Stickin' Ideas Together

When I last spoke of the Anonymous Art Show that I participated in back in Nov. 2011, I neglected to note a detail that really stood out for me. On the main wall near the entrance, the organizers hung a large canvas wrapped with all the names of the contributing artists. I was proud as punch to see my name included in print among the over 400 other talented souls who participated in the annual event. It's a small thing, one's name typeset amongst so many others, but it spoke in a large way to me. It said that my work is valuable to this organization; it's appreciated, acknowledged, and recognized. And that feels great. So if you find yourself in need of a creative way to express thanks to your contributors at an event, this may just be the final touch you need.

I'm super excited about my "ultrasound paintings". Finally determining the title of the series makes its purpose clear to me. DELIVERY. It's a great follow-up to my last series, "love letters (to my baby)". In Delivery my focus has shifted away from adoration, to reflecting on the miracle of conception and the birthing process. I acknowledge that thousands of women struggle, pray and sacrifice to have that experience that came so effortlessly to me. These new works are textured and layered with an urban grit. They appear worn, almost hurting but also strong in order to support the topical weight of each piece and the varied experiences of pregnancy. Look out for more come Fall of 2012.

I figured it's time to follow up on the Jill Pilon class. Wowzers was it fantastic! Jill is a true inspiration and a natural teacher, (being a mom to three children likely helps). The painting above is simply my sample board from the class. To me it's a great painting in its own right. Jill encourages experimentation, curiosity, pushing of comfort zones and accepting happy accidents. The freedom, permission and sense of accomplishment I felt after attending her class is a testament to her supportive nature. I'm hungrily reworking my on-going ultrasound paintings with a revived urban edge and some of that raw expression I've been craving to express. Feelin' good... and frankly lookin' good! I'll post one of them soon.

Recently I was invited to participate in a group show celebrating the artwork and history of the Joker card. The curator's partner has an impressive collection of these playing cards and wanted a forum to display and share them; therefore, sharing a passion of his with the boutique's collection of artist was a natural development. My entry, "Who is not a fool?", is approx. 8"x24" made with acrylic paint, collaged paper with a final resin coating on a wooden cradled panel. I approached the challenge of creating a painting based on someone else's interest the same I would a graphic design job. I researched, sketched out ideas, planned, referred to the "design brief" many times and then executed & refined my painting. In the end I felt I had successfully interpreted the brief. However, I was concerned that maybe I was being too literal to include numbers, card symbols, even the set up of 2 card-like forms. Perhaps I it is to...

Have you ever tried to balance anything such as standing on one foot, or holding a cup full of tea on a saucer while walking quickly, or 2 dates in one evening...? Tough stuff, right? I find a challenge in balancing my time so I can paint. O.K. so I don't have copywrites to that issue, but it's still a struggle. Local artist Robert Genn regularly address this complaint in his bi-weekly newsletter. His suggestions often include the direct approach such as prioritize . And he's right. For me I believe that prioritizing is a huge challenge. Because my livelihood is currently not dependent on my painting, it falls under the category of "hobby". And, between my family, work, and standard house-hold duties, personal time is limited. So why I am bitchin' about this? Well basically because it's my blog and I can. Additionally because I am reflecting on what's real and what am I putting up as barricades & excuses. Lately I have taken a different appr...

A colleague of mine forwarded me a link to a truly inspirational speaker. Below is the intro as posted on TED as well as the link for you to listen to. I believe the world is healing as a result of the actions and sharing of people like Brene: Brene Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.  Brene Brown On Vulnerability.

No words are actually needed with this post, but I will write something anyway.  Basquiat . His work is raw, energetic, inspired and uninhibited. I strive to express as he did. Maybe the more I practice not to care about the results, the rawness of my original intent will shine through. Time will tell. In the meantime, I'll be attending a weekend workshop this weekend hosted by local Vancouver artist, Jill Pilon . Her work has a similar graffiti spontaneity to it. I'm looking forward to learning some new techniques! I'll keep you posted on my progress!