Spotlight On: Gold Paper (for Miss Manners)

I am running low on art supplies and won't receive my shipment until Friday, so today I've decided to tell you a little about one of my paintings.

Gold Paper (for Miss Manners) was inspired by my grade three teacher, Karen Manners. She was a young teacher and very enthusiastic and creative. She set up an art station in the corner of the classroom and brought in all kinds of supplies. If you behaved then you were rewarded with some free time at the craft table. I remember that she brought in this really shiny silver and gold paper. It was thick like cardboard but so shiny you could see your reflection in it. This doesn't seem so special nowadays but back then it was the most beautiful paper I had ever seen. All of the girls loved the paper and we made sure not to waste any of it. That was the only year that Miss Manners taught me because the next year she got married and moved away. I have no idea where she went after teaching in Cobourg, Ontario, but I hope that she brought her gold paper to her other students and that they enjoyed it was much as I did. Wherever you are, Miss Manners, thank-you.

Thank-You

Thank-You

Phew! The group art show 'Seasons Past' is now over. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun with many friends (new and old) stopping by over the course of the day. I wanted to thank-you all for your support, advice, comments, and purchases. I hope you enjoy your new pieces of art as much as I enjoyed creating them. I have updated the Gallery page for you with the new work and pricing. It's not too late to purchase for Christmas, if you live in my area you can pick up from me or I can deliver to you. It is however too late for me to ship. Once again, thank-you.

The countdown has begun

The art show is this week! The art show is this week! Can you feel the excitement? I know the rest of the ladies in the Untitled art group are busy putting the last minute touches on their work and organizing their move in. As for myself, I finished a large painting last week (there is a story behind that one) and I have one (well, maybe two more) small ones to complete before my varnish deadline of Thursday. All of my paintings will have finished sides, UV top coat, and wires so that they are ready to be hung in their new homes immediately. You may wonder why Thursday is my varnish deadline. It takes three days to cure the varnish so anything that doesn't get coated that day will have to wait for another show. I've included a picture of my art 'studio' to give you a peek inside where I create each day.

Almost there

Here's an updated pic of my painting. It's not quite finished but it's almost there. To see the final product, come out to the art show on December 8. Details are on my sites front page and on Facebook.

Grey skies, blue paint

It's been a busy morning around my house today. We have a snowfall warning in effect (which may or may not happen) so I did a little preparation in case tomorrow is a snow day. After the school run I got the shovel is ready, stopped for coffee cream, took the dog for a walk, started a load of laundry and just finished a nice hot cup of joe. It's grey skies out there today folks and I am working on a painting that mirrors the outdoors today. It's all blues, grey, and silvers. I painted the third layer quite thickly the last time I worked on it so I've been waiting for it to dry and it's ready for more today. I've posted pics of the progression for you. I'm thankful that my darling husband installed a daylight bulb right over my easels because there isn't a lot of natural light to paint by today.

Keep warm and bundled up, my friends, and drive safely.

Music for today

Just a quick update today, my friends. I wrote a blog for the Untitled Art Group page and it was posted today. Today I'm working on three pieces of various sizes but I'll get into more detail on that in a later post. I wanted to share with you what I'm listening to since it ties into my post on the Untitled site. I am currently listening to a station called Downtempo Instrumentals on Songza. It's the perfect music to get my brain into the zone.

Satisfaction

I have spent the morning adding more layers to two small paintings and while I wait for paint to dry (yes, artists DO that!) I am varnishing some completed pieces. Adding a top coat is like doing your hair and adding some hairspray. Or, putting on lipstick after doing your makeup. It is that finishing touch that makes the painting even better. I am using a gloss top coat which I have chosen for a few reasons.

a) I like to use a lot of paint. A lot. Lots of colours, sheens, and brands. This top coat evens it all out.

b) It will provide some UV protection.

c) The paintings can be wiped down with a damp cloth to remove dust.

d) Shiny. Need I say more? :)

e) Paintings are not inexpensive to produce or to purchase. I want my painting to go home with people in a state that they can enjoy for years.

So, while I am waiting for varnish to dry (yes, we do THAT too!) I am enjoying a coffee break and chatting with you. I'll post some more pics tomorrow.

Momentum

It's all starting to come together for our art show. The posters are being created and the prints are being tested. There are three posters to test out, two in colour and one in black and white. Once that's been decided I can concentrate fully on finishing more art pieces. My horoscope for the week said this:

You need to push yourself a little bit harder if you are to reach certain goals, and now is the time. The efforts you make over the next seven days will come back to you many times over – and no effort is ever too much.

I definitely think that is a perfect description of my life right now. I have a sense of urgency that is propelling me forwards and I'm happy with that feeling. Today I will be completing two small paintings and I will be purchasing my mineral spirits so that I can begin laying top coats on my completed pieces.

Work in Progress

I have been working on my newest painting all week. Today my hand and wrist is sore from holding my knives but I am still going to work. I have to. I'm compelled to. At least a little bit. Here is one of the paintings I've been working on. I have photographed it in stages for you to see how a painting progresses as time goes on. I only photographed during major breaks for paint to dry but I think it would be neat in the future to capture the whole progression. Perhaps a little time-lapse voodoo would be cool?

What I haven't included is a picture of the final product. (Sorry for the tease) I would love for you to see it at the art show on December 8. It will be coated with UV Varnish just waiting for its new home, hopefully yours!

Inspiration to create? Or, create for inspiration?

I'm not really a believer in the supernatural but I do enjoy checking my horoscope. Yesterday, my horoscope (credit to Sally Brompton of The Globe and Mail) said this:

Don’t waste time on trivial things or petty vendettas. On the work front, especially, you have important tasks to complete and every minute between now and the end of the week will be vital. Get serious about your ambitions.

I do indeed have a lot of work to complete this week in preparation for a group art show on December 8. This horoscope made me think about people who 'create'. Do you wait for inspiration to strike before you create? Or, do you create and hope that the process of creation will inspire an idea to develop?

Untitled: An art group

I am a member of an art group that calls itself 'Untitled'. We are six women sharing our passion for visual arts in the Northumberland County area of Ontario, Canada. We are a varied group and have many different styles to our art work. We take inspiration and encouragement from each other and I have a happy announcement to make. We will be holding an art show on December 8, 2013 from 1-4pm at the Port Hope United Church. Please save the date, we'd love to see you there!

First Blog Entry - Ever!

This is my very first blog entry, ever. I have been hard at work this week updating my site and painting new works that I will post to the gallery soon.

Sometimes I am inspired by current events, life events, or emotions. This week I was very much inspired by some flamenco guitar music I was listening to. This new work was done with my knives and it's a bit different from my normal style because I did not paint the entire canvas. I used black, white and red for my colours and I feel that I have captured the movement of a flamenco dancer's swirling skirt.