HURRAY!

I am so excited! Brassica #1 has been short-listed for a national exhibition in Qualicum Beach B.C.

Re-do

This was "End of August" with a purple background. It had been bothering me for a long time, so I jumped in and changed things around. I think I like it better now.

I have two commissions on the dock that I have made a priority to attend to. No more commissions! (Well, never say never). They are so much harder to do than stuff from my own head.

The Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Bruce and I attended Juanita Rose Violini's book reading on thursday night. She has just published "The Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored" which is chockful of unusual incidents. Like Juanita, I don't have to have mysterious incidents explained, we can just marvel that they exist. You can check out the book on Amazon. Who knew the phenomenom of skyfall was so prevalent. Watch out for falling frogs!

Juanita purchased my painting "Spooky" in 2008. It seems like a very good fit.

Where it all takes place

Finally, I'm back in the studio. This is my take on one of Burrdige's "drip trees". I am having fun playing around with this. Expect some more.


This is my studio space. I found this great desk as a giveaway in somebodies yard in Victoria. It's about 8 foot by 3 foot and weighs a ton, but what a great work surface. I have spent the last couple of days cleaning and culling. Gotta make room for new stuff. What does everyone do with their old paintings? Because, it's cold and grey outside, this is the perfect time to be overhauling the house. Next, the frame room!

Art of the Kootenays

I am published, again. Thank you and good luck Karla Pearce!

Art of the Kootenays
A collection of 56 Kootenay Artists

Artists from all over the Kootenay region have come together to create a book that defines Kootenay art. A year and a half in the making, Art of the Kootenays hits the stores this November. Full colour and hard cover, this beautiful coffee table book contains fifty-six individual Kootenay artists who have come together despite geographic and regional obstacles to showcase collectively in one reference their artistic vision. Heralding from Christina Lake, Castlegar, Nelson, Trail, Rossland, Winlaw, South Slocan, Kimberly, Cranbrook, Invermere and Fernie, the artists fill the pages with photos of their contemporary Kootenay Paintings, Ceramics, Fibre, Glass, Jewellrey, Photography and Sculpture, accompanied by the personal insights and thoughts that led to their creation and written in their own words.

The idea for the project came from Karla Pearce who over a span of ten years interviewed hundreds of artists in the area for her column/ feature The Creative Edge that ran in print, radio and television. It was through her experience and the sheer volume of work that Pearce felt that other people needed to see what she saw.

“ There is an undercurrent of similarity that exists Kootenay art. The artwork here is influenced by the beautiful natural elements and the vast geographical spaces. It comes through in the colours and the subject matter. You just don’t see many city angst paintings in the Kootenays,” says Pearce.

Beautiful Ballerinas

I took a workshop with Elizabeth Wiltzen this weekend. Liz is an accomplished and well-known mountain painter but she is branching out. Excellent teacher. I hope she will forgive me for whining and complaining ( she was pushing me to use oil, a medium I loathe). We had the most wonderful models, twin ballerinas. They were terrific and held challenging poses. No wonder Degas painted dancers. Their sense of line is exquisite. I want to hire these girls just for myself. Regarding oil paint: my lungs hurt and I managed to throw my coat in the car, right on top of the wet paintings. That is why I paint in acrylic!!

These are two sketches I made in the workshop, the rest were wiped off. These were 10 or 15 minute paintings. We were there to learn... not finish a painting. Now that I am home (with photos) I would like to do some dancer paintings and try to keep some of this freshness. IN ACRYLIC.

Sun Dreams

It doesn't look like I will get my third new painting ready for the artrageous show, but I am sending this one. My daughters get all white around the eyes whenever I try to get them to pose for me.

I am attending an oil (yuck) workshop with Elizabeth Wilson this weekend. It's good info but seriously, I think the solvent vapors mess with my lungs. I woke up at 3 am hacking away.