Plein Air | The Chapel

I was thinking about why I title these sorts of posts, “Finding_________”, instead of “Meeting _________”. At first, I wondered if it had been influenced by the movie title, Finding Forrester, one of my favourites. But, no, I have come up with another answer while hiking Frank’s Flats today, enjoying the sunshine and the melt.

Since I’ve retired from full time teaching, there is not a single day goes by where I do not seek out new knowledge, revelations or relationships.

Today, I found Blake. I’ve seen him before…tucked between trees on the ridge that surrounds the flats, but today I decided to introduce myself. This afternoon, he had his easel set up on the north slope. The sunshine was exceptional and his colours danced, even as I hiked some distance away, edging the pond.

“Hi, there. Do you mind me grabbing a photograph of your work?”

“No problem…sure…go ahead.” (broad smile…warmth in his voice)

“It’s meant to be viewed the other way…a pyramid…pizza.”

I asked him if he would turn the canvas for me…we step back together. The conversation opens up so that I forget to snap the second photograph.

I notice, “It looks as though there is a hole through the pizza that leads somewhere else.”

“That’s cool. I didn’t notice that.”

“Where do you pick up your stretched canvases?”

“45% off at Michaels.”

“Have you heard of the Gorilla House? Rumble House?”

From there we talk about connections…art…street art versus destructive painting…youth.

“How did you get started painting?”

“I used to be a skateboarder…snowboarder…until I was found to have an inherited liver disease. I had to say good-bye to all of that. I paint now. For the most part, I give my paintings away to friends. I’m forever indebted to my uncle who gave me a big chunk of his liver. That’s why I’m alive today.”

“Come down to paint with us. Get connected with like-minded people.”

I hope Blake fires me off a note by e mail so that I can share some locations/links with him. It was a great thing to find Blake. Once again, I marvel at what people do and the reasons they do the things they do.

I walked on from there…stooped…a piece of litter continuing the colour story.

Recently, the world lost a great painter and a great person, Robert Genn. He is featured in the small clip above. For some reason recently, I’ve been blasted with loss over and over again and have almost been knocked out of my socks with sad news. My son-in-law aptly announces, “Let not the reality of today deter you. But the image of tomorrow spur you.” Sometimes a person has no choice but to be grateful for another day of love and life and go forward with tremendous courage, being light to and with the people that give connection…always being patient…always forgiving…always being light.

I receive connection while gathering with the participants of create! down in the East Village. Along with their fearless leader, Wendy Lees, the folk of the neighbouring buildings, gather to write, sculpt, paint and create! and it is a fascinating experience…fascinating, because no matter the burdens that a person carries, once together and creating, somehow the load gets lighter. The gifts that I receive as facilitator, I’m certain, must surpass what I might ever influence in such genuine and caring, such courageous participants!

I offer up the joy of today to Robert Genn, Lawrence Morin, Glenn Gangier, Maxine Morin and to my beautiful Mom…may you, through the divine Creator, be a part of our celebration of creation always.

Today, we painted joy, pain, breeze, seeds, leaves, sky, clouds, grass, air, light, dancing, rolling, bubbling, trees, light, life.

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