Painters in the Wild

So, one of my goals is to attend more festivities that are going on in the city around me. I struggle with fatigue a lot and often don't feel like leaving the house but being stagnant isn't good for anybody.

The real tip off that you're at home too much is when your best friend lovingly refers to you as, "the shut in".

When you've been knocked out of commission for over 4 years it's not such a simple task to slide back into society. After trying and failing multiple times, from exhaustive crashes and a sometimes lengthy recovery periods, I've decided that it's a series of small steps. I'm more of a jump in or go home type of person, so this is a big thing to admit to myself.

Victoria in the summer is a magical kind of places with more festivities than you could shake a intricately carved stick at. If you leave the house, you can't help but trip over bands, art and dancing.

One of my favourite activities of the year is always going to the Moss St Paint-In. I never miss it (unless hospitalized, of course) I would drive for over an hour when I lived farther away but this year I live walking distance from it so I grabbed my parasol and off I went.


There are 150 artists lining the street and 35,000-ish people who come to see them. Despite that many people cruising the picturesque length of rd, it is very serene with the occasional musician dotting the path. All are amazing and all are unique. Here are some of my favourites, please check out their websites.

Above is painter Martin Manchacek working on a painting of Victoria's Blue Bridge.


Sharlene Stushnov Lee.




Robert Randall (above) is someone who I lookout for every year.

Tony Hunt who I can't quite find a site for.




Peter Allen (above). I have the same socks.

Blu Smith



Chin Yuen (above)


Derek Ford photographer (above), who took this photo of me and my parasol.



John Marston, Northwest Coast Salish Carver

Girl with the most beautiful voice. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name.

The colours even ran underfoot.



At the end of the road is the newly re-named, Salish Sea, and the snow capped, Rocky Mountains. This is where the art lovers rested before heading back up the street to see everything else.

New York -Walking Brooklyn Bridge

The first non conference day when I was left alone on my own in the city, I just started walking. I had no destination in mind or ideas of what I might want to see, I just put on my shoes and headed out. Well, I wasn't far from the Brooklyn Bridge and I knew Etsy has an office on the other side so I decided to walk across. It was hot and humid, very very muggy. Being from the West Coast, I had an idea of what muggy might feel like and this was definitely it. I guess it's kind of like being from a place where you've never experienced snow. We don't get much snow but we do have clean crisp air.


The heat and the moisture felt like it was closing in on my body. The warm wind blew mist droplets into my eyes which is why my photo looks so serious. I have graft vs host in my eyes so they don't clear themselves out like they should.



I loved every minute of my trek across the water. The wind blew, the traffic raced by down below and there were the sound of bike bells ringing as cyclists rode by on the boardwalk in the bike lane.



There were a few lonely looking vendors selling silk-screened T's of the bridge and surrounding scenery. I really wished I could have bought a couple for my sons but I had no money for this trip.



Which is fine because I'm actually quite content to see where my feet will take me.



In the distance in this last photo is the Statue of Liberty which was becoming visible through the mist.


Walking the bridge was an intensely beautiful experience.

Neighborhood Art Walk

I've been suffering some serious cabin fever since the H1N1 reared it's pinhead and was well enough today to go for a walk. Since I haven't actually bonded with my 10 month or so new neighborhood I decided to take in the sights that are all around my home. Since I've been here I've realized this place is like no other I've seen before. Out of necessity I've traded the woods and wildlife I crossed paths with everyday for... other things.


In this new place I seem to be surrounded by oddities of human nature. Expressions of self on this man made terrain.


Philosophers wax poetic on concrete, anarchists speak with paint, sharpies author introspection, politics are pictorial and wool replaces words.


Kind of wild.

























The one above is very political against the Olympics and a slew of other things all wrapped up into one mural. Very creative message to the people.







My neighborhood reminds me that art doesn't need canvas or university degrees. It's our very breath.