Saturday, April 17, 2010

Leonard Cohen For Governor General . . . . . Doo Dum Dum Dum Dee Doo Dum Dum . . .

Leonard Cohen for Govenor General DSCN0855

 

Hi Y’All,

This week someone invited me to join the Facebook page “Leonard Cohen for Governor General / Leonard Cohen comme Gouverneur Général”  In good humoured support I joined and posted the labelled photo of one of my 24” x 24” x 1/2” paintings pictured above.

Click on any image to view it enlarged.
If you would like to view my paintings check out previous blog entries and/or scroll down to Froggy at the bottom of the page. Click on Froggy and hop to my online store with links to eBay.
I'm also on Etsy. Search for seller johnredmond (no spaces) or use the painting images on the right side of this blog page to zoom there instantly. You can find me on Facebook, MySpace and, "tweeet twweet," Twitter (Redjar7)

 

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen; Governor General {:~D lol

Doo Dum Dum  Dum Dee Doo Dum Dum . . .

The current Governor General is due to be replaced in September 2010.  A light-heartedly serious suggestion is that Leonard Cohen be appointed to the position.  The Facebook page has received national media attention.  More about the page comes after this info from Wiki.

For those who do not know, here is the GG story from Wikipedia extra links and all je pense.

“The Governor General of Canada (French [masculine]: Gouverneur général du Canada, or [feminine]: Gouverneure générale du Canada) is the viceregal representative in the federal jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, but resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom. On the advice of her Canadian Prime Minister only,[1] the Queen appoints the Governor General to carry out most of the monarch's constitutional and ceremonial duties for an unfixed period of time — known as serving At Her Majesty's pleasure — though five years is the normal convention, as is a rotation between anglophone and francophone incumbents. Once in office, these individuals maintain direct contact with the Queen, wherever she may be at the time.[2]

The office has its roots in the 16th and 17th century colonial governors of New France and British North America, and thus is the oldest continuous institution in Canada.”

The first Governor General of Canada  Charles Stanley Monck, 4th Viscount Monck was from Templemore, Co. Tippary, Ireland.  His family was friends of our Lloyd family in Co. Tipperary.  There are entries in the diary of our GG Grandfather’s cousin which mention Lady Monck visiting.  Interesting

The current Governor General is Michaëlle Jean, who has served since 27 September 2005.”

 

A Poet For Governor General;

Here is what the founders of the Facebook page say.

“Yes, we're serious! At least we're serious about the point we wish to make. Invite all your friends!”

“This group exists to promote the idea that Leonard Cohen would make an ideal choice to be Governor General of Canada. He is respected and even revered both internationally and domestically. He is fluently bilingual and is gladly claimed by both French and English Canada. He loves our nation in the quiet way only true Canadians understand. He is spiritual and morally centered without pushing his faith on anyone else.
Is this realistic? Likely not. Mr. Cohen is probably too wise to accept the job even if it were offered to him. But endorsing Leonard Cohen as a candidate still sends a message about who we want to represent our nation as Governor General. Not a cynical choice. Not a politically expedient choice. But a choice that reflects our true pride as Canadians in who and what we are. A nation not afraid to be led by a poet.”

Ah well, even if Leonard is not appointed Governor General the thought is lovely.  To have a poet in office – sounds great.

 

 

 

 

The latest Flow Motion acrylic painting on canvas from John R Redmond;

Process painting brush mister closeup with painting and Bob Dylan in background April 2010 DSCN5837

 

This week I worked on laying colour down on one of the two 40” x 30” x 1/2” canvases that I had prepared with textured undercoating.  Here are a few sneak peeks.  These photos were taken after I had put the first splashes of colour on.  Currently I am in the process of  add a few final touches before I add a first coat of varnish.  We shall see where it goes from there.  Notice Bob Dylan watching in the upper left of the above photo.

 

Detail 40 x 32 in process April 2010 DSCN5838

 

 

Process paianting brush mister closeup with painting April 2010 DSCN5836

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Process painting 40 x 32 brush and painting dylan in background April 2010DSCN5834

 

The paint is still wet.  The photos above show the very first application of colour to this canvas.

 

 

Process painting 40 x 32 overhead photo April 2010 DSCN5832

 

Things have evolved a bit from this preliminary application of colour.  I enjoy the movement and colour in the upper regions of the canvas.  When I post the finished painting you will notice that that area remains much as it is now.  I worked on the bottom third, adding more colour etc.  Sneak peek almost over.

 

Process painting 40 x 32 undercoat only Aprli 2010 DSCN5640

Above is an arial photo.  This is what the canvas looked like with texture applied to the pre-primed canvas.

 

Here is a B&W instant photo detail photo of the texture before I added colour.

Process painting detail 40 x 32  texture undercoat rendered in BandW April 2010 DSCN5648

 

Leonard Cohen for Governor General; First we take the Glebe then we take the Hill.

 

Doo Dum Dum  Dum Dee Doo Dum Dum . . .

detail 30 x 24 January 25 2010 edit 025

John Redmond

Ottawa, Canada

 

John Redmond Art

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Some People Feel The Rain . . . Others Just Get Wet

Elgin St in the rain Ottawa April 2010 DSCN5524

Watching the rain on Elgin St., Ottawa, in April.  Watching  the light change and the traffic passing by in the rain.

 

Salutations 2 Y’All,

I bought a couple more 40” x 32” 1/2” canvases.  I had the thought to acquire something smaller but decided to continue the current series for at least two more.  They leaned against my hallway wall for a day or two awaiting the direction of my muse.  This morning I spread papers on the floor and put the canvases side by side on the floor.  A while later I poured on a layer of white undercoat paint.  Flow Motion is on the move.

The title of this blog posting is a Bob Dylan quote.  Rain is also the subject of a song I wrote which Murray Kinsley and I are currently recording. 

 

Tulip single tulip among rose thorns in rain canal Ottawa April 2010 DSCN5533

Above; Lone tulip in early blossom in the April rain among the thorny wild roses along the Rideau canal, Ottawa.

 

“What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” – Bob Dylan. 

Isn’t it cute how all those rich and famous musicians talk about money . . .”Can’t buy me Love” . . . LoL  . . . probably you can . . .

Well, I want to paint.  I want to colour our world.

 

Click on any image to view it enlarged.
If you would like to view my paintings check out previous blog entries and/or scroll down to Froggy at the bottom of the page. Click on Froggy and hop to my online store with links to eBay.
I'm also on Etsy. Search for seller johnredmond (no spaces) or use the painting images on the right side of this blog page to zoom there instantly. You can find me on Facebook, MySpace and, "tweeet twweet," Twitter (Redjar7)

 

Those tulips I photographed last week and revealed in the last blog posting are now in full bloom.  I saw a few red blossoms along the canal earlier in the week.  Now they are a garden of red and green.

Wow.  It will be an early tulip time in 2010 Ottawa.

 

Tulips along canal Ottawa April 2010 DSCN5541

Tulips in the rain.  These are in blossom (April 8) very early this year along the canal in Ottawa.  The Tulip festival is in May.  These ones will be done.

 

Tulips along canal in rain Ottawa April 2010 DSCN5535

 

 

detail b 40 x 32 DSCN5164

Above; Detail of a 40” x 32” x 1/2 “ acrylic on  stretched canvas from the current painting series by John R Redmond

 

Here is my current painting series thus far.

 

40 x 30 February 8 2010 003

40” x 32” x 1/2 “ acrylic on  stretched canvas painting

by John R Redmond

 

 

40 x 32 February 26b 2010 003

40” x 32” x 1/2 “ acrylic on  stretched canvas painting

by John R Redmond

 

 

40 x 32 DSCN5101

40” x 32” x 1/2 “ acrylic on  stretched canvas painting

by John R Redmond

 

 

40 x 32 DSCN5143

40” x 32” x 1/2 “ acrylic on  stretched canvas painting

by John R Redmond

 

 

Album contains photos of the most recent paintings in my series of 40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic on stretched canvas.

 

I think I may have posted these lyrics before but here they reign again.

 

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” – Bob

 

Rain outside my window Metcalfe St April 8 2010 jrr DSCN5509

The rain outside my window.

 

Metcalfe St and MacLaren St in the rain Ottawa April 2010 DSCN5513

The rain outside my apartment building front door.

 

Album in the rain…

 

 

The following is a true story.

 

"Watching the Rain" - John Russell Redmond, July  2009

My mind was running peacefully

Across the breadth of a wide prairie

By my lonely friends I'd been left behind, again

I found myself on a rainy day

By a window in a mid-west cafe

Seated beside an old farming man

I was dreaming; staring at the rain

He said, "son you watch the rain like a farmer."

I said, "no."

He said, "yea."

 

DSCN2563editcropped17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We kept running sea to sea

A time of war with a torch for peace

Wisdom poured down; droplet flames in the rain

I met silence in the watery play

While sheltered there in a mid-west cafe

Seated beside an old farming man

I was hiding, hiding from the pain

He said, "son you watch the rain like a farmer."

I said, "no."

He said, "yea."

 

Your hands don't look like the hands

Of a man from the country

But you sure know how to watch

The rain coming down

Like a man from the country

 

DSCN2563editcropped15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many a time I recalled the old man

Across the years that wandered and ran

Mystery shared with a word / in a tempest world unexplained

The life I’ve known reflected today

In calm words spoke on a grey rainy day

Seated beside a young running man

He was dreaming, staring at the rain

He said, "son you watch the rain like a farmer."

I said, "no."

He said, "yea."

 

Your hands don't look like the hands

Of a man from the country

But you sure know how to watch

The rain coming down

Like a man from the country

 

DSCN2563editcropped17-tile

 

Currently friend Murray and I are working our way through recording this tune which I wrote.  Murray does the arrangement and performs on multiple instruments.  I sing lead and perhaps bang on guitar. The basement tapes;  On this song we have put some drums, bass, organ, piano, acoustic guitar and ghost vocals.  The ghost vocals are a rough version to help with arranging the tune.  Later we will rerecord the lead vocals and perhaps some backup vocals.  The mix is progressing.

You can here some of our other efforts via my Facebook page ‘My Band’ tab.  Also there I have some very roughandunready recordings fresh from Howlin’ Dog Studios in downtown Ah-Tah-Wah; One song, one dog, one guitar, one mike.

You could try this link to Reverbnation too.

http://www.reverbnation.com/#/jredmond

 

 

Check out my last posting, Elvis?? Macca??? A Walk In The Park Along The Rideau Canal In Downtown Ah-Tah-Wah,” to find a link taking you a story told by my friend Rob Bruner.  While walking in an L.A park recently he and his wife had a chance encounter with Paul McCartney.  They chatted for about twenty minutes.  Rob shares their experience with Sir Macca.  The next day Paul McCartney and band performed at The Hollywood Bowl.

 

Enjoy the rain.

Don’t just get wet.

 

detail 40 x 32  crop February 26b 2010 007

 

John Redmond

Ottawa, Canada

 

John Redmond Art

Friday, April 2, 2010

Elvis?? Macca??? A Walk In The Park Along The Rideau Canal In Downtown Ah-Tah-Wah

Ottawa Canal Walk Mar 31 2010 DSCN5220

Yahoooooo! Spring has sprung early. 

The tulips are arising already in Ottawa along the Rideau canal in the heart of the city.  Tulips are the stars of the annual Tulip Festival in early May.  Very often we still have much snow on the ground at this time in early April. At this rate, the tulips may already have come and gone by May Tulip Festival time .

After reading my friend Rob Bruner’s story about a recent chance encounter he and wife Judith had with Paul McCartney while on a walk in an L.A. park, I went for a walk along the canal with hope of seeing Elvis.


Ottawa Canal Walk Mar 31 2010 DSCN5228


It was during that walk when I took the photos above and others posted in this blog entry.

Here is a link to Rob’s blog, “6 months in LA - go Big or go Home”
http://ehinla.blogspot.com/2010/03/monday-in-park-with-sir-paul.html



detail 40 x 32 DSCN5177



Hi All,

I’m posting photos of the latest painting in my series of 40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas.


detail 40 x 32 crop DSCN5146

Detail of a 40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas
by John R. Redmond


While working on this one I decided at a certain point that while I enjoyed much of what was happening in the painting, there was one big clown face that bugged me.  I liked the face but I didn’t want it the foreground lol….What to do?   I added black and gold.  This seems to have worked. I shall bare all  for your amusement and reveal Bozo further down in this posting.


Click on any image to view it enlarged.
If you would like to view my paintings check out previous blog entries and/or scroll down to Froggy at the bottom of the page. Click on Froggy and hop to my online store with links to eBay.
I'm also on Etsy. Search for seller johnredmond (no spaces) or use the painting images on the right side of this blog page to zoom there instantly. You can find me on Facebook, MySpace and, "tweeet twweet," Twitter (Redjar7)




detail 40 x 32 crop DSCN5166






















detail2 40 x 32  cropped  DSCN5147

Details of a 40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas
by John R. Redmond




detail 40 x 32 crop DSCN5188

















detail 40 x 32 crop DSCN5161

Details of a 40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas
by John R. Redmond



After working with the painting and puzzling for a few days about how to end it, I plunged in and added some black paint. It was applied to the upper half of the canvas and on two or three lines that had already been created by previous under-painting and colour application.  I also applied a narrow band  of black at the very bottom to give it all something to stand on.  The black I applied at this stage balanced well with some dark areas in the upper third of the painting.  Those areas were created mostly with Payne's grey. I could not simply cover up what I wanted.  I had to consider the whole piece and that each bit of black went with what was already there on the canvas.  (Concept; painting all over). Once the black dried I applied a bit more gold paint in certain areas over the black. A final coat of varnish was applied over the whole canvas.


Here below is the full sized image created.


40 x 32 DSCN5143

40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas
by John R. Redmond




detail 40 x 32 DSCN5179




detail 40 x 32 DSCN5180




detail 40 x 32 DSCN5181




















Below are the Polaroid remains of big happy Bozo.


detail 40 x 32 crop  2 DSCN5157






Underpainting Bozo 40 x 32 DSCN5062Here is Bozo as he appeared at a certain stage of the painting process.  He was tenacious.  I did try in various ways to eliminate him.  But always he shone through.  Away Bozo.  Back to your nether world.  He got covered up but his spirit shines.




40” x 32” x 1/2” acrylic paintings on stretched canvas
by John R. Redmond

 For a real experience, click on the album and view as a slide show in full screen.







Smile, on your walk in the park you may spot Elvis or experience a chance encounter with Sir Macca. From the Big Bang onward past the Gates of Eden, life is a rich experience of the accidentally on purpose.



Enjoy your Easter Holiday weekend.

Salut until the next time,



detail 40 x 32 crop DSCN5148


John Redmond
Ottawa, Canada





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