Philip Stephen's blog

BUY A KARMA FRIENDLY GIFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Date: November 24th, 2005

Time: 7-9PM (auction closes at 8:30)

Location: The Amenity Room at the Arctech Loft Building 336 East 1st Avenue (Scotia is the cross street, one block east of Main)

Come to a silent auction to buy quality art at a great price and your money will go directly into a needy inner city classroom. 

At Step Up Alternative School (connected to Templeton Secondary), Natalie Grunberg works on a shoestring budget to provide opportunities for my VERY at-risk youth. These youths are highly neglected and suffer from chronic addictions, poverty, health problems and social emotional issues.

Please help send a message to these “throw away kids” that we love them and they deserve the best.

Complementary sushi and wine will be served.

 
Natalie will take internet bids and donations at nataliegrunberg@hotmail.com.

I have donated some of my shirts and cards to the auction.

Phil.

I have created an online shop through cafepress.com.

With it, I can put my images on a number of items, mostly T-shirts, and they print on demand when someone orders it. You can do the same if you happen to have some clever images or phrases bouncing through your head and heart.

Because I am a personal person, if anyone out there has a request for a certain design or image of mine on a certain item, just send me an e-mail or leave a comment here. I will try to have it put together in a week or so for you to order.

Look for banners with coupon codes on them for savings.

Check out my store at:

www.cafepress.com/philipstephen

I am currently leasing a space in an artist-run gallery near Main Street and 28th.

It has been an interesting experience so far to have the unlimitted freedom of putting whatever art I choose into a space a little over 2.5 feet by perhaps 5 or 6 feet.

The peak of this experience was during The Drift when one woman came in and pointed at a number of pieces: two of mine, two of Barbara Phillips's and one of another artist. "I would like this, this, that and this."

It turned out she had recently moved and needed to fill the walls. I was impressed with the certainty she had around the pieces and the lack of concern she had for what the price of each may be. I would, one day, love to be able to give that gift to other artists. When I asked her what called her to the pieces, she said she really liked purple.

Look for "tribal dancer" and "moondust" in my gallery to see how purple they are.

www.thedrift.ca 

I will have art at Arts Off Main at least until the end of November.
It is possible that I may buy a share at that time to become a more permanent member of the gallery.

www.artsoffmain.ca

Last night I was mosaic-ing up a storm!

I moved to a new home in September to get out of apartment living and have a space where I can build a little community -- have a garden, jam with friends and make some noise. Also we have a shared studio where I can paint now so I do not have to make a mess in the livingroom any more.

I was quite excited to find out that there was a community project in my new neighbourhood to create three dimensional mosaic structures and place them along the bike route on Windsor Street -- just a block away from my new home! I have never worked with mosaic before but it is really fun -- like a puzzle you can build for yourself. It is also a great way to meet your neighbours and feel connected to the community. The piece I build now may be around for decades!

The design is of a dome with simple figures ringed around the base, holding hands, with a sun shining down from the peak. Each figure will be a different colour. I will try to put some photos up of the progress I make on the piece. It is rather large so many people are helping me put it together.

Thank you to Claire, Trish, and Glen for the work you have done.
And thank you Chavah and Nicola for telling me about the project.

Look for Glen's website at www.mosaicplanet.net .

Take care out there!

The awesome folks at Left Right Minds have put their eerie and awesome Hoodoo Voodoo powers together to resurrect my art site...

IT LIVES!!!

For folks who have checked out the site before, you will notice a few new features such as this News page and a Link page.

The gallery has been reconstructed as well. You may now comment on images there. Comments can be left here as well.

These seem like simple things, but I am quite gleeful and thankful to Shane Birley who did some great work making this all possible.

Look him and his crew up at http://www.leftrightminds.com

Please read other posts on the News page to find out where I am and what I am up to as I continue my adventures in art.

I am super-stoked.

I hope to see and hear from all of you soon.

peace, love, happiness

Phil.