Musical Chairs

Quinte Symphony will be celebrating 50 years in 2010, and 20 Quinte area artists were invited to create a painting on a garden chair to be auctioned at their gala on May 14. I invite you to click on Quinte Symphony for more information, and to see all the completed art chairs. It was a fun project for me to complete my abstract "Moonlight Sonata" chair, and an honour to be one of the artists asked to assist with the Symphony's fund raiser.

Washi

Three years ago, I visited The Paper Place in downtown Toronto. It's chock full of wonderful papers for artists to use in their work, along with beautiful decorative sheets for use in scrapbooking, invitations, etc. At the AFAC conference this March I had the good fortune to meet Nancy Jacobi, the owner of The Paper Place. Her presentation included a slideshow of the history of handmade Japanese paper, and the story of how she became involved with bringing these gorgeous papers, and their makers, to Toronto. The retail store has now been sold, and is called the Japanese Paper Place, while Nancy and her husband run the warehouse, supplying their former store and other art supply stores with handmade Japanese papers, or Washi, as I believe they are called. We learned about Gampi and Kozo, and the careful, labour-intensive process of producing them. I can't wait to work with some of the samples that Nancy generously gave to us. Some of the artwork on Japanese paper is shown below in the photos.

AFAC Conference-One Week Later

This past week has gone by so quickly - unpacking art supplies from the Toronto conference demo, cleaning up, and getting refocussed for the work that lies ahead. A solo exhibition is on the horizon for July, and although I've done some preparation for it, I need to get my thoughts together and start the process that will bring the project to a more tangible state. Right now it's ideas, text and rough sketches. The journey begins...

The weekend in Toronto was motivating and exciting, as most trips/workshops/conferences are for me. I had a chance to spend the day at the AGO and absorb some of that renewed space - it is gorgeous, and I'll need many more visits to satisfy me.


The rest of the weekend (Sat. and Sun.) was spent at the Art for All Canada Conference. I had planned to give my camera to someone in the audience to take photos for me, but totally forgot. I'm hoping to make contact with someone who was taking photos, so I may be able to add some later. Meanwhile, I was so happy to reconnect with Katherine Bevier from Rochester, NY. We met last April at Rebecca Crowell's workshop. She is the rep. for Enkaustikos Wax Supplies, and was demonstrating their products for hot wax use (encaustic). I'm getting interested in using the hot wax also, but that will have to wait till the future. I've so many ideas for using the cold wax at the moment. Also, space to work and funding will keep me focussed on where I'm presently going (for the time being, anyway). Here are some photos of Katherine at work at the conference:

Name That Artist

At my Co-Op gallery, Gallery 121 in Belleville, we kicked off the New Year with a fun 'contest' for visitors to the gallery. Many of the gallery artists were persuaded to do small 14" X 11" self-portraits to hang on one wall in the main gallery. In the smaller gallery room, we invited elementary students from Prince of Wales PS, working with artist Maya Jagger, to do some self-portraits also. Some of the gallery artists were a bit nervous at first, but everyone did a spectacular job, and the 'Name That Artist' wall is a real focal point when visitors arrive. We now have a box bursting with ballots (visitors are asked to try and match a portrait to a photo of the artist). No one really cares if the answers are all correct (a challenging task), but clients are spending a good half hour trying to match everyone up, having a lot of fun, and spending more time viewing all the other art in the gallery. The 'game' is free, and 9 of the participating artists have agreed to donate their portrait for the upcoming draw at our next reception on Feb.28. The student work, of course, is outstanding. As artists, we've learned that it's not only actors who can be upstaged by youngsters! All in all, it's been an exciting event, and there's still lots of time to take part. The local photo-journal Quinte Snap published a few photos. I'll post a few of my own later next week.
Photo courtesy of Quinte Snap.

AFAC Conference, Toronto, Canada

Mistral # 1 Oil with cold wax

Last year in March, I was lucky to find some promotional material online about a conference in Toronto, Ontario called Art For All Canada. As a first year event, the conference was for one day. And what a jammed-packed, exciting day it was! Artists from across the country, (and maybe even across the continent - there were so many sessions, I couldn't attend them all!) presented their ideas on a myriad of topics of concern and interest to anyone in the art world. This year, the conference will be a two day event. I am looking forward to being one of the presenters this time, and will demonstrate some abstract techniques that I use with oil paint and cold wax. Click here for more information, and a listing of all the sessions. I highly recommend attending, if you can - the networking alone is worth the registraton fee.

The painting above is from my "Somewhere South of Paris" exhibition, on view in Ottawa until this Sun., Jan. 31.

Art at Francesco's

A couple of photos of "Somewhere South of Paris", installed at Francesco's Coffee Company in Ottawa for the month of January. The shop - serving great coffee and yummy treats - is located at 857 Bank Street in our nation's capital.


Red Tango in Cahors and Vin Rouge. Also, three small cradled wood panels from the "Field" series.



Misty Vineyard in the window area. Coffee and brioche, anyone?

The Dream of Studio Space

When an artist doesn't have what one would consider a 'studio' space, it's necessary to make good use of what one has. I have read about artists who create in a 'closet studio', or in a tiny nook under the stairs. Because we have a small pottery/clay sculpture studio in the basement area of our wee cottage, painting/drawing/matting/framing has to be done somewhere in the upstairs part of the house. In many ways, I'm lucky that I don't have to work on a really small scale in cramped quarters, but I have always had to set up and take down after each painting session. I am limited to size, but in the last couple of years, I've been able to manage 30" X 40" canvases. I'd like to work bigger, but right now, I know storage would be a problem, so I will limit my size desires. Recently, I analysed my situation and realized I needed to be more organized and eliminate some of the clutter - a tricky task for someone like me. In the fall, I decided I would try not to move out to other parts of the house to work. Now that I'm painting more in oil/cold wax, it's not pleasant to have the odours throughout the house, as windows can't be flung open in winter in Canada.
This is a typical setup before I made some changes in my workspace.



Take a look at the mess in our daughter's former room. It is a smallish space, and there was hardly room to walk in, because I kept dumping things, let alone room to actually set up to paint.




So I spent about 2 or 3 days sifting through all the stuff, separating the 'wheat from the chaff', recycling as much as I could. And I ended up with a little corner and 2 medium-sized painting walls. It's not gorgeous, but it will do, and has made a big difference in the amount of time I am spending doing my artwork. For my larger pieces, I find I still need to take them out to another part of the house so I can stand back a distance to evaluate them. All in all, I'm feeling more focussed and creative by just making this small change in my environment.

These pieces are some of the oil/cold wax work from the "Somewhere South of Paris" show in Ottawa. The grouping on the right are fixed together as a multiple canvas work; the ones on the left are hanging as singles.

The last couple of days have been spent setting up my Etsy Shop - Elemental Abstract Art. Another learning curve for me, but it just takes working through the process to become accustomed to the workings of Etsy. I've listed a few smaller oil/cold wax pieces, and some collage work. Please click here to visit my new shop.
Have a creative, satisfying art weekend.

A New Year

The Christmas/New Year's festivities are my favourite celebrations, and they come and go so quickly. I wish peace, health, and prosperity to all in this new decade. Collectively, we have the means to take positive action - just small acts of kindness every day - to make a better world.



This is an invitation to an exhibition of some of my new oil and cold wax paintings, taking place in Ottawa from Jan. 4 to Feb. 1 at Francesco's Coffee Company. All the pieces have dried in time, thank goodness. Today I finished the labels and wiring, and we will load up my wagon on Mon. morning for the 3 hour trip to Ottawa. A few more last minute tasks to do tomorrow, and I should be ready. There is a lot of work to mounting an art exhibiton, even a small one. I appreciate the help and advice I've gotten from Donna Randall, an Ottawa artist, who coordinates the shows at Francesco's. She will help me hang the show on Mon., also. More photos later.

Two New Paintings Underway

There are two new oil and cold wax paintings on my new painting walls in my tiny painting studio. I recently reorganized and threw out a lot of junk to make some space so I could fling my arms about. The oil paint does have a lingering odour as it dries, so now that winter is here and the windows are closed, I notice the smell more when I work in part of the living room (we have a very small house), making it not too healthy. So I moved most of my stuff into our daughter's former bedroom, cleared a path and made some space around the painting wall area, and I'm having a lot of fun. I can also open the window a crack, flip the heating vent closed, and close the door when I finish for the day. It is amazing how getting reorganized and making space (no matter how small) can motivate and get the creative juices going.










There's a lot more work to be done on these two pieces. Many more layers of thin colour and wax, and of course lines and texturing to bring it all together. I'm looking forward to Thurs. and Fri. when I will be able to work on them again. Tomorrow, Wed., I'm on duty at both of my galleries, one in the am, the other in the pm. Although I won't be able to paint all day, I'll be "seeing" possibilities in my mind throughout the day, and will file them away in my brain for another time.

Switching Media

Just for a change from cradled wood panels and canvas, it's fun to work on paper again. Heavy watercolour paper is perfect for a mixed media treatment. I like to start out with some thumbnail sketches to work out an idea, then it's open territory on the surface of the paper. Starting with loose watercolour washes, they flow and blend on the paper. After drying, I dig in with various papers to add texture, acrylics and printing techniques until my inner muse says, "Whoa, girl". I like the 'lighter' feel of these pieces. And of course, crows and ravens are favourite creatures that visit us all year long.

Crowsong#1 Mixed Media on Paper
16" X 12"

Ravenspeak, Mixed Media on Paper
16" X 12"

Recent Painting

Space in my 'studio' (daughter's former bedroom, spilling over to what was once the living room) is limited, so the largest work I have attempted is on 40" X 30" gallery wrapped canvas. I think I would enjoy letting loose on 4, 5, or 6 foot panels or canvas, but that will have to wait til I have more space. In the meantime, I can do somewhat larger pieces made up of multiple panels, and use up all my smaller canvases. Cradled wood panels are a joy to work on with the oil/wax techniques that I learned from Rebecca Crowell . They are more expensive, but well worth it.

This recent painting is called "Oasis", oil with cold wax (and galkyd added to the mixture to give the paint some flexibility on the canvas). Happily, it has a new home with a collector in the Ottawa area.

New Painting, New Friend

At Coloris sur la baie, a premier art show in Clarence-Rockland just outside Ottawa, I was visited by a young artist. Jordan was eager to share his sketchbook and one of his small oil paintings with many of the exhibiting artists at the show. A grade 8 student, Jordan was comfortable sharing his work, discussing the artwork around him with many of the artists, and listening attentively to other's comments. He was amazingly articulate when talking about his art and his goals. The more Jordans we have in this world, a better place it will be. Thank you Jordan, it was a delight meeting you.

Dreamers 30" X 40"
Oil/Cold Wax on 2" gallery wrapped canvas,
ready to hang.

This work is a new oil and cold wax painting, presently at Gallery 121 in Belleville. I remember turning the canvas upside down and around many times during the painting process. Suddenly, when I walked by it during a break, three figures appeared under the translucent layers, and I decided they were meant to stay.

Bancroft - Most Talented Town in Ontario

A few years ago, TV Ontario voted Bancroft the "Most Talented Town in Ontario" and it continues to retain the qualities of a talented town. This past weekend was the Bancroft Art and Craft Show and Sale, held at the beautiful Millenium Park. Beautiful art and a variety of quality handmade items were available for shoppers. Our friend, Jim Eadie, was there to entertain everyone with his folksongs.

We exhibit our pottery and my artwork. We have always felt the local folks and the summer residents appreciate our work - and they show it in tangible ways. Thank you everyone for your encouragement and support. Enjoy your treasured pieces that are now finding their way to new homes.

Portals

Here are a few photos from the opening reception of the annual juried show, "Portals" at the Belleville Library. The artworks, juried by Michael Amar and Stephen Snider, were beautifully hung and displayed by curator Susan Holland. For a small town, Belleville is developing a vibrant artscene.




Some of the very young took the opportunity to 'dress up', complete with feather and sparkly shawl.






The Belleville Art Association members were well represented, with 31 artists represented out of a total of 56 artists. All 4 awards went to BAA members also. Congratulations! This organization of 117 members is growing in numbers and in the quality of work produced.


Prince Edward County metalworker, Bruce Milan is showing his metal sculptures, some with mixed media, in gallery 1.

The show will hang from June 4 to July 16, 2009.

New Painting

"Passages", acrylic on gallery canvas, 40" X 30".

Comparing acrylic and oil paints is like comparing your children - you love them both for their unique qualities.

Having recently gotten back to working with oil paint, using cold wax on cradled panels, I thought I would use similar techniques using acrylic paint and gel medium on a large canvas. The biggest difference I found was that the acrylic was more 'slippery' than the oil and wax. Also, I was a little more gentle working on the canvas than I would have on a cradled panel. All in all, though, I was fairly pleased with the result.

This piece will be showing in the 7th annual juried exhibition "Portals" at the John M Parrott Art Gallery in Belleville from June 4 to July 16. Opening Reception is June 4, 6 - 7:30.

Opening Show

Here are a few photos from the opening of the new show at Gallery 121 in Belleville:


Maureen Swann and Ann Fales in the gallery welcoming visitors.


Maureen's very clever and balanced "Swan Totem".


Some of Ann Fales' beautiful fabric works of art.


Visitors admiring guest artist Molly McClung's sculptures.

Gallery 121

Last month I was invited to be a member of Gallery 121, a co-operative gallery in the city of Belleville. May is the first opportunity for me to show in this space. Don Pinder and his show design team have done a fine job of hanging the diverse artwork of 20 members. Each month the exhibition changes, with a new featured artist, drawn from the membership, and a guest artist. This month's featured gallery artist is Ann Fales, a fibre artist from Thomasburg. The guest artist is sculptor Molly McClung.


Above are two of my new oil works, along with three smoke-fired sculptures from my "Soundscape" series. Tonight is a Belleville "Gallery Hop", so we are looking forward to visitors coming to see the show. The official opening reception is on Sun., May 10 from 2 to 4 pm.

Also on tonight is the opening for the Quinte Arts Council's juried show Expressions 2009 at the John Parrot Gallery in the Belleville Public Library, from 6 to 7:30. I have another of the new oils showing. It will be interesting to get feedback on my new work.

The Belleville Art Association Gallery and Gallery ArtPlus are also open tonight for the Gallery Hop, so it will be a busy night for art lovers, and many opportunities to see stimulating artwork. I will post photos later of all the events.

Slay the Children (paintings, that is)

At last the panels are finished that I started at Rebecca Crowell's workshop. In addition to developing the original panels, several additional smaller panels were worked on once I returned home, and now everything is drying. The next step is to experiment in putting the panels together. Unlike Rebecca's deep cradles, mine are only 1" deep, and they have a slight curve on the inside where they join the panel. This makes bolting tricky, so I'm looking at other ideas, or how I can adapt. It's all about being flexible, right? A trip to my nearby building centre for some advice may help. I keep saying to myself, "Don't be afraid to slay the children", but at this point, it's a little nerve-wracking. I will post photos when done.

These are the last of the photos from the workshop. How I wish I had taken more; I guess I needed an extra pair of hands.

In this photo, Rebecca is applying solvent to a panel and carefully wiping back layers of paint.


























Here, she has just drawn an image with a paint stick, ( a new material for me, and they are so interesting to work with), and she will further embed and manipulate the marks into her image.
I am fascinated with the intuitiveness of the oil/cold wax methods that Rebecca uses, without ever sacrificing the intellectual side of the process.

Three Artists from Rochester Area

Still working on finishing some mixed media collage works on old 78 vinyl records for an exhibit at APW Gallery in NYC - myself and about 400 other artists. The idea is to hang 2000 vinyl records in their gallery. I've seen photos of a previous show, but it would be quite a sight to see in person. Hope to get mine finished and sent out on time.

Back to the Oil/Wax Workshop in Rochester:

This is Jim M. creating beautiful floating layers on his panels.

Wendy M. combines human figures and animal forms in her fantastical, whimsical figurative and landscape work.




















Kathryn produces subtle spring-like paintings that reflect her experience with encaustic.





















And Rebecca's demos had all of us with our noses close to the surface, looking into the depths of her work.



























Inspiring people - inspiring art.

More From Rochester Workshop

Progress is being made on the pieces that were begun at Rebecca Crowell's Oil/Wax workshop. Lots of ideas floating through my head, and several panels have been added. Hope to have them completed and photographed by the weekend.

Here are photos of some of the techniques that Rebecca demonstrated. Just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. She came well-prepared with many materials and boundless ideas, coupled with a strong ability to articulate her processes and her philosophical ideas of abstract art. I appreciated her teaching techniques, and her engaging human qualities as well. An excellent instructor, Rebecca inspired us to aim high. Even though we may not have achieved those goals immediately, we have the tools and inspiration to continue to grow and develop.



In this photo, Rebecca is applying pigment from a paint stick onto her brayer.




She carefully rolls the design onto her painting.





By applying solvent to a dried painting, she demonstrates how to carefully scrape back pigment to reveal layers of colour below.

These are a few of the techniques that Rebecca shared with us.