Process of Bruised

Earlier this year I made Seven Organs representing seven key body parts that keep us alive. They were shown together as a metaphor of interactivity in our internal body. These pieces were wood cutouts, and the surface was worked with fabric and paper, bound with bees wax.

Now I want to work on human tissues, as a deeper search for our internal landscapes and how we are connected inside. I am drawing the four kinds of human tissue, and filling my mouth with their beautiful names: epithelial, connective, muscle and neurone. As it happens in artwork, I have a general direction of where I want to go, I have to set the limits of what I want and what I don't. It is the work what dictates the path, being attentive to my emotional reactions, my body posture, the internal dialogues my mind embarks on, and most importantly, the connection to the creative process.

Here is what a corner of what my table looks like, with the group of art pieces I call Bruised. These will be worked integrating transfers on fabric taken from an Esmarch bandage, embroidery, drawing on rice paper and print. I just got a Pin Press as a gift, and I have been experimenting with it. Here is a sample of the process.

Prints for Cancer

This month I will have two shows: one at the Shenkman Arts Centre as part of the exhibition Selections, which opens on the 25th. In it I will show my brain, well not mine, but yes, mine.  The second show will be at the Fundation Quebecoise du Cancer, located in Gatineau.  They were interested in artwork that deals with healing and contacted me. However I will not show the seven organs as some of them have been bought (yippie!) and I don't have enough time to make new ones.  Instead, I will show some of my monoprints, two of which you can see below.

These monoprints were made using the fabulous Pin Press, Akua inks, rice paper, Canson printing paper, bits of other things found along the way (such as the stencil letters I used for the Book Exchange Box).  My drawings were based on microscopic photos of human tissue.  I am still fascinated with the marvels and mysteries of our human body.

Book Exchange Box

We have been building a Book Exchange Box with the family, to go in the front of our house. Last Monday on Labour Day, it was ready to be inaugurated. We giving it the finishing touches when the City Councillor for our area of the city appeared, as part of her campaign for re-election next month. We asked her about concerns we have in terms of plans for the park at the Kanata Town Centre Core. Her reply made me decide to write letter and send it to the local newspaper.  We feel the area needs to remain green to serve our community rather than developers and corporations. I include a copy of the letter, in an act of cultural activism.