My older brother Jim always loved blue cars. I liked everything but…

Winnipeg, Canada

This Friday (16:00 to 22:00) and Saturday (10:00 to 15:00) Ev will be at the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg (586 Ellice at Sherbrook) along with 15 other local artisans. Please do drop by to check out her unique “handmade wares”… Friday night will also feature live entertainment and a cash bar.

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It’s sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

St. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

St. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it — sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

St. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

St. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

St. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

St. FRANCIS: You aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it…

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural cycle of life.

St. FRANCIS: You’d better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

St. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

St. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It’s a story about….

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

(as conveyed to me by my brother Jim: original source unknown)

Winnipeg, Canada

OK. So, this is admittedly a bit weird (for me to be posting, I mean, given that I have never had children)… but don’t you agree that wee Haylee (Ev’s two-and-a-half-year-old grand-daughter) is over-the-top cute? Her favourite colour is pink (as you can see, followed closely by purple, as you will learn if you talk with the little lass for a bit) and at this point in her life, she aspires to be a “Rina-rina,” (Ballerina in adult parlance) or, maybe, a welder—like her dad Jayson.

In the above images, Haylee is modeling her outfit for the upcoming Halloween (thanks to proactive mom Nicki).

Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland

Tammy and bro-Phil have done it! Under perfect weather conditions (the dusting of snow from the night before had melted by the time they reached the 2000 meter plateau) all seven in their running group successfully finished the grueling Jungfrau Marathon. I had posted about the challenges of this spectacular race a week ago…

I guess maybe it’s time for me to start running again too… the last of the seven Marathons I have completed was in Melbourne, ten years ago this week. Is a decade long enough to rid the body of painful memories?  :-|

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

It’s been a busy weekend for Ev and I, focused on the 8th WAVE Artists Studio Tour. The incredibly hot, sunny weather provided a perfect close to the summer, though was also likely responsible for the smaller-than-expected turnout of visitors (many no doubt chose the beach over art, given the dearth of hot days over the past few months in Manitoba). Feedback from the 130-or-so who did drop by Ev’s studio was enthusiastic and positive—the greatest value of this gig is the opportunity for personal interactions and garnering individual’s responses to the art.

Photo: the lovely Elfriede Richter (who once again served up platters of delectable dainties to all comers) with daughter Ev and The Vamp outside the What? studio on Saturday morning.

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

Ev has been busy preparing for the second round of the 8th WAVE Artists Studio Tour, a self-guided event that takes place this Saturday and Sunday (5 and 6 September). She’ll have a selection of recent sculptural works (like this, this, and this) on display, as well as new series of thrown vessels and assemblage jewelery. The Fishfly Gallery in Winnipeg Beach also has some of her works on display (like this and the piece shown above). If you are in Manitoba, please do drop by… if not, you can see more of Ev’s work at What? Clay Art & Curios.

Images above: Third Time Lucky (with detail), a figurative slab-built stoneware sculpture, finished with burnished steel low-fire glazes and iron oxide stain, with found porcelain hand and bifocal eyeglasses; 430mm x 230mm x 545mm high. Ev’s comment: “Beach safety is always top of mind when living in a lakeside community… combine this with the fear of myopic perspective and you have ready-made irony within reach.”

Interlaken, Switzerland

My brother Phil and his sprightly wife Tammy are preparing for the scenic but grueling Jungfrau Marathon this weekend. Billed as “the most beautiful marathon in the world,” the 42-km race starts to the blare of alpenhorns in the lakeside city of Interlaken with a relatively flat first half before gaining a total of 1800(!) vertical meters and an alpine finish on the Kleine Scheidegg across from the famous north faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.

Best wishes… and congratulations (in advance)!

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

Evelin Richter’s sculpture ‘Peer Pressure’ has been selected as one of 20 pieces of art to be shown in the Manitoba Crafts Council 2009 Juried Exhibition. The show vernissage is 17 September at 19:30 at the Outworks Gallery, 290 McDermot Avenue in Winnipeg—then continuing on display until 29 September. From 1-29 October, the exhibition travels to the Viscount Cultural Centre in Neepawa.

‘Peer Pressure’ is a slab-built stoneware piece with low-fire glaze and assemblage (an antique bottle capper) on a waxed wooden base, 395mm x 200mm x 520mm. It’s a social commentary of sorts re: the failure of corporatism and the workaholics who drive themselves down along with sinking enterprise.

In her artist’s statement, Ev (my talented girlfriend) writes:

“I love creating with clay, making “something” from “nothing.” I love clay because of its sensuous pliability. My favorite tools are my hands—I experience and learn so much through the sense of touch. Figurative sculptures are particularly satisfying—I enjoy meeting new characters as they emerge out of the clay. I begin by visualizing, then wait for the shape to materialize through my hands. I know my work is going well when I lose track of time. I know a work is completed when it matches the image in my head, and when I can think of nothing else to add.”

See more of Ev’s work here.

1962 on the Italian Riviera—topless girls, big baguettes, family camping… life was good.