Tower Poetry Society

Promoting poetry sine 1951

Saturday, April 29 is Independent Book Store Day!

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Independent bookstores are struggling more and more with competition like Amazon or big chains like Indigo, so make a point to support your local shop.

Bookstores are places of connection and community, and this is the perfect day to celebrate Independent Bookstores!

Support an Independent Bookstore

There are hundreds of books to read, you just gotta pick one up and get reading. Support a local bookstore by heading over to one, browsing, and buying some books from there. And this isn’t the only day to buy from them, it’s a great idea to consider making purchases locally all the time!

For those who enjoy the atmosphere at a local bookstore, it might be a great idea to help volunteer for events at the bookstore and inspire others to become book-lovers as well!

Here are a bunch in the Hamilton area:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://lmvhamilton.wixsite.com/lovebooks-hamilton

https://www.facebook.com/therivertradingcompany

https://www.facebook.com/100057140275176/timeline/?ref=page_internal (Books & Beats)

 

For more ideas to help you celebrate Independent Bookstore Day, check out: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/independent-bookstore-day/

 

Here is an online place to discover new Canadian authors and publishers: The Book Band. Check it out. The Book Band — it’s a great place to discover poetry, indeed!

Poem in my Pocket Day

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#NaPoWriMo is almost over. It doesn’t matter whether you will achieve 30 poems in 30 days, or you’ve just checked it out for the first time, or you now know of a fun resource to use if you ever want to get a month of motivation for writing poetry. I have managed to engage in poetry most days, by at least reading some of the poems that other people wrote inspired by the prompts at https://www.napowrimo.net/ or diving into the poetic resources shared throughout the month.

Today, Thursday, April 27, 2023 is Poem in My Pocket Day!

The League of Canadian Poets exists to support poets and poetry in Canada, just like we do at Tower Poetry Society Hamilton. Poem in Your Pocket Day is an international movement that encourages people to center poetry within their daily interactions. On PIYP Day, select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, coffee shops, street corners, and on social media using the hashtag #PocketPoem.

The site features a collection of poems to celebrate poetry in 2023. You can read them online, listen to an audio recording, or even print out a handy booklet to make sharing poems even easier! Check it out here: https://poets.ca/programs/pocketpoem/

The site includes links to French poems and many ways to celebrate. But really, any day can be Poem in Your Pocket Day!

Sing a Song about it with Emily Arrow: https://youtu.be/oxF0nB8ZzXQ

PS. PoARTry Dance #4 will be posted on Saturday, May 6!!

International Haiku Day & NaPoWriMo Mid-Month Check-in…

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Poetry everyday? Not quite. Poetry most days? Yes — sometimes editing or reading or teaching* or writing poetry. Or, attending a Tower Poetry Workshop!

My poems don’t usually come about in one sitting, unless they do, but that tends to be the exception to the rule. I often pull out old poems or ideas for a poem or even random jottings and try to rework or edit or merge some together. Whatever happens, happens. The goal of National Poetry Month is simply to enjoy poetry and share that joy with the whole wide world… read your favourite poems, share them and discuss them; write them, whatever floats your boat:)

The NaPoWriMo site is a great way to celebrate poetry month as each day it features a poet (so you can read and enjoy a fellow poet’s work), shares a resource (always useful), and offers a poetic prompt. while I don’t always have time day-to-day to write complete poems daily, I do save the prompts for those times when I’m stuck when trying to write.

** IF YOU FEEL LIKE SHARING YOUR HAIKUS, YOU CAN DO SO IN THE TPS FACEBOOK GROUP DIRECTLY, OR DROP A LINK TO YOUR PERSONAL POST. I, FOR EXAMPLE, OFTEN POST TO MY SITE: HTTPS://WWW.EVERYDAYARTEVERYDAY.COM/IBLOG.

Happy Writing, from the TPS Web Coordinator!

More Content, here…

Link to Haiku Day Blog — https://www.everydayarteveryday.com/iblog/monday-april-17-2023-is-international-haiku-day

Link to Funtastic Teacher Blog — https://funtasticteacher.weebly.com/blog—come-learn-with-me/teaching-poetry-to-middle-school-students-during-national-poetry-writing-month

 

 

POET: REBECCA CLIFFORD & MIXED MEDIA ARTIST: NICOLA SCHNEIDER

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A DANCE OF POETRY & ART…

“Fame is in the Song”

     

 

POET: REBECCA CLIFFORD

When did you start writing poetry?

I started stitch together words at an early age.  Fascinated by gems such as “Jabberwocky”, I sought to create words of my own.  Constance Metcalf, my high school English teacher encouraged me further, and I’ve never lost the itch to stitch words together.

Why do you write poetry?

I could give you an esoteric diatribe about instilling social justice, changing the world, righting a multitude of wrongs AND although I truly believe that words can affect all of these things, it will take better voices than mine to achieve such things.

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

I receive comments at the poetry workshops I attend, and pondering such remarks serves to make me a better writer.  (Like participating in a Tower Poetry Society workshop! More info here!) However, the best advice I’ve found is to read and absorb the works of others – not just poetry.  For me, I turn to P.K. Page, Marilyn Gear Pilling, Carol Shields, Alice Munro, John Steffler, Guy Gavriel Kay, Anne Simpson to list off the top of my noggin. And, I do tend to center my reading on Canadian poets.  There’s nothing wrong with trying to channel Bliss Carmen, Archie Lampman, or Wilfred Campbell, but finding one’s own voice is an ongoing journey.

What is the best advice you’ve followed?

That I create and write to please myself.  Changing a word or line you love because a more seasoned poet said it should be so, isn’t true if it doesn’t work for you.  Writing to please others can drive a writer into an early grave.

Can you comment on your process?

The creative work of others inspires me to write – art, music, dance, theatre, good oratory.  Silence, or the lack thereof, also provokes my creative juices.  Isolated thinking brings out thoughts on life, death, politics, social justice – the whole gamut.  I live rurally, and nature provides much fodder for the pencil.  And I do use a pencil… also the backs of envelopes, parking tickets, and grocery receipts.  I write words, snippets, phrases down wherever and whenever inspiration finds me. Examples are the way I feel hearing the coyotes howl, the wind race, cash registers singing in a supermarket, voices and smells at the market, at the bakery.  I’ve found that waiting till I have a notebook in hand means I’ll lose something vital.  And that drives me nuts.

 

 

 

MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST: NICOLA SCHNEIDER

 

I am on the executive council of Tower Poetry Society, as Web Coordinator, which is kind of strange because I know not much of web coordinating and am a mere novice at poetry, but as it were, and continues to be…

Check me out at:

EverydayArtEveryDay.com

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT POEM?

In general, the subject matter immediately called to me. I have taken several photographs of dragonflies and thought I could use them in my piece. Further readings cemented my choice. Rebecca’s poetic language swirled around in my brain. I love to chill out in the summer by watching “dragonflies stitch the air, sketch lines of elegant directness.” Upon further study, the poem’s deeper meanings came through. The opening quote that  influenced the poet to write this poem, and the poem itself, features several musical references. I love the lyrical quality of the poem and aimed to show this in my piece.

The original quote from Hippocrates, “Life is short, art is long” meant… that it takes a lifetime to hone a craft, i.e., gain skills and knowledge, and that since life is short, many don’t reach a ‘fame’ status in a lifetime. Hence, in the past, folks tended not to gain fame until they were dead. That kind of sucks, so…

Here is my interpretation, which is a concept that I try to apply to my art: Enjoy the journey. “The success is in the silences.” If the process brings joy, then fame doesn’t matter. “Fame is fleeting” just as a dragonfly’s entire life cycle is “ephemeral.” Dragonflies don’t care (or even realize) how short their lives are. Even if your “song” or poem or art doesn’t get out into the world and appreciated – reach “fame” – you can still have success in the play and exploration; in the joy that the process brings.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PROCESS FROM IDEA TO FINISHED WORK? WHY THOSE COLOURS AND SHAPES?

My current practice is based on the stARTs process shared by New Zealand Intuitive Mixed Media Artist, Judy Woods. Artist Judy Woods – abstract art (judywoodsart.work). Previously, I’ve followed her process by not purposefully thinking of any sort of end goal. This time I thought I meditated on the poem throughout the entire process. I pulled out phrases that inspired imagery that I could use in my artwork (the sparks). Hence, the dance of poetry and art. Next, I recorded these key words and sketch pictures on my surface to guide the piece. This is the first underlayer to be covered up with many layers. “What happens in the underlayer stays in the underlayer.”

               

This is a summary of the process…

  • I work in sets.
  • In beginning layers à I have fun. Play. Explore. I ask, “What if?”
  • I aim to be brave. Nothing is precious; if I don’t like it, I can simply paint over it. If I don’t love something, I ask, “What’s the opposite?” and do that. Learning what I don’t love is just as important in moving my practise forward as knowing what I do love.
  • I am learning to embrace ugly.
  • Principle of differences. I always ask, “What is the opposite of…?” I use the knowledge of elements/principles to create both subtle and strong contrasts.
  • In middle layers the ‘heroes’ (or focal points that I love) will start to be revealed.
  • In end layers, I emphasize those heroes. This is what my piece is about. I ensure there is contrast, some quieter spaces.
  • I often come back to the art to look with fresher eyes after several weeks, or months.

WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES? WHAT WAS EASY?

The process took a while to trust. Ultimately, it brings freedom to my art-making. The idea is both scary and freeing. Scary because it was a whole new way to think. Freeing because if I don’t like something, I can cover it up. My focus is on the journey. The journey is a marathon, not a sprint. When I don’t focus on the result (the finished product), I feel less anxious, and I can take more risks in my art. I have removed expectations.

Knowing when the art is finished is always a challenge for me. Having a deadline was helpful.

Also, since I had several pieces inspired by the poem, it was difficult to choose just one for submission. I decided on one for submission and there are 3 more in the series, each given the title of the last line of each stanza in Rebecca’s poem:

  1. “Life is Brief”

2. “Art is Long”

3. Submission: “Fame is in the Song”

4. “Success in the Silences”

Have you done this kind of project before? Would you do it again?

I have written poems inspired by artworks for Carnegie Gallery‘s and Tower Poetry’s annual Artwalk, and for the PoARTry this time and last time. This is my first visual art submission… ever. I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

Anything else you’d like to share?

Art is for everyone.

This is my view on art-making. Everybody IS an Artist. 1. Art is easy. 2. Practice makes better. 3. Be YOU. 4. Make Ugly Art & make mistakes. 5. Have fun. Now, go make Art, Human:)

Read my complete Art Philosophy here: Everyone IS an Artist – Speech – Everyday Art Every Day

More Nicola:

https://www.instagram.com/everydayart.every.day/

https://www.facebook.com/missnikkirocks

https://www.facebook.com/everydayartisteveryday

 

SIZE OF THE PIECE. HOW IS IT MOUNTED?  PRICE IF FOR SALE. WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE ?

Framed 22″ x 18″

Artwork size 14″ x 11″

* Contact nicolaschneiderisawesome@gmail.com

 

WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS THIRD DANCE OF POETRY AND VISUAL ART.

ARTISTS, there are poems still available to choose from and time to get in on the project… https://towerpoetry.ca/po-art-ry-poems/

POETS, stay tuned… we will open up submissions towards the end of 2023. As for what will happen with PoARTry, we don’t know.

This is an organic project, and we are thinking of a possible exhibit or publication. Who knows?! What we do know is that we have a lot of exciting work by talented poets and artists to share with you each month!

 

DID YOU KNOW?     YOU CAN POP OVER TO OUR TOWER POETRY FACEBOOK GROUP FOR DISCUSSION!

 

 

NaPoWriMo is coming!

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Have you ever NaPoWriMo-ed before??

What?    30 poems in 30 days

NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April. Details here: https://www.napowrimo.net/about/

https://www.napowrimo.net/ posts an optional daily prompt to help you get inspired, features a different participant each day, as well as a daily poetry-related resource.

Here is an interesting teaser: https://www.napowrimo.net/napowrimo-glopowrimo-is-on-the-way/ I particularly love the second online prompt generator… Is generator (a) or (b) your style?? Maybe our choice says something about who each of us is as an artist, a human,… or, maybe it means nothing at all😊 And, the Eater of Meaning sucked me down the rabbit whole for a few many moments…

… Anyway, back to it…

My NaPoWriMo Experience…

I have dabbled with NaPowriMo for 10 years (2013, really?! Wow — Happy 10 years to me!). Have I ever managed a poem a day?… Well, only once in April 2020, the first official month of COVID, and I suspect many folks were actually able to do this one. What else were we doing?! Plus, there was no better way to deal with the turmoil of those crazy times. Sometimes, when April has been too busy, I’ve done another random month, like Poetember in 2018. I have always started NaPoWriMo all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but sometimes I don’t make it further than that (I’m looking at you, 2019!). Usually, I make it through about half a month. I’ve learned to go with the flow. If not writing an actual poem each day, I might work on editing, or pairing an old poem with media, or doing Word Work activities (like Wordle). So, more accurately, I aim to spend at least 30 minutes on poetry work for 30 days. (In a perfect world, I do that already, but lets just say, I use Poetry Month as a much-needed poetry push in the right direction😊)

** If you feel like sharing your poems and prompts, you can do so in the TPS Facebook Group directly, or drop a link to your personal post. I, for example, often post to my site: https://www.everydayarteveryday.com/iblog.

Other resources/prompts…

Happy Writing, from the TPS Web Coordinator!

Tuesday, March 21st/2023 – World Poetry Day

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Poetry can change the way people view the world, inspire others, and mend the bonds between people and create harmony with one another.

However, poetry to many can be considered a dying art in a world filled with technology and more advanced ways of conveying messages of art and beauty.

World Poetry Day aims to appreciate the sentiment that poetry can create, forming meaningful relationships and expand one’s mind about history and cultures.

Learn about World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day takes place every year to promote the teaching of poetry, as well as the publishing, writing, and reading of this form of writing around the world. It was declared by UNESCO in 1999 and they stated that their purpose for creating this day was:

“with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”

They also stated in their original declaration that World Poetry Day was about giving fresh impetus and recognition to international, regional, and national poetry movements.

All in all, this is a day that is designed to inspire and educate, as well as giving poets all around the world recognition for their creative brilliance!

History of World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day was conceived during the 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999. Those at the conference had the ambition to support the growth of linguistic diversity through poetics and help in increasing awareness of endangered and dying so they can be heard.

World Poetry Day also honors poets, revives the practice of poetry recitals, and promotes poetry as a form of art that connects people to their humanity. With generations upon generations of poets and time periods to choose from, poetry can gain insight into the ideas and feelings of that time.

By also attending poetry recitals, people can experience the languages that words and emotions are spoken through and experience emotional bonds with others.

World Poetry Day is hosted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, a subsection of the United Nations that promotes the advancement of culture through effort, communication, and passion.

World Poetry Day is annually celebrated by schools, organizations, libraries, and publishers all over the globe through teaching about poets, styles of poetry, and the languages that they’re read through.

Throughout the day, people host festivals, talk about their favorite poets and learn about the different ways that poetry can be written and spoken. UNESCO also offers social media kits and other resources to help those around the world learn about how to read poetry and understand its meaning in day to day life.

How to celebrate World Poetry Day

Celebrate World Poetry Day by reading some poetry. Look up poets such as Sylvia Plath, John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Ezra Pound. If you want to learn more about poets out there, then attend a college class on poetry, or head on over to a spoken word event to catch up on the latest poets on the stage.

There are lots of other exciting ways that you can celebrate World Poetry Day. Rather than reading a poem, why not watch a poetry reading? Thanks to the likes of YouTube, we have access to all sorts of videos today, and so it should not be difficult to find a poetry reading that interests you. The live recital of a poem, especially from the author who has written it, is extremely powerful. It takes the depth of meaning of the words to a whole other level. We would recommend taking a look at readings from the likes of Hera Lindsay Bird and Jay Bernard. They’re pretty incredible!

If you have children, World Poetry Day is the perfect opportunity for you to increase their awareness of this literary form and show them how fun and exciting poetry can be. After all, not all poems are serious! Poems can make us laugh, especially those that use clever wordplay and puns.

You can find lots of great books of poems that have been specifically designed for children. We would recommend Roger McGough’s Poetry Pie, which features more than 50 poems that will make your child laugh. Other good options include Cat Among the Pigeons by Kit Wright and Gargling with Jelly by Brian Patten.

If World Poetry Day has got you feeling inspired, why not write your own poem? You don’t need to be the next Shakespeare to enjoy writing poetry! Whether you decide to share it with other people or keep your poems to yourself is entirely up to you. If you’re feeling at a loss, don’t worry. It can seem a bit overwhelming if you have never written a poem before! It is always good to start with a goal in mind. What are you hoping to achieve by writing the poem?

Some other types include communicating your theme, using concrete words rather than abstract words, using similes and metaphors, using images, and avoiding sentimentality and cliches. You will find lots of interesting books and videos online about writing poems, so you can look up some of these to help you. There is no right or wrong way to write a poem or to begin the process, it is all about finding what works for you, and so it can definitely help to listen to some of the different methods that people use.

Find your favorite poet and share them on social media using the hashtag #WorldPoetryDay. Let your friends and family know today’s a day to appreciate language and the way we communicate with one another.

Source: World Poetry Day (March 21st) | Days Of The Year

 

Check out my other Blogs for Poetry Prompts:

Everyday Art Every Day Prompts — Write Like Your Fav Poet: World Poetry Day – Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 – Everyday Art Every Day

World Poetry Day — Tuesday, March 21st – Nicola Schneider, OCT – a spot of reflection (weebly.com) for an “I am Music” poetry prompt…

Poet: Jennifer Tan & Landscape Artist: Anna Kutishcheva

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A dance of poetry & art…

“The Reflection”

 

Poet: Jennifer Tan

Jennifer Tan has won the Short Works Prize for Poetry in 2016 and in 2020, and was long-listed for the Vallum Award for poetry in 2020. She has been published in the poetry anthologies of Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century, and The Beauty of Being Elsewhere: Poems of Journey and Sojourn, and on the website of The Wild Word. Her haikus have found their way to the Asahi Haikuist Network. She is a regular contributing poet and member of the Tower Poetry Society.

 

 

When did you start writing poetry?

In my mid-teens I had to write two poems for an English class. It took me thirty years to recover from it to choose to write poetry and contribute to our local poetry magazines.

 

Why do you write poetry?

Writing poetry is something I dared myself to plunge into while knowing that the risk is not going to be catastrophic. It is quite a safe activity. It is an escape burrowing through words and then seeing the light. It is liberating when writing a poem evolves beyond what I started with and ended up as a surprise. Writing is a pleasant way to discover more of the self, nature, and understand the state of our world while indulging with words that chart their own melody.

 

What is the best advice you have ever received and would share with new poets?

I don’t recall any specific advice but you learn from listening to what other poets appreciate in poetry and their positive comments on yours.

(Like participating in a Tower Poetry Society workshop! More info here!)

 

Can you comment on your process?

I start with an image, or a situation, or a phrase I picked up that intrigued me. I would scribble lines on paper, choose an appropriate word to replace one that does not carry the mood to match the poem as best I can. I would rearrange the lines to the pace of the poem and remove words that stumble the flow. Some days later I will go through it again to make it better. I would not write if I were hungry.

 

Is there anything else you wish to share?

Be aware of the power of language and that you have access to it. Be easy on yourself in the process of writing. Read a variety of books. Be open to possibilities and ideas. If you want to write a poem it is probably that you know you can and you will write one.

 

 

More Jennifer…

Instagram: @

https://thewildword.com/poetry-jennifer-tan/

http://towerpoetry.ca/poetryplus/Poetry/60-2Tan.html

 

 

Landscape Artist: Anna Kutishcheva

“I was trained as an illustrator, and the process of reading, feeling and coming up with a visual representation of the author’s idea is a puzzle that never ceases to amaze me.”         https://landscapesbyanna.com

 

Why did you choose that poem?

The poem ( THE STUFF WE ARE MADE OF by Jennifer Tan) is simply beautiful, and for me, it was a love from the first read. The poem is very dynamic and reads like a spell; it has a deep and profound meaning. The water is such a fantastic element; it even remembers what happens to it. Just think that the water in your cup touched billions of sentient beings and witnessed innumerable events! The water is a stream, just like a stream of life. The water is a giver and a taker of life, and it is present as an allegory in many stories and teachings.

The poem reminded me of Sutras of Mountain and Water by Dogen:

“Water ascends to the sky as rain.” It mounts high heaven, it’s inside flame, in thinking, analysis, discrimination, in awareness itself, there’s nowhere it doesn’t get.

“Water descends to earth as rivers, whose marrow is the sages. Water’s not just rivers and seas, it makes rivers and seas from within water…Nonetheless, there is no water inside the lands, nor lands within water.”(From Abruptly Dogen, a recently published translation of the Zen master’s writing by Kidder Smith).

Also, I painted water many times: streams, lakes, waves, reflections and depth. So the poem called to me!

 

What were the challenges? What was easy?

My task of creating an illustration was both easy and hard. Every line is inspirational and creates so many visual associations, yet I had to choose only one, the most compelling image. My final choice was to paint an infinite opportunity and change; stillness.

 

Can you tell us a bit more about your process from idea to finished work? Why those colours and shapes?

The central work is landscape, acrylic on canvas, 24×36, inspired by a photo of North Ontario lake by my friend. I used a limited palette, mostly a mix of magenta and green, which can create many hues of blue and purple. There are many islands on this lake, and moonlight travels between and far beyond these islands, creating space and opportunity. Then I had a lot of fun with the frame, which was created digitally with adobe fresco. Here all movement happens.

 

Size of the piece. How is it mounted?  Price if for sale. Where is it available ?

acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 36″     $1,800       without frame (the frame is digital)

Available for sale from akutishcheva@gmail.com

@anna_kutishcheva –  https://www.instagram.com/tamara_h_campbell/

 

Anything else you’d like to share?

The best part of creating artwork is to become one with the subject. This time it was the magical water and its play. And I still don’t know what it is!

 

Other Projects/Art Available:

https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/96051

https://www.thespec.com/entertainment/art/2019/06/14/regina-haggo-nature-comes-to-life-in-anna-kutishcheva-s-landscapes-at-burlington-gallery.html

 

 

 

 

 

I published a whole book in this style – Singing Woods…

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Singing-Woods-Anna-Kutishcheva/dp/1990595065/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1674869753&sr=8-1

 

We hope you have enjoyed this second dance of poetry and visual art.

ARTISTS, there are poems still available to choose from and time to get in on the project… https://towerpoetry.ca/po-art-ry-poems/

POETS, stay tuned… we will open up submissions towards the end of 2023. As for what will happen with PoARTry, we don’t know.

This is an organic project, and we are thinking of a possible exhibit or publication. Who knows?! What we do know is that we have a lot of exciting work by talented poets and artists to share with you each month!

 

Did you know?     You can pop over to our Tower Poetry Facebook group for discussion!

Poet: Jennifer Dunlop & Painter: Tamara Campbell

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A dance of poetry & art…

“Anticipation of the Sun’s Illumination” by Mixed Media Artist Tamara Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poet: Jennifer Dunlop

Jennifer Lynn Dunlop is the President of Tower Poetry and enjoys composing poetry while running on the Bruce Trail.

When did you start writing poetry?

I began writing poetry when I was eight years old. I participated in a lesson on poetry in school and it really resonated with me.

Why do you write poetry?

I write poetry because I have always enjoyed words and reading, and I have a strong imagination.  I appreciate wordplay, and the art of creating visually interesting images through words alone. I am passionate about the natural world, and I have always felt compelled to attempt to describe it in the way I see it, and illustrate how meaningful it is to me.

What is the best advice you have ever received and would share with new poets?

The best advice I have received is to attend a workshop and obtain constructive feedback.  I believe many layers of editing are beneficial, and that we cannot be objective about our own work.  In addition, I believe it can be useful to put a poem away for a short period of time and then return to it with fresh eyes.

Can you comment on your process?

My process is to write down any idea I get in a google doc.  Often, I let it percolate. Sometimes poems are inspired as a whole, but more often, it is a small kernel of an idea that grows.  I will edit many times before I feel the poem is finished.

More Jennifer…

Instagram: @dunlopjenniferlynn

https://www.instagram.com/dunlopjenniferlynn/

 

Poems from Home/HPL videos:

Hooks https://youtu.be/zrF6Iqjlicw

Momentum https://youtu.be/h28BrSNQEWQ

 

From the New Quarterly (New Directions in Canadian Writing)…

Jennifer’s Writing Space https://tnq.ca/jennifer-lynn-dunlops-writing-space/

 

 

Painter/Mixed Media Artist: Tamara Campbell

Why did you choose that poem?

This poem, “Grace” – by Jennifer Lynn Dunlop, really speaks to me. I live in the woods, surrounded by nature. When I read Jennifer’s poem, I can see the details she is writing about, I can get lost in her words like I can get lost in nature. Nature is where I feel most whole, most at peace. I love getting lost in her wonderful details – the textures of bark, mushrooms, flowers, leaves, the wildlife – there is so much to get drawn into, to escape into, so much variety. I am also interested in the concept of grace and have been trying to be more grace-ful in my life. That can be hard sometimes 🙂

What were the challenges? What was easy?

“Anticipation of the Sun’s Illumination”

My biggest challenge for this project is the challenge I am always finding myself faced with – time! There is an old Yiddish adage – “Man plans, and God laughs.” That seems to apply to my life, as it does to many peoples’ lives I imagine – hence the saying! I have so many ideas and currently two streams of paintings/series that I am totally immersed in right now and, as many creatives know, once you get those creative juices flowing, new ideas keep being born. So this was easy in the sense that I knew what style of painting I wanted to do my response in and then I read the poem a number times and kept going back to it and thinking about it while I painted. I painted three pieces at the same time (I can’t ever work on just one – it is hard enough with a few to wait for things to dry!). Then the challenge was to choose one for this project. Since I had painted the three of them with this poem in mind, I can see elements of the poem in all of them.

Have you done this kind of project before? Would you do it again?

Yes, many years ago. For a few years I participated in an International Women’s Day in the town that I lived in then. There was a gallery there that put on a show each year. There would be a statement and theme for each year and you would create a piece of art inspired by that. I also once wrote a poem inspired by a photograph that I had taken. The photograph was of a house in ruins – it is a house that I had dreamed about and then found while out driving on back roads.
Yes! I would most definitely do it again!

Can you tell us a bit more about your process from idea to finished work? Why those colours and shapes?

I love colour. I love organic shapes. I am always exploring techniques and looking for new ways to make marks. I paint in layers, building them up until it feels right, then I go in with markers or paint and add the little details. Layers, layers, layers! I try to restrict my palette, but that doesn’t always happen. I grab things as I’m painting – my studio is an explosion of creative mess when I’m finished painting. The hardest part is having to walk away at times to let things dry so I can carry on.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I have always loved art and was raised with an appreciation of the arts. Over the course of my life, so far, I have always been dabbling in some form of art or another – woodworking, printmaking, pottery, photography, painting. I was very focused and showing for a few years up until about 12 years ago, when I became a first time grandmother and my studio became a nursery. I kept dabbling, but stopped showing until late 2019 when I started really focusing on my art again.

Size of the piece. How is it mounted?  Price if for sale. Where is it available ?

9″x12″     On paper, unmounted        $100

9″x12″     Matted and framed           $150

Available for sale from me tamarahcampbell@gmail.com

 

“Unfinished Dreams”

 

 

Tamara writes on Instagram: “There were 4 paintings to start, but a friend came for a visit and insisted that she needed one of them just as it was (before it was finished in my mind – but she’s a really good friend!) – so that one became “Unfinished Dreams” and I carried on with the remaining 3. They are titled, in order, “Anticipation of the Sun’s Illumination”, “The Dance is All” and “The Grace of Nature” – these are all words from the poem. “Unfinished Dreams” is last one. My eldest daughter helped me decide which one I’ll submit to the project. It was hard because all 3 were painted with the poem in mind, so I see elements in each that speak to me of the words and feelings that were inspiring me.”

@tamara_h_campbell –  https://www.instagram.com/tamara_h_campbell/

Other Projects/Art Available:

(Inukshuk Print)

https://www.internationalprintexchange.org/shop/prints/ipe-2017/inukshuk-by-tamara-h-campbell

https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/S220594

 

We hope you have enjoyed this inaugural dance of poetry and visual art.

ARTISTS, there are poems still available to choose from and time to get in on the project… https://towerpoetry.ca/po-art-ry-poems/

POETS, stay tuned… we will open up submissions towards the end of 2023. As for what will happen with PoARTry, we don’t know.

This is an organic project, and we are thinking of a possible exhibit or publication. Who knows?! What we do know is that we have a lot of exciting work by talented poets and artists to share with you each month!

 

Did you know?     You can pop over to our Tower Poetry Facebook group for discussion!

Presenting PoARTry

by

Tower Poetry Society, in collaboration with visual/textile artist Lorraine Roy, presents…

A dance of poetry & visual art…

After the success of the first PoARTry event*, we endeavour to create a similar collaboration between poets and artists that will showcase virtually with the possibility/opportunity for an in-person exhibition after the first year. This may become an ongoing event.

* In 2021, poets were encouraged to submit poems to inspire local artists to create visual art. And so the dance began… the results were displayed in an exhibit in the Barber Atrium at the Carnegie Gallery.

Tower Poetry Society POETS have submitted poems that inspire visual art or fine crafts. And, artists have selected the poems that inspire each to create a piece in their chosen visual art field.

Please join us as we reveal these unique partnerships on the FIRST SATURDAY over the next many months… a poet & a:

  • Stained Glass Artist
  • Mosaic Artist
  • Wood Burning Artist
  • Painter
  • Landscape Artist
  • Textiles Artist
  • Pencil Artist
  • Jewellery Artist
  • Mixed Media Artist

Artists, there is still time to select a poem to inspire your art! Our first dance will be on Saturday, February, 4, 2023 at midnight… for now, it’s a secret!