These are the quick watercolours I did while in NYC. Only two colours, blue and yellow.

I confess, I’m a Pinterest junkie. How wonderful it is to have so much fantastic artwork at your fingertips to inspire you. Sometimes I get lost in those images for over an hour. I get all sorts of ideas. It creates an energy within me that just makes me need to get to my studio and paint.

This also happens whenever I visit a gallery. I can hardly wait to get out of there to start painting in case those juices in my mind start to fade too fast.

Last October I went to N.Y.C. to experience the city and galleries and just feed off that big city vibe that I must admit I miss, but only occasionally, after moving from Toronto to Pelham in Niagara. The problem was, I got back to a hotel room with no outlet to express myself.

We decided to walk to Blick’s Artist’s Supplies and get me something to work with. I got two tubes of watercolour paint, anthraquinone blue and gamboge from a brand I had never tried before. May as well benefit from the experience. I also got a couple of watercolour brushes, again from brands I had no experience with and a pad of Canson XL watercolour paper. Cheap and cheerfull. I actually love that paper. I played for three hours in the evening. The images are the result of some of that effort.

The terrace 30 x 42 Mixed media on paper

I often find myself reading bits of information on artist’s websites or blogs to see if we’re all on the same page or if I’m on my own struggling with this and that. It’s reassuring to read that most artists have the same highs and lows. We all have our own issues but they mostly boil down to the same thing, and that is, are we doing OK or are we just spinning our wheels? This especially true for non-objective or abstract painters.

What does this have to do with words? Not much really, but I’m always struck by how much people love a good soundbite.  While searching for meaningful examples or approaches to “living my best life” as an artist, I come across people who constantly use the word utilize instead of use. I guess utilize makes the thing they’re talking about seem more important or impressive. What’s wrong with the word “use”? I use my voice, I use colour, I use garden shears. I’d hate to have to be utilizing these things, It would make me feel like I’m doing something very technical and maybe dangerous.

The other “mot du jour” that I find annoying is “pivot”. Everyone is pivoting. There’s a pivot for everything. Pivot meals, pivot healthcare even pivot painting. Apparently we can’t just change our minds anymore, we have to “pivot”. There’s so much of it, it makes me dizzy.

And last but not least, curate. We’ve curated everything from soup to nuts. We can’t just pick the best anymore, we must “curate”, don’t you know.

My sister will probably read this—she’s one of two people that read my blog—and ask me why I’m ranting on about this. Why? Because I can.

That’s the great thing about a blog, you can say what you think. I’ve curated my thoughts and utilized all the hot, hip words I hate to get them out of my system before I pivot towards new horizons.

Last Light acrylic on panel 12 x 12

I’m definitely not one of those artists who find their “voice” and sticks with it for their entire career. I can’t stand still. I need to keep trying new things, new approaches. I find after a while that a style has been tapped. It’s starting to bore me and I need to move on. I’m not judging artists who keep doing the same style of work, in fact I envy their ability to be able to keep exploring that voice. Personally, I get tired of hearing myself talking.

I am the perfect definition of an “emerging artist” and many gallerists don’t like that. As much as some galleries claim to represent emerging artists, I think they’d much rather not. All galleries can see potential but they also like consistency. They like to know how to promote and sell the artist they have and not have to start explaining a change in approach every year or two, which is bound to happen when an artist is still exploring. All artists explore but for some it’s more obvious. One of my galleries described my work as “difficult”. I choose to take that as a compliment because I’m not sure if they mean the public doesn’t get what I do or I’m a hard sell for them.

Either way, it makes me appreciate even more the effort that goes into selling art and, most importantly for me, makes me appreciate the people who buy my work. It means they didn’t buy it because it had the right pink in it but because it spoke to them. They see beyond the decorator factor (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I’m actually proud of them for their ability to see what I’m trying to say.

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Sea glass Mixed media on panel 36” x 36”

I’m always tempted to enter art competitions or contests. Then I snap out of it. The fact is that there aren’t many national ones in Canada and the few that are international will surely be swamped with entries and my work will get lost in a mire of other people’s efforts. It’s like asking to be disappointed and feel bad about yourself. In the end, it’s not so much that I feel I don’t have a chance as, do I really care?

I remember an artist who advised artists in general not to enter competitions because it’s damaging to one’s confidence (unless you win, I assume). I certainly don’t need to feel belittled by losing out in a competion full of judges who’s work I don’t know well, or whose expertise come from disciplines far removed from painting. In the end, the only person I need to impress is myself. I’m my harshest critic and I think I have to be.

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Early rose Mixed media on panel 12” x 12”

I guess I was right. Nobody knows I’m alive here. I probably have to do something annoying like harass my Instagram followers to let them know I’m here. I hate that kind of thing but it seems social media is about constantly reminding people you’re out there and hopefully relevant.

Why is this so hard to do? Not mentally but literally? I’m not a luddite but this interface makes me feel like one. Every time I do something, there seems to be a reason why it doesn’t look the way I did it the first time.

Meanwhile, here’s another new piece:

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From the cliffs Mixed media on panel 12” x 12”

I just completed a bunch of small 12” x 12” pieces for galleries (and, or anyone else who might be interested!!) for the Christmas season.

Making small pieces for galleries around the holidays is almost a tradition. Many galleries request this from their artists and most are happy to oblige. Small work requires a very different approach. The most obvious is that your brushes or any tool you usually use covers so much more ground. A quick brush stroke on a small piece is huge compared to the same on a larger canvas. It was difficult for me at first because I always worked large, unless it was on paper. (More about work on paper in upcoming posts).

The change in tool scale is what makes small work so much fun. It’s very liberating. I prepare the colour palette that I intend to use ahead of time and then I’m ready to go. I work quickly and intuitively. Meaning I try not to think too much because spontaneity and thinking don’t really work well together.

That’s it for now. This is my very first blog post. I’m looking forward to seeing if I’m talking to myself or if there’s anyone out there listening!!

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