Opening Reception

The opening reception tonight for the juried show at the John Parrott Art Gallery in Belleville showcased a wonderful variety of interpretations of the theme "Music as Muse". Although many artists claim to feel constrained by a required theme, it seems they all rise to the occasion and push themselves creatively. I'll be returning to revisit the many works at a quieter time.My small woman sculpture "Singing the Blues" won one of 4 Honourable Mention awards. A beautiful glass piece by Vanessa Pandos won the Jurors' Choice award, well deserving.
Dona Knudsen and I touching base, with Barb Whalen enjoying David Alexander's large canvas in the background.

My oil/cold wax canvas "Hallelujah(L.Cohen)" held its own in the "red" zone of the gallery.

Music as Muse

An uncropped image of "Hallelujah(L.Cohen)", an oil/cold wax painting that was accepted into the John Parrott Gallery's juried show, along with my little woman sculpture "Singing the Blues". The opening reception is Thurs., June 10, 6-7:30. You are invited to join us for an exciting exhibit. I'm anticipating seeing a wide variety of interesting work relating to music as a source of inspiration. Leonard Cohen was playing in my studio at the time I was working on this piece, and I think his lyrics influenced where I was going, and where I ended. It was one of those rare times when I entered the 'zone' and didn't come out until many days later. I was on a high for several days as I worked through the process, trusting that eventually I would get to where I felt I should be with the painting. So hard to explain without sounding trite, but it really was a strange week or so, as I was working. I don't think I could ever plan that event again, so I'll just keep working, and maybe I'll get lucky again. Trust the Process.

Gallery 121 Opening Reception

The opening for the new show at Gallery 121, 48 Bridge St. E, Belleville is this Sat., June 5, from 3 to 5 pm. Andrew Innes is our guest artist (County Landscapes), and I will be the featured artist for this show (Elemental Colour). We are also exhibiting the works of 2 new artists, Michael Amar and Barney Goldberg, along with new works by the gallery membership. It's a bright, eclectic show, not to be missed! The painting above is "Genus", a multi-panel piece in oil with cold wax on wood panels. It is one of the first group of oil/cold wax paintings that I completed when I first took a new direction with this medium. The journey continues with a renewed commitment to oil paint.

Oak Hills Studio Tour

This weekend is the second half of the springtime Oak Hills Studio Tour. There are 14 artists at 8 studio settings in the beautiful Oak Hills area near Stirling, in Hastings County. I'm a guest artist at painter Donna Bonin's studio - a beautiful location on the shores of Oak Lake. I'm exhibiting some of my clay sculptural pieces along with our functional claywork from Deer Creek Pottery. More information and a map can be found at www.oakhillsstudiotour.ca. Look forward to seeing you on the tour this weekend (June 5 and 6).

The First Newsletter

Nothing, IMHO, is more daunting than writing and publishing your first artist newsletter. In my previous life as a teacher, writing classroom newsletters was relatively easy - one had the students to rely on for subject matter/content, and it was all about them. How different it is to write a newsletter about oneself! Now it is completed, and sent to my client lists, and I feel a little bit empowered. I'm also relieved that the hurdle has been cleared, for better or worse. The next one should be a little easier.
The painting above is 'Hallelujah(L.Cohen)' 40" X 30", oil/cold wax on canvas. I'll be submitting it to the John M Parrott Art Gallery's 8th juried exhibition next week. The theme is 'Music as Muse'. I hope Leonard will approve. I often listen to his CD's while I'm painting. My photo editing programme Picassa has gone rogue, so I was unable to crop this photo. It's going to take some time to get it under control again.

ELEMENTAL ABSTRCT ART NEWS Vol 1 No. 1 June 2010
from artist BARBARA CHAPPELLE

Website: www.barbarachappelle.com Blog: http://catsartravel.blogspot.com
Email: b_citta@yahoo.ca Facebook Fan Page

Welcome Art-Lovers,
With this monthly newsletter, I plan to let you know of upcoming events in my art world, and share art ideas, techniques, and connections with other artists. You are invited to comment/reply to any article, and if at any time you do not wish to receive the newsletter, just click ‘reply’ and let me know - I will completely understand and respect your wishes.

Gallery 121
June begins with my first solo member exhibition at Gallery 121 in Belleville. The Gallery is located at 48 Bridge St. E (613 962 4609), next door to Dinkle’s Restaurant and Courtyard. The exhibition will run from June 1 to July 10, and the Opening Reception is June 5th from 3 to 5 pm.
I have returned to working in oil paint, after a long hiatus. And, I have discovered a new medium: cold wax, which allows me to use oil paint in a layered, translucent way. I look forward to seeing you at the opening on Sat., June 5 to share thoughts about my new work.

Oak Hills Studio Tour
I am excited to be part of the Oak Hills Studio Tour this spring, at the studio of painter Donna Bonin. Dates are Sat. and Sun., May 29 & 30, and June 5 & 6 from 10 am to 5 pm. Donna invited me to show my clay work at her beautiful property, and I am delighted with the space she has for me. In addition to my clay sculptural pieces, I will be showing some of our functional pottery(from Deer Creek Pottery). For more information and a map, visit www.oakhillsstudiotour.ca . It will be a beautiful tour of artists and artisans working in Hastings County.

Friends of Bon Echo Park, 15th Art Exhibition and Sale
Once again, I will be happy to be part of the annual show and sale of original Canadian art, with paintings, clay sculpture and pottery, all on a theme of Canadian nature, and “dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Bon Echo Provincial Park”(from the mission statement of the Friends of Bon Echo Park). The Exhibition is for 3 days, July 23, 24, 25 and is always a glorious event in a beautiful park glade, with majestic shade trees. Come see the art and spend the day. For more information, visit
www.mazinaw.on.ca/fobecho and click on Art Exhibit and Sale. Here is the latest news release from the Friends of Bon Echo:

News Release
May 12, 2010

BON ECHO LAUNCHES NEW ART SEASON

The Friends of Bon Echo Park will host the 15th Bon Echo Art Exhibition and Sale on July 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Mazinaw Lake and the Rock at Bon Echo have captivated artists for hundreds of years. Aboriginal Peoples left many pictographs on the Mazinaw Rock which are still visible today. The rugged Canadian Shield and the magnificent white pines captured on canvas by the Group of Seven brought attention to the area as an inspiring destination. Today artists using a variety of media are creating interpretations of our uniquely beautiful Canadian landscapes.


West Wings, Stirling
Currently, I have 11 smaller paintings in oil/cold wax, mixed media, and acrylic hanging at West Wings, 14 West Front Street, Stirling, ON. (Phone: 613 395 0990). This funky bookshop/coffee shop has expanded, and carries a variety of gift items and a clothing shop. Well worth a visit - and the coffee is heavenly.

Juried Show - Belleville Public Library - “Music as Muse”
The John M Parrott Art Gallery, Belleville will be holding their juried show “Music as Muse” from June 10 to July 15, 2010. The jurying is open to all Quinte area artists and all forms of media, so it is always an exciting show. I’ll be submitting 2 pieces, with fingers crossed. Juried shows are an important part of any artist’s schedule, not just for the recognition, but for the critique after the jurying. Curator Susan Holland and her team always design an exciting show. I hope to be part of it again this year.

…and this just in…
Yesterday, I had a pleasant visit with Andrew Innes and his partner Don at our studio. They are owners of Round the Bend Gallery just outside Picton in Prince Edward County. Andrew will be the guest artist at Gallery 121 in June/July. Deer Creek Pottery has been invited to exhibit some of our clay pieces and functional pottery in their gallery, to be delivered by June 10.
A busy month ahead - how lucky we are! Please drop by for a visit at the studio if you are traveling in Centre Hastings. It’s sometimes a good idea to call ahead at 613 473 2200, in case we’re digging in the gardens, and for directions, just north of Belleville, Ontario. Or by chance, anytime.

Best regards,
Barbara

Featured Artist, Gallery 121

June 1 st is fast approaching, and there is much work to finish for my solo exhibit at Gallery 121 in Belleville. Gallery artists take turns as Featured Artist, and this exhibit will include some of my new oil/cold wax paintings, perhaps some sculptural clay work if the kiln gods are on my side, work by guest artist Andrew Innes, and new work by the other members of the gallery. We all extend an invitation to the opening reception on June 5, 3pm to 5pm, 48 Bridge Street East, Belleville, next to Dinkle's Restaurant. I'd love to see you there.

Earth Day Collage

In two weeks we once again celebrate Earth Day. Here's a small mixed media collage to help remind us to celebrate our earth every day of the year. Several more are available on my ETSY shop. Can you find the word EARTH somewhere in each collage?

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.