Tuesday, December 25, 2012

MOTHERS & CHILDREN: beyond the centre of our universe

Beautiful, focussed, colourful, together, united, central, balanced, real.

This series of 12 pieces has 3 reasons for conception:
1)  intention towards acceptance of Mayan transitions from over 15 years of reading about and visiting Mayan historical sites and to build my personal energy leading up to December 21-23, 2012.
2) acceptance of 12 months of our modern calendar year.
3) I began this series in November 2012.  December 22, 2012 was the due date of my first child, and so I worked on this series every day until  December 21st. 2012.  I wanted to solidify my personal understanding and acceptance of the importance of the human females in my life.



The designs are original from my imagination, working beyond a central point on the canvas. Working from where "I" am outwards to where "everything" is.   Meticulously rendered and as vibrant as life!    I decided to work on a piece for every colour of the rainbow.  I felt that each "mother" piece (24"x24") was in need of a more abstract "child" (12"x12").  As in life, I consider all women, Mothers, but not all Mothers have children.  Every Mother and every child is equal in their unity of the whole of the rainbow.  I believe the survival of our species here on Earth will be dependent on our acceptance of this important and fundamental aspect of Humanity.

And so...beyond the centre of OUR universe we go!.....

the Mothers and Children family portrait


"Moon Mother with children" - acrylic

"Earth Mother with child" - acrylic

 "Sun Mother with child" - acrylic

"Soul Mother with child" - acrylic

"Forest Mother " - acrylic 

 "Heart Mother with child" - acrylic

PEACE!
Created by Daniel Poisson - 2012






Wednesday, September 19, 2012

"CAN'T BE NO BITCH ASS OUT HERE, DUDE!"

I'm never one to shy away from the opportunity to go somewhere exciting, try something new or experience something different.

I answered my ringing cell phone.
"HI MARC!" I exclaimed, "it's been a while, what's new?" 
"Well Dan" he replied  "it's been 15 years that I've been asking you to come up to Alaska and do some fishing with me.  What are you doing?" 

Before I thought of what my prior commitments were, I shot back, "coming to Alaska, of course!?!"

So that's when it all began.  I spent the months prior to departure preparing my camera gear, clothing and travel arrangements.  Such a dream!  The week prior, I had  replaced my aged DSLR camera with a nice, new DSLR.  What better opportunity to test it out than the middle of nowhere in Alaska.  Marc has always known I was an artist and photographer, and here he was, willing to set me up with a source of income (salmon fishing), a place to live (a remote cabin in the boonies) and all the scenery and wildlife I could imagine.
PERFECT!

We flew to Juneau Alaska first. There, we loaded supplies such as fuel, food and survival necessities into open-top, flat-bottom, aluminum river skiff boats.  The trip to camp travels up the Taku River Inlet south of Juneau Alaska, through rough waters, pounding rains, chopping seas and frigid glacial air.  We continue through Alaska up the Taku River into Canadian waters,  A small, unique commercial salmon fishery occurs there, where less than 30 people work like mad men over their small operations.  The cabins are simple.  The lifestyle is rustic.  There is only generator power or none at all.  Gasoline must be strained for water and wood is chopped for warmth. Sleep?...sleeping bag. I was told upon arrival, after being blown away at the shear epic proportions of the trip to camp that "you can't be no bitch ass out here dude!" THIS was gonna be an adventure!

The fishing is done completely by hand.  The nets are built and mended with twine and needles.  The gill nets are small and set into the river over the side of a small skiff.  When each short drift down the current is completed, the nets are pulled into the boat by hand.  The fish are caught in small quantities between 0-25 pieces.  They are picked out of the pile of netting on the bottom of the boat one at a time. It's A LOT of work. Each Salmon is dressed immediately (gutting and cleaned) before putting onto ice in large cooler totes.  Daily we would deliver the fish to the landing station set up by the local First Nations Company, Taku Wild.  From there, they would count and transport the product by jet boat to Juneau or float plane to Atlin BC.  Sometimes, if supplies were running short, we would deliver a 1000 pounds to Juneau Alaska in our own boat.  A long, cold trip exposed to all the elements.  We fished 14 hours a day, cleaned boats, fixed cabins, repaired motors and nets, and slept in the slime the fish left on us.

I was gone from home for over 2 months and although the trip was incredible, exhausting, frustrating, gorgeous, tiring, hilarious, demanding and easy.....I have to say WHAT A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW AND LEARN A GREAT SKILL ALONG THE WAY.

What a trip!
Here are some photos of the trip...

CONTACT: CODEOFCREATION(at)GMAIL.com






















CONTACT: CODEOFCREATION(at)GMAIL.com
WEB: http://codeofcreationphoto.com/

*all images copyright Daniel John Poisson-2012.  No prior permissions granted. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

No longer a “we” thing… - Oh Canada!?!


No longer a “we” thing… - Oh Canada!?!                                                            May 15, 2012

I’m baffled!  I also like to take pride in my great nation of Canada.  It has always felt good to travel abroad and when asked where I am from, tall and proud, without ego, exclaim “Canada!”  With a smile and comfort knowing full well people around the world see Canada as a place of great balance, understanding and friendship, I could be proud.

That is all changing.  I feel let down. I feel as though looking someone in the eye and saying “Canada!” with a jubilant glow on my face would lead to a bucket of tar sand being hucked in my face for the ignorant, straight-faced, false pride I have just mischievously tossed their way.

I mean, after all, as a “world leader” isn’t Canada supposed to set the stage for understanding in areas such as environmental and atmospheric concerns, political function, social structures, education, democracy, respect and all the things that make our world turn, happily?  I see our nation as a “we” situation, but lately, I am leaning towards “us”: the people, and “them”: the “government”.   There is no damn way I can comfortably group myself into the “we”.  It’s just NOT how I feel, nor what I believe.  As it is documented, proven and admitted that the Conservatives have lied, mislead and cheated throughout the election system, I cannot and will not see this current system as a democracy I want to live by. It is “us” –vs- “them”. Sad isn’t it?   I now refer to my Canada, when speaking of the government and ruling people as “they”. I do not see myself as a valued part of it.  There is no “we”. SAD!

Back in 2011, when the federal election bought the conservatives (majority @ 39%) into power, my gut reaction was “We’re F$CKED!” Why? Please tell me, that as a Canadian, before I go further here, I’m not the only one that feels that we’re f$cked.  Surely, as we the people were lead to believe there was an economic recession and we had to run our nation like a business. People had been told they needed a government that would create jobs and make money.  Money, money, money! Harper’s platform was based almost exclusively on finance.  And people love money! 

What is “finance”?  Complete disconnect from reality, that’s what “finance” is.  I know I probably lost most of my readers right here.  Most people can’t see the forest for the trees at this simple, elementary concept of disconnect from reality; nature.   HINT: It is not money that keeps us alive, it is our environment.  There is nothing natural in money.  Heck, money doesn’t even carry a true value anymore and here we are pitting our hopes and dreams on a crew of henchmen ready to “lead” our country based on “finance”. Oops!

Anyways, I was sure things would get ugly for Canadians, (and they have and are getting worse weekly) however, being as how I have faith and take great pride in Canada, I thought our leaders would do the right thing with their 39% “majority”.  As I pondered the final results, and inspected the character of the individuals in “power” it took only days to shift my feelings.  I thought, here were a bunch of “leaders” that were going to f$ck it up completely in the name of greed, money, and personal gain at the expense of the people of Canada. What I hoped was that maybe, being as how they are “leading” a great country, they will drop their egos, listen to the people, build an even better Canada, take a healthy approach and make Canada proud!

They have not! We’re F$cked!  The world sees it and I’m disappointed.  We Canadians have literally had our lives sold to industry and our children’s right to a healthy environment erased.  The government is currently receiving great resistance from people and organizations who really care about one another, from all facets of society including non-profit organizations, small businesses, environmental groups, social charities, health care sectors, unions, artists, individuals and everywhere in between. And so they should. This is not the Canada that is supposed to occur. We were not supposed to be bought and sold to industry by a government who cheated its way into office with only 39% support without transparent disclosure of their motives across the board.

This government is short sighted, narrow-minded, unidirectional and bent on profit through massive, destructive, polluting industry.  As long as profit for Canada comes in the form of industry, Canada is all for it.   Our government has decided the complete sell off and mass extraction of our natural resources is paramount to “success”.  Our government is currently wiping out any and all laws, rules, regulations, organizations, people and review processes, within environment, charity, social structure, fisheries, first nations and the government itself, that may in any way attempt to protect, value, respect, cherish, or stand up for what we should value and support as Canadians; life and the environment that supports it.

Private prisons are being built, health care is being eroded, undisclosed military and fighter jet purchases are being made and voters are being misled in campaign ridings.  First Nations values are being ignored, election campaigns are fraudulent, environmental organizations are criminalized and lies about oil pipelines are being marketed and sold to the public.   Family men are seeing no other ways to support their family than by going far away to work in Cancer-ridden, industrial wastelands suck as the Alberta Tar Sands and BC’s northern, natural gas, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites. 

If the current Conservatives have their way, soon, we will all be quiet, happy workers in oil patches far from our families, devoid of clean water and gardens and I think it’s SICK!  If the current Conservative government has it’s way, Canada will one day soon be a chunk of land they laugh at from afar, rid of trees, covered with industrial wastelands, devoid of clean water and wildlife, gushing with dirty foreign-shipped oil, with nothing more than roughneck grunts installing more, faster pipelines and bigger, more catastrophic oil tankers shipping raw resources out of Canada as fast as possible.

You laugh!
You think I’m cynical!
I ask you to do some research of your own and make public what you find.
The results will scare you shitless!

Ohhhh….Canada!?!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

BLACK SATURDAY – Protest the pipeline and connect the dots to climate change- A 350.org event


BLACK SATURDAY – Protest the pipeline and connect the dots to climate change-
A 350.org event

By: Daniel Poisson
Photo Credit: Daniel Poisson @ Code of Creation Photo

It was a stunning day with the sun shining down, a light breeze in the air and families and friends coming from all around to meet up in Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island. 

May 5th, 2012 was the day when over 250 people gathered in Centennial Park at 12:00 noon, all dressed in black, to show their solidarity over the global climate issues and the oil pipelines.   People are tired of the lack of transparency, communication and respect our governments have been providing during the processes of these pipeline negotiations.  These pipelines including the Kinder Morgan pipeline out of Burrard Inlet, the Enbridge pipeline out of Kitimat and more, are proposed to transport bitumen across British Columbia from the Alberta Tar Sands, where it will then be loaded onto giant supertankers and shipped through British Columbia’s pristine ocean channels and islands, all the way to China.  People are against it, and they have the right and responsibility to be.  An oil spill of the magnitude in which these supertankers carry would decimate the coastline and literally wipe out a way of life.

There were smiles, children, elderly, hugs and positive attitudes flowing freely.  Oil drops were face painted below the eyes to symbolize the tears of sadness that these pipelines would cause in the event of what is an inevitable oil spill.  Protest signs were waved about to vocalize how people feel about this important and pressing issue.   Speakers voiced their frustrations and provided facts about the projects and the damage that is already being done to communities and Indigenous groups throughout BC.  Musicians sang and played instruments for the enjoyment of all.  There was a fifty foot long replica of an oil pipeline that was carried on peoples shoulders as the group, complete with a live salsa band, marched through the streets of Ganges Harbour expressing their opinions in a peaceful, creative, collaborative way.  To “connect the dots”, which is the way 350.org is showing the relationships to climate change and human activity, the march was ended with a giant circle of all participants holding hands, joining together, showing strength.

Saltspring Island is a place where people care. People have love. There is a time when people must come together for causes that will affect or potentially destroy their way of life.  May 5th, 2012 at the Black Saturday event in Centennial Park was one such place.  GOOD WORK PEOPLE!  

Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island - May 5 2012 - NO PIPELINES!!!!!!!!!!! 350.org

Design by : ANDY EVERSON, Kwakwaka'wakw artist
 


SAVE OUR...everything...(absolutely lovely art kids! great work!)


Abbey....PIPELINE?!?! WTF!?


Remember, Remember
 


 STOP THE NORTHERN GATEWAY PIPELINE

 the Raging Grannies - don't mess with a pack of angry Grandma's, Harper Henchmen

 You're pissing off mom's, Harper!

 Seriously!

 There's a whole world out there standing up, most are still too busy to realize it yet.

 All ages all backgrounds in Ganges Harbour -  May 5, 2012


Babies, toddlers, kids, teens, adults & grandparents


 Ganges Harbour is a small town on Saltspring Island in British Columbia Canada, but enough people in the area feel strong enough about these issues to stretch around the block!

The pipeline spilling through the streets

READ THEM!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

SPONSORSHIP NEEDED: to create new body of work




I am not asking for a lot. I am asking for assistance financially however.  I need $5000.00, not necessarily all from one source.  Any assistance would be valuable. I would be more than happy to compensate you with artwork and original signed prints from the journey. Along with recognition of your generous assistance. Looking forward to discussing my options with you should you be interested in working together on this project. All transportation, lodging, food and equipment details are organized and must be finalized finalized before my departure In May 2012.

Respect,
Daniel Poisson
250-588-2784