more minis

I began listening to a new audio book, Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, yesterday while painting some tiny seascapes. It's about a psychiatrist who is a painter; so far it's quite good, though I've only listened to the first disc.  Usually I can tell after about 1/2 hour of listening whether or not it's for me...so happy to say, I'll be sticking with this one.
I really enjoy painting these blocks, moving from themes of beach houses, farmyards, the sea.

Summer Pub Nights - The Ports

Summer Pub Nights - The Ports

One of Kingston's old style pubs is The Portsmouth Tavern, better known as 'The Ports' to local's.  At the corner of Yonge and Grange streets in Portsmouth village, across from Portsmouth Olympic harbour, it's been standing since the late 1860's.  The history was part of the lure of painting this old pub; but mostly, I was interested in the play of light combined with the atmosphere of happy relaxation on a summers evening. 

Time to Paint

Holly and I had a great day at Art Among the Ruins! As the forecast predicted the sun shone the entire day and it brought out the crowds, which was just great because honestly there's not much point in having an art show without attendance.  Of course the grounds of the property at the AATR are a spectacular setting for the show; heaps of room to wander around enjoying the babbling brooks and the beautiful flora while meandering around the artist booth circuit.  I will definately do this show again next year, it was just so much fun!

Last week I finally got around to organizing my schedule for the fall which will include offering some painting classes again. I figured Thursdays would be a good day for me to commit to it, so I've created two sessions (one morning and one afternoon)of 6 week classes starting Thursday September 19th. Click here for info.  While I was at Art Among the Ruins I decided to bring some flyers with me in case anybody asked me about classes, and wow did I get a big response! 

One more thing...totally unrelated to my art...it's about the birds. This year we have one dove and one robin who have built nests under the awning on the deck. I'm not crazy about them nesting so close to our common area, however with all the rain this spring i suppose they are looking for a dry place, so cant blame them.  Today while I was on the computer I heard a tap and turned around to look out the back door, and a sparrow has taken to perching on the screen door handle, preening himself in front of the glass on the door. I snapped this picture of him/her.  He's been back several times today over and over.It would be cute except he takes a crap each time he comes! 

Art Among the Ruins on a sunny Saturday June 15

This weekend is Art Among the Ruins!  It's my first year at this wonderful one day art show set in lovely grounds of an old mill by the river in the village of Newburgh Ontario.  Saturday is forecast to be sunny again, so I feel super lucky as it's the second weekend in a row after rain.  If you are looking for a artsy day out, come to Newburgh at Art Among the Ruins.

Contemporary Landscapes opens Thursday June 13th 7-9pm

This Thursday evening, 7-9pm is the opening reception for the Contemporary Landscapes exhibition at Agnes Etherington Art Rental & Sales Gallery! I am one of the 10 artists in the show...and i think they will be showing about 8 of my pieces. The show will be hung in the Atrium of the AEAC from June 13-16. It's a lovely space and I cant wait to see all the other works that fellow artists have brought in specifically for this show.  Hope to see you there.

non representation

Being tired but wanting to paint isn't a great combination, but there is something very therapeutic about pushing paint around on a big canvas.  This afternoon I did just that. starting on a red primed 30x40  canvas...just letting it flow...the paint, the canvas and me...o ya and some brushes and a palette knife.  I really needed a session like this today; really enjoyable.  I limited my palette to yellow ochre, french ultra deep and solid madder deep + white. I liked the mid-tone range of colours with these 3.  I like to try out paints that are in my drawer that have migrated there somehow... these ones were some that had come to me as freebies, either from an artist who had passed on or switched mediums and wasn't using them anymore.  Oil paint lasts a really long time before the tubes dry up.  I was thinking about  shapes and movement alot while painting it.

sunny skies

Here's me at the OSCA Windsor Park Art show today. It was a fun day, great weather, cant complain! I ran into a few familiar faces there whom I hadn't seen in a long time, so that was lovely!  The only bummer was i lost my glasses as I was packing up for the day! They must have fallen off of me, hooked in my neckline...Looked everywhere for them, but to no avail! Drove home from Ottawa squinting most of the way! I was glad it was still light out for driving. I shall have to go see about getting a new prescription filled tomorrow for another pair. dam.  

Ottawa Art Show in Windsor Park - Sunday June 9th

So it's off to Ottawa today, to take part in the Windsor Park(old Ottawa South) art show on Sunday June 9th.  I'm bringing lots of small paintings + 2 larger ones, other items from my gallery like the folk art, bracelets, handmade sewn items. 

Sally & AEmilia, Havana, Cuba 2009

My pal AEmilia told me about this community art show in her neighbour-hood.  She's offered to hang out with me for the day and help me, so that will be fun!
The best part is the weather forecast is predicting sunshine, awesome after the rain this week!

Summer Pub Nights - Merchant

Summer Pub Nights - Merchant
oil on canvas 14" x 18"

I tweaked this painting recently.  Took out the foreground figures, aligned the barrels and solidified the tree shapes. I'm much happier with it now. 
It's funny how the idea can get lost in the details you put in...for example what moved me to paint this scene was "the atmosphere of celebration a weekend summer evening brings combined with our historic architecture".  I joyfully painted what i thought was my original idea; added to the merriment by painting in a young duo in front of the fence heading into the entrance, under the limbs of an extremely(for me) fussily described tree.  After I was done I was mildly satisfied, and posted it on the blog(to lots of nice comments i might add!)...but as it sat on the wall of my studio for  a month, i viewed it knowing that it was not saying what i had intended...at least not in the way that i had intended...the idea was getting lost in the details!   It now seemed to be about the young couples choice of entering the establishment and not about the atmosphere.  It took me a month to realize that was the core of the unsatisfactory feeling I was getting from the painting.  Boy o boy... if there is one thing I've learned it's always worth it to take a risk in an effort to get the painting to voice my intentions...otherwise there seems (to me)no point in painting it.

Computer woes

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...just stuck with a frozen computer.  I've been having problems with it for a couple of weeks, but this past week it really went down.  hopefully next week i'll be back online properly...in the meantime...it's just amazing the amount of stuff i actually get done in a day when i dont spend any time on a computer! Last week one day i marvelled at this when i was driving BACK from the shops at 10:30 am having completed my morning workout, chores, and errands ! Wow usually i think i have no time in a day...but really i know that i burn valuable time 'plugged in'. it's funny how life was also good back when there was no computers. we think we cant do without them...but really it's probably good to be reminded of the natural order of the way life is.

new Events category on my website

my website - 'Events' added on left nav bar

A new category has been added to my website...EVENTS!  I thought this would be a good way of letting clients know of what art shows and other events I'm participating in.  It will also come in handy for notifying folks about classes / workshops.  Don't know why I didn't think of adding it before...but there you go!  It's up now and I'll update it frequently as I book things. Here's the link to my Events page.

That Blue - Lapis Lazuli

April Love by ER Hughes

When I was a teenager I saw the work of  Edward Robert Hughes in a gallery; I was smitten.  It was this painting, 'April Love'.  At the time I thought he was one of the pre-raphaelite painters.  I remember telling my mother about the beautiful painting I had seen in the gallery that day when I got home.  When I mentioned the pre-raphaelite's she immediately knew which painting i was talking about. Speaking to the dreamer and romantic within me, I was utterly captivated...beautiful young women with flowing hair and robes painted with a heightened reality, set in nature.  What teenage girl wouldn't love them? 

Midsummers Eve by Hughes

Later I found out that Hughes was not actually one of the  pre-raphaelite group. That surprised me. He was not even a contemporary in his time.  Like John William Waterhouse who was also heavily influenced by the pre-raphaelite style...both continued painting in this (at the time) 'old fashioned' style...in the late Victorian, and well into the Edwardian eras.

When I was in college I purchased a few posters to decorate my room.  One of them was 'Midsummer's Eve'.  My friend Jane Stamps  always sent a Christmas card with an angel on it every year...one year, it was 'Night With Her Train of Stars' by Hughes.  I still have that card, though my dear friend Jane is no longer with us. She's gone to join her angels.

Hughes used a lot of Lapus Lazuli in his paintings, that gorgeous iconic blue which has been treasured by artists over the centuries. 

Night With Her Train of Stars by Edward Robert Hughes

Lapis Lazuli- Italian Renaissance  art

Lapis Lazuli is a rock that mostly consists of the mineral Lazurite.   Ground into pigments throughout antiquity; it was prized as it was a relatively rare semi-precious stone... these days, it is the synthetic version, French Ultramarine Blue, that has largely replaced Lapis Lazuli on most painters palettes.

Kingston's 'Art After Dark' - May 23rd.

On Thursday evening Downtown Kingston will host Art After Dark...a soiree of galleries, shops and artists studios hosting art exhibitions, music and refreshments  from 7-pm to 10pm!  It's a fun evening of gallery hopping in mild spring weather...hope the rain holds off.  I will be showing some works and hanging out at Kingston Frameworks, but I will also pop out to visit other exhibitions/receptions for some of the evening.  Two of my artist friends, Sarah Hunter and Bonnie Brooks will be featured artists at Gallery Raymond's exhibit. I'm looking forward to seeing some of their new work there.  
I've been working on more of my tiny wood block paintings...this time some farms...the simple life.  Life has been pretty simple this past week...computer went on the fritz.  

summer campus

I lived close to Queens university when I was a student at St. Lawrence college back in the 70's.  The architecture of many of the older buildings is lovely...not so much the new buildings which are mostly steel and glass. Grant hall is an older building...it has an Italian influence going on.
I enjoy design...it's my most fun part of a painting...lots of liberties with this one... but i rather like the vortex sensation.  Dorothy, are we still in Kansas?  It definately has movement...

New Rose bed

Last weekend was mothers day, and when Holly and Jeff arrived for a visit they brought me a beautiful potted Mister Lincoln rose! lovely.  I cant tell you how much I love roses, but i haven't had a great deal of success with any in the spots where I have put them before.  I know now that is because they were in places that were either too windy, or too shady.  I have spent the past 4 days since the weekend thinking about where to plant this new rose... then I remembered....

Two years ago my friend Mary came for a visit and we went for a walk around the garden sussing out the best spot for roses to thrive in my garden.  At that time, we determined that the only really good spot (that gets good sun and protected from the wind) was an extension of the current perrennial bed out by the picket fence.  I meant to create a rose bed there last year, but somehow I just never got around to it! 
Then my friend Sylvia told me about how to use newspapers to suffocate the grass, adding layers of mulch, manure and soil to fertilize and create a good base for a new bed.You can read about the method here.  ...Perfect! I have a big pile of manure brought from a visit to a friends farm 2 weeks ago, and heaps of mulch leftover from the fallen tree branches from the last storm.  So I set to work this morning just as the rain began...perfect weather for planting.  Two hours later...here is my new rose bed! Thrive on Mister Lincoln...thrive on! I love painting roses.

Lakeside

Lots of sail training takes place on the lake in Kingston.  I love watching sailboats. Such a great symbol for freedom. We once knew a family who packed up their 2 kids(aged 8 & 10) and their golden lab and went on a year long sail from Montreal (leaving via the St.Lawrence seaway)and down the east coast of North America to the Caribbean. I was amazed.  I couldn't imagine 2 kids and a dog in a car for more than 2 hours, let alone in a tossing and heaving small sailboat.  But I was impressed.  I get seasick really easily so sailing doesn't appeal for me!  But I love watching them from shore.

farmstead oil painting

Working on some small paintings in the studio today, getting into the swing and rhythm of painting again after having a break of a couple of weeks.  It feels good ...and luscious...and meditative.  This farmstead emerged; there's lots of them like this on roads around South Frontenac. That's the county in which I live. 

studio spring cleaning

I haven't painted since i returned from holiday. Various reasons.  I hope to get that going again soon. Special time communing with paint and canvas is the thing that nourishes my spirit. Like a meditation I feel refreshed and peaceful after a good painting session. I thought I was going to paint yesterday, but I dont know if it was the weather, or me...I was too tired to tap into any creative energy at all.   Instead I decided to do some less taxing but more mundane things like cleaning out my drawers in my studio and re-organizing supplies; getting them off the surfaces they have been cluttering for months which has resulted in less and less real workspace. 
The top drawer is paint...Couldn't believe how much paint I actually own, once i organized it! Some are trial tubes of colours I experimented with, then abandoned...others I've inherited from artists now deceased...and others are the regular palette that i find myself reaching for again and again.  I've grouped all into shallow boxes of primaries, neutrals and earth colours. 

spring - yay!

A good start at the Gallery at the Porch Door this week...visitors and some sales...all good.  Just before closing yesterday afternoon i snapped this piccy; the forsythia and daffs are in bloom out by the sign.
 
I picked up this  large iris watercolour painting that I had been showing at the hospital in Ottawa; nice to have it up on the wall again in my gallery. It's been a long time since I did a large watercolour like that.  I did think i was going to be doing one for a client this spring, but after back and forth communication we've decided that an oil painting will suit the subject better.  I'm looking forward to beginning it; it's of a BEAUTIFUL property in Australia.

on the farm

Fab weekend...great weather, plus we met Holly & Jeff at a friends farm in Maxville.  Sandy needed some helpers getting the hay bailed and stacked in the barn, so who better to help than a bunch of unsuspecting cityslickers like us? ha ha.  but it WAS fun. We enjoyed an outdoor picnic at lunch and celebrated Jeff's 36th birthday too, and as a special birthday present for Jeff's the Leafs won their playoff game that night!

ready for all kinds of weather...

So I've been sussing out pop-up canopy tents for the past month or two...trying to decide what kind I want to buy.  I want a white one for various summer shows...white is best as it allows lots of daylight on the paintings. 
When we were in Florida last week I saw one at Home Depot at $100 less than what Home Depot in Canada was selling the EXACT same one for.  I dont get that. It doesn't seem fair at all.  I was going to buy it and bring it home but didn't want to be encumbered with lugging it through the airport.  
While in Costco this morning guess what I came across?!  A fabulous pop-up canopy tent for a reasonable price too. It's a Caravan brand, which is a good one. I was smitten.  When I got home, I talked to Dave on the phone and told him of my discovery.  I planned to go back next week and get one, but when he arrived home from work today guess what he was carrying in the door?! surprise!  We set it up in the driveway just to be sure of how quickly and easily it would go up, and it's a breeze! I'm so delighted.