Posts Tagged ‘art’

Who Hijacked Reality / #701 Kamloops Burlesque, a great night out.

Friday, November 30th, 2012

Journal Entry #701

November 30th, 2012

I recently moved to Kamloops B.C. from Ontario to start my life over, a new place and new people. One of the things to do while healing is to get out as much as you can so I promised myself to try and get out and just explore the world. I am a documenter and I love documenting life. I do this through the many art forms I enjoy. This is how we share our life’s with others, capturing those moments in time.

One night in June I was walking down town on a Thursday night and I saw the sign for the burlesque troupe. I had an idea of what it was but truly I really did not know. I decided what the hell let’s go see it. $5.00 later I was in for a great night.

Of course every guy thinks that it is all about the stripping but being an artist I had the idea there would be art to it. I was wrong it is not about the stripping at all.

bur·lesque/bərˈlesk/

A parody or comically exaggerated imitation of something, esp. in a literary or dramatic work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque   for more info on what it is..

It is about expressing one’s self through art and having an audience enjoy and be part of this expression.
I saw a great show with comedy, skits, magic and music. I loved it.

I laughed, I was enthralled, I was waiting with anticipation for the next act. What would it be?

I asked some questions later talked with some of the troupe and found out they were a group of people who were excited about what they were doing, loved to perform and were dedicated to what they were doing.

A bio given to me by;

Caroline
AKA Lizzie Borden

 Kamloops Burlesque Monthly showcase was started in January 2011 by Vain Calamity Jane.   Vain Calamity Jane has now moved to Vancouver but still joins us as a special guest performer from time to time.  The KBMS is currently produced by Lizzie Borden and Corrie Tucker.   Since its inception the show has featured a huge variety of local and out of town talent.  We showcase Burlesque performers, singers, dancers, belly dancers, magicians, comedians, sideshow performers, and more!
Kamloops Burlesque was started to fill an empty niche in the Kamloops performing arts scene, and has been tremendously successful since the beginning.  Our show has a large support network of performers, an MC, musicians, and a backstage crew.  A typical show has a minimum of 2 dozen people working together to make the show happen.  Shows generally have 12-16 acts.
Local acts often come to us fully prepared, but we also have performers who offer classes to produce more awesome acts!  This means our wonderful little burlesque community is growing and becoming more dynamic.  Miss Coco Crème offers Burlesque Classes and Gilda Lily offers Chorus Girl Classes.
The Kamloops Burlesque Monthly Showcase focuses on fun and sexiness as well as empowerment.  Our performers come from all walks of life and all body shapes and sizes.  We aren`t focused on promoting the false expectations of perfection by the media.  Our show is about rocking what you got!
Kamloops Burlesque is produced with the amazing support of the Blue Grotto who provides our venue.

 

The Kamloops Burlesque face book page.

https://www.facebook.com/kamloopsburlesque?fref=ts

I salute you guys and thank you for the 2 evenings of pure enjoyment I have been privy to. Carry on in your greatness and keep growing. You have my support and respect.

A video I took of a performance, now it is on their FB page so you might have to join to see it but I guarantee it is worth it.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4408449661191  

Kamloops Burlesque night November 9th 2012

 

I salute you in pictures. Here is a sample of the great night I enjoyed and please come out and support them. You will not regret the evening.

 

Seek the truth always

Gary David Currie

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Who Hijacked Reality / #653 Criticism of original music or any other art, my pet peeve.

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

Journal Entry #653

May 30th, 2012

Just a note to those who listen to our music or any music.

I spend hours trying to get a good mix on the songs we do and when played through great sound equipment you can hear all the work that went into it. Most computers and smaller devices never do the song justice as usually all the bass is lost for starters.

Also laptops have settings that most people don’t know about that enhance the sound they say but really it takes away from the natural sound and all of these should be turned off to get the true sound of the song as the artist intended.

So before you judge a song or think that maybe the drums are too loud as an example I urge you to listen to it through as good as sound equipment as you can get first, good headphones if you can on a smaller device with all the settings off and just the natural sound.

Imagine looking at a painting through stained glass. It will not be true..

I feel this song was one of the best mixes I have done. I am not the artist but I did the arranging, producing and mixing and mastering and yet those who listen to it often have comments about the recording. Truly it is not my fault your sound equipment sucks and if you have these same complaints after good equipment then I am all ears.

Just an open letter to all on this issue that is a little of a pet peeve to me.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eSIg1V_hU4

Now I am not saying there isn’t a lot of crap out there but still people have put there sweat and blood into creating most of it and this should at the very least be acknowledged.  If they have an attitude about it well different story.

The vast majority of artist will never make it in the industry but will still have put there soul into their work to be left behind for whoever wants to appreciate it and that is why we are artists.

Without artists there is no art so next time you are going to complain about a song or something else take a minute and really think about it as someone was willing to put themselves out there for all to appreciate or all to criticize and ripping something apart is easy but to find the beauty in something requires one to truly listen.

We bear our hearts and souls in the hopes that just once someone will relate and feel what we felt.

Above all share it if you can so others can listen as it might be just what they need to hear. This is where we drop the ball.

It took a lot for me to put my pain out there in fact my entire lifetime..

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dei4cF6mHFo&feature=plcp

“Avoid Me” unplugged by Gary David Currie of “The FREEMAN”.

Seek the truth always

Gary David Currie

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Who Hijacked Reality / #651 Jacqueline Merritt (Jackie), People who make a difference in the world.

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Journal Entry #651

May 22nd, 2012

Jackie

Back in February as I had left Ontario and was in Kamloops B.C. with no job and no place to call home I ws staying at my sons place where he rented a room with some other students. Their kindness was overwhelming and it is there that I met Jackie.

Jackie hails from Nemaiah Valley in BC. and was in Kamloops going to University.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemaiah_Valley,_British_Columbia

She is First Nation and it shows in her beauty and personality. She welcomed my youngest son and I with open arms and a huge smile that made my day every time I saw it. As I got to know Jackie a little better she demonstrated an open heart and open mind as she listened to me and talked about her life as well. She is proud of her heritage with an attitude of honouring the past and looking to the future with a hint of defiance running through her blood.

I learned about the area she was born and raised in and could see both the beauty and isolation of it. Jackie is very intelligent which accompanies her beauty and she has a deep desire to make this world a better place for all but especially for those she is close to.

She was studying to be a teacher but as many students do in their first year of schooling awakened to a new course in life. After much discussion not only with me but others she decided to be a guidance counsellor instead and felt a calling to pursue this to help others. I agreed and thought she would excel at this path.

Besides this Jackie is also an artist and expresses herself well in her chosen medium. You can feel the passion in her artwork and a zest for life which is rare in one so young. The discussions I had with her were thought provoking and I was educated on native issues in this area. I found her approach to be not only practical but passionate at the same time as she felt a great desire to stay true to her ancestors and loved ones but to look towards a more united future. This is an approach I truly admired.

She appeared shy about her artwork as many young artists are but she has nothing to be shy about, as her work is amazing both in form and content.

I see Jackie doing great things in the world and making her time her count for all it will be worth. Those that have the pleasure of meeting her will be all the richer for it and those that are part of her life will be truly thankful to spend time with such an amazing human being. I know her parents are proud of the woman she is and will become.

She also told me she is ready to give hip hop a shot, well one step at a time but who knows…

Jackie’s art and her words as an intro, I think you will be amazed as I was………….

Here’s some of my art that I have with me right now!

Most of my recent finished art is back home! I haven’t done any new pieces so this is what I got!! Some of the art were for class assignments,

So I haven’t really done any other kind of art work except doodling inmy notebook !! So all these pieces are a first for me!!

I tend to find that I don’t really know what I’m drawing or going to the end of the doodle and I figure out what it looks to me!!

Jackie I salute you and look forward to hearing of the great and little things you will do in your lifetime. I believe Jackie will truly make a difference in this world and is an example to us all.

Seek the truth always

Gary David Currie

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Who Hijacked Reality / #633 Rediscovered Art

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

 

 

Journal Entry #633

February 2nd, 2012

My life has taken a big left turn, a huge curve ball and a reshaping of what I value and how I will live. I am now in a position where i must start again. In cleaning out  the life I had I must reorganize. In doing so I have rediscovered artwork I had done years ago that had been put away in the back of closets. I would like to share my art with all who are willing to see.

I thank you all for looking and please feel free to share anything you like. I just ask that you give me credit for my work.

 

Now these are all originals that I took pictures of;

 

 

 

 

Seek the truth always

Gary David Currie

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Who Hijacked Reality / #361 Finding what we are good at.

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

 

Journal Entry #361

February 24th, 2011

One of the most difficult challenges we face in life is to find our identity, to find what we can offer this world, to find what we are good at. If you can find this and get paid well for it you have reached a sense of fulfillment.

Every one of us will find something different if we find it at all. We may never have the opportunity in our life to find it or we may not be in a state of mind to recognize it when we do. I don’t know how this works or why some people are better at some things than others; this is one of life’s mysteries. I do however hope that all find this and it is something that is not harmful, For example there might be someone who is very good at killing people and this may be necessary at times but I hope it isn’t.

I found out that I was good at many things early in life. Most things came easy to me and I lost interest fast. My skills were soon discovered in all sorts of areas in the creative vain but I did not excel at any one of them because I was not willing to dedicate myself. I became bored easily.

I soon recognized I had a knack for noticing the truth on matters and sniffing out the bullshit very fast. Others called it pissing people off. I later realized that I was unwittingly challenging peoples comfort zones but I was very good at it. I also continue to excel in the arts but unlike most if I could not get what I wanted done quickly I lost interest. I f I could not complete a painting within the hour I figured I couldn’t do it. Now I have many more talents but the one I realized I loved most was the process of recording music and this became my passion.

Waterfall  1995  Gary David Currie

During this process I later realized I was also a poet for better or worse.  I never like the idea of being a poet it sounded to artsy to me, but basically that is what song writing is so I have embraced the idea.

If I write a poem or a song it is done quickly. I actually hear about 10 to 20 songs a day in my head, can’t help it just happens. That is my talent now whether they are good or not is another story.

I would like to share a poem with you I wrote today;

Some people go to bed;

Praying

Excited

Depressed

Not wanting to live through the night

Not being able to sleep

Worrying about everything

Wishing they were someplace else

Happy

Sad

Fulfilled

Content

In pain

Hopeful

Exhausted

With no bed

Enclosed

Fearful

Lonely

Terrified

What is it you go to bed feeling?

I hope you all find what you are good at, what you love to do and if you haven’t found it I encourage you to keep looking.  I encourage you to try new things or to take that chance you have been putting off. We are all good at something keep following your gut and you will find it.

Seek the truth always

Gary David Currie

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