Latest Artwork

"Mimosas along the road to St. Tropez"
22 x 30 acrylic on linoleum mat
April/06

Telegraph newspaper online

I always enjoy looking at the "Pictures" of the day or week on the Telegraph as they mount photos from around the world. For example today there is a photo of a sumo wrestler holding a baby during a baby-crying contest in Tokyo...think I would be crying if this fellow grabbed hold of me!

Telegraph newspaper online

More furry logic...

I forget what the caption for this was. I lent my book out so make up your own!

(It might be "When you make a mistake...keep your mouth shut")

Inhabitat

I continue to be very attracted to innovative compact living spaces. This site has lots of interesting links. This link was a "Prefab Friday" entry and features a Toronto architecture firm making prefab cabins for lakefronts.

Inhabitat

Itty Bitty Book Review: The Ice Age & The Wars

"The Ice Age" by Margaret Drabble

This was written in 1977 and is one of her best I think. I had read it before and it seems still very appropriate for current times only we haven't hit the crash just yet of once again inflated property prices, over consumption, etc. The more things change the more they seem the same...

"The Wars" by Timothy Findley

This was also written in 1977 (a good year for many things...Richard was born in '77!) and I read it when it came out. Both are bookclub choices hence the re-reading. This novel left a strong impression on me at the time and it hasn't lost any of its power. Wow...what amazing writing and a wonderful depiction of the horror of WW I.

More furry logic...

You'll always be my best friend...you know too much.

Crofton and the ferry to Saltspring

We really look forward to seeing Crofton when we take the ferry to Saltspring. We enjoy the drive up as well as we are always going to Sidney it seems so makes for a change.



Ferry to Saltspring



The dock at Crofton



Crofton's new seawalk

San Jacinto Mountains: Third attempt

I wasn't going to try this again but just had to have one last try before I move on to other things for a while. The idea was to do wild desert flowers in front but that just didn't work out. Ah well...the golf course is authentic. I did have a row of palm trees but cut those out as it seemed overly busy.



“San Jacinto Mountouns & Golf Course”
acrylic on canvas
12 x 24
April/06

Itty Bitty Book Review: Burros and Paintbrushes

I found this very charming book by Everett Gee Jackson in a very neat bookstore in Santa Barbara. He spent around 3 years (1923-1926) in his youth painting in Mexico in places like Chapala, Guanajuato, Ajijic and Mexico City. These places are certainly very changed now and it was interesting to read about his adventures at this time. I was also very attracted by his artwork.


Street in Ajijic



Women with Cactus



The Charcoal Burners

More furry logic...

I'm not tense...just terribly alert.

Dame Muriel Spark: Author

I see Mureil Spark passed away at the age of 88 in Tuscany where she had been living for about 30 years. I enjoyed pretty much everything she wrote, particularly "The Girls of Slender Means", "Mememto Mori", "The Mandelbaum Gate", and of course, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie"...who will ever forget Maggie Smith playing the school mistress!

I see in the obit that she produced respected biographical and critical work about the Bronte family. Also that "The Girls..." drew on her experience as a young woman struggling to make ends meet while writing in London. Apparently she was almost starving until novelist Graham Greene gave her a monthy allowance and some wine on condition she did not thank him or pray for him.

BTW, Jim's edition of Graham Greene's "No Man's Land" has been published and is available in bookstores and the library has two copies. This is a story which was written to be made into a film but never was. It has been published but buried in an obscure anthology of Greene filmscripts. The edition also includes another very interesting story called "The Stranger's Hand". Worth a look for Graham Greene fans and David Lodge fans as he did the forward to the edition.

Good Friday on Saltspring

We had a super day on Saltspring being treated to one of Carole's famous lunches and a special bonus seeing John's photography show "Landscape Amnesia" at the Galleons Lap Gallery. Some of the images are displayed on the gallery's website.
: : Galleons Lap : :

The photos are beautifully done and it was very impressive to see them all together displayed in the Gallery. Congratulations, John!

Not everyone will be attracted to these photographs as they make a very strong statement about development on Saltspring Island (although John does still insist he is just documenting what is happening...) and consist mainly of the Channel Ridge development around Vesuvius.

Now what is interesting about this development is that it boasted about having loads of environmentally friendly features and the first thing they do is cut down all the trees!



John having a little joke while I try to take a photo.



Out of hiding finally...


John has also photographed a lot of the traditional beauty of Saltspring and the original idea of the show was to have these photographs side by side but in the end there wasn't room. So I took this shot of the clear cut photos juxtaposed with the idyllic beauty of Saltspring out the gallery window.




A few more shots of Galleons Lap...I loved the primary colours.

Over 100 varieties of daffodils

I always admire the wonderful display of flowers especially in daffodil season on this property by Campus View Elementary School. When I stopped by this time to buy a couple of bunches one of the owners was there and told me they had over 100 varieties of daffodils.

San Jacinto Mountains: Second attempt

Still working away at this...will take a while I think!



"San Jacinto Mountains with Palms and Skirt Palms"
16 x 20 acrylic on canvas
April/06

Butchart's

I decided to get a pass for Butchart's Gardens this year so Annette and I went out yesterday. Seems crazy to have this wonderful resource at our doorstep and not take full advantage of it. Always seem to be focusing on trees these days.

Abby...the neighbourhood cat

I was at my computer and saw Abby next to our stone "sleeping cat" looking out for birds. I guess our sundeck is a good perch for the trees nearby.




Abby is a very brazen cat and certainly wasn't bothered by seeing me. She took her time making sure she didn't want to pounce on a bird after all then stared me down!

San Jacinto Mountains: First attempt

Well, I think this captures some of the spirit of these wonderful mountains. I'm currently finishing off another attempt and then will leave this subject for a while.



"San Jacinto Mountains with Palms"
11 x 14 acrylic on paper
April/06

[daily dose of imagery]

Loved the "daily dose" today!

[daily dose of imagery]

More furry logic...

I didn't crawl my way to the top of the food chain to eat roughage.

The "iPad"

Very clever name for this affordable housing in the U.K.

Telegraph | Property | 'The iPad would give locals a start'

April 1, 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On the weekend Richard was lamenting how there seems to be fewer good April Fool's Day spoofs. Seems April Fools is alive and well. Check out wikipedia's entry for April 1 2006.

April 1, 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Family Pool Sharks

We had a super visit with Richard this weekend and heard all about his new job which he is loving. On Sunday we went to Peacock's since I had never played there (or really anywhere in the past 25 years). Despite Richard trying to set up good shots for me and Jim giving me the opportunity to take shots again it was a dismal performance on my part. Hope I do better at golf when I start up again this week...!



Richard chalking his cue.




Jim lining up the perfect shot.

Billie's Calendar - April

With thanks to Emily Carr...

more furry logic

Yellow submarine clock

I saw this clock in a memorabilia store in Ventura Beach. Of course I had to have it for my studio!




Not surprisingly the colours are the same as some of my favourite colours I always use...

More furry logic

The moment you have children...you forgive your parents EVERYTHING.

Furry Logic

Patty and Terry introduced me to this delightful little book with with sayings and drawings by Jane Seabrook. She has another one out at well called "Laugh at Life"....both available at Bolen's.



If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.




If at first you don't succeed, swallow all evidence that you tried.

Itty Bitty Book Review - "This Timeless Moment"

After meeting Laura Huxley I was interested to read some of her writings. This is a memoir she published about her life with Aldous. Of course I knew from Jim's research that Huxley had a broad range of interests and was knowlegable on just about everything, but what comes through in this memoir is his exceptional kindness and natural ability as a teacher. Laura recounts how he would teach her things by gently "reminding" her about them, knowing that she didn't know anything about the subject at all. What a wonderful teaching technique!

Also, his interest in everyone was very touching. He sincerely felt he could learn something from anyone and would just as happily talk to a seriously mentally ill person as the highest in society. And I think what I love the most are his comments close to the end of his life when he was asked what conclusions he had made after all his learning and knowledge and he simply said:

"The best thing I can offer is for people to be kinder to each other."

So simple and yet so wise.

So quoth the hypocrite

I really liked an article by Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald called "So Quoth the Hypocrite"...cut it out when we were travelling and came across it unpacking. It was in response to a high school teacher making a point in class that homosexulaity was unacceptable in the eyesight of God because God ordered humanity to multiply which gay couples cannot do. A student wrote to the journalist wondering how a gay student could ever feel assured of fair treatment in his class.

This is a partial quote of what Pitts replied to the student:

"Put simply, I've had it up to here with the moral hypocrisy and intellectual constipation of Bible literalists...never mind that the Bible also says it is "disgraceful for a woman to speak out in church (1 Corinthians 12:34-36) and that if she has any questions, she should wait till she gets home and ask her husband. Never mind that the bible says the penalty for going to work on the Sabbath is death (Exodus 35:1-3). Never mind that the Bible says the man who rapes a virgin should buy her from her father (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) and marry her."

I'm sure there are lots more examples in this vein in the bible.

The U.S. Army Recruiting Brochure

I picked this up at one of the universities we were at recently in the US. Pretty tempting terms for students who are heavily in debt:

"If you've already attended college and need help paying back your Perkins, Stafford or other federally insured student loans, the U.S. Army can help. The Army Loan Repayment program can pay back up to $65,000 of your student loans. You may also qualify for the up to $20,000 enlistment bonus. Ask your Recruiter about the latest active Army, U.S. Army Reserve and ROTC incentives and college programs."

Itty Bitty Book Review - "Saturday"

Didn't read much on our recent holiday besides "On Mexican Time" which I've mentioned and McEwan's latest "Saturday". Amazing writing as always with McEwan but I did have a little trouble with him stealing the "art can tame wild beasts" idea from "Bel Canto" by Patchett. I know he worked it up very differently and I still think Saturday is a fine novel...yet. Interesting now to be reading "The Ice Age" by Drabble which was written in 1977 and explores some of the same issues as I remember. I read it long ago and it's rather dim in my memory.

VFX (Translation: Visual Special Effects)

Gee, a week ago I didn't even know what this acronym meant!

Looks like Richard is getting into the visual special effects field at a good time. An article in the TC today (D4) notes that it is a field that is booming. He's really thrilled about the opportunity to work in this area of programming since he'll be learning cutting edge stuff. And as he puts it,
"It's mainly open-source technologies, no Windows crap, so it's very transferrable too."

Home!

Amazingly we caught the 2pm ferry. Very quick drive from Portland and no hold ups in Seattle or the border.
Will be in touch soon.

Almost home!

We're in Portland tonight and then home to sleep in our own bed tomorrow. Always a great feeling. It was sunny and clear through the mountain passes yesterday and today. We really enjoyed being in Ashland again and seeing a play albeit "The Winter's Tale" isn't great especially the first half but the theatre company here is so excellent anything is enjoyable.

We stopped off at the U. of Oregon in Eugene for old times sake and had lunch in the pub by the university where Jim learned he was going to become a father...then he ordered a double!!! (not really...) and visited our favourite bookstore.

Read in the paper that Palm Springs hit 50 F the other day....brrr...cold all over I guess. I think they're back to decent weather now. We've been lucky. Had good weather on the coast and left just as it was getting poor. I think we crossed paths with the storm and seemed to miss it.

See everyone soon!

W.H. Smith Bookstore in Eugene

Our favourite bookstore in Eugene.

University of Oregon

Ashland

Ashland

Ashland Springs Hotel

A neat old historic hotel that used to be called the Mark Anthony. They're renovating...hope they make the rooms a little more soundproof than when we stayed there.

Entrance to Old Sacramento

Getting dark when we arrived in Sacramento so not much in the way of photos.

Sacramento

Congratulations, Richard!

We just found out the news that Richard got a promotion at Technicolor to the VFX (Visual Effects) department. He's really thrilled about it...no more of those horrible night shifts, he gets to learn a number of new computer languages...and eventually get his name in the credits for films he's worked on.

Way to go, Richard, you always manage to pull thesw things off!

Funny we should be in Sacramento now, a place where Richard worked in the computer industry for a while and made some very good friends. We're off to Ashland today and have tickets for "A Winter's Tale"...might be very appropriate as it's rather cold around here. Looking forward to seeing Ashland again and seeing a play...it's been close to 20 years since we've done that.

Wind blew in our last night in Santa Barbara so had dinner on the pier by a window and did some storm watching while quaffing clam chowder and steak and lobster. A good way to end our stay on the coast.

As much as we enjoyed seeing these CA costal areas again I think we have become desert rats. It's really just not warm enough on the coast at this time and it's very busy and expensive even though it's off season. We'll spend all our time down here in the desert next time.

P.S. BTW, those funny little birds are called Sanderlings

Helmets in Ventura

We really liked Ventura...very real place...lots of neat bookstores and stuff.

Mission in Ventura

Our hotel in Santa Barbara

We just loved our hotel in SB. It was the historic Hotel Virginia. Really neat tiles and in the old Spanish colonial style.

Santa Barbara coast and the Channel Islands

Santa Barbara...the popcorn man memorial