Art Commissions

I recently did something I never usually do....a picture of a cottage.  I was asked by a friend to paint a friends cottage from a photograph so they could give it to the owner as a 60th birthday gift.  This is not the sort of thing I like to do least of all from a photo that I didn't take and from which it is hard to see the actual color or structure.  The friend who commissioned the work wanted something fairly conservative and also showing the water and shore so it ended up being quite a lot in the small format of 12"x12".  See the enclosed picture.




Nova Scotia Cottage
Acrylic on Canvas 12 x 12 in

 
In the past I have never done commissions because I prefer to paint what interests me and in the colors that I like with no reference to what someone else wants however this was an interesting diversion.  I hope the new owners like it.

If you are an artist/crafts person, how do you feel about doing commissions?

Painting Abstracts in Oil



Abstract in Blue andPink

 
As many of you know from reading my blog I am taking an art class at the Toronto School of Art called Painting Abstracts in Oils.  I am finding it rather frustrating waiting for the oil paint to dry between layers.  I guess I have got used to quick drying acrylics. 

We have several exercises to complete one of which is about addition and elimination, revealing and concealing.  I don't know what got me started but I decided to cut out some shapes and paint around them to get started and then I found it really interesting to start covering parts up and overlaying with other colors. It's quite different from what I usually do and because of the colors I chose it's ended up a very happy looking piece.  I would be interested in hearing comments about this type of work.  Do you find the hard edged shapes and purely non representational design interesting or does it leave you cold?

Herb and Dorothy

This documentary movie is a must see for artists and art lovers.  It tells the story of a very ordinary couple who built a collection of over 4000 pieces of modern art that came to be worth millions. I think you will enjoy
Herb and Dorothy

Art and Creativity

I have been distracted from my art and blog this summer.  The nice weather, family and all the work around the house that needed doing outside before the cold weather came are my excuses however I think that it's important to go with the flow and take time to enjoy these moments......and I did!

I'm enjoying an art class called Abstraction in Oils being given at the Toronto School of Art.  I met two really nice women at an artists group that I joined here recently and they we going to do the class so I decided to do it to.  I'm glad for two reasons.  I get to spend time doing something I love with these two nice people and I am able to learn more about art.  I often paint in oils but usually under paint in acrylics first which makes this stage go faster as I don't have to wait for the under painting to dry.  There is something wonderful about oil paint though.  It's the feeling of the oil paint as you put it on and the final look of the color.  It also seems to sit up on the paper and not flatten out or darken as it dries.  

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I have been looking at a lot of art over the past few months and I will continue adding links to the work I like.  One artist I forgot to add in the last post was to Jack Shadbolt.   He also did a series of Owls, Butterflies and Birds.  He has a wide range of work and this is just a small sample.

Let me know what you think.

More Art

Here are more artists whose work I find interesting.

Patrica Nix.  I found her work included, along with several other artists, in a wonderful Annual Report publication for the company Capgemini.  I was so impressed with the idea of putting art in a business publication and I'm sure they would be pleased to know that their 2004 report is still giving such pleasure.  Wouldn't it be great if more companies did this.
http://patricianix.com/originals/originals_gallery.html

Hughie O'Donoghue.  I was fortunate to see a most amazing exhibition of his work at the War Museum North in the UK.  The exhibition called "Painting Caserta Red" based on his father's experiences during the was, was fantastic and the scale of some of the work was amazing.  He did a special piece for the space and it must have been about 40 feet high. I have been trying to find a photo of it on the web but can only find a small picture of one that is similar.  Go to the last image on this link. The link images don't do justice to his work and unfortunately there aren't many images of his work on the web.
http://www.culture24.org.uk/places+to+go/north+west/manchester/art17397
Here is a link to another of his works.
http://www.creativeboom.co.uk/news/history-memory-and-myth-in-leeds/

Kimo Minton.  I found his work at Tew Gallery when I was living in Atlanta.  He works on large wood panels.  They are absolutely gorgeous.  One of my friends who was visiting actually bought one and had it shipped back to New Zealand where she lives.  She is in good company as I believe Elton John has one too.
http://www.timothytew.com/mag-15-kimo-minton

Sean Scully. I saw an exhibition of his large abstracts when I was living in the UK but I also saw one in the High Museum in Atlanta.  The size, texture and colour in the work I found very appealing.
http://s3.artknowledgenews.com/files2009a/Scully_at_Atelier.jpg

http://www.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=sean+scully+paintings&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=thBlTNbXOoP7lweUz_WSDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQsAQwAA&biw=1359&bih=692

 What do you think of these?

Art I Like

As I look back on artists links that I have saved on my computer in the past what I notice is that I have a strong preference for paintings of the figure and things with a mysterious or spiritual quality. The artist Lawren Harris from the Canadian "Group of Seven" is one of these and I have posted a picture of his to start things off.

I have also added links to other art that I find interesting. These are fairly conservative but somewhere to start.

Although the work by Lani Irwin, is highly realistic it is made interesting by the unusual subject matter.  There is a gallery in London that carrys a lot of work like this and I loved visiting it when I was living in the UK.  Unfortunately I just can't remember the name of the gallery at the moment.

http://www.feltusfeltus.com/LaniIrwin/html/gall.html

Although I really like more abstract work I also like Bruce Holwerda's figure drawing which I find amazing, skillful and creative.  It's all the small details going on in the hair etc and the tension he gets in his figures.

http://www.bruceholwerda.com/

What I like about Nicholas Simmons work is the way he builds interest into a fairly realistic image by overlaying patterns and shapes. You need to pan down the page to see all his work.   I also like his colours.  Notice 'colour' spelt the British Canadian way.  I always seem to stop and think...who am I writing this for and which way should I spell things today.

http://www.nicholassimmons.com/

The next two are taken from my old list and they are not favourites but both have something more abstract and contemporary that I quite like.  Once again figures feature.

http://natalierichy.com/portfolio/p-06.html

http://www.sopafinearts.com/artists/Gustlin_Jylian/gustlin_gg.htm

For an entirely different type of art I love Andy Goldsworthy site specific work. He has a lovely DVD called Rivers and Tides which is great to watch. Here are some of his images. http://www.ecosalon.com/andy-goldsworthys-amazing-works-of-art/

Two works by Will Maclean an  interesting Scottish artist whose work is very mysterious. These are just his sketches for paintings but I like the way they are drawn.

So far I haven't added any landscape artists...is that telling me something?  I also haven't added any really abstract work even though it's what I really like. That will be in the next post.

I hope you have found some of the work interesting.  Please send me your comments and share links to any artist that you love. 

It's Summer and I can't Focus!

Do you find that it's almost impossible to focus on your work during the summer?  That's what I am finding at the moment.  Getting into the studio is so hard when the garden and lovely weather beckons me outside.  I hate to wish for the cooler days but it does make it easier to stay inside and work.

I have been thinking about my work and where it is going, or not going. I have decided to go through a process to enable my work to continue to grow and develop. The first step I have set myself is to look at a lot of art, find work I really like and then ask myself what it is and why it resonates so strongly with me.  This is a clarification process to enable me to discover what is interesting and has personal meaning for me now and what I want to incorporate into my artwork going forward.

I really believe that each person can create a very distinctive style of art that comes from their life experiences and even right down to how their muscles hold and use painting or drawing tools. Several years back I taught classes on using art for personal development. I found that when people were asked to paint in a very non representational manner, just putting paint on as they felt like it, you could immediately see that each person did it distinctive way.  Within several weeks everyone in the class could usually pick out whose work was which.  Why is it then that so much art looks so similar?  Perhaps we need to really work at enhancing what it is that is different about ourselves and let it shine through.

In the next post I will include photos of some of the work I like and why, and what I have discovered in the first step of my process. I would love to hear your thoughts.  If you would like to take part in the process  too and then post what you discover, that would be great.

3 Art Festivals

Lions Art Show and Sale
Bobcaygeon Art Festival
Muskoka Arts and Crafts 48th Annual Summer Show

This month is a busy time for me with three art shows around the area.  The Beaches Art Show last month was disappointing because of poor attendance due to rain.   Because we have just recently returned to Toronto I have had to go on show recommendations from other artists. I had been told that this was a good show however I found that it catered more to inexpensive craft than art so it's not a one I would do again. It's all a learning experience. This weekend I am at the "Lions Art Show" in Cobourg, Ontario.  Cobourg is on the lakefront between Toronto and Ottawa.  I have never been into the town although I have passed the turnoff to it dozens of times when we have been going between the two cities. This art show is in a huge tent so at least we won't get rained upon.

The following weekend I am doing "Bobcaygeon Art Festival "show in the Settlers Village in Bobcaygeon.  This town north of Toronto has many beautiful cottages and homes as does Muskoka in the same area. This is where I have the third show for the month, the 'Muskoka Arts and Crafts 2010 48th Annual Summer Show'.  It will be interesting to experience all three.  It is hard work but both my husband and I enjoy the shows and the people we meet.  We are looking forward to visiting these areas again after having been away from Canada for quite a few years.  Northern Ontario is beautiful place.

Just a note on the G20.  We were amazed to see all the violence on TV in the area near where the G20 was being held.  We live in downtown Toronto and find it a very safe and tolerant city.  The breaking of windows and setting of cars on fire done by gangs of young thugs has no place in genuine protest marches and is not justifiable under any circumstances.  I think most Torontonians felt sad and angry about it all.

The Ultimate Act of Creation

The night before last was one of those very special times in a life.  I was witness to my second grandchilds birth.  Even when I had my own three children I was astounded by the magic and mystery of birth but to have the privilige of seeing both my grandchildren enter into this world has been both emotionally moving and mindblowing. 

The labour was very fast.  One moment it seemed my daughter in law had this very large round tummy and then the baby started to move down and out. Before very long the head was partly there, poised for a moment in time....she called out and breathed and the head completely emerged.  We waited again.....a bit of help and whoosh....... the air was suddenly, and almost shockingly, filled with loud wails.  We didn't even have time to think "Will it breathe and cry".

I think with our modern technology and capable medical care that we are divorced from the realities of life.  We no longer see birth and death.  It's hidden away in hospitals.  What I was lucky enough to see that night was the emergence of a new life in all it's fullness and beauty and I was stunned by the amazing creativity and intelligence of the universe. Surely this is the ultimate act of creation.  My artistic attempts seem pale in comparison.

Watercolour Painting 
with a Resin Finish

Recently when researching local art shows I came across a blog by a local artist called Moshe Mikanovsky. He is very web oriented and has an interesting blog.  He recently posted a very good article on coating watercolour paintings with resin so that they can be shown without a protective glass covering. He learned this process from a fellow Toronto artist David Zak who also has a video about the process.

Paintings covered with resin have been very popular in Toronto for quite a few years and I often find it too overpowering however using it instead of glass on watercolour, or other works on paper, would make the finished work much more sturdy.

Let me know what you think.

Beaches Arts and Crafts Show

This weekend I'm participating in the Beaches Arts and Crafts Show held in the very trendy "Beaches" area of Toronto.  It's the first festival of the season, the first time I have done this show and it will also be the first time that I have shown only printmaking so it will be an interesting few days.  It's great to be getting back into "Art Mode" as the past few months have been full of renovations and all the messy work that entails....the wrong kind of painting for instance!  We are really pleased with the results of our labour but glad to be finished. 

This week I have been busy matting up prints, and getting work into frames.  I have gone with the standard plain black frame on most work except for the "Kimono prints" which are in white.  The "Kimono" prints are more feminine so the lighter frame colour works better. It's been fun getting all my printmaking work out and I'm really looking forward to seeing it hanging together in the tent so that I can get a clearer view of the work overall.  Most of the pieces are collagraphs but I'm also showing some block prints on paper and an experimental one on wood panel.  I'm a bit concerned that there is too much variety in the imagery I've chosen to show but I can select and edit as I hang the work.  It's much more problematic showing works under glass at an outdoor show so I hope we get nice sunny warm weather. 

As an update on people using images from artists websites without permission, I came across one of my paintings being used on the Patio Bar blog, in Faro, Portugal, as publicity for a jazz concert.  http://opatiobarfaro.blogspot.com/2009/11/j-z-z-z_19.html   I have decided to take it as a compliment.

My son and daughter in law recently moved to live in our house in the apartment unit below us.  It's working out wonderfully and I will write about it in another post.  It will only be for a year or a bit more so we are making the most of this very special time.  They have their second baby due to arrive at any time and are hoping for another home birth so the next few days will be very exciting.

Art for Personal Development and Creativity

Some years ago when we lived in Ottawa I used to teach classes on using art for personal development. These were not technique based classes but an entirely different type of class where we looked at the historical, psychological and spiritual meanings of colour and painted, made masks, discovered and wrote about what it all meant in our life.  Last week I reconnected with a wonderful woman who had attended many of my classes and we spoke about how much we had both enjoyed the experience.  I made some great friends during those years and really enjoyed both teaching and learning from my students. Now that I am likely to be settled in Toronto for some years the idea of teaching again has come to mind. As well as the art for personal development courses I would also like to teach basic printmaking covering printmaking without a press and collagraph. Unfortunately I don't have a suitable place to teach in at present but where there is a will, there is a way to be found.

Update on Copyright Issues-
Downloading Artists Images

This has been a big week for my art images being downloaded.  I don't know if Statcounter has just added this info as a new feature or if I have just been paying more attention.  Anyway this week has shown another two or three people downloading multiple images.  Wouldn't it be nice to know why.

Several years ago I recieved an emal from an art teacher at a school in Australia.  Apparently a competition had been held for the students to design a poster to advertize an upcoming concert at the school .  The winner was announced and the posters printed then someone asked the student about the design and the image of the cello in the center of it.  It then came out that the cello was one of my artworks which the student had lifted from my website and incorporated into the poster design.  The art teacher obviouly realized that it was a breach of copyright and quickly wrote and asked me if they could still proceed with using it under the circumstances. I agreed but asked them to credit my image and also to make a donation to a charity in lieu of some kind of payment to me.  It's a pretty nice poster don't you agree?

Copyright Issues for Artists

Like most artists, images of my work are on the internet and several art sites along with a copyright warning. Every now and then I check out how many viewers have visited the site using a program called Statcounter.  It's fun to see that visitors come from all over the world and it reminds me of just how amazing the internet is. Of course there is a downside to this too.  A few years back there was a very interesting post by Robert Genn on his site "The Painters Keys".  Someone told him about a web site in China where they were making copies of work by well know Canadian and American artists and selling them cheaply over the internet.  He went to the site and sure enough, his work was there for sale. A similar thing has occured at art festivals and exhibitions where people go around taking photos of artwork to reproduce. Any artist who puts work on the web faces the same issue.  Using small file sizes means that the work won't reproduce very well but if you want the artwork to look good the file has to be a decent size  The music industry has also been hit hard because so many people make copies for friends or download from sites where the music has been posted.  Very few CD's are now sold and musicians are finding it increasingly hard to make a living.

So back to Statcounter. As I look through the visitor stats on my web site I see the images that have been viewed and also which ones have been downloaded.  This week it was someone from Southend on Sea in the UK who was busy downloading a whole bunch of my musical images including the painting of violins called "Noteworthy" posted here.  Was it another artist who wants to do something similar or someone who just likes the work and wants a copy, and does it matter?  What do you think?

In Process

I always intend to take photos of a painting as I'm working on it but I often get so caught up in the process that I forget.  Here are a couple of photos of a recently completed work.  

I find it facinating to see how other artists go about creating a piece.  I would love to hear if you find it interesting too, and if so, what information about the process you would like to read more about.

Time Goes By...

I've been so busy with the ongoing renovation of my kitchen and bathroom that I've had no time or energy to post or read blogs or even think of doing any art.  In the evening I am exhausted and so I have been relaxing by sitting in front of the tv and watching a wonderful art history series.  The presenter, William Kloss, is an associate with the Smithsonian.  He is a great presenter and brings art history alive with his amazing knowledge all delivered with passion and a twinkle in his eye.  We have been watching The History of European Art which is one of his video series available at The Teaching Company.  If you are interested in art history do check him out. 

Some time ago I posted a photo of this painting called "Swinging at Club 135. I guess it was the word "swinging' in the title that attracted a number of posts from anonymous posters who thought my blog was a suitable place to sell penis enlargement and sexual aids etc. Pretty funny I thought!

Exhibition in Ottawa

I am sitting in the middle of my living room with furniture and books stacked up everywhere.  Tomorrow we move upstairs into our newly renovated apartment.  We still won't have a working bathroom or kitchen as I still have all the tiling to do in both rooms before the plumber can connect up all the fittings, but our son and family is moving into our current unit so we will be able to use their facilities until ours are finished. It has been a huge undertaking because we have been doing most of the work ourselves. An amazing contractor refinished the old floors yesterday making them look brand new and that was the finishing touch.. As well as all this on Thursday I have an exhibition to hang in Ottawa, a four hour drive away.  I have packed up all my work and done the labels but I am still worried that I will have forgotten something. There has been too much happening. Today I was frantic because I went to pick up some paintings that were on show at the Music Institute and when I got home I couldn't find one of them. After an hour of hunting and unpacking art work that I had just wrapped for the Ottawa exhibition I finally found it tucked into a neat little space between two other works.  Once the exhibition is up I will be able to spend a few days meeting up with old friends and enjoying a break before returning to complete the work in the house.  Once that is done it will be back to my normal life and art.  I can't wait!

Toronto Art Expo

I have been looking forward to seeing this show for some time so the morning after it opened I was up early and eager to get there before the crowds.  On to the subway and a quick walk along Front St and I was at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre but I was too early.  It was only 10:30 and the show was not due to open until 11:00.  I couldn't find anything showing where to buy the tickets so after a few minutes I asked one of the artists who was standing nearby with a couple of paintings only to realise that I was so eager to see the show that I was there a day early!  I had somehow lost a day and thought it was Friday when it was only Thursday.  I took my sorry self home again.

The next day I did a re run.  The show is quite big, around 210 booths, with independent artists and galleries showing.  The galleries are located in the centre of the layout and they are nicely set up with lovely white walls and professional lighting and signage.  Around them are placed the solo artists and their booths are less classy.  They are supplied with grid walls with a white curtain backing which looked ok.  Very few had upgraded their booth walls with their own panels like propanels for instance. 

The show draws galleries from other cities and I spoke briefly with a gallery rep from Los Angeles.  I asked him if it was worthwhile to come all that way and he said he would have to wait and see as he hadn't done this show before. I mentioned I had heard that the Art Expo in NY city had been experiencing a drop off in attendance but he said he thought it was still good even if a bit smaller. I was glad to see one of my favourite galleries from Ottawa, Galerie d'art jean Claude Bergeron there.  I like them because they show some really good printmaking, a form of art that he thinks is good in this more challenging economic climate as it is generally less expensive.

The show was, in my mind, quite uneven in quality.  There were some large booths showing what I think of as mass produced designer wall pieces.  These are large decorative pieces with panels of texture and gold and nothing really in them.  Some of the large gallery booths had interesting work but nothing that took my breath away or that I would really have loved to own.  The work of the independent artists ranged from very good to quite amateurish and a couple were awful both in content and the way it was displayed.  One interesting artist produced scanner photography.  He puts objects on a scanner bed and then overlays and manipulates the imagery in his computer until he comes up with a composition he likes.  A young trendy looking artist originally from Russia had paintings that glowed with the most amazing blue. I liked those.  Quite a lot of sculpture was shown but nothing that had real soul or spoke to me which was a pity as I  love interesting sculpture.  I have a couple of artist friends on facebook whose sculptural work would have stood out in this setting. 

I had a nice time.  I met up with a woman who was showing near to me at the Distillery Art Show in the Summer and then chatted with another really nice artist who was very friendly and invited me to go as a guest to her art group who meet once a week for critiques. Both these woman had done the show several times before and although it is expensive to take part in, they both felt it was worthwhile.

As for attendance, well there was a snow storm the day I went and Saturday was pretty bad too.  I will get an update from one of the artists after it finishes so that will be interesting however I don't understand why they don't hold it in late March or April when the weather is better.

Just a note to end on, when writing these posts I am always aware of the difference in the way words are spelt in the US and Canada and I am never sure which to use. Mostly I tend towards the Canadian way, which is the same as the spelling I learnt growing up in NZ.

Swinging at Club 135

This has been a good week. I am finally getting back into the studio and getting work done.  I'm also having fun.  I eased into it by making some simple prints, 4 x 4in, that will be great as handprinted cards.  These are like the first clown print I made.  One of the designs I liked the flow of so I enlarged it to 12 inches and made it into a painting.  It's a lighthearted colourful work.  I am now in the process of doing a companion piece from one of the other designs and that's coming along nicely. 

I have also nearly finished the combined painted / printed work mentioned in previous posts and will post a photo once it is finished.  In many ways I prefer the piece I did on paper to this one on board however I have learned a lot from the process and can see possibilities for future works.

I am also eager to do some more serious printmaking so lots to think about.  Today however I am hanging some of my musical works in The Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music, a new music school in down town Toronto on trendy Queen West.  It's a lovely space and I will be showing my work there on an ongoing basis. 

Clown Collagraph Process

Some time back I was making a small collagraph plate.  It's just 4 inches square.  I had been playing around with some fun foam prints of the image but wanted to make a collagraph of it.  I'm not happy with the final result but like everything you learn by doing.  To make the features on the face I coated it with gloss medium and then drew the facial features into the wet medium.  This creates lines into the medium where the ink collects like intaglio. The gloss medium also wipes quite light which allows the inked lines to stand out.  What I don't like is how the face is a bit patchy and also that there is not enought texture in the hair. I will address this when I make another plate.  In the three following photos you will see:

1 The plate finished but not yet coated with sealant.

2 The plate after sealing with shellac.

3 The printed collagraph. You will notice that they print in reverse.