Catching up: Tombola painting

It’s been an amazing art and poetry whirlwind since January, and though I’ve got one event in April things are now quieting down, so I thought I’d write a couple posts reflecting on the stuff I didn’t find time to write about on the go.

First, the duck!

My mom’s church had a fundraiser art evening. There was a silent auction of more expensive pieces, but also a tombola, they called it, which was a whole bunch of gift bags each with a 5x7” painting inside. There was a poster showing all the paintings hidden in the bags. For $20 you could pick a bag and see which painting you got.

The poster had one painting that really stood out… an adorable duck with a little heart above it. My aunt loaned me a $20 and I approached the table… I stood there trying to let it speak to me, and when the energy was just right, I plucked a bag from the table… and lo and behold… I got the duck!

Aside from my family who all remarked on the cute duck painting on the poster we were clearly not the only fans. A guy came up and asked if I liked the painting because he, too, had been eyeing it, and if I wasn’t into it he’d gladly buy it off me.

But no sir. The duck I now prominently displayed on my bookshelf with my other treasured souvenirs and gifts and assorted knickknacks.

I don’t know who painted the duck… it’s attributed to “Local Jr. High Art Student” so I’m afraid I can’t praise them by name, but I hope they keep painting—their work is already being clamoured over! And it certainly makes me happy whenever I walk by my bookshelf.

When i grow up

Tomorrow is the Starry Dynamo arts market at the Legion from 10-5! I’ve made a new chapbook—The Grief Workbook—for the occasion, and have made a binder of Glass Clouds artist proofs with poems in sleeves too. While making these I wrote my name on them and was instantly transported back to being a little kid, barely able to write, making little books about bunnies, and writing my name on them, inscribing them with the other bunny books I’d written. It’s funny… I don’t think I would have imagined as a kid that being a “real writer” would be so similar to making the bunny books.

Bedraggled But curious

This week! This week I have just been so tired and worn out that I didn’t do much of anything. Indeed I just sort of felt empty of inspiration… usually I am tired but so desirous of making something anyway but… just nope. Not this week. However today I left my notebook in the other room and I was like “hmm better bring that with me in case I feel poety” despite the fact that I’m absolutely going to watch 10 Unnatural Vegan YouTube episodes (not vegan—or vegetarian even—I just like her) so basically I’m getting back to my old tricks. I also keep thinking about how I’d like to fill up notebooks I own in certain intervals of time. Gateway musings to making stuff again.

Til then—gonna watch this lady on YouTube talk about other vegans talking about eating fruit on YouTube because that’s what I’m into this week.

Slow

Feeling kind of worn out this week and not much to report.. I’ve been sort of listlessly picking at this and that but mostly I’m just sleepy. Writing the poems to go with Stacey Walyuchow’s gorgeous collages was, I think, a really meaningful writing experience for me and I think I’m still processing that creative experience and what it’s meant to me. Can’t wait to share it with the world - next Thursday Loft 112!

In pain and impatient

For some reason my neck had seized up into a rock so I’m lying on the sofa feeling impatient and also a little scattered. What to make next? I think a chapbook version of the Grief Workbook for Starry Dynamo. I also feel myself dismissing much desired reading time as creative time wasted which I’m trying to get out of… Now that my neck is giving me a hard no on doing anything though I guess I’ll finish my book…

A few day’s rest

On Monday I completed the poems that will be accompanying Stacey Walyuchow’s beautiful hand painted collage pieces in a chapbook, being released at her show Lyrics on March 5 at Loft 112. I also picked up the film I shot at Tunnel Mountain and it looks goooood. Since then I’ve taken a few days off to regroup… did a little weaving but needed a couple days to recharge the creative batteries. I’ve been binge watching Next in Fashion on Netflix—it’s fun watching people be creative in a medium I don’t work in and don’t aspire to learn. Inspiring but relaxing too. Ahh.

Busy busy and two Ravens

So busy with all this art stuff it seems like there’s barely any time to write about it! I want to do a couple posts reflecting on the awesome stuff I’ve been fortunate to be a part of but I’m always much better at writing about stuff in progress and stuff coming up than looking back at arty happenings. Which is weird because much of my art is all about nostalgia. Hmm. Anyway….

On a non art note today we climbed a mountain and at the top saw two ravens playing in the wind. They had a stick they seemed to be vying for, and they tumbled and soared, letting the wind carry them, using it to swirl around each other, then falling and climbing as they went. It was one of the most majestic and beautiful things I’ve seen. Nature, man. It’s magnificent. Also I shot a roll of film of double exposures, but not of the birds. I felt like I just wanted to watch them and give them my full attention, and that anyway no crummy cellphone photo was going to do the experience justice. It was just about watching them, and letting their amazing play just fill our eyes and hearts.

Getting to it

Well, this morning the two dried pieces looked pretty darn good so I’m a little less grumpy about it. I finished the red piece too and then… immediately started another. I’ve got a pile of six more central figures set out on boards, and another few paired up maybe to be put on paper, and I felt like if I didn’t start another one… a simpler one right away I’d never get back to them and have a pile of this stuff on the floor forever. So… onward. This one is indeed more fun and freewheeling, and I’m enjoying it. It’s past 9 but I’m gonna finish this thing before bed anyway.

Argh

For the first time in a long time I’m feeling grumpy with my art. The problem is it’s supposed to be anti-grump! It’s for the Bright Side Festival at Theatre 1308. This winter festival has stuff from all genres and is all about cheering up. But tonight I’m just grumpy. I’m tired, I’ve got a bit of a headache, I slept a little less than I should’ve, worked out a little more than I should’ve, my tummy’s kind of off, and I’m just so sick of arranging cut out paper flowers all night for the third night in a row. The problem too is that it’s more complicated than it had to be… I made each piece have a colour scheme (one red, one pink fading to purple, one yellow fading to white) when they could have all just been multi-coloured. The colour scheme makes it harder because I have to find the right shape of the right colour of flower, which is more time consuming. I do think it looks cooler this way I guess (grumble) but right now I’m wishing I’d taken the path of least resistance even though I know I’ll be happy when they’re done and polished and looking all effortless. Sigh.

On the plus side though the paper is stuck down with Modge Podge my pal suggested sealing the pieces with acrylic medium which is a million times faster and (bonus) doesn’t make the whole little house we live in reek, so that’s cool. Plus they’re gonna be super shiny which will look sharp, I think.

One more to go, which I’ll finish tomorrow, and which I suspect I’ll be more cheerful about. It’s easy to put everything together right now and see that it’s my physical state that’s making me feel this way… I’m pretty stoked about how the pieces are turning out and on a regular day I think I’d be quite content. Anyway I write this not just to whine (and it’s partly to whine because that’s its own kind of fun) but because I don’t want this blog to only be “oh look how nice this is” or “oh look how art made me feel better today about life and grief.” Sometime it just makes me grumpy. Also my back hurts. And I still have glue and acrylic medium stuck all over my hands even though I’ve washed them three times. And I still have to make lunch. And if I’m going to do that I’m either going to have to keep washing my hands until they turn to dust in the dry Calgary winter or get art supplies in my food. Argh!

You get the picture.

Breaking the rule

Working on a thing past nine! So almost done though… three more flowers to go.

Working… Slowly…

This weekend David’s new band Fulfilment played their first show, and Julya’s show opened at Christine Klassen Gallery, so it was busy and full of family art stuff. Otherwise I’ve just been working on some collages for the Bright Side Festival at Theatre 1308. They are taking a long time but I think after another day they’ll be ready to seal. Lots on the go this month and next, then an April event looks like it’s on the horizon. Trying to keep things peaceful and stress free though by 1) tidying as I go to prevent the mountain of mess on mount desk from building up again; 2) following a new rule I’ve made for myself that whatever project I’m working on I’ve got to put it down at 9pm, tidy up, and get ready for the work day. That way I should be able to stay better rested and keep everything clipping along pleasantly. If I don’t get yet another cold… this winter has just walloped me.

Also, listened to The Both this morning. A finer way to start a Sunday I can’t think of.

The February Newsletter Lives!

I just sent out our February newsletter and my goodness we’re busy right now! Tomorrow Julya’s got a show in the afternoon, and David has one in the evening - get the deet here: https://mailchi.mp/aaecae8e113b/hajnoczky-family-art-newsletter-february-2020

Comfort and satisfaction

I got some lovely art news today that really is shared with my dad. This made me miss him acutely. As I’ve been updating the projects page of this website I’ve noticed how many things I’ve made since he passed. I feel quite fortunate that we shared this, he and I, our art, and that I can still be with him in working on this or that.

Today I turned to weaving for comfort. This current project is especially comforting for me because the Tibetan yarn I’m using is one of my favourite things because of a gift from my dad. He went to Nepal and brought me back a scarf and hat that I just loved. Unfortunately the hat I lost but I still have the scarf, which I still love. My Tibetan yarn is a good deal rougher so I’m debating whether or not it should be a garment presently. In any case, working on this piece and finishing it today, brought me a great deal of peace, whatever it’s destined to be in the end.

Aside from the meaningfulness of working on the loom from my dad’s shop, using a yarn that reminds me of him, I think working on things is comforting because it gives me something else to focus on, something to do, and a sense of satisfaction. So in that spirit, some weaving updates…

On the matter of breaking my resolution not to buy art supplies, I did so partly because I thought I’d need more of this yarn to make a full scarf with it… I had a couple rolls at home already. That was a baseless fear. I made a whole scarf and still have leftovers from the single roll used to make this piece. So this has been a good example of how it’s best to buy the thing only when I actually definitely need it.

Here’s that missing thread from the beater! I was wondering what happened—if the warp thread snapped or what. Turns out no—I simply never tied the warp thread on to this one. Oops.

I’ve also learned that when you aren’t using a bobbly novelty yarn that weaving is a much much much faster undertaking. I made this in about a sixth of the time of took me to make my last piece. This is a pretty great revelation. Basically, it’s a more flexible medium than I realizes. I can make more complex and textured pieces like the last one I made, or a much simpler one like this piece depending on how much time I’d like to spend on the project.

Finally, now I have to learn to weave in the ends of the weft threads. I think I might need a special giant needle for this. We’ll see though… maybe I already have something that’ll work.

That’s all for tonight… so sleepy I can barely write this! Going to sleep content once more thanks to art.

Finishing

I started writing a new manuscript on November 15, 2019 and am seized by a powerful urge to finish the first draft by February 15 of this year, 2020. I normally only write at home in private but this goal gave me the very rare ability, for me, to write during lunch today.

13 pages to go. I’m craving that accomplishment from work feeling. I’m thinking I can wrap this up tonight.

Integrating errors

So my permawarp (as I’ve been calling it in my head) worked but not everything is perfect in loom land. Despite David and Julya helping me my warp got tangled going on, and a thread snapped! No matter—we found it, threaded it back through the heddle and beater, and tied the thread back together.

Buuut then, after everything was all wound on and ready to go…

That’s a slot in the beater with no thread in it. It was too late at this point to start the warp over again, and I wasn’t about to waste the work or let this ruin the piece.

The missing warp thread was thankfully close to the centre on the right side, so I just dropped two threads to the left of it in regular intervals to make a pattern of sorts. I also didn’t want the dropped warp threads becoming a nuisance throughout the weaving process, so I found a way to keep them winding on without getting in the way. It’s sort of hard to explain so here are some photos:

Long story short—I feel you mess something up, or if something just is messed up, you can still figure out a way to make it work and make it look beautiful.

Oh also this yarn is super textured and gets caught on itself so this keeps happening:

And that’ll about do it for today.

Cheater

Dear reader I must confess I cheated and bought an art supply. It was some jewel coloured yarn from my favourite store in all of Calgary, Tibetan Trom. I just knew when I walked in there I was going to do it, and indeed I did.

As my way of excusing this behaviour I’m weaving the yarn up right now. At least this way it’s not adding to the supply hoard… even if I did break my new year’s resolution.

I’m resuming my resolution now though. Just needed to fess up!

Weaving hack works!

So as I’ve mentioned warping a loom is back destroying, picky, unpleasant work (and I mean work) that I really really don’t like doing, so I tried making a warp hack… using colour-coded strings as reusable warp starters. These run through the heddles and beater so I can tie the warp to the starter threads and then pull it through. These worked when I warped the loom last time, and I’m delighted to report they worked when I took the cloth off the loom too! Hooray! This will help make weaving a feasible part of my creative life.

Sick again!

January is really wringing me out in massively inconvenient colds department. Tomorrow is the Process in Process event at Loft 112 (yay!). If I’m still in this condition David has kindly volunteered to be the MC. There will be snacks served, but they will have been prepared by Julya so those will be safe to munch on and not contaminated by me, ha. Did I mention my mom helped me get the show up on the walls in the first place? This event is all about the creative process. In the run up to it I’d like to take a moment to point out how much the above listed humans are helping me do this stuff, especially when I’m all stuffed up.

Process in Process

This Thursday at Loft 112! Come hear some wonderful creative people talk about their creative practices, and check out a show of art projects I’m working on right now.

Updating…

I’ve spent much of the last little while updating the projects page of this website. I still have to update the pages for eyeSnowScape, Glass Clouds, and the books Magyarázni, Poets and Killers, and Bloom and Martyr, but I’ve added a number of new project pages and updated a few others. I’ve been holding off posting about it because I thought “ah I’ll finish it all at once and reveal it and there will be fanfare and fireworks and I will be hailed as the voice of my generation!” But it’s taking forever and if I don’t write something on this blog soon it’ll peter out so… hi! that’s what I’ve been doing.

Thing that struck me as I did this was how many ways I’ve used art to deal with grief. I plan on writing a post soon that draws all that together.

One project that doesn’t deal with grief, or at least not the grief of losing my dad, is the Lost Photos project. I’m looking forward to working more on that one in the coming months and figuring out what the body of work will look like as a whole, and what the project means to me as it goes from idea to reality. I still think I need another name for it though, something more unique and descriptive. I think (and hope) that as I spend more time with the project and think about my intentions for it and what it means to me a title will come to me.

Vintage photos from Nanton, Alberta.