Monday, June 10, 2013

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

6 comments:

  1. I love that your photo of Eimly Carr with the dog in her lap is not obvious. I found it though -- in the second photo you posted, the one with you in the mirror. If you look through the mirror, behind you, she is sitting in the window.

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  2. I thought you would be absolutely so tired of the pics of the statues of Emily Carr, that I would put up the subtle picture of her. After your comment I went to take a look at how you could have missed all of the other pictures. The long post I did about the Carr statues has disappeared into the blog universe -- not to be found anywhere on my machine.

    Right now? off to the Royal British Columbia Museum for the day! Oh, my life is so good! -- except when technology beats me down.

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  3. ironic. i did a long post on dogsledding last night (before falling into bed), and it also disappeared... leaving me to create an other. exhausting. thanks for the great reports!

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Always blog in Word or another saveable place first. Lost a stunning review of a book, Son of a Witch, a sequel to Wicked. I hope the internet elves are enjoying our lost posts and those left socks that never make it out of the dryer.

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  6. Are we ever going to see the review of that book? Just asking. I know. Thesis first. Book review later.

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