Virtue Vision

New work.... Renegade inpired

2011-05-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

I tried to join the renegade craft fare but was turned down, they said my work was too well crafted and should be in a different type of craft fare, I kinda get it.. but look what they missed out on.

You however dont have to miss out on these gorgeous new pendants I made.... I'm selling them at the 4th and Clay event this weekend, the party is tonight! 6-9pm and the event goes thru sunday, selling seconds and Vases.

enjoy, hope to see you there.

Upcoming Fantastic Event in Berkeley at the fabulous 4th and Clay Studio

2011-04-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

We will be having a vase show and a seconds sale.... and that include old work that has to go for discounted prices.... come one come all, there are some talented ladies taking part in this show.

May 7th and 8th 11am - 5pm with an opening party on Friday May 6th from 6-9pm

at Fourth and Clay 2370 4th street Berkeley, ca.

Clay Creations Painting with Clay Workshop

2011-02-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday February 27th from 10am to 1pm

Come Join us at the Clay Creations studio for a workshop in surface decoration.

My two great loves are paintings and ceramics. In the 'Painting with Clay' workshop I will share with you my exciting discoveries in combining these two art forms. We will explore various ways of making marks and impressions, carving and painting with clay slip to create original ceramic compositions.

Call 650 557 0683 to register.

Members $35

Non Members $45

Haiti Summer 2010

2011-01-03T02:09:00.000-08:00

Artist enjoying an unconventional art class with HEART

more images

Port au Prince training team with a group mural

Thanks to Gloria Simoneaux - www.harambeearts.org I worked for Save the Children on an art therapy project in Haiti, called HEART, healing and education through art.

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6292389/k.335/Healing_and_Education_through_Art_HEART.htm

My first trip was in April 2010, when things were starting to settle down and more structure for programs like this one could be put in place. I learned that in the large NGO world there is a ‘model’ of implementing programs in which a ‘trainer’ trains another group of ‘trainers’ and they in turn train others, eventually there are many trained people who can implement the program to a greater portion of the targeted population. In this case the children.

Working for Save the Children was a fascinating experience in itself, I learned a lot from the inside about the structure and processes used in development, and of course, Gloria Simoneaux was an incredible teacher for my crash course in Art Therapy. I have also met many other amazing, talented creative people in the fields of development, therapy and art with whom I will continue to be life long friends.

Artist St Jean (a genius)working on a 'body map'

Mostly, I realized that I have been doing this work for a long time, I just wasn’t calling it therapy. Now I can say I have learned more specific techniques that will really help me in the growth of my work as an artist activist.

Performance Artist group CREA, came to pay us a visit and share some creative spirit.

I arrived in Port Au Prince, a large Carribbean capital city that reminded me a lot of many of the towns I have been to in Africa, but had a lot of the Carribbean flavor that I’m familiar with from my travels to Jamaica. I worked on developing a program specifically for the Haitian artists who were requested to participate in the project. Some of them were already employed with a group set up by the first lady of Haiti, called Plac Timon (which means children’s place in Kreol). This was a well funded program, and really well organized, cos they had TONS of cash, as it turns out there was a exhibition of this work at the Smithsonian, and Michelle Obama went to see one of their projects. Details about the earthquake in Haiti. http://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/haiti/

I worked for a week in Port Au Prince, with a group of 12 artist, and my amazing translator and good friend Laurence Camille.I helped to expand upon and develop a training manual for the project, that includes exercises and games to carry out that demonstrate how to relieve some aspects of trauma that people were still dealing with.

I came to understand, however that the earthquake in Haiti was not the only cause of trauma, years of physical and mental abuse was common among my trainees.I am so honored and grateful for everything they shared with me and taught me.

more images

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157625735383106/

My second trip was to Jacmel, a town in the south of Haiti that is known for its art.

Me, Laurence and Dominique in house of Moro in Jacmel

I trained two groups of artists here and continued to develop important aspects of the program such as evaluation, and opportunities for participants to practice what they had learned.

Typical street scene in downtown Jacmel.

It was at this time that I met two art therapist working from Denmark branch of Save the Children, they had some really great insights that they shared from their professional experience, and I hope to work with them both again in the future.

Local form of transportation in Haiti. The Tap Tap

more images

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157624591240654/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157624591261792/

My third trip was so wonderful because it included children. We set off from Jacmel to a town in the mountains called Lavoute.

Being trees outside in the beautiful surrounding country

Gaston, in forground was a little rascal.....

We spent a week running a practice program for the trainees with the children. It was so interesting to be an observer, and to be monitoring someone else doing the work, again, it helped me to develop my own practice in work with children.

When we were leaving the children kept asking, ‘When are you coming back?’

my amazing team of teachers in lavoute.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157625610177645/

Hopefully Save the Children will go back to Lavoute.

I was not under contract to return. My previous commitments made it impossible, but Gloria is going to continue what we have started, which I’m really happy to hear.

My involvement with the HEART program made a huge impact on my work and I’m excited to move forward again with my next phase of development with ‘Global Art Expeditions’.

Ghana, NCECA Residency 2010. An Extreme Case of Creation

2010-12-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

from the left, Abisboba, Sharon (nicknamed Ayampok-beire- 'little Ayampoka'), Ayampoka and Faustina pounding clay at SWOPA.

Sharon Virtue in Ghana with SWOPA(Sirigu Womens Organization for Pottery and Art.)

The main entrance to SWOPA.

I spent three weeks in a remote village called Sirigu, in the North of Ghana, working with local potters. They taught me their traditional hand-building techniques, decorative motifs and firing process. The local tribe of Nankani live in earthen houses that resemble large pots. These women have lived and worked this way for thousands of years, generation after generation.Unfortunately, the knowledge of their craft is now being lost.

The first week was spent in the workshop with my three teachers, Faustina, Ayampoka and Abisboba. During my stay at SWOPA they became my mentors and main support as well as good friends. Faustina, the youngest, would translate between English and Fra Fra, the local Nankani language.

We pounded clay from the nearby river. It took a day to process a 50lb batch. I was humbled as I watched Ayampoka, the eldest, and Abisboba coil pots at top speed, sliding them, as if on a wheel, across the floor on a bed of red grog. They compress the clay at the same time as joining the coils with their thumb and forefinger. Using their basic tools and some water they even out and shape the top of the pots, which look thrown when completed. After a week of practicing this technique, I gave up trying to create coil pots. It would have taken much more time than I had, and I had another agenda.

A typical day in the studio, sitting on the floor to do everything. I realize how strong your stomach and back have to be. This also did not last long. Eventually I was standing at the table.

Painting the local red earth pigment onto pots before burnishing.

Pots after burnishing. Now they can add other pigments, black and white.

The day of the firing. I didn't think it was possible, but the pots were bisque fired in less than 2 hours.

Typical house of the region. This section of the compound is called the Denyanga. this contains the rooms for the eldest woman living in the compound.

Ayampoka and me, 'Ayampok-beire' (as they nicknamed me little Ayampoka). Waiting for the fire to cool down outside her house.

Another local compound. So wonderfully cool inside.

In Africa, especially this region of the Sahel, all resources are limited. This becomes the determining factor in how people live their lives. There is a time and a place for everything, especially during the dry season, five months with no rain. During this time, all energy goes toward harvesting and storing food and preparing for scarcity. The laborious production method meant that clay was also scarce. I decided to work on small hand-sized maquette sculptures to explore my ideas. The constant question from those around me was, “What are you doing?” “What are those things for?” For these people everything has a function, a reason. Those questions made me examine the purpose of what I was doing here.

The road to the market.

The beautiful local kiddies that would watch and help out when i needed it. They were like little birds.

Pots outside a house.

I went to art school in the West and, therefore, in the privileged position of making art for art’s sake. I explained this to my Nankani friends … that my ceramic work had no particular function, just as decorating their houses did not serve a function. It was an aesthetic choice. The work I was making was the result of inspiration from things I was seeing around me. I was absorbing and processing my experiences of this place and the people who lived here and the everyday things of life.

Street art. These orange trees were everywhere. I love them.

A pot sealed with mud to keep the bugs out.

Durcas and Erica on a fig picking expedition.

This is Apolala Akaba. One of the local elders. She was afflicted with Elephantitis.

As gruesome as it seems, I was even inspired by Apolala's affliction. The texture and colour of the skin on her leg made me think of fetish figures covered with dry cracked dirt. This medical condition inspired the title of my report, “An extreme case of creation.”

A beautiful hand made toy carrying a load of medication used for Elephantitis.

A trippy local fermented drink made from Shea butter, which they use in cooking. The trees are all over the place. (It was stinky beer, I didn't try it).

Local chief outside my friends compound in Burkina Faso.

The environment and the rhythm of Nankani life had a visceral impact on my work. In the dry season, the heat is oppressive and constant, it is all prevailing, it infiltrates all your thoughts, and reduces you to a heap of sweaty exhaustion. In the bright daylight, people gather seeds and harvest their fields. All night a bat would call outside my window, the drumming from a nearby ritual space carried on until the moon set, and just before dawn the sound of someone gently sweeping the fallen dry leaves.

This residency provided me a sense of freedom. I felt excited, playful and unattached to the outcome. It helped me to achieve a method of exploration that I had not had the courage to try in the studio setting. I know this will be a benefit to my growth as an artist in the future. I’m honored to have been a part of it, even for a short time. I have learned so much, not just about the Nankani tribe and culture, but also about myself, my work and my process of creation.

Truely Africanized Ayambok-beire, complete with live chicken and cup of local tea.

for more photos go to the Flickr site.http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157625562228841/

Dwellings for the Divine.

2010-10-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

Barbara Vanderbeck and Sharon Virtue join forces for another star spangled show of Alters and Shrines for the divine. October 20th - November 1st

Come and celebrate Samhain, Hallow'een and Day of the Dead with us, at this time the veils between the spirit world and our world are thin...

Ruby's Clay studio

552 A Noe Street SF CA 94117.

Gallery open daily from 11- 7pm

phone 415 437 1642

Closing reception is on Hallows Eve.....October 31st from 4-8pm we are going to be in costume and hosting our reception early so that you can spend the rest of the witching hours at your leisure..... Please join us it is guaranteed to be a beautiful night.

I plunged right into this work upon my return to Haiti, put up a painting show at Esalen, and have not had time to come up for air until "Dwellings for the Divine" is in the gallery.
then i'm off on another Virtue voyage to Ghana... so not sure when i'll be posting again... but have to do this for the update on the Web page.... so here goes another fantastic something.... Hope to see you there.
Sharon.

Haiti and New studio space.

2010-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

I have been working for Save the Children in Haiti, and its amazing how much that work impacted the rest of my psychic space.. i feel like I'm just coming out the other end of it.... only to head back again in September.
there is so much to tell about Haiti.... so that will come later i guess but for now i posted some great photos on my flickr pages.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157624591261792
http://www.flickr.com/photos/virtuevision/sets/72157624591240654

I just got a new studio space at Ruby's Clay studio. Its amazing how much we keep doing the same thing from habit, and are reluctant to change, though it may be good for us.
Maybe its that full moon coming to fruition or something, but I'm headed into a new era in my ceramic career.
It was fun to learn how to use power tools and take control of creating my new space.

FUNK {SHON}

2010-03-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

My new ceramic show demonstrates how functional ceramics bring some bling to your dinning experience.
Challenging our assumptions about representation by playfully blurring the boundaries between western ideas about ‘high’ art and traditional categorization of ‘African Art’. Your Spring will be sprung with these brilliant funky functional ceramic wares inspired by African textiles and Rococo ornamentation.

FUNK {SHON} a playful pun on the word function, is the first show of only utilitarian ceramics I have created. I believes tha a healthy portion of art should be included in all of our daily diets. What better way to provide that than on a beautifully decorated plate or cup or bowl?

My new functional ceramic work is a combination of 17th century ceramic decorative art forms and African textiles. Inspiration came from Chris Ofili and Yinka Shonibare, British artists of African decent, whose works open up debate about the social, cultural and political issues that shape our histories and construct our identity.

The show will be held at RUBYS CLAY STUDIO in the heart of the Castro, 552 A Noe Street, San Francisco, 94114. Phone 415 437 1642.
The FUNK {SHON} exhibition will run from WEDNESDAY MARCH 31ST to WEDNESDAY APRIL 14TH with a closing reception on SATURDAY APRIL 10TH 2010 FROM 5-8PM.

VirtueVision Voyages: Design

2010-01-28T01:51:00.000-08:00

Design

I’m impressed with the old colonial Victorian homes and buildings, with their beautiful attention to detail. Reminds me of New Orleans.
The modern downtown skyline is ugly, with horrible 80’s architecture, the crowning glory of which is the Sky Tower. Not unlike the one in Seattle. We ate dinner when we first arrived looking down on the sprawling city of Auckland.

Maori architecture is simple refined and elegant, with incredible carvings. This type of traditional housing is not used by Maori today. However, there are large Wharahui constructed for ceremonial purposes. This is a sacred place to be treated with great respect.

There is a European influence for sure, but here in the south pacific there is also a unique hybrid style, its more sophisticated, I like it. I'm particularly inspired by their current clothing design, and some historic design, that has a striking south pacific influence. I found a company called Native Agent, check it out, it has a funky combination of old European army uniforms and Maori design.

Examples of just everyday things that sort of demonstrate what i'm talking about.

Everything is more expensive, second hand clothes cost more than clothes I purchase new. The displays in stores are so well put together, I’m having to try really hard not to buy.

VirtueVision Voyages: Northlands

2010-01-28T01:49:00.000-08:00

The Northlands

Did someone say Hobbit? This is the land of the hobbit. We made our epic 5-day voyage, up the west coast stopping at one of the last surviving Kauri forests. Kauri trees are native to New Zealand, the wood was prized by all, but the Europeans took it to the brink of extinction. The Waipoua Kauri forest is owned and run by Maori, and it was a great place to stop, hike and spend the night. The next day we went to visit Tane Mahuta, named for the Maori God of the forest the oldest and biggest Kauri tree alive today.

We hit Omapere on the Hokianga harbour, the coast up here is covered with huge sand dunes, that were apparently thrown out from the tops of erupting volcanoes.

We visited Dhaj, the mother of my friend Brent Sumner, living in a tiny village called Peria (near Doubtless Bay), to stay in her amazing hand built home. She let us stay at her holiday rental ‘the adobe art house’. Then we headed to the very tip of the island, Te Rerenga Wairua, to see the place where Maori spirits depart the earth, and return to their spiritual home of Hawaiki.

Back down the west coast we stopped at Bay of Islands, famously picturesque, to watch a sunset and visit the town of Waitangi.

This is the place the Treaty between the British and the Maori chiefs was signed regarding the ownership of land in New Zealand.

It’s a pretty simple one-page document, it goes something like this.
Article 1. The queen is now in charge.
Article 2. You can keep your land unless we want it.
Article 3. There is nothing you can do about it.

We headed south after spending the night in a cow field. Camping on the side of the road is no problem, and I actually like roughing it, as friends who have traveled with me will know.
A roughing it necessity, a pee bucket.

VirtueVision Voyages Little Black Sambo

2010-01-28T01:08:00.000-08:00

The influence of the British is undeniable. They speak English, drive on the left side of the road, eat fish and chips, play cricket and have high tea at 4pm with scones and jam, put the queen on their cash (I haven’t seen any Maori on the cash yet) and the old folk still wear knee high socks with their sandals.
I grew up in England, and one of the stories I remember reading was ‘Little Black Sambo”. It was written by a Victorian white woman living in India.

The story itself is not racist, but the character of Black Sambo is. As a black child being called a Sambo was a racial slurr. I was teased with this name by my hateful little catholic school peers.
Another antiquated racial icon that was around when I was a child, was ‘The Golliwog’.
Another relic of an earlier time when racism against those of African descent was blatant. As a child, being called a Wog, was no fun.

Here in New Zealand there is a revival of this toy. It is placed in the Museum, with a banner reading something along the lines of ‘a cherished childhood cultural artifact”.
I was horrified to see a child carrying one recently. When I made a point of it, the reaction was, “What’s the big deal, it’s just a toy”.
I said, “If you were black, you might be more sensitive to the issue”. In my research into little Black Sambo and the Gollywog, and because of my childhood experiences in England, I have a clear understanding that these images are derogatory and racist.
I guess they are a little behind the times here in NZ.

Virtue Vision Voyages Travel Essentials #2

2009-12-30T01:41:00.000-08:00

New Zealand has a huge hole in the Ozone above it. The light is extremely intense.

Sunscreen is a must. A good hat, and sunglasses. A raincoat, that rolls up to fit in a small pack. A small pack to carry your great tiny digital camera and refillable, reusable water bottle (make sure its stainless steel!) Some yummy, healthy energy snacks. Lots of karabiners so you can attach all your stuff to your pack.

Yes I know I look like a complete touristy dork, but the sparkly sweater gets me a little style street cred.

Other important and necessary items you can carry in your tiny pack.
A packet of tissues, for bathrooms with no t-paper, (a tip I picked up in Asia),
baby wipes, for the night after camping in a tent with nowhere to wash, (picked up at burning man),
insect repellent, to avoid bites but just in case, tiger balm, to relieve itching, calamine lotion,
and my special mix of lavender and aloe for sunburns
oh and tweezers and nail clippers!!!

The water tastes better now that I have the sticker on the bottle. Thanks to Neysa. And my favourite camera, the elph.

Virtue Vision Voyages Devonport Day out

2009-12-30T01:27:00.000-08:00

We went to the North Shore on the ferry to a little harbor village called Devonport. Getting out of the city we recognize what an incredible beautiful and green country this is. The down side is that we are both miserable with hay fever and allergies. Claritin can’t bust our sneezing fits and itchy eyes.

View of Rongitoto volcano from Devenport, in Auckland Harbor.

Jack is here. He is so much fun!!

Devonport is fancy. We watched little kids in their whites play cricket. It reminds me of Brighton, in the south of England. It seems every chance they got, the migrants from UK tried to make their newly colonized home as much like ‘old blighty’ –England- as possible. (See also Australia and parts of South Africa, Carribean, Africa and USA).

Virtue Vision Voyages Food

2009-12-30T00:56:00.000-08:00

This was the first store I found around the corner from Annabels in Auckland, selling organic treats and amazing hot chocolate.

This brought back scary moments from my youth in England. Fortunately was never made to eat spam, but we ate plenty of corned beef.

I have managed to stay away from the chocolate, but the jelly 'lollies' I cannot resist.

I’m not sure why but as soon as I entered the country I had this strange urge to eat really bad English food.
They have a lot of it here, and to my detriment I have indulged for the past 4 weeks.

It’s a shame really because they have incredibly fresh green delicious produce, this is a GMO Free country!! And, there’s lots of organic. It’s expensive, and most people in the country grow something of themselves. Most cattle and sheep are pasture fed, so the meat is so DELICIOUS!!! It really tastes like meat.

Meat pies- are everywhere, stodgy old english food..... delicious.

Green lipped mussels are a speciality, they are HUGE, not like the tiny French variety, so be careful when you order them!! they get stuck in your teeth... not speaking from experience, I'm not into shell fish, Jack, had had them.

However, listening to the radio, I’ve learned that they are trying to turn some of their cattle industry into the Mad Cow variety. They have been slowly changing chickens (chucks in kiwi) and pigs to the cruel shed housed, corn and antibiotic fed type, that most Americans are used to eating, and now they want to take the pasture fed cattle into the fold as well….

A typical scene in most of rural New Zealand, the natural bush was cut down to create pastures, this is part of what makes it look a lot like UK too. (And the mountains of Costa Rica, where the Quaker dairy farmers brought the cows in the 50's).

This is how things happen, most people aren’t aware of it, and because they have changed the other animal industries over, the transition for the cows won’t be difficult. I’m interested to see what happens.
I wrote an email to Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivors’ dilemma and In Defense of Food- great books) to see if he would have anything to do with it.
I’ve decided my new years resolution is to be vegetarian for a year.

Virtue Vision Voyages Language

2009-12-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Maori is the name of the people and the language still spoken by some of the original inhabitants of Aotearoa. Maori was not a written language until the Brits arrived. History was oral, with lots of songs and chants; most Maoris can recite their ancestral lineage, which is considered extremely important. NG is pronounced as ‘ing’ and is usually at the beginning of a word, if followed by an a, nga the g is silent. WH is pronounced as an F, as in Whangarei (f aung a rey) and Whakapapa (fac a pa pa). The vowel sounds need to be pronounced correctly too. So, to pronounce Maori more correctly the A has been flattened into an 0, sounding more like- M a ore ri. not Mow ri.

Descendants of the white Europeans are known as Pakehas, refer to themselves as Kiwis.
The Kiwi’s- have a similar way of speaking as Australians, in the same way I think Americans and Canadians have a similar way of speaking.

It’s also all about the way we pronounce our vowels. so far I know for sure that where we would say EEEEEE. as in YES or JET, they sound an I, so they say YISS and JITT . Next is the ‘i’. Fish and chips is famously pronounced ‘Fush and Chups’, and makes the Kiwi accent distinct from the Australian one!!

Virtue Vision Voyages Auckland.

2009-12-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Auckland is nestled in the Northeast of the North Island, and is surrounded by water and other Islands. This is volcanic land, and it’s a green hilly city of lots of parks and trees.
After a visit to the Auckland Museum you will have a general understanding of this fairly new land. The museum is in the Auckland ‘Domain” which is a large city park.

Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world,^[3] and has seen many people of Asian ethnicity move there in the last two decades. In Māori Auckland's name is Tāmaki-makau-rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.

We stayed with our friend Annabel Carr in a fancy part of town called Westmere. Her house overlooks a beautiful reserve called Cox Bay, and this is our sunset view.

this is a trendy little shopping 'mall' near Myers Park. On the super hip 'K' road.
full of modern design boutiques and second hand clothing.. but really expensive, funny to see the old british granma wear being rekindled.
but they do it in such a great way.....

Virtue Vision Voyages Art Adventure

2009-12-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Lauren Lysaght is an old friend and nationally acclaimed artist here in NZ. Ihad the great pleasure to assist her at her home and studio in Helensville, northwest of Auckland.
Her dog, Dame Edith Sitwell is a star, I love pugs.

This is the 'Sacred Apron' it's a great honor to be able to wear it. LOVE that badge....And this is a great shot of my beautiful greenstone necklace, its jade from NZ.
She is an amazing cook, so i was well fed in exchange for my hard work. I wish i had an assistant like me!!!

Her partner Janet is extremely well read, and we had a great time discussing the politics of sexuality and race in NZ. Lauren asked "what could be better than being a single mother, lesbian who is disabled?'
I said, "being a black, lesbian, disabled, single mother'.

We talked about the resurgence of the gollywog, (she is a collector of fine New Zealand folk art) and had a few weird black dollies in the guest house where i slept. She decided she was going to make some 'honky gollies' or was it 'honky wogs???'

Virtue Vision Voyages History

2009-12-13T14:54:00.001-08:00

Painting by Shane Cotton- "Sweet as eh???"(kiwi expression, similar to 'awesome').

A brilliant Polynesian navigator called Kupe in 950AD discovered Aotearoa. His people are said to have returned there in 1350AD. There were not many mammals; most of the birds were flightless. There were other people living here, the Morioris, or Moa hunters, the Maoris are said to have assimilated them, or killed them off, who knows?

It wasn’t until 1642 that the Europeans started to arrive starting with Abel Tasman. This Dutchman decided to call it New Zeeland after a province in Holland. He didn’t stay long after some of his crew were killed and eaten.

The British explorer, James Cook came again in 1796, sailed around and then claimed the land for the British Empire- the arrogance is stunning!!! Then he headed up to Australia. The first Europeans to arrive were fishermen, sealers and whalers, who promptly decimated the oceans populations, and on land they spread disease and firearms among the local population…sound familiar?

Early European settlers around the world have done the same thing in America, Canada, Australia, Africa, Asia and South America, to name a few….

Virtue Vision Voyages Travel Essentials #1 Good shoes

2009-12-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Good shoes are the basis of a pleasant trip, where ever you decide to go make sure you have one good pair to walk around in. The black shoes are my latest Clark's 'unstructured' they are BRILLIANT. (i grew up wearing Clark's).

The pink fluffy slippers i bought here at 'The WareHouse' (sort of like target in USA.. but even cheaper and worse quality)- A MUST for a girl who feels the cold and is staying in a place with tile floors. I love that they look like cakes, they are very cheap and very warm.

My feet are shown here covered in white paint from two days assisting artist Lauren Lysaght.
The little pumice brush at the top is essential for travel away from home. It has seen better days in Africa....but keeps my feet looking photo worthy, and fits easily into the bathroom bag.

Virtue Vision Voyages. Aotearoa.

2009-12-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to the Auckland Museum, an anthropology museum in the Domain, a large park in the center of town.

This is a Weta the heaviest insect in the world. I have seen them, they are BIG.

Charles Frederick Goldie
Goldie's work has been criticised as "racist", and certainly he held the Victorian attitudes he had grown up with that the Māori were a "dying race" and in many ways inferior to Europeans. However, many Māori value his images of their ancestors highly.

The issue of racism is very touchy here, as a woman of colour from the UK, I have some interesting points of view

I'm learning that language has a way of disguising certain forms of racism and sexism. Words like 'half-caste' are still used here in New Zealand, this victorian use of language is commonplace, so it seems normal to refer to mixed race people with this term, when in fact it is quite derogatory.
Growing up in England (the motherland!), I also used the same language, but living in USA have'nt heard it for some time. Hearing it again in NZ made me realize how powerful language can be as a tool to carry subconcious meanings, that endure through time and support a culture of ignorance.

More on this later under the title "golly wogs" and little black sambo.

a wharenui or meeting house (literally "big house")

New Zealand was known to the original tenants (Maori) as Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud- or as I saw recently which made me laugh- Land of the Wrong White Crowd.

New Zealand is beautiful. I’m so inspired when I come here, and the general aesthetic is so different from that of the USA. There is a thriving artist community, and the Arts are important here, with lots of artist residencies, art centers and public exhibition spaces.

Virtue Vision Voyages

2009-12-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

This image of a fern growing is so quintessentially Aotearoa/New Zealand for me. The Maori people call it a Koru, and it is a symbol of new life. When I first came here, that's exactly what I began, now I'm back to start another new life.

I took these photos on 'lovers walk' through the Domain, a large park in the middle of Auckland.

I decided to start a travel blog. I'm in New Zealand for the second time in 13 lucky years.
VirtueVisionVoyages will give you an artists point of view, philosophical musings of a curious mind, a social commentary and great places to eat, stay and see. Oh and lots of photos.
Travel opens my mind to so many possibilities. It has been an important catalyst in my life’s journey, I find myself full of bravado fearless and eager to soak up as much as possible.

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.
Miriam Beard

this is not as easy as you think.

2009-11-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

i have come to the realization that i am not cyber savy.
i can never remember the stupid pass words or what my username is.
can anyone give me some tips on how to keep your cyber blogger, website, etsy flicker account organized?

2009-04-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

thank god i remembered my pass word.... i'm in.
i just found Mirna's list... she has accomplished all the wonderful generosity of spirit that i had all the good intentions to share about finding grants and funding for the arts. good on ya mirna. Now i can just direct everyone to your site and blog.....
its 2 am. i can't research a travel grant much longer...
shaz.

In the begining......

2009-04-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

I have some extra time on my hands, and have been wanting to do this for some time, as I find it fascinating that so many people have blogs, read blogs.... blog blogs... I am now entering the world of the blog.