Art Magazine May – August 2024

ART MAGAZINE

May - August 2024

Upcoming Events

Featured Artists: Harold Allanson and Jolene Galick

AI in the Arts

Digital Resources For All Art Forms

Poetry Corner

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: HAROLD ALLANSON

By Peg Ainsley

As a young lad, Harold noticed someone drawing rudimentary lions onto leftover blocks of wood. He felt a nudge then, excited by the knowledge that people could draw. Later, in his school-aged days, he enjoyed the excellent artwork in MAD magazine.

In the years that followed, Harold soaked up all the fine examples that were found in multiple magazines, and he spoke with another artist about learning opportunities which led to 18 months at the Chicago School of Arts. Having to leave that school early, he went into long distance driving, following in the footsteps of his father

From Beaufort Sea to Mexico, he crisscrossed our continent before trucking in Australia for two years At the age of 56, he left trucking and moved to Gabriola

Harold thought about trying to paint again, and attended many art workshops As most courses were in watercolour, that is the medium he has remained with for the last quarter century

Wishing to replicate cowboy life on paper, Harold travels occasionally to the largest ranchlands in British Columbia He spends the mornings capturing three to four hundred photographs of cowboys at work and animals being roped, led, and saddled From this raw material, he chooses which elements to use in each of his watercolour compositions The results are stunning! The people shown in the work all receive a print as a thank you gift, and sometimes even an original

Allanson described using a wash to unify and tone down the background of a piece in order to make the foreground pop There are examples of humans, animals, and landscapes in his street level studio near Crofton’s waterfront They all have deep, rich colour normally achieved by heavier mediums In short, he has made watercolour his own

His children have his best work, as he’d rather leave them with something of value, instead of pieces that for whatever reason, haven’t sold He married into a “his, mine, and ours” situation, so he has six children and 18 grandkids!

He has shown many times in the United States and Canada, where he has memberships in esteemed watercolour societies He has won occasional monetary awards, but is losing enthusiasm for sending things away

He is pleased and feels honoured to be named the Arts Council of Ladysmith and District’s Feature Artist for the Arts on the Avenue festival in August, 2024

Asked if he has advice for beginning artists, he said, “You’re not an artist until you’re willing to call yourself one ” He says that even if you’re not doing wonderful stuff, it’s important not to give up While you’re searching for the right technique or expression type, it will find you ”

“In my opinion, the most important elements in a painting are value and composition As for colours and colour coordination, that’s an artists personal choice ”

Learn more from Harold firsthand at Arts on the Avenue on Sunday, August 24, 2024 He will be in the Featured Artist tent Or, enroll in his September 6 to 8 workshop at www ladysmitharts ca/classes

AI IN ART : A LEARNING JOURNEY

by Adriene Jameson

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.

― Alice Morse Earle

I’ll admit: When we first started talking about Artificial Intelligence or AI, or more specifically AI in the art world, as a potential idea for an article for this magazine, I had a mixed response about it. My first response was intrigue: What do I know about this topic? How does it work? And then my second response was nervousness. After all, I think I am correct to say that there is a divided opinion on the use of AI or even technology in general in the arts world Was I opening up a can of worms? Was I going to get a lot of criticism for writing this article?

I decided that the best thing (for me) to do was to do what I knew how to do best: learn as much as I can and write as compellingly as I can about the topic And what is art if there is no opinion on it? Opinions are responses, if you really think about it, and that’s what art does for people: it evokes responses, whether we like them or not.

So, I went on a journey for myself into the rabbit hole that is AI, and this is my attempt to share what I learned and to evoke thought and discussion about it.

In

these points:

What is AI? How does it work?

I watched a very informative lecture online by Mirella Lapata, who is professor of natural language processing in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh Her research focuses on getting computers to understand, reason with, and generate natural language She defines Artificial Intelligence as:

“A fancy way of saying that we get a computer program to do a job that a human would otherwise do ”

AI is not new. Anyone who uses a computer word processor or a tablet or smartphone has already experienced AI in the form of predictive text (darn you, autocorrect!), sentence autocompletion, voice command programs, such as Siri and Alexa, or translation programs.

Perhaps one of the ways to think about Generative AI is to think of them as toddlers that are learning as much as they can in their journey to becoming an adult Here’s what I mean by that:

AI developers build things called models. Models are little mini machines which are arranged in a system called a neural network, which is inspired by the way human neural networks are arranged. They are programmed to memorize data, then to recognize patterns or make predictions after learning that data This data could be sentences, images, or videos

These little machines are like little children’s brains which are just absorbing as much about the world as possible Think of a toddler

AI program is exposed to lots of data

AI program learns to predict what comes next AI generates new things based on what it has learned

Presently, when people refer to AI, they are now referring to technology known as Generative Artificial Intelligence This refers to a computer program which can generate new content, be it text, computer codes, images, and most recently, video This content is data that computers have not previously seen. It has not previously existed, and therefore it has been created by the program itself. The most wellknown program at present is ChatGPT.

Toddlers observe the world around them, listening to the sentences that adults around them are saying, and learning to draw shapes to symbolize the world around them Every so often, we say the beginning of a nursery rhyme or a song to a toddler, and because they have heard that phrase so often, they will finish the nursery rhyme or song because they have learned to predict what comes next.

Sometimes, the toddler gets it wrong, and then the adult corrects them. The toddler listens and adjusts for the next time. Think of all of those many hours you’ve spent with little children hearing them say the same things over and over and over again they are learning to predict, which is how they learn how to speak a language This is how AI neural networks work: they observe data, and they learn the data by learning to predict what comes next When they get it wrong, programmers correct them, and then the neural network learns and adjusts for the next time

AI neural networks are different, however, because they can learn much quicker, but they still require human programmers to correct them. I did a search for data entry positions online recently, and discovered that there are many jobs available for people to work with programmers to help watch AI neural networks and correct them when they make incorrect predictions Most recently, programmers have developed new ways for neural networks to do selfsupervised learning, but they still require corrections by programmers when they go wrong That is where it gets expensive, but I will expand on this more later

These neural networks get stacked together to build a transformer (in fact ChatGPT stands for “General, Pretrained Transformers.”) These transformers then get really good at predicting things. They are then referred to as “pre-trained” in that they’ve been around for a while, they’ve learned a lot, but it’s mostly general knowledge. These transformers are fine-tuned to learn how to do more specific things, such as learning medical data and then writing a diagnostic report They allow them to do special-purpose applications One of those applications includes creating new art

How are artists using AI?

AI IN ART : A LEARNING JOURNEY

I have friends who have been using AI, and more specifically, text generating AI, for both work and leisure. One friend of mine has used it to come up with topics that would be interesting and relevant for a talk she needed to deliver at a conference Another uses it to make up stories that feature the names of her grandchildren Other friends have used it to get explanations for scientific concepts they had not previously understood But are artists using AI? And if so, how?

I chatted with Thierry Lechanteur, a graphic designer and artist based in Belgium, about his use of AI for his work. He said that he uses AI to create “previews” for photos he would like to create, or to make backgrounds for some of his art. When I asked him what his thoughts were about the use of AI in art, he said, “Art has nothing to do with craftsmanship, art can be produced in any way possible and it doesn't matter what medium is used or who creates it. It's all about the intention in the act of creation ” He cited Marcel Duchamp’s work, Fountain, which challenged the ideas at the time about how only certain materials could be used to create art

His work was made from a urinal he purchased from a hardware store. Is it still art if it’s not made from paint and canvas?

The scope for the use of AI in art extends to graphic design as well Since the images produced from many generators are free to use, graphic designers can save time, money and effort from not having to buy stock images for their work This does bring out the issue of the loss of revenue from those who make money from creating stock images, but I will address that later on in this article

For me to better understand how AI could be used in art, I thought I should try using AI for some of my work. I like to work with textiles, creating garments in knitted and crochet fabrics, and more recently, in textile illustration with ink on hand-dyed fabric. I have a piece of fabric to which I plan to add illustration, but the actual topic of illustration has eluded me thus far I have visions of drawing people dancing in the rain, but so far, I have not yet managed to create a composition that I like I decided to try using Leonardo AI, which is an image generation platform that lets you create your own pictures and share them

Image generated from Leonardo AI from prompt, “black and white illustration of people dancing in the rain”

When you first load up the app, you’ll see there are several ways to generate an AI image, including via text and image prompts The app is free, but you are limited to the number of images you can generate (unless you purchase “coins” to continue).

When I typed in “black and white illustration of people dancing in the rain,” I got four different images which depicted the AI model’s ideas of what that meant They weren’t necessarily what I’d call illustrations, and if I wanted to be more specific, I suppose I could have typed, “line drawing” or “ink drawing” or “pencil drawing,” but the point is that it provided me with some ideas of what my illustration could look like. It hasn’t produced something for me to copy, but it has provided me with inspiration

I also have some red and white yarn that I plan to experiment with to create a garment using a knitting technique called intarsia, so I typed in “red and white intarsia sweater with swirls.” Again, the program provided me with four images of what it thought I meant It was interesting because it provided designs I’d never seen before and was not even sure if they were possible to knit, but I am now feeling quite excited to see if I can find a

way to use my needles to create similar patterns myself If that’s not inspiration, I’m not sure what is

What are the issues?

There is little doubt that there is a lot of fear and worry about the effects of AI on society We think about the idea of machines being able to teach themselves things, and it’s not long before we begin to worry about machines “taking over” and running the world What do we know about the capabilities of AI and what does it mean to the art world?

Diminished returns

Generative AI such as ChatGPT can produce content which it can then use to retrain itself. The trouble with this is if that content is not checked over and corrected to be factual, what it produces will not be as good. This is the basic “garbage in, garbage out” model. We have already seen it with language translation programs: if you feed translated content back and forth between two languages, it’s not long before the original intended meaning gets lost This is sometimes seen in image generating AI: I have heard anecdotes of asking AI to produce an image of a water bed, and the result was a bed with a waterslide in it!

The thing about creating technology that can generate new content is that it’s inevitable that it won’t behave the way people want it to behave Since the inital release of AI programs, people have wanted to use it for other things that the developers had never thought of.

How do we create an agent that behaves in accordance with what a human wants? If we have AI systems with skills that we find important or useful, how do we adapt those systems to reliably use those skills to do things that we want?

AI Developers use something called the HHH Framework when finetuning AI:

Helpful - the program follows instructions, performs tasks, provides answers, and asks relevant questions to clarify user intent when needed.

Honest - the program provides factual information, and acknowledges its own uncertainties and limitations

Harmless - the program avoids toxic, biased, or offensive responses and refuses to assist in dangerous activities

Currently, if you ask a text generating AI model such as ChatGPT to “tell a joke about a woman,” it will refuse to do it How do we get it to do this? Finetuning by humans The developers have tuned the program to avoid topics which may cause harm or offense. It is by using this model that developers are attempting to prevent the production of fakes and fake news. And since humans are involved, this costs money. This is where it gets expensive I will touch more on this later in the article

Image generated from Leonardo AI from prompt, “red and white intarsia sweater with swirls”

Loss of jobs

The truth about using technology to do tasks that humans used to do is that it will inevitably cause the loss of jobs. This has been happening since the dawn of the industrial revolution, even in the art world. Imagine the worry when cameras threatened the work of portrait artists? When home printers threatened the world of photography labs? It has happened before and will continue to occur When I asked Terry Lechanteur the question, “What would you say to people who fear that AI will take work away from artists?” he said:

“Like photographs taking job from painters 100 years ago? That’s life Only the good will survive ”

And what I would add is, those who adapt can continue to work Perhaps it means you integrate AI into your work somehow, or perhaps you work in a niche that AI cannot really touch.

The sorts of jobs that could be lost include:

repetitive text writing jobs production of stock images production of logos and other graphic designer products

Another real issue is the potential for your work to be copied or adapted by AI and presented as something new This has been a very common problem for freelance artists that use online platforms to sell their art, even before the advent of AI The only (and best defense) so far against this is the vigilance of artists (and their supporters) to report these instances to online platforms repeatedly as soon as they occur. This is a costly and time-consuming process

Environmental concerns

In this age of super micro computing, mobile phones, and wireless technology, it surprised me to learn AI uses lots of energy for the processing of each query.

Why was the computer cold? Because it left its Windows open!

Every single query requires processors that require a huge amount of energy to run. A ChatGPT query uses 100 times more energy than a Google Search query, and produces much more CO2 from the energy it uses This brings up questions about sustainability: how can we use this technology without destroying the environment?

Can it really take over?

Given that humans are currently required to correct and fine-tune this technology, it is impossible for this technology to become autonomous

In 2023, the Australian Research Council conducted research to see if it was indeed possible for AI such as ChatGPT to become autonomous. Their findings included the following:

Preliminary assessments of GPT-4’s abilities, conducted with no taskspecific finetuning, found it ineffective at autonomously replicating, acquiring resources, and avoiding being shut down “in the wild.” (Open AI, 2023)

What is the future?

Don’t we all wish we had a crystal ball sometimes? What can we possibly say about what the future holds for AI and its use in art?

There are several factors which will affect the future of AI, including:

Advancements in AI technology, which could lead to AI systems that are more capable, versatile, and efficient

Ethical and regulatory considerations which include privacy, bias, accountability, and transparency.

Result from ChatGPT from the query: “Tell me a joke about compters”

Automation and job displacement, could lead to changes in the labor market, potentially displacing certain jobs while creating new opportunities for others

And yet, there does seem to be a limiting factor for the future of AI: simple economics Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI who developed ChatGPT has been quoted as saying that it cost over $100 million dollars to train. It’s not as though there are basement hackers who are developing this technology. If someone was going to build it again to make it better, it would take a lot of money.

Is the sky the limit? Is there reason to worry? It’s hard to say. I believe the best way to approach new things is to learn as much as possible, and I think it will be interesting to see where this journey continues to take me!

Links, References and Where to Learn

More

Leonardo AI - a text to image generator

ChatGPT - a text generator which follows a text instruction and provides a detailed response

What is generative AI and how does it work? - A video from The Turing Lectures with Mirella Lapata

ARC tests to see if GPT-4 can escape human control; GPT-4 failed to do so - an abstract from the Australian Research Council’s report

OpenAI’s CEO Says the Age of Giant AI Models Is Already Over - an article from wired com about the research strategy that birthed ChatGPT

Thierry Lechantuer - website for Belgian artist who uses AI in this work

Unleashing your creativity

In today's digital era there are many ways that Canadian, and British Columbian, artists are finding innovative ways to create, amplify, reimagine, and share art

From our serene coastal landscapes here on Vancouver Island to the bustling city streets of Toronto, and the vast and majestic landscapes to the north, digital resources and platforms are transforming the artistic landscape for artists all across Canada

Artistic disciplines can vary: from visual arts, literary arts, and performing arts; however, there are many different artistic digital tools and resources available that foster and grow creativity and community.

Seeking free resources?

Considering fee-for service options?

There are a variety of free and fee-for service tools that are available for artists in this digital world There are a variety of tools that are available for different art disciplines too, and the curated list below may be a new road map for you to explore further.

Please note that with any digital tool or app, the user should factor in data security, being cautious and vigilant, and understand the fine print before venturing further. Be mindful, and understand your digital footprint.

For Visual Artists

Canva (free and fee-for service): Canva is an online digital design tool. The online platform and app contain a variety of digital design tools to create and publish a variety of projects. For more information, visit www.canva.com

Procreate (fee-for-service):

Procreate is a digital design, canvas, and animation studio all in the palm of your hands Procreate comes in three different versions that are available as apps Loaded with a variety of brushes, colours, and tools the means for creating is endless Additional brushes and tools can be downloaded (free and some fee-for service) from other creators, or artists have the opportunity to create their own brushes For more information, visit procreate com

ForOurWordsmithsand Storytellers

Wattpad(freeandfee-forservice): Wattpadisanonlinestorytelling community.Wattpadallowswriters tosharetheiroriginal stories,find resources,buildfanbases,gain readership momentum,andit createstheopportunity toamplify writing withpossibilitiesfor publishing oradaptationstofilm or television Wattpadhasavariety of programsandopportunitiesthat writerscanexplore Formore information,visitwww wattpad com

Reedsy (free tools, commission fees etc.): Reedsy is an online digital platform that connects authors, and writers with tools and free educational opportunities Reedsy connects publishers with writers, and works with writers at any stage of their publishing journey For more information, visit reedsy com

For Our Performing Artists

SoundCloud (free and paid subscriptions): SoundCloud is a digital platform that allows artists and their fans to come together, connect, and share music SoundCloud has a variety of tools, services, and resources Forty million artists have used SoundCloud, and it seems to be expanding with new tools and opportunities as the platform grows For more information, visit: soundcloud com

StageIt: (free to use, takes a percentage of show revenue): StageIt is an online digital platform where artists can perform live, and host their own concerts directly from their laptops. Artists can monetize their shows, and creates a new digital experience to connect with their fans and supporters. For more information, visit: www.stageit.com

If you are looking for additional resources to support your artistic journey here is a curated list of some British Columbian and Canadian organizations that have digital resources that may be valuable to you!

British Columbian and Canadian Resources For Every Artist

Arts BC:

Arts BC works towards connecting artists with resources and tools, and opportunities They are a non-profit organization, and you can find more information at artsbc org/resourcelibrary where artists can browse a a list of resources and also find information about grants and funding as well as links to toolkits for a variety of projects and initiatives.

BC Alliance for Arts and Culture:

Another great local resource is the BC Alliance for Arts and Culture, a nonprofit provincial organization that provides support, connections and information, and works towards sharing the value of arts and culture in our province and local communities You can find a list of resources and tools at www allianceforarts com/resources

Federation of Canadian Artists:

The Federation of Canadian Artists is a registered charity foundation, and it operates throughout various chapters across Canada. Their mission is to help all Canadians grow their knowledge and appreciation for art and culture They offer educational opportunities, exhibition opportunities, and can help promote artists who are emerging or already working as professional artists You can glean more information and check out their resources for members at artists ca

Here is a short list of other provincial and federal organizations that may hold valuable information, resources, and support:

CARFAC - Canadian Artists

Representation: www.carfac.ca

Creative BC: creativebc.com

Canada Council for the Arts: canadacouncil ca

The digital world allows artists to connect no matter where they may be located. The opportunities are endless, and continue to grow and expand. Unleash your creativity and allow yourself to soar across digital landscapes.

By Peg Ainsley

First, picture Niels Damborg creating and selling art from his studio in Lantzville in the 70s. His work was popular and has found homes all over the continent. He had a great sense of humour, and there are family stories about the sales he made in his shop, sometimes with tongue in cheek, but always landing the sale. It was his living.

Now, leap forward several years, to his preschool granddaughter playing with art, taking art classes as she grew up, and finally graduating from Vancouver Island University with a Visual Arts Diploma. This is Jolene Galick, nee Damborg, an artist coming into her own with her larger landscapes now fetching into the four figures.

When she had babies, it was impossible to count on getting back to the easel before the paint dried, so she opted to work with paper quilling.

This technique uses small pieces of colourful papers to create the spirals and zig-zags which are then used to form many decor pieces. This owl by Galick is an example of the paper art form:

In this past year, Galick got the acrylics out again, just in time to become acquainted with her grandfather’s work. They had never met, but his pieces just started showing up.

She heard from a woman in the United States who was downsizing and reached out to see whether Galick would be interested in getting Niels’ work returned. Galick agreed, so the woman removed the canvases she owned from their frames, rolled them into mailing tubes, and shipped them to Nanaimo.

Since then, other collectors have come forward, and Galick is grateful that she uses the Damborg name on all her artwork. That’s what made it possible for owners of her grandfather’s work to find her.

Once she had his work in hand, Galick set about painting her own version of his compositions. The results connect two artists across time.

Galick had wanted to work with her grandfather’s paintings for a long time, and then when his work started showing up on her doorstep, it felt right

It takes less guesswork and makes it almost more relaxing for her. If she already knows the colour palette as well as the composition, the only thing left is to paint. It’s also fun for her to practice colour matching. She quite often uses the primary colours along with black and white. She will sometimes fine tune with a pre-mixed colour, but she rarely uses paint straight out of the bottle.

“Footsteps” is the name of this series honouring her grandfather, and she just completed the third piece in the series, pictured below.

“Really, I’m just trying to recreate his scenes to the best of my ability in my own style, which I feel is inspired by all of the artists I admire. I’ve always loved the work of Lawren Harris and Emily Carr, and I reach towards the feelings those artists create. Some local artists I also really look up to are Dana Statham, Bev Byerly, ‘Art by Di’ and Chilli Tom.”

Galick says that painting is a break from her busy life. The subject doesn’t matter as much as losing herself in the activity. She admits that her family jokes about her focus: “They say I shouldn’t be allowed to colour with the kids ‘cause I get too into it.”

Watch for Jolene Galick at Arts on the Avenue on August 24, 2024. See for yourself this wonderfully re-imagined artwork.

The Misadventures of Vincent Van Goat Presents "Supportive Sibling"

Written and Illustrated by Morganna Parr

Meet the artist behind this issue of Vincent Van Goat

Morganna is an 18-year-old, Grade 12 student. She has been sketching and creating since preschool Morganna especially enjoys drawing animals that reveal personalities with pizzaz.

When not sketching and creating at home, she can be found romping with the family dog, cuddling the cat, or training the goats.

Vincent Van Goat is a special member of Ladysmith Arts.

Watch for him to make a repeat appearance in Art Magazine

Morganna is also passionate about wilderness hiking, taking photos of fungi, and hanging out with friends She is not sure what artistic path she’ll follow after graduation, but she is certain there will be more than one path that suits her varied interests.

H - A R T

Q U E S T I O N S

HOW HAVE YOU REIMAGINED YOUR ART? F r o m t h e p u

A space for uplifting accounts from the community. Every edition will showcase your diverse answers to a single question.

REIMAGINED ART

“A lot of reimagining in pottery happens when you are still learning. I had this idea that the classes I took were to make mugs and bowls, until I realized, I don’t want to be doing the same thing as everyone else. The dinosaurs came into existence because I

didn’t want to just create another mug, and I was having extreme pain in my hands, but still wanted to work with clay. When people smile, laugh, and buy a little dinosaur, it makes me so happy! All the dinosaurs have their own personalities too, which people are drawn to.” Francesca Reside Instagram: @petite_pottervi

“Every artist’s style adapts, grows, changes. Tattoo art is something where you definitely don’t want it to be the first draft You want this piece of art to be a part of you, to be a reflection. A person does not remain stagnant, and neither should their body art.

“The vision behind my custom painted jean jackets is to create a moving art installation that uplifts and empowers people, everywhere they go. In essence, I co-create and paint a personalized design that helps people feel a reimagined

Tattoos are a living art form. Unlike a painting, they change overtime Colours fade, lines blow out, meanings evolve, skin sags, desires change, but even with these changes, it’s a part of you, and you love it as a part of yourself. A walking gallery.”

Rose: @tattoo.evergreen

sense of confidence, empowerment, and pride to own their authenticity, in essence, to celebrate who they are.

Re-imagining a plain old denim jacket into something personally meaningful gives me absolute joy.” Sarah Leo sarahleoartist.weebly.com/-painted-jean-jackets

REIMAGINED ART

“When a printmaker starts with an idea for a new print, he has to do a lot of preliminary work before he gets to see his imagination on paper This work often leads to a failure (known as an "artist’s proof"), which may, after a critical review, lead to renewed carving or etching of the plate and a new printed image

Printmakers are able to review their images and learn what works and what doesn't. Here are three prints from images carved in a piece of wood that have been re-imaginated.” Nico Meijer Drees

My wish, as an artist, is to give the viewer something to discover. Rather than having a focal point, my work offers the eye a journey, and my hope is they will find something to surprise or delight them. This is accomplished often by painting over an old work. The original painting was of stylized trees, water, and a pickup truck.

Instead of giving it a coat of gesso, I simply painted on top of the original, leaving some bits I liked to show through. It adds depth, and makes surprises possible. One of the pickup truck’s tires was left exposed to surprise a viewer who is willing to spend time on the journey that is titled ‘Go Deep.’” Peg Ainsley

Being a full time artist is a challenging job, so you gotta love it. I have been and will continue to do whatever it takes to make this dream into a reality. Between teaching classes, completing commissions, making signs for local businesses, and

through sharing my art, I have been lucky enough to sustain my practice for more than two years so far. Through persistence and the help of my partner, I have been able to experiment and grow as an artist and as a person ” Denny Provost dabblingwithdenny.com

REIMAGINED ART

“I was told by a critique ‘just pick one thing, and actually get good at it.’ In order to be authentic, A Real Artist, I convinced myself I needed freedom of expression, but it left me jumping from one idea to the next which excused my lack of skill in the name of

“Unlike art that imitates the world accurately, my personality demands to express its imagination in a non-realistic way I often favor bright colours, and I use geometric techniques because they are effective for my purposes. I want to be able to look at my work, and every once

authenticity I took the advice and realized that for me, strict restraint is the logical path to making an art career. I was going to have to work hard every day and expect almost nothing in return. Tylor Mcneil Instagram: @tylor_mcneil

in a while, find something new and surprising about it. This style extends to my furniture and found object restorations. Transforming old tables, boxes, chairs and more into something new Visit me at my studio gallery or see my website ” Claudia Lohmann www.ClaudiaLohmann.com

R I N G : ON O H FARHANGPOUR ON ARDS OCK

-CANDICE JAMES -PEG AINSLEY

REIMAGINED: transitive verb: To have imagined again or anew, especially to have formed a new conception of.

THANK YOU:

For your poetic contributions in sharing your courageous, inventive, and unique moments in time <3

REIMAGINED

Reimagined is my world

As I face the consequences of setting boundaries

Reimagined is my spirit

As I reclaim my right to take up space

In all this reimagining, I come home to myself I come home to the little girl who has been a part of me my whole life

The little girl I kept hidden in the shadows so she would be safe

As the number of elephants in the room grew too numerous to count, Stealing any possible air she could use to call attention to them, from her tiny lungs.

Reimagined is her future as she moves from the shadows toward the light, From exile to embodiment.

Reimagined is her understanding of the light

As I gaze into the mirror

To see her light shining through me

In all this reimagining, She and I are reunited in wholeness

Together as one, We are the light

ⓒ Kate Wilton

MIDNIGHT

MAGIC

There’s a mysterious beauty about the night that I hadn’t before noticed

Golden light illuminating the tips of trees and highlighting intricate angles… all moving with ease… slowly, with control… swaying in the soft summer's breeze… Like a stage light, shining a line-shaped beam onto a five-star show I walk a little further and hear the echo of steps merge with the flickering rustle of leaves… I look up to see stars, vivid and silver against a deep blue sky… indigo in nature and littered with dreams I imagine would connect my life like constellations, around for centuries. The mysteries of the night, the picturesque beauty captures my attention, and a connection I feel to the stars, and previous generations, also caught by this magic.

It makes me pause, wonder, dream, and feel inspired to experience the night in a way that makes me wide awake

ⓒ Sarah Leo

From Mosaic Light at Salamander Books

BUDDHA

a deep breath hands opened to the sides a white net blows in the wind surrounds me

I become a bride in a white silky gown

a deep breath hands become wings

I soar into the sky descending to the earth become a white swan pure, elegant, calm

a deep breath

immersed in a ball of energy golden and shiny head to toe

I am a fish swimming in a pond

so many dreams, so many fancies a mermaid is born

I am the daughter of oceans

a deep breath the world flows in me hands on my chest

I evolve

into a mountain-size statue of Buddha in Ajanta Caves – in India

the wind of centuries blows at me brushes against my face throws stones

I stand firm - resolved forever majestic forever sublime

ⓒ Parvaneh Farhangpour

A MIGHTY SHIP

When our son was 9 years old we purchased a refrigerator. It arrived in a sturdy box which he became excited about and shortly went to work on; creating circular windows on each side, fastening a broom stick on the back for a pillow case flag of his design, and appropriating a hula hoop for a steering wheel. The plain box was transformed into a mighty ship ready to sail the ocean in search of adventure

He invited a friend for a play-date to pretend they were sailors

The friend couldn’t imagine the box was a ship

Next day he invited another friend who sadly came to the same conclusion

We encouraged him not to give up

This time jubilation, as his friend Peter saw the ship in all its glory and couldn’t wait to sail

Over the course of weeks they had fun pretending they were fearless sailors, although teachers wondered why they would blurt out “all hands on deck” and other seafaring jargon with gusto

Our son’s children follow in his footsteps by giving free rein to their imagination and enhancing make-believe with reimagining

ⓒ Jeff Salmon

SONNET 1392: PRELUDES

I thought a brush of wind upon the hazel

Messenger of storm to come

But it was only juncos and Stellers jays

Looking for seeds in autumn

And then were drops of rain

Enough to count upon my fingers

I thought the first of millions

But came a parting of the clouds

Chased by a jealous sun

Then in you walked and touched my lip

And I hoped it was prelude to passion

But no! Like the fickle wind and the rain

Love from us had run again

ⓒ John Edwards, Poet Laureate

Ladysmith, BC

RE-IMAGINE

This patch of soil by my back door, Today brown and mossy, Has for a decade been time’s touchstone.

It is whitened by winter’s first frost

Then transforms

With a crown of snowdrops into The place where winter gives way to Spring.

Summer holds sway here

On a wave of red geraniums.

Her kisses flung

As we rush past,

In a hurry to join the long lighted days.

It is the harbour holding falling Maple leaves as they swirl to rest

In autumn eddies.

And the spanning space where we close the door

On another year and open into the new.

Each cycle seen in this small space is intense, Like a shot glass of seasonality.

And though I can picture it, Bright blooming

Warm and fragrant in months from this bleak day, I chide myself for doing so.

Heeding the warning of my spirited father, “Don’t wish your life away.”

Though tempting to re-imagine this day in a softer season, I inhale the present

Wholly

As I step outside into the cold, damp, greyness

And am content.

ⓒ Edie Fishlock

BEND

Be loving.

Throw shiny pebbles you’ve warmed in your hands and held to your heart into the sea of humanity.

Be kind.

Sail whispers you’ve whetted with love and laced with empathy onto the winds of change.

Be willing.

Embrace with ease all the sorrows and joys you are given. Surrender to the storms of life.

Be the solidity of the stones

Be the lingering of the whispers

Be the supple branches of eternity

If you bend you will not break… Bend.

ⓒ Candice James, Poet Laureate New Westminster, BC

CREATING ART

Imagine PLAY

Discover

Re-imagine

ⓒ Peg Ainsley

SPONSORSHIPS PROGRAM 2024