tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39440423199326712762024-02-19T09:26:52.661-05:00Murphys in GriffintownCollage artist Nancy Douglas illustrates the childhood memories of 12 Murphy siblings growing up in 1950s Montreal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-28828303454083162062015-01-17T14:22:00.001-05:002015-01-17T14:22:23.781-05:00Exhibition Opening Tonight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIAxryM0aRqmIT5EguGFbv4DbUGNYOM8pnsUC2D8JLNJiVz9uAK1e_KM5-J9awhrL_jArrHXEUMae6LWxiIKYXc7_NLx9O2cVbBIgP7g5DvKNEr3FWUicqTOzGzPhtBx2p5csMmqLPdFO/s1600/Invitation+MF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIAxryM0aRqmIT5EguGFbv4DbUGNYOM8pnsUC2D8JLNJiVz9uAK1e_KM5-J9awhrL_jArrHXEUMae6LWxiIKYXc7_NLx9O2cVbBIgP7g5DvKNEr3FWUicqTOzGzPhtBx2p5csMmqLPdFO/s1600/Invitation+MF.png" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Opening for Murphys in Griffintown is tonight at 7! The Modern Fuel, in the Tett Centre,Kingston.<br />
The exhibition has evolved to something more wonderful than I had imagined. Thanks to the Modern Fuel and Ontario Arts Council for making the Kingston exhibition possible.<br />
I will update here with photos of the exhibit, plans for the future, and details re sale of prints of the originals.<br />
Ciao for now.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-76307246789918730722013-07-08T14:59:00.001-04:002014-07-10T13:37:23.343-04:00My Head is SpinningSo much has happened. I can't believe I haven't posted anything about it:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I submitted a proposal for the exhibition to the Modern Fuel Artist Run Centre, Kingston and it was accepted (YAY) for a show in January 2015. The Modern Fuel will have moved to their new digs at the Tett Centre by then so I am thrilled by the prospect of exhibiting. The Tett Centre is quite close to where the fever sheds stood in Kingston (for Irish immigrants suffering from Typhoid fever).</li>
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<li>The last of the Murphys: "Sleep Tight" was accepted for the Kingston Arts Council Juried art Salon in May. I am always grateful to be in the company of such talented artists.</li>
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<li>My genealogical research is also at a high. I believe I have discovered my grandfather Robert Murphy's birth father and his French Canadian roots. More on that later.</li>
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So now, as summer is before me I am planning my venues and the reproduction of the work and soon the making of a video! How great is that?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-50207390344272430782012-12-23T00:16:00.001-05:002012-12-23T00:16:58.998-05:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx8RnYwRukLLbIWPFWw9vYWUzw4EGxOHhe07IoQLXxQ-HAbEagX547eH7Pa71YInuSqTBYYt54U2GDgKvjs9jIrMsN80Ts_IpkzsKlszuVcIiSHEdjgz8bEVKzuXNlKmXs3ANUSXyrSKR/s1600/ShrunkSleep+Tight.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx8RnYwRukLLbIWPFWw9vYWUzw4EGxOHhe07IoQLXxQ-HAbEagX547eH7Pa71YInuSqTBYYt54U2GDgKvjs9jIrMsN80Ts_IpkzsKlszuVcIiSHEdjgz8bEVKzuXNlKmXs3ANUSXyrSKR/s400/ShrunkSleep+Tight.jpeg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sleep Tight"</td></tr>
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<b>Here it is at last, Murphy # 5!</b><br />
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The collage "Sleep Tight" was monumental for me, as I needed it to say so much. Recently, I sold a Giclee print of it, and when the print came back from the framers, the invoice said KIDS IN BEDS. That is really the core of the image I guess!<br />
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It is the memory of Frances who sits in the top bunk, planning what to do if someone should break in through the window in the middle of the night. Her lifeline is the string she fastens to her brother Peter's toe. Her plan is to pull the string and wake him up for protection.<br />
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The challenge for me was to see the collage as painting, and to depict the correct time of evening when the sun goes down and the streetlights come on. The perspective had to be correct, but not overtly so. I wanted the viewer to feel as though they were at the door to the room, looking in, and Frances looking back. She is the only one in the image who senses the viewer.<br />
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There is such a contrast here to our lives today. How many children share a bed with a sibling? or two? How many children of today even share a room?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-62048008818374965232012-12-03T11:35:00.000-05:002012-12-03T11:35:28.884-05:00Sharon Doyle Driedger and Murphy Number FiveWork on "Murphys in Griffintown" is still going strong! I've completed the fifth piece..."Sleep Tight", a childhood memory of Frances Murphy. It is a very painterly collage. Very happy with it. It's been shot professionally (by Derek Cooper) so will upload it here soon.<br />
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The works are taking longer than I thought, as each one requires quite a bit of research. I love research and seeing where it takes me. The next work will include Brother Norbert once of St. Ann's Parish. I will place him on the sidewalk, near the corner of Ottawa and McCord. I can see the top of St. Ann's looming in the sky behind him. It is the memory of Edward Murphy.<br />
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Research is also ongoing for the production of the exhibition. I am finding it difficult to imagine the work projected on a condo building(perhaps) or a historic building in Griffintown. I'd like it outside but inside too. The neighbourhood is changing so much! I can't keep up.<br />
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Last month I was pleased to have Sharon Doyle visit my Kingston studio. Coincidentally, my mother was visiting that day as well. Sharon is younger than my mother, so it was my mother's younger siblings that Sharon went to school with. Two St. Ann's Girls School alumni meeting with my work in the background! I was too excited to take a picture. It meant a great deal to have them meet and to have Sharon see the work thus far. She was integral to the development of the idea of the exhibition! I sensed her wealth of knowledge of the Griffintown area as we spoke. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X1Y9xFhHN_m6C8ZnaW45wyxGD_KVJZQSmTBhf4BiYEkDQdr9lvsZH66Tf6LoxA5CU1qoJ0fbDGwfGSv2FF9E0bjJVQuipEOm_X0o6dTkzofnZvhYjjDSXNzf7ehARCQqjSas2UBtch2Q/s1600/IMAG0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_X1Y9xFhHN_m6C8ZnaW45wyxGD_KVJZQSmTBhf4BiYEkDQdr9lvsZH66Tf6LoxA5CU1qoJ0fbDGwfGSv2FF9E0bjJVQuipEOm_X0o6dTkzofnZvhYjjDSXNzf7ehARCQqjSas2UBtch2Q/s400/IMAG0570.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My space-Nelson Street Studio <br />Five Murphys collages and others as well. </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Check out her intriguing book: </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"An Irish Heart"<i> How a Small Immigrant Community Shaped Canada</i> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>by Sharon Doyle Driedger. </b></div>
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<b>It's on <i>my</i> Christmas list! </b></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-4796604774520075372012-05-02T14:34:00.001-04:002012-05-02T14:34:28.853-04:00I Love Gramma<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EawZcSYojMOK5qsScvZYxmNLRkdrs23Adr2AiwKvI0kZwL_CZh6-mjKtocJsNSI4YMXN2_60Ht13_3LUOlIhhrgOb7mBVkWWLvvxJkizbWxSpSW3OV7o4u85-qNpVIFxm2wX5yKaLgRf/s1600/DSCN1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EawZcSYojMOK5qsScvZYxmNLRkdrs23Adr2AiwKvI0kZwL_CZh6-mjKtocJsNSI4YMXN2_60Ht13_3LUOlIhhrgOb7mBVkWWLvvxJkizbWxSpSW3OV7o4u85-qNpVIFxm2wX5yKaLgRf/s400/DSCN1034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gramma Guys"</td></tr>
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Finally! Here is the finished "Gramma Guys"! I started working on the next piece so quickly I forgot to upload a photo of GG. I am so happy with how this piece turned out! It is my favourite-of all the work I have ever done. I believe it's the layers of patterns and the layered story behind it.<br />
I found out today it's been selected for the Kingston Art Council's Juried Art Salon. Very stiff competition with so many talented artists in town, so I was very pleased. <br />
I've been pondering where in Kingston I should exhibit? Projected images are a tricky thing I think. I'm welcoming the opportunity to learn a new media. I've not projected my images before. The work is being shot by Kingston photographer Derek Cooper-Reproducing Art. That allows me to project large-8feet without losing resolution.<br />
This weekend is the Spring Kingston Art Tour-my studio Nelson Street Studio is participating. Come by and take a look if you're local!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-71783237128615991302011-09-27T22:40:00.000-04:002011-09-27T22:40:27.815-04:00Bobbing for ApplesWorking on these collages for Murphys in Griffintown is a lot like bobbing for apples. Each day I dunk my head into a bucket of cold fresh water searching for the prize. Everything around me is forgotten, the apple awaits! I know if I stick my head in I'll get something.<br />
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"Gramma Guy's" is no ordinary apple. It has been a struggle to the unknown. Challenging. Rewarding. It is in some ways the best work I have ever done. Scary to think that.<br />
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I finished it today!<br />
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I got a crisp Fuji apple. My favourite!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsmsuM4Fci0jw2xiO4pkw-H9lJDSJrX2gEGdQa8T6MfAqt-aASU4mmYuPlSXJ8kQ52kHmqkzSaavBm96qN6YgJJur8UGFKyX_8ghdK8iBdcFmdZli8dV5v0hQTflmQd2EyUbmarLIbYk4/s1600/Untitled+picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsmsuM4Fci0jw2xiO4pkw-H9lJDSJrX2gEGdQa8T6MfAqt-aASU4mmYuPlSXJ8kQ52kHmqkzSaavBm96qN6YgJJur8UGFKyX_8ghdK8iBdcFmdZli8dV5v0hQTflmQd2EyUbmarLIbYk4/s400/Untitled+picture.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corner of Eleanor and Ottawa Streets in present day Griffintown.<br />
Guy's corner store was located <br />
where the empty lot is at bottom right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-9079808468175266962011-09-13T11:34:00.000-04:002011-09-13T11:34:58.353-04:00Gramma Guy'sI'm deeply submerged in my current collage-"Gramma Guy's". It is centered around Kathleen Murphy's sweetest childhood memory-the corner store, which sold penny candy. She was close friends with Lise Guy whose grandmother owned the store at the corner of Ottawa and Eleanor Streets. It was only a half block from where the Murphys lived, so they went often. They would say "Let's go to Gramma Guys" and that would mean the shop on the corner. She remembers two ladies, one fifty to sixty years of age, and the other an indescribable age...REALLY old. Both ladies were very happy to see young Lise and Kathleen and no doubt gave great quantities of candy.<br />
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Because I love researching family history, I knew I couldn't depict the interior of the shop without knowing who they were. I needed to research the family, the place. I knew that the Murphys moved to Griffintown in 1948 so the store existed that year. The most recent published Canadian Census is 1911 and it <em>does</em> have a number of Guy families. But I wanted to find the family in the 1940's or 50's at the store. I was thrilled to find a 1950 insurance map of the area at the Quebec National Archives website. It is an amazing site with a wealth of information.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpmM7iHLz9aeZPKXGlexgmESqeEtSiSNsTXSSwN8Twn5WN378EYc3JZYT-M1vs091Gti3M46ZeqAH2jXUdV7GrYebYWlG7BEmLTeo8OlBRa2bvOe31_9yWonftKWF6kMRngR7pX6hSqz1/s1600/1950+Insurance+Map+Montreal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpmM7iHLz9aeZPKXGlexgmESqeEtSiSNsTXSSwN8Twn5WN378EYc3JZYT-M1vs091Gti3M46ZeqAH2jXUdV7GrYebYWlG7BEmLTeo8OlBRa2bvOe31_9yWonftKWF6kMRngR7pX6hSqz1/s400/1950+Insurance+Map+Montreal.png" width="372" /></a></div><br />
The image above shows the buildings surrounded by McCord, Ottawa and Eleanor Streets. On the bottom right, the pink square ("SP") is 1231 Ottawa Street (at Eleanor). I noticed it has the corner of the building lobbed off which made me think it must have been a store at one time. You can see 265 McCord Street is on the left, with a "D" on it for Dwelling. Insurance maps are great, because by studying them you can imagine the visual. You can see where fire hydrants were! It also reveals what materials the buildings were made from and for what purpose they were built. The row houses on McCord were brick but some of the sheds behind were tin.<br />
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Also on the Quebec Archive site is year after year of Lovell's Directory. I gasped out loud when I saw what they had. For the years 1842 thru 1999, one can search Montrealers by name or address. I looked for 1231 Ottawa Street in the year 1950. Guess who lived there? Mrs. Claire Guy (widow of Arm). I figured that was short for Armand.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Dgy7H_yUFkAegnOlS7-Lbg6l67e4-MwQnccyRu_lfExbbL7fRnHupPwzFzjY9qQCS8ahjPxMsYJY0q5xO8PSBRDXUjjM2-5k3VgajKocSYD0XUAkx3AD4N51mRh5IZufgMVwy0NZSsG/s1600/1950+Lovell%2527s+Directory.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Dgy7H_yUFkAegnOlS7-Lbg6l67e4-MwQnccyRu_lfExbbL7fRnHupPwzFzjY9qQCS8ahjPxMsYJY0q5xO8PSBRDXUjjM2-5k3VgajKocSYD0XUAkx3AD4N51mRh5IZufgMVwy0NZSsG/s320/1950+Lovell%2527s+Directory.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I now had two first names to run with! Was Claire Gramma? or was she Lise's Mother? I knew it would be easier to find Armand Guy than it had been to find my ancestor John Murphy (one of my previous researching endeavours).<br />
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I consulted my favourite...Ancestry.com. It has the Drouin Collection of Roman Catholic births, deaths and marriages. These are the "notebooks" of parish priests. I knew the Guy family was Catholic, or Kathleen wouldn't have befriended her at St. Ann's school! Within minutes I had a record before me. I deciphered the handwriting and the French to figure it was definitely the correct Lise Guy. She was born in the same year as Kathleen, and in the area. I found the names of her parents, and because her father's name was so unique Onesime Louis Armand Charles Guy, I was then able to trace <em><strong>his</strong></em> parents. It was his mother who was named Clairina <em>St. Onge</em> (Claire in the directory). <strong>She was the Gramma</strong>. <br />
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In only two hours I had uncovered so much. I felt that I knew enough about them to start "fleshing out" the collage. I decided to put Armand, the grandfather in the setting as well. The 1911 Census gave me an occupation for him- a "peinture" (painter) working for a "decorateur". How fascinating! I am used to searching for people who are listed as "labourers". I placed the grandfather Armand in the back of the shop seated, reading the paper. The store has many colours and a number of different wall papers.<br />
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But, who was the REALLY old little lady behind the candy counter? (She was very small and apparently did not need to bend over to get the candy from the lower shelves.) I found Armand Guy, born 1888 (Claire's husband) and his family in the 1901 Census. Armand's father is Onesime Guy married to Delina. They were both born in 1850. Onesime died in 1931 at the age of 82. I haven't yet found any death information on Delina. Is it possible<strong> </strong>that in 1950, <strong>Delina</strong> was the lady behind the counter and<strong> she was one hundred years old?</strong><br />
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I also found Onesime's father Michel(1871 Census). He was born in 1820 and in the Lovell's Directory it is interesting that he is a carpenter. This is for me the "bag of candy". You see, Michel Guy was a carpenter, father of Onesime Guy who was a joiner(cabinet maker) and father of Armand Guy who was a painter/decorator. It is such a pattern.<br />
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I feel I can now safely extrapolate. I also found some great photo reference from a number of sites-stores from the 1930's to 1950's. The collage by the way is almost complete. I have an arm, two feet and a shelf yet to go. The image has grown before my eyes filled with a recurring checkerboard and other enigmatic devices.<br />
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Back to work! <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-58289403784028784872011-07-04T23:55:00.000-04:002011-07-04T23:55:47.536-04:00"New Blue Coat"<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYILM1aqO6dNc1NSfsNOFg5N5ekd3YbjBtXIG3PAGLMOhVWUhpIuuOlJCPqAQt5YyrluVg-7bM1t0L_avU2pYGiBZoxVSDzWwMM4ZpYMZvuGPvPFlHgT8z7N3O7minlwuzNBN6d-5asd7h/s1600/New+Blue+Coat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYILM1aqO6dNc1NSfsNOFg5N5ekd3YbjBtXIG3PAGLMOhVWUhpIuuOlJCPqAQt5YyrluVg-7bM1t0L_avU2pYGiBZoxVSDzWwMM4ZpYMZvuGPvPFlHgT8z7N3O7minlwuzNBN6d-5asd7h/s400/New+Blue+Coat.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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My latest collage illustrates the memory of the eldest Murphy girl. She and her father visited 265 McCord Street in the spring of 1948, hoping to find a new apartment for the family-there were eleven children with one on the way. Mary Elizabeth was proud of the new blue coat she had been given for Easter. While her father locked up, she stood outside, listening to the sound of children, coming from the windows above. Everything seemed fine until cold brown liquid came pouring out of the sky onto her beautiful new coat. The woman living on the floor above had emptied her teapot. Her father cursed Madame "P" and so began the animosity between them.<br />
Mr. Murphy decided to take the apartment and move his family to Griffintown from Verdun. After more than sixty years, Mary Elizabeth speaks about the ruined coat as though it happened yesterday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-50778322728973478012011-05-10T23:47:00.000-04:002011-05-10T23:47:37.737-04:00Juried Art SalonMy first collage for Murphys in Griffintown-"Counting" was selected for the Kingston Arts Council Juried Art Salon! The opening was last week. I was honoured to be included with so many amazing artists. Each year the calibre of talent seems to increase!<br />
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Recently I've been busy working with Catherine Styles and The Grow Project in town. It's a program for Grade 5 students to design, paint, garden and give. Fabulous experiences, much work!<br />
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My current collage is growing in leaps it seems. "New Blue Coat" is a memory of the eldest Murphy girl (seven girls, five boys in all). I knew when I heard the story I would have to construct it. It takes place outside their residence, at 265 McCord Street. I held the National Archive photos of the neighbourhood an inch from my myopic eyeballs to get the answers I needed-are there shutters on the windows? is there a basement? how many steps up? I feel more relaxed with this work...the building is not as omnipotent as St. Ann's church. The story is unfolding and I have been taking photos of the collage in progess for a slide show. More to follow.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HPMe7oePxIsxiQH90X9f42YZl2O7Zj1QG5scKOPH31sUvbkA4l9VfwIk5UO5yEGsRbTbFqH-WQzLKEIkrzrbpYZFW4LRpWDnFEdNxIfWaBPnKAxsxX760qLGuO8SiGlpaj1jhbWLpLkP/s1600/griffintown+Frances%252C+Geraldine%252C+Ann%252C+Eileen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HPMe7oePxIsxiQH90X9f42YZl2O7Zj1QG5scKOPH31sUvbkA4l9VfwIk5UO5yEGsRbTbFqH-WQzLKEIkrzrbpYZFW4LRpWDnFEdNxIfWaBPnKAxsxX760qLGuO8SiGlpaj1jhbWLpLkP/s400/griffintown+Frances%252C+Geraldine%252C+Ann%252C+Eileen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The youngest Murphy girls-McCord Street,1954?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-46953583018241403692011-04-05T14:07:00.000-04:002011-04-05T14:40:11.938-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uggk5tiK-G8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just found this youtube video, a National Film Board documentary from 1947 "Montreal by Night". Lots of great visual reference.<br />
I can't wait to find more.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-54247020415388648032011-04-03T20:46:00.000-04:002011-04-04T11:37:04.885-04:00The Tuesdays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebwGaDU-myMsD3CI1b9eCTHW3rBfsiOzKoVg-1b7FxM_K6l5Dc8TFaALiFlE-qQApw6yRnS4Y7-lyOiQlT5glB6LLc7Di4IXEBFXT_uV6hRuwFuWzpI1eunqkc1wY-CjLXW9_YBNIP3y-/s1600/DSCN0056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebwGaDU-myMsD3CI1b9eCTHW3rBfsiOzKoVg-1b7FxM_K6l5Dc8TFaALiFlE-qQApw6yRnS4Y7-lyOiQlT5glB6LLc7Di4IXEBFXT_uV6hRuwFuWzpI1eunqkc1wY-CjLXW9_YBNIP3y-/s640/DSCN0056.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">"The Tuesdays" collage on board, 2011</div></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> In the early 1940s, Robert Murphy walked with his sons Bobby and John to St. Ann's Church, Griffintown, from their home in Verdun. They made this "pilgrimage" each week to experience the Marian devotional commonly known as "The Tuesdays". My Uncle Bobby reminisced about this when I met with him in June 2010.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Can you imagine walking 5 km for a <em>Tuesday</em> service? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Apparently this devotional to Our Lady of Perpetual Help was very popular for Roman Catholics all over Montreal. </span></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZQsmXJgSHpDKgaLLbiGt1yhLwVmtu2HGg48ifG7l79D8mRHDp9FFKUyHfnt8x2QTOq_DjV_KqCCNgXzqNsNiKS7uzzw427NIDHKjMAGVSJxTqf61QZ_a0cCWNBZrXkpGUaeiXGuX2com/s1600/img19xxStAnnsChurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZQsmXJgSHpDKgaLLbiGt1yhLwVmtu2HGg48ifG7l79D8mRHDp9FFKUyHfnt8x2QTOq_DjV_KqCCNgXzqNsNiKS7uzzw427NIDHKjMAGVSJxTqf61QZ_a0cCWNBZrXkpGUaeiXGuX2com/s320/img19xxStAnnsChurch.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Ann's Church circa 1911<br />
(note the missing "hat")</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This collage was pivotal for me and the exhibition. It became so important to get the main character-St. Ann's Church-just right. I wanted to portray it accurately but not have it look stiff. It needed to be welcoming yet powerful. I wanted anyone who had ever laid eyes on it to instantly say "Oh look-St. Ann's!" I also focused on the atmosphere of the parishioners, crowding into the vestibule-hoping not to be late. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My grandfather was very devout and had a strong connection with this church: in 1920 he took his first vows there towards becoming a Redemptorist priest. I always wondered why he chose to live in Griffintown. No doubt the rent was inexpensive-but I felt it had to be more than that. I contacted the archivist at Redemptorist.ca and was given the information pertaining to Robert Murphy's time as a novitiate. I knew from my research into his childhood in St. John, New Brunswick that his faith was important to him. He and his family moved to St. Peter's parish in Portland(suburb of St. John) when he was ten years old. This was a thriving Redemptorist parish closely involved with the neighbourhood that surrounded it. In many ways, St. Peter's parish of 1910 mirrored St. Ann's parish of the 1950s. They were both tight knit, Irish, Roman Catholic neighbourhoods in a large port city. The Redemptorist Fathers provided schools, day cares, extra curricular activities and both had very devoted nuns working with them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is it any wonder Robert Murphy was drawn to Griffintown and St. Ann's? He knew what growing up would be like for his children if they "belonged to" St. Ann's-a parish that had so much to offer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was shocked when I heard that St. Ann's had been torn down in 1970. I sensed a feeling of loss when I walked over its foundation last summer. I wanted so badly to walk in! To find out what made it so special....I guess in the end it wasn't the building. It was the people.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-15969520940485399882011-03-31T15:42:00.000-04:002011-03-31T22:00:10.288-04:00I Never Met My Grandfather <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKbTp0gUymTn0GCd3pI2V6bG-waAyaX9szqhxB6XYVbZ4DLG9HxyxdToZ5KiJrXCclCpCQWPsTATOjuZBENogBGHwu-NHJxhMWXOiB-mObQoZd8lZZiDDkgVGdbpMlOqT6QbmHzcd0UKS/s1600/Robert+and+Mary+Jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKbTp0gUymTn0GCd3pI2V6bG-waAyaX9szqhxB6XYVbZ4DLG9HxyxdToZ5KiJrXCclCpCQWPsTATOjuZBENogBGHwu-NHJxhMWXOiB-mObQoZd8lZZiDDkgVGdbpMlOqT6QbmHzcd0UKS/s320/Robert+and+Mary+Jane.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Jane Cunningham <br />
and Robert Alphonsus Murphy<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Central to the theme of the "Murphys in Griffintown" exhibition are my grandparents, Robert A. and Mary Jane. I never realized how little I knew about them until I had to illustrate their lives. It wasn't the likeness, but the atmosphere around them. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The experience is unlike my work in commercial illustration, where you get an article or an ad idea to work from. After interviewing one of the Murphys (my aunts and uncles), I had to write the article too. The more they told me about St. Ann's Boys School, or the store on the corner- Beauchamps......I realized I couldn't "fake it". I was out of my element. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I couldn't envision something I didn't know. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I began by studying maps and photos-then reading. I had heard so many stories from my relatives about Mary Jane Cunningham and how she "came over" from County Down Ireland,etc. I already felt I knew her. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The problem was my grandfather and how <em>little</em> I knew about him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Robert Murphy was adopted at a very early age and not much was known about his childhood. My mother and I had done some geneological research in the 1970s without much luck (pre internet!). So I was almost a complete novice when I dug into the glut of information available online. My search lasted almost a year before I felt secure in my depiction. By then, I had enough information to write a book! (Not happening.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I am now an arm's-length expert on the area once known as "Lower Cove" in St. John, New Brunswick-my grandfather's birthplace. I have discovered his birth records and true parentage. I guess it might seem like extreme research for a work of art...it was so much fun though! I must admit during many late nights while searching online through the pages of a census or directory...I felt his presence. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944042319932671276.post-73411518339805567612011-03-28T14:37:00.000-04:002011-04-03T16:46:12.709-04:00What's happening now?My next art exhibition: Murphys in Griffintown, has become quite a large research project, hence the blog!<br />
<br />
The collages are based on interviews with the Murphy siblings, but doesn't include any actual photos of them. I've chosen to stay true to the look of the period (1949-1956) and their memories but not their actual likenesses.<br />
<br />
Having grown up listening to stories of McCord Street, and St. Ann's Church, I am overjoyed to be finding out so much about them. I plan to write about my adventures with exhibition spaces, historical references, and COLLAGE.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1