Here is another workshop piece. For this one, I intentionally pulled a “not-very-pretty” picture from Brent’s collection. His afternoon demo was amazing, in that he used a photo for reference that was very complex, and found the heart of it to paint. So I was trying to do the same sort of simplification. Not nearly as successful, obviously, but a good start.

Enjoyed a very satisfying workshop today, presented by Brent Laycock. This is one of the pieces I created at the workshop, the first time for me to create representational works in acrylic. It is on 1/3 of a sheet of watercolour paper, recycling the back side of a terrifying watercolour disaster. It is no masterpiece, but I am happy with the result. Brent gave us an introduction to the use of acrylic in four forms: watered down for transparent washes, mixed with medium for transparent glazes, straight acrylic for opaque painting, and mixed with heavy gel for opaque impasto painting. He is an excellent instructor and artist.

I got word this morning that both were accepted! Big amazing surprise, as there are only approximately 15 spots and about 60-70 paintings submitted. The show will be in the foyer of Scotia Place in downtown Edmonton in October/November.

I just got the news that one of my paintings was juried into a show with the Society of Western Canadian Artists. I submitted Trance and Dogfish Dreams (retitled “From the Deep”). I still don’t know which one was accepted, because I had to drop off my paintings and run to teach a dance class with Mo. A friend, Karen Bishop, who was wonderful enough to offer to take my paintings home with her after the jury was done with them, sent me the news on Facebook.

This would not be big news for most of my artist friends, as most have been in numerous shows before. But for me, this is my first show as a professional artist. It’s a significant milestone. I haven’t experienced childish giddiness for a long time! It’s wierd being this proud of a relatively modest accomplishment at my age.

Here is my latest “bubbling up” image, inspired by the trancelike state you can enter when dancing.  It is also an homage to op art, in particular Carlos Cruz-Diez, whose work I really love.   It is mixed media this time, primarily acrylic, but also including an archival digital ink drawing.  Very pleased with the way that this turned out.  Not sure if it is painterly enough for most viewers, but it works for me!

The latest in this series of acrylic paintings about things that bubble up.  10″x10″x1.5″ on acrylic on cradled wood panel.  The composition for this one is primarily carved, collaged, and poured acrylic.  I felt like carving, but didn’t want to create a print that I’d feel obliged to edition, so a bunch of colours were layered on mixed with acrylic mediums – modeling paste and pumice gel.  Then most of the circles were carved out.  Add some collaged, poured, and painted acrylic pigments and this is the result.  It was inspired by hanging sculptures (mobiles) I saw many years ago in the Smithsonian.

This was inspired primarily by the migraine (I don’t get them often, luckily) that I had while recovering from the flu a couple of weeks ago.  It required complete darkness to ward off the pain at the time – nasty!  I also used  colours and patterns inspired by Gustav Klimt, as well as a form inspired by Alex Janvier, as part of a challenge I hosted on Wet Canvas in the Abstract and Contemporary Forum.

Partway through, it took a different direction than planned, due to adding too much quinacridone red pigment in my medium.  At least now I am ok with the alteration to the original vision.

It is another exploration of  “Bubbling Up”, which started with the cast acrylic print on the subject of peace.  This one is 10″x10″x1.5″ acrylics on cradled wood panel:

And a side view:

Here is the latest in my series of bubble inspired works.  It is 10″ x 10″ x 1.5″ on cradled wodd panel.  Painted, dstressed, collaged, and poured acrylic pigment and medium.

Well, the unthinkable happened to me today.  Some time ago I decided to contribute a print (Peace Bubbles) in a fairly experimental printmaking medium – cast acrylic monotype – to an exhibition called Prints for Peace.  Now this was a fairly safe exhibition to submit my work to, as they intended to accept and exhibit all works on paper in any printmaking medium with dimensions of 10″ x 10″ on the theme of peace.  My concept was of peace bubbling up, percolating, so to speak, in a simple, graphical style.  I contacted one of the organizers to confirm that a cast acrylic monotype would be acceptable, given that it is not a traditional printmaking medium, and got the high sign, so I completed the print and sent it along.

Long story short – well, mid-length by now, I guess – my print was rejected from an exhibition where all applicants were to be accepted.  Shock!  HORROR!  Dismay…   shame….  Could there be any greater insult?!

Well, as it turn out, yes.  My print was simply too three dimensional for the frames of the exhibit.  Ouch!  Neither they, nor I expected that.  Phew, I’m not a complete failure after all.  The paper was 300 lb watercolour paper and the pigment and medium used were another millimeter or two thick.  Anyway, this is a good lesson in understanding the particulars of a call for participation, especially when submitting something a bit “out there.”

And by the way, there were a lot of really good printmakers on the list of accepted works, so check out the Prints for Peace blog!

This is a linocut print inspired by the highway scenery while driving through Jasper National Park quite a few times this year.   The dance-like poses of the trees attracted my eye and I decided to use a reference photo taken of a couple of islands just off the highway as my source material for an exchange called Printmakers Gone Wild in the Printmaking Forum of WC!  I was a bit late sending it off, but hope they don’t arrive so late to exclude me from future exchanges.  (a fate worse than death!)  Image size 6″x8″ on Stonehenge paper: