Elizabeth at Point no Point

Deryk’s new painting.

I love how he has captured the way the indoors and the outdoors can sometimes blend into one and I also love how he has shown how comfy it can be on a crisp winter day to sit near the fire and read.

See his website:
http://www.derykhouston.com

The Children’s International Peace and Harmony Statue

The Children’s International Peace and Harmony Statue

Finally – a bit of clear time to write a final post about the 2012 road trip that took us from Nova Scotia through to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec, and then through about 20 states (Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington.) I said it in my first posting when I returned home, but I need to say it again: It Was The Trip Of A Lifetime! So many wonderful people….

Now — the thing that (perhaps) sums it all up….

We had long dreamed of a road trip across rural parts of America, but what made it a reality for us was the opportunity to personally collect a piece of sculpture that had been generously donated to Deryk’s Peace Sanctuary Sculpture Park in Northern BC. http://peacesanctuarysculpturepark.org/

The trip gave us a chance for both new learning and closure — things that would have been missed had we done the more obvious thing and had the work professionally shipped to its destination. We are extremely glad that we made the trip. Over the years we had made connections with people through email and phone calls, and this was our chance to meet them in person.

So, my earlier posting about our car – which took a lighthearted view at what was involved in getting the sculpture from Indiana to our home (it isn’t at its final location yet) – tells a bit of the story of just how we approached the physical part of the process.

But this posting (much more difficult to write) is to talk about the significance of art we encountered on our trip, especially the sculpture that we will eventually take to the northern part of BC.

How, you might ask, did a large bronze sculpture come to be donated from Laconia Indiana to eventually end up near Fort St John BC? It’s a long, complicated story that started well over ten years ago and began with our children’s book about peace (Echoes from the Square), a story that took place in the then war-devastated city of Sarajevo and featured a cellist whose music gave hope to that city. Our book connected us to a boy named Jason Crowe in Indiana whose journey throughout the project has been truly amazing. Jason worked to raise funds for a sculpture to be created by David Kocka – an artist he greatly admired and whose work, as you’ll see in these photos, has a very special spiritual, inspiring quality.

Jason and David visualized a bronze cellist playing in the square of a peaceful Sarajevo. Part of that dream came true – Sarajevo is now free from war. But there were roadblocks that prevented the sculpture from being realized in the form that Jason had originally wanted. So the sculpture was revisualized as a group of children, playing harmoniously and reaching to each other — “The Children’s International Peace and Harmony Statue”. Ultimately it was decided that the sculpture should stay in North America. It will be on display at the Prince George Art Gallery (BC) and then will eventually be installed at Deryk’s Peace Sanctuary Sculpture Park.

We feel privileged to have had the chance to get to know these people.

Jason is now a young man, and we know that the experience of promoting peace in this way has shown him many aspects of how people interact with each other. We are certain that a love of the arts will continue to be an important part of his life.

We are thrilled that the Peace Sanctuary Sculpture Park will be a showcase for the final result of Jason’s vision. I know that this post doesn’t convey the depth of effort here — the evolving ideas, conversations, challenges, love, frustration and the many many people involved over the years. Hopefully, the sculpture itself contains all of those things and when people see it, they will be able to form an understanding of what it represents.

Sculpture on roof, ready to drive home

David and his work

On David’s property

sculpture on David’s property

detail of a David Kocka sculpture (not sure of the title of this)

David Kocka sculpture: The Children’s International Peace and Harmony Statue

————-

October 24 – adding a quote I had forgotten to include in this post. When the conversation about art came round to the topic of fame, David Kocka said a wonderful thing — that he wanted to be a “celebrant, not a celebrity.”

I love that idea as the reason for making art. Art is a way to share the things we believe are worth celebrating about. I see that in David’s work and thank him for it.

Lampwork by Amy Hall

It’s pretty wonderful having a daughter with this kind of talent!

Together, we are the “Two Glassy Ladies“.

Local Colour – an art exhibition with Deryk Houston and Elizabeth Wellburn

“Local Colour” is the name of the exhibition that Deryk and I will have for the month of August in the fabulous Sooke Harbour House.

Beautiful Soft Folds – acrylic painting by Deryk Houston – $2000

Deryk will show several of his acrylic paintings (including this one, called “Beautiful Soft Folds.”)

“Local Colour” is an exhibition title that suits us both.

Thank Your Lucky Stars (glass on glass mosaic)

Much of Deryk’s work is inspired by nature and the lush fertility of our great West Coast – he truly does depict the colors seen locally and he has an amazing feeling for movement and vibrancy.

More about Deryk’s work at: http://derykhouston.com/

See: a web page of all of Deryk’s paintings in the exhibition.

 

 

My work is made from recycled glass which I collect from friends, nearby thrift stores and yard sales. I love broken chunks and I melt individual pieces in the kiln so they are flat enough to adhere to my base glass — windows discarded from heritage houses that I use as my canvas. I think I am preserving some of the local colour as well and I am always inspired by the stories behind the discarded glass. I may not exactly knowthat those now-chipped amber water goblets were someone’s treasure back in 1960, but I can guess that there was a day when they got put in a box and sent to charity. When I flatten them and add them to a mosaic, I feel like I am giving them a new life.

Autumn Sonata – glass on glass mosaic

I will exhibit about seven or eight glass-on-glass mosaics, including my latest pieces: “Autumn Sonata” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars” (as usual, these are named after movies).

More about my work at
http://glass-on-glass.ning.com/

Sooke Harbour House is a fantastic location. We are delighted that they will be showcasing our work. So, if you’re in that area during August, please drop in. The gallery can be viewed by anyone who comes by. You don’t have to be a guest of the hotel or restaurant, but you can count yourself among the lucky if you *do* happen to be there for a meal or a vacation. It truly is “world class.”

Sculpture in Sidney – Sanctuary of Peace

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Deryk and our son Samuel have created something very special for the nearby town of Sidney. It was installed yesterday and we went out last night to see it. It’s 23 ft tall and it was stunning under the full moon.

These are just snapshots.

We’ll go back today to get some really good photographs.

Update: We went back and here’s what Deryk posted and wrote:
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=2014

Vedran performs again in Sarajevo

Vedran Smailovic had not performed in his hometown of Sarajevo for twenty years.

Yesterday, April 5, marked the 20th anniversary of the shelling of that city and Vedran returned to play his cello again.

Cellist of Sarajevo, Vedran Smailović from Marcel van der Steen on Vimeo.

Here’s a news article about the event.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/cellist-sarajevo-plays-again-mark-anniversary-shelling-city-172552540–spt.html

I have always viewed Vedran’s actions during the siege as an example of the power of the arts to give people hope. It’s about picking up the pieces and rebuilding and it’s a perfect message to think of once again at Easter. Springtime is a new beginning.

(Above is a video of me reading my book about Vedran Smailovic: “Echoes from the Square” with artwork by my husband, Deryk Houston)

Deryk Houston’s Art Exhibition

My husband, Deryk Houston, is an artist.  At the moment he has an exhibition of paintings at Eclectic Gallery on Oak Bay Avenue in Victoria, BC. You can view the work at the gallery till April 7, 2012.

Muskwa Kechika - a painting by Deryk Houston

The exhibition is full of colour and strong images, with paintings of local scenes, northern wilderness and memories from Deryk’s childhood. For me, these paintings speak of the joy of daily life. The beauty depicted in these works is why we strive for a world of peace — to allow the fields to continue to sustain us and the wilderness to continue to flourish.

Deryk is blogging with stories related to some of the paintings in the show. Here is a link to his first posting in that series, about his trip to the Muskwa Kechika (depicted in the painting above) in the BC’s North East: http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1814

As of March 16, 2012, there are eight more stories to share:
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1886 Crows among the Seeds
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1875 Cider Apples
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1867 Next Generation
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1865 Beautiful Soft Folds
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1857 Gonzales Bay
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1847 Springtime Renewal
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1840 Shadows and Light
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1836 Blackbirds and Prayers

And a new story, guest blogged by me on March 25:
http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=1953 Blackbirds Rise Across the Fields

And here’s a little video I made showing Deryk painting at a nearby beach called Point no Point.

Civil war and the UN

As forces move in to Libya, I feel the world is on the brink of WWIII. I hope the UN has made the correct decision. Should the “outside world” interfere with what goes on in a sovereign nation? Can this be done in an unbiased way? What if, as my husband writes at http://www.derykhouston.com/?p=867, UN Security Council is misguidedly taking sides in a civil war and its voting strategies are based more on hopes of future oil deals than on protecting innocent people?

I can only address this by comparing it to the scenario of a domestic dispute in a family neighbourhood. What if I knew that violence was taking place in a house down the street? Would I care who started it? No. I would call in the police rather than wait for the situation to resolve itself. And I would expect it to be dealt with fairly and with as little harm as possible to all who are involved.

Perhaps Terry beat Gerry and Gerry struck back. Perhaps it’s the other way around. Perhaps Gerry AND Terry have both called in some reprehensible friends for “support”. It might be very messy. All I want is for it to stop. And I especially want to end any harm that might be directed towards the other family members who only want to live their lives in peace and quiet.

I’ve heard that police fear domestic disputes more than most of the other situations they encounter.  I know they do some wonderful work to resolve things but it’s also sadly true that there can be failures and tragic outcomes. Sometimes police have to force certain individuals to leave the household. Perhaps one or more of the violent family members will end up in prison.

We’d be unlikely to worry that such decisions would be made based on anything other than the facts of the situation. Our legal system is certainly not perfect but we probably can trust that, for instance, children won’t be left in a violent household because a parent bribed a police officer.

Why can’t the world work like this?

And here’s what Amnesty International has to say about Libya in particular: http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/libya but note that their site is an amazing resource for learning about human rights all over the world.