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!

Hello New a Toy ( or the day I fell in love with paper53)

I was out for dinner last night and someone (thank you Tanja Gardner) mentioned paper53; an app you sketch with on your iPad. I was intrigued, mostly because I get so messy using chalk pastel, and I'm always wrestling with big sketch pads and trying to reach my materials without crashing in to the person seated beside me at Dr Sketchy. I downloaded it when I got home and the fun began. First I sketched my feet (like I always tell the people in my workshops to do when they want a simple subject). That was fun. Then on to the hound. Then, ready or not, I headed off to a night of burlesque sketching at Hot Art Wet City.  The model was Georsha Gal, and she was fabulous. Great performance, super playful, and fun costumes for sketching.  I like my new toy.  And look Ma, no mess!  Closed my iPad at the end and walked out clean.   

Oh, and here's the sketch of my feet, for anyone who made it this deep into the post :-)

Bound for Carnaval del Sol Arts Market!

Been busily painting in the studio all day getting ready for the upcoming Carnaval del Sol!  It's the city's annual Latin bash, with food, music, dancing and a big arts market.   A little salsa, a little cerveza, and a chance to display my artwork and meet some other like-minded art folk; sounds like a perfect weekend to me. The art booths will set up along Granville Street between Dunsmuir and Nelson.  Come down and visit if you're in the area.  The festival draws 100,000 plus people and should be a total blast! 

It's funny, I had no plan to be part of this event.  It came the same way we always seem to get parking spots.  When we get close to where we're going, especially someplace busy, we ask the Parking Fairy out loud to provide and a spot just seems to magically appear.  It amuses us every time, but we're always careful to say thank you out loud so we don't jinx it for the next time. We were doing a visualization exercise on Monday aft before heading to my friend Trent's birthday party, and I wrote down three things I wanted to draw into my life in the next 30 days.  The first one was to find more places to show and sell my artwork.  In the middle of the party a few hours later I checked my phone.  Lo and behold there was an email out of the blue inviting me to participate in this festival.  Insert Twilight Zone soundtrack here.  I think those 'Secret - Law of Attraction' people might be on to something ;-).  So, thank you Life Fairy.  Will let you all know when the other two things I wrote down appear.  

Prints from Italy - both traditional and painted

Below are the 10 images from my recent residency in Italy, in both linocut and linocut with watercolour.  Each image is printed on 15x22" Stonehenge paper. 

Rooftops of Montmartre 

Hanging Out In Trastevere

Roman Glass

Umbrella Sellers

River Gods

Petit Prince of Lyon 

Grande Blu 

Rooftops of Perugia

Perugian Slivers II

Perugian Slivers I