Kamilos Song

I went to Big Island Hawai’i back in 2012 for a visionary art conference. Little did I know that the highlight of the visit would be to meet a Hawaiian Prince named Kamilo. To be honest I was not entirely in a good place when I went, a lot of undesirable stuff had happened in my life leading up to this trip, life’s lesson are not always pleasant. I carried this with me and it showed on my face. One day I was walking through a parking lot where a group of individuals were hanging out. One off those individuals saw me and was calling out. I really did not want to talk to him, nor did I was believe he was talking to me. The next moment the individual walked right towards me. He had an ear to ear smile on his face, and I recall almost immediately my guard fell. He walked right up to me and gave me the biggest hug, a true bear hug times ten. He also had a fairly infectious laugh, which was one of the most joyous laughs I have ever heard in my entire life. His first words were, ‘ Aloha! Do you think you can buy me 5 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s’? I was about to say no, as in my head I had a million reasons why I would not eat a McDonalds cheeseburger. For reasons I still do not fully understand, some kind of higher force, or Self, said yes! So I left him and carried on my journey. As I walked up a hill, there stood the golden arches drenched by the golden light of the sun. I entered the building and immediately I noticed a painting on the wall. This was unusual as I didn’t expect to see a painting in a franchise chain such as this. The painting was perfectly lit by a sunbeam spotlight coming through a window. As I approached the painting I stopped and took in it’s details. It was a child throwing a fishing net out to the ocean. Beside the child was a ghostlike figure of an elder also casting a net. It hit me like a bolt of lightening, this was sign if I had ever seen one. I proceeded to order 5 cheeseburgers and quickly returned to the parking lot. When the individual saw me with the McDonalds bag in hand he let out the most infectious laugh, and I actually cracked a smile. I went to the group in the corner of the parking lot where my new friend was sitting. Upon first glance they were a little intimidating. I had no idea why I was doing this. I just had to trust the situation. I sat down with them and handed out the burgers, and we had a meal together. My friend introduced himself as Kamilo. He was a Hawaiian elder who just so happened to have a ukulele with him that was of the finest craftsmanship. We ate our burgers and pretty much laughed the whole time, truly enjoying the moment, no judgements, and no small talk. I knew I was safe and in good company. We finished our burgers and I told my friend that I must carry on before the sun falls behind the horizon. He understood and said that we would meet again. I knew this to be true and got on my way. I ended up going to the conference which was on another part of the island. It was interesting, a visionary art conference in the most posh hotel I have ever stayed in. The Hilton hotel was next to a beautiful bay that massive pods of dolphins would travel through. it was so unbelievably alive with marine and bird life, that I nearly took it to be a dream. From what I had heard through the grapevine, a Hilton family member had some kind of ‘experience’ that led to them hosting this conference. It was somewhat bizarre to see a bunch of hippies, burners (Burningman people), and the like hanging out in such a posh environment. After three days of this I was ready to get back to my grungy hotel that I was staying in when I had first arrived. I had a couple days left on the island and wondered if I would see my friend Kamilo. I. hopped on my skate and went for a cruise through town. I didn’t see my friend, so I headed to the beach and went for a much anticipated swim in the ocean. Following my swim I skated down the main road and saw a large tree surrounded by coral sand. It was nearing sunset and there were several Hawaiian canoes out in the ocean, along with spinner dolphins putting on an aerial show. It was dreamy. I decided to go check out the scene and wouldn’t you know it I heard the laugh of my friend Kamilo. He had spotted me! I had no idea that he was sitting with a group of youth behind the very tree I had noticed from the road. He called me over and so I went to join them. When I arrived at the spot the kids were not happy that I was there. ‘Haole in the house’ and ‘why is this haole man here’ made for an awkward moment. Kamilo immediately told them to make room, and they reluctantly accommodated. I sat down and the tourists world that I had known vanished. Kamilo began to strum his ukulele. I looked out to the ocean and the Hawaiian canoes, the ocean, the dolphins, all seemed to be in perfect harmony with the chords Kamilo played. I was speechless. Up until that time I thought I knew a little bit about the Hawaiian culture, and in the moment I realised I had known nothing. Kamilo was giving me a rare glimpse into their world. A world which a tourist either never sees or has to pay for it, and this is why the kids were annoyed. Soon there were no words spoken, and this went on until the sun went down. Once the sun dropped Kamilo told the kids to get going and they left. He said to me that he was their Uncle, and it was his job to give them guidance and pass on the stories of his ancestors to them. He also told me that I had to be cautious with them, for reasons I will not go into here. All I can say is it was very eye opening. Kamilo then invited me to join him where he stayed and I told him I was staying at a hotel across the street, and he’d be welcome to join me if he wanted. He agreed and we set off to my room. Along the way we picked up some local fruit and a couple beers. That night he played songs and shared stories of his life and his lineage, it was magical. He explained that the songs he played had been passed down to him from his grand mother. This is how they transmute information from one generation to the next. Their stories are the music. I began to understand as my experience on the beach was exactly that. During the visit he let me record a song about the seasons. He told me to play it whenever life was getting a little crazy, going on to say it would reconnect me to the magic and beauty of life. I told him I was forever grateful, and we spent the rest of the night sharing stories and laughs. I remembered the painting I had seen at Mcdoanlds. The old man, as a spirit, casting the fishing net next to the young child who was also casting the net, ulua pole! Life is full of surprises and including people who show up at the perfect time. Whenever life is getting heavy I play the song, to remind myself of that time, and the wisdom that Kamilo shared. I think this is true art, the passing along of story from one generation to the next, and a light for when we feel were in the dark.

Recently I have been working on a video grant project called ‘The Valley FLow’. I happen to find Kamilo’s song when I was going through my archives and paired it to this video. The Aloha spirit meets the East Kootenay mountain life. Enjoy.

A short film by Hälts featuring life in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenay region. Song by Prince Kamilo recorded on Big Island Hawai’i in 2012. This will be part of an art installation called ‘Valley Flow’ to debut October 2023 at Pynelogs, Invermere B.C. Canada  c.2023 Hälts digifilms.

the Magentaverse: the final stages of a painting

A painting begins as a blank canvas. The idea starts out as a vision in my head. A good analogy is there a seed that has been planted and my job is to cultivate it in the garden, the garden being the canvas. When I am working on a painting for a specific client I also keep an open mind and listen to what they see. This is the fertiliser. I started this project out by creating a rendering. A simplified digital concept that becomes the road map. Like any good traveler I know that a map provides different options to get the destination. In this case the destination is a conceptual idea, and I do leave room for chance and accidents to happen. Digital art and painting are 2 separate things, although both are connected to the vision. Knowing this I understand the painting will not look like the digital image. I am not a photo copier, I am an artist and as such the challenge to take the concept and put it onto the the canvas with paint is somewhat of a chess match. However this chess match does not have the same rules, each painting develops its own set of rules and conditions from the moment the first mark is made. I do admit that sometimes the ‘accidents’ while in production can seem less than desirable. Sometimes the brush and paint seemingly make the decision for me. This can create a tension between myself and the work. This is an uncomfortable feeling. I must be willing to take some risks in order to move forward and see it through. Sometimes this means painting over an area more than once, even if to the untrained eye it looks good. That is being a painter. Trusting that the vision is there, and trusting the process! This is a back and forth dance, until I get to a point where I know I have done my best and move onto the next section or area I want to concentrate on. A painting is a whole of many parts, so I also work towards a certain kind of balance. This can get a bit overwhelming depending on the complexity of the composition. I try often to let the paint do the talking, and this changes from painting to painting, and in some ways this keeps me open to discovering new ways of doing something instead of repeating how I have done it before. This is how I develop my skill and push the envelope of what I think is possible. I have a trail of paintings that certainly embody my style, a style that has taken many years to cultivate. Keeping in mind that I also don’t want to just replicate the style, I want to see how far I can go with it and most times….most times, it works out. There are always those moments when I am telling myself to stop because I am stuck on something. Sometimes I am a bull running into a wall over and over again, sometimes I get through, although more times than not I think this creates more work and headache. I have learned to move onto a different area and then give it some time before I go back. This all happens while I am working on the painting. And then there is life, I may want to go 8 hours straight without interruption, life doesn’t always allow for that. I have found that 2 solid hours broken up throughout the day are a great way to stay fresh, rest eyes, get other stuff down and let the paint set properly for the addition of more layers. And yes my paintings are layered. Abstract shapes and colours, over and over until I feel it is done. In that sense I see it like a sculpture, adding a shape here and there until the form meets my satisfaction. I realise there is only so much time, however I really do not think about time when I am working, I set my timer, that takes care of that element. So without further adieu here is my last video for my latest commission with some words here that I do hope have been somewhat insightful into my process. The one thing I used to do a lot as a young artist was read artist journals. I always found bits and pieces of information and insight in to how artists worked, that really helped me along my path.

‘The Magentaverse: the final stages’

A Hälts digiFILM featuring the final stages of my commission painting juxtaposed with the place I call home, the East Kootenay, aka the Columbia Valley, B.C. Canada. Sounscape is called ‘art space’.

https://vimeo.com/haltsart/themagentaverse

Magenta, the colour that is non-existent in the spectrum of light

commission painting

I have been keeping busy for the beginning of 2023 with a commission painting. As I get closer to the finish line I know what I need to do, and will also allow the paint gods to guide me through to the last mark. There are moments when I think, this is it, I can stop here. I step away, take a nature break, come back into the studio, sit in front of the painting and see new marks. This is the cycle, and it goes until I cannot see new marks. Trust in the process and trusting self are key to achieving the vision. Here is a compilation of videos from the last few weeks. I’ll be back soon.

Nature nurtures Art

The winter season in the Northern latitudes is a great time to paint and go for intermittent walks in the forest. My studio practice can be feel a bit lonely a times, studio painting is somewhat of a solitary activity. I spend hours working on my paintings and being so close to the canvas I can easily forget the world that is outside my door. On days when I feel low energy, low mood, or my eyeballs hurt, I go off into the woods and explore. This is not new, I have been doing this since I was a kid. Perhaps that is why I continue to do it. It brings me back to who I am. Walking is the right tempo for my explorations, on occasion I will run, however when I walk I can hear and sense the environment I happen to immerse myself in. Fundamentally it is grounding and connects me with this place I call home. I enjoy finding animal tracks in the snow, and on occasion will follow them for as far as I can go. I imagine what it would be like to be a wild animal. It is likely some what of a primordial instinct that I like to keep sharp in a modern world that can be so techno-human-centric. When I go out to Nature I never feel alone, there is life all around, even if in the dead of winter. When I am out with Nature I gain appreciation for my home and all that it provides. People often ask me what inspires me. The answer is simple, Nature nurtures the art. I look at my art practice as a celebration of Nature’s graciousness. All the tools I use, the canvas, the paint, and the water comes from Nature. Nature sustains life. Basking in its energy and reciprocating gratitude is a must.

The video below is content for an ongoing series that combine my artistic practice with Nature. I am currently working on an art installation called ‘Valley Flow’ which will be presented sometime in 2023. Also thank you to the Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Kootenay Cultural alliance for their support.

Nature nurtures Art

winter PAINTING

I am a child of winter. Born in the coldest time typically of the year. I call the northern latitudes home. I have been fortunate to spend the last several years in the East Kootenay region of B.C., and mostly loving it. I love it when it is quiet, and the tourists aren’t all here at once. I love it for the people who call it home, many different walks of life. I love it for the Nature right outside my door. Right now it is winter season. I despise the cold because I have to shovel. I love the cold because it is invigorating. I like to wander in it, and explore the frozen landscape, usually with camera in hand, probably looking like a weirdo, totally into it. I am collecting videos and time-lapse footage for my short digifilms that I have been producing of late. I edit them along side my studio sesshins, painting various projects. It is as way to document my version of the art life, and the appreciation for the landscape in which I live. I find winter is a period of introspection, processing the year gone by. Winter season is a period of darkness, very lowlight on the shortest day. Winter is a moody season. Winter is a pastel season. The early evening sky are always enchanting. Winter is a time for studio painting. In December I started on a new commission and am documenting the stages throughout. I have been fiddling with multi camera set ups. My eye for cinema is both developing, and evolving. I would love a thousand angles in one frame, an homage to Lars von Trier. I settle for a bit less, 2. The idea is to express place and space. I spliced a montage sequence into the mix with footage from 2022. It is an ode and also a good bye. Winter is widely associated as being a symbol of old age and death. I have become familiar with both. Winter is a time of letting go. Shedding layers, an emptying out of the back pack. We can all relate to challenges that life brings. And with that in mind, winter is a time to think of others, to hold them in your heart, even if apart, or even if you don’t speak.

I acknowledge and give honour to the Secwepemc and Ktunaxa, the ancestral peoples of this land. Also thank you to the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance and the Columbia Basin Trust for the support.

And now ‘winterPAINTING’ a short digifilm by Hälts with soundscape ‘I may not make as much in a lifetime as a top CEO makes in a day, but I have one heck of a brush stroke’

winter PAINTING

Painting Montage

I recently started a new commission painting for a client. Generally speaking and depending on the type of painting I like start my process by creating a digital rendering. This becomes the template for me to work from. This is a good way for me to get an idea of composition and colour palette. Once I get the green the light from a client the painting part begins. Paint to this day is a very mysterious media to work with. It changes all the time, and just when I think I have mastered it, it humbles me with a new surprise. Once started the painting often takes on a life of its own. Painting is an organic process, and it acts and reacts in its own way. It is dependent on many environmental factors as well as the substrate I am working on. For this project I chose to work on canvas as the client then has the option of keeping the painting down the road. I will often start out by using washes on the background, and in this case the subject is partly submerged in water which lends to this approach. I also use washes too create atmosphere and gives me something to work with once I get to adding in the individual parts of the composition. I then start to place objects by using paper cutouts, similar to film blocking, or stand ins, this way I can get an idea of scale and placement. Albeit I have the rendering to fall back on, it is always nice to see how it actually looks on the canvas. My process is simple, it involves the continuation of adding layers. Somewhat similar to creating a sculpture I build up my layers with shapes until I start to see the form. The level of detail develops as I fine tune the shapes, and ever so slowly work on refining highlights and shadows on the face. I will then use this as my guide to lighting as I introduce the other elements in the picture such as flowers floating in the water. The direction of the light is important to keep in mind. However I am one who also thinks of painting as a paintaverse. In the paintaverse not all is as it appears in the default world. Unless of course your goal is to recreate reality, such as still life, then perhaps this might not apply to you. It is likely my surrealism side coming out, the day dreamer, and visionary artist. I like to leave room for chance when it comes to paint and a brush, this is the magic of painting that is difficult to express in words, and often comes out once stop thinking about the very idea of magic!

Another part of my process is documenting my work flow. It does add time to the process as I have to set up my shots. Thankfully I have a deep well of film work experience to draw from and a few good tools to play with. As much as the finished work is the goal, the process itself becomes the art. I am also working on a video project and will likely amalgamate some of this material into that called ‘Valley Flow’. Cross pollinating if you will.

Hälts digiFilms Presents…

The first video is a compilation of 3 sequences featuring the initial stages of the painting process. Most of the studio shots were made with a phone camera and a little bit of imagination. I love my cinema rig setup, it just takes a bit more time to set up than a phone camera. The second link is my latest video which I went with a montage style opening sequence, place and space, followed with some dialogue on the topic of painting and process. Enjoy!

Here is an example of the paper cutouts I use to get composition and scale. It is a similar approach to blocking in filmmaking, and stand ins, in this case made of paper.

video still, layers upon layers

peace in chaos

Desert Wisdom

The mind can be a tornado, a whirlwind in our head. The desert knows whirlwinds. Sudden giant dust storms that seemingly come out of nowhere, and envelop everything in its path. Total blindness. Unless of course you are equipped with the right paraphernalia, such as ski googles. Even then, the dust impedes the vision. When in the middle of one while riding a bike, one cannot help but think that an accident looms. Despite the chaos of the dirt filled sky, there are pockets of clarity. Enough to get you from one point to another. In this situation time seemingly stops, or should I say loses meaning. There is no time for thinking. One must do their best to tune in with the rhythm of the desert, and the wind! Without submitting to panic and doom, one must be in the moment. Trust that the storm will pass. Yes you can try to seek shelter…it is my experience that the desert provides to those who do not seek. This is it’s gift.

The following presentation features a new commission painting that I am working on. I used some of my artistic license and created a document that shows a little section of my painting process. I look at my process like a snowflake. Similar from afar however close up each snow flake is it’s own unique shape and form. Similarly each painting I do requires or asks for a slightly different approach than the last. This is important for me as an artist, it keeps me interested in what I am doing, and often new discoveries occur. Enjoy!

And now a short film by Hälts, featuring him working on a new commission painting, while looking for peace in the chaos that is life, questions endlessly left unanswered, solace found in Nature and in the studio. Soundtrack is called ‘under the watchful eye of the surrounding Nature’

first SKATE and an Eagle

Ice like this is rare, so I went for skate in honour of my dad who knew how to move a puck around, Parkinson’s is a terrible disease. My dad has never given up, good on you dad. For the past 4 years I have been the principle care giver in my family for my ageing parents. My dad specifically who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and also multiple systems atrophy. What do these things mean, well I am not going into specifics of the conditions, I will say that in flash my dad was unable to do all this things he once loved. Hockey was a big one, he payed until he was 75! Now in his 80’s life has taken a turn, and he is hard pressed to do any kind of walking on his own, without the risk of a fall. That is just one part of these diseases, and for a man who ran marathons, taught Social Studies, was an active skier, hiker, and all around active person…this is heart breaking. My dad has never really complained, instead he has fought tooth and nail and despite numerous prognosis he has really overcome some of those odds. Most importantly he is still here and has not given up on himself, or on his journey. When we talk about freedom, it really is a subjective term, and despite most of my dad’s freedoms being taken away, he continues to smile and appreciate all the good days he had. A lesson that I have taken to heart, and mind. The following is a short I made in honour of my dad, we used to pass the puck around in the bay I skated in the video, it represents both sorrow and joy, and appreciating what we have, even if this doesn’t feel enough.

The following short is part of my Autumnal series of videos, please go to my last few posts to see the previous videos, including ‘Wildlife of the East Kootenay’ which captured a pretty amazing close encounter….and one that I will never forget. And now I present ‘eagle who SOARS into FALL season’

wild life

The past couple of weeks were quite fruitful, with a once and a lifetime experience hanging out with a brown bear mama and cub. This fall has been bountiful for animal encounters and sightings. I wasn’t exactly expecting to film wildlife, as I was running a time-lapse of the river valley at my local lookout spot. While was running it I happened to see a bear at the edge of the river, or at least it took a second to register. I grabbed a quick shot of bear and reset the time-lapse. An older local couple who live up the hill were doing their rounds in the car with their small black and white dog, head first out of the passenger window, whose sole purpose seem to be bear spotting. They stopped and told me there was a couple of bears below, and went on to tell me to be safe and go have some fun! I thanked them, ran to my house to get my regular camera set up. I grabbed my keys to the car so I had some form of shelter in place if I had to. I went down the hill to see if they were still around. Initially I didn’t see them and went to a turn around, pulled a 180 and slowly went back the direction I had come. At last I saw them on a large slope scoping out the apple trees and stopped. I had no time to check settings, and realised I forgot my tripod. My adrenaline was going for sure, they were pretty close, albeit consumed in eating apples, the last of falls delights. I started my camera and tried to shoot from the window, it was a tad shaky, and unbalanced. So I eventually I made sure it was safe and jumped out to set up a sand bag on the rail of a fence, a tripod would been the preferred setup for my rig, however in a pinch the sand bag worked quite well. I had a good look at the bears to see their behaviour towards me being there, and they watched me, no doubt, as well. I was very slow in my movements, calm, and never gave them reason to feel threatened in any way. I kept a healthy distance you could say and somewhat close to the vehicle just in case she felt otherwise. She would look at me and then nearly simultaneously her cub would look. I lucked out and managed to get a bunch of shots and eventually the pair went off down into the bay. I was elated beyond words. To spend time with these beautiful beings and see them do things I had no idea bears did….all I can say is the magic is real. Before this encounter I had been working on quite a bit of content for an art installation idea called, valley flow, which you can see examples of in my last 2 posts. I was hoping to gather some more animal activity, and hello did the universe ever deliver! What’s even stranger or cool…the same night I went home to organise my footage, and wouldn’t you know it the mama bear came up my deck and we had this moment where we both looked at each other through a pane of glass, thankfully. She made the most beautiful sound and proceeded to jump up on the rail of my deck and climbed down the side of the house, and into the darkness of the night. From my own experience and through books I have read, the bear is a messenger of strength, family, vitality, health, and independence. I will also add that bears in my experience are quite inquisitive, playful and a highly aware beings. I was very touched by the experience which I think comes across a bit…hopefully at least…in my latest digital short film. I also did some of my own sound FX in this one, to match some of the footage, which I think really lends to the experience. I am creating a series of shorts which I will showcase in an art installation sometime in 2023 called, ‘Valley Flow’.

The title of this short is Autumnal: Wildlife of the East Kootenay

Also a special thanks to the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance for their support, as well as my family and friends out there, somewhere, on this tiny blue dot, we call home.

All animals were loved during filming.

Autumnal

Fall is a quick season here in Canada. Its relative short existence provides the eyes with a bountiful array of Autumn colours that make soul sing. With camera in hand I set off to document the fleeting season. Collecting images and sounds for an art installation I have been dreaming up. I have a beautiful space to present my work, and due to the digital medium, there is always the possibility of seeking additional spaces. For the last several months I have been rolling around BC and doing lots of video and sound recording. I started out with very little knowledge, at least in terms of modern digital cameras and field recording. I am still learning these crafts, albeit with interesting results. I like to create short digital films, or miniMOs. Each one unique and usually scored with field recordings and electronic music I make on my laptop. I do have a story to tell, and dreams to share. There is the story of the landscape and how it changes and moves. In the mountains weather is a common phenomenon, especially as the seasons change. I find time-lapse is a great way to show its movements, ebbs and flows. I also have been to the best of my ability capturing the wildlife I witness on a daily basis. Occasionally I do get lucky and the magic happens. I will continue to gather footage as we roll into winter, and am excited to try out some new ways of documenting and presenting my work. With some help from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance I have a year to develop my project ‘Valley Flow’ and present the finished work as an art installation. Below is my video ‘Autumnal’ which features the East Kootenay region. The forest section is on a road up to the local ski resort, Panorama. I go there from time to time to hang out with the trees, roll time-lapses and gather forest clips and sounds. This part of Earth is as beautiful as any other Natural environments I have been to. It has its own unique characteristics, and flow. My project also looks at how we experience our world. Before we all starred at screens, we gazed deep with wonder and awe into the expansive Cosmos. That need to look and gaze has not necessarily left us, it has nevertheless been altered. How we perceive things, including ourselves and the planet is changing. I am very much interested in this.

thoughts I had…

Everything I witness is just a tiny fraction of this ever-changing whole. I like to imagine everything all at once. Every sound, movement, every animal, human, insect, and tree.

Instead of chasing dreams, why not live in the dream.

the call

seen

Hälts on getting the Shot

There is a lot to see, and accepting that I cannot see it all, I let this thing called spirit do the seeing. Now of course there is technical procedure when recording, and knowing these fundamentals is kind of key in letting this tool be an expressive instrument. This is all great but it is the art I am trying to focus on. I shoot spontaneously, and find this works well. Doing a thousand takes over and over kills a scene. It becomes unnatural, and forced. A good scene is elusive, it takes some luck and lots of patience. I find timing works best when I just let my creative brain do it’s thing naturally and easily. Now, I do sometimes fight with this. Like fighting with settings on a camera. How many times when I try to document an eagle take off from it’s perch. They watch me fiddling with my settings, and just when I get it to what I think is right, they fly off before I had a chance to hit record. Now I know that this is part of the dance. Sometimes I let it just happen, press record with nothing in particular in the frame, my settings dialled, and I record a beautiful scene of a bald eagle in flight during a wind storm. Or I am out for walk to the lookout where I like to do time-lapse and happenstance on a buck ruminating back lit by the fall orange sun. I am patient in my approach, usually if I try to rush a shot, it doesn’t work out. The key for me is to be in rhythm with the subject/environment, where my timing is synchronised with the moment. That’s when the magic happens.

This is Autumnal, part 2 of my last video ‘salmon run’ in part made possible with the help from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance. Thank you.