Paintings Below Zero in Ontario

2007-02-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

We're finished with Paintings Below Zero in Ontario. If you want to see the complete adventure, scroll all the way down to the right under Archives and click on 12/03/ 06.

Lots of interest: Chicago is in the works for 2008.

Meanwhile: my sister has put this photo on her screensaver
and we hear from friends: Julie, one of our docents who took some paintings home with her and then went to Florida to thaw. On her return, they're still standing! :

2007-02-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

Rain, rain, rain. 25 degrees warmer than our minus teens of last week, and what a relief! Gord got bone-chilled and lay shivering under a heapful of covers that last night at the hotel in Toronto. He's slept a lot on our return, made a fire tonight as he works in his studio on new designs for his 2010 project. Jaz flies home from Montreal this evening with Tim, and I'm still receiving Christmas cards from family. In front of a flickering fire, Spaffy curls up even as Toronto and Niagara are getting buried in snow, and Paddy Parr wrote today. I only met her once, but it felt like I was hearing from an old friend. Her confiscated paintings are . . . changing. "The large one on the tree, is turning to 'lace' most amazingly!!" she said.

I played squash early today. Although I'm still buried under all those receipts, I did send out some envelopes yesterday and today. There's been no usual Let Down, just determination to get through this necessary sorting of expenses, etc. I really like snow, but we missed the skies opening with our exit West, and even though our paintings have been dismantled, the internet is alive with Paintings Below Zero. It's wonderful to see what other's have seen.

Here are two photos from sjgardiner on flickr.com and we have been included in the 'art and photography' blogroll on publicbroadcasting.ca! Last week, Paintings Below Zero was featured in 'artist spotlight' at http://www.publicbroadcasting.ca/visarts/

Here's another, this time from Maria, from her blog called Adventures in Downtown Toronto.

This one from ComeUnDone, with a link to Now Publicnews: Toronto Knows Winter.

Tomorrow, steps towards my April tour in Nova Scotia. News! My short story, "Catholic Love" will be published in Fiddlehead's spring issue. It's almost Valentine's Day. I got a red chocolate heart from Gord, and Lisa sent me an e-card about love!

2007-02-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our kitties seemed skeptical, to say the least. We'd been gone two months almost to the day. Damage from the storms all around, a tree half over, roots upturned, branches littered. Their bowls, empty. Wednesday Gord got up early to play his first Rusty Cranks hockey since Virgil. In spite of my fatigue, I lay awake - still on Toronto time. Thursday, my first pick-up game, I moved on lead legs. Now the mountain of receipts, reconciling budgets, paying bills. We're home, the exhibit dismantled, but Paintings Below Zero lives on!

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Text message from our docent, Cara -" Where are the pictures of the paintings taken from the exhibit?" Photos of Paintings Below Zero pieces "confiscated" prior to The Strike. Coloured icebergs in cityscapes - If you see them, Send! and I'll post here! Above is one of my favorites, taken by Paddy Parr.

The many, many photographers who went through the tent clicking their cameras have posted their photographs of the work on the internet. All you have to do is google Paintings Below Zero. These are more of Al Burns photos.

Pascale and JC took some interesting ones, here's a torch shot I've pasted from their url.

Visit her page on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30886471@N00/

Running through my mind are again, some of the people who helped - but haven't yet been thanked. Donald Ziraldo, whom we met at Piazza Valdo Fusi at BC Canada House during the Olympics, and who was responsible for our invitation to the IceWine Festival in Niagara on the Lake, thank you. Here we are in a Doug Hulley photo, taken at the opening night gala at The Sheraton in The Falls.

And once again, our VIPs - Eric and Vizma - ( last seen at a Sunday Books and Brunch at the Oakville Club - where Vizma hosted Anita Rau Badami, Margaret McMillan, Lawrence Hill - a rooomful of guests -- and us!). They've believed in and supported us, were our first cornerstone in the Turin/Olympics project, and now they've become friends. It's been easy, as they are generous and fun.

Thanks to Denise Ing, who put up the prints exhibit in the Rotunda while we were still in Niagara on the Lake.

Then, there's Eliya, who like Zorro, came and went on his own time but was known to be helping in and outside the tent - and last seen holding a camera. In December, he fed our kitties, moved our furniture, sat guard through the storms.

There's Roger Handling and Kera McHugh, (valued advisors amidst their own busy careers); there's Duane Burnett of The Local, who always seems to be there on the other end of the email with encouragement and interest. There's Ann, John and James Law, our neighbors who have kept our kitties fed and cared for. There's Nancy Cottingham Powell, our Production Manager at home, whom we dearly missed on site; there's Charlotte, who sent info to contemporary galleries for us, necessary background work.

There's Cat of Cat PR, a fireball upbeat publicity professional.
And Doug Hulley, who shared his photos with us.There's Lisa Kurtz, whom you've met here, so joyous and available, esp accepting of the in-Toronto stressed-out me. John, the hockey player from Virgil who presented Gord with his own creation: a candle holder made from a wine barrel. The woman at Jet Ice who called the cab for the extra paint cans Gord needed Pronto! Mary and Bernadette, my sisters, who have sent treasured emails and notes of encouragement and love throughout. Mary, I remember, sitting at the foot of our father's bed. We walked out of the room together that last time his heart was still warm, more connected than we'd realized, more sisters than ever.

There's Donna Schmirler, my friend, our friend, whom we have counted on for support and love for years.
For richer or for poorer, in sickness and etc, she's been a fan, a board member, a confidante, with me, with us, at home and abroad, in our lives and work, making salads, taking tickets or messages, or hosting us or sending us off on our various adventures, sometimes feeding our kitties, checking our temporary tenant, or driving us or picking us up; whose number & name I have memorized and put on the form to contact in an emergency. She takes our trust along with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she's tested by it, and keeps looking for redemption. For this, we are both, Gord and I, grateful.

There must be more, whose contributions will surface in a dream, or keep me awake in the morning, not yet acknowledged.

So send your photos of your piece of Paintings Below Zero still frozen -- where you have placed your artwork - on the curb, your front lawn, wherever. (paintingsbelowzero@dccnet.com) I'll post them here. Check back. (In April, we're going to Eastern Canada to screen our film, Singing the Bones -- and I will perform (at last!) readings for three audiences in Nova Scotia).

Next, we go with Paintings Below Zero to Chicago . . .

2007-02-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

We left - it felt like escape. The bitter cold, the demise of our efforts. Tim, Mariel and Jaz stripped the tent, a well-planned mission headed by a determined JC. We were happy, but guilty, that we didnt' have to return to Niagara on the Lake. Overstuffed bags, farewells in the lobby. Mike & Cheryl picked up their Tui Tui print. Jordan posed for a photo. We tipped the bellman, sat in the back of the cab. This time, no conversation.

There was some joy. We'd passed the word - anyone who wanted a 'live' piece of artwork from the exhibit was welcome to take it. The tent was coming down around our ears and I snapped Marek getting his piece, and a couple who worked in the hospitality tent next door.

The night before, we'd supped with those fabulous docents at Queen Mother, our favorite restaurant and frequent hang-out. Here's Lisa, the barmaid who sparkles from within. Yuri Dojc (photographer & longtime peer/friend of Gord) and wife, Eva, discussed art, patriotism, hot water and lemon.

At the other end of the table Jaz and Tim held court.

Now we're off to hockey, my first since the rink in Virgil. More to come, a wrap up, more people to thank and feature.

2007-02-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

WinterCity in full tilt, beyond below zero temperatures. One day blurs to the next, with so many people streaming past the paintings.
Our docents are awesome! They spend so much time with everyone, and it's not easy - you can always see your breath in the tent. We set up in the info booth today, with those beautiful PBZ art books from the Turin installation. The whole day, I am so tired!

Last night, after ice skating on the square and over the rink painting, the winter show unfolded from the warmth & comfort my room at The Sheraton. Those are Kitonb acrobats making the puff on the left - from a giant crane!

We took some time off to have supper at a Winterlicious restaurant. Here's my maid of honor, 23 years later, and me, at Jump, where funny thing, we all remembered those years ago, just before Gord & I got married. Ain't she sweet, that Lisa?

Today Erik left for Montreal; we gathered for a coffee to say goodbye. I had tears in my eyes, 'cause we've been like family these past 2 months, and I'm gonna miss that kid.

Onwards and upwards, and not a moment's rest: Igor spent the day talking with Gord about Dubai, Moscow . . Aix en Provence? Gord was so fed up with the cold, he wouldn't even walk Igor through! So I did. Here he is, matching his yellow shirt with the paintings.
Emily surprised us, too, in the afternoon, looking everywhere for her 'Uncle Gord'. She's at the top there with her friend, Andrea.

And although we weren't set up to sell artwork here, a couple sought us out after seeing the prints in the rotunda - and bought Tui Tui.

Here's Hayley, back in California, missing us, but happy to be out of the cold. We're almost finished our work here. One more day!

2007-02-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it could be February lst already, a Thursday afternoon, temperature going down, traffic picking up, lights flashing on Nathan Phillips Square, lots of skaters out and twenty minutes to go until our exhibit opens at 5. Everyone went to the free opera concert at noon, except me. Instead, I gathered recent press and photocopied for three different presentations -- next gigs in exotic places, made appointments, answered emails and other miscellaneous activities which make me feel useless. Still, on my mind is a tribute to some of the many people who have been working behind the scenes with us, who make our lives and our experience here interesting and rich.

Here's Rosie, who has worked at The Sheraton for 27 years, on this floor, in this section. She's from Domenica, a small island near Martinique, where the sun shines and the air is soft. She speaks Creole, and is here because of true love. She didn't really say 'true love' when I asked, but did admit it is because of her husband that she braves Toronto cold winters and humid summers to work for The Sheraton's lucky customers. She's been wonderful, and we miss her on weekends when she's off.

And here are the guards, on duty at the big white tent, whom our crew has gotten to know quite well in the past few weeks, left to right: Jim Koenig, Gord, Marek Kutrowski, Marielle and Rob Koenig - the Koenigs are brothers, all are artists/musicians in their own right. Missing from the picture is Larry Gross.

Then, there's Sandra Cunningham, who wouldn't let me take her picture. She accompanied me to the big fancy buffet at The Sheraton on The Falls for the IceWine Festival's opening gala. She held down the fort at Niagara on the Lake the busy week we prepped for our opening in Toronto. She and Danna McDonough greeted individually the hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who visited our installation and prints exhibit, explaining Gord's work, his process, the history and lore of Paintings Below Zero in the hall at The Shaw. Here's Gord, with a couple at the exhibit. Sandra was one of the people back home who helped out during the exciting times of the Turin exhibit, and has been our voice to the outside world to attract future exhibits since then. This time, she wrapped and packed prints for storage as JC and Tim did their swift take down at the Shaw venue. She's good natured and goes with the flow, so when we realized that we now needed her back home to produce and send sales materials for the new gigs, she didn't miss a beat - and now she's on a plane headed for British Columbia. Thank you, Sandra!

Here's Natasha Emery, who was our liason with Special Events when the contract with the City was arranged. A tough negotiator, she also has a heart of gold, and we were disappointed when she announced she was taking a leave of absence and wouldn't be able to work with us for WinterCity! We were just as happy at the reason though: she adopted a baby girl and took time off to give her a good start at her child's young life. She surprised us on site a few days before opening; here she is with Gord.

2007-01-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

Last night we hosted The Legendary Mike Brisbin and two other co-horts from Toronto Special Events at an impromptu party in our upgraded suite at The Sheraton. Monika, who is legendary in her own right for her kind manner, voice and calm nature under duress (the Legendary reputation has spread to the entire department! Now it's The Legendary Special Events Office at City of Toronto) told us of her daughter's visit to the installation. "Mommy can I have some of this candy?" "Honey, it's not candy, it's ice." "No, Mommy, it's CANdy! You're just saying that because you don't like me to eat candy!" There were other stories. People argued with each other that it was really glass, jello, plastic. Mike watched one person reach, reach, reach and finally when she thought no one was looking -- touched! He gave her a thumbs-up. But the best one was an overheard story: "You know how the media hypes everything up - and when you get there it's not as great at they say it is? Well, this is even better than all the publicity!" Al Burns sent a bunch of photos, but I've got to space them out.

Last night we had our last meal together at Hal's Burgers - our Core Crew, 2nd crew and Cat Fawcett, our PR lady. Tim and JC had just returned from the strike at Niagara on the Lake, and already there was talk of future exhibits: Dubai, Moscow, Chicago.

2007-01-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Gord and Marielle revisited for a lesson on maintenance, but the weather has been holding at below zero, so the exhibit is pristine.

Here's the Shaw site in Niagara on the Lake just after strike. Paddy Parr got these photos, and here's what she said: "Hi Caitlin, Well, what took a couple of months to create, was gone in a day and a half!! Nothing left but the staging platform, the container and the garbage bin!! It was a quick strike! Tim, however, just couldn’t let it go and proceeded to create another display with pieces of ice found beneath the snow behind the Festival!!! He has left his mark!!

Today is Lori's birthday and Hayley has a cold back in California. I've got lots to do, ends to tie up, but here, I'd like to review some of the people we met but were too busy to acknowledge; some of the stories & photos I couldn't fit in earlier.

Here's Al Burns, who photographed both exhibits in Ontario. Back in Gord's studio before Italy, he and Gord worked together to find how to capture the movement in the ice. I've found some Al Burns treasures from this trip:

Here's the famous torch shot. Here's another:
Here's our tent exhibit Saturday before we opened, just four days to install all the ice we had made in December and January.
Right now Mark is driving the zamboni across the rink. Gord is amazed at his attention to the painting at centre ice. He understands exactly what he's doing and he loves the painting, so he cuts it back to the colour and builds it back up with the flooding. The following is not an Al Burns shot, but rather my impressionistic vision of the guy we love to envy on the ice.

2007-01-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

There's little glory in clean up, and it's a loud thump when, post-adrenalin, you hit the ground after the high. So far, so good. It's Monday and we've had only 'incidents'. Here's Danna, in front of one of the pieces of permanent artwork from the Turin paintings (The Charm of Cardinal Pacca) at The Shaw, just before we left Sunday. She and Sandra talked until their tongues were fat about the artwork, the artist, the story of it all. And here's Gord, signing the backs of the artwork we sold, prior to leaving for Toronto. And here's The IceWine Festival quartet, plus Gord, Sunday afternoon at The Shaw.
This just prior to my posing with Irish Hockey Team player,Cian MacNeill.
Then, on the way home Sandra called: there was a couple who wanted to buy three prints. Great news, but Gord sort of mumbled, "I didn't sign them"!!! So, then we had a bit of an incident, because it's not the first time he's left artwork behind, unsigned. We solved it, after the expected disappointement, by resolving to return to Niagara on the Lake, and sign them, whether or not they had been wrapped and boxed.

Saturday night he signed quite a few art books (the story of the Turin installation) after an impassioned speech at the Inniskillin Classic Dinner at the winery. A lovely affair (where we were guests of honour) with six entrees and wine pairings - the wine especially was wonderful, (I think I had too much, i.e. all my photos were blurry); the glasses were not full, but they kept arriving.

Back in Toronto, we met with JC and crew, to hand off the car for the vital Take Down/Strike in Niagara on the Lake. Erik & Jaz stayed behind for some needed R & R (for those of you who are not military it means Rest & Relaxation) and today we slept in. On the way to breakfast I realized we had a request for an interview on the Weather Network - but hadn't heard back from Grant. We were just sorting through some of the blurred events of the past week.
1,000 people per hour were going through the exhibit on Nathan Phillips Square. Al Burns captured this in the first hour.

Others skated on the rink painting.

Paddy Parr sent more photos. She salvaged some pieces from the exhibit at The Shaw and put them in front of her house.

Our friend and photographer, Al Burns, emailed with Before and After shots. Tomorrow. It's dark already, Jaz and Erik will meet for dinner in a couple minute

2007-01-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

Suddenly, it was five o'clock. Gord was scheduled to give a tour at 5 & 5:30 for the VIP guests. I stepped in the tent with boxes of cards in my arms for the docents. Our guests crowded around the exhibit.
Gord was introduced; everyone broke into applause.Jaz and I picked up his catalogues and rushed (new snow underfoot) to the Rotunda to put up a sign I had created at Kinko's for the prints, but no easel. I left Jaz to solve the problem and back to the tent. Had our VIPs, Eric & Vizma arrived? Back at the Rotunda, guests were arriving at the reception there. Jordan (calm, cool, collected) and Jaz (calm, cool collected) provided balance for my frenetic 'hampsterness'.
Soon the break dancers.Finally, Eric & Vizma and most of our crew arrived, everyone cleaned up, my friend Lisa and our docent, Susie. Gord got there just in time for the speeches and too soon everyone went outside to see the acrobats.
Reception over, Jaz and I returned the box of catalogues to the room; here's what we saw. Then everyone got lost! Gord didn't have his phone on him, and he'd mentioned his brother Gary was 'over there'. We'd discussed going to The Rivoli, so I left a note in my room (quaint, archaic mode of communication now that we're cell-phone spoiled). Al and Sally gave me a ride to The Rivoli and I kept in touch with Jaz & Tim (via Gord's cell phone). On their heels arrived Pascale, Mariel, Erik's brother Leif, (whom I swore I'd met before). Here we are, very happy to be together on this heady night.

2007-01-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

All of a sudden, the focus is on gloves. On fingers and toes tingling, and ears taking the biting wind. Yesterday I bought four pairs of gloves for Gord, and on my way to return three of them, saw a beggar on the street with none. I gave him a pair. Brrrrrr!

This morning, up waaaay too early. Here's Marielle, on her way to Niagara on the Lake before 7 AM. Gord couldn't keep his eyes open.

Then, CBC interview. Then, Breakfast TV. Grant forgot to tell the security guards (who have become very protective of Gord) about the interview, and they wouldn't let him in -- this at 6 AM and with an All Access badge and a media truck with logo emblazoned on it! But who could have thought of that, anyway? It's not even in the realm of a 'to do' checklist. A badge is a badge, a media truck is a media truck.
And you know, Grant gets his interview. Yesterday was only slightly better in terms of being awake in the cold. Here is Gord's City TV interview, and then a chat with French CBC, just when he was about to go home for the night. Those lids are half-mast. Here they are, Grant and Gord, this morning in the hospitality tent, giddy from lack of sleep.
That's Treena Cesario and Jordan Patterson from Special Events, hosting our media party, tonight. Jordan is super fun, he's always putting you on with a smile. He works in Mike Brisbin's office, and he's cool under pressure, so soon, he's bound to be legendary, as well.

JC ended up stepping up to the plate to drive to Niagara on the Lake. This, last night after supper. Our suggested solution to go down on Friday morning and get back by noon seemed do-able and the two of them packed up the extra pieces for Niagara on the Lake. Here's one of them in place, photo by Paddy Parr.
Tonight, we open!

2007-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

We're on the front page of 24 Hours, in the hands of every commuter.
Tomorrow morning, 7:20 Breakfast TV, across Canada. 8:30 Heather Hiscocks on CBC.

Today, Page 3 in The Globe & Mail.
Yesterday noon, CTV.

Erik Olson's silhouette on page one of GTA in The Toronto Star with an article, "Art puts freeze on Arctic thaw."
Here's Grant Ramsay; he and Catherine Fawcett and I have been working together to bring out all this media, but they get the lion's share of the credit. He's on the right, grimacing because it's so damn cold - he has to wait around until the interview is over.
Last night we were live on Global TV at 6 o'clock, and we (3 docents & Al Burns) watched while WinterCity lit itself up in the night sky.

And here's the latest on the painting in NOTL.Paddy Parr snapped some photos this morning as we tried to determine the state of the paintings there.
We're super busy here preparing for opening, but want to add some new pieces to the exhibit at The Shaw. No one wants to go. We've been trying to figure out when? how? to get one tech person under 25 (Tim & JC are our only two techies, but JC does not want to go) and one artist type (Marielle, Erik, Jaz?). But only someone older than 25 can drive the van - and all willing are mere 'youth'!

Tonight is a Media Opening on the rink painting, and I've got to have everything produced and staffed and up to speed for opening (Tent, Rotunda & Merch Tent) as we must go to NOTL on Saturday after our CBC interview at 9 AM. Here's Eliya, on camera detail.
He's agreed to go, but he doesn't want to travel at night. We'll see.

2007-01-24T20:11:00.001-08:00

The simplest thing, snow. Paddy Parr sent me these photos from the Shaw installation.

The press run began around noon in Toronto:
CTV noon news flew a helicopter over the square to have a look at the rink painting in progress from above, and eveyone wanted to see the breaking going on at center ice.

CBC TV waited patiently for their turn to watch and film and the daily commuter paper, 24 Hours shot stills. The Toronto Star reporter returned for more interview; Global TV arrived at 4.

And all hell broke loose in the tent as a new set of workers began to hang the drapes and set up the coffee gallery space adjacent. Suddenly our crew was displaced, and Gord started throwing out the artwork. I had to leave at that point.

In the meantime, more docents arrived for their orientation. Sandra called from The Shaw: Mike (our maintenance guy in NOTL) was somehow? out of town and his girlfriend who was filling had been out of reach for hours! Worse, the power had gone off in the plates, the sun was outside and the paintings had begun to melt. Debi Pratt showed up with her tv crew from Korean television, pulled back the tarps and meditated on the true meaning of temporary artwork.

Later, back in Toronto, it began to snow and we found ourselves in the center of the rink sweeping the newly made painting.Look at your Globe & Mail tomorrow. We hear the Toronto Sun is also doing a feature.

2007-01-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

They're out there on the empty ice. I can see Gord and JC hunching over under the white lights. All the skaters have gone home. It's 11:30 PM. The rink painting goes in tonight. Flurries, big flakes outside my window.

Today, things turned up notch. When I got back from Niagara on the Lake, a reporter and a photographer from The Toronto Star surrounded a sea of orange and yellow shards, snapping photos at the frenetic activity in the tent.

The entire crew was engaged: Pascale climbing her ladder, Al on photo detail, Eliya chopping up ice outside the tent; JC ordering his henchmen around - Erik on the skill saw, Jaz, Tim, Marielle, even Andrea carrying ice. When I came in with our five docents, the guys had to show off. That's Tim and Jaz.

And here they are left to right: Amy, Jenny, Julie, Kera and Erin. They are art students and graduates and will be showing and telling the public all about the exhibit come Friday. Tim, Jaz and Erik are hoping they'll be back to help out on Thursday. "It's like these guys have never seen a girl!" Marielle laughed.

Eliya introduced Gord to the Mayor yesterday, who loved the exhibit! and today, we got our WinterCity badges. All the tents are up on the outskirts of the square; the stages are being built. Gord had an interview which lasted an hour and a half with a reporter from the Globe and Mail. CTV News Toronto will be on the rink live tomorrow for the noon news. At 4 PM, Global TV. Photo Op - Thursday at 6-7pm. City TV, CBC (French), Sun TV are confirmed. Plus still photographers.

This is all a bit much for 'the artist'. Now he's in the tub, his face scarlet. He stumbled in the room, exhausted. The crew told him to go home. "One of the best things about this", he said, "is how these kids are taking care of me. There's a real sense of loyalty, like family." I can see that the zamboni has dug up the first patch for the ice shards.

2007-01-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Tim and I, driving to get copies at the UPS store said, "What are we going to do when we get back to our ordinary lives?"

Sunday morning we met Eric and Vizma for omelettes at The Prince of Wales. A cold, white morning, perfect for an Inniskillin mini tour. As the weather seemed to be finally co-operating, we watched a front loader lift crushed icewine grapes in its gaping mouth. It was finally cold enough for Inniskillin to pick their harvest.

As partner in the sales of the artwork, Eric was here in Niagara on the Lake to see our operation and I felt keenly the areas where we weren't yet up to speed, the most glaring of which is the disconnect between the each exhibit and information about the availability and access of the prints for sale. I wilted under my own failure to have gotten these things in time even as we toured through the smooth operation at Inniskillin.

To cheer myself up I remember that Gord says this is the really just the beginning and we're learning those things which will make our project most successful. And not to underestimate the fact that we've been living out of a suitcase for the last month and a half, between two cities co-ordinating, managing, interfacing with paid staff in both locations, docents, volunteers, our core crew and others whom we've hired at home and on site . .bla bla bla . . . all this, while trying to keep crew morale up and my own demons in a box.

Negotiating is the hardest. I want what I want, but I'm stubborn and I don't as a natural tendency, back down. At the end of the day, I just want to be a generous, loving, competent, diplomatic person! How can I get that? with everything so complicated and intertwined and not enough sleep or exercise?

In an odd turn of events, the first and second prints in the Chiesa Cool edition of 35 were purchased within minutes of each other. Two women in the lobby went to get a coffee and when they came back, another couple had stepped up -- for the same print!!I felt guilty because on their coffee getting trip, they also fulfilled my request to bring back a latte. Here they are, happy with their purchase - and my latte!

Back in Toronto, Carole Boughannam and Monika Matel Souza walked through the exhibit in progress, dazzled by the colours. Globe & Mail called; Toronto Sun is going to do a picture story. Last week it was Maclean's, calling him "Rothko on steroids". Today, a photographer spent a long time at the 'dark, lit exhibit' clicking away. People are joyous, thoughtful, moved when they see the work. That's what it's about! Tomorrow Tim and I head back up to Toronto. Today, he helped me fix the blog crew descriptions!

2007-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

Opening night!

6 degrees of separation, Gord is 'introduced' to a next door neighbor from his childhood -- who is also an acquaintance of the Sprotts. Hayley's great grandparents show up to congratulate her grandpa.

A VIP dinner hosted by 'the artist' with major help/coordination/finesse from Inniskillin.

This was a thank you to Eric Sprott, for his early, pre-Olympic and ongoing support as well as a celebration of the project, and we had fun while we were at it.

Friday afternoon, biting cold, snow and wind chill factor maxed out, and everyone trying to get their job done.

By the time darkness fell, it was all Pascale could do to keep her union paid workers on the site to finish up the lighting.

Saturday, Opening Day, the sun came out. Setting up indoors at The Shaw, Pascale observed that "the paintings are melting". I drove back the the Gallery House; Gord had turned his phone off! Knocking on the bathroom door, where he was submerged in a hot tub, "You've got to come out, the ice is melting." The crew, in various states of relaxation, get dressed like firemen grabbing their gear before going down a pole.

In the end, it was stunning. There's more.

2007-01-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

Tim went off to Niagara on the Lake. He took an electric planer and a floor scraper with a long handle on an early bus. Today Pascale and her crew installed lighting fixtures for the Toronto installation. Here they are, with Mike Brisbin on the right.

Again Jaz did ant steps on the website, before being called off outside by JC to transport ice flats and clean up the small tent. It's been like this for a month now. The website (which is Jaz's 'other' job) keeps him busy after hours when everyone else has put in a days' work and can put their feet up over a beer. Then, the pressure is on - to concentrate and do detail design work, and translate that to Flash! Last night he stayed up until 1 PM, and he finished! This morning, he arrives at the tent early to work with Andrea on another pour.

Here is JC's magnificent accomplishment.

This is only half the plates as they stretch out in the huge tent. JC and Mike Brisbin are having a mutual admiration festival. I always see them talking and smiling AFTER something has been resolved (no problem is ever too big) and each speaks well about the other when they're not in each other's presence. I know JC has sent some curve balls at Mike and the Mike I know just goes with the flow.

Finally JC can take a few days off. He's been alternately energetic and edgy, but keeps a lid on the pressure he must be feeling about working so hard almost uninterrupted for a month now. With Gord in Niagara, it's almost been a one man show, (if you don't count crew working with him). He's done a huge job orchestrating the must-do of everything to do with the two tents, the plates . . . He's so capable but he's had enough of us - and we'll miss him at the opening in NOTL.

Gord said almost everything went awry in NOTL. Other than a beautiful blanket of snow; they've been working non-stop 12 hour days. At one point he averted disaster when staff taking the tent down dumped glycol onto the grass(!!); they'd made a mess, slowed everyone down. But the good news is: the print show in The Shaw looks fantastic! And Hayley, the gal who made Gord a grandpa, went for her first walk. Look at those blue California skies!

2007-01-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

Lights are still on in the big tent outside on the square. A few skaters whirling around with hockey sticks in the dark. It's 11:45 in Toronto. I'm worried about my kitties back home; Spaffy's an older cat and Sandra said they're cold and lonely; their water bowl froze over; tonight there's another storm.

Jaz just gave it up a few minutes ago; he finished the order cards but couldn't send them to Kinko's successfully. Domani, first thing! JC, Andrea, Tim, and Jaz worked today to get the system hooked up. Lots accomplished and then I went skating with Lisa at lunch break. It was a sunny, crips minus 14. I could only stay out for about a half hour, my teeth, fingers and toes were uncomfortably cold. Met Denise Ing; planned the prints exhibit in the Rotunda; packed books for a mail out; worked on design with Jaz.

In Niagara, Gord, Erik and Marielle bustle to get the exhibit ready for Showtime! on Saturday. We're all just playing it by ear. Paddy Parr at The Shaw took these photos. The tent looks fine today. Gord sounded good; he's in the moment with what's in front of him.

2007-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

A soft sound at the window, like rain, but sharper this morning. I opened the curtains. Hail? Freezing raid? Snizzle?(= snow + drizzle).

Gord closed up his cell phone. "The tent is about to collapse." Pascale was late, with all her lighting gear. Erik, Marielle, Gord ready to go to Niagara on the Lake for a day, while JC, Jaz, Tim, Eliya and Bosco move plates, paintings to the big tent. Let rush hour pass, Gord suggested, we'll head out closer to ten. But now to the urgent matter at hand: the tent housing our paintings in Niagara on the Lake is about to collapse.

Here they are, after phoning Stacey. After, on the worst day ever to travel, deciding that Pascale doesn't have to drive three trips (to/from NOTL/T.O.) for her lighting gear -- just because it was the only trucking comnpany the Icewine Festival had an account with. Rent a truck from Toronto! Use our charge card. No sense risking your life on the roads today. Sometimes it's right in front of you, & you just can't see how simple it is. And the tent? They got a crew there just in time to stabilize it -- weather and wind - winter finally!

While 100 inbound and outgoing flights at Pearson airport were cancelled, due to a backlog on de-icing, after Gord scraped the ice off the van and loaded it up, JC and crew began work in the tent, making way for the big move into the big tent. On the outside it says, American Express Ice Gallery presenting Gordon Halloran's Paintings Below Zero.

Hundreds of pedestrians and skaters pass it daily. On the weekends, thousands. It's a big tent. Over 300,000 people will see this exhibit. The heat is on.

Then at dinner JC told me the electricity hasn't been properly connected in the tent,(three different guys are working on it; it's a turf thing) so he had to close down at dark. We missed 3 hours of work time today. Mike Brisbin has gotten us out of a lot of scrapes -- but can he solve this one in time? We can't afford to lose another day. Last night at dinner Gord said, "No more late nights until we open." Two . . ahem . . crew members are fighting colds due to weekend nights outs. Luckily we've got the truck. Everyone wants Nancy here, if but to say, "You handle this. . . " I need design here(prints order card + website), docents in Niagara; Jaz can only work double time for so long (crew by day, design by night). He's fed up.

Let's just be civil and let's just get through this week. Niagara opens on Saturday!

2007-01-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

Hockey Day in Canada!

The big neon pole at the top of the Canada Life building flashed down, down, down for another yo yo weather day. Weekend shift, half day. Lighting dilemnas, lots of phone calls and emails et encore, nothing to show for the day's work. But in the tent, a colorful set of pours in their second stage.

I escaped for a half hour of skating on the square; it was crazy! So many people! Then, Eric and Vizma, our VIPs, came to survey around 5 pm. Here's Gord, explaining the concept of ice cores.

Dinner! at Reds, a very good wine, elegant courses, stories, laughs, toasts to their support for Paintings Below Zero. Eric was chosen Entrepreneur of the Year for Ontario in '06, and we congratulated him on that, too. Then our hosts took us off to the platinum seats in the heart of Leafs territory on Hockey Day in Canada.

Gord said, "Put your Canuks shirt on!" I got this shot of the Sedin twins from our seats. Leafs fans surrounding us were good sports in spite of the embarassing score (6-1)and there's nothing else like the spectacle of it, all those guys scruffling after the puck at such high speeds, and wham! against the boards: the noise, the energy, the roar! the people!

Work this AM with full crew and then we split up to set up plates in the mammoth tent by the ice rink where Paintings Below Zero at Nathan Phillips Square will finally reside.

2007-01-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

We met at the bar in the lobby of The Sheraton and ordered up some champagne. A welcome to Marielle and congrats to Jaz for a fine piece of work completed.

The artbooks had arrived at the dock at City of Toronto, and Mike Brisbin grabbed one for me before the joint closed up. Gord's artwork, Jaz's design, and even I had contributed some writing.

Then Jaz chose his words for his short toast: "From A Wonderful Life. No man is a failure who has friends."

As for the work today, a few pictures.

2007-01-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Winter, over in a day. This morning, bright blue skies and a balmy 2 degrees. That's Andrea, surveying a day's work.

Yesterday, it was arctic. There's nothing like that cold. Inside the tent, a day to get it done.

No doubt about it, winter had arrived. On the way to dinner, we walked the streets of Toronto, dwarfed by its massiveness, beaten back by the cold.

Here we are caught taking refuge in the warmer route . . . via the underground! Not a concept we grasped, really, until out in the wind chill for one day.

After our welcome Tim! and Andrea! toast over dinner, Gord decreed: if the pours are frozen, there will be 2 more hours of work. Then, the bets: will the ice we poured before dinner be . . . frozen? The crew was buoyant; the artwork created in that biting temperature flowed easily, and they were proud of it.

Erik won the bet, predicting that the new pours would be frozen, but still wet on the top. So we took the night off.

Then today, 2 degrees and, shall we say, concern. Tent overflowing, yesterday's work lounging in the balm. Somehow, the predicted cold snap had been cut very short. Our auxiliary ice warehouse space became unexpectedly unavailable, but we had a back-up plan for a refrigeration truck to store the work we'd done up until now. Key people at The City fell sick to the cold/flu going around, no news since yesterday afternoon. This morning, Gord pacing. JC heard good news: the city had a history with Ryder, and their account was retrieved. I set out on site; Mike Brisbin met us outside the tent, ready to get the truck.

As we speak, Winter with a capital W continues to pummel Vancouver, and in Toronto, a full crew -- including Marielle -- are working like bees carrying all that new art to the refrigeration truck. Gord's here to thaw. Maybe tonight we'll actually get to play hockey -- last night we showed up with sticks -- sans hockey pucks -- and were the only ones there to play!

2007-01-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's not that we were there to play. But gol darn it, it was finally winter! Minus 2 celsius on the corner of Bay and Queen. Double scarves, double tights under jeans and the wind chill found its way to bare skin anyway.

We passed the hockey players late, after supper together. Tim had arrived, we took a moment over dinner. Then, back at it.

What a day. The compressor had gone out at five am on two consecutive days, for no apparent reason. With the weather still warm, we couldn't afford to have the refrigeration system on the blink. The water wasn't coming through the hose???. Here Eric and Jaz are down the square, back to bringing it in with buckets, just like the Fenestrelle make-do.

But in the tent, art was being made. Tim fit right in. Here's Eric mixing green.

It's still quite a cramped workspace, and the ice warehouse skedded for us is somehow unavailable now. Esp with the weather an uncertain ride (it goes above zero on Friday) we've got to get more space -- maybe a refrigeration truck.

Today, cheeks are red again; production is at a faster clip -- the white on the skating rink seems denser, and everyone out the window has gloves on. I just saw that BC has another snow storm! Marielle arrives tomorrow. Jaz and I visited Eric today in his gold tower, saw close up his Van Gough, his ARTists artwork. Laughed.

2007-01-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Toronto the Good, at last. We looked up on the QEW and it felt like Chicago, or New York. Jaz was born here, but young when we left. Unpacked our month's worth of Stuff and went to the window at The Sheraton. Nathan Phillips Square.

The only thing 'winter' about the city is the white ice on the rink, and the skaters going round and round. Closer up, mud and scruffy grass. We saw the white wedding tent across the square -- someone inside! When we arrived, the first ice had begun to form.

JC had to deal with the delay of the second compressor and every other detail getting the tent & plates ready. Scheduled help Andrea and even Erik were nowhere to be seen - there was nothing to work on. JC's been working non stop for weeks now. Bosco was here, fidgeting with the controls. We went to dinner. Lisa Kurtz became our newest Principessa, charming us all.

We had put the paintings to bed in Niagara,

chose the prints for exhibit at Inniskillin, had a picnic lunch with the Diva Duo of Debi Pratt and Stacey Mulholland . . .

played some squash and packed up for the Big Adventure in the Big City. Today, meetings: Cat PR, Grant Ramsay, Monika Matel Souza. The artbooks delayed at the printer in Manitoba, won't arrive til Thursday. Ordered business cards. Skated half hour on the square, where a few flakes were seen swirling around, promising winter at last. Tomorrow, Tim arrives from the West Coast, the crew is up early to get a good day of making paintings in - and we play hockey after the rink closes down! Now to bed!

2007-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy time, the stress of it has been making me cough. JC did the mammoth job of organizing the plates and equipment onto the truck to go to Toronto.

Jaz and Erik had to be separated.

They were getting out of hand with all their back and forth silliness and humour, and we were laughing way too much.

Gord's adapting his plans for Toronto's installation to take into account the warm weather. The compressor hasn't arrived from Accent, Bosco went missing for a day, and we are waiting for the word on whether or not we have ICE at Nathan Phillips Square, so the rest of us - Gord, Jaz and me - are still in warm and rainy Niagara on the Lake. Jaz working on the website. The books were shipped today, to arrive on Monday.

We sorted through the permanent artwork today at The Shaw with Stacey and Jeff. I love the names! "Trip to Sestriere", "Morning on Piazza San Carlo". We named one after Gabriella. My favorite is "Charm of Cardinal Pacca."

Tonight it is 9 degrees -- AT NIGHT! The weather here is more like London, or Vancouver. Children in the dressing room at White Oak were overheard complaining about no snow. Another CBC documentary on Iceland's glaciers melting, and an interview with the leader of the Green party. Global warming is everywhere.

I just realized that squirrels don't have any natural predators in Niagara on the Lake. Their only predators seem to be automobiles. Today we saw two flattened squirrels within ten feet of each other. Humans don't have natural predators either. Except each other. Wars keep the numbers down.

I'm super busy, press releases, sending out invitations, sorting prints, press interviews, scheduling, it seems like nothing but it all takes time. The living room is a mess, brown wrapping and artwork everywhere. I've had this cough for a week now. Dry, stupid cough, keeping me awake at night. But we played a half hour of hockey today, and squash this evening, to mediate the stress. It's 11:22, everyone is in bed.

2007-01-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

An inconvenient truth.

Warm and sunny, a beautiful, joyful day to be back at it. Here, in Niagara on the Lake, so many small squirrels frenetically, energetically leap from branch to bush. Even as they stand and nibble, their tiny hands up to their noses, it’s at hampster-spin speed. Today we took a short cut through the common. Small bushy tails rippled like waves against the still-green lawn. It’s almost unbelievable that here, temperatures will be double digit in the first weeks of January.

Last night another documentary, the call for us to take our collective heads out of the sand.

For us, the warming of the planet looms large, and no relief in sight. We can’t extend the exhibit away from the plates at all. We have no where Below Zero to store paintings already created. The tent is cramped. Everything taking longer to freeze. Designs have to be altered to compensate. But that’s what it’s all about -- as the work is about the natural processes of freezing and melting. Yet, it’s so ironically appropriate that we face these challenges. How can we be exempt, tho our work warns?

Last year on New Year’s Eve we gathered all together for the first time at the Mezouin for a spectacular dinner. The next night at dusk, we saw a procession of children come out of the forest with candles and ate gaufres at a huge bonfire in the center of the small town of Fenestrelle. Here are photos of our rollicking this January lst.Here with the costumed Father Christmas, Debi and The Don.

At the cenotaph on Queen Street, as the clock struck midnight.

It rained. We had champagne anyway.

Here, a representative of the next generation.

“If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced. " (www.aninconvenient truth.com)

2006-12-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve. Above zero.

Another media interview yesterday, Debi Pratt is a pro - she gets them out! Right now the interviewers look bewildered and maybe disappointed - where's the beautiful exhibit? It's pretty difficult to explain, the paint, the water, the freezing, the pours . . . how is it going to . . . look?

This morning, as we uncovered the paintings, we discovered last night's pours still wet. It's quite a daily unveiling, the plywood fences, the tarps, the styrofoam.

I've been unwrapping the prints, to sort. A full exhibit will be displayed at The Shaw Theatre through the installation -- first time these images will ever be seen. Some will go to Inniskillin, to be displayed in their modern lobby. Here's Window on the Chiesa:

2006-12-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

TV interview first thing in the morning. Everything off schedule, we left our recycling at the curb, and it still sits there - New Year's is just around the corner. It's colder today; and everyone's talking about how this unseasonably warm weather is affecting everyone. There was a piece in the Toronto Star, and Gord was interviewed! The warmth is definitely challenging us.

The tent is cramped, progress slow, JC is consumed with organizing details for this installation and planning for Toronto, also an outdoor tent situation.

There's doesn't seem to be a moment off work, over meals every conversation is another detail about how we're going to get it done. There's gonna be a crunch just after New Year's when we go to Nathan Phillips Square!

But James at To The Net printing has gone out of his way to get us our invitations on time! A delay in drying them led to disappointment this morning, and every courier says, "No" it can't be delivered before New Year's. He's bringing them down himself! Thank you James! Best wishes for reuniting with your fiancee coming in from Europe.

This weekend, we're going to open all those exquisite prints -- and all together, name them, using Italian names from our memories of our part in the Cultural Olympiad of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

2006-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

The prints arrived yesterday! Two crates of them from the west coast. Gord and JC pried open the wood boxes, ripped into the paper.

Images from the Torino collection, with names like Val Chisone and Les forcats -- each word a reminder of the layers of our experience in Italy.

This will be our first exhibition of this work - at The Shaw Festival Theatre - indoors next door to the outdoor 'live' installation of the new Paintings Below Zero. The Icewine Festival is planning a big opening on the 20th of January.

It seems far away, but already there's pressure to adapt schedule, design, everything to the warm weather. We were hopeful when we saw the snow flurries yesterday morning, but we're back to warm and green by the lake. Here's our tent at The Shaw, which buffets the warm winds. This exhibit has to last more than a month - in fickle outdoor conditions.

Meanwhile: thanks to our pre-Christmas hustling, our books & invitations are being printed; business cards designed. We'll have to pull Jaz off the Core Crew to update the web site so we can show the permanent artwork online. Here, first frozen pours have been put to bed.

Last night the crew came dragging in to dinner. JC walks with a limp: he played goalee at the Halloran ball hockey game on Boxing Day in Mississagua. Here's a photo of the teams, taken by Lauren Kulokas. Thanks, Lauren.

2006-12-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

Boxing Day.

We're in the land of White Christmas, and yesterday, not even a flake. Warm rain. This could slow us down, as we try to keep the cold next to the plates. But we buttoned up and took a couple days off, even as a strong wind shook every corner of the tent.

Why is Christmas Day so strangely difficult? Is it the songs? The "here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore . . " when we aren't like that at all? The grandparents who filled in our sense of family with a history they carried around with them, are gone. We follow in the spaces we took up as children, somehow yearning for the comfort and joy we had when someone else worried about the boogie man.

Yesterday, Christmas day, in the town where Gord grew up, where he watered his backyard rink from the basement window of the house his father built on Queensway Gardens, where he caught the passes at the football games, where he won golf Junior club championships, where he and his brothers and sister sat in deep snow and tobogganed down the steep hill at Firemen's Park -- the wind blows through these spaces. No one sits on the rickety bleachers in the middle of the field. The bank on the corner where he worked summers, is gone. The car dealership - his father's business - which held a place in the community -- the genesis of many Halloran family stories -- is a parking lot next to a Chinese restaurant in neon. Last year we were the parents. This year, we are the grandparents.

As a child, a day lasts a long time, and you fall asleep exhausted and spent, with a smile on your face, clutching the baseball glove or the hockey stick.

But as you get older, it's just another rainy day - and the White Christmas you hear about in every store - has gone the way of the sleigh bells. We have supper together, and tear into forgettable gifts and hug each other's warmth, making a memory for our offspring.

Friday the 23rd, together, we saw Joyeux Noel, and I cried through the entire film. It's the story of the spontaneous cease-fire on the front during World War I - and how that amazing event changed everyone's lives -- the French, the Scots, the Germans. It put us In The Mood, put our lives into perspective the day before Christmas Eve. I fixed pasta and we all gathered together in the large living room to watch - from start to finish - with sing along -- The Sound of Music. On Christmas Eve, It's a Wonderful Life.

During the day,Christmas Eve, we visited the new Buddhist mega church where we met a wonderful old man with sparkling eyes and true happiness reflected in his eyes. 10,000 virtues each sat in rows on the walls, brass statues covered in gold.

Then, up against fenced off Nature with a capital N. Niagara Falls.

The sky was darkening and suddenly it was 4:30.

We had a half hour left before the touristy stores closed on Clifton Hill. We were sort of boycotting the buy-frenzy but we had a team game where everyone gets one gift, so we had to set out. Here's The Don having a dog.

Here's Jaz overwhelmed by the hype.

Here's Erik and Jaz on Christmas night, voting as one for the gift they wanted to keep and treasure -- a snow globe.

To shake down the winter. To make the snow fall.

2006-12-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

The proofs arrived from WestCan!

Jaz and I had made a Computer Central with our side-by-side laptops on the dining room table. Both of us, working on the invitation when Stacey pounded on the door with the proofs in her hand. I hugged her and we ripped into the plastic and pored over full colour pages. A thin book, faded images (only a proof) but even so, the impact of it made me cry.

It’s so beautiful! Jaz had worked so hard and for so long to bring us this combination of images, typeface, copy and . . . white space. A summary of the struggle and the sublime. Our work for The Cultural Olympiad in Italy. The dedication alone was enough to send me (already hyped by the holidays and goodwill from the Inniskillin duo) over the top. But here it is, Gord’s simple words:

To Mary Gordon McLellan, who always knew it would be painting.

Here Gord refers back to a conversation I had with his mother, years ago, when Gord was doing . . . what? He’s done so many things, and each thing well: a director, dramaturge, playwright, Production Designer, screenwriter. He's created drawings and paintings, both abstract and figurative. I remember her saying to me, “Gord will go back to painting.” And I remember thinking, "she knows her son, a mother knows.”

There it was, those simple words, years after she died, across the white page.

So yesterday, Mary Gordon McLellan's grandson and I spent the whole day at the Gallery House, proofing the copy, making arrangments for the invitation printing, confirming press release details, importing logos, dealing with Rogers Wireless again. (It turns out Rogers assigned the new local number to my son’s phone! We have a framily plan and they became confused. We had to take the sim card out of my phone and put it into Jaz’s phone!!! But I digress).

Our Winter Solstice celebration began when JC got home and started fixing up the house. He’d been to the store and came back with party stuff which he put out, like the ex-restraunteur he is.

Jaz and Erik picked up the fully cooked turkey (complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes & roast potatoes). I fixed salad and veggies. They brought poinsettias and a box of Inniskillin wines! After a great meal a spicy shiraz, a chilled reisling and dessert, Stacey stood up to be the Santa. She handed each of us a large bag and instructed us to open it all up at once.

Wow! Look at what they gave us! Here we are, all suited up in Inniskillin outfits.

Today we managed to get away to play old timer's hockey. Yesterday it was Shinny again with the FAST guys. Jeff set me up for a shot on goal. Gordie held his own, but Andy said it's so fast he's worried about me. Then today, the Old Timer's was like slo mo -- but much more relaxed. Here they are: I've turned my back.

Now, so as you won’t be thinking we’re in the “mice will play” portion of this trip, I want you to know: we have colour!

2006-12-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's dusk in Niagara on the Lake. Five days before Christmas. Warmish but windy, an ex-sunny day. I wish the snow was here.

The guys are back at The Shaw in the new white tent, ready to turn on the ice making machine and roll out the first 'real' ice since we got here. Here's 'The Don' wrestling with the new copper piping -- this element is the newest addition to his design.

I just read the website of Winter City Fest (http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/events.htm) (click under Amex Ice Gallery). I'm pumped. They did a great job! Here, Debi's press release goes out tomorrow, can't wait to see the rack card.

I'm alone in the lobby of the Pillar and Post; it seems more like a room at Santa's Workshop. It's easy to imagine that around the corner, the chatter I hear comes from elves and Mrs. Claus. I'm practically suffocated here by boughs of red and evergreen, wreaths with ribbons and white lights, gold stars, shiny ornaments, poinsettias, even the smell of cinnamon and cloves -- in every nook and cranny.

Do you hear what I hear? "Pretty Paper, pretty ribbons . . ."

I've got to complain, but I'll be quick and you'll relate: Today Rogers Wireless kept me on hold for twenty minutes, only to hang up on me - twice, and after the 4th call over the same thing: my phone still doesn't work. RRRrrrrrrrgggggh! No one offers any discounts, but the worst part is -- they know my phone isn't working, why do I have to call them four times and ride herd while they try to fix it? I've got work to do!! Why can't they just #$%^^&& fix it? NOT a good use of cell phone! "Have a holly, jolly Christmas . . . ." right, Rogers!

Good news: the place we're staying is not haunted. It's a heritage house, red brick on the outside, spacious with lots of common areas, renovated floors in kitchen and bathrooms. Beautiful Chinese porcelain lamps in every room. Last night Jaz worked on the invitation into ten-ish hours, and we all gathered around the dining room table, helping him tweak.

NO HOCKEY TODAY! Gord pulled his back out and had to lie down. SO! disappointed!

And to balance that complaint, I want to say a big 'THANK YOU' to some people back home who have helped us. First, Roger Handling. World class designer and artist whom we've known since before we moved to the Sunshine Coast -- he's been consulting on the design of the catalogue for the Pitture Sotto Zero installation at the Cultural Olympiad of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. And we get the proofs tomorrow!! Also Kera McHugh, who owns Wild Bistro & Bakery in Gibsons -- she's agreed to dust the flour off her hands to help me add a Who's Who on this blog. She's been a key player for me in all my web dreams, so I want to give Roger and Kera -- from all of us -- a big hug!!

Now it's Karen Carpenter, "in my dreams, I'm Christmasing with you . . . "

I've got to share a note we received from Alessandra -- remember our Italian 'Principessa'? What I love about it is: it sounds just like her, in her lovely accent! That's her in purple in the front:

HI CAITLIN!!!!!HOW ARE YOU? DO YOU REMEMBER OF ME?
I'M VERY WELL AND FROM 02 OCTOBER I WORK IN TORINO TO "REGIONE PIEMONTE" I LIKE IT.
I LOOK THE PICTURES IN YOUR BLOG ABOUT "PAINTING BELOW ZERO IN ONTARIO" AND SOMETIMES I READ YOUR DIARY (IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME).
CHRISTMAS IS NEAR AND I MUST BUY ALL PRESENTS FOR MY FRIENDS BAT I HAVEM'T NOT IDEA WHAT TO BUY......IT'S TOO EXPASIVE AND NOT USEFUL.
I SEE JAZ AND ERIC TOGETHER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HOPE YOU ARE FINE AND NOW I BACK TO MY WORK!!!!!!!!!!!

CIAO UN ABBRACCIO TO JAZ, MR.GORDON, ERIC AND ALL YOUR TEAM.

GOOD LUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALESSANDRA

2006-12-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

Hockey in Niagara on the Lake! Yesterday we slipped out for a shinny lunchtime game. First off the ice and heaving from the effort and over-the-top-adrenalin, I thought: this is FAST hockey! My once per week lunchtime duffer league was left in the snow these guys carved off the ice with their blades, and I said, "Self, if you are lucky enough to go regularly here, your game will imPROVE." As we stripped off our skates afterwards, even Gord said there were some ringers out there. I met Jeff, who said he played in the WHL in the early days. We go back Wednesday. I managed to connect a couple times with the sponge puck -- one shot on goal and a few passes. Hope springs eternal . . .

Debi and Stacey of Inniskillin, what can I say about them? The Daring Duo. Batman & Robin. Christo & Jeanne Claude. Zorro & Tonto. A team of two.

Between rack cards and press releases; scheduling, delivery and schmoozing, these two gals are a team to be reckoned with. Today Debi brought a ceramic Christmas tree with blue lights over to the house, before our 8:30 AM meeting and they're both coming over for turkey dinner on Thursday. But wait -- they've arranged to have the turkey cooked - stuffing and all - by a chef at the Pillar & Post!!

Here's Pascale in our midst, after the quiche.

Yesterday she made a super special meal and every agreed it was 'the best quiche they ever had in their lives'. Jaz went on to say that the moment he was tasting it was 'the best moment of his life' but we reasoned with him. So that's what the wine and good company do - you just gotta "yes-and" til the cows come home. Today the tent goes up and Jaz works on the invitations. I'll be locked up in the interrogation room at the Prince of Wales. Rogers Wireless gave me a new (local) number, but it doesn't work!! Agggggh

2006-12-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

Up early Sunday to drive Bosco to the train station in Niagara Falls. A check at the Shaw site revealed all systems down. A plastic bag had caught against the ventilation on the compressor and shut the system off. That and the warm weather conspired to melt the first ice we were so joyous at having created. Good that it happened now. JC and Bosco are working on getting it back up; Bosco's going to miss his train.

It's Sunday, our day off and we're supposed to go skating. JC's got a sore throat. Things were just going a bit too swimmingly.

Saturday night Debi Pratt hosted a dinner at her cottage by the lake and we met Paul Ziraldo (Donald's younger brother), and his lady, Dana.

Jaz stayed at the apartment above the storefront to finish his final exam. When we said our goodnight-goodbyes, Dana had agreed to skate and learn to play hockey! We're going to rent the rink for a Christmas shinny game with, hopefully, Gord's brothers from Mississagua and Ottawa, and the cousins, and other interested takers.

We missed attending the Cinematheque (it's a bit early for press appearances) but Debi introduced the project anyway to the audience gathered. Over smoked salmon, cold chicken, trout, salad and several excellent bottles of Inniskillin wines,

we heard about how many degrees "it" ("it" being the temperature, grace a Mother Nature) has to be in order for anyone to be able to call wine Ice Wine. Grapes must be harvested at minus 8 degrees; an inspector comes down to the winery to verify during the harvest. Minus seven won't do, and artificial cold won't do.

So there are more parallels to this wine and our work, whose process is freezing and melting. Warm winters in Ontario (where minus 8 isn't usually a problem), and then what about Ice Wine? Debi says that "it" won't affect the industry for another 40 years. ("It" being global warming). But who really knows these things? We're all so inter-connected and at the mercy of a world so much bigger and so much smaller than we can even begin to see. In the meantime, drink up, we're only here for a short time, and the Ice Wine is very very good.

Here it is, that's ice on the copper pipes again and the show is on the road. (These are the new 'elements' Gord is adding to the design -- can't wait 'til he gets colour on those!) Monday, we are going to TRY to play some hockey at lunch! Pascale (our lighting designer) is here, her Quebecoise french is so great to listen to, and I got a chance to bavarder en francais. She's going to fix quiche tonight. Debi and Stacey and I plot & schedule at Inniskillin cette apres midi.

2006-12-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Sweet!" Jaz says. A plane zooms over our heads onto the runway parallel to the road. Three of us in the back of the bus. A sea of dark and red swimming tail lights surround us. It's Friday night rush hour, we're on our way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. "How would you describe that?" I ask them, as the hulking steel vehicle lands on the tarmac, flashing red & white lights."Dark, shiny, really big." Jaz says. "Loud!" Suddenly they laugh with one guffaw. "Okay if I just use some comic book words here?" Another double laugh. "Zzzzzzzoooooo! Zwwoosh! Zoom!"

Yesterday, our Core Crew arrived an hour late at Toronto's Pearson International, and dragged our stuffed-to-the-gills hockey bags onto the pushcart. Erik found us almost instantly once we got outside the door. What a relief! He looked wilted as he'd been hanging in there, for four hours after his plane arrived from Calgary, thinking we were coming in on West Jet. Even he, veteran traveller, seemed discouraged and added, almost giddily, next to our mountain of luggage, "I'm glad we're not in Berlin." When I asked him 'How'd you figure out we were coming in on Air Canada?'he said, "The Don." And so now Gord's new name is "The Don."(Note. Good use of Gord's new cell phone.)

In Vancouver, Jaz had once again unwittingly packed a weapon in his carry-on!"What's she looking for?"I asked him, as the lady dug into the bottom corner of his back pack, determined to find something. He shrugged, totally serene.She produced his Torino souvenir pocket knife, so we took the option of running back to check his bag, as he wasn't willing to give THAT up(JC had given it to him in Torino), and we had two (extra?) minutes. (Last year, at the airport on the way to Italy, remember, it was his skates?) So not enough time even for a coffee.

But! on the plane we sat next to a really nice Ruth Ross (our travel superhero) who surprised us by treating us to snacks and sandwiches, when she saw us digging for coins. Jaz kept saying, 'I can't believe they're not going to serve us anything.' We chatted about the thrills and pitfalls of working for yourself and the fact that her dog is named Jazz. At the airport, we found stacks of Winter City cards in promo racks, featuring -- Paintings Below Zero! In colour! So for a moment we felt important, excited, happening, and then, upon closer examination, a small let-down, as someone had mis-spelled Gord's name.

Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) is a strangely magical town; last night it was eerily quiet in the streets. We felt like players in a Christmas Twilight Zone until we hit Angel Pub, the happening local spot. Gord and JC were, I'd have to say, buoyant at our arrival. "Everybody knows how to spell Gordon," he said, "at least they got my last name right."

Met Bosco, we all leaned into our pub food at a pine table while a live trio belted celtic tunes at blasting decibels and a few Canadian classics in harmonies. After a couple beers we shouted! we sang with The Don! we got Hoarse!

At breakfast, he drew his new design on a napkin.Form follows function here as his tinkering with the new copper tubing will help keep the cold from escaping. Here's Erik and JC at the skeleton site.

Gord says there's pick up hockey everyday at a rink in Virgil and Debi is trying to get us into the local squash and workout club. Jaz works away as the Design Student in the apartment above the storefront. We are guests at a film at The Shaw, and Debi will introduce the project to the audience. I met Stacey! We're definitely drinking Inniskillin wine. Today, the townsfolk came out of hiding, I'm guessing, since the sun was out. There were actually people in the shops. Here's Bosco and The Don.

2006-12-12T22:24:00.000-08:00

In Roberts Creek, Eliya and I stand beneath the sky, awed. The wind is so strong it makes swirling waves of towering evergreens. We watch branches flying through the air, hold ourselves up.

Later, a sudden darkness. In the squash courts. I’d given up any pretense of working. Any copy or arrangements for the invitation was stalled. Grind-your-teeth no-news. Those with any bearing on the decision of Where to exhibit images from Torino paintings? were three hours ahead of us in Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake, and they had gone home already, so I took my necessary exercise! break. I’d been writing emails at my computer when power, lights, and smoke alarm flashed off and back on just long enough to disconnect everything. Throughout the afternoon.

We’re pathetic without our lights, and the dark is dense in Roberts Creek. The cats just curl up and go to sleep as the huge cedars and Douglas Fir stand together towards the stars, whipping in the gusts and sideways rain. My candles flickered bravely in sharp relief against the black. I sat alone and small wondering why I had decided to fly to Ontario five days after Gord? Suddenly the house seemed big, the woods around me even more mysterious and powerful, and me and Spaffy such insignificant shadows.

I called Donna, and the next thing was, two of us leaning in towards each other over our frothy drinks listening to Eric’s mother, Christina Welscher in a Gibson’s Starbucks. Although Grantham’s was also pitch dark, in the middle we had lights at the mall. Christina’s son, it turns out, is going from the North Pole to the equator on his own power as part of a leadership team. He’s representing Canada, too. Donna seems to be the link, she knows everybody who’s anybody around here.

And later, under glowing lights at the dining room table, holiday red and gold detrius kept us company with the cat whom she calls “Sparky”. Donna and I wrapped and gifts for our families.

Eliya’s going to house sit. Gord and JC got things going ‘on the ground’ at Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) today, and here, Nancy heard from me directly, that she’s our valued treasure. Then, in slumber, I had this dream about my youngest brother, Thomas. We have big issues between us, but we smile towards each other, unsure. We are from the same mother and father, after all, and though there are fourteen of us, neither of us knows whose face will be looking down and whose eyes will be closed first, before this life is up.

Here I am writing him a note:

Dear Tom,

I just realized right this minute
it's your birthday
today right now

And last night
I dreamed about you
the you of my adolescence
the six or seven year old you

Somehow in my dream
this little you and Andrew
had spent the night alone
together
(I blamed myself for neglecting you)
you emerged from your slumber
dressed bravely in a collared shirt and pants
you were both such little guys
and this morning of my dream
you said you were frightened

I took you on my lap
to comfort you
to ask you
what are you afraid of?

And then I woke up
in Donna’s guest room
under her granny’s quilt
embraced by the new day

2006-12-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

A bride came through the lobby of the hotel last night, among travellers sharing nightcaps next to high ceilinged windows in the lounge. A cranberry and green wreath lit up the hearth with white lights over a fire roaring maniacally on slate rocks. A hockey game on the flat screen over the bar.

She led her husband by the hand and the two of them sat in the middle of the room in two overstuffed chairs, eating french fries. It was almost midnight. All heads turned, she smiled for her audience, and then they sank into their own private newlywed world. We all in the room, shared that moment in her life, wondering about their appetite for each other, if they had the honeymoon suite, and where were her guests?

Gord checked his yellow hockey stick and we sat for a hasty breakfast. JC, our Project Manager told us the intrigue about the apartments where we’ll be staying in Niagara-on-the-Lake. These are actor’s lodging -- those who work summer stock for The Shaw Festival. JC has worked in theatre for years, he knows all the gossip, and he says one of the apartments is haunted! The omelette was rectangular and the day outside was wet and dreary. We remembered our last departure for Italy, it was almost to the day, a year ago. Today, Christmas seemed to permeate; I liked the sight of red and silver ornaments, even the familiar pa-rum-pa-pum-pum. I watched them both, JC and Gord, as they unloaded their carry ons and jackets at security, as they took off their shoes and walked through the beeper gate. There were others waiting for a last glimpse of their loved ones before the trip, but this time, Gord didn’t look back.

A tense and frustrating week on hold until the Saturday morning board meeting in Niagara-on-the-lake, and then: All Systems Go! Back on track, and rev it up to speed. It was more than I could take, gracefully, as I didn’t get my exercise. We had to pack Gord up for the trip, and do those many prepatory things in a hurry-up way. I snapped at Nancy and lay awake thinking about how I could be better, how undeserving of my impatience she was, and how could I just Let it Go . . . .(in a future life I’ll be a diplomat) In the end, we forgot the camera.

I come up short under this kind of stress, because I just hold on. So now I’m thinking: process. I’ve got to find a process to help me walk through the emotional soup I end up swimming around in when the heat is turned up. Breathe. Take a walk. Let it go. The question is still: where can we put the prints collection to the best advantage? How can I tell Nancy she is just short of extraordinary?

2006-12-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

This is the image in my mind today.
The little girl with the purple piece of ice.
And those little eyes peeking out over the top.
Excited about her discovery.

She's what I'm keeping my mind's eye. Innocence, open to excitement. The world promised at her perfect feet. A frozen painting in her gloves. Just minutes to explore and appreciate it before it melts.

It's from last year's exhibit, from January 20th at www.paintingsbelowzero.blogspot.com So in a sense it's already had it's moment. My moment, is to hold it. To keep me on track.

The world we all share is a pell mell future of unexpected possibilities. Not enough cold, and the polar bears don't have a glacier strong enough to hold the weight of their bodies. Penguins don't have the firm ice they migrated to last year to bear their calves. The tree in my backyard crashes to the ground from heavy snow fallen too early. How many species in the wrong place at a different time? Blooming when it's time to go dormant? Global Warming, the elephant in the room on our beloved planet, that's what it is. In Wine Country, the cold is not enough to seduce luscious Ice Wine from the grapes. Things are a little tighter this year. Like all of us, this is still okay. We're upbeat even - but on the edge. Because we just don't know how much change we can handle.

As artists, we've been exploring this idea through our art. And most recently, we've been planning a big exhibit there. Paintings Below Zero. Ephemeral work present only as long as the temperature can hold onto it. An odd concept perhaps, but we're about to go out the door with it. We're hurtling ourselves into a tunnel of activity - pouring paint, freezing ice, melting and morphing it together -- press openings, schedules, an unveiling with lights -- new people to work with. Plane tickets and meetings. Wine, laughter, a headache. Hockey on outdoor ice. Maybe (!) under the moonlight.

And this, the best, the thing we live for as artists -- a forum for new work. For a singer, it's new songs. A comedian, new jokes. A playwright -- a new character! For Gord Halloran, it's new techniques, new Messing About, exploring the frontier of frozen paintings. We've got some surprises in store. Yes, we do!

But at today's end, an unexpected wrinkle in the works. Because of what's happening everywhere in the world, because the weather is warmer. The trickle down means that today we have to come to a screeching halt and take our hands out of our pockets and come up with something new, if necessary, to re-invent what we've worked so hard to bring to the people of Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's all in my Forbidden File, the thick one which I call, "Things that cannot be said". So I can't say it, but it threatens.

We've put ourselves here and we're ready to stand by it, to take our knocks if someone doesn't like our creation. We hope the most beautiful painting doesn't fracture and break before anyone can see it, before we hear their, "Wow!" their "Amazing!" Before we can feel the silence of their listening to something they've never experienced before.

So her face is what I'm keeping in my mind today. Her little girl awe. To focus me. On the present. Right now, right here. Because, in spite of any setback, we're still lucky. Where I live, it's still a beautiful world.

2006-12-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Frozen paintings come home

The blink of an eyelid and it’s dinnertime. A year later! The Turin Olympics are over, we've been home for the summer and now we’re heading out again. Air flights reserved, e-advertising for someone to stay at our home with our kitties. Christmas around the corner. A reunion with our Italy-Turin-Fenestrelle crew! This time two installations! No church, no windy Alpine road to a fortress atop a mountain, but, we hope, lots of snow and hockey.

Niagara-on-the-Lake and Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto.To create ephemeral paintings in ice designed by Gord Halloran, the maestro of sparkling abstract Below Zero colour. But first, a taste of winter on the west coast.

That’s our backyard, and that aging alder fell parallel to the house. We were at The Gumboot, sitting out a power outage, so who knows if the tree made a sound when it came crashing down.

I hear the City of Toronto is Wi Fi friendly. No need for an hour long bus trip up treacherous, icy roads -- just for internet contact with the world. Sestriere was beautiful, but I'll be happy in the lobby at The Sheraton with my laptop and a latte. Whoooo hooo!

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, we’ll be creating paintings outdoors, (using Gord’s re fit refrigeration plates) on the terrace at the Shaw Festival Theatre. Sponsored by The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival. And next door, inside, we’ll display an exhibit of giclé prints. These are the permanent artwork created from the Fenestrelle paintings. I’m calling these giclés “crystal-structure paintings”, because they’re second-look, close-up paintings. They’re what you see when you observe Pitture Sotto Zero beneath the surface. The in-motion ice under the shiny veneer. A completely new exhibit! Ice . . . without the ice. Show Time in giclé.

For Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square, Gord has designed a huge painting for the flat rink and a special 3-D installation for display inside a gallery, alongside the outdoor arena. We’re guests of The City of Toronto as part of Winter City. Ear muffs, scarves, snow and hockey equipment. We’re bringing our skates. (This time we’ll pack them in our checked bags so we can make it through security, and hopefully, we won't be running for the gate at the last call).

Ontario, the True North strong and beautiful. Ice, snow, kids on ice skates chasing after a black disc with wooden sticks. Where Gord's childhood experience flooding home made ice rinks under a winter moon inspired him to create this new, visceral art form. Where people really do say 'eh?' Where, under that same moon, years later, I was a young woman in love with a Canadian. Where Jaz was born. Before team sports. A lifetime away, almost.

It's dark and dinnertime and emails to answer, arrangements to be made. Wood to be put on the fire. Soft rain outside the window, melting the snow. Tomorrow, there'll be a moment for more. We're just beginning. Again.