Pottery & Lego Elephants

Tune in to Hands and Tails this morning at 10AM We share stories from Guelph potter Chris Hierlihy and Toronto painter Jacub Gagnon.

Sorry, sorry!

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I have ostensibly been missing out on Hands & Tails. My sincere apologies! Tomorrow, we will air a repeat show with Sean (Burn Planetarium) and Harri Palm about his 'WHALESCAPES' album.

In other news, we were interviewed by Teresa Pitman from AtGuelph: http://atguelph.uoguelph.ca/2012/05/radio-show-features-furry-and-feathered-friends/

In other news, I'm working at Bloorcourt vet clinic (Bloor St W. & Dufferin) this summer. Great clinic with great people! I'm sure I'll be crossing some interesting stories with the owners and furry critters there. We will also have a booth set up at Woofstock (more details to come later!)

Also, please send us emails! We love emails. And hearing from you. It's handsandtails@cfru.ca
Photos of your pets or non-pet-animals are welcomed!

Show #10: Pigs (In There)

Today's show we talk to Anita and Gabriel form the Toronto Pig save, with Anita sharing her story with how she started the group, and its mission to provide glass walls in processing plants, and to "free all animals from the daily horrors of slaughterhouses". Anita invited me to attend a vigil that is held several times each week to bear witness to the pigs that are shipped to be slaughtered at Quality Meat Packing plant by Lakeshore and Strachan. Anita and I sit down to talk about the importance of art and how it can generate dialog as well as education/awareness about issues, particularly those around the production of meat from food animals. Their website can be found 
here: http://torontopigsave.org/

Volunteers of the Toronto Pig Save "bear witness" to the pigs being shipped to Quality Meat Packers plant in Toronto.

 

Anita (above) and Gabriel (below) 

In our interview, Anita also talks about Sue Coe's works, which can be found at http://www.graphicwitness.org/coe/coebio.htm

Show #9: Whalescapes & Giant Squids

Today we had a live phone interview with a friend Sean Mckee, former member of the Guelph/Bradford band Burn Planetarium http://music.cbc.ca/artists/Burn-Planetarium. He talks about his love for science and music, and playing a song about giant squids, undoubtedly influenced from his interest in sea creatures (he is a UoG grad from the Marine & Freshwater program). 





We also talk to Harri Palm, a radio programmer at CFRU as well - his music show "All Over the Map" which airs every Monday evening 7 to 8. Aside from being involved with radio, Harri is an avid and competitive sail boat racer, and additionally collaborated on the album "Whalescapes" with music group Interspecies at the Music Gallery back in 1977, in Toronto.

(Source: http://weirdcanada.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=121&start=10)

Show #8: Animals and People

Today's show was primarily hosted by Steve as I was busy writing my last final for the year. Steve talks to the Guelph Humane Society on the adoption process, aka the match-making process to make sure the right animal goes to the right family and home. Their website is here: http://www.guelph-humane.on.ca/



I talk to Dr. Michelle Lem who is the founder of the Community Veterinary Outreach program in downtown Ottawa. Dr. Lem and her team help to provide free preventative veterinary care to the street youth there. This is a very interesting and insightful interview, and will definitely allow listeners to visit the concept of homeless, street youth and pet owning in a completely new light. A must listen! Their website is here: http://vetoutreach.org/

(Source: http://atguelph.uoguelph.ca/2010/05/pets-of-ottawa%E2%80%99s-homeless-receive-veterinary-care/)

Show #7: Birds (of the city sort and of prey)

Last Friday we had quite an interesting interview! Of birds and building collisions, raptor birds and a pigeon.

Firstly, I had a lovely conversation with Christine Walker, a teacher as well as MFA student at OCADU (Ontario College of Art and Design). She talks to me about her "Fenestration" thesis project, and the importance of generating conversation with her works, and also educating the public mass about the effect of buildings have on bird collisions. If you are like me (prior to the interview, anyway), you'd think these things don't happen too often now - WRONG! A lot of buildings in Toronto still have large panes of clear glass windows, and this offers an optical illusion to the birds that fly right into them. FLAP, the organization Christine is involved with, documents these collisions and tries to save the birds if they are not dead from the collision. Their volunteer drivers would send them to the Toronto Wildlife Centre (incidentally, two shows back, we interviewed Nathalie Karvonen of the TWC - check it out!). Christine's works are below, and there are more on her website, http://christinewalkerart.squarespace.com/

"Across Lake Ontario"

We also talk to Amy Fennell of the work that's done in the Mountsberg Conservation Centre, their website is here http://www.conservationhalton.on.ca/ShowCategory.cfm?subCatID=1455

Lastly, Steve chats up with David Caesar, with works here at Cornerstone in Guelph and is also represented in Toronto. David provides interesting insight on a few of his bird/animal related works, many of which are inspired from comics/cartoon representation, such as "We Burned the Forest Down", seen here. His website is http://www.davidcaesar.com/art

New layout soon!

I have ideas for a banner and it will truly be lovely! Coming soon! With hands and doodles and animals and such.

Show #6: Chickens

This week's show we talk about chickens, just in time for Easter! (I guess chicks would have been more pertinent, but same thing!)

We start the show off with Steve and I meticulously drawing chickens, and really, I had no idea what I was drawing as I was already very sleep deprived from the perils of studying for finals. But it was fun! Chickens are pretty easy to draw and everyone (even those who claim they are not artistically inclined) can still enjoy doodlin' some birds every now and then.

Charlotte (right) with her hand chicken.

I first talk with some friends from my class at the vet college - Charlotte Kuk and Chanelle Taylor about their experiences with drawing chickens for the Aeroplan/Vets without Borders initiative project (more information found here: http://blog.aeroplan.com/beyond-miles/aeroplan-donates-10000-to-veterinarians-without-borders/). Then I talk with Adam Little, who talks about the more "serious" side of the initiative.

Chanelle's chicken doodles.

Steve talks to Gwyn and Zach, a couple who own a backyard flock right here in Guelph. Steve also records their chickens, so that made for an interesting segment!

Then we hear from Nathan Carey, a farmer as well as an animator from Smiley Guy Studios. Some works from SGS are here: http://dadnabbit.com/kidvid-2012-kids-music-video-tournament-round-2day-4/ and one of Nathan's video is here:

Happy Good Chicken Friday, everyone!

Introducing: Bloaty Toady

He was supposed to be a prize, bought from Dis-A-Ray. Super petrified looking toad nailed to a unicycle (that rotates) = awesome!

There is talk to dress him up like Humpty Dumpty, or some sort of dignified looking gentlemanfrog. Anyway, we may do a show on him in time... For now, he shall remain on Christopher's desk.

Show #5: Wildlife and Basement snakes!

This Friday Steve and I did our second sort-of live show, it was very nervewracking for me (and not Steve, of course) as it was my first time using the mixer and more than 10 buttons on a machine sort of scare me.

Today's show revolves around wildlife: what do you do if you encounter woodland critters sitting on your couch and chillaxin'? You call the Toronto Wildlife centre, that's what. Of course, the types of measures taken vary, depending on the situation, wildlife species, and how comfortable you are with dealing with the special guest. I talk to Nathalie Karvonen, the executive director of TWC about this. Their website is http://torontowildlifecentre.com

I also talk to Lauren Nurse (http://laurennurse.com), a visual artist and gardener, about her experience with having basement snakes. Very Indiana Jones-esque, she describes.

We also share a bit of information gathered from the Toronto Zoo's website on how to build a hibernaculum (if you, like Lauren, have special guests in your basement!)http://www.torontozoo.com/adoptapond/snakehibernacula.asp

Photograph titled "George retreats" by Lauren (love it.)

Photograph titled "Baby boy"

Show #4: Pet loss

Today on Hands & Tails we talk about different ways to commemorate a lost pet.

Steve and I talked to Paul Boddum, a Toronto based artist who does paintings of pets in memoriam (he does paintings of living dogs and cats, too!) We talked about "Pampered Puppy" in our segment, and how it is important to not only grieve, but to celebrate the life of animal who has moved on.

Another way to grieve is to talk to someone, and Dr Michael Meehan’s Pet Loss support hotline offers that type of resource for pet owners who want to remain anonymous, but have their feelings heard and legitimized. You can find the website here: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/petloss/

Lastly, Steve heads over to Cedar Down farm to talk to a couple on their story of acquiring a new pup after the loss of their older mutt… and how she’s training to become mega-mutt-ground-hog-killer. Here is their website: http://cedardownfarm.ca/blog

Show #3: Taxidermy and taxidermy things

What an interesting show (our first show that was aired live!) with Jenny Mitchell (Guelph musician aka "Jenny Omnichord") who is an appreciator and collector of taxidermy items, and Jessica Lee, a taxidermist/artist based out of Brantford.

We talked about the taxidermy process, taxidermy squirrels on swings, Jenny's own ideas on what she thinks would make awesome pieces on set and how both Jessica and Jenny's new family have impacted their work and also taxidermy....again.

Jessica's facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/j-lee-Taxidermy/73218598826

Show #2: Versatility of the goat

On this show we have Gabriel from the CFRU news team sharing her story on being chased by a hungry goat, Lauren and Donna from Wellington Fibres and OVC’s Dr Paula Menzies, a small ruminant (sheep and goat) veterinarian. I also share my story on raising 2 West African dwarf goats during my time in Ghana - Noma (which means "love" in Waali their local language) and Princess Mackerel (a canned dish everyone likes snacking on).

Wellington Fibres: http://wellingtonfibres.on.ca/

OMAFRA (Goat nutrition): http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/goat/facts/goatnutrition.htm

Ontario Goat: http://www.ontariodairygoat.com/

Songs in this show include:

• Eminem - G.O.A.T
• Bleating Hearts - Sand in Our Pocket
• The Mountain Goats (various songs)

* I couldn't find a picture of Princess Mackerel on the interweb, so this one will do for now.

Show #1: Imagery of a bear

Steve and I (Dor!) are hosts of “Hands & Tails” - a radio talk program that discusses arts, animals and everything under the sun. It's on air every Friday 10:00 to 11:00 AM at CFRU 93.3 FM (Guelph campus/community radio station)

This week we discuss about the imagery of a bear. We first hear from the perspective of a Metis artist Nathalie Bertin about her respect for the bear, and also the story of her first time hunting in her home of Muskoka. Steve talks to a honey bee farmer from Board's Honey about the difficulties faced when trying to get black bears from encroaching the farm land. Lastly, we talk to Guelph’s MSAC (Macdonald Stewart Art centre) art/education coordinator Aidan Ware on her stories with the Begging Bear statue (located at College Ave and Gordon St)

Nathalie's art works can be found here

Board's Honey farm (I bought their creamed cinnamon honey at Fair November and it is incredibly delicious.)

And Macdonald Stewart Art centre

Shown here is Nathalie's "The Big Caboose" which we have discussed about in our segment.

© ”The Big Caboose”, 2009, by Nathalie Bertin, www.nathaliebertin.com

Next week, we will be talking about the versatility of the goat as a meat, dairy and fibre producer, as well as a companion. We’ll also share a story of a girl being chased by goats. Dr Paula Menzies will share her own experiences so stay tuned!