Month: May 2013

That’s Gordon “Kit” Thorne (1898-1981) in the middle, moustache, goatee and bolo tie, looking very much the artist. He was over at our place for Christmas. Vancouver, 1966. That’s Kit’s son Peter to his left and left again, my brother Jack. On the ladies side, my sister Joni and mother Helen on the far right. What? Helen on the far right? Never!
Helen went on painting excursions with Kit for years. She considered him an early mentor. He was one of the rare individuals who managed to make a living with his brush. No mean feat in the sleepy cultural backwater that was mid-20th century Vancouver. He did watercolours and oils, but his brush also went to work on commercial murals and window signs. His Christmas gift to us was a big Santa scene painted on our picture window.
I’m happy to see Kit’s work getting some attention now. He earned it.
Here’s an auction search that will show you some of his stuff. More “Kit” photos…

One of Kit’s Christmas windows for our house. This one was in 1967. It’s painted on the inside. of course, so all in reverse, including the layering of paints.

The two artists out sketching… in better weather.

Believe it or not, back when I sculpted this, people remarked upon how much it resembled my mother. I didn’t see it, but what do I know.
Photo by Peter Nemetz

White Lady, circa 1965
By Bill Andersen, under the instruction of Olivier Strebelle
Plaster, height approximately 40 inches (over lifesize)
Present whereabouts unknown

I just set up Apple TV and Netflix in our house. I’m not really afraid that we’ll never go outside again. The wifi signal reaches our back yard. Just kidding.
Apple TV is a great little gizmo, $109 plus HST plus $8 recycling fee. An HDMI cord is extra. $30 for that. But then you have a neat little wireless hub that shoots entertainment (and even education) all around your house. Watch on your HDMI TV set, your iPad, your iMac or your MacBook. Wirelessly. With a Netflix account, you can watch one thing while your spouse watches another. Or here’s an idea… you can both watch the same thing, at the same time, in the same room! It should be possible to find something that interests both of you. There are millions of things to choose from.

John and Ruth Colombo have such expansive and expanding interests, I never come away from a get-together without learning several things. For example, about these remarkable “Benda” masks…(1932)

Not only did I find out about the masks, the link took me to a treasure trove of wonderful British Pathé film clips like the one below.

Rising up in a neighbourhood of light industrial buildings and manufacturing plants, the brand new Ethiopian Orthodox church certainly stands out. John Robert Colombo spotted the gleaming dome a while back and took me over for a look-see today.

Danica recorded this lovely tree on the way to the store. High Park has many more cherry trees but none lovelier than our local one. For good measure, here are more Danica shots from even closer to home… our own tulips.

Today’s Jane’s Walk was the first one ever conducted for the Birchcliff neighbourhood, in Scarborough, along Kingston Road and down to the bluffs overlooking Lake Ontario. Sometimes it felt more like a Jane’s Talk, rather than a Jane’s Walk. Maybe next year they’ll cut back on some of the less interesting credit-giving and political speechifying… but it was a first effort, after all.
We met Danica’s cousin Neda, her husband Richard, daughter Nicole and son Matthew on the Walk. They live in the neighbourhood. Kathleen came along with Danica and me.
The turnout was excellent and the neighbourly feel was very pleasant. Water was provided… very thoughtful on a warm day… and auxilliary police were on hand to assure safe passage across busy, noisy Kingston Road. Tour guides had microphones, which was also helpful. The 2 hour walk finished on schedule and refreshments were provided at the finish line. In short, the event was well planned and executed.

It’s the little things you find about about neighbourhoods that make Jane’s Walks so worthwhile… like the little guy on the rooftop, top left. Who notices these things? Or Dorothy Cox, last seen in the Linsmore Tavern one night in the 1940s. Her bones were found when they tore down Robertson Motors. Her husband had been a construction worker when Robertson Motors was being built. Hmmm.
The walk, conducted in fine fashion by local resident Stephen Wickens, was called The Other Danforth to distinguish our end of the avenue from the better known Greektown end.

The old slide was in with the art slides I’ve been scanning. Danica wanted to know right away who was in the car. My mother Helen is at the wheel, with my stepdad Raabye over her shoulder. I have a feeling I should know who was in the back seat, but I can’t say.
The shot probably dates back to 1958 or 59. Not sure about the location, but likely somewhere in Vancouver. Love the fender skirt and whitewall tires.
In the same packet of slides, I found this one of Helen and Raabye on the steps of the church. Newlyweds.

Some would say we skipped Spring and jumped right into Summer… it was that warm today. But I’m going with Brian Hickey’s announcement of Spring because of his original illustration. Birds and buds are nice, but karts are the real deal.