No grand stories this morning about the Rumble House experience, just that Bana and I car-pooled from the south end and intend to do that from now on. It was just so fun chatting away on the trip to the core. We’re hoping that our friend, Louise, will be joining us soon in our vehicle.
While the wind seemed to pick up ‘like a hurricane’, as described by Frank, everything was calm in the cozy studio-gallery-extravaganza space. Zach did an awesome job as M.C. and we enjoyed some excellent readings at the microphone, performed by Matt…one from Alexander Eliot (so bang on) and the others from Morgan’s book, Break From Reality.
I completed another glam-girl painting and have decided I really want to take a class or two in portrait painting. I love exploring the face so much, but want to create more mass and structure. In the meantime, I’ll keep on pushing through. I was so happy painting with one of my art besties, Jenn on the left and then Bana, on the right. There was a beautiful calm spill over the place last night, like a bucket full of light blue paint. Thanks, Zack, for purchasing my piece at auction.
Happy Earth Day, every one! YES! We have fun at the auctions!
I just found it extremely peaceful at the Rumble House last night. Apart from the focus of painting, there were the hugs and the laughter ringing out. I put aside the celery sticks and, instead, enjoyed a piece of cake. It was celebration time! A night of enjoying the camaraderie and the art with friends made since the inception of the Gorilla House-now-Rumble House. Thank you, Rich, for all of it.
As time goes by, our network of artists and visitors grows and we welcome everyone. Last night was a full house, as well as some familiar faces from the beginning days. Elijah, it was awesome to see you. Frank, Harold, Tamara…I just feel warmer and happier when you’re around. Mike got back from his vacation, rejuvenated and inspired. Louise, shared strength and a huge desire in her heart, to create. Magpies seemed to be surfacing. I’m wondering what that’s about. Mark, Aaron, Daniel…such inspiring people and voracious painters! Christine…painted the skyline and the tower as a celebration of the Flames entering into the playoffs! Bana…Elena…your work blows me away. Dawn, always a story…about mothering, grand-mothering or flowers. Priscilla…a constant and nurturing presence. James…Chinese name pronounced…An-du…for the times that we fumbled over our words, trying to communicate profound ideas. Dave…for your wisdom and observations on faces. Morgan…for your courage. Jess…your laugh. Ringo…your music. Ed…your leather bound guest book. Rich, Matt, Sean, Galen…your generous hearts. And…Zack for the purchase of my piece at auction…thank you. If I have not mentioned you, it’s because I have to get Max out to the field before I teach! Missed tonight…Andy, Jenn and Enriquito for three…Jeff and Johanne for five…Asa for six. And THESE THREE…who wandered in at 11 and asked, “Did we miss the auction?” Such a beautiful time.
If YOU ever wish to wander in, we’d love to have you!
Gentrification in any fast-growing urban center is a notion to be reckoned with. Some of my readers will have noticed that there have not been any recent Gorilla House LIVE ART posts. I have to tell you, on the wheelings-and-dealings behind the decisions/negotiations/done deals, I have no insights. I only know the outcome and how the outcome impacts many. I especially know how this ‘move’ impacts me.
The short-of-it is that Gorilla House, the building AND the community, was over run by development and its central and convenient location is being transformed into a sushi restaurant. Yes, indeedy, another Calgary restaurant!
From what I can tell, the inaugural battle was held on July 17, 2012. Its archive can be viewed on YouTube and its impact will be felt for years to come, at least in the sense that the Gorilla House experience was transformative for individuals, whether they were/are artists or observers. It was just a really nice shift. The experience was NOT pure-perfection, but it was inspiring.
I remember well before July 17, Gorilla House founder, Rich Theroux was bandying back and forth with me in various message boxes about his vision for live art battles. I would have to say that I didn’t initially understand his concept, but I WAS supportive and excited for him in regards to his vision. His enthusiasm was incredible and he was completely accepting of my wait-and-see attitude and I hope that he knew always that I had his back. I consider it an honour that he respected my thoughts and feedback as he moved through this process.
Let me introduce you to Rich. He is an artist, teacher and friend. He had a vision and it was the Gorilla House. Like a mat, it was pulled out from under him. Now there are ‘rumblings’ of a shift. In the meantime, a network of new artists and friends are also shifting. It will be interesting to see what happens.
I considered introducing my readers to the personalities that came into play during the experience that was Gorilla House LIVE ART…but then there were too many to write about and I wouldn’t want to leave a single person out. We grew to love one another by sharing this really unique experience. Art bound us, but oh, it was so much more. I would never have met such a caring bunch of people had I not spent time creating two-hour paintings for such a sustained period of time. I often wondered how I would have met these people had it not been for ‘the house’. There were people from every ‘walk’ of life, each a treasure, each a teacher, each a creative and each a friend.
I’m going to especially miss this lady, Jennifer Stinson. She is pretty much the kindest person you could ever run into. If I could, I parked my easel up against her lawn chair. Of the lawn chair and this photograph, she writes.
“This was the very first night that I came to Gorilla House, Aug 22, 2012. I can’t believe there was a photo of it. Yes Kath, it started out in a GH Red Dot album!
After this I began bringing a camp chair to sit on. Eventually, Rich offered my chair a home in the vault so I wasn’t hauling it back and forth weekly. Eventually this chair disintegrated from use… so this week Rich sent me home with three replacements. Gorilla House was like that. Anything good you brought, you took back threefold.”
I wish Jenn many blessings and can never truly tell her what her friendship has meant to me.
Jennifer Stinson: Photo Credit Red Dot Photography
People came and went, some for a very short blip of time and others for the long haul. It didn’t matter which. Each individual was a part of what made it gel and caused me to return again and again. There are people who will remain forever-friends and I am grateful for each of you.
This afternoon’s work…I’m grieving the fact that Gorilla House artists and friends are sharing in the last battle tonight. I’m not with them. For my readers, ‘the house’ has been picked up by a developer…sushi restaurant or some such thing…it is a sad night for all of us. We have become family…learned much from one another…learned much about ourselves. Thank you to Rich Theroux for the vision and to Jess Szabo who has worked tirelessly in the effort and thank you to all my dear friends in art! This is a movement. It is a community. Let’s remain connected.
I was distracted by all sorts of things after my day of guest teaching. There were so many things going on that I lost track of time. An interesting concept…LOSING TRACK OF TIME.
In a couple of the language arts classes yesterday, the students were reading chapters from their novels and this gave me opportunity to read from mine. I always try to carry a novel with me, but most often don’t have the chance, during the day, to read. I had finished A Rhinestone Button by Gail Anderson-Dargatz the night before and so selected one l had picked up at a second hand shop some time ago. Amazing book! My Mother’s Ghost by Fergus M. Bordewich! A memoir, this book fell into my hands when I most needed it. The thing is…the intensity and the authentic voice, somehow impacted the way I saw everything after setting the book down. Honestly, for me, this is an always-event, when I am reading a well written book.
I realize that I spend an excessive amount of time considering family, family history, family stories, family records and family photographs…and I am always seeking out a resolution to this sense of nostalgia and memory that pervades most things I do. Fergus M. Brodewich seemed to be on the very same road in his novel…and so, more than once, my eye brows turned up. His is a memoir that deals almost exclusively with the resolution of reality and memory. A rich amazing story!
The story stuck…and so, I painted it.
My focus…the John Lennon lyric, In My Life.
There are places I remember all my life
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I loved them all
And with all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these mem’ries lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
And I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I loved you more
And I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I loved you more
In my life I loved you more
I pulled out the iconic photograph of Yoko Ono and John Lennon taken by Annie Leibovitz, hoping to capture, in a painted sketch, the contrast of light world resting up against dark and to allow the wood grain to inform that composition. I didn’t particularly want to go into a busy social environment…I was feeling pretty singular…so, I pulled out pencils and did some sketching at home.
It was quite late when I headed down to ‘the house’…and I only had about an hour to paint ‘this thing’. I was grateful to find a fairly quiet place next to my friend, Jen, at the table…my back to a wall…a very rare experience when painting in that public space. I had a couple of conversations with people. I treasure those. (Jen finished early and she headed across the street to her apartment to pick up her four liter of chocolate milk to share with people at the Gorilla House…she just didn’t think that there was any way she could drink it all before the stale date. I share this wee tale because it gives you the idea of how close knit we’ve become at the Gorilla House.) Last night, painting was a quiet, introspective act.
Thank you to Teresa, for purchasing my piece at auction. Thank you, Rich Theroux, for the hug and to Enriquito for being there. Thank you, to the dear lady who is taking painting lessons at the Kirby Center…”I so appreciated your conversation and your dream to attend Thursday figure drawing. I chatted with you for a good while. I took your photograph while you sat in front of the beautiful purple canvas.”
I heated up a bowl of cream of mushroom soup for lunch. It was prepared the way Mom used to do it (apart from the addition of a can of water) when we were just wee things. I sat at the large feast table by myself and pretty much ruminated the soup away, with thoughts of Mom and her love and care of me.
After that, I spent the afternoon on my kitchen floor, working on a painting of a soldier and his daughter. It should be finished this weekend. Max and I took off for the off leash park and while my lashes froze during that one, I enjoyed getting up and moving after the intensity of my afternoon work-out. Painting is a huge work-out, the way I look at it.
I hesitated to go down to the Gorilla House because of the cold. In the end, I made the trip out of commitment to myself and my friends who also attend every week. It has something to do with the practice…the community…and the brain gym.
All of the driving concepts had to do with Mathematics… Game Theory and Deformation Theory (something to do with P). HUH? Math was a struggle for me in school…a struggle last night as well. In the end, I thought simply of the relationship of a mother to her child. Is that in any way mathematical? Thanks to Rich for picking this one up at auction. I was glad to see you, Angie. Be better. Thanks, Bruce, for the beverage. Congratulations, Jess, on getting those cards done!
I finished writing this at 4:03…and that, with a consoling conversation with daughter. I love you, Erin.
I spent my daytime hours painting a soldier…a young lad from Newfoundland; he was deployed to Cyprus and separated from his family. He suffered huge loss and died very young…before his time. As I painted, I felt as though I was immersed in his life. My efforts were more to honour his life in each stroke of paint, than to ‘do a painting’….a prayer, I guess.
Words adhered to the panel came from Walt Whitman’s preface to The Leaves of Grass…
This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body… . The poet shall not spend his time in unneeded work. He shall know that the ground is always ready ploughed and manured … others may not know it but he shall. He shall go directly to the creation. His trust shall master the trust of everything he touches … and shall master all attachment.
I think those words are powerful and certainly apply…I experienced them at my core.
So, having spent a day in this manner, I was ready to cut loose at the Gorilla House. Artists had already been notified that our concepts of the evening would conclude with “…but Heavy Metal made me do it.” I went in search of references for a pop culture figure that people would easily recognize, thinking I’d like to represent also, some form of robot. Clearly, I didn’t want to focus on the Heavy Metal sound…but rather, on a metaphor for the sound.
I chose Master Chief, after a number of suggestions. Tyler, thanks for the idea. Anyone who has encountered Halo will be familiar with the character, especially gamers and those with gamers in their lives.
I began by creating a series of block letters…I don’t know where this idea came from. The experience of Gorilla House-painting is always surprising. Without measuring, this process went easily. Friend and artist, Jen and I were discussing how the world of graphic art has changed over time and the fact that fonts are designed through computer imaging where as ‘in the day’ letters and signage was done manually. Quite a shift over years.
I laid my guide down quickly in pencil and then the words, R.E.S.P.E.C.T, REACH and in cursive, Forward Unto Dawn…and the selected theme of the evening, coming from Dylan in 1966. “I never wanted to be a prophet or a savior...but Heavy Metal made me do it.”
The words all have some sort of connection with the Halo game, but also speak to me in a completely different context. So, this painting is really a clash between two different worlds or realities. Master Chief, the other-worldly soldier, was a pleasure to quickly block in and paint before the end of the two hour session. I am grateful to Cherise who purchased this piece at auction.
For the non-Halo player, this from Wikipedia.
Halo 4 is a 2012 first-person shootervideo game developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360video game console. The game was released in most territories worldwide on November 6, 2012. Halo 4‘s story begins four years after the ending of Halo 3; the player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically-enhanced supersoldier. The story is mainly set on a Forerunner planet, where Master Chief encounters the collection of alien races known as the Covenant and ancient warriors of the Forerunner empire known as the Prometheans. Master Chief is accompanied by the artificial intelligence construct Cortana.
Setting and characters
Halo 4 takes place in a futuristic science fiction setting in the year 2557, four years after the events of Halo 3.[21] Backstory details that hundreds of thousands of years before the modern era, humans were one of several interstellar civilizations. Following a war with the parasitic Flood, the humans came into conflict with the Forerunners, a powerful race that upheld the Mantle of Responsibility, a policy of benevolent shepherding of other races. After years of conflict the Forerunners defeated the humans and stripped them of their technology and empire. The Forerunners soon fought the Flood themselves; after exhausting every other strategic option available to them, the Forerunners activated weapons of mass destruction known as the Halo Array. The Array’s firing killed all sentient life in the galaxy to deprive the Flood of their food. Life that the Forerunners catalogued was then reseeded throughout the galaxy.[22][23]
In the 26th century, space-faring humanity (organized under the United Nations Space Command, or UNSC) comes under attack from the Covenant, an alien collective of species that worships the Forerunners as gods. The Covenant believe that activating the Halos will bring about salvation, not destruction.[24] The human supersoldier Master Chief John-117, along with his artificial intelligence companion Cortana, are instrumental in stopping the Halos from being activated, and the Flood from once again menacing the galaxy. At the end of Halo 3, Chief and Cortana are left stranded in unknown space aboard the remains of the vessel Forward Unto Dawn.[25] Much of Halo 4‘s campaign and Spartan Ops’ missions take place on or near the Forerunner planet Requiem. Part of the game also takes place on Ivanoff Research Station—a human base in orbit around the Halo ringworld Installation 03—and in Earth’s orbit.
As my readers know, last week we lost Lewis Allan (Lou) Reed. The inspiration for last night’s painting were Lou Reed Lyrics. I wasn’t feeling up for attending OR painting last night, but ironically enough, it was my father on some form of social media messaging, who encouraged me. Beautiful, Dad. It was good to paint. Now, for the back-story on the poppies.
As a junior high teacher, I had attended, over the years, too many funerals for my students. I have recently lost Jessica…and Sheri many years back…but so many boys, other people’s sons. Visiting a funeral home along with other teachers, greeting families at the loss of their child, was surreal over and over again. When Jarrett passed, I painted a show titled Pieces of Gold: A Tribute to Two Sons…and then when Chris and Peter passed in a tragic accident out highway 22X on October 22 of 1997, I began painting furiously in my studio. One of the lines in Peter’s obituary…”One of Peter’s favourite hobbies was sketching.”
I painted large scale oriental poppies…approaching Remembrance Day that year…I simply wanted to remember. Born in 1979, how was it possible that such young lights had been snuffed out? I was having a very difficult time with the tragedy that other families were suffering and was fearful for my own children. When I painted red, I painted the pain, sadness, utter joy of life and the history of children…the huge impact that they have in our lives. No issue between children and their families can stand in the way of love. Mothers…fathers…love your children. Do the best you can.
1997
1997
I saw my work as a tribute and felt that I could ‘work’ the struggle away. Recently, a dear friend mentioned my poppy paintings…the Red Green Show came to mind, so it was only instinct that as a tribute to Lou Reed, I paint a poppy and after months of neutral colour, at the loss of Mom, I squeezed red out onto my palette.
I wrote the complete lyrics to A Perfect Day in gold text from top to bottom. The words poured out of me. With white chalk, I sketched in the two blooms…one about to burst open and shed it’s protective cover, the other, fully open. Thank you to Phil and Laila who purchased the piece at auction. Remember.
Phil and Laila
Songwriters: JAMES, TIM / ARMATO, ANTONINA
Just a perfect day
drink Sangria in the park
And then later
when it gets dark, we go home
Just a perfect day
feed animals in the zoo
Then later
a movie, too, and then home
Oh, it’s such a perfect day
I’m glad I spend it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
Just a perfect day
problems all left alone
Weekenders on our own
it’s such fun
Just a perfect day
you made me forget myself
I thought I was
someone else, someone good
Oh, it’s such a perfect day
I’m glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
You’re going to reap just what you sow
You’re going to reap just what you sow
You’re going to reap just what you sow
You’re going to reap just what you sow
Late again. It had something to do with my dog, Max, and getting him out for some good exercise. We lost track of time…this, after an afternoon raking leaves, cutting back the perennials and mixing new soil into the flower beds. I emptied and hosed down the shed and took some photos of items that need to go on Kijiji. It was a very physical and productive afternoon.
As a result of my conversation with the little lady at the cash at Home Depot last Wednesday, the bins were well-stalked with 1/4″ plywood, so I bought two panels. Whoot! And off I went. Upon arrival, I set up my easel, but then went about visiting with my artist-friends. It was nice to see Rich after his trip to LA. He was spilling over about the Getty Foundation and started in about a spontaneous drive with vans and trucks loaded with Gorilla House artists. His enthusiasm, as always, made me smile inside.
I pulled a big wash of black paint over the board…mostly transparent so that the beautiful grain would show through and inform the piece. I then walked away from the board so that it would dry and I might be able to work into it with a piece of white conte.
Thank you to the beautiful lady who makes popcorn every week. I munched on popcorn and watched audience members approach the board and talk about it. I listened to their analysis and predictions and marveled at what ‘viewing the process’ does for people. With some, I had fun little conversations…with others I just observed. Magic!
The new show in ‘the house’ features Jeff Watt’s work and it is a powerful collection! I hope that if you have a love for colour and pattern, you will find your way down to the Gorilla House.
The three motivating concepts…and I chose, “Make art. Share love.”
Our auctioneer, Bassano del Grappa (an alter-ego), does a fantastic work for the Gorilla House…with his monologues/perceptions of life and art, his entertaining and perceptive visits with artists and audience alike and his constantly-developing skill at auction, our experience is funtastic! I knew he had to be featured in this one!
And…what else? A gorilla! I began by applying the ‘Bassano del Grappa’ collage bits and progressed with layering of paint…from dark to light…creating depth and texture until the giant beast emerged. Thank you to Matt for purchasing this piece at auction.
Recently I’ve been thinking about the number of amazing individuals I have met at the Gorilla House. This is a place where art boings creative spirits, one against another. Before I typed ‘boings’, I typed ‘slams’…then I was thinking we sort of ‘rub up against’ one another, but that doesn’t work either. Don’t really know how to describe it, but we more than ‘meet’ one another…that’s for sure! Mayhaps this is where the term ‘connection’ comes in…the Gorilla House is a house of connection! On Wednesday evenings, I shake my head as I head for home. The artists…the visitors…every individual provides for a truly unique sort of community building.
As Max stepped up to the front, during the auction portion of the evening, he was introduced and I remember shouting out, “Max?” Lindsay looked over at me and said…”He gets that all the time.” I told her that my beautiful border collie is named Max…she openly laughed and said, “Oh…I guess that’s a first!” We laughed together. As I looked at the piece he then raised up to auction, I wanted it to be mine.
My Max set strategically close to one of my Covenant pieces.
Max and Lindsay were visiting from Victoria. I only wish that I had captured a photograph of Lindsay’s work! Thank you for your courage and your belief, Lindsay! Both Lindsay and Max were just super open to the Gorilla House experience and gratefully, I was able to purchase Max’s gouache illustration at auction! I recommend that my readers take a look at illustrations by Max Licht here. I am so over-the-top thrilled to own this piece, titled The scale of the problem; there are no words. Thanks for visiting us, you two, and please stop by again!
The Scale of the Problem, poorly photographed by Kathleen Moors, painted by Max Licht