Author: Laura Balducci Art

I am a multidisciplinary artist, combining materials and techniques.Living on the sunny shores of Cortes Island ,The West Coast of B.C. Canada.

Wink

I am not sure if you recall the 365-day art challenge I set myself at the start of 2018, Wink, but there are some good news on that front!

As a reminder, the idea was to pull a tarot card a day to read and research, and then use it as a general inspiration and the colours on the card as my palette. My medium was pencil crayons and I worked out of a 8 x 11 sketchbook with 46 pages, each divided into 8 rectangles to represent one day of the year. The last element was to find a muse as my inspiration and I found it in my Lucy (my well-used cup cozy!)

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My cup cozy, Lucy

I am happy to report that in spite of the stresses of late, I completed my challenge and…. that Wink has been accepted as a solo art installation at the Old Schoolhouse Art Gallery on Cortes Island! Yay! The art show will open on June 14th and will run for 2 weeks. I am so excited to share this process of daily art creation with you. I learned so much in the process. I created a renewed level of dedication in my life, explored working with the meaning of  freedom, and I find the results intriguing.

Stay tuned for more information and thank you for all your support during my 365-day art challenge. It was a real challenge to produce a piece a day and I encourage everyone to try to do something for yourself every day as I found it to be a true spirit energizer and we all deserve a little extra energy!

Private Sessions

Please check out my new yoga website to learn more about my offerings http://www.balducciyoga.com

Have you ever felt like the Tin Man in a Yoga Class? Did you ever accidentally join an intermediate class when you are a beginner? Do you have specific needs you would like to work on and address? Then a group yoga class may not be for you right now!!!

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Private Sessions

If you would like a one-on-one approach to assist you in reaching your goals, contact me for a private session! I offer a free half-hour consultation session where we can get together and create a plan that suits your specific needs and lifestyle.

Please email me to book an appointment at balducciyoga@gmail.com

Permanent Art Installation

I recently had the pleasure of being immersed in some of the hustle and bustle at the Cortes Island Museum! In early December, I assisted Jane Newman in the installation of the art exhibit “The Great Blue Heron Comes to School” which was created by the young artists of our school inspired by the Species at Risk project. It was a fabulous project that received a lot of attention and many visitors. We knew it would  have to come down some day and would need to be moved, as most art installations do, to a permanent location, and March 4th was the day!

The school library before:

The students came to the museum to help us do the deed; they took down and collected their art pieces and walked them across the street to the exhibit’s permanent location. They were all smiles and felt very honoured knowing their art would permanently be installed in their school’s library, beside their mascot… a Blue Heron of course!

Then Jane Newman and myself got to work curating “The Great Blue Heron Comes To School” for its permanent move into the library; it took us a couple of days of measuring and calculating to get every piece to fit just right in the space. We were both very excited to work on the beautiful collection of art again, and knowing that it was going to be in its forever home was very rewarding. Jane spent months working with the young artists to create the artwork  and to see it in its final stages was a real thrill for her. For me, having an opportunity to do this kind of work in this very remote location I call home was very rewarding, never mind the fact that it was the first Permanent Art Installation I had the opportunity to curate. I look forward to working alongside Jane Newman in the future and am proud to say I work at The Cortes Island Museum both as a visual artist and a curator. And if I do say so myself, the installation looks great in its new home!

The school library after!

Family Day Tree Dressing

Join us at The Cortes Island Museum from 1-4pm today for our “Family Day Tree Dressing” in celebration of our island’s most tree-loving species at risk. Write love letters to honour your favourite birds and trees, and decorate little tokens to tie onto our Celebration Tree. The act of dressing a tree binds us to it and celebrates the unique role that trees have in our local neighbourhoods. Let’s share stories and songs about the medicine of trees and the sweet little creatures who depend on them for food and protection. Refreshments and snacks will be provided and everyone is welcome! We gratefully acknowledge the support of this event by the Province of British Columbia.  

BalducciYoga

I invite my friends and followers to check out what I’m up to on my new adventure this month at http://www.balducciyoga.com

Heart Chakra

This month at Om Studio I will be centering my practice around the theme of the Heart Chakra, which feels appropriate since this is a time of year when many people think about their relationships with loved ones. Now I’m not much for hallmark celebrations, which sometimes feel forced on us, and I also think that we can share our heart all year round… but I do believe in love, compassion, gratitude and harmony! To read more please visit website via link above.

Namasta

Laura Balducci

Artwork: Tree Mandala copyright Paloma Vita 2015 – palomavita-art.com

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New Adventure

I have another website all about yoga! That’s right I started a new adventure in 2019…. I invite all my friends and followers to check out http://www.balducciyoga.com to find out more.

NEW MONTH, NEW YOGA CLASS!

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Karma Vinyasa Flow

By donation

Suitable for yogis with some experience with asanas who would like to continue to learn, challenge themselves, and build confidence in their practice. I offer a balanced practice of movement and flow with all the relaxing aspects inherent in yoga. I invite you to join me for a daily class, or as your schedule allows.

February 1st – March 1st

Monday to Friday

9:00 to 10:00 am

at Om Studio @ Manson’s Hall

Cortes Island B.C. Canada

Doors open at 8:45 am so we can start on the hour. Come find your spot and see you on the mat! Please use the back entrance at the top of the stair

The Great Blue Heron Comes to School!

Late November 2018, I was asked to put my curating skills to work on an upcoming art installation for our local museum, to assist Jane Newman and work alongside her. I accepted without hesitation as I was thrilled and eager to contribute since the subjects of the  exhibit are very close to my heart: “Species at Risk – The Great Blue Heron” and art by the kids of Cortes Island.

 

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Jane spent months at our school working with each child one-on-one and in groups, working towards creating an art installation to interpret the Great Blue Heron issue on Cortes Island, in collaboration with Friends of Cortes Island. It was an amazing experience that taught me so much; it was also a thrill to attend the opening of “The Great Blue Heron Comes to School”. The children came and engaged with the installation by showing their families and friends their art on the walls. The Cortes Island Museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 pm to 4 pm all winter long. I invite my neighbours and friends to visit the exhibition. Please check out the website for more info:

www.cortesmuseum.com

Art by children from kindergarten to Grade 9

Taxidermy Blue Heron by Laurel

 

Hello 2019!!!

I welcome 2019 with open arms, new adventures, and abundant health!!!

What a ride the last 7-8 months have been! You may or may not have noticed but it’s been sometime since I blogged!!! On June 17th, my life changed in the blink of an eye and I had to make some serious decisions on where to put my energy. My partner fell and suffered a serious back injury. I already had many obligations on my plate for the summer and I had no choice but to sideline a few of these things and blogging was one of them. Not only could my partner no longer work but he suddenly needed 24-hour care, so I found myself a one-gal show and the sole provider of our household. After four trips to the emergency – which is not an easy task from Cortes Island as it takes two ferries by ambulance just to get off island – and a month and a half spent in the hospital, he finally had open-back surgery at the end of September and came home on Novembre 1st. With a few setbacks, my man is slowly recovering and is undergoing rehabilitation, learning to walk again, and building strength (this is the short version of the story!) With having to tend the extensive garden we had planted to feed us and make preserves for winter, an art show to curate with 33 local artists, having to work different jobs to pay the bills, continuing my next solo art installation challenge “Wink” and being a full-time caregiver, my time was limited as one still needs to sleep even if just for a few hours!

During this time, I showed my largest painting to date called “Space” at the annual members show which I curated for our local art gallery. I filled the freezer & pantry and I also did my Yoga Teacher training online, which makes me happy to announce my new venture which starts on January 7th with a new blog and website:          http://www.balducciyoga.com

And as the year begins, I’m just getting my feet back on the ground and every day my partner is slowly recovering a bit more, as he is very determined to get his life back which gives me more time to do my thing!!! I missed you all, as I missed blogging and sharing. Stay tuned for more details on my upcoming solo art installation, more spinning wheel adventures, my yoga offerings, gardening news, and whatever else happens. I wish you all much health and happiness in 2019 and thank you for sticking around!!!

xoxo Laura

 

BalducciArt Wool

BalducciArt Wool is a one-of-a-kind, artisan yarn which has been spun by hand – you could call it “art wool”! Each is unique and comes in a variety of colours, some dyed naturally, some with Ciba dye, and others yet from donated fibres. My style of spinning results in my art wool being irregular and highly textured – sometimes chunky, sometimes thin.

I suggest using it to knit with a needle set larger than 8mm. You can also mix and match the wool with any of your the favourite yarns you might have in your stash. BalducciArt wool is priced by the gram so each ball varies in price. I do my best to source as local a base fibre as possible and I then add other fibres when I am drum carding my batts and prepare them to be spun. Instructions for care are simple: hand-wash in cold water and lie flat to dry. You can purchase my yarn via email, my social media, or by commenting below. You can also find my art wool and many other handmade items at The Gorge Harbour Market all summer long on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm. I’ll be there with my spinning group, “Spinners Unite” where we offer our wares and put on wool-spinning demos on our wheels…. you won’t be able to miss us! xoxo Laura

For any questions or if you wish to purchase some BalducciArt Wool yarns, please email laurabalducciart@gmail.com or leave a comment.

Old School House Art Gallery

This week our local art gallery “Old School House Art Gallery” opens for the season. We have a very exciting season plan for our neighbors and visitors on Cortes Island B.C. We start the season off with a solo art installation by Loni Rene Taylor this Friday June 15 and is open for 2 weeks including being featured during the art studio and garden tour on the 16th.

With 2 members show one representing our digital artist called “All Things Digital” which I have a couple pieces in and for the first time sharing the video from “Senses That Sin” show casing 3 art dolls, my live doll that comes alive Namchi Bazaar, and accordin player Del Riviera from Powell River, I am excited to share the walls with many other talented artist for this show.

We also have the membership show which I am the curator for and still accepting submissions for until July 14. It’s been a great experience so far meeting and seeing the submissions that my fellow artist have been preparing for this show, I can’t wait to hang this show on the walls and share it with you. This years theme is “Space” and I also have my biggest painting to date in the show.

Look out for more info on the rest of the season coming up at Old School House Art Gallery and don’t forget ever Friday is Gallery Nite from 6-9pm with either an opening, performance or artist talks. I love art show season on Cortes Island it’s so inspiring to see all the talent I live amongst meet the artists and learn there process.

We also have art shows happening at The Coop Cafe, Hunt & Gather, Hollyhock retreat centre all in Manson’s Landing, The Coop Craft Shop In Squirrel Cove.