Author Archives: sbland

About sbland

Sue Bland (aka Poached Egg Woman) is a visual artist who lives on a farm in rural Saskatchewan. A chicken farm, to be exact, hence she eats a lot of poached eggs! Sue works primarily in paper collage and watercolours, and offers art PLAYshops to anyone interested in exploring their creative side and having fun.

Congratulations Grade 4’s – You created an awesome wetlands panel!!!

We have finished our Saskatchewan wetlands panel!! Below are pictures of parts of our time exploring art together. As you scroll down, you will see the assembly of the large panel. I did the background, the students did everything else. The students created so much art that we were able to make another smaller panel which will go up in their classroom. When I took them the completed panels, they were amazed at what a great job they did. Each student showed the rest of the class the parts they had contributed. We celebrated with fruit, jello and gummy worms. I had a wonderful time learning from each and every student, and Mrs. Burianyk-Noey. Thanks to the Balcarres Community School Council for making this possible.

If you would like to read about what we did earlier in this time together, please see the blog posts Dear Grade 4’s and Translucence.

The grade 4’s and Mrs. Burianyknoey and sheets of translucent rice paper. Some are hiding!!

turtles and fish for the wetlands panel

not the final arrangement…ducks and ducklings

Laying out the piece for the rice paper panel. This 6 foot table took over our livingroom Easter week.

holding parts of the panel up to the light

fish about to eat tadpoles and smaller fish?

this carefully constructed beaver house will make a great home for this beaver

more like the final arrangement

love this moose!!!

the whole wetlands panel is 2 feet by 3 feet

a back view of the wetlands panel

Not everything could fit on the large panel so this smaller panel will go in the grade 4 classroom. It features turtles, a fish, a snake, a frog and some butterflies and clouds

Time to celebrate – fruit on toothpicks!! and jello – it is see-through!!

and gummy worms – celebrating TRANSLUCENCE!!

Snickers – Smokey the cat’s mom. Sleeping in rice paper is a hereditary trait.

An Ordinary Day

Sometimes in all our lives, sadness moves in a imperceptibly as a dank fog. We are not sure where it has come from or how long it will stay – a few hours or several weeks. We get busy, and the sadness disappears for a bit but we have a quiet moment, and there it is again. This kind of sadness moved into me some time ago, and one of the good things about being in my 50’s is that I am okay with being sad sometimes. Hard as a heavy heart is to live with, I understand in some way that I can’t explain that sadness is a gift – even when, maybe, especially when it is also a mystery.

Yesterday was my birthday, and by some lovely coincidence, I woke up with a light heart for the first time in a while. A light heart despite 3 or 4 inches of wet snow. A light heart even though my plan for the day – to observe the grasses and emerging plants on the coulee hills with my paints and a lunch was kyboshed (sp?) by muddy soft roads.

A light heart felt wonderful.

I wondered if some of my heavy heart was due to one of my daughters packing up all her belongings and heading out for new adventures and questing and friendships in Alberta and B.C. Funny thing – I have encouraged my daughters to be adventurous, curious, to walk off the beaten path, to ask good questions, to take risks, to show initiative – and then, when they do, my mother’s heart cries. I think of my daughter’s happy face in the airport last night, her two duffle bags crammed with her tent and sleeping bag, her gramma’s quilt, the books she loves, a favoured piece of pottery. I feel excitement for her AND it is hard to let go.

So, today I have a light heart and I feel teary. I realize that what I most want to do on this day is pretty much what I do many days. Ordinary things which bring such pleasure. Things like this: another daughter brings me a cup of dark killer coffee – she bought the beans in San Francisco. It is delicious. A phone call from an octogenarian aunt. Chores, pulling the twine off bales, collecting eggs, the close proximity and warm breath or soft sounds of the animals. Flossing my teeth and feeling grateful to have my dad’s good teeth. Stretching my belly and arms during a sun salutation. Chopping vegetables for chicken soup. Kneading dough for buns. Washing dishes in hot soapy water. A nap in the early afternoon on the sunshine couch with our oldest cat purring by my stomach. The challenge of the beautiful green paper I bought in Saskatoon, the need I feel to cut it out like a tree and roots… wanting to have this tree blossom with paper birds but it doesn’t quite work. Why?

The gifts of this day are soft and quiet – the difference a light and gently dancing heart makes….. the pleasure and joy in familiar and ordinary (but not so ordinary) routines….the chance to create, to wrestle with some idea, some image that wants out but isn’t quite ready to come; the company of family, of creatures, of friends who are dear as family.

Sometimes in art project, I only one step at a time. This is the step where I cut the tree and roots out.

: This shows the paper more clearly. Gorgeous paper, yes??

Erasing the pencil lines…will this go on plexiglass? Yep, I think so.

WHAT IF I tried this?

So that was our operative phrase today as some of the students in Scott’s Balcarres Essential Skills Program took time to explore the fun of watercolours and a little paper collage.What if…. I tried this?

I was reminded that often we have images within us, just waiting for the right time and space to emerge.We seldom give ourselves time to create. When we do, we feel great and often we are surprised by seeing some of what is inside us coming out onto the paper. This was a group of amazing artists and I felt privileged to play and discover with them.

Group Effort created with no brushes – just toothpicks, straws and the like!!

Exploring with just one colour

We were pretty absorbed in our art – not much chatting – just music and painting!

our PLAysheets – just fooling around, trying different techniques and seeing what the medium of watercolour can do.

The next five are pure PLAy – everyone got the same instructions. Five really unique styles.

It was a cloudy cold day, so TC painted a sun to warm us up!!

the sun grows

Peacefulness

Starting out mandalas

Then we began a collage project – working with a photo of yourself, you add elements from paper and magazines to tell us something about yourself. Some examples I did here at home with my family show what I mean. The students just got started on this.

Jessie and Marina’s collages in process

the Domino Queen!

TC’s beginning selfie

Translucence

translucent

(Of a substance) allowing light, but not detailed shapes, to pass through; semi-transparent:her beautiful translucent skin

I have been learning about translucence with the grade 4’s. We are working with tissue paper and rice paper, both of which are translucent. By some lucky miracle, the grade 4’s will also be learning about translucence in science. They are getting a head start.

Ty’s translucent butterfly (it started out as a target and was transformed as he worked on it)

Pick any search engine and ask for images of translucent items and you will be amazed. We thought of every day ordinary things that were translucent: sunglasses, tinted glass, bubbles, water and some ice, sheer scarves.

I love water. Perhaps this is why I have always loved things that were translucent. When I was a small girl, I loved swimming underwater in a lake with my eyes open. I liked looking at the sand and shells beneath me, and through the water at the sky and the white and green of the birch trees that dotted the shore line above me.

We have created many beautiful things with tissue paper in the grade 4 class. This week, I introduced rice paper to the students. Our final project will be created with rice paper and plexi glass. Each student closed their eyes and chose a small piece of rice paper or some other translucent paper from a basket. No two pieces were the same. Here is what some students wrote about their paper: Other students described the paper as bumpy, hairy, thicker than tissue paper, hard to tear, see through, with a pattern, as soft, as kind of smooth, furry. The paper came in every colour! Some had paper with patterns in it, or shapes with swirls that start on the inside and works its way around or a flower pattern. Some of the scraps of paper reminded the students of something else: “my paper has the same shape as Saskatchewan”, “my paper reminds me of the colour of a bull moose”, “the green of my paper reminds me of when I go quadding in a muddy place where there is green”, “my paper reminds me of my mom’s paintings”, “it reminds me of dryer sheets”,”this paper smells like Sue’s house”, “it makes me think of a dragonfly”. Because they did not choose their paper, some students did not like their paper while others did.

Students were then asked to glue their paper on a small piece of transparent film. They could tear it or cut it or arrange it any way they liked, eventually adding other scraps of paper to their design.

playing with rice paper – some of the designs in my living room window

more abstract designs – you can see Emma’s dragonfly at the bottom

here I have layered the transparent film

more layers

the student’s designs make shadows on the wall in the afternoon light

all the students designs layered together with some translucent parts and some that are not

Dear Grade 4’s

Smokey the COLLAGE Cat

Dear Grade Fours,

I thought you would enjoy meeting one of our three cats – he is called Smokey and this is our living room (a big mess!) before I came to visit you today. Have you heard of CALICO cats? Well, I think Smokey is a COLLAGE CAT – happiest when lying on papers, or even better – in the middle of a collage piece I am working on. Deep down, Smokey is an artist too.

In the picture of Smokey, you can see the paint chips which each of you chose as your favourite colour. Here they are as Darian arranged them on the table. Some of you picked more than one favourite colour!

Paint Chips

Back at home with Smokey’s help, I cut out different shapes in tissue paper that matched your favourite colours. Together and with the help of your teacher and Jessie and Marina, we created the colourful rooster pictured below. I call him Raggedy Rooster – is this a good name? For some Raggedy Rooster was too messy, for others he was just right. One thing I love about creating art is that there are many ways to create a rooster – and all of them are fine. One of the things I hope we can learn together is how each of you like to work best as an artist. Some like to be detailed and exact and like everything to be very neat. Others like to cut or tear quickly and don’t mind if everything isn’t perfect. The beauty of collage is that all these ways make for beautiful pieces.

“Raggedy Rooster” – this rooster’s got attitude!

Below “Raggedy Rooster” is the rooster you drew together – when we were learning that a rooster is a collection of shapes. Below your rooster I have included some roosters I have created – one is a collage and is your classroom right now.

Free Range Chicken – watercolour

“Free Range Chicken” is not really a rooster, just a very fancy chicken who gets to run around in purple running shoes. Does she remind you of anyone?

I look forward to seeing you all again on Thursday when we will create something that flies – could be birds, dragonflies, dragons, rockets….Thank you for all the ways you are helping – sweeping the floor, emptying water, teaching me how to speak without an Ontario accent, keeping me in line and giving me such a fantastic and warm welcome to your classroom.

Smokey says good bye – here he is, napping again, near a basket of paper!! His eyes match the yellow paper.

What is Smokey the COLLAGE cat’s favourite colour??

Bye for now,

Sue and Smokey

For the month of March, I am privileged to work with the grade 4 students in Mrs. Anna Maria Burianyk-Noey’s classroom at Balcarres Community School. I will share some of our adventures in this blog from time to time. We are exploring the medium of paper collage and hope to create some rice paper panels to add colour and beauty to the new entrance of the school.

Lumsden PLAYshop for the birds!!

This past Saturday saw me in Lumsden with eleven other creative souls who came to play with paper, scissors and glue… We spent a companionable day contemplating beauty, exploring our own particular styles – some of us loving to tear the paper and go freestyle, others preferring the small, telling detail……We took note of what was difficult for us, what felt like “work” (not always a bad thing!) and what felt like joy? As we cut and pasted, some of us asked “What makes me hum? What gives me great pleasure and satisfaction? What tickled my funny bone and loosened the muscles around my jaw? Do I like to work slowly and carefully or is my way to move quickly?”

For me, each PLAYshop is unique, each a gift in its own way. One of the delights of my time in Lumsden was watching others as they played with the shape of birds – taking the same image and playing with it in so many different ways. This is something that brings me seemingly infinite delight! I was so moved by the beautiful creations – the soft-edged and tender birds of a young mom, families of birds in palettes of blues or of autumn colours or yellows and purples, birds with flamboyant tail feathers. Others created a flame, a dancing goddess, abstract pieces, an exquisite scene with a jewelled dragonfly, a line of dancing women joined by a single golden thread.

I firmly believe that a bracing winter walk in the middle of a day of collage play helps the creative process. But only one intrepid woman took me up on it. (Thanks Chris!) The rest preferred to let winter stay outdoors, except for the brilliant light streaming through the windows as we created a colourful and joyful spring within!

My thanks to all of the fine artists of Lumsden and district, for your dedication to creating space for art to bloom,for your love of beauty, and for the golden thread of friendship and support that keeps you loosely connected.

so many beautiful birds

Some scraps of beauty to take home!

Next Paper Collage PLAYshop will be held on March 22nd in Fort Qu’Appelle.

Creating LeeAnn’s Dragon

with thanks to Eric Carle. I love this book entitled DRAGONS DRAGONS and Other Creatures That Never Were

the basic shape

in my happy place with scissors, paper

the basic dragon joins the birds on the window

red dragon, yellow underbelly, purple wings

It is a big step moving from flying birds to a flying dragon. I am grateful for LeeAnn’s encouragement and Eric Carle’s amazing art. Hmmm…polka dot belly – NOT the effect I was looking for. Looks more like a nursery room dragon that the mischievous, slightly vampish dragon I was hoping to create for LeeAnn.

mmmm, not sure about that underbelly, not sure about those polka dots. What self respecting dragon would have dots on her belly? She is also missing two legs, her eyes and her sharp teeth…not quite ready to go out in the world.

Trying out colours for a wing. I like this wing!

One wing done, one to go. Still wondering about belly? Also trying to figure out the best way to create scales for the red parts.

But very happy with this wing…created while Canada won GOLD in women’s hockey. This is a STRONG wing!

Back at it… a few months Later (April 11, 2014)

I wasn’t sure about the polka dots or how I would do the red scales, so the dragon had a break. In the meantime, the unfinished dragon and LeeAnn met each other.

worked on the head… looks too dark

I like the teeth but am not sure about the eys

I like the teeth but am not sure about the eye

the red scales

a close up of the red scales

feet are on, second wing started, another dragon joins LeeAnn’s dragon

Eye surgery. A wicked cut, lightened the green, outlined the pupil with purple candy wrapper and added dark blue eye liner

Almost done... new eye job, this dragon is smoking. have a few final bits and want to add claw nails - sparkly, special for LeeAnn

Almost done… new eye job(I changed the eyebrow and I like it – it looks more threatening than the eye above), this dragon is breathing FIRE!! I have a few final bits and want to add claw nails – sparkly, special for LeeAnn

: LeeAnn’s dragon gets a pedicure. Special nails from the cigarette foils she so kindly donated, sharpened with a file and sparkling with glitter nail polish.

a close up of the nails

Heading for the gas tank…whoops, we could have a fire!!

Letting leeAnn’s dragon fly outside

The Red Dragon meets the Red Beast (the girl’s beloved truck )

two views of LeeAnn’s Dragon – getting ready to head North

Poached Egg Woman and the Wolf

Although I know I am rich in the things that matter most, sometimes living life as a full time artist is living close to the edge – the financial edge, that is. With the help of L.A Louve, Poached Egg Woman takes this tongue in cheek look at money worries.

This is the first of five parts to a saga. I have no idea where it is going from here! One part at a time!! Keep posted!

Poached Egg Woman dreams that the Wolf is at the door! Aaaaah!

The Wolf recites a long list of all the bad things that will happen to Poached Egg Woman.

Then the Wolf gobbles Poached Egg Woman right up!!

Then Poached Egg Woman disappears into the deep dark abyss of the Wolf’s throat.

The End. I’m not so sure. the beginning? There will be a sequel for sure.
(to be continued)

Poached Egg Woman Takes the Plunge!

“Poached Egg Woman Takes the Plunge”, watercolour and paper collage

Seems like the year a number of my friends have “taken the plunge” – moving across the country, choosing to follow their desire to live out their dreams, setting up a business in rural Saskatchewan, and submitting a grant proposal to the Canada Council are among some of the ways they are taking the plunge. I am buoyed on by their courage and their example.

Seems like a year for me to take “the plunge”, too. Here are some plunges I have taken or am going to take:

I made my first move to sell art in a store. What I mean is – first time with me not selling my art directly! My rice paper panels and some fairies are hanging in one of my all time favourite Regina shops – the Paper Umbrella on 13th Avenue.
More and more, I am calling myself a full time artist. This is true at the moment… and it may be that I need to get some paid work to help myself along, but the feel of these words in my mouth – full-time artist – is delicious!!!!
I hope to take the plunge and offer a full weekend Paper Collage PLAYshop – no dates set yet. So far, I have offered day long PLAYshops, but want to offer more of an immersion experience, where people can lose themselves in the joy of coloured paper and fun!
I will be part of a team offering a weekend program at Calling Lakes Centre focussed on watersheds from May 9 to May 11th. This weekend is all about the Qu’Appelle River Watershed in Treaty 4 territory. I have been inspired to explore my own relationship with my beloved Pheasant Creek Coulee (which drains into the Qu’Appelle) from the point of view of home place and sacred spots and how our deep love for a home place can feed our activism for the health of the planet.
“Poached Egg Woman takes the Plunge” in process

To see Poached Egg Woman nesting, rooting, gliding, transforming, steeping and listening to the Choir of No, click the link!

A Day on the Ice Rink

the day began with sun dogs

the snow pieces from the drifts are beautiful

Herc looking through a window

Snowblower!

Snowblower stops!!

Debra, intrepid shoveler!!!

Breaking through the drifts

me with ice lanterns

the beginning of a heart

moon rising, almost full

Herc and Lady, our faithful buddies

Debra’s rainbow lantern

“Everyday is a good day as long as we adjust ourselves to the day.” (Unknown)

Having an ice rink has transformed my relationship with winter. I have a friendlier relationship now. Rarely a day passes when I do not go out to the rink. I love to watch the sun rise and set from the rink. This week, the moon almost full, has been spectacular. It’s something like tending a garden…. those of you who grow vegetables or flowers check it daily or sometimes several times daily. The garden, like the ice rink, is where we take stock of the day, of its moods and weather, of the small changes, of the animal tracks or signs.

The ice rink feels like a collaboration with Mother Nature, and she is firmly in charge. I respond. How will the ice freeze? Pebbly or smooth? How much snow will fall? The prevalent wind in these parts is the North Wind, and while the wind creates amazing drifts, it also polishes the ice smooth as glass. How can I work with Mother Nature?

I love that the ice rink is free. It requires a shovel and some muscles and the will to dig and find ice beneath the snow. True, we just got a snowblower, but as you will see from the pictures the high snow drifts have stopped this machine in its tracks. Where snowblowers can’t go, two resolute women with shovels can go!!

Then, once the shovelling is done, the skating begins. I skate in circles weaving this way and that through the curved paths we have cleared. I feel as if the skein of wool that is wrapped up inside me is slowly unravelling as I skate!