Sunday Passed

Monotype print by Archan Knotz

Sunday passed, as every Sunday I decided to take in a sauna.

That is when I start to prime myself for the cold dip in the Strait. It is a ritual,  I set the temperature at the thermometer for the sauna and do my sauna prep while all the while I work myself up to walking down the lane to the beach to lower myself into the Strait.

All this week, I have been watching the water, listening to the wind.

After I come out of the sauna my bathing suit is waiting for me, still not sure if I will go in, however, I will put it on just in case.
On the lane there is no wind, thankfully I look up to the sky as an eagle glides by overhead. Yes, I think I can do this.

As I passed the woods the west wind hits me and my body cools down very quickly.
Carefully, I make my way down the icy steps.
The last part of the steps have been pulled up for the winter, peeling off the bathrobe bravely I climb down the rest of the way.

Leaving my hat, bathrobe and towel on a rook, I walk toward the roaring water.
Bloody hell the water is cold.
My legs burn, I put my arms into the water and splash myself till I am completely wet.

That was enough for the Sunday passed. 
I was not able to lower myself into the Strait but there is always next Sunday!

Waiting for Spring

 

Monotype print 5"x7"

The days are getting more lovely every day.
The ice in the Northumberland Strait is moving, more out than in.
I have been checking our garlic if little sprouts are showing - not yet!

I have been working on material for the two shows I have plant this year.
One is titled "Peace" and the other "Peace is, without Judgment".
I am exploring what Peace, in it's simplest form means to me.
Very interesting process.
This monotype print above and bellow is part of the collection coming.


What does peace mean to you in it's simplest form?

monotype print 5"x7"

Understanding

'My mother's shoes' monotype print 8 x10"

As we were cleaning out my mom's apartment after her death, we found letters under her pillow. 

What a surprise!

Love letters between my parents.

Letters written between my mom's mom and my mom, 

after she came back to Hungary from a Russian work camp in 1945.

The love letters we burned and put into my mom's and dad's grave together with her ashes. 

The other letters I kept. 

I was touched deeply, I felt I was holding something very precious.

Holding thoughts of my mom, having heard the stories of heart-ship all my life,

 how my mom worked her way from Hungary to meet her mom in Germany, 

where my grandmother had been deported to.

The longing from both to meet again.

My mom could never understand, how I could have moved so far away from her, 

where it had been such a struggle for her to reconnect with her mother. 

How I could not want to be that girl, she wanted to be so desperately when she was crawling into the coal mine seams somewhere in Russia. 

Wearing girlish clothes, wanting nothing more than being with and like my family.

How she must have struggled all through her life in trying to understand me. 

I know I struggled to understand her.

However, holding these letter in my hand made me understand a little better.

So, I created this piece remembering my mom and her longing for being a girl, 

being a teenager with beautiful clothes,

 not cooking soup out of potato peeling and wondering if she ever will see her mom again.

Using the red shoes as a symbol for her lost youth, 

for dreams that became nightmares, for a connection we never had. 

This monotype print is printed on one of the letters written between my mom and her mom  describing the joy my mom found when her mom sent her a dress. She was released from the work camp, however, she was working on farms in Austria in order to afford the boarder crossing 

to Germany to reunite with her mother.

I am very pleased that after being selected by a jury for the Nonesuch Art of Paper, the image of 'My mom's shoes' appears on the cover of the catalog and is traveling after this summers showing in Parrsboro to Montreal.

Below is the event page if someone is in Montreal  from Dec. 1 - Dec. 16,

 the show is amazing, go and see it! 

 https://www.facebook.com/events/291694191234672/

Monotype Print on an Envelop from 1945

 

 

 

Today 79 Years ago

Friends from Germany are posting their concerns on social media about the connection between our global situation and the night 79 years ago today, 

known as the Kristallnacht. 

CBC is interviewing Max Wallace - In the Name of Humanity. All themed around the Kristallnacht.

 I was going to write, that this night was the beginning of .... but it was not the beginning, the beginning was long before the Kristallnacht.

The monotype print displayed above, 

was produced in memory of my mom who was a  WWII survivor.

I am feeling emotional about all this but 

am I going to stand up and speak out?

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Martin Niemoeller

 

 

Creative Summer

Art Show at the Humani-T Cafe in Halifax/North End

Vignette of Girl Watercolour monotype print

 

 

This summer has been wonderfully busy with creativity. 

Love, Love it!

I have had time and internal space to produce art.

I allowed myself to make my heart sing.

In May, I had a showing of new work at the ArtLab in Parrsboro.

A new venue and new people came into my life.

In the beginning of June, I was part of the Fraser Cultural Center's member show in Tatamagouche.

Wonderful engaged people.

July had been busy with planing for my first monotype printing workshop. Great turnout and great work produced. 

Further, I have been producing Art Cards. I think they are great! I love art cards produced by local artist. 

Today, after finishing this post. Mary and I will be driving to Halifax to hang a new show of my work at the Humani-T Cafe in Halifax's North End.

A little nervous but also excited, I will be showing mono and monotype prints at the Humani-T Cafe.

If you are in Halifax stop in have a look, the show will be exhibited for the month of August and enjoy their great selection of gelato.

 

 http://humanitea.com/contact/north-end-halifax/

     

Trace Monotype Print

The Sunday after launching the Event 

Monotype Printing Workshop

What a journey,

last Sunday I launched a page advertising the monotype printing workshop 

I am to give on July 15th.

I feel

excitement,

to share a technique I find so inspiring

 with others.

Not only will this workshop inspire the partaker, 

they will take it and inspire others with these techniques.

I am grateful

for the overwhelming interest 

this workshop has received.

Yesterday,

I was in Halifax to stock up on material we will be using.

I love shopping at the art supply store,

feeling the paper between my fingers,

imagining the possibilities.

Next week,

will be spend on designing the outline of the workshop.

Finalizing the flow of Friday morning.

I am looking forward 

to meet the creative souls

diving into the journey of  monotype print making with their wooden spoon in hand.

    

Study of Cup monotype print 6" x 14"

Funk Move On

 

Still nursing a sore extraction of a back molar.    

However, I am moving out of my funk.

How hard this is. Music helps, close to my ear, I am wear headphones, blasting it directly into the pleasure center of my brain.

 

Played around with some paint today. I like the result. I used the monotype printing technique with watercolour. I added a little more paint after the printing process was completed. I like the texture, the unpredictability of how the painted surface acts with how long I have allowed the paper to soak.

I feel a little clumsy while applying the paint, however, it is a start.

 

 

10" x 8" monotype print by Archan Knotz

Enjoying still electricity and therefore the connection to the web is wonderful on a stormy, blustery day in rural Nova Scotia. Time to create some art. I have been experimenting with monotype printing as you know and feel I have been somewhat successful. However, there are so many variables. Sometimes, the paper is not wet enough or to wet, or I have not applied enough watercolour on the plexiglass.

plexiglass of monotype print

This is the plexiglass before I transferred the image. Looks to me as if I have enough paint on it. However, as I transferred the image the paper lost some of it's fibers which never happened before. Maybe, I had the paper to long in the water. Well, anyway I had fun producing this monoprint, loving the texture.   

Photo of Mom when she was around 22 years of age.

Watercolour monotype print 5"x4" Mom

A Call Home to Sing Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's birthday! 88 years old, well done mom!

She is looking after my father, who has a diagnosis of dementia. A couple of years ago, we reacted to an incident with my father's health and moved my parents out of their home of over 40 years into assistant living. Not an easy task for them.

My mom, who as always relayed on my dad is choosing to look after my dad on her own. A survivor! Having survived a 3 year labour camp in Russia when she was only 17 years old, burring her father while in the camp, and coming home to Hungary where her mother had been deported to Germany. Fending for herself to follow her mom after the war to Germany. Yes, she is a survivor! 

Today, Mary and I called and we were singing full of joy "Happy Birthday!" to her. She did not know who I was. It didn't click. We were talking, I felt her brain trying to put me somewhere. I asked again, if she knew who I was, "not really", she said. I felt like a stranger invading a private party. So, we said our goodbyes, with the promise that I will call next Saturday again, as usual. 

Let it be a day of  celebration, for the people we have in our lives, so we will not forget them so quickly!