Canvas #183: an electrical box, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Another poppy! Alex painted this Georgia O'Keefe-esque poppy. Isn't it lovely?

She says, I said “goodbye” to my canvas on an electrical box in SW Edmonton on Dec. 9th. 

Canvas #119: a grocery store, Portland, Oregon, USA

Look at Nicole's gorgeous canvas!!

Nicole says, I live in Portland, Oregon USA, and we are in the throes of our 9 month rainy season, so when I thought about making something to bring a little happiness into the world I quickly thought of Thailand. I was luck enough to spend most of December 2011 there and the thoughts of my days on Koh Pi Pi always make me smile. I figured sunny beaches and whimsical boats might brighten some other Portlanders day as well.


I had to stop by the grocery store today for a couple of things and it was just a madhouse full of holiday shoppers and screaming babies. As I walked through the holiday card aisle, I thought "what better place to leave my canvas?" So there it sits. I couldn't help but walk by on my way out to see if anyone had picked it up, but there it sat with shoppers on either side. Here's hoping it finds a good home for the holidays!

Canvas #177: a park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Sandy is a beautiful artist who's been re-experimenting with her creative side in the past few months.

She said, I have much to share with you about this process. The act of painting my canvas took several days as I had to wait for drying between layers, which in some ways is metaphorical when I think about spreading beauty and positivity around the world. I knew that I wanted there to be depth because I think beauty and positivity run deep within people. I believe that people are inherently beautiful, kind and compassionate, however sometimes it requires the uncovering of several layers. I knew I wanted to create an artwork that was about tiny glimmers of hope intermingled with wide open windows.

The location I chose to leave my canvas is at a playground just blocks away from my home in Calgary. I took my canvas out while I was running errands in hopes that I would find the perfect spot. As I drove by the playground I was struck by the blue and red equipment against the backdrop of snow and grey sky. The blue of the slide so closely resembled the top layer of my painting and the yellow peaking through like the sun so I placed it on the steps leading up to the slide. I am apprehensive about whether or not it made it through the snow fall today, or maybe someone found it last night. I can only hope. : )

What an interesting design! I love Sandy's canvas. She's told me, since she placed her canvas, that she revisited the spot she left it, and found it buried in the snow. She thinks she'll place it somewhere else and see what happens.

Canvas #40: Rec Centre, Leduc, Alberta, Canada

Bridget made this seriously cool canvas!

How'd she do that?! Does the door actually open or is it a neat visual effect?

Bridget says, I put this at the Leduc Rec Centre by the big fireplaces. Hopefully it will give some inspiration to someone looking for a warm spot to relax and reflect.

Thanks for participating, Bridget!

November Project Check-In

As most of you are probably aware, The Blank Canvas Project was created as my independent creative project for my grad studies in Creativity in Educational Practice. Every so often, I need to check in with the project and write about where it's at. I thought, in the spirit of openness and the celebration of the positive, I'd post my reflection here this time.

The project has taken on a momentum that is so exciting. As of this post, I have sent 207 canvases out into the world. I have received 36 canvas photos and stories back so far. It has been really interesting to see what people have created. There's been huge variety of the different topics and themes people tackle in their art.

Themes

Two themes that seem to come up a lot are:

Hearts and love

Canvas # 27

Canvas #11

Canvas #137

Words of Inspiration

Canvas #18

Canvas #24

Canvas #36

Place

The canvases have been placed all over the world. Most of the canvases have found homes here in Alberta, but canvases have also been placed in Halifax, Hollywood, and Abu Dhabi!

Canvas #13

Canvas #37

Problems and Snags

The main problem I've run into with my project is people not meeting the one month deadline I've asked them to stick to. I completely get this. I understand that life gets busy. I think it would be very easy to put the package in a pile and just sort of forget about it. And then look at it when you walk by and feel like you should work on it, but then life gets in the way again and you forget.

At the beginning of the project, I wasn't tracking the date I sent the packages out, but started to keep track in September. I sent some check in e-mails to all the people who received canvases in August and September, and a few people submitted photos in response to that. I think I will just need to keep e-mailing people just to remind them about it, even though this would, I'm sure, be very annoying to receive. However, I have put a significant financial investment in this project, which I would hate to lose.

Another problem the project had was that some participants worried that canvases placed in public places and businesses might be mistaken as art that was supposed to be there. People don't know if they should take the art, or leave it, or in some situations, like in libraries and coffee shops, if it's part of the decor and supposed to be there. So I decided to get some tiny labels printed, which will grace the easels from this point on.

A Question

I've only had six people leave a note on the site saying they found a canvas. Two of those people then signed up to participate in the project. But I am really really wondering what has happened to the rest of the canvases! Did someone take them? Are they still where their creator placed them? If people found them, why didn't they go to the site? Just an unanswered pondering that keeps running around in my head.



All in all, I am really pleased with where this project is right now, and I get so happy when I see an e-mail in my inbox from someone wanting a canvas or sending in a photo for the story. I am just loving the creativity that participants are demonstrating. I also am so excited at the thought that people are finding these canvases and being surprised by them. If I came across a canvas out there in the world, I would be so thrilled!

Canvas #137: Mojo's Pub, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Sarah made this beauty:

Sarah says, I left the canvas at a pub in Lethbridge, Alberta called Mojo's. We had dinner there and I left it on the table when we left. I hope our waitress or whoever found it likes it.

Wouldn't you love to see it there if you were a waitress? What a beautiful way to brighten someone's day!

Canvas #27: ATC Center, Rundle Park, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Look at this gorgeous canvas that Julie made!

She says, I took it to the ATC center at Rundle Park in Edmonton. This center provides activities and a pool open to the public and but it also provides recreation for disabled individuals.
At the main building where the DATS buses load and unload individuals with wheelchairs. In front of the building are to park benches where I placed my canvas. Because we had a foot of snow yesterday I chose this location rather than along one of the trails because I was concerned the canvas would be lost in the snow.

After placing the canvas, I took my dog Stryder for a walk along the trails,  about a half an hour later we returned and walked by the park bench and the canvas was gone! It gave me a very warm fuzzy feeling on a cool day!