Tag Archives: acrylic on canvas

30 in 30 challenge

White flag – painting timelapse #13

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white flag
Waving the white flag     Scroll down to see timelapse #13

White flag

I surrender, but the “white flag” does not mean I’ve given up.

Last night when I painted,  I felt very frustrated with having the camera on me. 

So far,  I’ve been trying to angle the camera, and myself, in such a way that hopefully the viewer could see what I was painting. It is an ergonomic nightmare.  My neck, back, arms all end up sore after a few hours of painting that way.

And still, it has been increasingly difficult to keep myself out of the shot. Beyond vanity, my concern is that I am at a point in the painting that I need to spend some time very close to the canvas, as I add detail. Which means if I ignore the camera, there may be long periods of just my back.

At the same time, I am also at the point where I need to be constantly backing up to look at the painting as a whole, then going in to make adjustments to value etc.

Who you are is how you paint

The way I paint is not efficient, I would not teach someone to paint this way. When I have a colour on my brush, I use it up, wherever I can on the canvas, before cleaning the brush and changing colour. Call me cheap.

And maybe also impatient. I’ve never been the kind of artist that uses small brushes and starts in one corner of the canvas working a little section until is is complete, and moving on until the whole canvas is done. Sure, it would make for an awesome timelapse video. But that is very much against my personality.

My method is more a frenzy of colour, followed by hours and hours of small adjustments, pushing and pulling until I’ve hopefully tidied up the embarrassing bits.

Re-reading that, I have to laugh at myself. Why do I feel compelled to write this stuff, and even crazier, share it with the …. umm … millions who read my blog? And I compare the tone of my writing, to a male artist friend who tags his art on instagram #acrylicgenius #artinovator. Ah, to be a male artist.

Anyway, getting back to my frustration. My studio space is crowded right now, and having the camera on a tripod directly behind me is literally cramping my style.

So these are the excuses I’m offering up to explain the white flag.

The video below might illustrate my confusion, I was adding in detail, but I wasn’t close enough to get what I wanted, and kept getting the stroke, or the colour wrong. So I went to bed.

Twenty four hours later I’m writing this blog post, to say this might be the last time-lapse this month.  Unlucky #13.

Victory

It is Valentine’s day – or it was when I started writing this – and I was reminded that self-love, self-care is a very important part of finding balance in everyday life. 

 The 30 in 30 challenge was necessary, a defibrillator for my artistic practice. I was spending more and more time on volunteer activities, and less and less on creating art, and on my business.

The first couple of days were hard because I had to miss certain events so that I could paint, blog etc.  But from the first day, my painting mojo was back.

And a week and a half into it, my priorities had already shifted. I didn’t really mind the other things that were falling away/behind while I focused on the 30 in 30.

Extremes

In the last few days though, I’ve realized that the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. Now I’m failing in other areas of my life. Not sleeping enough, reverting back to bad eating habits. Not getting exercise. Not connecting with family & friends, trying to help the kids with homework and paint/blog at the same time.

Even my to do list for the volunteer work, & my actual business, were stagnating. And we’re not even going to talk about the housework.

Valentine’s Day

So this is how I spent Valentine’s Day –  I hoisted my white flag. Then I napped for 3 hours once the kids were off to school -I’d only slept for 3-4 hours before waking them up. I tidied up a bit, caught up on a bit of computer work & errands, went to my first yoga class in a long, long time. Exchanged gifts with hubby. Helped my youngest study for a science test, wrote this blog.

I have a bunch more things to take care of, so I may not end up painting tomorrow either. But I will reorganize the studio a bit to make more space for me to move about when working on this bigger (4’wide) painting.

On being an artist and a mom

We have a 4 day weekend coming up, and it would be easy to sit at my easel, and computer each day. But then the Mom guilt would kick in. Experience tells me that 50% of the rest of my family would then spend the whole time on their electronics.

My youngest would spend 50 % of his time on x-box gaming with his school friends who are at their houses, and 50% in my studio asking what he can eat next, and reading his dream journal to me, showing me the latest video he’s made using his artwork, or skits he’s acted out, & new cool apps etc. etc.

And I’ll have to wear my headphones because he’ll be watching Good Mythical Morning, or Nerdy Nummies without headphones while he’s making video game characters out of polymer clay. Yeah, I love it.

But come Monday night when the eldest wants to stay up crazy hours to complete homework, I’ll also be regretting not pushing to get us all out of the house, socializing, being active. 

Balance

 When I started the 30 in 30 I was not trying to create a painting every day, or to sell more paintings, or become a daily painter. I just wanted to re-activate my painting mojo, and build some momentum as I start a new series of paintings. And to try making time-lapse videos.

I feel that that ball is back in the air now. And the real goal is balance.

The 30 in 30 is a great accountability tool, but you have to make it work for you. It is important to know when to shift, adjust, pivot, to wave the white flag etc.

So, I’m going to follow my intuition, but I’m not going to make any promises about when next I’m going to post, what I might post etc. 

Journey

I will say that “Journey to Self” is a self-portrait, even though I am not the figure in it.

It is the starting point of a body of work which for now, I will call FLOW. And turning the camera off will give me the freedom I need to explore and develop this work.

Subscribe to Blue Roots Art Studio News if you want to get glimpses of my new art, shows, and creative insights etc.

 

30 in 30 challenge

Incense – painting timelapse #12

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Incense
Incense to create the mood .                             Scroll down to see timelapse #12

 Incense

Sandalwood, patchouli, bergamot, jasmine, frangipani… incense can be a fun way to set the mood for creative work.

I stocked up a few years ago when I visited Primitive Designs in Port Hope with a friend, and every now and then I remember I have them. 

You choose scents that you enjoy, but I think really it is the deliberate choice you make when you pick one and light it up, that leads to the benefits.

 It is a signal to your brain that you are ready to relax, to take care of yourself, to be in tune with your senses, to be IN the moment, to meditate, to be open to insight, to create.

I think we can condition ourselves to get into that mindset – and gain those benefits faster – by lighting incense whenever we are about to start a painting session.

It’s my hypothesis anyway.

I might try to test it out, starting by  burning incense at the start of each painting session so that I begin to correlate the two.

The truth is, I’d like to get to my easel earlier in the day but I’ve always been a night owl, doing most of my creative work at night.

So, it might just be going against the tide.

Work Flow

I discovered my perfect work flow in University – alternating painting days with non-painting days.

That way I could fully immerse myself in long hours of painting without feeling guilty about other things. I might still have had a couple classes to attend, but then I’d go right back to the large studio I shared with 5-7 other art students. While they were around I’d enjoy their company, feedback on my work etc. Basically, charging up my batteries.

Then in the afternoon, most of them would go home, and I’d really settle down to work. Even if I was painting on and off all day, this was when I got the bulk of my painting done. I’d walk across campus to my student house between 1 & 4am, knowing that I could sleep in. 

After lunch the next day, I’d  I catch up on all my non-painting activities. In those days it was school assignments, socializing, and grocery shopping.

These days, as a responsible adult and parent, the non-painting activities are an every day thing. The household chores and the business activities (not to mention volunteer work) have multiplied.

And I have not-so-little-anymore people who depend on me. Who will wander into the studio to talk about their school day, to ask for homework help, to ask “what can I eat now?”.

So, I have to work harder to balance it all.

Hence the need for incense, and yoga, and the Journey to Self.

Sorry for the quality of these timelapse videos. I just can’t figure out how to do them and cut myself out entirely.

I wish I had a camera that attached to my glasses, so you could almost get a look of the work in progress THROUGH MY EYES!

Do you burn incense, if so, which scents do you enjoy most? And do you associate specific activities with specific scents?

30 in 30 challenge

Tease – painting timelapse #11

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Painting Tease
Tease. So you’ll keep coming back to see the finished painting.                                                              Scroll down to see timelapse #11.

Tease

Yes,  I’m being such a tease, showing you parts of the canvas in these wip photos. Partly it’s because this painting could take me 2 weeks to do, and it would get boring if I didn’t try to show you something different each day. 

And partly it’s because I’m hoping for a big reveal once the painting is done. I hope the photographer who took the original photograph, Dani Devaux, will like the finished painting. But this is not a commission, so I could still interpret it how I want.

For example, so far I have not been concerned with catching the likeness of the model. And I’m thinking of having her eyes closed in the painting, though they were open in the photograph.

I think the closed eyes suits the peaceful environment and meditative pose.

My addiction

Late start today, even though I slept well, had a good breakfast. It’s due to my addiction. I just couldn’t shake myself free, and get down to work.

And of course, as a Mom I also had the meals, laundry, helping kids with h.w. etc. sprinkled into the mix.

My addiction? Binge-watching everything on Netflix. To the point where Netflix could blackmail me by threatening to share my watch history with the world, because it’s so extensive, so eclectic.

In fact the other day I had to wonder if Netflix was throwing me some shade.  It recommended a category, based on my recent viewing habits, called “Soapy International Dramas for Hopeless Romantics”!

I’ve always enjoyed watching foreign films, in the original language, but with English subtitles. I understand just enough French and Spanish to realize that a lot can be lost in translation. Low budget movies that have been dubbed into English are the worst. 

I like to listen to the actors speaking in their own voices, to hear the tone and nuance. It is like a ladder to a window into another world, where I can experience the lifestyle of people who walk in wildly different shoes than mine. From the comfort of my own couch.

Last year I watched a few Turkish romantic drama series, and a strange thing started to happen. The Turkish responses for certain situations would come into my head, before I could answer in English – simple things like thank you, good night!

Anyway, I’ve also watched various shows and movies from India, Malaysia, Korea, Iceland as well as British, Scottish, Irish etc

When I was younger I used to love to curl up with a big book, the bigger the better because it lasted longer.

And it’s the same thing with watching a series, the characters become very familiar. And it’s like having company in the studio.

That’s how it works with shows in English. The problem is, you can’t watch a show with subtitles and paint at the same time.

So far during this challenge, I’ve been listening to podcasts while I paint. It was working great, but then this morning I was watching a Korean series and I just didn’t want to stop.

Eventually I compromised and put on a movie in English, and watched that while I painted. By the time it was over, I was deep into the painting, so I was able to carry on with nothing else playing in the background.

My plan for this week is to go to the library and pick up an audio book or two to try out.

Yeah, yeah, I know. First world studio problems.

30 in 30 challenge

Painting timelapse #9 – brushes

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brushes
brushes Bristle brushes         Scroll down to see timelapse #9

Bristle brushes

Usually synthetic brushes are recommended for use with acrylic paints. But a person’s art is a sum of the myriad of choices they make along the way, from materials, to equipment, to technique etc. 

The combination of these things can be quite unique for an artist, it’s like their artistic fingerprint. It’s how you can pick out one artist’s work from the rest. Their style.

For many years I have found that cheap hog’s hair, or bristle brushes are the best choice for the way I work.

I do a lot of scumbling – applying paint with a dry brush – because I like to apply paint in layers to make the surface more interesting.

The technique is too hard on synthetic brushes, they quickly lose their ability to hold a point/edge.

The natural bristle brushes wear down, but they still hold together quite well. I’ve found I have different uses for them as they go through the various stages of being worn down.

Dani

The reference photo I am using for this painting, is from an amazing St. Lucian photographer, Dani Devaux.

I have followed Dani on social media for years, her photos are beautiful, professional, and I especially love her portraits outdoors in the lush St. Lucian landscape.

Then a few months ago she posted an image that fit in well with a theme I wanted to explore in my art. So I asked for her permission to paint from her photo, and she ended up sending me two that I loved.

Right away I transferred the images to canvases, but then I had to wait until I was ready to begin the series.

It is a pleasure to be working from such great photography.

Check out Dani’s website www.danidevaux.com.

Subscribe to my blog so that you can see the rest of my 30 painting timelapse videos in 30 days challenge.

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Art in the Workplace

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flyer
Flyer for Art in the Workplace, McMaster Innovation Park

If you live in Hamilton & surrounding area, then come join me at the wine & cheese art opening tomorrow night at McMaster Innovation Park!

This is the 17th juried exhibition put on by MIP, and several of the artists I know have participated before, and they’ve encouraged me to enter. So, I did, and I’m excited to see the following 2 paintings on display tomorrow, along with a great selection of art by a variety of local artists.

lily pads
Pond Life, 30″x40″, acrylic on canvas, © Donna Grandin, 2013. $1800.

 

lily pads, water lilies
Water lily daydream, 16″x20″, acrylic on canvas, © Donna Grandin, 2013. SOLD

If you’d like some fresh art to enliven your home, or workplace for Spring … come take a look at the selection available!

I also have another painting done at the same time (see below), but it is in my studio, so if you’re interested, e-mail donna@bluerootsartstudio.com.

water lilies & lily pads
Water lily drama, 16″x20″, acrylic on canvas, © 2013 Donna Grandin. $700.

Other Exhibitions:

St. Lucia – the National Arts Festival Visual Arts Exhibition at Blue Coral Mall continues till April 4th

Hamilton – 8 Square, 337 Sketch Gallery, 337 Ottawa St. N, Opens April 10th 7-9pm, continues till May 2. Group exhibition, all works 8″x8″ and $300.

Burlington, ON –  SpringPop, a pop-up art market organized by No Vacency. That will be April 17-19.

 

Available Paintings

Valentine’s Day painting

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Valentine painting
Painted Valentine, 24″x24″, acrylic on canvas, ©2015 Donna Grandin. CDN$1100.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here is a little something I’ve been working on, to show my appreciation to those who support me in this love affair I have with painting.

Hot off the easel … ok, on the easel right now. This painting, and a few others that I’ve been working on since my last post, will go to the photographer soon, then I’ll post the official photographs when he gives them to me.

As you can see, I’ve continued exploring the blue patterning that started out in my fernscapes and peacock abstractions. I’m having fun trying out different ways to incorporate it in my painting. In this case I started out just placing random strokes of blue, but quickly saw the potential for a floral pattern and so took it in that direction.

This is the first time the background is so separate from the rest of the image, but I’m enjoying the boldness of this painting, it’s strong, cheerful and romantic.

If you have fallen in love with this painting, and want to bring it home to live with you, be the first to contact me about it at donna@bluerootsartstudio.com.

Available Paintings, Landscape

The thinking place – large acrylic painting of lily pads

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The thinking place, 48"x48", acrylic on canvas, ©2014 Donna Grandin. $2400.
The thinking place, 48″x48″, acrylic on canvas, ©2014 Donna Grandin. $2400.
  Free shipping (unstretched canvas rolled in mailing tube), or local delivery until end of January. 

Here is another painting I forgot to write about, I completed it just in time for the Art in Action Studio Tour. It’s another large painting – 4’x4′ – so far this one and Gemma’s Rose have just sat in my studio while I went about creating more paintings. I will have to see about getting them out into the public eye soon … but right now I have a number of other irons in the fire.

In The thinking place, you can see I was exploring the use of dashes of colour, like I used in my peacock paintings. There is just something playful about the juxtaposition of whimsical pattern with a realistic scene, that makes me happy.

I love the peacefulness of this scene, such a great place to sit and contemplate, either the real location, or just facing the painting. I think it reminds you to slow down, take the time to enjoy Nature, stare at the clouds, the ripples in the water, the beautiful flowers.

Let me know if you’d like to try this painting out in your house to see how it transforms your space. If you live nearby, I can bring a selection of paintings for you to choose from. With a small business like mine (one short individual wearing lots of hats), you are guaranteed the personal touch!

 

 

30 in 30 challenge, Available Paintings, Painting in a day, Small paintings

Collage of “30 paintings in 30 days challenge”, Sept ’14.

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30 paintings in 30 days - collage
30 paintings in 30 days – collage

Here is a collage to show the paintings I submitted (created) for Leslie Saeta’s 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Take a look at the collages some of the other participating artists posted today!

I only painted 22 or so new paintings during that time, because I took the last week off to spend some time with my brother and his wife who were visiting from London, England, AND to prepare/participate in Culture Days Burlington.

Still, I am very happy with what I did accomplish, considering all what I had going on during those 3 weeks. If I had just said I was too busy to take on the challenge, I would have completed far fewer paintings.

IF you have been following my blog, you may be wondering how the Culture Days event went … for now I’ll just say it went great! I want to touch up my painting a little before posting though.

Meanwhile, here is a video clip promoting Culture in Burlington, I make a 2 second cameo about halfway … you might recognize the paintings behind me!

If you are in the Burlington, Ontario area you will see some of my 30 in 30 paintings in my studio during the Art in Action Studio tour, Nov 1 &2. They are also available online.

 

 

 

30 in 30 challenge, Available Paintings, Painting in a day, Small paintings

Surreal Garden – 30 in 30 painting challenge, #30

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Surreal Garden, 8"x8", acrylic on canvas, © 2014 Donna Grandin
Surreal Garden, 8″x8″, acrylic on canvas, © 2014 Donna Grandin

No, you did not enter the Twilight Zone! I painted this playful little piece a few months ago when I discovered paint markers, and I wanted to explore pattern. It was fun, but I was not sure how it fit in with my body of work, so I tucked it away somewhere in my studio.

There was a point when I was embarrassed by my “experiments”, and after photographing them, I would gesso over the image and reuse the canvas. Now when I look back, I realize that these little paintings are stepping stones, and seen individually as little islands they may not make a lot of sense, but from a distance (or rather, in time) we can see how they link up to create a path.

My work, in general has been evolving in the last 2 years, and I have been laying down more and more stepping stones. Finally, I am starting to connect them, and I am really excited about the direction I am moving in. There is still a lot of work to do, but I have a vision now of where I want to go.

Eventually I will do a post to show the progression of this idea, but for now let me just say that this “Surreal Garden” full of alien looking plants was the step before the peacock paintings.

Stay tuned!

 

 

30 in 30 challenge, Painting in a day, Small paintings

Torch Gingers – 30 paintings in 30 days, #22

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Torch Gingers, 6"x6", acrylic on canvas, © 2014 Donna Grandin. $100.
Torch Gingers, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas, © 2014 Donna Grandin. SOLD.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t struggle with my painting yesterday. I made several false starts, changing subject matter etc., but finally – around midnight, back in the comfort of my own studio – I made a good choice, and everything else flowed. I am glad I pushed through, just kept painting until I made it to the other side, because I am very happy with how this little painting turned out.

On the other hand, I have reached a point where pushing to post a new painting (that I am proud of) every day has less benefits, and will be detrimental to my larger goals this week. So, I will be pausing my painting to catch up the business side of my art career, to prepare for my Culture Days event on Friday, to attend to family and household matters … and to catch up on sleep!

Instead, I will re-share links with paintings – that I created earlier in the year – onto Leslie Saeta’s blog for a few days. And when it feels right, I will paint and post new paintings for the challenge. I am not quitting altogether, I am just side-stepping the self-imposed craziness.

As an entrepreneur it is easy to get caught up in the drive to move forward and to forgo/forget about self-care, but it is important for avoiding burn-out.

Good luck to all of you artists who have taken up Leslie’s challenge this month, and thank you to those of you who are following me, and commenting on my blog!

 

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