One down, two to go ..

DoorsOpen was a success with lots of people out enjoying themselves. Marjanka in her burlesque costume was one of the mixed-media pastels on the furnace and she and the "knight" got lots of attention. One thing that was especially nice was the number of people who thanked us artists for putting on our displays.  Next, we are getting ready for the art show that will be in the gymnasium at Steveston Community Centre for the Steveston Salmon Fest on July 1st. We usually get a good turn-out - with the pie-sales just next door helping bring people in from the outside festivities. The following day, some of the members of Richmond Artists Guild are going to make a bit of a showing at London Farm where there will also be a car show by a car club from West Vancouver who are coming out to enjoy "strawberry tea".   It will be a chance to sketch and photograph the cars ...maybe for future paintings?.... as well as show paintings. Some of the faster painters will try their hands at painting on the spot - but I would need longer than a couple of hours to accomplish much. I also want to go inside the house and take some photos as it could be interesting to paint some interior scenes. So far, whenever we have been there, the house has not been open for viewing. In the past, I have made a few donations for the display so I will take a look to see where my grandmother's old sewing machine is.

Salmon Festival on horizon

     Rapidly approaching is July 1st, Canada Day and the Steveston Salmon Festival. I will be in it this year, sharing a booth with Margreth Fry. Quite a few other Richmond artists will be there so we hope that people do come inside to see the Art show. I don't think I'm taking this one of "Baskets" for sale but I thought it looked summery.
     Following on from the last blog - I forgot to give the actual name of the the political cartoonist who took his pseudonym from the Russian word- karandash- for pencil. Emmanuel Poire' was born in Moscow and became a Paris illustrator. The Swiss pencil company Caran d'Ache is named after him and the logo is a stylized version of his signature.
     Now that we are into better painting weather, Men in Hats are back outdoors painting. There is a different challenge in painting on the spot - apart from the weather which can be challenge enough.It can be difficult to focus on what seems to capture the mood of the location. Then the light changes, boats, cars and people move. Yet, for all the difficulties , there are a lot of benefits - learning to find the focus, trying to capture the mood, compensate for light changes- and get something fresh. There is certainly an intensity felt in the paintings that is just not there in a photograph. We often take a reference photo in case we want the small outdoor painting to also become a larger studio piece. It is only by looking at the painting that I get a real feel for what interested me. Too often the photo is "ho-hum". So then the new challenge starts - how to translate the "hey this was a neat place!" feeling into a larger piece done over a longer period of time. Nobody said it was easy - that's why it is called artWORK.