au revoir '10

My last masterpieces for the year, i'm pretty impressed with myself. both are highly original and painted-by-numbers. Santa left them for me in my stocking. that one on the left there, belongs in the Louvre i'd say.

This year is almost over and i'm looking forward to new things, hopeful for freshness, adventures, chances, change, and perhaps more regular blog updates.

so goodnight 2010, i'm off to open a rather sexy bottle of champagne and watch you turn into 11.

the Ma wisdom

Today Damian & i had his mother over for lunch. She wanted to see my studio and what i was currently working on. I brought her up our treacherous 1865 staircase and into my paint splattered haven, she shifted left to right right, up to down with her eyes. Within those glances she had decided something, upon inviting reds and blues, and worn out papers into her minds eye she turned and said to me "quit your job and do this!"

we should always listen to our mother right? so should we not also always listen to our mothers-in-law? a mother is a mother and they always know best.

it was another boost to my dream within a span of 2 weeks. the first boost being that the piece i painted for auction at work ended up (after a starting bid of $30) going for $440!

bring it!

p.s. photo above is available as prints in my shop!

delinquent

i didn't want or mean to be away from my blog for this long. sigh. there's been a major change/shift in my day job, the 9-5 that pays my bills. this shift has resulted in less "me time", resulted in no lunch breaks and a tired worn out moi at the end of the day. this worn out me has lost her motivation and energy, she has lost her inspiration. all she wants to do by the time she gets home is tumble into the bunched up sheets on her bed.

luckily last weekend this "she" got sick. odd? yes, odd. Friday last week saw a sore throat develop. By Saturday the sore throat had invited a runny nose on board and together they began to collect humiliating thoughts of tampons in each nostril to quell the drip. Dayquil and whisky were taken to minimize, nay, mask the symptoms.

However, i had a stupendously productive day in my studio that Saturday (thank you Jack Daniel's). Two paintings were completed, one for auction (pictured above) and one for sale at a later date in my shop. From now on i will lick subway hangy-on poles and socialize with small virus infested children (paddy cake paddy cake bakers man, bake me a flu as fast as you can). who needs inspiration when you can get sick? apparently i work best under this sort of infected pressure.

building

current work in progress. i've been asked to donate a painting to a charitable cause, this might be the beginning of that piece, we'll see. i'll keep building and see what happens.

be. simply. wonder... always.

i do believe my house is being haunted by a woman of days ago. a woman who adorned herself in the springtime air of lilac. my house is 145 years old and i wouldn't go lower than 90 years in age when real estating in the future. i adore history, i love living where so many lives before me have built memories. the floor in my family room is the original from 1865 and as much as it needs to be replaced/fixed up, i love feeling it with my bare-feet. Imagine who has walked on it before me for so many years, the stories that are attached to those faded footprints. the passage of time in transparent unknowingness.

there is no reason for my upstairs washroom to be adrift in a floral scent yet i just walked in to wash glue off of my hands and was hit by a rather strong lilac smell. our shower products are scented with a more earthy smell, hints of cedar and sandalwood, so this new ingredient to the air was quite noticeable. i wonder who she is, or rather, was.

i love the idea of ghosts, as long as they aren't ticked off Amityville style spirits who want us out at no cost. I love paranormal everything, bring on the beyond baby!

I've felt abnormal breezes of cool air, seen shadow movement from the corner of my eye, watched my cats stare with intent at the top of the staircase, etc. life would be rather boring if i were to pass it off as a trick of the eye so i choose to believe otherwise.

i like mystery. please don't tell me how a magician does his "trick", it's magic dammit, that's it. no other explanation. life would be utterly dull to me if i knew how and why everything worked. i need to wonder, i need to be in awe of supernatural "things". I like to believe that when i walk through a forest trees hold their breath and faeries stop in tip toe stride so not to be found out. these things make me happy and curious. i will forever grab the reins tight and head on with the imaginative.

seven

i've been rewarded with the beautiful blogger award by the lovely Maria-Therese. it is my task, now, to reveal seven pieces of me and pass the award along to fellow bloggers to do the very same.

thank you so much for the award :)

the seven begin here:

1. my sister and i had a little business a few years ago, Sibling Rivalry. she made (fabulous) handbags and i made jewellery. we had an online shop (site no longer exists) as well as worked every saturday at the St. Lawrence Market downtown Toronto. we woke up early every weekend and set up our outdoor booth. we worked all summer right up until mid -to end- of November. it got pretty cold sitting out there with the wind whipping north off of the lake and straight onto our cheeks but it was still fun. we made friends with fellow vendors, had repeat customers who were absolutely fantastic and stayed around to chat and tell stories, spent a few bits of profit on the most delicious vegetarian egg-roles (located inside the market), and etcetera.

2. when i was ten years old i met Tom Cruise in Australia. i had the biggest crush on him and this moment was huge! i trembled and giggled in my gawky awkwardness, luckily a sweet man with a polaroid camera offered to take a photo for me....

....ok, this didn't really happen, Tom is a cutout but it IS in Australia and i DID have a major crush on him. i can't even tell you the number of times i watched Legend. believe this though, i'm over him and have been for many teenage and adult years. it's what happens when a dude does a movie about faeries & unicorns when you're in that impressionable stage.

3. i've been bitten by a rabbit and a dolphin. different years but exact same finger. i have the scars to prove it. docile creatures love the taste of my blood.

4. i wanted to be an actress. i took every drama class i possibly could in high-school and when i ran out i used my off time to sit in on another class and do their lighting. when i graduated i won the drama award (does that make me an award winning actress?). after school i studied at night with the Second City and finished my course with a performance where i had to sing an improvisation about doing the dishes in the style of opera.

5. i'm allergic to cats but have six of them. i already had two when i rescued a stray two years ago from the bitter January cold. that stray turned out to be pregnant. i'm sure you can take it from there. achoo.

6. i can pretty much guarantee that i will always make an ass of myself when meeting a celebrity. example of a past encounter; Colin Farrell. in an attempt to get his attention for my sister who was crushing on him at the time (and in town filming a movie) i (drunkenly) grabbed his shoulder as he was leaving a pub and questioned "what, are they kicking all the hot guys out?" i felt the sting of humiliation instantly, his little wink, grin, and comment of "oh stop" did very little to ease my blush. this was not the first time i said something i cringed at while meeting a "star".

7. apparently i'm a witch. i'm just waiting for my grandma to tell me more. i love this, i'm intrigued by this, i want this. she has told me stories of her own witchy dabblings and there are things in my life that lead me to believe she is not just being a cool eccentric grandma. when i was in high-school she gave me an actual pendant that was worn many centuries ago by a witch doctor. the hollowed out section was stuffed with herbs etc. and then used in rituals. sometimes i stare inside it and wonder at the past events it was a part of. 7 1/2. i love history and i love it even more when i can touch it.

And now to pass on the award. I tag thee:

Jessica

Kate

Mati

Michelle

Vivienne

within

'Within' - newest mixed media work in my shop. piece is on wood panel and measures 8" x 8"
i've been using a lot of bird imagery in my work lately. definitely symbolic of how i'm feeling. i'm also loving the look of soft, washed shades of blue with the boldness of reds or oranges. delicious!

dance the yawns

August Break #17

i hit a wall earlier this afternoon. all of a sudden i felt exhausted and could only imagine myself curling up for a nap. as i stood up straight and stretched out my neck i shook it off saying out loud to myself "you'll never get where you want to be by sleeping, wake up!" so, i put on a song and danced around my studio, conjuring energy.

for the past couple of weeks i've had a sliver of insomnia and the need to sleep seems to creep up on me when i can't shut my eyes or, when i'm relaxed, doing what i love to do. i won't have any of that. i refuse to be tired during "me time".

there's nothing quite like a solitary dance party to bring you back to life. i urge you to shake it, move wildly, sway back and forth, whip your body to the rhythm of tune. wake yourself up and spend time with you in a moment no one ever need be a part of. dance. fill a floor space with YOU!

save the pillows for later.

carnival

August Break #14, 15, 16

tuesdays drive

August Break #13

four long lines of metal creeping into the horizon, hoping to vanish home. dotting themselves with two fold cherry lights and sun bounced glass in a mask of illuminated pretty. the truth being that they were slowly (quicker than they new in actuality) killing the surface they drew lines on. the interiors of each metallic piece played music to drown by, music to flood out the monotony of days and the guilt of fumes expelled. silent swear words and arms thrown into the air declaring a state of anger towards the asphalts fellow patrons. it really is no one persons fault. these things happen, daily, we have to deal with it on a half inch of nerve. that half inch wears thin.

listen dammit

August Break #12

on my way into work this morning i was stopped by a sign, a random poster telling me what to do. i have no idea if it's a teaser ad or if it's guerrilla art or whatever but, i took it as a sign (no pun intended).

for the past few weeks my mind as been a flurry of constant thought, it's driving me crazy. i can't sleep because of it. i could be watching a movie on the couch when my eyes start to feel heavy and i whisk myself off to bed. once there, laying in the dark stillness, my once heavy eyes begin to widen and adjust to the shadows while my head starts pumping all sorts of randomness out. i'm exhausted.

so when i saw this today i stopped in my tracks, it made my laugh, it was perfect!

art insomnia

August Break #11

it's 10:10pm and i can't seem to shut things down to go to bed. it's a "school night" and i refuse to believe that as fact. i'm too productive right now to close up shop and prepare myself for the 5 day grind ahead of me. i know i'll suffer with yawns and a grumpy mood behind the desk that (just barely) pays my bills but who cares. i'm in it right now, and if you're in the same position as me (dreamy artist trying to work her way out of a poopy office day job) then you'll understand. when inspiration hits you have to grab it by the kite tails and ride the wind.

i've managed to finish the above piece tonight, prep a new panel, and play with/create something that has sparked an idea. i keep looking at the clock and begging it to slow down. it's not listening.

time is a cruel sonofabitch. it crawls while i'm at the bill job and races when i'm at the "truly me" job, what's your deal time? who tinkled on your french toast to make you such a mean ol' meanie? sucks to you clock-face, i'll show you.... just you wait and see.

p.s. see those rather gorgeous butterflies at the bottom of the first photo? they adorn a most delicious journal made by the super lovely Maria-Therese. you need one, trust me. ;)

circa 32

August Break #10

our dryer broke. well, every time i attempt to run it it blows a fuse which knocks out the heat. not much point in drying clothes in a cold dryer. i have laundry hanging all over the house.

our washing machine is also on the fritz, makes a mad crazy loud (and scary as hell) banging noise when it hits the final spin. we're talking the kind of noise you hear in horror films that finds the family of a newly acquired, yet haunted, house running out into the midnight rain. standing in the driveway in their soaking wet pajamas staring at the house, the rhythmic thump thump thump still audible from where they stand shivering.

anyways, i've been thinking of ghosts lately too for some reason but that's a whole other post. so yeah, i'm sure we will soon be without a washing machine too and there is no way we can afford two new appliances (my fridge is ugly and dumb so i also want a new one of those, again, a whole other post. can you imagine how riveting an entire post about a refrigerator would be?). i suppose it's about time to invest in a washboard and hearty bar of soap, a nice tin tub basin would be lovely too, you know, to round out the whole image.

the image is me, circa 1932. a tattered dress under an apron, dusty black shoes one size too big with no laces, hair pulled underneath a handkerchief, raw hands.

you know what though? it builds character, it may take longer to do laundry but it doesn't really bother me. it's much lovelier to the environment and my hydro bill!

natural slip

August Break #9

Oops, summer tripped today and autumn filled in the fallen steps. Shhh, don't tell mother nature... i want to leave my sweater on.

the cool breeze was a welcome change from the humid sap-like air.

the emerald forest

August Break #8

do you believe in faeries?

signs

August Break #7

positive affirmation on a Scottish road.

words & suds

August Break #6

a lovely book, a lovely bath. i just came from a tub scented with lily of the valley bubbles. despite my longing for fall (an earthy scent such as vetiver or cedar might have been more appropriate) i went with the breezy spring scent of the little bell shaped flowers. actually, i didn't have anything woodsy on hand so, no choice really. i digress.

something about the smell reminded me of my dad and step-mom's house in england. it had me remembering rainy walks in the forest, coming home with muddy boots and sparkling drips clinging to our hair. putting the kettle on for a nice cup of tea to cozy up to. i could go for that again, rainy wanderings.

vision in motion blur

August Break #5

It seems the hotter it gets, the louder the crickets sing. i didn't expect today to be so sweltering, i recall them calling for a rainy day (which would have been beautiful, collecting puddles at the end of my driveway).

this heat is making me melt away. it's making me see in double, things look hazy in the distance and i feel as though i were spinning. those waves of heat in the road are hypnotizing me, they're dancing to an ambient sound, pulling me in until i gaze in one spot and forget everything else. the only way to stop it is with pure strength of spirit. i shake my head to loosen its grip on me. i WILL see beyond the square footage in front of me, that box, the front & back, the side to side. i will see further into what i should and will be doing. i need a cool breeze to wake me up and stand me on my toes.

the fate of ice

August Break #4

i won't though

August Break #3

all i feel like doing tonight is going out to get one of those chemically delicious, total crap, sara lee cakes. i feel like coming home with that cake, grabbing a fork, and collapsing into the softness of my couch. i feel like eating the whole thing while watching a movie in the dark, in my baggiest, most comfortable pajamas. i feel like leaving that empty tinfoil pan of chocolate crumbs on the coffee table until the next day. i feel like falling asleep and letting the rest of the movie watch me.

sigh.

ascending the dark

August Break #2

i've been thinking a lot about escape lately. i seem to be in a negative space right now, where bad things just seem to be happening more often than good. this happens, it's part of the cycle. i couldn't enjoy the good without bad having its turn in the spotlight.

i worked on a painting all day saturday that really speaks of my inner desire to escape, run away. you can see a hint of it above, beneath the bird cut out i held up in front of it. i'll show the painting here in a few days once it's complete. I'm really happy with it, a mixed media piece on wood that resonates peacefulness when i look at it. i might hang it at the foot of our bed so i can meditate on it as i try to fall asleep amongst the fluttering thoughts in my head.

handmade autumn

August Break #1

i'm starting late, i just tripped and landed on lovely Susannah Conway's photo project today. i'm not TOO late though and besides, it's never too late.... right? so here it is my first piece ofAugust Break!

a truck fire on our highway journey into the 9-5 detoured us onto back roads (which is preferred anyway. i mean if you have to go into the city you might as well soak in some country to get there). on those back roads we found others who were doing the same thing, thus, a different traffic jam. we were stopped solid in a long, one lane line of various colours of metal . it was pretty though, when i looked to the right. i lowered my window and the scent of wet earth and green tiptoed in. despite the collection of cars it seemed still outside, the sound of crickets and a slight wind. i rested my head on the door and closed my eyes, i thought about how great it would be to just fly away.

it's come to that point in summer where i start to crave autumn. my favourite season. i crave the sweaters, that cozy feeling of wrapping up. i crave the smell of fallen leaves and the papery sound as i kick through them. i crave the chill in the air, an awakening coolness. i crave the colours. i crave the trips to a local farm for pumpkin donuts and the scented spice menagerie of homemade. i crave walks that collect blushed cheeks (a winter favourite as well).

i thought of autumn today in the traffic jam, imagined the trees abloom in colour. so i decided to create it. i took a perfectly fine photo of a summer green field and bibbity bobbity booed it into fall. now i just need some cinnamon to make it complete!

another two

'No Particular Dream of Light' - mixed media abstract collage. stretched canvas measures 16" x 20"

'Flutter' - acrylic, mixed media abstract. gallery stretched canvas measures 18" x 24"

*** Two more originals available for sale in my shop! ***

after sun-shone

after collecting freckles on my shoulders in the hot sun heat of the day, i find myself back in the happiness of my studio. i'm glaring at the blankness of a wood panel perched on the cliffs edge of my easel. i have an idea of what i want on it, i can see ideas floating from right to left, up and down across the surface. only when i courage up enough action with my paintbrush will something stay put.

a blank canvas is a funny thing, it holds so much possibility, anything can happen. that's both exciting and scary at the same time. so much responsibility lies in the palm of the hand that grips the brush. what if i make a mistake? what if it turns out ugly? what if the colours are all wrong, what if i hate it? what if what if what if.....

that's what gesso is for, to cover the what ifs. IF it turns out horrible i simply slather a few coats of gorgeous wet gesso over it and begin again. i wonder how many "what if" paintings rest beneath the final pieces i've come to adore? what ghosts hide under the final brush strokes of the works of Modigliani, Chagall, Wyeth, Twombly, Lautrec, Rauschenburg.......

"what if" can RSVP when the idea of something more life threatening enters my head (like skydiving) but for now, there is no room for it in my studio. here and now i turn the negative inclinations into positive. what if i make a mistake and it turns out brilliant? what if ugly is beauty buried underneath? what if the wrong colours turn more right than i could ever have planned? what if i love it? what if what if what if.....

new pieces and the last day of 4

'Certain Nights' - original acrylic abstract painting - 24" x 30" on canvas

'The Village of Nuit' - original mixed media painting - 11" x 14" on wood panel

both of these pieces are now available in my shop! I have two more originals to put up as well... coming soon.

now it's off to enjoy the last day of my 4 day long weekend. a beautiful sunny morning beckons me outdoors. i'll follow the suns rays to the lake where artists and craftspeople are selling their wares.

p.s. it's that time again, time for a new layout/banner. also coming soon.

the room speaks

a four day weekend is on my horizon, it begins tomorrow night. my studio whispered to me "i'll meet you there, when the gloaming falls in".

i can't wait to colourize the pile of white canvas leaning against my wall. no time limits, no holding back. it's time to make a giant mess!

yesterdays summer

the newest addition to my shop, a photo print from Italy. more to come, see post below for an illustrated memory of my adventure last year. If you see an image you would like as a print please let me know.

hazy days of yesteryear - part 1

this time last year i spoke Italian instead of English (to the best of my ability). my mornings started with a sweeping view of land, sea, and sky.

i became more familiar with the grape in it's liquid form, enjoying a glass of wine with every third breath.

i saw old sailing ships which stirred up stories of pirates and romance, plank walking and treasures buried in the blue depths....

... and castaways not too far behind the ship.

i swam in the glittering mediterranean under azure skies.

i conquered hilltops and rocks and wandered five beautiful villages. small breaks were taken each time we came through the wild into civility, breaks for fresh olive or rosemary focaccia and water refills. breaks to breath in the views and salt air, to admire the locals going about their day-to-day routine amongst us tourists with backpacks and hiking shoes.

i found whimsy and magic every second step i took. true images of life lived with carefree passion.

i danced barefoot with my cartwheeling brother in medieval streets. the moment we arrived in Lucca i felt as if we had stepped off the train and splashed down into the ink of Shakespeare's Verona.

i saw the tuscan sunflowers i had seen in so many paintings. i was living a history, mine and Italy's. I felt so alive there, i was out of my comfort zone mingling with language barriers and it was energizing. that barefoot night in Lucca found me arriving back to our hotel with blackened feet, it took about 3 showers to get it all off.

there is no better way to experience a place than by foot, feeling the ground beneath your feet, absorbing it through touch. every sense gets played with. as your heels rock to toe, your eyes shift left to right up to down, your nose drags in the scent of hot pavement, herbs, perfume, fresh baked breads and pastries. your ears pull the sound of honking horns and laughter off the air, seagulls and distant radios, clinking glasses from a cafe. your tongue wraps its taste-buds around fresh pasta and pesto, tomatoes and cheese, a soft hazelnut cookie, a glass of ruby wine or sparking prosecco.

i lost myself in Italy and find myself thinking back on it more often than not. it affected me in a way i can't explain, it's a place to feel honestly alive. i hope to get back there some day.

simply for the softness

the next paper flip

i just finished a book. it was a fabulous read but this is not a critique (though i do recommend it your your imagination). i don't think i could ever be a reviewer or critic, i would hate to have to analyze something i enjoyed or found beautiful.

after an extremely hot day i tucked myself into the subtle waves of a cool bath scented with blackberries. there i finished a novel i'd been enjoying for a while. living the lives of fictional characters that took me away from the day to day i live. it's amazing how a good book can blur the crowd on a subway into one mass of foggy sound, as if they were ghosts surrounding you as you scroll across perfectly chosen words on a page.

i love the feel of a book in my hands, the fine touch between my fingers as i quickly flip pages to find out what's happening around the paper corner.

now i wait. i can choose my next adventure but must wait until enough time passes until i have mourned past characters. i can't start into a new book immediately, i always have to give it a couple of days between books. this only goes for books i loved of course. if i feel nothing for the characters then it's no problem diving head first into the next bit of writing. If i feel a connection/love/admiration/etc. then i have to let them move on into their reserved section of my mind & memory before replacing them.

the new

'Hot Air Balloons' - 4"x 4" acrylic abstract on gallery stretched canvas

available in my shop.

'Climbing Through Shadow' - 4"x 4" acrylic abstract on gallery stretched canvas

available in my shop.