Holiday Painters Challenge

Kim Harrison likes to say that artists look for problems to solve, and if they can't find one, they create it.
So, true to form, when 'Creative Catalyst', one of the art newsletters I get, posted a challenge called the 'holiday paintout', I took up the gauntlet.

Each Tuesday a word is posted in the newsletter, and we're to create a piece based on it, which is proving to be tough, and this is only the first week!

The word of the week was community, the first painting was a disaster. This (2nd painting) is barely recognisable as my style of work, but here for posterity is my effort.

If you like brain benders, you should take up the challenge too.

Cherryhill Show

Catherine and I hung our show in the library at Cherryhill Tuesday evening. It looks great if I may say so my self.

Our opening reception is Tuesday April 7th 7-9. We'd love you to come, have some nibbles, hobnob with the artists, and see what we've been up to.

I plan on having an assortment of matted work and art cards there for sale, 15% of all sales go to the library, which like all art's organizations, is underfunded.

Art cards are an interesting phenomenon. they were all the rage in the 16th century, when they were mostly portraits. Men would have a small (3x4 is the maximum size) portrait done of their mistress. The cards were also painted of daughters to aid in arranging marriages. By the 17th century artists were using them as the original business cards to advertise their services. The first baseball cards (1887) were a derivative of art cards, as they were hand produced until 1902. source art-cards.org

Today art cards are in demand again as small affordable investments in delight. I'll be offering a show special for art cards, $60.00 mounted and framed, or $20.00 not mounted or framed -naked if you will :)

I've started a new pic as you can see above. It will be a gathering of animal families and is for my granddaughter. It's working title is peaceful kingdom, a la Kim. ~ That was his response when he saw my layout sketch. ~ This is me applying the undercoat, which is a double layer of tinted gesso. My favourite colour for undercoating is a warm terracotta. I mix cad red, nickle azzo yellow, and a drop of burnt umber to white gesso and put it on in circular strokes to ensure I fill all of the grain of the canvas. This gives me a nice even ground to work on, and even though it will be almost completely covered, it gives the painting a glow, and too, if little bits show through... no tragedy. It's going to take a while, I'll be painting it in between other work ie: art cards, and next in the at risk series. But since I got laid off yesterday, I'll have more time, for a while. At lest until I figure out the next step for me.

I'd like to make full time art that next step, wish me luck.

openings and auctions

It's the season for art shows, but then again it's always the season for art shows :-)

Friday night was the opening for the mini show at The Art Exchange . What a crush, how exciting! My friend Sharon Veldstra took pictures that I'm hoping to share here.

The show is on until February 28th at 247 Wortley Rd London, Ontario. I'm sure you'd enjoy it, should you drop in. There is some of Kim's (art god) work there too, not in the mini show but in the permanent collection, you've gotta see it.

Tuesday evening was the opening for Betty

le Blanc's show at the Arts Project Again an exciting crush, after that Catherine and I went across to Jonathon's for a sneak peek of the show he's opening on Thursday. Any trip to Jonathon's is amazing, if you've never been, your missing something wonderful.

The rather askew piece above (I was trying to avoid glare on the glass, oh dear) is going in the silent auction at au chocolat at the Grand Theater this weekend, this is their annual Valentines Day bash, and is a totally hedonistic chocolate orgy.

Through out all of this, I delivered the 'secret commission'. The woman who commissioned it is delighted, as soon as I get the go ahead I'll post it here. The bee project is proceeding too, I need - as far as I can calculate 14 of the little pieces, which will then fit together to make the whole. Very exciting!

snow and The Art Exchange

Snow, Snow, Snow. Add to that
Cold, Cold, Cold.

It's good weather to stay in side and paint!

Yesterday I took a couple of pieces into The Art Exchange for their February Miniature show. This is a Juried show which means that there is no guarantee that my pieces will make the cut and get in. Kim (art god of London) was enthusiastic about the pieces so I'm hopeful. I always find this waiting to be approved nerve racking. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of one of the pics before I handed them in. I try to keep a photo record of all of my work, but every now and then one slips by. I remembered to take pics of the following two though.

Once again thanks go to my friends at the Ontario Beekeepers Association for permission to use their photos for reference.

I used the flash on this one in the hope that the metallic gold I used would show for you. I do love metallics, but you have to be very careful not to over use them. I've been having so much fun with these bee-autiful little pieces that even though the mini show submissions have been met I plan on doing some more. I've always liked bees, but now I think I'm in love :) but really, they are fascinating little creatures.

I am having some trouble coming up with names for all of these though, so if you have any ideas let me know.