September Morning Walks

Almost every morning of the last few weeks I have been walking around the paths not too far from our home. Yesterday, I finally remembered to bring my camera to record the glorious long shadows and bright morning sun.

Altered Books on Display at Varley Art Gallery

I am thrilled that my altered book is among the twelve on display at the Varley Art Gallery in Unionville. Yesterday, I viewed the exhibition and was amazed with the quality of ideas and artistry. To protect these beautiful creations they are displayed behind glass which I completely appreciate. However, you can not help but wish you had the opportunity to journey through all the pages of every book.

Thank you to artist Judith Livingston for co-ordinating the exhibit.

Here is a peek at my altered book.

POD Project - Old tech

Technology was the subject for June's POD project. The original image Laurel gave me looks like a page from a machinery textbook.

Here is my creation. I included three little rocks I recently found.

It's been a year already?

Last August I posted my first blog entry. It was of a page spread from my mini sketchbook. Here is another peek into my mini sketchbook. I sketched this scene earlier in the summer when my husband and I spent a weekend away at an inn. Looking back over the summer, I think this moment was the longest time I could sit still and daydream.

POD Project - Far away fashion

Fashion was the subject for the "Point of Departure" project from May. Laurel (from Cranberry Cloud blog) gave me a page from an auction guide. The image was of a Chinese Emperor's robe from the 19th century.

I've Stalled

Today, this quiet summer day, is the day to clean and organize my studio. I have been going great guns for the last four hours. The floors have been swept, the computer dusted and everything that was on the floor in the studio is now on the floor outside the studio. Now I find myself checking out my favourite blogs and browsing iTunes for some new music. Oh yes, and searching book prices on alibris.com.

I guess if I have stalled here at the computer I should at least be productive and write a long overdue post.

Where have the last two months gone? They have been busy: year-end fundraising at my children's school, three family birthdays including a milestone celebration for my husband, two pro-bono design projects, two trips to Prince Edward County and planning and packing for a family trip to England.

I haven't even posted about the Artist's Alley in May. Well, it was a sunny day and I made one sale. Which was one more than I expected. For me, this first participation in Artists' Alley was all about experience. Planning. Setting up. Trying not to feel shy. And, staying cool in the heat. I will be participating again on Sunday, September 12.

I am also three (?) months overdue with the POD Project I participate in with fellow art blogger Laurel at Cranberry Cloud. (Sorry, Laurel. Better late than never, eh?) Look for POD updates soon!

Now, back to some studio organization in order to have space to create some artwork. The following are photos from the past few months.

I will be back soon!

Lisa

My booth at the Artists' Alley in May.

A piece created in May.

Another piece created this year.

A mini (10cm high) stonehenge on a beach near Picton, Ontario.

Beautiful, ancient steps in Wells, Somerset, England.

Comings and Goings

Where has the month of May gone?

It has been a very busy month for me. Early in May my piece, Excessarama, was in a group show at the McKay Art Centre in Unionville. Now I am prepping for next Sunday when I will have a booth at Artists' Alley. You can find us on Robinson Street just west of Main Street.

Here is the McKay Art Centre on the night of our show reception. This was shot at a rare moment when you did not see many visitors out front. Over 120 people visited us that night!

POD Project - Flowers reformed

The April subject for POD was botany. Laurel supplied me with an ancient, but not valuable, printed scene of wildflowers. If I remember correctly, she took it out of a frame she bought at a yard sale. I cut pieces from it and made my own botanical creation.

Original image.

My new image.

Jump over to Laurel's Cranberry Cloud blog and see the beautiful world she created with a giant leaf I gave her.

Excessarama is now complete!

Today I am decompressing and cleaning an "excessive" amount of mess.

Over the last three days, I spent most of my time finishing a large mixed media piece called Excessarama. It has been entered in the annual juried exhibition at the Latcham Gallery in Stouffville, Ontario. I will know by tonight if it has been accepted.

The piece is a commentary on one's experience when they shop at dollar stores. When we go into a dollar (or discount) store we feel like millionaires. We can afford anything. We can buy as much as we want. Looking at an organized shelf or wall in a dollar store with all the colours and textures of the shiny, unused items, they look like economical jewels. We think to ourselves, "That looks nice. I need one of those. How many should I get? I wonder if I can find...?" We are enticed to buy stuff. I am most enticed by cheap wax paper, low-grade eyeglasses and mittens that go missing through the winter season.

Aside from the obvious questions of: Is it recyclable? Is it of good quality? Do I really need another one of these? What person in a far away country put these tiny toy pieces together for very little pay? I would like to pose the question: What if ALL we had were dollar stores (and discount stores) to buy the products we want in our lives: clothes, food, toys, furniture, computers, cars, etc?

Illustration Friday - Linked

I am always attracted to the idea that everything is connected (linked).

"There is a path between any two neurons in our brain, between any two companies in the world, between any two chemicals in our body. Nothing is excluded from this highly interconnected web of life."

— Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Physics Professor

In my piece I used watercolour, ink with a lino stamp I made, and paper. The paper was a gift from my printer on a day when it decided to spew a sheet at me with my image underneath thousands of stripes of colours. Nice effect, but how much ink was used?

Core Series all on Etsy...

All twelve of my Core Series mixed media pieces are posted in my Etsy shop. Phew. Done. Yay. Now on to the next series.

My Etsy shop is now open!

I have posted the first four of my original mixed media art on Etsy. The following eight will be posted over the week so be sure to come back to see them all.