Emily Carr's Animals by Fafard

accordion-ed cow

The day was beautiful.

I walked to Gordonhead Road and found a bus stop – the pole somewhat hidden by the trees, but I took out my bus fare money and waited.

A bus passed by on the other side of the street, and I wondered if that was the one that would circle up and get me.

Twenty minutes later another bus drove by on the other side of the street.

calf, cow, Carr and Arta

My math was good enough to figure out that if 2 buses had passed by on the other side of the street in 40 minutes and none by the bus stop I was waiting at, that I should change sides of the street. The good thing about all of this is that I kept walking half blocks, up and down, waiting for the bus. My exercise for the day was doubled in that respect.

separating the family ... each sold individually

The last time I was at the Royal British Columbia Museum there was an extensive exhibit on Emily Carr – a retrospect on her work, but added to that, the curators had a replica of the wagon/tent she stayed in – one that we could walk through.

As well, there was a small play done every hour.

 ... wolf in the shadows, eyeing sheep on other side of porch ...
 ...the shadows behind the wolf are roses hanging over the porch ...

I intended to stay the whole day in the Emily Carr house today.

I like days when there is only one place to go.

Burrowing down and looking at every detail is a calming way to spend a day.

I thumbed my way through the books, postcards and posters in the gift house.

... black-faced sheep ...

I hadn’t realized she was such a prolific writer – a memoir writer:

One of the charms of the house is is accentuated because paragraphs have been edited and lifted from her The Book of Small and written on plaques, either in the garden or by the side of the house, or beside pieces of furniture in the house.

.. inviting a look into the shed ...

I was also charmed by the tool shed at the side of the house.

At first I thought the door had accidentally been left open.

But that couldn’t be, for there was a heavy gold chord connecting two standing posts – a message to look inside, but not to go inside.

 ... caravan, animals and friends ...

And there were all of the things one might have in a shed – a painting she had not finished, an old black and white photograph of that caravan she used in the woods, along with pictures of friends who had visited her in it.

... sheep sleeping on the floor ...

There were some bowls and vases that one might put together to paint  a still life.

Such a charming additional peak at a part of the house that one doesn’t usually show, and one I only came across because I wasn’t in a rush today.

... goats on the front porch ...

When there are beautiful things to buy, I like to pick the one I would carry away if someone told me, yes, one of those would be mine at the end of the day. I can spend pleasant hours imagining which one I would take home, and at the end of the day, also be glad that I can leave it behind for others to enjoy.

But if I did take something home today, it would be the sitting Emily Carr with the dog on her lap.

I have no idea how many times I circled that sculpture enjoying every exquisite detail.

Arta