Miniatures

In preparing for this show at the theatre, I neglected to look at my upcoming commitments for the galleries I was already a part of. At the last minute, and after repeated reminders, I pulled out a couple miniature paintings I had done last year and submitted them to the Art Gallery of Lambeth's juried miniature show. The opening was this past weekend. Good turnout, as always, and quite a few pieces sold, one of which was mine. For an added bonus, I got an honourable mention (and a lovely ribbon). The juror was Madeline Lennon, an Art History professor from Western University. That was a lovely surprise.

"Syncopate II"
Mixed Media on paper

The Brass

The Brass
24x36" Acrylic on Canvas

I'm a sucker for a band with a horn section. I'll watch them for hours. Could be blues, jazz or swing, right down to a ska band... I love them all.

Solo Exhibit at the Meadowvale Theatre

The main wall of the lobby, across from the bar. Each of these pieces is
30" wide. They look kind of small, but it just because the wall is so big!

Well, the big day arrived and my solo exhibit went up at the Meadowvale Theatre. Right up until we started sorting and leaning things against the walls I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough work... the place just looked so huge. Luckily my sister was around to help, and she's done this kind of thing many times before. We figured out their hanging system without too much difficulty, and started spacing things out.

By the time we were finished I had almost every space covered. I have to say I'm pretty happy with the way everything looks hanging together. The bright colours really pop on the neutral walls. I have a few new pieces, completed in February, that I have yet to post (as the astute observer will notice...). I will post them over the next couple weeks while I start work on my big "Big" band painting.  :)

Beside the bar, across from the big white wall

View from the front door. The piece beside the coat check
is 36" wide. It looks so little, but it isn't. That seems to be
my running theme....

The main wall from the opposite side.

Creative Flow

Stepping Out
24x30" Acrylic on Canvas

One week to go and counting. The last little while has been incredibly productive for me... probably more so than at any other point in my life. Even with a full time job, I've been able to finish 8 fairly large pieces and 3 smaller ones. Even when I was in school I wasn't that prolific. I think having the deadline has helped... I can't stop to analyze and plan, I just have to do. One painting builds off the previous one. I really think that as long as I don't stop, I could keep going indefinitely. Unfortunately, I will run out of time. I still don't know if I'm going to have enough work to fill up that wall, but I tried my best. Next time I'll have had a head start.

Tango

Tango
30x24" Acrylic on Canvas

Limited Editions Now Available

Two of my images are now available as limited editions on various products, through Rubens and the Bard Online Art Gallery. "The Baseline" and "Take Five" are both available on various products, from laptop sleeves and bags to phone cases. Eventually there may be more images, and possibly available as prints on stretched canvas. If you are interested in checking out what is available, head on over to Zazzle and take a look.

My painting on a laptop bag.... how cool is that?

Next...

"Stomp"
30x30" Acrylic on Canvas

In my quest to fill up THE BIG WALL (which is what I've taken to calling it), I've managed to transform myself from a painter of small images to one who does fairly large ones. This is the largest I've done to date, at 30x30". I'm finding it fun working large... I can use those big brushes I've had for ages but haven't had much use for, and I've got a 3" silicone color pusher that I'm really beginning to love. I might actually have a problem going back to smaller sizes.

I was thinking about what I'd like to do next, and I think I'd like to do a big band... like a Benny Goodman or Count Basie style big band. I can't imagine how I can do that any smaller than a four foot canvas... there would be so many figures to fit in. Six feet would be better. And it would take me a while... a few weeks at least, probably closer to a month. Something I'm obviously going to have to put off for a while. Hopefully in 2013 I'll have a bit more free time to tackle so large a project.