Dazed and confused on a grey day :-S

So, I am back from the art show, recouping from that and a little cold :-P all the fun stuff ;-) The show went decently well and there was some people interested to see more. Lots of cards handed out... guess we will see what happens from here. People are full of talk :-P

The show really did get me thinking though, what it really is to be an artist and what people are looking for in art. Seems in our world there is less interest in nudes, really it's pretty sad. Not that I had any visions of crazy art collectors up in the Laurentians LOL!! I just think the average person is rather intimidated by "over-exposure" LOL The models are crazy to reveal themselves to the artist... let alone to the whole world. People have this idea that there are creeps out to look at nudes and there are some...but honestly who is going to put out cash to see a fine art nude rather than search the net for nude photos. I think it's all in location.. I think as far as some people are concerned the artist is just as much to blame asking people to model... and for choosing such a subject that people can't connect with.

On the other side of it, people at the show took interest in what I assumed would not be of much interest for random people. They seemed very interested in the paintings of my old family photographs as well as my portraits. Hmmmm think I have been told many times "people will not buy or be interested in portraits that are not of them or their family"... :-S Oh well guess again! So I guess I will just keep on with the subject I love and develop some really interesting portraits.

I really am happy I spent the time to make a good portfolio, it turned out to be invaluable. Everyone took a good look through. It was very easy for them to get a feel for my work with the variety of mediums and subjects, not to mention my bio there was able to get all my words out without me having to do the notorious "about me" talk over and over. I do see however that I need to make my bio bilingual, funny that I never thought about it before! Ah well one thing on the list of many to get done.

So I am thinking about why I make art... for myself and for others.. as an artist I have to think is my purpose to sell... Most people need to pay the bills with their work. I am quite fortunate that I am not under such pressure. In a way it have me mostly painting to please myself and not others. I do want others to see and enjoy my work... so I need to find a balance that will appeal to the public and still be interesting for me as well. Food for thought! I think I am already decently on the right path. Just need to keep the ideas flowing and keep working. Ha ha need to find more glass birds is what I need! :-P I saw some fantastic ones on E-bay.... oh what a frightening place.. so much junk and cool, MUST HAVE stuff LOL One man's(PERSON's) trash is another's treasure!!



Well before my fingers go numb and before your eyes fall out I will go. Time to snuggle in and finish my sketching. Tonight is a night for Barley, Lentil, sun dried tomato soup! mmmm I love the amazing nostalgic feeling of cold fall days! (note the photo of a cold and patient model I did body painting on a few years back!) xoxox

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

Water Lillies and rainey days

:-D What a beautiful quiet day it is! A little too humid but hey, there is good energy in the air today. I was informed that today is my 4 year anniversary! 8 years together already.. times flies! Good thing family remembers these things for us! Neither of us seemed to keep good track LOL! Oh well, the main thing is we are still together and now have an excuse to celebrate with our favorite foods tonight! Pretty good in todays age to still be very much in love after 8 years! Things just get better with time, like good wine ;-)

I am sitting here with my favorite Billy Holiday songs playing, the rain is coming down in buckets, my parrot is sitting on my lap, a Caffe aux Lait at my side and an amazing water lily that I found this morning looking stunning. Things feel pretty good. Quiet and beautiful. I love rainy days! Just something about them... they have a comforting feeling.

What a beautiful gift I found this morning in a white water lily that washed up on shore along the bank of the river. It was just waiting there for me, to inspire me. I had quite a good time taking photos of it in an old basin. It's so inspiring when something like that happens really it seems like a gift from nature. I made good use and I might just have to get my sketch pad out now and see what comes out. Oh ideas ideas! gone gone and gone. Here is the lyrics to one of my favorite songs that Billy Holiday sang. Seems appropriate for today with the rain and my anniversary.

I'll Be Seeing You

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through

In that small cafe
The park across the way
The children carousel
The chestnut trees
The wishing well

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way

I'll find in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way

I'll find in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you

Billowing Skirts are fun to draw!

Well I guess you can imagine I am drawing out a watercolor of a friend when we were hanging out along the Lachine canal in Montreal. Her skirt is flying around with the breeze in the photo that I am working from. Terribly good fun to paint fabric blowing.... for that matter her in general hair flipping around, certainly has the early summer atmosphere with the soft breeze and amazing sun. I am just contemplating if I should have some writing in this painting... might go then again might NOT! LOL It's difficult to say, especially it being in watercolor... the other thing I am thinking is if I want to add some pastel... eeekkk decisions decisions.. :-P Either way I am having a good drawing day FINALLY! I had been feeling a little stuck. I think there was too much to think about aside from my work.

So I am making a plan of action for my return from Gaspe. Things that need to be ironed out to make life easier. Mainly backing up some of my supplies so when I hit inspiration I can grab a panel or paper and start right away. Also supports, need more. Ah the fun stuff, not like I need a to do list online here in my supposed journal. All I mean is that things need to be corrected to make my life easier! Still have to work out my framing issues as well. Gah! So much to get done! Oh well life would be boring without.

I have been thinking about some new subjects to work on and a few different techniques. For new subjects I am thinking of doing some interesting still lives of old stuff I find. Old toys, old ceramics and glass, mirrors, bottles, mmm and yes more glass birds!! I'm also thinking of doing some works on Mylar paper to create layers. That type of paper can be really interesting, if properly used it can give you some very deep and creepy atmospheres. Anyways there are ideas in the works. MMmmm and some new models as well. Anyone interested?? ;-) I can always use a model in amidst my crazy old artifacts... nude... LOL no no that isn't a spider crawling out of my old suitcase... :-P But honestly there is so many amazing ideas I have with interesting lighting and playing textures against each other.

Well enough blabbing for now I should go and start the washes for my painting it's sitting waiting....