2015 art

Here is some of the paintings I painted in 2015.

                                                Alien Invasion - oil

                                                   Pinery Park - Pastel

                                          Treats at Portside Gallery - oil

Pow wow Judge - pastel

Home Town Art Show

A year ago I contacted the Blue Dog Roaster in Brantford, ON to see if they would except my art for a show in their cafe.  Brantford is my hometown and the cafe is in the neighbourhood that I grew up.
Our home was an artistic one.  My mother painted flowers of glass to make extra money.

I like to tell stories with my art, but  the interpretation comes from viewer. I would say my style is realism but with a painterly touch.

It will be a pleasure to show my dog art and some other work in Brantford and I hope my old friends and relatives will come and see the show.

 

The show is at the Blue Dog Roaster

199 Brant Ave

Brantford ON

Free parking and meet the artist Sun Nov 1st, 1.30 - 3.30 pm

Learning more silk painting

I am still learning how to paint on silk. Since I can find no local teachers I have been combing You Tube and silk sights for information.
 I tried two new methods to create. One  uses a resist called Gutta which provides a dam so the paint does not flow into each other. Something like using Misket  with watercolour.

Shown here is each flower and leaf surrounded by clear gutta,

Completed painting shows no blue flowed into white.

The other way I tried was to tie stones in the silk and then paint on it. This is called Sibori. The stones are removed after the silk paint is set and leave a nice sculptural effect.

 

I especially liked this idea. Here it is as a scarf.

 

 

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Getting ready for a show

Getting ready for a show an exciting adventure. Picking out the pieces you want to show is the best part.

This year for the Lambeth Artists Association, art  show I have chosen "Pow Wow Judge".

 It is done in pastel and is of an elder judging the dancers at a Pow Wow. I was drawn to his regalia which was so painstakingly made.
Here it is almost complete.

Buyer Beware

In "The Artist Magazine" this month are the winners for the 2014 annual art competition. The winning images are wonderful to behold and inspire artists.

At the back of the magazine is the entry form for 2015 competition.   It reads in part "I've read and understand the rules of the competition, and agree to allow The Artist's Magazine to publish, republish, and repurpose my artwork in both print and digital formats, including but not limited to magazines, promotional materials, websites, databases and as part of downloadable digital products."

This means the artist gives all of the above rights to their submission to the magazine forever. Mugs can be made, art can be put together for other purposes and websites designed etc. All the art submitted by  the artist whether it wins the contest or not can be used.

For the artist to have the privilege of  giving away these rights, the entry fee is $25.00 per image and $15.00 for students.

I think it is time for artists to say "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?"  Will I make money from this? Are you going to pay me for using my image?

Maybe we should stop entering contests and shows where there are outrageous fees and thousands of entries, and little possibility of remuneration.
Stop supporting art magazines who do this type thing.

The old saying Buyer Beware also means Artist Beware.

Stop Painting Birch Trees

For me, the biggest mistake new painters make, is to paint sunsets. They are very difficult to get the colour right. Badly painted Birch trees is my second complaint.

You see them in art show, three white vertical trunks ( one slanted) with black bits. There is no bark texture, no contour and no shadow or highlight.
My suggestion is to take a good look at a birch tree before you paint it. See the peeling bark.

Just for inspiration check out Robert Batemen's birch tree.
http://www.artcountrycanada.com/bateman-robert-hairy-woodpecker.htm

My challenge to my art friends is to paint the subject birch trees. They don't have to be realism. I will add the photos to this page and my facebook page with a link to your website.

I hope this painting of a birch tree on MOBA is the last bad one.
http://www.museumofbadart.org/coll2/image01.php

Abstract blooms

When I had my first cataract removed in August I was not allowed to do any heavy lifting. gardening or bending down. I could paint but didn't see well enough to do detail.

At the same time several of my friends were getting ready for "Driven to Abstraction Show" at The Arts Project in London ON. I have tried abstraction and was never successful. I see to much realism in the abstract and try to make it into something.

While looking at silk painting, which I did years ago, it came to me to change the way I did it and paint on silk more loosely. Perfect eyesight would be unnecessary.

I orders 11 silk scarves from California and got out my acrylic ink. Here are the results.

I hung them on the line to dry.

Do you think they are abstract? I will wear one to the art show.

 

Here is one more. They are available in Portside Gallery, Port Stanley

 

If you go to the Driven to Abstraction show it is at

The Arts Project

203 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

Sept 9th to 20th

Reception is Thursday Sept 11th, 6 -11 pm