The Slow Pace of January

Sunday Morning

Mixed Media in Acrylic Paint & Thread

18"14" Matted & Framed

detail.........

Thought I'd check in so you know I'm still here although still nothing all that new to speak of.  I tentatively have a meeting booked with a gallery in the city for next Saturday so I'm hoping for the best.  They were also a part of the Cityline segment my work was featured in regarding mixed media art so that's how we met up.

January has been a relatively quiet month as I find most Janurays are..... lots of catching up with paperwork that got lost in the shuffle in December.  I'm also finding the pace just about perfect as I have a lot of new work already drawn up that I've been slowly making headway with.  I heard from my friend Carol Currie yesterday regarding the Thunder Beach Show which is taking place in July..I'll report more details as I receive them.


So that's my life to date....nothing too exciting to write home about but I'm still plodding along and am going with the flow so to  speak.  I've renewed my yoga practice as it kind of slipped into oblivion back in December.  I've always touted the benefits of yoga and feel it's become even more imperative as I've gotten older.  If you don't already practice yoga give it a shot as it not only stretches out the body but it stretches out the mind as well.

Namaste......that's yoga talk don't you know.........

Two Birches

Two Birches

Double Matted & Framed

14"x11"

Not much to say so I won't bore you with my ramblings except to let you know I am in the studio....working.

A Moment in Solitude

A Moment In Solitude

Work in Paint, Thread, Wool & Silk

16"x8"

So I finally finished this piece.........yeah! 

It sat around on my storyboard for what seemed like forever but I finally finished off the groundcover and feel it's good to go.  I had some gorgeous gold and copper thread that I ended up weaving into the bottom since I felt I wanted something that created a highlight depending on which angle you viewed the work from.  This fit the bill perfectly!  Tomorrow I'll take it up to my framers and have it double matted and framed.  I'll opt for a white mat and deep mahogany frame to compliment the chocolatey browns in the groundcover.  I've learnt through trial and error that simple but classic framing is the way to go.

A Few of My Favourites

Reds

Yesterday morning I bit the bullet and headed into the studio for some badly needed reorganization.    I work in a fairly small spot so things can quickly become chaotic if their not kept in check.   I have a closet in which I store most of my current work, blank canvases and bits of stuff I have no idea what to do with but always think I may need at some future moment.  My paints were the worst of it.  I have a horrible habit of squeezing out paint from the tube and not putting the tops back on.  Yesterday I suffered the consequences of that........digging with a small screwdriver to gouge out the hardened acrylic was not on my top ten list of favourite things to do on a Sunday morning.

I guess the up side of cleaning was a chance to browse through some of my favourite art books.  I don't read  them near enough these days so it was great to take some time to do that.  One of my favourites is Ian Robert's "Mastering Composition".  Chock full of examples of his beautiful oil paintings as well as a straight forward guide to, you guessed it, mastering composition.  One of the exercises he recommends is "A Composition A Day" which he compares to practicing scales on a piano.  Everyday take a few minutes or more and draw a small 4"x5" composition in pencil on paper.  Nothing elaborate just things that can be found right around you.  He believes that daily practice will grow your artistic skills by leaps and bounds within the period of a year.  Another favourite book is The Complete Guide to Creative Embroidery by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn.  I thought I knew a bit about embroidery but after reading  this book from cover to cover I realize I'm sadly mistaken.  Beautiful shots of their work, what inspires them, their personal design sense and a wonderful use of texture makes this book one of most valued that I own.

Storyboard

This is what I call my storyboard.  It supports all the ideas I'm in the middle of considering for future work or what I'm currently working on.  It looks fairly messy now and I am seriously thinking of buying a much bigger one as many of my other ideas are left sitting in a folder which I neglect to open from time to time.   Lots of photos that I've taken, quotes that inspire me as well as just "stuff" that makes me feel good like the Edward Hopper work.   Unfortunately,  I'm still procrastinating on the tree piece.  I was hoping to have it finished by now and up to my framers but for some strange reason I just can't seem to complete it. The ground cover isn't coming together the way I see it in my head and I guess that's why I'm leaving it sitting.  At some point it will come to me but until then I'll remain patient.  There is a small piece in the middle near the bottom of the board that I completed in Carol Shinn's class a few summers ago that I quite like.  It is completely covered in thread and is photographed so much better than this somewhere in my blog.  That piece, although small took forever to complete.  When you see Carol's work, it is mindblowing to say the least.

Storyboarding is a no brainer for me.  I need to constantly be exposed to what inspires not only me but my work.  If I see it everytime I walk into the studio it starts the wheels moving and pushes me forward to contemplate "the how of making it work".  The story begins to unfurl in my head and then the work begins..........

Winter In The Village

It seemed as if everyone was out and about in the village yesterday as it was the first semi mild day we've had in weeks.   John and I took a walk and I snapped a few photos for future work.  Today I'm keeping warm, drinking Earl Grey Tea and spending the day in in studio.  Much thanks to my friend Kelly for lending me the book "The Help"by Kathryn Stockett.  I may take a half hour this afternoon and start reading it.

Slow Week

new work in progress

This week has not been my most productive....productive being the operative word.  I've kind of just fooled around in the studio and not really gotten anything accomplished.  A bit of this and a bit of that but not a whole hell of alot to show for my efforts.  The above piece is coming along nicely so I'll work on the ground cover today and fingers crossed, have it to my framers my next week.

Heard from Michelle at the Silverbridge Gallery yesterday as they sold another piece for me...not a biggy but sold all the same.  I've really got to make a trip up there with some new work but I've been avoiding it because the weather has been so nasty.

A friend surprised me this week with a gem of a book called "The Tao of Pooh.  I have always been a huge Winnie The Pooh fan.  Even when I was little I had all the books and would read them religiously.  There was just something about that centered and balanced little bear that resonated with me.  Now as I'm reading the book,  I finally get what that "something" is!

The Start of A New Year

photo courtesy of Ward Conway.....

Montreal River Harbour, Ontario

So here we are at the start of 2010.........

Another opportunity to be kinder to others, read books that fascinate us, do yoga, stretch not only our bodies but our imaginations, eat chocolate, listen to music really loud, dance in our studios and not care if anyone is watching, give to charity, create, love unconditionally, practice gratitude, read something inspirational that resonates with you,  soak in a hot tub, try something that scares you,  hug someone, be a good listener, breathe more deeply, learn to meditate,  dream and then make it happen.............

another free trip around the sun.....

Wishing You A Peaceful and Happy 2010