Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Homework ramping up


 William's been working day and night on homework. Getting crazy. Sylvie helps, but not much. 

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Bit of snow

 

Bit of snow but none stuck. Still spots of ice in the shady places. Almost spring. I seem to buy busy every time it gets really warm and then need to go outside when this happens. 

Had to go to my parents for a bit this evening to help dad. 

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

More cameras



 Em opened up her camera collection to me this week. I borrowed four of her Polaroids that I've not painted yet and she has a few more Polaroids and a dozen other cameras that I'm excited to attack 

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Cat helping me work


 I had a meeting at 9 but then the rest of the day to prepare to teach at 2:30 so I spent most of it on the couch keeping warm wit Sylvie. Tons of emails about face to face issues culminating in the university shutting down all f2f classes starting next week. 

Monday, March 22, 2021

recycle in grasslands

 

Back porch was full of winter recycling - primarily wine bottles and milk cartons. Margaret and I ventured out to recycle. She discovered that there is a new Sarcan in Grasslands near the Co-op so we went there. No line up, no waiting, and polite service. A guy even greeted us in the parking lot and brought us a cart. The bottles and the cartons more or less tied at a bit over $40 each. 

Sunday, March 21, 2021

a projector painting


I was inspired by reading the introduction to Haidee Wasson's book "Everyday Movies" to take a stab at painting a projector. I'd made a list of all my film and slide and video projectors and viewing devices at one point when I'd just started painting. I thought I would eventually go on to them but the allure of the hand-held objects remains key to my paintings. The projector proved pretty difficult, taking me longer than any cameras have taken me in a long time (perhaps 4 hours). Angles and curves are there to serve the machine and contain its contents more than they are to improve user interface. 

Saturday, March 20, 2021

More wifi


 Yesterday I investigated ways to extend wifi into the back yard, Guy at PC Place noted that I can update my Access modem to a wireless modem that still has wired machines and won't cost my any more and will have better range. All that and I reduced the number of devices plugged in by one. Should help out on summer backyard hammock writing. 

Friday, March 19, 2021

William's "Dark Shadows"


 William's version of key cast from Dark Shadows: Willie, Barnabus, Liz, and Roger. 

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Near equinox sunset


 Looking due west on 14th, the sun is setting. I've never checked to see if the streets in Regina are accurately aligned east/west, north/south, but this suggests that they are. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Keeping active



 After sitting in front of my computer all day, William and I took a walk, saw a crows nest, then came home and I painted as we listened to Frank Bessai play an online Saint Patrick's Day concert (only 40 minutes). 

Monday, March 15, 2021

Is it Christmas already?


 Package arrived with a Christmas cd that I ordered in November. Drove around watching the snow melt and listened to it loud. 

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Pie Day


Margaret made three pies for Pie Day today. I need severely cut down on sugar now. Just a taste (must be polite) 


Saturday, March 13, 2021

William's battery


 William's car has been sitting for too long, too often. The battery is completely dead. I boosted it and drove around town a bit, stopping only once at Black Dog for artist supplies. I had two keys so I left it running as I was worried about being stranded. Ends up that it started again after I got it home. Fingers crossed that it will continue to start in days to come. I think the battery is only a year or two old. 

Friday, March 12, 2021

Homework and painting


 It is feeling a bit like last semester as we get near the end and my class prep drops a bit but William's homework increases. This might lead to my having more quiet time to paint, such as this Sony video camera from Chrystene. I'm also working my way through the Marvel movies (out of order). 

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Lacking the Polaroid imagination

 

I'd not noticed until I compared photos that the "new" Fuji Instax, built after they bought Polaroid, is not just similar to the Polaroid 300, it simply IS the Polaroid 300 (just different colours of plastic). Polaroid, for all its problems, was constantly redesigning and remodeling its cameras. Looking at Polaroid cameras is an adventure and you can see the changes every year. 

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Painting, last of course


 Course with Deb ended today. Chrystene lent me her father's Contax with long zoom lens for the occasion. Lori's chickens are marvelous. 

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Trying to find despair time


 Busy work day. How come even though I'm working at home, I never get enough time to collapse on the couch in despair (with cat of course). 

Monday, March 8, 2021

doctor appointment

 

One quick doctor appointment turned into an afternoon of running around and an almost painless blood sample has turned into an inch wide bruise by evening. 

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Snow returns

Weather has been really warm but I shouldn't have been surprised that snow came back. I was so busy that I didn't even notice it falling all morning until I took a break near suppertime and looked out the window. Tired all day. 
 

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Fire pit


 First fire pit in a long while. Snow is melting, but still expect some crazy weather soon. 

Friday, March 5, 2021

Instax photos



I returned the cameras I had from Brett Stevens. I also bought some film and shot a few images. The phone copier images are dark but in focus - altogether rather lame. The pinhole camera needed some testing but started delivering some cool shots (top image). 
 

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Sylvie feeling better


 Sylvie starting to get on our laps. She hates taking pills but appears to forgive us quickly. 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Pinhole Instax


 Painted an Instax camera lent to me from Brett Stevens. It is modified to be a pinhole camera. He said I could try it but I couldn't get it to work. 

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

hot water bottle


 When I was a kid, we had one hot water bottle in a bathroom in the house. It was never used. Mom worried that it would leak. She finally threw it away. Margaret and I started using hot water bottles at least twenty years ago. This week one leaked. It's just clean water to it wasn't a big deal.