The Art of Robin Baratta

Winters Majesty

2012-01-26T16:39:00.006-05:00

Six sleeps 'till we get the keys for the AE&BG, things are revving up, we're ready for take off. Once we get the keys we have a ton of work to do in a very short period of time. Like us on Facebook for updates on our progress.

I met today with Ted McLauchlin of Highlander Gallery/Studios. We were introduced by Philip Schmidt a week or so ago, at the brunch Phil hosted for his Connected Arts venture. Ted is an interesting guy, a non-practicing artist himself, he now works with other artists to help them develop a brand, and to fine tune their marketing and business skills. He had lots of suggestions, some not so comfy like less blog more facebook, and maybe even twitter-that's scary, me...twitter...but I intend to follow his lead.

This is the piece I did for Philip's Connected Arts vision. As I said landscape is not my forte, none the less I'm quite pleased with the result, and I will admit it was a lot of fun.

Don't forget Portside's mini show is on the Month of February, and the opening is Sunday Feb. 5th 1-4

2012-01-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

I'm attempting to make the transition to the new newsletter simpler, hence the following post which allows me to create a link I can direct folks to. I know it's gotta be annoying to those of you who follow my blog to get just a link :) forgive please.

link to Mail Chimp

2012-01-19T10:46:00.001-05:00

Mini Shows, Mini Works

2012-01-18T13:40:00.003-05:00

February is Mini Show time, and there are a bunch of them out there. The only one I'm planning on entering this year is the one at Portside. A gal could go nuts trying to do 'em all! This little piece is call 'Spring Dawn' and is only 2.5 inches by 3, on terra skin.
I have a connected arts piece to do asap too... I plan to do it before we get the gallery building on February 1, we're gonna be VERY busy getting everything ready so we can open on March 1st, which won't leave a lot of time for painting.
What's connected arts? Glad you asked!

Phillip Schmidt is an amazing explorer/photographer. His photographic work of out of the way, and largely unseen places is breathtaking. He has for several years been putting on a showcase that he calls the 'Connected Arts' where he challenges artists of several disciplines including visual, musical, and literary arts, to interpret one of his photos. His vision being that all of the arts spring from the same well, and are therefore gifts connected in ways most of us don't appreciate. He's working to correct that.

Landscape is not my Forte, and I hope I'm up to the challenge. It's an honor to be asked to participate and I'm certainly going to try.

Identity Transfer and Newsletters

2012-01-12T10:22:00.003-05:00

I must be having too much fun, time seems to be going faster and faster. The identity transfer show opening is here already...how did that happen??
Actually the show is already up, and hangs until March 3rd, the opening reception is Saturday 2-4. There's a pretty stellar cast of artist's showing...and me lol.

I've been migrating my newsletter to mailchimp and apparently I confused many people with my request for a confirmation of permission. One of the problems with the old newsletter template is that you can't reply to it, which several people tried to do and of course it bounced. I put please reply in the subject line, and then the e:mail address with the instructions and explanation in the body, which caused all kinds of confusion. I'm very sorry. If you got one of those annoying 'no response' responses please either use this form:

Subscribe to our mailing list

Or if your reading this on facebook it probably won't work, in which case, e:mail me at robin@expressivebrush.ca

and I can put you on the new list. Again sorry about the confusion.

Painting challenge and pollinator patch project

2012-01-02T14:01:00.004-05:00

Belated happy New Year. I hope everyone has had an amazing holiday.

Family is the most precious thing we have and time committed to enjoying each other is the most precious gift of all.

The Creative Catalyst word for Christmas week was present, I didn't do a painting as I was having too much fun with my precious ones which was my present to myself. I did paint, but it was my bathroom not art, and I'm very glad I did. I needed to get it done before we go into high gear Feb. 1 at the Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique (from this point forward the A.E. & B.G. )

This weeks word was commitment, I must confess the only picture that brought to mind was of bacon and eggs. I'm sure you've heard that old saying, 'the difference between involved and committed, the hen was involved, the pig was committed'... Some how that didn't seem like the painting I wanted to do, lol.

So instead I decided to honour my muse, and my commitment to telling tales of pollinators via my work.

Many of you know of my, commitment to environmental issues, the plight of the pollinators being chief amongst them, I was sent a link to the Pollinator Patch Project this morning. This is something I've been working toward in my own garden for sometime, I highly encourage you to too, please check out the link, watch the T.E.D. clip, and add your own Pollinator Patch to the world, even if it's just in a few pots on a deck or balcony. We can make a difference.

This painting is of a Red Spotted Purple Admiral Butterfly flying toward it's host plant - willow. I had more of these in my garden this year than I ever had, and got lots of wonderful photo's as they happily posed for me in my Pollinator Patch.

Painting Challenge #4 Love

2011-12-20T20:00:00.003-05:00

Crazy week, means I'm only now getting my painting of the week done. It's been a good crazy, with lots of good stuff happening.
The Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery is now full, and has a waiting list.
We're still taking submissions for the Gift Boutique, we want to carry all kinds of quality, hand crafted goods by regional artisans there. We can hardly wait for February! You'll be getting regular updates, as time gets closer, and an invitation when we open, it's gonna be awesome!
I also went to an 'Arts Country' meeting, and found out that they used my art for the print ads, cool! AND my painting 'True to Type - Portrait of a Printers Daughter' was accepted in the STEPAC juried 'Identity Transfer' show, I haven't received my invitations to hand out yet, but my friend Candy tells me that they show her submission and mine, it's just amazing, how things all happen at once, just amazing!
Back to the painting... I haven't quite decided what to call it, but it's based on the double wedding ring quilt pattern, and has a free association poem running through it.
'Love is an old dog, young child, new bride, old couple, constant, enduring, rough or smooth, always changing. Love stands the test of time, forever, eternity, steadfast, handfasted, whole hearted, healing and heart rending. Love is holding a grand child for the first time, a parent for the last time, and a heart for all time, watching the years fly by, and the days trickle down, until we are all dust together, and start again. '

Have a Merry Christmas, one full of love.

Holiday Painting Challenge # 3- Joy

2011-12-10T10:44:00.004-05:00

The challenge word from Creative Catalyst this week was Joy, I actually was able to do most of this painting on Wednesday, though I've been 'fiddling' with it since to make sure it's just right. At one point I did a lot of portraiture, and it felt good doing it again.

For me Joy is spending time with the people I care about, family and friends really are what it's all about, in my opinion. Having said that, I do have favorites, and no joy is purer than the one brought by my two beautiful grand daughters and their hugs and kisses.

While reading my Professional Artist Magazine this month (favorite art mag) I read Dr. Eric Maisel's article about productive obsessions which really resonated with me. He started by explaining how obsessions are not necessarily negative, "psychology has missed the fact that the brain's ability to obsess can also amount to a real treasure. The brain can productively obsess - and it really wants to. People are happier and more efficient when they productively obsess." Wow "...find yourself trapped in trivialities condemned to impulsiveness, led around by anxiety, and duller and sadder than you need to be. Productively obsessing is an antidote to all that." VERY true "...your brain is an engine meant to perform in that higher gear, it has been waiting for this.."

Do yourself a favor and read the whole article . As I've been known to blather on about, I firmly believe that people NEED to create, and that suppressing, that creative impulse lets to all kinds of trouble, whereas honouring it leads to great JOY.

I must apologize to my newsletter subscribers, the December issue is late, I've been monkeying around with mail chimp, trying to learn the nuances.

The December issue will be the last one sent out by my website, I've not been happy with the newsletter template my website provides. Not only is it cumbersome but there have been several delivery issues, so I'm planning to change over. If you'd like to be on my newsletter list you can subscribe here.

I send it out monthly, it contains area art news, tid bits, and recipes, and judging by the feedback, those who get it, when they get it, enjoy it.

The new service will hopefully mean that it arrives, on time, legible, and once not in duplicate or triplicate. Sign up, and wish me luck :)

Holiday painting challenge 2 "Peace"

2011-12-04T16:47:00.003-05:00

The second word of the holiday painting challenge from Creative Catalyst was "Peace".

The image that immediately sprang to my mind was the white dove bearing an olive branch, a classic symbol of peace.

The greatest challenge with this one was designing the silhouette of a dove. I lettered peace on a piece of terra skin (still in love) with gold pigment infused gel medium, by stamp and stencil in various type faces and sizes, then layered on a few contrasting colours, ending with a thin layer of gesso. When the layers were dry I sanded through to the gold gel then cut out the silhouette. The olive leaves came from my terra skin scraps. Everything was assembled on a Payne's grey painted 5x7 canvas.

Hubby says it looks like a Christmas card. Since I actually created it with the intention of adding this design to my printed cards, I guess the design is successful, if a bit of a cop out :)

Holiday Painters Challenge

2011-11-29T16:35:00.005-05:00

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.

STEPAC The gift of art show/sale TONIGHT

2011-11-24T14:59:00.003-05:00

Christmas is in the air. The hospitals I work in (art teacher/hort tec) all have their decorations up, the malls and stores are in over drive, and ST Thomas Public Art Centre (STEPAC) is having their annual Gift of Art show and sale. The artist's who regularly contribute to the displays in the gift shop will be setting up tables in the main gallery showing and we hope selling our art, and hand made jewelry etc.

A portion of sales (debit and credit only, cash sales go directly to the artist, without commission) will be going to the gallery to help support ongoing programs like children's art programs, education programs, and special events. So come on out and get those credit/debit cards smokin'.

On with the show! 5th annual St Thomas Guild show

2011-11-19T11:52:00.003-05:00

The St Thomas Elgin Artists Guild's 5th annual 'twas the art before Christmas show opened last night, with the 'Black Birds' , beverages and goodies, and most of all Glorious ART!

The show continues Saturday Nov 19, 11-5pm and Sunday Nov 20, 12-5pm.

Our artists are exhibiting every manner and style of paintings, photographs, sculpture, stained glass and Rose Klein's art jewlery and textiles.

Everyone has worked very hard to make our annual show spectacular.

See you there!

Identity Transfer at STEPAC

2011-11-10T14:51:00.004-05:00

Hubby, when asked about a piece I'm working on, usually just says.. not bad.

In my head that translates to 'not good either'... OK so I'm a little (or a lot) insecure about somethings...

So imagine how surprised I was when he got really upset with me for changing this painting. I didn't show you the first incarnation, which apparently he LOVED, but he just said...not bad.

The second incarnation was so so, now it's in it's third, and I'm thinking it's done. We'll see what he thinks!

Most of you know about the fiasco in Lambeth, or at lest you've heard rumours. Well for-geeed about it (use your Marlon Brando voice when you say that lol)

WE (the 5 who left) have a NEW GALLERY opening! Art Emporium, Boathouse Gallery and Gift Boutique.

We didn't intend to do anything again so soon, it's taken us all by surprise, but here's what happened.

Three days after we let potential creditors and other people we'd been associated with in Lambeth know that we were no longer responsible for that business, we were approached, and it was suggested that we consider opening a gallery in Port Stanley. The space hadn't gone up for rent yet, but other art galleries in Port knew about it and wanted us to take it. So we did!

The gallery space is huge, bright and has an attached quaint front room where the gift shop will be. If you know an artist, or artisan who makes quality hand crafted art objects, who is interested in selling their work in Port Stanley, we are taking applications and portfolios via the website http://www.artemporium.ca/ This is gonna be great! The arts community there is behind us 110%. and the BIA is really pushing the 'Port Stanley an Arts Destination' thing. We're all excited.

another difficult painting

2011-11-06T21:16:00.003-05:00

I feel like I've been working on this painting for months, although it's only a couple of weeks. I've been thinking about it for that long though.

St Thomas Public Art Centre, is having a show called Identity transfer, which is of self portraits...sort of. The "widest possible interpretation" is how they phrase it.

I've done a gazillion portraits, of other people, and sketched myself at lest that many times (what can I say the model works cheap) so I really had no desire to do a 'regular' self portrait.

I spent a great deal of time thinking about what my 'identity' was what's important to me, how I'd like to be remembered, I wrote a free association piece that is incorporated into the work. Then I tried to distill it all into something interesting to look at.

I'm not sure what to think about the results, my hubby likes it, I'm not so sure... maybe I'm too close to it, in more ways than one.

I can't help but think it needs a butterfly in that centre circle, rather cliche, but also rather me.

What do you think? I'd really like to hear.

And the seasons change

2011-10-29T22:37:00.002-04:00

O.K. so we're well past the equinox, it's actually the gardening season I'm referring to.
We put the ponds to bed today, put away the patio furniture stacked firewood, disconnected the hose, all the stuff you do when winter is just around the corner. Boo Hoo.
We're a bit late for some on that, the ponds usually get put to bed just after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately a couple of my fish paid the price of my tardiness. As their metabolism slows they become vulnerable to the big pump. I feel awful when that happens, I know it's my fault, if I had just pulled the pump a couple of weeks ago... poor things, I know there are lots, but still, poor things.
Poor painting, I've just gesso'd over the painting I've been working on for the last two weeks. Don't feel too sorry for it though, most of my best works are one's I've gesso'd over, sometimes a few times. When it's just not working, starting over frees me to rethink, and redefine. The original painting is still faintly visible, and creates a richer look for the multi layered affect I strive for.
I'll leave it for a few days, then go back to it with (I hope) fresher eyes.

2011-10-24T22:10:00.003-04:00

For years I've faithfully kept this blog, but the last seven months I'm afraid it's been rather hit and miss. Sure I've got lots of excuses, it's been a truly hellacious time, (and I still don't know what's gonna happen in Dec when hubby's job is done,) but I do think it's time for me to get back to regular posting, and back to production goals, 'cause I've let that slid too.
So Blog Buddies, I'm committing myself here, back to art, back to communication, back on track.
I have been working on a couple of pieces in the studio. The STEPAC 'Identity transfer' juried show is coming up fast, and I've taken up the challenge, creating a work that speaks to my identity, not a self portrait. I'm liking my idea, but my time is fast running out.
One good thing about the mess in Lambeth, I'm not going there two days each week, so I have more time for making art.
re:Lambeth, there are rumors, about which I will only say this, most of them are grossly inaccurate.
Sandy, June Anne and I have, over the last several years, devoted much time to the promotion of art and artists in this area. Between the six of us (who left Lambeth), we represent just about every guild and association in the area, and we've been on the executive of most. You know us, and our characters. Rumors are very destructive. If you hear something that just doesn't sound like us, use your good judgement before you pass it on.
We did not make our decision to leave lightly, there were very good reasons, and no, I'm not going into details.

Elgin studio tour, two sleeps away!

2011-10-13T21:23:00.005-04:00

Did you have a good Thanksgiving? Mine was marvelous, I saw my grandbabies all three days, need I say more...

These pics are of my 2 1/2 yr old grandaughter making art, she's obsessed with paint and crayons. The adults were all in the 'other' room talking, she spotted my student's paints etc on the shelving dragged over the coffee table to climb up on, got paint, brush, paper, water pot, and apron... this is the result.

My dad said it was just like watching another little strawberry Blondie 50 + years ago...

The Elgin Studio Tour is just about here (maps). I think I've got it all covered, if not, too late! Make sure you come out and make the rounds, we have a wide variety of artists, and attractions. There is literally something for everyone.
We're hoping to raise funds for Goderich's recovery, so support your local artist and a good cause too.

Openings and...

2011-10-02T07:39:00.004-04:00

The Opening for Portside's Friends of- show was the 23rd, it was of course a great show. The comment 'it just keeps getting better and better' was heard several times. It's not just the quality of the work(if it can ever be 'just' quality) the diversity of the work also keeps growing. Today is the last day of that show so if you haven't already you best run down to 'Port' and see it.
I was flattered to have my work hung next to Candy McManiman's, and to have it favourably compared to it. Not only is Candy a great artist, she possesses one of the purest souls I've ever encountered. We tend to paint similar subjects with a similar motivation, and we're talking about doing a joint show, I'll give details as things gel.
This week was also the opening of Artfusion, if you're on facebook here is the Artfusion page.
The brain child of Ryan Mahy, Artfusion has been a popup gallery for a couple of years, and now finally has a permanent home in Citi Plaza 355 Wellington St London. There is a fascinating blend of street art a la Banksy and more traditional art. I first heard of Ryan and his popup galleries from one of the kitchen staff at Mount Hope where I teach art. Since then he's become quite a force and a refreshing breath of fresh air in the London art scene. I wish his endeavour all the best, I think it's going to be monster!
I've a favorite quote on the front of my day timer, "live is a river, always moving, some times rocky and rough, other times smooth as silk, but always moving."
Sadly I and 4 of the other partners of the Art Gallery of Lambeth have terminated our relationship with the gallery. The gallery itself is doing well and we wish the remaining 3 (another partner gave notice a couple of months ago) all the best.
The 6 of us who left, intend to continue to work together as we all have solid work ethics, complementary skill sets and values, this is just a rock in the river.

wild sunflower collage painting

2011-09-23T15:16:00.004-04:00

Well, if I was to charge minimum wage for the hours I put into this one....
Finally the 'difficult' painting is done. I must say I learned a lot doing this one, and crazy person that I am I'm in the planning process for another one 'the same only different' as Mom would have said.

I learned that contrary to popular belief, terra skin can rip, that too big an area looks dead, no matter how much texture and how many colour layers there are on it. And that the magic of close complementaries is still magic not matter what, or how you use them 'course that one's a no-brainer :)
The reference photo for this was taken in my garden last summer. My beloved grand-dog has unfortunately trampled this heliannthus as it is (not was, hoping it will come back) in the corner closest to our neighbour who has a lady Lab, that he's quite enamoured with. I love the big galut, and so do most of my students. Good thing, since he's come to live with us, my poor garden will never be the same.

Here's a great quote from Carolyn Henderson who writes for Fine Art Views:

"All of us who are artists and writers know that we are like ostriches in a flock of flamingos..."

Or maybe the muggles are the ostriches with their heads in the sand relying on us to show them the beauty of the world...sorry if I offend 'regular folk', it's not easy being the odd one, ya know.

I hope to see you all at the Portside opening tonight 7-9 Portside Gallery Port Stanley

Landscape as life analogy

2011-09-13T21:39:00.003-04:00

This diptych is proving to be an analogy for my life.

How you say?

Well it's a pleasant interlude from a more complex piece that is driving me crazy, but which I'm too stubborn to give up on.

Looking back through this blog I think you'd find that I've spent a lot of time whining about how crazy busy my life gets. No one makes me do all the things I do. I just take on jobs that I think I need to do. Usually because everyone else is, perhaps wisely, sitting on their hands, or because I think no one else will go the job as well as me, hubris?

Stubbornly I tend to hang onto these jobs, even when someone else comes along who can and will do them.

Stubbornly I'm still at work on the 'difficult' painting, but I'm trying to learn to sit on my hands. Wish me luck.

very cool photographs

2011-09-09T15:24:00.002-04:00

this artist photographs plants under an electromagnetic field, absolutely amazing !

http://www.musiol.ca/2-4-en.php for more images click on photography insitu

Farewell to August

2011-08-31T21:30:00.002-04:00

Driving home tundra swans flew across my path. Five months ago the same thing happened, that time they were going North, this time, South. As lovely as it is to see them, it's just a bit sad too.

Venus of the Waves, a nod to Botticelli

2011-08-28T12:32:00.004-04:00

I'm having fun experimenting with terraskin, and if possible I'm even more in love with the stuff!
It cuts like a dream, it's possible to carve tiny slivers off of a sheet, or to cut intricate patterns. The possibilities are endless, I've long been fascinated by mosaic, stained glass, and quilts, all of these influences are appearing in my paintings, while I have fun with texture and colour. I feel like my muse has been unchained from the restraints of a conventional support, and I chafe at the 'real world' taking me out of the studio.

That said, the studio tour brochure and posters are out for their final vetting before they're printed, and some of the drama in my life has started to settle down...hopefully it's not just a storm eye, I don't like drama.

This painting owes a debt of gratitude to Sandro Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus', one of my all time favorite art pieces.
Way,way back I had an art teacher, Mary Redekop who was really big on art history. I owe her a debt of gratitude too. The wonders she introduced us to are in a large part, what motivated me to honor my inner artist.

additions to the studio tour

2011-08-20T08:40:00.002-04:00

we're days away from printing, more artists and attractions have joined us, very exciting. To see whats going on, here's the link
http://elginstudiotour.blogspot.com/ to our tour web site

Butterflies everywhere butterflies

2011-08-17T08:50:00.004-04:00

Many of you know that my property is registered with the Canadian Wildlife Federation's habitat program. This year has been our best year for 'critter spotting', and many of our visitors are of the flutter by sort, like this red spotted

purple butterfly, who kept me company as
I hung my laundry last week.

I've been spending a lot of time lately stalking butterflies with my camera, I've also been gifted with the opportunity to 'shoot' several of our birds eating the seed of some of my so called (by my crabby neighbour) weeds. All of which is food for the muses.

I've been very remiss with my newsletter this summer, partially because of a chaotic personal life, and partially because I'm still waiting for word from the Woodstock Gallery. The date to pick up rejected works has come and past... so does that mean both of my pieces got in? This is the third year I've submitted, third time the charm? or have I just missed an e:mail. I think I better contact them today and find out.

The Elgin Studio Tour is coming together nicely watch the blog/website I put together for it for developing details.

Elgin Studio Tour

2011-08-07T21:07:00.003-04:00

I've spent a lot of my precious painting time this week working on the Elgin Studio Tour.
Things are steaming ahead, we have artists coming on board, and sponsors committing to ads on our map. As it says on the blog-website I started for it our intention is to showcase the artists, attractions and beauty of this area. We still have room for a couple of artists and a few more sponsors. Contact me if you want in.
I did manage to finish two paintings-one's a triptych, does that really make 4? Both had been started the week before, and both are still drying. As soon as I can put them up to be photographed I'll show them to you.
I have my fingers crossed, the acceptance/rejections should come out for the Woodstock show this coming week. I've submitted twice before, I'm hoping that this time is the charm. I took in the Oriole painting and Attila the Hum's portrait. Wish me luck.

pear painting, triptych with texture

2011-08-01T16:38:00.006-04:00

Have you ever had a disaster of a painting. One you spent hours fighting, and it just refused to work? The idea was good, the colour and values fine, but it just wouldn't gel...

I spent waaaaay too much time trying to fix this one, in the end in shear frustration I cut it up and remounted it as a triptych, now it works.

I like it so much I think I'm going to try a few more triptychs. I have a couple of art fair's in the offing, that I need some kick a$$ work for, and this just might fit the ticket! Ya gotta love it when the Phoenix rises, and brings a whole new perspective with it!

I'm calling it 'Pears N' Squares' (thanks Bob for the title), I forgot to photograph it before I took it to the gallery hence the cockeyed photo, it'll be part of the new show we're opening tomorrow, at the AGL.

dry dang it!

2011-07-25T10:37:00.003-04:00

Yay it rained! It's about 10* C cooler, but you can still cut the humidity with a knife, so as I wait for my paint layers to dry I sit at my computer and complain, dry dang it! The deadline for submission to Woodstock's 'Visual Elements' show is looming. If I had more room I'd work on several pieces at once.

Red Admiral Butteryfly, Helianthus Painting

2011-07-22T18:01:00.004-04:00

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.

One day, I'll look back

2011-07-12T22:23:00.002-04:00

One day, I'll think, wow what a year that 2011 was, the year I felt like fate's punching bag. My sweet mother-in-law always said...what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...dang, I'm becoming one heck of a strong woman!
If you pray, three of my favorite people, my Dad, my Husband, and my youngest son all are facing tests of various kinds this week, two Friday, one Thursday. All could have life altering consequences,. I'm trying to stay positive, and up beat...it will be O.K. it has to be, it will.... but some Divine intervention would really help.
On an art note, I was asked to be a part of Tillsonburg 'Girls Day Out' Which is a fundraiser for the Oxford Domestic Abuse Centre. Here is a bit of info:
Girls Day Out will take place at the Tillsonburg Community Centre in the Lions Auditorium located at 45 Hardy Avenue in Tillsonburg. The date of this event is Saturday July 16th 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. . At 4:00 p.m. all will be invited to sit and enjoy an entertaining Hypnotist show.
Girls Day Out is going to be a fun day event that will provide exhibits catered to the needs and interests of woman. The goal of Girls Day Out is to promote local home based and women based businesses and to provide a fun day event for women in our community!
I'm also working on putting together the Elgin Studio tour, if you or someone you know is an Elgin artist who does not live in St T, or Port Stanley (they both have tours) Contact me and we can discuss the Elgin tour, do it before the 18th if at all passable, as that is when the Sand Plains artist guide goes to press.
As for the making of art, well the not making may help explain partly why I'm so tense, time as sweet time, wherefore art thou!
Last but not lest, Sunday is my Dads 80th Birthday, here, in the garden, 2-4, come help us celebrate!

Humming bird - ruby throat, painting

2011-07-03T18:59:00.006-04:00

I've been playing with terraskin paper and I've got to say that I love it. It can take all the abuse I can give it, strong resilient and no more expensive than regular paper, what's not to love.
I'm not a fan of framing work as textural as mine under glass, so part of the experimentation has been with presentation.
With this little (6x8) painting I wrapped the painting onto stretchers, like you would a canvas.
What do you think? I think it works, but it may not be the way I go.
My first love is still working on Masonite, but it gets heavy and can be awkward to maneuver when working on it. Plus you still need to build stretchers for it, my stretcher builder (hubby) wouldn't mind at all if he was able to retire from that job!
The painting is of my studio companion. I have humming bird feeders right outside the studio window and Attila the Hum is always on guard. If another hummer dares to feed from his feeder, it's war! He keeps a close eye on me too, even though I keep his feeder fresh and full, he doesn't trust me one bit!

I apologise for my lousy photography, I must have shot this pic 10 times and still couldn't get a clear shot, sigh.

Art Students class work

2011-06-30T21:43:00.002-04:00

Work by Celina age 6

Work by Lena aged 12

Happy almost Canada Day to you, I just have to share the work of two of my students, these are the 1st landscapes these young ladies have ever done, and only the second paintings. I think they're amazing!

We spent the first 6 weeks doing art exercises that illustrated the principals of composition, and now we're into the fun stuff....paint!

I just love these!

Moving Kids

2011-06-26T22:07:00.003-04:00

The boxes are packed, the movers come at 8 am, an intense week of work is coming to completion, then it's cleaning and repainting my son's apartment back to apartment beige, which hopefully will be done promptly. He's on his way back to the states (his job), so it's hubby and I who will be taking care of all this. Hence I'm going through art withdrawl...can you say crabby?
Thank you to all the people who tried to find his cat a home. Kitty can't go with him and so is being fostered at the Belmont Pet Supply store here in the village. The lady who runs it is a lovely woman named Janice, her contact info is belmont_paws@hotmail.ca Kitty still needs a forever home, so please if you know someone who would love a sweet affectionate boy cat, please contact her, he would be great for an older person who wants a lap cat, as laps are his favourite thing.
The opening for Art Gallery of Lambeth's summer sizzler show on Friday was a great party, and the show is our best one yet. The art is unbelievably diverse and, well, wonderful. If you haven't checked us out in a while, now is a great time to do so.
The only painting I'll do this week, likely will be walls, but hopefully next week, I'll have some art to show you, until then...

Oriole Painting, Done!

2011-06-17T14:21:00.006-04:00

The AGL summer sizzler show hangs this weekend, and just under the wire the Oriole painting is done. My 'production goals' are waaaay behind, which I'm not happy about, but the reasons they are make me smile. It's the time of year when my garden takes a lot of time, since I love it and it inspires my art, giving me fodder for the creativity mill, how can I get down on myself!
Teaching tends to slow down as soon as the kids get out for the summer, which will be in a week or two, I'll be able to pick up the pace then.
I do love teaching, if you've ever gotten me going about how important I think fostering creativity is... lets just say I get very passionate, very quickly, and can rant for hours.

As usual the summer is just one big crazy art show, after another. I try to just focus on one at a time, but I find my self in the position of not having enough art for my commitments if I'm not very careful, hence the production goals.

I was speaking with a woman the other day who said "I used to be an artist" I found that statement very puzzling, "used to be"? She saw my puzzlement and clarified " I just don't have inspiration hit me any more" "inspiration hit me"?

Inspiration doesn't hit me very often either, the Oriole being one of those rare occasions when it did. Inspiration for me anyway comes from going to my studio, and getting to work. There is a fab talk on TED by Elizabeth Gilbert the woman who wrote 'eat love pray' where she says that every day she shows up and gets to work, whether the 'genius' (original definition is a spirit or entity that inspires) joins her or not, at lest she was there. The more consistent she is, the more consistent the 'genius' is. Me too.

Port Stanley Artist Show

2011-06-10T14:36:00.005-04:00

To paraphrase Bugs 'This is it, tonight's the night, no more canvas stretching and nursing our paints, we've hung all our art with heart....on with the show this is it!"

The opening for the Port Stanley Artists' Guild show is tonight, I've just gotten home from hanging the show... it's spectacular!

This is our 21st year, every year we've matured a bit more as artists, and the show just keeps getting better!

I wish I'd thought to take pictures to share with you... you'll just have to come and see it for your self!

I'm almost done the Oriole painting I mentioned last week, I'm very pleased with it so far. Applying that final layer is always a bit heart in mouth, you just have to trust that it's all going to work the way it was envisioned, I'll post the results as soon as it's done.

The one pic I do have to post is of my 'helper'. I wore out my old cloths line (environmentalist aka cheap), when I was cementing in the new one a curious toad had to be shoo'd away, you can't see in the pic but he wasn't alone, there were actually three toads in that part of the garden, the others weren't so bold though.

Fund Raiser for Canadian Red Cross disaster relief

2011-05-31T22:28:00.004-04:00

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!

My favorite word

2011-05-24T07:47:00.002-04:00

I was getting panicky, I couldn't log in to blogger for a few days, I hope I've overcome what ever the problem was...very weird, and I didn't like being cut off from the 'world'. It made me reflect on how much the world has changed due to the web.
At the gallery our web access was lost for a bit, scary how much we relied on it, I couldn't do the marketing for the gallery, we couldn't send each other info, or access info accept via our phones.
The web has become a vehicle for change I've read that the revolt going on in the Middle East, has been attributed to the info accessed by people on the web. Suddenly a whole people found out just how repressed they have been by their leaders.
I wonder if 'they' had any idea of what they were unleashing when 'they' let the web 'out' into the world.
I believe the world needs to change, that interconnectedness is a good thing, yes evil has also found the web, but just as in human nature, the majority is/are good, even better than good...wonderful. Strange that the argument might be that the web has actually made the human family more connected, while we worry that it disconnects people from one on one, face to face contact.
During my webless time I was working on the art journal that was passed to me by my friends Candy McMannaman and Roxanne Jervis, we've been doing the pass the journal thing in the Port Stanley Artists' Guild. The three of us, Candy, Roxanne and I are bud's anyway so it seemed natural that that's where one journal would start. It's very interesting to see inside the mind of someone you think you know well, all of us have added both words and 'pictures', it's a lot of fun, and more than a little revealing.
During the process I find myself attracted to one word over and over, one I hope to exude and project...JOY...
Linguists theorize that the simpler the word structure the older the word is in our language.
JOY, using that hypothesis, Joy is an ancient word, a powerful word, a concept to be reckoned with.
I feel JOY that we are connected, whether via the web, or face to face, hug to hug, I wish you JOY. Lets change the world!

Haliburton Artist Educator is a WOW

2011-05-10T20:30:00.002-04:00

Last week was spent in Haliburton at the school of the arts, taking the Artist Educator foundations program. I leave tomorrow to go back for my second week, and wow OMG wow, what a fabulous course. We're learning how to write lesson plans that work with the Ontario curriculum, class room management techniques and a ton more. I've done a lot of teaching, but this is really going to change the way I teach in the future. I can hardly wait!

Aylmer Home Based Business Show

2011-04-30T08:56:00.002-04:00

I'm just packing up to go to Saxonia Hall in Aylmer for the HBBA show there. I spent much of yesterday afternoon -in between Hubby's Doc appointment and my students- revising my display that I take to art fairs.

At the beginning of last summer I lucked onto a slightly mangled aluminium gazebo that had been thrown out. The top and the side rails were ruined, but the corner trellis's are fine, and just the thing to make art display racks out of.

They're lovely, light weight but a bit of a pain to put together, so I had a brain wave this week and hopefully the adaptations will work as well in the hall as they do in my garage!

I've never been to this hall, but I have a bit of a connection to the name. When I was two, my Mom took me to Britain to meet my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, the boat we took was the Saxonia... yes I'm that old.

I still have the panda puppet she bought me on the boat, appropriately named Saxy, and when we were going through Mom's things, we found a collection of memorabilia that I now have. I only have a few hazy memories of that trip, but I feel connected to the mementos anyway.

My British relatives sent a huge bouquet of red roses to the funeral, we put a few in the urn vault with Mom, and I took two home. One I dried, and the other I put in water. It stayed vibrant for a remarkably long time. Last weekend when I decided that it was time to let it go I discovered a little green sprout on it. I've had that happen before, but they've never amounted to anything. None the less I transferred the rose to an open mouth container, and I've been watching it gain strength all week. Most likely if it does root, the variety will be too tender to survive our winters, but I still feel like Mom has sent me a little miracle to let me know she's alright. Miss ya Mommy.

Trees and tree paintings

2011-04-25T10:47:00.007-04:00

Hubby is home - he had his long awaited shoulder surgery last week - so we had the rare treat of having our morning coffee sitting by the pond.

It's been such dreary weather that we humans feel like spring is never going to get here. Nature however knows better.

I love the subtle colours of the trees as they just start to bud. The green of new leaves just sprouting must be the colour of hope.

As we sat and enjoyed the garden, birds were everywhere, gathering the bits of grasses and stems of perennials that normally would have gone into the composter in the fall. I didn't 'clean up' may garden last fall, as I was very time crunched between the SEB program and starting the gallery. The birds are grateful. I always leave some up for them, not this much though, so my education continues - lesson leave all of it up until spring.
As soon as I post this, I'll be working on my monthly newsletter. (sign up) The art show listing won't be as extensive as it was in Aprils newsletter, one that will be listed will the the show we are hanging this coming weekend at our gallery in Lambeth, called 'tree's tree's and more tree's.
This is one of the paintings I've done for that show, titled 'once' as once this was a magnificent maple, in the forest that once covered what we now call southern Ontario.

The tree is at the corner of Veteran's Memorial and River Rd. I go by it often and I love the way it seems to twist and reach for the sky. A few weeks ago I took my trusty camera and climbed the almost vertical, and very high embankment to take some pictures of it, so that I could paint this.

I haven't entirely decided which recipe I'm going to include in my newsletter this time, last time was rhubarb rumble- very yumm. Which would you prefer? I have a delish rhubarb cake recipe... or maybe the apple almond salad I made for Easter (went great with ham) or.... hmm so many great recipes to chose from.

London Studio Tour

2011-04-16T20:09:00.005-04:00

It's studio tour weekend in London. Since Viv, like the rest of us, uses the studio space to work in we were able to get out our gallery, the Art Gallery of Lambeth as one of the stops. Most of us (the partners) don't live in London so can't participate. However Vivian Tserotas our curator, not only lives in London, but also lives just a few blocks from the gallery, she's also also a perennial favorite on the tour. I'm sure you'll understand why when you see her work, she'll be at the gallery tomorrow 12-5, 2454 Main St. Lambeth (London). Our next show at the Gallery is a 'tree' show, it's called 'Birch Trees, and More Trees'. This will be one of my contrabutions. We'll also be having an affordable art Mothers Day show May 6th, and 7th.

Of Chips and Old Blocks

2011-04-03T21:46:00.006-04:00

One of my great joys is/are my granddaughters. The eldest has just turned two, and when she comes to grandma's house she makes a bee line to my studio, hauls out the crayons and paper and happily draws and colours. It's not uncommon for her to spend an hour or more standing on her chair softly muttering 'wow, wow', as the colours appear at the end of her crayons and pencils. Although he is a maker, my son isn't an artist in the conventional sense, so it's really a joy for me to have passed on to someone the 'wow' I feel when I put paint to support.

I get the same satisfaction to a large degree from my students, making art should always feel,

WOW!

This weeks piece is a large(44x30) monochromatic experimental piece, I'm really loving bringing subtle textures to life. There are 9 layers of different coloured glaze on this piece, the photo's can only capture a bit of that unfortunately.

Return

2011-03-27T19:16:00.005-04:00

Life slowly returns to normal, a new version of normal, one that I wish I didn't have to get used to. Little things set me off, set us all off, so you cry a bit, then wash your face and get on with life. Every where I see signs of spring, of new life. Yesterday coming home tundra swans kept pace with me as they flew along side Highway 74. Birds of all kinds are returning, robins, redwing blackbirds, grackles, and the gold finch are turning yellow again. It's spring. Snow drops and crocus bloom and bring a bit of light into my darkness. I know Mom didn't want us to be sad, but when the woman who carried you under her heart goes, a piece of your heart goes too. There is solace in work, in creating, and of course being in the S.E.B. I have to set and reach production goals, which have sorta gone kerpluey the last few weeks. I know you understand why, I'm not sure 'they' will though, and I'm not sure I care if they don't. Having said that I am back working, I'm helping Dad with the 'aftermath' so I'm not back to full hours yet, but close. These pins and pendants are something that don't take a lot of thought, which makes them a perfect project for the now. My friend Catherine Craig lets me make the blanks in her clay studio, I then embellish and finish them with metallics. Forgive my poor photography, the colours are actually quite rich.

Life and change

2011-03-15T08:47:00.005-04:00

I've always tried to keep this blog upbeat and art related, only occasionally dropping in a bit of personal stuff, like grandbaby births, so please forgive this diversion. Feel free to stop reading here.
Just over three weeks ago I was teaching at a pARTy when my cell phone rang ( I normally turn it off), the only reason I answered was because the call display said Mom and Dad, and they had never called my cell before.
Long story short, Mom had been taken to the hospital with pneumonia, but was home again. Almost of week followed of her going back repeatedly...and them sending her home, until finally I had her call tela health. God bless the nurse on the other end of the line, she called an ambulance and pre-called the hospital. Finally someone was taking her seriously.
Not quite a week ago she was diagnosed with lung cancer...she who never smoked a day in her life, and never failed to tell off my husband when he did, and my son when he started.
She worked in restaurants and catering much of her adult life and hated the smoke. Ironically the anti-smoking bylaws were passed just after she retired.
Today is March the 15th, we're hoping she call hang on long enough for my brother to get here tomorrow. Watching her is like watching a baby develop awareness of the world, in reverse. Everyday there is marked deterioration. Last night she couldn't hold a glass, or the phone to her ear even though a pillow was supporting their weight.
I'm worried about my Dad. In two weeks he's lost almost as much weight as she has, and he seems lost. I've always thought of him as a tough old bird, so seeing him holding her hand and crying for hours on end is frightening.
I don't know what we're going to do without her.
Edit March 16th: Mom waited for my brother to arrive. He took her hand, she smiled beautifully, sighed and flew away.
Edit July 23rd: It's been a tumultuous 4 months, kids in crisis-lost jobs etc, Dad in crisis-he failed his 80 year old's driving test, and tonight I sit here in tears, because I realized that with all the s--- that has been happening, some how I'm losing the memory of my Mom's voice, I can hear certain words and phrases, but not sentences. Mom you're slipping away, and I feel bereaved all over again.
Edit Spt 16th, 6 months since you've been gone Mom, my wedding anniversary today too, I've spent a lot of it in tears. I don't have as many melt downs as I did a few months ago, the hole is still there but I'm learning to live with it. I miss you like crazy Mom, I still can't go to the cemetery, I just can't. But since both of us believed that the 'person' has moved on, and the husk is just that, a husk, I don't think that you'd think badly of my weakness.
Edit Jan 2nd, 2012. Happy New Years Mom, we got through our first Christmas without you, I made your famous coleslaw, can't have Christmas without it, but it wasn't as good as yours. It's almost your birthday, and some how that hurts worse than Christmas, I miss our girls days out, and your birthday was always the best one. I wish you could see Maddy, she was just a baby when you left. She has your smile, and some of her mannerisms are so like you. Both of your precious great grandbabies are growing so fast. So much has changed. You were right about 'that woman' who sucked us all into the art gallery of Lambeth, but we've moved on and better things are happening. Mother knows best, sometimes I wonder if you've had a hand it how things have worked out, the good stuff I mean, some of it seems almost miraculous, like I have an angel watching over me. I love you Mom, just as much as I ever did, I miss you, the hole in my heart where you should be still hurts, and I don't think it will ever go away. I don't think I want it to.

Farewell to friends

2011-03-05T10:21:00.005-05:00

Some of you might remember Rod Fuller. At the last Dorchester Artist Network Show, Rod was our featured guest artist. His wonderful powerful abstracts stole the show, and drew rave reviews from everyone who saw them.

I met Rod at Mount Hope where he and Adrienne Anglehart were both in the art therapy program. they both quickly became favorites of mine, and sadly this week we lost them both. Rod to Huntingtons, and Adrienne to the flue.

I will miss them both.

Please forgive if my posts become sporadic for a while, my own lovely Mum is in the hospital, initially with the same flue, but now... well tests (waiting results) and time will tell.

I will keep painting through this, insanity would ensue if I didn't. but my production goals will I'm afraid take a hit.

this weeks offerings are, "house guest" a mini painting of a house finch that will be at the Art Gallery of Lambeth for the mini show (March), and rather oddly a picket for a picket fence the Hort society is donating to a hospital in Sudbury, each chapter was to paint/decorate one, guess who was voluntold in our chapter :)

Blackberry lily, Austin roses

2011-02-21T21:19:00.006-05:00

February is flying away, the hint of spring we had earlier this week was a harbinger of things to come and I for one can't wait.

Next Saturday I'll be at the Eastwood Ladies Day, fund raiser for MS. The speaker is Sue Minns, whom I understand is hilarious. It's at Eastwood Baptist and starts at 9:00, running until 2:00pm. Ya coming?

This weeks paintings are for the miniature show at our Gallery in Lambeth, the Opening is Sunday March 6, 1-4. Teeny tiny paintings are addictive, once you wrap your mind around the difficulties of painting that small.

The blackberry lily pops up all over my garden, true to it's name the seed heads mature into bunches of black berries that the birds love and spread around.

The roses are from pic's of my Lillian Austin roses. I really love this rose, it's beautiful and the scent will knock you over, unfortunately it has taken a beaten this winter, it has gone from up right to prostrate under the weight of all the snow, the rabbits have taken advantage and chewed it up. I know they have to eat too, but why do they always chew up my favorite plants?

Looking for a Bumble Bee, Subtle Beauty

2011-02-12T17:17:00.009-05:00

The first painting for this week 'Subtle Beauty' celebrates the 'Common Wood Nymph'. These little brown butterflies have bands of gold surrounding the 'eye spots' on their wings that catch the light and transform a plain Jane into Cinderella. Though called common, they aren't so common anymore. The Caterpillar host plants are grasses, in our manicured pest controlled world that's a bad place to be a bug.

The second painting is called 'Looking for a Bumble Bee'. One of my favorite native plants, columbine has very long nectar tubes that have evolved especially for long tongued pollinators bumble bees, hummingbirds, and hawk moths. Nature is fascinating!

Classes are getting going again after a hiatus in January. I have a kids 6-12 class going at the Art Gallery of Lambeth on Thursday nights, and Catherine and I have a March break kids class we're accepting registration for. All of the details are on my website along with details of other classes I'm offering.

I've got to get my minis done for the March Miniature Madness show at the AGL, so back to the studio I go, talk soon!

4 shows one week

2011-02-04T21:10:00.006-05:00

Are you ready to party!?
Our gallery the Art Gallery of Lambeth just opened our 'Red Show', Tomorrow Saturday Feb 5, 2-4 is the opening (art speak for party) for the Amabile fund raiser Art Show at Masonville Library. Sunday is the opening at Portside in Port Stanley for their Miniature show, 1-4, and yesterday I hung my solo show at One London Place. All of these shows are hanging for the whole month. I've been crazy the last few weeks trying to get work ready for all of these, this painting didn't quite make it in. 'Technical difficulties' so to speak, all is well now though.
The butterflies in this work are Red Admirals, the bouquet includes their host plant nettles, yup the stinging kind, as well as horse nettles. We might hate them, but the Admirals literally can't live without them. If you have a corner of the yard where you can let the nettles grow, the Admirals will thank you, as will several other members of the brush foot family.

Work In Progress

2011-01-31T21:49:00.006-05:00

It's a w.i.p. week, this is just hours away from completion, but it's just been one of those weeks...and the next one and the next one and the...hmmmm seems to be a pattern here.

The back ground is done, but unfortunately I tried to hurry the drying process and the masonite warped, so now I've got it damped down and weighed down in the hope that I can straighten out the mess my impatience made, sigh.

The collage element is almost done, I have one more butterfly to do and the bowl the flowers are in, and yes for those of you who aren't familiar with my kinda weird process that's tissue I'm painting on :)

The Amabile Choir fund raiser art show/sales is hanging at Masonville Library, the opening night sale/auction is Saturday Feb. 5th 2-4, I have three pieces in, there are 90 works ranging from work from textile to clay to glass and of course lots of paintings. Reading the list of the artists who have put in work is like reading a who's who of London Artists!

And don't forget, the opening for Portside's Mini show is Sunday Feb 6. 1-4. See ya there!

Dance of the Pollinators

2011-01-23T22:14:00.005-05:00

New piece, this is a larger one - 18x24.

I have to get at lest a couple of larger ones done for the 1st of February, which is fast approaching, for my solo show at One London Place.

This is a bit of an expansion on 'daisy chain' a 5x15 painting from a couple of weeks ago. Of course the ideas are already pinging around for the next one and of ways to make it better. I don't want it to get formulamatic, but I do have a bunch of ideas I want to keep playing with in this series for a while.

I'm not sure yet what this one's name is yet...suggestions?

Of course there are butterflies, and bees, me and my pollinators :)

Mini paintings for Portside

2011-01-17T16:06:00.004-05:00

February is Miniature Month at Portside Gallery and the Art Exchange, so I've been busy getting little guys done. These three are 4x4 which is the maximum size allowed. I don't think I'll frame them, just present them gallery style, I like them neck-ed so to speak, although some times I think they sell better if they're framed, sigh.

The Tiger Swallowtail is pictured with his host plant, the tulip poplar, and the Pearl Crescent is with hers, the aster. The poppy on the other hand is just for fun, a.k.a. I loved the photo.

You know of course I'm taking advantage of all of you kind people out there in internet land. By outing my production goal to you kind folks, I'm compelled to meet it. Maybe I should do the same for my marketing goals, marketing being a necessary evil that I love to hate!

I never know what to title these things!

2011-01-09T21:13:00.004-05:00

Yep, that's a cop out title. All the web marketing types talk about how important a good title is, but man o' man I have trouble coming up with something riveting! A cousin of mine just titles hers art for arts sake, and is done with it. I may steal your idea Deb :)

A week or so I 'came out' with my goal to do two pieces each week, and wouldn't you know that the art isn't co-operating. The first piece is I think, done, I actually painted a rose to collage onto it, but I like it so much just the way it is, that I haven't put it on.

The second one, is making me crazy, my idea for it just won't gel into something that works, again I've painted collage pieces for it, but nothing is working, so my salute to Botticelli's Venus sits, waiting for completion ( The birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli is one of my favorite works of all time). Since I promised you two, here they are, even if one is just a w.i.p.

Sunflowers, and milkweed

2011-01-02T20:06:00.005-05:00

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!

3 New paintings, cardinal, daisy, and sunrise

2010-12-27T14:12:00.004-05:00

I hope your Holy day was wonderful, full of family and good times.
Looking forward, lets all pray for a 2011 that see's a healing of the world. I wish for all, peace, understanding, and freedom from want for the new year.
Last month, I set for myself a goal to complete 2 small works each week, and despite flues, snows and holy days I've accomplished that. So now I'm going to increase that goal to 1 small plus 1 medium sized painting each week, or 1 large.
February is going to be a nutty month, with shows galore, Portside and Art Exchange both have their Miniature Shows, Art Gallery of Lambeth has a Paint the Town Red Show, all of which I need work for, and I have a solo show at One London Place. So I have to meet or exceed my painting goals or I'm gonna be S.O.L.

I've got lots of paintings stacked up, the problem is that my style has been evolving at such a breakneck speed over the last year, that a lot of the older work is not relevant (to me) anymore. So, I would like to have all new work for all of these shows. Impossible? I choose to believe it's not, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

Winterberry painting with chickadee

2010-12-18T21:54:00.005-05:00

My winterberry is one of my favorite shrubs. It's beside my front door, and from spring through fall it's very nondescript. Then the leaves dry and fall off, revealing gorgeous red berries clustered tightly together. Some years they stay on all winter, providing a brilliant splash of red against the snow. In hard winters the birds strip them off, of course that's who I grow them for.

2010-12-12T21:25:00.005-05:00

Have you dug out from Snowmagedon yet? I'm surprised at the number of cars still under mountains of snow, but maybe not everyone leads a go go go life style.

The upside of all of the snow and cancellations, is that there has been more time to make art!

I've also been working at setting up a Face Book Store, or a Payvment e-commerce store front as they call it. The process is a bit frustrating, but I've been chipping away at the mountain, and I'm almost through. I think to keep it easy, I'm going to offer prints on the F/B store and refer inquiries about originals to the gallery, and this site.

Here are two more of the tiny gems mixed media paintings.

In the language of flowers daisies are the symbol of innocence, in the background layers are paper dolls, also a symbol of innocence, hence the paintings name, "Innocence".

Daisies also make an appearance in "Ceropia", again in the background layers. This time strictly for aesthetic reasons, as the adult Ceropia Silk Moths have no mouth parts, so they don't eat. The caterpillars host on Maple, wildcherry and birch. No daisies, but since I like 'em, there they are. Artistic licence at work.

Grand Opening

2010-12-07T09:16:00.007-05:00

The AGL Grand Opening was a exhilarating crush!

I don't know how many came, people couldn't get to the guest book to sign it. We were over whelmed by the response, thank you so much to everyone who came, my partners and I are still 'flying' after seeing all of our hard work so splendidly pay off.

Beth Stewart of 'The Beat Magazine' wrote a review that just about sums it all up.

We are thanking our lucky stars that the blizzard held off for us too, all the records for snow fall have been smashed to smithereens for this date, and no end in sight....which means the AGL is closed until we can all dig out. Once we do, please drop in for a look around, we literally have art for every taste, and perhaps do some Christmas shopping in our gift/treasure shop.

Grand opening

2010-12-02T22:53:00.005-05:00

Be there or be square...it's gonna be one heck of a party!

And in case you didn't see it here is the story from the London Free Press.

Tiny 'flying jewel' paintings of butterflies

2010-11-27T08:42:00.005-05:00

With the gallery's grand opening just days away, I've been working like mad trying to get some new work done. The SEB business course I spent the summer taking, was very informative, but it meant that I didn't get as much work ready as I normally would, and now I'm paying for that.

A couple of opportunities have been missed, and while there isn't much I can do about it, I'm still annoyed with myself.

I'm investigating having these paintings reproduced on plak-it mounts. I've had photo's plaked, and when I saw that Vivian Tserotas has had some of her work reproduced on plaks, I thought hmmm, that would work!

A paper reproduction didn't appeal to me, and there are issues with fading with canvas reproductions. I like the chunkiness of plaks so we'll see. Then of course finding shops to sell them is the next step.

for Laura again :)

2010-11-24T17:51:00.003-05:00

24 hours will tell me better what needs changing, your input will help too.

Portrait Progress-for Laura

2010-11-24T15:27:00.003-05:00

Because I know some one out there in internet land is on tenderhooks

hmmm, I see I need to fix the light spot in her left eye...and a couple other things....

Friends of Portside show

2010-11-20T19:38:00.005-05:00

Have you noticed how is seems that everyone you talk to is going crazy busy? How did life get so out of control.

My hubby asked me if I wanted to go to the outdoor show in Toronto next weekend with him, and I heard myself say "I'm not sure I have time".....WHAT!

So I'm going to do my level best to clear the day next Saturday. It's not that I want to go (I don't) it's that the day when work is more important than loved ones is a very sad one indeed.

After all, the reason I'm doing all of this, besides the fact that I have to do Art, is him, hubby.

He turns 65 next year, and I want him to be able to retire if he wishes to do so. My best chance to earn enough to supplement his pension is with my talents. I could go back to work in retail, for minimum wage, and be totally miserable again...no thanks!

So, the crazy....

This weekend, Nov 21, I'll be at the Springfield/Whittaker Community Center Lioness Bazaar, 11-3, on Whittaker Rd.

Next week, Thursday Nov 25, 7-9pm, opening for Friends of Portside. Show and sale (Nov. 25-28, 11-5 at Portside, 187 1/2 Main St Port Stanley.

And, Nov 28th HBBA one stop shop, Grace United Church, 18 Balaclava St, St Thomas.

Then of course Dec 4th 7-10 GRAND OPENING of Art Gallery of Lambeth, WAHOO!!!!

2454 Main St Lambeth (London).

I'm working on one commission and have another in the wings too, PLUS, I'm trying to get some work done for AGL's and STEPAC's gift shops.

Ya see what I mean...crazy!

St Thomas Elgin Artists' Guild Show 2010

2010-11-13T10:07:00.007-05:00

The opening last night was huge, it was great to see to see so many out for the show. We had wonderful music with vocals by Cara Lee and Jon Jeffery who also plays guitar, beverages from Timmies, and treats supplied by Perfect Bakery (116 Hamilton Rd London-519-432-7931), and of course some of the most fabulous art, by some of this areas best artists.

The show continues Saturday Nov 13, 12-9, and Sunday Nov 14, 12-4.

Let the Christmas shopping ensue!

Mary Louise White is opening tonight (Nov 13) at STEPAC. Mary Louis is not only one of the best artists in North America, but also one of the kindest souls I have every met. When I was just starting to get serious about my art she sat down with me and gave me lots of wonderful advise, that has made important an impact on my art practice.

Speaking of my art practice, I've been working diligently at my commissions list, if you were thinking of having a commissioned piece done for Christmas, I only have a few spots left, so don't delay! Ditto for pARTy bookings!!

St T Guild Show and Gallery News

2010-11-07T10:02:00.006-05:00

It's almost here!

The Show in St Thomas 'Art Before Christmas' is less than a week away.

(Friday 6-9, Saturday 12-9, Sunday 12-4, 810 Talbot St, see the side bar for details)

The women who are organizing it, June Anne Reid and Sandra England (also members of the gallery) are doing an amazing job. It's going to pull all the stops!

I haven't been as involved in the organizing of this show as I have been in shows past, which has left me with more time to do marketing etc for the gallery, this was, of course, 'the plan'. Gotta have a plan.

We finished painting the gallery this week, and have the furnishings in. Rose Klein and Vivian Tserotas did an amazing job on the furnishings. The gallery is very sophisticated and contemporary looking. This week Viv and assistants will start hanging the art, and then..........Wednesday November the 17th...........we're open!

OMG

I have butterflies the size of pterodactyls.

Also, Saturday November 13th Mary Louise White, and artist I truly admire, has her opening at the St Thomas Public Art Center 7-9 pm. I Love Mary Louise's work. She's a great inspiration to me.

gallery news & new newsletter in the works

2010-10-30T08:50:00.007-04:00

The gallery set up is getting close to completion. Our doors should be open for our 'soft opening' on Nov 17th, with our grand opening Dec 10th. This gives us some time to work any bugs out, and make sure that the set up flows. This is SOOOOO exciting/terrifying!
We will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Art Gallery of Lambeth is at 2454 Main St in Lambeth Ontario. We are 9 area artists, and as well as our own work we will have associate artists work on display, and a gift shop of locally made treasures.
Our gallery will have a community focus and so we will offer workshops for both adult and young learners in our teaching room. We also plan on hosting community events like after school art programs, art fairs, and speaking/demonstration programs. When we're not using it we plan on renting the room for small groups to have meetings in.

My partners are:

Vivian Tserotas, textile
Robert Reid, watercolour
Sandra England, contemporary
Rose Klein, textile
Catherine Craig, clay and fiber

Annette Martin, contemporary
Brenda Colley, wild life, all media
June-Anne Reid, contemporary
and of course me, Robin Baratta, contemporary

In addition to this I'm still running my own art business, if you're thinking of a portrait for Christmas, or of hosting a pARTy, I'm booking up fast, so don't delay!

As a part of streamlining my own business I've been migrating my newsletter list to a service, so that it won't come from my personal e:mail account any more but from my web site. If you'd like to sign up just put your info into the sign up box, click on the click here spot on the confirmation e:mail...and Bob's your uncle!

The St Thomas Guild Show 'The Art Before Christmas is fast coming up too. Friday, Nov 12 opening reception 6-9pm, show continues Saturday November 13, 12-9pm, Sunday November 14, 12-4pm. It's at the restored Canadian Southern Railway Station at 810 Talbot St, St Thomas. the art will be superlative as always, but it's worth going just to see what they've done with that magnificent old building.

2010-10-21T11:50:00.005-04:00

For a month I thought was going to be a bit quiet, October sure has rev ed up. This weekend Saturday Oct 23rd, 9-4, I'm participating in the Mega One Stop Shop at St Anne's Community Center 20 Morrison Dr. St Thomas. Check out my face book events page for more info.
Last weekend's Princess Project for Breast Cancer was great, a beautiful day, a beautiful location, a well organized event and we raised $500.00 for breast cancer research.
The mixed media pARTy for the retired teachers wellness day on Monday was a blast, as was the presentation at the Seniors Center in Strathroy Wednesday evening, I wasn't prepared for the size of the crowd at Strathroy (60+) but we managed and had fun.

And, of course things are steaming along with the NEW GALLERY!!!!! Yes that's right a gallery!!!!, The Art Gallery Of Lambeth! SO, our BIG SECRET is out! 9 of us have taken the plunge, committed our lives and sanity and we're doin' it! every artist's dream! A GALLERY (dancin' around the computer room) oh my...do I sound a bit frazzled!?!

I have some of my (new) art that I could share with you this week, but instead I'm going to share the invitation for Mary Louise White's show at the St Thomas Public Art Center.
Mary Louise does the most amazing work. She uses various exotic papers to achieve very textural effects, as I said ~ amazing.
Well poopy, I can't seem to upload the file (insert sound of teeth gnashing and hair pulling) however it too is on my face book events page. Just remember Saturday November 17th 7:00 at the St Thomas Public Art Center on Talbot St. See ya there!

pARTy preparations

2010-10-09T22:19:00.012-04:00

The last two weeks have been crazy, and we're just hours away from our big announcement. Vivian, Sandy, and I have spent hours prepping our......secret......after many many revisions for lawyers, bankers and others I think, we're just about ready. Between my own business plan, and the .....secret... I think that the computer chair has become attached to my bottom!

I have done a few demo boards for my pARTy's, I have a couple booked in St Thomas next week, and one in Strathroy, so I really want/need to have everything ready for them, I also want to have postcard invitations made to advertise the pARTy's, and I need the demo boards to photograph to use on them.

As I do each one I pretend I'm teaching a pARTy, and I talk my way through it, clarifying my thoughts and simplifying my techniques as I do so...if hubby didn't think I was a bit nuts before, lets just say I hid the butterfly nets lol.

2010-09-25T18:17:00.005-04:00

I had and Epiphany this week. I've been slogging my way through this business plan that I have to have done by Oct 4, and not really happy about some of what I felt I had to put into it. My 'income streams' are 1-Murals and Faux finishes, 2- teaching, and 3- portraits, 4 is the secret (soon-soon, the papers are at the lawyers, then we can make our announcement!!!!) with 5 being licensing, AKA a Zazzle store (print on demand, very cool)

Number four has all of us wound, but the rest was not making me particularly happy. I put the murals in because it was strongly suggested that I should, so I was focusing most of my energy on enhancing that part of the B.P. because I felt I 'had to'.

Then came the moment of realization... other than good 'ol number four (I sooooo can't wait to tell you) the thing that has me the most jazzed with this whole biz plan thingy, is the teaching. Specifically something I'm calling pARTy's - yes I know it's and ie, not a y's, but bear with me.

So someone ask... what's a pARTy?....

A pARTy is when you invite a bunch of friends over. They all bring some ink jet photo's and a few things that are related to the photo's like- wedding pic's and dried flowers from the wedding, and an invitation... etc

I bring the art supplies and we play. There would be a smallish fee per person, and everyone would go home with a very personal and special piece of art. Way more fun than a Tupperware party!

Now if I can just make it work!

Silent Spring revisited

2010-09-19T19:35:00.007-04:00

As I've said before, sometimes a painting, that I think is done, will start whispering in my ear and ask for changes. The original version of 'Silent Spring' has hung on my wall for a couple of years, and just now has told me what it wanted.

Silent spring "08

Silent Spring '10

What do you think?

textile art with Vivian

2010-09-16T21:25:00.002-04:00

Vivian is a fabulous textile artist, her work is in Galleries all over Ontario and beyond. This is an exceptional opportunity to study with her.

Hi, this is Vivian Tserotas with a textile art update.

I wanted to inform you of my new course that I will be teaching at Fanshawe College. If anyone is interested in learning some textile sewing techniques please join me.

Students will incorporate the basic elements of design, composition and colour theory with traditional and contemporary techniques of textile arts. This includes, drawing with your sewing machine, surface design using threads, gold leafing, stamp making and stamping your design into your art cloth. This introductory course uses very basic sewing skills to teach you how to draw with your sewing machine and to create stunning surface design. The course focuses on three finished projects using three different
methods for each project.

To register you can call 519-452-4444

The course begins October the 5th and will run for eight weeks.

If you know anyone who would be interested in learning more on textile arts please feel free to pass this email along. This course in designed for everyone.

You do need your own sewing machines.

Take care,

Vivian Tserotas

Corporate Art Article

2010-09-11T13:10:00.003-04:00

This article was in the Spt 7 the Toronto Star, and speaks about Corporate Art purchases.
I'd observed this my self, while in various offices while working for a horticultural service.

See....told ya!

Birth of a website

2010-09-10T12:38:00.004-04:00

Have you ever made something way more complicated than it should have been?
Well I certainly did.
I purchased website hosting after perusing through several options. The provider is Costco, so the trust factor was very high when they said 'easy to use, your website can be ready in an hour' I've gotten to know my way around blog building, have learned a bit of HTML...how hard could it be?
They helpfully supply how to video's, with step by step instructions. I spent hours watching the video's and trying to follow along...hours.
And... was totally stymied.
I'm stubborn, and I was not going to let this thing defeat me! So....more hours.
Finally I cried Uncle, and called a friend who does this kind of thing. She came over and said... well there are templates with place holder text, you should be able to just delete their text and replace it with yours, same with the photo's.
I tried it, it worked. Elapsed time... about 2 minutes. So much for the helpful video's.
It took me a bit longer than their hour to build it, but not much, and there are still a few links that I'm not ready to make live, but here it is, let me know what you think http://www.expressivebrush.ca/

Oh, and the portrait has passed inspection, yay! and is being framed. Next up, a commission to paint humming birds and trumpet vine on a wooden mailbox.

Portrait in Charcoal, a couple and their Rottie

2010-09-04T10:40:00.003-04:00

The Portrait is progressing, I want to have it done this week.

I know that the client doesn't need it until Christmas, but I said I'd have it done by now, and I really hate missing deadlines, even if they're self imposed.

I've been spending hours on this Business Plan that I have to have done by Oct 4th. We've been told that our plans should be between 30-50 pages, I'm at page 10.

If it was just wordsmithing I'd be fine...

It's all of the research that takes the time, and makes me want to tear out my hair. You have to have facts and figures to back up everything you say, and yet, so much of what I want to do defies quantification.

The stuff for the mural/faux side of the business, thank goodness, is a bit easier to define. The portrait and teaching sides a bit more difficult, the fine art side....anybody's guess. Collectors come from every walk of life, education and economic level. How do you define that in a nice neat equation?

Maybe I'm taking this too seriously? Maybe that's what I have to do, take a best guess using the facts and figures I've been able to gather. ~sigh~

More Excitment

2010-08-28T07:27:00.002-04:00

One of the very exciting things I've been yammering about lately was born Thursday morning. We have another perfect little girl in our family, and yes, 2nd Grandbabies are every bit as exciting as 1st's are.
I was already totally in love with, and committed to this tiny scrap of humanity, then I found out that my son and daughter inlaw have given her my second name. I feel deeply honoured, and humble at the same time.
This week has been a week of beginnings. I've finally done it, I've started my own business (officially). I've done several weeks of prep to get to this step, and still have a few weeks to go, one facet of this business is still in the works.....exciting!
My business is call 'The Expressive Brush'. I've always done murals and faux finishes for myself, friends and family, infact when I worked in the paint department at Home Depot I taught the how to faux workshops they used to put on.
Portrait commissions are great, and fine art is wonderful, super wonderful, but I need to pay the bills, and I'd need a lot more commissions and sales to do that. So I add another arrow to my quiver, with another to come.
My DH retires in a couple of years, I want to get established now so that he can retire, and still live in the manner to which he/we have become accustomed.
I've purchased a domain name, expressivebrush.ca and am working on building a portal site that will take you to my various blog pages, I think that's actually called a front page? In my arrogance, I thought that because I've got the blog thing figured out - mostly- I'd be able to whip up a web site on a site builder template... insert hysterical laughter... I was wrong, so it'll be a while until it's live, but I'll get there.
The bottom line is I WILL NOT go back to retail I've never been so miserable in my entire life as I was working at 'the store'.
Paint is the worlds best anti-depressant, and I intend to paint the world into a happier place, one wall, one canvas at a time.

exciting times

2010-08-19T16:29:00.002-04:00

There is so much happening right now that I hardly know where to start. Some of it I have to stay mum on just yet (bursting here), but this is what I can tell you so far.
On Oct 4th last year I started a journey that is coming to fruition. After much jumping through hoops I've been accepted into the Self Employment Program delivered by the Provincial government. They are very negative towards the arts so this was a very tough process, but hey, I won one for our side, it just took way more effort to prove myself worthy of their help.
To me this attitude makes no sense. They don't view artist's as business people, so they're unwilling to give us business help... so how are we supposed to develop business skills if we are excluded from the training and coaching offered to other small businesses? Am I the only one who sees the flaw in their logic?
Now, I have to write a business plan, I've got the first draft done, but I've been sent into re-write, this is a ton of work, research, etc.
I'm having a really hard time coming up with a business name, Artyfix? Joy of Art? Art to Joy? Joy in Art, Joy in Artistry? Why not just Robin Baratta Art? I'm told it's too long, not 'catchy' and easily misspelled, sigh. What do you think? any suggestions?
I've got a couple of commissions I've been working on at the same time, and I feel like they're in slow mode, can't be helped ~ but I hate not delivering when I say I'm going to. (Not at a stage that will photograph well)
Plus of course it's art show season, so every weekend we (DH and I) are off someplace, flogging the art.
Catherine, Rose and I have a show coming up Sept 1- 30 at the Central Library , so I have to get ready for that too, and of course against my better judgement I got rooked into doing Iron Horse in St Thomas next weekend, argh! tear out hair, where am I gonna get the time!! argh!
Oh pooh sounds like I'm complaining/whinging again, sorry about that.
The other really big exciting thing I can't tell just yet, but as soon as I can :)

hawk painting, Hawk Spirit #1 Native American

2010-08-09T17:14:00.004-04:00

It's been another super busy week (excuses for late post follows). Well O.K. lets just sum up by saying art shows, art stuff, art work, and life.

I am pleased to say that the first of the Salthaven pieces is finished...although it's whispering to me about a few minor touches here and there, they are minor.

I have a couple of commission pieces to work on before I can get into #2 which will be Ancient Egyptian, but it wants out of my brain and onto canvas so, soon my friends soon.

Here's a pic of one of the art show's I did this week (Woodstock), the other in Copenhagen was a disaster, it was super windy and my set up blew over. I was lucky. I damaged my display stands, and a few frames but the art is O.K. Another artist wasn't so lucky. The sad thing was that the show was very poorly attended and sales thin on the ground. Weather may have had a bit to do with that, but I don't think that that's a pond I'll fish in again.

One of my fav art writers Clint Watson wrote an article last week about how in conventional business you know who your market is and you focus on them, in art business it's not so cut and dried, so you have to be like a fisherman and cast your bait into many ponds until you find the one for you. I'm getting some bites, but I'd still like to find the pond with the 'big ones'. As the wife of a fishing fanatic the analogy spoke volumes to me. I just hope I don't spend as much on boats, baits and bobbers as DH has, to get a few bites. I want to catch my limit! lol.

Candy McManiman's show

2010-07-29T21:01:00.001-04:00

Candy and Annette at the Art Exchange

Red Tailed Hawk Painting for Salthaven

2010-07-29T17:45:00.003-04:00

Way back in the spring I was invited to Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where I was privileged to be able to take many pictures of their 'critters'. They do amazing work there.

The plan is that I create the paintings, and have new work to show, meanwhile they can use the images to promote their center, win, win!

With all of the other 'stuff' that has been on my plate (I should have something to tell about that by August the 12th) I haven't been able to spend the time in my studio that I would like. As Catherine says...we're hoping that this 'stuff' will have been a glorious waste of time vs an utter waste of time :)

Now we're in the waiting phase for the 'stuff' so I'm working like mad to make up for lost time!

This is of course the tissue painting of the hawk that will be one of the layers of the mixed media piece. As per usual I've been doing lots of research on my subject and I've found some interesting stuff.

Hawks are revered in cultures from ancient Egypt, through to China and onward to the Native Americans. They are considered almost universally to be a symbol of protection, and also almost universally to be messengers of the gods.

Native Americans say that he who walks with the hawk will be the protector of the earth, and teach others to do the same.

I've always had a special feeling for hawks, Frank Northgrieve an artist friend and member of the Chippewa on the Thames Band told me once that they are my totem.

Walk with the hawk my friend, may we all walk with the hawk.

Portrait bride and groom signed, sealed, and delivered!

2010-07-22T13:40:00.005-04:00

The charcoal bride and groom portrait has passed muster, been signed, sealed with fixative and delivered to the framer. The client wants a small calla lily, and the date of the wedding drawn on the mat, and then we're done!
It's always a good feeling when you know that your work has made someone happy.
Catherine, Rose and I have a show booked for September in the Central Library in London, and I feel like I have nothing to hang :( So today I've been working on getting some canvases ready for projects that want to get out of my head and into the real world. I do have two more commissions to do before I can have too much 'me time', but I need to be ready to leap into action as soon as possible.
Recently I've been going back over some old work and deciding if I'm going to keep it, give it away, or re-work/gesso over it. Any thing that is more than 3 years old goes through the gauntlet. It's a tough thing to do, but if I didn't do it periodically I'd be buried in old 'stuff'. Not to say that I don't keep favourites, but after three years, they become part of 'the collection of the artist'.

Charcoal bride and groom portrait almost done

2010-07-15T14:46:00.003-04:00

Close, very close. I'm just waiting for the client to look at it, and tell me if there are any glaring inaccuracies.

portrait stages - charcoal

2010-07-09T13:51:00.003-04:00

The groom has been roughed in. As you can see the bride is at a much further stage and is approaching completion. You may also note that I've used the pose from one photo, and faces from two others. Awww the advantages of art over photography! Oh I know that wonderful things can be done with photo shop....but this is so much more fun. Chuckle.

Belmont Art in the Park 2010

2010-07-08T10:32:00.005-04:00

Busy, Busy, Busy. Both the joy and the curse of show season is how busy a person can get if they (I'm) not careful.

Joy, in that it's great to have so many opportunities to choose from. Curse, in that it's easy to over do.

Last weekend was a classic example of over do. In my own defense, one of the 3 shows had been re-scheduled. I really didn't book to do 3 in one weekend. Lucky for me I have a great and supportive family so Dear Hubby did the dog show, Mom helped at the First Friday, and I did my street portraits in Port. Lest you think I'm complaining, let me assure you that hectic though it was, it was a blast!

This weekend is the Belmont Art in The Park. Belmont Community park -201 Ceasar Rd- is a lovely spot. It's a popular place for wedding photos, in fact a wedding party is coming in right after we pack up to have their photos taken there.

The list of artists keeps getting longer and more interesting. I'm sure you'll love it!

Bev and Howard here is the early stage portrait. It's funny how putting it on the computer screen lets me see what needs fixing. I just keep chiseling away at it.

Canfest, Wienerfest and Canada Day

2010-07-01T10:14:00.005-04:00

Happy Canada Day!
I've spent the last week going slightly nuts, getting every thing ready for the weekend. The Wienerfest 'T' shirts are ready, I'm still working on fridge magnets and coasters, but my darling hubby (DH) has been diligently packaging cards and taking care of other details.... I think.... we're almost ready.
Here's the schedule, I'm in Port Stanley, in a tent doing caricatures by the lift bridge 1-8 Thursday, 1-6 Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The First Friday Art Walk is in port Friday night, so I'll 'convert' my tent to an art walk tent at 6 and stay until??
Saturday, DH will have my other tent at Wienerfest in Thamesford from 10-4, this event is off Highway 2 (Dundas) behind Tim's in the Riverwalk Park. I've got the above mentioned 'stuff' there, plus I'll be showing off the portraits that I do by commission.
Speaking of which Bev and Howard, things are going well, I'm just at an early stage, so there's not much to show yet, soon.

Drawing Charcoal Dogs

2010-06-27T19:29:00.005-04:00

My shirt-tail cousin Linda Collier is the organizer of weinerfest in Thamesford Ontario. This a huge event with over 600 dogs and 4,000 dog people attending. It's next weekend July 3rd for various reasons I won't be there, actually I'll be at Canfest in Port Stanley, but for her I've been doing Dachshunds, just for fun.

Another reason I can't be there is because of some very strange regulations of the Ontario government, when I can I'll explain.

St Thomas Artisans village

2010-06-26T09:38:00.001-04:00

congratulations to all of my friends who are participating in this exciting endeavor. Much success to you all!

There will be 11 artists in the Artisans Village for the July 1st weekend including June-Anne Reid, Sharon Brassard, Ethel Mitrovic, Judy Ross, Rubyeyes Glasswerks, Daniel Brassard, Dorothy Stevens, Jo Ann Box, Jenny Sager and Appletree Furniture. Also on the Thursday Evergreen Studio artists June-Anne Reid & Sandra E...ngland are celebrating their official opening at the new location with music by Kerri Manning & friends, Canada Day cake, and coffee & tea provided by Philip Schmidt. The village will be open from 10:00 AM till 5:00 PM each day Thursday - Sunday. Come out and join in the fun.

www.portholegalleries.com

deadlines and commitments

2010-06-20T19:26:00.002-04:00

Happy Fathers day to all the Dads and the honorary Dads, we say thank you, for being our rock. Allowing us to fall, and for picking us up. For teaching us to believe in our selves, and for loving us no matter what.
I had the pleasure of watching my son exploring with his daughter today, together they investigated rocks, and frogs, and waterfalls, splashed in a wadding pool and devoured strawberries with whip cream at a four generation brunch.
What a miracle, to see your kids as not just parents, but good parents, life just doesn't get any better than this.
I think (insert crossed fingers) that I'm done my prep for the presentation I have to do Thursday. I sent an e:mail off last night with it attached for critique, now all I have to do is present, and defend my proposal.
This has been a long and hard process, as I said once before, I've never-ever done this much homework. I've done research for paintings and other things, but trying to glean Stat's for this undertaking....has been interesting.
With any luck now I can get back into my studio. Today I walked into it, and looked around at the mess that has accumulated in the last few weeks -not sure how that happens, when I haven't been working in it- and I felt like I was coming home. What a welcome feeling. I love that little room, and what I produce in it.
I hardly know where to start, I have two commissions, a salthaven piece in my head that desperately wants out, and shows to prepare pieces for. First things first, and one step at a time. It's off to work I go!

Port Stanley Artists Show and Sale 2010

2010-06-12T11:09:00.003-04:00

The Port Stanley Artists' Guild 20th annual show and sale is happening at the Port Stanley Legion, which is right by Port Stanley's historic and famous lift bridge, and across the road from the Rail terminal.
The opening was last night (Friday June 11) and as always it was a blast! We had lots of wonderful nibbles and beverages with music by 'Shore lines' a wonderful light jazz ensemble.
The show continues today 12-8pm, and Sunday 12-5.
Port Stanley was founded in 1812 by Lieutenant Colonel John Bostwick and named after Lord Edward Stanley the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and father of Lord Fredrick Stanley, he of the Stanley Cup.
Two of Port's (as locals affectionately call the village) most famous claims to fame are the London Port Stanley Rail Road, which in the guise of Port Stanley Terminal Rail still runs a heritage train between Port and St Thomas Ontario. When my boys were little, going to Port was synonymous with going on the train, I can hardly wait to take my grand daughter for her first train ride!
The second is the Stork Club, a big band palace, it had the largest unobstructed dance floor in North America and regularly played host to all of the biggest names of the Big Band era.
I remember going on picnics to the Stork Club grounds, and riding on the vertical railway. I also remember crying when it burnt to the ground the year I was a young bride. There is a museum devoted to the Stork Club in the Port Stanley Festival Theater building just across the lift bridge from the Rail terminal, and our show in the Legion.
The beach, the board walk, Mackie's and the Wharf are a few other famous Port Stanley traditions, you don't want to miss.

June Newsletter

2010-06-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

Whew! the summer has started with a bang.

I'm glad to say that the garden projects I had planned are almost done, just in time for the art season to take off!

Catherine and I have a duo show hanging in the Cherry Hill Library, in the Sam Katz room. This is our third show there and it always amazes me how good our stuff looks together, even though it's completely disparate. The library is completely booked for every evening, and the only Saturday it's free is the day her son gets married.... so we won't be having an opening this time.

The Port Stanley Guild show is just about here. The opening is Friday June 11, 7-9pm, the show continues June 12, 12-8pm, and June 13, 12-5pm. This is always a spectacular show, you really should make it a priority on your to-do list. What could be better, Port's famous beach, the restaurants and shops, and a stellar art show too.

Port Stanley's first Friday, Art Walk is back, the first Friday of each month, and Port's Canfest weekend July 1-4 will be here before you know it.http://www.portstanleycanfest.ca/

The Woodstock Gallery Show "Visual Elements" is also coming up, with all of my art committed for the month I won't be in it this year, but I know several artist who will be, and their work is wonderful. Check it out at gallery@city.woodstock.on.ca

Here's a great make ahead dish for those busy summer days.

Moroccan Couscous salad

cook 3/4 cup couscous according to package directions
In a large bowl combine:
2 tblsp chopped parsley
2 tblsp chopped cilantro
2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp olive oil
½ tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 peeled diced carrot
½ seeded diced red pepper
½ cup diced red onion
½ cup kernel corn
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup diced dried mango
toss, and chill for one hour, serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

2010-05-31T21:12:00.002-04:00

Three weeks down, and several more to go, assuming I pass my 'presentation' on the 17th.
The course Catherine and I have been taking is turning my brain to mush, I don't think I did this much homework...ever. And - it's keeping me out of the studio, the withdrawal is awful :)
Last week was the Dorchester Artists' Network show. We seem to have started a new tradition of doing it in the dark. Last year the power went out and this year it didn't just go out, it stayed out. Unfortunately, it's hard to have a successful show with out power, sigh.
Thursday, Catherine and I will be hanging our 'duet' show at Cherry hill Library in London, it will be up all of June, in the Sam Katz meeting room, I haven't received confirmation yet, but we are hoping to have a gathering on Saturday June 19, I'll let you know more details as soon as I have them.
The garden is giving me some relief from my art withdrawal. The new section(butterfly/hummingbird garden) I put in last year is really filling in well.
This is the first year that I've left the net over the pond, I got tired of operating a sushi bar for big blue. This morning I was glad I had, during my 6:00am walk around the garden, I saw that the finned ones were 'at it again' , and they had an audience, there he was... standing on the roof... watching. So now instead of operating a sushi bar, I'm operating a ??? peep show???

of plants and paint

2010-05-20T22:08:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks, and the next few, have been totally nuts. Every week/weekend something has been happening and will be. The Appreciation Of the Arts, then the St Thomas Studio tour which-btw- was much better than last years studio tour for us, due to a better location and better weather.

This week and weekend is the Belmont Horticultural society's plant sale. We've become know for the quality of our plant sale, with lots of perennials, some annuals, and edibles it's not to be missed. If you or someone you know is a plant lover send them to Belmont, we're right on the main road, across from Westminster Mutual. Thursday, and Friday 3-6pm, and Saturday 9-12 or until the plants are gone... which ever comes first! Say Hi, I'll be there. Catherine calls me 'Queen of the Horts (soft 't'), which only means that when the elections came up last year I didn't know enough to say NO, and now I'll pres, 'cause I just needed another job... snarkcasim.

The Dorchester Artist Network show is coming up next weekend May 28-29-30, at the Dorchester On Thames Golf Club, Hamilton Rd just East of Dorchester mill pond.

There will be all kinds of great art, from sculpture, to painting, to jewelry, and pottery. There is bound to be something to please everyone.

These paintings are done by an amazing gentleman named Rod Fuller, whom I am privileged to know. Rod is an inspiration. Come to the gala Friday 6-9pm to meet him and you'll understand why I say that.

bowling ball bugs

2010-05-09T14:29:00.003-04:00

Mom always said that the best gifts were hand made, so look Mom.... I made you a gift for Mom's day!

Mom's day

2010-05-09T14:11:00.003-04:00

Happy Mothers day to all of the Mom's, and honorary Mom's out there.
The world needs more 'Mom's'.
It seems to me that there are all kinds of Mom's, and many of them didn't give birth to the people they are 'mothering'. Teachers, nurses, caregivers of all kinds, it doesn't matter what gender or cultural background these honorary Mom's are, they nurture and care for their charges whether blood relationships are involved or not.
That nurturing instinct is part of what made our species proliferate, and it's loss is part of what will eventually bring us down.
Yep the world needs more 'Mom's'.
The best kind of leader is the leader who celebrates, the accomplishments of their followers, who encourages them to be more that they were before. The best kind of leader grows their followers, teaching them to be independent, to think for them selves, to exercise compassion, and to lift the weak, just as that leader does.
The best kind of leader, gives their charges wings, and sheds a tear of joy, and pride when they fly.
Sounds like a Mom, my Mom.
If the Mom's led the world there would be no war, no hunger, no children with no one to love and care for them.
The world needs more Mom's.

Humming bird painting with bee balm

2010-05-01T19:19:00.004-04:00

Since my newsletter last week, a couple of things have either changed or come up.

The change is to the date of the Horticultural society plant sale, we've moved it ahead a week to Thursday May 20, 3-6pm, May 21, 3-6pm, and Saturday May 22 9 am-12pm. We had originally planned on avoiding the long weekend, linking with the fireman's breakfast, however, great news, we received word that we will be getting a huge donation of perennials, on the 17th, so we want to have the sale while the plants are fresh.

Catherine and I had not planned on being in the St Thomas Studio Tour. However an opportunity has come up for us to share studio space next door to friends of ours, Sharon and Daniel Brassard. I don't have the exact address yet, but their studio is in the old Alma Train Station on Wellington St west, St Thomas.

Finally, I've finished my latest painting, I think.... :)

It's called 'flight path', and it's part of my pollinators series.

Hummingbirds are everyones favorite pollinator. Sometimes the little guys, or as in the case of the bird in my painting, the little gals, cheeks and bibs are covered in yellow pollen from their lapping at nectar. Some flowers are designed so that only hummingbirds can pollinate them, and many more are pollinated by hummers as well as other pollinators.

So the next time you see one buzzing around enjoy, and say a silent thank you.

May Newsletter

2010-04-24T11:48:00.002-04:00

If you would like to have my 'sorta monthly' newsletter e:mailed to you please click on the comment button on the bottom of this post and send me your request, don't forget to include your e:address, and don't worry, I won't post it for anyone to see.

Many thanks to the people who have button holed me to ask where the newsletter was. I've been spending way too much time in my garden, and letting a few things get behind, like house work... and my newsletter.
Every year I spend a couple of intense weeks in the garden, as soon as the soil is workable. I transplant, weed, cleanup, expand, mulch, and then my work is pretty much done until fall clean up. Oh sure I wander around the garden most mornings with my coffee cup in one hand and a weeder, or scissors- for dead heading- in the other, but really that's it. Mulch is the miracle here, that and careful plant selection.
Some of you know my garden, it's large. It's also a certified backyard wildlife habitat, which I'm quite proud of.
For info on the Canadian Wildlife Federation's backyard habitat program and how to get involved go to www.wildaboutgardening.org and look in the ‘resources' side bar. It's not a hard thing to do (certification), but it does take commitment.

In my corner of the art world things are heating up.
Wed. May 5, 7-8:30pm is the Appreciation of the Arts Programme/opening, the show continues May 6, 1-9pm, and May 8, 10-3pm. Every year during their programme they showcase various performers and ‘feature' a couple of local artists. The featured artists this year will include my friends Daniel and Sharon Brassard ( I hope I spelled that correctly) and myself.
The performers are great to extraordinary, and it is overwhelming to see so much local art in one place, many of these artists aren't in any of the guilds, so this is your opportunity to see their work.
The show is at The Church Of Latter Day Saints, 436 Elm St, St Thomas.

Dorchester and Area Artist Network 15th annual show and sale, is at the Dorchester on Thames Golf Club, 3342 Hamilton Rd. Opening Gala Sat. May 28 6-9 pm, show continues May 29, 10am-4pm.
As well as D.A.N members this show also features the work of local high school students. It's amazing to see the talent of the next generation, this show will blow your socks off.
This is the same weekend that the Belmont and area Horticultural Society has our annual plant sale. There will be all kinds of perennials, heritage veggies, exotic tropicals, and garden ‘accessories'. Belmont is just up the road from Dorchester, on Highway 74.
Saturday we'll be at the former Brooklynn's on the main road, and Sunday we move around the corner onto Caesar Rd, and the Fire hall, where the annual ‘Fireman's breakfast' will be taking place.
So why not make a day of it, breakfast served by a fireman, plants to buy, and just down the road, art to see/buy. Now that's my definition of a perfect day!
I believe I've ‘talked' about Salthaven before. Salthaven is a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre www.salthaven.org
We're still working out the details, but I'm excited to announce that we will be entering into a partnership. I will have access to their ‘critters', which will enable me to create art featuring them. Salthaven will use images of the completed work, on promotional items to raise much needed funds, and the originals will be part of the travelling educational show I'm putting together, for public galleries.
Well that's the highlights, there is a ton of other stuff happening, the first Port Stanley Art Walk of the year is May 7. That's a sure sign spring is here!
I'm certain there are all kinds of other events, as always as I find out about them I'll post them in the side bar of my blog.

Get out there and enjoy the season,

Yours in art

Taxes and Gardening

2010-04-18T12:53:00.002-04:00

Ugh...Taxes.
Every year I find myself putting of getting the tax stuff ready. I've given up on doing them myself, that was just WAY to stressful. Don't get me wrong, I know taxes are a necessary evil, if you want to live in a great place like Canada. Still, I have a million excuses, most of them centering on my garden.
Living in an area of heavy clay I have a limited window to do transplanting, and any extensive digging or bed renovation. It doesn't seem to matter how much compost/manure/topsoil I put into my beds, the clay just seems to gobble it up, so that's one lovely excuse.
I've actually broken 2 pitch forks, 3 shovels and an unknown number of hand tools trying to plant and weed, so 'having' to plant and weed while the soil is workable is another lovely excuse.
Of course by the time that's well underway, it's time to cut down winter grasses and seed heads. Being a 'backyard habitat' I leave them up for overwintering birds and critters. Of course I have to do that before the grasses and rushes start to grow, and before the cone flowers, penstamen etc get too far up. There's three excuses.
Pruning has to be done on roses, raspberries and most other shrubs before they leaf out too far, that's four.
Then there is compost bin emptying, mulch spreading, and of course at lest one bed needs to either 'grow' or be overhauled... before the ground gets to difficult to work... and plants get up too far... of course.
So you get the idea.
Another great excuse of course is work, both my part time job, and my real work, my art.
I can maybe ease off on the marketing aspect of my art, for a week or two, but no more than that. This is the time of year when the 'calls for artists' come in thick and fast for the summer show circuit, and I'm at a point in my career where I need to be out there, visible, making a name for myself, so when they call, I need to answer.
But still (sigh) I have to get the taxes ready (sigh).

Charcoal Childrens Portrait Finished

2010-04-08T21:43:00.003-04:00

The Portrait has passed muster, and will be picked up tomorrow. I'm back to work on the monarda painting, and on good weather days getting a start on gardening.

The last few days have been more than a little wet, and my garden is under water, so no gardening for me, lately.

Last year I started a butterfly garden, but by the time I was able to plant it, the stuff I wanted to transplant was up too far, so that has been taken care of now, yeah!

Most of the plants in my garden serve to either feed or provide habitat for either birds or butterfly's. Of course there are a few plants that are there simply because I love them, and my garden wouldn't feel complete without them, hosta, roses, and peony's to name a few, but even these are pollen/nectar sources.

The highlight is my pond, the fish and frogs call it home and the birds line up to use the bathing stones, all part of providing habitat.

childrens portrait in charcoal

2010-04-01T18:01:00.003-04:00

I'm at a stage now where I have to put the portrait away for a few days, so that I can look at it with fresh eyes. I could keep on noodling away at it, but I'm better of to let it rest. It's terribly easy to ruin a portrait at this point, with paint you can gesso out and re-paint any tragedy. Charcoal isn't so forgiving.

I'm hoping that I've caught the mischief I sense in the young girls slightly crooked grin and the confidence of what I perceive to be a slightly quieter soul in the young man. There is a hint of the man he's going to be in the squarish jaw and the direct gaze of those very clear eyes. The girl still has a bit of the infant in the curve of her cheek, but here is nothing babyish about the glint in those eyes.

If Mom or Grandma see any glaring inaccuracies please let me know. I see his hair line is wrong, anything eles?

portrait progress

2010-03-30T19:52:00.004-04:00

Building a charcoal portrait is a bit like sculpting in reverse. The added material is very thin but layer by layer it gets built up, forming and shaping an image. Resemblance is built by fractions of millimeters. Humans are so hard wired to read those fractions that not only do we recognize people we know, we recognize people we've only seen once or twice.

The artist learns to look for shapes, not just of major features like eyes and nose, but in the fine shadows of the face.

The joy and trial of charcoal is the ease with which it smudges. I use a piece of tracing paper to cover the sections I'm not working on to keep them clean, the transparency of the tracing paper means I can 'see' the whole piece which helps me to keep things balanced.

I work top to bottom left to right moving a couple of inches at a time. My favourite tool is a smudging squib, which on the semi smooth surface of the illustration board gives me good control in creating those fine shadows.

anatomy of a portrait

2010-03-29T22:16:00.004-04:00

The first step is to lay out a map, this is a very basic loose step, in it the most important thing is the measuring. As with any map having things accurately to scale makes for an easier trip.

As the map is refined, the lines disappear and the image starts to replace it.

These early stages are done in graphite. Trying to erase charcoal would be messy and not completely successful, so for the sake of my support (illustration board) I use graphite. Next installment will be the beginning of the charcoal.

monarda/bee balm beginnings

2010-03-27T11:34:00.005-04:00

This is the first 'element' of my next painting, you can see the tissue (archival) that I'm painting on, and the glass it's taped to. I tape the tissue to glass while I'm working on it because it's easier to peel the painted tissue off of it, than other surfaces... usually. There have been a few times when I've 'lost' a painting because it didn't want to separate from the glass. I know, I know, crazy lady... but the effect is so worth it!

Next up for this piece will be a humming bird. Hummers love Monarda/bee balm, as do butterflies, and so it is a major player in my pollinator garden.

I've already prepared the support, cradled board-stretched canvas-primed-gesso'ed-gold coated, but, I'll be taking a break from this piece for a week or two, while I do a charcoal portrait commission of two cute kids.

I'm planning on posting it step by step - the commission, unless the client disagrees.