Recap from the weekend

A friend came by at the Thousand Islands Art Fair on the weekend and said "Did you intentionally dress to match your paintings?"  ha ha ha!!  I hadn't even realized this when I threw on my glad rags that morning...  she took a picture of me , then I saw what she meant.
It was a very successful weekend for me, lots of people came out for the show, and I had lots of sales which was just like an early Christmas present!  Sold 5 out of 8 small panels that I had painted while in Vermont a few weeks ago. 
 

my set up at the show

There was a very sad and shocking end to the event though(which I didn't find out about until the next morning)...a fellow artist picking up road signs after the show was badly injured after a nasty fall  and had surgery on Monday for multiple breaks in one leg.  Her car ran over her other foot, but surprisingly it was unaffected.  A bad ending to a fun weekend art show.

Je Suis Paris

'Je Suis Paris' - oil on canvas, 30 x30

The second in a series of large-ish rose paintings I've been tinkering with.  I do love roses; heck, I love flowers!
 
BUT, I was stuck on this one for a few weeks. Today I heard it ask me for something...recent world events whispering in my mind...a  geometric element amid the organic shapes.

clan of artists

Autumn in Vermont - 6 x 8" - $95

I'm guessing it's about 10 years or so since I started art blogging. I originally began on a Wordpress platform, but switched to Blogger after some hiccups I couldn't seem to solve. I am actually fairly tech challenged, but I enjoy connecting with artists around the world and seeing what they're doing.  Feels a bit like a sisterhood; well that's unfair, because there are plenty of brothers too! Let's just say it feels like a clan.  A tribe.  I get excited when someone new leaves me a comment, and I usually hop on over and link to their blog to check out what they're doing too.  

Pasture in Autumn - 6 x 8" - $95

RLAA is an organization I'm part of.  I don't get to meetings frequently, but when I do it's nice to connect with members of the clan. Yesterday we shared in group discussions in an 'art cafe' type format; discussions ranged from our art making processes, art education, art marketing experiences, and individual art philosophies. All fun and enriching. 

Next weekend, I'll be with yet another clan of artisans, to participate in the Thousand Islands Art Fair (Holly & Ivy TIarts Fair) held in Gananoque at the Arthur Child Museum.  Nov 21 / 22 - 10am -5pm.  Fourteen artists participating all under one roof will be a fun time, I'm sure.  Hope to see you there.

 

Public spaces and art...win/win!

Post card for my KGH show

Getting art into public places where even the non-art going public hang out is win/win for all.  Artist's love it because more people see their work, the public loves it because unexpected beauty is brought to sterile boring spaces, and the host space benefits from any art sales commission that may arise from the exhibit.  

I'm excited to tell you that I am the 2nd Kingston artist to be invited to show my work in the Kingston General Hospital.  The 1st was Tim DeRose in Sept/Oct.   

Apple Tree - oil on panel - $95

My 15 painting solo exhibit will be open to all from Nov 7 - Jan 7 in the Kidd 1 corridor at KGH; which is  just about the busiest hallway in the hospital:)  That makes me very happy...because maybe my work will bring joy to someone's day, be it a staff member, a patient or a visitor.

KGH has permanently installed excellent lighting and a great new hanging system in the hallway.  The art committee who selects the artwork has been very helpful in choosing works for this show, which is a good mix of my larger works mostly consisting of landscapes, rural and urban themes inspired from the eastern Ontario region in which we live. 
Three cheers for Kingston General Hospital in taking this great leap to bring art to all within their hallowed halls!

gooey, squishy impasto

work in progress - oil on wood - 20 x 28

I had some fun building an impasto background of subtle tinted whites, cutting around blooms and streaks of drippy paint.  Sometimes I used a rag to spread the paint, sometimes a knife, sometimes my fingers or a brush. This one's not on canvas, it's on cradled wood panel...retaining crisper lines, brush/knife work than when I paint on canvas .  I smear it with my gloved finger or with a cloth when I want less deliberate edges. I'm working on 3 rose paintings at the same time, trying out different surfaces. Working intuitively, for a looseness, a little bit messy...heh. heh.

Today in Vermont

Fall Colours - 6x8 oil on panel

I'm on the last day of my Vermont interlude, on the road home tomorrow. Lucked in with sunshine for 2 full days and had a great time hiking the forest trails, hanging with girlfriends and painting too. I didn't paint outdoors cuz the wind was crazy, but I was happy to make 8 small panel 'starts' from the comfort of the chalet east facing picture window.  The blue hills create a dynamic contrast against the fall colours. These panels will no doubt evolve a bit more when I get them home to the studio, will probably work into them again.  The colours on some of the trees are gorgeous, though the majority of the leaves have already fallen.