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Starting Fresh

4/25/2015

Well, what do you know, the art show is over and the photo above tells you what my life looked like after I'd moved all my art out of the gallery and back into my 17 by 12ish foot studio! Quite a confused mess. I came in one morning a few days later, backed everything out of my space, cleaned up, repackaged where necessary and generally did a good housecleaning. That day by mid afternoon the photo below was taken. What a difference both in looks and in feelings. Ready to start fresh!

As you probably already know, this weekend is our one day spring show and sale. (See poster below.) I'm working hard at getting something made so I can sell something at the this "Open Studio" event.

In the past I've never sold anything but this time will be different. I've made a popcorn dish for my family some years back and they love it. We always use it because one bag of popcorn fits into it perfectly. Also it has fluted sides so the popcorn is so easy to pull out with your fingers! That's how the ladies in my family describe it anyways. So I've embarked on making one or two for this weekend and see what kind of response it gets.

Here on the right you can see the bowel part sitting in a mold with the edges set in a "fluted" manor. When it gets leather heard I will remove it and attach the center stand underneath this bowel.

In the background you see the original one I'd made for my family. Now it's my model for these new one's I'll be selling at the sale this coming Saturday.

When you dance, your purpose is not to get
to a certain place on the floor.
It’s to enjoy each step along the way.
-Wayne Dyer

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The Art Show has Come to An End!

4/18/2015

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"The Hem of His Garment"
by Odia Derksen-Reimer

The art show is over! What an adventure it was!

Opening night on Easter Friday evening was exciting and a lot of folk dropped in. Many we had never seen before. We think over 60 people came to see our work. We were blown away!

During the week a variety of guests came through the doors. There were students visiting the show. It was fun explaining our work to these impressionable minds. There were adults who experienced a lot of different emotions. We had some amazing conversations about life and what it brings to us. A lot of folk seemed very touched by what they saw and experienced. Some went and touched the hem of "His" garment and prayed. Others, rather shyly just stood and prayed, eyes wet with emotion.

Everyone loved the faces and many made new ones as they visited the gallery. It was a fun way to connect with people of all ages, working with clay making faces with interesting expressions.

Then as many of you heard, one of my sculptures, "Dancing David" apparently danced right out of the gallery! At first it really hurt and I grieved for him, wondering what had happened to a very integral part of me, my original creation. My veritable symbol of joy!

Then I decided, once again not to succumb to anger and distress. I realized someone might steal my sculpture of joy but would not steal my own joy in any way. I am now thinking that David is spreading joy where-ever he is. Which was what he was meant to do. It seemed all Winnipeg and beyond came to hear about him! Thank you all for your concerns, prayers and inquiries about Dancing David. I now feel sorry for the person(s) who took him as he will be recognized very quickly by residents of Winnipeg and beyond!

Then there was our "Talk Night" and Odia shared about her art through her journey of infertility. Then the absolute joy of conception and the birth of a very small but healthy "Georgia" just a week before our show opened. What an impact and miracle in light of the artistic installations Odia had on display. We were all moved.

Then, the show came to an end and the time came for us to bring back all our packing supplies and with a lot of mixed feelings carefully, lovingly and with sadness repack all our art pieces into their containers and boxes for safe keeping.

Now, we are on to thinking about our next show a year from now! We already have a working title and ideas of what we need to create in this the next phaze of our lives and journey. We are excited.

Thank you to all who helped in prayers and visits to our art show. We pray everyone who saw it would have gone away blessed and stronger to face the realities of life whatever they might be.

May God bless you all. Thank you.

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April 18th, 2015

4/18/2015

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Looking for something different
for a Mother's Day gift?

I am a member of the Clifton Studios Co-operative
of twenty plus artists.
We are having a one day Open House and Sale on May 2nd.
Check out the poster above and drop in.
You are invited.
Support your local artists!

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Art Talk Night Sat April 11 @ 7pm

4/10/2015

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Installation Artist Odia Reimer
working at "Suspending" a work of art!

This will be an evening of rejoicing.

An evening of insight into a woman's journey through infertility, expressing her intense feelings of the agony, the pain and the hope month by month. How did Odia visualize that pain in art?

What peice was she working on when she became pregnant? Was that significant or just fate? Dose pursuit have anything to do with it? An accident? Pure chance?

Meanwhile, we do have a new grandchild! Celebration is in order. There will be a little bit of wine and refreshments for just this reason alone.

Meanwhile we can enter into her art piece, touch the hem of His garment and make our own prayer requests.

Remember, Wilma's book is now in print and available also at the art show.

ART TALK NIGHT, Sat. April 11, 7 pm at Frame Art Warehouse, 318 Ross Ave. EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

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The Final - Final Touches

4/4/2015

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Odia and Wilma standing in the crowd
dying the "Masters" hem.

No matter what the case, there are always last minute final touches that need to happen before an art show begins.

This time one of the things needing to be completed was The Christ figure in Odia's installation "The Hem of His Garment." Also, this needed to be done early enough that the hem would be dry by the time the show opened at 7 pm.

I have to say it became a bit of a quiet sacred moment as we carefully went through the process. First because it was the "Master Healer" we were symbolically preparing and secondly our great fear we might tip the red dye onto the wooden floor of the gallery. That would be an immediate stain impossible to remove. We could not even comprehend the horror of that happening and so talked through each step of the process before proceeding further.

We all sighed with relief when that was done. Then Larry and Odia left for the Winnipeg Free Press "First Friday Supper" where Odia was called up to announce our opening event happening that night. Meanwhile, Wilma and I stayed behind to finish up the final - final details. She preparing the bread and dip appropriate for an Easter Friday and I the final pictures to hang and tags to cut and glue into place for each of the art works displayed. The first guests arrived just as we were finishing.

Opening Night had begun.

"I wasn't aware that the purpose of the show
was to make friends.
I'm not sure that any artist sets out to do that.
Paul Brandford

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An Art Show of Celebration - Georgia is Here!

4/3/2015

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Odia (Now a new mother, praise God!)
prepares one of her "Suspended" displays
(Something about things that did not work for 17 yrs.)
for the opening of our art show beginning tonight.
7pm at Frame Art Warehouse
318 Ross Ave.

That's right! The art show begins tonight and runs till Aprlil 14. With a "Art Talk Night" on April 11th. at 7 pm.

Come and join us celebrating Odia's victory over infertility. Odia and Larry's first child Georgia arrived a week ago Wed. Everyone is doing fine....very fine may I add.

It's amazing to look around the gallery room and see the variety of art spread around in the process of setting things up. There are backing boxes and various Ikea bags carrying supplies. There are plinths strewn about some with sculptures on them already. There is a metal grid being hoisted to the ceiling which no one will notice once the crowd is suspended from it. There are "faces" with many expressions already hung, suspended from an 8 foot doweling rod.

It's amazing on several levels. Like, the unity of purpose in the family, just putting this art show together. With the birth of Georgia, we had a meeting...do we go ahead with this was the question? After consideration it was all GO! Then there's this thing about how the three of us, all from one family haveing such different avenues of expression. Wilma in white paintings, Odia in cloth, crocheting and installations, and I in sculpting! What an interesting variety of media being used. With just that varied expression it becomes very unique and interesting.

This year it's Odia's experience of "infertility" a journey of 17 years towards the reward of success in Georgia's birth that's become the story of the show. Yes, prayers were answered and a week ago Wed. she became a mother, Georgia came into this world on her 26th week and one day of pregnancy, weighing in at 1 lb. 13oz. That my friends is worth celebrating and that's what this will be all about.

Also, this year it's all about participation. You can touch the hem of his garment in prayer for anything that is keeping you "suspended" right now. Plus you can get your hands into the clay and create an expressive face in a few minutes right in the gallery.

You are invited to join us tonight or later during the show, to experience our lives through art and in celebrating God's goodness in His provision for Larry and Odia .

Considering the situation, here's a quote that seems appropriate:

"You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth."

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Cliff's Creations...

Hi, my name is Cliff, welcome to my website where I share my life as an art teacher, ceramic artist, photographer, father, businessman, leader and disciple. Basically I'm just trying to keep up with an exciting creative life. Thank you for coming along for the ride. You know, that your reading my blogs will make me a better artist so thank you in advance.
Later, Cliff

Starting Fresh

The Art Show has Come to An End!

April 18th, 2015

Art Talk Night Sat April 11 @ 7pm

The Final - Final Touches

An Art Show of Celebration - Georgia is Here!

Cliff's Creations...

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