Inspire Me Pinterest.

I've been reviewing some of my mood boards that I've created over the past few years and have noticed that what's inspiring me lately, really hasn't changed that much. I still favor neutrals in a big way. Blues and greens make their way into my art more than the reds do.

My friend and fellow artist Karen, invited me to join Pinterest, an online place to catalogue the things you love. Mood boards that you can share. I can see I'm going have to find some extra minutes in my day to explore this new venue.

Link Love #5

I went down to check out the 48th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this morning. I was impressed not only with the amount of wonderful art on display but by how clean and fresh the show was. You would never know there is a garbage strike going on. Here is my list of personal favorites from the show. Grab a coffee or a beverage and check out these fabulous artists.

Bonnie Brooks
Carolyn Dinsmore
Annie Tung
Robin Tieu
Brian Harvey
Peter Rotter
Virginia May
David Ray Alexander
Elizabeth Lennie
Janette Hayhoe
Sandra Tarantino

Artists Toronto

Winter Dusk 8x10 Acrylic on Board
Avaiable

Solitude 24x30 Acrylic on Canvas
sold

The Artists Toronto website was started by a group of Toronto artists who are dedicated to provide art purchasers, corporate art buyers, interior designers, and art lovers easy access to the original work of a wide variety of Toronto artists. Although I've been included on this site for about a year, I recently invested in a comprehensive listing, which for a very reasonable fee allows me to have 12 images of my work, a full biography, and listings for upcoming shows and events on the site. Even though I have my own website I really think it's important for me as an artist to be included in Artists Toronto especially as potential clients are sent directly to my site and email. Sure, it's a great place for artists involved to comment and discuss all that's going on in the art scene, but it's also a wonderful resource for the public to get information about Toronto art happenings, gallery listings, and event listings. Whether you're a first time art buyer or s seasoned collector, you are bound to discover artwork that will suit your budget and taste. And let's face it, Toronto has an abundance of wonderfully talented artists ready to show you their work. You can browse through the listings, read about artists, and even view some videos. Check out this great new site and pass it on to friends and art lovers everywhere.

My Mood Board

I spent a little time today re doing my mood board. It's been awhile since I changed it up and I was inspired by this post on Decor8 blog. So here it is. This is what has been inspiring me lately. I'm favoring neutrals mostly. Black, white, and shades of gray and beige. When I feel I need a shot of color I've been turning to bright lime greens or that soft aqua blue, that I've used here and here. I've been dreaming of large loft studios with lots of space and really large windows. A space where I could spread out. I've also been wanting to display my work in different ways. Perhaps I'll move things around here in the new year to change things up. I've been thinking of putting up a ledge to display smaller works. My mood/inspiration board is a compilation of magazine pages, my work (sketches, ideas, print outs) and little bits, odds and ends. Anything that will inspire me.

I'm always inspired by other artists work so I have a couple of their cards that I've picked up at galleries and display these as well. My mood boards are usually reflective of the season that we're in as I find I'm influenced by the weather and amount of sunshine and daylight.

And in keeping with Holly's request, I dedicate my mood board to Wind Lost-I so love the look, and Melonhead Knitwear-the most artful knitting.

One Painting-Start to Finish

I've been asked so many times "how do you paint" or "how long does it take you to do a painting". I thought I'd share with you the different stages I go through in creating a painting. Please keep in mind that all artists work differently and that it really is such a personal thing. This is how I work. It all starts with inspiration. When I'm starting a new painting or series of paintings, everything and anything can inspire me. Cloud formations, sunsets, leaves hanging from branches, almost anything in nature. Also magazines, window shopping, sitting in Starbucks and watching the world go by and gallery hopping. I'm a highly visual person and I take a lot of photographs as I never know what will create that spark of inspiration.

Once I've decided on subject matter I make sketches and decisions about what colors I'll use. Ive recently started to use a bit of photoshop and will probably incorporate this more in the beginning stages as it's a big time saver. I then start with a white stretched canvas and add texture with molding paste. Acrylics can be quite thin so I like to add texture to give the painting more interest. I find this also helps me when I'm blending and getting that "soft focus" that I create.

I let the canvas/molding paste dry overnight and then paint the canvas with gesso, and when that has dried, a light layer of red oxide. This gives a wonderful under glow to the painting. I even let this red come through in places. This dries in a couple of hours and then I begin to paint and sketch in the dark areas of the painting. Following the sketches I've made previously, I can adjust placement of objects or perspective if needed. I then begin to paint large areas and work in layers upon layers to create depth and dimension. In the above painting I would paint over the sky 5 0r 6 times, blending and softening edges. This painting is now in the half-done stage. I'll add details and highlights to finish it up. Stay tuned for the finished painting.