studying emily...

i'm happy to say that my children are getting used to being home schooled.

the bc teachers strike is still on going and it doesn't look like 

it is going to be resolved anywhere in the near future.

all week, both my kids have worked really hard on their assigned units... 

so, to add some variety in our routine, 

we took an afternoon field trip to study emily carr.

for those not familiar with ms. carr... 

she is a victoria,bc born artist whose work is heavily inspired

 by the natural environment of vancouver island 

and culture of the island's first nations people.

our first stop was the art gallery of victoria.

the gallery has a permanent exhibit titled 

" emily carr: on the edge of nowhere".

aptly named because the artist described herself as 

" a little old woman on the edge of nowhere".

my children enjoy visiting art galleries and museums.

  but, always, while i linger and take in the paintings, 

they head straight away toward the multi-media station.

this one, at the gallery, provides a lecture surveying emily carr's career.

our second stop was ross bay cemetery.

we came to view emily's grave.

the cemetery is 27.5 acres of park facing ross bay on the pacific ocean.

we have been through here several times not only because it is beautiful 

but also to see if we can spot any of the graves of the famous people buried here.

when we found emily carr's grave we had two wonderful surprises.

first, was a plaque engraving a quote by the artist herself.

we wondered if they granted her wish... of being uncoffined and unshrouded

and second, was the smallness and simplicity of emily's granite grave stone.

unlike all the tall, impressive, phallic grave sites of those buried around her, 

emily carr's grave was set in the ground.  

we would not have found it without the help of the cemetery map.

we love you emily carr !!

thank you for showing and helping us appreciate the natural beauty 

of this island we call home!!!

erica

xoxo