In Banff today I took a pilates class, ate lunch while enjoying a jaw-dropping view, sat in the steam room, worked ever so briefly, soaked in the nearby hot springs with new friends, and ate an elk burger with pineapple. That’s what I call an artist’s retreat.
So happy to learn that the other one makes nice happy baby prints in fun colours! I feel instantly relieved of any and all previous guilt. Very nice!
I’m in Canadia, as certain American men I know like to call my homeland. Banff to be specific, for a short artist’s residency. I pulled into the parking lot and spilled out of my car, spellbound by the full moon rising over the Rocky Mountains. When I could breathe again, I saw there were two very quiet elk a few feet away from me. I have never before seen elk, and we stood watching each other.
I was born in this province - this is the closest I’ve been to my birthplace in many years. Very nice to be home, especially after Canada won hockey gold.
During my sabbatical I am taking a creative writing class. Oh yes, I’ve been moving the brain in new and mysterious ways, highly recommended. I may one day need to write a play about philosophical zombies and sock puppet identities, for example. Perhaps it will be a musical, featuring bands of ukeleles. I am stockpiling skills.
Friend and gallery owner Michael Rosenthal recently sent me a story by Donald Barthelme (1981) titled Zombies. It brings to mind the lesser but greatly hyped Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
And speaking of that marketing success, Dawn of The Dreadfuls, the prequel to Pride and… is coming hot on its heels next month, following the “post-script prequel” trend haunting all manner of horror lately. The cover for Dawn… is above.
I am learning Tip Toe Through the Tulips, on the ukelele.
With any luck I will one day be as good as the late great Tiny Tim, my ukelele hero. For anyone else desiring some ukelele skillz, here are load of free Ukelele scores. And an online tuner.
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Update: my friend Adie pointed me to chordie.com, for even more Uke-playing fun!
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And now, some inspiration…
Tiny Tim’s Tip Toe Through the Tulips:
Nick Lucas’s Tip Toe Through the Tulips:
In other Ukelele awesomeness, virtuoso Jake’s Ukelele Gently Weeps:
And the also late and great IZ plays Somewhere Over the Rainbow:
RedRum, my show at Hallwalls is up and running now through late February. It features a new video, also titled RedRum that features young ghosts and houses that drip with blood.
Dear Buffalo,
Thanks to Hallwalls for everything and curator John Massier for the fabulous production assistance; the students at Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and Jam Vafai for being my crew and actors; Joan Linder and Paul Vanouse, Julian and Colette Montague, Sandy Ludwig and Mark Kerwood, and Dennis Maher for lending their homes; The Buffalo Soundpainting Ensemble for creating uber-creepy sounds and introducing me to the ocean harp; Gerry Mead and Cori Wolff for lending paintings from their collections; and Debbie and Gary Hill for hosting me. Buffalo, I miss you already!
~love, Jillian
These are stills from my video, RedRum, currently in post-production. It will premiere at Hallwalls in Buffalo, opening Jan 15th!
I’ve been filming a new video in Buffalo, New York called Red Rum. It features a group of teenagers and me, as ghostly apparitions, in Victorian homes. And a decent amount of fake blood. Stay tuned.
…production still, above…
The desert, the rocky coast, the snowy tundra… you can take a girl off the prairie but you can’t take the barren landscape / big sky appeal away from the girl.
-Jillian
