Step by step

Soooo...I was challenged to show the step by step of a painting, after I showed a stack of boards with the first layer of texture. Sooo...

Laying out the value pattern-light and dark.

Then comes collage layers (and the next painting's value pattern).

Several colour layers and we're done...for now. Now I wait and look, and listen for the peice to tell me if it is done, or needs more work. This is one for the Port Stanley Artists' Guild show comming up June 8-10, which will be here in a blink.

Ready set...art

The Port Stanley Artists' Guild show is fast approaching, and I've got to get some work done. This year has been like an out of control roller coaster, fun, a wild ride, totally awesome/amazing, but not a lot of art has been made. So now I'm working like a fiend to get some work done for the show!

This doesn't look like much yet, but here's 5 boards with the first layer of texture on them, now I just need a couple of extra days in the week...

Mystery Mini Moth

My camera has had a busy week, and more than a few of the resulting pic's will find their way into my pool of reference material for upcoming work.

Most of my subjects I can identify, but this wee fellow remains a mystery. He's about a cm or less, and was sipping nectar from the forget-me-nots, phlox, and lamulum beside the pond. If you can help me ID this tiny - I think it may be some kind of sphinx moth- I'd appreciate it!

I've offered to send out a call for artists for the Lexus Celebrity Golf Classic and Art Auction for the LHSC prostrate cancer research fund. They will only be accepting work from 5 artists, the artists will be paid an 'appearance fee' plus have a chance to hob nob with the celebs at the gala.

I'm putting a piece in, though hob nobbing isn't my strong suit, lol!

The organizer seemed to think that was a real perk, I wonder how many of us would agree, since a higher than average number of artists are introverts. What do you think?

Post Opening High

The Grand Opening Gala for the Art Emporium was last night. I have NO idea how many people were there, we were too busy to count. I'd guess at lest a couple of hundred. The posted hours were 7-9, but people started to come at 6, and we didn't leave until after 10, happy but exhausted. I didn't have a chance to take any pictures for you, but there is an article at Port Stanley News, Relish Elgin was there and took a lot of pictures too which I hope they'll post soon.

David Jolly's jazz guitar was the perfect accompaniment to the evening, and we had live music and nibbles today, and hopefully for tomorrow too.

This painting is one I'll be putting in the Port Stanley Artists' Guild Show, it needs a name though...any suggestions?

Grand Opening Cometh

The totally insane week of the Lambeth Art Association Show is over, and now the wonderfully crazy week of our Grand Opening at the Art Emporium in Port Stanley is about to start!

Life is so exciting I can barely stand it LOL.

I really hope you can come. We're so proud of all of our artists/artisans. We have over 60 showing their work. We have everything from knitted slippers to art quilts, painted glassware to delicate stained glass sculpture, funky floral jewelry to elegant jewels in semi precious stone, paintings in every media, textile, mosaic, and photography to... just about everything you can imagine.

It's all housed in an historic building, right at the end of Main St in Port Stanley -any farther south and you'd be on berm then in the lake.

There are several galleries, and interesting shops close by, and of course Port is well known for its restaurants, where fresh caught fish is always on the menu.

Port is a mecca for affectionado's of art, theater and good food.

See you there!

clouds of butterflies

After yesterday's storm clouds of butterflies adorned the front of the gallery (Art Emporium) and surrounding trees in Port Stanley. I think they must have ridden the storm winds the 57 miles across the lake. What a wonderful and uplifting thing to experience!

Better yet when I got home there they were in my cherry trees, on my phlox and arabis. Last night and this morning I've been taking pictures like mad...and got lots of good reference photos for future paintings, now back to work!

How to prioritize and get control of your life

This just came into my in box from Artist's who Thrive a newsletter I'd recommend you get.

Considering how over whelmed I've been, it's almost spooky. 1. List each project.
2. Put a dollar sign next to the ones that are making you money now, or that ones that represent the fastest path to cash.
3. Estimate how much money each project is actually making you today, not what it might in the future.
4. Estimate how much time you invest in the project each week.
5. Put three stars next to the three projects you really love.
6. Put three stars next to three projects that, if they went away tomorrow, you would not miss.
7. Don’t forget to list the hours that you must sleep, eat, take a shower, get dressed, and clean your house.
8. Now add up the money you are making.
9. Add up the time you are spending.
10. Now decide. What you are going to cut for now and what you are going to keep? Determine your top three priorities

My Internet was down most of the day, so instead of working I was able to Work. I spent a great day in the studio, and to my relief my MoJo seems to be back. I guess knowing that I was unable to do the other 'stuff', I could 'let it go', and concentrate on my art.

count down

My apologies to everyone who follows my blog, facebook and newsletter. I only appear to be MIA, or as one friend asked dead. Like the famous duck I'm paddling like hell to keep up.

I'm in full count down mode for 4 major events, all of which I'm heavily involved in, all come to fruit in the next 3 weeks. I keep doing this to my self, and every time I vow I won't do it again...must be a slow learner :)

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.

Art With drawl

Art with drawl:
Symptoms-extreme irritability, loss of concentration, anti social tendencies ie: increasing desire to closet oneself away from all distraction, lock the door and paint, and did I mention crabby!
Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have a few hours on Saturday...but the dog hair drifts are mounting, and the laundry hasn't learned to do it's self...did I mention...crabby.

Mono print fun

I hope you've been out side enjoying this glorious spring weather, I've been in the garden a bit, not as much as I'd like, but it's early yet.

Art wise; I've spent the week tinkering with some experimental techniques. I added diatomatious earth to gesso to use in place of molding paste, a friend-Heather Kohl does this and I've always loved her work. I've got to say that she makes it look easy, and it's not!

I think I'll be cutting up my experiment, there are a couple of parts of it I like that I'll save, the rest I'll discard.

I've also been playing around with mono prints again. My students love printing, and I do too, this printers daughter didn't fall too far from the proverbial tree.

I use high density Styrofoam (un-used meat trays) purchased from our local grocer for these prints. They're fun and just challenging enough to keep it interesting.

Bunny for Catherine

One of the sweetest people I've ever met is Catherine, the Chaplain at Mount Hope, so when she asked if I had any bunny cards I set out to create one for her.
The style is rather old school for me, but none the less I enjoyed painting it for her, and with Easter around the corner it's a good card to have prints of for the Art Emporium too.
Catherine's bunny unfortunately, is the only art I've had a chance to do this week. I did spring clean the studio though...big job, glad it's done. Surprise, surprise I can actually turn around without bumping into something in there now lol.
Speaking of spring the Trumpeters are back, and hanging out in my neighbours field. I love watching them. The Gold finch are turning summer yellow, from winter drab and other signs of spring are everywhere, robins, redwing blackbirds, and our chipmunks are hungrily emptying the bird feeders. It's (they say) about 3 weeks early, but I'm not gonna complain.
The Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique or AE&BG, is in it's (our) 2nd week of official business, and we're delighted. I've been going around with a goofy grin on my face for weeks now, we all have. Happy, happy☺
We feel very blessed, our dream is coming true. All good things come to those who work their tails off, none of this waiting stuff, ya gotta go out and grab opportunity by the •♠◘♥s

First Day at the Art Emporium and Boathouse Gallery

All our hard work has finally come to fruition, and the Art Emporium is open. Our first day was amazing, very busy, sales, and lots of goodwill from our neighbours in the Arts community.

It continues to blow me-us away how busy Port Stanley is even at this time of the year, and the events that are planned... well more about them later!

Monoprinting Workshops

Candy and I had a wonderful time today doing a Monoprinting workshop at a corrections facility.

The youth were so receptive and enthusiastic that I was almost superfluous to their process.

The work they developed was amazing. I'll be doing this workshop again twice next week, and I can hardly wait.

I think I'm going through Art Emporium withdrawal I haven't been to our gallery since Monday...I love my job in horticulture, but I love the AE&BG more!

The last day I was there was Monday, which was an incredibly busy day in Port Stanley. We had 1/2 dozen artists in to hang/arrange their art, and over 30 'lookers' who saw the sign and came in. We gave the 'lookers' tours and invariably when they rounded the corner and stepped into the gallery they stopped and said "WOW" it never gets old.

We'll be in the Art Emporium straight through now until our official open date, the 1st of March, so if you have work to bring down, or would like a tour, come on by.

Dawn flight, Mixed Media Painting

The Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique, is taking shape. We've been accepting art all week and 12 of our 30 artist's have hung their work. We also start the accepting work of our gift boutique artisans tomorrow.

It looks so amazing, I get shivers.

This painting is hanging in the new gallery, originally I had three bees flying in formation, but somehow a single bee made a better statement, so the other two were removed. Sadly that reflects the fate of bees. We have lost so many to colony collapse, mites, viruses, zombie flies, pesticides and so on.

I've mentioned the pollinator patch project before, follow the link, and see what you can do to help.