A Pair of Prints for Jury

These two plates were inked at the same time to be a pair in harmonious colours (3 hours spent inking, wiping and running two prints). I am pleased with the result and will set them aside as possibilities for entry into the 2009 International Print Exhibition to take place at the new Shenkman Arts Centre here in Ottawa this July.

Outside to garden now for the weekend and back to trying out some new colour combinations (analagous) on Monday.

It's amazing how time actually does fly! A whole month has gone by since my last blog entry.

I ran a print today and will do another one tomorrow as I am not thrilled with this one. It might be able to work as mixed media. I haven't been printing for quite a while and spent a total of 3 hours on the ink mixing, application, rubs, printing and clean up. Now that the weather is getting nicer I find it difficult to spend the time this way but there is a new show I want to try and get juried in to and the deadline is June 5 for two prints! This is the 2009 International Print Exhibition and this juried show will be held at the new Shenkman Arts Centre co-inciding with their opening this summer. It would be a thrill to be able to take part in the inaugural showing at the new gallery.

I also have been accepted to show work in another gallery and have been busy cutting mats and framing and will deliver work to them next week. It is called 'Artemisia' in Westport, Ontario and I look forward to the next year with them.

I will have to be very careful with my time management in the next two months. I am almost ready for the Manotick Art Association Spring Show taking place the May 1st weekend with the artwork done, framing done except for paper backing, hooks and wires and then just need to make up an inventory list and price tags.

If I get two good prints in the next two weeks I will send them in for jury and see what happens.

Then there's the Art-2009 show in Toronto to get ready for. I want to make two more collages for that show and maybe one more collagraph.

The gardening will get done in small stages as a breather in between the art stuff. Why does everything always happen at once?

The Progression of #2

When I look back at all the stages of this attempt to do a 'series' from a painting that had been completed a few weeks earlier I realize what not to do next time. I'm thinking it would be a whole lot easier to have an idea first of all and then to begin two or three at the same time and work on them simultaneously.

I struggled to finish this one because I was thinking too much. My usual way of working is not to think at all and just let the painting evolve and that is why, after thinking my way to #4 above I became very unhappy and indecisive and when that happens, out comes the gesso! I almost covered up my three flowers but at the last minute decided to try and save them.

The resulting painting is in a much higher key but they are about winter turning into spring so I might not tone it down (but then again, after a few days I might change my mind and mute the colours a bit). Anyway, it is done.

Now on to complete the two vase paintings!

Working in a Series - Stage 2

Day 2 - I have put my flowers in place and decided where the frozen ground will be as well as the green areas. Tomorrow morning I will finish those two areas and then work on the outer collage some more. I hope to be finished with this one by the late afternoon. When I can put the two canvases up side by side or one over the other I will be able to see if a third will work.

I am now taking my painting apron off and putting my cooking one on!

Working in a Series

My very frustrating efforts of the past few months got an affirmation last week in the form of a critique. I brought my canvas that I thought was finished to a critique session with a well known Ottawa art teacher and contemporary artist to get some comments so that I could see if my direction was worth continuing and what areas needed improving. To my surprise there was not one negative comment on my experiment and a suggestion that I should consider working in a series.

After spending some time on the internet looking for ideas on how exactly to do a series of work, I got started this morning. Since my first canvas turned into some odd little flowers wanting to pop up through the frozen ground the second one is to be the next step in the gradual thaw of spring. I am thinking of the circle of the seasons and the changes that occur with each day. Even though I am looking out of my window at ice and snow on the river I can hear a change with the birds that come to my feeder. The cardinals are singing and starting to stake out their territories. There are a lot more squirrels now running about and my dog wants to be outside all day to chase them.

I am also trying to finish two 12" square canvases that turned out to be flowers in vases - a series of two.

Once I get these practice ones done I will pick a theme, choose some sizes and start another series which, I am feeling, just might be flowers and gardens, abstract, of course. That's what happens to my brain after looking at ice and snow for 4 months!

I am excited about my attempts at collaging and painting together on a canvas support. It's amazing what a tiny bit of positive reinforcement can do for the creative spirit!

Thinking of Spring (Subconsciously)

I have said all I need to say in the first one here - turns out my subconscious is wanting Spring very badly. Strange flower images appeared on the canvas and ghostly little flowers waiting to pop up through the frozen ground.

I don't know what is going on in the second one - needs more work! I am finding it difficult to unclutter my mind lately and it definitely is showing up on the page. Keep on working!!!!

Workshop Play

This past weekend I enjoyed two more days of play and experimentation in a workshop setting. The objective was to apply paint randomly using a variety of tools and try to find shapes to begin a painting. All participants had a large amount of difficulty finding any shapes and the level of frustration could be felt and heard in the room (heavy sighs, lots of scraping and dry-brushing noises).

It was interesting to see how people react to trying to learn a different way of doing something. Many people, including myself, after working away for a few hours and getting nowhere, simply reverted to their old, comfortable methods. For me, that was applying collage papers to try to get some shapes going. The first painting shown here was done the first two days of the workshop when I was not seeing any shapes appear on my canvas. I simply started to collage and found a way to begin. I will paint the small white shapes green to tie in with the green already there and maybe darken it a bit. I'm not sure what will happen to the grey shape, it may get darker or lighter.

The second painting was done on the last day of the class, when, with a degree of frustration, I decided to give it one more try and randomly stamped, scraped and rolled reds on and then blues. I stepped back with my chalk and looked for shapes. With the help of our leader I did see a vase or flower pot which, of course, meant that I needed some flowers. I drew loosely with chalk and then painted the negative shapes. I did get something but didn't like it and wiped the chalk away intending to apply white gesso over the canvas and start yet again. I kind of like what is on there enough to try and make something out of it just to see what happens. It may change into a vase or even a potted plant, time will tell.

And then, it may just get gessoed over! It is play and experimentation after all!