Art and Entertainment

Where I come from is very important to me, as is where I am now. I tend to feel a constant sense of displacement and belonging at the same time. Perpetually trying to find the balance between the two is what I strive to express, especially in art. It’s a battle and I see this as a good thing.

The choir came together when Anne Majic, a long-term Fernie resident who enjoys singing, approached David Pasivirta, a local music and band teacher, to see if he would be interested in leading a community choral group. Luckily for us, David was keen and the Fernie Community Choir was born.

As an actor, a soliloquy is that inescapable moment you have playing a character where their true feelings are exposed. It’s a vulnerable opportunity to let the audience into the internal world you create within the drama of the play. This month, I thought I’d dive deep into the world of drama and present a soliloquy for Fernie.

Predator was the first installment in the Predator franchise. It was directed by John McTiernan and was released in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of a paramilitary rescue team who encountered a deadly technologically advanced alien warrior in a Central American rainforest. The warrior, known as the “Yautja,” stalked the soldiers in order to take them as trophies. Initial reviews of the film were mixed, but it has since been considered a classic of the science fiction genre. Predator was followed by three sequels: Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), and The Predator (2018).   

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?

When thinking of “All Things Green” you’d be remiss to not include spinach. It’s easily one of my favourite vegetables. 

Creamed spinach is a dish that has origins in many cuisines from around the world. From Sweden to South Africa, spinach is a delicious and versatile leafy green vegetable that is a good source of Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. So, why not add some cream and butter to it? The secret ingredient for this recipe is the final touch of fresh-grated nutmeg. 

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.

It is an honour to be featured amongst the many talented Fernie artists who have graced this column.

Art is expressed through shades of individualism mixed with the spectrum of infinity, so really has no restrictive boundaries. Writing as an art form takes a lot of effort. Rolling off the edge of your mind, thoughts are difficult to correlate into something intelligible. This constructive act of composition can be most gratifying when it all comes together.

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.