Paintings too bad to throw away

Sometimes there are embarrassing paintings - impossible to leave in the garbage, identified as yours!
There are options:

- if on canvas then good old gesso cures all ills
- if paper and watercolour, then a dunk in a sink might remove most if not all and the process can begin again
- if paper and acrylic, good old gesso can come to save the day again or even gesso over watercolour to scrape out colours and images
- if paper, interesting pieces can cut out for a later collage
- if paper, the painting can be cropped to leave a smaller but more interesting composition
- of course, yupo and terraskin allow more flexibility in removing an wiping out images.

This painting is a good example of a rescue of a painting gone wrong. This is acrylic on terraskin, and renovated with the inspiration of a very good teacher, D.D. Gadjanski. See her work at www.ddgadjanski.com/‎  and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/DDGadjanski‎

Lonely Beach

The lightbulb series continued

How many modern artists does it take to change a light bulb?
Four. One to throw bulbs against the wall, one to pile hundreds of them in a heap and spray-paint it orange, one to glue light bulbs to a cocker spaniel, and one to put a bulb in the socket and fill the room with light while all the critics and buyers are watching the fellow smashing the bulbs against the wall, the fellow with the spray-gun, and the cocker spaniel.

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Artful Greetings

For all the millions of people following this blog - Holiday Greetings and an excellent New Year!

This is a very seasonal painting I did several years ago for a friend.  Hint - don't use a red umbrella in an ice storm!

The Red Umbrella

For your holiday enjoyment, an artsy joke that is the beginning of a  "series":

How many artists does it take to change a light bulb?


Ten. One to change it, and nine to reassure him about how good it looks.

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Limited Palette Part Two

This is the continuation of my project to restrict myself to a limited palette. This is the second three in the group - and probably the last. I used quinacridone burnt orange, anthraquinone blue, white, and a mere suggestion of  cadmium yellow medium.  I used a  light glaze of burnt sienna in some areas to create more warmth. As you can see, the second group, completed at a later date are much less subtle and more vivid than the first three. 
These paintings are inspired by Papamoa Beach, New Zealand, which is near the home of my daughter.


Waiting for your comments!

Papamoa

Papamoa 2

Papamoa 3

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Vermeer, Music and Pounds of Pearls

I recently attended a film called "Vermeer and Music". This is an exhibition at the National Gallery in London, showcasing the  paintings of Vermeer which feature musical instruments. The paintings in the gallery are featured alongside some instruments of that period. The first link will allow you to view some of the paintings and instruments in the exhibition.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/vermeer-and-music

Follow this link for interesting information about Vermeer's painting techniques.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/vermeer-and-technique

What interested me however, beyond the musical aspect of the paintings were the pearls.

Everyone is familiar with the Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has now been immortalized in paint, literature and film. Much has been said about the significance and meaning of the pearl earrings. They are thought to be a symbol of perfect beauty, and of virginity. It is even supposed that this is a servant and the earrings belonged to Vermeer's wife, or it is perhaps his daughter. The original title was "Girl with a Turban" and only
later was the title changed to focus on the pearl.
 Vermeer painted many women and many wore pearls - both necklaces and earrings. (None however as beautiful as "the girl".) I have cropped selected paintings to feature the jewellry.

Guitar Player

The Love Letter

The Concert

Woman with a Pear Necklace

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What's in a Name

Since my last post, I have received a comment which encourages me to think that I have "followers" who provide intelligent and constructive critiques which is exactly what I want. In the last post, I spoke of my diptych painting as non-objective and then proceeded to give it a very descriptive title. The comment was as follows: "If the end result is to be non-objective, then you cannot give it a title that points to a recognizable object or objects. If you were thinking “sea” or “waves” while painting and you choose to name it thus, then it is an abstract."  Very well put and so true!

What's in a name???I like this very all-encompassing  definition - abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. Abstraction exists along a continuum; abstract art can formally refer to compositions that are derived (or abstracted) from a figurative or other natural source. It also can refer to non-representational art and non-objective art that has no derivation from figures or objects. 

This discussion points to the importance of knowing what your objective (forgive the choice of word)  is before you begin to paint and to reflect on the impact of the title, if you choose to use one.  Titles of course are another whole topic for another post.
To add clarity to the concept of "non-objective", here is a very clear and colourful example from Kadinsky:

Yellow Red and Blue  1925

Circus 7

Another example of non-objective painting by the painter and author of the comment - Tony Cook.

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A Dip Into Diptychs and More

I am continuing my exploration of  non-objective  paintings.  Below is my first diptych. One advantage of this approach is that it allows for greater ease of handling a larger painting because it is in two sections. This painting is composed of two size  24 x 24" canvases. Another advantage is that hopefully the two paintings can be separated and can stand alone if that is the preference.
The challenge is to maintain continuity and harmony between the two sections of the painting and yet have section work as a separate composition.

Sea

Older diptychs were often of a religious nature and were attached together by a hinge. Modern diptychs may not be hinged and simply intended to be hung together. A famous modern painting of Marilyn Monroe in this format was by Andy Warwhol.

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It Really is "Time for Art"

A Gala Evening of Art

This is your personal invitation to attend the North Toronto Group of Artists' Opening Gala:
Friday evening, November 8, 2013, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Blessed Sacrament Church,(basement)
24 Cheritan Avenue - Yonge Street just south of Lawrence

Please email me to register (free). We require registration due to liquor laws.
Wine and light refreshments will be served and jazz music will be part of the atmosphere.
22 local artists will be showing their work - all media including oil, acrylic, watercolour,  photography, digital.

  If you are unable to attend on  Friday night:

The event is open to the public on Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 10:00am to 3:30 pm.

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Exciting Fall Art Event

NORTH YORK VISUAL ARTISTS ANNOUNCES 2013 FALL ART TOUR and SALE

AT TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN (by Edwards Gardens) and HOME STUDIOS
The North York Visual Artists Studio Tour has a rich history among NYVA artists and the community. This year the tour will be again at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. It is hoped that this year's combination of group venue and home studios will continue to increase attendance and preserve the historical roots of the NYVA studio tour.

Date of Tour: Saturday, Sept. 28 & Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013
Time of Tour: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

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Digging Drawing

How often are we told as artists, that drawing is the foundation of all painting whether realist or abstract styles? I actually endorse that point of view, but that is sometimes difficult to tell from my efforts. In order to improve my drawing skills, being basically a self-taught artist, I have turned to a variety of resources - too many to count and all very boring, not to mention intimidating.

Recently, however, I have discovered  a very helpful book titled -"You Can Draw in 30 Days - The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or less". I think you can see the appeal! If only I kept up the schedule. It is very helpful and in a fun and relaxing way moves from simple circles and shading and ends with the "hand" which as we know is a challenge. For your amusement and encouragement, behold two samples from my sketchbook of my recent struggles with basic lessons:

More to learn and also an opportunity to try out two well-recommended websites below  to help develop and improve drawing skills:

www.sketchup.google.com/
www.drawspace.com/

I have looked into both, and after my "30 days" may move on to the net. Happy drawing!

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Art is Power!

Art has the power to illicit emotions, to shed a clearer light on human nature and on the natural world and to raise awareness about injustice, repression and personal responsibility.
No contemporary artist speaks louder on those themes than the Chinese dissident/artist, Ai Wei Wei. Although he is currently on house arrest in his studio in Bejing, an exhibition of his work Ai Wei Wei: According to What? is on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This is the only showing of his work in Canada and includes not only video, photographs and large-scale installations, but a strong sense of his philosophy and position on life and human rights.

There are structures which reflect his veneration for Chinese tradition as he utilizes wood from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) from destroyed hutongs and temples.

Map of China 2008

The height of the piece illustrates the long history of the Chinese nation and the top represents a map of the very culturally diverse China. (56 ethnic groups I believe)


Ai Wei Wei also uses traditional wood working techniques in creating some of his installations -in which no nails are used. 

Untitled 2006

Three thousand porcelain crabs were created and painted as a protest piece displayed on the floor. It represents the restriction of free speech in Chinese society. As the government was about to demolish his newly constructed studio in Shanghai, Ai invited guests to a feast of 10,000 river crabs in protest. He, however had been placed under house arrest and couldn't be there.

He Xie 2010

Ai Wei Wei was very affected by the earthquake in Sichuan province  in 2008. For me, the most memorable and significant work was related to that disaster. Wenchauan Steel Rebar  uses metal rebars, recovered from the rubble of schoolhouses which he straightened and placed in a formation, which indicates society's ability to start fresh, but is also reminiscent of the undulations of the earth during the quake. It is place in front of a printed list of over 5000 of the lost children's names.

The exhibition as a whole is very moving.

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