It's a Wrap!

Hello on this last day of December, 2013!  It is snowing a fog outside my window, but I have already finished the errands I needed this morning before it began full force, and now I am happy to be snug indoors, making soup.  
Reflecting on 2013, I have heaps to be thankful for!  Love and health of course are at the top of the list. In art, one of the best things I ever did was to make the decision to make more time for my art. I quit my job at the frame shop 3 years ago now, and since then I have been growing my little art business slowly and steadily, and at the same time growing my art with each painting.  The final month of this year has really been a boom and I couldn't be more delighted!

Janet with Rome Nights I and II

Yesterday morning I stopped at the house of my friend Janet as she was so excited and wanted to show me where she hung up her two new paintings Rome Nights and Rome Nights II.  I hadn't remembered that Janet had lived in Rome a number of years ago for 4 months.  So when her husband Dave gave her a gift box under the Christmas tree with a coupon allowing her to pick out a 'Sally Chupick original'  on Christmas morning, she started checking out my website and identified strongly with the Rome Nights paintings.  
Personally I couldn't be happier for them to reside with my dear friend Janet.  Those paintings are special to me..they were painted to record and evoke the mood and atmosphere experienced in the sultry Italian evenings dining and wandering in the old city cafe's and piazza's, and at the same time I purposely tilted the perspectives to give them more personality...the thing that pleases me so much is that Janet understands their quirkiness and enjoys them.  But then, that's Janet too.  He broke the mold after He created her.  She's so special!

Bright Winter Moon

Bright Winter Moon - oil on wood - 12 x 16

Hello there! It's great to be back online again. Our internet was 'knocked out' for 5 days while we experienced the effects of an ice storm that moved through our area a few days before Christmas... a very small sacrifice compared to the thousands of households that were without power (in Toronto) and still are.  It will be a memorable holiday season for many, memorably miserable for some.  I worked on this little painting last week, but was unable to post it after we lost our signal. I had first thought I would paint snow falling, but then decided the moon was more of the star(little celestial joke) in this case....so added the cat as a bridge,  linking the house and the moon.  I got the idea from Miss Puss(my daughters cat) who was visiting us during the holidays.

'that' feeling

I got it on Wednesday...that feeling...the magic moment.  heh heh.  Trimming our little tree,  listening to Christmas carolls...that feeling came into the room and lingered,  my heart("that was two sizes too small") grew larger and I felt Christmas. joyful. thankful. blessed. all those things.  Have a wonderful Christmas!

December Market

December Market - 9 x 12 - oil on gessobord panel

Chilly last night... but with my studio radiator cranked up I was cozy working on this little painting. Lots of wreaths and greenery for sale at the market in December.  I have subdued the green in the sky to give more of a frosty feel. It was fun painting with the light tints, sort of like adding frosting to a cake.
I was supposed to go to Ottawa last night, but am going today instead. Better to drive during daylight and not in snow squalls, which was the weather in Ottawa last night.  

Halifax trip and mini block sale Ebay

Maria, Sally & Rachel relaxing on the couch

Back from Nova Scotia on Monday! Had a good visit with daughter Rachel and Matt. Lots of chats and one on ones, made it feel completely Christmasy even though early. 

Rachel

We had clear weather for a wander around Halifax on Saturday and walking the dog on Sunday.  I cant believe what a quick trip it is by air, considering it's next to the Atlantic. My plane left Halifax at 10 am, and I landed in Ottawa, then drove to Kingston...I was at home and sipping a cappucino in my own little house by 2:30pm, and I didn't speed at all!
Tonight I'm heading to Ottawa to be Nurse Sally for a week, then back home again on the 17th to get ready for our Christmas.  Doesn't leave a lot of time for painting, but I'm dabbling in the studio in between.

ON SALE  now on Ebay,  Two of my seasonal mini-block oil paintings are on sale at 20% off the regular retail price. These two are newly listed.

Winter Cabin mini-block oil painting
click here

Winter Cabin 2 mini-block painting
click here

Make art, be happy

I was downtown just before lunch today and passed by our market square, Kingston has a lovely one. There is a public skating rink just behind city hall, and there were some lunch hour skaters gliding about. just dreamy.  one gal was even gliding around the rink chatting away on her mobile phone...o to be so sure footed!   The square is also a subject on my easel at the moment...the early morning light of a winter market day.  You can see the beginnings of it in the picture, I'm  figuring out tones, and even though I have an initial idea, you never know it might morph into another idea as I progress. 
I like that about oil painting...the ability to change direction if and when I feel like it.  Inspiration is best when it sneaks up on you and surprises you with an idea you may not have thought of.  There is a little quote by artist Robert Genn taped to my easel which I love...it inspires me, reminding me of process:  "Take your brush here and there like a bee in an alpine meadow. Watch the greater image materialize.  You need that thing over there to tell you what to do about that thing over here."
Concurrently, I have a nocturne on the go too...will post both when done.  It certainly feels good to get back in the saddle after a busy month of everything but painting!  Yesterday was so mild it was the perfect day to string up the outdoor lights and I've been baking quite a bit too. tra la la la la; la la la la!

Art Swaps and yay for December.

December is here...the season of lights!  I am so glad of it. Glad for friendship, and glad for sharing.  Sharing art and swaperoo's with artist pals!  

Did a fun swap with 2 pals recently and now I'm the lucky recipient of this darling little glass dove, and this beautiful encaustic painting!  Lucky, lucky me.
Below is a picture of some of my art in the Upstairs Gallery at The Blue House in Brighton, ON. It's a lovely airy space, and I was happy with the way the work looked when it was all hung up. My show runs from Dec 1 - Dec 28.