Beautiful Barbados

 My family just spent an absolutely wonderful week and a bit in beautiful Barbados as guests of friends, Heidi and Dietmar. Heidi Berger is a lovely and talented artist who spends much of her time in Barbados and the rest of the time as my studio neighbour in Guelph. She is passionate and involved in the arts community in Barbados at every level.  I was so inspired spending time there with her. The day after we arrived we were invited to an art opening for a dynamic group of women artists at the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown titled, Women's Work 2: The "I" of Venus. It is such a great range of work in medium and approach and the event drew hundreds of visitors. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the work in the show as there was a notice about taking pictures and it was just so packed with people. You can find some good photos on the gallery's Facebook page, here and Heidi's, here and here. Met lots of interesting people at the opening.
This was our first visit to Barbados and hopefully won't be our last. I think there are a few plans for Chris and I to do some sharing/interacting with the arts community in the future, so will keep you posted about those details as they come together. 
Our wonderful hosts, Heidi and Dietmar are preparing to rent out their apartment in Barbados and I will post that information soon.

This is the garden patio with Heidi's lovely outdoor studio in the background.

Had to do a photo in the light filled studio with the flowers coming through the slats of the shutters. Tropical flowers everywhere! Heaven! Tree frogs, hummingbirds, roosters, dogs, cat named Henry and even a surprise visit from a monkey on our first day. 

My guys and our car, ready to hit the road and see the island...or maybe we were just going to the beach that trip

The drama at Bathsheba. Lots of seaweed for some reason...

Other view at Bathsheba beach. Not sure what this cute hut is for...

More drama at the North point of the island. This is where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean and it is beautiful and exciting here. There is a cave you can explore (Animal Flower Cave) and a new restaurant looking over the ocean behind me. 

My people swimming at Rockley Beach. Not too busy on a weekday even though March Break. I think we just got up and going before the crowds most days.

Here is Heidi with the starfish we found early one morning on a walk in the ocean. Such an amazing creature.

I loved this thing. These guys below are telling me to be careful and making me laugh.

We left our starfish friend with some of our fellow early morning water walkers. They were curious but not so sure...

Really good restaurant, Shakers in Rockley Beach. Friends of Heidi and Dietmar who make very good food.

Lovely morning hanging out in the studio showing Heidi and her friend Allison some mono printing. Allison did some transfer drawing and Heidi did some reduction monotypes. I learned quite a bit about working in hot temperatures...

Heidi hard at work in her bright breezy studio

Heidi found that reduction monotypes worked well for her and she had success with printing multiple images from one image. Can't wait to see where she goes with these thoughtful portraits on fine washi.

One of Alison's prints using a transfer drawing technique. Alison Chapman- Andrews is an accomplished artist who was one of the artists featured in the Women's Work 2 show we saw at the Gallery of Caribbean Art. I am drawn to botanical work and her paintings of trees were really great. We drove Alison home after I was treated to a lovely lunch. What a treat to pop in and see Alison's amazing art collection. You can see more of Alison's work here.

Alison's bound sketchbooks

Heidi at Sam Lord's castle. Such a wonderful place. We heard that this place is about to be developed by a resort. Hopefully they will keep some of the special features on the grounds.

A small glimpse into the lush and wonderful gully that is the Flower Forest

Just a few photos from all our adventures. I will post some more soon.

Our thermometer

This is a shot of our thermometer outside of our kitchen  window. It is hanging in an alcove by our side door and doesn't get so much wind or extreme weather. It was a Christmas present that has been a daily source of information and sometimes, amusement. The weather is starting to lighten up here now but this shot above was from a medium cold day early in the Winter. Our February here was the coldest in recorded history with not one day above the freezing mark.

Anyhow, we do complain a bit here as we suffer through it but can see the sunshine now and look forward to the opposite extreme. See the photo below to see one of our hot Summer days. 

Basquiat!

So excited to see the show of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work at the AGO. Both Chris and I are fans and tried to convince our son to join us but our days of dragging him around art galleries is near an end. He still comes to the odd one but for this one we were on our own. 

this piece greeted us upon our entry to the exhibit

The politics of his work makes me sad that his concerns are still major issues for the black community 30 years later.

this piece, titled 'untitled symphony' with bits by Keith Haring,

after this I noticed a sign asking not to take photos...

This is a still from the film 'downtown '81'

 a sweet film about an artist getting by in New York City in the early 80's. Lots of familiar faces...

I saw a retrospective show of his work shortly after he died at the Whitney in New York City in 1992...I wish I could find my photos. I do remember the show and the wow of it all. So many strong paintings and sculptures. There is a review I would like to find by bell hooks in Art in America June 1993 reviewing the show and reprinted in bell hooks, Art on My Mind: Visual Politics (New York: New Press, 1995). 

At the time,I was so blown away with what he was doing. I had read a bit about him before and of course his tragic tale makes the work that much more precious because of the short period in which he created it. Such an intelligent, beautiful and charismatic character, I think it comes through in his paintings and sculptures.
You should check out the documentary film, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child by his friend Tamra Davis, much better than the Schnabel version film/story about Basquiat.

One of my favourite children's books is, 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me' which is a poem by Maya Angelou with paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat.