The weather in Calgary was spectacular on Wednesday.  It certainly provided impetus for heading down to the Gorilla House although I felt drawn to the red sofa and a snuggle with the cat.  Instead, after Max and I walked the perimeter of the pond, I purchased a beautiful plywood panel that was riddled with six beautiful knots.  There is a bit of a shift in dynamic or motivation when an artist sees a new box of water colour pencils or a gorgeous piece of wood.  Possibilities begin to bounce in the brain.  This piece of wood did that for me.

I’ve been trying to eat Mediterranean recently, but I lined up at the Harvey’s Burgers joint and picked myself up a single burger, slathered in onion, lettuce, relish and tomato.  Not exactly Sonoma, if you get my drift.  What we do as a way of speeding up our lives…sad, but true. Regardless, I was on my way.

A bowl of sugared candies and friends were waiting…waiting for friends, painting, experience, bedazzled moments of genius under pressure.  It is true that a person feels welcome, once at the Gorilla House.  Priscilla had a new hair cut.  Tamara…another week gone by without her son…a few tears…a hug that lasted.  Karen’s smile.  I wandered in to her studio space and snapped a picture.  I so admire Karen’s meticulous work.

Those are river stones wrapped in white silk threads, under the blown glass globe.  Exquisite.

The concepts for the evening were….

1. Moon Horror or Sun Shower
2. A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes, Aficionado.
3. From Barbara Ann Kipfer’s Word Nerd: More than 17,000 Fascinating Facts About Words, Kabuki

I thought that it was interesting that the night’s concepts included two sources linked to words.  So, to begin with, on my panel, I recorded those two sources at the bottom.  I then turned my panel so that the dark knots of the wood were linked on the far right of the panel and the words were parallel to them left and right.  I was thinking about the power of words…their ability to bind people together and the way that they pull people apart…both internally and in communion with their fellow beings.

An example: FELLOW BEINGS

Some, in today’s global culture, would take offense to this term, given that we are now avoiding being gender specific and fellow being assumed to be male in nature.  I don’t hold too many hang ups about this.  In fact, I become frustrated with the forced inclusion of inclusive language.  I don’t like taking liberties with language if I can help it.  Does this make me ‘conservative’? Does it make me less ‘progressive’?  insensitive? Am I not a ‘feminist’?  Do I not care about women’s rights in the bigger picture?

When I think about people who have ‘stood up’ for the down trodden, I am begoggled by the will and the courage to initiate change and to fight for the freedoms who those who have not.  It goes so much deeper than the words we use and perhaps ‘the words’ merely represent these greater notions.  Example:

The Persons Case and Womens Right to Vote in Canada

{The Vote: Suffragists were relentless campaigners, lecturers, demonstrators and petitioners. They bravely faced politicians’ ire and the aggressive opposition of public opinion. By 1918, some women were granted the right to vote and to have a say in the political future of Canada. For many other women, their race, ethnicity and religion still barred them from the vote and, for them, the fight continued for almost 50 years. It wasn’t until the introduction of the Universal Right to Vote in 1963 and the addition of the equality clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1985 that the right to vote could not be denied on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, mental or physical disability, or gender.}

The “Famous Five” and the Persons Case:

Early activists challenge conventional views to change Canadian history ==è The Famous Five achieved not only the right for women to serve in the Senate, but they and their many contributions paved the way for women to participate in other aspects of public life and the assertion of women’s rights ==è Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards

“We want women leaders today as never before. Leaders who are not afraid to be called names and who are willing to go out and fight. I think women can save civilization. Women are persons.”

– Emily Murphy – 1931

The early 20th century and the courageous women who challenged the existing status of women are now part of the historic landscape of Canada. Five women created legal history in women’s rights by contesting the notion that legal definitions of persons excluded females. If women were not legally persons, then they had no rights.

These words borrowed from here…

1918!  What a remarkable thing that up until this point, women had no say in the decisions around their government and its policies for their lives.  What a great day it must have been to cast the first vote as a female.  I remember reading something about this as I studied my own family history and it caused me to weep.  Equity and equality are such important concepts to uphold.  But, as is my typical style, I digress.  (This is because my van is being maintained and I am home for the day.  Digression is sometimes a luxury.)

Another woman who was, in her simplicity, an inspiration in her time and as a result, timelessly so, was Rosa Parks.

“At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.”
Rosa Parks

I painted Rosa Parks.  While painting…or just as I began to write a few words on my panel, a new visitor to Gorilla House LIVE ART, stopped and visited.  I think her name was Barbara.  (If that isn’t your name, please write to me and tell me because I know you are reading.)  Let’s, for now, call her Barbara.  Another example of the importance of words!  Barbara has begun to draw.  She attends figure drawing on Thursday nights at the Gorilla House, but hadn’t been in for the Battles.  What she was about to share moved me to the core, so much so that I wanted to put down my brushes and chalks and sit on the sofa.  Her words were ‘enough’.

Barbara shared about reading my words…about using the Public Library computers to read my entries about the Gorilla House LIVE ART battles.  I guess, in our imaginations, when we write, we don’t think about there being a ‘reading audience’.  The words spill out for ourselves…well, at least mine do.  But there, in conversation with me, was someone who reads my words and actually, it seems, looks forward to reading them.  This was a real inspiration to me and supports my experience as a writer.  So, I thank you, from my deepest heart and I hope to see you again.

Thank you to Melissa, who generously purchased this piece at auction.  I so admire you for your knowledge, for your connections with Arusha and for your courage to use Calgary Bucks.