London Journal - Tate Britain revisited

I temp at an office based in Vauxhall, which is just across the river and up a bit from Tate Britain. As my only other visit to this Tate was brief (albeit very enjoyable) I decided to return. The walk was pleasant and it was neat to come round to the front of the building this time around.

To the left and right of the entrance were two large, black, metal sculptures which immediately caught my eye. I climbed the stairs and went round to the right. Here was a magnificent sculpture of Hermes in an intense battle with a dragon. He was poised, a blade in one hand, severed head in the other. Entwined under his winged sandals, the dragon held a struggling maiden.

The sculpture to the left was along the similar theme of 'distressed maiden'. A rearing bull with a nude girl upon it's back was caught in a battle with two men. It was all quite dramatic.

Inside, though, I discovered something even more wonderful. I don't have a sketch of her for you but Fiona Banner is joining the ranks of my Mighty Women to be studied and recognised for their incredible talent. Her piece, titled 'Harrier and Jaguar' uses two decommissioned fighter planes to represent the fragility of the animals they represent. I was most delighted by the incredible brush work of fragile feathers on the wings of the Harrier.

I think it's fantastic that a female artist has such a prominent display at Tate Britain. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone reading this blog. If you get the chance, please go see it. It's absolutely stunning.

London Journal - SMLates

Early this month I discovered an online invitation to some special late night opening at the London Science Museum. A lot of the museums in London stay open late one night a week, but this was a monthly thing and it has a twist. Rather than being open to the public at large, it's adults only.

I'm not adverse to the company of children. I have a solid background of babysitting and I find these little people who are growing into themselves wonderful conversationalists with bright imaginations. But in a museum setting it can all get to be a bit much. Especially at a science museum. I know I had been warned about visiting Calgary's science museum once I'd left the realm of childhood. I was told it was very kid-orientated, and it really is. Most of them are. And whilst it's lovely to share the enthusiasm and joy of children discovering the world around them, sometimes it's nice to be in such a space with a more 'relaxed' crowd.

Anyway, it seemed worth checking out so I booked it into my agenda for July and on the 28th, I went. My lovely archaeologist accompanied me and as we stood in line together we perused the evening's schedule. It was food themed, which always bodes well in my books. There were many different food themed things going on all night long but there were two back-to-back talks on peppers that sounded particularly good.

Upon entering the building the seemingly long line dispersed and any sense of a crowd disappeared. This was a museum I had not yet been to. It was reminiscent of my early days in London, when I would go to museums during the weekdays, arriving when they first opened and the buildings echoed with their emptiness.

As we had half an hour before the first talk would begin, A little wander seemed in order.

What I managed to see in that half an hour was a mere taste of what the museum has to offer. I oogled over the clocks and pocket watches; ancient tools and instruments used for astronomy; the cars, planes and trains mounted on the ceilings and walls.

It was hardly enough time to see all the exhibits that I wanted, but I was eager to hear the pepper talks.

As it was the DJ's music nearly drowned out the first speaker (Yes they have a DJas well as wine and beer and apparently there was also a food table somewhere.) but even to watch his enthusiastic arm gestures was a delight. The second speaker was a mad botanist and she expressed her enthusiasm with a quivering of her right hand. I soaked up the stories of peppers throughout history (Did you know they're a New World thing and before Columbus they didn't exist in the Old World at all?) and delighted in the absolute joy our speaker had for her work.

It was almost a shame I was so tired by the end of it. I would have delighted to stay longer, to explore the exhibits and see the floors I only knew about by the map alone.

But there will be more last Wednesdays and I can't think of a good reason not to go as it didn't cost a thing.

London Journal - Sixth Month Anniversary

"How long have you been here, then?" she asked.
"Today is my sixth month anniversary, actually," I replied with a grin.
"Oh wow! Well, happy six months. And do you like it...hate it... not sure?"
"I love it, yeah."

I do. It's got it's ups and downs and it's been difficult at times, but I still love it. I no longer argue, however, when people tell me that coming here was a really big decision. The idea that coming to London might be brave didn't occur to me. I was really only thinking about how foolish it would be for me to stay in Calgary when I knew I wanted to see and do so much. It felt so right and so doable and though I knew there would be challenges I figured nothing would phase me.

Silly me, making assumptions.

It's been difficult, most assuredly, but fully worth it. I can easily say, right now in this moment, that I don't know what to expect for the future. I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me and that's just fine.

In the words of the marvellous Florence:

"I'm not scared to jump
I'm not scared to fall
If there was nowhere to land
I wouldn't be scared
At all"

Direction on the Tube

After ten hours sleep I was feeling far more up to snuff than I thought I would today, despite having a cold and all. Not wanting this energy to go to waste, I headed out to the BUNAC office, which is the SWAP support program on this end. They helped me get my bank account information together and sent me over to Barclays where a lovely man named Anthony assisted me.

Following all that business I headed back home, catching the train at Angel and taking it to Colliers Wood. Whilst sitting on the tube a man next to me leaned across to the man sitting on the other side of me and showed him a piece of paper. It had 'Leicester Square' written on it. The man was Chinese and obviously did not have a great grasp of English. The man to my left seemed like he couldn't be bothered.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked directions to some place in Calgary and I had no clue where it was. I always feel terrible about it because I love the idea of being helpful and knowing really fantastic directions somewhere. The moment I realised that the gentleman to my left was disinterested in providing help I removed my headphones and pulled my A to Z out of my bag. I showed the man to my right where Leicester Square station was on the Northern Line and how he had to get off at Kennington and get on Northern in the opposite direction on the other side. I knew the stop because that's where I went when I found Trafalgar Square, back in November.

The man was very grateful, although he still seemed very confused. I told him I'd let him know when he had to get off since I was traveling past Kennington. Then i put back on my headphones and smiled to myself.

I really do feel as though I'm home. I really do feel as if I've figured the city out, quite easily. I have a map and an Oyster Card and that's all you really need.

I don't want to push myself too much so I'm going to take it easy over the weekend. My plan is to apply for work on Monday and pick up a canvas and some oil paints whilst I'm out and about. Actually, I might get the canvas and oils this weekend. My art kit is still in Canada, until my mum ships it over. I figure I could use a new set of brushes anyway and seeing as I haven't any oils, I can start something new in a medium I've never explored. *laughs* Sounds a bit like my moving to London.

The Visa Fiasco

Here's a funny story...

So my venture to London is being made possible through the Student Working Abroad Program (SWAP), which helps you get a working holiday Visa, among other things. There's a bunch of steps in getting said Visa, the final one being a trip to Edmonton to get my 'biometrics' done. This is finger-printing and a retinal scan. Before you go all "Oooo, Big Brother" on me, it's actually quite practical because such a high volume of people arrive in London Airports with no documentation at all, let alone forged stuff. They're just trying to keep the riff-raff out. *laughs*

So I get all my paperwork in order and use a day off to make the three hour drive up to Edmonton for my ten minute biometrics appointment. As I'm leaving the office for the three hour drive back to Calgary, it sort of occurs to me that I don't remember getting my Passport back from them. Then I check the Very Important Sealed Envelope they gave me. It MUST remain sealed and I'm to mail it off to the British High Commission ASAP. Squeezing it gently, I locate my passport down in the corner, so I breathe a sigh of relief.

I drive back to Calgary and mail it off, express, at a cost of $14. It's gonna get there in two days, maximum, and according to the women at biometrics, I'll get it all back in four to six weeks.

So the next day I'm working a closing shift at that place that isn't really 'work' because this is my real job. It's a close shift and I'm heading up for my dinner break around five-ish when my heart suddenly freezes in my throat. Sitting at home, because I'm terribly practical and the opportunity presented itself, are plane tickets for my London 'Preview'.

Departure date: November 1st! A ten day trip to check out my accommodation, get some job interviews and prepare myself for the Official Move in January. And those plane tickets were for a date which was just then exactly four weeks away.

And me without a passport.

Because it was a close shift and there was no way I could do anything about it until the next day, I spent that evening telling every co-worker who would listen all about my foolish mistake and how I might have to maybe cancel on that ten day trip and wouldn't that be funny? Eventually?

I called SWAP the next day and left a long rambley message asking if they knew how to put a rush on things or if I could get a temporary passport or anything?

They called back and 'phew'... let me know that it takes them about five to ten days to process the application. So I checked my e-mail and the tracking number on the parcel, confirming it had been signed for and was safely at the British High Commission. My mind was at ease, although the Elephant of Doubt was sort of tapping my shoulder. But on Monday, this Monday the 5th, SWAP called to let me know my Visa, and therefore, passport, was in!

Picking it up has been incredibly reassuring, not only for confirming that my ten day trip at the start of November will happen, but also because this is really it. I'm really moving to London for a year! It's going to be fantastic and now that it's three months away I'm beginning to get hugely excited. I keep thinking of all the fabulous art I'll see, the museums I'll visit, the historic places that will take my breath away. I am so full of anticipation.

I love potential. I love finding it in all the little things I do every day, but I love creating it as well. This trip is going to be so incredible for my writing, my art, my imagination and my soul. *smiles the widest smile*

And to throw an image in with this post... a Faery Fox!

Autumn Arrival

As September draws to a close the weather seems to have finally caught up with the month we're in. Despite how chilly it's been I've been as active as ever. Today I managed to drop some more 'zines around the city and yesterday I made more magnets and prepared some new listings to go live on Etsy in short order.

*see Photos*

Outside of my art life and yet, still quite related, I've been going forward rapidly with my plans to move to London. My work Visa should be processed by the middle of October and on November 1st I'll be heading to London to start getting my bearings on where I'll be living and potential employment whilst there. The official move isn't until January, but as a hugely practical person, I figure it's a good plan to 'test the waters' before taking the plunge.

I have to say I'm tasting the anticipation of the move. As I peruse the blogs of other creative master-minds I find endless references to the fabulous, famous Big Cities of the world and how they contributed to their own personal growth and success. Most of them have been able to move to remote locations upon the arrival of great financial success, but it was their time spent in these cities that molded so much of what they do.

I don't have any set expectations for 2010, but I do know that I have always been a firm believer in experience being the greatest teacher and inspiration. As the ever so wise Dr. Seuss said, "Oh the places you'll go!"

As I plunge into all the potential of this move, I am wide awake to the possibilities, opportunities, and risks. I smile the widest smile as I think of all the people who have shown their support and all the ways I've been able to support myself to get this far. None of us know how far we'll go until we step off that edge. My goodness, what an adventure it will be to find out.