MOVING HOUSE
A two-month absence. It couldn’t be helped. I abandoned most of my reading and, for sure, my writing while my husband and I packed up our place in the country in preparation for moving to Guelph. We lived in Eramosa Township for twenty-seven years and poured ourselves into the place. Our gardens and the lovely twenty acres of land gave back to us immeasurably, and leaving all that gave us much grief, even if it was the right time to make this major change.
Moving to this stone house near Guelph’s Speed River is the beginning of a new stage of our lives, and we have begun the work of make the place our own. For a number of years, the former owner did not give this house the care it deserved, so restoring the house to good health is not exactly simple. If a person were to treat him or herself the way this house was treated, I think that poor person would be hospitalized. Never mind. We are giving ourselves to the tasks that need to be done, including finding someone to repair and paint the windows, fix the stone work, paint the outside trim, install a decent shower, build kitchen cupboards and so on.
I’ve had a lot of pleasure unpacking my books and placing them on the shelves, setting up my new office, hanging things on the walls. Now I feel I can work here, even if I haven’t decided on which wall to hang some of my art. It’s all a new adventure in a beautiful room at the front of the house.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Book Launch Tonight, 25 March 2010
Yesterday afternoon I drove from my home to Porcupine's Quill in Erin, Ontario to pick up copies of the newly bound "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971, selections of her work from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University. On my way home from Erin, I imained Joyce sitting in the passenger seat and having a conversation. This is what I imagined.
Jane: Joyce, I think some of your drawings, which are actually cartoons, are extremely funny. I've looked at them dozens of times and I still laugh every time I look at them. Why did you use chickens as characters?
Jocye: You have to get to the point quickly in cartoons. Don't you think chickens are strange creatures and very funny? And I think they get to the point quickly.
Jane: You give them such humanity, but not in the anthropomorphic way of cute bunny-people.
Joyce: People take themselves way too seriously and I want to poke fun at people, all kinds of people, especially artists and politicians.
Jane: Well, you include "God the Father Devine" in this, too, you know.
Joyce: Yes, well those God drawings aren't chickens.
Jane: I like your irreverence, but it's lucky those drawings aren't chickens or a lot of offended people might show up at your door ready to lecture you, or worse... And so on.
You can hear all about this newly published book, and purchase copies, tonight at Ben McNally's Books, 366 Bay Street (south of Richmond Street) in Toronto.
416-361-0032 I will be there signing copies and talking about the book.
Jane: Joyce, I think some of your drawings, which are actually cartoons, are extremely funny. I've looked at them dozens of times and I still laugh every time I look at them. Why did you use chickens as characters?
Jocye: You have to get to the point quickly in cartoons. Don't you think chickens are strange creatures and very funny? And I think they get to the point quickly.
Jane: You give them such humanity, but not in the anthropomorphic way of cute bunny-people.
Joyce: People take themselves way too seriously and I want to poke fun at people, all kinds of people, especially artists and politicians.
Jane: Well, you include "God the Father Devine" in this, too, you know.
Joyce: Yes, well those God drawings aren't chickens.
Jane: I like your irreverence, but it's lucky those drawings aren't chickens or a lot of offended people might show up at your door ready to lecture you, or worse... And so on.
You can hear all about this newly published book, and purchase copies, tonight at Ben McNally's Books, 366 Bay Street (south of Richmond Street) in Toronto.
416-361-0032 I will be there signing copies and talking about the book.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
MOVING TIME
After living in Eramosa Township on twenty acres for twenty-seven years, my husband and I are moving to Guelph, Ontario to a lovely stone house with a garden Initially the old house, which is at least a hundred and forty years old, will require some improvements. I think it will be fun to take the summer to work on the house and garden and make them our own. I have loved this place in the country with my large perennial gardens, and our greenhouse where we grew some cool-weather vegetables. Now it's time to say good bye to this place when we move in mid April. I look forward to a smaller perennial garden and growing a few vegetables.
Moving is an enormous amount of work, especially when you have a large studio-workshop building full of stuff. I am sorting through my paintings and sculptures I made over the years, and packing things up. This is my focus right now, and I’ll pick up my writing after a few months. My blog ideas - a series on Canadian women artists of the past - must wait.
Meanwhile, I have a few presentations to give this month on "Perfect Red," and on the 25th of March will be the launch of "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971 at Ben McNally Books in Toronto, from 5 - 7 p.m.
After living in Eramosa Township on twenty acres for twenty-seven years, my husband and I are moving to Guelph, Ontario to a lovely stone house with a garden Initially the old house, which is at least a hundred and forty years old, will require some improvements. I think it will be fun to take the summer to work on the house and garden and make them our own. I have loved this place in the country with my large perennial gardens, and our greenhouse where we grew some cool-weather vegetables. Now it's time to say good bye to this place when we move in mid April. I look forward to a smaller perennial garden and growing a few vegetables.
Moving is an enormous amount of work, especially when you have a large studio-workshop building full of stuff. I am sorting through my paintings and sculptures I made over the years, and packing things up. This is my focus right now, and I’ll pick up my writing after a few months. My blog ideas - a series on Canadian women artists of the past - must wait.
Meanwhile, I have a few presentations to give this month on "Perfect Red," and on the 25th of March will be the launch of "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971 at Ben McNally Books in Toronto, from 5 - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
More on Joyce Wieland
Toronto artist Joyce Wieland (1930-1998) was a young adult after World War II during the 1950s. During the war, many women worked in factories or in other jobs to help the war efforts. When the war was over, they were expected to go back to keeping a spotless house and making a home for a husband and dad. (The ads during the fities included images of smiling women in tidy skirts behind a vacuum cleaner or serving Ovaltine to their husband in front of a fireplace with kids sitting quietly on a couch.)
Wieland was caught between the idea of a "happily-ever-after" marriage and her passion for her art. Her thoughts about how she wanted to live her life are written in her journals from the early to mid fifties. Here is a brief excerpt from November 1955."Why for God's sake cannot we girls be brought up to be humans instead of dependent wretches. We cannot find happiness this way. Its [sic] not like in the movies, we don't always grow up and get married and live happily. And this is the truth which kills me a little more each day and disables me - little by little."
The volume "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971" includes many more selections from her journals, along with her sketches. This book will be published in March by Porcupine's Quill in Erin, Ontario.
Toronto artist Joyce Wieland (1930-1998) was a young adult after World War II during the 1950s. During the war, many women worked in factories or in other jobs to help the war efforts. When the war was over, they were expected to go back to keeping a spotless house and making a home for a husband and dad. (The ads during the fities included images of smiling women in tidy skirts behind a vacuum cleaner or serving Ovaltine to their husband in front of a fireplace with kids sitting quietly on a couch.)
Wieland was caught between the idea of a "happily-ever-after" marriage and her passion for her art. Her thoughts about how she wanted to live her life are written in her journals from the early to mid fifties. Here is a brief excerpt from November 1955."Why for God's sake cannot we girls be brought up to be humans instead of dependent wretches. We cannot find happiness this way. Its [sic] not like in the movies, we don't always grow up and get married and live happily. And this is the truth which kills me a little more each day and disables me - little by little."
The volume "Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971" includes many more selections from her journals, along with her sketches. This book will be published in March by Porcupine's Quill in Erin, Ontario.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971
Joyce Wieland (1930-1998), the Toronto artist who was a pioneer in breaking through barriers women faced in the art world in the sixties and seventies, is known for her work in a variety of media. She made an endless number of drawings and sketches with pencil, pen and ink, and also kept a journal when she was in her early twenties as she was developing her ideas about her life and her art. Her drawings and writings are housed in the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University in Toronto. This is where I found them when I was researching Wieland’s life for what became “Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire” (James Lorimer & Co., 2001).
I have made a selection of Wieland’s writings and drawings, which will be published in one volume by Porcupine’s Quill in Erin, Ontario. Next week I will be checking the final proofs of “Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971,” which means the book will soon be available in bookstores. This collection tells us much about Wieland’s early aspirations and struggles, and the subjects important to her in her work. She loved to poke fun at politicians, the art establishment, and even artists themselves. Her sense of humour and great wit would cut through the most stodgy situations on any day of the week.
On 25 March 2010, the Ben McNally Bookstore in Toronto at 366 Bay Street (west side of Bay, south of Richmond) will host the launch of “Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971” from 5 to 7 p.m. My hope is that this book will help to keep Wieland in our consciousness, and remind the art world of what she has given to Canada and the world.
Joyce Wieland (1930-1998), the Toronto artist who was a pioneer in breaking through barriers women faced in the art world in the sixties and seventies, is known for her work in a variety of media. She made an endless number of drawings and sketches with pencil, pen and ink, and also kept a journal when she was in her early twenties as she was developing her ideas about her life and her art. Her drawings and writings are housed in the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University in Toronto. This is where I found them when I was researching Wieland’s life for what became “Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire” (James Lorimer & Co., 2001).
I have made a selection of Wieland’s writings and drawings, which will be published in one volume by Porcupine’s Quill in Erin, Ontario. Next week I will be checking the final proofs of “Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971,” which means the book will soon be available in bookstores. This collection tells us much about Wieland’s early aspirations and struggles, and the subjects important to her in her work. She loved to poke fun at politicians, the art establishment, and even artists themselves. Her sense of humour and great wit would cut through the most stodgy situations on any day of the week.
On 25 March 2010, the Ben McNally Bookstore in Toronto at 366 Bay Street (west side of Bay, south of Richmond) will host the launch of “Joyce Wieland: Writings and Drawings 1952-1971” from 5 to 7 p.m. My hope is that this book will help to keep Wieland in our consciousness, and remind the art world of what she has given to Canada and the world.
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