arts – The Daily EO

The Daily EO: March 8th, 2013

There is a CPR war memorial in front of Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver. I’ve admired it many times when I’ve walked by. It features an angel carrying a dead soldier to heaven. I read up on it and found out that the same sculpture was placed in Winnipeg and Montreal by CPR as well.

And I am glad they did because the sculptor did a magnificent job. It is at the same time both achingly sad and almost soothing to see the sculptor’s belief that those who died were cared for after death. And yet the angel grieves as well. I often admire it when I walk by.

But as brilliant as the sculpture is, it is the words etched on the base that give me pause. I find so many phrases and terms are now trite due to over use, but not so here. The author is not known to me, but his words match well with the sculpture itself – grief and care.

To commemorate those in the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company whom at the call of King and Country left all that was dear to them, endured hardship, faced danger and finally passed out of sight of men by the path of duty and self sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others may live in freedom. Let those who come after see to it that their names are not forgotten.

“Out of the sight of men” is my favorite part. Written as if those who died remain – but just not within our sight. A little hope in amongst the sadness.

March 8th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: To be able to write or sculpt that still imparts your intended meaning 90 years later. A gift.

ETD_2187 — I hope they restore the monument while they do the work to Waterfront Station

The Daily EO: January 26 & 27th, 2013

I went to see The Hobbit for the second time this weekend – this time in 2D with my grandma. Nobody else wanted to go with her, so Emile and I said we would go even though we’d seen it before.

The Hobbit does not seem to be getting the sincere love that the Lord of the Rings series got. Reviews call out the 48 frames per second and the lack of action and hodge podge presentation of the stories. I enjoyed the movie the second time.

And there you go “I enjoyed the movie”. Why is it that I hesitate to tell you the truth – I loved the movie. I love the Lord of the Rings and I love this movie. Perhaps Peter Jackson is drawing perhaps more than he should on the appendices and and unused material from the Lord of the Rings. Perhaps the Hobbit is supposed to be lighter. Perhaps it doesn’t need 3 films to tell. But there are few movies that I actually pay to rewatch. I love the “moments”, the score, the scenery. (the rock giant fight I could have lived without really).

January 26 & 27, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Admit I love something – who cares if someone else doesn’t agree.

And thank goodness, that it wasn’t my storage unit that burned down – it was just right beside the vacant warehouse that did. Talk about a clutch in the heart driving up that day.

The Daily EO: September 17th, 2012

All of my life – well save 6 or so years – is has been an accepted fact that my brother is the artist of the family. And me not. That is okay with me – I have many talents that have got me through so far. He can just pick up a pencil and . . wel. . . draw. It’s almost like the image was there the whole time and he is just tracing it. It’s always proportional, identifiable and usually funny.

I cannot draw at all. My stick men even look sick. So, when Selina – who’s 7 – offered to give me an art lesson, I took her up on it. Perhaps she would teach me something I didn’t know. Alas, an art lesson to her was telling me what to draw and then critiquing it. “That’s Pretty”, “I like pink” – you know very constructive statements.

She told me to draw a fairy, and so I did. I drew a fairy flying in the night sky over evergreen trees, holding a wand, and wearing a pink ball gown. It was pretty amateurish. But I took my time – trying to set an example to the kids that you always do your best work even if you aren’t as good as someone else. I coloured carefully in the lines, I drew five fingers on each hand and made sure there was twinkling stars in the sky.

September 17th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: “Flora the Fairy” blew these kids’ minds. They clamoured for me to draw them one so they could colour it in. They think I am a great draw-er. I’ve just been hanging out with the wrong people. Perspective.