doreyme

a baby mountain goat

elks, deer, a bear cub , gophers, black squirrels, chipmunks, exotic birds and a whole bunch of big horned mountain sheep were some of the animals we saw yesterday in Alberta's spectacular Banff National Park.

joy#179 of magpies, everywhere, 8x8, June 30.09

aerial view of Calgary, the home of Stephen Harper

Joy#178 of gophers, everywhere, 8x8, June 29.09

Joy#177 of a turbulence free flight, 8x8, watercolour, June 28.09

joy#176 of going back to Big sky country Alberta, watercolour,11x30 June 27.09

joy #175 of meeting nature half way, 12x16, watercolour on birch bark June 26.09

+ oh my, Michael Jackson, too

rest in peace, Farrah

joy #174 of a peaceful moment, 8x8, watercolour, June 25.09

joy#173 of letting go + it turning into what looks like young St. Jean Baptiste 8x8 June 24.09

St. Jean de Baptiste Day, June 24 in Quebec

 

 

who he was   + how it came to be a holiday on June 24th in Quebec

ollie in the alley, chilling

orange paint around some kind of rod, Laval alley, June 23.09

me + my shadow, Laval st., Montreal, June 23.09

joy#172 of a return to portraits, maybe oil on panel, (carved) 16x16 June 23.09

Wow, a letter from Michelle Obama...where's my letter from Mrs. Harper?

Happy Father's Day, 

I’m writing to share a special video of Barack talking about fatherhood, but first I want to share some thoughts of my own. 

My father, Frasier Robinson, was the rock of our family. Although he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his early thirties, he was our provider, our champion and our hero. 

He worked tirelessly through good days and bad to make sure my brother and I had every opportunity he didn't -- to go to college and pursue our dreams. His example continues to guide me every day. 

Barack didn't have my good fortune -- his father left when he was just two years old. But he has always been determined to give our daughters what he never had, and he values being a good father more than any other accomplishment in his life. 

On Friday, Barack brought some men (and a bunch of kids!) to the White House to talk about fatherhood. Check out a video of the event: 



We all know the remarkable impact fathers can have in our children's lives. So today, on this 100th anniversary of Father's Day, take a moment to celebrate responsible fatherhood and the men who've had the courage to step up, be there for our families, and provide our children with the guidance, love and support they need to fulfill their dreams. 

Thanks, 
Michelle 

Happy first day of summer/summer solstice

Joy#170 of Fathers, Everywhere, 11x15, watercolour, June 21.09

a typical day's worth of scams

The first one, about my mail box being too full actually had me for a few moments.

What ingenuity these guys have.Too bad they don't use it  more selflessly.

Dear Webmail User,

This message was sent automatically by a program on Webmail which
periodically checks the size of inboxes, where new messages are
received.

Your mailbox has exceeded the storage limit set by your administrator.
You may not be able to send or receive new mail until your mailbox size
is increased by your system administrator. 

To help us re-set your SPACE on our database prior to maintain your
INBOX,you must contact your system administrator by replying this e-mail
and enter your: 

Current Username: { } and Password: { } to increase your storage limit.


You will continue to receive this warning message periodically if your
inbox size continues to exceed its size limit or between 18 and 20 MB.

Thank you for your cooperation.
System Administrator.

This one's pretty good too. 

Dear Friend,

 

 My name is Sarah Johnson, female, working with World youth aid organization (WYAO) California, U.S.A. We are organizing a global youths combined World Conference against Racism & Child Abuse taking place from 7th – 10th July 2009 at California in the United States and in Dakar Senegal from 14th – 17th July 2009. In our request to invite people from various countries around the world, I went in search of your e-mails on the web site as a means of contacting youths and organizations As a result, I picked your email from an N.G.O`s website.

 

If you are interested to participate and want to represent your country, you may contact the secretariat of the organizing committee for details and information’s. You should also inform them that you were invited to participate by friend of yours (Sarah Johnson) who is a member of the American Youths 4Peace and a staff of World youth aid organization (WCAR).

 

I believe that we may have the opportunity to meet if you may be willing to participate in this event. The benevolent donors from across the global and the Organizing Committee will provide round Trip air tickets and accommodation for the period of participants, Stay in the U.S., to all registered participants. If you are a holder of passport that may require visa to enter the United States, you may inform the conference secretariat at the time of registration, as the Organizing committee is responsible for all visas arrangements and travel assistance.

 

Phone:  + 1-516-303-0035

Fax + 1-506-312-4714

 

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

 

You may get back to me with my email address below.

Email:[email protected]

 

Sincerely,

Sarah Johnson

Variations on a theme....

IT Department,

You have exceeded the limit of your mailbox set by your IT Department,. And you will be having problems in sending and recieving new emails.
To prevent this, you will have to contact the Help Teamservice by 
email with your:

Current username:{    } and
Password:{    } to help increase your storage limit.

IT Department,
E-mail: [email protected]

Failure to do this, will result in limited access to your mailbox.

Regards,
IT Department.

Che + his grand-daughter

a revolutionary for vegetarianism

joy#168 of another white haired Manet, 8x8,watercolour June 19.09

joy #167 of the Mom of Moms, 8x8, watercolour, June 14.09

Joy#166, of Elvis in the house, oil on masonite 20x30, June 17.09

tempest in a teapot? Or a serious issue?

This banning of the 2 anglo bands?  Methinks, serious, along with lots of folks, judging by the huge public outcry --anglo, franco-+ allos (ridiculous recent classifications) that separate rather than unite Quebecers...in any case it's all over + the bands can play again + they got a huge career boost, the St. Jean Baptiste guys came off as old school chip on the shoulder party poopers + the sun is shining + we are ever so grateful to live in Canada+power to all the brave people protesting in Iran right now. 

Happy Birthday to art+art+life+more art, 4 years old today, June 16 2005

+ this was my first post, without an image, somewhat tentative...

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Thank you for trying to give me directions, but it's too confusing to me. Would you mind drawing a map for me?

06/16/2005 | Permalink

Thank you for trying to give me directions, but it's too confusing to me. Would you mind drawing a map for me?

joy #165 of finishing a project with kids, 12x12, gouache + watercolour, June 13.09

St. Jean Baptiste Day, June 24 is the National Holiday of the Canadian province of Quebec

It is a celebration for everyone who lives in Quebec, supposedly.  But as usual, the very prominent, very vocal, very influential separatist group, Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal  does its party pooper best to exclude those who aren't pure laine, this time through a very closely affiliated organization called the Association Culturelle Louis-Hébert.   It's too predictable + depressing to go on about, especially since  other  Montreal bloggers  have already posted on the issue.Three good ones are bang bang, tattered sleeve + fagstein.   The positive thing about this ridiculous situation is that many francophones are just as outraged as anglos.  The bad thing (amongst many bad things) is that it will fan anti-Quebec flames in Red Neckville, Canada.   It will get national coverage. 

What I'm curious about is who are these sponsors of the  Association culturelle Louis Hebert who are threatening to pull  funding if the two "anglo" bands, Lake of Stew + Bloodshot Bill play at the celebrations?  Via google, I couldn't find the 2009 sponsors but the 2008 sponsors amongst others, were three provincial politicians Nicolas Girard, PQ  Bernard Bigras, PQ + Rita Dionne Marsolais PQ  dedicated to separatism. 

I imagine being a sponsor means they donated $$$$ to the Association Culturelle Louis-Hébert ( as well as the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal itself!) So I'm wondering, where did that $ come from exactly?  Are they personal donations or from public funding?  As in, our provincial taxes, which I believe are the highest in North America?  If so, it only seems fair, that our anglo taxes should work towards sponsoring all + every person in Quebec who wishes to celebrate their cultural identity on their so called national holiday. 

Banned in Montreal, from playing at St. Jean Baptiste celebrations

Banned in Montreal, from playing at St. Jean Baptiste celebrations

les fleurs du mal, Verdun, June 11.09

thank you V+son D

for this lovely pic.  I am so envious of Americans.  It's a photographer's paradise.

joy #164 of another white-haired Manet, 8x8, watercolour, June 14.09

joy #163 of a good year of models for Manet, 8x8, watercolour, June 13.09

newly discovered in Italy

mona?

2 swiss artists, fischli + weiss

from the bbc, banksy in bristol

joy #161 of a rose grown in the backyard, 8x8, watercolour, June 12.09

Death at the Holocaust Museum + the degradation of the American Dialogue by Michael Rowe

"There was a time when decency, even honor, was an essential part of the American dialogue in its most ideal form, and part of its very identity. There was a time when our culture would have recoiled in horror at the vituperation flowing unchecked from radios, televisions, and the Internet, instead of applauding it as "common sense," "free speech," or "mavericky," or "a spin-free zone."

There was a time when intellectual honesty was not considered unpatriotic; when compassion for, and understanding of, your fellow man was a sign of strength, not weakness. There was a time when the phrase Have you no shame? meant something, and the First Amendment was not used as toilet paper to wipe up the excremental verbal degradation of vulnerable segments of the American population. A time when it was expected that citizens would understand the difference between free speech and irresponsible speech. Somewhere along the line, a cancerous segment of American popular culture and media cunningly exploited the long-standing, honorable American "cowboy" motif and mentality. They grafted cruelty, divisiveness, and ignorance to it, making the two appear indistinguishable, and natural allies. And they are neither, or at least ought not to be.

There is no Environmental Protection Agency to measure hate pollution in national dialogue, and no mechanism in place to warn us when the poisonous rage spewed into the national consciousness by shock-jocks, poisonous television pundits, megachurch leaders, and oh-so-subtle politicians, has reached dangerously toxic levels.

No, there is only the result: widows, orphans, collective grief, and an absolute refusal on the part of our loudest, coarsest voices to take any responsibility for their part in the carnage."

read the whole article here written by a Canadian writing about America but everything he says applies to Canada too, eg.  the vile tv attack ads currently broadcast by the Conservative Party of Canada against their political opponents during a non election.  

Joy#160 unrealized, of controlled guns, 8x8, watercolour, June 11.09

hermes  Posh owns 100 croc bags

Well, 35 dollars not overly well spent

Far be it for me to discourage reading but... The review by Deborah Solomon in the NYTimes is very generous. "Witty + impressively observed"  is exceedingly generous.   Apparently the writer, Samantha Peale was an assistant to jeff koons for four  years. She probably signed a contract, restricting public disclosure of her time in his employment.  Too bad. In any case this book, The American Painter Emma Dial isn't a very insightful or well written or even, sigh, interesting telling of the North East art scene.  Hey, my years at NSCAD  (Nova Scotia College of Art + Design)  in Halifax during the 70's would provide richer fodder.  It was a hotbed of drugs, sex, free beer, wealthy American kids + an incredible roster of teachers (Jeff Wall , Eric Fischl,Robin Peck, Dennis Young, etc)  + visiting artists...Joseph Beuys , Lawrence Weiner, Vito Acconci, Alex Collville, Robert Frank, Carl Andre, etc. etc. -- notice, not heavy on women profs or visitors). Perhaps there's a novel in there...?

Joy#159 of white haired American ex-pat writers, 8x8, watercolour June 10.09

dear North Korea

the whole world is watching

joy#156 of painters' white haired girlfriends 8x8, watercolour June 9.09

a novel about the NY art scene

 

How exciting.  I mostly only ever read the New Yorker  magazine or  nonfiction. Books about Photoshop, or painting techniques or historical research, etc.  but today I actually bought a book on the basis  of this NY Times review.