Sou'wester

Natalie and Kenneth wear my hats. Tmax 400/ Olympus 35-SP // Winnipeg, MB // April 2014

A L T E R N A T I V E / M A G I C

It has been a real treat to emerge from the winter season with my mind and hands busy with collaboration. Like clockwork, my internal fire continues to be stoked by Spring air after a long season of low light and little warmth. Last week I felt it burn bright and HOT for the first time in many moons as I moved around a white studio alongside Jill Sawatzky. Both of us had eyes trained upon a beautiful woman called Akos as she moved through the space like water, our cameras at ready. Easy, playful energy in an art studio filled with natural light, texture, colour, STRONG WORK! Layers came on and off, all of us rotating hats and scarves as clothing slipped from our own backs only to be replaced by something new from Tony Chestnut. It was one of those incredible photo shoots where I just knew the rolls would reflect exactly how the energy in the room felt. It is not always so,  thus I try not to take afternoons of those kind for granted.

Jill is the vision, the soul and the magic behind her clothing label Tony Chestnut. It has been pretty neat to watch so many people in my life evolve with their trade/ craft/ art over the years, and it was no different with Jill last Sunday. To see her clothing come to life was nothing short of incredible. May the magic translate in the photos to come! While the approach to her label may change from season to season, her vision has remained true with each debut. You know Tony Chestnut when you see it coming for you on the sidewalk. That I like.

Yesterday I printed photos from morning to night and the production was as fluid as the shoot the previous Sunday. Each step flowing into the next. Like magic. It is hard to articulate how rare it is to find that even pace from start to finish.

Midway through printing, I stepped out into the light of day for a break for my eyes, some exercise for my legs and a Kijiji mission in mind. Old Alba carried me to the industrial area in the West End where I was welcomed into a crazy woodshop / production darkroom by a lovely gentleman. We did some wheeling and dealing in his unbelievable set up over a few items he was parting out and I pedalled away with a full Ikea bag on my back, inspired all over again.

2014 continues to be the year for pushing myself, saying YES to opportunity and reviving my love of printmaking. Stay tuned folks, much to come! #tc2014

Hustlin' / Photo. Jill Sawatzky

Quite typical  / Photo. Jill Sawatzky

Shootin' the magic / Photo. Jill Sawatzky

Dusting off the Bessa from the 30's / Photo. Jill Sawatzky

Moon Mother

Happy Birthday to this wild and wonderful creature.

Dear Aunty Daryl, today marks the day you were brought into this world by your dear mother and my dear grandmother Helen, __ years ago. You come from a long line of fiercely strong and complex women who are quick to laughter, confident with hearts wide open. You have taught me many lessons through the course of my 27 years just by being you. Thank you for always accepting my heart's many woes, for being a woman quick to celebrate the good of life of those around you and for inspiring me to be my own woman of strength and knowledge. You always know where the best hole in the wall restaurants are tucked, the best books to read (J. Boyden!) and you are ALWAYS good for a delicious, life giving meal at the drop of a hat. Today I celebrate YOU! Words cannot do my love and admiration for your good soul adequate justice so I will leave it at that.

Happy Birthday Aries woman. You are the ram! And so am I. Enjoy the celebrations to come.

I love you

Long Gaze

Yosh's cat Margaret sums up my feelings toward this long season well. Marshand, MB 2009.

Alls I have to say is THIS TOO SHALL PASS. I have decided to forgo the ever-tempting transit pass for April and ride my damn bike instead. Shove that 90 bucks back where it came from. Winter weight pushing pedals for momentum; at first begrudgingly-- and then with determination. I will find my stride, I always manage to after a long time out of the saddle. This evening I find myself perusing the personal photo stacks of 2009. I seemed to take the Nikon F3 every where I went then. Now all I haul around is a tote filled with useless stuff. No cameras, no rolls clacking at the pit of it all. That too shall change. I realized today while watching Jackson devour an apple with snot pouring up and over it like two open taps that I have hardly any photos of that blue-eyed wonder. Damn shame as he is growing like a beautiful weed.

So, goals. Here is a list of mine for the coming weeks:
- Cycle to Charleswood every single day until it is dry enough to dust off the Magnum
- Bake a loaf in my dutch oven
- Make pasta from scratch and feed some loved ones
- Leave a camera at work, fill up them rollzzz of that beautiful little creature
- Pick up a quill, dip and drag until something entirely new is finished

That is enough goals for now. I find March to be a terribly exciting month. The melt is on, albeit slow as molasses. Light lingers. The sun holds warmth. I am working on a handful of really neat projects with one inspiring mentor at the moment. Last night she said to me from the floor, "sometimes to get creative, all you need to do is create". Sha-POWPOW! Simple application. So I got a little bit creative with two paintbrushes and it felt good. With that said, I am at a funny place within my personal art practice right now. At a stand-still really. Past and present stencils lie all around, dotting the surfaces of home; rolled up, pinned tight, gathering dust, hanging proud. They act as ongoing reminders of what I am deeply, truly passionate about but also what I am deeply, truly avoiding. SO DO IT, FUCK! Okay, okay, okay. I find it difficult to make time for disciplined practice after long days of work outside of the home. It shouldn't be difficult to approach something I genuinely love to do, but it is. All I seem to be able to do these days is cook dinner, clean up and crawl into a place of solitude with Margaret Atwood propped against my knees until sleep beckons. Not so bad, not bad at all. But the stencils in my head never let me off the hook. I suppose that is a good sign? Perhaps.

Looking forward-to's:
- The inaugural Spring trip to pick up planting supplies for the garden I am hell bent on growing this cycle
- First solo ride of the season
- Feeling warm enough to wear my new beautiful leather loafers BAREFOOT
- "Ah-Reeming" out my new sun porch and overhauling that tired space with much lovvvvvve
- First BBQ'd-everything meal in the porch with Craig and Chris and a case of Brewhaus

====++++

Margot's HQ. Painter's tape, negatives, tea, candles, inspirational clippings, greens.

Slices of home: March edition

Humphrey Bogart on the radio tonight. Meatballs and Steve's slow and low tomato sauce digests. Rooibos tea in a ceramic mug from my mother. Nothing to report these days. Head down, deep focus, hands continue to carve carve carve carve with blade after blade. A cardstock flower garden grows.

TIMING
CHEMISTRY
MAGIC
WILL
LUCK

*Ektar 100 // Kiev 60

Lion & Dad Egg

Dino on the loose at the AGO. Toronto/ March 2014

Cool dad on the loose in Toronto.

How I have missed this particular expression of Leo's.

Good eggs; father and son in the sun.

Boy and his bobcat.

* All photos from a single 220 roll of expired NPC 160 // Kiev 60 TTL

Edith Ann's sandwich

Lily Tomlin, I didn't think I could love you any more. Happy Birthday Auntie Marj, I love you too.

Attractive arrangement

Bridesmaids and bouquets. 

Tessa

Sophie

Tiffany

Beth

Dear Bridesmaids, pleasure to meet each and every one of you, once and for all in Saskatoon. It was a pretty surreal experience to watch you interact candidly on such a joyous occasion, firsthand. While surreal, it was a complete pleasure to capture on film. I have read such beautiful stories of each of you over the years, penned by your dear friend Elizabeth's hand. Now that I have met you, I respect your sisterhood all the more. Friendship lottery! You are all such beautiful spirited women! Wind in your sails as you carry on through Spring.

Love Meg

All Ablaze

Keep tha fire burnin'. Shot during a mid January trip to the Sugar Shack, 2014. 

Good riddance F E B R U A R Y.
March never fails to inspire.

*Kiev 60/ Fujichrome 400

Beth & Tim

The beautiful couple, Beth and Tim. Just Married! Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/ Feb. 15, 2014

Within an Anglican church boasting striking bone structure akin to their own, this beautiful woman married this handsome man on a crisp Saturday in mid February. Stunning midday Saskatoon light poured in through high windows like buckets of magic paint. Though I missed my connection and was late arriving to their ceremony, the timing felt rather comedic as I blasted through a side door in simple street clothes just as Tim and Beth were pronounced husband and wife! As they made their way down the aisle for the first time as a married couple, I whipped out my Kiev and began shooting like a crazed woman. It was terribly exciting to witness. My heart was whirring, my eyes filled with tears and my hands shook uncontrollably. I have never felt so overcome by relief to behold a wedding! My dear friend Liza is married. Due to an internal frenzy, majority of my shots from their wedding day err on the blurry side but I have come to embrace these very vibrations as sure sign of pride, friendship and deep love for two people who found their match in the other. The couple hired ridiculously talented photographer James Moes to capture their day (be sure to peruse his portfolio; the quality and context of his work inspires the budding wedding photographer in me), but these are the photos I felt free to capture as a guest at their beautiful, beautiful wedding. 

I hope you can feel the love, there was plenty to go around. 

Congratulations dear ones. 

* Kiev 60/ Tmax 400

First shot was a blur. Gorgeous people!

I think this was the moment Liza realized I was in attendance! I love those mouths.

Kids on the run after a job well done. Little hands rejoice.

Happy parents.

Mrs Roth officially takes a load off.

The bride's stunning flowers were put together by her and a crew of her best women the night before the wedding. 

Highly radiant sister of the groom. 

A most gorgeous cake.

Liza's MOH hand painted these unreal table markers: creatives for the bride and athletics for the groom. Ondaatje for me!

Olivia and Beth's dad Rick working hard to set the mood of the loft space where the reception was held.

My friend the bride, Elizabeth Ashton Roth :)

Liza shot this of me. I desperately wanted to hold her bouquet. She kindly obliged.

Sharalee and Beth (MOH) talk shop.

Buncha' beauties shared my table.

Beth's ma and pa share some words. Cheryl's speech made me weep. 

Beth, the Maiden of Honor takes her turn at the podium. She made me howl!

All of these lovely folks were so warm to meet. Mr. Mustache was giving it away for free!

May young love live long and continue to grow like trees.