Red Tape

I had no idea just how much red tape there was out here in Nanaimo.  Rules, rules, rules - ugh!  And the cost of insurance - oh my!

I'm going to try to assemble all the bits and bobs of information here, for your benefit - sure, but mainly for mine. 

Just what do Retailers take back after they sell stuff to you?
http://www.rcbc.ca/recycling-programs/retailer-take-back

All sorts of questions about disposal of stuff, answered by the Region.
http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms.asp?wpID=1588

But here's a handy PDF they've created to help wrap your head around the insane rules.
http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms/wpattachments/wpID1399atID3830.pdf

Why don't we just burn everything and get it over with?  That's by-lawed too.
https://www.nanaimo.ca/assets/Departments/Fire~Rescue/Fire~Prevention/Burning_Regulations.pdf

Don't forget to get your pets licensed.
http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/departments/5294/AnimalControl.html

Oh, and get a BC license.
http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/locations/nanaimo.html

And insurance.
http://www.westernfinancialgroup.ca/BrokerDetails.aspx?b=108

And I hear this is an important institution as well.
http://www.icbc.com/Pages/default.aspx

Health Care.  Called "Medical Services Plan" in BC.
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/index.html

4 o'clock daily

 

Every day, at 4 o'clock, the workday ends, and we sit out here, preferably with a cider.  So far, Somersby is my favourite, and Foundry is Scott's.  We've bought a 4 pack of Merridale to try out this weekend.  It's local, so I'm gunning for it, but so far...Somersby is just plain awesome in my books.

 

Oh, and if you're wondering what the kettle is for,

it's for watering the fucia, fushia, fuisia...the flower in the hanging basket.

Transfer

While waiting for clients to get back to me, I decided I might as well start on cleaning up my old files filled with photos.  (say that 10 times fast!) 

Generally, I take anywhere from 3 to 12 photos of each painting I make, and then I'm supposed to cull those down to the best 1 or 2, then crop them down to 4"x6" so I can print it out easily, and also to a close approximation of the actual size of the painting, so I can create prints to sell.

In 2013 I got sidetracked I guess, because I just...stopped.  Instead of cataloguing my paintings and being a good little organizer of my digital files, I just took the photos, saved all the photos, and promptly went on to the next painting.  Whoopsies.

So here I am, on a Monday evening, while I avoid unpacking since my husband is working overtime, culling the extraneous paintings and ensuring I have good prints to print.  And then...I came across "hello Calgary".  I love this one a lot.

 

I took the photo of the skyline with my cell from a room at the Foothills Hospital where a dear friend was spending some quality time.  I came back a couple days later with my DSLR and took the shot again, and I'm so glad I did. 

After getting a commission to incorporate an image of Calgary into an abstract painting, I had been at a loss as to how to do that, until that photo!  I set to work on the 36"x48" canvas, incorporating bits of sawdust, and if it had been archival I would've included oil as well...it is Calgary after all.

Then....the transfer.  When you do a gel transfer where the toner from the photocopy is embedded in the gel, you have to copy your photo in mirror image, so when you press it into the gel, the reverse shows (which, because you already reversed it, is the proper way round).  A little confusing, but trust me, that's the way you do it.

A lot of waiting for the gel to dry, a little water, and a lot of rubbing et voila!  Another commission completed! 

And, of course, because I love procrastinating more than anything else apparently, I added a little something to the image so I can use this on a few cards on their way back to CowTown.

 

Laundry

We bit the bullet.  We're putting laundry on the main floor.  The basement stairs are too creepy and steep and the washer grossed Scott out (which is really saying something).  We've done a few loads at the Laundromat while we wait for the process of cutting holes in my house to end, and the drywall dust to settle.  But so far, we're pretty excited.

 

 

We had Kyle No-Pants come to do the electrical. Todd the Raccoon Fighter did the plumbing, and Garry the Engineer cut the holes in the wall and do the drywall repair.  At some point, I may actually be able to do laundry in my house!

White

There is no such thing as pure white.  There's grey blue white, cream white, blue white, pink white, silver white. And then there's the show through from the other paint underneath.  Yikes! 

I'm only halfway through painting the bathroom at the new place and I'm pretty stoked about my choice of blue-white.  Just look at the yellow I'm trying to cover!!

More photos when I'm done.  Promise.