Mural Launch

""People of the Dawn" Mural Launch

On Tuesday, July 28th, an Open House in the afternoon and a Reception in the evening celebrated the launch of Alan Syliboy's mural. This impressive work will be heading to Vancouver to enhance one of the Olympic Venues.

I attended the evening reception which featured the band Lone cloud and was well attended. It was a time of celebration - for the artist, the Mi'kmaq people and the Truro Arts community. Congratulations, Alan. An impressive work - in concept and in execution. Halliday's should also be congratulated for providing the space for the exhibition. Thanks, Janice, for the pictures.

TC Reunion August 14th

Last night I attended a wonderful reception and launch for a fantastic mural done by Alan Syliboy. It will be on its way to the Olympics. Didn't have my camera with me, but when someone sends me a picture or two, I'll post them. Good articles on Alan and the mural in both the Chronicle Herald and the Truro Daily News.

My toast, however, is to the Normal and TC classes that end in 9. I will have taught three of them - '69, '79, and '89. The Reunions are a way to keep the Memories and Stories of TC alive. I hope to get out Friday night, the 14th. The Reunion Weekend is August 14-16.

(The gym got left out of my slides earlier. Sorry about that. Will use it as the backdrop for my toast. Mustn't slight Calkin, the Principal or the building.)

Truro Campus

Thoughts on Blogging

Well, I've been at this blogging business for awhile now. What do I think of it ? Well, I've been enjoying the process - doing a few drawings, taking some pictures, looking through old cartoons and deciding on what I might use.

I've enjoyed learning to do certain things. The whole blogging business is new. I've also learned to create slide show videos, add a music video and do an imageloop video. I've tried a number of other things but they weren't successful and didn't make the airwaves.

I've also enjoyed following Judy and Susan's blogs, and I've enjoyed searching out other blogs around the world. I appreciate comments from viewers. All have been from friends who knew of the blog; it will be interesting if anyone stumbles upon it sometime and either comments or sends professor tassel an email. It's been and learning and sharing experience with Judy and Susan, and that's been fun.

Weird things happen. Sometimes thing's don't go aloft when they should and I don't know where they go. This morning, I notice that my five followers are missing. Has there been a mass resignation ? Did they get tired of following ? Is there a time limit ? Must check out if I'm still a follower on Judy and Susan's blogs. (No, I've been deleted or hidden on their blogs. It must be a bigger blogger problem.)

Time to get on with other things. Have a good day, weekend, week or whatever. Cheers!

ART on the NORTH SHORE

Today we're moving from old Tassel cartoons to present day art. Three Truro Art Society members are involved in exhibits at the Fraser Cultural Centre in Tatamagouche.

Judy Arsenault's exhibit, " Trees" continues until July 29th. It will be follwed by "Rural Routes," featuring the works of Susan Sweet and Pamela Swainson. The three artists are very talented, and the shows are very creative and colorful. Check them out if you're on the North Shore.

Vintage Tassel Cartoons 1

Earlier I tried to establish a link between this blog and a Picasa Album of Tassel Cartoons. I wasn't satsified with the results. Therefore I shifted gears, did a powerpoint presentation and made a video. Now we'll see how this works.

Retirement Thoughts

Yeah know, retirement isn't all that bad! Relaxing on the deck with a Clancey's. Of course, you have to hope that the hail doesn't fall and the weather doesn't change just after you're settled in. I cannot believe I've been retired for fifteen years. And I am surprised when I meet former students who have been retired for awhile. The main thing is to get involved in the community and keep doing things, particularly those things you like. Now, excuse me, I have to go for coffee with a friend and then visit the Little White Schoolhouse. (Oh, the Clancey's was yesterday afternoon - NOT this morning!) Cheers.

T.C. Hawk

Rooting through my closet, I have found some Tassel and TC stuff, including these cartoons of the college mascot, the TC Hawk. They were in black and white and I used shading sheets to add some colour (gray dots) then. I took these sketches into the computer and added some real colour.

Tassel at Work

As you can see, the deck is stained and so am I. We had two beautiful days to do the work, and we're supposed to have another beautiful day tomorrow. That will be great for the Farmers Markets, the Paul McCartny concert and the Atlantic Jazz Festival. Hope you too are having great weather for summertime and holiday events.

Davis Hall

Earlier in the Blog I have included pictures of Forrester Hall which suggest a newer look. Returning NSTC students will certainly see and feel that things have changed. So have you ? So have I. Normal college grads came to accept the NSTC campus, and you will certainly be welcome at the NSCC campus and be appreciative of their programs and activities. Wish I could take their Animation course.

When I look at Davis, however, things look pretty much the same. A newer model car out front; other than that, from the outside, you could be transported back in time. Wouldn't you like that ?

NSCC

Waiting for the dew to dry and then it's back to staining the deck. Retirement is not all fun and games. While NSTC and NSCC got off to a rocky start, the present administration of NSCC (Truro campus) is very supportive of the Little White Schoolhouse Museum and seems to appreciate their link with Teacher Education and NSTC. Although there's more glass, fresher paint and different signs, I feel very comfortable entering Forrester Hall.

Caro Again

Tried to do a photo-cartoon mix last night, but it didn't work out well. It's not ready for posting. Will retreat to use a couple earlier sketches of Caro. When the FailSafe Computers people moved to new quarters and expanded their services, teaching as well as selling and repairing, it seemed Caro should be updated too. Here is Dr. Caro and Professor Caro. Doesn't take much to suggest a job or occupation. Cartoonists get away with as little work as possible.

Odetta Sings "Cottonfields"

It seems I've strayed a bit from my cartooning, art, Teachers College theme, but only slightly. When I taught at TC, I was particularly interested in folk music - Dylan, Baez, Buffy Sainte Marie, and many others. Some of my students may have even "enjoyed" a folk rock unit in some of my courses. One of my favorite discoveries of the Sixties was Odetta. I had more-or-less forgotten about her until I read of her death this year. I went to iTunes and bought a number of her songs; what a treat! Here is a sample of her work. I found that posting music to Blogs, however, is not easy; I had to make a video using stills and adding an iTunes sound track. We'll see if it works.

Changes

TCers will notice changes. I have changed. You will notice I am older (not wiser) and retired. In the background is a new look Forrester Hall. While it was a bit of a shock at first, and it will be for those returning after a long absence, it has settled in and is an exciting place for new students. The entrance is bright and airy. and the classrooms have been modernized. Forrester has entered the IT world.

Cats

Today's challenge is to upload a video. Several years ago I did a powerpoint presentation on our three cats. They were about fifteen at the time. Fosboury and Digger went to Cat Heaven last year, but the third, Twiggy, is alive and well and running the house. We obtained Digger and Twiggy from the Agricultural College; Fosbury was a foundling, raised by our daughter, who flew home from the West Coast for a comfortable nice retirement. Cats have been an important part of our family and household for a long time. I converted the powerpoint to a video; hope it works and you enjoy it.

Two Art Shows

Short note today. I've been working on converting some
powerpoint presentions (short) to video and we'll see if they
work or not at a later date.

Thought I'd let Arty announce a couple of Art Exhibits. Pam Swainson has an exhibit "The Figure Made Landscape" which opens tonight, July 2nd, at McCarthy Hall Gallery at seven o'clock. Tomorrow night, Judy Arsenault's exhibit "Trees" opens at the Fraser Centre in Tatamagouche. Both exhibits run through July.

Arty appears on the Truro Art Society website www.truroartsociety.ca on the newsletter page. Check out the site.

Canadian Flag and Anthem

I have been trying to get a Canadian flag waving in the breeze. I found one on Youtube, but not sure how people normally save or send them. I now have it as a Quicktime Movie and we'll see if it plays. It seemed a patriotic thing to do on Canada Day! Hope you all enjoy the holiday. I'll return to cartoons and lighter stuff tomorrow.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Tried to find an animated flag, but can't seem to find one that I can upload to this blog. This one will have to do. Maybe I can figure out how to save and transfer or upload YouTube videos. There are a number of waving flags there. (I think this came from 3dflags.com; I'm supposed to mention that, but then again the flag doesn't seem to wave in the breeze. Maybe it will when it goes aloft.

Anyway, HAPPY CANADA DAY! It was a fun day as a child in Middleton, Nova Scotia. Flags on the front lawn or verandas, street parade, Commercial Street closed off for booths, chocolate covered ice cream on popcicle sticks, games of chance, etc. Suppers and strawberry shortcake (with biscuits), and baseball, usually a double header - the Middleton Cardinals vs teams from Halifax or Liverpool or Kentville. This morning's entry seems to be a nostalgic view of "Dominion Day" in the Heart of the Valley" umpteen years ago.