Holiday Window

Holiday Window - oil on linen - 7x9 "

I used to work at the little frame shop that is featured in this painting. Setting up the Christmas window used to begin early in November so that it was all sparkly and bright during the Kingston Santa Claus parade.  I remember one year we had just set up the display; a giant Christmas tree made of picture frames. During the evening parade a customer came in and wanted the exact picture that was hanging in the middle of the tree...it meant dismantling our creation to unhinge it.  ha ha ha! The joys of Christmas merchandising! After that, we were careful when planning our holiday windows to make easy access to the items!
It was fun most of the time, lots of creativity and interesting things needing framing, making every job quite unique.  I still enjoy popping in for a chat with the work gang when I'm in town.  BUT, I do love, love, love being a full time artist now.  I illustrated my personal Christmas card this year with the image from this painting.  Merry Christmas everybody! xoxoxo

Tuesday in December

Summer Pub Nights - The Ports - SOLD

I met the nicest couple at our artist open house, Dec 7th. I learned we had similar shared experiences, in that we lived in Victoria, Australia as did they for a time. It was so lovely having a chat with them about it.  They had come in search of my painting 'Summer Pub Nights- The Ports', which I didn't have at the show with me, but I directed them to KGSGallery where that painting was currently residing.  Yesterday I found out from Kate, the gallery manager, that the painting had sold when she was away sick.  I'm hoping that it was sold to that nice couple because it's satisfying when you learn who your painting will live with, and you really like them.

Christmas preps are in full swing, got the tree up and decorated on Sunday, doing some baking too!

I had some time yesterday in the studio working on a project I began in August but put on the back burner. It's not nearly there yet; too early to post, but I'm feeling positive about it again which is something. Meanwhile...

Good Morning Halifax poster 24 x 18" -$40

I created a poster for the east coast tourist market from my painting 'Good Morning Halifax'.  Currently  I'm approaching a popular gift shop in Halifax in which to sell the poster. (The original painting was sold to a kindred spirit for her home in Stanhope, PEI.  I'm so delighted that this painting will live in the east coast!) Fingers crossed the poster will get picked up by the gift shop.  I was born in Nova Scotia, I consider myself a NS artist, although I am currently living in Ontario.  Dave is in the process of making me an awesome rolled posters display stand, which I'll bring along with me on our trip at the end of the month.   Yes...cant wait!  We're driving out to Nova Scotia in the truck; so looking forward to some family time again, with a large dose of grandaughter on the side.




 

let the fun begin

I feel like there's a huge holiday coming up...well there is the obvious one, but I'm talking about time.  A holiday of time.  I feel like suddenly I have lots of it again, and it feels lovely.  That's me being in the present. Appreciating these moments.  Cherishing this moment while it lasts.

 I've been pretty full on this past week. After reorganizing after our artist open house on the weekend, I finally tackled the sanding and painting of an old cabinet, I had emptied in September. It's new functional purpose will be a wine glass / liquor cabinet. I finished it yesterday. 

I gotta say it's a good feeling re-purposing something. Amazing what a little paint and new hardware can do to update.  Dave also created a built-in shelf in the unused space in front of a no-longer working door frame in our living room and I painted that too. so it's been a busy few days of painting and re-coating. But it feels good to have it done now, and before Christmas.

In the studio it's time for play.  Yesterday I tried out a textile medium that you add to acrylic paint, so that you can paint on fabric and it stays soft.  I found out about this stuff from a good friend's mum I met at Thanksgiving, who had taken a fun workshop with Pipi Tustian of Tangerine Dreams Gallery in Victoria BC.  I was excited by the possibilities of trying it out.  I love textiles, I love painting, so imagine the fun!  I bought some textile medium right after our conversation, which was back in October at Thanksgiving, and it's been waiting for a little play time ever since.  So, I fooled around. No preconceived ideas of what I would make yet, just experimenting how it takes to different fabrics etc. Fun! 

So with all this time, I guess I really cant put off doing the books any longer...

the spark

Artist Open House -Sunday Dec 7

Doing what we love is key. As artists doing what we love is the spice that makes work come alive; the song in our souls.  

This morning I read the new issue of Queens Quarterly that arrived in my mailbox. In it, is an article written by artist and curator Liz Wylie that elaborates on this idea.  She weighs the notion of artists(dead or alive) fame and posterity vs the artists "aliveness in that moment of creation".  She says " Our job is to live fully, and if we are artists, to bring that intensity of life to our work; we must focus on our creativity and what we are doing, not be looking over our shoulders, vying for fame and keeping an eye to posterity."  

Joy - acrylic on wood - SOLD

How true is that?! That sentence really hit a chord within me. Working in the isolation of our studios, it's easy to come off the rails, thinking we need to create for upcoming shows, a gallery, or clients. It can steal us away from our hearts desire.  The best art always happens when we are able to tap into the 'life' within us. the spark. the truth.

A Fine Day, Blue Rocks - oil on panel- SOLD

On Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful turnout for our 'Artist Open House'.  The sun shone through the floor to ceiling windows in Marga's waterfront home which we had transformed into an intimate gallery for her pottery and my paintings.  Guests mingled, sipped punch and browsed the art, and both of us had a thoroughly good time(really good sales too).  And on the topic of 'the spark in art' guess which of my paintings were the ones that sold... yep... those ones.




 
 

out of season

Call of the Loon - oil on panel - 9 x12

I know it's December 1st, so my post isn't very seasonal...but today i worked on  summer paintings, I had started this a while back and decided today was the day I would resolve it. I was listening to a nature cd while I painted called Call of the Loon...and I felt like I was right in the painting with the sound of lapping water and distance loons calling...hence the title.