The Sketchiness Continues - A Prelude to Diner en Blanc

Another night playing with the iPad sketch app at Dr Sketchy.  Our model was Evilyn 13, another sassy beauty.  Hot Art Wet City does a great job of hosting these events.  It's always a great vibe in there.   And it was a fun break from sitting on the porch carving lino.

 

Today will be spent doing some paperwork (not my forte) and getting all my gear and food ready for Diner en Blanc, Vancouver's big beautiful flashmob dinner party where everyone dresses in head to toe white and converges on a public place (kept secret until the last minute) for an elegant picnic.  Our model here, gorgeous as she is, would be turned away in her black get up.  This year should be fun, with our group growing. We are a party of 8 with more joining us for the disco party afterwards.  We would be more but it's a feat getting a ticket to this event.  We've been lucky enough to be on the list right from the start (thanks Trent) but now there's a waiting list of many many thousands of people.  Crazy.  We were lucky to get 8 in.  There will be no sketching tomorrow night.  I'll be busy eating, clicking glasses in toasts to the beautiful summer we're having, and sharing food with friends.  And then dancing.  Who can sketch when they're boogying with 2,000 white-clad partygoers?!  I'll try to take some pics instead.

New Prints Underway!

I'm happily sitting on the front porch surrounded by shreds of linoleum. Four new images are underway. These ones are bigger; twice the size of my previous works. It feels good to be carving again. Printmaking goes in such stages; selecting subjects, drawing, transferring, carving, printing, adding colour, numbering/titling and recording, and... the step I've been working on this past month... selling!  As each one arrives I think, as I do with the seasons, "Oh yay!  This one's my favourite!"  Then, as I get close  to the end I'm ready for the next one to begin. 

Moon Over Harmony Arts Festival

And so concludes our first Harmony Arts Festival experience.  We drove home tired and happy last night, gorged on delivery food by candlelight on the front deck at about midnight, and reflected on what a fun and successful show this was.  I met so many interesting people, new and former purchasers, fellow exhibitors and lots of people interested in the printmaking process.  It's cool how many people light up when they see a piece of carved linoleum and want to share their experiences in grade school or at art college exploring printmaking.  My booth mate for the second weekend was Marilyn Green of Cygnet Jewelry, a former occupational therapist who makes these amazing silver pieces out of repurposed finger splints.  I of course had to have one.  I also really loved the jewelry of our booth neighbour Emilie of ELK Jewelry from Montreal.  She uses a japanese technique called mokume to make beautiful delicately patterned pieces.  They'd make great wedding rings if anyone is looking. 

Thank you again to those of you who purchased artworks.  I really enjoyed talking with you, hearing why you chose the ones you did, and all the encouragement and support you gave me.  For those of you who requested pieces from the upcoming series I'll keep you posted as I go.  

I've got a start on the following pieces:

Dayton Boot

The Waldorf

The East Van Sign

The Stanley Theatre

There's a few more in the hopper. Stay tuned.  In the meantime I'm back to training for my Eastside 10k Run in September, spending time with family and friends, drawing, carving, planning, and looking forward to my next big print run with the new series.   

Caution: Wet Paint

I'm having some fun studio time right now, finishing more works for the Fresh Street Arts Market at Harmony Arts Festival on Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver.  Sales were brisk this past weekend and I want to make sure I have a good selection for this Friday through Sunday.  When I do an edition of 10 prints I don't sit down and paint them all at once.  Instead I'll paint one or two each of the whole range of images.  It keeps it fun, and I make palette discoveries on one image that I'll play with on the next.  It also means I get to rethink things after living with a piece for a bit.  Spending four days in the sunshine this past weekend looking at and talking about my work with people was a great way to see things with fresh eyes and get an appreciation for how people feel and what they respond to.  Art is such an emotional purchase.  I don't usually get to be there when people select their piece; that happens in a gallery or online.  It was really fun (and educational) to watch them ponder between three versions of an image and make their selection.  Everyone had a different take on things, which made me happy, since I like to switch things up.  I'm down to the last two images of the Orpheum, and a couple other pieces are almost sold through.  It's like watching your kids go off to college.  It's a little bittersweet to see the last one go, but just like the empty nesters who shed a few tears then start happily planning their new den, it makes room for the next print series.  Stay tuned for that ;-) 

Harmony Arts Festival

Amazing weekend at Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver.  I got to share a booth in the Art Market with my favourite painter buddy Danyne Johnston (or Bud-deen as she is known in my house).  A big thanks to everyone who stopped by, and to those of you who took home a new piece of art.  I heard so many great stories about the locations in my works, met some very cool artists and saw lots of inspiring works.  Can't wait for next weekend when we do it all again!
Stop by if you can.  We're at Ambleside Beach Friday through Sunday til 9 each night.  Great music, jewelry, art, food,concerts on the beach, what more could you ask for on a sunny summer weekend!