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

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’

Melt

The days are growing longer. The suns presence a welcome change from the short days of light. As the snow melts high on the mountain tops, the rivers swell. The bears awake from their winter slumber. The birds migrate in the sky above. Clouds fill the valley, rain falls, buckets of water, saturating the land. Misty forests slowly wave back and forth, reminding me there is still magic in this world.

I got have a feeling that I don’t want to know. The world is right behind me, while trying to be present in moment. So many problems that are trying to fill my mind. I take a walk in the garden where the flowers bloom, talking to plants that listen too well. I go to my studio to eat an apple and look at my painting. Thoughts try to consume my mind, I just don’t know, oh what a clown.

‘…and if you can you can believe it, it is a Friday once again!’

-David Lynch

New Digital Short

I went up the mountain road the other day to film the swollen river. My process was very spontaneous and free flowing, similar to the river. I have been working on keeping my sound as simplistic as possible. Improvisation has been the captain of my process, and using intuition to connect the dots. I have been getting some interesting results, and it has kept the process exciting and new. I hope you enjoy my latest spark titled, ‘Melt’.

hummingBIRDs DREAM in black & white

My family garden sanctuary is the perfect place to daydream. When spring begins to blossom the hummingbirds show up, and make our garden their home. When there is not enough food source I make sure to provide them with some nectar in my feeder. Over the last few years we have become quite close, and I would say I have somewhat garnered their trust. I was sitting in my backyard when the first hummingbird arrived and decided to set my camera rig with the hopes of getting some footage. The opening scene was from that day. I have been shooting a lot in black and white. I am fond of the monochromatic look both, aesthetically and it’s timeless quality. It does lend well to producing dreamy imagery. Over the winter I spent quite a bit of time watching films that were black and white, and began making notes in my book of some things I wanted to try out. I have also been actively working at developing my editing style, which like painting is something that develops over time. For this short I wanted to try some new camera set ups, including a trinity style stabilising system. It takes out some the wobble when in movement and using handheld. The idea for this short sparked while I was filming the hummingbird perched in a double plum tree. Quite often it is a very active little bird. So to see it perched in a resting state it made me think, does a hummingbird daydream? Well of course it must! About a week later I decided to get some footage of them at the feeder. There is one dominant hummingbird, a Rufus to be exact. I made sure to observe its movements, I have had about four consecutive summers to do so. I think it is a key to first observe them so that once I am ready to shoot, I have some idea how they will behave. The hummingbird is fast, and tiny, both make for some tricky timing, especially if they are in full flight. I decided to stay close to the feeder and use a handheld shoulder setup, and see if I could get right close to the feeder. With a little bit of patience I was successful in my endeavour. I came away with some great shots. From there I decided that I would create my dream sequence. Initially it was going to be in full colour, and then I felt it was perhaps better in monochromatic. I have a few different locations I like to go, which offer both great Natural elements and are enough off the beaten path that there is little to no chance of encountering human elements. This was key for the dream sequence which I wanted to keep as a POV experience, taking the viewer into a magical little world that they may not see everyday. I used both planned time-lapse pan movements and handheld stabilised set ups. For the forest sequence I was using my stabilisation to eliminate some of the up and down movement. I wanted to create a floaty, and ethereal feel. I was quite satisfied with he footage I got. I also was in a cougar habitat which I find puts me into a very focused and aware state. I did wonder what the animals must think about this strange human running around with a camera, alone in the forest! It does take a lot of practice to make a camera movement smooth, nothing is perfect. Over the course of a couple weeks I amassed some great footage and decided it was time to head to the editing phase. I will sometimes make a rough outline before I start to get the flow going. I do tend to experiment as well and having a bit of an idiosyncratic shooting style which includes lots of interesting movements and finding good old happy accidents, through trial and error. I usually work on sound and music while I edit. Once I have selected a group of clips I will either go and collect wild sounds and field recordings that suit the imagery, or I go through my sound archives from previous missions. I love layers, both in my painting style, and as it turns out in my editing. There is a fine line for sure between over doing it and finding the right balance. And perhaps this is also true for life itself, finding the balance. Once editing, the process usually unfolds fairly rapidly, although I will admit that sitting in front of a computer isn’t alway my idea of fun… I do find editing to be very fun, and I am always surprised by the results. Each short I learn something new and see something I didn’t before. I think doing it all does help when it comes to shooting because I have learnt what I need and what I don’t need. Less can be more. I also have a healthy size library of stock footage I have collected. I think maybe thats the biggest lesson in creating this short, having to work with limited resources and help, I am somewhat forced to pair things down so that it is manageable. I don’t always get it right the first time, there is an initial edit to get the blocks in place and then I will do a bit of sorting and rearranging. Once there I create a movie file so I can see it, and make any necessary changes, or adjustments. By the third or fourth cycle I am pretty close to the final version. At that point I work on title sequence and tighten up the sound, and as I said before get a feeling of balance. Once it is completed I do a couple viewings with fresh eyes and will either live with it, or make some minor tweaks. It has been a great process of discovery and once it is all together I feel a sense of peace with it knowing it’s time to share. I hope sharing some insights about my process has been somewhat interesting to you. Once it is out there it is no longer in my control, leaving it up to the viewer to make their own interpretations. Thank you for your precious time, and without further adieu here is my latest digital short, ‘HummingBIRD DREAMS in Black & White.

Hälts films presents ‘hummingBIRDs DREAM in Black and White’ with soundscape ‘Earth was Sung’ c.2022

thread

How the days of old wane

outside dreamy pink flowers burst

bees face deep into the experience

hummingbird perched on the rose branch tip

a yellow flower sings

in the peace dove garden

a distorted face reflected back in a glass pane

painted golden orange by the sun

billowing clouds sculpted into shapes

a fire breathing owl turns into a mother and child

trees sway in the cool spring winds

A thought breaks the silence

The mind is a funny thing.

And now some stills from life.

new art card in the works

hopkins harvest merchants corner set up
https://www.hopkinsharvest.com

peace dove garden

the studio

small batch Hälts art prints

I recently sold a painting at Hopkins Harvest Merchants Corner (see images in above gallery). I set up a small table with a small batch of art prints, art cards, original artworks. And if you can believe a lovely human connected with one of my watercolours, an owl to be specific. I painted the owl, called ‘pueo dreamtime’ following a sojourn on Maui. It is a recollection of the brief encounters I experienced with the solitary owls while I was there. Years later it finds a new home.