New Painting: Infinity

"Infinity", 18x24" Acrylic on Canvas. Private Collection.

Regular readers will know my life has been in a bit of chaos lately. Anyone who has followed my progress for a while might also recognize that birds are a subject that I tend to go to when I either a) don't know what to do or b) am stressed. I draw them, I photograph them, I paint them, I abstract them... they are a subject I don't seem to get tired of.

My older bird painting,
"In Harmony". Private Collection.

A while ago I was contacted by someone who really liked one of my earlier bird paintings, but as the one she connected with was already sold, we talked about creating one especially for her. Larger, to fit her space. Her anniversary was coming up, and it was an occasion for something special. I thought it would be fun, and since I had recently started working with birds again, I had lots of reference photos at my fingertips.

I started working. We decided on colours and I laid the background in. Then my dad got sick. Things happened quickly, and my weekend away to help out my mom turned into a week... and suddenly my dad was gone. Then my uncle. Then it was over, everyone returned home, and there I was with a half finished painting and my motivation level at an all time low.

To get myself back to the proper frame of mind to work, I had to think about all the things these birds were representing to me. They symbolize freedom, they represent the idea of flight... not just the physical but the emotional and mental. They are alone, but they are together. They are really the perfect subject for an anniversary. And the perfect symbol for those we've lost. Love, to infinity.

I hope she loves her painting.

New Abstract Painting : Flightpath, part 2

"Flightpath | 2" 9x9" Mixed Media on paper.

There were two butterflies, a small white one and a monarch. Together they danced among the flowers. It was a beautiful blue sky day, warm, but a large cloud was threatening rain. There was a breeze… the leaves rustled and the birds sang.

Can you see all that in there?

Inspiration can be a tricky thing. And "explaining" a piece of art even trickier. I am, at the moment, trying to write an artist statement for this new body of work I'm starting... and yes, I'm pretty sure this is going to turn into a body of work. I'm 6 pieces in and I've got 4 or 5 more started.... I've got so many ideas for potential subject matter flying around in my head that I feel compelled to keep going. And that's how it always starts. It's a good place to be. But I digress...

Hilarious, right? You can read more of
these "statements of the Old Masters" at this link. 

So, an artist statement. Have you ever read those things? Usually I get about one paragraph in and my eyes glaze over. Everyone tells me I have to have one... I have to explain what I'm trying to achieve or the curator/collector won't even consider my work.  I will fail to qualify as a "serious" artist. But honestly, I never got the hang of artspeak, even in University. Most of the time it just sounds like a bunch of pretentious drivel that no one really understands. My hat goes off to those artists who can write an honest, decipherable artist statement that still fulfills enough academic standards to qualify. I've tried... really I have. With every body of work I've done, I've tried to distill it down to one idea, and present it in some kind of academic sounding blah, blah, blah. Some are more successful than others. I'm not sure how I'm going to approach this one. I'm thinking of tossing the whole academic approach out the window and going with something that is a bit more authentic to who I am. Yes, I may be a thoughtful artist, but I speak plainly and directly (as you know, if you've read even one post on this blog) and don't go in for big, convoluted expressions. Let's see how that works out for me. At this point, I'm not seeing that I have a whole lot to lose.

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If you happen to live in the GTA (Toronto/Mississauga and area), I will be participating in a live painting event next Saturday afternoon during the Port Credit Buskerfest. It's always a really fun event... this is the first time I'll be anything but a spectator. Myself and 3 other artists, (Lisa Irvine, Christine Newman ( a newbie... straight outta school) and one other yet to be announced) will be working on a collaborative piece at imagemaker gallery on Lakeshore. I haven't done any collaborative work before, so this is a totally new, exciting adventure for me. If you're around for Buskerfest, pop in a see what we're up to. Hopefully it will turn into something fabulous, but even if it's a flop I'm sure it will be fun.
We start at 4 pm, and continue into the evening until about 8.

New Abstract Painting : Flightpath

"Flightpath 2", 9x9" mixed media on paper. Flightpath 1 still needs a bit of work, so I'll post that next week. 

Working with the birds these last few weeks has gotten me thinking about what I'm really looking at and trying to portray with these little pieces. It's not so much the birds as it is the way they move about... trying to draw something while it's in motion has alway been interesting to me, but this is the first time I've actually gone about trying to do it.

There are other things that move in interesting ways... as was very evident while watching the coverage of the recent Pan-Am games that were held in Toronto over the past few weeks. What sparked my interest most... the divers. I always love watching the divers. Every Olympics, no matter how busy, that's the event I make time to watch. Well, summer olympics anyway. In the winter it's the ski jumpers. I like other events, but those ones really grab my attention. I know that I'm going to have to do something related to the athletes at some point, but at the moment, my attention is drawn back to my garden....

Not exactly beautiful....

We've been doing some maintenance back there over the last few weeks. I have a couple large flower beds, but they don't really get much sun. So while I have quite a few large, healthy peony plants, I don't get a whole lot of flowers. This year I had two. Last year there was only one. When my husband told me he wanted to put a shed right where the peonies are, I figured I would just move them to a sunnier spot. They might not live, but you never know. So while trying to figure out the best location, I discovered that the weird looking, greyish mauve flowers I have in my sunny spot is milkweed. I was originally thinking I would pull it out, because it doesn't seem to fit where it is. But when I saw that I had monarch butterflies back there...  repeatedly... I made a point of looking up the plant. OK, so that has to stay. But I can put in more, or a different type, and intersperse it with the peonies, and that should work ok. And the butterflies... oh my. During the couple hours I was back there I saw 4. So beautiful. While I thought about getting a photo, what I actually went to fetch was my sketchbook.

I've done two small pieces so far based on my drawings... well, one is not quite finished, so that one will go up next week. They are small, only 9x9", so they go together somewhat quickly. I've been working on a large one based on my bird paintings, but that one will have to go on hold for a couple weeks while I work on a commission piece. These little ones I can fit in between... those times when I'm not quite sure where I want to go on the larger one, but don't want to loose my momentum by stopping altogether. I think this movement work is going in an interesting direction...  hahahahaha.

Yeah, I know... I'm not that funny....

Bird on a Wire - New abstract painting

"Bird on a Wire", 9x9" Acrylic on paper. 

Sorry guys.... I know I'm late. This week has been crazy. I usually write my post on Friday or Saturday and schedule it to post Sunday morning, but this week I worked late every night, and by Friday I was so tired it was difficult to form full sentences. I'd rather not post the completely incoherent version of my ramblings... I like to think I have somewhat mastered the English language, but when I'm grasping for the name of an object I use daily, I sometimes wonder. Maybe it's just my age.

 I did get a chance to finish up a small piece I started a week or so ago. I had cut up and gessoed a pile of paper, and then working on them here and there when I had a minute. I've got a few that are close to completion. A good thing... with what work has lined up for me for the next few weeks I'm afraid painting is going to have to take a back seat for a bit. Hopefully it won't last longer than that, as it doesn't look like getting more hands in the shop to actually do the work is in the plan (They did manage to find the cash for two more executives though... I guess we all have our priorities).

Patience paid off... I finally got my photo.  

I'm still working on the idea of portraying movement somehow, and still working with the birds in my backyard. It was good to finish something. Gives me some small sense of accomplishment. Last weekend, when I was cleaning up my garden, I discovered a cardinal nest in the tree outside my house. That was pretty cool. I had noticed they had been around a fair bit over the last few weeks, but had no idea where they were coming from. I never seemed to have my camera with me when I saw one, but once I found the nest I knew I if I just sat out there and waited I could get a decent shot.

There are so many birds out here... I've always like watching them but have never really been a "bird-watcher" as such. There are many species I can't identify. The symphony they create in the morning is quite wonderful though.... On the weekends I will just lie in bed with the windows open and listen. If I wake up early enough that is. I think I've finally managed to attach certain sounds to certain birds, which is pretty amazing given my hard-core city girl status. Maybe age is affecting more than just my memory.

Ideas taking flight....

Here's the three finished paintings lined up together. I definitely get the idea of movement and flight... but that might just be wishful thinking....

"Birds Flying High | 3", 5x5" Mixed Media on Paper. I
posted this one mid-week on social media... I was so
happy to actually get it finished I couldn't wait to share. 

I've been working a bit here and there this week, expanding on the idea of flight and motion. I knew eventually I wanted to work birds into a series of some sort, but until now I've been at a loss as to how. I think the idea of portraying movement is something I can work with... and even expand to include more than just birds. But at the moment I shall limit myself to the idea of flight and flying, and see where I go with it.

I managed to finish up the remaining two small pieces I started last week, and started something else a bit larger. I've preped a few sheets of paper so I can continue on when I have a couple hours to work, and a 30x30" canvas is all set to start a large piece in the same vein. I'm not sure I'm ready to actually start yet... I've been working in blues and greys but I think I will need to add some hits of bright colour to really get across the feeling of summer days. I suppose that's what studies are for... figuring out how to get yourself from idea to image and be somewhat satisfied with the result.

"Birds Flying High | 2", 5x5" Mixed Media on Paper

Birds Flying High

"Birds Flying High | 1", 5x5" Mixed Media on Paper

A few weeks ago I did a week long, intensive retreat with artist V. Jane Gordon. We were working with the figure, but on the whole we were figuring out how to take an experience and record it... not just visually, but using everything as inspiraiton; the sounds, the environment, the movement, the moment. We did a lot of work with the model in motion... it was unlike any figure drawing session I had ever participated in. And the drawings/paintings that came out of that week were really interesting and completely different, even if not completely successful as works of art. 

With this experience still fresh in my mind, I was thinking about what I'd like to do next and how to incorporate what I had learned into the couple pieces I have going at the moment. I was sitting out in my backyard with my sketchbook and my coffee, enjoying the morning sun and watching the birds flit around in the garden, and as I have a thing about birds, I started playing with ideas about how to portray them in motion. My drawings got very abstract as I watched them move and dart in and out of the trees. I was inspired enough to get out my paints and try to do something with these interesting lines and shapes. 

I had originally been drawing in charcoal, so I kept that as my drawing tool. I misted it with a mix of medium and water in an attempt to fix it somewhat, so I didn't end up with a muddy mess when i picked up the dust with the paintbrush. I also limited my pallet to black, white and blue, to keep everything from getting too muddled. I was pleasantly pleased with the results, and I actually think this one is good enough to put up for sale. I have a couple other ones started that I will hopefully be able to finish up over the next week. I did one with charcoal, but didn't fix it first (an experiment... but you never know. The results might be interesting!) and a third with the drawing in india ink. Even though I have planned to work on paper for the next little bit (it's so much easier to store), I've been eyeing one of those blank 30x40" canvases I have leaning against the wall. I really do need to use up my stash of stuff, and I really like working large......

Explorations: An Art Journal

I've only had a bit of time this week to focus on art... I've had prints to figure out how to ship, work has been crazy, my husband has been away... it's been pretty busy. Trying to stay with my commitment to expand the sources of my inspiration, I took a couple hours to go for a hike with my camera. This resulted in some nice photos and a feeling of calm that's lasted for a few days. When I sat down to try a bit of journaling, the result was obviously influenced by time spent in nature. I like the colour combinations... I think I may work with that a bit on future pieces. 

I have a thing about art journals. I know they are supposed to be much like written journals, where you put all your feelings out there on the page, but I've never really been able to do that. Maybe it comes from being the youngest of four kids, and never feeling like i had any privacy. Or maybe because I'm just not much of a writer... my thing has always just been pictures. Anyway, I did the journaling part, then covered up most of the writing with paint. Doesn't really matter what I wrote, nobody can read it now anyway. Maybe that's the secret to this whole thing... I might have to do a bit more to figure it out. I have a couple books around to guide me through it. 

In the meantime, my working photos for my next Jazz Legend portrait have started to post on Global Vernissage. This month I'm working on Ella Fitzgerald. Follow along and leave your comments... we're giving away 3 signed, limited edition prints to the most active commenters. Good luck!

My art journal, focusing on my time out in the park. The writing is just stream of consciousness about my hike and how it made me feel. Then I worked over it in paint. I don't think this page will ever fully close now... there's a few layers of paint on there.

A photo from my hike. I've always had a problem getting a shot of dragonflies... they move so fast it's hard to catch them. I was surprised this came out so well. It seemed to sit still for me... like it wanted it's picture taken. 

This turtle was hard to see until it came up to the surface.  They can really camouflage themselves. 

Getting Away

A little bird watching the goings on as I sit and have my morning coffee.

The dirt road my parents
residence is on.

I've never been a landscape painter. I'm not the type to sit quietly for hours sketching from nature or plein air painting. I like to be around people, I like lots of activity, I am truly a city girl however you want to look at it. But lately I've been feeling like all the activity is a bit much, and I'm longing for some quiet... so with last week being a holiday weekend here in Canada, I decided to pack an overnight bag and head out to my parent's place a few hours drive east of here.

To say this place is isolated is really putting it mildly. It's like going to a cottage. I haven't been here for a while... the winter was long and there was a lot of snow, and the last time I was out here in the winter the car got stuck and the tow-truck driver refused to come down to get me out in case HE got stuck. They're on a dirt road. They have a well. They have no neighbours close enough to even catch a glimpse of their existence. My sister (who actually does paint wildlife and nature), came with me, and the two of us went off exploring with my camera.... trying not to slip on the rocks, step into any holes camouflaged by rotting vegetation, or touch anything poisonous.

A large shelf mushroom growing on a rotting tree stump. We looked it up online... apparently we can "eat, with caution". Uh.... I think I'd rather just pass, thanks.

I didn't dare try to climb up here... 

It wouldn't have surprised my parents one bit if one of us had run back needing assistance to help the other out of some kind of "situation". We're both a little klutzy... actually I think my other sister can be included in that as well... and we've all spent more than our fair share of time in emergency rooms. We managed to escape unscathed this time, and I got a few nice photos to add to my growing collection. I'm still posting to my Blipfoto page... albeit sporadically... but I got more shots than my account allows me to upload. I thought I could share them here.

As I was lying in bed this morning listening to the birds through my open window (my favourite part of summer... being able to sleep with the windows open. Of course that means being woken up at  5a.m. by the birds... but whatever...), I was thinking about maybe trying to paint a few landscapes. It would be something different, and it could help with my non-objective work by focusing more on composition. I'm sure I can somehow make it work for me... though it might take a few practice runs to figure it out. Fortunately (??? ok, I will admit it would be better if I had actually SOLD all these paintings instead of having this huge inventory, but at least I don't have to panic when it comes time to hang a show) I have more than enough work around to cover any upcoming shows I've committed to, so I have some time to play and explore something new. It's been a while since I've had the luxury. I think I shall enjoy this...

Oh, and by the way... If you are interested in checking out my musician or dancer series in real life, I've updated my website with all my upcoming exhibits. And if you should see anything you wish to own, please contact me.

This sky... wow. 

This little bird spent a fair bit of time hanging around the bird feeder. He's crazy fast... missed my shot the first few times I caught sight of him, but I knew if I just waited, he'd be back. 

I don't see bees that often these days... but out here the flowers were not store bought, so maybe they are a little safer...

ok, this bird is actually in my own backyard... she has a nest in the tree outside my dining room window. And I've found that she really doesn't welcome spectators... there's a lot of swooping at my head going on. She'll get used to me... eventually....

It's for the Birds...

This past month I had a short exchange with artist Anthony Greentree, on Twitter, who holds a monthly art challenge. February was "#linefebruary"... where you can draw anything in any medium, but can only use line. I commented that I thought this was a great idea, and next thing you know I'm on the list. I hadn't intended to participate, but whatever, I'll go with it. Now I haven't done line drawings in many years. Many, MANY years. I pulled out a sketchbook that I had bought and never used, sharpened up my pencil, and... ok, well, let's not shade that quite so much. I'll try ink.... ick. Was I ever out of practice. Page after page... awful. The last time I seriously drew in ink was when I spent the summer in Europe, in the late 80s (yes, I am that old). So I kept going, and about 20 sketches in I started to get the feel of it. All of my drawings were of the same subject... birds. 

Pen and ink sketch. I noticed when I posted this image that I've got the
year as '15. Getting a little ahead of myself, I'd say. 

I have a thing for birds. It's not new... even looking back over my sketchbooks from school I have doodles and drawings of birds sprinkled all through them. I think part of the appeal for me is that they are used as symbols throughout history, from Ancient Egypt to Native American mythology. They are mystical, and magical... and majestic. 

I don't really sketch (or at least I didn't until this month). I did it because it was something every teacher told me I should do, but I didn't really enjoy it all that much, so I stopped when my life got busy and it got too inconvenient to carry around a sketchbook that I rarely used (I had a baby and suddenly I had too many things to carry... the book just wasn't going in the bag). What I did do was get kids books from Goodwill recycle them. I prefer the board kind because they take a lot of abuse. I sand off the varnish, gesso them and repaint the pages. I have a pile of these little books, most of them thematic in some way. And yes, I have one devoted to birds. They're not that big... most of them only have about 10 pages, so I will do one spread when the mood strikes me and put it away until the mood strikes again... sometimes months later. Since my brain was focused on birds, I pulled out my books and did a couple new pages.

This was fun. Maybe I'll try to get back into the habit. And maybe I'll enjoy it this time.

The Big Switch Up

It was one of those weeks. Too busy by far to do anything relaxing or creative, just a lot of running around. The show at the Meadowvale theatre was extended for a few weeks, but as both galleries where I have work on a regular basis are changing up the shows, I had to go to all three venues and move things around. I also had a one day art event held at the Lakeshore Yacht Club (in west Toronto), where I had donated a painting to the silent auction for Sick Kids Hospital, and had a few other paintings on display. Seemed like it was one long social weekend, which while enjoyable, has left me longing for some creative down time.

"A Cappella"    12x12" Acrylic on Canvas
Now on display at the Art Gallery of Lambeth in London, Ontario

Flight

I seem to be fixated on birds lately. Not really sure why... maybe it's the endless dreariness of grey skies and rain getting to me, or maybe it's the tedious nature of my day job that has me dreaming of some kind of flight. Whatever it is, the birds are an ongoing fascination for me.

The Colour of Simplicity
11x14" acrylic on canvas

Pursiut
11x14" acrylic on canvas

As a side note, I recently purchased a tube of Tri-Art acrylics Pyrrole Red. What a gorgeous colour. I've got a bunch of new pieces started... I think this red is going to replace, or at least stand alongside my current staple, Quinacridone Crimson.

Another Project

Aside from these musician paintings that I've been working on for months now, I have another, much smaller project going. I posted one image already, but I've since done a few more. I'm not sure exactly where the bird imagery came from or what it means just yet, but it keeps showing up when I'm working in my visual journal, so I know there has to be something to it. Here is another from this developing series.

"Untamed"
11x14" Acrylic on Canvas

In-between Days

I'm having a bit of an off week. I've got a couple paintings that aren't really working for me and I'm feeling a bit out of sorts. I suppose not every painting session can be successful, but more than two in a row and it throws me off (and I'm sure that having a house full of teenagers playing really loud electric guitars had nothing at all to do with it). What to do? I decided to take a couple days off and focus on something else. I'll get back to the musicians when I get back to feeling like myself.

Alone
11x14" Acrylic on canvas

I've been working on a couple of other projects... thought since I didn't have any other completed paintings to post I'd share one of those.

I suppose this one goes with my other "bird" pieces, even though it's quite different. I was planning on doing a musician when I started, but instead of my usual upbeat jazz I put on classical guitar (Julian Bream). It still amazes me how much my choice of music influences the feeling of the finished painting. I was pleased with how this turned out, so I've started a couple other small canvases to classical pieces. Haven't finished anything else yet, but I've taken to writing down what i was listening to on the back of the stretcher bar. I know that once I get a bunch going I won't be able to remember, and I don't want to change the outcome by switching the music.

As much as this intrigues me, this isn't the time for me to get sidetracked. I'm taking part in a group show at the Art Gallery of Lambeth in September, and have about 3 weeks to get everything finished up. I've got two paintings left, one of which is much larger that what I usually do.  I can get it finished if I don't get distracted... and maybe if I can get the kids to go practice at someone else's house.