silver fish on crimson foil
mary pratt 1987
oil on masonite
18 3/8" x 27 7/8"

Mary Pratt

For those of you who know MAry Pratt's work you know the intense luminesence of the paintings and the warm domestic sensibilities that indwell the work. Her work has been an influence on me since I saw her retrospective show at the VAG in 1996. I was able to see her at the Langley Fine Arts school in 97 when they opened the Gallery named after her in the school. So it was a strange circle of event the brought me back around to student teach at LFAS and to teach a grade 12 painting unit on Mary Pratt; and an even greater stroke of providence that brought her back to open the show and celebrate her birthday and the 10th anniversary of the gallery at langley Fine arts school on monday night with her newish husband Jim Rosen. They were both deeply glowing refined people. It was delightful to hear mary speak about her favorite work and the path she has walked over her career and espescially the last 10 years. A truly remarkable evening and tribute to a Canadian giantess.

grade 6/7 painting after Mary's work "the breakfast table"

grade 12 paintings

at the show.

rain rain ahh

there was more of it on sunday then we usually have in the entire month of march. considering this is vancouver and rain is what we are known for you can imagine that it it was like those iowa summer thunder showers; here one minute and sunny with a road of rivers the next, except in this case the road of rivers ran while the rain continued and the sun hid in the oaxican cabanas.
spring break?
this weekend I get to see dordties from the band and choir. im excited.
I strongly recommend Dale Chihuly's website. raw beauty from a pirate
http://www.chihuly.com/
just mess around on the site till you find yourself lost in loops of images of glass baubles and twizzles and doodlywhacks. be sure to look at his drawings and note that those abstract squiggles are in fact the roots of the finished work.
all creation sings
here is a pirate from the north coast who knows what to do with some dreary wet weather.

Larry King

I got very impatient with my blog layout because It looked like whatever that thing is that larry king sits in front of.
I dont have much else to say; its friday..
I think I'll head into the city tonight and see the sights and hear the sounds.

check out the link I have under "the others" that reads "asher in sierra leone" now there's sombody with somthing to write about... he's my brother in case you didn't know.

Well lets see I guess I can shine a light on my life.. a little. I have been substitute teaching in Langley Christian school for most of the week. Today I taught Communications 11, Bible 10, Band 10 and PE 10. Of course all things that I have prepared for as a teacher. Most of my days are really about tugging together the wide strands of my sentience and dangling them as best I can in hopes that the students will be able to get what they need to out of the class.
Some days this goes very well. On wednesday I taught science 8 and led a lab on Viscosity of milkshakes and increased vacums in various straw sizes. Milkshakes, straws...eighth graders...can't really go that wrong.

Knee-on Bye-Bull

Its good.
the arcade fire album is good.\
it doesn't come with the jolting freshness of Funeral, that beautiful unexpectation like getting hit with lighting. Buying this album was more like going to touch an electric wire and your not sure if its on, but you hope it isn't and the anticipation is more painful then the jolt could ever be.
I find the albums themes appropriatly dark without losing light. "the well and the lighthouse" and "keep the cars running " are ......music reviews are not my thing.
I love this album
its good
there are good songs on it
I like the things they say
Organs are powerfully sublime
that is somewhat redundant
amen

Croix de Mots et Cyrano

If you didn't catch it from the title my life over the past few days has consisted of being a TOC in a french class and doing crossword puzzles while watching Gerard's nasally superior performance dans le film Cyrano de Bergerac. Its still funny the third time.
The crosswords aren't so bad either. I have never been good at them but the last few days has brought some success at even the New York Times daily.
Life is I admit dripping by. but by a drip the ocean could be emptied. It is because of this that I am seeking other occupations. It may come down to the old faithful "seeking my fortune" gig. you know the one where the guy walks out the door with a stick over his shoulder with a stuffed kerchief tied to the end. Come to think of it though most of those stories end with giants and gold and selling everything and gaining nought but the knowledge that home is where the heart is. mmeh
its probobly still worth the walk.

80lbs of the runs

So I spent my saturday morning heaving two weeks of Cow shit from the barn to the pile. Mixed with all the snow and rain it was quite the sloppy sea. So by 11:30 I had smatterings of manure all over myself. Ive since scraped of the shit and should get to doing some house work.

The Photo is the road in front of my house a few weeks ago.

can anyone email me the text line needed to create links to other blogs? I am always going through other peoples comments to get to other blogs.

yours truly

Shit on his shoes

Highspeeeeeed oryx

Finally I will spend less time grunting and yowling at the desktop demon and more time living in peace and harmony thanks to the wonders of hi speed interbop.
It seems kinda strange I had grown used to the relationship as it was. Id write a letter the computer would accept it lovingly then in a fit of hystaria tear it to shreds in my face and stare out with those blank eyes that say "this program is not responding" then I would curse leave and have a great excuse for not using the damn thing for ten weeks. ah well I guess we'll do whats best for the kids.
meanwhile I have almost a full week of teaching booked so that should be fun and then in two weeks I am going on a 3day biology trip to the island. not a bad gig so far.
I think I loaded a picture of me whipping a huge bull kelp plant from last summer... no reason just found it and now can load it with speedster webblies over here.



pointless activity really

Well ain't it a funny ole worl'.

I guess this is more on the whole coincidence thing. Shane Claiborne spoke at TWU yesterday and today and I made the hefty 10 minute drive to go and listen. What a guy, truly revolutionary. the dreadlocked baggy clothed Phillidelphian urban farmer, enemy of poverty and full time lover with a fresh eye for the gospel had quite the impact on ole Josher here. His book was a shake, but to be sitting with him and talking to him a few days after finishing the book and thinking "dang Id like to meet that guy" was quite a trip. I guess it just makes sense but then again, how? I don't really know. Then by Buechneresque coincidence the organizer asked me of all people what I was doing after chapel and would I be able to get him to the airport? HA!
so I did. I guess its not the Worl' thats so funny but God.
One interesting anecdote I learned from Shane was the root of the coloquialism "spittin' image" as in "well ain't he the spitting image of Jesus." which fits nicely because when said without the southern drawl "spittin image" breaks into "Spirit and image" this cat sure was in this case the Spirit and image of Jesus.
The other funny ole worl' thing thats only funny because I don't really feel like crying about it is that we got a huge snowstorm today. Now snowstorms are great right, and they bring school closures and fun and tabogans and skis, but I rely on schools being open for my $ and my arms hurt pretty bad right now so I can't mess around in it. Also we aren't supposed to get snowstorms like this here, they're supposed to be on the other side of the mountains and country, and on the east coast theyre playing BC winter games like golf. That burns a hole in my gut when mixed with that huge chunk of Ellis Island up in the artic that just melted off, and mixed with the Detroit auto show that reported no news of any hydro powered line of cars instead the new Dodge Avenger V10, and mixed with George "Avenger" Bush's speech on the new strategery for Iraq which is not funny or cute but just f*C%'n scary. more war not less, Where is the Peace plan. can I get an amen computer land? The time has come the walrus and the drowning polar bear said, to talk of other things. It is time for the massive change I dream of and I know it starts with me so a little help and a lot of hugs are in order. Stanley Park is a windswept mess today with a hundred acres of ancient trees fallen over, My great grandparents are dead if you know what I mean.
Alright, Im not done, but Ill stop; it gets me a lot scared though. I need a car to work tommorow but driving it causes the problems that makes going to work futile. argh I was gonna stop.
I live on a farm, I can grow my own food.
I know how to knit and sew, I will make my own clothes.
I can paint and teach and that is beautiful (most of the time)
I have friends, that is good in itself but they also have many talents, and friends, that can help
Massive Change any one? im in, lets talk.

coincidence

AS frederick Beuchner puts it, Coincedence is the whispering from the wings that you showed up in the right spot at the right time, everything is going to be fine, and you have not been forgotten.
Well I didn't get the job, I already found out. THey really liked me but all my ideas for school of rock are apparently to riske <--- there is supposed to be an accent on that e.
anyway maybe they read my blog and noticed the glaring grammatical errors in the lines where I talk about applying to teach grade six. I guess my beatnik slang ain't hep to their jive. But dang them sixers would have dug three months of misty mountain hop oh well their loss.
Oh well there's always snuff.
so about coincidence
well I hope thats whats developing; one big happy coincidence. feel free to help out.
so Im packin my bags for the misty mountains where the spirits soar, over the hills where the spirits fliiiiiiiiiiiii. ooo ooo oo oo

Haircut etc.

I have taken to doing my own haircuts these days and so far I think i will never go back to a barber. Except to maybe give him a pinch of snuff. Which as I was just reminded by my father is tabacco ground to a fine powder and then snorted up your nose............smoking may seem stupid to some but snorting tabacco up your nose is crazy. at least smokers can argue that they enjoy the act of sitting and having a smoke but who is going to argue that they really like their after dinner quick nasal inhale of tabacco powder. seesh its a good thing that didn't make it into the 21st century as a popular activity.
Anyway, I had interview today it was for a grade six classroom teaching position. not exactly what I signed up for but hey who knows.
Turns out that Shane Claiborne is going to be at Trinity Western to do chapel tommorow at 11. I will be going. I m pretty stoked to hear what he will say After reading his book Irresistable revolution, Which you should all read....well if that isn;t enough book plugs for him I don't know what it is.
I just typed know like this "nkwo" wchih mekas me tnihk of tohse seewt wtire ups wrehe all the wrdos are selpt wtih olny the fsirt and lsat lteter in the rhgit sopt but you can sltil raed it. taht's sewet.
As I read over that gobeldigook I think it might be more complex then that but let me know.
Anyway that is probobly a sufficient amount of BS spewed into cyber space for one night.
byyye

Sunday afternoon, Knitting, Palestine, Manderlay

I have taken up knitting. its fairly mind numbing and I don't like that about it. after about three rows I feel like placing the needles on a machine that will continue the rest for me. The scarves I am making however are awsome and so the reward is big.
I called sioux center this afternoon it is still there.
I have been reading Jimmy Carter's book "Palistine; Peace not appartheid" it makes me rant and rave and froth at the mouth, this means its good, but very troubling. I did'nt have a good grip on the inter-national politics of the region and this book makes many of those things clear. It should be read by anyone who either doesn't really understand whats happening there or just thinks that Isreal is the people of God and they should get to do what they want.....because they should'nt get to. I should probobly write a more in depth essay and post it but right now I can't.
I also saw Lars Von Triers film "Manderlay" this weekend it is the second part in his series critiquing american culture, which began with "Dogville." I highly recomend it, with a warning that its not a good date movie, kind of like passion o the Christ... Dane that warnings for you. Anyway I am interested to hear what some of you who have seen it thought.
I was particularly struck but the shift in Grace's character from a passive role to a very active and affective role. I found her to take on the character of wazizname from Dogville the young idealist.
Well, time short, must go

after the flood

Happy new year everyone
It has rained for 90% of the new year here in Langley BC. Christmas was spent in Sanfransisco and Yosemite Nat'l park wow.... big rocks. I am looking for gainful employment for the new year as I am now finished the whole student thing. Long strange trip that was. I wouldn't likly be writing a blog if I hadn't gone back to Dordt let alone a million other small things it has changed and the big things like all of you wonderful people out there who I met at Dordt and who might read this.
good reads and listens of 2006
books
"the Alchemist" by paolo coelho
"the irresitable revolution" shane claibourne (amazing)
"silence" Shusako endo


music
Bob Dylan "modern Times"
Gorillaz "demon days (thanks Ross)
Calexico w/ Iron and Wine "in the reins"
Sufjan Stevens "Christmas Album"
Decemberists "Crane Wife"
Lowell George "Thanks I'll eat it here"
Leonard Cohen soundtrack tribute cover thing "Im your Man"

Anyway visit soon or let me know if you hear of a sweet art teaching job and then I can come.

a goodly sum

Good evening
That is such an interesting phrase. Good-even-ing as if at the end of a day all the things will be made equal if only for a few short hours. Well perhaps. per-haps. haps? how come that slipped the lexicon. Well the haps of the day are that my neck is so sore that I feel like I've had a board nailed from my head to my back preventing movement without excruciating pain. I think people become uncomfortable if you turn your whole body ackwardly towards them to talk.
I had my final class evaluation from my supervisor today. These have been going well. It has been said of me that I have all the unteachable skills that it takes to be a teacher. I think this is a high compliment but I worry about all those things I should have paid attention to in class. I am now one week away from being finished the official part of my program. The un-official part being the paperwork, portfolio etc. meh....
Tis a strange thing to think that three years ago I was emailing Eric Vanwyk asking if he might know of a place where I could rest my nog when I got to Sioux Center. January 8th I was moving into the Farmhouse.


"When it is over, I want to say: all my life
Iwas a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it is over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular,
and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and
frightened,
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited
This world."


Mary Oliver

snow etc.

this is the third attempt to post this same stupid post and it keeps being eras...

Some of you who are teachers might apprecitate this. Now if this wouldn't make you want to be a teacher there must be somthing a tidge outta square in yer head.
In 1872 these were the printed rules of conduct for teachers.

1.Teachers each day will fill lamps and clean chimneys.

2.Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle the coal for the days session.

3.Make your pens carefully. you may whittle nibs to the individual taste of pupils.

4.Men teachers may take one evening a week for courting purposs, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

5.After ten hours in school the, teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7.Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden to society.

8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquer in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty.

9.THe teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.


As all of you know I am the perfect candidate for such a position what with all me chimbley sweepin' skills.

fit to be tied

So I bought this great new pair of running shoes, which I guarantee will rarely be used for running. So I was sitting on the stoop of our fireplace tieing them up when I got home and my mother, interested in my new shoes, was standing by watching and talking to me. Suddenly she stops takes a closer look and bursts out laughing. Apparently the way that I tie my shoes is different then her and as she sees it, ridiculously funny. SHe actually ended up on the floor laughing soo hard. When my dad came ot see what was so funny my mom got me to tie them again for his viewing pleasure. He also laughed... I suffered emotional damage no doubt and will never tie my shoes in public and especially not on a first date. Im trying to decide which is more damaging on a first date ridiculous lace tieing or velcro shoes? hmm Einstein wore velcro. he also painted his door red so he could find his house. If I lived in suberbia I would probobly have to do that. But then I can't imagine living suburbia. maybe serbia though, holy kalishnikov that might suck aswell.

the Skinny

Its this! Im student teaching at the Langley Fine art school. It is going very well. blogging on the other hand is strenuous and difficult to do. I feel guilty about not writing so I don't. Figure that out. more skinny to come


Ok you'll just have to wait a little longer, you see Although I love you very much I have a class to attend to right now; Grade twelve Advanced placement art. Lovely bunch really, quite splendid, actually. Ta ta

In case you missed it the previous paragraph should be read with an oxfordian accent. (pronounced: Axe-sint)

oh yeah trees

So I was going to write that I worked on a sweet mansion today. We are building it over looking the Fraser river and the glen valley . It is being built by this engineer from Japan named Kimmy Ito. Absolutly gorgeous house. I will try and post some pictures. the property was planted 80 to 100 years ago with beautiful trees from all over the world, all manner of pines and sequoias and maples and magnolias. it is an amazing place to work. not to make anybody wish they were here but... I wish you were here.

trees and pool

I just returned from six games of pool with my two brothers; Asher and Gabriel. Not a single game was won by any method other than sewred black ball. wierd. ASher is back from Halifax for the month it is good to have him around. only one short now, but he has to stay south side. Not to load the interweb with incriminating news but. Just in case you didn't know, and Im not saying that I do know, but, if you go to the airport to pick up your brother at 1:30am in Vancouver and you happen to need a beer... like ya do, then I hear that if you go to the international arrivals terminal and stop at the Eliphant and Castle pub And find yourself nearly alone minus your bro and few stragglers waiting for relitives from Kualalampur. then take a beer mug from the drying rack and check the taps because at about that time they serve up a mean pint o Guiness... not that I would know, but being as there is no door or door man or bar man or maid or janitor or really anybody except kualalumpurians you might as well try. but I wouldn't know.....mmm guiness