Walking Into the Light

"Walk Into the Light", 18x24" mixed media on canvas. Available. 

Canadian Winter. One of those things you just have to learn to deal with, should you choose to live in Canada. It doesn't get light until 8 or 8:30, it's starting to get dark by 4:00 (depending on where you live and what month it is). And when it is "light", it isn't really... its dim and dreary. The only time you get that wonderful, bright winter sun is when it's minus-hell-has-frozen-over cold.

We had two wonderfully sunny days this week. Only one of them was -15°C. I miss the sun. No matter how many winters I live through, I can't seem to really adjust to it. 

I go through this stretch of time every year, from early January until late February, where I feel like crap and can't seem to motivate myself to do much of anything. It's actually a thing... It's called Season Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), and apparently effects a pretty decent sized chunk of the population. I have a sun lamp that I use in my studio when I'm working  and that helps a bit, but it's one of those things that you have to use every day to see a difference. I have not been painting every day... somehow I've got a billion other things to do and can't seem to plan my time very well. Just the same I've gotten a few pieces finished that I had hanging around, so I'm marking them up as "the first of 2019". It helps me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something instead of just going around in circles. 

When I was working on this piece, which has been in progress since late summer, I was trying to capture the feeling of being in a dark forest and walking into the blinding sunshine. I kept putting it away and then going back to it, changing the entire thing every time. It's way darker than I had thought it would be when I started. I had visions of this lovely, cool blue-green only around the edges, but it didn't work. I kept closing it in until I had the feeling I wanted, but then it was so dark that I had to go back in and add some metallic and lighter tones to brighten it up.

The greens also disappeared when it started getting really cold outside. It was the week between Christmas and New Years when I picked it up again and covered the whole thing in a blue glaze. You can see some bits of green poking through here and there if you look really closely, but now it's mostly blue and purple. It's colder, feels more like winter, but I do get the feeling of moving from dark into light. Which is in line with the whole days getting longer and brighter thing that I'm SO looking forward to.

I'm surfing around online and dreaming of warmer weather... found this article about a town in Italy selling homes for 1 euro with a condition that you have to renovate the place. How nice would it be to start a little community for us Canadian artists desperate to escape the dreariness? Of course I don't have the money to actually do it, but it's wonderful to dream.....

Why Original Art Makes Your Life Better

"Summer Breeze", 24x24 mixed media on canvas. Available.

A few months ago, we decided to paint the entire main floor of our house. It was a tan colour, and we wanted to lighten it up with one of the popular light neutrals. We chose a very light warm grey... but when you come in, it just looks white.

Before we started, I packed up all the art and stored it away in various spots... every spare inch of space we had now had art stashed there. My studio was crazy full... but it didn't matter since I wasn't going to do any work until this was done anyway.

After everything was done i was really busy, so we left it for a bit before we hung all the art back up on the walls. Wow. What a difference. It turned our nice looking house into a home with personality. It expressed who we are.

You can't walk into our home and not know we are people that appreciate music, or that we like colour… you can probably even tell more subtle things about us by what hangs in what room. I like to change things up regularly... and I have more than enough work to be able to do that. And as pieces go out to shows and/or sell, things get rearranged. I usually have one of my larger musician paintings hanging over the piano, but recently I put up an abstract landscape. I love the way the iridescent paint glows when the morning sun hits it, so it is likely staying there until my next show. And it serves the purpose of keeping me relaxed when I sit down to try to play, and can't seem to hit any of the right keys.

I've seen lots of articles floating around the internet on why original art is important. While I agree with the sentiment, I think that a print of a piece you really connect with can be an acceptable substitute. Having something on the wall that really expresses your personality will make your space feel more your own.

Being a 50+ woman living in a big city, I want a couple things from the art I hang on my walls. For the most part, I want an image that is calming and creates a feeling of peacefulness in my home. My life is hectic... work is busy, there's the traffic, there's always people around, quiet is elusive... when I'm home I want the opposite of that. I want art I can look at for a good, long time and still see something new in it, every time. Art that gives me a feeling of spontaneity and joy and calm. And because I can paint, that's the kind of art I try to make. It took me a long time to learn how, but I think I'm there now. It was worth the effort it took.

Art can be a great conversation starter. I love to connect with the people who buy my paintings, and learn a bit about their lives. And likewise, they seem to be curious about mine. I've made a few really good friends that started with a conversation about art. When I am invited into someone's home I always note the art on the walls, and ask questions about it. Each piece usually has a story, and those stories are wonderful to share. Just hearing the excitement in a friend's voice as they tell me the story about the painting they bought on that trip a few years back, and how they managed to find themselves in that particular gallery or studio... well, it's always a high point.

I know people who follow the latest decor trends and are constantly redecorating their homes. I don't think art should follow trends or that you should choose your art based on your decor. If you choose works that you connect with, pieces that make you feel something, it will inspire you to find a way to make it work. Fortunately, with neutral everything being the thing these days, pretty much anything goes, art wise. Make your choices based on how you connect to it, and you can't go wrong.

Make Creativity Part of your Daily Life

"Spatial Music", 9x12" mixed media on paper. Available.
First painting of 2019.

Humans are creative beings. Once our daily needs for food and shelter are taken care of, we move on to other things that enrich our lives. Things that feed our souls. Being creative can do that.

Creativity takes on all sorts of different forms. I like to paint. My mom quilts. My son makes music. My husband endlessly comes up with projects to do around our house, be it building a shed to figuring out a better way to store our snow tires.

I know these days everyone is always so busy. But are we, really? My internet was out for a few days last week... I quickly realized how much time I spent surfing, on social media, sucked into binge watching a series on Netflix. While I always feel so busy, I figure I could free up at least another hour a day if I really wanted to. Possibly more. Of course, I don't have little kids anymore. That makes things more challenging, but it can be done if you're really committed.

I follow a lot of visual artists on social media. I hear about these groups and challenges that provide a good starting point for anyone looking to try their hand at being creative. I have even joined a couple groups... they give me a bit of inspiration when I'm looking for a new project. One group has monthly challenges and the members are really supportive of each other. The hosts also put out a podcast specifically aimed at those trying to build a creative habit. There are also lots of online classes available for every conceivable medium and skill level. A class provides a structure that works for a lot of people, with assignments giving them a specific project and deadline.

For me, being creative.... actually ACTING on the creative impulse... is what makes me more creative. Each painting builds on the one before it, taking a little bit of what I learned and using it as a springboard for the next thing. The only time I really hit that "I don't know what to do" roadblock is when I stop working for an extended period of time. A week break is ok, a month is not. It's like I get creative lethargy and can't motivate myself to get back to it. It took me a while to figure this out about myself, but I bet I am not alone here. Once you build a creative habit into your life, it's pretty much self-perpetuating.

I told y'all I was taking a break for the holidays... and while I did take a break from my blog, social media and marketing my work, I didn't actually take much time off from creating. I reworked an old piece that I thought could be better, finished up some half done stuff, did some drawing in my sketchbook, played with my camera and figured out how to use some new software. I got back to the "play" stage that reminds me why I started painting in the first place. It was rejuvenating.

I could have spent my time off watching movies on Netflix. Well, actually I couldn't, because my internet was out, but you know what I mean. It's way too easy to passively sit there and let the hours slip by. But if you really want to watch that new series everyone is talking about, at least do it with a sketchbook and pencil in hand. You just never know what you can do until you try.

Laments of the Easily Distracted

"In The Deep Mid-Winter", 18x18" mixed media on wood panel. That cool grey is actually silver... so of course, this looks better IRL. The metallic gives it a glimmer when the sun hits it. I'm counting this as one of my 100 Squares, because it's square, and I really wanted to hit the 50 mark by the end of the year. By going larger, I got distracted....

Sometimes I feel like i have the attention span of a gnat. I totally admit it... show me something shiny and I will immediately forget about what I'm doing. It's getting worse as I get older. Sometimes I will start 3 or 4 different projects over the course of a day, and not actually get anything finished. It's quite annoying.

Another problem I have is that I get bored easily. I think that's why I have embraced abstract art the way I have. My figurative work was interesting for a time, but then it became almost formulaic for me, and ceased to be a challenge. And once I'm bored of something, that's it, I can't do it anymore.

Abstract work is different. Every painting presents a new challenge. I think my process suits this aspect of my personality... I start by making random marks, and then I have to make that into something that works visually. The more I do the faster things go.... it's almost like playing chess; I'm improving, but I can't yet see a few moves ahead and figure out in advance if something is going to work or not.

Sometimes things go very slowly. I will do something I have never done before, like try a new medium (I've mixed moulding paste in with my paint on this one to hold my brush marks) or something I'm not sure will work (like this piece, where I stuck peeled off bits of dried paint onto my board before I started). Then have to figure out how to make it work. A future experiment is to give a panel and some mark making tools to my nephew's 3 year old daughter, and then work with what happens there. That should be fun.

The advantage of working small is that even though these experiments can take longer than usual, nothing really takes all that long with you're working on a 10x10" panel. 2018 has been all about the small. But I do think it's time for me to move into the world of larger pieces, so while I still have half my 100 Square Project to finish (this is #50 guys! I hit the half way point!!), I will be starting to work a bit bigger. I've got some 20x20 panels, some 24x30s, and a few 30x40". I've also been toying with the idea of doing another large diptych... even though I'm not sure where I'll put it when I'm done. There are not too many walls in my wee house that can manage a 40x60" painting.

I have some other plans for 2019. Right now I'm working on a schedule of sorts, so my followers can catch what they're interested in. In the world of magazines (where I worked at the beginning of my career) it is an "editorial calendar". I figure this will make it easier for me to create regular, predictable content instead of the haphazard way I've been doing it for the past few years. It'd be good for me not to be sitting down on a Sunday night wondering what I'm going to write about on Mondays blog post. This happens with alarming regularity.

I'll also be migrating my new art releases over to my proper website... because that's really where they should be if I'm going to be serious about selling these things. I'm trying to think like a business owner instead of a flaky creative, being distracted by every shiny new thing that comes along. I've managed to find a focus for my work, and now I need to focus everything else. I'll be adjusting as I go along and see what resonates with my followers... so please, if there is something you'd like to see, let me know and I will do my best to accommodate.

I'm taking a couple weeks off the blog to catch up on other stuff. Maybe even do some social outings and get in touch with friends I haven't seen in a while. I know I need to do some Christmas baking, since I've been asked if the usual cookies are going to make an appearance this year (I totally slacked off last year, and only made one batch of each. Not enough for sharing. My work friends were disappointed).

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, with time enough to do the things you really want to do, not just the obligatory stuff. I'll see you back here the first Monday in 2019.

Peace and Light,
Marianne

New Painting: Mystic Journey

"Mystic Journey", 10x10" mixed media on wood panel. Available. 

This is me trying to do a monochromatic painting.

When I started, I was thinking light grey and white, maybe a bit of metallic (that orange is actually bronze. It doesn't photograph well). My original thought was to put some darks and colour underneath that may show through in little bits here and there, but overall it would be white. It appears I am not in a state of mind to do that right now. I put the dark parts on.... then I liked it too much to cover it all up.

It's not an unusual thing for me to end up with something totally different than I was intending. Since I work completely by gut instinct, once I'm in the zone all plans go out the window and I just follow what is happening on the piece.

I tried to explain this to someone recently and they just didn't get it. He thought I had been working from photos when I was painting my recent landscapes. Even showing my process videos didn't convince him... I'm pretty sure he still thinks I'm working from photos.

My plan for 2019 is to start doing live stream painting sessions. I imagine these will be long and boring, and I'll have no viewers after the first couple are done. Posting my time-lapse films always get a great reaction...I get the feeling people are curious how things come together. But it can really take a long time to get things just right... when it's sped up to 4x the speed it seems like it would be much easier to watch. I'll give it a go anyway, and see where it takes me. At the very least I can answer whatever questions pop up from people watching.

My open studio last weekend went really well... thanks to everyone who came out. It was great to see so many old friends, along with a smattering of new faces. Quite a few pieces went off to new homes. I realized, as I put everything away, that every year I add to my collection of original works on paper that go into storage and only get pulled out for this one event. They proved to be quite popular again this year. I think I may try having a monthly "flash sale" of paper pieces at a deep discount... that way my young collectors can snag something at a great price, and I can clear out some space. Win/win, right? 

Calendars  featuring my abstract work are still online, for anyone who may be interested in ordering one. I've got about 35 left... given that the Canada Post recent job action made sure I couldn't guarantee they would arrive in time for Christmas, I consider this a huge win! Having an e-commerce site makes life so much easier... I remember when I did this in 2015 I had a spread sheet trying to keep track of orders and which ones I had shipped... it was a bit stressful as I was sure I'd miss something. Now it's all there on the website, and I can mark them shipped as I send them out, and it keeps track of how many I have left! Oh the wonders of technology!!

I'll be here next week, but I'm going to take a couple weeks off from the blog over Christmas. I need a break... and I also need some time to figure out all the little technical details of the things I want to launch in January. I'll keep y'all posted when I figure out what my schedule will be. Any ideas of things you may want to see? Leave me a comment, and I'll see what I can do. 

Guest Post: Sandra Morris Jager

December 2nd is my 2nd annual Studio Sale! There are details and a map on my website for those interested in coming out. It's a perfect opportunity to pick up that painting you have had your eye on, or a gift for the art lover in your life. My entire inventory will be available, plus calendars and a brand new collection of 10x10 squares, ready to go at studio prices.

As an added bonus, this year both of my talented sisters will be joining me in Mississauga and bringing out some of their work. My home will be overflowing with art! Here is an introduction to Sandra's work, who makes luxurious, hand-woven wearables. Last week I featured my sister Brenda, so be sure to read that post as well!

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One of Sandy's hand woven shawls

Sandy, at work on the loom

If anyone had told me ten years ago that I would be a weaver, I’d have said that they were crazy. After all, I had a busy home-based fashion business, specializing in bridal design and dressmaking. But after doing this for many years, including a return to school for more formal technical education, I burned out and needed some time off. I took up knitting, which eventually led to spinning. Yes, with a spinning wheel, not a bicycle (though I do that too). It is how you make yarn. It seems only natural in retrospect that I would end up sitting in front of a loom at some point. After all, a love of textiles has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I’m all about colour and texture. Like my sisters, I paint and draw, but my favoured medium is cloth. I am a relatively new weaver, having only been at this for six years now. With each project, I learn something new that I can apply to future endeavours. Weaving is a multi-faceted activity which combines a variety of elements to produce a finished piece. Some of these seem very obvious to me, yet may not to those without exposure to the process.

First, there is the choice of yarns. This is where I start. The fibre type, whether wool, cotton, alpaca, silk, or another fibre, will dictate many of the characteristics of the cloth; its drape, loft, and warmth. Also too, the yarn diameter and texture play an important role. Colour may be what we first see when considering a piece, but it probably has the least impact on the attributes of the cloth itself. Having said that, for me, colour is the second most important choice I make.

  This has led to experimentation with hand-painting dyes onto my measured yarn (the warp) before putting it on the loom. So much more interesting than flat colour! This also guarantees that no two pieces will ever be the same. This is particularly the case with my tencel scarves. They are dyed with a technique involving snow or ice to break the chemical bonds in the dyes, resulting in unpredictable watercolour effects and sometimes unplanned colours. Next up will be combining these hand-dyed warps with handspun weft yarns.

Layered onto the yarn is the choice of pattern. Weave structure determines whether one yarn dominates or if both are equal partners and how dense or drapey the finished textile is, among other things. Sometimes the marriage of yarn, colour, and pattern is a gamble and other times it is a perfect match. As with all thing artistic, creative play can be as valuable as experience in putting all the elements together to create an aesthetically pleasing and functional piece of cloth.

I’m looking forward to sharing my passion and some of my work with you next weekend!

Another lovely finished scarf.

Guest Post: Brenda Morris-Colley

December 2nd is my 2nd annual Studio Sale! There are details and a map on my website for those interested in coming out. It's a perfect opportunity to pick up that painting you have had your eye on, or a gift for the art lover in your life. My entire inventory will be available, plus calendars and a brand new collection of 10x10 squares, ready to go at studio prices.

As an added bonus, this year both of my talented sisters will be joining me in Mississauga and bringing out some of their work. My home will be overflowing with art! Here is an introduction to Brenda's work, and next week I'll have some images from Sandra, who makes luxurious, hand-woven wearables. 

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Watercolour by artist Brenda Morris-Colley

From my earliest memories, art and nature have been in my life.  I was either sitting in my room drawing or out climbing trees.  I was the kid that always brought home the stray dog or a hat full of baby squirrels.

I’ve always loved being out in nature, at the beach, in the woods or traipsing through the creek.  This is where I feel whole.  I love camping, building camp fires, cooking outside, being away from cities, towns and people.  I’ve always been more comfortable in nature or with animals than with people.  I am an introvert by nature and need lots of alone time.  Nothing inspires my creativity more than being in nature.

"Homeward Bound" by Brenda Morris-Colley

My paintings help you return to a place of nature, so you can remember what it was like to be in that space.  You can almost hear the leaves rustling in the wind, the waves crashing against the shore. You can hear the birds singing their song.

Remember what it’s like to stand on the edge of that stream.  Recapture that sense of awe while watching the pelicans fishing or the hawk hunting.

Remember and relax and breathe.

More of Brenda's work can been seen on her Facebook Page, or our FB event page.