Tippy Canoe Stone Arts

Etsy Shop is back up for Tippy Canoe

2010-12-10T20:42:00.002-05:00

Etsy is a great site to sell your hand-made artwork online. So, I've reopened my Tippy Canoe Stone Arts Etsy Shop with some feature sculptures currently available for sale. I'll be posting stone carvings as they come available. Also, I'll offer some package deals for commissions for more popular items, like bears and eagles. Or "beagles"... a combo sort of thing :) I love Etsy. The support is great, the tools are easy to use and it creates that sense of needing to "fill the shelves" which I am hoping will keep me inspired to get out and carve even when the snow flies :)
Love and dust ! Ty

New site is up

2010-11-05T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hello friends - just dashing off a quick note to let you all know I've posted an updated Tippy Canoe web site. Now I'm going to put some wood on the fire and feed people!! Poor souls :)
Just finishing up the speaker gift sculptures for the Guelph Lecture on November 12th 6:30pm at River Run in Guelph, ON. Looks like another fantastic line up this year. Check it out!

Sending lots of love & dust ~ Ty

Secret Grace unveiled at Headwaters Arts

2010-09-26T18:06:00.002-04:00

Secret Grace
Originally uploaded by ty francks
I consider this to be my first work of art :)

I was blown away when I asked Tom Smart, who was a juror at the HAF show, to share some commentary on my work and he immediately went to this piece and knew it was a departure piece for me, that "something" had happened in its creation which was unique and amplified for me as an artist. It was wonderfully gratifying and unscored the symbiosis between artist and art lover/art critic. I needed that creative epiphany to be not only understood, but related to.

Secret Grace embodies the feminine divine, pure elemental power and it is both a vessel and an arc of the covenant between lifeforce and soul. The expression of the wind in this piece resonates strongly with me, as from a very early age on up whenever I feel the wind, it brings my heart alive, centered and empowered and vivified. It is a love affair of sorts, thus the angel wings and hair thrust forward by the energy of the wind shares this kinetic experience.

I think a sculpture can be as amplified and simplified as a Japanese love poem. I feel that in this piece.

Headwaters Arts Festival

2010-09-06T21:48:00.003-04:00

garden goddess - limestone

As I write this, I am sitting the kitchen looking in upon two new pieces I recently created for the upcoming Headwaters Arts Festival. While you can never underestimate the "fine-tuning" process, they are well in hand and I am full of gratitude for their presence, their birthing. I've learned a lot - again :)
After the studio tour in the summer, we've been all about family and work. So I am also feeling both grounded and enervated to be "back in the saddle" and making art for this event. There is an opening, a gentle, no muss, no fanfare freeing up ala "hello inspiration, my old friend. where have you been for so long? care for a tea? can you stay awhile?". And the dialog, silent and dusty and somewhat arduous has been fruitful. Photos coming soon :)

I volunteer for Headwaters Arts as well as being a new artist member. They have a very exciting, dynamic organization and I am proud to be a part of it. Here are some details on the 37 participating artists and the Headwaters Arts Festival event. The Festival Art Show and Sale takes place on two weekends, September 24-26 and October 2-3 at the SGI Canada Centre for Culture and Education on Porterfield Road just south of Orangeville. It is a lovely natural location and there will be an outdoor sculpture event on the grounds at the same time. I am looking forward to it!

Love and dust and sweet autumn winds to blow it all away xx ty

Open Studio June 5 and 6 in Eden Mills

2010-05-27T15:39:00.008-04:00

Tippy Canoe Stone Arts and Paul Bruch Photography Open Studio
SATURDAY June 5 11:00am - 5:00pm and SUNDAY June 6 11:00am - 5:00pm
Drop in and join us during the 2010 Eden Mills Arts Festival for our studio open house! There will be signs. We are studio #8 on the tour.

I'll be sharing my handcrafted artwork in stone:

Stone sculptures > hand-carved soapstone, alabaster, serpentine in various sizes and subjects from wildlife to human form to abstract
Amulets of polished stone > unique, handcrafted designs, some engraving and relief work of symbols and wildlife (note: Paul has carved some beautiful amulets as well!)
Water basins > hand-carved limestone basins for home and garden
Water features > a few small footprint limestone water features to add life to an indoor or outdoor space
Commissions Center > Discovery sessions available for sculptural commissions including visioning, stone selection and initial modelling
How To's > I will be on hand with my tools and stones to discuss the magical art of stone carving.

Photographer Paul Bruch will share his original professional photography: Prints > buy from a select stock, matted in various sizes; or Order from his Online Portfolio, various subjects including nature, people, places and abstract Greeting Cards > selection of photographic prints on card stock Commissions >Paul Bruch Photography specializes in Event and Stock photographic services, feel free to discuss shoot opportunities, gear and more!

Visit Paul on FB at: http://www.facebook.com/pbruch#!/group.php?gid=119499914735095&ref=mf

More on the Eden Mills Arts Festival and other wonderful artists on the tour:http://guelpharts.ca/edenmillsartsfestival/

It will be lovely to see you, rain or shine!!
love and dust ~ ty

Fool's Gold Filly

2010-05-07T16:54:00.001-04:00

Fool's Gold Filly
Originally uploaded by ty francks

Material / Medium: Pyrite included Bancroft Steatite

Size in inches: 16”H x 8”W x 4”D

(Had flagged this as a "windhorse" in the in progress shots, but there is another stone that is looking like a better candidate. This stone set the pace which was more conservative than I had envisioned.)

"radiance" - clay model

2010-04-21T21:47:00.001-04:00

"radiance" - clay model
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr

clay model of next piece to be undertaken in a very tall Brazilian soapstone.

i took liberties with the design of the dancer as i began to have a wonderful time sculpting in clay. we'll have to see what constraints the stone adds to the mix. perhaps a series is in order!

Chins Up, Angel Face - completed

2010-04-21T21:36:00.001-04:00

Chins Up, Angel Face - completed
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr

Here is the completed sculpture of "Chin's Up, Angel Face". It is very nice to be around, with the warm mottled green complexion of the stone and the emotive lines. There is a positivity to her expression, an assertive sense of peace and dreaming. This sculpture was a joy to work on.

My love and thanks to my sweetheart for the new stones and the resulting fiery inspiration. You bring the best out in me :)

B.C. soapstone
8 1/2 x 7 x 3

windhorse - in progress

2010-04-11T19:39:00.001-04:00

windhorse - in progress
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr

more work completed on windhorse in a long set of sprints today. learning lots about my new tools and finding new lines. upper mane by ear and back of sculpture still very much needing work, but all in all an amazing day to be out and carving in the sunshine :)

love and dust, ty

green bear

2010-03-31T22:34:00.003-04:00

green bear - side
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr
green steatite
15" x 9" x 6"

keynotes: emergence; solitude; rebirth

this was the "contingency bear" carved as a back up for the "downwind" bear i was commissioned with last summer.

it is a relatively big piece to work with, has a good weight to it and the stone is first class visually. like a gem! took it up to 600 grit polish all round, with 1500 grit selectively to pull out the glorious opaline veins throughout.

love & dust, ty

contingency bear - in progress

2010-03-31T22:28:00.002-04:00

contingency bear - in progress
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr
this stone (green steatite) is fairly fragile, with a waxy texture which tends to pull off in fibrous "chunks". what it lacks in consistency makes it unbelievable in a full polish. the eye never tires of searching the myriad textures, from deep jade green to light emerald to dazzling white opaline. it's worth whatever trouble it causes on the banker.

love & dust,
ty

windhorse - in progress

2010-02-11T19:33:00.004-05:00

windhorse - test sand
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr

in progress image of current piece - "windhorse" - an abstract horse head

here i was testing how it responds to wet/dry polish before doing further reduction. it made clear to me that i need to preserve the natural beauty of the stone without injecting too much detail of my own. a light touch...

bancroft steatite - full of pyrite!!
15" x 7" x 5"

2010-02-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

years later, the Wordle word cloud for my blog is still making much ado about the "nose" issue with that goddess sculpture. for goodness sakes, can't we just move on already?
:P
love and dust xx ty

hollow bones

2010-02-10T19:04:00.003-05:00

hollow bones
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr

abstract bird in emerald green soapstone
4 x 3 x 3

keynotes: fragility, flight, splendor, nurturing, gentle hearted

on Saturday i fell in love with lots of birds flitting about the feeder. their delicate bodies and ardent feeding are so endearing. later when i began to finish up some pieces outside, i free-formed a new piece and after three breaks in the original stone, i stayed with it and found this bird waiting on the other side :)

Joshua's Hawk

2010-01-22T16:41:00.003-05:00

Joshua's Hawk
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr
Working in pencil again. Almost finished this red tailed hawk. Hoping to produce some sketches and contribute them to the Conservation Halton Gala on May 5th, especially to support the Mountsberg Raptor Centre.

Guelph Lecture Statues Stand on Guard for Thee

2010-01-07T11:52:00.003-05:00

Guelph Lecture Statues Stand on Guard for Thee
Originally uploaded by ty on flickr
Here is the pre-polish line up of statues I carved for the Guelph Lecture on Being Canadian this year. The design is based on the event logo which is staged each year by the Eramosa Institute - www.eramosa.org. John Ralston Saul spoke this year as keynote and he was thoughtful, provocative and very entertaining (check out his book 'A Fair Country"). It was a superb event!

"Downwind from Discovery" - a bear of balance and joy

2009-08-21T10:38:00.023-04:00

(image posted from Flickr)

i have just finished "Downwind from Discovery" and it is a bear of balance and joy. the giving and receiving from this endeavor was profound to say the least. a non-ordinary gifting back to the artist of vivified process and experience. i don't honestly have the words!
simply, i loved the sport - the joy of physically working with the stone was vivid and the spatial sonar from childhood on up of bear archetypes in my mind was also lively, making the entire journey so exquisitely ripe and crazy and hopeless and desperate and finally... through ardent midwifery and many petitions for grace and a constancy of trusting... we were done!!!!! i delivered it that very evening for my wonderfully receptive patrons, Teresa and Tim. clearly they rousted me to carve when i needed it most. i am very grateful :)
the echoes of the new bear are still lumbering around inside me, looking for sweet honey and eating berries under starlit skies. it is a pleasant, confident anticipation for new things i sense from this presence. it is consummately gentle and well seasoned in strength. Like Artemis, it is the hunter and the protector of all it must cherish. the piece was embued with an absolute passion for life, choosing relentless and enthusiastic pursuit of beauty and saturated in the deep fulfillment of staying that course. a true living of the journey, always downwind from discovery.
i know it is just a humble bear but, it was so much more to me :)
love and dust, ty

glowing with a new spirit wolf

2008-11-17T22:59:00.009-05:00

at it once again, having mulled my test piece for the heart of moonlight and decided to dig in. gently luminous, this piece is tremendous when backlit. in sunlight it is amazing, but the subject seems to demand a night theme... howling at the moon and all! as such, i was challenged to get a good shot that was evocative of the "glow" i have come to appreciate from this stone when it is carved whisper thin.

nize: 5"H x 3" W x 1.5"D
note: The piece is very thin, to increase opacity, at the top.

keynotes: song, spirit, joy, moonlight

i'm just glad to get a few more of these out of my system and into the world. this one is so pure.

love and dust, ty

heart of moonlight - act 2

2008-11-16T18:05:00.003-05:00

had a nagging feeling... and the heart went back on the banker to allow more light to come through! much happier with the results. the stone lends itself to natural luminosity and light play :-)
love and just a little more dust, thank you!!
ty

heart of moonlight

2008-11-12T23:43:00.010-05:00

tonight i picked up a chinese soapstone i've been eyeing, pink with white hues, and carved in the evening under a full moon. eventually, i brought the stone inside and high polished it. irridescent textures in the stone shimmer in certain light and angles. it is almost holographic. in fact, it seems to have captured the moonlight it was created in and thus, the name - heart of moonlight.
keynotes: love, luminosity
my next adventure is a larger piece, a horse head... a windhorse to be more specific. sketch and model are complete, cuts are marked on the stone. just need to get out the diamond blade. a new horse arrived in the paddock across from my banker today, so i hand-carved tonight. give her time to settle in ;-)
love and dust and frisky fillies,
ty

fire of compassion, 2008

2008-11-10T10:03:00.006-05:00

fire of compassion, 2008

this is a sculpture i recently completed in serpentine. i was fortunate enough to have this sculpture on display at the Guelph Lecture on Being Canadian, at the RiverRun Centre in Guelph on Friday night. the Eramosa Institute put on a tremendous evening of arts and dialogue and music. it was wonderful to attend. each year i hand-carve the speakers gifts, replicating the emblem of the event - a stylized half maple leaf.
this goddess is my first attempt to render a realistic human face, although you might suggest that "racing stripe" of hers is a little abstract! it is wonderfully opaline and i love it. the stones always have a surprise or two in store by the finish line! she is about 14 inches high and is based loosely upon the goddesses Tara and Kali (buddhist, hindu). in her hair there is a seed, a half-blooming lotus and a full blooming lotus, representing the past, the future and the present, all in keeping with the precepts of those guardians which encourage us to honour all three of those timescapes, here and now.

it was a very rewarding challenge to create this piece and i can't wait to commence more like this in order to to further explore my love of Asian artforms in a hands-on manner. as a keynote to the piece, I very much appreciate the serenity she brings into my space. she brings an interesting contrast between high finish and rough hewn textures, which i was pleased to be able to underscore through a selective polish. the world may have heard the deep sigh of relief when "it worked"!! i am discovering that it is all in the trying, the willingness to just keep trying. that is a sly and shy revelation :-)
love and dust and goddesses in wise repose, ty

the rushing of the seasons

2008-10-31T15:00:00.002-04:00

the rushing of the seasons
Originally uploaded Oct 22-08 by ty at tippycanoe on flickr

this fall is shimmering swiftly by, in a rich, expansive way. volumous moments overflow, rippling past and we cast ourselves once more into the icy current of winter's cold. first snow here yesterday and the wind was so bitter. all the leaves are rushing away!

starlight and love, ty

overflowing

2008-10-29T14:42:00.004-04:00

waterfall
Originally uploaded by ty at tippycanoe

Today a quote from Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's medium-length work on mahamudra, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance. Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603) was the ninth Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. The following passage of meditation instruction is taken from the shamatha section of Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance:

"Directing your mind to no support: Look with unfocussed gaze at the space directly in front of you. There is no object to focus on. Not thinking about anything, simply do not wander. Not pondering what is and what isn't, the past or the future, with great exertion post the bare watcher that is mindful that you do not wander, and rest relaxed and at ease in unaltered freshness. Not wandering for even a moment, be like someone threading a needle. Without turbulence, be like an ocean without waves. Without striving, rest like a garuda soaring in the sky. Be without any hope or fear.

As there is no set way to let the mind rest, do not hold on to any state of mind. If your mind is still, let it rest. If it goes, let it go. Do not restrict it, but let it be. Completely cut all discursive thought, such as thinking, "This is meditation," and "This is not meditation," and the hope that mind will be still and the fear that it will not. Without meditating on anything and without letting yourself wander for even an instant, let your mind be colored with mindfulness."

Here's to autumn colours overflowing and a reconnection with impermanence and rebirth through the seasons.
love and dust and whirlpools, ty

Fall Frond

2008-10-22T18:09:00.006-04:00

Fall Frond
Originally uploaded by ty at tippycanoe

I was blessed with the gift of borrowing a wonderful camera to shoot with last weekend. Oh my! how completely vivifying and bone-deep enjoyable!!!!! It was a breath-takingly lovely day. (Okay, I admit! I am also geeking out and testing to see if the Flickr/Blogger x-functionality works as promised... forgive me! It's a living, of sorts!)
Paul's "old camera"- the EOS 40D - was generous and the sexy lens made many good things possible that may have otherwise failed.

I often look for things which are "distilled in the moment", in general I look toward those things, for poetry, lines for sculpture, for personal reflection, etc. And the camera was no different. I love being in the moment so much and the wonder of "seeing so much", intentionally. I think Buddha would have had a nice camera. Of course, if that was so - we know all the major religions would holy war over which camera was ultimate device for photographic transfiguration. Canonical Canons, Numinous Nikons...

With the advent of these kinds of technologies falling into the hands of the masses, more evolution of this craft will congeal, extrapolate, plane out - until the next big shift. I saw so many people taking pictures this past weekend. Everyone had a camera! I understand that some purists complain about this, but it's kind of like complaining about the tides. A new creative wave is upon us. It's never so much about the device as about the original use of methods and means. The means have definitely been baselined by consumer demand for pro toys. You might say "media-ocritized"! But, we all have a right to communicate our story, to make meaning using many mediums, including by means of technology.

Originality, style, unrelenting willingness to push past current trends and divine new visions, invent new ways of seeing - that is a calling old as time and as such, a solo journey with collective creative impact. The artist's way has never had mass appeal, but surely, the more people who embrace it - the better off we will all be. Artist-Scientists are casting their indigo shades across plenty of demographics these days. It is okay to be both. Don't discriminate!!!

At this point in the juncture, my only fear is liking photography too much. It is so immediately gratifying!! Unlike stone carving, my comparatively lethargic muse, which is a different kind of feel good. More primordial, more time elapsed and much more concussive than a shutter click :-)

Love and dust (- just not on my lens!!!),
Ty

lotus on the brain

2008-10-06T16:36:00.014-04:00

Working on a new piece. Well, an old piece I finally got the courage to bring to the finish line. These days when I feel the tension of fear or doubt and anxiety crossing my path, I determine to jump in and remedy it as directly as the situation warrants or will abide! In this case, I was afraid my original idea would not work with the stone and afraid of doing a face and thus, not driving myself to do it regardless of my "feelings" - which are not the only guideposts in my Universe, I am learning these days. Rational joy is worth investigating :-)

Sometimes it is best to "not think" and "just do the work". I have found that iteratively the fear/anxiety/doubt combination returns with each milestone. The nose was especially raw, lol (wink!). Anyway, I am pushing through and just planning out the work involved in each stage and trying very much to stay in touch with the keynotes of the piece, which involve lotuses, serenity and some replete form of multi-dimensional groundedness. Nothing too lofty ;-)

Mostly, I am just full of gratitude that the new burrs and bits and hand rasps I got from Lee Valley are really allowing me to achieve some cool results with the soapstone. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... I am reminded that all of the achievements and over-comings I have witnessed in the lives of my friends and loved ones (same diff!) have helped to teach me to find courage and press forward in the endeavor of realizing a few of my more purposeful dreams. So, thank you everyone and blessings and bravery in kind!! :-)
Love and dust always! Ty

The glamour of wearing many hats

2008-09-03T11:33:00.015-04:00

When people think I sculpt "full-time" they think it is very glamorous! Being an artist is a way of being, not necessarily a profession. I think of it this way... many people in my lineage (read DNA) were artists and had no choice but to do what they had to in order to survive, raise families, etc. I am fascinated by the shift in consciousness the past few generations have enjoyed simply because we live at a much different level of choice (and awareness of those choices) now. Still, I respect the many "artists" who sacrificed their life-span to give us this gift of choosing.

That being said, I used to think I would only graduate into being an ARTIST if I worked at it exclusively. So there was kind of a background process running called "exit strategy" when I was doing things to earn my living. Kind of shooting one's self in the foot, I think. Over the years, I have come to understand that I LOVE what I do - all of it. Work-work, parenting (which is quite a lot of work!) and the art making, which comes in many forms, one of which is sculpting. They are all interrelated. They keep me growing and challenged and reaching. It is the act of genuinely connecting with my endeavors and a willingness to amplify my enjoyment of them which is key for success in "doing what I love" and finding "my calling(s)". Also, there are always the implications of lineage, influence, mentoring to keep me striving in each stream.

Here are some thoughts on the relationship between Usability Analysis and Sculpting from my LinkedIn profile (which I keep having to vet for normalcy!!):

"The "hands-on" act of sculpting in stone greatly complements my understanding of good design. Especially when creating functional pieces where art and usability must merge. Sculpting forces me to "play for keeps" and manage both time and risk effectively - think power tools and good sized rocks. A client-driven deadline for delivery, with little room for error, activates the exciting cross-flow of skill and intuition while executing on a design. Being a physical form of labour, there is also the roll-up-your-sleeves aspect of good, old-fashioned hard work to keep me humble and invested - a place every designer should inhabit to generate products congruent with the need :-)

In addition to sculpting stone, I enjoy mentoring through my craft. I love working with small groups of children and adults introducing the art of soapstone carving and polishing. I believe in the journey of creative expression as a catalyst for our deepening humanity which can only bring positivity to our lives and future generations."

I read a NY Times article on this topic recently, how virtual designers are being challenged with hands-on creativity to enhance their connectedness to product outcomes. I think anything we can do to become more integrated with our potential and passions, some of which deviate from that virtual path humanity is stomping along, can only be beneficial and even, perhaps, if we are open to it, blissful.
Dust and love - Ty

goddess in progress

2008-01-19T21:34:00.001-05:00

work in progress - goddess...

it's coming together. nose issues aside!!
love & dust - ty

Asterix, Obelix and the de-nosing of a goddess

2007-12-19T16:11:00.000-05:00

that was me. poking my nose into the studio last week. some words still ringing in my ears from a neighbor's assessment of my goddess carving. something about the nose being too flat. so in some haste, not much time to play, and with some ego, my audience was breathless with anticipation, i deepened her features, refined the nose until i began hearing new words in my ears, "what a great sculpture, look at that nose!" etc... and then going in for the final chisel-stroke of genius, that little divot between the nose and mouth... a terrible gasp from the crowd... as the nose flew clean off the piece and landed on the banker.

one thing is for sure. the nose is very flat now :)

the same neighbor passed by the other day and i told him briefly about the de-nosing. He is German. He told me about how in the cartoon Asterix and Cleopatra, when visiting Egypt, Obelix scales the sphinx. As he is about to mount the sphinx's nose it breaks off and falls to the ground. Immediately all the nearby souvenir-shops chisel off the noses of their souvenir sphinxes in order to maintain the resemblance to the real monument. so maybe i am on to something afterall! love and got your nose! ty

carving something monumental

2007-11-16T01:21:00.000-05:00

really monumental. as in a monument. and carving as in how to.
here are some great tips on tools and safety for carving granite.
Floyd Wanner has some beautiful work of his to explore in this site as well.
he even works in snow, on a monumental scale, which i find intriguing and timely.
my favourite quote in Floyd's tips: "And remember get some blood on the stone.
Let’s carve."
:)
love and dust, as always - ty

stone shaper gives great advice

2007-11-13T08:14:00.000-05:00

If you are hunting around for good resources for "how to" carve stone, try this link:

How to carve marble, limestone, soapstone and alabaster sculptures.

I ordered Shane's book on CD many moons ago. Unfortunately I lost the disc before I could really dig in but, the knowledge and wisdom he shares on-line is great, too. We're lucky for folks that put this on the web!

Learn everything from carving techniques to building a banker and other essentials for the carver! You can see some of his current work on his site as well :)

We're always beginning by beginning -- Ty

purification, respect, balance, friendship

2007-11-10T22:58:00.001-05:00

the first snow has finally come, showering us with its individuality. there are certain keynotes i am sitting with lately, originality being one of them. original nature.

have been carving for the Guelph Lecture on Being Canadian, all finished up now. always a peak experience. i respect and admire the Eramosa Institute's patronage of the arts in our community, globally. i have also been fortunate to find time to sit in community with the Turtle Lodge sweats with Jeanie and Klaus and the other elders and friends of the lodge. two in this past few weeks, in fact. and i like the healing balm and solid awareness these events kindle. being with good people is so - necessary. the grandfathers - as the heated stones are called - speak to me about sacrifice, about honouring what has been through the fire and remains intact, available, waiting to be recognized, integrated, consumed respectfully and with joy - which is consummating isn't it?

i reflect lately on being in fellowship, on humanity and the healing we are all striving to achieve; for ourselves, our families and the Earth. today my heart is full of friendship. deep kinship. reverberating. and this energy is so constructive and nurturing. light as air, solid as rock; blazing and benevolent; cerebral and yet, all heart. may each day be for you like a good book you cannot wait to read more of! let us all live the adventure that is - i'm in! ty

andrew bird

2007-09-22T18:31:00.000-04:00

i am enjoying mr. andrew bird very much these days.
some artists just get under your skin on the first listen. their music hits your heart like being out under the sky. here's a live take from a concert...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WoXkOH6WQ

i have seven carvings to complete for the beginning of november.
these are for the Guelph Lecture on Being Canadian guest gifts. it is an honour to be working with them again this year. thank you Joy. Artist David Buckland with be the keynote this year.
looking forward to sourcing the stone from Stoneman Dist. in London, ON. Will be good to visit with Robert, if only by phone :)

love and violins and dust storms, always ~ ty

to the point

2007-09-06T20:41:00.000-04:00

been sneaking in the studio, while the kids let me, for brief stints the last two nights, chasing the point. setting aside those eat 'em up power tools and hand carving has been very satisfying. i am tuckered out from texturing with the star chisel tonight. last night, it was just the point and bringing one of those lovely spirals into focus from the rough cuts. so much better and faster and more accurate than any grinder. i needed it. i haven't gotten to the point in too long :)

here is a good link to some information on stone carving by sculptor Mark Carroll - a tutorial, tools and stone types are covered. http://www.thesculpturestudio.com/stone_carving_tutorial.htm

behave and be brave. love and dust.

Zimsculpt

2007-09-05T17:40:00.000-04:00

i hope that a few folks reading this might be able to attend this event at the Royal Botanical Gardens. i'm going to try to make it there one of these weekends. how wonderful!

Here's a teaser from http://www.rbg.ca/pages/ZimSculpt.html:
It’s common to think that a rock is just a rock. Yet, in the heart of Zimbabwe, the artists of Zimsculpt express their own personal stories hewn from the hardened stone that forms the rugged landscape of their homeland. From rock they create stories in stone.
Beginning August 31 and continuing to October 8, 2007, the award-winning Zimbabwean stone sculpture exhibit, Zimsculpt, returns to Royal Botanical Gardens. Mining the richness of Zimbabwe’s geology, featured artists Vimbai Mashaya, Passmore Mupindiko and Lincon Muteta create powerful works of art that depict the stories of the natural world and the culture and traditions of their home land, as well as abstract forms that are powerfully evocative.

Zimsculpt, a non-political company based in Harare, Zimbabwe, represents over 100 sculptors from across the country. Royal Botanical Gardens is the exclusive North American host of this award-winning Zimbabwean stone art exhibit. Over 300 hand-made sculptures will rise amid the blooms of Hendrie Park Gardens, creating a unique outdoor gallery where visitors can view sculpture, meet the artists and purchase one of these remarkable works.

The sculptor to the left is Passmore Mupindiko: click here for profile.

texture

2007-08-30T07:58:00.000-04:00

everything has texture - memories, now, the dot matrix of future possibilities. i love klimt's paintings, this one in particular. it speaks to me of the texture of a kiss and the metaphysical wrapping we wear when in love. last night i got a little elevated on fair-trade coffee and got into the shop.

the tall "spirit of gratitude" which i am carving seemed to be getting away from me. sometimes carvings do that when you are being free associative. it can create some anxiety when this happens - my sense of control and assertion over the direction the piece is taking goes "poof" like a genie in reverse, back into the teapot! and even though you think you know what happens next, with all the gouge cuts and jagged edges of roughing in - it is hard to be sure that things are going to turn out as planned.

it is pretty tempting to pull out the grinder at that time and start trying to make sense of things by making more dust. this can be inefficient, often times the effort you put into bringing some aspect of the piece into a bit of resolution is really more for your ego or confidence. ultimately, i often end up cutting into that area, reworking it, cause once the roughing in is truly finished - it needs to be brought into alignment with the whole. all basic stuff. just noting that, as a carving teacher once told me,you are always better off using your blade than the grinder during the really reductive part of the process. even for seemingly shallow modifications - cuts are quicker and get you to where you want to go with less dust flying around the room.

last night, i used the blade to give me a wonderful texture, as i "equalized" some of the angles/planes over a roughed in area. i used my carbide tipped nibbler (from www.derusha.com) to smooth things over a little first. i began to use the saw to make a cross-hatch or linear textures in the limestone, which will really speed me up. hand carving limestone is not not 100% realistic, though thousands of years of remarkable stone carvings from around the world beg to differ with that statement and i absolutely concur, primordially speaking. but, i'd like to get this piece done this week and over the weekend. every efficiency counts toward that goal.

i find, in the solitary pursuits, such as carving, setting a personal goal and benchmarking incrementally keeps me focused on each iterative task, engaged in the moment, not pining after outcomes. you can only save so much time and effort in this sort of endeavor. ultimately it is time-consuming and requires physical effort and zeal. Short-term and long-term goals around time management and good use of resources make the game more alive! off to meditate and share some merit. sending my love to all who love and need love. namaste!

new piece

2007-08-27T07:32:00.001-04:00

too much sketching, not enough carving - but the pieces for the art of love are downloading onto paper and evolving poetically and i am deeply grateful to my Muse for entrusting these lovely things to my vivid imagination and willing hands.

yes, there is a new piece underway in the shop. i'd let you take a sneak peek but, primitive being that i am i have no digital camera. sometime soon. this new piece is an "eye goddess". a limestone work, and a spirit of gratitude. i will have to be present with it over the next week to make headway before the kids get back into school and all heck breaks loose for us as we establish new routines.

sending my love like a big dusty cloud to envelop and embrace you all!

moving in my space

2007-07-30T10:53:00.000-04:00

was so nice to be in the shop this weekend, saturday spent finding homes for tools and getting organized, finishing up loose ends. sunday, polishing up a piece for client pickup and carving a little heart off and on throughout the day, with the kids hanging out from time to time doing their thing. i felt really loved by and connected to the new space. i am truly at home there and it has been a long time coming.

the sketches are emerging as well with my sensitivities peaked. i feel very alive in my art at this time. and interestingly, this brings deeper levels of experience to my every day.

chogyam trungpa rinpoche suggests that we need not wait for a grand ritual or event to invoke the artistry of living, rather we do it in how we choose to fold our clothes, dress ourselves, place things in our home. we dignify ourselves - through our actions, our surroundings, no matter how humble. this is also reflected in how we choose to be with one another. i love this vision of quality in everyday life. it is a greater equalizer - meaning we can bring the non-ordinary awareness into ordinary activities and both states of being benefit. doing this without thinking, without projecting the image of what that looks like or should be is fairly straighforward when we lead from the heart.

so i am carving hearts, so i can hold all hearts more dearly, feel them more fully. one heart, yours and mine.

keep merging auspiciously ;)
love ty

Art and Spiritual Emergence

2007-07-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

hi friends! am sketching for a themed set of sculptures i'd like to commence. need to visit my stone dealer, Stoneman Distributors ( http://stoneman.ca/ ) in London, Ontario. Robert will be able to set me up with the soapstone i need to get the job done. besides we're overdue for a visit. he is a wonderful man and stone artist. if you are looking to buy stone, i highly recommend him.

i am thinking it is important not to get too caught up in the sketching. i feel that the "feeling" the concept is invoking inside me is more important to interpret DIRECTLY into stone. however, logistics prevail and i am capturing some of the ideas and also experimenting with just giving my self permission to sketch in a less-attached-to-outcomes way. sometimes it is hard to shake the feeling like someone will look at the sketches and judge them. "my audience"!!! i am trying to gently ask for a little privacy and be quite free in exploring ideas, at the same time understanding there is nothing new under the sun, so they are NOT really MY ideas anyway. sketching like breathing. no affectation.

on that note, i am going to share my term paper from Naropa University's "Recalibrating the Mind to Serve the Emerging Spirit" course. this was the first bit of academia i have attempted in over 20 years, so be forgiving. given the time i allotted (not enough! i'll know better next time) to bring it out into the world, hey - i am proud of it. And i love the quotes i was able to select from, some of my favourite "teachers". it was a great experience. the topic involves art, therapy and spiritual healing. you can read it, Art, Trauma and Spiritual Emergence (pdf).

hope you are all loving yourselves and lovin' life. peace & prayers.

New Beginnings

2007-07-10T18:51:00.000-04:00

The new studio space is ready to go! And I am set to finish up the course I've been taking to get some of new perspectives on holism and unity and art and oneness. I have enjoyed the online ed experience with Naropa very very much. Will be finishing up my term paper focusing on art therapy and spirituality and again, oneness as a means of attaining wholeness.

Have been thinking of getting some items onto Etsy.com. Will see.

Brian Hobbs very kindly sent along an image rom the Conservation Halton auction. Here is "cross breeze".

Hope the winds of your life are uplifting and cooling and fragrant. Sending my love.

Auctioned off for a great cause

2007-06-13T17:18:00.000-04:00

"Crossbreeze" drew $300 at the silent auction on May 30th for Conservation Halton. They will use the funds to help plant 10,000 trees at community planting events across Halton and Peel. The last time I donated a scultpure the piece generated a better donation for CH. I am still well pleased and proud to be able to contribute meaningfully to such a great group. Brian Hobbs, Development Director for Conservation Halton, has truly done some amazing work in fundraising over the past several years. You have to be saavy to gain ground dramatically in philanthropy - it's an art! They are fortunate to have him at the helm!

Donating Your Artwork: If you are thinking of donating artwork, as an artist, remember you may be able to receive a tax receipt for the value of your work, which is always nice :)

Well, next posting will be all about the new studio...er, aka garage full of boxes and innumerable vacuum cleaners in various states of repair. ~ sigh ~ Hoping to whip it into reasonable shape come the weekend. Say a prayer for me, please. Even better, post it!

Final note - went soaring on the weekend with my dear friend Christoph Kesting (artist, art developer/dealer, theatrical luminary). Like birds, we were. (CK says like bird brains...hey!) Up 5000 ft. with my wonderful pilot Bob http://www.yorksoaring.com/, wing drops and thermals with elegant planes spiralling up alongside us...it was tremendously uplifting. So to speak. Sending big thanks to Bob and the folks at York Soaring in Arthur for a great experience.

Time to go. Love yourself and be loved.

"cross breeze" crosses my path

2007-05-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

you gotta learn to love being kept in the dark to live effectively. it is a given that i won't be able to predict many things that will happen to me over the years. certain things i can take creative control of and succeed. sometimes, the need for control has to be tossed to the wind and i know the call to action is to resource nothing more than willingness to go with the flow. bringing the new sculpture into the light demanded this trusting. this new podcast (now archived and out of rotation jan 08) shares some of the aggressive delight i took in free-carving yesterday. the results? not bad. pictures 08coming soon! thanks for listening and... be brave and do hard things!

Never rains

2007-05-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

Well, did I not go to my chiro last week for a preventative treatment to ensure all was well for this weekend to carve. And did it not occur that said treatment seems to have unearthed a very old hip condition that has set me back on my journey to get the scultpure out the door, let alone get out of bed (But, I suspect set me straight on a few matters of self-love and trust, which is good, inspite of the pain). Still, I handcarved the base of a new stone on Sunday aft, just to establish which side of the grit and determination line my intentions reside upon. (And I didn't go "too far", it was healthy but, theraputically edgy!! yeah baby!) I have switched up stones, as the pyrite-embedded talc will require tools one might use in a chop shop to bring it into a workable state. The sparks will fly! (But, it will be so worth it!) So - enter a nice piece of black Ontario soapstone, tall and stately, if it is like the last piece I worked with, it will have occasional opalescent veins of white and it will be very dependable. I need a healthy sense of security with the deadline semi-looming. Sculpting stone is a matrix of trust from all kinds of angles. I won't be able to make the catalogue shoot for the Gala, but perhaps they will allow me to donate regardless. I'll be podcasting my next entry. I feel some carving coming on...
Stay healthy, safe, secure and deeply trusting all. With love.

(image of eagle head in progress from CH Gala 2003 donation)

Let the dust fly

2007-04-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Things get underway for the new sculpture this weekend. I have been spending time down at the riverside, running (overdressed - on my way to work!) and watching a swan that I have fallen in love with. "Swany", as the kids and I call it, is a lovely mute swan. That spectacular splash of white on the water in the morning takes my breath away every time. Such a sense of purity and power. Yeah! I feel a love in my heart that comes straight from the innocence of childhood when I spend time with Swany. As an artist, I love to observe it's mannerisms; the tail wag, the deep thrust of it's legs as it swims toward me, the subtle upturn of its wing feathers when it knows it is being watched. I have even been lucky enough to visit from a few feet away and have it doze in trust, curling its long neck into itself on a very cold day last week - gentle moments. That neck!! Remarkable. Pivotal, powerful, prose inspiring.

All this to say, that these birds of spring - Swany, ducks, geese, robins, cardinals, et al - have filled my week and thus, I hope my heart is ready to bring a new bird into creation. Sending my love to you all on swift wings.

Delay sticks have been removed...

2007-04-13T09:58:00.000-04:00

What that cryptic remark actually means is that Aaron from www.followingfido.com, who is blogging here, came by earlier this week and deep cleaned the doggy doo from the yard. A smart young entrepreneur! He did a terrific job on the yard and was very conscientious about rebooking due to snow, etc. Thanks Aaron! Sooooo, my carving bench is in the clear! And tomorrow I hope to start on the new piece for Conservation Halton's Gala. Will be podcasting the creative process in the days to come.

Telling a sculpture's story through podcasting

2007-03-25T22:49:00.000-04:00

Last night I dreamt about podcasting. I have a broadcasting background, so the web is finally catching up to me. I see the relevance, potency and congruency of communication on the Net expanding at light speed. There is a natural confluence between my geek life and my artist self that almost kept me up last night. I have a vision of podcasting the evolution of a sculpture. I know this may sound self-indulgent, however, work with me on this. I think if I were interested in a piece, hearing the artist share their experience in creating it, describe the meaning and love invested in and divested of in the piece, well - I am thinking this is deeply relevant to the art lover. Especially if the due diligence were being done on the web. It would also be a wonderful method of mentoring emerging artists. I am going to sit with it and then just jump in feet first. I am certain something wonderful will come of it, experientially.

I can't wait to begin my next piece. Hopefully the sun shines this week and I can get outside and dig in. I have an idea of what it may be, the stone has been selected - a glistening charcoal coloured, pyrite-included, 40 lb piece of talc from Brancroft. I started a "windhorse" on it years ago...but I feel a hawk diving at ferocious speed in my veins...so we'll see.
Namaste.*

(*high himilayan trans. 'I salute the potential to become a God that lies within you.')

2007-03-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

ah, spring is in the air, dear ones - and the urge to make dust is almost as strong as the urge to clean which is almost as strong as the urge to...well, you get the idea. the circle of life is a creative matrix and i have ushered a few chosen ones from my rock pile into the dining room to consort with me for the next few days. on the cusp of sleep, i am visioning sculptures, lines, shapeshifting into hawks and wolves and horses and otherworldly things. tasting this privileged desire to create - like the buds, i am coming back to life.

this year i want more time spent making pieces that bring vitality and love to their respective homes. i want to break out and try new ideas on like clothing, wearing my haute couture for hiking into the backwood of myth & imagination. the world does love it when we niche, our offering can be more readily assimilated, and as an artisan that is a guideline, isn't it? what i love about being both an artist and an artisan is that there is a lack of predictability within me, a fervent flexibility... today i might be an artist and create something that only i can possibly relate to (or not!) or i might reach inside and find something with more wholistic appeal and gift my energy thusly. which will it be?

i feel so much love this spring, so much goodwill looking for a puddle or a patch of sunlight to bask and grow in. and - i am irish enough not to take this kind of mood for granted. wishing you all a creative, beautiful day. and may your heart become a luminous beacon of hope and generosity like a new moon giving birth to itself.

Dave Trattles - Canadian documentary photographer

2006-11-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

CBC.ca - Country Canada - Legacy - Dave Trattles

I am posting this to show David, a new acquaintance, the ease and power of blogging, however I am in over my head a little, I don't even know how this is going to present on my blog, etc, etc. as I chose "Blog This" from my Google Toolbar and got this dialogue box to converse with... However, the point is it is immediate (and likely editable!) so as to support easy posting from one of fifty countries one might be in, although doing so while riding a bicycle might be a little too daring. Stick with the internet cafes, please ;)

David Trattles is an incredible Canadian documentary photographer, performance storyteller, world traveller, photo educator and I believe a genuine humanitarian. I have yet to meet him in person, mind you. All in good time. Many of us may only get to know him more personally through a blog, so he needs to be encouraged to get one going. I am certain he will have lots to share that is of value. For more information on David and his adventures please visit: http://www.davidtrattles.com and http://www.gogozo.com and http://www.photomediterraneo.com

Phantom of the Opera Knuckled Under

2006-08-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

What a quiet summer, carving-wise. I cut my knuckle in June with a grinding disk (it was up on it's side and got me like a blade) and well, several weeks of "guess I should have gotten stitches" and "a synovial cyst, huh?" and I am still recovering flexibility and strength. And it still looks slightly ridiculous. I call it my "Phantom of the Opera" knuckle :)

My banker - outside in the back yard - is shamefully tidy. My kids and I have done a little jewelry carving, but that's it.

I did learn a good lesson about poor ventilation, lots of dust and a self-made plastic tent to spare the neighborhood the brunt of my passion... poor visibility = risk. I am just happy is was a reasonably gentle warning.

Think I'll enjoy a renaissance and hand carve small, intricate and loving pieces for the balance of the year. Tippy Canoe is in a state of flux. I have shut down the web site until I get a clearer sense of the business plan, my mom has been unwell so that is taking rightful priority. Once the dust settles on that front - I'll post my portfolio again, etc.

I have some new ideas brewing... around free carving in limestone; just getting a nice slab and going into free relief work, carving for a few days straight ad lib...(part of the fantasy is having friends drop by to feed me occassionally and rub my shoulders, too. hint, hint!) Till then, maybe I'll pull out the sketchbooks and keep capturing some of the creative impulses. I love to imagine I'll have the chance to accomplish even just a few of them. And I imagine maybe my kids will take up the charge and we'll have a dusty (but, not dangerous) legacy!

I like that idea - it's the kind of thought that inspires you to try harder.

(Photo credit: Christa Niravong & Fredrick Shuett)

Tippy Canoe Morphs...from pixels to pyrites

2006-01-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

My little web shop turned carving studio is known as Tippy Canoe. The name came to me like a flash, when I needed a name for the business I was founding. It is the result of a childhood aberration of sorts. I heard a song called "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too" and believed...being named Tyler...that it was about me and it meant I was in a tippy canoe. Made sense to my 6 yr. old mind. I was flattered and intrigued that there was a song about me! And then I forgot all about it, until I collided with Gr. 13 American History. Twice. Well, somehow that, and not much more, stuck with me.

So Tippy Canoe was born. And it - like me - reformats itself every few years. Serial bloomer. Tippy Canoe Stone Arts allows me to create original sculptures from soapstone and limestone for select clients. This year, I also hope to offer some art therapy services to individuals and the community.

Art is an act of service. I benefit from it all the time. Why shouldn't everyone?