Birds of Feather art project
Faith🌹Democracy🌹Nature
XLife
Painter’s Notes Between sessions of Alberta’s 31st Legislature, Monday through Thursday, I keep myself in shape with long hikes on Saturdays. On Sundays, I carry a bit of art with me as I ride the Edmonton South Valley Line — the “Prayer Train” — to Mill Woods and Hope City Church. I’m not a Christian, nor part of any faith tradition, but during this year’s Birds of a Feather art project I’ve found real value in visiting places of faith and witnessing the good each community brings into the world.
Sundays are also a time of quiet reflection inside the Art Gallery of Alberta, where I received most of my informal training over the years as an outsider, self‑taught painter. I’m grateful for the staff and security teams who, decade after decade, have shown patience, kindness, and a willingness to share their knowledge of the arts. Continued on X
Last week I bought myself a ukulele to commemorate the twenty‑five‑year journey of my painting, 9 Afghan Boys Gathering Firewood (2000–2025). That piece began as an oil portrait of Bruce Cockburn playing a uke beside Lake Louise, and over time it transformed into an abstract memorial for the nine boys killed in Afghanistan by allied forces in 2011. 711, Where Pigs Fly. The ukulele feels like a small, personal tribute to that evolution. I hope to learn to play it during future outdoor art shows — if my mind, body and soul allows for it. I’m also planning to add swimming to my winter routine, strengthening myself for next year’s painting season, which runs from the Spring Solstice until the last Sunday in September. Left Stage - Exit Right, Free From ARTifice.
