my mind has been occupied with edges

the edge of space, the edge of a line the two sides of an edge.

the edge of a thought . the formation of an idea out of space.

the experience has not lent itself to very eloquent verbal expression.  

between bouts of sleeping and reading i have been letting the brush explore the experience for me.  

i am uncertain about the process and still uncommitted to a form.  

the contrast of forms seems to be presenting itself in this series idea, that i have decided on.

i am going to paint a series of ancestor paintings, with the same symbolic references between subjects, but different treatments of color and different explorations of space.  

the meaning is largely mysterious to me still.  as it is

past ancestors are mysterious.  

what parts of them do we know? what form can memory hold about biological beings?  

my subjects will be ancestors i knew in experience, but the presence of time and genetic memory stretching back to some scandinavian roots that i only know of from records left by civilized travelling by peoples across the face of time and the surface of the planet.

first two ancestor paintings

december - acrylic on masonite. 12 5/8 " H x 8 1/2" W

april - acrylic on canvass 12" H x 16" W

i have been invited to be part of two poetry group shows this week.  

Minstrels & Bards

Tranzac Club

292 Brunswick Ave,

Wednesday Jan. 22, 2025 6:30PM

GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE

The 4th Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15) and the 7th Parliamentary/Canadian Poet Laureate (2016-17), George Elliott Clarke hails from Windsor, Nova Scotia, as of 1960 Clarke is also a pioneering scholar of African-Canadian literature, with two major tomes to his credit: Odysseys Home: Mapping African-Canadian Literature (2002) and Directions Home: Approaches to African-Canadian Literature (2012). A professor of English at the University of Toronto, Clarke has taught at Duke, McGill, the University of British Columbia, and Harvard. He holds eight honorary doctorates, plus appointments to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. His recognitions include the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre Fellowship (US), the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellows Prize, the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry, the National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry, the Premiul Poesis (Romania), the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (US), and International Fellow Poet of the Year, Encyclopedic Poetry School [2019] (China). His acclaimed titles include Whylah Falls (1990, translated into Chinese), Beatrice Chancy (1999, translated into Italian), Execution Poems (2001), Blues and Bliss (selected poems, 2009), I & I (2008), Illicit Sonnets (U.K., 2013), Traverse (2015), Canticles II (MMXX) (2020), Canticles III (MMXXII) (2022), and J’Accuse…! (Poem versus Silence) (2021). Clarke penned the libretto for James Rolfe’s triumphant, tragic opera, Beatrice Chancy (1998), plus two lyrics for Four the Moment’s 2022 Polaris Slaight Heritage Prize-winning album, We’re Still Standing (1987).

GIOVANNA RICCIO

A prize-winning poet and teacher who thrives on scholarly pursuits, Giovanna Riccio was born in Calabria, Italy and immigrated to Canada as a child. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Giovanna majored in philosophy. She is the author of Vittorio (Lyricalmyrical Press, 2010) Strong Bread (Quattro Books, 2011), and Plastic’s Republic (Guernica Editions, 2019) which was a finalist for the 2022 Bressani Prize. Her poems have appeared in national and international publications, numerous anthologies and have been translated into six languages. Website and contact: giovannariccio.com

LARA SOLNICKI

Noted for her “restlessly inquisitive mind, both musical and poetic” and “her formidable creativity apparent at all times" (Critic's Choice, Opera News), Lara Solnicki “continues to map new intersections for literature and improvised music" (Editor's Pick, Jazz Times). Her third album The One and the Other (2021) has been called “a musical universe that is hers alone. To say the least bewitching.” (Culture Jazz, OUI). "Rarely is unpredictability so seamlessly juxtaposed with concrete, vivid imagery” (The Best Jazz on Bandcamp).

Produced by multi award winning musician, producer and composer Jonathan Goldsmith, the project has been called “an unexpected thrilling listen. It’s fascinating to hear Lara Solnicki develop the architecture of these songs with such wit and control and a prog musicians' sense of narrative” (The Wire), where "narrative coherence is disrupted by her penchant for enigma, Joycean wordplay, and poetic abstraction. Elsewhere her material is likened to ‘word paintings,' which might actually come closer to capturing the character of her sound; one might even label her approach a variant of performance art, with poetry and music in place of visual theatrics. Perhaps the best compliment one could pay is to note how much The One and the Other stands apart from other vocal-based releases. If all that makes [it] sound like an ambitious, original, and unusual recording, it closely reflects the artist responsible for it.” (Textura).

Described as a “vocal purist” with a "spellbinding voice” (All About Jazz), “blessed with an exquisite vocalic articulation” (Jazz Trail),“an understanding of the most subtle nuances in lyrics and melody, and a freshness, intelligence and wit she invests in every interpretation” (Stanley Péan, Radio Canada), Solnicki has previously released two CDs; A Meadow in December (2010, Independent), and Whose Shadow? (2014, Inner Circle Music) with #1 songs on Canadian jazz radio and web charts (Radio Canada, CBC). She has been featured in CD compilations produced by JAZZIZ magazine (USA), and "For Jazz Vocal Fans Only vol.1 (Japan) and was the vocalist for two Canadian feature films, Nighttalk (2022) and The Christmas Spirit (2022).

A classically trained singer with a four octave range, she holds a Bachelor of Music from The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music where she studied in both Performance Diploma and Artist Diploma programs. In addition, she has been mentored by dozens of international artists in the fields of classical, jazz and creative music which include professional development grants and residencies to work with Greg Osby (2017), Frank Carlberg and David Berkman (2018), and Dominique Eade and Ran Blake (TBD). Projects in the works include a psychological thriller dramatic poem/ creative music project to be produced by Jonathan Goldsmith.

Lara Solnicki is the recipient of numerous CD recording, composition, international residency and professional development grants from The Canada Council for the Arts, The Foundation

Supporting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), The Ontario Arts Council, The Toronto Arts Council and The Chalmers Foundation. She lives in Toronto/Tkaronto.

HIGHLIGHTS

Patti Cole

Pat Connors

Paul Edward Costa

Jennifer Hosein

Steve Paul Sims

Marty Smith

Allan Weiss

Georgia Wilder

 https://www.youtube.com/@minstrelsandbards/videos

the secret handshake gallery

Saturday Jan. 25, 2025 - 1 PM

360 College St Unit #301,

https://www.thesecrethandshake.ca/