I'm always multi-tasking... working on several projects and life ambitions at the same time! Busy! Busy! But this last month has seen me almost drowning in all the projects I've gotten involved in! Keeps me busy... but when I find time to sleep... I sleep deeply! Haha!
So... here's a little update about what I've been working on...
With so much news about the fall of America filling so much space in all of our minds... I needed to find a way to turn it all off! So... I started creating a new artwork. This is a 12" x 12" canvas and I plan on entering it in this fall's Square Foot Art Show in the Westland Gallery. It's been a while since I've submitted a piece, so this will be exciting!
It's just so relaxing cutting up little pieces of magazine advertisements and gluing them onto this canvas while I spin LPs on my record player! I can forget about the world's wars, collapsing ecosystems and the madness south of the border for a good 2-3 hours when I'm working away on this!
I'm also working with Devon on his latest artwork! He's in Grade 8 and soon to graduate. He's had an incredible music teacher through his entire elementary experience... so this will be a 'thank you' that he'll give to her nearing the end of this school year.
It's not often I get a photo of a bee this early in the gardening season! I'm loving this!!! For the last few years, I've been thinking about creating a series of Youtube videos to share my gardening adventures with others. For over 15 years I have been doing this by creating photo albums on FB... but I thought I'd reach more people by making videos. So... this is a new adventure for me! Here's a link to my Youtube channel... just click on 'shorts' and you'll see these gardening videos... While you are there - check out my featured videos as well... most of them are music videos Devon and I have made! Lots of fun!!
I've underlined 3 things for you to check out... my featured videos (mostly music), my shorts (where you'll find my gardening tips videos)... and my playlist (this is a HUGE list of Rock'N'Roll videos that I love to listen to! I've also circled on the left side the list of who I have subscribed to... mostly independent media outlets... a few mainstream (I love Rachel Maddow).
If you subscribe to my channel you will be supporting me! Thanks! If you actually want to get a notification whenever I post a video or a short... you gotta hit that 'All' bell!
Many of my newest subscribers must have gotten a shock a few weeks ago. Until this time, all my shorts were about sharing gardening tips. Then... suddenly... I started uploading protest videos! Haha! Now... it's a complete mix! In the morning I'll share a video about how to prune red currant bushes... and later that same day you'll see me painting protest signs! Ya never know what you'll see! Haha!
So... what am I protesting these days. Well... until a week ago I was focused only on a Tesla Takedown. It started off innocently enough. A fellow London, Ontario gardener/environmental/political activist made a Facebook post about a new Tesla dealership that's soon to open. I made the comment "Hey! Wanna protest?" to which she answered, "Yes!"
Days later she had a meeting at her house and seven people showed up... including me! We made many plans! First... we began organizing a protest at the new dealership on Wonderland Road just south of Bradley Ave. Soon... we had our event planned... it's happening in just a few days... this Saturday - April 12th 1-3pm. Here's the flyer...
We also learned that a Tesla showroom recently opened in the north end of London... in Masonville Mall. Sadly... we can't protest legally inside the mall... so we came up with another plan...
We've had 20 T-shirts made... with several different sizes of this design and we're going to share them at this Saturday's event. The idea is simple... this design is printed on the back of the Tshirt so more people will read it... especially when we are walking around Masonville Mall... shopping! Haha! We aren't protesting... just walking around... sharing our message! Here's a hilarious 'short' I recently made...
I want to make a series of these videos... The first one was just me walking around. The next one I want to have 3 people doing the same thing... the next one... a few more people! Should be fun to bring this idea to life!
Next idea...
To keep this conversation going, I've made 4 000 mini-fliers that are designed to be put on windshields in parking lots filled with shoppers!
These can be put of parked cars anywhere in the city, whenever I have a few minutes to spare! I've been fliering cars for 30 years... mostly to promote art or environmental events. Nothing like getting a bit of fresh air while raising awareness about important matters!
Here are my Top 3 Tesla Takedown videos...
OK... 2 things about these videos... 1) The live cover of the Five Man Electrical Band song Signs... is by a 90s band name Tesla! Oh... I love the irony! 2) The Sewing the Seeds of Love video shows many hands working on a 60 foot dragon that will be at this Saturday's protest!
YUP!!! YOU HEARD ME CORRECTLY!!! There will be a 60 foot long dragon at this Saturday's protest! Haha! This is what happens when you get a bunch of artist activists inspired to take action!
And there's more...
If my plate wasn't already full... I am now also involved in a second protest... there is one planned for tomorrow evening in St. Thomas and another one planned on the same day as my Tesla Takedown. I'm hoping people will start their Saturday with my group... then drive to St. Thomas for their protest.
So... what's this one about...
We're in the middle of a Federal election in Canada and Pierre Poilievre has some nasty candidates running. Andrew Lawton is the one running in St. Thomas! I met him over 20 years ago and our paths continued to cross from time to time over the years and he makes my skin crawl like a poison! There's actually been a lot of coverage about him on CTV News, CBC News and several independent media services. Every day some new kind of action is being created!
Before we get to these actions... here's a 'short' I made that shares a bit about Lawton's history...
And this is just scratching the surface...
So... what's being done to get him booted from the election...
This is where I will be tomorrow at 4:20pm... before the event starts! From what I'm hearing... so will a couple hundred other people! The media will be there and we want to be loud and get pressure put onto the CPC to boot Lawton from this election. St. Thomas &
District Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Federal All-Candidates Meet
& Greet - Thurs. April 10, 5-7pm - CASO Station, 750 Talbot
Street.
Today, LeadNow actually started a petition. I spent the better part of an hour posting this all over social media to get more people involved...
There's a protest scheduled for this Saturday, as well. It overlaps with my Tesla Takedown... but people can go to both! At tomorrow's event I'll be handing out these fliers that I've just made to promote both protests. Hopefully this will get more people at BOTH protests!
The April 12th Lawton protest will be at his campaign office - 626 Talbot St, Unit
4, St Thomas, Ontario
There's gonna be a lot going on this week... and for the next several weeks. Be sure to check my webpage, here, for updates! My group will soon be discussing future Tesla Takedown events and we'll be wanting your support!
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First update... April 12th... just after the #teslatakedown London, ON protest...
I know everyone is very excited to see what happened today, so I've made a quick collage sharing just a few photos from this event...
OK... first collage of many to come... I'd like to encourage everyone to post them... use the hashtag #teslatakedown and spread the word! It's gonna take me some time... but I've got a few amazing videos to share... and soon a link to CTV News... I was interviewed and we put on a great show for them! I'll be sharing all of this stuff - here - on my website... and future protest dates! All in all... EVERYONE was so glad that this event happened and I'd say we hit a total of nearing 50 people at our peak! Check out bitsandpeaces.com for more photos and updates over the coming days...
I recorded 4 videos while at the event... be sure to check them all out... one video has our 60 foot long dragon in it!!!!