Oh, it does look cold and winter-y there. But those little cranberries nestling by a mushroom are such sparks of bright - almost warmth - in the smaller landscape.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes S. Portico Bowman is a friend of mine and a talented artist, writer, and teacher. She is also a creative and insightful person. I particularly admire her ability to transition between different media – from pottery to printing to writing, and her insights during our shared travels have helped me to see things differently. Portico is offering a workshop from July 12-16, 2020, at the Hollyhock Retreat Centre on Cortes Island, British Columbia, and I strongly encourage you to take part. The workshop is entitled Drawing Towards the Earth: Making Journals for Life and will involve making coptic stitch Arcadia Playhouse journals and Bargello tapestry bookmarks . The slow, repetitive creative process is designed to be contemplative, meditative, and introspective. In addition, Cortes Island provides the most fabulous garden setting surrounded by the ocean. It sounds absol...
Local Happenings Congratulations to Kathy Evans , department head secretary in the College of Medicine’s Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, who has received the 2019 Sydney Inskip Award. One of the many things Kathy does to establish a welcoming environment in the department and the community is to invite students into her home to cook and share a meal. I worked with Kathy for a short while and she went out of her way to make me feel welcome and to help me obtain contract work once I went freelance. CHEP’s Collective Kitchens Partnership is hosting a Grub ‘n Gab starting at 5:30 pm , Jan. 23 . Following supper, there will be a presentation by Slow Food Saskatoon explaining what slow food is and how it’s tied to culture. Pre-registration is required. Contact Janet at 306-655-4575 or janet@chep.org if you’re interested in attending. Edible Landscapes Permaculture Design and Consulting, Regina, is offering a 3-day course covering edible and medicinal prairie...
I had the great good fortune to visit the Arundel Wetland Centre yesterday. As a prairie dweller, I was amazed by the huge network of ponds and canals. Even more astonishing, the ponds were lined on either side with reeds that towered over my head. The array of ducks and geese was astonishing – geese elegantly dressed in black and white, small ducks with downy soft feathers, geese with long necks wrapped in swirling stripes. Each pond was designed to suit a different type of waterfowl so there were some with waterfalls and others with large rocks and ledges. The site doesn’t just cater for waterfowl. There were boxes for bats and barn owls as well as insect hotels and big stacks of branches providing shelter for all sorts of animals. There were birdwatching hides and a cabin full of dried herbs to touch and smell. The best part of the visit was a silent electric boat ride through the canals providing a duck’s-eye view of their world. ...
“You are invited to an evening of dining and conversation inspired by the creative genius of Zaha Hadid, Architect.” I was surprised and delighted to be invited to a dinner party at Cathy Engel’s house with an architectural theme. At first, the twin themes of architecture and food appeared to be miles apart. But then I changed my mind. What is architecture? Wikipedia defines architecture, in part, as follows: “ Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow .” Organizing a dinner party involves many of the same functions. You need to decide who to invite and how they will get along together. You plan a menu in terms of taste, appearance, culture, social expectations and availability. You set the table and establish the environment (li...
Local Food Lee Helman, formerly of Truffles Restaurant in Saskatoon, is now operating the Vanilla Pastry Company and offers desserts made from quality ingredients. They look gorgeous and my sister in law raves about the dacquoise with its decadent combination of crispy meringue, creamy icing, and crunchy nuts. Inclusivity Le Corbusier’s design system had a major impact on the post-war world, dictating the size and shape of everything from door knobs to city blocks. Unfortunately, he used a 6-foot male as his model citizen, completely overlooking the needs of women, children, and people with disabilities. In the 1980s, the Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative stepped in with a different approach. “They weren’t promoting a feminist aesthetic, but a way of looking, listening and designing that takes account of people’s very different needs and desires , one that embodies 'the richness of our multiple ways of being in the world'.” Leaving on a Jet Plane If you...
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