"Witch" The Art Show October 23 - 31, 2013

Well, a busy summer led to a lull in the fall, but not one that lasted very long. There was a recent flurry of activity at my forge and my casting shop as I prepared my small selection of submissions for "Witch" - an art show being held at Elephant Shoes in the Bloor and Lansdowne area. The show is being curated by a longtime friend Michael Mackid and the shop owner Cheryl Lim. The show is a collection of witch inspired art. Some of the pieces are very fun and are very much the pointy hat, broomstick riding idea of the Witch. Some are much more about the mystery and /or religion of the witch or modern pagan, and some are inspired by a general feeling or idea of witchiness, mystery or related such subjects (and the upcoming Hallowe'en or Samhain holiday.) Although I have not seen the put together show as yet (it opened last night while I was at work - backstage at the Canadian Opera Company's current production of Peter Grimes) I believe it will be a very interesting show. The pieces that I have seen offer something for a great variety of styles and sensibilities. There are any number of pieces that are great fun, as well as some pieces that are quite strikingly beautiful.

Seeing the space in process of being prepared for the show being hung I must admit that I found it hard to leave. I felt a great desire to mount a show, and found myself missing the joyous stress of bringing together a variety of work to create a cohesive whole. Perhaps this will spur me to find an opportunity to mount a show in the coming months, even if only a small one.

The gallery itself is worth remembering. Cheryl opened Elephant Shoes as an artist collective and when she is not hosting a themed show like "Witch" it has a great variety of product on offer from a wide range of local artists. It is a great source for unique gifts and treasures that support both art and the local economy.

For my part I have put in one of my older masks that I felt worked well with the theme, and I have - on suggestion from two of my best friends and most trusted advisors - ventured into the creation of a new mask for the show. The new mask is as yet untitled, and as usual not the face I had anticipated appearing. I am, nevertheless, very pleased with the new work. It is of a significantly heavier material than I have used in the past and I am able to really see a progression in both my technique and my ever evolving abilities as an artist. It is a more complex and involved piece than I have attempted in the past.

I also made a variety of pewter castings which are on offer as everything from keychains to "pocket witches" (yes, a cheesy pun on the idea of a pocket watch.) to pins and pendants. I also put in a small selection of my small tin lanterns with some punchwork and a witchy surprise.

If you like witches, or hallowe'en, or art, if you like to go out and see interesting things and certainly if you live in Toronto I urge you to go and take a look at "Witch". If you watch the Space channel there is supposed to be a promo interview piece on the show featuring some of the artists involved.  (I am not one of them.) It will run until October 31 and is easy to get to via transit. Elephant Shoes is located at 1342 Bloor St. West about a block West of Lansdowne and about a 3 minute walk from the Lansdowne subway station. For more details about the space visit www.elephantshoes.ca If you are on facebook you can find out more about the show by looking up "Witch".