Rudolf Penner:  

Life After high school I was a camp counsellor, worked in a gas station and several restaurants in Abbotsford. Then I took a Graphic Design course at David Thompson University Centre in Nelson, BC, a beautiful interior town with excellent, wonderful people. Many excellent crafts people live and work there and put on an exceptional annual craft fair late in the year. I continued improving my music skills, composing, bettering myself at the drums, electronic synthesizers, organ, piano and guitar. Played in some minor bands in Abbotsford. Later I got involved in several poetry clubs in Abbotsford and Vancouver. I started Dial-a-Poem and the Poetry Calendar of Greater Vancouver. Had some relationships with the opposite sex. Read a lot of books. Worked in pastels, graphite drawing (pencil), and had a show in 1998 during which I sold 13 pieces. Had another show. Sold nothing. Worked in restaurants as a waiter, cook, busboy. Other odd jobs included construction, janitorial/gardening/caretaker, music, English and basic computer tutor. I've spent most of my life volunteering which has got me into some unusual situations and allowed me to meet some terrific people. I was a member of Toastmasters International for a year. Learned how to use computers and email in the '90s and early 2000s. Moved into an artists' co-op in 1999 in Vancouver, where I now reside. Have been playing the organ, drums and flute at various places. I have overcome my previous shyness of people thru working in my fields of interest and consciously engaging others in conversation. Participated in a community open studio art show during the East Side Culture Crawl in Vancouver, 2004. In recent years I have been studying all those wonderful design programs from the Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, as well as a sound recording programs: Pro Tools LE and Reaper. August 2006 I recorded myself playing the electronic drums with a musician, Toby Beaulieau of Belcarra, BC, who was planning to put on a unity show and has a music CD to go with it. School Turner, of John Oliver high school, inspired me by bringing his reel-to-reel deck and stereo to our class portable one day and blasting us with War's Cisco Kid. I realized he was getting away with doing something questionable and perhaps I could too some day. Unbelievable! College College life – Ah, yes! What a wonderful experience to be away from home at the beautiful Kootenay college: David Thompson University Centre in Nelson, BC in 1982 - 83. It was outta sight! The mountains surround and the city climbs up them. I taught myself to play the blues harmonica there. I was submerged in a vibrant community where people said hello to strangers on the street. I was surrounded by artists and those who were trying to be. I watched people put on first art shows. A real education. I designed and produced a book for a writer friend using the offset printing method. I was takinTPg graphic design and the real art students had a thing for pointing out that we shouldn't be studying this fake art form. I learned to draw later, taking courses at what is now the University College of the Fraser Valley. There I also enrolled in courses in communications and waiter training. I continued drawing on my own from life and nature and joined some life drawing groups - a good way to go, for anyone who's interested. In the 2000s I took a variety of courses: intros to business, music and First Nations studies, Writing, thru University of British Columbia Learning Exchange and Capilano College (now claims to be a university with a capital U.) It's all an education, believe me. And there are a number of benefits to being a student. Discounts! Ya! I saved about $300 on Microsoft Office software and $1200 on Adobe CS2 design software. Workplace I start...Expand for more