an uncommon still life

inspired by true events. naturally.

~ ~ ~

in the common room this afternoon, knowledge is thick in the air, ready to be delved into deeper. in the corner by the window stands a girl, her paintbrush fluttering over the canvas with ease. beside her, a friend is contemplating which colour to use next, wanting to find just the right one to complement the ambiance of the sculpture in the centre of the room. ​

​this sculpture, as it would appear to passersby, is not a statue at all, but in fact a collection of people. three figures are posing - the first, standing with his hand on his chin, the second, poring over an intellectual novel, the third, frozen in wonder at the musical composition he is holding. 

standing in the glow of the opposite window is another pair of artists intensely throwing paint on their canvases and creating magical scenes of beauty and awe.

the statuesque trio at the centre of the room is being interpreted masterfully by all four artists painting at their easels. this flurry of painting is accompanied by the pair at the piano sending melodies and harmonies swirling around the room; many guitars are being strummed beside them. a pair of flautists, a clarinetist and a girl on her mandolin also join the music stirring around the room. 

from the bottom of the stairs comes a rhythmic tapping - a girl dancing on in Irish beats, adding a steady undertone to the flurry around her. 

near the front windows, so as to not get in the way, mellow, strong tones resound from the two bassoonists. they undergird the pianos fluidity, the higher-ranged woodwinds and the string instruments - a warm foundation from which to build on. beside them, the djembe player keeps the beat steady so the group does not lose time.

nearby, Manitobans past and present, including an interpretive poem reader (now hailing from the East) and an interpretive dancer (still from that great land), weave their artistic contributions into the tapestry. 

despite the light fading from the sky, the space is aglow with creativity; it reaches into all the crevices and fills the stairwell, sweeps through the halls, cascades down the back stairs and circles once more through the common room to continue its journey; dancing, painting, music and art all blend together as the sun begins to set on the banks of the St. Croix after a chilly winter day in New Brunswick. 

​the red wallpaper, orange and yellow paint, green Irish hills, blue eighth, quarter and whole notes, purples of dance and poetry, all meld into a wonderful plenitude of colour and life!