Carte de visite

Roasted cauliflower and hummus pita lunch on a Monday. Cat Power spins, her old croak and beats of yesteryears warm the home. I write from the kitchen. Snow keeps coming and somehow the windowsill plants keep growing. Days off are BLESS-ED. Good night!

My latest room is a milk white cave. I am slowly morphing into a polar bear, all winter white and lumbering body. Snowy adventuring on foot led me right to a box of old photographs early this afternoon. Something needs to be done with all those fading faces. Five dollars hooked me a little toothy lady vignette as well a hard-bordered wedding couple with the bride in a fancy headdress. These folks cried out to be stenciled. D'accord.

But first I must finish what has long been started. The Seal of NY has gone from a two inch stamp to a foot and a half square stencil. That stamp caught my eye about two years ago from a No. 80 bus window while roaring down Parc in Montreal with Leo. We jumped off the bus and ran for the stamp shop, stroller and all. That's what I miss most about life with Leo, he was such good company; always ready for adventure at a moment's notice. No tears from shocking weather or quick decisions made on his behalf. Somehow that little crest has become an extension of myself, passed from hand to hand traveling this country letter by letter. That I like. Naturally, it transformed itself into something new. From rubber to muslin, art grows!

S L O W   A R T   I S   S U B V E R S I V E  . 

And so the cave is transforming my work. All that fits now is a bed, sewing machine and light table. Gotta choose those projects wisely. Work then sleep.

We sleep when we're dead.

Speaking of the dead, I have a crush on Man Ray. He was a wizard alternatif.  √ √ √ √ √ √

Lisa justified new work last night as we stood in my room looking at the progress of a piece I am working towards (slow as molasses). Her input re-ignited the fire to create. Thank you. King for the win. It can be a discipline to sit there for hours on end, carving away to let the light shine in. Once the image takes shape and begins to reveal itself there is no turning back. The process is lean and the result rich. Turning portraits into stencils. This is my art these days. An exhibition of sorts to come.

Winter is in. Here we come.

"A creator needs only one enthusiast to justify him."

Man Ray
American Artist and Photographer
1890–1976

Cards in the air

The Maxipad has been shuffled cardlike and our home is coming along nicely. Lisa and I have switched rooms! Big to small, small to big. Change is good. I gained a window in the move, what a bonus. Solid listening station, alls we need is a rug.

My watch reads 10:18 in the morning. Pot of tea, good results, getting things done. I can feel the nerves rising for the noon shift. Changes in the kitchen now have me cooking dinner two nights of the week beside Walkman Tim, a real character. He is fast and moody. Gotta smoke those cigarettes. I am trying/ learning to keep up to his rhythm. There are moments of high stress but then the phrase 'it's just food' floods doubt and I relax into it again. Line cooking is for the wacky, no question there. It's not all stress. It is magical to feel the rhythm of three bodies working together sending out plate after plate of nice food. It hurts to send out shitty eggs, it does.

Kitchen waltz with really, really hot pans in hand. Arm hair, adieu. I like my place there, whatever it is.

Cheesecake. Arctic Char. Swiss chard. Herman's eggs. Bocconcini. Parsnip.

Looking forward to walking around Winnipeg with Leo II in the new year. Cameras ready.

What is coming? Here we come.

Image picked up over at Miss Moss.

Noviembre

To Code

These two photographs were shot in and around Point Douglas before the snow arrived. Early October. When a roll sits around either mine or Craig's houses long enough waiting to be processed, the memory bank looses detail like quarters through floorboards. When the contact sheet developing in the tray revealed the middle girl in the hedge, I was beyond delighted. She is art. I think that is the main reason why processing film and developing photos has hooked me so, the unveiling of mystery is so worth the wait. Little details the eye tracks and freeze frames are remembered later as the image comes up like an apparition. I didn't think twice when those kids climbed into the hedge, camera at the eye in an instant. Whatever caught me then now long forgotten. The darkroom just makes sense. The more I work, the more I look, the better photography is understood. Art school restricted everything that the first image represents in me. None of it.

There were eleven usable shots in all from that long awaited October roll and after the contact print was developed (direct copy of negatives sandwiched between glass and photo sensitive paper) these were the two I started with despite more obvious gems. Save the best for later. I only had a few hours of darkroom time before work picked up and this is the fruit of my labor. No rushing art.

I love this nieghborhood. You never know in PD. Pow! The dappled light just melted me while working away. Brother and sister bookend a real wisecracker. Sweet faces. Peace, love and character. Triple threat.

The second photo is of a house in progress in my neighborhood. It was discovered long after the framing was up, but something to it hooked me good. Shooting the progression of projects excites me.

This house belongs to a wonderful couple on Grove who I met the fourth time around. This shot was the second visit when I was lucky to find them working hard on the roof. These two inspire me as they have done all the work themselves. The contrast is a little strong for my taste (pretty clear this was the second project as my tolerance for any and all grey goes out the window after the first hour or two of printing; something I am working on). Tolerate GREY, it only adds to tone of interest. There are little details that should have been dodged, and others burned. Rafter detail for example: Dodge Margot! There is so much to work with there in that little peak. The giant window openings in the center? So much hidden detail lost. Attempt two will reveal the innards of the house and hopefully more detail on the neighbors house and that big old Winnipeg sky. Burn! One thing I appreciate about Craig is how he appraises my darkroom work. There is honesty in his critique and always a lesson for better production. My teacher, my love. I groan while he laughs at my efforts.

The Dragon Year has been a hell of a ride. Winter arrived with a great big dump. C and I cruised to Stony Mountain in the calm before the storm to pick up his latest project--a beater sled from the 70s. I so appreciate his faith in mechanics. My mechanic. The older the better in his books. I named it Marj the Sled after laughing my HEAD OFF zipping up and down the back alley at the Victor House around midnight. I am sure she heard us, wherever she is and delighted in our delight. It's a real beast. The neighbors must love us. No disdain for the new season, just delight and prospect. Winter getaways reeking of exhaust and wood fires.

The dark is welcomed, no sense in wrestling with it. Utilize! Production season is in. Social life lies flat, the community buried. In the light hours I work with my head down in a bright kitchen, happy, hurried, nervous, relaxed, mysterious, calm, relieved. In the dark I sit by the fire, rocking away, sipping whiskey and looking at that fat stack of bikes lined up like a gang just waiting for the light to change once more.

What a wise move it was to come back to this place. Follow your guts, they know.

Bundle up, it's sled season! As Maya would say, Bag up, it's going to be a long one.
Amen sister.

Swimming dirty waters

Black nailed report. A trip to Rebecca's for a liquid dinner on the floor usually results in fresh nails. Here is an October goings-on visual report straight from my latest camera, a funny little Yashica Electro 35 rangefinder. Craig found it for a song on a thrift mission and I love it--oddities, faults and all. The rangefinder is quite a new avenue to explore. Old habits die hard with this shooting machine (see soft focus shots). I like it, especially the lazy light leaks streaking through each frame.

New pony in the stable.

The addition of a honking flash kit mixes the shooting process right up, not to mention this new type of focus makes it virtually impossible to find that sharp image that I have come to appreciate when shooting in the darkness. Challenge is good. Change is good. The Nikon sleeps undisturbed these days. The Kiev is the camera I reach for on days off when the internal contrast vision snaps to attention.

Willa in wonderland. Whatever happened here, I like it.

I have a weakness for workers in Hi-Vis. Soft focus from a hasty walk-by.

Old crazy eyes. My coffee date, my roommate Miss King.

Baby's first ride.

Beers by the river. My beat boots and the old Red. 

We date by the Red River.

Skipper. 

Good form. Nice light leak. Man I love this guy.

Cute Reserve

Here are some leftovers from the OSL Tot shoot. I love these little dumplings, each and every one. Thanks again to the parents for creating these creatures and participating in the madness altogether.

Muchas gracias.

Vigor report

Combination stovetop popcorn/ hot chocolate.

Get a stout heavy bottomed pot on the fire. Medium heat/ slow and low. Add two or three good glugs of canola oil to coat the bottom. Add two kernels. Cover. Wait and listen. When the kernels give way, the oil is ready. Add a bunch of kernels. The yeild is always three times than anticipated. That I like. Salt. Shake. Wait. Shake. Toss in a few pads of beurre. Shake. Man the lid in case your ratio is off and things get wild. Shake. Enjoy. 

Candle lit home for one at the Maxi Lounge. It looks nice in here. Nashville Skyline, Fugees, Cymande, Mij, Baby Dee, Neutral Milk Hotel rotate. Tragically Hip, you are needed in the Sunday lineup.

Today was a paid kitchen day. The line was manned by two funny characters juggling a fat stack of breakfast orders. All I had to do was keep them rolling and happy. Anticipating moves, avoiding disaster, replenishing with grace, whipping things in and out of an oven within tight quarters, things like that.

Essentially this new work is similar to that of EM--a Montreal kitchen of the past--but a little nicer on the culinary spectrum. Nothing too fancy, just nice. White plates. No slop. Relaxed. There is a certain ease that moves around that kitchen like water. I can't really explain it but whatever it is, I am grateful as hell. The motion of today made me miss watching Simon out of the corner of my eye butter toast and call meats with grace to a constant rotation of lunatics working the grill behind him. Ease at work (even in the shit); that is Simon. I miss you.

Grass is always greener...

Feels good to zip around, learning things on the fly. Anticipating longevity at a work place is nearly unreal. I work alongside this hilarious woman named Ramona who asked me out of the blue today if I could see myself building a working studio in the country someday. Up to my elbows in flour I looked at her and felt every inch of myself soften, grateful for the dough underneath my weight. Why yes. She smiled and then recited a little poem she once wrote for a funeral home.

These are my days. Sleep well. Rise early. Listen to records. Go to work. Work hard. Come home. Fall into place beside a guy who starts every fire with a solid log cabin.

Repeat.

Trip to the Valley. September 2012/ Manitoba.

Craig shot this. Best seat in the house at White Castle. Good milkshakes/ curly fries.

Ode to A. Marj. My kind of getaway. Sugar Shack. September 2012.

Craig's Grandpa Stoez catches up on technology. September 2012.

Family. September 2012.

Brickworks in the Valley. We stumbled upon this like magic.  September 2012.

Ain't nothin' to it

Self Letter. I made this today.

Some letters 'n things going on in my 'folio. Whoa.

This kind of Red inspires me.
These kind of Horses too. Big fat old ones.
Motorbikes/ Funny Girls holding guns. Oh yeah. Where did that come from? That I like.
Keep drawing hands when there's nothing else. There is always that.
Triangles and hands are my go-to's. Go Tos.

The scrap pile is the first place I visit at the studio. Pre-loved paper GOLD MINE. Swipes of color, weird art, manilla, good stock, bits and pieces, string, matte board (ten million points for a big find). You never know what you will find in that cauldron of hope. Sat there at the light table completely emptied except for big undone flowers floating through thought. Olive green, coral and just the right cross between red and orange. The right kind of blue. How do you all work together? What do you need to become? It is weird starting from nothing there, in a space made for production. No time to conceptualize these days. No art production. I write letters instead of printing/ instead of stencilling/ instead of illustrating.

It goes.

This mind is filled with blanche waters and fish scales flying and Earth Balance and root vegetables cut on the bias. Lists organized by A to B to C priority. Not art. This job is good for me. It's new and good. Challenging in funny ways. Trying hard not to be defeated by a long standing fear of baking. Trying hard to remember what is taught.

Too tired to print, to conjure, to anything. I did mess around with some of that sweet rubylith stuff (red overlay) at the light table for a fast half assed stencil ((see above)) and in doing so discovered it is not nearly as challenging as presumed. Ain't nothin' to it but to __ __   __ __.

This is the extent of my art scope these daze.

Yikes. Quite clearly I need to dip my brush in some magic waters and get moving. Hibernation station.

Dear EJA, Dear Chanel, Dear Simon. I am coming for you, mailform.

Transmogrification

Aloha from not-so-sunny Winnipeg. October snowday today, the first of many to come. That sounds about right. The beautiful Autumn season was fast as hell this year and I enjoyed the golden weeks to the fullest with a motorbike between my legs and dust in the eyes. On my final blast from one corner of the city to the next, I pulled to a stop beside a family car at Isabel and William. A girl riding shotgun leaned over her Pops at the wheel and yelled "IS THAT FUN?" and I nodded and added "Girls can ride too!!". Big ups from a young lady.

Parked my Maxi for good with an empty tank two days before the snow arrived. Better to end the moped season on a safe and happy note than not. That thing was tired/ ready to rest. After the dead of winter blows over, Craig and I will turn his cabin/garage back into a shop and wrenching lessons will pick up once again. New motor build commence. Top tank? Sexy as hell. That will be a different ride altogether. Never did get around to riding in a thick late-night moped pack this year. Solo rider. I was invited into a gracious motorcycle group cruising southbound from Lockport last Saturday when gold still clung to the trees. It was quite the experience to say the least. Big dumb grin while blasting down Henderson beside a big dude with two silver beards. Middle part. Kind eyes.

One day I too will ride a motorcycle with grace. Splitting lanes with rookies at Magic Hour. Moped Meg suits just fine for now.

Jessica Alba and I ducked into the rain around 5 this morning for the first wet commute of the season. Slop city. She held up beautifully while I huffed and puffed, laughing at my muscles remembering how to rip on a bike. Very nearly forgot all about the self-propelled commute. Forsaken fitness no more. Winter riding has begun. It felt pretty damn good to slap on those goggles after three seasons apart. La vie en rose!

Aside from the transportation switcheroo, there has been plenty of positive change in my life of late. Dancing between counter, catering and production kitchen within the Stella's world has been great, but I am ready for more of a challenge in my cooking career. Time to face my fears once and for all and learn how to be the best damn line cook I can be. Grace under pressure. Learn it, Megs. Thanks to a solid friend, I have landed a new position under a talented chef. Learn from the best. No resume; the simple combination of experience and confidence is worth more than I thought. Self doubt you're out! Looking forward to the challenge. SHIIIT.

Steve!
Simon!

I will think of you two when I'm IN THE WEEDS!!!

Time to sew. Lady Longbodies (dressed to the nines) will be available for purchase come Saturday October the 6th at the Oh So Lovely/ Rhymes with Orange kid's shop Opening Party. That was a mouthful.

Photo. Craig Dueck (shot and hand printed). This is a digital copy-- iPhone camera. Victor back alley with my Maxi.