Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The Process: Close Up Portraits of Three Women


direct link: Close Up Portraits of Three Women: the process

During the months working on these small portraits, I took photos, and one video, along the way. Thought it would be fun to collect them in a single slideshow video.

From the sketches to the finished paintings, portraits I painted of Bänoo Zan (poet), Isabel Fryszberg (musician/painter) & a Self-Portrait. Each is 20"x16”x1.5”, oil on canvas. ©Brenda Clews 2017.

Music: Lena Selyanina.


Sidenote: I found this interesting. It is from Sep 20th, 2016, showing a photo of an early Autumn leaf by Dave Bonta and my portrait of Bänoo, which was almost finished. Bänoo is a fiery poet and the colours that arose in the shadows of her face echo a leaf on fire (these photographs a co-incidental pairing on Tweetdeck, the Twitter app I use).
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Monday, January 16, 2017

View from Robarts Library


The literary world has its own intrigues, passions, blasts and blessings. There's always a story, and there is one with my novella, Fugue in Green, which was languishing and now, suddenly, is slated for publication this Fall 2017. I have 6 weeks to do edits and revisions. I haven't read the ms since I submitted it in 2015. Hit Robarts Library yesterday and finished reading it and making some changes by closing time. It goes for a literary edit in a few weeks, so I have to work on the changes and additions I think it needs now, and then, after it's edited, I will work madly on it again. Here is my lovely view from the library at sunset. Note Hart House down there. (This post about the view, not the panicked lady behind it! Lol!)
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Friday, January 13, 2017

Pen & ink drawing of Luciano Iacobelli

A rather raw pen and ink sketch of Luciano Iacobelli in preparation for a portrait painting.  ©Brenda Clews, 9"x12", pen and ink on Strathmore 140lb watercolour paper.

Luciano, Rocco and I are doing a triple book launch on Wednesday, January 18th:

A literary ménage à trois of poetry: Luciano Iacobelli, The Examined Life; Rocco De Giacomo, Every Night of Our Lives; and Brenda Clews, Tidal Fury. It'll be a fantastic evening, first at Bar Italia, where we will each read while you drink and eat and enjoy and of course, buy books and then the evening will continue as a party at a nearby location. Do join us for an evening of fine and sometimes raucous poetry.

 Hosted by Dominic Capilongo. Live music by Ian Burgham and friends.

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Monday, January 09, 2017

'The Child is Father of the Man' (Wordsworth)


'The Child is Father of the Man,' (Wordsworth), ©Brenda Clews, 9"x12", pen and ink on Strathmore 140lb watercolour paper.

Last night's drawing.

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Friday, January 06, 2017

Which one is the real one?


Which one is the real one? A too-fast sketch of Geraldine James in Jewel of India (1984), though she looks obliquely Frida somehow. With the somewhat crude tool I am using, a $2.75 bamboo reed that I love that blots and dabs, that you struggle with to draw, makes the attempt at, approach to, discovery of a more expressionist figuration in the depths, deliberate.
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Thursday, January 05, 2017

'the attraction' - pen & ink sketch


'the attraction seems not so much at the heart of it but wheeling outside it' (Larkin), ©Brenda Clews, 9"x12", pen and ink on Fabriano 140lb 100% cotton watercolour paper.

Original note at 1am a few nights ago: Loosely drawn. The sketch, fairly quick. The figures from different time zones. And yet, how strikingly real this seems.


Saturday, December 31, 2016

Dahlings! Happy New Year!


Dahlings! Wishing you an extraordinary 2017 in all ways, creative, spiritual, financial and in your relationships. Overcome oppressions with true tidal fury!

(costume I patched together to perform Tidal Fury, a book about overcoming oppression)
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Sunday, December 25, 2016

Wishing you the best of the Festive Season






Wishing everyone a wonderful festivity of giving, love and feasting! Happy Christmas, Hannukah, Shab-e Yalda, Yule, however you celebrate the birth of the light!

(The most perfect tree ever - it is real, yes!)




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 brendaclews.com

Friday, December 23, 2016

Kitty is Improving


Some tentative good news - my kitty, Aria, is lightly using her paw again when she walks. Not every time, but definitely last night and this morning a little bit. Which implies that it was a bad sprain (the vet's original diagnosis when I took her in a week before the appointment where he took x-rays). I've seen no sign of an embolism - both eyes blink fine, breath out of both nostrils, both sides are fully sensitive and getting stroked on either side elicits loud purring, just a sore paw that seems to be getting better. She sleeps, she eats, she's playful, she's demanding, she sweet, she's fully herself. It's been 2½ weeks since I first noticed a limp. She still scoots around on three legs, but there is slight improvement (it's that right front leg in the photo) and, hopefully, she is healing.

I am quite happy indeed. The vet may have been right in his diagnosis on our first appointment.
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 brendaclews.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Wishing You a Brilliant Solstice


Happy Solstice! When the sun is furthest, the night darkest, the return begins. Immanence, beginnings. Yeah, and also, be the shining light you are.
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 brendaclews.com

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Simple sketch of Aria


I thought my pussy cat had broken her leg, but it turns out there is no fracture and it may have been an embolism. She's only 4 years old. Here's a simple little sketch because I would like to paint her. No idea what the final prognosis will be, or what's coming. She is the sweetest little companion ever.

(Different crops suggested by PS of the same little simple sketch - she didn't sit in that position for long enough! Sort of drew everything while she was sitting near me by calling her and then she'd look up and I'd draw, except for the ears, and the whiskers, she was gone by then and they are mostly guesses...)

Here is a little watercolour painting of her where I did not particularly try to get a good likeness.


I'll post some photos when I have some new ones. Rather heartbreaking to see her scampering about on three legs and always holding one paw in the air, and I have no idea how I will afford the vet care.
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 brendaclews.com

Friday, December 09, 2016

Video of 'Tidal Fury' @ Guernica Launch!

Guernica Editions | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Amazon.UK | Indigo Books | Goodreads |

direct link: Tidal Fury Guernica Launch 2016

Here is a video of my set for my book, Tidal Fury, at the Guernica Editions launch Dec 4th. The talented and lovely Karen Shenfeld introduced me and she said such nice things I was blushing. The MC was Anna Geisler, gorgeous hard-working lady. The Publisher, Michael Mirolla, is a literary force in his own right and has brought much fine writing to public attention with an substantial yearly publishing schedule. I am honoured and fortunate to be a Guernica author. Many thanks to all!



'Tidal Fury' by Brenda Clews
Introduced by Karen Shenfeld
MC Anna Geisler
Guernica video trailer in the background
by Gabriel Quigley

at the Guernica Editions book launch
December 4, 2016
Supermarket Restaurant & Bar
in Kensington Market, Toronto, Canada

Michael Mirolla, Publisher

Tidal Fury is available from all major booksellers:

| Guernica EditionsAmazon.ca | Amazon.com | Amazon.UK | Indigo Books | Goodreads |
_
ocean waves
from freesound.org

videoed & edited
by Brenda Clews
http://brendaclews.com
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 brendaclews.com

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Video of the Guernica Book Launch, December 2016

How often do you launch your first book of poetry? I wanted video even if I didn't show anyone. So I decided to video the launch so everyone is featured. While I will post my portion soon, here is the entire launch. Clarke Blaise and George Elliott Clarke are big names in Canadian literature. My friend, Luciano Iacobelli is also, to me, a prominent literary figure in Toronto. But everyone was fabulous! It was a superb afternoon

direct link: A Guernica Book Launch, December 2016

The Guernica Editions December 2016 book launch was a terrific afternoon of terrific writing! The afternoon of readings in order of appearance:

Maniac Drifter by Laura Marello 2:04
introduced by Alex Dunn

Mankind and Other Stories of Women by Marianne Ackerman 8:12
presented by John Goddard, introduced by Anna Geisler

Clark Blaise: Essays on His Works and Clark Blaise: The Interviews, ed. J.R. (Tim) Struthers
presented by J.R. (Tim) Struthers 16:08, Ron Shuebrook 30:48
and Clark Blaise 34:15, introduced by Anna Geisler

The Examined Life by Luciano Iacobelli 46:05
reading in tandem with Jens Kohler 
introduced by Michael Mirolla

Max's Folly by Bill Turpin 1:02:58
introduced by Michael Mirolla

Tidal Fury by Brenda Clews 1:24:11 
Guernica video trailer by Gabriel Quigley
introduced by Karen Shenfeld

Canticles I (MMXVI) 
by George Elliott Clarke 1:38:50
introduced by Anna Geisler

_
The Guernica Editions December 2016 book launch took place at the Supermarket Restaurant and Bar in Kensington Market in Toronto, Canada
Publisher, Michael Mirolla
Publicist, Anna Geisler

videoed and edited 
by Brenda Clews

Thursday, December 01, 2016

'Tidal Fury' Publisher Launch this Sunday!


Dear friends and poetry lovers,

I would be delighted and very happy if you are in Toronto and came out to celebrate this wonderful launch with me on Sunday afternoon in Kensington Market.

The Guernica Editions launch for my book of poetry, Tidal Fury, is this Sunday, December 4, 2016, at the Supermarket Restaurant and Bar, 268 Augusta Avenue, in Kensington Market, from 3:30pm-6pm. Light refreshments are served.

You can see from the flyer that I am launching with some amazing poets and writers. Coming out to the launch will be well worth it. Plus the festive season upon us and there is a slew of great books to consider giving to yourself, family and/or friends!

If you are free on Sunday afternoon, and I hope you are, come and enjoy an afternoon of lovely writing from many authors and help me launch my book with style,

Hope you are all keeping well,
much love,
Brenda
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Here is a list of the reviews of Tidal Fury so far, including a link to the wonderful video book trailer Gabriel Quigley did for Guernica Editions.


Direct Link: Tidal Fury Video Book Trailer

From the back cover:


She rose, 
a soot-blackened woman, 
from the fine layers of silted taupe ash, 
with scorched feet, 
able to see in all directions. 

Tidal Fury intermeshes styles in narratorial strands. A love story -- he was “a literary device, and then I discovered we knew each other intimately.” An aged narcissist who wields power and invokes a subtext on the social politics of power. A poet whose muse is Medusa. Tidal Fury is a poetry on the edge of the text of an interior ocean of fury and passion. The collection includes artwork from the poet. 

"Tidal Fury is a richly layered, challenging collection by a multi-talented woman. Each line of Tidal Fury shuttles and re-strands a woman immersed in art, culture, mythology who braids and beads words and images in a complex, often erotically-charged conversation with various characters and with the reader, whom she meets “at the edge of the text.” John Oughton, author of Time Slip and Death by Triangulation

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Interview with Nancy Bullis on CIUT FM89.5 on Tidal Fury



My interview with the wonderful Nancy Bullis last week on HOWL on CIUT FM 89.5 is now on SoundCloud. We had an interesting conversation. I read a few poems. Thank you to the whole team at HOWL.

Direct Link: Nancy Bullis interviews Brenda Clews on Tidal Fury
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 brendaclews.com

Monday, November 28, 2016

Three Close-up Portraits of Women, from left to right, Bänoo Zan, Isabel Fryszberg and a Self-Portrait


These photos were all taken at different times, when each painting was finished, and they have not been protected with a varnish yet, after which I will photograph all three together and the colours will better reflect each other. Three Close-up Portraits of Women, from left to right, Bänoo Zan, Isabel Fryszberg, and a Self-Portrait ©Brenda Clews 2016, each painting is 16"x20"x1.5", oil on canvas.
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 brendaclews.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

On the Radio tonight to chat about Tidal Fury

Tonight I will be on the radio chatting with Nancy Bullis on "Tidal Fury" between 10-11PM EST. Catch the show if you can. She's an interviewer who reads the books of the authors she is interviewing and the conversations have depth. I love the lady. And so honoured she is interviewing me on HOWL! The book was published by Guernica Editions this year.

And a shout out to HOWL! Valentino Assenza, the other great host at HOWL, alternates weeks with Nancy - and being interviewed by him is an equal honour. Nik Beat, who sadly passed away in 2014, hosted the show for almost 20 years, and he is deep in my heart, as he is for many, many of us.

'Tidal Fury' is available from the publisher, Guernica Editions:
https://www.guernicaeditions.com/title/9781771830997

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Tidal-Fury-Brenda-Clews/dp/1771830999

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Tidal-Essential-Poets-Brenda-Clews/dp/1771830999

Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tidal-Fury-Essential-Poets-Ecco/dp/1771830999

Indigo Books: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/tidal-fury/9781771830997-item.html

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29598802-tidal-fury
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 brendaclews.com

A Pulsing Imagination - Ray Clews' Paintings

A video of some of my late brother Ray's paintings and poems I wrote for them. Direct link: https://youtu.be/V8iZyORoU9E ___