Art and Entertainment

There are times when artists’ roles in our community, and in our society, feels a bit insignificant. The curse of our sensitive personalities is that we tend to see things that need changing—coupled with the curse of the desire to want to improve, grow and share what we learn—means there is a constant tension in our lives between what is, and what we think could be. As I stand at the easel, I’m often thinking about why I’m painting. What good is another mountain scene when there is war in Ukraine? How can I make things that help shift ideas and perspectives? How can I make my art relevant to the climate crisis?

I’ve done a few comparisons over the years in this column, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked at web browsers. When I wrote my first column for the Fernie Fix, Internet Explorer had 84% of the web browser market and Google Chrome wasn’t a thing yet.

April begins with the Sun in the sign of Aries and is moving in the sky with Chiron, Jupiter, Vesta and Mercury. The asteroid Chiron is both our wound and our gift of healing. When we heal ourself, we may guide another. Chiron has been travelling through Aries since 2018 and will continue until 2027 and it is a time when every person is doing deep healing work. The Sun travelling in the sky with Chiron definitely illuminates this wound for some, and for some of the more advanced, allows the healers to shine. 

Over the last 16 or so years, I’ve written a few columns about good password practices. Logging in to web services with an email address and password has become ubiquitous and good passwords are still key (please don’t reuse them) but I haven’t mentioned the email address side.

Many of us Canadians can speak a bit of French. If a person wanted, you could simply read the label of almost anything produced or imported in Canada to get a lesson. When I was younger and headed to school, a newly minted French Immersion program meant I would learn this romantic and seemingly available language. I value this experience and having the ability to write, read, and converse in this language is a privilege. My best pals learned alongside me in a neighbourhood of moms, leaning into a culture they knew little about but were keen to enrich their children with. 

My road to metalsmithing began in India in 2006. Surrounded by the gems and rich tradition of silversmithing, I took my first of what was to become many jewellery courses. In the chaos and beauty, I found my medium. Following India, I headed to the mountains of northern Mexico. I studied for two years under the maniacal eye of Master Silversmith, Billy King in San Miguel de Allende. After completing my studies in Mexico, I returned to Canada to continue my education at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, BC. 

In 1939 Lucille Ball was hired by RKO Pictures to play small parts in a number of low budget films. Her career had little success until she was cast in the 1948 radio show My Favorite Husband which was very successful and attracted the attention of CBS and the cigarette company Philip Morris who suggested the show be adapted to television.