: I'll be on the next flight.

Merisi: I must admit that I do far more lurking than I should. That pressure to reciprocate in the comments box -- I try and ignore it :). That said, I'm visiting you after this!

WW: My brain hurts now. I'm just a flaky artist and that sounds deeply comlex :).

Nadine: It's hard giving them up even when you've had them just a day or two, isn't it? We had Carlos for two months but now he is THE most devoted dog to his person. Never lets Julian out of his sight. It makes it all worth it. *sniff* I hope you get Tiger updates, too!

HE: Some of the rescue people I was working with were pretty over-the-top about who they'd "allow" their rescue dogs to go to. I found I had a pretty good sixth sense about these things and, for example, adopted one dog out to a couple in a highrise in Yaletwon rather than to a family in a townhouse. There are always red flags.

Ian: Me too! :)

30/11/07 10:55 a.m.  
Blogger Merisi said...

Gotcha! :-)



(Just kidding!)

30/11/07 11:29 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can't believe you also like Nick Bantock - I have the boxed set of Griffin and Sabine - how weird this has come up at this time, the project I am hoping to work on is part inspired by this type of collage work ; )

Your sons work is very special - you must have been beaming : ) The DNA string is brilliant and I love that lizard too.

3/12/07 2:08 p.m.  
Blogger C. Proppé said...

Okay, you are not going to believe this random act of crawling the web when I am supposed to be helping put my kids to bed... I was watching "Miracle on 34th Street", and it came to the part where the guy at Macy's says to Maureen O'Hara..."But... maybe he's just a little crazy, like painters and composers... and some of those men in Washington". And... I went online and googled this quote... Randomly, after reading a few other places were this quote had landed online, I found your blog. Then, I went to your paintings and I just love your landscapes and FISH paintings... all your work is really incredible... But what is more bizarre is that you want to go to a workshop on Salt Spring Island . Just the other day, my girlfriend, who lives with her husband on a farm on Salt Spring, tells me she met Nick Bantock and was going to do something with him... I guarantee you that if you need a place to stay for free in Salt Spring, my friends will happily put you up at their farm, and will be delighted to host an amazing artist as yourself. Please visit:
http://www.dragonflyfarm.ca/index.htm
and ask for Christina or Paul, and tell them Colleen sent you because you want to attend a workshop.

Cheers!

Fellow, artist... mother of twin boys, age 5...and... just a little bit crazy, of course...

-Colleen Proppé
www.cproppe.com

3/12/07 8:33 p.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Colleen: I love it when I hear about a kindred spirit out there! I'm really hoping I can take the Nick Bantock workshop (and Christina's art is wonderful!) but actually my brother-in-law lives on Salt Spring so i have the staying someplace neatly sewn up. The problem with visiting Salt Spring is that I never want to leave! From what I've read on your blog it's a place you, too, would love. Have you visited Christina and Paul yet?

5/12/07 1:54 p.m.  

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