Peacock abstraction triptych -1, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas
I am so excited about this triptych! I am posting the first one day, but there are 3 canvases that go together … the image is abstracted, so you could place them horizontally, vertically, or even separately. They can even be rotated, until you get a composition you like – I will post a few combinations on day 20 of the painting challenge, when I post the third painting.
I have more to say about this triptych, maybe tomorrow, today is a busy day, and at some point I need to clean/organize my studio because a film crew is coming by tomorrow to interview me. More on that later.
More apples. Thanks to my friend and collector, Alison, for encouraging me to cut the apple “along the equator” for an interesting view. I had actually tried it the night before, but it was not as impressive with the variety I first tried (red delicious), so I had given up on that idea. I think most of us do not cut an apple in this way, so it might be a surprise to see what it looks like. Nature is full of interesting patterns.
I am excited to show you tomorrow’s apple painting, which I have already completed. I am happy with how it turned out.
Meanwhile, this week I went to a meeting for the Art in Action studio tour (if you want a brochure, let me know I have lots), and we are going to have a pre-tour group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Burlington.
The opening reception will be mid-Oct, we’ll each have a painting/sculpture/photograph/jewellery/fibre art etc. on display, so this would be a great way for you to get a sense of what you’ll see on the actual self-guided tour Nov 1 & 2.
My 30 in 30 paintings will be available on the tour … as well as some of my larger paintings, and blank greeting cards featuring my artwork.
When you cut down the center of an orange this way, the view is very unspectacular at first glance. When I stared at it a little longer though, I saw an image within an image.
I won’t mention what that image was, because once you see it, you can’t unsee it – and on your own, you may actually see something different than I did. That is a very common reaction to art.
Yes. I am that crazy. They say if you need something done, give it to a busy person to do … and I know that to be true. So, at a time when I am completely overwhelmed by how much I have on my plate, I’ve signed up to do Leslie Saeta’s 30 paintings in 30 days challenge again this year – along with over 800 other artists from all over the world.
Admittedly, it is a form of escapism. Self-medicating with art therapy, meditation, however you think of it, there is something about the act of painting that centers a person. It forces you to be in the moment, and the more you give in to your instincts, trust your intuition, the easier the work flows out of you. And you are changed by the process. Art is my mood-altering drug of choice.
After a fantastic 5 week working vacation to the Caribbean, my return home has not been an easy transition. It felt as if a giant baby picked up my house, shook it like a rattle & then put it back down. It seemed everything was in the wrong place, and it’s taken me almost 2 weeks to get a handle on it.
Some of this is our own doing – a make-over for my son’s bedroom – and some of it is due to a freak flood that happened in our area (2 months worth of rain in 3hrs), which seeped into our basement. We have to replace the flooring, and I’ve had to empty my office/storage room and slowly but surely I’m purging through paperwork etc. that has accumulated over the years. Two of the items I unearthed were a calender from 1993 – the year I started University – and a vinyl sign (Aquavisions by Donna Gomez) from my first solo exhibition in 1996.
It will take time to go through, there is a large portfolio of older drawings that got partially wet & has some mildew. I’d like to photograph the drawings before getting rid of them, and each one is charged with nostalgia. I am considering turning this into a little art project.
As I look forward to other things coming up this month, I realize it would be easy for the weeks & months to zip by before I get back to a more consistent painting routine. So, instead of waiting till the chaos is over, I’m going to accept this as the new normal. And I’m going to balance the chaos with creativity.
This painting of torch ginger lilies is one of a trio of small paintings I just completed. They may be purchased individually or as a group. I will post one a day, I just wanted to get a couple days ahead of the challenge so that there isn’t too much pressure to produce. And this may be the longest blog post for some time, most days I will probably just post the image & details.
Sign up to receive blog updates by e-mail & you’ll get the first look at available paintings!
BLUE ROOTS ART STUDIO – acrylic paintings of Caribbean & Canadian landscape, flowers & foliage. Burlington, ON, Canada. 905-639-3419
