I am thrilled to report that my painting Summer Lessons has been accepted into the Annual International Representational Show, a global competition. The show will open at the Federation Gallery on Vancouver's Granville Island on Oct 4, continuing through Oct 23. Drop by and see the show when you are in the city! UPDATE: This piece has now sold--thank you, new collector!
Summer Lessons pastel 8 x 8 framed $195; prints available
Using the same process as my "beach bits" paintings, but a rectangular format, I recently completed two renditions of our youngest grandson, one with our son, and one with our daughter-in-law. It's always hard to do paintings of ones you know so well, but I was after a feeling rather than a portrait--and I think I caught the atmosphere I was after.
Morning Tales
Sweet Peace
Earlier this year, I experimented with a very splashy abstract acrylic background with a pastel of my granddaughter painted more realistically on top. I was after the idea of rain, but wanted to suggest playfulness and joy rather than dreariness. It's a happy result.
Spring Rain
I turned sixty this past May, and had been musing about trying to complete a series of sixty paintings on the same theme within this year. As I continued to paint my small "Beach Bits" paintings of kids on the beach, and as I observed how well they were received during my August show, the answer became obvious...do sixty paintings of kids on the beach!
So, I'm at 48 paintings so far...and still enjoying every one. I'm learning so much about handling challenging lighting situations (figures against glittering seas and glaring sands) and overcoming the limitations of photographs taken in these conditions (often too dark and with excess contrast), as well as further honing my understanding of anatomy and skin tones.
I've also decided to make a number of giclee prints on canvas (12 x 12 x 1) of these images for the upcoming Art Crawl--drop by and see! In the meantime, check the "Figures" category under the "Works" tab to see the growing collection.
Beach Blondes 8 x 8 framed $195
I am very excited to be mounting an exhibition of new works at The Landing Gallery in Gibsons BC, for the month of August. This feature exhibition is a collaboration with my friend and fellow co-op member Nell Burns, a textile artist. We agreed to create works on the theme of "the ocean," given that Nell already does beautiful three-dimensional embroidered shadow box paintings of seafloor creatures, and I already do paintings of waves.
The show will be hung on Sunday July 31, with an opening reception on Saturday August 6th from 1-2:30 pm. During the reception, a representative of CPAWS (the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) will give a short talk on the endangered glass sea sponges, a rare phenomenon just off the Sunshine Coast (http://cpaws.org/news/rare-sea-creatures-in-danger-vancouver-sun).
In preparation for this show, however, and given my desire to provide some smaller works for it, I experimented with painting some vividly coloured pastels based on a series of photos of "kids on the beach" taken over the past two summers. I was thrilled with the results, and became obsessed with creating more and more of them. In the end I made 21 new images (see the "Figures" tab within the "Works" section for the entire set).
Summer Sparkle 8" x 8" framed pastel $195
Super Stripe 8" x 8" framed pastel $195
First Dip 8" x 8" framed pastel $195
I liked the images so much, and got such good feedback from those who saw them, that I decided to try a new venture, and had high-quality prints made of six of the images. These "giclee" prints ( a term used to differentiate a fine-art ink reproduction from a colour photocopy) are available in the same size as the original painting (8" x 8") for $50 each, complete with mat, ready for framing. The prints will be sold through The Landing Gallery, but may also be ordered by email (payment via e-transfer only). The same six images are also available as cards in The Landing Gallery.
Hope you enjoy these happy new paintings as much as I enjoyed creating them!
I wanted to alert you to an upcoming opportunity to acquire one of my paintings at a good price and support a very worthy cause, all while enjoying wine or beer and delicious appetizers at a gala event!
I will be participating in the Gibsons' Rotary Art Auction on Saturday April 23rd (https://www.facebook.com/GibsonsRotary/) in the SunnyCrest Mall, Gibsons, from 630-930 pm. A number of my works will be offered via a silent auction. These will be all new pastel and acrylic works, never before exhibited, and the opening bid price will be 50% below their usual retail price. Should you be inspired to support me by placing an opening bid to get the auction ball rolling, I'd be very grateful, as would the Rotary folks. It could be that you'll acquire one of my works at a really bargain price--and a portion of the proceeds will support the Gibsons Elementary School Playground Fund this year, so everyone wins.
And there's more! I am also honoured to be the artist selected this year to do a painting demonstration during the event. The resulting finished work will be auctioned off live by renowned coast auctioneer Ed Hill. This will be a fresh and lively 30" x 40" wave painting in acrylic on deep canvas, ready to hang in your home should you be the final bidder. Come by and say hello as I work on it, and then have your bidding finger at the ready!
I hope to see you at this fun and festive event, one of the annual highlights of our thriving coast art culture. Come on out and support artists, kids, and community, and have a great time doing it! Tickets are available from any Rotary member, at The Landing Gallery in Gibsons, or by calling 604 740 6030.
Kona Coast--one of the paintings that will be auctioned
