Tiff 2012

Tiff has taken over the city. Toronto is always high energy but it seems to go absolutely crazy once Tiff gets underway. I'm not one to stand in lines so I haven't attended a screening and I don't hang out at the various hotels or red carpet events to catch a glimpse of the celebs. I do however like to people watch and I did spot Ewan McGregor a couple of years ago while I was enjoying a latte at the Starbucks in Yorkville. 

This is the second year that we've been in the thick of it so to speak watching some of the hoopla from our balcony. The parties are non stop at Brant House and the parking in front of Jacobs is like a showroom for Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches. So I'll be walking around Toronto with camera in hand for the next few days soaking it all in.

 Photo from Casie Stewart

Pop up Target Hotel

 my neighbor hood

Across from Tiff Bell Lightbox

Sun Worshipping.

Iggy

Nami

It's been so cold here for the last few days that I'm happy to be "stuck" in the studio painting. I only ventured out for a very short trip to Starbucks with an artist friend on Tuesday. It feels really good to be back in painting mode as I took such a long break last month. I've got five large paintings in various stages scattered about and another four canvases prepared with texture only.

Last year my focus was getting out of my comfort zone and playing more with my art. I happily explored new techniques and styles combining painting with mixed media. I exhibited these paintings in "Metamorphosis" a duo show with artist Anne Barkley at Leonardo Gallery. You can read about that here and here. The round robin altered book collaboration with Inner Works has come to an end and each of us have our books back, chock full of beautiful additions made by the group. I'm not to sure how the final posting of that will happen yet but be prepared to see some awesome mixed media work.

This year I've decided to really focus on my gallery work. That means larger paintings that are more time intensive. Most of my painting has to be done in the early part of day because when the sun comes in the studio window it's much too bright for me. That's also when I lose my space to our two sun worshippers Iggy and Nami. They both enjoy the warmth of the sun as all cats do and I don't have the heart to shoo them away.

Art Interiors and Style at Home

Spring's Promise
Acrylic on Canvas 30x40, Sold.
As seen in Style at Home Magazine, October 2007

Birch Series II
Acrylic on Canvas 12x36

I dropped off 4 new paintings in my Birch Series to Art Interiors yesterday. I've noticed how these new smaller panels have evolved from the larger original painting seen above in a past issue of Style at Home Magazine. I've added more texture to these pieces and they have a much more abstract feel to them. It's through Art Interiors that I've been fortunate enough to have my work included in Style at Home Magazine 3 times, including the cover. Thank you Art Interiors and Style at Home. Major gratitude here!!

And yesterday I was re-introduced to Style at Home Magazine's online version. (Thanks Natalie!!) These Are A Few of My Favourite Things has been added to my daily must read blogs. Yes, I've visited the site many times before but couldn't take the time to really get into it. Besides, one of MY favourite things is taking a break from my studio and heading to my nearest Indigo. I purchase the newest issue of Style at Home Magazine and my usual latte from Starbucks and spend a good hour or so flipping through the pages. There's so much in every issue and the eye candy is the best. So now it looks like I'll be curling up with my laptop and and catching up with Style at Home online as well. I think I'll enter the makeover contest going on right now. Check it out here. I'd love to win a $2000 gift card from The Home Depot. OK, so now I'm visualizing how my studio would look after a makeover. I'm thinking built ins on one wall and my own sink so I wouldn't have to use our kitchen sink. New lighting. New storage, new flooring, hmmmmmmm......

Summer Is

White Peonies

Time spent in nature

Trips to the beach

Listening to the waves

Pool toys

Summer is finally here. Our summers are so short here that this year I've vowed to enjoy every single moment that I can. That means dinners outside, enjoying my Starbucks on the patio, day trips to the beach and the harbourfront, and visiting friends with swimming pools. I'll be keeping up with my painting as well as I have a show coming up at Arts on Queen in August. How perfect is that? a show in "the Beaches" in Toronto.

Two New Paintings at Art Interiors

Quiet View 12x36 Acrylic on Canvas

Panorama 12x36 Acrylic on Canvas

This morning started out rather dull with my usual catching up on emails and planning for the week. Nothing too exciting until this afternoon when I delivered two new landscapes to Art Interiors. There's always such a positive energy there and sometimes it's so crazy busy with clients that I have to wait. Today was just such a day and I did not mind waiting at all. I popped downstairs to the Starbucks and enjoyed my usual Americano. By the time I finished with my coffee all had quieted down upstairs and it was nice to catch Lisa and Shira together. We had a nice chat about our children and all things art. I received a nice ego boost when I heard that quite a few people have signed up for new artwork notifications on the Art Interiors website. Now when I bring new work into the gallery, all those people will be notified immediately. It makes all those days when I lock myself up in my studio and paint non stop worth it. Now I'm really very excited to get back into my studio and get started on even more new paintings. It's days like this that I just love being an artist.

Busy, Busy and Loving Every Minute.

I can hardly believe that just three months ago I was thinking that I'd have a very slow summer (artwise) with nothing much to do but work on some small pieces for my online shop, blog and just enjoy the laziness of the hot and humid days. Boy was I wrong!! I have been going non stop since April, painting and preparing for four shows, keeping up the shop, and trying to post on here more than once or twice a week.

The Leonardo Group show "Out of the Green" is in full swing and goes until August 16th. This past Sunday was a "driving" day and we made the trip out to Bayfield Ontario to drop off my paintings for Marten Arts, which starts this Saturday. The drive was beautiful even with the rain and I took lots of photos for a new series. More on that later. I'm just finishing up the last two paintings for Arts on King and have been asked to work on a commissioned piece as well. After I'm done with that, then I can start on my three 12x12 paintings that I'm putting into The Square Foot Show at Awol. I've got my freshly brewed Starbucks and some great music to keep me going.

Erik (my 16 year old) made up a playlist of music he's listening to these days. Love his playlists!!! Just the right combination of fast and slow to keep me standing at the easel for hours. What am I listening to these days?? Coldplay, The Verve, Radiohead, Beck, some downtempo lounge on Shoutcast Radio, a little Disco (yes Disco!) and of course my friend Jann Arden. How's that for an eclectic mix!!

The above painting "Quiet Drive Home" 36x48 will be at Arts on King. You know I love a good road trip!!