Getting ahead. What a feeling!

I'm glad I have my work ready for the Port Stanley Show, I've been able to get some gardening in, and I've got a good start on work for the Westland Squarefoot Show this week! 

Like many artists, I'm an avid gardener, I've used my garden as reference material many times.

This time is the year I usually feel very torn between spending time in the garden, and time in the studio, with the weather usually being the deciding factor. This week has definatly been gardening weather, it's wonderful to be able to indulge without guilt. 

Almost done, a tweek here and there to do and it will be ready to mount on board. 

name to be chosen by contest sign up for my mailing list to participate

I just need a name now...

About v.s. Of: What Is Your Life Statement

There is an exercise that artists are encouraged to do regularly called writing an artist's statement.
At their worst artist's statements are pretentious, jargon filled, meaningless garble, and at their best succinct revelations baring the artist's soul.
Part of the problem is the confusion over 'about' and 'of'.

Of: the subject. My art is of.....
The subject seem's like it should be obvious, but artist are strange beasts, and often the subject isn't what you think it is. My friend Kit Cutting paint's wonderful dog portraits (amongst other things) often featuring very old dogs. Her painting of my Rolley is a great example.

Rolley, by Kit Cutting

It's a painting of a dog, a very old dog (he was 18 when this was done) but more than that it's a painting of love.
Kit is a dedicated foster parent to rescued dogs, she has a special fondness for old dogs, or geezers as she calls them. She has devoted a considerable amount of her life to finding homes that will love the old ones till the end of their days. The love they give back is guaranteed, and her paintings always are OF this, and of the wisdom of the aged ones.
I paint landscape, seem's simple enough. The funny thing is that for years I resisted painting landscape because 'everybody did it'. I slowly came to the realization that painting landscape didn't necessarily mean 'just' painting pretty pictures, landscape can have a voice. My OF is micro habitats.
I'm a dedicated natural gardener, my property is certified as a backyard habitat. I raise monarch butterflies, rescue salamanders from under the treads of bulldozers, and grow native plants that some think are weeds. This is what my art is also OF.

So what the heck is it ABOUT then?
ABOUT is more the mechanical nuts and bolts kind of stuff.
Many artists work is ABOUT the play of light, or immersion in colour often it's about the tension between light and dark, upright and horizontal, foreground and background, etc etc.
For me the first ABOUT is the abstract patterns that comprise the landscape, the designs found in the fields and wild spaces and those magical places where the two collide. Where the casual observer sees helter skelter  patches I see interwoven pattern.
Secondly I see texture. It's not grass or scrubby shrubs, is bold uprights and lacy caps, intertwining lines, and bursts of textural energy.
Third I see the play of light, fractured as it bounces off textures, becoming colours to delight our eyes.
So that's my OF and ABOUT.

What about you, what are you OF and ABOUT? you don't have to be an artist, all meaningful lives are OF and ABOUT something....
Perhaps writing a life statement is something we all should indulge in from time to time.

Pods and Corals

Walking the beaches in South Carolina we collected shells, sharks teeth and very occasionally coral. I like the aesthetics of the combination of milkweed pods and coral, also the irony of two elements of the natural world both threatened by the activities of man, collected and put in a jar/vase.

Also inspired by South Carolina, and the arts of the Gullah culture, my students have been exploring shell mosaic, with great results, here are just a few.

lemons-lemonade

A couple of weeks ago I spoke of an experiment that didn't work, and how I was going to discard it. Well, the waste not part of my upbringing wouldn't let me toss it without giving it one more try.

Re-worked, and cropped into two, I only tossed a small part after all.

The reference photo was one of wild flowers aka weeds growing in an industrial 'park', destined to be a factory, or some such. Making them pretty wasn't working, so here they are raw and blackened. The message I was trying to speak is more evident now I think. These are tough plants, opportunist's, but still slated for destruction. In my earlier vision, I was going to show the yellow finch that was feeding on the seeds of the thistles, but it didn't work, it was too contrived looking, even though it was the reality.

The paintings are called Industrial Strength 1, and 2.

Red Admiral Butteryfly, Helianthus Painting

Hmmm, what shall I call this one? perhaps something about spheres? I like the other worldly feel of the circles, they make me think of inter-dimensional portals, other worlds, other times....

This is another small (8x10) work on TerraSkin. Man I love this 'paper' it has an almost sensuous feel to it, like, well skin. I wish for really big sheets though.

If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it.

Like everyone else I've been praying for rain, my garden is crispy, crunchy, and very sad looking. I've been hand watering perennials I planted this year, veggies and a few vulnerable plants, but my rain barrels are just about empty.

I've never used my air conditioners the way I have this year too, there goes the budget. 'nuf complaining, at lest I've got 'air' I feel sorry for folks who don't.

re: the test's I mentioned last week, one failed, one is still waiting for results, and one has been 'put over' to a date in August. The 4th test of one of my favorite people was fine, she breezed through it, but I knew she would, and so wasn't worried, the others though...boys.

Fund Raiser for Canadian Red Cross disaster relief

I spent the weekend getting the details together for a fundraiser that has been in my mind.
It seems that the international disasters have been getting lots of press, but our own Canadian disasters, Slave Lake wildfire, the Richelieu Valley flood, and floods in several parts of the West, are barely a blip on the news. Consequently fund raising to help our own is way down.
I'm hoping to help a little by having a fundraiser, details here, June 18th, 1-4 pm, in my garden.
The model I'm using for this fundraiser is an expansion on the template I use for my pARTys, which are a blast, whether you are an artist or not. These events are designed for all ages and skill levels.
Space is limited so please contact me asap to reserve a space for yourself.

Have you ever had the germ of an idea for a painting handed to you? I was having my morning coffee in my garden the other day, when I heard a rustling behind me. I turned and was delighted to see an Baltimore Oriole stripping the outer layer off last years milkweed-which I still hadn't had time to cut back- for nesting material.
Have you ever seen an oriole's nest? They're a marvel of construction, from the ground it looks like either a hornets nest or a bagworm's nest, and is woven out of strips of fiber...like the outer layer of the milkweed plant. The bag like nest, hangs from the branch, usually quite high in the tree. Our oriole has nested in my neighbours maple tree for many years, last year that tree was taken down, so I was delighted to see our colourful feathered friends back this year, although I haven't figured out yet where the nest is this year.
Perhaps when you come to the fundraiser you'll have a chance to see if you can find it!

Sunflowers, and milkweed

Happy New Year.....where did the old one go???
It certainly was an eventful year, lots of wonderful stuff happened, and a little bit of not so.
Personally the year that was, was mostly great, new grand babies, new galleries etc.
But the rest of the world still seems to be a wee bit crazy.
I don't want to dwell on the the stupid evil people in our world but it bears mentioning that Haiti is still quite literally a disaster area, all the money we gave is still sitting in off shore accounts waiting for the politicos to get their act together, while the people deal with no food or clean water and live in the rubble.


I wish there was a easy answer, I hate that some people use situations like this to gain power for them selves. It seems that the only aid really getting through is through organizations like 'save the children' but that's focused mostly on orphans, who ironically are the lucky ones.
We are so fortunate to live where we do, to have opportunities, medical care, and this lifestyle. Give thanks.
This weeks paintings are of a sunflower, and a swamp milkweed. The sunflower is of one that the chipmunks planted in my garden last summer.
I feed black oil sunflower seed all year round. All birds love it, the finches often take it over Niger seed, and the chippies love it too.
I'm not so thrilled with the regular squirrels filling up on it, but those funny little ground squirrels are always welcome, and they usually thank me by planting sunflowers all over the garden.
The swamp milkweed is one I grew from seed I started last February. Funny thing, I waited and waited for them to germinate and finally in May gave up and tossed the soil I was starting them in into the garden, where they grew! The Monarchs loved them, and the blooms are so fragrant they bowl you over. Unlike wild milkweed the swamp milkweed or tuberose isn't invasive, you really should grow some!

In praise of weeds re-visited

After much fiddling, I'm ready to post "In Praise Of Weeds" again. I'm hoping that this time it stays finished :) this painting seems to keep demanding more.

This is, of course, one of my "at risk" series.

The accompanying 'blurb' will be

Monarch Butterflies
Danaus Plexippus

Monarchs are under threat from both ends of their
migratory path. In the Northern Hemisphere habitat
loss, pesticides, and crops genetically modified to
contain Bt Bacillus thuringiensis are causing great losses
of pollinators, Monarchs being just one species threatened.
Milkweed is the only host plant the Monarch caterpillar
will eat, but is classed as a noxious weed throughout much
of it’s range.
The other end of the 3,400 mile migratory route is
Lomas de Aparicio Mexico. This World Bio-sphere Preserve is
being illegally logged, resulting in millions of butterfly
deaths.
The Monarchs take 4-6 generations to complete their
remarkable journey, truly an unexplainable marvel.
Can you imagine a world without butterflies?

Monarchs are amazing .

I've been trying to find a classification for my art lately, with out much success. I'm not an environmental artist Probably the best known environmental artist is Andy Goldsworthy who does very cool stuff, and my stuff is too 'pretty' for most of the activist art types. Not that classification is important, or perhaps even desirable, it's just that I had to write a description for my solo show coming up in April, and I really didn't know what to call my style. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts.

I made it into the Art Exchange 's Miniature show, this is a juried show, so Yeah for me! The opening reception is Feb 6th, 7-10pm, the show and sale is Feb 2nd to 21st at 247 Wortley Rd in London. See you there.

In Praise Of Weeds

Last night at 11:00 I thought it was done. this morning at 4:00a.m. it whispered in my ear that it wasn't, and wouldn't be quiet until I got up and 'did' it.
Is it done??? I hope so, after all I have to hand it in tomorrow morning.
Tonight when I get home from work I have to frame and tag. then go over the other pieces I'm putting in the St. Thomas Show. to make sure everything is properly labeled, signed etc.
This piece is 24x30 the gold board is floated on the black board. The white on the black is a combo of real and painted milkweed fluffs.
the gold curlicue is representative of the 3400 mile journey that the Monarchs traverse each year. It takes 4-6 generations to complete that cycle and is one of the unexplained wonders of our world. Over laid on the curlicue are written man made hazards faced by the Monarchs, logging of Lomas de Aparicio, Bt etc. each are punctuated with a screw, since that's what the butterflies are (screwed) when they encounter these hazards. The green circle with a bite taken out of it is representative of the Lomas de Aparicio World Biosphere Preserve, which illegal loggers have taken a massive toll on, clear cutting, thousand of acres. Running around the blue area is a litany about the urban sprawl, pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified Bt infused crops all of which are causing an alarming decline in butterfly (not just Monarch) populations, and could lead rather quickly to the extinction of at lest some species of butterflies. The ramble of words concludes with 'imagine a world without butterflies'.
See you at the show P.S. it's whispering to me Still, so watch for future changes to 'In Praise of Weeds'

St Thomas show soon

The St Thomas show is fast approaching, and I'm still working on 'In Praise Of Weeds" this is another (and I hope the last) realism bit for it.

I've been busy building a cradle too. I went to a framing workshop recently and learned that if you want to do a floating frame for a piece on board, such as these, you have to 'cradle' the board. Which essentially means building a frame on the back of the board much like canvas stretchers on the back of a canvas. Catherine and I have also been busy getting some publicity stuff ready for a show at the Old East Studio complex that we have been invited to show at. That's Catherine's publicity shot at the top and mine below, unfortunately all of them are too dark so we're going to have to do them again. Or maybe it's my monitor which Noah used on the ark and needs replacing... desperately. The show is Dec 6-7 and I'll add info to my show etc list soon, for now follow the link above to their website which is called beyond business. must go T.T.F.N.

Dorchester & Area Artist Network Show

This is another part for 'In praise of weeds' the monarch piece I'm working on. I have one more 'realism' bit to do and I've been busy making paper for the collage part of it. I'm incorporating milk weed fluff in the paper, and having fun with other bits of botanicals, as well as choosing dyes that should really make it 'pop'.

The D.&A.A.N. Show was Saturday. I've been hearing reports from many of my Artist connections that shows all over are, for the most part, slower than usual. I/we are guessing that people are nervous with all the economic uncertainty, the problem with that is, that rumours of recession become fact when people stop greasing the economic wheel. (sigh)

The attendance at the show was about half, and sales were down a bit, still, I think most people (artists) did alright, it just wasn't a record breaking year.

At every show I've been in (that I could sell prints in) this print has sold, and this show was no exception. The thing is from an accuracy point of view, this isn't one of my better efforts. Still it seems to appeal to people. Perhaps it's the colours? I only have a few of the prints that I ran left, so I'll have to decide if I'm going to do more. Usually I limit all print runs to 25, this one though has been so popular ... mmmm.

The St Thomas Show is fast coming up. Mark your calenders for Nov. 21,22,23. Friday Gala 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sat. 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fri. & Sat. live music and cash bar. Ice Sculpture by Tyler Hayes all at the historic train station 750 Talbot St. St Thomas.

There are 36 artists exhibiting. I have in several works, and one of my pieces will be in the 'showcase' Stay tuned