Show Opening and Other Art News

Thanks everyone who came out to our show last Sunday! It was great fun. A special thanks to those of you who took a new piece of art or one of my books home with you, and to Oliver, my minstrel who along with Kurtis is providing the soundtrack to my life. I felt so honoured and surrounded by love and support.  

     News since then?  Two things:
Greg and I decided to load up some of my work into the car on Saturday and scout around for a place to showcase them after this show comes down.  In an afternoon we found two fabulous venues!  Will update when they go in, but they're both in Gastown and we're really excited about them. 

Secondly, I've known for a couple of weeks that the annual call for entry at The Ferry Building Gallery was coming up this Sunday.  I'd looked at all the amazing artists they hosted last year and had talked myself out of applying.  Then, buoyed by the positive feedback I've recieved this past week (thanks all), I woke up early on Sunday morning and decided to give it a shot!  I got out of bed, quickly framed three pieces, printed up all the things that have to go into an application and raced off to drop my work off, along with hundreds of other hopefuls, for the jury.  I tried to forget about it all afternoon, but when I went to pick up my work at the assigned time I was thrilled to see a blue 'congratulations' slip on top of my application!  I'll be in a show titled 'What About The Print' sometime in 2014.  Goes to show me, take the risk.  They can't drive to my house and invite me if I don't apply, right?!  I've always really liked that gallery. So glad I didn't let myself stop me from trying.  I'll post the show info when it's available. 

My longtime friend and art buddy Danyne Johnston, who was the other half of our show last weekend, also got in.  One of her pieces will be in the Juror's Choice show.   It's an incredible piece.  Congrats Buddyne! xo

 

Fun With Black and White; and Danyne's Tulips

There's something nice about good ol' black and white.  I'll be showing these alongside the linocut/watercolours starting September 16th.   The show is at The Unitarian Church on 49th and Oak, and the reception is Sunday September 22nd from 2:30 -5:30.  If you're in the Vancouver area come by!  My longtime buddy Danyne Johnston will be showing at the same time.  The tulips below are hers.   Love her stuff!

A Stack O' Prints 'Blowin' In The Wind'

 I've been getting into a total printmaking groove lately, working at Malaspina Printmakers Society and at the very high tech Carol's Dining Room Table Society.  The advantages of Malaspina?  The company and encouragement of other printmakers, tools, equipment, drying racks galore (I work pretty fast when I get into it) and an opportunity for interaction with the public when they come back to check out the studio. 

The advantage of working at home?  I'm close to the leftovers in my fridge.  The reason I'm doing some print at home right now is that a couple of the blocks in my current series were carved into softcut lino.  I'm sure there's a valid place for softcut in this world, but if you are planning to make prints and think you'd like to use a press, don't use them.  They kept leaping backward on the press, and I'd heard that they don't necessarily hold up to multiple runs under the wheel (hearsay, I know)  so I brought them home to hand-pull.  I'm using Akua soy based inks, which, once I got used to them, were easy to use and amazingly easy to clean up.  My one challenge?  Drying space.  I loaded up my trusty clothes-drying rack (holds 18 half sheet prints), then started clothes-pegging prints to the back of dining chairs.  Used that space up.  Soon I was out on the deck clipping freshly pulled prints to the backs of deck chairs.  My next move was going to be hanging them from the arms of the chandelier hanging over our outdoor dining table.  It was time to stop.  My house was a fluttering black and white sea of The Vogue and The Orpheum Theatre.

Verdict?  The consistency of the prints done on the press is great, and it's easy to focus when you're in an environment that's designed for getting stuff done.  At the same time, I'm happy with the quality I can get at home.  It's comfy, fun, relatively productive and...did I mention the proximity of the fridge?

More For The September Show.

Let's Make Some Noise
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250



Laughing Statues
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250

The Orpheum
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 6x12
$250



The Vogue
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 6x12
$250

Granville Island
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250

Bike Vancouver
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250

False Creek East
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250

1958 Ace Coaster Classic
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 12x12
$250

Midnight Showing
linocut with watercolour
1 of 10
paper size 15x22
image size 9x12
$250

Here are some more for my upcoming show.  It's at the gallery in the Unitarian Church on 49th and Oak here in Vancouver. It'll run from September 16th to October 15th, and there's a reception on Sunday the 22nd from 2:30-5.  My increasingly famous nephews, 'The McQuaids' will be playing (I tried to talk them into calling themselves 'Carol's Nephews' but they wouldn't go for it) and there'll be wine and goodies. Come one, come all.  I'll be doing up an invite soon, as soon as I think of a title for the show. Suggestions welcome. 

This church is an amazing community member. They put on a great organic farmers market every Wednesday.  If you go check it out you'll hear The McQuaids in action. They play weekly from 4 to 7.  There are two awesome gallery spaces, one in the sanctuary and another called the Fireside Room, and they always have interesting shows.  My brilliant friend Danyne Johnston will be showing in one space while I'm in the other.  Right now theres a commemorative exhibition of Vancouver artist Don Slade full of these great, kind of retro nudes (yes, nudes in a church.  Very cool).   My friend Caede, who helps coordinate the gallery and the farmers market, bought the painting seen here on the invitation. If she hadn't, I would have. I love it!