Mariposa Canoe Collaboration
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Collaborative painting project between Patti Agapi, Kathryn Kaiser and Meg Leslie.
Follow their process and inspiration as they plan and paint a canoe during the
​2019 Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario, July 5-7.
Find them in the Community Village!
Big SHOUTOUT for the support - 
​THANK-YOU to Marci Csumrik, Warren Bennett, Ron Price, Tait Goos and Ron Schell for your advice and assistance!

Day Three - We Did It!

7/8/2019

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"The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”
- Neil Gaiman

On Friday there was just an old green canoe. By Sunday we had created something really special. It wasn’t easy, but I absolutely love the end result.

When Fred Addis was searching for artists to work on this project, he asked for suggestions from Leslie Fournier. I suspect that Leslie recommended the three of us because we all bring something very different to the table. In the end, I think our individual strengths shine through.

I asked Fred after we were done to grade us on how we did, “from1-10, with 10 being the best.”

“13” he said. 

That is what I will hold on to from this experience. 

We exceeded expectations. 

I loved hearing people talk about it as they passed us, and chatting with people about the project. One group of people walked passed saying, “Oh! That’s the canoe that everyone is talking about!” 

That gave me joy. 

Side note: We had many questions about the fate of our collaboration now. The truth is that we don’t know yet, but stay tuned here for any updates on that. The canoe may be auctioned off, or kept by the Foundation. We will be encouraging the new owner NOT to use it as a boat again, but rather as a work of art. 

Thank you so much to the Mariposa Folk Foundation for this opportunity. 

​- Meg
Yippeeee, we did it!

- Patti
Check out our PHOTOS page for MORE photos and the project progression!
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Day Two!

7/6/2019

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I decided last night to use the waterlilies of Lake Couchiching on the ends inside the canoe. Bob Bowles, a local naturalist came by and shared some of his wisdom about the plants ...
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So much was accomplished! Kathryn and Patti focused on the outside, the side of Big Chief facing Rama. I focused on the inside border and those lilies at the bow and stern. Patti spent some time laying out the abstract-loveliness inside. ​

Looking forward to one more day!

​- Meg
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Mariposa Canoe Collaboration Day ONE

7/6/2019

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The adventure today began loading the canoe on Ron’s car. Driving over to Mariposa we could see the curtain of rain as it passed over the festival. We set up early. The Community Village is right by the gates, so when they opened it was awesome to see how eager people were to rush in!  We had one big downpour but honestly it really just cooled things off.​

On the canoe we laid out the design. One side is Big Chief looking from Orillia with Rama in the background, the other side is the exact opposite side of the island with Orillia in the background. It’s looking really awesome. 

Afterwards we heard some great music and ate some yummy food and I went for a swim. Festival day one feels complete. I’m excited to see how things evolve tomorrow!
​
- Meg


It was hot, humid with random rain outbursts for our first day of painting at the Mariposa Folk Festival but we accomplished a great deal of planning and painting.

​Working together and merging our unique perspectives, creative processes and artistic styles is a process in itself! Our core vision (manifested by Meg and to be painted inspired by the style of the Canadian Group of Seven painters) involves each side of the canoe being a viewport of Big Chief Island on Lake Couchiching (one side facing Orillia, one side facing Rama) and the inside being more abstract and intuitive. These concepts draw from each of our artistic strengths.

Day ONE involved set-up and 'mapping' out each side of the canoe. We studied photos of Big Chief Island and Lake Couchiching (from our amazing boat tour with Marci!) and were able to lay down  interesting compositions that work on a weird shaped 'canvas' like a canoe. NEXT, blocking in the shapes and Kathryn and I began adding depth and details! Meg turned her attention to the inside of the canoe with her amazing fancy big brush and applied the first coat of a border that will adorn the inside rim.
Now, on to day two - more details and planning and morphing! We are in the community village, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm. ​

​- Patti
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Lake Couchiching Inspiration

7/3/2019

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It was the perfect evening for a cruise on beautiful Lake Couchiching! Marci Csumrik generously chauffeured Meg and I around the lake in the comfort of her cute pontoon boat (its maiden voyage of the season!) and we soaked in the gorgeous views.

It was easy to feel inspired and grateful. We all noted that we live in such a wonderful place yet while buzzing through our busy days we often take that for granted. The evening was a reminder of how lucky we are to live here.

We circled the lake, Big Chief Island, the Port of Orillia and studied the landscapes, the water, the foliage, the sky - it was gorgeous and filled our creative wells.  The canoe will be beautiful and mindful and oozing gratitude.

A bit about the wonderful Marci! 
I have known Marci since I was a child (a LONG time) and her vibrant, positive energy is amazing. Marci is a BIG supporter of the ARTS in Orillia. She has been involved in Streets Alive (as a sponsor, organizer and the colourful, sweet bunting you see hanging at the event - Marci made those!), she has worked on the board of the Orillia Museum of Art & History, and was the *Win Your Art* Starry Night sponsor for several years. She also supports local artists by purchasing their work (#gratitude).  AND, Marci is a fabulous real estate agent - find out all about that on her website www.marci.ca.  

​- Patti
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Paddle Progress

7/1/2019

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Maybe Prince said it best, “Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what's already there.”

Kathryn and Warren have been washing and sanding and priming the canoe. It’s looking good. That was important to everything that happens from here, a clean solid canvas for us for the weekend.

Patti and I have been working on the blog and our paddles. Patti is so great with websites. She put that together so easily. 

In my mind, I think it’s a similar process for many creative things.....think about what you want to achieve. Once I can picture it in my mind’s eye, then I’m ready to take the first step. 
​

The first step with the paddle is cleaning. I grabbed a block sand pad. It was too fine, so I wrap a heavy grit paper around it and tried again. That worked. Then I clean the dust off. I search Pinterest for a favourite colour scheme and mix the paints. I want a pink....I start with white, add more red, oops more white, some grey..... ah Yes, that’s a colour that inspires me! 

Start laying it down. I don’t plan it. I just do it. Everyone is different. I like the rush of just figuring it out as I go. So far, so good......

​- Meg


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The Foundation

6/30/2019

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We have begun the painstaking process of stripping and refinishing our canvas. The old wax and gelcoat must be carefully removed by washing (thank heaven for power washers, and stripping with mineral spirits and acetone. So much acetone. 

I’m happy to be able to do this outside this weekend, and very pleased that acetone evaporates as well as it does. 
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Next it will be sanded with 100 then 150 grit sandpaper, and wiped down. After this process, I will test by wiping with a wet cloth. If water beads up, it means the gelcoat removal is not fully successful. Then its back to square one. Fingers crossed...

​- Kathryn
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Beginnings & Inspirations

6/29/2019

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We were contacted by Mariposa Folk Festival and asked if the three of us would consider a job to paint a canoe during the 3 days of the festival. We all agreed that it would be a challenging and unique experience. We agreed. See, maybe the reason we were asked is that we have done this once before together.....it wasn’t painting ‘live’ but in 2016 the three of us successfully painted a beautiful mural on the walls of the Child Advocacy Centre in Orillia.

We are each professional artists. So, we each bring our own ideas and skills. The challenge is to work as a team, focusing on our individual strengths.

“When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.” ―Biz Stone

We are all local artists so we started with an idea of painting a local landmark......and it needed to be long and skinny. Big Chief Island! Looking at it in one direction, and the lands of Rama Native Reserve are in the background, and looking at it from the opposite side, Orillia is in the background.
Growing up in Orillia, I knew the island was sacred and that Chief Yellowhead was buried on the island. I knew that you were not allowed to walk on the island. That idea of the ‘sacred’ sparked my imagination as a child. 

On the outside of the boat we will attempt to paint the island, looking at it from both sides, but the inside, we will attempt to paint out imagination/creativity and joy.

The joy of summer in Orillia, music on the lake, being with friends, working together towards a common goal.....that kind of joy. Can we capture that? Can we paint that....?

Dear reader, just so you know, these ideas may change.....this is creativity, and it’s teamwork and performance art, and it’s fluid. Definitely not solid. 

Stay tuned. xx

- Meg 

Prep begins!
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