Red, red, RED!

Hello hello! I am in a great mood today, I just finished a really great painting! I did something I haven't done in a VERY long time.... play and try things! Well ok so I do that frequently but not so much in my art :-P It feels good to have just let go and tried something scary! Not to mention have it turn out! :-O




Hmmm not sure why the color isn't coming out well on the net but it's crazy red LOL! Blinding red! NOT like most of my works that are browns, blacks and soft skin tones LOL This is WILD for me LOL Hey it was good fun though! It feels good to have just tried some ideas that I've had for a while. I plan to do more like this with strong color. Of course to contrast that I also finished a painting of the same girl in an old barn LOL that is more neutral tones and spooky. Hey it's just fun to play, what is an artist who doesn't keep searching themselves!

So Ian and I finished re-arranging the apartment so I could have a better space to work. Wow what amazing light in my new work space! Two big windows! Better than painting in the kitchen LOL... mmm plus now I am right beside a heater.... will be nice for the winter months!

My b-day is in less than a week... going to be 27! Time flys! Not so bad really, maybe 27 will be a good year for me :-D Some things certainly seem to be coming together. I am planning to have just a few friends over and make a pile of Indian food, easy and fun. Sit and chit chat and maybe make some mulled wine to warm us up. Good to have friends to warm up with on cold days, good food and good talks make for fine memories!

Creativity and nostalga are flourishing along with the fall colors!

Well things seem to be looking up a bit LOL after two shit weeks I finally feel things are back in line. Back to painting and doing a good job of it too! Not to be boasting LOL I am so happy to see the amazing colors developing outside, it's really inspiring. I am really getting into the fall mode, Halloween and yummy hardy warm soups :-) It's such a great time of year.

I always feel so nostalgic with the cooling air. It makes me think of playing in leaves (on all fours LOL) with soft, pale yellow sweaters on. Just the smell of the leaves is so beautiful. It's really quite remarkable how the human mind works. I feel like I am back to being 4 years old with all the comfort in the world. Mom and dad took care of everything, all I had to do was discover the world. LOL ok I sound very melancholy but really it's great to have memories like that. Coming in from the cold, taking a warm bath, cuddling in PJs on the couch then having dad's hot Veggie soup. Boy, I really did have a great childhood. Maybe a little too pampered! I do look forward to giving the gift of comfort to my children that I was given as a child.


I am feeling very inspired, lots of painting. I am working from the photos I took of my friend in her spooky old barn. The new pastel is really working out well. I think they will make a great series. Sort of her creepy hide out, a little retreated space to think. Lots of character. I am also looking forward to painting a few new models this fall. I am lucky to have people so willing to pose for me!! Also hubby and I are discussing re-arranging our home so I can have a better space to paint in. It's rather exciting! The new place I MIGHT move my work to would have much better lighting and many shelves to arrange my supplies. Not that I have a problem with painting in the kitchen LOL I do think this new space would be a great place until the studio will be ready, which may take a few years to save up enough to construct properly. I guess we will see what happens.

Well I guess that's it for now. Just happy the air feels lighter now, not so much sad and not so much negativity. Off to finish my work for the day then have a warm bath! :-P

Canning Tomatoes, painting and waiting for the art show!

Wow so much happening these days, hard to keep up with my journal. Things are coming together though! Finally I am all set for the art show next weekend (8th and 9th). I only have a few last minute details to touch up. Not too bad for someone so disorganized! Maybe I am finally learning something?? LOL Be OVER prepared LOL Then you can kick back and take some much needed breathing time.

I am sitting here boiling up some tomatoes with hubby, it's such a nice fall activity. It feels very fall in the air, the leaves are starting to turn and the garden is coming to an end. I am really excited to get a party together for Samhain (Halloween). I guess any excuse to eat with friends... LOL I want to get lots of mulled wine and harvest foods for everyone to enjoy. I think we will have this party on cousin's porch and deck it out well! Could be lots of fun! Who says Halloween is only for kids ;-) I do feel my witch within stirring these days.

I was able to get some FABULOUS photos of a friend to paint from last weekend. Even with the rush I managed to get all my under painting for a pretty large painting all finished yesterday! I am very inspired by these photos... can you tell? We used an old barn of her families for the setting, rather interesting to have someone scared of heights crawling around up in the lofts... LOL *ahem ahem* not that I am that bad with heights ;-0 :-P :-S Anyways the photos turned out perfect just how I envisioned them. Spooky and contrasty!! I am planning to work on this painting again today at this rate I might even be able to bring it with me for the show next weekend!




I am off! Tomatoes need to be canned and the painting is calling to me. Back with news of how the show proceeded after the weekend!

Fall is in the air and glass birds everywhere!!

LOL Yep the title sums it up well. It is really starting to feel like fall out there! Lovely for our nightly walks. I am looking forward to the fall really, getting back into a pattern, painting and maybe going into Ottawa to paint some new models.

The end of summer has been changed rather abruptly by this art show popping up. Lots of framing and running around LOL I guess it is blatantly obvious that I am NOT ready for shows.... spend all my time hold up in my kitchen working :-S Well things are going to change! I do feel better about this show and just getting out there more. Just have to keep the courage up. I am still slowly learning about moulding. I must say Framing is one part of painting that I am not excited by!! :-P

I am back to painting my little glass birds! Just started an acrylic of them. I really do enjoy them not sure why... I am thinking about the path of my artwork and subject matter. I really feel I am moving in the right direction. When I look at my portfolio I see subject development. Now I just have to get BIGGER!!!! and BOLDER!!!

I am really looking forward to getting some of my ideas into the works. I have a great panel waiting for a certain friend who just posed for me.. and enjoyed herself..... ;-) To come pose again this time I want to start a big acrylic of her. She is such a pretty person, inside and out. I really enjoyed painting her. I feel it is partly due to me knowing her so well for so many years. She is so feminine in my eyes and such a great supportive friend. I am so happy she finally felt brave enough to show off her pretty curves! Again I see many great sessions with her in my future :-D

Must run now cousin has arrived for a walk! Must quickly finish my Earl Grey mmmm! xoxox

Crazy times!

Well I have been a bad girl... no no not too bad just too busy to write. ;-) I guess after Gaspe I took some time to try and catch up with life. Things just always seem to pile on. Now I am trying for some big changes, like I said before this fall is my time to get out of my comfort zone and show my work off a bit.

It's time to let the world see some of my work and maybe make a few $$... hopefully LOL It's a start but I am doing a little show up in Morin Heights with a friend of mine and some other artists. Nothing too fancy but hey, will be better than poking around here EVERY weekend. I can't expect people to just see my website and come to me. I think artwork never really looks as good in a photo anyways so better for people to see it first hand. I have done shows before just nothing in quite a while... maybe for the good... or the bad but at least I feel my work is where I want it to be development wise before I start to display it. I was quite surprised at how nice it looked to have made a decent portfolio(Today thank you very much!) it looks really nice printed and mounted on black pages. I have at least 40 paintings I am very happy with that can be shown. Now I can focus on where I want my work to go. I see with it all laid out what works best in terms of subject and interest. There are some of my paintings that are more detailed than JUST portraits. I think this is where I should go. Ideas and portraits together. Just gaining a balance of something that people can identify with and still be special and interesting to me.

I am very lucky to have two friends recently take an interest in modeling for me, people who I have asked for a looonnnngggg time LOL I think once they start it will be quite addictive! I know one of them(who already posed and enjoyed the results, my work) Will be back soon :-P The other will be posing for me this weekend... ohhh ideas abound, I have plans...concocting many plans! She will be scared *evil laugh* whoo whooo ha ha haHA ;-) witchy enough for you? MMmmmm looking forward to Halloween... ok so it is two months away but hey!! Some people love x-mas I LOVE Halloween!

Anyways my days will be filled with framing... BAH! and finishing a few works. I guess now I have no excuse not to write. I have had my vacation and enjoyed it immensely. Now it's time for the crunch and making things happen! Raaaaa!

Seeing through eyes of change.

Wow I just love having high speed internet... lol two years without and it's so great to finally get it back! I can get back to seeing what's happening in the world! I am watching all sorts of amazing videos, they are very inspiring. I love LOVE the vids by Sigur Rós. Glósóli is one of my favorite videos they created as it deals with something very interesting to me, growing up. The changes that happen, how the magic changes things are not quite as fairy tale with time. We learn there is ugliness in the world as well as beauty. I think that is such an interesting part of humanity, sitting on the verge and just learning about life. The music is quite beautiful as well, they really are experimental in that the lyrics themselves are in a non-existent language. They just create what sounds good and seems to have meaning even though there is no way to really know what they are trying to convey. Beautiful Neverland style children run through fields slowly growing in numbers and learning about firsts of life. They end at the edge of a huge cliff and .... jump off... it's so beautiful. Something to say about the courage needed to grow up. I find it so inspiring. I MUST paint more children.

I have always found that delicate age to be facinating. Before society pushes it's views onto us. Before the newness goes. I have many ideas for works dealing with that. An artist who did some facinating paintings of young girls on the verge of womanhood was Balthus( Balthasar Klossowski de Rola). I just discovered his work a few months ago but find it quite interesting. He has a very twisted sense of Alice in Wonderland that he painted into his work. Loaded with mirrors, and cats who observe the young women. The subjects he chose seem to have an innocence and yet a power that has yet to be revealed. He was also a master of light, the contrast and the delicate observation of tone he used set the atmosphere to something magical and yet harsh.

Well I must be off as I am to dine with the parent's in law this evening. We are going to the restaurant which we ate at after Ian and my wedding. It's such a cute place in the old port. Amazing Italian food and great place to take a walk after! I will tote my camera along incase I come across something eye catching. There always are things to be seen and captured :-P

Weeewwhhh, Jazz Fest, retirement party done done and done!

Wow soo much going on this month! Now I am just looking forward to kicking back and relaxing a bit before our trip to Gaspe. Some time to get some art done and things tied up.

So, my mom and aunt's retirement party was a success, everyone said that they had a great time. There was quite the abundance of food :-P ok maybe a little overkill but hey! I had many yummies left to snack on for a few days. Everyone was such a help, arranging food and just extra hands to keep things running smoothly. Anyways all in all I think it was a decent send off.

Oh and we had a chance to go and walk the Jazz Fest in Montreal, though sadly it's never enough time for me. I have always loved the atmosphere at the festival, so next year I have to do double time to make up for my lack this year. I was still able to take some interesting photos and find a new musical group to discover.

The group is called DJ Dolores and Aparelhagem. Really amazing mix of sounds. They are a Brazilian group, very jazzy tone with yummy, lusty trumpets, I do have a big love affair with dirty trumpets. The website for them is : http://www.djdolores.com/ there are some clips of their music on the site. mmmmm one more for my growing collection :-)

It really is quite amazing the faces that reveal themselves in that crowd. So much that would be paintable! Amazing men with long dreads, children smiling and playing, old faces and young faces, people of every color and background. It's just so amazing and beautiful. The music is just amazing and so varied. I have discovered several groups who I have continued to listen to and follow over the past few years. Really the feeling of the fest is something so energized with creativity I am like a bee to a flower, it nurtures me and my creative spirit.

Inspiration, new curry concoction and a beautiful day!

Hello All! Another good and inspired day! I really am enjoying reading this new book of mine, this woman has a really great way of looking at things. Very blunt LOL but really encouraging. It feels sort of familiar the stress and self doubt that the young artist who is corresponding with her is feeling. I have started to find my own way, to know what to do to become inspired on just any day and this guy is asking many interesting questions of her. He is concerned about Originality, boredom, being stuck with the same subject all the time. She really gives insight to how to just be yourself and just work through times you are not feeling inspired. She talk about creating "bad" art just to keep creating, even if you are unsure if you feel it is "good" work. The idea is to push through and eventually by playing with "non-serious" work one will rekindle the fire and find something inspiring and things will roll once again. I think I can see that in my own work. I often get so concerned with the perfect subject I will block up and stop working. The other thing she talks about is working when you are not in the mood to create. She feels that often if we should just keep working even if we are not in the mood, like any other job, one can still create art even if we are not in the mood. Food for thought! I really like the idea of playing and not always expecting to create good art... more of that in my future and more exploration of what I want to show to the world.. my views. She seems to feel one should just be themselves and that is original enough. I like that. I often worry i am creating too much work centered around my own life and my family, but that's what I am interesting in now. Why should I change that? I am not planning to do that all my days, just part of myself I want to explore. Anyways I am fine tuning my abilities while working in this way. I am learning to be bold with my work. Just Do it! ha ha ha Well it is good advice really! I guess it is a good thing that I have so many different subjects and styles I want to try in the future, as she writes it's just to keep the many ideas in order and not let the over stimulation block you up LOL I feel that way for sure! Well I am off to eat some new curried concoction I have created! Couscous, Chick peas, raisins, cranberries, onion, curry and honey!! mmmmmm :-D Supper with my mom who has retired as of today!!! :-D YAY go mom go mom go!! Now she can kick back, read as much as she wants, stay up drinking, garden right into the fall and socialize like crazy! :-D xoxox *good energies today!*