Breaking out of the Studio Blues

I've been spending a lot of time in the studio these days, preparing a new body of work for an upcoming show. The work is all graphite... or black and white, with a touch of red as a point of interest. The show will be called "InspiRED St Andrews", and all the pieces are - you guessed it - of St Andrews and area.

The absence of colour was getting to me, and so today I changed things up... I painted outside with watercolour. Normally, I do this in the warmer months of the year because of the challenges with the paint freezing. But today I just let the paint freeze on the paper, and took my chances on what it would look like when it thawed. I gotta say, I'm pretty happy with the results.


I also took the time to do a couple laps of Chamcook Lake on the skate skis. I've really taken to XC skiing this winter, and am finding it a great way to keep my fitness peakin'!!
My health continues to be great. I've introduced whole grain rice to my diet (specific carbohydrate diet) in small amounts, with no ill-effect. Also, I've tried small amounts of potatoes, and rye-crackers. So far so good... I'll keep everyone posted as to how I make out!

Olympic Men's Hockey begins tonight; they'll hammer Norway, but it will be interesting to see the team for the first time.

Go Canada!

Geoff

Summer?

Poof!!! Another summer gone!!
So where did July go? I can't believe how fast this summer is going. And the weather this last month has been terrible - never seen so much rain. Despite all that, there have been some high points... here it goes!
The first couple of weeks of July were split between painting at the studio, and an outdoor rec course I led at Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre. The class involved full days of mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and climbing. Everyone made it out alive, and lived to tell the tale.
Then there was the pool. We put a little pool in; and with it came a fence, deck, landscaping, planters, plants, and pretty much an entire re-design of the backyard and poof - another 2 weeks gone.

It is the best thing we've done for ourselves in a long time.

We had some nice visits from friends and family that allowed me to play tour guide a bit (I like that), and we all took a bit of time to enjoy a few meals, sunsets, and glasses of wine in good company.

I have also started a new mural in town. It depicts the 1604 landing of explorer Champlain on St Croix Island. I've made some progress, and am now waiting on paint before any more gets done.

The response so far has been favorable.


All work and no play makes Geoff a dull boy, and I've been playing lots, despite the weather (and a bad knee....that I don't want to think about). Been doing a lot of riding, and things are only this last week starting to dry out.



What a mudfest it has been on the east coast this year. One memorable ride we did with the off-kilter boys was in Fog City (Saint John). We were riding in such a downpour that by the end of the ride we almost had to stop and walk because we couldn't see anymore. You couldn't tell where the sky and ground met. Very rainforest!

My health has been great, and the rest of the family is happy and strong; my wish is the same for all...

Peace,
Slats

No Time and Off-Kilter

What a crazy month! I've been pulled in many directions this past month, and am just now starting to see some results from my efforts. Most of my time has been chewed up in three different areas: the trails; commissioned art; bikes.

Trails

I've been building trails for a number of years, but this year I've had some unexpected help. The town of St. Andrews has provided manpower, tools, and funding to put a big push on so all the trails can be linked together in the area. This gives us 20 km of trails within the town limits... pretty cool! It has eaten into my "creative" time, but it has been worth it.

Commissioned Art

Also this month I've had a number of commissions to get done. Two were "art piece signage" for some new businesses to town. Both took more time than expected because of the damp weather we have been having. (It just has taken forever for things to dry). I also have two new murals to paint in town. One is a historic piece depicting the landing of French Explorers on St Croix Island. The other will be smaller; a subtle little art piece on a fence between two buildings downtown. I'm using Hank (Andrea's Dad) as the focal point... a man leaning on a rail in an alley. I'm looking forward to better weather to start both.

Bikes

I've been riding lots, and so has everyone else. Unfortunately, the basement has been full all month of bike repairs. My "fix everyones' bike for free" policy is starting to wear a little thin. I think some are taking advantage of a good thing. I'm going to think on it a bit, but I may have to start charging something. It is really cutting into my time.
Something fun that is bike-related that happened this month... Off-Kilter. I started a MTB club that wears kilts! I've designed a mountain bike kilt that is made by a master kilt-maker right here in town. It is in the New Brunswick tartan, and is worn over bike shorts. The membership is growing already; soon everyone on a mountain bike in St Andrews will be Off-Kilter!


Fight the good fight...
Slats

Outdoor Adventure

So for the last couple of years I have been going over to Deer Island to help Tim Stuart, principal at the Deer Island Community School, with an outdoor leadership program he does with his grade 8's every year.

We camp at "Camp Respect", a Christian Camp on the south side of the island that overlooks beautiful Passamoquoddy Bay.

This year we played capture the flag, swam in the ocean (brrrrrr), slept under the stars; as well as the usual canoe-kayak and mountain biking activities.

Perfect weather, great food, and lively grade 8's made for a fun time had by all!

Looking forward to next year... good luck at Fundy High , class of 2009!

Slats