Art is everywhere, if you choose to look.
Lately, as the weather becomes a slightly more pleasurable each day, I am taking the opportunity to get back out on the streets of Toronto to observe what really happens here.
Last Thursday, on the way to an appointment, I was fortunate to notice something I had never seen before.
Just about any day you’ll find Ross Ward hunched over on Yonge Street tending to his art. The ‘Birdman of Toronto’ has been a fixture on these streets in various locations for well over a decade, and during each day he crafts, and sells, palm-sized birds.
Once only a hobby — this is now more than whittling — Ward carves out shapes of common birds from reclaimed wood. There is always a piece in progress, and always a small flock for sale on his concrete workspace.
Perhaps in our day-to-day journeys, we don’t look close enough at all the people. We don’t often observe enough to see art just happening here and there on our landscape. I’ve wandered this street how many times and only last week did I notice the man. I saw him again on the weekend.
Appreciating the beauty of his work, I bought a bird as a gift for someone . . . or maybe a souvenir for myself to one day remember my time in this city.
Couldn’t we all use more memorable hand-made art?
Mondays are just young Fridays
Yes, you can do it,
damn right,
you’ve done it before.
So will it be difficult?
Damn right,
but it’s worth a try.
Damn right.
All that shit
you struggled through,
damn right, you will
try again, and
you’ll struggle too.
But damn,
it will be worth it,
damn right, you know
it will. So what is
holding you back from
the challenge or thrill?
An attitude can change,
damn right it can, and
your time can be
rearranged to achieve
your plan. So damn
get it done, whatever
you need to do.
Damn right you can do it,
it is all up to you.
j.g.l.