Boulder Hot Springs and Farewell, Dear Friend!

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Painter Lady

I felt a degree of anxiety about the drive into Boulder. It was raining on and off and I was lagging behind Ramona. I didn’t sleep well on this trip. I was processing a lot and it had been a big day…cattle drives, Lost Creek, the Mineral Museum and the Copper King Mansion. The skies were dramatic and thunder was rumbling. I was really happy when we pulled into the Boulder Hot Springs, shortly after pulling off of the I-15.

The building facade was magical. The receptionist was calm and welcoming. I liked the place from first site. Some time in the early 1990s, this space was purchased by writer Anne Wilson Schaef and is presently owned by a Limited Partnership. I’ve read some of her work and it was a surprise to see some of her titles sitting on the counter. From that point forward, the entire evening became one of continued healing and peace. I am so grateful that Ramona sought out this venue.

I wouldn’t go into the hot pools while the thunder was booming…but, as time passed, the weather cleared, we popped into the outdoor pool…and then popped out, with the coming of the next series of sky flashes. It was wonderful for even that short time to recline back, pool noodle on my neck and float with Ramona…speechless…ears submerged…until I shouted out to Ramona that we needed to get out.

I then stepped into the hot springs steam where I shared space with a naked woman doing yoga. Briefly, I remembered my younger body. I remembered the University of Lethbridge and the wonderful cleansing feeling of the sauna in the Physical Education department.

This would be magic…I knew it.

Our room…

and the art…

I claimed the time as mine…shared with a friend…so, no photos of the pools. And because of the rain, we didn’t head up to the sculpture, Seven Generations.

The space…the food…

Click on individual photos to enlarge.

Ramona’s camera…

After a scrumptious breakfast, I went for a walk on the property. Everything about the air was delicious. I watched the swallows, followed closely by the cat and listened to the cock crow. I felt mixed feelings as I headed for the parking area and embraced Ramona for the last time. Tears wouldn’t come…not until Ramona headed east, at the end of the driveway and I headed west. I had tears until I reached the town of Boulder, stopped at the gas station, filled my water bottle and resolutely headed north on the highway.

It was a wonderful time, dear friend.

Pick of the Week: Experience Inclusion

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Painter Lady

Thursday night and the City of Calgary was bursting with visual arts events of every sort! I might have visited the Glenbow Gallery’s exhibits. The gallery offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month. (some of you may not know that) I missed the recent opening of the new exhibits and I particularly want to see 1920s Modernism in Montreal: The Beaver Hall Group and Rough Country: The Strangely Familiar in mid-20th Century Alberta Art. These shows leave us end of January/beginning of February…so, they are on my list.

Also on Thursday, presented by Foster MAK, artist, Belinda Fireman, celebrated her opening. This is one my readers want to catch before the end of November. Loft 112 is a fantastic venue for events that include writers, performance artists and visual arts.

“Belinda Fireman is one of Calgary’s most vibrant artists. Her original paintings are characterized by inspiration, colour, fun and vulnerability. She loves making live art at events and parties, and she competes regularly in local and provincial art battles.

Belinda is the incredible creator of Self Love 365 – a daily practice that inspires and generates creativity and self-worth. This year, SelfLove365 inspired many incredible portraits of people in Belinda’s life, surrounded by the writings of her vulnerable, honest and relatable thoughts. Through the month of November, her images and words from this beautiful project will be on exhibit at Calgary’s Loft 112, presented by FosterMAK.com.”

Beautiful things are happening every where…Jarvis Hall has an artist talk this afternoon, presented by Wil Murray at 2:00 following the opening, last night, of the current exhibit, Spray Can Sea, Ooh Bared Ass, Vet Her. From the Jarvis Hall website, this…

“Wil Murray is known as the wild man of contemporary Canadian painting. A lifted brushstroke here, a folded dried paint skin there: he creates a new visual dialogue that is equal parts paint, sculpture and at times, photography. Always investigating his media and using traditional materials in ways the contemporary viewer had not seen, his previous work was as much theatrical sideshow as they were contemporary painting.”

So, what did I attend on Thursday night? Experience Inclusion: Artist Studio Portrait Exhibition at In-Definiate Arts Society! This was a fantastic event!

From Calgary Arts Development’s initiative, What’s On In Calgary and written by AMY JO ESPETVEIDT, this…

“On October 6, 2016 a group of artists transformed the Calgary Municipal Building’s atrium into an artist studio. Pairing City of Calgary employees with In-Definite Arts artists, participants used marker pens on plexiglass to draw and trace live portraits of each other.”

Thursday, November 3rd was the closing reception, a lovely event that involved mingling with artists, snacking on a beautiful array of treats and looking at some truly wonderful portraiture. Another very special aspect to the evening was speaking with three artists; Roby, Jennifer and Tony. These artists have not allowed disabilities to prevent them from expressing their creative nature. I’m looking forward to meeting Jennifer again when I attend the group’s creative arts sale on November 19. Finally, I was very proud of my daughter, Erin and her colleague, Phil, who spoke to the exhibit and who spoke to the nature of inclusion and the process that our city is taking in order to ensure movement forward in matters of acceptance and appropriate accommodations. I was happy to see my son-in-law, giving his generous support for my daughter. I love him to bits! Another employee of the City of Calgary, he is a dedicated worker who daily, has to consider inclusion as it directly impacts his department. I am proud of you, Douglas.

My daughter, Erin, was partnered with Tony, an enthusiastic and sincere gentleman who I met, for the first time, at the In-Definite Arts reception. Here, they met at the City of Calgary atrium, with the intention of drawing portraits of one another.

Here, they celebrate the follow-up exhibit at In-Definite Arts Gallery.

I am so proud of my daughter, Erin. (Human Resources Consultant for the City of Calgary)

It was a great pick of the week. I felt relaxed because I did not cram too much into my evening and was happy to relax and read before sleep. Oh! I have some good books to share with my readers! But, for now, time to enjoy the beautiful weather at Frank’s Flats. Max is waiting!

A Library, Phil, Tim, Good Snacks & Lea Bucknell, Artist in Residence

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Painter Lady

I hopped on the train after Esker and Max and stopped at City Hall. The CPL is right there on the opposite corner and as is always the story about the library, great things were happening last night. An Artist in Residency program is under way!

Torn directly out of the social media event description…this…

The New Gallery has partnered with the Calgary Public Library to implement a special residency program. Beginning in the fall of 2013, this collaboration encourages social practices and public engagement. Lea Bucknell, the inaugural artist-in-residence, will be building a wooden structure, Graphite Mountain, at the Library’s Central Branch (616 Macleod Trail SE) to act as a place for public gathering and a venue for cartographic and drawing-based workshops.

Both poetic and playful, Graphite Mountain resembles an idealized mountain form and provides a unique and unexpected experience for library-goers. Clad in old wooden fence boards that have been cut and arranged to mimic mountain stratigraphy, the structure’s interior cavity becomes a studio for the artist during her residency. A curiosity in the library, this mountain environment collapses notions of picturesque landscapes and retreat spaces into one stand-alone structure.

I treasured conversation with former student, Tim Belliveau and his Bee-Kingdom buddy and mine, Phillip Bandura. I also learned some new things from Lea’s talk and look forward to learning more about ‘the follies’ and participating in the various related workshops happening with the library during her residency.