Henri van Bentum

Ann Southam composition "Simple Lines of Enquiry" , performed by Eve Egoyan

2012-01-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday night Natasha and I were at Alix Goolden Hall (Victoria Conservatory of Music) for a recital by Eve Egoyan playing “Simple Lines of Enquiry” by Canadian composer and dear friend Ann Southam, who went over the horizon November 25, 2010 at her home. The friendship between Eve and Ann must have come from Euterpe, the Muse of Music. The work is approximately 60 minutes long and a very delicate, difficult piece to play. Eve Egoyan, who obviously loves Ann’s work, played sublimely. Here is what Ann Southam has to say about “Simple Lines of Enquiry”: “Through the application of simple minimalist procedures to a 12-tone row, or more accurately a 12-interval row, Simple Lines of Enquiry is a gentle, contemplative exploration of the emotional possibilities of these intervals and the sonorities they create, and the sound world and resonances of the piano itself.” I’ve seldom if ever mentioned Ann Southam in previous posts because in her lifetime she was very humble and didn’t sound her own trumpet. Now that she is no longer with us, except through her legacy of music which will live on, I can speak more freely of our friendship. It all began in autumn 1959. I had arrived on Canadian shores in October 1957 as an immigrant from Holland, and settled in Toronto. In the spring of 1959 a specialist doctor, Wilfred S. Goodman, sponsored an unforgettable journey to Banff National Park, where I became the first-ever guest artist at the School of Fine Arts. This episode has already been posted in an early blog. All my work of that period I donated to Dr. Goodman. Back in Toronto in autumn 1959, I lived in the Annex on Walmer Road and rented a bachelor apartment in a house, on the first floor, facing the front, with a bay window. Ann Southam came by every morning in her Navy blue limousine to fetch another student in the master piano class given by Pierre Souverain. It was on Walmer Road where we first met. We became close friends. Ann replaced Dr. Goodman as my benefactor by helping me keep my head above water. Dr. W.S. Goodman no longer sponsored me because in his words “You have gone over my head, Henri, and beyond my understanding with your work”. Slowly but surely it had evolved from ‘landscape to mindscape’. Ann Southam however viewed this change differently. She supported me 100% and without her I don’t know what I would have done back then in the fledgling contemporary art scene of the early 1960’s in Toronto. There is an old saying, “Experience it, so you know”. Same here, if you wish to know about Ann Southam’s work and the performances by Eve Egoyan (a true ambassador of Ann Southam’s legacy), then we need to listen to the music which is a superb form of minimalism.

Seven Seas & Amazing 16-year old Circumnavigator (solo)

2012-01-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

We’ve been asked our thoughts about the Costa Concordia situation. It is a tragedy. Having been at least 30 times on ocean liners and cruise ships (and not including my days with Holland America Line as a First Class steward in the late 1940’s), I guess people are curious because of our experience on the 7 seas.
I’ve been in two shipwrecks. One, in April 1961, aboard a 60 foot sloop en route to Greece from the island of Ibiza. We were shipwrecked off the coast of Sicily in the sirocco winds. The other, aboard the legendary “Cristobol Carrier” en route from Guayaquil, Ecuador to the Galapagos in May 1969. That shipwreck occurred in the early hours of the morning. The captain was drunk and no one was on the bridge. But we’ve had no problems or mishaps aboard all the other ships. We still think they’re safe, if you can use that word in general when it concerns travel.
Speaking of the seas and sailing, how about the 16-year old girl from Holland? Laura Dekker is almost at the end of a solo circumnavigation around the world. Here is the link to her official site. She’s due to arrive back tomorrow on the island of St. Maarten, from where she departed January 20, 2011. You’d think she’d be getting a hero’s welcome in Holland? Well, yes, everyone except the Government that is. The Minister of Education claims she did not continue her school education since she took off in the middle of a school season. They may punish her. So, guess, what? The intrepid Laura Dekker says, “If that’s the case, I will not return to Holland.” Challenging the seven seas, solo, what she has done, amounts to a true education. Speaking for myself, my school education ended when I was 10, due to the outbreak of WWII. Granted she will not get a diploma, neither did I, yet I speak six languages and have been around the world three times. Not bad for someone with no “education”. Goes to show you how seriously the Netherlands Government considers completion of one’s education. To Laura, we say "Yes, well done! Bravo! Chapeau!

A rare heavy snowfall

2012-01-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

Our visiting sea lion (see two posts below) hasn't appeared for awhile. Must have anticipated the Arctic airflow. By now maybe he's back in balmy Monterey, to play. Victoria has been pummelled by a good layer of snow. Thermometer outside shows -9C. Usually we have one or two light days of snow, mostly the wet kind mixed with a sprinke of rain. However, one crocus has presented itself on the front lawn, saying "Here I am, snow or no snow!" Is Nature not amazing?

Year of the Water Dragon

2012-01-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

Soon we’re entering another “New Year”, this time it will be Year of the Water Dragon, celebrated in the Orient and by immigrants settled on these shores.

Twelve years ago, we were on a millennium world voyage aboard “Ocean Explorer I” where I conducted a floating art class and was resident guest artist. One of the many ports of call was Bali, Indonesia. There, we acquired this masterful woodcarving of a dragon, since 2000 was also Year of the Dragon. It is very small, only 14 cm high and 7 cm wide. For 12 years we’ve had it on display at our various abodes. Back in 2000 when we purchased the carving, I said that should I still be alive in the year 2012, we’d mark the occasion by honouring the humble woodcarver who created this striking piece.

Look at the intricate carving, the detail, the teeth - - all carved from one piece of wood. Bravo! Over the past 12 years technology jumped by leaps and bounds. Little did we know twelve years later that Natasha could take a picture with her mobile phone and post it on a blog. Amazing technology. (The photo concept was mine.) Twelve years onward to the next Dragon year (2024) would make me 95 years of age, so it’s realistic to say I’ll not be here any longer on spaceship Ocean Earth. Wishing you all a healthy New Year.

In our neighbourhood by the sea

2012-01-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

From balmy and lush Hawaii, home again to moist, cool and sometimes foggy climes - - - trademarks of Victoria winters. This does not seem to bother the wildlife, especially Hummingbirds. And the New Year brought a new (for us) visitor to our shore off Dallas Road. We spotted a large Sea Lion snoozing on a rock just 75 metres from our door. The last day or so she’s made it her home. Since we don’t see them often out of the water at this time of year, the lyrics about “Monterey, where the seals and mantas play” came to mind. Sometimes an Eagle settles down to rest awhile, along with a few of those Hummingbirds doing their acrobatic manoeuvres, accompanied by an energy that seems perpetual. We’re told they need to take in huge amounts of nectar to offset all this use of energy. Meanwhile let’s see if our lone Sea Lion is still there tomorrow. In the meanwhile here is a photo.

It's been awhile - and now for something different

2012-01-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

It has been quite awhile since our last post. With all the worldly goings-on, sometimes one wishes to be silent, amidst all the noise and drama. Just returned from a memorable, "free Vitamin D" sailing, circumnavigating the Hawaiian islands. Appreciate having the good health in order to do so. Highlights were:

the Waimea Canyon, Kaui
Hamela'uma'u crater with a huge, billowing plume of sulphur dioxide, Big Island
an amazing Banyan Tree in Lahani, Maui - at first it looks like a dozen trees, but then we discovered everything is an offshoot from one, main tree
ten days of fresh sea-air
seasonal decorations aboard ship, including a complete gingerbread village.

From Earth to the Solar System (FETTSS)

2011-05-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

Explore "From Earth to the Solar System" (FETTSS), inspired by 2009's "From Earth to the Universe" that included images from the Starry Night edition of my work ORGANIVERSE when displayed in Victoria. Follow FETTSS on Twitter.
Description from the website: "From Earth to the Solar System (FETTSS) is a collection of images that showcase the excitement of planetary exploration—our journey to understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System, and our search for life elsewhere.

The images are at once artistic and informative, weaving together themes in astrobiology, planetary science, and astronomy. Including contributions from backyard astronomers, large telescopes in space, and even point-and-shoot cameras of field researchers, the collection represents the current state of exploration as seen through the eyes of the scientific community".

Photos of rare moonbows taken in Hawaii

2011-03-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

A friend recently sent us this link to two photos of Moonbows.

http://www.spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Ethan-Tweedie-_MGL1528_1301034248.jpg

From Chandra: an intergalactic "weather map"

2010-12-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

From the Chandra Blog, we learn today this image is "an intergalactic 'weather map' around the elliptical galaxy NGC 5813, the dominant central galaxy in a galaxy group located about 105 million light years away from Earth.

"Just like a weather map for a local forecast on Earth, the colored circle depicts variations in temperature across a region. This particular map presents the range of temperature in a region of space as observed by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, with the hotter temperatures shown in red and decreasingly cooler temperatures shown in orange, yellow, green, and blue. The numbers displayed when rolling your mouse over the image give the gas temperature in millions of degrees". Explore more at the Chandra blog.

You're also invited to visit COLORING SPACE, a collaboration with Chandra X-Ray - a selection of images from my ORGANIVERSE Starry Night series of paintings in pointillism, juxtaposed with images from space.

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada RASC - Victoria

2010-11-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today's the annual meeting for RASC's local group, check out their 2011 calendar

You can order them online here: http://www.rasc.ca/calendar/

Interstellar Dust Shining in the Reflected Light of Nearby Stars

2010-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

FROM EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE - image of the day, find it here.

Nebula NGC6726

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Credit: Stephane Guisard & Robert Gendler

Two ORGANIVERSE videos can be viewed at Vimeo

2010-09-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

You're invited to watch the two videos based on both the Original and Starry Night versions of ORGANIVERSE on our Vimeo page.

ORGANIVERSE by Henri van Bentum "Starry Night" edition - sphere # 26 out of a series of #100 spheres

2010-09-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

ORGANIVERSE - this is just one sphere in the series of one hundred, Starry Night edition. Pointillism, 8 1/2 cm. in diameter (3.3"). To watch a video of the Original (and Starry Night) set, come and visit our Vimeo page.

Explore the new ORGANIVERSE ROTATION Handset, available for purchase, with holder made from recovered Westcoast wood including Garry Oak. A project in collaboration with Brian W. Johnson. For contact information please visit my website, and click on "Biography".

"FETTU" From Earth to the Universe - Image of the Day

2010-09-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

"This relatively wide-angle telescopic view shows parts of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. The three bright stars are Orion's Belt - Alnitak (left), Alnilam and Mintaka (right). Just to the left of Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, and just below the star is the famous horsehead nebula. The Orion Complex also includes the famous Orion Nebula, and a structure called Barnard's Loop which covers most of the constellation". RSS the "FETTU" site to receive your image of the day.

Credit: Image created from Palomar Observatory Sky Survey visible light data by Davide De Martin.

COLORING SPACE - special feature at Chandra X-Ray Center, a collaboration with "Organiverse" by Henri van Bentum

2010-08-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

A week ago I made my 81st orbit. Speaking of “orbit”, it was a gratifying experience to see on Wednesday the Chandra X-Ray Center (NASA)
launched a special feature on its website, a fusion of art and science called “COLORING SPACE” with work from my "Organiverse" Starry Night edition (original paintings are just 8 1/2 cm. in diameter (3.3"). Micro and macro cosmos.

What is Chandra? 'The Chandra X-Ray telescope is an orbiting observatory that reveals the most detailed x-ray view of the universe. Since its launch on July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray telescope has been NASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy, taking its place in the fleet of "Great Observatories."' You can also see lots of fascinating detail about Chandra on NASA's website page "Exploring the Invisible Universe" here.

COLORING SPACE juxtaposes images from NASA-operated satellites taken between 1998 and 2008 with a selection of pointillist spheres from my ORGANIVERSE Starry Night edition.

The project is intended, as the people at Chandra say, “to provoke thought about how the two realms of color - in art and in space - intersect and diverge. This piece explores the similarities of how these different types of images are made, as well as discusses the ways in which they differ. We invite you to explore these images and what they represent both on their own and when presented as a comparison, or contrast, to another in a separate field.”

Organiverse - Original set created in 1972

The original series of 100 Organiverse paintings (or “Helios” edition) was painted on watercolour paper - - - dot by dot, atom by atom. There are four spheres per folio, for a portfolio of 25 pages. This was done back in 1972, long before the Internet, or even fax machines. Since 1972 there has been a phenomenal evolution of electronic intelligence, of computers and software gadgets. Yet my original intent in creating Organiverse was for the viewer to view (on paper) one sphere at a time, quietly, for contemplation and meditation. This motivation has now been overtaken by technology.

Yet it's interesting, even three decades ago, there was foreshadowing of links, a harbinger between science and space, art and science, when filmmaker Julius Kohanyi was commissioned to create an experimental 35mm colour and sound film based on Organiverse. (Also, already in the early 1960's, long before the moon landing any any NASA images or Chandra , I gave lectures and one of these was called "THE INVISIBLE MADE VISIBLE" More about that in another post.)

When it came time to give the completed film a title, Kohanyi wanted to use only a symbol: the two circles at the top left corner of this picture: (if If it looks familiar, this is from the plaque installed aboard Pioneer 11 spacecraft in 1973).

However, he was told a symbol alone wouldn’t “work” for cataloguing the film, so Julius had to give it a name, and he chose “H-A” (for Hydrogen Atom, the first building block of the universe.)

Creation of the “Starry Night” edition - the Starry Night edition of Organiverse was born from curiosity. In the early 2000’s, I was collaborating with Hewlett Packard (HP) who graciously agreed to scan the complete original Organiverse series using their latest scanning technology. When all 100 scans were completed, I asked the HP expert, Allen Rothwell: “Can we create a negative from the positive?” And the rest is history, as they say. Recent developments - In the past two years, first with the recent International Year of Astronomy 2009 “From Earth to the Universe” exhibit which included both the Original and Starry Night editions of Organiverse on video, and now with this special feature created by the Chandra X-Ray Center, Organiverse has taken on a life of its own.

Speical note re: "From Earth to the Universe" FETTU - I would like to thank the volunteers of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada VICTORIA Centre who made possible last year's FETTU exhibit, and a special thank you to Garry Sedun and Joe Carr.

Although we keep a strict copyright on the work, in a way Organiverse is now "out of my hands” so-to-speak, and has orbited beyond my original intent, as said earlier: that is, for people to quietly, contemplate the spheres individually as an antidote to our multi-tasking and over-stressed times. It was the Starry Night edition of Organiverse that caught the eye of staff at Chandra. A very special thanks to Kimberly Arcand Kowal for all her work on the project.

We wish Organiverse and Chandra X-Ray Center a healthy and constructive orbit over the "Human Family", bringing - we hope - wonder and nourishment for the mind.

ORGANIVERSE HANDSET project - in keeping with its seemingly endless evolutions, yet another initiative was born. We thank Brian W. Johnson of Victoria, BC for his help in working with me on colour callibration of the scanned spheres, and also in developing the concept of having the images housed in a striking and innovative wood container made from recovered Westcoast wood.

These handsets are available and we invite you to read more about these unique sets here.

Signing off for now, Happy Trails! Henri

Monsoon and beyond

2010-08-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Once while in India, we experienced the Monsoon season. Remember it well.

After a scorching hot and ‘blood-thinning’ month, the dark clouds and Monsoon rains came upon us. This refreshing relief prompted us to rush outside, hold up our arms, dance and be merry with the villagers. Something like Gene Kelly, “Singing in the Rain”.

What an enormous contrast to Pakistan with the current calamity and untold human suffering. Some 14 million people are made homeless. A staggering number. Mother Nature seems to be calling us to order. Behave, or else!

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster caused much damage. Many who lost their livelihood brought their pets to their local humane society because they couldn’t feed them any longer. This prompted citizens from all over the USA to adopt the ‘orphans’. Some even let the animals fly First Class! We humans are a strange breed. We go to war, and kill and even get medals of honour to do so. On the other hand when called upon, we’re ready to come to the rescue. Only this week, 45 Chihuahuas were dropped off in our community by one woman (!) at the local SPCA. (Not sure why she had 45 Chihuahuas but that's another story.) Within 48 hours, thirty-three of these long-eared canines available for adoption had found new homes.
See what we mean? Signing off, Henri

Paul the Octopus - yet more developments

2010-08-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

More news about our amazing octopus, Paul the Oracle. Another agent has now joined the gravy train for endorsements. This one resides in England and tells us children’s books are being written. That’s what I predicted a couple of months ago, I was "right on the money", except I won’t get any royalties. (ho-ho)
Also I predicted awhile ago for the coming Christmas season that toys would be manufactured about this oracle from the deep. Now we discovered there is a record deal in the works, "Paul the Octopus Sings Elvis". What Elvis the Pelvis has to do with it, I’m not quite sure. Maybe because Paul’s 8 arms are flexible and can move in all directions. Just like Elvis moved all over the place, “all shook up”. Stay tuned for more on Paul, the amazing 8-armed clairvoyant.

New developments about Oracle Paul the Octopus - protecting the Turtles in Greece

2010-08-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Have been silent for awhile. With all those worldwide communication-gadgets on the market and in homes, telling us about all the “hot news” that’s out there, tomorrow’s happenings are already news today!

One thing’s for sure, however - every day we are getting a bit closer to the Pearly Gates, so make the best of it. A news item that’s still unfolding by the day has kept my attention: in previous posts I predicted (long before he became a news item), that the renown would spread of Paul the 8-armed Amazing Psychic Octopus of World Cup (and Bundesliga) prediction fame.

Although Paul has now retired from predicting, he has begun to spread his fame and eight arms commercially worldwide: like the celebrity he is, Paul now has an agent!

Already hundreds of endorsement offers have come in, expecting to bring forth millions of Euros and Dollars.

Here he is selecting a box with the name of a Germany supermarket chain, Rewe:

Saving Turtlles in Greece - but Paul has not forgotten his fellow deep sea dwellers. One of his arms is intended to protect endangered TURTLES in Greece. Funds will be set aside for this good cause. Here is one link to learn more about turtle protection in Greece.

Don’t ask me how I predicted Paul’s future fame, months before it happened. The facts are there.
Stay tuned for further multi-armed spreading news about Paul the amazing psychic wonder of the Deep.

That’s All Folks! Henri

See the story below from Spiegel Online

From Spiegel Online - Eric Kelsey tells us Paul the Octopus now has an Agent

2010-08-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

From July 30th edition of SPIEGEL ONLINE "Psychic Octopus Begins Advertising Career" By Eric Kelsey:

Paul the psychic octopus may have retired from predicting football matches, but his advertising career has just begun. The eight-legged oracle recently appeared in an advertisement for a German supermarket chain and has received more than 160 endorsement offers, including a book deal, according to the mollusk's agent.

From the depths of the ocean to the height of stardom, Paul the octopus' star hasn't gone dim yet. After shooting to fame this summer by correctly predicting the results of each of Germany's World Cup matches -- including tipping Spain to beat Netherlands in the final -- the cephalopod oracle from the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen was featured in recent print ads for the German supermarket chain Rewe.

The ads, which were shot about a week ago, show Paul in his trademark pose atop a transparent box after snatching a mussel from inside. Naturally, Paul chose the Rewe box.

How long did it take Paul to choose the mussel from the Rewe box? "Instantly," the mollusk's England-based agent Chris Davis told SPIEGEL ONLINE. Neither Rewe nor Davis would disclose the amount Paul earned from the ad, but the agent would only say that it was "substantial" sum. Paul's income will go to a turtle sanctuary in Greece, according to the agent.

"Paul has turned into a million-plus brand instantly," says Davis, noting that Paul has so far received more than 160 offers to hawk products. "I have had 37 offers just this morning," he said on Friday.

Paul Meet David

Rewe is so far undecided on whether it will continue its work with the cuddly octopus. "It cannot be ruled out that we will use the well-known octopus again in our advertising," Rewe spokeswoman Julia Robertz told SPIEGEL ONLINE in an e-mail. Robertz added that Paul's image will only be used in the short-term.

Paul may have bigger fish to fry, anyway. The octopus also has his eight arms wrapped around a book deal, a plush toy contract and will swim alongside David Beckham to promote England's bid for the 2018 World Cup, says Davis.

Nevertheless, campaigning for a supermarket chain may be problematic for the mollusk. On Rewe's own website, the Cologne-based supermarket calls octopus "tasty" and says that "especially coveted are their meaty arms, which also come deep-frozen and pre-fried."

During the World Cup, disappointed fans from Argentina to Germany threatened to roast the octopus after he correctly foresaw losses by their squads. And in China, a movie is about to hit the big screen entitled "Kill Paul Octopus," whose fictional plot reportedly revolves around gambling and match fixing at this year's World Cup.

But Paul has a legion of protectors in Spain. Shortly after the nation's World Cup victory, the city council of Carballiño, a town of 14,000 in northern Spain, made Paul an honorary citizen. Carballiño Mayor Carlos Montes traveled to Oberhausen last week to hand-deliver the honor to Paul.

news about Paul the Octopus - transfer bid has been rejected by Germans

2010-07-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

See our earlier blog posts about Paul and his amazing predictions, Meanwhile here's the story, from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

"BERLIN -- Octopus oracle Paul's prescience wasn't needed to predict how this one would turn out: His aquarium in Germany has given a resounding "nein" to a bid to move the celebrity mollusk to Spain.

(note from Henri: here's Paul making his selection for the Argentina vs. Germany match)

Paul rose from obscurity in Oberhausen's Sea Life aquarium during the World Cup to international celebrity as he correctly called the outcome of Germany's seven matches in the month-long tournament, time and again picking a mussel from a tank marked with the flag of the would-be winner.

He also correctly predicted Spain would beat Germany in the semifinals -- prompting many in his home country to speculate how he would taste grilled in garlic butter.

Already a celebrity in Spain after the semifinal prediction -- Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero offered to send a security team to protect the 2 1/2-year-old floppy octopus from the hungry Germans -- the country went wild for him after he correctly tipped Spain over the Netherlands in the finals.

Paul is now so popular in Spain that a northwestern Spanish town tried to borrow him. Officials in O Caraballino, population 14,000, declared that the octopus is their "honorary friend" and wanted Paul's presence to promote a seafood festival, the Faro de Vigo newspaper said.

A businessman from the town also offered 30,000 euros (C$40,740) to buy Paul, but the newspaper said Sea Life declined.

In response to hundreds of requests to bring Paul to Spain, the Madrid Zoo this week asked Sea Life if it would be willing to make a deal to bring him in as a tribute to the Spanish soccer team's victory.

"They brought the World Cup, we bring Paul," zoo spokeswoman Amparo Fernandez told The Associated Press. "He's a symbol of this championship."

She said the zoo had asked for Paul to come on either a temporary or permanent basis, and had proposed an exchange of animals. She said no financial offer had been made, but that it would be considered if necessary.

But Sea Life spokeswoman Kerstin Kuehn said there was no way it would happen.

"It's totally out of the question to sell Paul or lend him out," she said in an email. "Paul will enjoy his greatly deserved retirement in Sea Life in Oberhausen." "

(1) More about 'Le Tour' and (2) Salish Sea officially named

2010-07-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed the massive fields of sunflowers and vineyards while taking in today’s stage of the Tour de France. Soon they’ll be in the Pyrenees. Before then, we’ll start seeing fields and fields of lavender.

See what I meant about the Tour being a free tour of summer scenery in France? (See earlier posts from a few days ago, below.)

NAMING OF THE SALISH SEA:

We’re pleased to learn that the body of water at our doorstep now has a name, the Salish Sea. The large area of coastal waters off the south coast of British Columbia was officially named the Salish Sea yesterday. It includes Juan de Fuca Strait, the Strait of Georgia, and Puget Sound.

If only now the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico would get another name, then we’d be sailing in the right direction! Til later, Henri

"Biggest Transfer Story of the Summer"? Paul the Octopus adventures continue

2010-07-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

"Paul the octopus set for sensational transfer to Madrid aquarium - Spanish zoo prepared to meet 'any demands' to sign German cephalopod that predicted team's World Cup final victory." (The Guardian, UK, July 15)

The City of Madrid "Zoo Aquarium" has offered to buy the amazing psychic Octopus, Paul, from the Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. Sum unknown.
Since Spain won it all, and now prides itself as holder of the golden World Cup futbal trophy for the next four years, it seems only fitting. After all, Paul predicted the win over Netherlands, although the score was a minimal 1-0 result.
Now I am curious to know whether Oberhausen will even consider accepting this offer (the fans in Germany may object!); how much was the offer for, and if Oberhausen does part with Paul, how will the Madrid Zoo (or anyone in fact) know if it is indeed the Paul.
Who can tell the difference, except another Octopus?

Temporary Cap on Gulf of Mexico Leak

2010-07-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

We’re all aware of the horrendous ecological damage going on in the Gulf of Mexico. Not to speak of the suffering of innocent creatures, and the human misery. Comedian George Lopez, host of a late-night talk show "Lopez Tonight", broadcast live from Burbank, California, calls it Gulf of “Texaco”, and said last night “We now have a Gulf divided into two sections: leaded and unleaded.”

Today BP seems to have capped temporarily the source of the leak. It’s a test. Let us hope this effort will be successful. But what about the hundreds of millions of litres of oil, and the delicate habitat, plus the livelihoods based on fishing or ‘shrimping’. Not to mention the bird colonies under siege by the oily mess. Then there are the rare manatees in those waters, and the dolphins.

There is an alternative, the Sun brings us mega-warmth and energy on a daily basis, yet it’s free. The sun never sends us an invoice. Something to ponder

Tournesol - Sunflowers along the route, Tour de France 2010

2010-07-15T15:41:00.001-07:00

Tour de France - Bastille Day, "Le Quatorze Juillet"

2010-07-14T14:42:00.001-07:00

Just watched the finish of today’s stage of the Tour de France, in the town of Gap. This time not too much climbing, a few in the 1,000 metres and one in the 2,000 metres range. Today the fellows had to cope however with Africa-like temperatures at least 36 degrees C.

All that heat was making the tar on the roadways soft, creating a hazard for the riders. Especially on the hairpin turns down the Col du Noyer, descents where they zoom along at 75 km/hr, thank you!

I call this race the “Tour de Force”. No matter what the weather is like: rain, hail, fog, sometimes snow on the summits, or hot temperatures like today, the Tour goes on.

And as if completing one stage is not challenging enough, let alone all 23 stages of the full Tour, any rider who gets to the finish after a time limit set by the race organizers, is unceremoniously kicked out - eliminated!

Today there were beautiful camera views along the route of the Haute-alps, taken by the photographer in a helicopter. The helicopter sent some horses running, accompanied by a lone donkey. They’re now all immortalized, on today the national holiday of France, Le Quatorze Juillet. Bastille Day.

Hopefully these past couple of blog posts have stirred some appetite to tune into this magnificent sports race, which began already 103 years ago! A bientot, Henri

Tomorrow is Bastille Day, "Quartoze de Juillet" on the Tour

2010-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, July 14, is “Quartorze de Juillet” in France. Les francaises celebrate Bastille Day. You can be sure to see many tricoloured banners and flags along the Tour de France stage to Gap. Yes, the Tour has its history of cheaters using drug-enhanced energy inputs, but overall most of these fellows are going on their own strength. So we have recently had the amazing Paul the Octopus and his World Cup predictions, and now the amazing bike race of the Tour de France. Ah yes, there is a Canadian amongst these 120-plus riders, with the appropriate name of Ryder Hesjedal. He grew up here on beautiful Vancouver Island and lives nearby. We wish him good luck, or as the French say, “Bonne chance!”. A la prochaine, Henri

Le Tour de France

2010-07-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

From one very popular sports event to another. Maybe this one is not well-known in North America (although there’s a Texan by the name of Lance Armstrong involved), but I’m talking about the most gruelling sports event in the world, the Tour de France. (“Le Tour”).
Gruelling both mentally and physically. This incredible mega-race on a bike is already into day 10, with 15 more days to go. Today the riders had to climb the Col de la Madeleine in the Alps at Haute-Savoie. And that was after they already been riding 150 kms on their bikes today alone! So, for a pleasant addition, they had to climb 1 hour non-stop to the 2,000 metre summit. Then descend at average speeds of 70 km/hr right to the end of today’s stage, where again there was another 700m climb to the finish line.
I first heard about the Tour in the Lowlands when I was 3 years old, through my father. I am not a fanatic about the Tour, but I do respect the riders efforts and love the panorama and scenery these fellows have to race through. It’s a great way to follow the various locales and mountain regions of France.

World Cup winds down, Octopus popularity goes up

2010-07-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Did anyone notice the Spanish fan in Madrid dressed like an octopus? Also some people were wearing T-shirts with an octopus design. All thanks to the amazing Paul who resides in an aquarium at Oberhausen, Germany. See my posts below for more details about his exceptional record of predicting the match outcomes. Paul predicted Spain’s victory over the Netherlands.
And now there is a big demand worldwide for squid or calamari, pulpo, at the fish markets world-wide! Unfortunately, since this won’t do much to help this species. People have a strange mindset, now thinking eating octopus will help give them psychic powers. (Like in Asia where so many species are at risk or virtually extinct because of a strange mindset about aphrodisiac powers of various animal parts.)
We have our own "Paul" as you can see beside this post. Got it a few years ago on the island of Domenica, calligraphy courtesy of Natasha.

Mani the Parakeet, Paul the Octopus - and (new) Sockeye Salmon

2010-07-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Now we have a fortune-telling or "prediction competition" between two non-humans: Mani, the 13-year old Parakeet in Singapore, who predicted all 4 quarterfinal matches and the two semi-finals correctly (Mani says Holland will win the final tomorrow), and Paul in Oberhausen, Germany, the 3-year old Octopus who has picked Spain to win it all!
Since we’re on the subject, did you know some smartalec coined the word “soccer” from the words “Associated Football”. Now I'm asking you! Some bright light of the human species spotted 3 letters and made a whole new word out of it. (A new name was necessary because "Football" in America points to another game with a ball. In that game the ball is thrown by hand more than played with the “foot”. Ho-ho!)
Speaking of words: SUK-KEGH (Sockeye Salmon)

Another item about a name. We live here on the Pacific coast in beautiful Victoria and are privileged to be able to have fresh Salmon on the menu, that I cook. As you know there are various species, and the one we're enjoying fresh these dayas is Sockeye. Now, I’m asking you again, giving a fish a name by a combination of the words “sock” and “eye”!
Who on earth coined that one, we asked? So we did some research and sure enough, some English brain heard the Coast Salish word for Sockeye, “Suk-kegh”, meaning “Red Fish”, and what he heard has been carved in stone, as Sockeye.

All we need now is to find a local native from the Coast Salish who can teach us how to pronounce “Suk-kegh”. My guess is “sook-ke”.
Back to the World Cup: now we await in a few hours the outcome of the consolation prize, and the tomorrow results of the mega trophy match. The Oracle of Oberhausen, Paul the Octopus, will he be correct in predicting Spain will win? In any event, some reincarnation from Delphi or Nostradamus had saved his eight arms from being sautéed in garlic, because he has also predicted a win for Germany over Uruguay today. (He wasn't popular after predicting the outcome of the earlier match between Spain and Germany!)
Let us not forget, Paul has as many legs as four futbal players! And maybe four times the brainpower of one who kicks a ball all over the place!
Henri

Paul Predicts Again - and has a 'rival", Mani the Parakeet

2010-07-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Who can foretell good fortune and misfortune for the same event? Paul, the amazing Octopus in Oberhausen, Germany – that’s who! He predicted so far all the wins and losses of Germany in the World Cup (associated football, which they call “soccer” here in North America).
Let me give you a prediction of my own. We see worldwide fame for this 8-armed all-knowing fortune teller. This will be expressed in Paul the Octopus toys, gadgets such as are usually made in homage of superstars or creatures that touch the imagination of the young and young-at-heart! His 8 arms will cover the globe, like ET or the Dinosaur toys. Hats, t-shirts, plates, you name it. Not just now but for a long time to come. And people will flock to his Aquarium in Oberhausen to see first-hand this amazing creature.
Now for Sunday’s final match: first, some weeks ago, I predicted Spain would win this World Cup. What makes this final game more interesting, for romantics and aficionados alike, is neither Holland nor Spain have ever won the World Cup trophy. On Sunday, one of these countries will be added to the ‘sanctum sanctorum’.
Now there are two matches to go for Paul to predict. This is the first time he’s predicted a non-German team match. He says Spain will win. See the story here at Huffington Post . And for Saturday's game, he has just predicted a victory for Germany. So maybe he won't be turned into a 'grilled with garlic' dish?"
And now there is another Seer, again from the non-human species: Mani the Psychic Parakeet. Based in Singapore, 13-year old Mani has predicted Holland will win the trophy.
I go with Paul. Coming from a Hollander, how is that for a non-biased prediction? Hup Holland Hup! Ole, Ole Espana! Henri

More about Paul the amazing Octopus and the World Cup

2010-07-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Canadians aren't really known to be big "soccer" aficionados, but that is changing. Where I grew up, in Flanders and Holland, we call the game Voetbal = Football and that's correct, the game is played 98% by passing the ball with the feet. In North America the popular game of Football is a misnomer, since 98% of that game is played by hand!
How about Paul the Octopus, what a magician. He has now a 7/7 perfect record for predicting the outcome of the German matches in the World Cup of FOOTBALL in South Africa.

The match between Germany and Spain yesterday was his seventh correct prediction. Just google Paul the Octopus and you'll find out all about him if you don't already know. He resides in an aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany (but is originally from England).
Anyhow, after yesterday's match, in Germany there are calls to turn Paul into "Calamari"! And apparently some people sang "Anti-Octopus" songs (whatever that is.) Meanwhile over in Spain they're praising Paul with acolades and songs, "Ole, Ole, Paulo el Pulpo Magico!".
Now we await the Final on Sunday of this popular game, worldwide viewership expected to be around 2 Billion. How about that for popularity amongst the human family?
As for that final - Holland vs. Spain - neither team has ever won the biggest prize of them all.
Prediction? I leave that up to Paul "El Pulpo Miraculoso". Yes, for the first time ever he's doing to make a prediction about a non-German match. Paul, who brings tears now to some in Germany, and joy to others around the world.
Hasta Luego! "Hup Holland Hup!"
Henri

"Associated Futbal" and Paul the Octopus

2010-06-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're still breathing, and "above soil", as my paternal grandfather used to say. Since I'm an associated futbal (soccer) affecionado of old, and we're now going into the quarterfinals of the World Cup in South Africa, here are a few lines on the beautiful game.
For those who have been tuned in at the games by now have also been tuned out by the buzzing bees and mosquito music of the Vuvuzelas! No matter, since the games are played in South Africa, where we expected a very colour ful display by the fans.
They did not let me down.
Masked balls and Mardi Gras costumes permanently on display. Sensation, drama, joy and disappointment are always present at this global event.
One of the many stories needs to be told (for those of you who don't know already): for this we turn to a 'psychic' who predicts the outcome of the German team's encounters. It's not your everyday crystal-ball predicting Zena or Elvira. No siree, this one is an inhabitant of the deep seas, straight out of the Beatles "Octopus Garden in the Shade".
Only this octopus, whose name is Paul, isn't in the shade but in global limelight and media realm.

Paul predicts the outcome by selecting a mussel from a glass tank from his home in an aquarium. There are two tanks filled with water, the latest has a flag of Argentina, the other Germany. Thus far, Paul predicted 5 out of 5 games correctly!
Now he is telling us by selecting the mussel from the German tank that Germany will defeat Argentina on Saturday. Messi or no Messi! But, it took one hour for Mr. Paul to make up his 3-brained mind before using one of his eight arms to pick up the "Germany-dedicated" mollusk out of the tank.
Happy Trails,
Henri

A creative and clever World Cup calendar

2010-06-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Check out this excellent World Cup calendar.

WORLD CUP 2010

2010-05-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Look for my upcoming series on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, coming soon. Perspectives from a long-time observer of the beautiful game.

New Vimeo Site - come and visit

2010-03-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have a new Vimeo site featuring two videos of my artwork "Organiverse", thanks to Joe Carr, Past-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Victoria branch. They are very short, just a few minutes each.

Here's the link:

http://vimeo.com/vanbentum

Organiverse - FETTU 2.0 wrapped up last night

2009-10-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

With the second "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) exhibit wrapping up last night following a month-long show at Mayfair, we're posting my note from earlier this year, written at the beginning of the first FETTU exhibit appeared in February.

“To infinity and beyond, in both directions,
The micro and macro cosmos.” Henri van Bentum

In the previous post (Jan 31), we promised to elaborate some more on the contents and philosophy of Organiverse. Organiverse is a series of 100 paintings which I created in 1972, all done dot by dot, in pointillism. Each painting is a sphere or mandala, 8 ½ cm in diameter.

Not long ago the original images were digitally scanned and they are part of the upcoming “From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) exhibit here in Victoria. FETTU is one of the projects marking the International Year of Astronomy 2009 http://astronomy2009.org.

Why pointillism? For one thing, because there is nothing solid in the Universe. Everything is separated. The planets, stars, even the Sun appear as a “dot” in space.

I coined the word “Organiverse” back in the 1970’s from two words “Organi/c” and “Un/iverse”. In the beginning there was darkness. Darkness became light. And light is colour. Organiverse embraces the evolution of colour, born from the three primaries of Red, Yellow and Blue.

From the un-formed comes form. There are no words or explanations necessary, really. What is needed is time and patience to let it all sink in, by contemplation or meditation.

Each viewer will experience the work differently according to their individual life experience and total sum of awareness. You could say Organiverse embraces the macrocosm within a microscopic frame of reference.

With this work we explore organic processes on the cosmic and microscopic levels, with here and there, a pause - - - linked to the noumena (as opposed to phenomena). But always maintaining its spirit of metamorphosis and evolution.
Now, thirty-seven years after its creation, and thanks to contemporary digital scanning technology, Organiverse is being shared with a wider audience in 21st century fashion on large flat-screens provided courtesy of SONY Style.
It’s not what I originally intended, back in 1972, but as Natasha observed:

“Organiverse will grow on the viewer,
Like friendship and music.
Observe it without distraction,
Quietly in solitude.
You will discover this contemplative Opus
Brings a welcome antidote to our stress-laden times.”
Natasha van Bentum

Here are a couple of others quotes about Organiverse:

“Organiverse is a glimpse into the multilayered beauty of all that is Life. As a physician and healer, I feel that these mandalas offer an immense opportunity for healing, and for a heart-based understanding of who we are physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Peering into each mandala, one witnesses the microcosms and macrocosms of Life, and penetrates to the very depths of that which is Truth. A dance of color, form, and contemplation, Organiverse is a meditation on selflessness.”
Dr.Mark Sherman MDCM, CCFP

“The dots are amazingly clear. Aside from their stunning pristine beauty, there is also a subtle intelligence in the progression. It seems the artist retained each image which he developed day by day --- an amazing visual memory and disciplined craftsmanship." Sonam Gyatso.

"I am extremely pleased with the beauty and depth of the Organiverse Folio. It is a garland of flowers in my daily experience. It is a wormhole entrance into both the depths of of the starry night and the inner life process of the biosphere we inhabit. A tour de force that will reverberate down the annals of human cultural history. A unique and magical work of true and lasting significance. Thank You!" Brian W. Johnson, MSW.

Alaska in August, 2009

2009-08-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

Back from memorable and refreshing voyage. Here's a foto, more coming soon.

Back from Alaska

2009-08-20T12:45:00.001-07:00

A few photos coming soon from our recent journey to the land of glaciers.

Blogging

2009-07-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings - now the Tour de France is over, an update. We began the Blog September 2008. Today there are a few hundred posts (please see Archive at end of page). So I'm giving people time to digest what's here already, before writing more posts, at least for the time being. Lots more material to add.

Mandelbrot speaks

2009-03-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we devoted our post to Fractals as seen from my point of view as an artist. Today we share a quote sent by a friend, from the pioneer mathematician Benoit B. Mandelbrot in his seminal book “The Fractal Geometry of Nature”:
"Clearly, competing with artists is not at all a purpose of this essay. Nevertheless, one must address this issue. The question is not whether the illustrations are neatly drawn and printed, and the originals being drawn by computer is not essential either, except in terms of economics.
But we do deal with a new form of the controversial but ancient theme that all graphical representations of mathematical concepts are a form of art, one that is best when it is simplest, when (to borrow a painter's term) it can be called "minimal art".
It is widely held that minimal art is restricted to limited combinations of standard shapes: lines, circles, spirals, and the like. But such need not be the case.
The fractal used in scientific models are also very simple (because science puts a premium on simplicity). And I agree that many may be viewed as a new form of minimal geometric art...
The fractal "new geometric art" shows surprising kinship to Grand Masters paintings or Beaux Arts Architecture.
An obvious reason is that classical visual arts, like fractals, involve very many scales of length and favor self-similarity.
For all these reasons, and also because it came in through an effort to imitate Nature in order to guess its laws, it may well be that fractal art is readily accepted because it is not truly unfamiliar. . ." (Benoit Mandelbrot)

Computer Art Born from Nature

2009-03-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

A friend who is very interested in Fractals and creates them wondered about similarity between fractal imagery and abstract art, which gave me the idea to write this post which topic might be of interest,
Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot
http://www.math.yale.edu/mandelbrot/
was the fractal pioneer, created with Intelligent Electricity, my name for computers or anything electronic. (Back in the late 1960’s, I was offered by a professor of computer science at University of Toronto to have carte blanche, as an artist, with their computer equipment, to experiment with new forms of expression, but declined.) This new art of fractals is now taking its place amongst 21st Century artforms.
When seeing these images in 1999 aboard “Ocean Explorer I” on the world cruise (shown by a passenger from New York who had a disc of them), I was spellbound.
He was a student in our creative exploration art class in the ‘floating studio’ and we’d given an assignment to do abstractions with the primary and secondary colours.
After this he invited us to his cabin where he had his computer.
I had heard earlier about Fractals, and seen still photographs, but this fellow showed the images moving and he could also stop them as “paintings”.
I immediately realized we were dealing here with a new art form, albeit one only possible to create with electricity input or batteries. (Intelligent Electricity)
During the 1960’s in times of Psychedelic art and Flower people, some beings were doing fine drawings, spirals, wheels within wheels, which may give the impression of a similar spiritual-climate as Fractals.
Then there are the intricate early drawings by Escher, which I’d seen originals as a boy in Holland. Although he belongs more to Optical Illusion style and category - - while Fractals are a reality in Nature.
Mandelbrot tried to find a way of expression that followed Natural laws. One only needs to look at ferns, broccoli, kale, trees (with or without leaves), clouds, bronchia (lungs), and coastlines as seen from space.
That he succeeded in finding the ever-never land imagery from such a ‘simple’ formula now has its own language.
On the one hand there are strong similarities with abstract art, while on the other, you recognize ancient symbols already interpreted by the Tibetan monks and thangkha artists, (especially their depictions of clouds). But of course those were and are still done by hand.
It is not that Fractals are a continuum or have that potential within the design, but each frame could be an image by itself, such as we can see for example with Fractal calendars. Visually then, to look at them without movement they give the impression of modern art.
The greatest art is knowing When and Where to stop, not add. Such simplicity gives it strength. Fractals could be called a never-ending variation on the same theme, like the music of J.S. Bach.
Computer art it certainly is, and an art form that is unique and which stands entirely in its own realm. Signing off, Henri

Wildlife, and flower counting on the Island

2009-03-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Many of you have no doubt viewed in 2007 the Eagle webcam at Hornby Island, waiting for the Bald Eagles’ eggs to hatch. They never did. However our determined Eagle watcher says the Eagles are back in the nest and he has a gut feeling this year they might succeed at having chicks.
We were privileged to meet the fellow, Doug Carrick, at his home on Hornby (the eagle nest is beside his property), courtesy of a friend, Beverly, who also lives on Hornby Island. Doug also keeps a record of the whales that come by.
He showed us a video of the nest, very high up in the tree.
Now why do we bring up the topic of Bald Eagles? First, they’re not bald! They have lots of white plumage on their heads and necks; whoever named them first, I guess from a distance they looked bald.
We mentioned in an earlier post about those two Baldies turning “Rambo” and who destroyed many nests and chased the herons, making over 100 homeless, Thank You, out of the treetops here at beautiful Beacon Hill Park. So now they have that realm all for themselves. But, hold on! They also refuse to let other Baldies build a nest next to theirs.
This brings us to our local wildlife story. For on the rooftop of our ten-storey apartment building (we’re on the 7th floor), right here on the Pacific coast at Juan de Fuca Strait, we have a happy pair of Bald Eagles which have made this spot their base.
We often watch them going for breakfast at dawn, returning with a good catch. To the consternation of the seagulls and crows. How about that? Having a pair of Baldies right above our heads!
Another happening to tell you about is the annual spring blossom count here in Victoria. With the unusual cold spell we’ve had, there’s a bit of a raincheck (or should I say snow check) on this activity for now. My contribution is complete. This morning I counted 73 crocuses along the way to the grocery store. Those tiny fellows show us they survive the cold and snow. Brave and strong they are, besides being little beauties.
Signing off, Henri

Put Artists in Charge of the Economy?

2009-03-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post we mentioned artist Emily Carr, now a Canadian icon but who in her lifetime was mocked and ostracized. She was treated ‘less than a dog’. In that post we talked about a proposed bronze statue, life-size. Now it’s almost completed. A site at the Fairmont Empress Hotel (another landmark here in Victoria) has been chosen for her.
We’ll come back to this topic of recognizing artists, when the statue arrives. Let it be known, however, that anyone who wishes to see work by Emily Carr needs to travel across the Strait of Georgia, to the Vancouver Art Gallery.
That’s where most of her works are located. Somewhere maybe there are documents giving instructions that after her passing, she did not want any of her work at the Art Gallery of Victoria?
Long after the critics, administrators and politicians have gone, good and great art survives. And indeed artists often function as ambassadors for the nation of the artist’s birth (more often when they’re dead.).
Now, with the current global economic meltdown (as it is called), we came across this item:
Put Artists in Charge?
“I’d like to make a modest proposal”, writes Liz Lerman. “Put the corporate executives to work as artists while the artists run Wall Street. Some of the advantages:
-Artists work ridiculous hours for no pay. And most of the artists I know will keep working until they get the job done right.
-Artists do not need fancy offices. In fact, they usually work in the worst part of town.
-Artists do not need financial incentives. Artists do the work they do because they love it. Or because they believe in it.
-Artists do not expect to get anything if they do a bad job. Except maybe a bad review.
-Artists keep very tight budgets.”
This is something yours truly knows all about, i.e. tightening the belt, dire economic living and what goes with it, having stood in line during wintertime at soup kitchens of the Salvation Army in Toronto. Also salvaging T-bone steaks and other food items discarded in bins by the owners of homes where I was a part-time gardener (and planter of tulip bulbs). All to sustain my urge to paint. Signing off, Henri

Believing or Experiencing

2009-03-08T11:13:00.001-07:00

Received an email from someone in New Zealand in response to our recent astronomy posts, to ask if I believed we’ve been on the Moon. Well, I’m not an astronomer. People who believe are at the mercy of the source that tells you to believe something. Believing is a tricky business.
My approach to life is doing, putting things to the test. (Not ‘blind belief’). Experience it yourself.
Everyone has their so-called truth. Believing, on a larger scale, belongs in a way to tradition and its rituals, which use symbols.
If you cannot experience something directly, then the next best thing is to seek someone who has, or a reliable source: Who speaks about What.
For instance, when the late Jacques Cousteau talked about the Oceans, he was a good source on that subject to learn from. Same with astronauts who have been in Space.
Whatever we believe, it will stick. Just look at all the religions, the problems, wars, atrocities and horrors, caused for a couple of thousand years, just by “believing”. And it's still going on, today!
Believing 'What'?
And as for us having been on the Moon, here again, we have to “believe” and trust those who say we’ve been there. Is believing faith, truth, trust?
Thirty years ago, in September, I was in Singapore and guest at a garden banquet of a fellow Circumnavigator Club member, a wealthy businessman. It was a celebration of the harvest Full Moon Festival.
The garden was decorated with colourful Chinese lanterns. Halfway through dinner, the Moon suddenly rose on the horizon, so big and near, you felt you could reach out and touch it.
One of the banquet servers, wearing a white uniform, prostrated himself on the grass in honour of the Moon. When he got up, and came to our table, I said, “Isn’t it amazing to realize we humans have walked on the Moon?”
“No, no”, he said, “All Hollywood fantasy and lies. We have not been there, it’s all pretence.”
So what is one going to do or say? For him, the Moon was sacred as evidenced by his prostration on the grass in his white uniform.
See what we mean with believing? It’s a very tricky business. Signing off for now, Henri

Believing or Experiencing

2009-03-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Received an email from someone in New Zealand in response to our recent astronomy posts, to ask if I believed we’ve been on the Moon. Well, I’m not an astronomer. People who believe are at the mercy of the source that tells you to believe something. Believing is a tricky business.
My approach to life is doing, putting things to the test. (Not ‘blind belief’). Experience it yourself.
Everyone has their so-called truth. Believing, on a larger scale, belongs in a way to tradition and its rituals, which use symbols.
If you cannot experience something directly, then the next best thing is to seek someone who has, or a reliable source: Who speaks about What.
For instance, when the late Jacques Cousteau talked about the Oceans, he was a good source on that subject to learn from. Same with astronauts who have been in Space.
Whatever we believe, it will stick. Just look at all the religions, the problems, wars, atrocities and horrors, caused for a couple of thousand years, just by “believing”. Believing What?
And as for us having been on the Moon, here again, we have to “believe” and trust those who say we’ve been there. Is believing faith, truth, trust?
Thirty years ago, in September, I was in Singapore and guest at a garden banquet of a fellow Circumnavigator Club member, a wealthy businessman. It was a celebration of the harvest Full Moon Festival.
The garden was decorated with colourful Chinese lanterns. Halfway through dinner, the Moon suddenly rose on the horizon, so big and near, you felt you could reach out and touch it.
One of the banquet servers, wearing a white uniform, prostrated himself on the grass in honour of the Moon. When he got up, and came to our table, I said, “Isn’t it amazing to realize we humans have walked on the Moon?”
“No, no”, he said, “All Hollywood fantasy and lies. We have not been there, it’s all pretence.”
So what is one going to do or say? For him, the Moon was sacred as evidenced by his prostration on the grass in his white uniform.
See what we mean with believing? It’s a very tricky business. Signing off for now, Henri

Home Planet

2009-03-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

Having glorified the galaxies and 'cosmic dance',
let us not forget we are involved in this dance too.
So let us also not lose sight of a high priority =
healing and protecting our Home Planet.

Back to planet "Ocean/Earth"

2009-03-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

For 28 days, the whole month of February, the “human family” could feast their eyes and imagination on a Journey into Outer Space here in Victoria at The Bay Centre, a large mall.
Seven large TV screens, courtesy of SONY Style, displayed images of the cosmic realm and our solar system phenomena, featuring photographs captured by Hubble, the Hawaii Canada France telescope, Mars rover, Voyagers and many others. Also the show featured photographs by amateur astronomers.
It all came under the umbrella of celebrating the 400th anniversary since Galileo Galilei probed the heavens with first use of the telescope.
This year is International Year of Astronomy 2009 with events taking place all over the world. It’s a joint project of the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO. The exhibit was called “From Earth to the Universe”, one of the cornerstone projects of IYA2009.
We have here in Victoria a diligent and devoted group of astronomers based at the National Research Council’s Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC/HIA) which added to the show an extra vitality. Garry Sedun, who works at the NRC/HIA, produced all the videos to create the show. Natasha succeeded in bringing SONY Style and The Bay Centre on board.
Also we have in Victoria an active chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, whose members volunteered at the exhibit three days a week. And our friend Brian W. Johnson was very helpful too.
Of the seven TV screens, five were devoted to the astronomical images of stunning, dazzling beauty. (Some of these images, for me, echoed Abstract Expressionist paintings of the fifties and sixties, long before space photographs became available to the public.)
One screen featured artwork by Greater Victoria schoolchildren, showing how they depicted ‘outer space’, along with First Nations symbolic impressions of the cosmos. The other screen was entirely devoted to my opus magnum, “Organiverse” series. (See my website vanBentum.org).
Organiverse is a collection of 100 paintings (the originals are small, just 8 ½ cm in diameter), all done in pointillism, dot-by-dot, atom by atom. They were created when we lived in Morocco and Madeira in 1972. Alternating with digital images of Organiverse was the “Starry Night” version of Organiverse. The latter were made possible due to state-of-the-art advances in computer technology.
The public had a chance to forget their daily worries or preoccupations with the mundane by bathing their eyes and minds on the perpetual imagery presented on the monitors.
The Red dwarfs, the supernovas, the birth of stars, glimpse of Jupiter and Mars, nebulae, in short a true journey into the nearest and farthest realms.
Being part of this unique presentation with my “Organiverse” series was a humbling experience.
Talking about humility and feeling small . . on several occasions I mentioned to visitors at the show that it was even more amazing (after seeing the eclectic, cosmic dance) to realize that our home, spaceship Ocean/Earth, speeds through the Milky Way at a mere one million kms per hour, which many received in disbelief, and as a shocking revelation, while a few were in awe and wonder at this reality.
Signing off for now, Henri

February 23 - Exhibit on for another week

2009-02-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

International Year of Astronomy exhibit with Henri van Bentum's "Organiverse" series - continues in Victoria downtown at The Bay Centre, until Sat. Feb. 28th.

Watch the International "From Earth to the Universe" video

2009-02-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/multimedia.php

"From Earth to the Universe" IYA 2009, and ORGANIVERSE, Part Two

2009-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

“To infinity and beyond, in both directions,
The micro and macro cosmos.” Henri van Bentum

In the previous post, we promised to elaborate some more on the contents and philosophy of Organiverse. Organiverse is a series of 100 paintings which I created in 1972, all done dot by dot, in pointillism. Each painting is a sphere or mandala, 8 ½ cm in diameter.
Not long ago the original images were digitally scanned and they are part of the upcoming “From Earth to the Universe” (FETTU) exhibit here in Victoria. FETTU is one of the projects marking the International Year of Astronomy 2009 http://astronomy2009.org. Why pointillism? For one thing, because there is nothing solid in the Universe. Everything is separated. The planets, stars, even the Sun appear as a “dot” in space.
I coined the word “Organiverse” back in the 1970’s from two words “Organi/c” and “Un/iverse”. In the beginning there was darkness. Darkness became light. And light is colour. Organiverse embraces the evolution of colour, born from the three primaries of Red, Yellow and Blue.
From the un-formed comes form. There are no words or explanations necessary, really. What is needed is time and patience to let it all sink in, by contemplation or meditation.
Each viewer will experience the work differently according to their individual life experience and total sum of awareness. You could say Organiverse embraces the macrocosm within a microscopic frame of reference.
With this work we explore organic processes on the cosmic and microscopic levels, with here and there, a pause - - - linked to the noumena (as opposed to phenomena). But always maintaining its spirit of metamorphosis and evolution.
Now, thirty-seven years after its creation, and thanks to contemporary digital scanning technology, Organiverse is being shared with a wider audience in 21st century fashion on large flat-screens provided courtesy of SONY Style.
It’s not what I originally intended, back in 1972, but as Natasha observed:
“Organiverse will grow on the viewer,
Like friendship and music.
Observe it without distraction,
Quietly in solitude.
You will discover this contemplative Opus
Brings a welcome antidote to our stress-laden times.”
Natasha van Bentum

Here are a couple of others quotes about Organiverse:
“Organiverse is a glimpse into the multilayered beauty of all that is Life. As a physician and healer, I feel that these mandalas offer an immense opportunity for healing, and for a heart-based understanding of who we are physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Peering into each mandala, one witnesses the microcosms and macrocosms of Life, and penetrates to the very depths of that which is Truth. A dance of color, form, and contemplation, Organiverse is a meditation on selflessness.”
Dr.Mark Sherman MDCM, CCFP

“The dots are amazingly clear. Aside from their stunning pristine beauty, there is also a subtle intelligence in the progression. It seems the artist retained each image which he developed day by day --- an amazing visual memory and disciplined craftsmanship." Sonam Gyatso.

"I am extremely pleased with the beauty and depth of the Organiverse Folio. It is a garland of flowers in my daily experience. It is a wormhole entrance into both the depths of of the starry night and the inner life process of the biosphere we inhabit. A tour de force that will reverberate down the annals of human cultural history. A unique and magical work of true and lasting significance. Thank You!" Brian W. Johnson, MSW.

The FETTU exhibit will also include artwork by over one hundred Greater Victoria schoolchildren, as well as a limited number of images by First Nations’ artists. Signing off for now, Henri

"From Earth to the Universe" IYA 2009 and Organiverse

2009-01-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

“In each atom of the realms of the Universe,
There exists vast oceans of world systems.” Great Flower Ornament

After a fortnight of quiet on the blog front and a replenishing sunny visit to Mexico, Natasha and I were happy to see the universe is still unfolding as it should - - - a new year, Year of the Ox, has begun and new era at the headquarters of our Southern neighbours.
Speaking of the Universe, Sunday, February 1st heralds the opening of a special exhibit here in Victoria as part of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. One of the cornerstone projects of IYA 2009 is “From Earth to the Universe”, an exhibit of breathtaking images of the cosmos http://astronomy2009.org.
It takes place at The Bay Centre in downtown Victoria and also Victoria International Airport.
What’s makes us all the more curious and interested in this event is we’re not only onlookers, but participants since my work “Organiverse” will be included in the exhibit. This is my major opus of 100 spheres all done in pointillism, dot by dot.
It all began in Morocco back in 1972, in Essaouria. Already at that time I embarked on minimalism in my work, simplifying and practising “small is beautiful” with an ecological approach to art.
A close friend and mentor suggested (knowing I had the time, patience and experience), that I explore doing some work in pointillism. He didn’t suggested at all what to do, but simply ‘pointed’ (ho-ho) to the technique. Thus it all began.
I used a small-format, size-wise: a sphere or mandala the size of the palm of your hand, 8 ½ cm in diameter.
While in Morocco we experienced some fierce winds from the desert. Blowing Harmattan winds and sandstorms created havoc with my work, so we shifted base to the verdant slopes of sunny Madeira.
Organiverse was painted on 25 folios each with 4 spheres. As mentioned earlier I’d been working with the concept of “small is beautiful” and thus this series gave me an opportunity to put it fully into practice.
Pointillism requires the skills of concentration, keen awareness, patience, a steady hand and sharp eye. Organiverse is also a study in colour, but more on that later.
Once the concept of the complete series was born, all I needed then was to fit the work into an evolution with a beginning and ending – Alpha and Omega. For the sake of discipline and guidance, I had to know when to “reach” Omega, hence the figure of 100.
All the imagery within each sphere is created spontaneously without a sketch. Dot by dot, atom by atom.
My philosophy is that visual art is silent communication, but because so many people have asked numerous questions about the origin and history of Organiverse, I’ll write a bit more about it in the next post. Signing off for now, Henri

Of Goodwill and Instant Love

2009-01-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Here we are, a newborn year. For those who have for whatever reason a big “burden” to carry, fear not. 2009 will be “Year of the Ox”. He’ll carry it all for you!
Maybe because I hope to reach my 80th “turn around the Leo Sun” this year, and become an octogenarian, I reflect on what I call the “Six W’s of our parting. “What will cause it? When? Where do I exit? What is the method of my disposal? When will that be? Where will that be?”
That goes for all of us.
Amazing how quickly people forget just a week ago they were singing all those hymns about Peace and Goodwill and other such heart-warming tunes. I’m not talking about the Middle East (that will be going on until cockroaches rule the Earth!) No, I refer to the ‘here and now’ for example in our quiet neighbourhood of James Bay.
I went back to my daily routine of grocery shopping (being the cook in our household). On the hunt for organic Pinto beans, I couldn’t reach a small tin way at the back of the bottom shelf.
So I asked a young woman who was nearby if she’d be so kind as to reach it for me.
She looked at me with a certain look and “smile” (she did not say a word) as if I was a drunken Santa (because of my beard, I guess?), which conveyed a message ‘Who do you think I am, Buddy?’
Whatever the reason, goodwill and peace notwithstanding, she ignored my request. So I asked a store clerk, and he kindly reached way back and handed me the tin.
“Much obliged, young man”, I said. He just smiled, the right smile. There was someone for whom the ‘hymn messages’ were still working.
With that item added to my small shopping cart I continued collecting the other groceries and went to the check-out counter. It was very busy. I found a spot and waited in line.
A woman ahead of me, without looking, stepped a few paces back, and landed on my foot! She turned around, and Yes! you guessed it, it was the same woman, with that certain “smile” again. But not “I am sorry”. Keeping the festive spirit alive, I didn’t turn my left cheek, but said, “I have two feet, would you like to step on the other one?” (I noticed amongst her groceries was some Instant Pudding, so maybe this was someone who practices Instant Love during Yuletide.)
You see I kept one of my resolutions, which is to be tolerant at all times. Well, almost all the time, at least in this kind of situation. So, one resolution kept, not bad, considering it is already January 3. A la prochaine! Henri

First Steps in the New Year

2008-12-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

We’re approaching the first steps of the New Year 2009. Speaking of steps, that reminds me, both our calendar and that of the Maya of Central America has 365 days in a year. On a few expeditions to Mexico, when I was still agile and able, I’d climb the 365 steps of ancient Mayan and Aztec pyramids (the number of steps symbolizing a full calendar year.) By the way, do you know the trick to climbing pyramids?
Mexico is in on our radar screen these days. What I find fascinating whenever we have the opportunity to go there, is not just the architecture and keen intelligence represented by these ancient sites, but today to witness the vibrance of its artists and craftspeople.
On each trip we notice new and different designs have surfaced, often combined with a highly developed sense of colour. It’s evidence of a vast reservoir in the genes of these people, this creative diversity and originality. Mexico is so nearby, yet so far removed from our North American, often vulgar display of goods and colours. During the holidays we went to a major shopping mall, just to look, and once again, this non-presence of aesthetics and harmony made itself seen and known, with a few exceptions.
In the mall we noticed all kinds of sales. What always has my attention is that the price of something hits home and has a common language, but when it comes to talking about an object by colour, it becomes more difficult to describe to someone who has not seen a particular item you’re talking about. For example, on display were several sweaters and dresses. Blue, Green, Red. Say I tell someone, “There is a beautiful blue sweater for sale, but you must decide, for it’ll go quickly”, how is that person going to know which colour of Blue we are referring to?
Unless we’d take a sample of the fabric, or bring the person to whom we reveal the “sale” opportunity, he or she will not know which colour we speak of. Now here comes the next step. “It’s priced at $59”. Now this immediately rings a bell. See what we mean? Colour has to be seen, it cannot be talked about. In our society and culture the monetary value of something is at the front burner, but often the magic and mystery of colour is ignored or unknown.
Yet, from the moment we open our infant eyes to the instant we close them forever, we’re exposed to colour. It is a mistake to think that only fashion designers, interior decorators, chemists or artists need to know about colour. The magic and mystery is there for all to see, study, explore, apply, feel and enjoy. Going back to pyramid-climbing: you do it in zig-zag fashion!
Enjoy your first steps into the young Year! Hasta luego, Henri

Another year - going and coming

2008-12-29T18:13:00.000-08:00

Some of us may not know at times if “we’re coming or going”, but not so with “our” calendar, it’s always clear what day, month and year it is. I say “our” because of course there are other cultures and civilizations that have their own calendars. “End of an error”, era and drama; now we’re all (or almost all) waiting for Obama.
Speaking of traditions and beginnings, let me give you a taste of how New Year was celebrated during my boyhood in the Lowlands, before WWII in the 1930’s. First, supervised by our school teachers, we had to design our own “Best Wishes” card for our parents.
Then, we had to compose our own New Year’s message, with some kind of resolution that we would try to behave, whatever that may be. (Just like today when we hear grown-ups making resolutions but rarely live up to it them.)
Back to the special card, the idea was on January 1, we children would have to stand in front of our parents and read out loud our promises we wrote in our self-made “Hallmark” cards. How is that for overcoming stage fright or public speaking phobia? All the children, from the age they could read and write, had to go through this ordeal.
Now, the evening before (New Year’s Eve), without fail each year, as many members of the whole family that could be corralled together would come to our home. Aunts, uncles, grannies, grandpas, nieces, cousins - you get the idea. This would be on a rotating basis, for example one year we’d all go to an uncle’s home, then the next year to our grandparents, etc. The youngsters played games on their own, and so too the elders, usually cards.
The masterpiece by Jan Steen (seen here) comes to mind which depicts a typical hectic household during this festive time, sometimes a bit chaotic. So even today in the Lowlands if someone’s household is in disorder, we call it “the household of Jan Steen”.
Even though some of the adults may have been teetotallers, on this occasion two traditional beverages were present: Advocaat (an egg-yolk and alcohol concoction), and a drink with fermented raisins. The raisins had been put into jars months ahead, with alcohol and honey. Both drinks were consumed with a teaspoon! And, let us not forget, hot cocoa! And coffee.
Then there were the Oliebollen. These are ping-pong ball (or sometimes tennis ball) size dough deep-fried in hot oil. Before serving they are coated with sugar powder. They taste like a doughnut. Appelflappen were flatter than the Oliebollen, with apple inside.
During the evening the fragrances from these goodies and beverages wandered through the house and into our nostrils, awakening a constant “We want another one” sort of thing. Long before twelve o’clock we young children were supposed to be in bed, but at the stroke of Midnight (on Grandfather’s clock), the Happy Wishes came out, the embracing, kisses, and a type of “Auld Lang Syne” singing.
How do I know all this? Because I peeked, that’s how.
Have a smooth slide into 2009, and easy on the whatever.
Signing off, Henri

On "Intelligent Electricity"

2008-12-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Round One of the holiday feasting is over. Round Two – the changing of one year into another, lurks nearby. “Old 2008” is getting by, just so! New-to-be born 2009 awaits on the horizon. We had an unexpected invitation to a pleasant Yuletide dinner at the friendly home of an astronomer. Since we don’t have a vehicle, we were fetched by his colleague, an astrophysicist no less, who specializes in Black Holes, thank you.
This gave us an opportunity to see all the outdoor holiday decorations with their multitude of designs, imagery and lights, in all colours of the spectrum. Always a magical, fairy-tale like phenomena, even more so on a snowy wintry night, a rarity here in Victoria. Sitting thus in the car, being driven by the astrophysicist, I was looking at these multi-coloured lights and wondered (still do) what is “behind” all this electricity?
You know, we take a lot for granted. We make use of all the frontier gadgets, from cell phone to Jumbo jet, and those “cities of the seas”, called cruise ships. Ever wondered what’s it all about? We flip a switch, push a button, Presto! Abracadabra, the lights and equipment work.
Yes, there are also batteries to provide energy, and of course the more progressive among us have solar panels or windmills, however anything we plug-in, or is plugged-in and needs to function, we switch, push or ‘whisper’ and voila! It works. How come?
“Well, that’s because of electricity, my child.”
“What’s electricity?”
“Well, ahem, ahem, Energy, my child.”
“Does it think and feel, does it know what it’s doing?”
“Ahem, well now, you’ve got me!”
See what I mean? There has to be some kind of intelligence, some consciousness behind it all.
That’s why I call it Intelligent Electricity. In the world of hydro and energy companies, they use the term intelligent electricity to refer to grids and eco-smart systems, but my reference is to the mystery of its consciousness.
Now, all those colours we witnessed, speeding by at an average of 60 km per hour, are they also not a mystery? And magical? Of course. We see the same colour range in the Rainbow, except these Yuletide little lamps and lights are an assortment of that spectrum.
And while our astrophysicist friend drove us back home on that snowy night, wondering and pondering about the mystery of this “Intelligence of Electricity”, my hungry eyes (and mind) harvested all that light and colour on that Christmas night, tapping those images and sights, sending it all to my brain, to understand . . . Being in the presence of an astrophysicist, someone who explores far-away galaxies, I return to my age-old question, “Where does all that Space come from, where the great ballroom dance of the Universe takes place?” ‘Signing off for now, Henri

The Real Meaning of Rudolph's Red Nose

2008-12-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had a few requests to elaborate, if possible, on the symbolic meaning of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. We gladly oblige, allowing us to share my interpretation with a wider audience. It is very wintry across the continent including here on the West Coast so it’s not only the ‘season’ but here in Victoria we have a rare White Yuletide.
Gene Autry, the singing cowboy, made “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” famous. It was back in 1949 and a big hit on Radio Luxembourg where we first heard it. The man who wrote the lyrics was an American advertising executive, but “Rudolph” is poetry.
I’m not sure how well Robert May knew the bohemian heartbeat of poets and artists, but he definitely hit the mark when it comes to how talent often goes unrecognized. Most artists, the gifted, visionary ones, rarely receive recognition while they’re alive. There are a few, like Picasso, but it’s uncommon.
Many artists are acknowledged by the public only when others, such as highly-popular figures in society, bestow accolades (whether they be painters, composers, sculptors, even some scientists or inventors, and last but not least, a messiah.)
Now, here we have a reindeer with a red nose, and if you care to look a bit closer, you’ll notice that it glows. All the other reindeer called him names and wouldn’t allow Rudolph to join in their games. (Ostracized). They mocked and made fun of him, humiliating poor Rudolph.
Vincent van Gogh comes to mind. He was treated “less than a dog”. Likewise with Emily Carr here in Canada.
On the other hand, Santa could be seen as Time. Through the passing of time, the well-deserved recognition of genius (Rudolph) is recognized, revealing something that was always there from the beginning.
Finally, because of this time lapse, we honour someone special, someone who gave the world beauty and treasures - - food for the soul, in this case the toys and goodies carried by Santa on his sleigh, guided by Rudolph’s glowing nose through the fog (ignorance). Light in Darkness.
Then of course, all the reindeers love Rudolph, and sing out in glee. Just like today we all love the Impressionists or Vincent van Gogh, or whomever, a century after their demise.
Now, yes, we can sing and say, “Rudolph, you’ll go down in history”. But while alive, most great artists had to live in misery.
Well, that’s my version of this popular Yuletide song, which has also been judged by history and become an evergreen. Happy sleigh rides! Henri

You know Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen,
But do you recall,
The most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history

'Tis the Season

2008-12-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the season! It’s still snowing here in Victoria, very applicable for Yuletide. Eat, drink, be merry. Everywhere people are visiting friends, going to parties and enjoying traditional dishes and mouth-watering treats over the holidays. But have you ever wondered how Indigenous peoples survived and what their diet was during the long, cold winters of North America? Or, in places like Russia and Scandinavia?
Not only wondered at their survival in freezing temperatures (and surviving they did!), but marvelled at their rich knowledge of flora and fauna?
Speaking of special dishes, when you’ve travelled and seen a bit of the world like we have, you not only encounter ‘primitive’ food markets but enter a time-tunnel and see how things used to be for all of us, long ago.
On these expeditions you need to adjust and adapt to the local food, e.g. sometimes a local delicacy such as in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, sheep eyes in couscous. Or with the Massai of eastern Africa, where I drank “cocktails” of milk & cow’s blood, and elsewhere in Africa munched on fried termites.
[In order to survive, in my boyhood in the Lowlands during WWII we lived on potato peels and flower bulbs, or roots of non-toxic plants. Hunger always triumphs over ‘revulsion’. I know! When some people here in the West say they’re hungry, they mean they have an appetite; many have never experienced real hunger.]
Speaking of markets in far-away lands, if you live in a city in North America you may have a Chinatown. In which case there’s no need to travel to Timbuktu or Harar, Ethiopia to come across foods which for us may be unappetizing.
Here in Victoria’s Chinatown there’s a vast selection of traditional foods, often dried or in powder, as well as many (the so-called aphrodisiacs) which deplete our global rhino, bear or shark population, just to name a few. Of course many nations have been on protein-source diets which we may find unpalatable (such as dogs, considered a delicacy in some parts ofthe Far East.) Recently in the Mekong valley forests, another source of protein was discovered: a spider, the size of a dinner plate.
Going back to those long, cold winters, what were the food sources for Indigenous peoples? Of course there was meat preserved from the hunt, wild fowl, or smoked and dried fish from the oceans and rivers.
Any plant life that could be, was dried, or roots gathered or cultivated (like the primordial carrot which the English call “Queen Anne’s Lace”). There was great knowledge of berries, innocent and not-so-innocent plants, toxic and non-toxic, healing and medicinal ones, plus how to find much-treasured honey. There were smaller forms of Maize, and other earlier versions of what we know as corn, another staple of their diet.
Then of course we came along with our know-it-all attitude and began to ‘proselytize’ the Indigenous peoples, here and elsewhere, upsetting many a “corn” “apple” or whatever-cart, and in the process caused lots of cultural conflicts and irreparable damage.
Much of what we know today, we originally learned from the Indigenous peoples. But their practice of working the land was more what we’d call Horticulture, compared with our Agriculture. (Or Agribusiness.) Our agriculture exhausts the soil. Horticulture sustains it. That’s the big difference.
Tables are turning - - now at the rate we’re depleting our food supplies around the world, we are learning from Indigenous Elders about their vast knowledge of Nature.
So in the future instead of parents telling their children, “If you don’t eat your Brussel sprouts, you’ll get no plum pudding”, we may hear “If you don’t finish your steamed locusts, there’ll be no chocolate-dipped ants for you!”
Or our future gourmet meals may contain grubs, lizards, scorpions, beetles, locusts, worms and other protein-containing delicacies.
Bon appétit! Henri

More Winter Tales

2008-12-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

“I don’t know if it was snowing for nine days when I was six, or six days when I was nine . . .”. Dylan Thomas’ “A Boy’s Christmas in Wales” always brings back memories.
I can relate to that, as I’m sure it does to many. Of course, my boyhood wasn’t in Wales, but the Lowlands. Les Pays Bas, die Nieder-landen, “Nether” lands, which included Flanders at one time in history.
Our home in the countryside had only one source of heating, actually two, but the big iron stove with a long metal pipe going to the chimney and heated with coal was only used to prepare meals. The other source was a small gas stove. We had no electricity.
Because heating sources were scarse, the bedrooms, bathroom and hall were very cold in wintertime.
The only advantage was when the ‘Great Designer of Winter’ created fairy-tale like, lace looking images on the windows. Here they call him Jack Frost.
My apologue (children’s story) “The Icy-Crystal See-Through No-Name Man” is all about this topic. You can read this and other stories at: http://www.millennia.org/artist/stories.htm
In my boyhood winters were often a lengthy affair, and if many frosts had gone over the ponds, moats and small waterways, we would skate. In order to learn this skill, we’d hold onto a chair, pushing it along the ice, for balance, like elderly folk use walkers today.
Our skates weren’t the state of the art models like today. They were made of wood, with a carved, curly front, all held together by leather straps. The early skates were made of animal bones.
When winter was very long, with many nights of frost, in Friesland the famous “Elfstedentocht” would be held. A gruelling, lengthy skating event covering the distance between eleven (“elf”) cities throughout the waterways of Friesland. That’s why the skaters from Holland always do so well in the Olympics and other international competitions.
And yes, in our childhood we made snow men and women, and enjoyed many snowball battles. Children will always be children, no?
Enjoy the hot cocoa. Signing off, Henri

Snow in Victoria!

2008-12-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

Remember the song from South Pacific, “Hello Young Lovers, Wherever You Are, I now have a love of my own”? Well, wherever you are in the regular winter and snow zone, we also have snow of our own. Not just a flurry or two. A “white-out”.
No sooner did we complete a five-part series of blog posts on our Antarctica adventure, than pronto, we’re into snowflakes right here in Victoria. Not just a flurry or two but a good carpeting of these magic flakes. I say magic, because we’re told, that not one of these intricately-designed ‘visitors’ is alike.
This seems incredible, as we watch the early morning snow drift, leaving hardly any space between the flakes. To think each one is unique.
Then again, the magic and mystery of such phenomenon doesn’t remain with a snowflake, everything is unique - - - you, me and all that we see (and don’t see).
It’s interesting how a snowfall rekindles memories of yesteryear. Back in the Lowlands, as a child and until we were about five years old, in wintertime my father used to roll us in the snow in our birthday suits. Afterwards he’d rub us down with a large towel. I can still sense the glowing feeling of my body afterwards.
We know the Victoria snow will not last long, unless of course there’s another script in store for the days to come.
Whatever the case, from our perch here on the seventh floor we can see people tobogganing or kids having snowball fights, while we know that further Up Island, snow dolls appear like mushrooms.
We’re usually on the ocean at this time of year, either the South Pacific, Caribbean or Indian Ocean, so for us the snowfall is a pleasant surprise. Of course this isn’t our first experience of the white stuff. Sixteen winters in Toronto tell the tale. Plus five winters in Banff, Alberta.
Looking out our window, and being a visual person by nature, we observe it’s not “all white” out there. The colours of passing cars, the attire of passers-by walking on the path, and many Yuletide lights here in James Bay village all make their appearance. Proving again that colour speaks to us even when surrounded by all that white. Something I knew a long time ago, and make visible in my work.
White is the Mother of all Colours, although Goethe said, “Colour is decayed Light”. That’s all very well, but now in Victoria, where we’re carpeted by snow, all the colours sing! A la prochaine, Henri

Buttercups Banished!

2008-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are familiar with my blog posts, you’ll be aware we seldom comment on politics or religion. Both subjects are not much to laugh about, but to quote George Bernard Shaw again, “If you’re going to tell people the Truth, make them laugh. Otherwise they’ll kill you.”
And since we still have much work to do on this Ocean-Earth planet, zooming through space, we thought it wise to stay away from those touchy topics.
However, on the political front, we cannot help but feel there may be a fresh breeze on its way. End of a big ‘error’, start of a new era?
Something caught my attention in our local newspaper, although mostly I read the comics. The headline was “DICTIONARY BANISHES BUTTERCUPS AND SAINTS – Academics protest limits on language”. Well, yours truly is far from what is termed an academic, but I agree with their protests.
It’s about the Oxford Junior Dictionary in England. They’ve dropped from their latest edition words such as “aisle”, “bishop”, “chapel”, “empire”, “monarch” and replaced them with words such as “blog”, “broadband”, and “celebrity”.
Dozens of words related to the countryside have also been culled, such as “sycamore”, and that’s where I get my fins (and mane) up, since “buttercup” was one of the words taken out.
This doesn’t do service to children, who need countryside more than ever. I’m sure they’re comfortable with “iPod”, “MP3 player”, “blog”, etc but no need to throw the baby out with the bath water.
But just (well, not just . . . 35 years ago), when I wrote a children’s story titled, “How The Buttercups Came Back”, the Oxford Junior Dictionary has the nerve to banish them! You can find this and other stories on my website at http://www.millennia.org/artist/stories.htm. Signing off for now, Henri

Antarctica, Last Episode: Not Exactly Your Pioneering Explorers' Expedition

2008-12-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

Standing at the deck railing, watching this unusual spectacle of passengers dressed in full ballroom attire, being transferred from another ship to our vessel, you couldn’t help thinking how far removed we were from Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen expeditions. We may have been in Antarctica, but were pampered. (Young Presidents Organization = “Young Pampered Omnivores.)

“Where is the caviar and champagne?” became the mantra of the new arrivals as they boarded our ship.

In the meantime Diana Krall was playing piano and singing her jazz tunes and seemed tireless. Remember where we were, in the Antarctic.

Food and beverage galore. As for the passengers, partying they did. Colds and flu forgotten. On the stroke of midnight, champagne in hand, the “Happy New Year’s!”, “Happy Millennium”, and “Auld Lang Syne”s rang out. Everyone exchanged good wishes, made resolutions and danced until the early hours.

The ship was of course all decorated for the season, with lights and Christmas trees, with crew and passengers sporting a Santa toque.

Some party-ed as if the new Millennium was turning the world into another ‘spin’.

Next episode – not only had the Zodiac drivers ferried the passengers to the ‘mothership’, now, the morning-after, this all had to be repeated, but in reverse order. Still the ball gowns, high heels and formal black-tie attire in place, albeit the wearers were in a different shape.

But, hold on. There was something else. Some of the passengers from our vessel, “Ocean Explorer I” (OEI) now changed over to one of the two smaller ships, which had a different itinerary. Now, the luggage also had to be transferred, via Zodiac. This was New Year’s Day.

Not to be outdone, those who had changed from their ship to the ‘mothership’ stayed on, and their luggage had to be brought over, again, by Zodiac.

You can imagine everyone giving directions at once to the Zodiac drivers, “Mine is the aluminum one”, “Ours if the one with the orange band around it”, “Ours is the set of three Luis Vuitton”. And so it went.

Natasha and I just stood there, once again, wondering ‘Is this really happening?’ Yes, it was. Well, some luggage got lost, or put in the wrong cabin, but nobody’s perfect.

New Year’s Day, some passengers decided to visit the Hot Springs ashore, and once again the Zodiac crew were called upon to fulfill these wishes. And so, January 1, 2000, Millennium Year Day 1, several Homo Sapiens found themselves nice and warm, splashing in the Hot Springs of Deception Island’s caldera. All this was the brainchild of someone in Toronto.

After re-crossing the Drake Passage, again a tumultuous passage, during which we saw transluscent icebergs of all shapes, sizes, and colours from white to cobalt pastel tints, some with penguins as passengers.

The OEI docked at Ushuaia. We remained on the ship for another 3 months, but the YPO passengers were heading home. “Good-bye”, “Au revoir”, “Auf weidersehn”, “Tot ziens”, “Hasta luega”, “Arrivederci”. Hugs and tears as if they’d been together a year instead of a week.

Disembarkation followed, then the re-embarkation of our “old gang” who’d been celebrating the Millennium in Santiago, Chile (see earlier post).

Oh yes, we returned once more to Antarctica, continuing OEI’s around-the-world itinerary, with the regular passengers. Again we crossed the Drake Passage, but did not return to Deception Island. Once again we witnessed the awesome beauty of many icebergs, and of course penguins galore.

Well, we thought we’d share this ‘not your everyday’ New Year celebration, while at the same time we have now a record of it, before the passage of time blurs the recall. Signing off for now, Henri

Part 4: Celebrating the Millennium in Antarctica

2008-12-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

The eco-systems of the Antarctic region consist of a relatively limited number of wildlife species (at least the kind seen with the bare eye). As anywhere, this system relies on inter-dependence with one another.
Not only was the “Ocean Explorer I” (OEI) the first-ever ship of that size to have entered the caldera at Deception Island (680 passengers, plus crew, see previous two posts), but at the same time we had a rendez-vous with two other, smaller vessels which were part of this special Millennium “expedition”. Altogether some 1,400 people (crew included) were gathered at one time, in one fragile place.
Such an invasion would create big problems if it were a regular event. Looking back, this was far from setting a good eco-example. In general this vast white wilderness had few visitors. Now, 10 years later, tourism to Antarctica is very popular.
But what is one to do? There will always be ‘arrivals’ and ‘departures’ on life’s journey. Synchronicity? This week an Argentine passenger ship with 165 people aboard, “Ushuaia”, has grounded on the West Antarctic Peninsula, near Wilhelmina Bay. A naval vessel from Chile is on its way for the rescue operations.
While a large variety of wildlife is not to be found, there are of course millions of all kinds of penguins. You also see albatross, petrels, snowy sheathbills, southern gulls, skuas (!), cormorants, terns and leopard seals. Whales are scarce now, none in the caldera. There are however several abandoned wrecks of old whaling stations in Antarctica.
Turning to the Millennium festivities, here is the line-up of entertainers and guest speakers for this historic trip: The “Moffats”, for the youngsters and young-at-heart; fiddler Natalie MacMaster; Art Garfunkel; Diana Krall (from Vancouver Island where we reside); The Chieftains; actor Dan Acykroyd, and speakers Robert Kennedy Jr and F.W. deKlerck from South Africa (who won the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela).
Let us open the curtains to the extraordinary spectacle and planned transport from the two smaller ships to OEI, via Zodiacs.
Picture this: we’re in the Antarctic, inside the volcanic caldera of Deception Island, after three days on an ‘unruly moving platform’. Gathered together are one large vessel (OEI), and two smaller ships.
All the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) passengers from the two smaller ships had to be transported to what was termed the ‘mothership’ by Zodiac. All of them were decked out in full New Year’s Eve gala attire. Yes, just like the Ritz! The ladies – high-heeled shoes, long ball gowns, wearing glittering jewelry, plus hats, gloves, fur or warm coats.The gents – formal, black tie, and shiny shoes. In the Zodiacs, my friends, in the Antarctic.
And wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, not one mishap, not one accident. How is that for competent and diligent skill by the team of Zodiac drivers?
Of course, credit also goes to the passengers themselves for keeping their balance with their high-heels while riding through the icy waters.
Also the children were amazingly cooperative. After tearing about the ship the previous few days in the midst of the ship rolling and pitching its way through the Drake Passage (ignoring the demands by officers and crew to “hold onto the handrail”), they were orderly. It seemed almost as if some unseen hand or presence made all this function smoothly.
We, Natasha and me, stood on deck and witnessed this (mad), extraordinary spectacle of transport in amazement. Coming up, fifth and final episode on the Millennium in Antarctica. Signing off for now, Henri

Antarctica, Part 3: First visit to the Chinstraps, Deception Island

2008-12-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Antarctica comes from the Greek, “Ant” (opposite) and Arktos (Bear), referring to the Polar star of the Ursa Minor constellation. Antarctica = “No/or Little Bear”. The ancient Greeks didn’t know it, but there are no polar or any kind of bears in the Antarctic, so the name is all the more fitting.

Like we mentioned in the previous post, entering the portal of Neptune’s Bellows into the caldera of Deception Island required superb navigational skill. Plus, good luck and cooperation of the elements. Our Greek captain, who’d never sailed in Antarctic waters, performed an amazing feat that December 30, 1999, one day before Millennium Eve. The whole experience of entering the caldera remains imprinted in my memory chambers.

In preparation for the Zodiac landings ashore, all the passengers attended mandatory orientations where they learned all the “do’s and don’ts” while ashore. For instance, we were advised in a friendly but firm fashion by our onboard naturalist to keep a minimum distance of 5 metres (15 ft) from the penguins, of which we would be encountering myriads. Most of the ones there are Chinstraps. We were not allowed to approach the rookeries, but we’d witness many penguins as they went to and fro the icy waters in search of food.

The Zodiac crew were skilful and diligent. Many had been specially recruited. Amongst them, they had years of experience working in the Southern Ocean. December being high summer in the Antarctic, the sun just ‘goes’ for a few moments, giving lots of daylight for the dozens and dozens of Zodiac trips.

Shore Landings: because we were such a large number of people, a special system was devised, executed with nautical discipline. You had to be all suited-up and ready to go when your number was called. The Young Presidents Organization (YPO) passengers sported the latest fashion in cold-weather gear. Not to speak of state-of-the-art camera equipment.

“Only your footprints should be left behind”, we were warned by our naturalist guide. “And remember to keep your distance from the penguins!” We were told not to come too close, but nobody seemed to have told the penguins to keep their distance from humans!

Eagerly we stepped foot on the icy-shore. It was bitterly cold. Again, the guide said, “Don’t get too close, remember, 5 metres”. It’s all very well, but nobody seems to have told the penguins!

Penguins are very curious, but also protective of their young. Some immediately waddled over to us, as if we were family and wanting to say ‘Hi’ (and ‘stay away from my chicks’). The chicks had already lost most of their down. It’s some sight (and smell), to be in such close contact.

Penguins may waddle ashore, but once in the icy waters they “fly”. Those who return with food for the young are shiny and clean, while the ones heading out to sea are dirty, and smelly. So you have two “rows”, one going and one coming, crowded like a boulevard in a big city.

Skuas overhead are the penguins’ menace. They dive-bomb to snatch the chicks, and can also dive-bomb us humans: this I can personally vouch for! Our YPO passengers, who just a few days' ago left their sophisticated lifestyles back home, were now like children, full of awe and wonder while wandering amongst the penguins. When we returned to the Zodiac, a young girl pointed in the distance and shouted “Look, Daddy, a whale!” Our guide replied, “No, that’s the vents from the Hot Springs. Remember we’re inside a volcano.” Fire and ice! Coming soon, final episode of this Antarctic adventure. Signing off, Henri

Antarctica, Part 2: Rendez-vous at the 'Caldera'

2008-12-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

Continuing from Part One, our vessel “Ocean Explorer I” (OEI) had to be readied for the new international passengers from Young Presidents Organization (YPO) in a very short time. The crew worked in overdrive to meet the tight schedule.
Because of all the entertainment planned for the coming week, plus Millennium Eve, extra sound equipment and lighting was brought on board. So much so, an extra generator was required. In our view, making the sound levels at the various shows much too loud! OEI was slightly larger than one of the B.C. superferries; the main lounge held only 350 or so people.

Natasha, with her background in Protocol, was asked by the cruise director if she would look after the dignitaries on board, including the family of Robert Kennedy Jr., and F.W. deKlerck and his wife. (Because we didn’t have any art classes during the YPO week, this was possible.)
We mentioned yesterday crossing the Drake Passage can be unpredictable. It’s a notorious body of water where suddenly cyclone-force winds can blow up. Plus there are huge swells created when the massive body of water circulating around the Southern Ocean has to “squeeze” through the opening between the tip of South America (Cape Horn, Tierra del Fuego) and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The YPO members and their families didn’t have their sea legs like our regular around-the-world passengers. Many had adverse reactions to pitching and rolling, making the two and half day journey a shaky affair. (Quickly weeding the landlubbers from the salties.)
Many wore what I call “mar-malade” prevention patches. I’d been to the Antarctic before, and had experienced a few elemental furies. These new passengers also brought with them seasonal winter-time bugs. Everywhere, people were coughing and wheezing. Yours truly had a mild case of bronchitis, which wasn’t helped by the fact our cabin had no heating, but that’s another story. [Yes, Natasha and I were sailing in the Antarctic, without heat in our cabin, on Coral Deck, 'way below]. Our remedy was to run for a few moments the hot shower before braving the morning.
We had excellent lecturers on board, naturalists who gave talks about the wildlife of Antarctica, also an oceanographer. And let us not forget the Zodiac drivers who played such an important role (more on that in a following post.)
The plan Millennium Eve was to make rendez-vous with two other, smaller ships at the volcano known as Deception Island. We’d enter the “caldera” through the ‘eye of the needle’: a narrow opening through the cliffs called Neptune’s Bellows, a navigational hazard at only 230 metres (754 feet) in width. The last eruption at Deception Island was 1969.
Our Greek captain (who had never been to Antarctica), was apprehensive while guiding the ship through the Bellows. To cheers from all, he succeeded in the first effort. Once inside the caldera, officers had to vigilantly hold our position, since it was not possible to anchor. At that time, we were the largest vessel to enter the caldera. On schedule, we were met by the two other vessels carrying the other YPO passengers. The plan called for everyone to join the mothership (OEI) for festivities and celebration of Millennium Eve. This will be the subject of tomorrow’s blog, because it is an epic in itself.
You had to pinch yourself to realize you were at the ‘end of the world’, where a force-10 wind could rear up at any instant, a volcano may erupt, or nearby icebergs might block the exit through Neptune’s Bellows. More to follow, tomorrow. Signing off, Henri

Antarctic Adventure, Part I

2008-12-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

With all the focus directed on ‘good old Santa’ readying himself up in the Arctic at the North Pole, we’re turning our compass to the South Pole and the Antarctic.
Although I’d travelled to the Southern Ocean region before, nothing compared to an extraordinary, 4-month long experience we had at the turn of the millennium which brought us to Antarctica for New Year’s Eve, 1999. Anyone who has the opportunity to visit this part of the world comes back with a ‘unique’ experience.
Ours began when an ambitious Canadian travel promoter, who’d run a company sending passengers to Antarctica for several years, decided to charter a larger ship for an around-the-world-voyage. I won’t give a play-by-play of our trip, that would cover 10 blog posts at least, but the ship in question was re-named “Ocean Explorer I”, in short “OEI”. The voyage was a complete circumnavigation, lasting 127 days.
My role on board was Guest Artist & Lecturer, accompanied by Natasha, my indispensable assistant. The ship had a remarkable history. She was built during WWII as a troop transport carrier, the “General W.P. Richardson”. Very sturdy, she had an extra-thick, reinforced steel hull, and two engine rooms in the event one was torpedoed. She was a steamship, last of a breed. As a result, very quiet. Average speed on our journey was 15 knots.

Over the decades she had been owned by many different companies since she first took to the seven seas. But all along she had the same Chief Engineer, which accounted for her longevity. I won’t go into all the details about our departure from Athens, which was unbelievably chaotic to say the least. However we finally got underway, lifting anchor in Pireaus, Greece. It was 27 November, 1999, with some 680 passengers, most of whom were well-seasoned seniors, average age in the ‘70s.
All the officers were Greek.
The westbound itinerary called for several stops in remote ports-of-call such as Pitcairn Island, Easter Island, and of course the Antarctic. By the third week in December we approached Ushuaia at the tip of South America. There, a major logistical operation would occur: we’d completely “switch passengers”. Why? The Canadian operator had dreamt up a daring and ingenious “double-itinerary” to mark the Millennium. Those doing the full world cruise got off the ship for one week in Ushuaia and were flown to Santiago, the capital of Chile. There they celebrated the Millennium.
Meanwhile, a very small number of us stayed aboard the ship, and were joined by members of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), businessmen and their families from all over the world. In addition to our ship “OEI”, the operator had also chartered three smaller vessels to carry additional YPO passengers since their group numbered almost 1,000 in all.
With clockwork precision, this changeover went ahead without a hitch. We departed Ushuaia with the new passengers, who were much younger than the world cruise passengers.
Before arriving in Antarctica, you have to cross the notorious Drake Passage, one of the roughest bodies of water on the planet. And our crossing lived up to the Drake’s reputation, two and half days of pitching and rolling. We were headed for Deception Island (more on this later), where the actual Millennium Eve festivities would take place.
The entertainers on board for this Millennium sailing were Diana Krall, the Chieftains, Dan Aykroyd, Art Garfunkel, the Moffats, Natalie MacMaster, along with guest speakers Robert Kennedy Jr. and F.W. DeKlerck who won the Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela. To be continued . . . Signing off for now, Henri

The Joy of Imagination

2008-12-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Good to receive comments and questions. Some, like those related to politics or religion, we leave best alone. Others, like this note from Saskatchewan, gets my attention because it deals with a subject very dear to me and may be of interest to you.
“Sir, we have two grandchildren. Tina’s in kindergarten, Tommy in first year elementary school. Like most children, they paint pictures at school and at home. When Tina paints something, we can almost always tell what it is. But Tommy’s pictures we cannot make head nor tail of. Last week the teacher asked them to make a Holiday Season picture.
Tommy splashed bright colours all over the page, and when we asked him “What’s that, Tommy?”, he replied, as if it was perfectly obvious, “That’s a Christmas tree with lots of presents under it.” (And anyone who doesn’t see it, is really dumb, as far as he’s concerned!)
His teacher seems to think his pictures are wonderful. But, is it not the teacher’s job to guide and teach pupils the foundation and beginnings? To us, Tommy’s pictures look like the dabs of a monkey, or like those pictures we see in modern galleries, and which are very pricey at that. Do you agree, sir, that school should discourage children from just splashing paint around?”

First, let me say my respects go to the teacher, for letting Tommy’s imagination roam freely. Too soon in our childhood we lose that precious gem of Imagination.
In the process of growing up, there are already many things a child has to learn and requires discipline. But at the young age of Tina and Tommy, freedom (and encouragement) to express themselves is vital. What I look for in children’s art is the colours a child uses.
In most cases, bright and joyful colours reflect a happy child. The realm of art embraces not only technical skill, but colour and imagination. Later, the required skills to learn will come, if a boy or girl wants to later pursue art. Children are children. Imagination is their world. Foundation and guidance comes later.As adults, some very mature artists express themselves through what’s called nowadays their “Inner Child”.
Many fine abstract artists do not paint non-objective art because they cannot draw, just like a pilot does not fly because he or she can’t walk. Good examples of this child-like quality in mature artists can be seen in works by Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Joan Miro, and Karel Appel, just to name a few.

This reminds me of an experience I had back in 1959 while visiting for awhile at the home of a friend’s parents. TIME Magazine featured a full-colour reproduction of a painting by the young Karel Appel, a post-war artist from Amsterdam. The painting, titled “Woman and Ostrich”, won the coveted $10,000 Guggenheim Award in NY City. During my visit, my friend’s parents spent the whole evening looking for both the woman and the ostrich, to no avail . . Signing off, Henri

Two Bald Eagles on our Roof

2008-11-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

For those who live in the city, we share with you the recent visits of some wildlife. We live in an eleven-story apartment building right on Juan de Fuca Strait at the Pacific Ocean.
Two days ago, a pair of Bald Eagles decided to make our roof their cosy home. They’re called ‘Bald’ but of course that’s a misnomer. The top of their head is covered with white plumage.
I am sure these two "marauders" are plotting ways of tormenting, if not getting rid of altogether, the Blue Herons who recently started to return to the high firs in Beacon Hill Park.
We say this, because last year, a female Godzilla Eagle, all by herself, ransacked and destroyed the Blue Heron rookery in the Park.
We love both the Eagle and the Heron. What’s one to do? Not much, let Nature take its course I guess. Another visitor of late is an Elephant Seals, weighing tons, just washed up nearby here on Vancouver Island.
Then at the other end of the scale are the Hummingbirds; some species normally only found in warmer climes to the south are now being spotted more and more.
The Orcas and Salmon are become scarcer, that’s not good news. Seals, orcas and grizzlies are blamed for depleting the salmon, but how about we humans, and fish farms? We consume this delicacy on a regular basis, including ourselves. All sorts of factors including pollution and global climate change result in tricky things, creating all kinds of upheavals in the magical realm of Nature.
Bears are also spotted more close to human habitation. We’re removing their habitat and food sources, so are they not allowed to live? Small wonder that on a few occasions there are encounters between the bears and us (the spoilers and intruders) in what was their territory, their domain, until recently. There were here long before us.
Where will it all end? In the meanwhile we keep looking for other newcomers, but when we spot pink dolphins from the Amazon then we’ll really know all is not as it should be. In the meanwhile, that pair of Bald Eagles above our heads are plotting something. Just as well we don’t speak their language, or they, ours. Signing off, Henri

From Holy Bishop to Ho-Ho-Ho Santa

2008-11-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Some people look upon the word “Xmas” as sacrilegious, but it comes from the Greek “Xristos”, Christ. Xmas has been used in the UK for centuries. My previous post mentioned the third century Bishop from Smyrna, Nicholas and how we knew him in my childhood in the Lowlands, as Sinterklaas or St. Nicolaas. (Who in turn became North America’s “Santa Claus”.)
In the Netherlands and Flanders, St. Nicolaas rides a horse and is accompanied by Zwarte Piet (Black Peter), a Moor.
Santa Claus rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer. And of course back at the North Pole he’s got his helpers, the elves.
In my boyhood, Sinterklaas was “the” day of the holiday season, much more anticipated than Xmas Day. On the eve of December fifth, we put out our wooden shoes, shoes or slippers with an apple, carrot, or any tasty bit for the horse of Sinterklaas. [December 5 because that was the day of the original Saint Nicolaas’ birthday.]
Needless to say, during the night of December 5, time seemed to pass slowly. Our little hearts bounced with great expectations. We knew whether we’d been naughty on a few occasions during the year, but hoped the good man had forgiven these small ‘side-steps’.So you see, not much different from Santa Claus, and Christmas Eve, here in North America, except almost 3 weeks’ earlier.
When a young boy I recall a few occasions close to Xmas Day when father came home with a small conifer tree. There’d be white candles placed on the branches, and father always put a bucket of water beside the tree, in case of fire. There were no presents or toys since these had already been given on Sinterklaas Day. Sometimes father would hang apples on the small tree (having selected one with sturdy branches to bear the weight). Then there’d be no candles or any other decoration.
Later I learned from my maternal grandfather this was a tradition practised back in the eleventh century and symbolized the Tree of Paradise. At one time, maybe still somewhere in the world,
December 24 was celebrated as the Feast Day of Adam and Eve.
It wasn’t until 1841 when Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert of Germany installed a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. From there the tradition of trees reached out to rich and poor alike. We all have our unique childhood memories, mine go back to Sinterklaas Day much more than December 25.

[There’s a new field called “psychophysiology”; yesterday we read an article about how for example experiences and memories of joy, or sadness for some, around the holiday season can be mapped in our brains and effect our subsequent frame of mind around Christmastime. For many people the family gathering can be very stressful, especially if they feel forced to “put on a happy face”. You can’t fool your brain though].
I like “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas, especially the recording read by the poet himself. All these traditions based on folklore, mythology and pagan history are just as interwoven, complex (and sometimes confusing), as we humans. And “memories” are made of all this.
Here’s a quote from “The Pickwick Papers” by Charles Dickens, who wrote in 1836, five years before Queen Victoria had her first Christmas tree:
“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own friends and his quiet home.”

Signing off for now, Henri

From Bishop Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to Santa Claus

2008-11-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

"The Night Before Christmas”, a poem written in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore, heralded Santa Claus in America. Or so the story goes. But centuries before, (280-342 AD) to be exact, Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna in Turkey brought joy to poor children by strewing gifts and goodies their way on his birthday.
That’s the same Sinterklaas (Flemish) and Sint-Nicolaas (Netherlands) we celebrate on the eve of December 5th (or the morning of the 6th), the birth date of the Bishop. And Saint Nicholas as we call him is patron saint of children.
The pilgrims of Holland brought this tradition to America in the 17^th century, also to New York (formerly Nieuw Amsterdam).
From there the Santa Claus morphed into the jolly friendly fellow we know today, continuing to enchant children wherever he goes on his sleigh, the famous sleigh powered by reindeer.
Speaking of which, my favourite Yuletide carol is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. It is one of the very few with a deeper message and which few seem to realize.
Nobody cared much for Rudolph. He was a laughing-stock and wasn’t allowed to play with the other reindeer. He was ridiculed, mocked or ignored, until Santa recognized great merit in that glowing nose. (Read: as in recognizing his worth and talent.)
Then of course all the other reindeer loved Rudolph. The message in Rudolph’s song isn’t unlike the story by Hans Christian Andersen of the “Ugly Ducking”, who turned out be a swan.
[Just like we all ‘love’ Vincent van Gogh or other artists, now that they’ve been universally recognized, a century or more after they were living and breathing amongst us.]
Getting back to the song, it was Gene Autry, the legendary “singing cowboy”, who made an evergreen recording in 1949. That’s when I heard it, during one of my transatlantic sailings with Holland America Line to the New World, when I worked as a steward in the first-class dining room.
Then, we also heard Gene Autry singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” back home on Radio Luxembourg, broadcast station for the U.S. Army in Europe. (That’s where I learned my first English, through Radio Luxembourg.)
Then, there is the Scandinavian tradition (where the word “Yuletide” originates), with its Festival of Light. Yule has its origin from a Scandinavian word (e.g. in Finnish it’s “Joul”) and means ‘feast’.
Also there is the Norse mythology of Thor, the God of Thunder. He would fly through the sky in a sleigh pulled by magical goats. (And in the American song, the seventh reindeer is named “Donder”, which in my native tongue translates as “Thunder”). Pagan traditions, ancient mythologies and history, all mixed up. More to come on the subject. Signing off, Henri

Trying Times, Keep on Trying

2008-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

What I find truly amazing is the newly-elected government of the Maldives, an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean, is seriously considering buying a whole new land for its 380,000 citizens.
Reason – the ocean level is rising by the month, and the atolls of the Maldives are in great danger of becoming submerged. The highest point of land is only 2.4 metres above sea level.
We had the privilege and experience of visiting the Maldives on several occasions by ship. It’s made up of a chain of 1,200 islands and coral atolls about 500 miles from the tip of the Indian continent. The new president, 41-year old Mohamed Nasheed, is a human rights activist who was once imprisoned (a former political prisoner, like Nelson Mandela). He started his tenure in the islands’ capital of Male last week. This is the Maldives’ first democratically-elected president.
According to the report, tourism brings in $1 billion a year, so there is ‘cash’ for this colossal real-estate acquisition in the making. They will create a “sovereign wealth fund”.
President Nasheed, also known as “Anni”, is preparing for a mass exodus. He’s eyeing and enormous tract of land in either Sri Lanka, India or Australia as options to safeguard his people from becoming the first climate change refugees.
“We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It’s an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome,” he said. “We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.”
Here we have one of several nations becoming victim of this human-caused problem. Cause and effect. Gratifying to see that at least somewhere, one leader is concerned about his people’s safety and well-being. Signing off for now, Henri

Poinsettia Trees in the Caribbean

2008-11-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

We belong to a club here in Victoria. Mostly because of our interest in billiards and snooker.

The club has three professional-quality billiards tables. Snooker requires concentration, awareness, decision-making and mental mathematics, and creates a fellowship amongst other aspects. The aficionados play regularly, not only for the joy of it, but many play to compete in tournaments. (Plus, it’s good exercise, mentally and physically.) Both Single and Double tournaments are held throughout the year.

I am a novice, with a handicap of +25. Recently a friend of ours, a very good billiards player, created a new game called Zen Billiards. Last weekend a visiting club from another city came over for a big annual tournament, Doubles on Saturday and Singles on Sunday. Both tournaments were won by the visiting squad but Victoria put in a fair show. (I was a spectator in the gallery.)

But hold on, we’re getting side-tracked here.

Yesterday when visiting the club, we noticed two sentinels from the Nutcracker Suite standing at the entrance, while indoors more glimpses of the “Ho-ho” season could be found, gnomes sitting atop mantelpieces and other Xmas decor or pixies on shelves. The decorations are elegant, not the usual sort of ‘tinsel’.

No sign of the traditional Big Tree yet, or the neat rows of bright-red poinsettias, stationed neatly on the steps of the main stairwell. Yet, these harbingers signalled loud and clear the Holiday Season is upon us. Following a couple of rounds of snooker, I rested in the spacious reading room, while Natasha did some computer work in the Business Centre. In between resting, slumbering and resting (yes, it’s that kind of Club where in the old days only gentlemen could be found snoozing behind the daily paper, a la “Drone Club” of Wodehouse fame), I was transported in my reveries back to the Caribbean one year ago. At that time I was guest artist aboard an ocean liner, the QE2.

We’d called on Dominica, a beautiful and lush island. It was December, and while exploring the island, we noticed everywhere tall poinsettia trees, glowing with complementary red and green colours.

Throughout the Lesser Antilles, in the sweltering heat and humidity, at each port of call shops were overflowing with ‘snowmen’, Santas with reindeers and snowflake decorations on windows and doors. “Have you ever seen snow?”, I asked one of our guides. No, she hadn’t , but she knew all about mistletoe, holly and that famous reindeer with the red nose, Rudolf.

Not only in the Caribbean, but in December throughout Central and South America in tropical regions, Santa rules.

But what is all this “Ho-ho-ho” all about, which gobbles us all up into commercial temptations and deck halls?

How did those three kings, those three wise men, know a Saviour was born? From the stars, we’re told. Yes, there was the star above Bethlehem. And shepherds, who as the story goes, were told by an angel to go 'towards the bright Star shining in the East, for there in Bethlehem in a stable, the Saviour was born.' All well and good for those wise Men, they were star-gazers, ‘studiers’ of the constellations, or astrology. I wonder when people sing their Xmas carols, if they have any idea what it was that led the three kings to the saviour?

And what about the iconic Christmas tree. Do conifers and pine trees grow in the desert lands? Date palms, yes. Cedars of Lebanon, yes. As most people now, our Christmas tree goes back a long way, to pagan and Druid times. The time of the Winter Solstice, the return of the ‘newborn’ Light. Enough said for now. I’ll just go and wonder, wander and ponder some more. Ho-ho-ho! Henri

Micro - Macro Cosmos revealed

2008-11-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

At the same time we hear “science is mystified or baffled” about something, or that “science says” our spaceship Ocean Earth is in more and more peril, remarkable discoveries are made by scientists.
Yesterday we learned a team of scientists announced an “unprecedented discovery” of phenomena light-years away: three more planets circling around another Sun have been spotted. Apparently this is the first time images of several planets around a star outside our solar system have been captured.
Meanwhile Hubble keeps peering deeper into space, sending back more and more breathtaking macroscopic images. (I still wonder, “where did all that Space come from, for the whole universe to dance in?)
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, and not wishing to go unnoticed, the microscopic world reveals itself, making headline news as well.
This week Santiago Costantino, a physicist at University of Montreal recreated Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring” at 200 microns, about the width of two human hairs.
He arranged the image ‘pixel by pixel’ and aimed a laser through a microscopic lens to arrange molecules in the liquid to form the famous image. Costantino explained the aim of this laser technique is to help medical researchers:
“the laser can create intricate protein patterns in the lab that researchers can use to test how nerve cells might be re-grown - the first step toward the long-term goal of repairing spinal cord injuries and other nerve damage”.
This same week we learned in Japan the world’s smallest engagement ring has been created: a diamond 5 billionths of a carat, 300 nanometres thick and 5 micrometres across.
It was made by carving out a circular structure in an artificially- made diamond. It will be used to access single photons, the basis for developing quantum computers. The ring can only be seen with a microscope. (No kidding!) And I thought my father was a genius, when he put 52 facets on a 0.20 point diamond.
Many years ago, on one of our journeys to Mexico, we met a local artist on the beach. His specialty was to carve your name on a grain of rice, which he’d put on a string and you could wear around your neck. He did this without glasses or magnification instruments. This is quite commonly seen today, but in those days it seemed absolutely amazing.
Back in the 1960s, the first images became available to the public of minerals or crystals magnified by an electron microscope. These were vistas never before seen and which carried the viewer into another realm. I used to call them, and still do, images of ‘never-ever land’.
Sometimes the resemblance between the multi-coloured splendour and sparkle of images from space (such as the extraordinary nebulae captured by Hubble we see today), and those from the microscopic world are so similar, it is uncanny, revealing the micro and the macro world are one.
However, what is interesting is that before I personally ever witnessed such images, I was already depicting imagery of a micro/macro nature, but born from intuition and experimentation. (See images of paintings here.) Evidence that the creative mind is a vehicle of the zeitgeist and can function as a harbinger of the future.
Keep on discovering! Henri

Arcobaleno, Arc-en-ciel, Arco-iris, Regnbue, Regenboog, Regenbogen, Rainbow

2008-11-10T19:31:00.001-08:00

We live right at the Pacific Ocean and from our window have an unobstructed view of Juan de Fuca Strait, the Olympic range of Washington, and much of Victoria. When a rainbow appears, we can ‘capture’ it, if alert and ready.
This photo was taken by Natasha with her mobile this morning, November 10 at 10h00 Pacific time. The ‘raincircle’ spectrum hat, I acquired in the Canary Islands from a handicapped woman who crocheted it herself.
When teaching art aboard ship, most recently with venerable QE2. Tomorrow, November 11, she sails on her final voyage, heading ‘into the sunset’ in Dubai.
We give a different theme every day, and the passenger-students have to draw mostly on their imagination. At first this can be quite challenging for many people, however even those with the most difficultly to ignite their imagination, ‘take off’ once they see the theme of the day is: rainbow fantasy. (See here an example of one of my students.) In no time, their efforts are transformed into joyous rainbow colours. Maybe for the first time in a long while, they have connected again with their inner child.
Scientists, thinkers and polymaths have tried for a long time to analyze the phenomena of a rainbow. Poets and artists express their feelings and impressions back to the world. Children always find inspiration and joy in depicting this magic “bow” of colours.
It is the rainbow which teaches (long before the advent of art schools) what happens when you mix the three primary colours (Red, Yellow, Blue): you create the secondary colours (Orange, Green, Violet). I wonder how our “Lucy” ancestors must have felt upon first seeing a rainbow. What were they thinking when witnessing this mysterious and magical arch of colours? How did they feel? Joy? Fear? Wonder? Happiness? Did they utter “Wow”, “Ah”, “Oh”, like we do, or better still, take it in with awe and silence?

Here’s a poem I wrote awhile back. Happy Trails, Henri

“Cry O Sun

Smile O Rain

Cry O Rain

Smile O Sun

Only your union

Creates a Rainbow”

"Ah, when we will ever learn . . "

2008-11-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

These grey and “early-dark” days of November are once again upon us. All the leaves destined to part from their “tree home” will soon leave bare branches. The conifers - - cypress, pines, junipers, firs and cedars now have more to say and make their presence felt. They tell us without words,
“Look! We’re evergreen.”
No sooner have the yellows, tans, ochres, sienas, reds and umbers of Autumn go, than another Red ‘pops up’ (be it briefly), to be seen on almost everyone’s attire, especially the TV anchor people. Symbol for those soldiers and civilians who gave or lost their lives, so we can all live in ‘freedom’ and ‘peace’. Not only WWI is remembered, but all the wars and killings that followed, to this day, adding ever-more reasons to perpetuate Remembrance Day. [War is called “Regime Change” nowadays.] “Lest We Forget”, all right.
Bob Dylan wrote already in the ‘60s “ . . the answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind” . .. “oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?”
What a strange and paradoxical species we are, Homo Sapiens. I saw "the bombs drop", and lived through WWII as a boy.
On the one hand we go out to kill and get killed, both for the same cause of Freedom. Soldiers gave their lives so that we can live free. Yet, our freedom is stealthily being taken away; ‘Big Brother’ has crept up, making Orwell’s book “Brave New World” look like amateurish scribble.
You may recall the classic black and white move “All Quiet on the Western Front”, based on a novel of the same name by German writer Erich Maria Remarque, a ‘realistic and harrowing account’ of WWI slaughter in the trenches and fields of Flanders.
We came across these thoughts from someone in England, on the wearing of poppies and remembering, “ . . how much does it serves to console as much as to mask the terrible reality of death in war. By masking, it is meant that remembrance becomes a ritual used to ‘blot out’ the horrible reality of, in this case war, and the First World War in particular. Naturally, the truth is far too disturbing to continually be exposed, so the ritual of remembrance helps to create a more ‘comfortable’ memory of the deceased. This is most noticeable, for example, on Remembrance (Day), when the wearing of an artificial poppy, and the two-minute silence in recognition of those who gave their lives, saves one from having to dwell on the specific details of the deaths of millions of men killed while serving their country.” (From “A Memorial in Scarlet” by Stacy Chambless.)
But why do poppy flowers flourish in battlefields? I learned the first reference to this was made by a writer during Napoleon’s time. He observed certain fields were barren before a battle but exploded with poppies after the fighting ended.
It’s known that in Flanders and France, the chalk soil became very rich in lime from all the rubble, but after the lime became absorbed, the poppies disappeared. Today many Quakers wear white poppies which they say "is not about insulting the dead, but to honour them by working for an end to war”.
Remember Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"? War because of a song the "Littleputs" argued about? We need a few more Gullivers in the world.

Would it not be something to see a film such as “All Quiet on the Western Front” where everything was in reverse? Then you’d have peace instead of war: bullets shot from rifles would come out of the bodies and return into the rifle barrel. The bayonet plunged into flesh reverses and leaves the body. No wound. Advancing commandos go backward. Shrapnel would re-assemble. Bombers raining their deadly cargo would have the bombs flying upwards back into the hold of the aircraft. Hand grenades would boomerang intact back into the hands that threw them. Cannons nicely receive back their lethal cannon balls, all the carnage ‘undone’.
On the topic of shooting, why do we speak of killing a penalty in hockey or soccer (associated football).Can’t we say ‘ride out’ or ‘weather’ or ‘survive’ a penalty? Or we speak of “a nice shot” in pool or billiards. Our words perpetuate our culture’s killing habits.
But, this November has given us hope and a sigh of relief: the end of a great “error” (which added to the deaths of how many more thousands?), and beginning of a new "Era".
Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye, Makes the whole world blind.” Signing off, Henri

Art without signature? "They had no word for Art".

2008-11-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

Back in 1967 a small group, twelve of us, visited the Paleolithic caves of Lascaux in France and Altamira in Spain.Both caves were closed at the time we arrived. My French and Spanish helped, along with our being mostly artists from Canada, allowing us access to both primordial art galleries.(Both Lascaux and Altamira have for some time now been closed to the public). So it was a great privilege to see with my own eyes these so-called ‘primitive’ images. Something I’ll never forget. Beyond being awestruck, I was tongue-tied.
It was like journeying back to The Origins, to our creative roots. These humble rock artists left us a vast legacy.And you know what? Not one of the pre-historic creations by early Homo sapiens shows a “signature”; I’m pretty sure in their vocabulary they did not have a word for Art. [You can see images of human hands, and “dots” too, on those cave walls. Enigmatic symbols. Are those their signatures, left behind for us to ponder?]I often wonder to which ‘school of art and design’ they went to, to learn their skill.

And how can we say these works have been done by ‘primitives? Just look at those lines, shapes and colours, the way they made use of the contours of the cave walls and ceilings to enhance their creations.
Surely it took not only great certainty on the part of the painter, but they had to be ‘refined’ minds. The grace and precise coordination between hand, head, soul and heart is stunning.
In later travels to other parts of the world, we witnessed other early forms of art, those of ancient Egypt; in Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque and Tulum in Central America; the San/Bushmen rock paintings in Namibia; aboriginal work in Australia; petroglyphs in North America – none of these are “signed”. What a contrast with art today, where some signatures are often so large or dominating it ruins the composition.
But look at snowflakes, flowers, ocean life, animals, all that grows and blooms --- no signatures. Signatures abound in our documents, papers and our works of art.
What is it with us, that everything we create has to be signed? (Sure, in ancient time there were ‘signet’ rings of the Pharaohs, using scarab designs.) Nowadays, signatures and stamps of authenticity are considered a must. If an artist won’t sign a painting, the dealer will insist upon it. Even this blog is identified.
A signature represents ID, as in “I.D.T. – I Did That.”
Yes, signing denotes authenticity, but signing also resembles a territorial marking. “This is mine”, like the spraying by the cat family. Of course it also represents pride, and in some cases vanity, a ‘copyright within a copyright’?
In 1972 I embarked on “Organiverse”, an opus of one hundred mandalas in pointillism, dot by dot, atom by atom. I never signed one of them. My intent was, and still is, to let the images reveal themselves to the viewer. Evolution without words.
In a sense, Art is silent communication. Viewers in their own way need to connect with a work of art, while in turn the full sum of the artist connects with the viewer through their work. Each of us lives a life, with its own experiences, and reacts to the world accordingly.
Vincent van Gogh signed his paintings and drawings simply “Vincent”. We know from letters to his brother Theo that he left out his surname because he realized people would have problems pronouncing it correctly. How right and compassionate he was. Just listen today how his name is mispronounced in a multitude of variations.
Going back to “Organiverse” (the series of 100 images all done in pointillism), this series was created in 1972. In those days printing technology didn’t have the know-how to reproduce the delicate and lucid “colour-play” of the dots. Now, not unlike the cycle of the Cicada that spends many years underground and then emerges “singing”, Organiverse seems to be morphing and re-awakening. (See organiverse.com)
And guess what else is new? Not only are we expected to sign our work, but in the case of Organiverse people ask for explanations of each one! Please, there are 100 of these mandalas.
What’s then left for personal perception and imagination of the individual viewer, if the artist “explains” what should be silent communication.
Imagination for artists is their ‘breath of life’.
See what we mean? We stand upon the shoulders of our noble ancestors, those pre-historic cave painters - - - whose works of the far-distant past have no signature, but lots of intent, spirit and soul. “Sign-ing” off, Henri

Is Life a Dream, or a Dream Life?

2008-11-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

A question from a friendly reader across the pond, in Yorkshire. “I read with interest your blog about the postwar resurgence of ocean liners, and also the movie stars who were aboard. I believe most English movie stars at that time sailed with Cunard or P & O, am I right?”
Yes, that’s true. Most British celebrities and movie stars would often sail with Cunard, P & O or Union Castle Line (which did the route to Africa). Americans and several European stars seemed to prefer the vessel I worked on, Holland America Line’s “Nieuw Amsterdam”, partly because she had air-conditioning, unique in those days. Some sailed with the renowned Ile de France”.
Now we’ve touched once again the subject of post-war Transatlantic crossings by the ocean liners, and re-introduction of 5-star service, let me say a few more words on the topic.
We all have our own life experiences. Except today people are experiencing things “more similarly”, for example, through the saturation of media, we all get showered with the same water. Witness people in subway or buses, all reading the same newspapers. They arrive at work, having formed “opinions” from this “wisdom-source”.
How do we fit in with this assault of confused minds? How do we make sense, or order out of the chaos caused by endless sources of information coming our way (including this blog, ho-ho!) When we travel, we hopefully set out to see and experience different things, but upon our return, do we digest or distill these experiences into seeing things differently?”
During our travels many well-known people, celebrities and members of high society came our way. But several were a bore! Why is this? Smugness? Narcissism? “Blind and deaf” to the world beyond themselves? Who knows, but can be dull.
Often the most interesting people are ‘unsuspecting’ adventurers, humble but proud. When they return home, these individuals see the world differently, with ‘fresher eyes’ than when they left home. These are the same kinds of people who often end up “leaving this world a little bit better than they found it” as the Circumnavigator’s Club motto says.
What makes my own life so diverse is that it all seems to fall into place, in a sense ‘predestined’. Maybe all our lives are, who knows? And it’s not always smelling the roses, but feeling the thorns once in awhile. Plenty of slips on the banana peel of Life. In my early boyhood in the Lowlands, we learned a song, called “Wij Reizen Om te Leren”.

“Wij reizen om te leren,
Door heel het land,
En hebben als wij wederkeren
Ook meer verstand.”

“We travel because we wish to learn.
Then, upon return, we will have gathered more insight and knowledge.”

(An aside, yours truly learned five languages because of all my travels, and ‘being there’.) Returning to the title of today’s post and the subject of dreams and reality:
One blistery Toronto winter morning in 1973, I woke up with a clear dream of teaching Art on ships, later that dream became reality. (Caused indirectly by a rejection I’d received for a grant application.) There is a great difference between making a dream reality, (remember Danny Kaye in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?”), daydreaming or “self-talk”, where nothing happens. Alot of "baaaaaaaa", but no wool! If an around-the-world sailing is the ‘crown jewel of travel’, then to make a dream-come-true must be a ‘crown-jewel of life’s journey’. Happy trails, Henri

Hallowe'en Special

2008-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

My paternal grandfather was a master diamond faceter, and, a holistic healer. Besides being a great music lover, he also studied -- on his own -- the ancient Greek classics.
He was a great raconteur. Amongst the many stories he told me in my boyhood were two which pointed to the ‘eerie’ elements, not only for a young boy but even grown-ups.
One story, the Barong, featured the epic battles of Indonesia between good and evil, as portrayed by exotic dancers with fearsome masks. These stories depicted tales from the Hindu Mahabharata.
One of my grandfather’s five sons was a scribe or senior clerk in the Netherlands Colonial office in Indonesia. Another uncle was a pioneering photographer and documentary filmmaker. Upon hearing from his brother about those classical Indonesian dances, he travelled in the late 1920’s especially to Bali, to film the spectacular Kecak( or what Westerners call the Monkey Dance).
I had the honour of watching those films, at the ripe young age of 5 years.
The other “scary” myths my grandfather told me was about the Gorgons, to which we devote this special Hallowe’en post, and because I can’t remember all of this Greek classic, we quote here an excerpt here from from the web-based Encyclopedia Mythica at www.pantheon.org.)
“In Greek mythology a Gorgon is a monstrous feminine creature whose appearance would turn anyone who laid eyes upon it to stone. Later there were three of them: Euryale ("far-roaming"), Sthenno ("forceful"), and Medusa ("ruler"), the only one of them who was mortal. They are the three daughters of Phorcys and Ceto.

The Gorgons are monstrous creatures covered with impenetrable scales, with hair of living snakes, hands made of brass, sharp fangs and a beard. They live in the ultimate west, near the ocean, and guard the entrance to the underworld.
A stone head or picture of a Gorgon was often placed or drawn on temples and graves to avert the dark forces of evil, but also on the shields of soldiers.
Such a head (called a gorgoneion) could also be found on the older coins of Athens. Artists portrayed a Gorgon head with snake hair, and occasionally with a protruding tongue and wings.”
Returning to the topic of Hallowe’en (or Hallowed Evening),in the Netherlands we do not have the ‘doings’. We have other traditions, more connected to earlier Pagan traditions (or from the Middle Ages).
While writing this post I recalled a curious incident also from my boyhood, connected to a “scandal” around the Walt Disney movie “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs”.
The reader may find this strange, but Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands forbad the showing of this film in Holland because she felt it was too “sinister” for the children: the witch with her poisoned apple, the trees with those threatening branches which threw shadows which looked like long-armed spikes.
Being inventive, the Netherlanders found a way to get around this censorship, at least those who could afford it: they simply went to Flanders across the border to watch the movie there. How about that? 'Have a Hair-raising Hallowe'en', Henri

It's Scary, Charlie Brown!

2008-10-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ooooooooooooooooo . . . Ghouls, Spooky-spooks and Zombies are slowly waking up from their one-year slumber. Or, maybe they haven’t been asleep at all?
What I find a lot scarier than these creatures is watching how governments or self-imposed autocratic dictators treat their fellow citizens, the planet and all that lives on this humble spaceship called Earth. That’s scary.
What’s scary is to see 10 years after our last visit to the coral reefs that these ‘nurseries’ of the seas continue to die.
What’s scary is that some one million sharks are slaughtered every year, just for people to indulge in the so-called “delicious” shark-fin soup. Sharks are not fish which lay eggs galore in one go. No, sharks give birth to live offspring, in small numbers.
What’s scary is Rhinos are disappearing because people “believe” their horns ground into powder are used for aphrodisiacs.
What’s scary is across the board, species are becoming endangered or are already extinct; that more and more precious plants are being destroyed or plundered. Plants which may hold medicinal healing properties for us all. Now, that is scary.
What’s scary is the rapid melting of ice in the North and South polar regions, and the Antarctic ice shelves breaking off. Now that’s scary, you better believe it. What’s scary is remembering that prediction of the Mayan’s in their so-far accurate calendar of a cataclysm in 2012. Maybe this prophesy refers to the melting of the polar regions?
What’s scary and in a sense the most puzzling of all is that so people are “paralyzed” despite the canary in the coal mine warnings given to us all. Sure, we hear a lot about “Green this” and “Green that”, but much of this is motivated for the Green Buck.
What’s also scary is to hear every day that “scientists are baffled” about something or other, e.g. miscalculating the side-effects of some pharmaceutical drug. Or how a food, drink or supplement is good for you one week, and bad for you the next. The ‘lame carry the blind’. Now, that’s scary.
What’s scary is every day more than a billion people go hungry while our affluent nations have managed to raise a generation of obese children.

What’s also scary is this:
Ghouls, Zombies and Monsters
are “awake”
While most of the Human species is Asleep.
now that’s scary.

So, come on, all of you Witches, Zombies, Ghouls, Gorgons and Monsters – masked or painted. For the night of October 31^st, give us a “wake-up” about the planet. Now that would be a treat’.

Do you know a Ghost’s favourite dessert?
Boooooooooooooberry pie.

Booooo to you, Henri

"A House, A House, For A Tulip"

2008-10-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Isaac Newton stated “I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people...”

This economic upheaval and mass exposure of greed on the highest level is not the first time of course financial speculation brought ruin. There was the Great Depression following the crash of 1929 (the year yours truly arrived on this spaceship ‘Earth’ for a spell), plus other major financial upheavals in the past.
Economic crisis, people losing their homes, financial security lost overnight like a house of cards, a collapse. 2008? No, I’m talking about the 1634 in the Lowlands, and all because of: a tulip.
Yes, they call it now “Tulip Mania”, when enormous financial speculation and frenzy took place in Holland. Mostly centred in Amsterdam, indeed it all began with an innocent tulip bulb.
Yes, not only had this bulb grown into a beautiful, sturdy, straight tulip, but its colours were outstanding in the backdrop of the drab browns and greys of the Netherlands.
The tulip, now so popular and common worldwide, originates not in Holland but in the mountains of what was Persia and Mesopotamia - - - Iran, Turkey, and Iraq. People are often surprised to discover the tulip didn’t originate in Holland.
Furthermore, it got its name from the word for turban, “Tulband”, because of its resemblance to the headgear worn by the Ottoman Turks. Later the word became “tulip”.
Although Holland was, and is, a small nation, this didn’t stop it from ‘spreading its wings’ worldwide. From early on, the Hollanders were active traders and very successful at business. First they bought Manhattan (which the settlers called “Nieuw Amsterdam) from the native people, and then sold it for “an apple and an egg”. (The ship I sailed on and topic of the previous 5 posts was named after Nieuw Amsterdam, in memory of those days.)
Witness the Netherlands’ sea-faring explorations and colonization on a large scale (of which nowadays, of course, only a few remain such as Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (the “ABC” islands we call them in Holland); St. Maarten, and of course, Indonesia and the island of Irian Jaya (the other half of which is Papua New Guinea). Now independent. It was all because of the spices and other resources.
Anyways, because Netherlanders were such diligent traders, they found themselves in the Middle East and the western terminus of the Silk Road. They bought and traded all kinds of new goods, and one of these was the tulip which they brought back to Holland.
Upon seeing its beauty, colour and unique long-lasting nature in the stark landscape of rainy Holland, a bidding war soon began back in Amsterdam: “Tulip Mania”. Yes, at one time a tulip bulb was worth more than a house! Now, I’m asking you. And of course it all came crashing down when later, people came to their senses. See what we mean with financial upheaval being nothing new?
The Flemish master Jan Brueghel The Younger immortalized that époque in his famous painting, “Allegory Upon the Tulip Mania”, depicting humans as monkeys, as shown here. “Happy gardening”. Henri

Part 5, Holland America Line 1948-51, Musicians and Movie Stars

2008-10-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

In a way the discipline, commitment and responsibility of being a crew member aboard an ocean liner isn’t very different from the military. On board ocean liners it is called being “shipshape”. Every day we had to line up for inspection by the Chief Steward, the First Officer, and sometimes the Captain, accompanied by the Boatswain.
They’d be joined by the Chief Housekeeper and his assistant. Together they’d all go around the vessel, wearing white gloves. Woe to those who were responsible for dusting or polishing brass, whether it be in the washrooms, or public areas. Those who had neglected their duties were penalized through a point system, and on the next port of call would have to remain aboard ship, cleaning, polishing, and washing. Also hygiene and fire prevention were, and still are, very high on the list priorities on ocean-going vessels. In terms of activities for the passengers, in those days the program consisted mostly of things such as Clay pigeon shooting (aft), Ping-pong, shuffleboard, horse or turtle races, bridge, poker, chess, checkers, backgammon, engine room and bridge tours, swimming, relaxing on deck, movies in the air-conditioned theatre (a rarity on ships in those days). The daily “bet” to see how far the ship had sailed in the past 24 hours (the daily pool) was a favourite, and of course the classic daily Quiz. Also, entertainment (but not the Las Vegas-style spectacles you find on cruise ships today), passenger and crew talent shows, the ship’s band, a piano player – these were regularly scheduled.
(No art classes or lectures on culture, though. Experience and knowledge of this routine on board ships, which I’d stored away in the little grey cells, helped many years later in the 1970’s when I woke up one morning with a vision of teaching art aboard ships. [And giving talks on art forms of various ports of call]. In the late 1940’s there was nothing like that available. Today’s it is called “Enrichment Program”, which yours truly pioneered.) Those of us who worked as stewards in the dining room were on duty at all times, seven days a week until we reached the next port of call. (With very short breaks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon.)
So we’d be among the first to notice the patterns and behaviour of the passengers. There were the early-risers, those who had breakfast in their stateroom, those who frequented the bars, and those who stayed up long after the sumptuous midnight buffet. Bars only closed when the last guest left. Many romances also blossomed. The ‘shady’ types were usually amongst those where arguments broke out. Fights were quickly put out by officers and security staff.
The ship had two classes: First and Second, completely separate from each other, and each with their own dining room of course. There were always a few movie stars or celebrities on each voyage. Some travelled incognito, some with a spouse or mistress. Older women were sometimes accompanied by a gigolo.
This all took place 60 years ago, so I can’t remember them all, but on one occasion we had Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor in our section of the dining room. They were married and on their way for a holiday in Europe. Always courteous, friendly, and knowledgeable about gourmet cuisine. Both were open to trying new dishes, such as the Indonesian specialties nasi goring, bahmi and Rijsttafel. They never complained or commanded. Ideal passengers for a steward.
On one crossing from NY to Rotterdam, the entire New York Philharmonic was on board with conductor and Maestro par excellence Leopold Stokowski. The weather was very fine and the rehearsed on the open deck. My frequent attending of their rehearsals nearly cost me my job, because sometimes I’d be a bit late for duty. Some passengers also travelled with their valet.
Oh yes! While taking a few moments of fresh air on deck, and looking out for dolphins or whales, a movie star came over to me. She asked if I could bring a telegram up to the Radio Room. I said, “Of course”, and with the telegram she tucked a folded paper into my hand. When I looked at it, on my way to the Bridge Deck, I was astounded to see a $50 bill. There in my hand was 2 ½ months wages. And this for just taking a telegram up one deck.
In 1951 the end of my days of being a steward at sea approached. A neglected cold, which evolved into double pneumonia, pleurisy and then tuberculosis on both lungs, put me into a TB Sanatorium in the Netherlands for a long time. It was there that I discovered I could paint. But as noted earlier, I returned to the Seven Seas.
How did I do it? By combining my experience as a steward on board ships, with my career as an artist, I literally dreamt up the idea of teaching Art on ships. This resulted in three around-the-world voyages and numerous month-long sailings in the capacity as Guest Artist & Lecturer. Proving “if you never have a dream, you’ll never have a dream come true”. Bon voyage! Henri

Part 3, Holland America Line 1948-51, Pampering the Passengers

2008-10-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

These blogposts about my time as a steward with Holland America Line (HAL) have ‘morphed’ or taken on a life of their own. We share these experiences because they’re part of history and of the time when, slowly but surely, Europe began to recover after WWII. Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time, to not only witness this “Phoenix” phenomenon, but be part of it.

In Part 2, I spoke of being a waiter in Amsterdam at the 5-star Hotel Pays Bas and wrote of Han van Meegeren, the notorious art forger. His forgeries were discovered through X-rays. Once it was confirmed the “Vermeer” and other “masterpieces” were in fact fakes, it wasn’t long before the finger was pointed at Han van Meegeren. He was charged, arrested and put on trial.

van Meegeren was given a 1-year sentence in prison, but in the process of appealing this decision he died of a heart attack, age 58, the same year I met him 1947.

Going back to the late 1940’s and Holland America Line’s “Nieuw Amsterdam”, in that era the passengers were an eclectic mix: ‘old money’, ‘new money’ (often profiteers from WWII); plus card sharks who fleeced the unaware passengers; underworld figures, bankers, US army officers either going home or returning to base in Europe. Some passengers travelled with their valets, and of course, movie stars.

Far below the passenger decks in crew quarters, four of us shared a small cabin, two bunk-beds. Wake up call was 04h30, and at port, even earlier, since all hands were needed for the luggage. I mention this to give you a picture of that era, especially the way it was in the First-Class dining room, where I worked as waiter or what we call on board ship a “dining room steward”.

The sign of a good waiter (or steward as they’re called, at sea) is someone who “is there but not there”. Standing discreetly back from the table, yet aware of any needs and acting swiftly accordingly, being pre-informed about the day’s menu - - these are all characteristics of a good waiter.

Our First-Class dining room featured French service. This means everything that possibly could be done is done at the table by the steward, such as making Caesar Salad, filleting fish (Sole Meuniere), carving the meat (Chateaubriand), preparing Steak Tartar, etc.

For fruit salads, we peeled the grapes with a tiny knife and ‘oyster’ fork before placing these in the salad. And, we always wore white gloves. Some of the other dishes we’d prepare included Peche Flambee, served in a small copper pot, and Crepes Suzette. At each table there`d be a “rechauffe” or re-warmer set, to keep any portions left over warm.

All the beer, wine, liqueurs and cognacs were supervised and handled by the Sommelier, who was easily recognizable with his burgundy jacket and a silver taste cup hanging on a chain around his neck. All the glasses were fine crystal. Everything served hot was always covered with a lid; vegetables and potatoes were served in silver bowls, sauces in silver sauce bowls. Mustard and ketchup (for the Americans!) were kept in small glass jars in a silver container with a lid. The choices available on any menu, whether breakfast, luncheon or supper were plentiful, as expected. Pampering is not sufficient a word to use here! There were no windows or portholes in the dining room. The ship was designed for Transatlantic crossings, which can be spooky at times.

To make up for the lack of daylight, the interior design had a light, airy and colourful Art Deco style. We’d have special Captain or Farewell nights, where the ladies, mostly aristocrats or movie stars, wore their diadems laden with precious gems. (Nowadays passengers are given paper hats.)

We could quickly spot the shady passengers, or the ‘boors’ who’d extinguish their cigars into a cognac glass. And trying to ‘educate’ those passengers was a waste of time and effort.

Often the Americans would push all the cutlery aside and eat everything with a fork (except soup). It was also the Americans who insisted on their morning orange juice, plus a big glass of cold water with every meal. Such a contrast from my only-too-recent experiences in the Lowlands during the War is almost unthinkable. I didn’t see an orange or any exotic fruit for 5 years. Coming up next: my encounters with movie stars. Signing off, Henri

Part Two: Holland America Line years 1948-51: Coney Island, Radio City Music Hall

2008-10-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

We continue on from Part One where I described the ‘transformation’ from working on dry land as a waiter in 5-star restaurants in Amsterdam, to becoming a dining-room steward in the first-class restaurant o/b “Nieuw Amsterdam”.
Attending to the needs of a patron whether on land or at sea are similar yet very different. Being on solid ground is one thing, working on a “moving platform” is another. It takes awhile to get your ‘sea legs’. Some new crew members never did and went back home, only too glad to be back on solid ground.
In those days (1948, soon after WWII), most of our passengers either U.S. Army officers on leave, some with families; or “old-money”; bankers, etc (like the head of the Scottish family of eleven that I mentioned earlier who left us with such a meagre gratuity. Also some “dubious”characters, unmannered boors who extinguished their cigars into a cognac glass, as just one example of the “no-no’s” they practised.
Then, there were the Hollywood stars. Some were accompanied by their agents, others as couples, and some - - incognito. On my very first return Transatlantic crossing from New York back to Holland, yours truly had the honour and privilege of attending Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor for the full 11-day crossing. They were en route to a holiday in Europe.

Not to get too far ahead of myself, though, let us go back to New York and what it was like in 1948. We’d dock for two days and crew would get time off to go ashore (not like the brief, 5-hour turnarounds of today), before the next round of passengers embarked.
If we had previously collected “minus-points” (Holland America was very disciplined with crew and closely monitored our performance), you’d not be allowed to go ashore.
Punishment was to polish the silver. Everything, from rechauds to small mustard containers, spoons, forks, tea and coffee pots . .. you get the idea. Luckily such a ‘sentence’ never befell yours truly.
My salary was $20 US per month. Half of this was sent to my parents in the Netherlands, so I managed on $10/month, plus gratuities.
On my shore leave in NY, I’d visit Coney Island (the greatest amusement park of its kind), while Radio City Music Hall was a ‘must’ -- where the famous Rockettes performed. There I heard “live” the great soloists and the big bands of that era. All for 25 cents. Movies were also shown before the shows.
Over the three years I sailed with Holland America, I heard live Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, the Andrew Sisters, the Ink Spots, Louis Armstrong, and Glenn Miller’s band conducted by Tex Beneke. The big band era was coming to a close, nevertheless they were amazing and I was enthralled with it all.
Harlem: I also ventured into Harlem, and went to the Cotton Club where Cab Calloway was king; plus “the Duke” was there too, and Ella Fitzgerald. Now those were performers. Jazz and blues lovers, would you not agree? And all there, live and in person, the real thing.
There were hot dog stands, cafe’s with “nickelodeon” machines, drugstores serving banana splits, etc.

All this, while back home in Holland, food was still rationed.

I also went to The Bowery, took the NY subway, Central Park, visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, rode an elevator to the top of the Empire State building, and walked the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and of course, Times Square and 42^nd Street. (“Swing and Sweet, Forty-Second Street”.) It was “the land of plenty”. The “biggest and the best”.
Just imagine: there I was, 18 years old, wandering around NY in immaculate shipboard attire, white in summer, navy blue in winter. In summer, I looked like a plantation owner. All this, on $10 a month (plus tips)! Stay tuned, Henri

Part One: "From Shore to Sea" 1946-48, and serving the artist and renowned forger, Han van Meegeren

2008-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

With all the recent goings-on, election, economy, environment and personal activities, some still find time not only to read these posts, but also to email questions. This latest one stirred up another grey cell or two in the hinterland of my memory chamber:

“Is it possible for you to paint us a picture in words about how after WWII you became a dining-room steward on board ships?” Yes, it all began when Europe had to be rebuilt. “Benelux” was born, NATO came into existence, and then there was the Marshall Plan.

We had a choice (as young men): either join the military for a couple of years, or do something like enlist with the merchant marine. The last thing I wanted to do was join the military. But the merchant marine? Now that was music to my adventurous ears. This would be a splendid way to see the world and visit far-away places.

In 1946 the venerable Holland America Line had resumed its Transatlantic crossings from Rotterdam to New York (Hoboken, New Jersey, to be exact), plus cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean.

WWII had broken out when I was just 10 years old, so I had no formal school education. Thus, officer training was out. Another option would be a deckhand, but lots of cleaning and scrubbing didn’t interest me. Then, how about a dining-room steward?

However, I had no experience and knew Holland America Line was very selective in hiring crew. So, I had to obtain experience as a waiter in one of the five-star hotels in Amsterdam which had re-surfaced after the War. My first job in this new environment was at luxurious “Hotel Pays Bas”.

We had to sign a contract agreeing to a minimum of one year. This hotel was so “posh”, just to give you an example, the Maitre d’ and all the waiters had custom-made outfits. Even though this was my very first job as a server (and didn’t know anything about it), I too got decked out in “black-tie” outfit, formal swallow-tail jacket included. The staff all looked as if we were at a permanent New Year’s Eve gala, the only item missing – a top hat.

It was at the Hotel Pays Bas that I met the infamous art forger, Han van Meegeren. (It was van Meegeren who fooled Goering into buying a “Vermeer”.) van Meegeren was fun, and often insisted that I serve him. He more or less lived in the Hotel and was always surrounded by ‘belles of the ball”. His favourite dish: caviar washed down with champagne. You can imagine the impression all this made on me, a young man who had just come out of five years of deprivation and hardship during the War. It seemed like a dream, except my feet told me otherwise!

Art of the Great Masters from the Lowlands, Spanish and Italian schools were always nearby, be it in Amsterdam or Antwerpen. However, meeting van Meegeren was my first encounter with a living artist.

Later, van Meegeren was sentenced to jail for 1 year by the Netherlands justice system. Sadly, he died of a heart attack while awaiting an appeal, age 58. Sadly because sure, he was a forger (and a very good one, who specialized in the Old Masters), but it came about because no one was interested in his own paintings. This set him on the path of forgery, where he wanted to fool the experts. And to fool the experts with a “Vermeer”, you really need to be skillful, and know something about the art of painting! Here is a link from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren

After a year at Hotel Pays-Bas, I looked for other restaurant positions. Over the next 1 ½ years, worked at three different 5-star restaurants in Amsterdam, a few of which, after 60 years, are still there.

Finally, with these experiences, I was ready to approach Holland America Line. HAL’s “Nieuw Amsterdam” was the only ship in the fleet with air conditioning in the first-class dining room. My goal was to sail with this ship. And so another chapter in my life began. After a rigorous selection and interview process, in May 1948 I set sail from Rotterdam to Hoboken, New Jersey, aboard the “Nieuw Amsterdam” as first-class dining room steward. Next installment, coming up soon! Signing off, Henri

Ahoy! It's a small world

2008-10-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Question: “Where were you in the Solar System a month ago?”

Answer: “80 million kilometres, or 49 million miles from where you are right now.”

The elections here in Canada are history. Not all eligible citizens voted. Multitudes stayed away, not exercising their democratic rights. Maybe they had reasons for doing so?
All I can say is, as an artist, the results don’t bode well, considering what our government ‘thinks’ about the Arts. Already we’re placed into a begging status; funding has been cut and cut over the past few decades. (And even before the cuts, it wasn’t in good shape before the surgery). Enough said about this.

Recently the very last cruise ship of the Alaska season came and went. Many passengers take pre-packaged ‘shore excursions’, while others end up strolling around our neighbourhood of James Bay.
On my daily excursions, shopping for fresh groceries, I often meet a few passengers. That’s no surprise since the ships dock nearby at Ogden Point, 500 metres from where we live. What made a recent encounter very different was the fact that a woman came up to me while I was pushing the grocery cart along in the supermarket. She was with her husband.
“Mr. van Bentum, what a surprise! How good to see you. Remember us? My name’s Jennifer Trenholme and this is my husband, Paul. I was a student in your Small is Beautiful art class aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 a few years’ ago, on the Xmas/New Year’s sailing.”
I didn’t recognized them since they were decked out in anoraks, quite different from attire aboard QE2. “Hello. Good to see you again. Natasha and I live here in James Bay”, I replied.
Jennifer went on, “Ah yes, now I recall your speaking in art class about Victoria. Well, what a small world. We’re sailing with the Celebrity ship which docked this morning. We’ve just come from Alaska and soon head back to England.

Paul and I also wanted to see for ourselves the impact global warming is having on the glaciers. By chance we came across this store, we’d like to get some genuine Canadian maple syrup. It’s a real treat in England to put on “pancakes”, as you call them.
This is a beautiful region; we’re going on a tour after lunch to visit the “Centre of the Universe” at the Observatory.
"Mr. van Bentum, I wanted to let you know how much I learned from you in the art classes; am still using those professional quality Watercolour Pencils you introduced in your ‘art afloat’ workshops.
Are you going to continue teaching o/b other ships now the venerable QE2 will soon be out of service?” I replied. “Yes, the new “Queen Victoria” is on our horizon.” “Oh good!”, she exclaimed. We’ll have to book whichever voyage you’re taking, that would be great.”
I told them Natasha and I don’t have a car, otherwise “we’d take you on a tour ourselves. But in the meantime, since your ship is docked close to our apartment, when you depart later this afternoon, look out for us. We’ll be waving a bright golden-yellow towel (“Deep Cadmium”!) from our balcony. You should be able to spot us from aft or port side of your ship. In the meantime, enjoy beautiful Victoria, and we may see you aboard “Queen Victoria”. Bon voyage! And safe journey home.”

Yes, it’s a small world after all. Our planet is getting smaller by the day, it seems, while we’re orbiting around the Sun at 29.85 kilometres per second (that’s 18.55 miles per second), zoooooooooming through space. Signing off, Henri

Light! Give us Light!

2008-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

We had a blackout last night, a massive power failure over all of southern Vancouver Island."It was mayhem," said Victoria firefighter Patricia Core. "Every line was lit up and it was impossible to keep up. It was craziness. I've never seen it like that in here."

I say, “Be prepared for outside influences, then it won’t be a surprise”. Authorities still don’t know what caused it (not a squirrel this time); there were no serious injuries, but lots of people stuck in elevators.

And turkeys stuck in ovens; it happened exactly at dinner time, when most homes were cooking “Thanksgiving” dinners. Power was back on our neighbourhood after an hour, so we give Thanks to B.C. Hydro (ho-ho!) for fixing it so swiftly.

Within seconds, we were ready with flashlights, matches and emergency candles. Goes to show you how we can switch from Space Age to the Middle Ages.All this reminded me of ancient wisdom from India:

“By what light do we see after the Sun has set?

By what light do we see when the Moon wanes?

By what light do we see when Stars are covered by clouds?

By what light do we see when the Fire is out?

By what light can we still do our work, function and live?

By our Inner Light.”

How fragile we are when fully dependent on progress and technical gadgets. Only when a sudden blackout occurs, does it ‘come home’.“Intelligent electricity” continues, only most of us are unaware of this.

A while back I talked about our dependency on electric power, at the kinetic art show in Paris, where I brought the exhibition to a standstill by simply pulling the plug.
You can only wonder how long it would take before we revert to pre-Industrial Revolution times, should a power outage be ‘permanent’. But of course - - - solar and wind energy, amongst other things, are the way to go.
***
Tomorrow is election day here in Canada. Our southern neighbours in the States will also have one soon, and see the ‘end of an error’, oops, I meant “era”. Speaking of which, Will Rogers, the ‘Roping Jester” said: "With Congress, every time they make a joke it's a law, and every time they make a law it's a joke". Happy Thanksgiving! Henri

What a Creative Person is Like

2008-10-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

“What would you say a creative person is like?”“Is the cultivation of creativity lacking in our education system?” These are some of the questions that come my way. In answer to the first question about what a creative person is like, see my version below.

Education should give students an opportunity to make their own discoveries, and form their own expression. Art has the means to cultivate uniqueness in the child. The way has to be left open within the curriculum, to require knowledge beyond “Reading, Writing and Arithmetic”, with other means of expression, such as tackling one of the “Nine Muses”. Art = Serious Play & Playful Seriousness.

What is a Creative Person Like?

THEY ARE EXTREMELY ALERT PERCEPTUALLY

Are observant of the world about them

Are aware of the feel and touch of things

Listen to the sound of life around them

Are sensitive to smell

Are aware of the taste of things

THEY LIKE TO ‘BUILD’ THEIR IDEAS

Like to construct things in material

Prefer to rearrange old ideas into new relationships

Like to experiment with various approaches and media

Like to try out new methods and techniques

Prefer to manipulate their ideas in various ways

Have to solve problems set by themselves

Seek to push beyond the boundaries of their thinking

THEY LIKE TO EXPLORE NEW IDEAS

Are original in their thoughts about things

Like to invent new ways of saying and telling

Like to dream up new possibilities

Like to imagine and pretend

THEY ARE CONFIDENT IN THEMSELVES

Flexible in approaches to situations

Like to be independent and on their own

Are outwardly expressive of what they have to say

Are not afraid of emotional feelings and show them

THEY LIKE TO INVESTIGATE THE NATURE OF THINGS

Like to search for the meaning of things

Question available data and information

Like to inquire into unknown quantities

Discover new relationships

Desire to uncover new meanings

THEY RESPOND TO AESTHETIC STIMULI

Are sensitive to the beauty of nature

Appreciate beauty man has made and

Which nature abundantly provides

Have feeling for harmony and rhythm

Love to sing, write, explore, cook,

act, sculpt, draw, paint or dance.

Henri van Bentum

From Rough to Brilliant

2008-10-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

On more than one occasion I’ve met with situations where the value of a commodity is known but the beauty it contains is not.

Over the years I’ve travelled aboard ships as Artist-in- Residence. My classes always begin with the foundation of colour studies. One of the passengers came to art class wearing a stunning diamond ring. The jewel must have been at least 2.5 karats. Upon mentioning the dazzling spectrum colours this gemstone reflected, she was absolutely flabbergasted: she had never before seen them! However, she certainly knew its value in the marketplace.

See what we mean? Speaking of colour, people often think right away of flowers. But, there’s also the rainbow - - -that mysterious phenomenon which displays how the mixing of primary and secondary colours creates a spectrum. When the ship cuts through the waves on a sunny day, at the crest you can see myriads of spectrum sparkles. Even closer, just squint and look through your eyelashes. Voila! more rainbows.This spectrum of course is also present in prisms and crystals.

Diamonds have a particular meaning for me, being the son of a diamond-faceter and grandson of a diamond-faceter and cleaver. The craftsmen who create such brilliance from a raw gemstone are not “diamond cutters”. That’s a misnomer. It should be “diamond faceters”. The original “diamond cutters” were the cleavers.

Both my grandfathers, and my father (see photo) were diamond-faceters. However my maternal grandfather also practised the now-rare skill of diamond cleaving. How do you cleave a diamond? With steely nerves.

A rough diamond is enclosed in a piece of sealing wax, layered with shellac. Then it’s stuck on a “dob” (a wooden stick), which is fastened onto a clamp. Depending on the size of the rough diamond, and how many stones have to be cut from it, the cleaver marks the ‘veins’ (each diamond has a unique growth pattern) with pen and Chinese ink. This is followed by carving a small cut or ‘guide groove’ into the marked lines. To accomplish this, another diamond must be used (diamonds are the hardest gemstones).

Very carefully, and after sometimes weeks of contemplation, the master cleaver hits the wedge with a mallet. One mistake and the rough diamond splinters into a multitude of fragments – a disaster for all concerned!

So you can see why we say that diamond cleaving is a “rarely practised profession”. It demands a steady hand, patience, good eyesight and steely nerves - - besides of course skill and know-how. (And today, computers guide the sawing of the diamond.)

Next, comes the faceting. And there are numerous types of diamond shapes, the most popular being a “Brilliant” cut (shown here). If faceted correctly and of good quality, the gem will have the same dazzling effect as the diamond of my student aboard ship. In my boyhood, I often watched my grandfather at work. I would stand on a chair looking through a small window in the door (the little window was ostensibly for visitors, but really for the boss to keep an eye on things).

Under no circumstances was a diamond-cleaver to be disturbed. He would need all his privacy and solitude to contemplate his task. Patience, skill and a calm mind was required, in what was to me, a‘magical domain’. Few know the long voyage a diamond takes from ‘rough’ to ‘brilliant’, from discovery in the bowels of the Earth or riverbed, to final destination on finger, neck, ear or nowadays, a nose. Signing off, Henri

We're all Astronauts

2008-10-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

We "speed and spin" so fast through Space, that all 'stays put', or so it seems.

Are we still finding time to look at these blog posts, what with the economy, and those elections on the horizon, not to speak of day-to-day Life . . .

We looked up the Mayan Calendar prediction our Mexican Troubadour was talking about on October 7. It’s all there on the Internet (where else?), showing the ancient Mayans predicted a catastrophic disaster will take place on our planet, December 21, 2012.

May we just point to the North and South Poles in the Arctic and Antarctica and how rapidly glaciers are melting. Interestingly, the word Arctic comes from Greek arktikos, meaning arktos ‘bear’, Ursa Major, North Star.’ And the word Antarctic comes also from the Greek, ανταρκτικός antarktikos meaning opposite of north. The prefix 'ante' means opposite. And, there are no polar bears in Ant-arctica!

You could say these two icy realms keep the planet “in balance” on its axis, so to speak, allowing us to enjoy our ride in space. Yes, and quite a ride it is. It’s hard to believe we’re travelling around the Sun at a mere 67,000 miles per hour (108,000 kph). And we’re whirling, spinning around our axis (at the Equator) at 1,040 mph/1,674 kph. And, in case you forgot, our “mean orbital velocity” is 29.78 kilometres per second.

So, going back to the Mayan Calendar predication, all it needs is a shift in any of these velocity phenomena, and Voila!, “There goes the neighbourhood”.

Has it happened before? They say it has, but I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Except perhaps as a mitochondrion, or diatom (sounds close to “van Bentum”), or one of those ancient deep-sea sponges.

So we should be thankful our planet Ocean/Earth planet permits us to come along for the ride. Have a memorable Thanksgiving, although I can hear the turkeys gobbling, “All we are saying, gobble-gobble, is give Life a chance!” Henri

Roses DO have Thorns

2008-10-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

The longest time I lived in one place during the ‘60s was 579 Jarvis Street, Toronto, 1965-67, the old ‘Massey’ family mansion which had been converted into apartments; I was assistant manager. Furniture was sparse but solid. The canvas “Living Tapestry’ (see post of October 4) was painted there, along with many other works, all painted in the kitchen which had a square table (and of course the essential tap water on hand).

My first solo exhibition at Roberts Gallery in 1965 was a success:“sold out”. Then in 1966 I received First Prize at the OSA show. On top of all that, there was the solo exhibition in Paris, May 1966 (more on this in a later post).

Meanwhile my thinking, inspiration and intuition were spiralling upwards, and changes in my work were noticeable since that 1965 exhibition at Roberts Gallery. Abstract or non-objective art (and Surrealism) allows you to give imagination free reign, within the discipline required from skill, in turn learned from experience.

Roberts Gallery was conservative with mostly “Group of Seven” or post-Group of Seven artists. There I was, an abstract artist. The dealer was so pleased with the success of the ’65 show, he offered me another solo exhibition to take place in February 1967. (For a novice, this was quite a coup.)

In preparation, I worked from first daylight to dusk, for nearly two years. (I always work in daylight, which allows you to judge and see colour at its best.) My paintings were becoming simpler, almost minimalist, but required complete awareness in order to prevent the ‘blank’ areas of the canvas from being splattered. Freedom and awareness was required in unison. It was vital for these blank or ‘void’ areas to remain pristine for my composition and imagery to maintain its strength.

For me, it was exciting and uplifting - - - through the joy of free creative exploration - - - to realize you can travel to far-away galaxies, enter microscopic realms, coral reefs, or go to Antarctica --- without actually having to ‘be there’. Virtual reality, forty years ahead of its time! Not only “the sky is the limit”, but the whole universe.

Back to Jarvis Street, one painting after another was born on that kitchen table (or depending on the size, on the floor). Since they were all done with acrylic, and mixed with water, I had to keep my canvas perfectly flat. Otherwise, the paint would drip and run downwards.

And then came the exhibition: here you can see some paintings at Roberts Gallery, done forty-two years ago. Notice their space-like quality, or what I call “micro-macro” nature. Keep in mind these were created long before NASA images of space we’re so familiar with today. (We were still two years from landing on the moon.) But - - - this major exhibition of ‘67, with forty-two works, was not the success of the 1965 show.

Understandably, clients came back expecting to see more of the same kind of paintings from two years earlier. Instead, they were faced with an evolutionary change. Of the 42 paintings, three were sold. Robert Gallery kept another three. This was Toronto in February, cold and snow. The landlord was not amused that his ‘manager’ was the creator of all those ‘strange and weird looking things’.

The ‘blow’ at the end of the show, of having to take all those paintings back from the Gallery, was intense. Plus, the landlord gave me notice. I am sad to say, that reluctantly, I took 32 of these paintings, and burned them in the fireplace.

Not because they didn’t sell, but because I absolutely did not know what to do with them. Also, because of the blank areas of the canvas which could easily be damaged. So I took it into my own hands to determine their destiny.

After this trauma, the shock of burning my own work, awoke me to the need of preventing suffering like this from ever happening again. I removed myself from the art scene and it would be another 5 years before a return to painting. Five years of introspection, worldwide travel, exploration and healing which in turn, set the stage for further evolution in my work. Signing off, Henri

The Mexican Troubadour

2008-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of the last ships of the Alaska season was here the other day. Soon all will be quiet, at least until April when it starts all over again. While sitting on a bench at the sea walk watching the world go by on a grey Autumn day, I heard someone singing. There was a fellow seated at the next bench over. Some passengers from the ship, along with some curious locals and dog-walkers, gathered around him.

I walked over. He was greying at the temples, playing a guitar and singing Mexican songs. All alone, no ‘hat’ to collect coins. When one of the onlookers tossed him a coin, he suddenly stopped, put down the guitar, as if his dignity was offended, and quietly lit up a cigarette.

Slowly the curious crowd dispersed, leaving just the two of us. “Usted de Mexico?” I asked. “Si, amigo”, he replied, pleased to speak his language. “I work in the galley”, pointing to the docked cruise ship. I told him I’d been on lots of sea voyages and also lived in Mexico. When he told me he was born in the Yucatan (Merida), I mentioned I’d been to Chichen Itza & Uxmal, back in 1969, to visit and study the great Mayan temples.

He put the guitar on his lap to make room for me to join him on the bench. “I am half-Mayan”, he said. “Have you heard of the Mayan Calendar?” was his unexpected question. “Yes, I have”. He then asked, “Did you know my wise ancestors predicted in their calendar that, at the end of the year 2012, a catastrophic disaster will take place to our planet?”

I replied, “I hope not, but the way we’re treating our Earth and our biosphere, we’re certainly heading in that direction”. The fellow added, “That’s why I work on ships, to see the world while it’s still possible. I sing and play guitar (‘mucho problemas’ with security and the guitar), not for the public, but for me. It makes me ‘feliz’, happy”.

“How accurate has the Mayan calendar proven to be?”, I asked. “Muy, muy accurate, amigo. ‘Better than yours!’”. I invited him over for a coffee at our place located just across the road. ‘Muchas gracias, amigo, but I must get back to the ship. I only have a short time for my break, and need to go back, for more problems with my guitar and securidad. Adios!”, he smiled. In turn I wished him “Adios”.

He then slung the guitar over his shoulder. Although there was a lead-grey sky, I could hear him whistling the jaunty tune, “Cielito Lindo”. No sooner had he gone out of sight when I remembered a question I’d meant to ask about the venerable Mayan ‘liquer’ which bears our name: Bentum. Ah, well, maybe next time?

Two autumns, one for he who departs, one for me who stays.

Now, what can we all do to ensure there is a ‘flaw’ in that Prophecy from the great Calendar of the wise Mayans? Adios, Henri

Birth of a Painting & Death of a Mentor

2008-10-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

“When you play the cello, I want to hear rainbows!”

Quote from Pablo Cassals to his cello students, when he was in his ‘80s

There are several works on the website http://www.vanBentum.org which show the evolution that took place in my painting from 1954 onwards. One work has been commented upon more than once: “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, 1960, an oil painting done at 150 Walmer Road, Toronto in my room at a boarding house owned by the family Kandelsdorfer from Vienna. The following is the story of how it was born.

During my brief time at the Ontario College of Art, one of my teachers (and for me, the best), was J.W.G. Jock Macdonald. Artist and teacher, Jock was a member of the 1950’s group “Painters Eleven”, contemporary Toronto artists.

He became my mentor and it was Jock who suggested I leave the OCA, because I’d already done so much work on my own; he must have felt it would be better for my development as a painter not to be constrained by the-then academic (and conservative) atmosphere at OCA.

Very fortunately, after I left the School, he visited once in awhile on Saturdays. He gave precious pointers and positive criticism on works in progress. Jock was a remarkable teacher; you felt as if he carried a small ‘flacon of oil’ and dripped a bit onto the flame of inspiration that burned within you.

It was Jock Macdonald who suggested I paint while listening to music. I’d always had ‘friendly relations’ with music, and have what’s called a musical ear. Jock told me “To listen with ‘eyes closed’, and when the music touches the strings of imagination and inspiration”, then start the recording again, and paint. He said, ‘Only when music and imagination blend into one will you be able to transform it visually.’

My collection of records was limited, all classical 78’s. (I also had a small radio, but recordings were better for this purpose.) Besides Chopin (Dino Lipatti), there was Debussy, Mussorgsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart and Rachmaninoff. Also, I had one 78 album of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

It was a warm July day. Despite chewing through a pending divorce, I felt happy listening to his music. (Music is a calming and soothing antidote to “stress”).

“I create beautiful music for people in distress”, said Ludwig van Beethoven.

I had a large bay window which opened up to allow fresh air, permitting me to paint in oils and use linseed oil & turpentine; otherwise I would have been given notice by the landlady, for sure!

After playing the recording over a few times, I set to work and finished the painting in one go. Thus “Midsummer Night’s Dream” was born on a beautiful July day, 1960, in Toronto. Thanks to the Bard, William Shakespeare, and to Mendelssohn who transformed the play into music, allowing me to give my version in another art form, painting. Jock Macdonald’s valuable suggestion about painting while listening to music fell on ‘willing ears’.

Later I did several other works inspired by compositions such as ‘Reflets dans l’eau’ by Debussy (see “Inner Reflections”, shown here); Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony; Ninth Symphony, “Ode to Joy” and Musssorgksy’s “Night on Bald Mountain”, to name a few.

These precious visits from my mentor Jock Macdonald didn’t last long, for in early December of that year, he died prematurely at the age of 63 of a sudden heart attack. This was a great loss to the art world in Canada, and to young students. He was a great teacher. Signing off for now, Henri (p.s. reproduction photos of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” are available on eBay at http://organiverse.org.

Post-Banff: wandering studios

2008-10-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

We received some questions after the Banff posts, like “What happened to all those landscape paintings you did then? Your website only shows a few”. Another, “When was your first exhibition, and where?”, “Did the doctor continue to back you after you returned to Toronto?” and “Did you have a studio?” That’s what I mean when we say these blogposts create themselves.

To answer the first question, I gave all my paintings to Dr. Wilfred S. Goodman, who had made the Banff 1959 experience possible in the first place. These paintings are now spread out amongst his extended family including five adult children and grandchildren. We are in the process of receiving digital images of these paintings and will post them onto my website once they've all arrived.

My first exhibition auspiciously took place at Galeria Alberto Misrachi Mexico City's oldest and finest galleries, in 1963. All works were large watercolours done in San Miguel de Allende. This was followed by my initial solo show of watercolours, at the First Unitarian Church in Toronto.

Before that, in 1958 and 1959, I’d participated in annual group shows each spring at Hart House with the Colour & Form Society (of which I was President for a year). The Colour & Form Society was an innovative group formed by emigrant artists.

In 1965 my first major exhibition took place at Roberts Gallery in Toronto, featuring watercolours, and acrylics on paper and canvas.

Then in 1966, “Living Tapestry”, an acrylic on canvas (see photo) won First Prize at the major OSA (Ontario Society of Artists) exhibition held at the Toronto Art Gallery, now the AGO. One of the three jury members for this major OSA exhibition was none other than A.J. Casson, the last-surviving “Group of Seven” member. Since Casson was a renowned landscape and figurative artist, I felt all the more honoured to receive this Prize, and took pride in such recognition by him, for an abstract painting. (Keep in mind, this was just seven years after Banff 1959 and those changes in my style).

Speaking of 1959, to answer the question whether Dr. Goodman continued to sponsor me when I got back to Toronto, he paid for my tuition for the first semester at Ontario College of Art. But once the styles of my work changed in rapid succession (you could say ‘spiralling upward’ ), it was harder for him “to follow” me. And by now, understandably, his growing family (five children), and recently-acquired farm north of Toronto, needed his full attention.

The other question was, ‘Did I have a studio?’ No, I had to improvise. This was because of my nomadic way of living and shoestring budget. I moved from one place to another, renting rooms in boarding houses.

Also, in those days there were decrepit houses declared “unfit to live in”, but if the water source was still connected, I’d squat, and do my watercolours and acrylics (which also need that precious commodity: water). I lived in at least a dozen different dwellings within a few years - - - like a gypsy, without a permanent studio.

Hope this answers some of the questions which have come in from cyberspace. Signing off for now, Henri

A question from Ireland

2008-10-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Someone wrote from Ireland to ask “where do you think Art is going, and is it still relevant today?” They also asked if I’d post a few more Aphorisms (see below).

Well, in terms where Art is going or if it’s still relevant today, true Art that is visionary, or which embodies the “Zeitgeist”, always points the way. Yet its message comes from the here and now.

Statesmen and pundits who keep a close eye on the ‘barometer’ or pulse of their citizenry would do well to observe today’s art forms --- whether it be plays, poems, paintings or contemporary performances.

Politicians like to keep the public at bay (“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”), while artists throughout time have always signalled there is still much work to be done, they warn us – if we can read and understand their messages - that “The Roses Have Thorns.”

Throughout the years, I’ve written several essays on Art. They’ve never been published on paper because we have never sent them to a publisher. The Aphorisms were submitted to a few publishers, but were returned by the ‘Thank you, but no thank you’ method - - -despite the fact the late, renowned poet Irving Layton gave them a ‘Bravo!’, which we enclosed with the submissions to the publishers, but this fell on deaf ears and blind eyes.

To conclude this topic re: my “writing harvest”, I also write Apologues: Stories for the Young and Young at Heart” (otherwise known as children’s stories.) These, along with the Aphs, can be found at http://www.vanBentum.org.

Meanwhile, to oblige our friendly person in Ireland and for you, here are a few more of my Aphorisms. Signing off for now, Henri

The deeper the whale

dives

The more visible

its ‘tail’.

When the children

are full of awe and wonder,

we send them to school.

Ater graduation

they are dull and empty.

We see many ads

What to do or take

When we have a headache,

but never how to prevent one

I wonder why.

When we look at lakes and forests,

waterfalls or snow-capped mountains - -

With financial gain in mind,

We have seen nothing at all.

We can be so Holy,

we can be so Passive,

We will go out and kill

to prove our ideals.

Waves were aflame

with foam in glowing colour

just before the Sun departed.

Enjoy! Henri

Banff, 1959 - Conclusion: "Open Sesame!"

2008-09-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

There was a Swiss piano teacher that Summer in the Music Department at the Banff summer school, 1959. He loved hiking up to the higher elevations, above the timberline.

Often I joined his group, into that realm where Pika, Mountain Goat, and Bighorn Sheep roam. (This time I went along for the hiking, not field painting.) The change in my work also raised eyebrows of my landlady, Mrs. Parkin and her friends.

Later when I got back to Toronto, Dr. Goodman (who became the recipient of all my Banff landscape work) found the latest changes difficult to understand. The faculty must have noticed something within that I was not aware of. How about me? Well, I discovered a freedom with unlimited horizon. To be no longer enslaved to the conventional “real” in Art opened many doors, the most important being “Imagination”.

I always had a vivid imagination, but it was the faculty there who awoken it again. (However before attending the School, I’d already begun to break away from monotony of greys, greens and browns of mountain scenery. I included warmer colours, like “Threshold”, shown here.) “Echoes of Native Art”, done later at the School and won all those awards I mentioned earlier, ventured already into ‘surrealism’.

No more crawling like a caterpillar. Instead, soaring as a “flutterby”. Once imagination is tapped, inspiration follows. Charlie Chan says, “Human mind like parachute. Works best when open”.

When Ali Baba approached the cave, commanding “Open Sesame!” , the grotto opened, revealing a bounty of treasure. In another story, the Genie in the bottle granted three wishes, after which he was liberated from the bottle, exclaiming, “I am free! I am free!” In my case, Aladdin’s lamp was rubbed, and imagination leapt out.

To experience, to explore, to discover: this is what creates real adventure. Who would have thought the pleasure and joy of all those happy adventurous moments doing field painting, ‘en plein air’ in the Canadian Rockies, would be the last time I’d paint landscapes?

Another type of joy would replace it, such as that of Schiller’s “Ode to Joy”, set to music by the immortal Ludwig van Beethoven. My outlook had changed, and now I was looking in, having “crossed the Great Divide”, in Banff National Park – of all places -- from “Landscape to Mindscape”. (C) Happy Trails! Henri

Banf 1959, part 6

2008-09-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

One week before the final days of the Summer session and end-of-season exhibition, my work became more and more imaginative. The whole experience was like magic. On stage, a magician makes some things disappear into the ‘unknown’, while I was making things ‘appear’ from the unknown. There in the Canadian Rockies of all places, I crossed the “Great Divide”, or what I call evolving from “Landscape to Mindscape” (c).

What is “real” in art? We think that landscapes, still life and figurative works are real. We recognize the imagery; we see, translate and therefore ‘identify’ with the work. It is all a soothing exercise. In reality, of course, whatever an artist depicts on paper or canvass – say a mountain landscape or waterfall, pine trees and mountain flowers -- we cannot actually smell the fresh pines, swim in the lake, climb the mountain or take a refreshing dip in cascading waterfalls.

Often such imagery makes us “identify” with them. There are several reasons for this, mostly sentimental. Of course, representational works are recognizable, and can easily be ‘critiqued’. (“The best sailors are on the shore.”) However, one cannot argue about taste and preferences. All of us know what we like, don’t we?

In a sense the so-called “real” is in fact “surreal” or abstract. We don’t deny the existence of these phenomena in Nature, on the contrary; they are the blueprints, building-blocks and foundation that inspire and guide us. But in my case, such phenomena was used as a launching pad.

Returning to those weeks at the Banff school, I’d discovered a hidden bonus. Tossed into garbage bins were tubes of oil, watercolour, gouache -- still with lots of paint, caps half on, but perfectly useable. Plus brushes of all kinds, including sable; these had been discarded by others. Material I welcomed and made good use of!

Towards the end of that Summer session, many students and a few faculty were really surprised how swiftly my work had changed. Having set my compass to this uncharted direction of that vast ocean called Imagination, I embarked with joy on this new voyage of exploration, never to look back. With one exception: the person who sponsored my trip to Banff.

Dr. Wilfred S. Goodman of Toronto asked if I could visit his parents at their farm in Baldur, Manitoba before returning to Toronto. An eventful overnight bus ride from Winnipeg aboard the “Grey Goose Line” made this possible. While there. I did an oil painting showing their pond. This was the very last landscape painting I ever did. It is now with the Goodman family, together with all my other works from that eventful and pivotal summer, Banff 1959. More on that later. Signing off, Henri

Banff 1959, Part 5: "Crossing the Great Divide"

2008-09-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

By now it was almost mid-July. One more month and summer school would end. Murray MacDonald, the faculty member who discovered me at Moraine Lake (see previous post), said I should meet the director.

And so it was that I met Donald Cameron. He gave special consent for me to register. Thus yours truly, who had no funds, became the first-ever (?) “guest” student at the Banff summer school. His decision was also influenced partly because I already had accommodation and meals in town.

Being mostly self-taught, this was an opportunity for me to receive “lessons in Art” from established faculty such as Charles Stegeman, William Townsend of the Slade School in London UK, and Murray MacDonald.

The classes had been in session for a month already when I joined. Great was my disappointment when they went on their next field trip and I wasn’t able to come along. Instead, I had to stay in Classroom #308, Donald Cameron Building. (Coincidentally, many years later, Natasha had her office right across the hall from this very classroom, when she worked there from 1980-85 as executive assistant to Presidents David Leighton and later Paul Fleck.)

Instructions were given to me: “To avoid distraction from the natural scenery, Henri, we advise you to turn your back to the window”. Why this unusual advice? Because I had been asking all kinds of questions, such as: “Those greens, greys and browns here in the Rockies, after awhile they become monotonous. For a start, why can’t we change the colours to make the landscapes more alive?”

Already I had started painting in this way (see “Threshold”). This led to the faculty’s suggestion for me to put these questions to the test, and seek answers. Hence my back to the window!

Since I’d been in the Rockies on my own the past 2 months and created numerous landscapes (see earlier posts), it was worth a try. After all, the faculty were experienced artists themselves, well-established and respected. And so this great adventure into the unknown started. I began with a blank sheet of paper - - - no guidance of objects or phenomena.

Instead of rendering what’s “out there”, the process is reversed. Now I’d work on drawing out what was within. Soon I was comfortable being alone on those occasions when the others went field painting, and began painting some ‘imaginary things’. (But I still was not too pleased about being left out on the field trips!) However, this challenge gave me a new incentive.

“It’s easier to start an argument than to start a painting from a blank canvas, you know.” (Henri van Bentum)

After doing a series of abstract images on paper, I began to have fun. Soon I had more confidence and started to work on masonite or canvas board. Next came a series inspired by my meeting with the First Nations chiefs (see earlier post), depicting their neglected and declining culture. Being in Canada less than 2 years from the Lowlands, I was taken aback by decline of their culture.

At the end of the summer school season, an exhibition was held of our work. Great was my surprise when one of the First Nation’s series won not only First Prize in oils, but a scholarship for the 1960 summer session, plus the Purchase Award for the School’s permanent collection. (See “Echoes of Native Art”.) Still to come: one or two more posts about this crossing of the “Great Divide”, Banff, 1959. Happy Trails! Henri

Banff, 1959 Part 4 - unexpected company

2008-09-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

To do field painting in a natural environment sharpens the “noticing” and observing senses.Each change of shadow, light, movement, wind, clouds, temperature, plus the myriad variations of the colour Green alone, how and where you put your feet - - - all this and more serve to ‘sharpen the pencil’.

Painting outdoors in the Rocky Mountains is different from visiting as a tourist or hiker. For an artist, it’s not the same, no matter where. The act of painting (or anything done with absorption) can lead to a timeless state of mind. Speaking of things “not being the same”, landscape painting has never been the same since the Impressionists took their art out of the conventional, academic studio environment, and placed it outdoors to capture on paper or canvas. Here in Canada we had the Group of Seven, who came later and were “our Impressionists”.

You have to respect the courage, the challenges that were faced by these painters working in the field. In France --- the Mistral and the fierce summer heat; in Canada, mosquitoes and black flies. Yet, they kept going.[Today the public loves the Impressionists and great artists such as Vincent van Gogh, and here in Canada, the Group of Seven. But that’s easy; after the initial scoffing and mockery, a century has gone by bestowing and recording praise upon praise on these pioneer artists, now household names. ]

OK let’s move on. Since arriving in Banff early May, I’d done several oil and oil pastels in remote locations throughout the Park. Some days while hitchhiking early in the morning I’d get a ride into Canmore where I did “The Three Sisters” in oil pastel.

Several times I gave paintings to strangers who offered me a lift back into Banff. In those days, I was grateful for the being there, I believed I could always do more some other time. Little did I know what was in the lap of the future, or I would have kept every one. Now I’ve completely lost track of where these paintings are, no record for our archives.

The grandson of Mrs. Parkin, my landlady, lived in Calgary. He visited sometimes, and one day his grandmother said, “Why don’t you take Henri to Calgary, for the Stampede?” And so he did, and I stayed for the full Stampede week. What an experience! I have never forgotten this extraordinary spectacle. (Remember at this point I’d been in Canada less than two years, coming from the Lowlands, where as boys we grew up under the spell of Cowboy and Indian movies.)

Back in the Rockies, one morning I’d already spent several hours painting at Moraine Lake when a big van pulled up with several students and two faculty members which later I learned were from the Banff summer school.Earlier, my landlady mentioned “that School” up on Tunnel Mountain, but I’d not been there to visit. (From what I’d heard, I couldn’t afford the fees.)

The students, all women, set up their easels. One of the faculty came over to me and introduced himself: Manly MacDonald. He looked at the work on my easel, then asked a few questions, including who was I, where did I come from, where was I staying, and how long had I been painting? He also enquired if I’d ever visited the “School”. Mr. MacDonald then said, “I think you should come and visit the School sometime.”

I finished my painting and waited until the group was ready to return, hoping to get a lift. This worked out well.A few days later, I walked up Tunnel Mountain to pay the School a visit.

That July day, 1959, at Moraine Lake, destiny guided me towards an unexpected and unknown road into the future. A path I am still walking. More on this, later. Happy Trails! Henri

Banff 1959, Part 3 - Nourishing substance in an Oil Pastel stick

2008-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

After seeing the woman sketching here at the seashore, not one but several doors opened into my ‘memory mansion’. Here we are already on part 3, yet, the most important part of the Banff story (other than the memorable experience of simply being there) hasn’t begun. Of course this isn’t a play-by-play colour commentary on the full summer of 1959 in the Rocky Mountains.

Actually my motivation for recording all this is the fact that though I did numerous landscape paintings ‘en plein air’ at Banff National Park, it was there that I ‘crossed the Great Divide’. The wheel was set in motion for a major evolution in my work.

But let’s not be too hasty, first things first. On my early morning painting treks into the mountains, I’d see chipmunks and also lots of Gophers everywhere. Gophers would swiftly pop up and down into their holes. They whistled shrill warnings to their family while I set up shop in their neighbourhood.

Since I was always alone in the wilderness, one of the fishermen who gave me a lift to the road leading up to Peyto Lake warned me to be careful not only of the Grizzly and Black Bears, but also the Wolverine. This was good to know. Coming from Holland less than 2 years earlier, I’d never heard of Wolverines.

Anyway one morning I was seated, totally absorbed in trying to capture the intriguing shape and milky turquoise-colour of Peyto Lake. I was looking down on the Lake below, when suddenly I heard a rustling and crackling sound. “Oh-oh! A bear or wolverine!” I thought to myself. Slowly I turned my head around. A few feet away, there was a chipmunk nibbling, very dapper, on one of my sticks of oil pastel! He was holding it gently in his front paws, having already carefully removed the wrapper. A breakfast snack.

I’d come back to Banff soon after high Noon, if I could get a lift. The temperature rose high and fast in these early days of summer. Back in those days, 1959, “Indian Days” were held every summer, just outside the town of Banff. First Nations chiefs of the Blackfoot, Stoney, Blood, and other nations sat outside their large ‘wigwams’. They’d answer questions posed by curious visitors.

One of the Chiefs said something I’ve never forgotten. He said to our little group, “White man is funny, because when we say ‘There are only twenty ocelots left’, some of you would say, ‘Oh, let’s go shoot them, before they’re all gone.’”

Tomorrow, I’ll share with you amongst other events, how I was ‘discovered’, at Moraine Lake! Signing off, Henri

Banff 1959, Part Two - Wildlife face to face

2008-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

Memory can be like a clear mirror, but only when what the eye views is “seen” with full attention as things happen. Otherwise the mirror becomes foggy, as if “breathed” upon. Or to put it another way, ‘when we let the film role with the cap still on our lens of the camera’, no picture will be developed.

Banff in 1959 was a sleepy town. There was the classy Banff Springs Hotel; a trail riding outfit for horseback riding, and the Banff summer school up Tunnel Mountain. Banff Avenue had no T-shirt stores, jewellery shops, no Japanese signs in the windows, no mall.

There was a small Western “Chinese” restaurant, typical of the 1950’s, also a grocery store. During that summer, a male black bear got into the back of the store twice and feasted on the sweets. I say twice; after he was caught the first time (tranquilized and carted off), he came back and did the same thing all over again! Tranquilized, this time he was taken far from the town, never to return that summer.

Sometimes very early in the morning, I’d go over to the golf course at Banff Springs Hotel to collect golf balls that were here, there and everywhere. I sold these, for extra income. On those occasions I encountered the odd coyote or black bear in the distance, but was never threatened by them.

By mid-June, everything came to life. Snow was gone except on higher peaks. Flowers sprung up everywhere. The bears awoke from their lengthy hibernation. Mothers and cubs hung out in the outskirts of town at the garbage dump. (This was 1959, remember.) Scolding their cubs, chasing them, getting them out of the trees – this was a sight to behold.

Out on my daily expeditions into the mountains, I’d often spot elk, whitetail deer, Bighorn sheep and mountain goats. And, bears. Now that they were up and around, extra caution was needed.

One morning I came ‘face-to-face’ with a black bear, less than 15 metres away. “Oh-oh. What to do now? I’d been told never to turn my back to a bear. So then what? I began to whistle a tune. The bear stood up on its hind legs, gave me a good look, and then lumbered off on all fours into the undergrowth. Phew! That was some moment! Another caution: never come between mama and her cubs. (But the trick is to know where the cubs are!)

Late one morning I was painting near a lake. Suddenly something bizarre slowly appeared out of the water. Dripping greenery hung from its long snout. Huge flat antlers, long gangly awkward legs. Had never seen anything like it! Looked like one of Mother Nature’s ‘misprints’. Later my landlady when she saw my sketch laughed and exclaimed, “Oh, Henri, that was a Moose!” Signing off, ‘til Part 3, coming up. Henri

Henri van Bentum

Ann Southam composition "Simple Lines of Enquiry" , performed by Eve Egoyan

Seven Seas & Amazing 16-year old Circumnavigator (solo)

A rare heavy snowfall

Year of the Water Dragon

In our neighbourhood by the sea

It's been awhile - and now for something different

From Earth to the Solar System (FETTSS)

Photos of rare moonbows taken in Hawaii

From Chandra: an intergalactic "weather map"

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada RASC - Victoria

Interstellar Dust Shining in the Reflected Light of Nearby Stars

Two ORGANIVERSE videos can be viewed at Vimeo

ORGANIVERSE by Henri van Bentum "Starry Night" edition - sphere # 26 out of a series of #100 spheres

"FETTU" From Earth to the Universe - Image of the Day

COLORING SPACE - special feature at Chandra X-Ray Center, a collaboration with "Organiverse" by Henri van Bentum

Monsoon and beyond

Paul the Octopus - yet more developments

New developments about Oracle Paul the Octopus - protecting the Turtles in Greece

From Spiegel Online - Eric Kelsey tells us Paul the Octopus now has an Agent

news about Paul the Octopus - transfer bid has been rejected by Germans

(1) More about 'Le Tour' and (2) Salish Sea officially named

"Biggest Transfer Story of the Summer"? Paul the Octopus adventures continue

Temporary Cap on Gulf of Mexico Leak

Tournesol - Sunflowers along the route, Tour de France 2010

Tour de France - Bastille Day, "Le Quatorze Juillet"

Tomorrow is Bastille Day, "Quartoze de Juillet" on the Tour

Le Tour de France

World Cup winds down, Octopus popularity goes up

Mani the Parakeet, Paul the Octopus - and (new) Sockeye Salmon

Paul Predicts Again - and has a 'rival", Mani the Parakeet

More about Paul the amazing Octopus and the World Cup

"Associated Futbal" and Paul the Octopus

A creative and clever World Cup calendar

WORLD CUP 2010

More Posts Can Be Found at End of Photo Gallery

New Vimeo Site - come and visit

Organiverse - FETTU 2.0 wrapped up last night

Alaska in August, 2009

Back from Alaska

Blogging

Mandelbrot speaks

Computer Art Born from Nature

Wildlife, and flower counting on the Island

Put Artists in Charge of the Economy?

Believing or Experiencing

Believing or Experiencing

Home Planet

Back to planet "Ocean/Earth"

February 23 - Exhibit on for another week

Watch the International "From Earth to the Universe" video

"From Earth to the Universe" IYA 2009, and ORGANIVERSE, Part Two

"From Earth to the Universe" IYA 2009 and Organiverse

Of Goodwill and Instant Love

First Steps in the New Year

Another year - going and coming

On "Intelligent Electricity"

The Real Meaning of Rudolph's Red Nose

'Tis the Season

More Winter Tales

Snow in Victoria!

Buttercups Banished!

Antarctica, Last Episode: Not Exactly Your Pioneering Explorers' Expedition

Part 4: Celebrating the Millennium in Antarctica

Antarctica, Part 3: First visit to the Chinstraps, Deception Island

Antarctica, Part 2: Rendez-vous at the 'Caldera'

Antarctic Adventure, Part I

The Joy of Imagination

Two Bald Eagles on our Roof

From Holy Bishop to Ho-Ho-Ho Santa

From Bishop Nicholas (Sinterklaas) to Santa Claus

Trying Times, Keep on Trying

Poinsettia Trees in the Caribbean

Micro - Macro Cosmos revealed

Arcobaleno, Arc-en-ciel, Arco-iris, Regnbue, Regenboog, Regenbogen, Rainbow

"Ah, when we will ever learn . . "

Art without signature? "They had no word for Art".

Is Life a Dream, or a Dream Life?

Hallowe'en Special

It's Scary, Charlie Brown!