Unwinding before the big event!

Art Gallery outside walls are better than the art inside!

This week I have been sipping on margaritas, riding the waves, reading books and occasionally carving away at some new lino cuts for my fabricated landscapes.  The art down along the Ocean City Boardwalk would make you cringe, but the beach / amusement park culture is more than inspiring, offering social commentary with every turn.  Often taking snapshots from our beachfront balcony, I am reminded of the wonderful aerial beach paintings being done by a Toronto artist.  The bright colours of bikinis, umbrellas and surf boards is wonderfully set off by the negative spaces of the white sands.   We have walked more than I would normally do in a whole

year and yet haven't found a half decent shell to speak of.  What we have found is everything you could think of deep fried.  Geoff, my honey indulged in a deep fried Twinkie today while I resisted deep fried Oreos.  What has been pleasantly surprising is the lack of stress I am feeling over the Toronto Outdoor Show scheduled in less than two weeks from now.  I have four paintings back at the studio I would like to finish in time for the show, but ultimately I have enough work to start 2 galleries so there is really no need for me to stress about getting these pieces done.  This being said, I really do want to have all of my lino cuts ready just in case.

Just some friendly reminders to check out the Lakeshore Mews Handmade Market this Saturday during Promenade Days and get your Art ce Soir applications into Alana at Awkward Stage.  Also be sure to mark July 28th on your calendar as the Paperdolls will be having their closing reception for Unbound up at Double Door Gallery in Anten Mills.

Piecing things together!

Well as you know I had a great weekend up in Midland, selling three works in three days and leaving a couple of pieces up there for another group show the weekend of July 7th.  Not only do the sales help, but the overall process of making these works has helped me to realize some things about my own work.  Now sold, "Rolling with Julia" was one of my new pieces that people were really responding to due to the collaged surfaces with all of the rough edges and dangling threads.  The audience also enjoyed the loose line drawings and textured paint, reconfirming an observation I made while at the Artist Project in March:  People want to see the hand of the artist in the work.  Coming back to my studio this week to begin finishing up work for the Toronto Outdoor Art show, I have begun to incorporate this realization into my Rurbia pieces by rigourously working into the photographic landscapes with drawing and painting over large areas of the images with gestural strokes of paint.  This approach is much more freeing than simply trying to hand tint existing areas of the photograph and allows me to put some energy into the work.  I have also begun to cut and stitch out the different elements of the composition to give the work more layers.  It feels like these new realizations will help me reach a new point of contentment in my practice; for a little while anyway.  

Weekend market a handy opportunity - The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA

This Saturday, I will be in Ocean City, but there will be many other artists set up along the Mews selling their creations.  Be sure to support their effort by getting a jump start on birthday and Christmas shopping.   Weekend market a handy opportunity - The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA

Great blog about Lakeshore Mews Handmade Market!

Becca, By Design.: What a fun day!: Well this past weekend was a fun new experience!  I was part of the first weekend for the Lakeshore Mews Handmade Market in Barrie!!  How f...

Does Advertising Really Work?

Sponsored by the City of Barrie, my new series of Processed interior landscapes heads up to Midland this weekend for their second showing.  With some new mixed media textile collaged canvases and an assortment of small works on paper, this body of work is beginning to expand beyond it's original form.  My new miniatures entitled "Kitchen Beauties" are preciously framed in shadow boxes.  Juxtaposed against my highly textured textile collages, it will be interesting to see what people are drawn to.  Not having to pay to exhibit at Claustro; a breath of fresh air in the gallery system these days, I decided to invest a little money into advertising my show on Facebook.  Often noting side ads on my page, I thought I would give it a try.  It is really cool in that you only pay for the hits you get and you can even set your daily limit of how much you want to spend.  A report of how your ad works is also available and you are able to schedule when you would like your ads to happen.  I'll let everyone know how it goes.