Nest Material Workshop

 This is a great time of the year to put out nesting materials for the birds in your neighborhood. Inspired by the weaving skills birds use to make their nests, we headed to the grounds at Aberthau to pick out some art materials. We found feathers, flowers, twigs, dry grass and some fluffy seed pods.

 We decided these seed pods look like tiny hedgehogs.

I also added some wool yarn, raw sheep wool, old wool sweaters, weeping willow twigs and raffia for us to work with.

 The idea is to create a sculpture to present nesting materials for the birds. The loose bits are cut into small lengths: 3 to eight inches long and they are woven in for the birds to pluck out with their beaks. Any other loose material can be presented in a small basket. Tiny baskets can be used to present cattail or other seedy fluff for hummingbirds.

 We looked at photos of bower bird arches, and nests by weaver birds, hummingbirds and bush tits. I have been watching the bush tits in my neighbor's yard constructing a hanging nest. They use spider webs to hold their nests together, and make it strong and stretchy. Oddly, they are one of the few types of birds where other birds besides the mating couple help make the nest and sleep in it with them. Cosy!

 It's very relaxing to weave in a free-form. I like to weave at the end of a long day, winding down, slowning down and calming the mind.

 Et voila! A beautiful weaving with nesting material inside for the birds. Put this out in your back yard or hand it from your balcony and see what happens!

On the way to the bus stop going home, I heard a hummingbird and a woodpecker. I used the zoom function to take these photos.

I think this is a downy woodpecker--apparently you have to be a very good birder to tell the hairy apart from the downy, but it just says "downy" to me! Check here to hear the different between the two birds.

And on the other side of the road there were two more woodpeckers high up in the branches of the trees. What a treat. As I headed home after dinner and dusk was falling, just outside my door I raised my head and a bald eagle flew above me--another wonderful gift in a day that was for the birds.

Signs of Spring at Aberthau

 I am privileged to be an artist in residence at The West Point Grey Community Centre for the next nine weeks. Every Thursday afternoon I am giving a workshop that connects people with seasonal events. Every week I plan to do a walk about to see the way that spring manifests itself here over the next three months.

 I am determined to learn more about the magnificent trees on the grounds.

 The Japonica is blooming, which means the mason bees should be out and about now. I certainly see many bumble bee queens buzzing around, and the honeybees have been foraging in the sun since early March.

Of course, my fingers got covered in sticky sap when I picked this up.

 The hummingbirds will appreciate this redcurrant bush.

The resident cat enjoys the sun and all the attention it gets from visitors.

 Sun streams into the windows at Aberthau.

 This is my favorite spot for thinking and writing.

 I did see one butterfly as well as this ladybug--signs of an early spring!

We have decided to have some slow-craft evenings at Aberthau while I am here, so stay tuned for an announcement.

Yorkshire's Rhubarb Harvested by Candlelight

Check out this audio slideshow--the working barn is like an art installation!

Calling All Collage Fanatics!

 If you love collage as much as I do, you MUST head to Ruby Dog's Pop Up shop this week!!! I have been collecting all sorts of goodies from there for my workshops at Aberthau, including this lovely Queen Elizabeth stamp, a beet stamp and an umbrel (fennel? dill?) stamp. These are going to be great for messages to the bees and garden journals.

 I scored this lovely little recipe book for the birds.

 I love the whimsical recipe names: Flicker Fricassee. Just to be clear: These are recipes for feeding the birds, not eating them!

And I've always loved this illustration--so it's nice to have a large copy of it on good quality paper, suitable for framing. Aren't the colours gorgeous?

Just the facts ma'm: Ruby Dog's pop up shop is open for one more week, ending this Saturday at 6 pm!

RubyDog's Art House
4570 Main St.
Monday:  Closed
Tuesday to Friday:  11 to 6
Saturday:  10 to 6
Sunday:  noon to 5
www.etsy.com/shop/rubydogart

Now the two workshops you collage artists will love are:

 Messages for the Bees with Madame Beespeaker (all ages welcome): Thurs. April 18, 4-5:30 pm 

Garden Journaling (age 12 and up) Thursday April 25, 4-5:30 pm

The workshops are 5$ each which is a GOOD VALUE, especially for the garden journal workshop. (See a complete list of the workshops two posts down.)

The location is glamorous! We will be in the dining room at Aberthau Mansion at the West Point Grey Community Centre: 4397 West 2nd Avenue 

Please register here. 

Now when Leanne sends out her newsletter, she always has such fabulous links, so in that spirit, here are some seasonal links:

The daffodils are blooming at Aberthau, and the cherry trees are blossoming in Japan, as you can see in this lovely post by Hello Sandwiches.

Here's a beautiful award-winning photo of a Flicker on the Audubon Magazine website.

This one's for garden geeks: microscopic photos of fungus gnats which are the nemises of seedlings started indoors.  
Here's a lovely recipe for an herbal scrubby shower bag from The Essential Herbal Blog.

Do You have Anise Hyssop Seeds?

This year I am promoting Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) as an excellent herb for your tea/bee garden. If you drop by the Licorice Mint Tea Party this Sunday at Aberthau Mansion (aka The West Point Grey Community Centre), I can give you a little package of seeds for your garden and you can taste Madame Beespeaker's special spring blend herbal tea which includes dried leaves and flowers of anise hyssop.

You are invited to attend:

Madame Beespeaker's Licorice Mint Tea Party at Aberthau

Sample "Beespeaker Blend" herbal tea and enjoy afternoon tea at the beautiful Aberthau Mansion. Madame Beespeaker will read poetry about the traditional of "telling the bees." Take home anise hyssop seeds and learn why we need to grow this "honey wonder plant" to support Vancouver's bees.

Sunday March 24 1:30-3:30 pm

West Point Grey Community Centre: 4397 West 2nd Avenue

Join eco-artist Lori Weidenhammer appearing as Madame Beespeaker for the

Licorice Mint Tea Party where she will be displaying sample projects from a series of workshops we are offering you at the West Point Grey Community Centre Thursdays from March 28 to May 9th.

Audubon Helps Seniors Connect with Birds

Grab a kleenex folks and watch this video about a form of "bird therapy." I think this is just brilliant!

Madame Beespeaker's Licorice Mint Tea and Residency

Madame Beespeaker's Licorice Mint Tea Party at Aberthau

Sunday March 24 1:30-3:30 pm

West Point Grey Community Centre: 4397 West 2nd Avenue

Join eco-artist Lori Weidenhammer appearing as Madame Beespeaker for the

Licorice Mint Tea Party where she will be displaying sample projects from a series of workshops we are offering you at the West Point Grey Community Centre Thursdays from March 28 to May 9th.

1. Creating Woven Bird Habitats (all ages welcome): Thurs. March 28, 4-5:30 pm

2. Seeds for Kids (ages 3-12): Thurs., April 4, 4-5:30 pm

3. Growing Edible Flowers and Herbs (all ages welcome): Thurs. April 11, 4-5:30 pm

4. Messages for the Bees with Madame Beespeaker (all ages welcome): Thurs. April 18, 4-5:30 pm

5 Garden Journaling (age 12 and up) Thursday April 25, 4-5:30 pm

6 Singing with the Birds and Bees: exploring your natural voice (all ages welcome) Thurs. May 2, 4-5:30 pm

7th Stories with the Queen Bee (suited for children 4-11, but all ages welcome) Thurs. May 9, 4-5:30 pm

8th Herbal Craft: Bathtub Teas (all ages welcome), Thurs. May 16, 4-5:30 pm

9th Funky Humming Bird Feeders (ages 9 and up) , Thurs. May 23, 4-5:30 pm

Note: Workshops are $5 per person per session. Adults, please accompany children under 6 years.

A Big Thank You to the Starling Cloud Choir!

I just wanted to say a big thanks to all the folks who participated in the Starling Cloud Choir and the audience who came and added their voices as well. I was so pleased with the way things went, and just kept repeating the mantra: GO WITH THE FLOW!

So that's what we did. We had goals, structures, but we also flowed in and out of the framework, making a piece shaped by the venue, the participants, the weather, and our bodies.

I also want to thank the staff at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, who were very good at working with our artist collective to shape the show and connect with the local community. I am already cooking up the next piece I want to do at the garden which involves more bird song and a tea party.

I took the day off today to recover, but my next residency starts next Sunday. Stay tuned for the details!

The Starling Cloud Choir Performs at 3 pm Today!!!

Today is the big day!  The Rain Gatherers installation by Second Site opens at 2 pm TODAY at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Where is the garden? If you take the Main Street bus, head west on Keefer, walk through the public garden behind the white walls and go into the square. The entrance to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a tucked into a lane in the west side of the square. Look on the website for a map if you need it.

After you enter the garden, please check out the installations and talk the the artists.

The choir meets at 2:30 pm in the Hall of One hundred Rivers to warm up and review. We perform at 3 pm, starting in the hall and moving out into the garden to finish. Then we move back into the Hall of 100 Rivers to hear the choir remix by DJ Don Chow. The opening goes until 4 pm. See you there!

I'm working on my intro and this is what I have so far:

It has been so much fun working with the schools: Vancouver Waldorf school, Mount Pleasant Elementary and Laura Secord Elementary. I want to thank all the students and teachers who helped shape this piece and and I want to thank all the the folks who came out for the workshops this past week.

Some of you may know that for the past few years, my art practise has been inspired by bees. I admit I have become a bee nerd and am happy to talk to other bee nerds and make art about bees. So it seems natural that in the cold and rainy winter months, when the bees are hidden away that I should turn my affection to the birds. And naturally, I find myself turning into a kind of bird nerd. 

In the cold and rainy months, I find myself turning to singing as a way to warm the body, mind and soul and in singing with a group, we increase and multiply that feeling of well-being and warmth that gets us through the winter months. There is a starling choir right outside my front door. They often congregate in the trees and practice their repertoire rain or shine. They are the inspiration for this piece.

This is our choir of starlings. We are The Starling Cloud Choir.

Audience, if you feel inspired to join in--you may respectfully join us in the spirit of the piece, BUT hecklers will be fed to the snake in the pond.

There are some traffic signals I will teach you to help you join in. These were devised in collaboration with elementary school students who helped create this piece.

1) convergence (we sound the same):hands together, divergence: hands apart (we sound different from one another)

2) soft (hands low), loud (hands high)--and go for it (swirling high hands)

3) call response: I sing (hands on my shoulders), you repeat (I move my hands to your direction)

4) wait/time out (I made a "t" shape with my hands

The structure of the piece follows a day in the life of a flock of starlings. Each section of the piece begins with a poem that I will chant. The piece stops and starts, so hold your applause until the end when the last owl has gone to bed.

What's Brown and Creeps?

This past week I had a lovely encounter at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese garden with a birder who is a choral conductor. He said that he was excited because he and his wife had seen a skylark at the Victoria airport. Apparently, there is a population who likes to hang out there. He was also quite chuffed that he'd seen a brown creeper.

Well, on my way to choir last night it was pouring rain and getting dark. I was a block away from the rehearsal hall and a tiny bird on a tree caught my eye. It was brown, it was creeping, and it had a soft grey belly. My mouth filled with drops of rain as I peered out from under my hood to get a good look. Guess what it was? You got it, a Brown Creeper. Isn't it cool when people connect through their love of nature? Awesome.

Gathering Rain at The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden

We have begun installing our work in the garden, working rain or shine. Robin Ripley's piece is adjacent to the Room of One Hundred Rivers. On Saturday it appeared to be gathering sunlight rather than rain.

 This gorgeous woven willow snake looms in the water at the center of the garden. It was created by lead artist Alastair Heseltine and volunteers.

Peter Courtemanche is in the process of creating his interactive sound installation.

 Robin has worked with a steady stream of garden visitors to create watercolor art that is builds an awareness of just how much water falls in Vancouver and makes us more concious of our daily water use.

Yesterday Robin's cloud was drenched with rainfall.

DJ Don Chow recorded my improvisations and some of the songs we'll be using in The Starling Cloud Choir. He'll be creating his own remix which you can enjoy this Saturday at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden just after the choir performs at 3 pm.

If you are in the neighborhood today, drop by the garden to see three of the artists at work: Peter Courtemanche, Robin Ripley, and Diana Burgoyne.

Rain Labs and Rain Gatherers Opening

Drop in Rain Labs continue at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden Wednesday March 13, and Thursday March 14. You can chat with the Second Site artists as they are installing their pieces in the garden. (The pieces will all be up for the opening, but until then, they are works in progress.)

Then Saturday, March 16th it's the opening! The opening starts at 2 pm. The choir will warm up at 2:30 p.m. and then we will perform at 3 p.m. After the performance, DJ Don Chow will perform a remix of some of the recordings we did today and in the class at Laura Secord Elementary. All the Second Site artists will be in attendance and you can talk to them about their work.

Record Your Bird Sounds With Don Chow!

Come on down to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese garden this Tuesday, March 12 from 1:30 to 3 pm!  Lori Weidenhammer will work with participants to record bird and rain sounds with Dj Don Chow who will be using them in his sound mix on March 16 after the choir performs. Please dress for comfort and warmth and bring your own water bottle/or tea cup. No need to pre-register, just come to the front entrance to sign in for the workshop and you can enter the garden for free. Robin Ripley will be at the garden as well. Robin has a water-colour activity you can take part in, and you can also talk to her about her installation.

Thanks to all the folks who came out this weekend to rehearse the Starling Cloud Choir. We had a lot of fun! The  performance of the Starling Cloud Choir is at on Saturday March 16 at 3 pm. Performers please arrive at 2:30 pm for a warm up and orientation. (Also, if you sing in the choir, you can come to the opening for free!) You will be invited to explore the art installations by the other Second Site artists. The performance dress code is eccentric! Channel the bird-lover in your heart and display your best (rainy day) plumage.

The Starling Cloud Choir Continues Today!!

Hey folks! The Starling Cloud Choir continues today, March 10! Please note that even if you can't make the performance, you can still participate in the workshops. Please spread the word! See you at 2 pm!


BONUS!!! Peter Courtemanche and Robin Ripley will also be at the garden today, working on their installations and you can talk to them about their art and make watercolor paintings.


Also, don't forget that the clocks sprung ahead last night!


The Starling Cloud Choir
This is a family-friendly workshop and performance where you will use your voice to make sound poetry in a group in a piece inspired by rain and birdsong. We'll be working with bird behaviour and the mnemonics and phonetics of local bird song. We'll also be exploring the sound of the rain using our voices and I will ask you to improvise around some of my own poetry. This is your opportunity to be in a performance art choir! Bring your family and friends!

You are invited to attend one or both of two workshops the weekend before the performance. Saturday March 9 and Sunday, March 10 from 2 to 3:30 pm both days. Please dress for comfort and warmth and bring your own water bottle/or tea cup. No need to pre-register, just come to the front entrance to sign in for the workshops. Bonus Drop in Rain Lab: Tues, March 12 from 1:30- 3 pm you are invited to record your bird and rain sounds with Dj Don Chow who will be using them in his mix on March 16.

The Improvisational Performance of the Starling Cloud Choir is at on Saturday March 16 at 3 pm. Performers please arrive at 2:30 pm for a warm up and orientation. You will be invited to explore the art installations by the other Second Site artists. The performance dress code is eccentric! Channel the bird-lover in you and display your best (rainy day) plumage.

Where: The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall Street
Cost to participate: Free!

For more information follow along the creative process on Lori Weidenhammer's blog: www.beespeakersaijiki.blogspot.com
If you can't join us for the workshops, please come to the opening and check out the art installations by Second Site artist Robin Ripley, Diana Burgoyne and Matt Smith. The choir will be performing at 3 pm and the audience will be invited to participate! (See the info below.)

Sounds We Love and Sounds We Hate

 When I was teaching students at Mount Pleasant Elementary, I noticed these posters one class had made when they were studying sound. What's that I see in blue ink in the lower left side: Justin Bieber? Quel surprise! Does he really sound as bad as cars screeching, babies crying and coffee grinding?

Hello, here we have the sounds the students like: purring cats and popping popcorn, but is that the band One Direction I see? Wait a minute. Weren't they mentioned on the first poster as well? Seems they are a band of contention.

Well, dear reader, this past weekend as I was practicing overtone singing I had an epiphany of sorts when I realized that singing the name "Justin Bieber" and the phrase "Bieber Fever" over and over again really brings out the overtones. So there you go. Inspiration can strike from the oddest sources! Just try it and see if it works for you!

Looking for Starling Cloud Choir posts? Click here!

Slo-femists Unplugged

March 7, 2013 marked the inaugural Slo-femist Knitting Circle at Shaktea on Main Street in Vancouver, Canada. Scones and tea were consumed with gusto as members, stitched, knitted and ignited the slow-burning revolution. Discussion was as rich and ripe as a peat bog. Repairs were made to second-hand sweaters. Hats were adorned with rooster feathers and a lively purple sweater grew stitch by stitch.

The birthday girl was treated to scones with lashings of clotted cream and Earl Grey blueberry preserves accompanying three steepings of a rare white tea.

 Ms. Shapiro brought one of nature's wonders (collected by her late mother) to inspire us to better our crafting skills.

Shapiro, Weidenhammer and Kindratsky in attendence ( Ms. and Miss Roy turned up later.)

Every revolution must have its own cartoonist and Ms. Kindratsky has got off to an excellent start . . . not with a bang, or a whimper, but a wink!