Saltspring Island, Artist Mecca?

A week ago today, my better half and I went to Saltspring Island. It's an island off the southern coast of British Columbia. Saltspring Island is known for it's Saturday Artists market. There are a total of 42 resident artists scattered around the island creating various works of art. You can also drive around the island and visit the artists studios most days fo the week. Painting, jewelery, potter, weavings, etc etc.. the list goes on. There was even a guy making rose petal beads. The term Rosary came from the fact that the beads were made from boiled down rose petals, formed and baked into fragrant beads. Very cool. The ultimate form of recycling. In addition to the art culture on the island, there's a huge hippy vibe going on there. Many of the current older residents "floated" over to the island in the 70's and now their kids are making the 3rd generation of hippies! I'm not saying that EVERYONE on the island is a hippy, from what we experienced when we visited, I'd say it's a good 60/40 split hippy/non-hippy types with maybe 10% of the 60% the John and Yoko type or "hard core hippy". Ah Hippy's... They're an interesting bunch. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing wrong with the Hippy lifestyle, it's just not for me. Which is somewhat ironic as I tend to slant towards the whole buddist, zen way of looking at life and that's where the whole hippy trend came from. Understanding, going with the flow, detachment, balance etc. It's very much zen. I'm a pretty laid back guy but I don't believe for a second that life should be without drive or purpose. Which brings me to my second topic...Hard to say weither the artists on the island are making the kind of money I'd want to make as a full-time self-employeed artist. The island seemd pretty isolated. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll want something more laid back but not that laid back. I think some of them are bringing in good denaro but sales on the island are mostly in the tourist season. Stuckup rich Americans (no, you're not one of them so don't take offence if you're from south of the boarder. K?) are now moving to the island and driving the prices up so high that it's not reasonable to think you can purchase a piece of property there and expect to make the mortgage payments with the amount of income you'd make as an "Island artist" There's got to be more.

~ Keep Creating ~

The Art Ninja.

Canada Day and doodads.

Hey there, it's holiday Monday, 2 days after Canada Day. Happy "day off" I don't know if many people know or really care why it's a national holiday, only that it's a day off of work. Can you imagine what it would be like if EVERY day was a day off? I mean, imagine you're doing something that you really love doing, it doesn't interfere with laundry, relaxation, workin' on "the house" or whatever you do for fun. If you're an artist-type, imagine creating Art every day and enjoying it. Wow what a perfect world. The only way to get there is to think about it every day. Think about what you want as if you already have it. I'm not talking "big screen tv...big screen tv..." That's just a doodad. It'll just get you further into debt and what'll you have to show for it...a piece of electronic equipment that is obsolete the moment you step out of the store you bought it from. Everyone's trying to sell you that piece of comfort and you'll never find it looking for it in a doodad. I'm talking major life altering thinking... "I'm a successful artist and I spend much of my spare time learning, enjoying and growing as an artist" (That's where I'm headed. You may have a different path) It's cool to get the occasional doodad as long as it doesn't distract you from your true path.

Peace and Balance ~ The Art Ninja ~

Drawings and such...

Art? Here's some. I've been sculpting on and off for a number of years and having recently completed and cast a bust I've been working on for a while (Here)
I sat down to design my next figure. The picture here is the result of that effort! The full image is a standing pose, but I'll have to sculpt the stone as the feet are planted on different levels.

If I actually make time to start sculpting it I think it'll look pretty sweet once it's done.

I wanted her eyes to express her resolve. By staring right at the viewer we get a sense of the characters strength. No wishy-washy look off to the horizon. She means business and you shouldn't mess with her.

peace and balance ~ The Art Ninja ~

Ninja's in books.

I just read a book that was not bad considering the price.

The Art Of Arrow Cutting by Stephen Dedman.

It's a really easy read, has action, mystery, some horror and fantasy all thrown in. Oh and best of all, Ninjas.

I rarely read books that take place in contemporary settings as I've always been partial to Fantasy, but for just over 4 bucks I can't complain. BTW, that site, bookcloseouts.com I've been buying books from them for years. Discovered them in St.Catherines Ontario. (lived close by for a few years while my wife and I struggled to get our break in the CG business.)

We now live 3000 km away from there but I still order stuff from them occasionally. I'm a sucker for a good deal on books. They occasionally have great deals on Art Books too!

The Chronicle begins

Art and Ninjas. Two things I've always been fond of. I just happened to make Art my full time career. Not Ninjas. At one time I would have thought being a Ninja full time and getting paid for it would have been very cool work. Alas, I've grown accustom to not having Shuriken thrown at me and I really have no need for climbing claws. Leave that to the Parkor guys.

I'd take drawing over fighting samurai any day... of course fighting samurai does sound alot more adventurous but art lasts longer and can induce wonder in people. While being hit by a shuriken would just hurt really really bad.

peace and balance. ~ the art ninja ~