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Ready, Set, .......

October 24th, 2014

Hey; my studio has been displaced from the cozy garage to the busy dining room during basement renos. I haven't "bonded" with the temporary space yet, and having problems getting motivated and staying on track. I have lots to do before the upcoming Federation shows and the Garibaldi Fall Show in a few weeks. Wish me luck?

A Brief Diversion

February 16th, 2014

A Brief Diversion

Well, I just spent the last 2 days working on a painting for the next ACT gallery show in Maple Ridge, BC. Of all things, it is a watercolor! This is only the fourth one I have done in the last 15 years! I guess the drawing I did was begging for a bit of pen/ink watercolor treatment. I love the look, but remember the frustration of working with watercolors. I copied the sketch so that I could do the same painting in acrylic on velum to see which one I like better. We shall see....

Cat or not to Cat

July 22nd, 2013

Cat or not to Cat

I just entered a contest with cats as the subject. I learned some valuable things today:

1. There is a LOT of really terrible cat art out there
2. Relatively speaking, my cat paintings are pretty good.
3. There is a LOT of really terrible cat art out there!
4. I really love to paint and photograph cats.
5. Never give an opinion about someone's art unless you mean it and it's true
6. There is a lot of really good cat art out there.
7. If your friend is a really bad singer of opera, you MUST tell them so
8. There is a LOT of really terrible cat art out there!!!!!!!!
9, Keep painting cats if you love to, but think twice about sharing them.
10.I love cats.

These are just my thoughts for the day.
I enjoy entering contests because I get to focus on other artist's interpretation of the subject and MANY more people are likely to see your work!

New studio, new outlook

July 2nd, 2013

New studio, new outlook

Ok, I am moving my studio from the basement (where all the teenagers hang out) to the garage, where there is sunshine, fresh air, and NO company unless I want it! We just did all the insulation, drywall, and built in shelving, so now it is time to pack and move! I hope to get it done super fast, because I have 3 new crow paintings on my mind, dying to make their way onto fresh canvasses! Wish me luck, and I will be posting pics from my new digs. TTYL

Well.....

October 26th, 2011

Well.....

Forgive me Father, it has been 3 months since my last `confession`. Okay, I am certainly not Catholic, but you have to admit, it sounds catchy, right...
I have to get back in the swing of things. The show last month was great, sold a lot of small pieces and gained some awareness of public interests. Note to self...pay attention to that! My art studio is freshly cleaned and organized, and ready for creativity. I am looking again for inspiration...a color, or a word, or a feeling, or anything to come my way. It will come soon, I can feel it. Until then, Lilu snoozes behind me on her perch. I will soon have my latest 2 paintings of her posted.

I Dare You...

June 26th, 2011

I Dare You...

Hey, if you are actually reading this, I dare you to leave a comment.
Any comment will do.
Just to reassure me that someone besides Lilu and I are reading and writing these.

Again, I am searching for inspiration.
I have a full day of painting planned, but I am distracted by other things and can't focus.
My mind is blank.
I hope that somewhere in my twisted dreams, a great idea or series will come to me.
I can only hope...

Collage Mania

June 20th, 2011

Collage Mania

Well, how much fun was today?
More, collage, knife painting, and New York City skylines.
I think I am on a collage run, and can't get enough of it.
Had a very successful day, although the pieces look even better in reality than scanned.
Scanning sometimes enhances, but sometimes misses the life of a piece.
Oh well, I am still a happy painter today.
Lilu had fun chasing the paper out of the printer as I was printing research material for the New York series.
Funny girl.

Back to Fun

June 13th, 2011

Back to Fun

Inspiration comes in the strangest ways sometimes.
My art reference binder was overstuffed, and while organizing it, I glanced through the collage papers I have been collecting and sorting according to color.
The beautiful sage green pages reminded me of how much I love collage.
So, I chose my favorite collage pages, and created three new images today!
Wow, I could do collage for days on end, I love it so much.
I hope everyone likes them. Two are posted, the third one needs finishing touches yet.
I had a good day, thankful to Lynn for her guidance and good advice.
Is it done do you think??? Well of course not. Ha ha ha.
One birch painting left to do in the series, and I will move on to a new series.
Must finish the 4 in the Paynes series...
So much to do, and so little time.
Time for rest, and dreaming of new creations to come.
Come on Lilu, bedtime!

Searching for inspiration

June 9th, 2011

Searching for inspiration

Hmmmmmmmmm
The biggest dilemma sometimes is looking for something to inspire a new creative spark.
I have been painting birches, and I have 3 left to finish, and one more canvas to complete.
But, what is next???
What have I done lately....cats...paynes grey abstracts...trees. something new now.
Not sure what it is.
Maybe a magic muse will respond to this blog and give me a direction?
That would be cool.
Lilu...come here and wait for inspiration with me!

To Be or Not to Be..

June 7th, 2011

To Be or Not to Be..

I love this photograph. I feel it deep in my soul. I wish I had taken it. That is my dilemma this week.
I LOVE to paint. I feel free and creative and more myself than at any other time.
I paint abstracts because they convey what is lurking inside and all around us.
If I wanted true realism, I would take photographs, so now I do.
Are they both equal arts? I think so.
Each is a composition and a "snapshot" of a message, or a mood that I want to express.
I had another FAA site with a pseudonym for photography only, but I want people to know the real me.
I love both, and I want to embrace both.
So, I have separated my galleries into paintings and photography although the subject matter is often shared.
Yes, this feels like me. Music and literature have always surrounded me, so they have always been part of my art.
I am happy now and feel more like a complete artist.

Lilu is crying somewhere down the hall. I don't think she cares about my artistic status.
She is lonely and wants her mom. Until tomorrow then...

Hot Painting

June 6th, 2011

Hot Painting

Wow, a hot one today!
Funny how I chose today to do paintings of lush green spring forests!
I will have them up soon, some finishing touches needed.
A slow start to the painting day, but coming through with inspiration at the end!
It was exciting to see someone new looking at my blog and random messy thoughts!
Stream of consciousness writing can be a gift and a curse in the same line, so I have to filter myself a bit.
Well, a road trip tomorrow with my buddy, drinks in the sun after that, and painting in the cooler evening.
Sounds like a GREAT day.
Lilu is staring at the printer waiting for me to print something new. She loves to try to catch the paper!
Better send us both to bed.

Feeling Good

June 5th, 2011

Feeling Good

Have been working on the computer all week, so no time for painting.
Tomorrow is another thing though!
Hope to create something spectacular in my 8 hours of dedicated time.
Some more birches, because they are fun. Green forest this time.
What else? Don't know right now.

Oh oh, Lilu has gone to bed. Time for me to follow...

Success again.

May 31st, 2011

Success again.

Okay, now I have the hang of the photoshop crop machine and download procedure.
Did not have to pull out my hair tonight.
Excellent.
More tomorrow...
Nighty Night Lilu!

Another Download Nightmare

May 30th, 2011

Another Download Nightmare

Please tell me that I am not the only one who ever has a problem uploading multiple images.
Okay, some images were too big.
Didn't think that could happen from my scanner, but I guess it is much better than I thought.
This took hours to load 7 new pieces.
Man, it has to get easier someday.
Duh, just figured out how to set the default settings too! That could have saved me hours earlier!
Lilu has given up watching and helping tonight.
She is trying to sleep behind me, but the sound of the typing keys is keeping her awake.
I will give her a break, and go to bed soon.

Success

May 28th, 2011

Success

What a great day of painting!
Lilu is my subject today, and an old world earthy color palette.
I have always wanted to paint cats; now I am on my way!
I almost finished 3 paintings today, all exactly what I wanted.
Now to choose names...
Hmmmmmmmm they are special paintings so I will have to choose carefully.
Hoping for another great day tomorrow.

Early to Rise...

May 28th, 2011

Early to Rise...

Well...who would have thought that I would be up early enough on a Saturday morning to have to kill time before going to my art group?
Just enough time to check in at FAA.
More visitors is encouraging. Someone was up looking at me even earlier this morning than this!
I am not alone then.

What will I paint today???
I know I want to work small, and on paper.
Abstract as usual.
Colors? Something different I think.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I need inspiration...I bought a couple new art magazines I haven't read yet.
Maybe my inspiration is there.
We shall see.

Okay, 9:02...time to go.
Maybe this time I will be early, NEED COFFEE!

More uploads

May 28th, 2011

More uploads

Okay, so today's uploads were much faster.
Boy, do I hate Photoshop though.
It takes most of my time to figure out how to use the picture straighten tool...which I still can't figure out.
How hard could it be???
The rest is easy, but the "simple" tool is killing me.
Oh well, 4 new paintings loaded today.
What, only 30 or so left to go? Things could be worse; If I didn't have any other paintings done to load!

Lilu has been watching me type. She never seems to get bored of my computer work.
It is better than when she watches me paint...I have a few pieces with pawprints in the acrylic topcoats!

Uploading from Heck

May 24th, 2011

Uploading from Heck

Man, it takes forever to repair paintings digitally, then upload, and categorize them!
People don't realize that paintings don't just magically appear on our sites.
Wow, it has taken hours to do just two, tonight...more tomorrow.
Rest now...
Where is my Lilu?

Next Show...

May 22nd, 2011

Next Show...

Okay, so now the show has been postponed until November. I am not committing to mentioning a date yet until it is absolutely final.
November is great because it is just before Christmas, and the "tough to shop for" people on your list will love art as a gift. (Who wouldn't)
I will have Christmas cards sold individually and in packages of 6.
Best thing about a later show??? More time to prepare and paint. I am working on both large 30X40, and small 8X10 paintings for variety.

Hmmmmm........I am in a "Paynes" phase right now.
Everything looks good in Paynes Grey.
Next to Quinacridone Gold, it is my favorite color, followed by Pyrole Red.
Every painting I do has at least one of these colors.

Hmmmmmmmm....I am also in kind of a "landscape" phase right now too
I LOVE watery, moody, suggestive/abstracted landscapes, so I am painting lots of them.
I have one hanging in Waves Hair Design in Haney Place Mall, in Maple Ridge.
Actually, I have 6 paintings hanging there.
Yes, they are for sale too.

Well, back to organizing this disasterous studio again.
I can't wait until my big studio is finished in the fall!

New Show

May 1st, 2011

New Show

Hey, I forgot that I have set a date for my new show!!!
"Beyond the Brush" will be on September 29, 30, October 1, and 2 at Mountain Haven Art Center.
I will be showing with my art group of friends that I have been painting with for the last couple of years.
I will have lots of new paintings and art cards there!

Working Hard...

May 1st, 2011

Well, my friends and I are slaving away at our Art Marketing class, posting new artworks, refining our statements, and getting organized.
I have created a new persona; Cindy Lou, as a separate entity for photography. I thought that this makes my two loves (painting and photography) separate, as I feel like two different people for each.

I uploaded a new picture of Lilu there called Baby of Mine. She is sleeping after arriving home for the first time.

Becoming...the history

April 16th, 2011

Becoming...the history

Hey, I actually got my biography posted! (Only the fifth draft to get it all together!)
My baby Lilu's picture is here because she is my constant art companion.
She is sleeping next to me right now; she watches all my moves in the studio.
Till we meet again.
Hey, I might actually get the hang of this blog thing after all.
Now, I just need someone to read it!

Afterglow

April 16th, 2011

Afterglow

Well, I had a great show last weekend.
Managed to get all 4 of my submissions past the jurors into the show which was a great accomplishment I think.
The icing on the cake was to win my first Honourable Mention from the judges for "Divergence".
Even better was selling it at the show!!!
How is that for a confidence builder? Great.
Looking forward to painting more abstract landscapes this weekend. How does Paynes Gray sound to you?

Day 1 - ON BECOMING...

March 15th, 2011

Day 1 - ON BECOMING...

Well, this is the first day in my transmogrification from cindy (lowercase and shy) to ARTIST (all caps, making my mark).
This is the first day to say that I actually entered something to read in my blog.
Will anyone read it? Can't say for sure.
Why do I want people to read it? Because this will be an amazing and trans-formative process, and I am going to document each "aha", emotion, inspiration, despair, and success here for all to see.
It will be worth it. I promise. Just wait and see...