Pollination/Creation

This piece and six others, will be in the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, guild show which starts tomorrow night Friday Nov 6th 7-10 pm. and runs Saturday 12-8 pm and Sunday 12- 6 pm. at 18 Princess Ave St Thomas.

This piece celebrates the web of life, and the way species diversification exploded with the evolution of pollination. I've used a couple of new to me techniques here, one is etching into the surface of one layer to expose the layer beneath. I've also dyed cloth and added it to the red background, although it's not very visible in this photo, it gives a cool textural effect on the actual painting which is 24x30 inches.

The gala opening will be a good time, to come and see the effect for your self.

Catherine and I have been taking a course re: business marketing, accounting etc with the small business development office in St T. When we signed up for it along with the training there was a program called Self Employment Benefit. SEB is a federally funded program that has run for 23 years to help get small business's of the ground, the success rate of business's from this program is more than double that of businesses that start without the support. So the Ontario government (only Ontario of all the provinces) has decided to cancel it, but to take the money from the feds and put it into second careers training. Now that sounds O.K. until you realise that about half of the people in my now unfunded SEB class have been through the Second Careers but were unable to find jobs, and decided to start their own business. Add to that the fact that most of them will be hiring others and now we see how foolish the province is being. especially since it costs under 17,000.00 to fund a SEB, but the average SC is between 15,000.00 and 20,000.00, with no one to employ them when their done. As you guessed even though we (Cat and I) had been approved we missed the funding by 1 day, not even a full 24 hours, that funding would have made a huge difference to what shows I could afford to enter, (entering shows cost's often upwards of $15.00 a piece and usually a lot more, most of the bigger ones cost 1,500.00 to 2,000.00), and yes, I'm a bit pissed. However I do believe everything happens for a reason, I just can't see to reason for this one yet.

'Twas the Art Before Christmas

'Twas the art before Christmas is just around the corner. Nov 6,7,8. The St. Thomas Guild always put on a good show, there will be live music and hors d'oeuvres on the opening night, 7-10 pm. with the show continuing Saturday 12-8 pm, and Sunday 12-6 pm.
St T. has the most diverse group of artists, of any group/guild in this region, so you should really check it out.
Port Stanley's first Friday, art walk is also on the 6th, as is the art auction at S.T.E.P.A.C. so it's a busy weekend for art lovers.
Did I say Mother and Child was done.... well the farther alterations will eventually be posted on the 'commissions' page of this site/blog. As I said, acrylics, change as they dry, rats.
For anyone considering a portrait for Christmas, I have just two more pre-Christmas openings, and the time for them is fast disappearing. Remember though, gift certificates are always available, and make a thoughtful gift.
I'm still working on a new piece for the St Thomas show, that I'll' show you next time, it's another piece on pollination. There is so much to say on that subject, that I imagine I'll be 'talking' through my paint about it for a while.
I got this article in my inbox today, about an artist in Michigan who is being taken to court, by a company that has stolen his designs, and is trying to take the copyrights too. That's like a company that makes knock off Gucci's trying to put Gucci out of business so they can have the market to them selves.
Please go to the site and support the artist's fight. If he looses, we could all loose our artist's copy right to our work, which would mean any one could take our work for them selves and then sue us to shut us down, as is happening here.

mother and child done

Done I hope.
After much fiddling around and about 10 hours of banging head against wall.... I'm finally happy with Mom's hand, mostly.
I have to wait for the paint to cure, before I'm sure, but...... here's hoping.
The studio tour was a success. Thank you, to all who helped make it so, and thank you to all of you who came out. I will be putting an accounting on the tour website, just as soon as all of the cheques clear, and the bills come in. It looks like we made approx $149.00 for cancer research. That is just what we collected in fees, after expenses, with the donations the artist's collected added in. The 'attractions' will I hope have put out their jars and I hope they've collected donations too, we'll soon know.
The Relish Elgin Magazine was here, during the tour, in the form of reporter Deborah Bagshaw, and her photographer, sorry I've forgotten his name. They've written a lovely article for their website.
We were blessed with wonderful weather, the only descent weather this fall. What a year it's been, weather wise.
'Twas the Art Before Christmas is fast approaching, just a couple of more weeks... the 'other piece' I'm working on has to be ready for that. I have 6 pieces going into that show, counting the one that's not done, so, back to work!

Studio Tour 09

Today and tomorrow, the studio tour is on.

We've been blessed with the only decent weather we've had all fall, and I hope you can come for a visit.

As you can see, I've been working on the Mother and Child commission, I worked on it at the Pinery show, and I think today I've finished it. I have to wait for it to dry (acrylic changes colour, the medium clarifies as it drys) but I do believe it is done. I have two other pieces done. I'll post them in a bit, and a third well under way. Thanks for your patience, I know I have been a bit lax in posting the last few weeks, but between self employment workshops, organizing the studio tour, Thanksgiving, and having the plague, life has been a tad hectic ;0

Something to think about

"Funnily, in youth, we are often rigid. We tend to think there is some secret, some Holy Grail that will have great art appear on our easels. We may even dream that fame and fortune will arise from this correctness. As we grow older, we realize just how limiting were our earlier conceptions. Art is something else. Art is fluid, transmutable, open ended, never complete, and never perfect. Art is an event. " Robert Genn

mother and child first step continued...

The drawing in stage or 'grissel' is just about done, once again in posting it I can see a few things that need to be corrected. I've contacted the mother and asked for a chance to take a few more photo's. As wonderful as the photo reference is for pose and mood, there isn't enough information in it for me to get the hand or her nose right.

It feels really good to be back in the studio, now that the studio tour organization is just about done, so forgive the shortness of this post, I'm going back to it

Sudio Tour progress

Tomorrow, is the first Friday event in Port Stanley, I'm not sure that I'm going as that is the day we have to deliver maps and signs for the studio tour, and I doubt I'll be back in time, but it's a fun event, so you should go anyway. Saturday is my show at the Pinery Provincial Park, I've got my fingers crossed for good weather, I'll be inside, so I'm not worried about rain, except from the stand point of, will people come if it's poopy?

No wonder nobody wanted to organize a studio tour. It's an incredible amount of work.
It's all I've been working on the last few weeks. Catherine and I have contacted artists and 'attractions'. In most cases that means driving out to talk to them, then driving back after they've thought about it, to drop off posters and pick up information forms.
I've spent hours sending press releases to various event calendars, thank goodness that's mostly on line now, I created a brochure and a map-time gobbler- driven the route, good thing I did, one road was closed, and another not where google maps said it was???
We've been making signs for the participants, and this afternoon we've got to go back to the printers (multiple trips) to get the map/brochures, and have signs laminated.....then we have to deliver signs and map/brochures.... pant pant, I'm exhausted lol.
Hope fully all of the running will be over this week and then other than a few more ads, I can get back to creating art.
This should be an awesome event, and next year we'll a) know better what we're doing, and b) not have to re-do some of this, since signs and map templates can be used year to year.
the map and brochure are here
Remember, this is a fund raiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Society. We can beat this dread disease

Mother and Child painting first step

That's a bit of a misnomer, the actual first step is griding out the proportions, then comes this step which is called a grisaille. This is where I fine tune the drawing of the portrait. Since I'm only using umber and sienna I can easily over paint and correct until I'm satisfied. This is the step that takes the most time. So far I have 7 hours into this one, and I've a LONG way to go yet. Have I mentioned that I'm picky?
I've been spending hours getting the studio tour going too, most of the administrative/publicity stuff will be done this week, and then I have 3 weeks to get some work (painting) done, or I'm not going to have any thing to show.
I've also been asked to show my 'At Risk' series at the Pinery Oct 3rd. I'll have more details soon.
First Friday in Port Stanley will continue until December, the St Thomas Elgin Artists' Guild show is just 6 weeks away, and I thought the season was winding down...

bee "painting" -you make my world- revisited

This 'painting' is quite changed from when I first showed it to you. It's one of those paintings that just keep talking to me... whispering I'm not done... I'm not done...
I think though, that finally it is.
The various elements were added over a period of several weeks, the last being the 'honey' dripping down.
This 8x10 mixed media and 'a little copper' (earlier post) are at Tabby's Treasures, 355 Talbot St., St Thomas, which is the gift shop attached to the St Thomas animal aid.
I'm an animal rescuer from way back, all of our dogs and most of our cats have been rescues. So I'm delighted to use my talent to help support this work.

As you know our upcoming Fall colour and Studio tour is a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Society. The planning is going well, more artists and 'attractions' are coming on board.

Sadly, our dear friend, and founding member of the Dorchester Artist Network, lost her struggle with the dread disease on Saturday Spt 5th.
Sandy Greason, was both feisty, and kind. She was a great advocate of the arts, and of the community. Every one knew Sandy, and everyone loved her. She was active and doing the art she loved right up until days before the end. She never complained, and always had a kind word of encouragement. We were privileged to have her with us, for oh so brief a time, Sandy was in her 60th year. Sandy we will always love you, and miss you.

Fall colours and Studio Tour

I've been busily working at getting the studio tour ready, the info is in a link in my heading above. It's going to be marvellous, I can't believe how it's coming together. Any profit we make will go to the Breast Cancer Society. This is going to be wonderful!

small copper, butterfly painting

Credit for the photo reference I used for the butterfly goes to my new friend Jay who has the most amazing photo's of insects, as well as a very informative site about biodiversity .

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a strange little story... well here it is. I'd been trying for weeks to get a good shot of a 'small copper' or a 'bog copper' the little devils had just about stripped my cranberries, and I thought the lest they could do was pose for me, but no, no matter how stealthy I was as soon as I got in camera range, off they would flit.

So plan 'b', find a good pic on the i-net and plead for permission to use it. I found an awesome site and e:mailed the photographer, who is of course Jay. As it turns out he lives in London not far from where I grew up, and just a few minutes from where I live now. Now how's that for a small small world, especially considering the vastness of the Internet.

The painting is called 'a little copper' it's 8x10, and uses found metals and metallic paints.

It is representative of the fragility of nature, compared to and being devoured by, our manufactured world. The pennies first of all, are copper, and a play on the butterfly's name, and secondly a statement that 'it's all about the money' the map symbols in the lower right corner are for boggy ground, the bog copper's habitat. While we are learning, and are not draining wet lands, in particular bogs, at the rate we were, they are still in a precarious situation. London's Sifton Bog is an example. Even though it is a protected area, the area around it is not, and recent construction has caused concern.

rose and bee finished painting

Perhaps the title should be rose and bee finished?

Twice before I thought this one was done, and then when I turned on the studio lights the next morning... it wasn't. Some paintings are very demanding, they want more attention, then more again. So - third time the charm, as they say, and I think it is done this time.

Spirals are symbolic of eternity, and re-birth, and of the power of nature. They are found in many cultures, especially the Celts, -my own ethnic roots- and perhaps that's why I find them so attractive.

When combined with environmental issues the symbolism is particularly poignant, we need the power of nature and re-birth to survive.

The full richness of the rose hip is symbolic in this painting of my hopes for the future of life on this planet. The miniature the rose hips are painted on also has a snippet of my personal history on it. Attached is a telling of a story my Mom shared with us many times of her childhood in war time Britain. Rose hips are one of the planets richest sources of Vitamin 'C' and so the children were sent out to the hedgerows to gather them, as the Nazi blockade of shipping meant fruit, and other foods were in short supply.

Don't forget that Art in the heart of London is still on, Sundays, on the Cloister lawn at St Paul's Cathedral. The summer is quickly waning, and outside art festivals will soon be over for another year, so join us, have some coffee and treats, enjoy the music and art, for fall is around the corner.

one click comment

I've just added a cool little gadget, called one click comment on the bottom of my blog, I get e:mails from folks (very good) and the occasional comment (also very good), it will be interesting to see if anyone uses this!

rose and bee W.I.P.

This is a work in progress of a rugosa rose (see the one I picked from my garden in the glass bowl) with a bee in the center. Photo credit for the bee goes to my pal Alison from the Ontario Bee Keepers tec team. The rose is painted with Golden Acrylics (love 'em) on archival tissue, not the easiest support to work on, but it gives me the look I want. The tissue is taped to glass, laid over white paper.
The rugosa's flowers are a favourite of the bees, butterflies and humming birds in my garden, and the hips are consumed by the birds in the winter, I've even seen the chipmunks, running off with hips from the lowest branches.
The hips are very high in Vitamin 'C' and make a tart jam. (recipe)
The finished piece will include a snippet from my Mom's girl hood journal about growing up in war time Britain and collecting rose hips to be dried for the 'war effort'. Sadly when I went to pick hips for the next part of the painting, I noticed that only about 1 in 4 roses had been fertilized. More motivation to keep the message in front of people. Our most immediate environmental threat isn't rising sea levels, or changing weather patterns, or even swine flue, it's the loss of the pollinators. Create habitat, grow pollen and nectar rich flowering plants, don't use pesticides, grow white clover in your lawn, and DON'T swat, and do it all now.

storm damage, and watching paint dry

We had a horrific storm here in S/W Ontario Sunday night. Our peach tree split right down the middle, and there were several trees and large branches lost here in the village.
The power was off for close to 12 hours, and worst of all I lost several appliances including my scandisk. That loss really hurts, as it allows me to paint directly off of the images on my camera's memory card, by showing them on a small T.V. in my studio. A printed photo doesn't have the same depth and clarity. Hopefully I can find another one, and hopefully it's not too expensive.
The committee came and interviewed me for the 'Developing Environmental Awareness' award that I've been nominated for. I think the interview went well... after all I can talk for hours about the environment, and what we can do today, to help 'turn this ship around.' The interview was originally scheduled for Monday, but - see above, we were in clean up mode.
I have a couple of pieces almost ready to show you, but... I'm waiting for layers to dry so I can add another (layer), in other words... I'm watching paint dry :)