The First Clvr Vuz Showcasing!

Sometimes when I travel down Memory Lane it is by way of precious old pictures. Remember the old instant Kodak Printomatic cameras? They provided an instant picture as soon as the shutter button was pressed. I still have a bunch of these old prints, and I really have to focus my ageing eyes on them to see what’s being photographed. But when I do see those moments come rushing back. Yes, a picture really does tell a thousand words! 

I look at the moments that Iris captures and I feel as I feel when I look at my own photographs. She doesn’t just point and snap, she captures the essence of the subject. Art!  Real art! I am certain you will agree as you savour this spectacular photograph. Her art is well crafted. She employs such delicate movement of the camera. This is not a technical setting; this is arranged by the photographer which gives a mysterious look to the photo.  The location is Redwood Park in Surrey Park, BC and the name of the photo is Journey. Can you imagine walking through that amazing tunnel?

Processed food and processed wood are not that different from one another. Think about that. Here on Vancouver Island, there is a very real ecological process whereby some trees simply wear out, fall down, or are left on the forest floor by the gamut of reforestation. These new artist friends are rebelling against waste and processing by making all efforts to salvage this wood before it rots away. Interestingly, it is this wood that is best for furniture and other household items that require sturdiness. How beautiful is it to think that this could be the means of a tidy livelihood for the old-time miller, the carpenter, or the creative mind? 

Many of you have no doubt heard about the famous Robert Bateman – an internationally renowned painter. He began a One Tree project whereby one fallen tree would be used by several artists to create art. Back in 2015, Joe Young was one of 42 artists chosen to participate in a project involving a fallen Big Leaf Maple tree. From his portion, Joe designed and carved a guitar. A luthier by trade, this was a natural choice for him. The picture of Joe and his guitar was taken during the Big Leaf Maple exhibition in the Robert Bateman Museum in Victoria. I suspect we will journey with Joe as he creates a guitar for this blog. Imagine a layer of Sitka Spruce guitar top inlaid with a highly figured Yellow Cedar burl, and a neck made from highly figured Tiger Maple! Some guitar lover will surely want to see this one unfold. 

My mind wanders out into that forest, the home of many interesting, beautiful tree species. It is as though spending time within such a natural setting settles my mind and gives me peace within. I am drawn to this feeling of peace. And as I think of those tangled roots lying with the forest beds, I wonder if there is a deep inspirational message whispering to each and every one of us. There are times I can hear it, but there are also times when I find myself getting sucked back into the vortex of chaos that I have worked so hard to climb out from. And then another creation from the forest appears. 

Let’s consider the Lion burl once again.  This masterpiece is from a Big Leaf Maple tree, the largest of all Maple trees. The Granddaddy. This Maple is restricted to the Southwestern part of British Columbia. The bark is grey and brown, rich in calcium and moisture; moss loves to attach itself to the limbs.

In the forest as the sun peers in, an attractive gigantic silhouette dances in the breeze, a mysterious giant of the forest – the Big Leaf Maple.  

This tree lay on the forest floor for years.  This is why it has so many colours, spalting, and textures. Some of that was mold, but given the process required to finish it - stages of planning, sanding and more - everything is sealed into the piece. As the piece came to life, the Lion appeared - a natural ancient Lion discovered within. The lion sleeps tonight perhaps? It measures 38 inches x 16 inches by 3 inches and weighs about 8 pounds. The price is set at $718 CAD.  You’ll find a link to our Etsy shop where this piece can be found below.

As the life of this blog begins to morph, a new blog post will appear every Sunday.  Upcoming features will include a "Dainty as F**k" patio table made from Western Red Cedar, a dab of Yew, and a skirt wrapped with Yellow Cedar. Charming live edge stools will adorn her. A baby quilt will be featured also. And how about a spectacular Yew live edge wallboard? These will all appear on our Etsy Shop in the coming days. 

Don’t forget to come back Sunday for another post! And while you're waiting, visit the Etsy shop. 

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ClvrVuz?ref=seller-platform-mcnav 

Clvr Vuz: New Beginnings from Old Wood

Sometimes I am just not satisfied to read books and listen to therapists. For me, they are not universal quick fixes. My fix seems to be coming in a different form, one in which the future is dimly foretold in words that are hard to understand. The best healing for me has been studying the stars - art stars. To me, they are better than any book you could possibly give me, and they provide far better therapy than any shrink ever could.

It all began when I finally burned out from a policing career that I truly loved but was clearly killing me at a slow pace. I was convinced that even though there were diagnoses of alcoholism and PTSD, I was convinced that any prescribed medication would only contribute to more damage. So, I continued to slip, falling into more and more unhealthy patterns (more relationships, more of the standard, futile attempts to cope with PTSD) with each step I attempted to take. And heck no, this blog is not going to highlight that small piece of my life! If I start talking about the past I’ll only find myself, once again, buried in it!

You see, at my lowest point, when all around me was haunting remnants of a chaotic emotional past and crippling beliefs of an unhappy future, a new sense of freedom suddenly emerged. I had just moved to a beautiful new area - a dream area, really, for any true nature-lover. Just observing this new area I was now in, awakened my senses to the potential around me and began steering my spirit to thinking of the potential within me. Creative fulfilment became my overnight focus, and I have not looked back. Nature, gardens, growing food, recycling and restoration ... anything that I could be inspired by I allowed myself to become fully so. 

I can’t wait to get into the real goods now. (Patience is not my finest attribute, I’ll admit.).  REAL, handmade, high-quality goods make my heart sing! To be able to showcase merchandise made in Western Canada, right here in my neck of the woods, brings me satisfaction and makes me feel like a strong contributor. What you will see on this page are unique heartfelt visions brought to life. No two pieces will ever be alike, and the variety will keep you coming back for more. I promise. This blog will feature local artists, real manufacturers with giant hearts, passion and creativity. Looking for flimsy, cheaply-made, IKEA-style home decor? You won’t find that here. And our artists don’t look like Lindt chocolatiers. They’re plaid-wearing, axe-totting real deals, likely to be found deep in the forests of British Columbia looking for the right piece of wood to make your next favourite piece of furniture. These artists have no time clocks and no egos, and when you see them you will see them at work in their raw state. If you want the mass-produced, cookie-cutter stuff, you are on the wrong blog!  

I promise you that this creative blog will speak to your senses and bring you great delight. Are you interested in supporting local? This is the place for you. Are you interested in one-of-a-kind art? This is definitely the place for you. Here, you will read about every piece up for sale. Here, I will draw you in with the real stories behind each and every product you can purchase for your very own. Most of these will be featured in our Etsy shop, Clvr Vuz (Clever Views).

Before opening the Etsy shop I was recycling like crazy. I was using an old sewing machine as a bed for my succulent plants, rusted wheels to support creeping plants, old fence boards for wainscoting in my home - the list goes on. I found that the less time I spent focusing on addictions and PTSD, the more time I had to focus on these wonderfully productive activities that were actually doing far more to heal me than prescription medication ever could. I also discovered that my little pastime was proving to be far more productive than I could ever imagine. Yes, I was feeling much better inside than I had felt in decades, but I was actually creating beautiful, useful commodities in the process.  Like my container gardens - can you see the boats in my garden? They are made from local cedar wood and yes, they are my container gardens – a taste of home perhaps (Newfoundland Dories)? 

All creations that will be presented weekly are all for sale. And we will do our very best to have brand-new products for you every week. I won’t always be able to give you a hint as to what is upcoming because I do not always know what is being created. Like myself, you will have to wait and see what the artists have up their sleeves. But I do promise to bring you everything they bring forth and to tell you the story behind it.

The next post in a day or two will introduce one of the main artists, Joe Young. Joe is an extremely talented woodworking artist living on Vancouver Island and in 2015 found a new fan in legendary Canadian painter Robert Bateman. Joe created this fine specimen from a Big Leaf Maple Burl. Stay tuned for the story behind this one.  Imagine this piece of art on your wall!

If you’re curious, I will be featured on this blog as well, but as a quilter. My first contribution is a queen-size quilt. This Betsy Bitch has over six hundred triangles stitched within. She’s heavily weighted too!

I would also like to introduce the brilliant photographer, Iris Schurtz who has joined Clvr Vuz for this amazing adventure into Canadian art. Without Iris, you’d be left with my iPhone images. This makes Iris as an important to this blog as the artists themselves!

New friends, keep coming back. Our wheels have only begun to turn.