Grace

Gift of “Grace”

For Grace’s birthday in January, I painted this of her and her mom.  Grace, fun, gorgeous, childlike.  I adore her.

Inside the Outdoor

December 17, 2010

~Sold~

I see Don and Danny, the guy who looks like Greg, maybe Chris Purdy Claudette?  I get such a kick out of seeing my parents’ friends living it up, enjoying their youth.  It could be us now.

Blinded

“Blinded”, 21″ x 31″

This hunk of wood paneling had white paint on it to start.  The bluish white glow reminded me of this slide of Regan Purdy’s ma, and decided it’d be perfect for the painting.  I do want to include more animals, and objects into the photos I work with, so was happy to see how the owls would fit.  In her left hand, there was a towel which was shaped perfectly to slip in an owl.  The darkness behind just suits a creature of the night, and also, her daughter Regan’s sort of totem animal is an owl.  Boom.  Done.

No title yet…

~Sold~ , 25.5″ x 38″

I am stuck on a title for this one. ‘Up Skirt’, I thought… Adam suggested ‘Cross Your Legs,’ and ‘Works of Art’.  I am open to other suggestions.

I like how the woman on the left looks serious about a conversation and with the legs leaning out of the picture on the far right (probably my mom).  Gail in the middle is focused on the cameraman (my dad) and on the right, she just seems confused.  I do wonder what they’re talking about, and if it was my Uncle Henning who painted the abstract above.  I love it.  Where is it now?

X-Wings

May 31, 2010

X-Wings: these kids got wings to fly!  ~Sold~

This is my brother and his friend Rubin, probably before I was born in Port Alberni, BC.  I am not sure which dog that is, (we always had dogs growing up)… maybe Pokey?

I wanted to include something those boys would be dreaming of, up in the sky where I had a large area of board I wanted to fill.  My little ponies, fluffy bunnies and owls seemed all wrong.  X-Wing fighter?  Perfect.  Thanks Adam for the suggestion.  So true, my brother was really into those.  And thanks Jasmin for buying this one!

I just want to take this opportunity to say I love my brother, that I looked up to him as a little girl, stealing his penny collection, his AC~DC, The Cars, and Led Zeppelin tapes, pretty much idolizing everything he did.  I wanted to draw what he drew, listen to his music (obviously) and follow him and his older cute boy friends around.  I remember showing him lyrics and poems I wrote for Megadeth in hopes they would publish them in a song.   Boy my brother would be proud then, and think I was really cool.  Um, now that’s just embarrassing.

Even though, I worshiped my brother from a young age, I don’t think that’s come across in our adult relationship.  Instead I have been busted on numerous occasions being a little snot, dis’ing his style, raging on him for raging, (some temper issues in the fam. I guess ;) and criticizing his lifestyle.  It’s a roll I learned as little sister, which is a hard habit to break.

But I am trying here, to say… I love you bro with all my heart, and I hope even though I never made it as a lyricist for Megadeth, you still have a special place in your heart for your snotty nosed little sis.

xo

Horn Rims & Weiner Dogs

May 27, 2010

“Horn Rims & Weiner Dogs” ~Sold~

Acrylic, pen and polyurethane on wood paneling.

I took this painting to a good home today, a fellow artist, broke and struggling within the confines of art school (hope she doesn’t mind me saying that).  I also ran in to Ken Gordon today, who brought Ashley McNeil (above patron and artist) to my art party at the MOCL.  Further more, I saw my art class supervisor for the honours program Lynda Gammon, just yesterday, first time in a long time (I graduated in 2003).  What does any of this have to do with this painting?  Nothing really.

But Lynda and I talked about how there are all kinds of artists, coming from all kinds of angles, and just because you’re not showing in galleries in NYC doesn’t mean you’re not an artist.  Ken talked about how Ashley is feeling like her paintings are lacking in depth, even though she has the skill, to Look and see and draw from that.  Looking and seeing are essential.  Ken sees a bar stool and can play out a theatrical bar stool *smash* interpreting the political angst in Afghanistan.  I see relationships, tensions, love, stories in photos and between drawings and animals I draw, and just in flaws and marks I make.  I am sure Ashley is on the tip of finding what speaks to her.  Don’t give up Ashley!  School is intimidating, but what’s worse is how we fight ourselves and prevent ourselves from making stuff, and stop looking and seeing magic.  It’s there Ashley in you, I am sure of it.

Cheesy and long winded, yes.

But man, art school was SO HARD, because I was very very bad at taking criticism.  I cried a LOT.  Looking back, I think they were just trying to get me to talk about my work.  I didn’t get that my work wasn’t speaking to them, or that I needed to explain it.  Was it empty?  No, it’s full of stuff, it’s just hard to explain, especially without knowing the jargon, without knowing myself very well, without much confidence, and with 3 professors staring at you blankly, waiting, arms crossed, laser beams shooting out of their eyes.  Thank god that’s over.  And since I’ve been out of art school I have seen very few laser beam eyes, but I do avoid them.  I try only to see people who like my art, and so far those are the only ones who have found me and showed up at my openings.  Phewf.