Getting ready for summer

Lots of things are happening so there will be no "summer doldrums". The "Summer Gallery" at Omega would have started but Dunbar Street is being ripped up for new water mains and access to the gallery is only under difficulty.Jenny Mao, the new owner,decided to take the opportunity to do some redecorating, so when the show opens on the 15th, everything will be new and fresh. Before then, on the 10th, at London Farm, there will be the Fraser River Art Festival. There will be tents out on the lawn and about 25 artists (including me!)displaying. Live music will be provided by Steveston Folk Music. ,,,and we've just been invited, and accepted, to be part of the Maritime
Festival by Britannia for the BC Day weekend. Today is Canada Day but I didn't go out to any events. I had a quiet paint-in, mowed the lawn and did some other garden work. Next week I have to organize what I am taking to the London Farm event and pack up the paintings for Omega. For Omega's Summer Gallery, I will be showing some of the European paintings - and I've done two new ones! This is one of Burano, island by Venice, which is a new painting.

"The school of life"

"The school of life" is what Robert Genn calls his latest newsletter. He notes that every year about 900,000 North Americans try painting for the first time and 800,000 quit in frustration. "Apparently, at any given time, three percent of the population is trying to paint." He goes on to say "On the surface, painting looks easy, offers mounds of personal satisfaction and has the potential of big bucks. But then again, so does golf. And we all know that golf makes grown men cry. When closely examined, high-aimed painting is difficult, loaded with disappointment and the dubious benefits of poverty."- This is applicable timing as I was out the other day for an appointment for my husband. I took the books I "published" on my Mac and the doctor was appreciative - but-- immediately assumed I must be in the "big bucks" category. Complimentary, in a way, but far from the truth. Most of us persist because we *must* paint, but most of us would have starved if we had to rely on or art income. We carry on through sheer determination.
Here is Lawrence as painted. I showed, in previous blogs, the graphite drawings done in Life Drawing. Originally, the background was lighter, but, following a critique, I re-did it. It probably looks a bit more like a suggestion of foliage now and is more dramatic against the flesh tones. An artist has to keep questioning.

Whimsical prints

Yesterday I was at the Federation Gallery to pick up my painting from the "Canvas Unbound" show and to take a look at the new print show. I find printmaking intriguing but I haven't done any since Art School. However, yesterday I was thinking that there seems to be a different level of acceptance- or would that be theme of acceptance?- in prints than in paintings. Maybe it is brought on by their very smallness, but there is a lot of whimsy and some almost cartoon-ish pieces. I felt some might be the kind of stuff for doodles in sketchbooks but would be rejected if submitted to a regular show. Not to say that I didn't like them. I don't know enough to say whether the techniques were outstanding and that was part of the acceptance or not. I could only judge the images -and I found a lot appealing. Some brought a smile. I just wonder about the difference and acceptability. Or is it something that come with the choice of medium? Are people with a sense of whimsy - and showcasing it- drawn to the printmaking process? Something to think about.......for the illustration here, here is my Singer in Red.

Vancouver Riots

I don't usually blog about anything except art and art events, but I am rather sickened by last nights rioting after Vancouver lost the Stanley Cup Hockey final. These are the same streets I walked on as a child after Saturday morning art classes. This is where I prowled with sketchbook later on, as a student at Vancouver School of Art. This was just a hockey game, not a plea for democracy. As The Guardian newspaper notes, it makes us look like a fishing village, not the "world-class" city we claim to be. Politicians are saying it was a few yahoos and punks, but the hockey fans inside the arena showed a distinct lack of class and decency when they booed the Bruins at the end of the game. Where was the sportsmanship in that? After the violence and looting on the streets, while spectators filmed it all, Vancouver ends up with a reputation it will take a long time to live down. There is no point about extolling the virtues of a "livable city" and its natural beauty when its citizens end up looking like jerks and worse. .....For the record, I was at Wednesday night Life Drawing and not even watching TV!... painting is of a kayak just by Granville Island- I call it "To Each His Own" and it is a calm and peaceful view in Vancouver.

No Tub after All

Well, the tub was there - a round one- but it just did not fit well into a composition from the position that I had. So, I left it out. It still was fun to have a full day of painting and to see what everyone else came up with. All were different, of course. Different media, different styles - and everyone had a different position, of course. I'm not sure what to call my painting. Any suggestions? I can always resort to "In the Studio". ...and so, the marathon is over - until the next one.

In the Midst of a Marathon

Mark is having a drawing marathon this weekend at Phoenix in Steveston. I've done nine hours of drawing so far and have six hours of painting tomorrow... and that isn't quite a *full* marathon. So far, I have done drawing in coloured conte' on "charcoal" paper 12" x 18". The paper is slightly smaller than I use at Adrienne's - for easier portability up those three flights of stairs. It also works better for half hour and 45 minute poses. I'll probably photograph and post some of the drawings fairly soon. We've had fun with a variety of models and some creative costuming and themes. Tomorrow is an all-day pose ( with a break for lunch) on the theme of a "Degas Bather". Yes, there will be a tub. This is one I couldn't resist. Back when I was in Art School, one of the exam paintings was a model in a bathtub. There was an actual tin bathtub and we were on risers around it, so we could see into the tub. A bouquet of lilacs completed the scene. I remember the young fellows in the class being eager to volunteer for the job of adding more warm water to the tub! This tub, for tomorrow, is the round kind used in country households back in the old days when the bathing took place in the kitchen. It should be another interesting day. My posted painting is another where I did "brush editing". The actual pose had only one visible foot- but criticisms were that it seemed strange and unbalanced. The solution was to invent where a foot might have been and just show a bit of toe. It has been a major improvement. It's also made me aware of avoiding awkwardness in the first place by seeing that hands or feet don't disappear mysteriously.

After DoorsOpen

Richmond's DoorsOpen was last weekend- and I'm still not quite tidied up again. It was a good weekend- except for the weather. Unfortunately, the Saturday was wet so not as many people enjoyed the garden. Everyone was really nice and I had some interesting conversations - some in translation. One young fellow brought his parents. The Dad does traditional Chinese brushwork so was very interested in the paints and surfaces I use. I find the open studio is more of a community outreach than anything else. People like to see the workspace and ask questions. Some want encouragement to try art for themselves - or for their children. One Dad told his young daughter, "See, a lady *can* be an artist!" I wonder if older brothers had been discouraging her? People find we are (relatively) normal, that we try different things and enjoy what we are doing. I always put up some of my drawings (such as the one of Lawrence here) and put out sketchbooks too. Oh- and all the Neapolitan cookies I made got eaten.