Mural Mosaic and Night of Artists

2011-04-06T06:35:00.003-06:00

Last night marked the conclusion of the creation of ALBERTA BOUQUET. This was a mural mosaic comprised of 204 paintings by ALBERTA artists that will be given as a gift at this years Lt Governor General Arts Awards on April 9th. What a magical night it was last night as artists from around the province gathered to see the mural unveiled. Not only was it artists but also guest participants contributed including the Lt Governor General and St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse. You can see the mural here

2010-11-17T15:50:00.002-07:00

The arrival of the Three Kings and the beautiful Christmas

chickadees.

To have the Kings arrive with their gifts must have been incredibly overwhelming. To have men of such high status rush to be at the birth of Jesus could only indicate how important this birth was. But it was even more amazing that shepherds as well visited the babe. The leaders of the world turned to the child for guidance just as much as the shepherds. This truly was a special moment.

When our little girl was born I was overwhelmed. The love and affection came from everywhere. Our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles....friends....and even complete strangers. Phone calls, emails, visits, people stopping us on the street to see our beautiful baby girl...It was amazing.

When a new life is brought into the world it seems that all around rejoice with every breath of the new born. It truly brings the community together.

I believe we need to remember these moments forever. Not just to treasure them for that special moment but so that we continue to gather around others when they need support and love. Its easy because babies are cute and lovable and so helpless looking. But truth is there are so many times in our lives when we all need that love and support even when there are no cute babies around.

I know it will be my goal now to remember this. When we are in times of trouble we are all much like newborns. We are very weak and helpless and we need love, nurturing and guidance to grow. If we see someone in pain or in need we should view them as newborns. Sometimes they need us to gather the community together and bring love and support to help them get back on their feet again. Look into their eyes and look at them as a child who needs love.

The world has hurt and has many who feel weak and helpless. When you feel strong reach out...even when you feel weak you may gain strength by reaching out to someone who may be even weaker.

Jesus loves the little children....all the little children of the world. They are precious in his sight. We are always children in the eyes of God so lets always look out for each other and treasure all the children around us of all ages.

See the mural almost complete here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-15T17:53:00.006-07:00

The Child is Born!! Alleluia Alleluia!!

Once Jesus was born the world celebrated and the Angels spread the news. Shepherds, Kings and all God's creatures rejoiced.

Mary and Joseph I am sure were so thrilled with the birth of Jesus. It must have been even more overhwhelming the love and adoration that poured into their lives.

When our little baby girl Adelaine was born I know that without the love and support of all our Kings and Shepherds we would have had a hard time to coping. Amy's mom was there the whole time for us helping through the process and after, my sister and her husband and three children helped me through a tough time when our little girl was first born. Then when my Mom and Dad, my brother and his family and all the rest of our friends and family began to hear the news and rally around. It was incredible how powerful an experience that was.

Words of congrats, and well wishes and most of all words of support came from all directions. Bringing a new life into the world brings so many people around you. It is unbelievable how a new life brings new life to so many others.

We will always be forever thankful to all our friends and family for what they did for us through their words and their actions.

I know not everyone has the love and support we have. I pray for those who do not have the support that we had to have strength and to be able to turn to God for guidance and be open to the warmth of those who may not know them too well but who would be willing to help. Angels are around us at all times. Sometimes we are just looking in the wrong places.

See the mural here-http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-12T00:04:00.004-07:00

The Angels Celebrate.

I always loved reading about the birth of Jesus growing up. Even when I was quite young it always moved me, yet I was just a child myself so why did it affect me so? I certainly did not understand what bringing a life into this world was about. What I did know was that the birth of this little child made the world happy. So with this as a reference new babies always seemed to me to be an incredible source of joy. Little did I know how much joy they are.

My first child was just born 4 and a half months ago. In the last few moments before she came into the world I have never felt such emotion. I was in the delivery room with my wife, her mother and a room full of Dr.s and nurses. My wife was running a fever and the Dr.s had to make a move to bring our child out quicker then she was willing. Her little heart beat was going too fast and there were a few things that were not quite right.

As I counted the time between contractions I looked into my wife's eyes and began to tear up. I was terrified and helpless. I didn't know what I would do if anything happened to my wife or my little girl coming into this world. I was suddenly living outside my body. I was living now in two lives outside of my own where i could feel all their pain and struggle but I could do nothing. The room became a blur and I began to pray and just hold Amy tight. The babies heart beat fast on the monitor and I felt mine beat fast in time. I had heard that the birth of a child was a beautiful thing...yet all I felt was scared, helpless and lost. I held tighter and prayed harder.

Then the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced occurred. The Dr. yelled out "Here she comes!!"and my heart stopped and I could not breath.The most beautiful person I had ever seen emerged. Then the voice of an angel announced the arrival through a babies cry...and I melted into my wife as we both burst into tears of joy. Our little girl was here.As they placed her gently into my wife's arms the three of us cried together in the most amazing circle of love I have ever experienced. Amy's mom leaned in and extended the circle and all within the room trumpeted the good news that all was well and our little girl was welcomed into the world. I could not control my happiness that Amy was going to be OK and that there was now a beautiful little girl in our lives. An entire new world had awakened to me.

The angels in the room rejoiced. Amy's mom, the nurses, the Dr.s....
They were our angels in the room - and there were so many more praying for us...my mom and dad, Amy's dad...my sis and bro, our extended family and friends....Now it was time to share the news and off the Angels went.

Oh Mary and Joseph....I can only imagine the joy that was in your hearts on that special day. My imagination will certainly be enhanced now by my reality. As a child I loved hearing about your little baby Jesus...now I believe I can feel what you experienced. See the mural at http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-08T21:19:00.005-07:00

Mary and Joseph find room in the stable. What a relief it must have been to finally find a place to rest and prepare for the delivery of the baby Jesus. Although it was not the perfect setting it was probably such an incredible blessing for them to find even a stable.

After a few hours of waiting to move into the delivery room with Amy I was more then ready to finally reach a more comfortable setting. It was definitely more comfortable but...now it was all too real. I will never forget the incredible emotions of that time. I remember it all quite clearly yet what was a long period of time now seems like was so short.

As Amy lay there and the contractions began to occur it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to watch. To see your wife in so much pain was hard to take. Poor Joseph would have had nothing to offer other then his hand and words of support. I too did that but we also had the support of Amy's mom and a wonderful nurse and modern medicine. It still did not take away Amy's pain or mine for that matter watching her suffer. Time progressed...and more time. I watched every contraction on the graph come and go, i watched the heart rate of our child rise and fall. A life was so near to entering the world. Why couldn;t it just happen quick and easy? Why did there have to be such pain and take so much time? I held Amy's hand and whispered I loved her as she continued to work at the delivery.

It was then that the nurse noticed something was not right. Amy was developing a fever and the child inside her was becoming distressed. Every beep from the machines that I heard in the room was like a siren going off in my head.The numbers on the digital screen showing the heart rate rising and going faster and faster as our unborn child began to struggle made my heart pump so hard i could barely breath. Is this supposed to be happening?? I could see the fear on Amy's face as well. Amy's mom helped with her support and prayers and we all just held tight and prayed all was going to be ok.

Things were not improving so it was time to make a move. Suddenly there was a room full of Dr.s and nurses. I felt completely lost, confused and helpless. Why did they need so many people in the room? What could be happening here?? I wasn;t sure if I could handle the thought of anything happening to Amy or our child. I held tighter to Amy and did all I could to be strong and did my best to convince myself everything was going to be fine.

I would look at Amy working so hard, I would look at the monitors, I would look up to the ceiling and do my best to keep my eyes dry and not to worry. Then to add to the problems, our unborn child was not positioned right. I took a deep breath and just listened to the words of the Dr. carefully. She was so calm and instructed Amy so wonderfully. They asked me to count to ten for Amy to push. This helped keep my mind from going crazy. It was funny though as I could not count past 6 as the last four numbers came out as barely audible tearful crackles or I would forget a number...

I just wanted to hear something was going good. I was wanting our little child to be in the room in our arms....my heart was exploding with excitement and pounding in fear all at once. And then it happened....

I am so in awe of Joseph. What courage he must have had to watch helplessly as Mary had to give birth to Jesus without any Dr.s or anyone at all to help. How helpless he must have felt. And of course Mary....there was a reason God chose her. What courage and strength she must have had. Can you imagine a young lady giving birth to her first child with no one with any experience around to talk her through the delivery. Can you believe that this still happens in so many places around the world...and in some cases the woman is entirely alone???

I know how hard it was to experience the challenge of birth in a loving room with plenty of help. I pray for all those who do not have such support that they find strength and that angels will watch over them in their time of need.

See the mural pieces as they fit here

http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-06T18:06:00.003-06:00

Mary and Joseph enter Bethlehem to find there is no room for them anywhere.
I could not imagine after such a long journey to discover that you are faced with no room. I am sure that Joseph must have been beside himself wondering what he could do to help make the situation as comfortable for Mary as possible. I am sure he would have done just about anything he could.
When we walked over to the hospital we were admitted immediately. But we too had to wait for a delivery room. We sat for hours in an uncomfortable room with just a curtain around Amy. Amy did her best to rest and not worry too much and I did my best to watch over her. I remember constantly checking the time and waiting for us to get into an actual delivery room. Praying and hoping it would be soon. I also remember how it all started to become a blur. Watching the monitors that they had Amy hooked up to monitoring the contractions, her heart rate, the babies heart rate...you really start to realize that another person is almost here.
I found lumps crawling up into my throat that I would have to choke down. I would always be looking at Amy as we waited. I just wanted this to be over and know that Amy would be alright and that our little child would be born into this world and be happy and healthy. Instead I was going back and forth from joyous excitement to the fear of something happening to my beautiful girls. It’s a helpless feeling for sure as there is nothing more that I could do except just do anything possible to make Amy comfortable.

There is never any guarantee`s in life so faith is always needed to carry you through. I swear though that as I waited, my heart beat was louder than the monitor in the room counting Amy`s heart beat and the baby`s. I still get emotional thinking of that helplessness. So there we waited and waited as the clock ticked...I knew she was in good hands though.
Poor Joseph not knowing where he would go with Mary...what faith he must have had. Not a room in sight anywhere`s and his wife and child counting on him to get them to a safe place. No Doctors, no room...just faith and love.

I pray for those who have no place to go, no doctors, no family, no one to turn to...just faith that all will be ok. I pray for their strength when there seems to be little hope.

2010-11-05T06:15:00.003-06:00

The Star Over Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph arrive.

It is time for the child to be born. The long Journey Mary and Joseph have traveled has led them to Bethlehem. They now know that the moment has arrived. All the anticipation and fears will reach a crescendo in a short time now.

When the day arrived for Amy and I, our star over Bethlehem, words could not describe what I felt. On that special day we walked 5 blocks from our home to the hospital- as we lived close. Our Journey had been extended by 10 days as Amy was overdue. So we walked over to the hospital uncertain of whether it would be our time yet or not. As we walked we smiled and joked nervously and I did my best to keep strong. Yet inside I felt numb. Everything seemed surreal. I kept thinking that in a matter of hours I would be now looked at as a Daddy. There would be a little child who would be looking to me for guidance, for love. A child who would need me to be a rock for them when times get tough. My life was about to change in an unbelievable way. I realized that suddenly I would be living a life outside my own body. A helpless existence where all i can do is my best to love, teach and guide and then watch as this child will make decisions that i will feel the results of and have no control over other then to pledge to be there to pick her up when she falls and be her biggest fan when she succeds. It was true and it was hours away.

As we walked I also thought of the beautiful lady who walked next to me. She had done so much to get to this day. She had already loved this child more then I thought possible and they had never even seen each other yet. Every step we took I knew it was a another step along our journey together into this wonderful new world. I reached out for her hand and willed all the strength I had into her as I knew that as scared and excited as I was....she was 10 times more. She knew that the journey's conclusion would not be an easy one. I could see it in her eyes. It was time to enter Bethlehem for us.

I am sure Mary and Joseph had their own fears as well. I wonder if Joseph was the same as me in his thoughts. I want to write more but as I write my little girl has awoken from her sleep...and my job as Daddy takes over now from my hobby of writing. I love what that journey has brought into my life :-)...gotta run as someone wants to say good morning.

2010-11-04T06:00:00.003-06:00

The End Of The Journey.
Mary and Joseph arrive finally to their destination.
When you reach the end of the journey - the journey through a pregnancy- there are so many emotions that come into play. Mary and Joseph must have been exhausted but in some ways must have been relieved that their journey was coming to an end- or in other ways to a beginning.
I am sure Joseph was most relieved that Mary had made it through the travelling portion of the journey safely and now she can begin preparing for the journey of the birth.
When my wife and I reached the last few days of our "journey" I know there were so many emotions that we had to deal with. I found myself needing to keep busy to keep my mind from going crazy. I had so much excitement and so many fears. I could not control my anticipation of the new born child coming into the world. We had no idea whether it would be a boy or a girl so there was so much to look forward to that way. But then you also always have the fears of something possibly going wrong. That is where faith comes into play.
I would often look at Amy and the life growing inside her and simply be in awe of her. What an incredibly beautiful thing to behold. Then I would look at her again and see in her eyes the discomfort she felt in the last few days and the fears as well. This was her first child - just like Mary - and the last few steps in the journey would be the toughest. When she looked back at me I know she wished that she could be free of this burden and just be able to enjoy our child. But there was more yet to go.
I wished i could take over and alleviate the discomfort that she was going through and ease her fears but of course that was impossible. So I had too find a way to make a difference. This is where love can make a difference. I could not take away the pains and discomfort but i could make sure that the road she is going down - she will not be travelling alone. There will be someone who loves her and adores her right beside her the whole way. Reassuring her that it will all be ok and that no matter what happens she is not alone. She will have a hand to hold, arms that will embrace her, and a place to rest all her thoughts and fears.
Joseph was all of that to Mary...and then some. It is that extra that is needed in times like this. Husbands love your wives...be there for them. Thats what they need and its what you need too. It feels good.

God bless the families who are there to support each other in times when that little extra is needed.
Pray for those who travel the journey alone. We should always be aware of those around us who need that reassuring hand. Reach out...

See how this painting fits into the mural here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-03T05:50:00.006-06:00

PAINTING # 9

The Three Wise Men begin their journey to see Jesus.

What an incredible act of faith to travel so far following a star in the hopes that they would meet a new born child that would be the messiah.

The star in the sky would be comparable in some ways to the due date of a child. When Amy and i shared the due date with our close family everyone began planning their various journey's. Our "wise men" were our moms, dads and siblings specifically. They began planning their trips from their various parts of North America to come see our little girl around the time when she was to be born. They began planning months in advance much like the three wise men. There was no guarantees when our little girl would be born but they all planned on faith that she would be born around the estimated due date.

So not only were we preparing for our child so were our "wise families". Everyone began preparing to welcome our little girl and also preparing to give us a s much support and love as possible. Not to mention, much like the wise men, they came bearing loving and special gifts.

The creation of a child is a journey for so many. God bless the symbolic "wise men" in our lives who take the long journey with us and provide us the support we so often need.

Pray for those who need more "wise men" in their lives to help them through the challenging times.

See the mural come to life here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-11-02T06:17:00.003-06:00

As Mary and Joseph continued their journey I am sure this was a time where they got to know each other even better. Do you ever wonder what they talked about? This was their first child together. They were not only giving birth to the Messiah but they had to be parents as well. I am quite certain the journey would have had many of the same chats that most couples have.

Joseph must have had to reassure Mary that when they get to their destination that there would be a good hospital for her to have her baby and that an epidural would be an option. Hmm..or maybe they would just have to ask the sheep to move over so Mary would have a nice pile of hay to lie in.

Ok- maybe no epidural discussion...But I am sure they would have shared their hopes and fears for Jesus. I bet they wondered what he would be like as a little baby. Would he sleep through the night? Would he become a woodworker, a fisherman...would he be popular with the other kids or would he have a tough time fitting in. Maybe they discussed where they were going to live? Maybe Joseph was planning with Mary where he was going to work to support the child and the family. I am sure they went through all that don;t you think???

I also wonder if women would come up to Mary and tell them their pregnancy stories...and if they started to notice that couples all around them that had children talked non stop about their babies poops.

Mary and Joseph were human after all and i am starting to realize that more and more as i do this blog. They gave birth to Jesus but they still had to raise a baby to adulthood, they still had to go through all the trials and tribulations of a parent. Its hard to think that way but I have never read of God sending down the Holy "nanny" to help out.

As a dad now I can;t help but think more and more about Joseph and how he was really an amazing man (Mary was pretty amazing too of course ;-)). Joseph really took control of the situation though and made sure that Mary was taken care of and made it a priority to love and protect his family.

As a Dad Joseph is a great role model in all ways. I only wish there would have been more written about when Jesus was a baby so maybe he could have given me some extra parenting tips from the fathers perspective. I bet he had some good ones.

2010-11-01T07:20:00.005-06:00

See the mural come to life here- http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html The Beginning of the Journey to Bethlehem.

Everyone when they go through the birth of a child has their own journey to Bethlehem. After you get accustomed to the idea of the thought of a child coming into your life the journey to the birth day begins. The beginning of the journey would probably be best compared to the first tri-mester. Just like Mary and Joseph as they packed and began their long journey, couples begin the long journey together by changing their lifestyle, planning differently financially and thinking more about the best environment for the future child to be raised in.

As the journey began for Joseph and Mary, Joseph could only do his best to take care of Mary by providing food, protection and safe travels for them. He also would do everything possible for Mary to provide her comfort as best he could. Unfortunately there is only so much he could do as the trip for Mary would be one without much comfort other then the love of her husband and the expectation of the beautiful child.

Like a pregnancy- Joseph and Mary's first leg of the trip to Bethlehem probably was filled with nervous excitement. They would have hopes for great things and were unsure of what lay ahead for them. The first three months when my wife and i began our journey we both felt that nervous excitement. Her body slowly began to change as the child began to grow and I began planning in my mind the best ways to be supportive to Amy and the best strategy to prepare for the journey's destination. It all seems kind of surreal. But the journey had begun...and the road ahead would provide many adventures...

2010-10-31T06:27:00.004-06:00

Mary is pregnant.

After the challenges of accepting her news and sharing the news with Joseph Mary is finally able to just absorb the fact that she is with child and with the support of Joseph will bring this child into the world.

I remember when my wife was pregnant with our little girl. It was an amazing time.I would often catch myself looking at my wife in awe. To know that another life was growing within her was hard to fathom at times. What an amazing miracle to behold.

There is a certain helplessness that i felt as well. Although I was in awe of what was happening I was also sometimes frustrated at that I could not do more to help. As beautiful as the creation of life is, it is not easy. So many times I wished i could just take the unborn baby for her so she could have a break. Especially closer to the due date.

So I just did what i could to support her and make her as comfortable as I could. Those moments were some of the greatets moments to treasure too. Although i could not take away much of her discomfort my efforts created an even greater bond between the two of us and without even being able to see our child yet we were already becoming parents.

I have to post a picture here of our little girl...as any parent will know...with all the ups and downs of creating a life and being a parent to see the smile of your child makes everything sooo worthwhile.

2010-10-30T07:00:00.003-06:00

SEE THE FULL MURAL COMING TOGETHER HERE- http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

After hearing the news from Mary, Joseph was uncertain as to what he should do. It was at this point that the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him to not be afraid and reassured him that this was meant to be.
Many times in this world a child is conceived unplanned and to unmarried couples on top of everything else who are not even certain of what their relationship status is. I am certain that many men and women have lay in bed at night in deep thought pondering their situation for guidance.
So many thoughts can go through your head. You can spin in circles in your mind wondering about finances, your work, your ability to be a parent, how to share the news with others, how to prepare for possible problems that may arise with the child, will it be healthy...
We all pray for that angel to come to us and give us that guidance and reassurance.

When my wife told me that we were to have a child, neither one of us were prepared. Our angels were each other. We shared our love for each other and our love for the road we were about to travel down together. We reached out to our friends and family and more angels came our way. It was then that there was an incredible bliss to the moment.
Committment- we committed our lives to this unborn child...and to each other and by doing so we became angels to each other and to our child. Looking into my wife's eyes knowing her committment to me and to our child was the greatest experience of my life. An Angel indeed.
What a peaceful and joyous experience.

I am so thankful for my angels and will always pray for those who feel lost and alone and are in need of angels.

2010-10-28T21:57:00.004-06:00

The fourth picture in the mural (see the mural here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html )is when Mary told Joseph the news. Joseph was a very righteous man and a great example of earthly integrity. Although

knowing he was not the father and was faced with a situation that in his time could cause him great shame and public ridicule he stood by Mary who already was faced with public ridicule making him an excellent choice for the Messiah's father. Because Joseph was not yet married to Mary his decision to stay with Mary was very challenging and he was very confused.

There are so many times when a life is to be brought into the world in less then ideal circumstances. It is a miracle to behold when a man and a woman can overlook the challenges they are facing. By just opening their hearts to love each other more rather then turn away from each other obstacles can be turned away and beautiful things can occur.

My sister and her husband unexpectedly were told they were to have twins after already having a two year old to raise. The thought of the new additions coming along at this time in their life was not only a surprise but was a hard thing to comprehend as they were not sure how they would cope. But to watch how my sisters husband poured more of his love and strength into the relationship and how that energy gave strength to my sister turned a situation with many challenges into a wonderfully beautiful family. The love they had for each other combined with their faith radiated unbelievable beauty and enlightened all around them. To this day their children continue to pour out love to all who come near them.

God bless the husband who stands by his wife and loves his family. I have seen this in my loving mom and dad, I have witnessed this through my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband. I know that in my life with my wife and our little child that when life throws us unexpected challenges that it is in that time we must come closer to each other.

2010-10-27T19:44:00.006-06:00

God bless good friends and family. When a life begins to grow inside a woman, especially when it is unexpected like Mary had to go through, it can turn a beautiful moment into one of uncertainty. To know you have to share the unplanned news with your spouse, to know that you may not be ready for this unexpected treasure, to have so many questions you don;t know the answers to, can cause one to doubt that its even possible. Mary was scared and uncertain.

So many women go through this challenge. Friends and family can help so much in providing comfort. Mary visited Elizabeth to share the news and in doing so gained strength and comfort.

We all need friends and family to turn to in moments where we are uncertain. I believe God works miracles sometimes through the people he places in our lives whose words can make all the difference. They can strengthen our faith that all will be well and will also provide the support in times of difficulty.

I know I have been so blessed with beautiful friends and beautiful family. This is no coincidence. I know that they have been placed in my life for a reason and my life is beautiful because of it. With that in mind we should all do our best to be that person that others so desperately need in times of trouble. We need to give our love as much as we need to receive others love.

See the mural piece added to the big picture here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-10-27T06:15:00.005-06:00

The second painting in the mural-
When the angel was speaking to Mary I could just imagine her disbelief. How is this all possible? How could she be having a child? Then at the same time when she began to realize what was upon her she must have had incredible excitement within.
I know as an expectant parent once you discover the news its amazing where your mind can go. You instantly envision the future...will it be a boy or a girl. Will you be doing all sorts of exciting things together. What will he or she be like? Soooo many exciting thoughts. But then you also have those fears. Yes those fears that come at you from all angles as well. I know I said it in my last blog as well but you fear problems, you fear your own self- can I even be a good parent? I don;t know if i have the ability? This could be so overwhelming....Can i deal with it all?

You almost need a place for your mind to rest with all that you process. I would pray.
That helped me to relax and to have a place to rest my thoughts. I would also talk to my wife a lot and we would share our thoughts. It was so amazing to hear she felt so many things that i did. But together we were able to eliminate many fears and we began to enjoy each other that much more and looked forward to the road ahead... see the mural come to life here http://www.muralmosaic.com/nativity.html

2010-10-26T06:15:00.004-06:00

Today I start my journey through the newest mural created by Lewis Lavoie. It is called the Nativity. It will be a mural that takes people on the journey through the advent calendar to Christmas Day. i am starting early as Lewis is creating the pictures daily and I want to blog my own relation to this project. Having just had a child of my own this is a very special mural to me as I can really understand the joy and fears that Mary and Joseph would have experienced not knowing what to expect becoming new parents. I always hoped someday to be the father to a child. To think that it would happend when I was 42 years old was such a shock and a blessing.

Much like when the angel appeared to Mary- i am sure she felt shocked and blessed at the same time. So once the news of the child was put upon us- the world opened up in an entirely new way. Fears, joys, hopes, excitement and so many uncertainty's. All i could do was pray for a healthy child and have faith that Amy and the baby would be taken care of through the process and i would be able to provide the strength for them to lean on when they needed it most.

So step one in the Nativity mural is Mary is approched by the angel... watch the mural come to life at this web address http://www.muralmosaic.com/Nativity/panels/dec01.html

2010-03-02T11:30:00.004-07:00

THE OLYMPICS!
We did it and it was fantastic! Hard to believe that its all over already. Vancouver did an incredible job with the Olympics and to finish it off with Sid the Kid scoring the winning goal in overtime for Team Canada`s hockey victory united the country of canada like never before.

An incfedible show of Unity- thats what it was. And so was our mural. What a fantastic collaborative effort. 231 paintings all from the heart of individuals from various backgrounds, ages and artistic skill level combining to make one unified image. Pretty darn emotional. No matter how many times we do these murals nothing compares to the feeling of when artists gather together to meet for the first time and realize that through their creativity they have united with others to make a stunning art piece without ever knowing what each other was doing or what the big picture would be.

Ahhh...the thrill of it all....

Here is a video celebrating the mural. Onward and upward and thanks to all!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAZqYIVv0Gg

2010-02-16T00:21:00.003-07:00

Blogging is hard work!! Ha! I missed a day so don't shoot me. But I needed one day to visit a close friend of mine and his fiance and had no internet. Am I forgiven?

So today we got up early and I spent the morning in West vancouver in coffee shops chatting about the mural at the games. Lost of interesting chatter about it. Then we went off to the venue and found the mural room packed with large groups of students who were being shown the mural and then going through workshops in front of the mural. The instructors did a rap/poetry session which was done as a collaborative with the students and they used the mural as a symbol of how to collaborate. Unity through Diversity. Too cool...

Then we went off to see the Olympic Flame, meet up with CTV and the Vancouver Sun. Media is starting to line up. Its exciting!!

Must admit Vancouver is alive and it feels very friendly and spirited. I se only the good. When I can see so many people from around the world gather together in such a positive way it truly is wonderful thing to experience. Reminds me of the night of the unveiling as so many of the artists came from so many regions and from so many varied backgrounds and had such a great time through one unifying event. The world needs more of this...

Oh Yeah----http://www.muralmosaic.com

2010-02-13T22:40:00.009-07:00

WE DID IT! The unveiling went off without a hitch today! It started with a lot of preparation getting ready for the big crowd expected and sure enough it arrived. The mayor of West Vancouver made the official welcoming on behalf of the Olympics and the city and thanked all the artists for their contirbution to the true Olympic spirit. The artists , VIP guests and friends and family watched as the mural was unveiled to gasps and cheers!

I have posted only a few images tonight as I am exhausted and my video below has a sampling of the day. More images will follow but I am thrilled to say- KUNAMOKST is now unveiled!!!!!

2010-02-13T00:36:00.007-07:00

We worked our butts off from sun up to sun down and got the mural hung!! All is set to go and we are very excited. There is a buzz in the venue and already they are saying this is their number 1 feature. Pretty wonderful to hear all the positive comments today.

Things went smoothly although the load in was hard and I must have nicked my hands five times and felt like everytime I stopped bleeding I'd nick my hand again. Luckily my life of a million injuries has trained my body to heal quickly so as fast as I cut myself just as quickly I healed.

Paul and I slugged away with some help from the Centre's staff. We hauled the mural up two flights of stairs, built a wall, then carefully placed all 231 paintings into place. The mural looks AMAZING!!!

We were incredibly excited about how the day was going until I spoke with the media consultant and she shared with me the news of the tragedy on the luge with the athlete dying. It was quite a shock to be in an environment of so much excitement and positive energy and then to learn of a young man losing his life in such a horrible way. I send my prayers out to his family. I can;t imagine the loss.

On other notes I watched the opening ceremonies!!!!!....from my parents home ;-). They were amazing!! Except for the unfortunate technical difficulties and poor Wayne Gretzky having to hitch hike a ride on a truck for 100 km's to light the outdoor flame. Let the games begin!!

...and tomorrow...let the mural be unveiled! I can not wait to see all the artists celebrate over a year and a half of artistic creativity and hard work combined into one beautiful mural! I am so proud of all that contributed and all that have been so supportive since day 1! It is going to be a great day! SEE YOU THERE!~~ 3:00 p.m. -Spirit Square- West Vancouver BC info at http://www.muralmosaic.com/

2010-02-11T22:16:00.005-07:00

We MADE IT!! Today we arrived at the Vancouver mural site safe and sound! It was another long day but we pulled it off without a hitch. Glenn Madsen with the West Vancouver Centre greeted us and we were made to feel very welcome and they are VERY excited to have the mural as part of their Olympic venue. We spent the afternoon going over the venue and planning the set up for Friday. We will begin the set up at 8 a.m.. Both Paul and I have to stay at our families homes which are in Port Coquitlam and Abbotsford so we have a bit of a hike in the a.m. So tomorrow we leave our temporary homes at 6 a.m. and spend the day getting ready. The coffee will be an absolute delight tomorrow morning thats for sure.

So tomorrw we will give you step by step set up fun time photos! Looking forward to showing you the mural as it comes to life...but not the whole thing!! too bad for you hahahahaha ....you have to wait one more day!! The fun is now about to begin!

2010-02-11T02:02:00.006-07:00

Watch for hourly updates at http://twitter.com/philalain

Once my cell phone is in range again that is!

http://www.muralmosaic.com

PHIL ALAIN and Mural Mosaic - Road to the Olympics

Wow...long day! from 8 a.m. Wednesday morning until 4 p.m. in the afternoon loading up the van then got on the road and drove as far as we could until 11 p.m.. We are becoming "tetrus" champs with our packing abilities when taking our show on the road. Who would have thought we could fit so much into a cargo van. Paul Lavoie and myself set off today to get the mural set up in vancouver for the unveiling before Saturday with Lewis Lavoie and his family coming on Friday and bringing anything we may have forgotten. Or should I say that we WILL have forgotten. It was a busy day dealing with media, the planning committee in Vancouver at the venue and pretty much everything else. The drive was pretty good. More or less uneventful except for a truck driver who was swerving everywhere. We thought he was drunk but when we passed him it turned out he was just busy doing some work on his 17 inch screen computer while he was driving. Silly us bothering him driving while he worked away. Ran into some snow but not too bad. Stopped in Clearwater for the night. Its great as the hotel LOVES Christmas. Decorated Reindeer , Christmas trees and choo choo trains adorn the hotel. No cell phone service but we have internet so I can blog for you! Tomorrow we take vancouver by storm!!! Keep sending the good vibes so we make the last half of the trip safely. Here is a video of our adventure today...

2010-02-09T20:10:00.003-07:00

Kunamokst on the road to the Olympics

Today was a hectic day. It was the last day we could formally plan to make sure we had all that we need before the drive begins.

Our hope is to leave tomorrow and drive at least half way. There is snow and rain in the forecast for the mountains so we will make sure to take it easy. We want to make sure we get there in one piece. Also of course get the mural there in one piece as well...or should i say in 231 pieces. We made a little intro to the unveiling though for you to enjoy! Watch right to the very end of the clip!! Wish us good luck on our travels and we will see you all in Vancouver for the big unveiling!!!

2010-02-08T23:28:00.011-07:00

Robert Bateman Rod Charlesworth
Charity Dakin Michelle Grant

Well its late and I am trying to get my blog in for the day. We have decided to leave one day earlier for Vancouver to be safe so the workload today was a bit heavier. I fully expect tomorrow to be even more so. We spent today making signage, making sure we had all the tools to build the mural wall, double check all the paintings and anything else we could think of...which seemed to be never ending. At the same time some media popped by and did some interviews as we packed. So needless to say it was a full day. We had full intentions of posting a video today but time just didn't allow it. Not to mention dealing with emails, making sure all our angles are covered when we arrive in Vancouver as far as accommodations and loading the mural in etc. Luckily so far all has fallen into place. We always wish we had an extra week (or two) but we don't. Just days now until the big day so no sense wishing for options we do not have. So rather then blogging too late tonight I better get to bed and put in a good shift tomorrow. Lots of people counting on us so rest is probably the wise move and get a fresh start in the a.m..

My goal is to show some good photos of us getting ready tomorrow. AND...a video.... :-).

Goodnight.

KUNAMOKST workshop from Red Letter Films on Vimeo.

2010-02-07T15:32:00.013-07:00

Phil Alain- Kunamokst Mural Mosaic Road to the Olympics Day 6

Its Sunday....less then a week to the unveiling. I have decided this needs to be a day off as I will not have a day off now for almost three weeks. So its a great day to spend with my fiance relaxing and watching the super bowl. Yes...I am an artist who loves sports. So to have the mural at the Olympics this year is a double thrill for me. Tomorrow will be chaos at the studio though as we will only have two full days to get all the final details set. So on this day off I wanted to pick a handful of paintings from the mural to show some incredible diversity in the mural. These pictures posted here are only a small portion of the amazing art in the mural. Whats even more amazing is that all of these pictures can actually be combined together to make another even bigger unified image. WITH NO COMPUTER SPECIAL EFFECTS!! None of the artists knowing each other, none of the artists knowing what the big picture will be. All they know is their own style and their own voice will combine with others to make a powerful legacy to the west coast. Enjoy these few samples here then go to the website and randomly click on numbers. You can see every picture...without knowing what the big picture will be. Its amazing to enjoy each painting one at a time and truly appreciate each artists work. You can even adventure deeper as each artist has their web page listed by their paintings so you can see what they do when not working with us creating these murals. Enjoy....More Monday!!

http://www.muralmosaic.com/

April White

Ron Wilson Ray Martin Laura Levitsky Mark HobsonMichael Gerencser Mary ConleyDennis Weber Barry Tate

2010-02-06T12:47:00.002-07:00

Working in the studio today doing the Olympic shuffle. What does that mean you say? Well...I guess its the same as butterflies in your stomach. Knowing we are responsible for representing over 180 artists work as best we can at an international event is a bit unnerving.But we also have done it before so there is the hidden confidence. But you never know what can happen. We have to drive through the mountains in winter time from Edmonton to Vancouver and will probably have to do it in one day so that itself will be a bit of a stress. There is no second chances to get the mural there so we better not have any problems. I will document the weather and the driving as we go. Say lots of prayers and cheer us on so it all goes smoothly.

I know from my perspective this mural is going to be a very special one. We have had so many honors in our lives with the murals. international TV shows, magazine features and even a special moment with Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. But here we are now heading to be part of one of the biggest events in the world!!! Pretty darn exciting!! We are also thrilled because we have such an incredible team of artists in the mural as well. Roy Henry Vickers, April White, Judy Baca, WYLAND, Charity Dakin, Gordon Henschel, Keith Holmes, Kenna Fair etc etc and of course ROBERT BATEMAN who I am so honored to once again have in the mural. As we all know artists have incredibly busy schedules as it is so any artist taking the time to be in the mural is so appreciated. Mr Bateman has twice participated in our murals so for him to share his time twice is truly an honor. But these are only a few of the artists. There are over 180!!!! I always want to name them all as no one is more important then the other as each painting is necessary to make the mural come to life. So check out the mural team at this link herehttp://www.muralmosaic.com/Kunamokst/artists.html

So as a preview to the incredible art within the mural watch this video!! You will see that the mural is going to be pretty amazing!!!

2010-02-05T16:26:00.003-07:00

http://www.muralmosaic.com

Gosh- I can;t believe how busy it is getting ready for the Olympics. On top of that i spent the last two days at the teachers convention talking about the murals and how they are great ways to unite people and are wonderful projects not only for artists but for students. Its great to work with students on these murals because no matter how small the contribution to these murals and no matter what the skill level- in the end all the students feel an incredible sense of pride and belonging.
I am going to post pictures tomorrow on the mural preparation as I go to the studio and put in a few hours on the weekend as time is running short until we blast off. Then the interesting photo's will start to come to life!

This is my day 3 and 4 countdown on the road to the Olympics...although the blog is still firing up on the interest level for my readers it's a very crazy interesting time with us. I am going to try to post a sneak peak preview on video of some of the amazing art in the mural.

Look for the goods tomorrow!! Keep checking mural mosaic for intersting updates too!! www.muralmosaic.com

2010-02-03T12:19:00.003-07:00

Day 2 on the road to the Olympics. We are busy in the studio trying to get as much organized as possible. Contacting media, getting supplies ready, getting web design set....lots to do. While we do all of this we still have to focus on other projects as well so needless to say we are busy busy. West Vancouver is getting all set for the mural. now know that we will be setting the mural up on February 12th all day in preparation for the big unveiling day on the 13th. Conny Nordin from Galiano has been helping spread the word to the media of this exciting mural being unveiled. It is looking like almost 70-80 od the artists who helped create the mural will be in attendance at the unveiling which is phenomenal!!

There will be photos to be posted soon but here is a news clip from Can West that talks about the mural and the big unveiling coming soon!!

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Mural+made+piece/2259623/story.html

2010-02-02T09:52:00.008-07:00

The excitement is building as we begin the trek to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics to unveil the Galiano Island inspired mural mosaic project KUNAMOKST! Its been quite a process. The mural project technically began back in 2005 when we unveiled the mural Buffalo Twins and it was shown in Vancouver. At that time we set a goal to unveil a mural in the Olympics and it was reported by CTV on a national news story. So since then we put pressure on ourseleves to acheive this goal. In collaboration with 180 extremely talented artists and the island of Galiano and the Galiano Inn spearheading the mural in to existence - we are set to unveil the mural at the Olympics before it ends up permanently on the beautiful island of Galiano.

Here is the CTV national news story from 2005:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYAXgMfmlZU&feature=player_embedded

The mural creation process began in 2009 but our first workshop was held on Galiano island at the Galiano Ocean front Inn and Spa and was an incredible experience. Here is how it all began in pictures:Artists Watch the Instructions For The MuralOUR YOUNGEST MURAL ARTIST WITH LEWIS LAVOIEIntroducing the mural with Lewis Lavoie watching onDistributing the panels for the artists to paint

Galiano Island is going to be a beautiful permanent place for the mural to rest. Check out the Galiano Inn's beautiful garden's....A beautiful mural should be in a beautiful place!!

So we are just gathering the mural and the wall we need to display it on and starting to pack to head to West Vancouver!!! More coming soon!! Follow us here as we head to the Olympics! Watch other murals come to life on our website here too- http://www.muralmosaic.com

2009-09-18T00:14:00.027-06:00

Today was the big day!!Yep...the unveiling of Phase one! EXCITING!!
Needless to say we were a bit uptight to start the day. Normally we have a ton of work to do on the last day before the unveiling but we were strangely efficient this trip and had everything set to go. It was kind of unnerving.
Luckily we found other things to worry about...other murals...other ideas for projects to plan for...so we still managed to create ulcers for ourselves and all felt just right. Not to mention the thought that we would have to make speeches to a packed house in the evening who were all out to celebrate constitution day. Yipes.....
So to take the edge off we thought we would go visit the copper mines. AMAZING!!!! This is the biggest copper mine in the world and they aren't kidding. You can see it from space it is so huge. It looks like a mountain chopped in half and turned into a giant outdoor theatre where only Giants could sit on the seats. To describe the size of the mine is impossible. You gotta see it. So here is some pics. The trucks you see in the distance- their tires are probably 20 feet high. They are literally like moving three story houses with wheels.

I wanted to get a better look so i grabbed the pay per view binocular machine. AWESOME!! ONLY 25 cents!! I think they were 25 cents when I was a kid. Now however I can actually afford to use them so it was sweet!!

HOWEVER...a near tragedy...while I was looking through the binoculars...one of the trucks came over the barricade and I was pinned by one of the giant tires. TERRIFYING!!

Hard to believe that i could survive such a tragedy!! Luckily I was able to just yell to the girl in front of the truck for help while her boyfriend was taking her picture and she was able to reassure me that i would be ok. Thank goodness...wouldn;t want to miss the unveiling.

Even after the trauma of the tire incident I was ready to head off to the unveiling. But first i went and bought a new suit jacket. TRUE STORY...I bought a $200 suit jacket at JC PENNY for $10. The jacket was on sale for $20 but there was a loose button on it so i complained and said I would buy it if the button weren't loose...so he said "How does $10 sound??" I said "SOLD!!" I think he felt bad that I had been run over by the tire at the mines.

I love looking at my receipt....regular price $200 on sale for $10 hahahahaha.....nice.
So we went back got dressed and were set for the unveiling. I was totally nervous for this one. Lewis managed to catch me warming up with my speech. Can you see the stressLewis made me even more uncomfortable as he was as nervous as me and I had written a speech. He had not. He practised in the truck on the way there...was not too reassuring...

So the moment was about to arrive. One of our team of 250 artists showed up early. Little Johnny!! He was awesome and so proud.He came early because he wanted to save a front row seat for his entire family. Lewis made him feel like a star! Which of course he was for the night!

Then the moment arrived. We went on stage and made the speeches. It was a pretty touching night. Before we went up- the night was full of emotion as veterans from as far back as WW II and the battle of IWO JIMA were paraded on stage right up to modern day vets. There was even a tribute to a young man who had lost his life recently in IRAQ. It was hard not to feel the families pain. But the room was full of unbelieveable pride. We definitely were caught in the moment.

After a wonderful introduction we made our way up to the stage and said our speeches. I went first and things went well...except for the fact they started the video that lewis had created especially for the unveiling in the middle of my speech so it lost some if its zip... HERE IT IS..

So we finshed our speeches and the curtain came down. There were gasps and the energy of the room swelled. You could feel the pride of the students and even more so of the parents. It was electric!!
Even some special guests showed up to read the constitution in front of the mural....Then God bless America was sung by the choir and the mural was officially baptised into the community. The Students had created a masterpiece!! SOUTH JORDAN CITY SHOULD BE PROUD!!
Then the evening ended and the paparazzi took over. PHOTOS PHOTOS AND PHOTOS!! All the students lined up and each one that was there had their picture taken with us and the mural. WHAT A NIGHT!!! The kids were all so impressed with how they created such an amazing mural together without ever giving up their freedom of creativity. AWESOME!!

So the night ended and we announced the beginning of the mural to unite all the UNITED STATES. In one year we will be back again with a mural full of amazing artwork telling the story of the history of the United States through the eyes of some of the finest artists in the US. EVERY STATE WILL BE REPRESENTED!

Our team mate back home , who is keeping things moving while we are away and holding down the fort- Paul Lavoie- is busy working on our west coast mural leading into the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.I am sure he is looking forward to our return.

Its late and I must get some sleep. My computer keeps crashing and I have to catch a plane home tomorrow to be back around my loved ones. New friends have been made and the mural has a good home. We'll be back to visit our lovely, friendly US neighbors very soon. With an even bigger message of UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY through art. See more at our website...upward and onward...www.muralmosaic.com

2009-09-16T22:09:00.013-06:00

The morning started off with the goal of getting the glued down mural cut so we could put the wall together properly for the unveiling. We began by heading off to Home Depot. We hoped that with some luck they would use their panel saw and help us trim up the mural. We met an incedibly helpful and friendly gentleman by the name of Jesse. He was not only helpful he was very impressed with what we were doing. So without any hesitation he helped us out by trimming the mural. HOME DEPOT should be proud of this guy. Truly showed the true meaning of customer service.
So from here we moved the mural to the big auditorium today and began putting it together for the final display. It is truly a wonderful piece. Hard to believe that such a wonderful mural could be created with students as young as kindergarten. What a great way to launch the big mural.
We spent the morning screwing together the panels and making the mural secure so that it would be safe and impressive. Its much bigger then we imagined. Looks great!! I’ll save the full image for tomorrow after the unveiling.
Then after the set up we were invited to dinner at the home of Lori Edmunds (events director of South Jordan City) and her husband Dean. What a lovely evening and great hospitality. While we waited for dinner the neighbors invited Lewis and I to relax with a little B-Ball. I am proud to say...I successfully defeated Lewis 21-0 in a game of 21. But he had way more style then me as is evident in the photos. I should have told him I practiced shooting hoops with a 10 year old daily in Perth Ontario for three years before we started playing. Oh well...
Tomorrow is the big day!!! Stay tuned!!

2009-09-15T23:23:00.014-06:00

Today we began our first day in South Jordan City assembling phase one of the Freedom mural for the United States. Its been months of preparations and we are finally putting forth the mural created by the students of South Jordan City- an invitation to the nation- whis is leading to the creation of the much bigger mural that will unite all the states into one amazing collaborative.
It has been such a positive experience here in South Jordan City. Today started off bright and early as Lewis and I left the hotel room and the first thing we see is this giant truck which i just happened to catch Lewis running by on the way to the van. Really...we didn;t stage the shot at all- really ...REALLY!!! Pretty prophetic and really was an indication of our mission for the day with the mural.
We reached the building where we were to begin assembling the mural and there awaited the lovely Melva. What a sweetheart Melva was. Although hard of hearing Melva was great to chat with. I felt my questions were much better the second time when I yelled them. She gets up early every morning to cook breakfast for all the seniors in the community. Lucky for me I turned 41 this year so as some people have mentioned- I am now in that senior category and because of that Melva made us the loveliest waffles and eggs to start our day. I had to get a shot of Lewis with Melva. Mmm...I am dreaming of tomorrow’s breakfast with Melva. Did you know waffles are like Mural Mosaic’s ? You can make one square a syrup square, put a butter chuink in another...maybe some jam in another square...yum...
So before we started Lewis needed to burn off some morning energy after breakfast . Melva makes some wicked coffee...so needless to say- Lewis (all wound up with playful exuberance) found a local family and played tag with their kids while their parents watched oncarefully although they seemed a little stiff and unreceptive to his behavior.
So off we went to build the mural. Panel after panel we slowly glued the mural together. It was exciting as it started to take shape. Lori our host and the community events co-ordinator made a point of stopping by and making sure all was going well. Which it certainly was. Better then we could have expected.
We didn;t finish today but we did get close. At 6 p.m. we were whisked off to a dress rehearsal for the unveiling. YIKES!! This is going to be big!! A large theater, an incredible tribute to the war veterans, constitution day and the eyes of the community upon us. WHOA!!! Did not epxect this. And we also have to make a speech. So...needless to say...we are now trying to figure out just what to say Thursday. So...tomorrow is another early day so we have to turn in early. But in the mean time we will plan what to say for our speech in our dreams and plot what we can make for our net mural mosaic with Melva by maybe combining our waffles together tomorrow!! I hope she doesn’t switch things up and make pancakes....

So- nothing to do with the murals but a great way to end the day- a video song from my niece that helps keeps my sanity...

2009-07-03T08:25:00.007-06:00

Phil Alain and His Calgary Stampede Blog With Mural Mosaic Day 2 and 3

The first few days have been rather hectic as we get into our groove. The mural has once again been a highlight thus far as it always seems to be at the venue's that showcase it. The big kick off was on Wednesday night with the VIP gala. We worked all day Tuesday and Wednesday to get things set up and it all went off without a hitch. Throughout the dayon Wednesday the documentary about the mura mosaic's continued to be filmed as Sylvie Peltier from Red Letter Film's lead her crew around filming Lewis and the mural's around Calgary. For some that don't know- The Military museum in Clagry houses the beautiful mural "Heroes" and the Town of Cochran mural "Trust" is only 20 minutes out of Calgary.
We ran into one of our new good friend's Michelle Grant who painted in the mural and also has her artwork featured in the incredible art showcase alongside the mural called "The Western Showcase". This is a stunning exhibition of amazing artwork. Also represented in the Western Showcase from the mural were artists like Denis Weber, Kim Penner, Andrew Kiss and Judie Popplewell. Great talent pool within the mural!
Michelle stopped by the mural at one point to start a heated debate with me over -which is better - the ShamWow dude or the guy that sells toilet seats that have fluorescent lights so you can see your bowl clearly when you get home after a late night of "socializing". I stuck with my ShamWow guy and even threw in a few "Snuggy" blanket references so in the end I felt I was the clear debate winner.
Then on Thursday things officially kicked off in the evening for the general public with the sneak peak event. It was a good start and in the end we realized that a lot of people go to the Stampede. We had a good day and its been a while where all three of us have been able to do the shows together. So it was great to have Lewis along. It was also great that Lewis could partake in all the fun that Paul and I regularly experienced in other cities.Like riding crazy train's with hoards of people after events. Not quite the limo service we always dreamed of. I think Lewis still enjoyed it. Or at least we enjoyed watching Lewis in the Stampede Squeeze. See him in the back of the train holding on for dear life?? If you can Zoom in you'll see him mouthing "Help Me!"More tomorrow...

2009-06-29T20:00:00.005-06:00

Phil Alain and His Calgary Stampede Blog With Mural Mosaic Day 1

I am now in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Calgary Stampede and am getting set for the first showing of the mural in Canada since September 2008. The mural just arrived from Las Vegas and it was so good to see our baby again. I am sitting at the wonderful apartment style hotel that the Stampede graciously provided for us so we can survive the next 12 days of working 12 hour shifts talking about this world class project. Its a beautiful night as I sit here and type and I am getting excited about putting together the big mural again.

The mural has been featured in the Stampede Media Guide and has been promoted to over 750,000 homes. So we know its going to get some attention here.
Many of the fantastic artists have their personal work in the Western Showcase right near the mural as well so its pretty exciting that we will get to see the artists again too. I forgot my camera so hopefully Paul and Lewis will bring one along so I can post images as we go.

The Calgary Stampede folks have been fantastic!! Donna Andersen has been so excited to bring the mural to the Stampede since we first met her at Spruce Meadows. She was so impressed with what the artists created and has really become a champion for this mural. Reminds me of being in Ohio. Its wonderful when these venues really embrace this incredible collaboration.

I must admit- I am getting excited. The Greatest Outdoor show on Earth is only two days away and we are proud to be featured at it. All the artists should be proud as well. Its going to be a great 10 days. Keep checking here...I'll be posting daily our adventures!

Philly

2009-05-07T00:30:00.008-06:00

Three hard days and we have reached a checkpoint in the beginning of our biggest mural project to date. UNITING the UNITED STATES! It all begins with the children of one small community...the youth...then we will reach out to the entire country. This is the invitation to the nation.

We sat in 11 classrooms and worked with 270 students to create a united mural from the free minds and fresh insights of kids ranging from 5 years old to 18 years old. The ideas that came forth and were presented from brush to board was truly inspiring. So inspiring that I think already this mural will rate as one of my favorites.

There is a certain beauty in children. There is this freedom that I wish we all would retain in our minds as we age. The youngest participants in the mural hesitated the least when it came to putting forth their ideas. They weren;t worried about what others would think or whether their idea was good enough. They just painted. As did many of them...but as we worked with higher age groups you could see the level of hesitancy increase.

BUT...this was a team project.

Every piece was important for the collaborative but also was the powerful voice of each participant. As we gathered in the classrooms with the students the energy would build. They began to realize that they were going to create an amazing project with their fellow classmates and other schools from around the city. Their fears, if they had any, suddenly became excitement. As we worked with them on their paintings they gained confidence and they realized that they were just as important as the person next to them in the mural. Every piece was important!

The classes ended and we took the paintings back to the hotel. We painted and updated the class lists. Documented all the panels and started piecing the mural together to see where we were at. It was a long day but a good one. A really good one.

From what we saw today and what we experienced while we were doing the classes...I am going to sleep well tonight knowing that something really good is going to happen. Something really special...yes....I can't wait...

2009-05-05T23:19:00.003-06:00

The second day in Utah went really well. Just as crazy busy as the first but felt more like routine. We started with junior high class, sandwiched two elementary classes in and then finished with a high school art class. The high school class was a great finish to the day as they really got into their paintings.
Actually all the kids immersed themselves into their paintings.But it was funny when the kindergarten kids heard the lunch bell...suddenly painting was second on their mind and food dominated their thoughts.

We have one more day tomorrow and then back on the plane home.
We are going to hopefully have a chance to go off into the mountains tomorrow evening and see some of the beauty of the Salt Lake region.

2009-05-04T22:41:00.006-06:00

Day 2 in Utah and the first day with the students. Pretty intense day. Up at 6:30 a.m. and quick breakfast then off to the first school.
We were a little late but the kids were happy to see us. Lewis right away got the ball rolling and the all were thrilled. Paint was flying and the mural was on its way. We had two hours (well...actually about an hour and a half after set up and clean up) to have the kids paint a panel into the mural. They were pulling it off though and so was Lewis with his great way with the kids.
This is definitely where Lewis shines. He is a master with the kids. I can only watch and be the cheerleader. Well...I guess I bring the kids more paint and joke around with them too. I add my little tips here and there too but truth is Lewis is a buzz saw and its best to just keep them smiling until Lewis gets around to each and everyone of them. Which he does!!

We did four classes today each 2 hours long with a half hour sprint from one school to the next in between. Literally we would run out of the school and drive feverishly to the next school and set up again and get the kids painting asap. We ended at 6 p.m.....with a big sigh.

COOL THING though is that we had FOX news waiting for us in the second class of the day. A very large man by the name Big Budha (apparently seems to be a "morning show legend" on TV around here) was waiting to do an interview. Quickly he realized we were foreigner's when we showed a complete cluelessness as to who he was. Lewis in his charming way of always mixing names up called him Big Baba (meaning Ukrainian Grandma back where we are from ). He certainly didn't look like a Ukrainian women. In fact he looked more like a dangerous James Bond character who would remove his hat and throw it at you and it would slice your head off in an instant...especially if you call him Big Babba instead of Big Budha. It was good for a laugh as he corrected Lewis a couple of times.

Although its a long day it still went pretty smoothly and we have two more of these days to go. and we start earlier tomorrow. So once again...good night from Utah. More tomorrow....

2009-05-03T23:56:00.002-06:00

So we landed today in Salt Lake City Utah. The beginning of one of our biggest mural projects yet. Hard to believe what we are starting here. On Monday we are beginning creating a mural with 11 schools in South Jordan City to lead into the giant mural that will unite all the United States. We will be up at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow and working all day lone with four schools tomorrow as a kick off to the mural.

To create these murals with children as young as 5 years old all the way to high school is incredibly rewarding. The unveiling of the mural is quite breathtaking. Not so much for the actual mural but for how each student feels just how important they truly are to the big picture. Really warms your heart.

Needless to say there is alot going on. On top of all that we are still touring the Horse Gift www.muralmosaic.com and we are beginning lining up the artists for the west coast mural KUNAMOKST!

So tonight I will have to get me some sleep as tomorrow its into th fire with students all day long. But what a day it will be!!

Pictures and more writing tomorrow. But sleep first.

Peace ;-)

2009-04-16T09:37:00.004-06:00

AHA! So here we go with the murals of Unity!!
I am busy preparing for a very exciting summer. We are feverishly working away preparing for two BIG showing of the HORSE GIFT at the GREATEST OUTDOOR SHOW ON EARTH the Calgary Stampede!! and the Northwest Originals Art Exhibit as part of the Edmonton Alberta Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days).

Yes Alberta gets a double dose of the beautiful world renowned mural!!

We are also in discussion with a new documentary that could be created based on the West coast mural that we are abouto begin.

If you have not ben paying attention - Lewis Lavoie has been busy weekly creating an incredible mural. Its called the KING of KINGS! I will put the link here but if it does not work in my blog just copy and paste it and go to this site. http://www.muralmosaic.com/King.html It is very cool and you can watch an amazing mural come to life. The mural will be made up of leaders from around the world since the beginning of time. If you have a suggestion for a leader email it to Lewis through the website.

This is his most recent King in the mural -Go to the link above and check it out and see if you canguess what the big picture is going to be!!

Of course its TAX time right now!!! ARRRGGGGGGGGGHHHH ...so everyone is miserable and stressed. But once we get past this we can all get happy again. I have to get going as lots to do and a sunny day ahead!! Keep on Rockin in the free world :-)

2009-04-14T22:43:00.003-06:00

April 14th...hmmm....I guess thats almost 4 months since the last blog. I guess its time to get back at it.
To start the blogging year off (in April haha) I want to emphasize one thing to anyone who cares to listen. The people in your life will matter more to you in the end then any money or material possession you can gather up. Don't worry so much about what you can selfishly obtain. Give as much as you can of yourself to others. Your gift of yourself can change someones life including yours... and in the end you will always feel fulfilled.
Don't put work ahead of your children, loved ones, family, friends. Take the time to look around at the ones you love and the ones that love you. Reach high as you pursue your careers and shoot for your dreams BUT always maintain your foundation around you. Balance is key. You may reach great heights but if in the process you lose your foundation of friends and family you will fall and fall hard.
I just spent the most amazing week with my family. My Dad just underwent major heart surgery so I travelled to the coast to spend time with him, my mom, my sister, her husband and their three adorable children. Then my brother also jumped on a plane and joined us. It was a time in my life where I had so much on the go at home but I needed to do this. I needed to take this break. My Mom and Dad gave me life and have always been there for me whenever I needed the support. Not to mention my brother and sister have always done so as well. So for all of us to come together in a time where my Dad needed us all was powerful and a good reminder of what really matters. I am going home on Wednesday with a full heart and a stronger foundation. I know I am lucky to have such a great foundation. As my life carries on I will continue to build my dreams but will always remember....my rock starts with my beliefs... with my family.... my friends. Whatever my efforts lead me to, in the end, I will always know I have someone to turn to and to share in the joy of my success or lean on in the sorrow and I will do the same for them. Take your millions....I'll take the love.

Now...with my new energy I am coming home to begin more tour dates of the mural The Horse Gift! We are honored to be showing the mural at the Calgary Stampede - in Calgary Alberta Canada and at the Capital Ex in Edmonton, Alberta Canada in July. It is quite exciting.

Also- in two weeks Lewis Lavoie and I head down to Utah to begin creating our next mural "The Freedom Mural". We begin with a smaller version of the mural which we will be creating with 253 students from grade 1- 12. Then the massive mural will begin in the fall.

We are also starting the mural "Kunomotsk". This mural is a Canadian West Coast Mural. We are creating this with artists from all along the west coast of Canada. Robert Bateman has agreed to join us once again and we are thrilled!!

I jump on a plane tomorrow a.m. from Vancouver and head home. The new adventures begin and the new stories begin. I will do my best to write daily and there will be lots to write about.

I'm back baby...I'm back ;-)

2008-12-20T22:47:00.028-07:00

I am useless at writing Christmas cards but yet I like to write so I guess I will do my best to summarize 08 in my blog today and wish everyone a Merry Christmas at the same time.

Its been an amazing year. 2008...what a wild ride!!

I turned 40 this year on January 8th and decided to try something new. I wanted to make a difference in some way this year so I began a series of 8 events leading to 08/08/08- the day of the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics. It was a great project and was so rewarding in so many ways. Throughout the year I created shows that brought artists and musicians together for events all designed to bring unity. By the end of the year I had worked with over 75 different musicians, artists, dancers....and not to mention had a great art contest with submissions from artists from all around the world.

The spring of 2008 also gave birth to the beginnings of the mural Le Cadeau Du Cheval- The Horse Gift and my 12th annual Night of Artists festival. The NOA Festival was one of the best ever and had some amazing moment and lots of great images to treasure.Combined with the 8 events it was a busy time but a wonderful time too. I also released my 5th edition of NOA magazine. Everything was really well received and the spring was rockin' with good times and lots of excitement.

In the spring I had to make some tough decisions as well. After three years of hard work I had to make the difficult choice to step away from the Guitar Woman project. I had worked hundreds of hours helping create shows across the country, lining up media coverage, designing logos, posters, arranging photo shoots, video coverage for documentary usage, helping align web design and helping contact women for interviews. Unfortunately new directions pushed me on to different projects.
As the summer neared the 8 shows continued to gain momentum and once again I was immersed in fun times doing the Taste of Edmonton, Capital Ex and even the Artwalk. I had a wonderful year with my own personal artwork which was amazing because I barely had time to do any. The summer was very busy assembling the last few pieces of the mural The Horse Gift. Trying to locate artists, find paintings that hadn't been returned and lining up venues for the mural to be toured to once it was completed was a non stop adventure.

Also during the summer we lined up two more major mural projects for 2009!! So we are very excited about the future!

On a personal note I had a great year hanging out with my great friend Jennifer who I traveled to Vegas, Vancouver and Calgary to name a few. We both had started new projects and her support for what I was doing made things that much more enjoyable and she also had great success with her business. It was fun to watch the growth of both our projects.

MY BROTHER ALSO GOT MARRIED!! How exciting was that! He married a wonderful beautiful gal and also welcomed two new children into his life. Then to end the year off he announced that they will be having a child of their own in June of 2009! EXCITING... I love the fact I will have a little one to hang out with here in Edmonton. I miss my sister and her kids dearly and of course miss seeing my folks as well. They all live on the coast so the time I get to share with them is limited.

Sadly on another personal note I lost my best friend in the world. My little friend Roscoe died suddenly. He was the best dog I could ever have imagined. I still miss him today. Probably will for a long while.

Once the fall hit the excitement really began. The mural The Horse Gift was unveiled at Spruce Meadows in Calgary Alberta Canada. It was an instant international hit. The mural was featured in international magazines such as Cowboys and Indians, Western Horseman and Horse Illustrated and so many bigger newspapers and smaller local features in various publications.

Also we were featured on various TV Programs. Cowboy Country TV did a great feature on the mural. Also CITY TV did a segment called Celebrity Chefs where Lewis and I actually cooked while talking about the murals. Good for a laugh :-). Not to mention we worked with William Shatner, spent time with world renowned horse whisperer John Lyons, and were part of a private concert with Corb Lund.

We also did live radio broadcasts in various cities around North America. Two shows were over an hour long and were a lot of fun to do just talking about the murals.Can you believe the website www.muralmosaic.com http://www.muralmosaic.com ha shad over 20 million visits in one year??? WHOA!!!

As the fall progressed I toured with Paul Lavoie and the always entertaining Len Kozak with the mural to Calgary,Alberta- Las Vegas, Nevada -and Columbus Ohio. Lots of travel time but fun at the same time. The only thing that was missing was having Lewis Lavoie along with us as of course- he is the one that brings the murals to life. We hopefully represented him as well as all the other artists in a way that they would be proud.

As the year finishes off I sit here by my new little fireplace in minus 30 degree celcius weather in the house I have lived in for 20 years and prepare to head off to visit my family for Christmas. How blessed I am to have the incredible family I have around me again for this year. Truth is...all the other stuff I talk about is just icing on the cake. All that really matters in my life is my family and friends and the rest is my recreation. But in that recreation I have extended my family and friends.

2008 brought so many new people into my life and it has been truly an astounding year. The artists that helped with the murals and the Night of Artists shows, the musicians who believed in me and performed at all my events, the fans of the shows and the people that put everything together for me when i needed a good team...wow....what a year.
To all those that take the time to read what i write- thank you. I hope to have many more great stories in 2009. Maybe I'll take up ballroom dancing while I develop my guitar skills and work on a new series of charcoal drawings. Maybe I'll write a book on top of my annual magazine...Maybe I'll have that surgery on my shoulder I have been avoiding for 10 years.

Maybe I will just live my life day by day and treasure every moment that comes my way. Yep...thats what I will do. So for now...this is me and this is my year. Life is good...eat it up!!

2008-12-15T08:26:00.009-07:00

Leaving Las Vegas

I honestly have to say that I am ready to get out of here. The only thing that makes me want to stay right now is the fact that I am going back home to the ultimate deep freeze ...-30 celsius from what I hear.

The mural was definitely a hit here. Too bad the people who were running the show here in Vegas didn't have a bit more vision with how to set it up as far as a good location goes as it could have been so much better. The crowds that came to see the mural were all in awe which makes it all worthwhile...always does. It was great meeting SUE KROLL, TOM DORR, PAT LAMBRECHT HOULD, DONNA RIDGWAY and a plethora of fans of KAT MOORE. I don;t think you artists know how much we look forward to meeting you. It truly puts more spirit into us when we meet the team personally that helped create this masterpiece that is loved by so many.

So we went through our typical crazy tear down 24 hours. The show on Saturday was quite slow by the afternoon so we began tearing down by 4:30 p.m.. We worked our butts off and had it all taken down by 10p.m. and then went for a nice dinner. But we couldn't relax yet. The next morning we had to get up bright and early and head back to the venue to make sure our mural shipping all was set. In the process we had to chat to all the robot businesses of Las Vegas who, from what I can gather, can not make any decisions without consulting some sort of rule book for any small requests. Enough to drive you crazy as all you want to deal with is someone who is a person with their own mind to make decisions. I guess that's where law suit mania has probably changed the world as people live in fear of the what ifs.

So when all was said and done we had survived the ordeal of las vegas and could chill out for an afternoon. So what better way to do that then too look at the fake recreations of world landmarks and appreciate the amazing detail put into the work by the local union workers in copying the masterpiece architectural structures of Europe.

So- today we will have to hang out for the day and wait for our flight tonight - late- and finally be home by 3 a.m.. Apparently its supposed to start snowing tonight in Las vegas. I guess thats our warm up (or cool down process) for heading home. Hope we don;t get snowed in!

On that note...Viva Las Vegas. We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun...but the farewell is sweet and the next mural destination will be announced soon. Now its time to head home for friends...family and a beautiful Christmas.

Here is one last shot of the mural...

2008-12-13T09:49:00.008-07:00

LAST DAY!! Yes!! Glad its done...
It was good but home is always better. Friday had a couple of surprises. One was really cool one was not so cool. The not so cool part was we discovered that through the beauty of unions in las Vegas the cost of shipping the mural 40 yards across the parking lot of a fork lift is the same price as putting the mural on a truck and shipping it across the country. How is that possible you ask?? Thats what we asked too. Could you imagine our surprise and disappointment?? Not sure where they get their rates from for their efforts but whatever...thats "the man stickin" it to us. It felt like we were literally thrown to the dogs....or dino's
But I called Lewis back at home and he said "Phil-when you get home we'll have some apple pie and turkey and none of those bad union guys will matter anymore"...so that put a smile on my face again.

The cool news was Jewel was in the neigbourhood and not only came by the mural but was on stage next to the mural doing a show. Paul wasn;t around so we missed a photo op around the mural but it was a quick look so that might have been tough anyways. The interesting thing is that she is also on the cover of the Cowboys and Indians magazine that the mural is featured in so she can always go home and read about the mural. Much like I have done :-).The crowds were really good today and the new touch screen we have to highlight all the artists work in front of the mural is wonderful. Now all the onlookers can actually go into the website and actually read all the artists comments while they look at the mural and see who painted each square!! Its great!!

2008-12-12T07:56:00.006-07:00

2 days left of the actual show. Whew...
Thought I'd post an image today with some trivia....These Pink FLAMINGO's are not what you would normally discover in Las Vegas. These FLAMINGO's are very pretty birds. FLAMINGO's some times stand on one leg. These FLAMINGO's can be seen in our hotel. Can you guess what hotel we are staying at?? It starts with an "F"...good luck!!

The mural had some good crowds today. The people fom the Calgary Stampede came by today and gave the mural RAVE reviews! The lady representing the Western Showcase and her husband wnt as far as to say "This is by far the highlight of the show". The Calgary Stampede is looking at bringing the mural to thier huge event as a feature in the western Showcase. That would be a great show in our back yard!

So before we left the venue I kissed the lucky elk and then went off to meet Paul and Lewis' sister and brother inlaw who came to Vegas for a visit. We decided to go out for Brazilian food at Pampas! Great idea!!! I Highly recommend it if you are a meat lover. They bring you meat on skewers of all sorts and you choose what you want to eat and pull it off the skewers as they come around to your table. Paul here is getting some Ham and Pineapple!Then we took a nice group shot of us full on Brazilian...
Today we should know about Baltimore and the next stop on the tour. I am hoping to post that right away. Keep looking here and more will be announced soon!!

2008-12-11T09:30:00.002-07:00

ARRGGGGGHH!! I just wrote a long blog and then my computer crashed so you readers are going to get jipped now as I don;t have time to write another. The show was kinda slow yesterday but we had a cute family come by holding in their hands the Horse illustrated Magazine with the mural in it and three little girls with eyes wide as saucers staring at the mural like they had just seen Santa Claus! The mother indicated that the girls have loved horses since the day they were born and this mural is like a dream to them. The children- probably 6-7 and 8 years old literally were bouncing in their shoes and smiling from ear to ear. This makes it all worthwile to see that kind of reaction. Thre more show days to go.....

2008-12-10T09:31:00.003-07:00

We are gearing up for a busy weekend as the big finale of the mural and the NFR happens Thursday- Saturday. Many people have been asking exactly where the mural is. It is located in the Las Vegas Convention Centre at the back corner to the right when you walk into the building. We are showcased directly beside Flint Rasmussen rodeo performer who hosts a talk show daily.

We are getting set to take a break for Christmas (which will be nice) but before we leave here we are hoping to announce the next show destination of the mural. We are just waiting for the official confirmation which should be announced soon. Its wonderful how more and more venues are contacting us asking to host the mural.

Last night Paul and I finally took in a show and chilled a bit. Then to celebrate after the fact Paul sat down and dominated the black jack tables and made almost 10 dollars. awesome...totally awesome. Paul was awarded golden beads for his black jack success from the dealer ...golden plastic beads.

Its non stop big winners here thats for sure. Only 4 more days to go and we are looking forward to the big weekend. here we go.....

2008-12-09T08:46:00.002-07:00

The crowds were flocking today to the mural as the word spreads. We were kept very busy talking about the mural all day today. So good thing i did the gragling in the morning. Lots of great chatter and another couple of venues interested. It is now looking like a strong possibility our next stop on the tour is going to be Baltimore Maryland at the end of January. I will hopefully be confirming in the next 48 hours.

Monday was a take it easy kinda day. Paul and I had a fancy meal at Burger King then went off to Bally's and gathered a few necklaces at the Blackjack tables. For every blackjack you get the give you a necklace. I left with three and Paul with 2. The rest of the table had none haha. So I guess you can say we were the lucky ones at that table as we also left with a few bucks in our pocket while the others at the table left without their shirts. Funny how that can happen.

One more week to go. Truth is...I am ready to leave. The ringing of the machines is driving me crazy!!

2008-12-08T09:31:00.004-07:00

So last night we went out for a nice dinner at Ah Sin overlooking the fountains of the Bellagio with Caesar's Palace in the distance. It was a much better day at the mural today as for some reason the crowds sunday were bigger then on saturday. (weird...Vegas does things its own unique way thats for sure)

We had a nice surprise as two more artists came by. Pat Lambrecht Hould and Tom Dorr stopped by. What a nice treat!! I did not expect them and it was a realy pleasure to meet them.

Another nice treat was the arrival of our ace in the hole team member Beatrice Lavoie. The mother of Paul and Lewis and a key team mate for helping out with the murals. She is down here for a visit and a holiday. Not only was it great to see her down here...she is one mean slot machine player as this jubilant photo proves!!

Today we are hoping for much of the same crowd success as yesterday. The great feature in Cowboys and Indians magazine this month is certainly adding to the buzz and also there is a feature coming out now in Horse Illustrated. So the buzz keeps growing.

Another day - another explanation of the mural 100 times an hour to the masses....time to go gargle and get my voice ready. Believe it or not I dropped out of University because I was scared to stand in front of the class and do any presentations let alone...scared to speak out loud period. Who'd a thunk i would be talking to thousands now in strange public settings...weird...

2008-12-07T08:55:00.005-07:00

Today we plugged away again at the mural on a day where we expected it to be one of the busiest days but in actuality was the slowest day as of yet. We are in such an odd location that it does make finding the mural a bit of an adventure. So hopefully Saturday was not a true indication of what to expect.

We did have another wonderful artist stop by for a visit. Sue Kroll popped on by coming from Utah. We had a great visit and got some good shots of her with the mural.

Also Donna Ridgway cam by again as well so we were able to connect Donna and sue who had never met face to face.

We also always love to try to get reactions from the kids and families. It is always wonderful to see. This little girl LOVED all the little horses in the mural.

So off we go on another day adventure. Vegas is a bit of a sensory over load location. Its a great place for a 3 or four day holiday but for two weeks you kinda wish you had a place to get away to for some quiet time. I love my mornings getting up before the worlds awake but even mornings here are full of noise and crowds. Luckily the room is peaceful.

2008-12-06T09:43:00.009-07:00

Friday was a busy day with the mural as the crowds began to flock! There was definitely a buz around the mural. Even a CBS TV Director stopped by from Chicago saying that this mural needs national attention...in a big way and he has some BIG ideas. Curious to see where he wants to go with it. We exchanged cards and we'll see.

One of the fabulous artists stopped by today! Donna Ridgway made it out to see the mural with her husband and once again what a treat it was for us to meet her. I love meeting the artists. I just hope we can meet them all someday.
Another interesting moment was a wonderful lady who stopped by whose miniature horse had been painted into the mural by Kat Moore in a touching tribute with a young child by its side (panel #115) The lady was from an organization called Personal Ponies Ltd. This is an awesome program started by an avid horse lover, Marianne Alexander, who found a way to bring ponies to children and adults of special needs. She absolutely loved the mural and of course Kats painting and we had some great pics with her and her granddaughter who is vying for Rodeo Queen.We have brought a new display monitor to accompany the mural which has been a huge hit with the crowds. They can actually gothrough the mural one square at a time and learn about all the artists.Then last but not least...Paul and I kicked back and went off for a cruise of Vegas including the amazing fountain show at the Bellagio....check it out!!

2008-12-05T09:58:00.005-07:00

The first day when off without a hitch. The mural has a great display area with lots of room so people can stand back and really get a good look at the mural. The response has once again been fantastic. It would have been a bit better if the mural was closer to the front entrance of the venue but there is a big show right beside the mural daily which draws huge crowds back to the mural.

I must admit the sunset with the desert mountains in the distance amongst the flash of las Vegas is pretty darn cool. I grabbed this picture of where the show is at before we left the other day. Pretty nice.

Its been tough sledding touring the mural and it may seem like a lot of fun but its hard work more then fun. This is a good shot of Paul- who works his butt off daily in many ways behind the scenes.

He literally lies down on the bed and all his elctronic apparatus that he uses to keep mural mosaic functioning fall off of him. That means its the end of the day. You can see everything from the remote to his blackberry always close at hand. awww...the poor sleepy Paul. look at the little guy.

2008-12-04T08:17:00.002-07:00

Wednesday was a "figure things out day" as we had to analyze how we were going to make our display look the most effective. Things have been considerably delayed though. We wanted to be finished set up last night so this morning (Thursday a.m.) we could just walk in and be set for the show opening at 10 a.m.. But instead they had not laid the carpet in our area as of yet so we could not do anything for set up so we are off early this a.m. to get things done. So today we will be set up for our first day of showing the mural to the public. I am hoping for great crowds and a great looking display. I think this could be a really good show. I will post images tonight showcasing our display as today we should have things all set!!

2008-12-03T09:52:00.009-07:00

We finally began the hanging of the mural in las Vegas. What a huge venue we are displaying in. The Convention center has the highest ceiling we have ever had for displaying a mural. So needless to say the mural had no problem fitting in this venue. We spent all of Tuesday setting the mural up piece by piece again and it was great to watch it come together.
The set up seemed to go very smoothly. Except for one little sanding down of the support beams which Paul handled admirably. Not sure if we have a good location in the venue. I guess that is what we will wait to see. Its a bit of a hike from the front doors of the venue but we all need the exercise right? As you can see below - I have been maintaining a solid workout routine while on tour. I regularly carry the mural around much like Atlas to keep lean and mean.Here is a video of the mural from the beginning to the end of the set up.....First the beginning:

Now the end:

For those of you keeping score- Paul and I are both doing our best to stay away from the blackjack tables but with that said after day 2 we are both on the good side of the gambling line :-). But with two weeks to go here I have a feeling we will go back and forth across that line daily haha.

2008-12-02T08:12:00.002-07:00

After driving from Calgary to Edmonton and staying up all night to catch the plane to go to Las Vegas we finally arrived at our show destination....extremely tired. Nevertheless we are here. It always amazes me the amount of flash here in Vegas. It also amazes me how no matter what simple task you want to perform someone is right there to do it for you and with their hand out. Nothing is free here so I guess I better get used to it. Its almost $20 a day just so we can use the internet to keep up to date on things.

So we went to the Las Vegas convention center today to check on the venue and its a really big show. I am excited to set the mural up for the big display. We are going to be seeing some more of the mural team here too so that is equally exciting!!! Donna Ridgway...Sue Kroll...and you never know who else might come by.

Today we will start taking pics so you call all start to see whats going on here. It should be fun. I slept for four hours yesterday afternoon then Paul and I got up and checked out the strip for two hours then I went back to bed as I could barely keep my eyes open. I think am well rested now and look forward to the new day.

More later!!!

2008-11-30T08:39:00.003-07:00

So I am doing a double blog today for today and yesterday. Saturday was the busiest day at the show so Paul and I talked non stop. So with that said writing any more last night would have been a stretch for me haha. We went for sushi last night and thought we'd check out a movie as well to relax. Me going for sushi is kinda funny because I am allergic to fish ;-). So needless to say its Tempura vegetables and terriyaki everything.

We are up and at 'em early today as we have a looooong day ahead of us. We have the last day of the show, then we tear down the exhibit and then the drive back to Edmonton. We should arrive in Edmonton about midnight. We will unload the truck sleep for 3 or 4 hours then jump on the plane to Vegas. Yep...less then 24 hours away now until we headoff to the BIG show. All we have to do is get past today. So there won't be another blog until late Monday night but then the camera's will come out and off we go again on the Mural tour! I'm pretty excited ...but will feel more relaxed once we have the mural set up and all is well.

So we will get through today and let the true adventure begin!

2008-11-29T00:11:00.002-07:00

Today was a busy day again and was actually quite fun. Talked to lots of people and really enjoyed the day. Today I found myself studying those studying the mural. I loved today.

I decided to focus on family today. There were so many mothers and daughters and babies coming through looking at the artwork. I found it incredibly touching. Call me a sucker, call me too caught up in cheesy sappy emotional moments. But I found this incredible beauty in watching the relationships between family members. Three generations sometimes would stand in front of me and listen to me talk about the mural. They smiled and listened intently to all I had to say while little did they know I was smiling back at them because I loved looking back at the beuaty in front of my eyes. To see Mothers and daughters spending time together was so wonderful. I would study how their eyes and smiles would look the same and how they would have the same mannerism's. The different ways they would interact was wonderful.

I loved lisening to the little children ask for advice from their Grandma while their Mom's would look on in obvious love and respect. There was truly a beauty within this. Ahh....what a sweet thing to take notice of.

So back at the lodge tonight....Travelodge that is...we are wrapping up the night with Las Vegas on our minds and the 2 day countdown now beginning. With nervous anticipation we await to reunite with the beuatiful 23 foot high mural....the hard work to reconstruct it one more time and then the two weeks of showing it off to the world. Tick tock tick tock...time is almost here to shine.

2008-11-27T23:31:00.002-07:00

So we were up and at em early today and spent the day talking about the mural in cowtown with Vegas on our mind. No pics to show today as I left the camera at the hotel haha. Hey...we are in Calgary...as an Edmontonian I am allowed to say that there is nothing worth taking pictures of here anyways haha- Hey I know you Calgarians would say the same if you were in Edmonton. ;-).

Its amazing how many people today said they have seen the mural on the internet. I guess when you get 30,000 to 50,000 visitors daily and over 20 million people in just over a year there is a good chance that someone at the show has seen the mural . People act like a movie star is in the building when they see the murals. Its common to hear..."Oh my god!! There it is!!!"...and we just have a small version of the mural on display haha.

My voice is already feeling worked over as the days are 11 hours long here. Yikes...

Paul I went for a late end of day meal to finish the day off and I ordered a war wonton soup which I have ordered at many restaurants before with no problem. But tonight I order it and half way through I relaize that they must have added some fish to the broth...which i am allergic too. Luckily it was trace amounts so I just had to eat the rest of my meal through a swollen larynx. Nothing can stop me when i am hungry!! Even death...Death... I laugh in your face!

So off to bed and on to Day 3 of the road trip...and the countdown to Vegas...Yes!!!!

2008-11-27T00:29:00.003-07:00

Well what a day! Up at 5 a.m. because my shoulder is so messed up I can't sleep. MRI, xrays and now blood work...maybe they will just amputate so I can sleep at night. But nevertheless I needed to get up as lots to do. Paul and I had to pack up for two big shows today and then head to ship one load to Las Vegas and then drive to Calgary for our other show. Needless to say...we wrapped things up today at 10 p.m. and went pretty much nonstop from 8 a.m. in the process.

We are setting up a display of all our murals in Calgary at the round up centre. So Its good practice for the big display in Vegas.
I am in discussion right now with Equine affaire in California so who knows...maybe California is the next mural stop.

Most importantly though....Happy Thanksgivong to all our american friends!!!!!

Below is just me with my drill ...looks like I almost know what I am doing...but don't be fooled....

2008-11-25T21:50:00.003-07:00

So I bet you thought this blog was going to become a nothing page as I have slacked off for the last few weeks. Truth is I was soooo busy getting ready for this new exciting trip that the blog had to wait. But today is our last day of preparation and we are set to go!! ( We hope) We are off to Calgary for a four day Christmas show then immediately off to Las Vegas for the two week long mural exhibition at the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Christmas. I honestly am looking forward to get back out on the road. With my dog dying after our 13 year pal around relationship of walking together in the mornings and most of my friends and family living far away now it can feel kinda empty at home. Thank goodness for my bro and his family, the mural team and my good friend Jen. With that said though...off we go!
We have finished a new little booklet showcasing various stories and paintings in the mural that we will be unveiling in Las Vegas and Calgary. This is what I like to call the appetizer sampler to the HORSE GIFT book that will be coming out in Janary.
Also- we are now in discussion with Equine Affair in California and we hope the mural's next stop is on the sunny coast of California.
I have lots of packing to do tonight so I though the video would be the best thing to kick off the blog. Hope you all enjoy this new adventure.We are off to do our best at promoting our wonderful team of artists to the world once again! Talk to ya tommorrow!

Philly

2008-11-11T07:42:00.004-07:00

Holy smokeroooneees....its busy around here. The Las Vegas showing of the mural has us a bit stressed out as we are on such tight time lines with so much to do in a short period of time. Thus the blogging has been a bit weak ..but... rest assured...I am still here and still plugging away.

Its amazing how much work there is when you have to package up prints to ship to artists around the world. It literally is taking us a week to accomplish. In the mean time we are busy planning more shows, getting things set for the tour into the US and working feverishly to release the book Le Cadeau Du Cheval. (coming soon...very soon...)

Today is a special day of course with Remembrance day/Veterans Day being honored. Its is always an emotional day especially more so for those who have loved ones currently in conflict zones around the world. It is a day to honor those who allowed us the freedoms we have today and to make sure we do not forget the lives that have been sacrificed. I also want to extend my prayers to those who are currently involved in war. I pray that they are kept safe and that soon they will return home. I pray not only for the soldiers but for the innocents who are caught in the middle of conflict. Today is their day as well.

I have to post this mural above again...and check it out online. A mural of remembrance ...war veterans, battles...triumphs and tragedies....

Check it out here too http://www.muralmosaic.com/SOMH/heroes.html

2008-11-06T07:38:00.004-07:00

Another day off to the studio. Literally is going to be a week of non stop folding cardboard and taping packages shut and heading off to the post office. 176 packages we have to ship off to artists around the world. YIKES....
Taping, folding, shipping, Oh My...Taping, folding, shipping Oh My...Taping, folding, shipping Oh My...

Had a chat with Conny Nordin in Galiano and we are set to begin the west coast mural. So thats a good thing to get us going for the Christmas season art wise.

The Obama party seemed to go well and we are even more excited now as we are going to be creating a mural uniting the USA into one giant mural. With the overall positive vibe and new hope that seems to be apparent due to the election of Obama we are thrilled to be a part of a unifying art project to bring people together south of the border.

E Pluribis Unum....look this up....this is what the mural will be all about!

2008-11-03T08:22:00.006-07:00

I had to take the weekend off to recharge. Man...the time zone thing finally kicked in. Actually just sat and stared at the walls for two days It was hard to force myself to that but I think I was burnin out. I still had to do work on the computer but I was more or less gearing up for the work week ahead with LOTS to do.

I am off to the studio today where Paul Lavoie, Lewis Lavoie and I will be plotting our next moves, getting ready for Vegas and the busy Christmas season. Lots of shipping to the Horse Gift artists is still going on and we are trying to make plans for 2009.

So as we plan I am going to post some past videos.

Check this out CLICK HERE from 2005 Our mural that we unveiled for the Queen :-)

2008-11-01T09:23:00.005-06:00

Ahhhh...back at home.24 hours of driving in three days does a body good....not. It was a good trip though. Good weather and lots of time to think as I drove. Although the thinking got a little bit overwhelming so I switched my GPS ladies voice from English to Spanish so when she told me where to turn I not only had to try to figure out what the heck she was saying ...it also sounded kinda sexy :-).
EXCITING!!! I got back and Lewis had posted a new King on the King of Kings web page!! Check it out on the website http://www.muralmosaic.com/King.html and see how it fits into the big picture and read about him. His name is AKBAR THE GREAT and he ruled from 1556-1605 in Delhi India! I like this guy! He was very much an artist and VERY creative. I guess I could rule a country someday haha....yea...right.

I am getting set for the 8 Remembrance Celtic event next Saturday. We will be showing the "8" paintings crated by artists from around North America and also showcasing Lewis Lavoie's tribute to the war vets of Canada. Should be a good night. Have you seen it?? Check it out if you haven't. Its amazing!!

http://www.muralmosaic.com/SOMH/heroes.html

Madonna was interesting. Pretty much exactly as I expected. Lots of people, waaaay more girls then guys, people dressed up like Madonna and a show with lots of dancing. It was an ok show. Not as much my thing though. I think Madonna either lip sync'ed half the songs or sang alongside a voice track of her own as it just seemed too perfect and when you are running an aerobics class on stage you think that you would run out of breath at some point when you were trying to sing. But maybe she is not human. Who knows. The part that bugged me the most though was her pretending she could play guitar. That just seemed wrong. Stick to the dancing Madonna. Little surprise when she turned the guitar into phallic symbol for a couple of gyrations.
I wish I could have been closer to the stage so I could have seen the dance production as that truly was the show. Madonna is pretty darn amazing for a 50 year old woman. She is pretty darn amazing for a 20 year old woman- makes me feel like I better get me to the gym asap!!

So with that said she started two hours late and did no encore. So...for a dancing with the stars performance I give it a thumbs up. For a concert...thumbs down. But I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed the company I had with me so it was a great night.

2008-10-30T00:44:00.003-06:00

Today was a travel day. I am now three time zones away from where I was on Monday. 12 hours of driving and I am now sitting in Vancouver. I am bringing out promotional material to my Dad who is a big Mural Mosaic supporter out on the west coast. He is going to be promoting the mural to the west coast folk all November and December. My Dad I think can talk better about the mural then me even. He is so proud of the murals we have done. His passion for the murals is even greater sometimes then the people who help create the murals. I am soooo lucky to have supportive parents like I do. We are also very lucky to have Beatrice- Lewis and Paul's wonderful mother who really helps keep us going in the studio daily. Mural Mosaic is all about our big extended family....including the artists.

Hey make sure you keep checking out the mural mosaic website...specifically this page http://www.muralmosaic.com/King.html

This mural is soooooo cool and will slowly come together before your very eyes. Almost every Monday a new King/ruler will be added to the mural. Its an incredible history book through hundreds of paintings that will in the end create another mural. Watch it come to life!!

Here is last weeks King:

Panel #47
Ahab
Country
King of Israel
Reign
874 BC-853 BC.
Born
n/a
Died
853 BC died in battle

Keep checking the website...its awesome!!

So while I am out here in Vancouver I am going to see Madonna in concert. Yep...you heard me....Madonna. Did I ever think I would go see her in concert...not really. But I am actually looking very forward to it. I think the woman is a brilliant marketer. She has an uncanny ability that you don't find in too many. She knows exactly how to play the media and keep her fans and critics on their toes. I am almost willing to bet that her whole divorce is a media stunt that after the end of the tour the two will reunite. Knowing her, she probably just wants to look more appealing to her male fans while she is touring so she can sell more records. Once the tour is done they will reconcile and all will be well. But in the mean time her and Britney Spears will have another go.

She is one of those people that when you are old and grey like or hate her she will go down in the books as someone who changed the music world and more. The question is was it for the good or bad?? I have my opinions ...and for the most part well...lets just say I have my opinions. But she is a great marketer...and no matter what her music will bring me back to the old High School Hall party memories.

The best part is...I bought a pair of chaps in Columbus at congress so I could wear them to see Madonna..ha...ha...ewww. Ok...no I didn't.

But I do have a cone shaped bra! Ok...no I don't.

On another note....

Did I mention the King of Kings mural?

http://www.muralmosaic.com/King.html

2008-10-29T09:02:00.007-06:00

I am just writing quickly before I head out the door on a 12 hour drive to Vancouver. Things never stop here. We spent yesterday getting ALL packing necessary to ship to artists around the world. It was insane the amount of cardboard we just ordered. Plus to make the day more interesting Paul almost lost his finger. He is ok...but his finger was pounding like Fred Flinstones when he hits it with a hammer.

So we are getting set for Vegas and are thrilled to also mention that coming up soon there will be a big feature on us on Cowboy Country Television. Coming in the next week or two I believe.

Horse Illustrated is doing a feature on the mural as is Cowboys and indians who will have a big article coming ou in the New Year.

So here is some pics of memories from Ohio. Ths kids love for this mural was so fun to behold...here is a toast to the little ones :-)

So as we close out the first mural adventure in the US...the children have seen it all and are now exhausted from the adventure as are we....
Goodnight Ohio.

2008-10-28T07:39:00.010-06:00

It was pretty crazy the last two days so this blog will sum it all up. After the show in Toronto I had to boot it back to Columbus asap to help Paul finish the last day with the mural. So on Sunday I quickly jumped in a cab with Lewis and off to the airport we went. Lewis had to catch a flight back to Edmonton as well so the "air" was full of team Mosaic Sunday afternoon. As Lewis jumped out to get on his plane while I carried on to my terminal I quickly snapped a couple of photos. Silly me though. Lewis has been known to have Paparazzi flashbacks after he painted for Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. I completely forgot and thus I triggered this reaction below. I guess he recovered in time to check in though.( didn't use a flash so that helped)
I got back to Columbus looking forward to talk mural to the masses for the last few hours of Congress but I ARRIVED LATE at 4:30 Ohio time (I was late because my pilot couldn't remember where he had parked his plane and apparently was wandering the airport in Toronto for an hour dangling his his plane keys and pacing aimlessly). Turns out though...the Congress ended at 2 p.m. so it was over before I even got onto my plane. So as it turns out...I arrived in time to began the long task of putting the mural away. So Paul picked me up at the airport and off we went...a long night was ahead.
Here is a little video to commemorate the end of the Ohio tour...It was kind of a day of combined relief and sadness. But a day to treasure great memories...24 days in Columbus....

After we tore down we got back to the hotel late Sunday a.m. and then spent the day Monday running around like mad to get the mural shipped to the next location...LAS VEGAS!!!! Hopefully we will meet the mural there in December. Its always a little nerve racking shipping a giant mural...you know it should be fine but its not replaceable so there is always a knot in the stomach until you see your baby again.
I am here at home now and the process begins to prepare for Las Vegas and our other murals that we are about the begin.

On a final note, I have to say, that as beautiful as the mural is...the most beauty I find in all of this is what is brought to us through the artists. I was flying home last night thinking how fast time actually went. I sat there and recalled the moments...meeting artists like Jennifer Trottier, Anne Dysinger, Pat Getha, Cindy Bryden, Delia Pacheco, Mary Singer and Leslie Zantow and hearing all their stories and making new friends. To me as great as the paintings are its even greater to meet the people behind them and really see the beauty of the project. I am so lucky because I get to meet all these great people. Calgary was an unbelievable testimony to that as well.

Now the new adventure arises in one month. I have already heard that I will be seeing Michelle Grant again (yay!) and Sue Kroll is coming out so I look VERY forward to meeting Sue for the first time. Hopefully we will continue to meet more and more of you and you all get to see the mural at some point.

I'll keep writing if you all want to keep reading even though the tour in Ohio has ended. There is always new things to report so keep checking here. Now back to the grind of the office as we will be shipping artists their prints of the mural over the next week or so now that we are off the road...yikes...no rest for the wicked ha!

TOMORROW...I will have a surprise....memories of Ohio!!!

2008-10-26T07:19:00.016-06:00

So I am just getting set to fly back to Ohio again for the last day of Congress. Lewis and I had a great show inToronto. Lewis did a fantastic painting live for the crowd and spent the evening doing portraits of people while I kept tabs on the art display. It was a busy night and the crowd had a good time. It was good seeing Lewis and updating him on the Mural in Ohio hanging out for a couple of days. Now back to Columbus to see how Paul made out on Friday and Saturday.

So I am FURIOUS right now as for the second time in two weeks while I was away my house was broken into AGAIN!!!!! I can't wait to get back to Edmonton and see what the heck is going on. Maybe the crook is reading this blog!!! If so...I am posting a picture of myself beside the CN Tower in Calgary to show just how huge I am as I obviously dwarf the tower. So beware....big bad Philly is back in town on Monday.

So in Ohio Len said goodbye to the crowds as he had to return back to Steak and Beans Trailers in Edmonton. He did a great job. It was amazing as he sang the entire soundtrack to Les Miserables to a huge audience for his big farewell. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Lastly The Getha Family came by for a farewell to the mural. I wish I would have been there to see Pat and the family but nevertheless...it was great meetihg Pat and I know we will see her again and hopefully all the family to. So ...I have to run to catch my plane. See you in Ohio for the big farewell!
k

2008-10-25T07:04:00.006-06:00

I am in Toronto today getting set for an art exhibit with Lewis Lavoie (the main mural man :-)) and getting updates from Paul in Ohio until Sunday when I return. I guess it was really busy again at the mural showing today in Columbus. Thats great!!

GOOD NEWS!! Today I confirmed the mural will be in Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo in December! So anyone wanting a holiday...ya gotta come see the mural and have some fun! Details will be posted soon. This will be the last tour date for 2008 but we are booking up all 2009. We are trying to hit all corners of North America so as many artists as possible can see the mural. It will take some time to confirm the tour dates but its going really well. Lots of good press coming soon too! Venues interested in the mural tour should contact me through the website www.muralmosaic.com.

How about the caricatures sent to us by Mary Singer! They are fantastic!!! Thanks Mary!

2008-10-23T21:55:00.007-06:00

MORE REASONS FOR THE MURAL ARTISTS TO BE PROUD

So here is a video to give you an idea of how the crowds swarm the mural and how they all want to know more about this amazing art piece. I wish I had sound on my camera so you could hear the words.

It was another busy day. I am in the hotel room writing and quite tired and packing to leave Ohio to head to Toronto to do a Night of Artists Show and see friends I have not seen is so long. I will also be seeing Lewis Lavoie (friend and of course the designer of the murals). He is doing the show with me and will be doing a live painting at the show. I will videotape it for you all!

Today was great as not only was Len speaking to large crowds but others who have come by the mural daily because they just can't get enough of the mural, have started telling others all about it. Like this lady below who blew us all away by telling a big crowd about the mural on her own as we had a break and watched her. It was great!

The best thing of the day is always the kids....this picture rules!!!

So...I am signing off from Ohio and heading to Toronto. Here is me tired...writing this blog at my computer, saying goodnight and see you in Canada!I'll be back Sunday in Ohio to help put the mural away for a tearful goodbye...Its been a long tiring haul....but the memories will last.

2008-10-22T20:46:00.004-06:00

Today was busy busy! All the artists should be proud. Literally people walked up to the mural today and shed tears of joy. I am not kidding. People actually cried over the beauty of it. It was an amazing day as I have never seen so many people connect with a piece of art in such an unbelievable way. EVERYONE in the mural should be so proud. I swelled with pride as I talked about every ones work as I would describe how amazing it was everyday we received a new painting from each of the artists.

I am pretty tired tonight so this will be short- but everyone should check out the new issue of Cowboys and Indians. We have a two page spread sponsored ad promoting the mural!! Its amazing! Word is spreading so here is a toast to all the artists and Lewis Lavoie for orchestrating such a masterpiece.

Here is whats in Cowboys and Indians:

One more day for me here and then I have to head off to Toronto for a Night of Artists event for Two days. So I will be reporting from Canada. But will return to Ohio for the Grand Finale of the tour on Sunday. Keep watching as we reach the end of this great 3 week adventure.

2008-10-21T21:17:00.018-06:00

UH OH!!!!

So today had a lot going on yet not alot at the same time. We arrived this morning and looked up at the mural and instant panic hit as we looked up and a panel was missing from the mural ZOINKS- SCOOB!! We looked around the base of the mural to see if it had fallen and it was not there. Our hearts raced for a moment before one of the Congress security came over and let us know a panel had fallen from the mural and it was in safe hands. Miraculously- it was in fine shape too. So we instantly contacted our awesome support staff and had the panel replaced and made sure it would never happen again!
While this excitement was going on, a group of people (who just happened to love the mural) stopped in front of the mural with none other then the newly appointed Queen of the Congress! So- Because everyone loves the mural (as I believe was mentioned in the last blog) they wanted to have the Queen photographed in front of the mural by herself! Suddenly the morning began to take an upswing!!

This of course only made Pauls day even better as he had figured out the mural problem, he had his daily cinnamon roll and now we had a great photo shoot happening in front of our mural!But the best came later! Len was once again his theatrical self. All day long he talked to people about the mural.He had audiences in awe and often ended his speech with a touching story about his wife and her lovely painting of a hobby horse in square #1 of the mural.After a long day of speaking though Len was extremely tired and fell asleep. Deep deep sleep.
It was then we could tell he started to dream. Oh yes...Len drifted off to the land of little horsies and his life as a child. He dreamed of his little ranch in his little world where horsies were abundant. Cute little horsies. He really loved these little horsies...I can see them now....cute little things...

He lay there on the bench with a smile growing from ear to ear. You knew his dream was getting better and better.

Suddenly he twitched and you could tell something was wrong.

He really wanted to ride one of the little horsies in his dream but he wasn't allowed. Poor little Lenny could only watch from a far as all the older kids rode the horses wild and free. Then from behind the stable a kind man with a little yellow hat and a curious monkey stopped by and said "Little Lenny- I know you can't ride the real horsies- so me and my curious monkey(who apparently was named George??) have brought you a gift...The Horse Gift" (remember - this is Len's dream and I am just telling the story for him. Not sure where the man with the yellow hat and the curious monkey came from-hmmm...anyways- back to the dream)
So little Lennie reached out and into his arms the curious monkey handed Len his own little horsie. A hobby horse much like the one he had talked about all day long describing the mural. It was truly a "Horse Gift" indeed!! Little Lenny was thrilled!!
And then it happened!! Len awoke from his dream and was a new man. He suddenly bounced around like a man possessed! We couldn;t figure out what he was doing until he "grabbed the reins!" Len was riding his horse just like he did as a child in his dream!!
We all were amazed as he rode his valiant stead around the mural. It was....well....it was like a dream. Then we realized ...it was not only a dream to Len...but we were all dreaming as Len slowly began to blur and fade into the mural as he rode off into the blue of the Congress Hall carpet.

Truth is,it was kinda slow today at Congress and I guess we all had our own vision of the Horse Gift...
Giddy up Len....Giddy up!

2008-10-20T20:28:00.012-06:00

I loved this shot Paul got of this guy...we see this all the time!

Today Paul took the day away from the show and did some work at the hotel and I spent the day with Len talking mural talk. It was busier then last week on Monday and Len entertained all day. It seemed a little uneventful without all the artists there to keep us company. However the state governors wife came by and LOVED the mural so that was cool.

I can only say so many times that people love the mural before it gets repetitive. So I will try to not to say anymore that people love the mural. I think I have said in all my blogs at least at some point that people love the mural. So I think in the fairness of the two people that read my blog that I will no longer mention that people love the mural so they will continue to read the blog and hope that they will understand that the pictures alone will show that people love the mural. After all...it goes without saying that everyone loves the mural and it doesn;t need to be mentioned that they love the mural anymore.

Right kiddies? If you love the mural raise your hand....
or hands haha!!

So anyhoooo....I'm trying to connect with the horses a bit while I am here.I decided to head off to Stallion Avenue for a look see. Sounded pretty cool...

But my allergies must be a tip off to them.
No matter what I would say....
we always seemed to have a stand off....
And then we realized...we just weren't right for each other and both of us moved on. Maybe I should have gone to Chicks if I was smart...Paul had the right idea! Or did he....
So ...the best alternative was to drown my sorrows and have a good ole Philly for good ole Philly!!hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah....ewww...
I think I am needing to get away from here...soon.

2008-10-20T05:47:00.009-06:00

I'm off and writing again today. Lots to write about after saturday and sunday. I missed the last couple of days as I have had some challenges here. Saturday night my lap top went on the blitz so I have had no access to my computer. Paul has allowed me use of his and hopefully mine can be fixed today. I have also been dealing with incredible shoulder pain. FRUSTRATING!! But then last night I found out someone broke into my home back in Edmonton so needless to say..I am ready to leave here any day soon now.

But on a good note the weekend was wonderful and interesting to say the least!

As i mentioned ...or warned haha- Len came to town! The legend himself...and well...with this smug look how can you not expect interesting things to happen.

Not only Len came to town but the highly anticipated arrival of our wonderful local team of artists from here- Mary Singer, Delia Pacheco, Pat Getha, Cindy Bryden and Leslie Zantow all spent the day with us. What a GREAT day!!

We have so enjoyed meeting the artists. What a great spirit behind this project. After the amazing Calgary experience with Michelle Grant, Wendy Palmer, Paula Hawkes, John Stone...etc etc ( if I named all the Calgary artists guests I'd need another full blog haha) I had no idea we could have another experience that would be so enjoyable. It is like meeting your long lost family. We shared some great laughs and even some tears. Delia surprised me with a beautiful painting of my little dog Roscoe who just recently passed away. I was overwhelmed and had to take a few minutes to gain my composure. The gesture was so touching and the painting of course moved me and brought back memories of good days.

The ladies were great companions for the weekend sharing wonderful stories and becoming celebrities around our booth. Crowds flocked to the mural and when they learned the artists were there - well - autographs were in demand. The ladies were heroes for the day as the amazed audiences were so thrilled to meet the actual artists in the mural.
Len provided great entertainment as well. He joined us in "bragging" up the artists in the mural. He had all of us in stitches and had many of the viewers of the mural came back as much tohear Len's one liners as they did to see the mural. There is so much pride in this mural. Len really showed how amazed he was with what the artists had done by how he passionately talked about the mural.

All day long Len bantered teasingly back and forth with the ladies until it came to a head! Mary Singer set him straight though!!

One whack with the magic cane and Len was immediately transformed into a workhorse- literally-and was sent off to get us all Cinnamon Rolls. He galloped over and waited in line like the rest only to find out they don't serve horses. So no cinnamon rolls for us.

Pat Getha brought her son out for the day too! What a treat he was. He was such a great little guy. He spent the entire day with us and was the happiest mural viewer ever. He never complained once and smiled the whole day long! What a wonderful joy to be around.

Lastly- if this doesn't show the beauty of this mural I don't know what does.

2008-10-17T20:51:00.011-06:00

Today is officially 14 days since we arrived in Columbus. Hard to believe its two weeks already. It did kinda hit me tonight though as I am quite fatigued as is Paul. I love the mural but it can be quite a challenge to keep the same energy up for 12 hours a day for three straight weeks. With that said though we are hanging in there and save the fading off for the evenings. There were better crowds today so that was good. I think if we were to start a petition the entire horse community of the United States would demand the mural end up in Kentucky. Everyone that I speak to always says "This has to end up at the 2010 world equestrian games and permanently stay in Kentucky as an homage to the horse." I guess we will see. If the general public have any influence you never know. The artists in the mural deserve at least that for helping create such a stunning masterpiece.

My blog I feel is a bit lame tonight but tomorrow should be interesting. Len from Steak and Beans Trailers arives in town to see the mural on display and an entourage of our mural artists are coming to visit so there should be lots to talk about!

So instead I want to just make sure to mention Lewis Lavoie today as I am sure he would like to be here as well. At least for some of this. After all...he is the mastermind behind all this and deserves the kudos for his amazing talent in pulling this mural all together. Although Paul and I are here listening to all the praise I'd like to make sure we share that with all of the artists in this mural from around the world and of course Lewis who amazes us all everytime we do one of these murals. Although many may try to imitate the idea that Lewis has put forth and try to create their own mural mosaics- there is only one Monsieur Lavoie.

Lewis give yourself a round of applause! Maybe a clap or two for little Peter too!! Wish you were here!

2008-10-16T19:50:00.011-06:00

Todays blog begins with a short video I made today...check this out:

I am sure after watching that video you can somewhat understand why the mural is getting so much attention.

Today it was quite busy again and I really enjoyed the new faces that arrived today.Lots of great chatter. When we had a break from the crowds we consistently made efforts through our laptops to keep moving the mural forward to new locations and we are hoping one of those locations might be Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo. It would be a perfect fit for their event. Had a wonderful chat with the organizer today and we hope to make an arrangement so the mural can visit Nevada.

The mural today at Congress looked particularly stunning. Mainly because of the incredible horticultural crew. Countless hours of watering the flowers was certainly evident.

Wait a second.....thats no horticultural crew....ITS PAUL with his empty slurpee cup!!
Paul is what I like to call systems manager of mural mosaic. Everything we do has to have a system. So from Day 1 Paul made it his goal to keep the flowers beautiful so began with his daily instructions for me- "Ok Phil...Here is the system..." (yes- he really does say that- thats why he is the system manager) he continued- "...Anytime we take a break(restroom that is) we must gather the goblet of life(the slurpee cup) and gather water from the fountain of youth (the bathroom sink) and breath life into Gods beuatiful garden that decorates the masterpiece that so many hands have created (The mural)."
How could I see anything wrong with that idea. So quickly I suggested we get a couple of beers to help speed up the process of gathering more life in the goblet from the fountain of youth. Although- he refused...our resident mural artist Jennifer Trottier and her husband happened to stop by and noticed the flowers drooping and insisted that Paul and I have a beer to make sure the plants stay healthy. So.......Cheers!!!
To cap the day off we needed to reward the horticultural crew/system manager with his favorite dinner....PHO! When I mentioned this to him ...well....he could hardly contain himself!!
So off we went....
another great day in Ohio...
Its hard to believe some people think Paul and I don't know how to live it up. Ooooohhh...yum...mint leaves for my Pho!!

2008-10-15T21:18:00.007-06:00

Another day in the books and we are half way to the finish line. As the weekend aproaches the crowds start to come in again. Today was more exciting as we received alot of new foot trafic and we had many people wanting to help get the mural into new places. Two very interesting people that came by were from Horse Illustrated/Young Rider Magazine. They LOVED the mural! They had been asked to come to Congress by their editor to find something new and exciting and they felt the mural was definitely it. They were really excited about the fact that the mural really reached out to all ages and how popular it was with young pre teen and teenage girls especially. They loved watching the crowds response as we chatted. We expect to hear more from them soon! Below is a common occurence as the mural becomes the ultimate landmark for people to get their picture taken beside.

So as the night ends Paul and I get set to leave and plan our daily dinner. Its surprisingly hot down here for October. We definitely did not dress for it. So we leave the air conditioning of the Congress hall and head out into the night air. Its kinda nice as you can still hear the crickets at night. We head on out into the parking lot and its a beautiful full moon that greets us.

So we plan our night which includes the debate on TV and a dinner at our hotel (oooo exciting stuff). That is where the full moon comes into play. We have the craziest hotel right now. Its completely undergoing renovations so its kind of like a war zone. My rooms fine but poor Paul has lights that don;t work, his TV has a tinted red TV screen, his internet connection is messed up, and his ironing board collapses every day when he tries to iron his shirt. My rooms awesome..ahhhhhhh

But the best part is the restaurant in the hotel. We only eat there once and a while because while you try to eat there...right beside your table is a dance floor where a dance club has their group social sessions it seems every night. So while you try to eat your food 60 year old swinging singles spin their partners into your dish of Fettucini Alfredo while reminescing about the old days. I can see me joining the club soon ;-). They are good dancers so its kinda cute to watch. But ....yipes...McCain and Palin were dancing right behind me at my table tonight so it was a bit distracting.

So... to finish tonight...I guess we are at a horse event so I have to show you my favorite rider. She is the cutest little gal who I have seen twice now riding around the ring. I love the fact that an animal as big as a horse will take such good care of this little one. Pretty heart warming.

2008-10-14T21:41:00.006-06:00

Today was another kinda slow day here today. I hear tomorrow will much of the same as we gear up for the weekend. Had some interesting chats still today however. A Virginia horse show producer named Vicki stopped by and is trying to find a way to bring the mural to Virginia right after Congress. Not sure if that can happen time wise or even physically as we probably don't have the resources on such short notice. But we'll see.

More importantly though I tried the Apple dumplings today and it was beyond my expectations. The best thing is that they gave me just the right amount of ice cream to go with it. As all my friends and family know....the right amount of ice cream is the key with my pies and cake. These guys nailed it. Paul had the funnel cake. Not quite up to his expectations. There was no ice cream with his so I believe I made the number one food selection of the day. Poor Paul...his day was ruined.

So - to help perk Paul up I tried my best to get him into the spirit by heading off to the hat store and turning ourselves into cowboys....with not much success. We put the hats on and started playing the role...said a few yee haws and "mozied" around the hat store. Then the salesman heard me mention to Paul that its too bad we are both allergic to horses and he immediately removed the hats and booted us in our saddles saying "y'all ain't good enough for my hats if the horses ain't good enough fer you."

So I thought I'd show him. Thought I'd go find me a good horse and prove that I am worthy of the hat. One that was allergy free. This one below was a beauty!! Giddyup!!

So after all the excitment we got along little dowgie and headed off into the sunset.
Or should I say...off into the Sundowner Trailer. Proud sponsor of Mural Mosaic....Le Cadeau Du Cheval....

2008-10-13T20:41:00.005-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I just had to dance today! Yep...Big thanks for all the great people in my life and the blessings I have. I have a wonderul family, great friends and am living my dream as an artist. I am having great adventures and life continues to open doors.

Today was very slow at the Congress. Beautiful day outside so not too many came inside.Plus its Monday so not too many people around period. Jack and his son did come by again though. This time Jack brought Paul and I a Tootsie Roll each. YES!!! A Tootsie Roll. No wonder i am giving thanks!! Here he is below in a photo with his son as I promised I would add this photo today in my last blog.

So- in thanks for today I thought I'd just show a video below of the mural so you can really understand how amazing each paintings is.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-10-12T19:10:00.006-06:00

Pointers, Pointers and more Pointers

Point - Point- Point- Welcome to Phil Alain's Mural pointing class! Fingers up....lets begin!

One on One Pointing Lesson

Occasionally I would grab one student and teach them how to point close to the mural. Others in the class would sit back and try to mimick. I had to reprimand the girl in the foreground of this picture as she was using our promotional postcard as a finger extender. A definite "no no" in my mural pointing class. (plus the two girls were talking amongst themselves about the mural while I was teaching...bad, bad, bad)Group Pointing Lesson

These students I allowed to approach the mural as a group. As long as they kept their fingers in until I said it was ok all would be just fine. As you can see I try to pay close attention to all my pointing students as I show them the techniques. But once again... as you can see in the distant background...another student who just could not control herself and pointed out of turn.

I dare you to come to the mural and not point. Even if you aren't looking for the mural you will find it as people are always found pointing up at the mural so its hard not to look. For a joke I'd like to put up a sign "Mural Pointing is a Criminal Offence and is Strictly Forbidden Under Punishment of OHIO State Law" I would love to watch how people would look at the mural then. It would be impossible.

Best compliment of today was this....
A smiling elderly man probably was in his mid 70's walked up to me. This man had come by the mural yesterday and sat in front of the mural for probably 3 hours. He just stared and stared at the mural. When I would walk by he would always mutter- "You must be so proud. This is amazing!"

Today he returned. He walked over with is ball cap on a little crooked and a gentle smile. He was the nicest man. He brought me over a little bottle of water and said- "My Friend- I brought this for you as I know you have to tell so many people about this beautiful mural and you must need a drink." It was the nicest gesture.

Then he turned and introduced me to his son. His son would have probably been about 5 years my senior. They both greeted me and then the older man said-

"I have worked here at Congress for the past 40 years. I have seen a lot of things come and go and I have done alot of work with this show. I watched it grow from a three day event to a three week long event. I watched it grow from an event that we used to have to pay the City of Columbus to host it, now the event brings in so many people and so much money to the economy that the City now helps fund the event. Now I am too old and there isn't any work for me here anymore. But in all the years I have been here- I have never seen something so beautiful as this mural. Its so beautiful I had to bring my son to show him the mural."

So the sat down on the park bench together. They sat....and sat....and looked... and pointed and laughed and pondered. The spent probably 2 hours going through the mural. A father and his son sharing a lifetime through the mural. To see how this mural not only brings artists together but how it also is a way to have families sit together and share a moment almost brought tears to my eyes.

Jack (I learned his name) got up with his son and patted me on the back as he walked away. "Thanks for bringing this here" he said. I turned to him and said "Thanks for making this all worthwhile". He smiled and walked away with his son. As they walked away they stopped and turned back and looked one last time at the mural. They both smiled and shook their heads in disbelief. Then walked off. It certainly was a moment.

I wish I would have taken his picture. I think he'll be back...

The Mural Mosaic's.....they sure do bring people together......

2008-10-12T06:34:00.012-06:00

Didn't blog last night as I was tooooo tired. So this is for yesterday and I'll catch up tonight.

I woke up this a.m. to the alarm and gospel music. So I jumped out of bed and clapped my way to the shower shouting a few Hallelujahs! Good way to start the day ha!

Yesterday was really good. I couldn;t believe the amount of people that came by the mural to chat. We gave away so much information to people. So many are stunned by the process and want to read up on all the artists in the mural on the website. Its funny how I can pretty much answer the questions now before they ask them as people almost always ask the exact same questions everytime.

Paul and I have just about tried all the key food items at the Congress that we have been told to sample. Now its time to get into our routine haha. Paul is the system guy. He makes the murals run smooth and he also makes sure we get the most out of our eating experience on the road so we are always in good hands.

Jennifer Trottier came by Saturday. One of the great artists in the mural. So we got a good shot of her and the mural.
We also decided to enjoy a frosty beverage while we chatted about the mural to take the edge off of the long day. Gotta like it when you can have a beer and wander around the Congress.
Eating almonds and having a beer....nice :-).

Then of course we had the big feast. The ultimate cream puff that everyone was saying we had to have. Yes...
Then last but not least...after the big feast- Paul made mention of the fact that I needed to work off the pounds I had put on that day from the cream puff so he recommended I had to dance. Ha!
So we went to the corral, which is just outside the building where the mural is on display abd I danced one song - did the white man's overbite- and collapsed from exhaustion and we were home by 11. Man...what a day.

2008-10-10T20:05:00.006-06:00

Home early in the hotel room and really ready for an early night. Long days make it tough to think of anything else other then your room after talking mural talk all day. But it was a good day. Really enjoyable.

Great day for kids. The kids just love the murals and we think the kids are great! They certainly got into the murals today as you can see by the pictures. Also we had some GREAT feedback.

Comments like
"I can't stop coming back to the mural no many how many times I walk around the Congress" "Most fascinating showcase to come to Congress in the 10 years I have been attending"
" This is the talk of Congress"
"The mural creators should be so proud"
"Mom- can I have some cotton candy now?"

So it was a great day and we once again met some great people. A group of 4h club members came by just to get their picture taken with the mural. Very fun!

Paul and I are enjoying the food at the event as we have tried great "Philly" (ha) Cheesesteaks, Stromboli's, Stew and there is more to try yet...and we'll get to it! MMMM....apple dumplings -I'm coming to get ya!!

Hmmm....Philly, Stew...Stromboli?? Makes us look like Cannibals with names like that for food.

So to bed early as Friday ends and Saturday...the apparent busiest day... is on the horizon! Enjoy the pics!

2008-10-09T21:14:00.004-06:00

Today was the first "official" day of the congress. It was our longest day yet and I guess its going to be like this for the next few weeks. 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. It was a slow start as the crowds are all just arriving into Columbus getting set for the weekend. Its going to be busy so trying to not go out of the gate to fast. Had great visits today from contributing artists Ann Dysinger, Pat Getha and Cindy Bryden. Its so nice to meet the artists from the mural face to face. It really makes these murals worthwile. I can only hope we will meet them all some day. Had some great chats today and i am guesing the longer "one on one" chats with guests will turn into talkig loudly to groups of people all at once over the weekend. So lots of fluids, lots of rest and make sure I am ready for the weekend rush.

Things seem to be set so here we go!

2008-10-08T20:37:00.006-06:00

Its so funny here. Its like the elves and the shoemaker. Every day we leave the congress show hall we arrive the next morning and elves have been working overnight to make our area more beautiful. Today we arrived to beautiful ocean blue carpet all around our mural. Our flowers were arranged beautifully and a bigger space opened up around the mural for patrons to view the mural for the official opening tomorrow.

Its so wonderful to be here.

On top of that the response and the crowds continually to impress us.

Today I spent the day talking to guests and explaining the mural while Paul built the ark. Yes...thats right...Paul built the ark! He spent the day building our mural in a book mural reproduction of Noah's Ark made up of wildlife images. He is the master of cut and paste I must say. I would be more defined as butcher and waste when i do projects that require straight lines and steady hands. Yes...I am an artist...but I am notorius for going outside the lines.

So we are set for an exciting opening day in the USA. Looking forward to the official beginning!

How about the US debate last night...hmmmm feedback?

2008-10-07T16:01:00.004-06:00

Day 5 and all is well. Went down to the mural and it just keeps getting better and better. Beautiful flowers surrounded it and they were putting black drapery all around it. Its becoming the talk of the Congress and those are not my words- thats the words of those coming to see it. Funny thing is....Congress really doesn't hit full swing until Thursday so thats exciting.

We had a late start today. Still got our Tim Hortons java though. Tried to get rid of the last bit of jet lag and get set for Thursday. I am doing pretty good. Paul is in need of more rest. I am an early bird and he is a night owl so the time change works better for me then him.

I am really looking forward to all the artists coming to see the mural. I hope they all make sure to say a big hello and make their presence known.

We decided to chill tonight at the hotel and get americanized and watch the debate. I think we will have a tailgate party before the debate. I think they have tailgates for that in Ohio??
Right on!

Here are ome good pics of the mural complete today!

2008-10-06T21:19:00.005-06:00

Day 4 and it was a good day. The people of Ohio are wonderful. We have had so much support to what we are doing and the feedback is amazing. Everything has gone very smoothly thus far. We spent the day down at the Congress talking to mural admirers as we ready for the first official day on Thursday. Everyday they keep adding more decorations to the mural as you can feel the pride swelling and the excitement building around the mural. We are so honored to be here and it seems the feeling is becoming mutual.

With Tim Hortons in hand we did some shopping and sent out media releases. We found ourselves some bubble tea which always brings a smile to Paul's face ....heck I like it too. Had a great chat as well on the phone with Pat Getha - an artist from the mural- who is from Ohio and is coming to see the mural this week. I look very forward to meeting her as there is nothing better then meeting the people face to face that helped create the mural.

I am posting pics from yesterday so you can see the set up and of course enjoy the Canadian pride of Tim Hortons! Why the heck aren't they our sponsor ....this is good promo for them!

2008-10-05T21:06:00.002-06:00

Today was the day we really beared down and rolled up the sleeves. Went down to the Congress and began putting together the mural. Met with scott and Richard and we were given the best set up tools we have ever had. Our set up was smooth and the excitement about the mural being in Ohi was evident. We had admirers stopping by all day astounded at the way the mural was put together and bewildered at the process that we have invented.
Paul and I worked a long day and I have to say..we are pretty excited to get going.

No picture updates today as my camera battery died and I can't download the pics bah!!

Good news to report though-We found a Tim Hortons near our hotel. YES!!!!!

2008-10-04T23:00:00.005-06:00

Today Paul Lavoie and I went down to the congress in Ohio to meet the mural as it arrived from its long trek from Canada. We met up with Bob from Steak and Beans trailers who delivered the mural. We arrived at Congress and met Denny Hales face to face who was very cordial and made us feel right at home. Although we had hoped that we would have the mural set up by this evening it is still on hold as we wait for supplies. So Paul and I ventured out into Columbus and realized how fanatical the town is about their Buckeyes. whoa.... Canada has no clue what sports fanatics are until they come to the US. College football here is insane. Our pro team the Eskimos gets maybe 40,000 fans "tops" to a game. Here its over 100,000 to a college game. I think our University Golden Bears games might get 100 people ha....well maybe not that low but not far off.

We ventured out to the Columbus version of Whyte Avenue tonight for mexican food and the gallery hop. Saw some overpriced artwork ...some very cool stuff but mainly the same old same old. Nothing to unique. But it was a good night.

Did some work from the hotel and tomorrow is mural set up day.Todays photos are of us in the hotel and on the gallery hop.

Also- check out the busker photo. There was a full band with drum kit and keyboards busking. I have never seen a FULL drum kit busking...crazy stuff but cool.

2008-10-03T23:37:00.003-06:00

So....a week away with my family and am back at it with the mural mosaic. (thought I'd start off with some pics from my holiday- my little nieces who are adorable). I drove 6 hours through the beautiful fall mountain landscape of Radium and Fairmont and reached Edmonton just in time to quickly pack and jump on the plane for Columbus, Ohio. It was pretty hectic making sure we had the office set to handle all inquiries while we were on the road but Paul Lavoie has the gift of internet skills and has done some amazing things so we can simulate the office from our hotel rooms here.

We flew into Columbus at 10 p.m. and saw my first few drops of rain in weeks. It seems much like Edmonton here. I am looking forward to exploring the Congress venue Saturday as we begin to construct the mural. The mural should arrive by 10 a.m. and Paul and I plan to spend the day putting the 22 foot high puzzle together getting it ready for the big day next week. This will be our first ever showcase of one of our murals in the land of the free AND the home of the brave. Went for a good ole gravy and biscuit meal tonight at a late night breaky joint. That will be the first and the last of that. My goal is to keep fit here as doing the opposite will only make it that much more challenging dealing with my severe horse allergies.

Its nice to be out east again. I will be heading into Ontario form a few days here and there to visit old friends and do an art exhibit in T.O. and head to Ottawa and Perth as I need to pick up my FAVORITE easel which I have been missing now for two years.

Well...its just beginning here so I will try to do a photo journal of our tour here. Wish us luck and if you are in the hood stop in and see the mural starting October 9th at the Ohio All American Quarter Horse Congress!

2008-09-24T20:58:00.003-06:00

Had a productive day today getting ready for the trip to Ohio. Had an NOA meeting this a.m. discussing the 2009 festival. Good start to the day. Then I headed out to the ranch/studio and began priming the next mural which we are beginning for the west coast. After the morning was exhausted from hours painting away I spent the afternoon dealing with US customs. Did another interview with another equine magazine regarding Le Cadeau Du Cheval and worked on hotel arrangements in Ohio with the Congress crew. Got our flights booked today and I took a peak to see when the Columbus Blue Jackets were playing as I would love to see an NHL game while I am in Columbus.May be going to see the BUCKEYES...coolio...
Discovered a musician named Missy Higgins who is peforming in Columbus. Thought it was "lil Miss Higgins" from Saskatchewan but this Missy Higgins is an Ozzie. Might go check her show out anyways ha.

Worked late tonight, had a couple of beers with the team and am off to home. Still kinda feels weird walking in the house without the little guy sitting there waiting for me with tennis ball in mouth.

So two more days and then I am going to take a week holiday before the work begins in Ohio. Hot-springs, golf and vino here I come! YES!!!

How about a pic from the fashion show since I was tlaking about the NOA fetsival this a.m.. Maybe I'll post two pics as I am going to add more fashion this year! sweet...

2008-09-22T14:05:00.003-06:00

So - back into the studio I went today. After the challenge of losing my bud Roscoe I am just plugging away now getting set for the big show in OHIO of the mural Le Cadeau Du Cheval. Dogs are pretty hard animals to lose. Its kinda like losing your shadow. Some may wonder what there is to get upset about but I don't need to explain to the "some" why I miss him. I just do.

So packing and unpacking and packing seems to be the order of the day. Just unpacked from Spruce Meadows and have to pack to got to Ohio. Customs....paperwork...no rest for the wicked!! If anyone wants to do these murals like we do I think you will be surprised at the amount of work there is. Even when I think that we have things figured out...yikes...more work comes along. But I am still able to write about it so I guess I am keeping my head above water thus far.

I have four more days to work with Lewis and Paul to get ready before I have to leave and meet up with my family for a well deserved reunion. Then its probably 6 weeks until I get a chance to see my home again. There is a strong chance we may be showing the Le Cadeau du Cheval mural in Toronto....more details soon.

So...I guess nose to the grind stone and adventure abounds!!

Thought I'd add a pic of Colin James with his portrait painting that Lewis Lavoie did in 2005 for the Alberta Saskatchewan Centennial mural. Thanks again Colin!!

2008-09-19T00:13:00.003-06:00

So life goes on although hearts can break and you always miss what once was there. So back to what is here in front of me.

Today was an exciting day. I'll call it Roscoe day as I had a great chat with the Calgary Stampede and "the Royal" Winter Equine show in Toronto. Both are very excited about what we are doing with the murals. I guess I can see why without much modesty mainly because of the artists who we have had work with us. I love these murals because of what the artists do to bring them to life. The amazing paintings that the artists contribute absolutely makes these murals.

Truth is if we could all just get along in this world in the way that these murals work we would all be in a better place. Imagine if everything we did was all about each one of us doing what we love and using our own freedom to create. Yet by always keeping in mind our neigbour and knowing that we effect everyone around us everyday. We should always be cognaissant of that and while maintaining our spirit always keep in mind those around us and avoid being too selfish with what we do.

There in lies the beauty and why these murals are more then just art.

2008-09-17T22:36:00.000-06:00

The Gift

I slowly walked up to the door and put the key in the slot. I've done it thousands of times before. Its been a long day and my legs hurt, I'm tired and I can't wait to chill. I turn the key and the lock makes the kachunk sound which I always knew he heard. I look through the glass of the door knowing within seconds he would emerge with a bark and then quickly grab a gift for me-his favorite gift which he would give to me daily.

I open the door and its quiet.

Its quiet…

There is nothing. Nothing at all.

I walk in the room and all I see is a room full of useless junk. TV, stereo, furniture…lifeless materialistic shit....

I look around the room and nothing is there for me anymore. Nothing except quiet. I look around and see the gift still lying on the floor. But he is not there anymore to bring it to me. I pick it up gently, walk slowly to the kitchen and put it away ...forever.

I cry…

Goodbye my little friend….

2008-09-16T19:14:00.002-06:00

My best friend left today...

Today was a painful day. With all the people that have come and gone in my life there was always one friend that I could turn to who would always greet me, never turn me away,never judge me, followed me everywhere I went and when I cried licked my tears away. There's no one here today to take care of the tears...but the tears are here....and he is not. Goodbye...you were this mans best friend.

2008-09-15T20:17:00.004-06:00

It was a mixed emotions kind of day. I woke up and my lovable litle dog Roscoe was quite ill again. Its not bad enough he is blind but today he was so weak and vomitting everywhere. He had a day like this before. So I am hoping he just needs to get through a couple days of weakness. He is truly my best friend so I hope he pulls through ok. He is just about 13.

Other news...lots of interest in the mural Le cadeau du cheval. Had a great discussion with a group in Kentucky and we now have on our radar screen the 2010 World Equine Olympics. It is just an idea percolating in many minds but thats where it begins. We spent the day packing getting ready for Ohio. Lewis is putting together some great ideas for the next few murals. Things are really happening.

So on that note...I have included a video of my poor little guy and on the upside another picture of us putting together the world renowned Cochrane mural in 2007.

2008-09-14T21:52:00.004-06:00

It was a fun Sunday. Went and did some shopping today. If I am going to keep you all informed I want to do it visually as well as with my writings. So I needed a camera. I got a great deal at Future Shop and am now in business. This is my second blog of the day so it is all about my test video ...enjoy haha

2008-09-14T10:22:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd start off today with a pic of one of my jazz pieces that I painted a few years ago.

Saturday came and went as a great day with my little bro and his stepson John. Spent the morning having a great round of golf on a beautiful sunny morning. Just me and Dave hanging out. I am so lucky to have a brother that is like a best friend I have had all my life. Its nice to have someone on this planet who you know you could trust with your life and would NEVER do anything to hurt you. I have been blessed with a family that I would classify more as angels then siblings and parents. I always know they are there for me at all times.

Thus I have the strength to prepare for the big US unveiling of Le Cadeau Du Cheval in Ohio. Although I worry that my strength may weaken as almost a full month talking to thousands about the mural from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily may eventually take its toll. So I am thinking about the thingas I love other then art while I am there. How about the Buckeyes, Blue Jackets and the Browns?? Maybe even the Cavaliers????

I am going to make a point of enjoying some sporting events while I am there. Mix a little art culture with some sport culture. I love the American spirit when it comes to sports. Its a little rabid but the crowds are almost as entertaining as the games. Gotta live the culture. When in Rome....

Today is a day of rest and a day of house cleaning. Thats always fun...bah.

I am going to paint a bit today too as it will help me think of all I need to do for OHIO so I am ready for a crazy Monday.

Think I'll go check out the fashion show tonight after a nice dinner! Its sunny and life is good!

2008-09-12T19:33:00.002-06:00

Just when you think you get to relax...they throw you back on the buckin bronco!! Well...crazy news day. Started slow then picked up big time. Spent the day at the studio working with Paul Lavoie and Lewis Lavoie on the next projects for Mural Mosaic and worked on wrapping up final details from the Le Cadeau Du Cheval unveiling. Made a lot of phone calls and actually got to see a great article in the Spectrum newspaper in Utah about Sue Kroll and her participation in the Mural Mosaic. Had a good chat with Michelle Grant in Calgary today as well who is one of the FINEST equine artists I know.

Then at the end of the day I spoke with the Ohio Congress Quarter Horse Association and discovered they want us down in Ohio for October 4th...yikes!! Could be a long tour of duty. Very short time to prepare so we really have to get our butts in gear. But first....I need a 24 hour span to be me. So I am off to an art show then going to have a few beers and chill....

2008-09-11T21:43:00.003-06:00

Well today was a good day. The mural team had a great meeting today. Reviewed the past show and planned for Ohio. Had a great discussion with Utah this a.m. and I totally believe the next mural fully South of the border will be our biggest and most powerful one yet to date. We reviewed the plans for the next few months and worked on some packaging today.

I also started helping out a future music star Joe Nolan as he gets ready for his big CD release. This guys rocks. 18 years old and he performs like he has been doing it for 50 years. His lyrics are wonderful and the way he engages the audience is a skill that can't be taught. I LOVE this new Cd coming out. Pretty easy to stand behind this fast moving train.

I am looking forward to the weekend. Plan to hang with bro...get a round of golf in, go to the football game and breath :-). Its been a long haul for Lewis Lavoie, Paul Lavoie and me the last few years with the murals but with the great artists we have worked with we have made some pretty special murals. I plan in savoring the moment and smiling through the weekend feeling like we have not only done ourselves proud but have represented our artist team in a way that will make everyone smile.

How about more shots from the unveiling for this blog?

2008-09-10T22:29:00.004-06:00

Today I have decided I HAVE to make a serious effort to blog daily. I also am going to make a serious effort to keep the workouts going and take care of my health ha. So...if I miss a blog day you know my health is going down the tubes too ;-). Today I am still coming down from the thrill of unveiling the newest mural "Le Cadeau Du Cheval" The Horse Gift at Spruce Meadows in Calgary. Lewis Lavoie's newest design has really knocked it out of the park. The master image is wonderful and the artists that contributed to the project have absolutely nailed their contributions.There is something to be said about our company slogan...UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY.

Today we began preparing for Columbus Ohio. We had a fascinating meeting with Customs and Immigration and learned a helluva lot. Some things I wish we didn;t know and some things I guess its good to know now before its too late. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Mural Mosaic took a half day off today to celebrate (ha..) Paul and I took in Body World. WHOA!!! Skinned human carcasses in graphic detail. It was educational but is it maybe too much?? I can understand studying the body but pulling bodies apart in twisted ways and turning them into art pieces...hmmm....I'm not against it but not sure I am for it either. Literally bodies are sawed into slabs like logs and you get to look at the fat layers and bone. Sure...its fascinating....but...I'm still in shock as to where my morals should be in all of this.I guess when a person dies, the soul leaves the vesel that carried it around for the lifetime- so the fact that someone is recycling the used vessel I guess is better then it just rotting away. I just can;t help thinking what if that was someone I knew....

So...Back to reality after the half day off...We are immediately beginning new projects for the murals and at the same time it is just about time for me to begin plans for NOA XIII. So tomorrow I will write more. Lets count this as day one of writing and health watch for Phil. More coming soon!