What Did the Artist Say to the Dentist?

Hold your breath for the answer to that question. First, to the business at hand. Some time ago I posted the beginnings of  Cascade 111 on Yupo paper, with the idea of sharing the progression of the painting. As I didn't receive any negative comments, I assumed the painting was going well, in fact may be perfect,  and finished it. I will let you be the judge.

The beginning of Cascade 111

Am I on the right track???

Cascade 111

Comments please!!!!!

What did the artist say to the dentist????

"Matisse hurt".

I think that I had better stick to painting - or maybe not!

Art for All Canada

Art For All Canada presents the AFAC 2011 Conference for Artists and Art Show , a  not-for-profit event for artists by artists.
Details:
Conference: March 5-6th, 2011, 10am-4pm; and Art Show: March 5-12th
Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This conference was most enjoyable and educational last year, and a great networking opportunity for artists. The art show in the rotunda of Metro Hall was impressive. This year I am looking forward to taking part in the show with this painting:

The Meadow

           For more information and registration, contact WWW.artforallcanada.org 

Work in Progress

I am sharing the first stage of a painting  on Yupo paper. The painting will ultimately be called "Cascade 111", as part of a very watery series done on this interesting alternative to traditional watercolour paper. Think of a piece of thick glossy plastic tablecloth and you will be close to understanding the characteristics of this Japanese plastic paper. The watercolour paint is more vibrant because it does not sink into the paper. Because the colour sits on top however, it is a challenge to manipulate the paint to create an image. This is also an advantage, as loose and more abstract effects can be achieved. At this point in the process,  paint has been applied to the sky and the cliffs. A light spray encourages the paint to move around, particularly if the
board is tilted in different directions. More to be done here. I will keep you posted.
 
I did have a very kind comment on one of the latest "abstractions", however, I intend to re-work both of them to my greater satisfaction. One of the important lessons to learn as an artist is to view a finished painting from many angles and positions, including upside down and in a mirror, and to let it sit around for awhile to penetrate your consciousness entirely. I thought I had done that, but not for long enough. One advantage of this blog is to be able to brazenly view your completed pieces in public. They often look different viewed through that  lens.  Hopefully the comments from  readers can shed some light on the strengths and weaknesses of the art so please comment or check off "reactions"!

Take the opportunity, if you have not done so, to view 17 great art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Hermitage at www.googleartproject.com/. A fascinating virtual tour of the buildings and art - quite new! More museums will be added in time.

 I am also working on another in my "old man and dog" series, which continues to give me a great deal of pleasure. This one is titled "Travels with Charley". If you have read the book by that name by Steinbeck, you already may have some images in mind.