the Work of art

Most people think making art is a hobby, something done in your leisure time.  "I wish I had a hobby like yours. It must be so much fun to be creative." they say. 

There is work to art. First there is all the learning part, with its frustrations when thing don't go right the first time. Then comes practise, practise, practise.

Finally you become satisfied and enjoy the process more. And one day you think you might show what you have accomplished.

Time to enter a show or gallery. "send us a CD of your paintings" they ask, " and fill out a bio about your work."
Reject, reject, reject.

Perseverance pays off and finally you show a piece in an art show, and guess what, someone buys it. You are overwhelmed, someone liked what you did, they paid money for it,  they now own what you worked so hard on.  It isn't yours anymore. Cash the cheque and buy more paint.

Repeat. repeat. repeat.

Here is my suggestion. Go to a neighbourhood art show, poetry slam, music event and make an artist happy. Buy, buy, buy.
Now you know how hard they work, work work.

Hound Nose - water colour

In the Lambeth Art Association Show and Sale

April 24 - 26th 2014

Lambeth ON

Black and white dogs

It seems I am always painting black or white dogs . Here is one of my white dogs,

 

I also made a paper mache Schnauser

 

"Get off the couch"

 

A great artist, Virginia will knit you a hat from a photo of your dog.

http://puppiesonmyhead.blogspot.ca/

 

Keep making art!

Paper Mache

This summer I played with Paper Mache. It is a moldable medium and very strong.

Patch the Chihuahua is one of the results.

I painted Patch with coloured parts of newspaper for a whimsical look.

He even has a collar.

Tiled Jerry

Shrink paper art of  "Tiled Jerry" is in the Square Foot Show at Westland Gallery in Wortley village, 156 Wortley Rd til August 3rd.

People are interested in how I made this art piece. I am working with shrink plastic. (See prior blog) It is # 6 plastic which is sanded on one side. Coloured pencil is used here to draw the image on 8x11 sheets.

You can see the shrunk piece in the corner.  Here is large sheet up close.

Just draw lightly on sanded side of plastic as the colour intensifies when shrunk.

 Place the plastic on a Parchment covered cookie tray and bake in a 325* oven for 3 minutes

This is the plastic after it is shrunk. Add them all together and you have Square foot painting of "Tiled Jerry"

Falling in place

Sometimes a painting just falls in place as you paint it. For every ten or so paintings, one comes along that paints itself. Carly was one of those.

I wonder if  the accumulation of experience in painting the first 10, wizzes out the end of you brush . Or is it that the artist is relaxed and doesn't care so much. With Carly I told myself I would paint him as I wanted and didn't care if the customer liked it.

In this painting the composition was a combination of two photos I took. The colours where achieved with colour choice, ultramarine blue, phalo green, cad red , a bit of yellow and white. It was painted on a mid-grey toned canvas.

Hope you like it too.

Paint big or go home!

Ok, the show is over and we had a great time. The biggest painting was Schooner NFDL at 48 x 60"

Schooner is a Newfoundland dog and the only Canadian breed. They are about 22- 28" at the shoulder and weigh 30 - 150 lbs. I painted him 1/3 larger that life.

This is my friend Carol whose family are from Newfoundland and me.

I took photos of Schooner last summer at Signal Hill to make this painting. Thank you to the owner for permission.

This painting can be viewed at Portside Gallery, Port Stanley Ontario

Dog Show 2 and Friends

Last years Dog Show was a great success, so we decide to do it again.  We have 11 artists in the show. Virginia Morley will have her hats in the show again. http://puppiesonmyhead.blogspot.ca/ 

Lois Fuchs has a friend painting ready.

And Bunny Warner too.

I have been working all winter on the show so hear is a sneek preview.

Mr Smithers is a dog who lives in St Marys NFLD. He is an old dog and leader of the pack. Very friendly to people.