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Available Paintings, Exhibitions, Special event

Culture Days Burlington 2015

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Culture Days, Sept 26-28

This weekend we celebrate the annual Culture Days across Canada, and I will be doing my part in Burlington, ON.

On Saturday I will be setting up my tent to display my art in Civic Square (426 Brant St.)  – in front of Burlington City Hall –  from 11-4pm.

Burlington Student Theatre will be creating a “Burlywood” atmosphere with theatre, music, dance, film and photography. It should be a fun time.

I will also be working on a collaborative painting – inviting any and everyone to express themselves with a few brushstrokes – and at the end of the day I will do a draw, and the lucky winner will get to take home the painting!

As a Culture Days participant I am required to provide an “activity” at each event, not just a display/sale.

“Founded in 2009, Culture Days is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a national network of cultural connections devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture. Through an annual three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in hundreds of cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to participate in free interactive and “behind the scenes” activities to discover their cultural spirit and passion”.  

So, my activity for Sat is listed on the Culture Days website here.

On Sunday, I will be in the lobby of the Burlington Performing Arts Center (440 Locust St.), from 1-4pm, as part of the Celebrate Burlington: Artist Showcase.

“Local artists and artisans will demonstrate skills, showcase their latest work, and offer interactive activities. A celebration of the city’s Mundialization partners, Citizen Committees, artistic guilds, musicians, photographers, fine artists, and new media artists.” Culture Days Burlington brochure

I will have a small display of my available paintings, and paper and pencil crayons for anyone who wants to practice drawing peacock feathers with me.  See my event on the Culture Days website.

Flow
Flow, 24″x30″, acrylic on canvas, ©2015 Donna Grandin. $1200. Started live in front of Burlington City Hall at Culture Days kickoff event in Sept 2014.

Last year I had a fantastic time at the Culture Days event in front of Burlington City Hall, where our Mayor Rick Goldring helped kickoff the celebration with a clip of Burlington artists talking about Arts and Culture in Burlington – in which I was happy to have a 2 second cameo. That day I painted to live music, shared my art with the public, and enjoyed a celebration of the local arts scene.

This year, there will be a lot of different arts professionals/organizations etc, but I think it will be equally exciting, so if you’re in the area, please come on out!

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions, Special event

Harvest ArtWalk, Whole Foods, Oakville

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Join me for Harvest Artwalk, a fun annual outdoor event, this Sunday!

Harvest Artwalk, Whole Foods Market, Oakville

There will be live music, a charity BBQ, a chalk art activity, and several artists will have their exhibiting their art. I will be setting up my tent to display a variety of my available paintings, and greeting cards.  Hope to see you there!

 

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

My first outdoor art fair

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Donna - AIP
Donna at Art in the Park Oakville

Well, now I have another experience under my belt – outdoor art fair. It is something I never thought I would do, because I had visions of scrambling to keep my paintings dry as it poured with rain. I’ve  exhibited my art in group and solo exhibitions since 1996, but with the exception of a few paintings in a shared tent for a few hours, they have all been indoors.

Peacock abstracts
Peacock abstracts at AIP

However, at some point I realized I’d been concentrating on the painting side of things, and not enough on the “getting the art seen” side of things and the studio was filling up. So I decided to apply to Art in the Park, after all, it was around the corner, and just a one day event, and maybe I wouldn’t even get juried in.

Except I was. Enter the panic … I need a tent, a waterproof one in case of rain. And a display system.

Luckily I know other artists who have been doing outdoor shows, so I reached out to them. Lois Shaw was a really great help, and pointed me in the right direction – I LOVE my mesh walls for hanging the art, even though they cost an arm and a leg.

Bronte
AIP, Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park

This was actually the 50th annual Art in the Park, organized by the Oakville Art Society, and it is held at Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, by Bronte Harbour.

The location is amazing as you can see, and there was live music, and so much great art. The whole event was well organized, everything went very smoothly, I will certainly be applying again next year.

It rained a lot the day before … I swear the clouds formed a black arrow towards the park! However, by the time we arrived the next morning to set up it had stopped raining, and the ground miraculously was not soggy – but my husband was said it made putting in the tent pegs a lot easier.

Also I think someone’s vehicle stalled, and so we were blocked in in front of our spot, so their bad luck was our good luck because instead of having to drop everything off, park the minivan and then set up the tent trying not to trip over everything on the ground, we were able to do nearly all of our set up before my husband had to go park it.

Donna's booth at AIP
Donna Grandin’s art booth at outdoor art fair, Art in the Park Oakville

There are definite differences between showing in a gallery setting, and showing in an art fair, and it will take some getting used to as I learn the psychology behind it.

The first thing is that in a gallery you want the focus to be on the art, so you leave a lot of space between paintings, and you have easy to read white labels with title, size, year created, artist name, and price. The idea is for people to be able to linger in front of a painting and contemplate it, and then maybe imagine it in their home.

In an art fair, people are walking through way faster than you would expect them to … they have their dogs with them, maybe their kids, and it seems as if they’re in a hurry to “get through” so that they can cram something else into the beautiful day.

I’ve seen them push strollers pass booths without even looking in. Maybe they’re engrossed in conversation with a friend. It can be discouraging.

So a photographer friend, an art fair veteran, suggested I put one of my paintings out front, to attract attention. It was near the end of the day, so I gave it a try, and I think it did work, but I had to stay close because I saw one slobbery dog start to veer towards it and if he had swung his head more to the left as he passed, my painting would have had a shower!

Anyway, I have some new ideas to try out for the next time. Like everything about art and an art career, this is going to be an ongoing process.

I made this 39 sec video to show you my booth and what was around it!

 

AIP collage
Art in the Park Oakville collage

One of the reasons I did this art fair was to get feedback on my new series of peacock feather-inspired abstracts. And I also brought florals because I had mostly florals on my site when I was juried in.

I really did think that one series might be more popular than another, but surprisingly throughout the day I had people commenting on nearly ALL of the paintings! From peacock feather abstracts to fiddleheads, from water lilies to tulips … it seems there was something for everyone.

Anyway, the next step is to find some other outdoor shows to apply to – probably for the spring. Meanwhile, I have a big project to start working on …

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Moonlit – abstract painting, Peacock series

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Moonlit
Moonlit, 24″x36″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $1400

Can you feel the movement in this painting?

Although my interpretation of the peacock feathers is more plant-like in Moonlit, I think you still get the feeling of them being swooshed around in the currents.

This was the first painting I created in my Hamilton studio during my 3 month “self-hosted residency”.

I remember there was a little happy dance involved. I shut my door, turned on the radio and stood at the easel. I was euphoric with the possibilities ahead … I’d carved out the space, privacy and time to work on a new series of abstracts. Freedom from photos, and any preconceived notions.

It was exhilarating. As I moved to the music I sketched a whimsical image in charcoal, and wrote down lyrics that resounded with me.

Eventually I started adding colour and the painting evolved, but I did take a photo and will show it to you … if you are the one who ends up collecting this piece. Otherwise, it’s WAY too embarrassing to put out there!

I will have Moonlit at the art fair tomorrow, but it may not be on display, so if you want to see it specifically, just ask!

Have you enjoyed my week of Peacock Painting Previews?

If you are on my Blue Roots Art Studio Mailing List, even if you’re reading this blog post now, take a look at today’s e-mail because there is something special in it for you!

I will probably not post for a while, as I will be wiped out after this event, and I will have some follow-up items to take care of … not to mention hanging out with my boys. Summer is flying by faster than I thought it would.

There is a big new art project on the horizon, I don’t want to announce it until all the signatures are on the contract etc, but it will keep me busy for the next 2 months. Just a hint though … it does not involve peacock feathers OR tropical foliage.

I am looking forward to seeing some of you at Art in the Park Oakville tomorrow. I will be in booth #143.

It looks like there will be rain, but the show will go on. I invested in a waterproof tent, to protect my paintings, so just dress accordingly and come on out!

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Welcome to my Peacock Garden

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Peacock garden, 24"x36", acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin
Peacock garden, 24″x36″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin

I love the mysterious, magical quality of this painting. It started out as a follow-up to “Fernscape 2”, and was supposed to only have ferns in it, but it just wasn’t quite working. So I put it aside for a week while I worked on something else, and when I returned to it, peacock feathers started appearing.

A few of the paintings I worked on last year had this Night Garden feel to them. For example, “Choices” and “Behind the garden gate”. 

You are not imagining it, my art has become darker over the last couple years. For so long my attitude was that I just wanted to paint upbeat, joyful images to increase the beauty in this world, and not dwell on negativity, which would just be feeding it.

At the time, that meant bright, vibrant, “sunny” colours … sometimes I literally painted on yellow canvases.

But the times we live in have a dark undertone, and I am not immune to it. As artists, it is not just our nature, but our job to FEEL, and to be a channel – through our art – to make others FEEL.

And a big part of that is in being honest, and open. To be sensitive to our surroundings. To be vulnerable. That is how we make art that people can truly connect with … because they recognize the truth in it.

Yes, there are people – artists and non-artists – who will manipulate. And there are times when the price of being honest is high, but I think for an artist especially, the price of remaining “on brand” is even higher.

I am thinking of Robin Williams… or rather the idea of him, someone who brought joy and laughter to so many people, people who had no clue of the darkness he was going through.

And what does this have to do with the painting?

Well, I’ve often thought of the Caribbean landscape as being a metaphor for life … the bright sunlight creates long dark shadows.

On one hand there are the vibrant, happy hibiscus flowers that I have painted so often before – reminiscent or maybe even symbolic of lazy days by the pool of some tropical resort. Some days I just need to paint hibiscuses.

But life has more nuance to it.

The thing that grips me, that I discovered when I painted my Jungle Rhythms series years ago, where I played with the organic shapes and visual rhythm of tropical foliage, was an abstract sense of “growth”, the cycle of life, being swept up in something that is bigger than oneself.

It is that spiritual connection you feel when you are mindful in a natural setting.

And there is so much life in the shadows.

So much beauty.

Not the kind of bold, in your face beauty of a close-up of a detailed realistic painting of a flower, but the overarching flow and harmony of an impressionistic landscape, semi-abstract, or abstract painting.

The interesting thing about blogging, is that there is a flow to it too. Some weeks or months I only get on to post about upcoming events, and it is all about the facts.

And other times, when I get into a daily posting habit, my reserve wears away, the words slip by faster and faster, from a trickle to a flood. And all sorts of flotsam and jetsam is dragged along with it.

There isn’t time to edit and polish. I upload an image of a painting, and I begin typing this “stream of consciousness”.

I hope that you find it entertaining if not insightful, but if you have read thus far, you are certainly in the minority as most people these days seem to just skim through to look at the images.

So, thank you for joining me today, for this walk amoung the ferns in my head.

Two more days till Art in the Park Oakville! I’m getting excited now.

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Eyecatcher – Peacock abstract painting

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Eye Catcher
Eyecatcher, 30″x30″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $1400.

What I really enjoyed about painting this Peacock series is that while all the artworks are tied to a central motif (peacock feathers), each one – as someone remarked on Facebook today – is so “different and unique”.

It’s like jumping off a rock into a river … you can keep returning to the same rock, but the water keeps flowing so the conditions are never exactly the same twice.

Each painting is a result of similar, but slightly different circumstances … I might stand at the same easel, with the same paints and brushes, but now I have the experience of another painting behind me, and whatever happens to me before I come to the easel – or even while I am at it – affects my thoughts and moods, so that I am never exactly the same twice.

I also like to remain flexible so that I can try out new ideas – they don’t always work out, and in fact the painting often goes through ugly stages, but as Anne, of 337 Sketch Gallery once said to me “You, will keep working at it, until it does work out”.

As a younger painter, I always felt I was doing something wrong … theoretically I knew of a faster, simpler way to get an image down on the canvas, but I just could not bring myself to go that way, no matter how many times I tried … I always ended up taking the long way around.

Finally, after years of painting, and having a certain amount of success, I realized that I’d been slowing myself down, fighting against my natural process.

Even up to a few years ago, when the Burlington Fine Arts Association had John Leonard (established artist & teacher, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, ON ) visit to do a critique of member paintings, and he was very complimentary about my work (tropical florals), I still couldn’t resist bringing up the issue with him. His response was “Just keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s working!”

When I accepted my own way of working, instead of trying to fix it, I realized that the very things that I saw as my challenges, were what made my art interesting, because of the specific solutions I had developed to accommodate those challenges.

Our personal style, lies in our imperfections! I mean no-one goes around saying “Van Gogh could have been such a great artist, if he’d just have learned to draw more accurately!”

Eyecatcher is my painting for today. I think it is the kind of image that is fun to sit and contemplate … there are all sorts of possible interpretations. What’s yours?

Art in the Park, Oakville – Monday August 3, 10-5pm.

 

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Feather flower – peacock painting

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feather flower
Feather flower, 20″x16″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $700.

Well, what can I say, except that this peacock painting just seemed to paint itself? There comes a time when you’ve been painting a subject for a long enough that you start to develop your own language, a way of applying paint, repeating motifs etc. I know this one won’t be for everyone, but hey, it’s fun!

Original art, in search of an original collector! Whether it is I, or an art dealer, who eventually acts as matchmaker, the collector will be someone with bold taste.

I am posting very late tonight as I was catching up on my finances all day … had to file hst for the last quarter, and there were MANY receipts to enter into my system!

Please don’t forget to look back at earlier posts to see if you’ve missed any of my new image. www.bluerootsartstudio.com/blog

E-mail donna@bluerootsartstudio.com if something catches your “eye”. (That’s a peacock pun, in case you missed it).

4 days till Art in the Park, Oakville! Remember, I’ll be in booth #143.

 

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Peacockery, a new abstract painting

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peacock abstract, blue
Peacockery, 24″x24″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $1100.

This painting was a lot of fun to create, and again features some nice blues and greens. I was not trying to paint realistically – although after all these years, it’s easy to fall back into a comfortable way of working – but in the end I think I’ve captured the essence of a peacock here.

There is something so orderly and determined about this painting, sometimes I put it next to Flow, to compare them.

Although the colours are similar, Flow is a lot looser and flexible. I tend to think of them as personalities, and I wonder who would be attracted to each painting.

Are you attracted to the one that best reflects your personality, or to the one that you wish to emulate? I think we often fall into the trap of thinking the grass is greener on the other side.

From a young age, and out of necessity, I developed chameleon tendencies. I was, and am, able to get along with and appreciate a wide range of people.

It is really helpful to be able to see things from another person’s perspective.

That’s why I enjoy having a diverse group of family, friends and acquaintances.

And so, both paintings represent a different aspect of my personality. As each painting an artist creates, has something of them in it.

Ok, today’s post is later in the day than I’d planned. I spent a lot of time shopping around for the little details I need for this new set-up I’m using for my first outdoor art fair on Monday, August 3rd.

My tablecloths arrived today, yay! And the spit is on the side, so it turns out I was worrying for nothing about that. However, on the negative side, there are a LOT of creases where it has been folded.

Yes, I do own an iron and an ironing board, but honestly, I’ve used it less than a handful of times in the last decade!

And even if I do iron out the creases, won’t it just get new ones when I fold it? Hmm, maybe the choice of fabric wasn’t so great.

Anyway, tomorrow I have to finish filing my hst for this quarter, so I suspect I won’t get to blog until late again.

Until then, you can take a look at www.bluerootsartstudio.com to see a gallery of available paintings.

And please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

In the crease – peacock painting

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peacock feather abstraction, green
In the crease, 20″x16″ acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $700.

One more week to go until Art in the Park, Oakville and I have a lot of details to attend to … so I’m going to keep it short & sweet today (ok, maybe tomorrow).

Do you have a favourite colour? People who are drawn to my art often remark on my use of colour, and I usually reply “yes, I grew up in the Caribbean so that’s probably why I use such bright sunny colours”.

However, I have been living in Canada for more than half my life now, and although I go back to the Caribbean to visit my parents, family, galleries, and gather inspiration for my art … even I can see how my use of colour has changed over the last few years.

It’s like my accent, which I only remember I have when someone new mentions it. When I first came to Canada, I knew my accent would be confusing to some people, and had fun with it. The surprising part came a few years later, when in St. Lucia, I was told I sounded like a Canadian!

For better or for worse, your environment shapes you. So i guess the key is to surround yourself with things and people you love, and that make you happy.

Turquoise has been my favourite colour since I was 12 – we were visiting family in Canada and on a trip to the mall, I bought a piece of costume jewellery, a silver ring with two turquoise hearts.

It was so beautiful to me then, and still is now, even though I don’t really remember wearing it often. It somehow just belongs in my jewellery box, a momento of a time, a place, an age. A miniature work of art, imbued with nostalgia.

Obviously, I have an affinity towards blues and greens – certainly it is reminiscent of the Caribbean landscape & seascape, and partially the reason I named my business Blue Roots Art Studio – and so peacock imagery was always somewhat special and magical to me.

And I hope you will enjoy this new blue-green thing I’ve created, maybe it can even bring some magic and happiness to your environment!?!

View this and other available paintings at www.bluerootsartstudio.com

Available Paintings, Exhibitions

Nesting – abstract painting, peacock series

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Today’s painting was created in my Hamilton studio, on the second floor of the building at 337 Ottawa St. N … around the corner from 337 Sketch Gallery. There are a few artists & photographers renting space there, but a lot of available space in case any of you are looking.

I was lucky enough to be able to rent a room short term for the project I had in mind – I’m calling it a “self-hosted residency”,  for the artist whose kids are still too young for her to apply for a proper residency.

Despite the crazy time frame (on a good day that would be the hours my youngest was in school, minus the commute back & forth), I was prolific during that time.

WIP pics of Nesting, 24" x24", acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin

I thought I would show you some of the stages that this painting went through … especially because I know there are a number of artists following along.

To be honest, when I started with the pthalo blue background, I intended to let the wispy bits of the feathers fade into the blue … but then I mixed up a nice buttery colour and I just got carried away cutting away the negative shapes around the wreath shape.

That left me with a blue wreath floating on a light background. So then I got the idea to add a pattern, to help integrate the different elements of the image  … and I started with circles.

How about a wreath floating, on a stoney riverbed?

I filled in some of the circles, creating depth, making them less like circles. In fact some looked a little like … eggs. After all, I’m painting peacock feathers … so eggs aren’t a stretch.

Up until this point I had been flipping the painting around and around as I went, not quite sure I wanted to assign a right-side-up to it.

As I played with the idea that the stones could actually be eggs, I really began working on the shadow. That’s when the orientation became obvious to me.

I decided to leave room for multiple interpretations of this image.

The research I have done on peacock imagery shows that over the years it has been used as a symbol of immortality, resurrection, rebirth. 

Nesting
Nesting, 24″x24″, acrylic on canvas, © 2015 Donna Grandin. $1100.

Every day until Art in the Park, Oakville which is on August 3, I will be posting a new painting from my peacock series. Join my e-mail list so you don’t miss any!

If you are already subscribed, and haven’t read yesterday’s notice … the daily e-mails are only for this week, after that it goes back down to 1-4x/mth!

If this painting catches your eye, and you can imagine it in your home or office, e-mail donna@bluerootsartstudio.com

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