amazing products and art made locally
When my pal Jolene invited me to attend an ABC Bees Home2Hive bee tour with her I said yes right away. I love learning about how things are made, especially if they’re pretty much in my own backyard and who doesn’t love honey!?
Bee Fact: There are three kinds of bees in a hive: Queen, Worker and Drone.
I love local markets and craft fairs. Without them I don’t think I’d own any cool things made locally. I bought the 2 prints above, Aurora Borealis and Mooswa Nebula, from a market in Calgary. They hang on my wall in frames I found on my buildings “take it or leave it” table and I love them.
The artist, Andrew Olivier, lives in Edmonton and seems to have a passion for art, animals, and science. All the illustrations below come from his Polymorphism series that focuses on channelling scientific exploration into artistic form.
I find these “animals” very thought provoking. This style merges a natural tribal flow with industrial and mechanical elements. Some of the lines are very sharp and harsh while others are soft and circular. There is a push in pull, nature against science, which in the end comes together to create something amazing.
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If you live in Edmonton your in luck! Andrew will be at Tribal Nation Saturday May 4th selling his paintings and prints and on May 25th you can check him and other local artists out at Harcourt House for an Art market in the Gallery.
![887481_478253048909004_1925610013_o[1]](https://victoriadaytoday.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/887481_478253048909004_1925610013_o1.jpg "887481_478253048909004_1925610013_o[1]")
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5 Questions with Andrew Olivier
1. What is your favourite colour?
That is an incredibly hard decision, and changes often. I more appreciate color palettes and combinations. Lately I’ve been loving soft blues, coral together.
2. Polymorphism is a biology term. Do you think in nature fact is stranger then fiction?
Well, Polymorphism is a term to describe the infinite variation of characteristics that exist with any given species. For instance, each butterfly has the possibility of infinite variations for the patterns of its wings. they never repeat. Always experimenting and inventing new colors and details never seem before. Life is stranger then fiction if your looking closely.
![395893_288207764580201_487748019_n[2]](https://victoriadaytoday.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/395893_288207764580201_487748019_n2.jpg "395893_288207764580201_487748019_n[2]")
3. If you could be a ‘morph’ of any animal which would it be?
Definitely a whale. They are mythical and peaceful creatures, most have no natural enemies, and the whole ocean is their playground. what more could you want.
4. What is your favourite medium to work with?
A 0.5mm pen will always top that list. however lately, I have been liking good old standard house paint too.
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5. Where is one of your best loved places in Edmonton?
The River Valley, and more specifically Hawrelak park. great big pond to ice skate on in the winter
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Andrew is a recent grad from the design studies course at Grant MacEwan University. Check out his website to see more illustrations, digital, and web design work. http://wanderingwhale.com/
And you can also follow him on Facebook! www.facebook.com/thepolymorphist
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Being able to see the world in a different way is a good thing. Being able to share your view and have it respected by others is what makes a cultured society. Yay for art!
When I looked out my window on Saturday I saw a grey cloudy day with a skiff of snow on the ground. Not ideal weather, but that wouldn’t stop me from heading down to the community of Sunnyside to check out Wreck City.
“Wreck City: An epilogue for 809” is a group of local artists who have taken nine houses that are slated for demolition and turned them into temporary art, instillation, and performance spaces. 8 artist/curators and 100+ extremely creative individuals have worked very hard to bring this together and I was super excited to see the results!
“Enter at your own risk” is posted at the entrance of each house as well as the names of the artists who contributed to that space, but don’t be alarmed, everything inside is secure. Here’s a tip: for the optimum experience wear clothes you can move around in and stable shoes. Also forget the big purse or tote, it will only get in your way. The spaces are amazingly hands on and remind me of a real life snakes and ladders game. There are things to climb, crawl through, peek in and slide down, but only if you want to, and believe me you’ll want to! Thank goodness I was wearing thick tights!
This is truly an experience for all your senses whether it be sight, touch, smell, sound, or taste (fresh baked cookies anyone?). Each day also features different performances. Click Here for a schedule. I had a fantastic time immersing myself in these houses and chatting with the artists. The following photos are only a tiny sample of what you can expect from Wreck City. If your going to be in Calgary this week you would be missing out if you didn’t venture down to Sunnyside to check it out!
Wreck City is free and open to all ages, everyday until April 27th.
visit their website at www.wreckcityproject.wordpress.com to find out more!
Yes, that’s a slide and yes, that’s a railing. Safety first!
Going down! Side note: I was just talking about Light Brights at work and how much I wanted one. After seeing this one now I want one even more, sigh.
This is a great example of how when people come together, they can take something that one might deem worthless and transform it into something extraordinary. Have I piqued your interest yet?
*This is the first in a series of posts about artists, designers, and craftspeople in Calgary and Alberta that I think are amazing and want to share with you. Stay tuned for more!*
This is my terrarium. I absolutely love it. It only needs to be watered once a month. This is the perfect plant for me. It’s small, cute, needs only minimal care, and looks like miniature animals should live in it!
I bought this terrarium from Kyle Chow, the creative green thumb behind Plant, Distinct Terrariums, based here in Calgary. I had seen his table before at Calgary’s monthly Market Collective and longed for one of these little landscapes, but didn’t take the leap until last month. Now it sits on my counter and brings a smile to face whenever I see it.
Kyle’s terrariums are really works of art and you can tell he really puts thought and care into the placement and composition of the tropical and succulent plants, rocks, moss, sand, bark, and other little bits of nature found in Alberta. Starting at $10 and up these terrariums are very affordable with most pieces in the $20 – $45 range. All sizes and shapes of vintage and new glass are used including vessels that can be hung and Plant does custom work too!
All photos below are taken from the Plant, Distinct Terrariums website.
5 Questions with Kyle Chow
1. What is your favourite color?
My favourite colour is grey. I realize this is not much of a colour, but I am a big appreciator of neutrals. You’ll find white, black and every shade of grey in my home. I usually let any vibrant colour come from natural materials.
2. Where is you favourite place to display a terrarium?
I like to display my terrariums all around the house, but my favourite spot is usually a few feet from a window, close to where I can sit and investigate the miniature environment.
3. What should someone NEVER put inside their terrarium?
My first reaction to this question is TOO MUCH WATER! With the terrarium’s care aside, I am a purist and like to keep my terrariums filled with only natural materials, but if you’re into adding dinosaurs or wizards, who am I to stop you ; )
4. Do you sing to your plant? and if so what song?
Unfortunately, I’d probably need a choir to sing to all my plants, however, a sing-a-long to Wilson Pickett’s, Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You never hurts.
5. Where is one of your best-loved places in Calgary?
I love the River Park off leash area at the bottom of 14th Street SW. It has a great landscape, excellent view of the Elbow river, the downtown skyline and of course, our dogs love it!
Check out the website http://plant-online.net/ where you can view and purchase terrariums. If you’re in Calgary they can also be found at The Uncommons in Inglewood. Follow Plant on twitter @PlantTerrariums And on Facebook!
I could see myself with a whole collection of these. I could be the crazy terrarium lady! No cuddling but WAY easier to care for then 20 cats!
victoria day to day 