And they're off...

...and I wait. Silently, anxiously and eating cookies non-stop. Okay, maybe not non-stop but I've eaten more than I probably should've. They're double caramel cheesecake cookies so you can understand why I've succumbed to their sinister, but tasty, ways.

Why am I partaking of so much high-calorie madness? The two pictures I posted from last time are now sitting in the care of the good folks over at the John M. Parrott art gallery in Belleville waiting until tomorrow when they'll be juried and their fate will be decided. I know I'm making it sound much more dramatic than it actually is but I hate waiting for things like this to take place. I think they should just be able to look at the piece and say "Yes! This is exactly what we've been waiting for! Where have you been all these years?" Unfortuantely that's not how it happens and now I have to sit here and wait...until tomorrow! The only plus side to this is that if my work doesn't get selected they're going to have a critiquing thing-a-ma-jigy after the jurying is done.

This is more stressful for me than a trip to the dentist. Truth be told, though, I rather enjoy going to the dentist. Especially when they're finishing up and you have to put that gooey flouride stuff on your teeth and you get to choose which flavour you want. Okay, so the dentist thing was a bad example. Give me some time, I'll come up with something better.

So I should note that I won't be updating again until friday when I'll have the results of the jurying and I'll also have some info on a project I'm going to be undertaking. Oh yeah, and some artwork as well!

Oh! I've got it! Trying to find a parking spot at the mall during the Christmas season, yeah, that's stressful.

Domestica

Hello dear reader. To your left you'll see the two pieces that are being submitted on Monday for the juried show "Domestica". As with previous juried show experiences I'm being reserved and not getting my hopes up since these sorts of things can go either way. I'm not even sure who's jurying this show so I can't do my homework and find out what type of art this person favours, etc.
What makes me even more leery is that apparently there have been a few jurying debacles as of late in many local shows. Through the grapevine that is the Quinte region Art community I've heard that there are quite a few people that are none too happy. My personal feeling on this is that while it's true that the juror(s) should be objective and open to all types/ styles of art the simple fact of the matter is that people are partial to certain types of art and they're just going to shoose what they like. It's one of those wacky little quirks of being a human. In situations like this it's also important to remember that the decisions are based on opinion which is what makes art such an interesting beast to begin with. The submissions I've decided to make are based on other people's reactions to these particular pieces and the theme of this show. Were they the ones that I would've initially liked to submit? No. Do I like them? Of course, or I wouldn't submit them. Will they make it in? Who knows...the juror(s) will know on tuesday and so will I.

I need candy

Hello dear reader. In case you're wondering, yes, this is another ACEO by yours truly. You can bid on it here, go crazy and splurge, you deserve it.

The title for today? Yes, I need candy (who doesn't, really?) Have you ever had one of those days where no matter how well you slept the night before and how "easily" you take the day ("Take it easy", what the heck does that mean??) you still feel like curling up in a corner with a blanket and having a nap? Today was one of those days for me and, gosh darnit, I just didn't have the time to nap. There were groceries to be purchased, cars to drop off, laundry to do, dishes to be cleaned, banking to be taken care of, barns to clean, animals to be fed, commissions to be worked on and somewhere in the chaos that was my day I still had to find time to feed myself and go to the bathroom!
The days events hit me like a sack of Yukon Gold potatoes while I was in the grocery store trying to decide whether to buy montreal smoked meat or roast beef...I'm hungry, desperately hungry. Now I know what you're thinking. Rita, get a grip, you're in a grocery store, of course you're hungry. I was hungry alright, and strangely dizzy, tired and eyeballing a bag of cheese curds like it was my last salvation (although I do that every time I see cheese curds). Anyway, I finished up quickly and made my way to the check-out and grabbed a chocolate bar while the cashier was putting my things through the register. After paying I put my groceries in the car and sat there devouring an O'Henry bar in what I suspect would've rivalled a Guinness book world record for chocolate bar eating, if such a thing exists. Then, I almost magically felt better.

Now, this has occured the past 2 weeks always at the same time of day. The most I can glean from this is that 1- I'm not eating a balanced breakfast, the most important meal of the day kids, or 2- I need to eat an O'Henry bar every day at 10:30 in the morning. I'm going to lean towards deduction #2...I can just feel I'm right on with this one...

Where's the carpet?

Hello dear reader. So the week-end has come and gone and I'm sore, tired and the delightful odour of mildew has been defeated (all thanks to Glade "Apple Cinnamon" scented candles!) There was much moving of furniture and cursing, usually both at the same time, and I am sad to report that much of my early artwork was not saved and was subsequently burned in the wood stove. In fact, only two pieces were worth saving because they weren't completely saturated. It was time for them to go I suppose...

So the work you're seeing today is an ACEO I managed to squeeze in between ripping carpet out and re-arranging furniture. This one can be bid on here and while you're bidding on this piece be sure to have a peek at the other works I have listed as well...including the wolf picture I posted not too long ago. The horse that was gracious enough to model for this piece belongs to a friend and is quite the gentleman and loves his food, he has a nice round bum to attest to that fact! Not that I go around looking at horse hineys and all, but it's worth noting.

Anyhoo, to lift my spirits after the housing ordeals that have been occuring lately I decided to put up some of the Christmas decorations and I'm starting to feel more and more Christmas-y, so I suspect that over the next little while I'll be doing some winter/ holiday related art while trying to get some other works done. Merry Christmas? We'll see...

Is it over yet?

Hello dear reader. Do you know what happens when it rains heavily for a full day? There's water...and lots of it. Do you know what happens to that water? I do. It ends up in my basement...where I'm storing antique furniture and my brother's furniture while he gets settled in Boston (sorry Mike, if you're reading this...)
I suspect that today I should've just stayed in bed where it was warm and dry. Alas, it was not in the cards today and I spent the morning suctioning water out of carpeting, stoking the woodstove in an attempt to dry things out quicker, re-arranging furniture in what little spare space we have and talking on the phone with people who were clearly left here by the Mothership because they couldn't stand them either (another story altogether).
Anyway, it was not a day for art so I will share with you another "sneak peek", as it were, of another thing I've been working on. Don't you like how cryptic I'm being? Oooh, the mystery....


HAPPY WEEK-END!!

Point, click and watch

Hello dear reader. Do I have exciting, earth shattering news for you! Remember that TV interview I spoke of many moons ago? Well, the universe is unfolding somewhat as it should and tonight, tomorrow night, friday morning, sunday afternoon and next wednesday evening I will have my mug all over at least one person's TV spouting off about my art. At least I hope one person is watching it...
Anyway, it's very exciting for me because 1- I've never been on TV and 2- no one has ever wanted to put me on TV. Now both have happened so you can imagine how completely giddy I am with excitement. The program is called "The Art of Quinte" (straightforward and to the point which is always good) and it features not just little ol' me but other visual artists in the region as well as musicians and writers. It's basically a smorgasbord of arts.

On a somewhat art related note I didn't get a chance to update the landscape picture because the trimmer was out today to clean up the horse's feet. I also learned how I can maintain my horse's feet on my own. That in and of itself should prove interesting because I have a bad back. Maybe wielding a rasp and paring knife will change all that and something will pop back into place? Um...maybe not, but I'd like to think so.

So, with the exciting news of my TV debut and learning the finer points of horse's feet I have no update on the landscape and, to be honest dear reader, I don't want to hold myself to getting it completed in any big hurry because I have commissions that need to be done and I must re-haul my website. Does that mean the art stops? Why goodness gracious me no! Just look at that little fellow in the corner...hanging there...like a snowman. A sign of things to come? I sure hope so...

Just another manic monday

Christmas is coming dear reader. Do you know how I know that (regardless of the overwhelming odour of cinnamon in every store I go into)? Because chaos and absent minded behaviour is coming out of the wood-work. Today, dear reader, I walked into a doorway. A doorway!! It's a good thing the door was open. I also find myself thinking about when the appropriate time is to put up Christmas decorations in the barn and send out cards wishing Holiday cheer. Priorities, you know.
Also, I attended/participated in a Holiday Art Show yesterday which went fairly well by all accounts. I attended this show solo since the other half had to stay home which forced me to talk about my art to people, an occurence that you may or may not know is difficult for me. I figured out what my problem is but rather than bore you with my psycho-babble rationalizing we'll just cut to the art...

Look! The long-lost landscape! There's another reason I like doing sunrise/ sunset landscapes that I haven't divulged to you. That reason is that it's one of the only opportunities for me to whip out my neon coloured pencils. There's nothing quite so satisfying as putting little blobs of neon pink in a picture...next to little blobs of neon orange! Okay, I guess this is like the paper thing...something that perhaps only another artist could understand. At any rate you'll notice that slowly but surely it is emerging from the ugliness of it's beginning stages. It still has a fair bit of refinement that needs to be done but it'll get there. So that's where it is now.

I will return on Wednesday and if you'll excuse me, my head hurts and I need to go take a Tylenol.

Where did the week go?

Hello dear reader. With the greatest intentions I attempted to get more work done on "the landscape". Alas, it was not in the cards this week. There has been much chaos going on and so the landscape sits...and then sits some more. I suspect that after this week-end I should be able to get copious amounts of necessary artwork done. Art exhibitions/ shows, as much fun as they are, are also very tiring and time consuming.

So today I am sharing with you one of my latest ACEO's which can be bid on here. The apple in this picture was tasty beyond belief. I don't normally favour Red Delicious (I'm a MacIntosh gal myself) but this one lived up to it's name.It was indeed red...and delicious! It also made a lovely subject with it's friend the pear. Yes, the pear was tasty as well. This one was done on my beloved Colourfix paper. Working on this paper in a small format has proven to be quite the challenge so when I completed this one I was happy with myself to say the least. Hopefully someone finds this piece as delicious as I found the apple to be. I have an art show to get ready for... Happy week-end!

For My Own Benefit

Hello dear reader. You'll notice that this isn't my usual posting date... or time for that matter. As the title may have indicated to you sharp readers this posting is for my own benefit and as such you are going to be a part of the intellectual madness/logic/ ambiguity that comes with being an artist....brace yourselves...

This goes back to my rant about quality. You can't hide it and you can't fake it. As one person indicated...not everything has to be painterly, detail is good. I always thought so, but people generally don't like to wait for detail. They want it done yesterday. I have been wrestling with this for quite awhile and, I've yet to come to a conclusion as to what route I need to take.

This is brief and, I greatly suspect that this will continue to be a point of contention for me. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Thanks for listening to the babble.

Not slacking...

Oh dear reader, you are so patient with me. I have no update on my landscape picture but, for a good reason! My brother is moving to Boston this week-end (about a week earlier than planned) and I spent yesterday cleaning a spot for him to store his things which today turned into a larger spot than had been originally planned. It's all for a good cause...
I've also been busy getting ready for my art show this week-end trying to sand and paint the new displays that the other half built for me. The displays that you may (or may not) have seen back in September are heavier than all get out and since the other half has to stay at the house this week-end and I need to transport everything myself, well, a new plan was in order. Not only are these displays one-person friendly but they also fit in the truck, a trait that the other displays didn't posess.

In place of the landscape I'm sharing with you the next ACEO that I'll be listing for auction on eBay. This piece was particularly interesting to do because it's on the sanded pastel paper that I'm infatuated with and to get details at this size is difficult enough, let alone when you're working on sanded paper. It's simply been titled "Roan" and is of a horse I snapped several photos of at an Agricultural Fair I attended not too long ago. He was quite the funny fellow, maybe 16 hands (which is pretty darn tall for those of you that are unfamiliar with horse measurements) and his rider looked to be maybe a whole 5' 4". Quite the pair they made!

So, I'm not slacking dear reader and, quite frankly with how busy it's been over the past week and a half I kinda wish I was. Just gotta keep truckin' a bit longer...

Monday...at last!

Hello dear reader. I know you've been waiting anxiously all week-end for an update on my landscape picture and here it is. I must apologize for the shadow being cast across the top of the picture, and I know it may be difficult to believe, but even artists make visual mistakes.

So I'm officially going into "Get Ready for the Show" mode. What this means is that I need to make lists and check them twice. Heck, I'll even check them 3 or 4 times and I can guarantee you I'll still forget something. Art shows, for me, have generally turned out like the camping excursions I go on. I make elaborate lists, gather items together, check the lists again, do an imaginary set-up in my head and then head out. About half-way to my destination I realize I forgot the ketchup and the flashlight. I'm hoping that neither ketchup or a flaslight will have any place in my art show but I suppose stranger things have happened. Imagined calamities aside I am rather looking forward to the show this week-end at the Empire Theatre because it's a one day show (less tiring), it's local, it's Christmas related and being held for a good cause. It doesn't get much better than that!

So as for the above work I don't imagine that it will be done in time for said show this week-end but instead I may tote it over to the gift store that my work is being featured in this month. It will go nicely with the other sunrise/ sunset works I have there right now. By wednesday I suspect it will actually be looking more like a landscape, not that it doesn't already, but more like a landscape that is well on it's way to being called finished. Right now it looks ominous, and that isn't particularly good for a work that is supposed to elicit good memories of camping, cottaging and other such outdoor activities. I won't say any more about this picture lest I ruin the moment. See you on wednesday!

Fuzzy Little Killer

Hello dear reader, I hope you are enjoying your friday. Clearly you're interested in what I have to offer or you wouldn't be reading this...and if you happened to stumble upon my blog by accident please stay and read. You might be amused...or somewhat frightened, who can say for sure?

So I've decided to share this piece with you, titled "White Arctic". I've garnered a lot of nice comments from folks over this one (and yet it hasn't sold??) and, to be perfectly honest, it's one of my favorite pieces. I decided to share this one because, as the result of an actual hard frost last night, it's colder than all bejeezus right now. I say this relatively speaking since I know that come the middle of January it will be much colder than it is today.
A few people said that this wolf looked as though it were being vicious, getting ready to attack something. One person said it even looked like it was about to attack a person! Alas, the ref photo was of a wolf just standing there (maybe it just woke up?) with no bunny or deer carcasses to be seen. Wolves are misunderstood thanks to that little hussy Red Riding Hood. Oh, and that story about the boy who called wolf. Wolves would rather stay the heck away from us because they know we're a self-destructing species and should they get close enough to us we may pull them into our out of control downward spiral. Kinda makes you wonder why dogs put up with us? Maybe they like the show we put on.

At any rate, this piece will be travelling with me next week-end to the Empire Theatre for the annual Home for the Holidays show. On monday I'll have another update on the landscape WIP and you'll be privledge to my pre-show ramblings. How will I decorate my booth? Will I remember my receipt book? Will several pieces get damaged on the way to the show? Will I , in the excitement and chaos, forget to put pants on? Oh, all these questions and more...

HAPPY WEEK-END!

The Landscape is changing

Hello dear reader. To your left you'll see the progress made on the exciting landscape picture you've been sucked into. I make it sound so delightful, don't I?
Darks, lights, and everything in between has been added. The colour is getting richer and the trees will soon be taking shape. My photography skills are sorely lacking, but it's all very exciting...in an artistic sort of way. I won't be updating you on this one until Monday of next week because, dear reader, I have to set up for my Guest Artist spot at the store tomorrow. After that I plan to come home and get some more work done for the Christmas show I have coming up. Busy, busy! So what will I be sharing with you on Friday? Well, if I told you now that would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it?
There are also many other exciting artsy-fartsy developments to share. Why, just today I opened an eBay store and will be listing new items in it tonight along with an ACEO auction listing. There's also another exciting thing going on with me and my art but I'll have to keep quiet about that one until I decide on a particular course of action. Intrigued? So am I!

So things are happening to and fro in my hectic little world of art. Since things have gotten quite a bit busier with my art and I've been making progress in reaching/ achieving many of my goals I'd like to take this time, as I do on occassion, to thank the people who have supported and been supportive of my art. The list is long and the thanks never-ending but you know who you are and from this grateful artist, although I cannot say it enough: Thank you.