Strange times

Files of the unknown. Found a lost sleeve of negatives and scanned them back to life! These images were shot roughly around the same time towards the end of autumn 2012. 

Strange photos/ strange locations/ strange film: Kodak 400-2TMY

Spring slice

Moon

Twenty seven and going strong! Here is to another great year of learning and living. Lord knows what the twenty seventh trip around the sun will bring!

Leo and I began this day with peanut butter toast, many espresso, Dr. Seuss and Lauryn Hill on full blast. Boyboy's word du jour? Moon. Moon. Moon. Moon. Child of my soul, he knows me well by now. A new word is the greatest gift!

This is us, real time.

Kitchen Work

Colin works the line.

Head Chef Aron and Hank take a milk crate break.

A real fish out of water.

Madge on pasta duty. Photo. Aron Epp

Mystery kitchen shot through the rolling rack. Photo. ???

Kitchen camera: Yashica rangefinder with flashkit/ October through December 2012/ Tmax 400.

These images are the result of leaving a camera on a shelf at eye level for a good month in the beautiful kitchen of Elements on Portage. You never know who will approach a photographic moment when a camera is close at hand. Shoot this thing! Kitchen portrait photography inspires me.

The top shot of my mate Colin is strong. He is a rare beauty. Receiving that shot took many moons. Thanks McIlwain.

Breaking trail

As a woman who has spent a fair portion of time walking around in nature, this particular journey alongside, behind, in front of Craig, my cousin Jen and her guy Jesse was one of the most epic walk-ins to date. Jen's family owns the Sugar Shack deep down in the Pembina Valley and they are very, very generous as to how and with whom they share it.

Craig's big beauty of a grin in the second image spells it right out. Good trip! The photos in this series are straight off a roll of Ektar 100 in consecutive order in which they were shot. High sun and crisp air.

The snow was too deep and soft to sled through so we strapped on our rookie snowshoes, piled our bags on our backs, slipped flasks into breast pockets and forged ahead through the most beautiful terrain together. This land is special. This land makes me proud to call Manitoba home.

This land is part of my soul.

Yesterday I saw my sister swinging serenely in a hammock across the globe. Morning for her, nighttime for me. It is plain as day that is the land of her soul. She knows it, feels it and breathes it. Thailand is her place.

The valley is my place to feel free. With the city left behind, the fire becomes the focus. We cook and eat simply, we laugh and drink and walk together or alone. The big black dog takes time to cover ground, marking territory in between bounding wild and free in long strides like a dog is supposed to do.

When I look in that little mirror, I see the face of a woman I miss. The valley was her place too. I suppose that is why I return each time, searching for clues of her soul.

Funcraft

On the road with the Funcraft. Friday night began with a divine Maxi salad, a hair chop, a nice bottle of rouge and great company. It ended with a bright exhibition by Kenneth in plaid, a house pitstop followed by a trip to the Albert where I met an interesting mohawk man by the name of Davison (sadly my camera was emptied of it's contents by that point...).

Fleur de givre

Scollage for Printemps

A trip to the Asian supermarket with my ma inspired these scanner collages. New papers together with found scraps and transparencies lying within reach of the worktable. Great afternoon. Today felt like Spring. 

Let the hootin' and hollerin' begin 

Let the hootin' and hollerin' begin 

Let the hootin' and hollerin' begin 

Cry your eyes out or give your head a shake and then press on. 

Wood works

What is there to do when there is nothing left to do but to do the work one is supposed to do?
Ain't nothin to it, they say, but to do it.

I can run forever from the work lying around within out of fear and hesitation but the calling will always be one clip behind in matched strong-legged stride, yearning for attention.

FINISH!
BEGIN.

Here is a list of things to finish and begin in no order--
- book binding
- trip to the printers
- mock up for fuckssake
- learning how to visualize instead of making blindly
- call Rachel
- editorial re: Emily
- backdrop re: source million dollar lightbulb
- make said backdrop
- VISUALIZE

Just begin now dear woman.

Swollen moons looking up to the full bellied eye in the sky peering down to the place I sat smoking on the roof of my home--of all things, of all places--contemplating fear. Why run? Why hesitate? Finding the starting place is frustrating and scary but when your feet find the mark, there is no choice but to steady oneself and then give in like a bird to the sky.

This week introduced a few new starting places.

The future is now.

Sooner than later I will trade these soft hands in for rough ones. Visualizing the soft lines of the back belonging to a child not my own, along with his cheeks and featherneck fitting just right into the curves of my being, it is hard to imagine this blessed reality becoming but sweet memories smiled upon while running fingertips along fresh cuts of wood.

I look forward to the feeling of physical material in my hands and the comfortable rhythm that will come with patience and gentleness the more I watch, listen and apply the offered lessons to my own wood practice.

Never in all my years would I have guessed that life would carry me here, to a wood shop in the countryside to the open door of an offer that changed the direction of my path once more. Who knows- maybe the wood won't cut it either; then again maybe it will. Funny how life works. I have always felt my best at work in environments made for production. Naming it here makes the decision of pursuit undeniably real.

I am finally going to learn how to build.

Until then, there is an entirely new season to watch unfold. Come on buds, we believe in you. The Magnum is nearly ready to ride. Come on Spring, come on winds, come on warm rains, I believe in you.

Young thing. Autumn 2007/ France.

Babycam

Leo shoots the Partycam at 15 months (kind of). Winnipeg/ Spring 2013

Photo. baby Seftel