Glasgow Snow

I think Canadians naturally crave a bit of snow in the wintertime. Normally I have to settle for my fix when I'm back home over Christmas holidays. Central Scotland rarely gets the white stuff, and if it does it's only a centimeter or two, and disappears within a day.

But 12 March 2006 was a wondrous exception. The city of Glasgow got a foot of snow in a matter of twelve hours. I hadn't seen snow like this in all of my three years living in Scotland, and folks on the street said the same. The city simply wasn't prepared for such a downfall; Saturday night revellers were stuck in the city centre overnight, and the bus station was converted into a shelter for stranded scantily clad clubbers.

On Sunday, the entire city was out in force, initiating snowball fights with strangers, sledding down streets that would otherwise have been filled with traffic, and making snowmen with wild abandon. I caught someone skiing in the Botanic Gardens of the city's west end. Never had I witnessed so many Glasgwegians so full of good-natured giddiness.

I walked all around the west end that day taking photos, and by the time I got back the snowman at my local grocery store was already melting into a puddle. Less than forty-eight hours later all the snow was gone. Check out some photos of Glasgow's snow day here.

Banksy and Roadsworth

These days my eyeballs have been hungry for anything created by an artist named Banksy. He's probably Britain's best known graffiti artist, and the media tends to lavish him with newspaper features and flattering comparisons to Andy Warhol. But when I was back in Canada no one seemed to have heard of him. Is he worth all the fuss? You can decide by checking out his website here.

And for all you Brits for whom Banksy is old news, his work reminds me of a Montreal street artist named Roadsworth, whose art you can check out here.

Fantasy Coffins

I love exploring the BBC's website; you never know what you'll find.

In Ghana's capital city of Accra, a craftsman named Isaac Adjetey Sowah is acquiring some notoriety for his custom-made coffins. Read the story here. If you had to order a fantasy coffin for yourself, what would it look like? Check to see what other people have ordered here.

Dawn of the Pixies

Sackville, where I completed my undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University, is home and hideout to all manner of neat artists and creative types. Check out a great little animation called "Dawn of the Pixies" by my friend Tara Wells. You can download it from Sackville's local media arts centre, Faucet.

My friend Max makes art

My friend Max makes art, and she now has a temporary website where you can check out some of her work. Click here to visit.

Lope

I'm back from Prague, had a lovely time, thanks to Matthew and Linda for their hospitality. I've stumbled upon a great web page by a Montreal artist who goes under the name of Lope. Check him out here.

I've also added a new section under the "Links" heading on the left of this page called "Musical Friends." It's devoted to friends of mine (most of whom have some connection to my home turf of New Brunswick, Canada) who are currently making all kinds of strange and wonderful music.

Andy Goldsworthy

I had a few artistically inclined Canadians visiting me last week, and they graciously allowed me to tag along visiting art galleries in Glasgow. I'm really excited by the work of a Scottish artist named Andy Goldsworthy, who collaborates with nature to make his creations. You can watch a little movie of him at work, or check out photos of some of his art. There's also supposedly a great documentary about him called Rivers and Tides, which I have yet to see.

Another talented artist

Wow, it's been a banner week for friends putting their art up on the web. My friend Max Liboiron has a few pieces in a new exhibition called "This is for Real: War and the Contemporary Audience," taking place in Stony Brook, New York. One of her two exhibit pieces is featured above.

You can read Max's comments on the piece or visit the exhibit website.

A very talented woman

Sometimes I marvel at how lucky to have friends who inspire me with their creativity and talents. One such friend is Sylvia Nickerson, an artist currently living in Halifax. And I am happy to announce that now you too can check out her great art on her brand new website.

As a starting point, I recommend checking out her Flower Knives. And if you're living in Halifax, you can see them displayed in an exhibition at the Khyber Club!