Unveiling and Blessing Ceremony

I had the pleasure to host Lisa Kew the president of the Trout Lake Community Centre Association board, and Kwákwayel Simia Wendy Nahanee, a matriarch elder of the Squamish Nation, and her son, Keona. Lisa was the event host, introducing Wendy and her son to bless the art piece and gave thanks to the willow tree that provided the paper fibre. After Lisa introduced me to do a five minute talk about the formation of the piece, from concept to monthly community workshops of inkmaking and papermaking into the finale. Special thanks to Matt Sung for being so supportive and patience with me.

This completes my artist residency in community with the City of Vancouver’s Park Board. Merci beaucoup!

UBYSSEY Report

My artist residency was recently featured on the UBC campus newspaper UBYSSEY.

You can read about it here:

https://www.ubyssey.ca/culture/printmaking-brings-trout-lakes-buried-streams-to-the-surface/

Printmaking weekend

Thank you to everyone who came out to make a print for the legacy public art piece.

Monotype Printmaking

Please come Friday November 24 and Saturday November 25 12noon to 4pm to monotype print with the ink and paper from previous workshops. Nor registeration requred, walk ins only. There is also a pottery and bakery sale the same days!

Inkmaking Workshop Deux

Over the weekend I hosted the last workshop, also the second ink making workshop as requested by previous long wait list. I’ve asked the participants to leave some ink paste they’ve made for the upcoming November monotype printmaking event.

Guest Artist Talk

I was able to invite Brigitte Potter-Mael to come and do an artist talk about her 40 years plus career as a contemporary visual artist. She is also my mentor and friend for many years. She showcased her printmaking matrix and work, and her latest papermaking pieces. We had a large attendance of 30 plus people. Thank you all for coming and special thanks to Brigitte for offering this opportunity to the community.

Paper Reveal

Second day of Thanksgiving, Sunday, we spent about one hour to reveal the paper we made yesterday. A stack is saved aside for the Monotype Printmaking public event on November 25 to 26!

Thank you participants!

Breaking down willow fire

For a few days I worked hard to break down the willow fire I collected from the Trout Lake park. I’m glad 2 months of soaking and cooking was able to break down the fibre down for papermaking. Though it could be better if I had 4 months.

Papermaking weekend

Thank you all who were able to make it to the papermaking workshop. It was Thanksgiving weekend and I am very grateful people still came out for this.

We made paper from upcycled cotton rag pulp and willow fibre I was able to extract from the Trout Lake park. The paper we created are for the November 25th and 26th monotype printmaking public event.

I gave the participants a slotted time to create their own paper pieces to keep for themselves.

After the workshop, I had to take the paper home to hang dry overnight ready for tomorrow’s paper unraveling.

Guest Speaker: Brigitte Potter-Mael

I will be hosting my mentor and friend Brigitte Potter-Mael to do an artist talk about her art practice in printmaking and papermaking. Her 40 years plus of career as a contemporary visual artist in Europe and Canada. I had the pleasure to apprentice under her as a papermaker for printmaking purposes. She has extensive knowledges on working as a professional artist through exhibition, biennial, workshops, talks, and curatorial projects.

There will be a visual presentation of her work and process.

Sign up here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/vancouver/activity/search/detail/472052

Ink Making Workshop FULL

I am hosting a second inkmaking workshop and before I could post about it, it was FULL! The signup became full within 12 hours. But you still can get on the wait list: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/vancouver/activity/search/detail/472053?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

If you really want me to host another one, tell Trout Lake Community Centre staff! ;-)

Last Papermaking Workshop

Here is my last papermaking workshop. This one is special! We will be papermaking with willow bark that I foraged and broke down into pulp. For printmaking purpose we will blend it with abaca pulp as well to have fibre strength and viscosity. The paper will be used to create the final legacy public art piece that will be home to the Trout Lake Community Centre as part of the 2023 artist residency programming with City of Vancouver.

Two days workshop, October 7th 11:30am to 2:30pm, and October 8th 11am-12noon.

Sign up here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/vancouver/activity/search/detail/472050?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

Papermaking result

After one week the paper is dried and revealed by the students. It is always satisfying to unravel each sheet.

Willow bark foraged

Due to the changes to the residency programming, I was hoping to have more people sign up for the foraging activity. Thank you for the people who participated! We collected willow barks for my October papermaking for the legacy art piece!

Inkmaking Workshop Evening

Thanks to the folks who came out to participate in the ink making workshop! We were able to extract multiple colours and produce ink paste for the legacy art project. I harvested things from my garden: rose, salal berry, pacific goldenrod, perry’s aster, and dyer’s coreopsis.

Second Workshop: Willow Bark Foraging for Papermaking

Join Ed to trim and collect the invasive willow bark for his papermaking workshops and legacy art project.  The participants will learn how to strip and breakdown plant fibre for papermaking.  We will only be preparing the fibre for papermaking in the future, there will be no actual papermaking in this event.  There will be a presentation of how papermaking is done with a brief demonstration.

Register here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/vancouver/activity/search/detail/472020?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

First Workshop: Inkmaking with Indigenous Plants

Come learn to make ink paste from plants for writing, printmaking, and watercolour painting.  The workshop will begin a guide on identifying common indigenous plants with potential pigment properties.  Each participant will have the option to take home their ink, and you will be asked to contribute a specific amount for the legacy art project.

Register here: https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/vancouver/activity/search/detail/472019?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true

From Peat Bog to Lake

I’m honoured to be artist in residence for the City of Vancouver community programming at the Trout Lake Community Centre. My project title is From Peat Bog to Lake, it will take place from August to December 2023.

My goal is to connect the historical elements with contemporarily context on how we as people interacts with the Trout Lake ecosystem.  Over the course of the residency, I will glean natural materials from the park and participating community member’s land to cultivate the visual art-based project.  Through printmaking, drawing, and papermaking workshops, I will collaborate with the public on creating legacy art pieces that will be evidential to our collective stewardship of the land.

The residency programming will be a series of workshops and public events that will specifically contribute to the fabrication of the legacy art pieces.  Each workshop will focus on the ecological education of the land bonding to the art technique as a tool to create culture elements.  I will remind the participants to look at the land not solely from a naturalist perspective, but also as a cultural worker from our humanity.