OFF CANVAS

Hey Lookie Me

2012-02-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

Pic # 1

I've been fooling around taking my picture in my 'magic' mirror (see the post from Feb 2011) This strange and certainly narcissistic pastime is due to me booking a number of shows and needing a bio pic. So I just posed in my paint spattered finery tonight without dressing up or 'gilding the lily' (makeup) and here's the results.
Well, blow me down, as that big armed spinach eating cartoon star from my past would say. Now, it's no secret I consider myself about as photogenic as old rags but by all that's inexplicable, these are not that bad. I call that first one, "Collage of the Artist". (BWWA-Hahahahaaa.....I really amuse myself) (yeppir, pathetic)
Huh. Here's another:

Pic # 2

Sheesh. The hair looks good, there's no double chin or other embarrassing parts discernible.....defies all natural laws. I call it "Colorful Heart".
Anywearapaperbagonyourheadway, I'm just foolin' around. What the hey-o, that's about as exciting my life is right now. I like how it's my boob that gets all the paint.
Are you absolutely jaw-breaking yawn bored yet? Let's try another......

Pic # 3

Well, that's about all for tonight folks.......really I need a hobby.
If any of you lovely people are so inclined you can vote for your fav for me to use as the 'artist photo' in my new Bio write up.
Wow, that'll be fun.
No, seriously, I need a hobby ......maybe I'll take up painting.

Love In A Not So Hot Climate

2012-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Ah.....Valentine's Day is again rearing it's commercialized head......and apart from the loathing I have about the fact that for many it's become compulsory for the 'other' in a partnership to show some token of affection, the whole idea that if you can only show your love for someone once a year - whatever form it takes - is just plain sad.
All that aside, this particular day for a single person is akin to digging in the open sore with an icepick. For me, a 3X divorced older woman who seems to have completely missed the mark with Cupid's arrow, it is all the horrid reiteration of how lonely I am.
Ok, I DO have Jams and she's pretty affectionate for a cat - those denizens of aloof disdain - but I really miss laying my head on a shoulder.
Anylove'slabourslostway, I have a poor track record with the whole love thing and at this point I'm so freaked out at the whole idea of it due to the bad track record, I am frozen in this limbo of aloneness.
Now, I do have enormously cherished friendships and for certain a lot of love is evident there but I think most, if not all, of us would agree that we all want that 'other' beside us as we travel through the vicissitudes of life. Yeah, lots of us grizzle about our others but, boy oh boy, when push comes to shove, we're darn glad that body is beside us.
I'd love to have brilliant insite into this whole thing called love but, like all of us inhabiting this beautiful chaotic planet, haven't got a clue and, respectfully, neither do any of the so called experts.
So, if you are blessed enough to have a someone along your side, take a moment to realize just how darn special that is. They may fart or snore or drive you crazy, but they are there. We are wired to partner. Certainly give them the recognition on the 14th but, please oh please, throw in some special the rest of the year too.

The painting: "Love and Tears" by Devin Crane. Devin is a graphic illustrator who is very well known in the animated film world. (Princess Frog movie Disney) and many others. I just really like this. Pretty much a great illustration of how I am.....

La-a-azy Day

2012-02-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

This is how Jams likes to spend her day.....nose to the heater and paws underneath for the maximum of enjoyment. This is her bed:

You will notice it too resides right by the heater. And, yes, that is a hand made quilt she rests her weary cat self upon.
I am thinking that I'd like to trade places with her. Food on tap, fresh water daily, choice warm spots, personal doorperson, pets on demand.....what's not to like?
Ok. Being your own toilet paper; not so much. But there's balance in all things, huh?
Anycrazycatladyway, I have to perform an unpleasant must-be-done task tomorrow evening and am just wishing I had the ability to trade places with Jams at the moment. But that's the way it goes in life - the good, the bad, the ugly. However, outcome (we hope!) will be the clearing of a heavy burden from my shoulders and the time to paint......just paint.
Ah......bliss.........and that beats curling up by the heater anyday.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2012-02-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've been completely immersed in the series "Supernatural" over the last bit...ok, that's almost embarrassing to admit to but I just love those 2 main characters because, well, because they make me think of my own sons....not that my sons go around hunting down the minions of evil incarnate. It has something to do with the way the characters continuously razz the shit out of each other but underneath would give up their own life for the other. My boys are tight like that....and they are hunks too but I may be slightly biased. Anymomsymomentway, what this all has me musing about today is our complete fascination with all things creepy. Witness the huge Vampire blitz in movie, book and etc along with a goodly dose of those perpetual favs, the Zombie, both currently in the spotlight.
Why are we so taken with these completely imaginary beings - well, I guess that does depend on your viewpoint - however, there is a long history of we 'ordinary' folk being attracted to the scary. Do we love the adrenalin rush that being terrified out of our skins brings? I'm fascinated by what humans get attracted to for 'kicks'......high speed, edgy sports, scary shit, emotional blasting (those 'meet-the-mother-of-your-sister-who-is-really-your-grammy' T.V.) dignity loss in front of the world (reality shows) and stupid stupid stupid introduction to your body of illegally dangerous crap.
Are we that bored?
Defies description as to why we want or do a lot of this.......and I'm not in any way qualified to answer that.
The whole scary awful is kind of the eternal mythology of good vs evil.....we've been on that subject since human kind first told stories and made images. Most of us totter along with wobbily hope to make it through this life without 'BAD STUFF' happening but, of course, life does give you hard things to deal with....death, heartbreak, illness, old age - you name it, it all meets us at some point on the path. And then we realize just how fragile life really is and how it can change in the blink of an eye.
That's what is really scary....we just never have any idea of what is coming up.
Some of those scary things is what made me start painting....trying to deal with the overwhelming fear.
There's a rich vein; to utilize a somewhat applicable adage.
Ah, those demons................

The painting is: "The Nightmare" by Henri Fuseli - and it's pretty well known. Give this artist big points for capturing the truly creepy.

One More Kick at the Can....

2012-01-30T14:36:00.000-08:00

...because I'm a stubborn cuss....another page from my art journal.

Allrighty...that took about 10 minutes which in my world is actually not that bad. Shall we tempt those ca-razy elves of fate and try another? Oh, let's! and that above is textured sand acrylic medium over black acrylic and then colored pencil on top....nice effect huh? Keep your fingers crossed.......

Well, we jumped on the happy happy joy joy birdie just a wee bit early there.......1/2 hr later and the 2nd one is not downloaded yet......great screaming eyeballs, it's enough ta make you weep.....
but, neverfear, the day is not a total smack down - we scored huge this morning when we helped out with picking up office furniture for the Art Society from an old parks building slated for demolition and had one of the guys find and take out various bits of electrical parts and old plumbing fixtures that I'm going to use for my next round of Robot Sculptures. And when I got home the upstairs roomie gifted me with an old radio frequency tuner that is just chockablock filled with dials and knobs and turny thingies and switches for the same....OOO! SA-weet!
And too, while I was waiting for the unsuccessful attempt for a pic #2, I sketched out a super idea for my next painting......
la la LA!

...ADDENDEM....

2012-01-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ah...see what a good night's sleep and the fact that the phone lines aren't tied up at this early hour on a Sunday, can do? MUCH better downloading. Let's try another, shall we?
* * * * * * * * * * * (symbolizing passing of time and a snooze on the couch)
Well.....astoundingly, it has been 2 hrs to try to download another pic. And it still hasn't finished. It beggars belief. I have no idea why.
PC issues? Who knows but that is beyond even a lesson in patience. I could have painted the darn page on this screen in that time. You wouldn't be able to see it but my pc would've looked nice.
I think I'll go back to reading my book.

When You Come To The Fork in the Road, Take It.

2012-01-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, kids, who said that?
Our friend, Yogi Berra who was a pretty wise guy for someone who smacked around balls.........indeed.
So moving right along, I've gotten into 'art journaling'. And that is the art craze very much like scrapbooking except instead of buying all the supplies, like pre made pages and paper ephemera, you, being the creative bunny you are, make your own. A sort of very arty diary/book you write in or draw in.....whatever takes your fancy. And how did my twisty little head arrive here? Well, I am currently enthralled with the TV series "Supernatural" (don't ask) and the opening menu page is these journal pages that are all collaged and written on and drawn on.....very awesome and the thing that completely hooked me. Anycutandpasteway, I've been happily gluing and cutting and painting and writing over the last few days as a way to deal with something going on - it's very therapeutic and keeps my mind from wandering.
So, here's a few examples:

and :

I started with a blank old notebook with a spiral binding - that's important to make it easier to make your pages. And then find a whole pile of old magazines and markers and paints and well, just about whatever your heart fancies. There are a whole pile of scrapbooking websites that give you down loadable pages and goodies to play with as well as providing inspiration.

Anywearereallytiredway, I've been trying to download a couple more pages and so far I've spent 2 hrs doing that....honest to Pete I DETEST dial up......I am going to try again tomorrow.

Imagination is Intelligence Having Fun

2012-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

Just to prove we haven't been entirely useless......the newest 'Robot' Sculpture "Motorcycle Man".
This was actually created for a friend from my long ago school days and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
Here's what it is made from:
An old mouse, kitchen faucet attachment, salad tongs..or maybe sugar cube tongs -they were kinda small- (arms), bike part bits, kid's scooter parts, old metal candle holder, old pedometer, old sewing machine foot attachments, plumbing parts,nuts and bolts and, decidedly most important, an old cat food tin bike stand. Thank you, Jammies.
I had to re-do it a couple of times because parts would break or it wouldn't 'fit together' and I admit at one point I was just plain fed up with fiddling around with any second longer but glad I persevered.
Didn't charge enough for all the work involved but that's pretty typical.....I never know what any of these sculptures is going to entail work wise.
..............zoom, zoom........

The Only Thing We Have To Fear....

2012-01-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

I've been contemplating phobias, and this is why you ask? Well, after stepping out of my bath last night, I happened to notice the shrivelled remains of a largish spider floating around. Which means, so obviously, that the creature had been in the tub before I drew my bath and only because I was off in that land of the roller coaster I call my mind, that I missed it. I'm not a fan of spiders - one of the most common of phobias by the way - I think it's the basic wiggilyness of the darn little suckers that gets me - but it did creep me out to realize there was one sharing my bath with me. Mind you it was dead, clean and dead, but still.
Anytwilightzoneway, it sent me off into thinking about painting a series based on phobias and so, off I goes to that great resource of today : GOOGLE.
....holy messed up psyche Batman, are we ever strange! There is a phobia for just about everything we do/feel/say/see....it's mind boggling.
But, oh boy! What a rich resource for inspiration for a new series!
I'll let you know how it works out.

The picture is a part of a larger piece by Roy Lichenstien and I'll try to track down the whole name etc. Roy was pretty hot in the 60's/70's with his 'comic' paintings which basically took comic images and blew them up to about 300X the original size...or should that be 3000? What I wonder is: how did he get away with 'copying' the comic book artists work?

Been down so long.....

2012-01-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks and the crowning glory to it all is that I got the flu and have been laid up in a nest of blankets with all the attendant paraphernalia that accompanies being sick - flat fizzy drinks (ginger ale) and toast. Oh, and Jams as the constant companion but I think mainly because she lusts after buttered toast.
Anyblowyournoseway, it had me thinking about being artistic and being 'struck low' so to speak and so I did a time honored Google search to find out what I could on just that topic. Aside from the best known 'sickies', Frida Kahlo and Van Gogh, it seems the vast majority of us suffer from a mental illness of one sort or another.
Isn't that telling.
Now why is this gift of creativity also a bit of a curse when it comes to mental stability? Certainly we all are generally labelled as being 'different' because of our penchant for the slightly outre or even downright odd but why would this fecund imagination seemingly have us teetering on the edge of sanity? Is it that we struggle so long and hard for recognition and have what we create from our deep soul laid bare before the many who cannot understand, that it finally leads us to just bloody give up and retreat into that comfort zone of not even trying to be present in the world and zone out......
Well, perhaps this is all rhetorical and who can really say - we know so very little about how our brain works.
Never mind creativity.
The painting: "Valentine Gode-Darel in illness" by Ferdinand Hodler. This was the artist's lover who contracted uterine cancer after giving birth to their child. He created a series of paintings that documented the wasting away of Valentine and her eventual death - an extremely powerful series, hard to look at and, I would expect, even harder to paint.
Talk about a soul laid bare.

Don'wanna grow up......

2012-01-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

I am in an odd place right now......and it has a lot of stress attached to it because I've taken on a position of great responsibility and I am dealing with a very difficult situation involving the Arts Society I am president of.
And, truthfully - I wish I could just go back to a big shirt and poster paints.
But there you go - this is the thing of being adult you didn't realize was part of the package when you were so young and naive to think being 'grown up' was co-o-o-ol.
It has consumed much of my time over the last weeks and has a lot to do with why I have been away from posting.
But you know, the only way out is through so I shall just deal with the situation as best I can because the ultimate goal is a clear and positive path forward for all the artists in my part of the world.
I am thankful to have some good people around me.
The odd thing - or not depending on your viewpoint - is that I feel a huge creative force building up in me even while dealing 'adultly' with this event, that is aching to get at a canvas and I often feel 'split' so to speak - and frustrated for sure - to just chuck it all and just be an artist painting away in my studio.
Anysuckitupbuttercupway, as much as we would like to have a lovely tra-la-la painting only all the time life, you are sometimes called to make sacrifices for the betterment of all. Call it the reckoning for the talent you have been blessed with.
All together now.

The painting: "I Don't Want To Grow Up" by Kim Robertini.
That says it all.

Brand New Canvas

2011-12-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, here we are - - New Year's Eve and the inclination to post about all things 'Resolution' is temptation indeed. I am 'resolving' to refrain. I'm sure all of you can find that in spades all over cyberspace.
New Year's has always seemed an odd thing to me - no, no, not the whole 'celebrate another year/fresh start' tradition but the time of year it happens in. I've always thought Spring would be a good time with all that awakening of the earth business except Easter has that pretty much sewn up as IT'S own special time and you're left with the question about when to have a New Year and I guess after Christmas is sort of the 'Default' position.
Oh and I hate kissing strangers at midnight too. Really. Am grossed/creeped out by mashing lips with all and sundry.
Personal quirk.
Yes, and anygofigureway, I suppose having to mark a time of year for a fresh start is a good thing. Like a brand new canvas sitting in front of you. You have the vision; you are hoping/determined to make it the best one yet; maybe you'll cry in frustration/disappointment, maybe you'll get that 'nailed it!' feeling; you might, you might not but you're going to keep on going until you do.
Yeah....that's Life.
Just grab the brush (or whatever implement you have) and dive in.

The painting: " New Year's Poster " by Han-Wu Shen from China. That's some nice. Lots of symbolism and if you're Chinese you get it, it has a lot to do with the mythology inherit in the figure on the poster behind the young woman. I've got China on my mind because the Global Ed class at the local High School has asked me to do a poster for them as that's where they are going and they're trying to fund raise for that.
And I'm just feeling that if our schools can offer these programs then the world is not so bad.
And that's a nice way to feel at the start of a new year.

All In The Family

2011-12-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I get pulled up short by realizing just how good my life really is.....ok, ok, not gonna get all 'preachy' here.....just that this Christmas gave me something that made me sit up and take notice of how full of miracles life can really be.....and often hidden in the small details that can be so overlooked by the random chaos ordinary everyday life creates around us.

I was pretty blah about this holiday - I mean, Mom died around this time of year and I'm mostly alone on the morning of due to the life choices I've made and so on (and on apparently).

Anygettothestoryalreadyway, I was at the 'family' gathering Boxing Day night. And I have what could be construed as a 'different' family. It was a pretty momentous gathering too, because No. 1 son brought not only his beloved girlfriend up but her parents. A meeting of the clans, so to speak. Now, my 'family' is truly extended - there's the ex (father of my 2 sons), his wife (whom I am happy to call friend), her daughter (stepsister to my 2), her son (stepbrother to my 2), his 2 young children (grandkids to ex and wife), Wife's brother and mom, and me. This is decidedly new age, I think, and what the lovely parents of No.1 son's wonderful girlfriend got thrown into.

Add 3 dogs, a psycho goldfish, recalcitrant cat and your picture postcard is complete.

It was fantastic! At one point we spontaneously gathered around the piano and sang Xmas carols - I mean, pass the hankie! Seriously Norman Rockwell.

And my present of 'Snowball Guns' for the sons + girlfriends was a hit - score! for the ma! (I usually get the oddball but cool gifts if I can - part of the creative mind)

So! Here's to the hard to wrap moments we get 'present'ed with! I hope that all of you are gifted no matter what shape it takes.

With all the warmest and most heartfelt wishes!

The painting is "The Artist's Family" by Jan Steen - could there be a more appropo title? Or pic for that matter: there's the drinkers and the kids and the crazy Uncle getting the kids up to mischief and the singing and the music and good food and just plain old family good times.

An Artist's " Night Before Christmas "

2011-12-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

With apologies to Clement Moore and, yes, I wrote it myself:

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the studio
Not a paintbrush was stirring, the Artist wasn't in the moodio
The blank canvas was hung on the easel with care
In hopes that the Muse soon would be there

The paint was all nestled all snug in the jars
While visions and ideas were remote as Mars
And I as the Artist without sizzle or snap
The Creative spark was gone for a long winter's nap

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the curtains and threw up the sash

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid day to objects below
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature palette with eight arty deer

And a little old driver all covered in acrylic
I knew in a moment it was St. Arty Nick!
More rapid than brushstrokes, his art deer they came
He whistled and shouted, and called them by name

"Now Van Gogh! Now Rembrandt! Now O'Keeffe and Khalo!
On Rubens! On Escher! On Mucha and Picasso"
To the top of the easel! To the Studio wall!
Now paint away! Paint away! Paint away all!

As sketches that before a wild wind will fly
And met with an obstacle, mount to the sky
Up to the easel the art deer they flew
With a palette full of color and St Arty Nick too!

Then in a twinkling on the easel they stepped
Layered on some Gesso, the canvas was prepped
I blinked both my eyes and almost fell down
When up to the easel St Arty Nick bound

He was dressed all in paint clothes, from his head to his foot
And his hands were all smudgy from charcoal black as soot
A bundle of brushes he had flung on his back
He looked very messy, like me, that's a fact

His eyes-how they glittered! His teeth they were set
His cheeks were rose madder, his nose quite scarlet
His droll little mouth was a mixed media study
He was a walking art text book - really quite funny

The stump of a pencil he held in his hand
And he laid out a painting and it wasn't half bad
The lines were quite bold, the perspective a sensation
I knew all at once I had found inspiration

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work
And finished that painting with a flourish and perk
Then laying his paintbrush aside of his nose
He gave me a wink as to the palette he rose

He called to his art deer and loudly did whistle
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim and I really knew it
"You'll always be surrounded by the Creative Spirit!

The picture is by J. C. Leyendecker who I've featured before - a most accomplished illustrator who did quite a few Santas for magazines and advertising during the early part of the last century. I like his style very much.

Marla's Merry Christmas Stories # 3

2011-12-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Have you got your cup of cocoa?(or hot toddy) And your gingerbread cookie? (or booze filled num-num)
Swell! C'mon up onto Santa's knee for the tale:

" JUST HOW NAUGHTY WAS I, SANTA? "

In pretty much most families, the 'mom' takes on the responsibility for making sure the prezzies get bought for everyone and stockings get filled as well. You know this is true.

Anyandwe'reofftotheracesway, in my long ago marriage to # 1 - father of my sons - this was the scenario too. I dutifully did all the Xmas stuff while husband # 1 just kinda showed up and got the kudos. After a bit of this, I rebelled. But I rebelled in a 'quiet' way. I thought to myself 'Why can't he figure out the stocking thing for me for a change' - I mean, it's borderline pathetic to have to fill your own stocking, right?
Anyboohoohooway, this was the stage on DEC. 24th 1979 when son #1 was 3. I went to bed with all stockings etc filled to the brim but mine.
Come Christmas morning we (the parents) are woken by a very tearful young son crying "Mommy! You must have been very bad because Santa didn't leave you anything!"
I remember turning to look at husband # 1 and seeing his rather guilty/chagrined face and I quietly said, " Oh? Really."
I got up to deal with kids and tears and make breakfast giving a cursory glance at my limp - and empty - stocking. The young son was very upset and even more so when # 1 husband got up and dressed and slipped out of the house. Everything was going wrong this Christmas morning. In about 1/2 an hr. 'Dad' was back bearing a large package. He knelt down in front of our young son and said "Look! Santa found me in town and gave this to me! He said he couldn't get it into Mummy's stocking so that's why I had to go out and get it!"

Peace restored. Mum is back on the 'Nice' list.

Good recovery # 1! Big present points!

The photo is me in 1956 at 3 - my brother would have still been a young baby so unable to sit on Santa's knee or perhaps unwilling as the case may be. But hey! I'm just so styley! I love the little purse! I want that hat back! And isn't 'Santa's' beard something else!

Marla's Merry Christmas Stories #2

2011-12-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Ok boys and girls. You've all been very good, so cuddle up in your trundle beds with your visions of sugar plums - and Santa-Artist is going to tell you all about:

" THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL "

When I was a kid, it was an accepted part of life that you went to Sunday School. And when you went to Sunday School, you were always involved in The Christmas Concert. And The Christmas Concert pretty much followed the standard religious theme about the birth of Jesus....not a lot of room for artistic re-interpretation on alternate themes, shall we say. Anathema to an artistic soul and I generally found ways to put a creative spin on things. My colored pages were decidedly more than just good coloring.
This particular year I'm speaking of, I was chosen to be the angel, (and if that isn't a bit of an oxymoron, I'll eat my halo.) - yes, the angel that announces the whole big Christmas happening to the shepherds and all and sundry. The costume, in my young eyes, lacked a certain elan. I was already an early 'dress-up' maven and had been making my costumes for Halloween for a few years (one year I actually made a 'Devil' costume - by hand! with a tail I could twirl around (my 'trick') This should not come as a surprise to any of you who have read my blog.
AnyRudolfloveacookieway, I decided to 'fix' the angel costume by adding a special accoutrement. I went into my Mom's 'special drawer' in her usually off limits bedroom (unbeknownst to her and most definately with a great deal of sneakiness on my part) and 'borrowed' Mom's very fancy and certainly costly gold flecked and shiny silk stockings. They would add just the 'statement' I wanted for my big role. To further enhance the effect, I rolled up the hem of my 'angel gown' to up over my knees and pinned it there. Comes the night of The Christmas Concert the little church was packed with all the parents and grand-parents to watch all the progeny perform. All proceeds with the usual laughs for the little kids etc. Then it was time for me to make my entrance.

Picture this, if you will, good people. The audience full of hot and slightly bored parents - they've been to endless Christmas Concerts over the years and it generally is pretty much the same old thing. The littlest kids are good for some laughs but, honestly, you've seen one wise man, you've seen 'em all and God please make this end soon....

It is into this atmosphere that I enter in my 'altered with the very sparkly nylons' angel costume.

As I walk onto the stage from the audience there comes a loud and unexpected scream. It's my Mom, who, understandably, is not as impressed with my costume as I would have hoped. There is a bit of a 'hitch' in the play while the audience calms down and laughs nervously. I think there was whispering as the story behind the scream gets passed around.

Time has shadowed the memory of the consequences of my costume alteration and what ensued from the scream onwards. I'm pretty sure the play finished in the well known way and I'm also pretty sure I had a severe talking to about 'borrowing'.

Ah, the 'Creative Spirit'! Long may it live in the hearts of us all, young or old, performers or not!

The photo is me and my brother at about 4 and 2 (1957) on Santa's knee. We have the 'get-me-the-heck-away-from-this-weird-guy' look so many kids sport in Santa photos but what I really like is the fact 'Santa' is some really young guy and looks to be quite 'hot'.......huh. And catch the great hair cutting skill of my 'ma' there.....could it be any crookeder?

A Tradition is Born....Marla's Merry Christmas Stories - #1

2011-12-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

(repost from Dec 2010)
Yessir, the 'day' is almost upon us and I find my mind (ha! There's a poem....) yes, well, I seem to be travelling down old memory lane during this time.
I am bemused by the fact that I have quite a few 'stories' that have occurred around Christmas. I wonder if this is due to the actuality of the season being extra 'hyped' in my memory or if these stories just happened to coincide with the date. So I thought I'd tell you a few of these tales over the next few days. Happy Seasonal raconteur-ing to all of you!
And now:

" THE CHRISTMAS EVE BABY"

I grew up in a family that made very little fuss over the Christmas Season. I don't recall many 'gatherings' after my grandparents passed away when I was 5 so it was no big deal that on this particular Christmas Eve, at 13, I was reading while my Mom, Dad and brother were downstairs in the TV room. It was snowing like crazy outside, as Vancouver is known for so there was little traffic out on our normally busy-ish road up by the UBC gates. Only buses were going past ever half hour or so. Imagine my surprise when I heard the doorbell chime and went to open the door to find the Bus Driver standing there with a young toddler in his arms. Apparently the Bus Driver had been coming down 4th Ave hill and seen dimly in the whirling snow, a dark small shape in front of him. When he went out to look after stopping his bus, he found this child sitting there in the middle of the road. The only thing he could think of doing, with a bus full of passengers and a schedule to keep to, was to go to the nearest house - ours as it turned out. By now, my Mom, Dad and bro had joined me at the door. Dad and Iain decided to canvas the neighborhood while mom and I took the small tyke into the kitchen to check 'it' out. Mom checked and found out we had a young boy in our care and we proceeded to get a warm - and rather large - shirt of my brother's on him. The little guy was remarkably placid throughout our ministrations, I don't recall him crying at all. Real cute too, with a head full of dark curls and big brown eyes. I was given the task of 'entertaining' him while Mom started to phone around. In short order my Dad and Brother returned with an understandably distraught young couple in tow. It turns out there was a party across the street and because of smoke (it was some time ago folks!) and the heat of the bodies, someone had opened the front door. Unbeknownst to all, the young lad escaped from the house and crawled out into the road.
Many things about this story come to mind on looking back. It about makes you believe in 'Guardian Angels' or the capriciousness of Fate, if you will. That child was only dressed in a diaper and small t-shirt when he crawled out into a winter storm. The bus driver must have just found him just in time before he would've froze. The Bus Driver actually seeing this small shape in the midst of a snow storm. The choice of our house with a family at home - a bit of a lucky chance during a season of many folks not being around or out at some do.

A small 'Christmas Miracle' in any case!

The photo is me and my brother Iain, Christmas 1959. Lookit the shoes! Lookit that dress! But it's that wee bow tie on my baby bro that just melts my heart.

Pain In The ..........

2011-12-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

I've been laid low with a severe case of Sciatica, which is, for those of you lucky to be in functional health, a condition where, due to age or injury, your vertebrae start to erode and press upon the sciatic nerve - the BIGGEST nerve of our bodies - and causes huge amounts of pain. Yowzer amounts of it in fact and until it all decides to calm down and behave you must assume position of dead salmon and take many little pills that make you loopy and sleepy.

Sitting makes it worse.

Ah joy.

Anythebodyiscrappingoutway, I've been mostly horizontal since my last post but was feeling pretty good yesterday, so I actually did the dishes, vacuuming and laundry all of which were resembling an art project in the hovel and then also worked on my sculpture. As a result, I have a hot water bottle planted firmly to my ass today.

Ah, hot water bottles.

What a brilliant invention. It's been around for some time which just adds to the testament of a great design. Originally made of zinc, copper, glass, earthenware or wood, somewhere around 1903, Croatian inventor Slavoljub Eduard Penkala made them in rubber. They disappeared a bit when the electric heating pad came out but in this day and age of 'going green' they are having a comeback.

And just what does this have to do with Art, you query?
Not too darn much except it had me thinking about Frida Khalo (in between the zoned out times). Frida really had pain. So much so, that my little problem pales in comparison. She had polio for one and then in her teens was in a horrific tramcar accident where a tram rail actually pierced her back and led to a lifetime of surgeries and special braces and myriad amounts of bed rest. But she still painted and created some of the most memorable work by a woman artist to date.
I shall endeavor to emulate this personal icon and soldier on.
But first, another little pill and a snooze.
With my hot water bottle.
Painting is, of course, by Frida Khalo, titled " The Broken Column ", 1944. The other thing I love about Frida is how she painted herself with the giant 'uni-brow' and mustache. It really wasn't that exaggeratedly obvious on her real self but it obviously loomed large in her eyes. Makes me feel reassured that such a fine artist was plagued with body image issues just like me. And also makes me want to shake us both as being ridiculously caught up in the idiocy of that.

Open Me First

2011-12-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Jams has discovered the Christmas Tree......and as you can see, her tongue is sticking out. This, I'm sure, is her general 'nyah nyah ny-ya ya' attitude towards all things human and me trying to curb her reborn kitten-ish tendency to boink the balls around. (hm-m-m-m-m-m....that's almost a song right there...."Boink the balls with claws of fury....la-la-la-la-la, la la la la. We don't care if it makes you squirrely....la-la-la-la-la, la la la la.")
Moving right along, I'd like to apologise for being tardy with a post for the weekend. My pc is acting up; or would that be 'down' as it has slowed to the speed of waiting to grow up when you're a kid. A slower-than-waiting-for-the-kettle-to-boil speed is the actual operational celerity of my PC due to Dial-up, a Zen exercise in patience every day may I add, but lately it has become even worse. And fully attributable, I'm doubly sure, to me trying to 'fix' my printer problems by reinstalling the program for that and obviously screwing up along the way.
'Dear Santa, I have been a good girl, mainly because I'm all by myself and sadly getting a wee bit long in the tooth to mis-behave anymore, so please could I have some gorgeous hunky Techy guy to be at my beck and call this Christmas. Your friend and believer of myths, Marla. P.S. The Rumballs are for Rudolph'
....I think perhaps not going to happen.
Anyareweintotheeggnogalreadyway, it is apparent that a new PC is in order for me but I hesitate because of...well, money firstly and that I am hoping I can move from this benighted area of 'no high speed connection until hell freezes over' into a town which has caught up to the world at large.
I seriously need 'a' Santa.

Clap Your Hands

2011-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ah yes......here we go with the perpetual question of this time of year , "Do you believe in ---------------", and you can fill in the blank with any particular character of choice, biblical or otherwise. I've been watching the argument between two acquaintances (Facebook, the world is at your kitchen table) about good old Santa and the pros and cons of having your child/ren believe in that generational hoax; because that's pretty much what it is if you want to get technical; and so far there is a two way tie.

Apart from the whole 'bad/good' underlying judgement on the above, let's just think about 'believing' in of itself.

My Webster's Dictionary (does anyone still actually use a dictionary anymore?) defines believe as:

"1. to take as true, real etc., 2. to have confidence in a statement or promise of, 3. to suppose, assume"

Ok, that's pretty clear. But what is it - that 'thing' that makes believing, for lack of a better word, 'work'?

Isn't it imagination?

That oh so unfathomable place our mind goes to whenever we dream or think of what may be or even create.

And when we are young we seem to have it in spades and we can believe in a funny fat old man bringing us our heart's desire all in one night. I remember when little, I used to believe that if I loved my treasured stuffed monkey toy enough it would come alive. And that's pretty much stretching the envelope of concievability right there but I did. (and no, 'Chimpy' didn't, more's the pity)

AnyIdohaveapointway, aren't most of our beliefs pretty much nebulous in the realm of true/real? From the reading I've done over the years about Science (and there's a 'grounded-in-reality' topic) a lot of what we 'believed' as true has proven out not to be so. But all that aside, I guess what I'm saying is that without imagination we would be a sorry lot. Who cares if 'it' (whatever your 'it' is) can't be proved, just the fact that you can dream/ponder/create this scenario in your world is a wondrous thing.

I am entranced when I paint because I am making real the believed vision in my mind.....what a joy.

So dream on oh beloved reader - imagine the world and create your vision.

And I hope Santa visits you still.

The painting - Sadly, I could find no attribute to the accompanying pic and enlarging the image only made the writing blurrier. (something something dot com???) But it is just astoundingly right on for expression and feeling, maudlin as it is. Oh, and "Clap Your Hands" refers to Peter Pan and when Tinkerbell almost died and you had to 'clap your hands' to prove you believed in faries to keep her alive. You betcha I clapped...I still do.

All The Wonder of The World

2011-12-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sometime yesterday I was browsing the Internet for images of Christmas and came across an illustration from an old kid's book. That little interlude led me down the rabbit hole of vintage children's books, and a search for the rekindled remembrances of a tome that I had when young - oh these many eons ago. The thing about this book of my tender years, was the remarkable illustrations that were a catalyst in my brain to the artist I am today. I can still recall the hours I'd pour over them, trying to decipher 'how it was done'. I'm doubly sure that the influences of those drawings by the likes of Arthur Rackham and Howard Pyle and L. Leslie Brooke, stay with me to this day. Magic, just bleedin' eye magic when I was a kid. Sadly I couldn't find that volume from my youth....probably remembering the title wrong, but I can visualize the exact embossed brown/gold cover and small attached illustration on it like a crystal clear pool. The book happened to be poetry....maybe R. L. Stevenson's...? Ah well....
Anylostinthemistsoftimeway, what this has me contemplating is how lucky I was to grow up before TV became the insidious monster it has become. We read. And thank you all the fates for that singular skill.
Books have given me more than anything else in my life.
So! Since we are upon the seasonal mind altering chaos of 'what-to-give', may I suggest books? And not a book from Amazon (sorry A. ) but a book or books you trot down to your local little bookstore to buy. You need to immerse yourself in the whole experience of that unalloyed 'bookstore-ishness' that can only be felt behind those doors as you cruise the shelves. And since most bookstores now offer some great coffee, have one of those too.
You may never know what you'll inspire or cause to happen, but I guarantee a book is the best gift ever.
(and may I also add that ART books are the shizzle too)

The pic is an illustration from 'Alice in Wonderland' (by Lewis Carrol) by Arthur Rackham. Loved his work from the get-go although I did have someone once say that his 'fingers' terrified them when they were young.
Ah....imagination!

All Is NOT Merry and Bright

2011-12-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Oh Rumballs, it's Christmas time.......and I am noticing an alarming tendency in myself towards the above character. Sadly.
What has happened to make this 'used-to-be-thoroughly-enjoyed' time of year so well, fraught with grumpy behavior by yours truly?
Being single.
At least I think so. And maybe the way too many events and obligated duties there seem to be piling up right now. I was a right Bee-hatch at the Gala. I am ashamed of myself.
Anywewillhavecoalinourstockingway, I've done it to myself by being the organizer/planner/head honcho so the fault lies squarely upon this artistic head. (just say "No.") (ye-ah...that singular function seems to be missing in my programming)
But I do find being 'just me' exceedingly forlorn at this particular junction of the year. Not that I am without invitations and extended gatherings to participate in - far from it! And with my crazy blended family it is a great celebration of getting together.
But! But but but.....
I always feel as though I'm on the periferal edge of it all; slightly out-of-step; decidedly uncomfortable and waiting until I can slip away to be alone again > the thing that makes all this angst happen.
What a pastiche of behavior. "Paging Dr. Freud!"
(A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" ... in this sense is 'a medley of various ingredients; a hotchpotch, farrago, jumble.')
I have a horrifying vision of being the eccentric old crank Emily Carr became. ( I shall wheel Jams about in an old baby buggy....like Jams would put up with that!....and scowl at everyone. )
But, oh boy, do I ever understand why she did.

The image is, of course, the talented Mr. Jim Carey (Canadian!) as the Grinch.
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch....la la la, la la la......Stink, Stank, Stunk!"
(All I can remember of that song....)

...and the winner is....

2011-12-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here it is....the GALA GAL Trophy.
And:

GALA GUY.
Worth dressing up to win these babies, huh?
The Christmas Gala is something I've been involved with for about 4 years now, mainly organizing the Artists and designing the Poster and decorating the room. We are a 100% fund raiser for our community - this year the extended care wing in the hospital and the Seniors home. We get local eateries to provide top notch nosh and have a dancy band and get the place set up as posh as it can be. With a silent auction of all sorts of goodies graciously and generously donated by our town's folks.
A crackin' good time!
And a way to do good while having a great time.
I started making these one-of-a-kind trophies about 3 years ago - mainly to get the people around here to dress up.
But I repeat myself.....anynowIamgettingoldway, I admit to being highly entertained making them. And the Gallery in the next town wants to have me put them in there for sale.....yikers....I was only foolin' around!
Go figure.

Short but Sweet....

2011-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

As I wait for the sun to be up high enough in the sky to be able to don my outdoor painting gear and spray paint the final coat on the Trophies, I have been casually scanning the myriad effluvia out there in cyber-space and came across an article on being a short man and all the woes about getting a woman etc etc yaddity yadda.
Now apart from the fact this has virtually nothing at all to do with art; although maybe it does when you think about painting large canvases, which I do, (something very Freudian about 'small woman paint big'...no?) and how occasionally I also paint large murals many feet high; I'd like to say that: I am short.
I am not only short, I am really short, like about 5 feet even and that will change apparently as I get (even) older thanks-very-much as visions of a gnarled and creepy dwarfish crone traverses through my head.
Anyshe'soffagainway, it all has me contemplating the way we view absolutely inconsequential things like height/weight/facial features/shoe size/whatever as being directly attributable to a person's worth. I DO know there is a tendency for the 'normal' world to treat me as somewhat 'cutesy' (shudder) and I can't count the number of times guys want to pick me up - I mean that literally, as in off-the-floor - mind you, I've put on some pounds due to aging (and may I restate: Childbirth is not that wow of an experience to have to pay for it with menopause) (but I do carry on) so that doesn't happen so much anymore. Thank the gods and goddesses.....I HATE being picked up.
All this is totally silly when you boil it down - we all have some kind of 'something' that makes us feel inadequate. I guess it's all part of the journey trying to get to the place of total acceptance. It is what it is.
I'll tell you for sure that I will keep the short/fat/old for the amazing gift of being an Artist.
Everything else is just...stuff.
The painting: "Las Meninas" by Velazquez. Short people fascinated many of the old masters. They seem to pop up in many paintings. Especially Velazques. I found 3 other 'dwarf' paintings by him : "Prince Batasar with a Dwarf " , "A Dwarf Sitting on the Floor " , and "Court Dwarf Don Antonio el Ingles" . And that was only Google Search page 2. Other artists with a penchant for dwarfs are Bronzino, Ignacio and Jan Miense Molenaer.
Just think, these 'short' guys have attained immortality through the medium of paint. More than a lot of 'regular sized' guys.
So there.

Einey, Meany, Miney, Moe....What 's The Look This Week - Do y'know?

2011-12-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Let's compare shall we?

Talk about 'cosmetic surgery'......of the paint kind.

If it only was this easy in real life. Although, around these parts I'm known for my constant change of style...Let's compare shall we?

....and that's not even close to all of them but I've spent about 3/4 of an hour fooling around with the fracking image uploader and am now late for an appointment......honest-make-your-eyeballs-spin-ly, I am constantly amazing myself with the astounding ~~crap~~ things I get wrapped up in.

*sigh*

Never mind and moving on.....The next post will be: The "TROPHIES" !

Yay.

....if the glue don't knock me out first.

...does explain a few things tho'....

THREE TIMES LUCKY

2011-11-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

It's almost embarrassing to post this....bu-u-u-t then again, three times lucky.
Ok. I promise this is it. Tomorrow I take it to Reflecting Spirit Gallery in town and it's going up on the wall and out of my reach.
I hope.
Save me from myself......

One Quick Coffee.....

2011-11-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

Ah....yes, that's just about all the time we have right now.......the Craft Fair was amazingly great considering the weather was horrific. The biggest winter storm to date with torrential rain and wind. I believe parts of the road out here were washed out, no less. It seems that absolute abysmal weather and the Craft Fair go hand-in-hand, traditionally it's been awful on this day. Mind you, it brings in the folks - what else can you do on such a lousy day?
I spent 4 hours setting up 42 tables and about 100 chairs and getting all the fiddly bits attended to. That was Friday. Saturday, the actual day of the fair, (noon to 4) I awoke at 4 am with spinning brain about all the useless minutia of event organizing , got up, made more things (and coffee) and took off at 9 am to get last minute items and set up signage - which, because of the poopy weather all blew down after - ah, wild west coast - and to open the doors for all the exhibitors to set up. Which I had to do as well, as I also have my own display. Lots of people are cranky at this time of the day it seems. (and I wonder why....not really and I don't take it personally anymore) We had to reverse all this by day's end, d'accord, but at least there were more bodies around to help and it was done and dusted by 5:30.
I collapsed at 7 and slept until 8 the next day.
Then we needed to unload the car and could sort of relax but , I must say, I was doing things for the next round which happens today with setting up a small Art display of our donated paintings and prints from the generous souls in the creative world as an enticement for the Christmas Gala on Sat coming up.
Mother of all running around like a headless chicken, just writing that down makes me dizzy....and I'm doing it.
Soooooo, today we are thinking about what 'giving back' means......and admittedly there is a bit of 'pat on the back' there (you know it's so) but there is also the realization that by doing these kinds of things and by making opportunities happen, you are helping foster some more good in the world...and we all know it sorely needs that.
With a coffee break or two.
The painting: "A Quiet Moment" by Georges Croegaert. I just love they way these ladies are sitting there, just putzing for a bit but look! There's a sword hanging over their heads.
SO know that feeling!

No! Um...Wait! Here it is!

2011-11-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

One of these days I will learn to WAIT for about a week and live with a painting for that time and make ALL the changes and fiddly-farts and etc BEFORE I take a photo and post it as a done deal.
And then I'll live with that one for another week.....
Y-E-A-H......and Jams will stop wanting to be on the computer chair at the same time I do.
SOOOO not gonna happen.
And just in case you can't guess what I've done.....check out the face. (yes, the face...shuddup)
Well, another little illustration of 'art-mind-at-work', boys and girls......tune in next week when we learn to dress appropriately.
Thank you.

FINALLY...here it is!

2011-11-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

Almost forgot about this painting, huh? Well, in between those meetings and organizatings and ponderings.....we were still painting. One good thing about being single is that my time is my own and I can leave things about with gay abandon and paint until 2 am if I wish. Jams is very understanding.
Now....where were we on this painting journey.....oh yes some twelve posts ago, we were changing the legs and there were jugs and flowers etc in the background. Obviously those all went the way of those 'old' legs and we went the gold foil bird design - the pears are still in situ.....I like those pears.
Anyhowitcanchangeintheblinkofaneyeway, you can somewhat percieve the many alterations a painting goes through. It's a continuous process of refining until you see the vision your mind is holding made concrete on the canvas.
What an enjoyable journey it is.
Title: "PANDORA"
Acrylic with gold leaf 26" X 48".

The Wallflower Blooms

2011-11-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, sometime during the boisterous supper meeting that I was hosting in my typical vociferous and genuinely goofy way as the 'new' Arts Society President, it occurred to me, as a formerly painfully shy wallflower - and I have to interject here because, anyone that knows me now will find this statement incomprehensibly unbelievable, this is the gospel truth - we have certainly come a long way baby.
Hopefully we haven't bloomed into a noxious weed, by the way, but instead have finally found our voice.
And Art did that for me.
It only took about 40 years to get to that place mind you.
The point of my rambling narrative is that what I have discovered is the truth of what gives you that voice is your authentic self - the one you mostly believe nobody wants anything to do with because it's so 'odd'. Well, it turns out that 'you' is actually the person people love best.
How strange it is that most of us live trying desperately to 'fit in' or 'be like them' or whatever the fleeping hello our fragile beings perceive as 'everybody else'. I ponder on this alot.
Anybeloudbeproudway, I guess it boils down to accepting ourselves with all the warts and craters as being worthwhile. I know in Art that the creative work that generates the strongest response is usually the one full of those 'warts' (so to speak). Certainly the most pleasing paintings to our eye contain odd numbers; the distinct planes of the painting is divided into 3s. You have top, middle, bottom and the corresponding left, middle, right and your image covers these planes in such a way that the bulk of the painting lies in one plane with the other two not as prominent or the 'focus' of the painting lies off center. Are you following my drift? In other words, we find images that do not sit dead center the most dynamic and interesting.
Just like people.
The painting is: "The Grecian Girl" by John William Godward, 1861-1922. I used this because she looks so shy but it's also a great illustration for what we're talking about. The focus is her face and if you divide the painting per my post, you will see it sits off center. As well, the bulk of the painting - her lower body and pillows etc. lie in the lower third of the canvas. There is also a 'color hook' that purple wrap catches your eye in the predominantly creamy rose tones of the rest of the painting. Nicely counterbalanced by her dark hair and headband.
But look at that skin! I swear you could touch it and leave an imprint it's so luscious!

It's a Gift to Be Simple

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

This last couple of months with it's seemingly endless amounts of meetings and organizing etc for the two large events I'm either in charge of or helping with as well as the new duties of being president of the Arts Society are making me feel a bit of 'mother-of-all-things-overwhelming' and decidedly cranky at times.
Today when I woke up and immediately sat down in front of the computer to deal with emails and updating of lists and duties I happened to glance over at Jams all curled up in her box with the old quilt right by the heater and was struck at the simplicity of happiness.
For her it's a warm place to nap and the knowledge she has food in her dish and me to give pets......ah, how 'nirvanic' that seems.
Anyhoweasyitsoundsway, this just has me pondering on what we do and what we need for happiness. No great insights here my friends.....it would be lovely for any of us to effortlessly make our lives simple, full of grace and happiness but it appears we are caught in our own webs of endless desire that leads to these complicated journeys.
Maybe, just for this small moment, I will sit by the heater with Jams in my lap, surrounded by my artistic life and feel how blessed I am.
That sounds pretty simple.......doesn't it?

6 Degrees of Separation

2011-11-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

You are, I'm sure, being the erudite and learned souls that flock to this blog, well aware of the concept of 6 degrees of separation. The 'my-plumber-that-knows-his-postman's-wife's-cousin'-sister-that-has-a-hairdresser-who-does-Madonna's-hair' sort of thing.....had to count dincha?....implying that we are only six 'clicks' - if you will - away from anyone famous.
Well, I have a few 'clicks' of my own.
First off, my cousin happens to be Robert Thirsk the Canadian Astronaut that was Canada's 4th astronaut in the expanded space program and also spent 6 months on the orbiting space station. That should give some of you your own position in this (silly) game. If you know of Bob. Or care. And if you're Canadian you should....but I digress.
However! And this is the biggie, at least artistically speaking, I actually got to see and be in the presence of a famous 'Group of Seven' work of art and was friends with the grandson of the artist when I was a young woman. We are not speaking in a gallery or anything here, but in some one's ordinary home. Like '3 inches away from my devouring eyes' near.
This reminiscence comes about from doing some research last night for our local 'Wild Pacific Trail Society' a very awesome and not-to-be-missed walking trail out here that hugs the coastline right along the rugged terrain we live in. They have recently added a part to the trail they call 'The Artists Loop' where they have put in some great bump outs and viewpoints with an artist in mind for sketching or painting at these locations. I happened to mention that they may want to add to this loop by adding plaques detailing the famous artists who have travelled here to paint. They emailed me asking if I'd expand on my topic and so I did some trolling on the Internet and this is what I found:
Our most famous and BC born alumni of the Group of Seven - Emily Carr - came
up here (Ucluelet) often. As a matter of fact, it was the Nuu-chal-Nuuth people who
gave her the name of 'Klee Wick'. She painted watercolor sketches of the
original first nations village that was here and Matterson House has copies
of those on their wall. I believe it was her that introduced the others in the 'group'
to this part of the world.
FH Varley lived in Vancouver for many years and as such you can believe that
he would have travelled with his buddies Lismer and AY Jackson when they
came over here to paint. What you need to realize about artists is that they
don't always make paintings from their sketches or what they see. Who knows,
they all might have just drank themselves silly and gone fishing.
Arthur Lismer did come out here very often to paint and there are paintings
of his from around here. But his favourite spot was Long Beach. That doesn't
give this any less importance because all of them had to take the boat from
Port to get here and it landed at Whiskey Dock. I'm kind of sad the Park beach no
longer has 'Lismer Cove' as a name anymore.
Lawren Harris moved to Vancouver in 1940 but he went into painting abstracts
then. although he probably came out here because of his old ties with
Varley, Lismer and Jackson. Artists are a pretty close group.
AY Jackson was Lismer's great pal and he did go out on painting trips with
him. The paintings he did though tend to be of the north island - Prince
Rupert etc.
JEH MacDonald - not too much info on him and from what I see he tended to
mainly paint the east environs. Same with Frank Johnston and Franklin
Carmichael. I think what needs to be pointed out in the brochure is that
these great names of our cultural history did travel out here and they
walked on the dock and up Main Street to continue on to the beach or just
spend some time before travelling further.
I also went looking for their paintings to see which ones could be tied to this area. And when doing so found the painting that heads this post :
"Vera" by Frederick Horseman Varley.
That painting hung in the home of FH's grandson, Christopher, who was my - at the time - boyfriend's good buddy. We would go over to his home often. Anyway, 'Vera' always caught my eye and - being as I was a fairly naive and unhip girl - I was completely unaware that it was so famous. The actual 'Vera' was Chris's mom.
How close we all are to the breath of fame. I'll guarantee by mentioning this story you will have the person you're speaking to tell his/her own tale of 6 degrees.
Hands across the water, folks.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa

2011-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

Holy Shoodabincathlik Batman, I've been obsessing over the last post/confession. It pretty much boils down to ethical behavior and as an ex druggie/alkee/idioticbehavior person I am trying to keep myself accountable for the things I do and say. In this regard I'm reconsidering my action of donating 'copied' work.....as in : would I like it if it was my stuff way.
SO! (and let me don my hair shirt) I've scrapped using those pieces and am donating this very early starting-to-paint-in-acrylic piece, by me, titled: "Early Morning Light -Still Life." Acrylic 20" X 36"

...ahhhh.....now we can sleep.

Intro Poster by the dual husband/wife team of Joe Scorsone and Alice Drueding. Titled "Guilt". Is this not most excellent?! http://www.sdposters.com/ for some more awesomeness.

Giving and getting....

2011-11-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

I get asked to donate to a number of local - and well deserving - events. And it grows as I get better known. I believe that for most artists with a recognized name this is a fairly common occurrance and as most people with a concience ( yes, ok, we could debate that statement especially for some artistic souls) you want to help when and where you can.
Therein lies the issue.
For most artists.....say around 95%.....selling your work is a 'few and far between' scenario and generally by the time you do sell something, the bills are red lining and the phone is on 'screen calls'. So when you are asked to donate, you kinda go through this 'why-should-I-donate-when-I-need-money-how-revoltingly-shallow-I-am' thought process.
How do I soothe my fevered brow at this time and still retain a sense of win-win?
Well, I donate my 'practice' work.
This is a fine line here kids and you need to follow along with my logic.
I am self taught. That means in my case, I find paintings that intrigue me or offer an image that I'd like to paint like......so I copy it. (oh I can hear the intake of breath from here) It teaches me new techniques and color choices and ways of painting I have not tried before.
There is nothing wrong with copying, by the way, it has been a time honored tradition artistically for students to go to galleries and reproduce the 'Masters' work to learn by trying to duplicate what they believe the Master has done. (And you can find many examples of famous artists having done this)
The thing that is WRONG about this is when you SELL that work as one of your own creations without giving recognition to the originator. As an example see my 'Self Portrait - after Egon Schiele' on the side bar. I have copied lots BUT I have never gotten any money for any piece I've copied from another artist. Ever. And I ALWAYS mark the painting as being 'after so and so' (the original artist)
And these are the works I donate. The money they make goes to a deserving charity and someone gets a nice painting that is done by me.
I have discussed this practise with other artists and aquaintances and get a dual reaction. Some feel this is dishonest in a way....copying something after all makes it not original but it after teaching many many classes and having folks paint exactly the same thing, I know for a fact there is no such thing as everyone painting alike (let's just bypass forgers here because that is dishonest right from the get-go) your own hand is inherently unique. That point brings on the 'other' side of this debate, wherein that anything you paint can be claimed as yours. And you shouldn't feel that you can't take money for it.
Yes, well, that doesn't sit right with me personally but I know and have seen work for sale that obviously was a copy. Once even one of my students selling a piece that was done from an original of mine. (Imitation the highest form of flattery....)
Anyplaybothsidesway, this is a strange 'grey' area, is it not? I'd love to see what other people think....care to weigh in on the debate?

The Paintings: Top - "Thinking of Summer", Acrylic 24" X 24"
Bottom - " Experiment in Abstraction - Maple Seed Pods", Acrylic 24" X 24"
Both after Ann Tuck.
Donation to the Christmas Gala - raising money for Tofino General Hospital Extended Care Wing and the Forest Glen Seniors Center.

PS* After a timely comment from a reader, I have contacted the artist to ask permission from the artist to donate these 'practices'. This is the smartest thing to do. Thanks again to P.

Not This (wo)Man's Best Friend

2011-11-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have something to confess. Something so awful, so heinous, you will gasp with incredulity.

I am afraid of dogs.

Ok, that's a wee bit exaggerated...maybe....but I have to think that this particular phobia is viewed by many people - and most certainly by dog lovers everywhere - as being akin to having a very disfiguring disease. It seems incomprehensible to this sector of the human race (doggie aficionados) how anyone in their right mind could be so, well, idiotic.
And, yes, I concur.
However in my own defense may I say that after being bitten (twice!) (in the face!) by the 'family-wouldn't-hurt-a-fly' pet waggie-tail, I am really really really super cautious around them.
I am also amazed at the reaction that my confession to people-who-are-gaga-about-dogs creates.
First of all they ALL claim it must have been something I did. (I was 8 years old and petting the 'nice doggie')
THEN they ALL say it would never happen with their dog. (well, yes it can)
AND then they make me physically interact with their lovely pet. (and by then I'm so intensely freaked/angry/scared, that the animal is convinced I am the enemy....and growls thereby insuring my terrified response)
And by all that is furry and bright do I EVER wish I wasn't like this.
I have many cherished friends who are dog pals. One who, whenever she sees any four legged soul, will run to it and gush with torrents of love. And where I live it seems there are more dogs per square inch than grains of sand. And they are not just dogs but BIG BLOODY HUGE dogs.(ok yes again with the exaggeration) The saddest thing of all is that I actively search out ways to ensure my interaction with friends and acquaintances with dogs stays to a minimum or happens without a dog around.
You want to know the craziest part of all this?
I actually have had my own dogs.
It defies description.
Anywhatastrangephobiaway, all this came about because the lovely friend who has done my hair forever has just gotten a Japanese Tosa. For those of you who don't know this breed, it is a 'Mastiff' that has been specifically bred to be a fighting dog. (sport in Japan...and many other parts of our world may I add) A dog who is written up as being fiercely loyal to his own family. (my italics) And after voicing my query about if it was considered as a good and gentle dog with others, I have created a very touchy situation with her avidly avowing that this dog is right beside Buddha in temperament.
Perhaps so and I'd love to believe that but I am looking for a new hair salon.
sigh-bloody-sigh

The painting....and I LOVE it altho' it actively makes my heart speed up....is by JOEL REA who paints a lot of these 'big dog' paintings. This is EXACTLY how it feels to me. EXACTLY.

11 - 11 - 11

2011-11-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

The photo that I have as my featured pic is a photo of a fallen soldier but not of our Canadian forces. He was from the Royal Netherlands Army corps and I do not know his name. This was my Mom's boyfriend before she met my father who was part of the Canadian forces that liberated Holland. This young man gave his life in the fight for freedom from the Nazis occupation of his homeland and also as part of the war against their bid to overtake the world. I often think of the twists of fate that have a hand in the way our own lives are played out. If not for the sacrifice this young soldier made I would have had a very different story to tell. War affects us all in more ways than we realize.
I came across this when I was organizing my mom's effects after her death 25 years ago. I didn't recognize the face and asked my Dad who it was. He's the one who told me it was her boyfriend that had been killed during the war.
How removed most of us are from the devastating repercussions war brings. I try to put myself in my mother's place back then, a young woman in love with a handsome young man with the future shining bright and then everything, literally everything, you know and believe and dream about changes.
Today I sat in a beautiful resort restaurant with the sun glinting off the crashing waves right outside the windows. Eagles were soaring by and it was peaceful and calm. This is what those brave young men and women gave their lives for us to enjoy.
The least we can do is pay attention to their memory for a scant 2 minutes.

Those Fifteen Minutes

2011-11-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

Michelangelo Buonarroti

Ah, Fame.....that elusive 'thing' we who create would wish for. At least I think we do. It's true that recognition for your work from the world at large is a sought after goal but what if Fame visits you for a completely different reason?
Let me illustrate with a story......
Last night I received an email from a reporter from the 'Chicago Tribune' saying they had found my blog from a cursory search and would greatly appreciate contacting me in person to do an interview about.....wait for it.......being perceived as 'unphotogenic'.
* o * * o * * o * * o * * o *
Now my first reaction - after doing a Google Search to authenticate said person - was to think, "...WTF? Unphotogenic? What about the ART, man?" and then to laugh bemusedly about what I write about here that gets attention. (may I add my post about being expelled from school because of my earrings, has gotten the most hits to date....) Ah yes, the 'artist ego' takes another shot....and rightly so. Let's remain firmly planted in humility, shall we?
Anyswelledheadway, we have just completed said interview and the reporter was most gracious and I can't wait to see the finished article.....yes, we will post it here.
One part of me is greatly flattered to be in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE (!) but that other part is snorting derisively about being known as the-person-who-looks-like-a-goof-in-photos forevermore.
sigh-bloody-sigh

The Queen of All She Surveys....

2011-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Well......well, well, well.
A few things going on in the 'always something' world of my life over the last week......I'm just trying to decide what I'll start blithering on about first.......and may I interject that it never ceases to astound me how things can go from couch-potato-slothingness to not-enough-time-to-put-on-socks around here. And, of course, seeing as I procrastinated about finishing the painting during those 'couch moments' I find myself itching to get back to it and no time to do so.
Yes, and have I learned anything yet....
So! Here's the run down of the Artist's List Of Things To Do/Been Doing/And Done:
Dealing with the poster for the GALA - this is my little 'thing' if you will, for our annual Christmas Gala that happens out here and it's a pretty awesome event where we gather together all sorts of cool items to auction off as a communities fund raiser for local well deserving charities...this year our Seniors and our local hospital's Extended Care Wing. We also have a great band and fabulous food and assorted fun things happening all in one night in an extravagant venue and everyone gets dressed up. Which, out here where the Gumboot reigns supreme, is a minor miracle to make happen. My part is to create the poster image and design and get it printed and all that, which can be a chore as I have a timeline and am always waiting to hear about last minute things that HAVE to be added to the poster. That often means a redesign of the poster so everything will fit. And being as we live in a small town, it details some amount of running around to get it printed because this place has a scanner big enough but only this other place a printer big enough to print and then the digital file needs to be sent to the other other to get tickets printed.
And I also have to gather together artists to graciously consent to donating work to the auction. That all needs picking up. Then there is the actual set up etc.....OH! And I have to hand make 2 trophies for Best Dressed. (we have to offer trophies to get people to submit themselves to looking nice) (sigh)
Christmas Craft Fair- I've been doing this event for a while - I may have mentioned that - for which I organize the names and tables and requirements of some 30 odd folks and making up a floor plan to fit everyone in and then putting out advertising and signage and setting up and taking down. Oh, and making my own things to sell.
Working the Town's Election - Meanwhile I need cash - artist, artist, artist, need we say more - so I'm doing our local election which means a training day, the advanced poll (8 to 8) and the actual day of (8 to 8) but generally add @ 2.5 hrs to that time for set up and count and take down.
Meanwhile the van has to go in for the every-so-many-miles checkup (that's a day of waiting around except not so bad in small town where I can walk around to do stuff) (but not paint) (sigh); we need to go in for our own so-many-miles maintenance and, and here's the kicker, the actual point of this post and fairly major, I have stepped up to be President of The Pacific Rim Arts Society.

....and I'm working on the new site....

The Painting: PANDORA CROWNED BY THE SEASONS 1824 by William Etty. Why the date of 1824...who knows, but the Artist did deem it important. I like this as it captures that winning of a 'crown' (or title) with the folks happy for you and those others that are already disillusioned (those two out front look miffed to my eye) and the one who you know is going to question all you do. (guy with back turned) I guess I should be proud and humbled as I could've ended up like this poor gal:

Be thankful for small mercies.....

The "NEW" Book!

2011-11-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

TA DAAA!
Well...this is the cover image at least. I just spent 1 1/2 hrs trying to 'copy and paste' the book cover with title etc to the blog but the only way I could do that was to add the little sidebar apps over there > and
down there ( to which I cannot draw an arrow because the key board only has < , > , and ^ , which is totally inconceivable......are we not to look down...? Perhaps in the world of computer typing, this was considered...redundant....looking down I mean.) At the least the preview book at the bottom is interactive whereby you can flip pages and see the whole thing.
Isn't technology wonderful!?
AnyonlyIcanfindusesforunwantedthingsway, please avail yourself of the links to the BLURB site and the preview of the book.
Let me know what you think. Feedback is encouraged.
Thank you all for coming. Help yourself to the wine.

HALLOWEEN TREAT # 2... with tricks because it's a beehatch to download all the photos on Dial-Up....

2011-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Costume Number 2: THE RAINBOW PAINTER

This has a story too. (what doesn't in my life?) Anylongtimeagoinanotherlifeway, I volunteered in a local school that had a fantastic theatre division. I offered myself to design sets and costumes for them. The RAINBOW PAINTER was the name of a play they put on and many years later I used it as the basis to create this costume. I even painted a pair of old boots in rainbow colors but I think those left the premises when the young lady cleaned out my tickle trunk a week back. I even made up 'business cards' to hand out. Those are gloves up at the top......not a wierd wig.....
What a stickler (anal) for detail.

Costume Number 3. THE WEDDING DRESS

Yes and seriously, this was my wedding dress some 16 or 18 years ago......time is blurring the memory of getting married. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it) Anywho'scountingway, it is showing a bit of wear and tear after becoming a costume fav. But look at that hand painting.....taken from an old silk kimono I had from my Mom's estate.....long long ago.

Painted with fabric inks......such a pretty thing. In need of a good cleaning I see!

Costume Number 4: THE MEDIVAL GOWN

I did awesome amounts of research on medival dress for this costume I recall. And another 'not for Halloween' outfit. One of the best birthday bashes I ever went to.....with throwing food around and all that kind of silly stuff. The outer dress made from an old shower curtain. The inner dress is of velvet and stretch lace....and yes not really accurate time line fabrics but the design is true to that.

Queen of recycle, me.

AND....Costume Number 5 ...last one because it's taken me @ 4.5 HOURS to download all these pics...thank you stupid dial up.....THE COAT

Those are real shell buttons....found at a second hand store. What is very hard to show is that I 'embossed' the velvet patches by ironing over a pair of very cool metal art earings I had. Appliqued with beads. I wore this to my eldest son's convocation from NASCAD. (Nova Scotia School of Art and Design)

There are actually about 5 more costumes but that's all I have patience for right now.....maybe, if you're good and don't knock over the outhouse, I'll post them tomorrow......

HALLOWEEN TREATS...No Tricks!

2011-10-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Remember how I promised you that I'd post pics of my hand-made Halloween costumes? I did, too. Here we go my lovelies! (that should be heard as extremely cackle screechy witch type voice) There's lots to see and this might have to morph into a two-part post. (....or three, or four....)

Let's away then.

NO.1 : TREE HUGGER

What a costume this was to make! All those leaves are appliqued on. The 'critters' are hand painted onto fabric and appliqued on. BUT! And this is a great story: this costume was never created for Halloween. nope, it was done for a friend's 50th Birthday bash and since he was an old logger everyone was asked to dress apropos to that. All folks came as 'loggers' EXCEPT for your truly who came as the TREE HUGGER......only party that I ever went to where I was basically ignored.

The 'interior' of TREE HUGGER. You can see the great owl I painted. I think this was my favorite bit.

This is the back of the 'cloak'. Gives you an idea of how much sewing was involved. And some more of the 'critters'.
Now: the BEST part..........THE HAT!

This is a good close up of the 'nest' and, yepper, it was all hand done! I have HUGE respect for birds after that! They have a beak and, apparently, I have opposable thumbs, 4 fingers and big brain but, even so, my nest looks like a drunk and drug addled zombie created it. With lots of glue.
The leaves were appliqued over the head part of an old baseball cap - I cut off the bill. Really - this is some art work.....I keep it hung up on the wall.

Ch-ch-ch-anges Part Something or Other (4?)...... You know the drill

2011-10-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

By all that is artistically changeable - lookey where we are now.
As you can see, we've taken a whole new direction and changed the legs/feet completely. I took the pic of the painting with all the 'correct-o change-o' bits visible. In the finished piece, most hopefully and I should know what I'm doing you'd think, you should not be able to tell where all these new bits are. (remember 'Pentimento' from a few posts back? This is generally how it happens)You've gotta hand it to Acrylic for offering one of the easiest to change mediums around. BUT! (and this is the part you need to pay attention to, kids) You MUST take out as much of your 'old' work as you can.
For me that means scrubbing the canvas with one of those very rough synthetic pads to get as close to the original canvas surface as possible. This can be tricky and often you can destroy a work by scrubbing too vigorously and thereby going right through the canvas and leaving a hole. *GASP* (and you will)
And that pretty much is game over for ya. Although Robert Genn did give a great tutorial in repairing of torn or damaged canvases and I admit I've tried his suggestions a couple of times. One worked (a finished canvas that tore slightly after a gust of wind smacked it down off the display easel) and another one where I did scrub too hard and left a big hole along an edge, did not. (and that fix-up was a big FAIL.)
The biggest reason for scrubbing out as much of the old painting part, is that if you just paint over it, you will end up with visible 'ridges' where the old lines were and that just looks crappy. Let's not mince words. You can see in the above that there are tell-tale parts where the old sketch is quite obvious....but I wanted to show you what I meant. I will be rescrubbing after this little tutorial. The other reason of scrubbing down is for the texture. Canvas, unless you've gesso'ed it with 5 or more coats, (and some artists do) retains it's 'rough' weave texture. I happen to like that texture. I mean, I paint on canvas so I'd like it to appear genuine. This is a personal preference and you can most certainly choose your own way.
That's the nice thing about Art in general.
Anypayattentiontotheteacherway, I'm wa-a-ay happier with the layout of the figure now. Before with those 'akimbo' legs it just looked...well, awkward. I even tried painting in a stool but that sucked. There is a better flow and balance too.
And we all need that, don't we.
Stay tuned!
ps....I want to add that after you've scrubbed out the old, you will 're-gesso' that spot. This is to 'match' the original pristine surface before all this fol-de-rol change-o scrubbo happened.

If I Had A Hammer

2011-10-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden I'm transported back to the 'Easter Be-In' at Stanley Park in 1967.......it's that 'header' and look! I'm using, yet again, an old song as my title.
I'm sensing a trend.
OK....in case any of you dear readers have found me through my web site or perhaps have tried to find my web site, I'd like you to know I'm busy beavering away on a whole brand spankin' new site as we speak.....well, ok, not actually as I'm typing this right now but let's pretend we can bend time and space for a bit....yes and moving right along, we (that's the royal 'we) are constructing a new site that is just beyond all the bells and whistles cool. Ok, actually that would be my super master Gallery Guy Mark that's really doing it and I'm pretending I know what the paintbox he's talking about. Today I get to put into action all the tutorial zingers he's been flinging into this old brain and 'do it myself'.......if you hear faint screaming later this might be me as I writhe in tormented agony of figuring out how to click the right app.
Anywearenotthetechgenuisway, in a couple of days you will be directed to the new site via a linkup and the web addy will also direct you there. Everything a click away.
Stay tuned.......

The painting: "Picasso Under Construction" by Nancy Albrecht circa 1967. I was surprised to find my Google search 'under construction' actually show paintings with that as the title.....and this one was the fav. First because it's Picasso and second because it actually and truly is 'art under construction'. Way cool.

I'm just noticing I use 'actually' way too much.
Actually.

Oh and it's http://www.marla-thirsk.com/ and the old link of http://www.marlathirsk.com/ will still work too.

Ch-Ch-Changes part 3 ( see previous previous post, if you will....)

2011-10-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

...and as you can see, further refining happening! The feet have been reworked to a more believable porportion - the original ones seemed almost like 'Gumby', you know, st-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out to resemble flippers just about. And the left side leg given a new angle so not to appear as though the model was lifting up for a fart......yes, well, that's what it looked like to me. The hands are more dynamic and we've started in on the background. I've 'wetted in' the hair, ie: applied a wet brush to the pencil crayon outline of the hair - (did you know that pencil crayon on canvas can be used like watercolor? And this is just your ordinary Crayola/Laurentian/Prismacolor type of pencil crayon. That's where the idea of 'watercolor' pencil crayons came from. It works like that on canvas because primed canvas is 'waterproof' in a way. The wet pencil crayon color just 'sits' on the surface of the canvas. If you like this kind of effect as a finished style, you must coat the painting with an acrylic varnish to keep it from damage - it is a rather 'fragile' medium. ) This helps define where the hair is and also to give me a 'color hue' to balance out the background color of the foliage against. ....where was I....?......oh, and we are slowly working on the folds and drape of the skirt....not an easy thing to do.
Things still bothering/not working for me:
1. The 'pears' which look more like avocados...perhaps because I have some in my fridge that I look at each time I open the fridge door so that 'colors' my vision. I'm going to give them a yellow wash to see if that helps. this is a glazing over of a watered down color...I'll use a value 9 yellow and that is a yellow tending towards the 'cool' side of the color wheel. (and you thought it was just slap on any old thing that looks good. No, no, that's how I get dressed, not paint.)
2.The mouth. Surprise! Something in the face is bugging me.
3. The bottom line of the skirt. I think it needs to look stretched out across the lap as well.
OK.....that's how it goes dear students.......you keep refining and looking and working and touching up.....the REAL trick is to know when to stop.

Always something.

Color Changes part 2 (so you have to read the previous post first or else this makes no sense....like most of the blithering I do....it's a gift)

2011-10-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

...and here is what we came up with.
That's more like it.

Ch- Ch- Changes

2011-10-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

La-HAY-dees and Gennulmez! Step right up and play SPIN THE PALETTE!

Today I thought I'd give you a glimpse into the 'process' of how a painting gets 'worked' out - so to speak. (Sit up straight, kiddies!) As you can see, being as it's right in front of you, this is the latest painting that is currently on the easel and I'm , per the usual arteesty way, waffling in color choices. Originally I started out with the subdued light blue-ish background and was ok with that but last night, after looking at the painting all day, (it's a process....like I said), I thought it needed some 'punching up' and so switched into the reds and cadmium yellows to try that out.

Well, I'm not really getting the 'oh yeah!', reaction I want.

So today I'm switching up the color choice completely and going into greens........we shall see.

Anyhorseofadifferentcolorway, this is one of the great things about acrylic, in that you can just paint over what you want to change.....wouldn't it be great if it was as easy in Life. Not saying you can't change your own personal canvas but the 'process' does involve a few more tools than a #10 flat head brush.

Sadly.

I'd also like to point out for many of you who think artists just sit down and - hey presto! - have a painting just whip itself out, this is far from reality. (although I may add that occasionally, every once in a blue moon, this magic can happen)

We would wish for a speedier resolution to painting but perhaps this re-working and experimenting with elements adds to the 'wow' end product we all hope for. I am being forced (really! forced!) to draw a parallel into the 'changing canvas' of myself at this juncture; and am musing on the amount of 're-works' I have applied to selfsame and figure by the time I am ready to pass from this earthly coil, I may have gotten it right.....

Moving right along.....there is a decided bit of bravery too in being willing to go in and change up a painting. It does not always work (I promise to post all my 'mistakes' someday) and you are left with the horrid feeling that what originally started out as a really great idea, is now, sadly, really awful.

But you just start all over again and , who knows, that next one just might blow out the stops!

There you go.

Lessons from the palette.

p.s......Anyone else notice that I am really stateing my age by all the choices of songs as titles I use?

Ah boy......

Life Imitates Art

2011-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

When I get an idea for a post to write my usual first step is to find an image that will 'illustrate' the storyline or, at the least, have something to do with what I'm blithering on about. Today's topic is all about the myriad things I am doing all at the same time.....we do love multi-tasking but every once in a while it seems really a bit much.

Anyandawaywegoway, imagine the complete delight of your author when I found this painting titled; without exaggeration and I am serious as art show judge;

"The Antique Juggling Girl".

Can any title be more applicable to myself? (especially the 'antique' moniker)

I think not.

Indeedly, at this moment we are :

1. working on a new painting

2. intensely researching the subject ideas for above painting

3. printing off various ephemera for the aforementioned painting

4. putting together and stretching printed canvases for the Craft Fair

5. packaging cards for the selfsame Craft Fair

6. making a poster for the Christmas Gala

7. making new version of book " Behind The Canvas"

8. creating a new website

...and we DO go back and forth to the various projects during the day.

Never bored.

(I would like to know where the idea that louche* Artists just sit around contemplating their bellybutton came from. )

( *louche\LOOSH\ , adjective;

1.Of questionable taste or morality; disreputable or indecent; dubious; shady> see? Educational as well as entertaining, me! )

As well, during all this, yesterday I had a lovely young woman come over and take away my amassed collection of Halloween paraphernalia collected over the years. Yay and amen to that as I no longer need to be burdened with this 'stuff', I mean the boys are now 35 and 33 for crying out loud - not that I'm out of Halloween, no no, we kept the REALLY cool costumes I have made over the years.
That's a post for the appropriate time.
Soon.
And I'll post pics.
The Painting: You already know the title but it's by LORD Frederick Leighton .....la te da!

Who's on first? What's on second?....but SOLD! is on third!!! *

2011-10-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

AH-h-h-h-h.....we are home.
And it was a weekend of 'Abbot and Costello' moments for certain.
I arrived Sat in the early afternoon to the artshow to find the parking lot of where the show was held absolutely jam packed - first day too, no less! (This bodes well, me thinked) (...thunked...?) I found perhaps the last spot to park off in the way-back-and-beyond (I think cows graze there) and felt lucky at that! Then I walked to the waterfront to meet up with an old school chum at a local eatery (of which I got the name wrong of in my confusional state of mind mainly due to not knowing the area well.....thank all the new age tech for cell phones, is what I say! ) And after chowing down on a fine repast, we went off to see the show. It was so crowded, you had to perform a rather slow and delicate shuffle to maneuver your way from painting to painting. Not the most optimum for viewing pleasure but certainly a great stat for the art show itself. I had to shuffle walk around almost the whole of the venue's perimeter before coming across my own work.
Now, imagine, if you will, my complete bafflement when I finally found my painting and saw that it was not the painting I thought had been accepted.
Did someone make a mistake? Did I make a mistake? I was left with the same feeling I had way back at the age of 11 when after winning my first competition "Art in the Parks", had my work displayed at the Vancouver Art Gallery upside down. A kind of 'gee I'm happy to see it here but it's all wrong" ....I was really discombobulated.
Anytopsyturveyshakemyworldway, I eventually found out that it was the right painting, my confusion lay in the original submission process when a tag was labelled wrongly and I believed attached to the other painting submitted, thereby making me think it was the one accepted when it wasn't. (Great spinning eyeballs, are you following along with this? I think I'm even more confused now after writing that down....)
Yes well....now the 'strange twists of fate' part......on Sunday when I went to pick up the painting after the show close, I went through the well orchestrated but slow process of retrieval. The Artists are sent to a far room in the complex, where they must produce the identifying paperwork to get their piece (or pieces, as the case may be) They are then escorted to the work with an attendant who makes sure all papers are copacetic and away you go tra la la. However when I went to my painting I happened to notice a red sticker on the tag. A RED sticker means SOLD. This caused another discombobulation and the attendant didn't seem to have any idea if it was true or not so I was further escorted to another room where the sales desk was. They, d'accord, did not have the master checklist there of sold items so they didn't know either. Meanwhile (back in the original room) the art show folks were trying to locate me believing I had passed through and collected my work already before the person who bought it could actually claim it. (ok, no seriously, I'm feeling dizzy) So what you had going on was a rather crazy circular chase with me as the target. Eventually, we all managed to get straightened out; I met the buyer, we were all smiles and they told me; and this is the part I alluded to originally: "I bought it because it reminds me of my daughter and she has red hair."
The painting that I had believed was accepted had black hair, so if that painting actually had been the one accepted, and NOT the one that really was, I would not have sold a piece.
We're not done yet. Today when I left for home, I got a call from a good friend who lives in Ukee who had just sailed their sailboat down to winter moorage in Nanaimo. Could I pick them up on my way back to Ukee? Absolutemente, I replied, where are you going to be?
This, yet again, is where things went awry. At the tourist center he said. I'll find you I answered and away I went. It's about a 2 hour jaunt to Nanaimo from Victoria and I'm not really well versed in navigating that city. OF COURSE I got all turned around when I arrived there and even with phoning my friend, further mis-direction happened due to him sending me in the opposite way than I needed to go. AND he told me the wrong street name which his map had....but not the city street in reality. I drove here, I drove there. I finally just followed my instinct and found him.
It is a minor miracle I am here to tell the tale.
So there you go.....Abbott and Costello Go To an Art show And Pick Up a Friend........my life is a sitcom.

ANNUNCIATION - SOLD

REVELATION

* Abbott and Costello were a comedy duo from the 40's who were on early radio and movies. They had this routine that had one of them reading out the names of the players on a Baseball team line-up. It was quite hilarious because, as is so evident, with names like "Who",

"What" and "Idunno", confusion was great. That's where the title comes from.

ALL SORTS of stuff......

2011-10-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm off early tomorrow to head down to the Sidney Art Show and I'm not back until later Monday night and when I do get back it will be to the clamoring thousands wanting to book a table for the annual Christmas Craft Fair - an event I've been organizing for, oh, about 50 gazillion eons........ok ok we are exaggerating but it seems like a long long long time.
Anyweareonceagainblitheringway, here I be with all sorts of thoughts running through my head. Making sure the suitcase is packed with all the things I need except that it usually turns out they are not right at all when I get to my destination. It's a gift to be so confoundedly inept at knowing what to bring. And I am waffling as to deciding to bring along the newest painting too; it seems ridiculous as I will be picking up my paintings (well unless they sell) from the show. But you never know if an opportunity will present itself.
The van is now the repository for my 'emergency' supplies; something we on this coast in the heart of seismic activity and tsunami events must take seriously. However, my supply kit seems equal to setting up a wilderness camp.....it takes up 1/4 of the rear space. What with extra clothes and all the food and cooking stuff and bedding and odds like matches and candles and first aid stuff and I haven't yet got the tent and rope, hatchet etc. also recommended in there.
Mother of all that will sustain you in dire times, it boggles the mind.
Mind you, if I need to camp out on any of these journeys south, I am so on it. The van is now probably more luxuriously accoutremented than what a fair lot of the poor of our world can claim as shelter.
And more changes are in the wind. We are going to be revamping the http://www.marlathirsk.com/ website later next week. I am not amused by having to fork out excess $$ for the current place. Really, it's not THAT special to download pics of paintings and have the title beside it. My great and special Gallery Guy, Mark Penney, is going to help me with this. Expect great things with him as my guide. So, keep that in mind for later next week.
AND we've rewritten the 'book' with a more concise storyline and included new work and ongoing tales. If any of you are looking for a site to 'write' your own book and self publish, may I recommend BLURB. An extremely easy and user friendly site with a plethora of styles to use.....can't say enough good things!
AND last but not least, let me leave you with the following snap of what goes on when I'm writing the blog.

This is the chair I sit in at the computer. Perhaps we need to rephrase that. This is the chair JAMS sits in while I'm at the computer. My part is that wee bit of space off on the side.
But she does keep my ass warm.
A silver lining in all clouds.

Painting: "LIQUORICE ALLSORTS" by Jonathan Hargreaves. I admit I am dangerously attracted to the poisonously yummy things.

Tonight's Feature: Wildlife Tales at My Doorstep.............who's got the remote?

2011-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

See this? That's 2 young fawns right outside my front door in the front yard, yesterday. What you can't see is the 'object of intense scrutiny' that this young one is gazing at, is Jams. She was sitting in the open front door and refused to go any further. So much for the 'brave-will-take-on-anything' personae she once had, alas, age has made her more and more cautious......there's some kind of philosophical blither inherent in that sentence but we will pretend we haven't a clue what it is.
The other thing you can't see is that the second fawn (lying down) has a broken leg.
Out here where the wild is right up against your door - literally - you often see that Nature is not benign. Good old Mother Nature can be pretty brutal at any given moment. (once I witnessed a Red-tailed Hawk just nail a robin right in front of me and proceed to rip it up...eesh...)
Anynaturerawintoothandclawway, as much as it would be a great story to rush out and 'save' this young Mule Deer, you can't. This young one is fated to become part of the cycle.....but what each of us cannot see is that it's death will further the life of another. I haven't seen them around today so it perhaps does mean this cycle has happened already.
We humans always want to 'fix' stuff.....especially in Nature. But our interference has caused so much imbalance and mayhem we are in turmoil today. We need to learn to 'let it be'.
Remember this when you are out partaking of the natural wonders our beautiful land still offers.....don't feed the bears (PLEASE!!), don't act foolishly in ways that attract predators and cause another death of an animal and by all that is good and ethical, respect this Earth.
Your part of the cycle.

PS...here's what the whole of the front yard and surround is like:

Just down that break in the bush across the street lies the path that leads to the beach. Yep, I am very lucky to have such a setting to create in.....

Once Again With Feeling...!

2011-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Every so often I finish a painting and I am pretty pleased with it .......but then , ah, yes, but then after some time passes by and I have been looking at it for a few days or weeks or months ( a very typical artistic situation).....well, it just starts to seriously irritate me. "This isn't right or that could've been done better or the part over here really sucks"; you know, all that 'think think think' blabla thing my head and eyes do if I'm not actually 100% satisfied with the outcome.

Well, this was that painting. Here's what it was originally:

...and there you go. We changed the face...the face the face for crying out loud it's always the face!.....and we got rid of those Mickey Mouse style shoes. What in all that is on your feet possessed me to think those were a good choice. AnywhatelsecanIblitheronaboutway, I am decidedly way happier with the 'new and improved' version. That is the lovely thing about being the creator of artwork...you get to change it if you wish. That works for your 'Life' too kiddies.....you are entirely up to you. So if the 'face' is bugging you or the shoes don't fit right....make the change.

It's not as hard as it seems and, who knows, you are more than likely going to be way happier with the new version.

"Pentimento" is Italian for "to regret" or, in the Art world, it means:' An underlying image in a painting, part of a painting, or original draft that shows through. ' Even though in my painting the 'old' image doesn't actually show; I know it's there so the term works for me. The sentiment does for sure. And aren't we all 'pentimento' with our lives?

..and again....

2011-10-06T15:33:00.001-07:00

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits,the rebels, the troublemakers,the round pegs in the square holes…the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them,disagree with glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things…they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones,we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world,are the ones who do.”
RIP Steve.

DREAM BIG

2011-10-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

— Steve Jobs

Unless you are living many light years ago (ie: no computer) you are well aware of the death of Steve Jobs yesterday. I admit I was only peripherally aware of him; "just another rich computer guy", I thought; and so as I read the quotes attributed to him, I'm really amazed that such a wonderfully creative soul missed my attention.
Once again that 'judge a book by it's cover'......something I as an artist should be cognizant of.
The life of an Artist is full of 'why-did-I-choose-this-life' moments, the Creative Muse knows, and often the weight of nomoneynorecognition can break you into chucking it all and becoming the 'dog groomer' your mother recommended but in your heart and soul you just KNOW there is nothing else you CAN do. I've been a dry cleaning delivery person, a mail room sorter, a men's wear clerk, a paper stuffer, a hippy leather shop girl, a picture framer, a security guard (laughable at my stature but a cool badge), a gallery owner and a Census Canada employee in my crazy life and baring the picture framer gig which I was pretty good at and did for some years, I lasted at the most 6 months or less in each job.
Not much stats for the resume, huh?
And it was because, as trite as it may sound, not a single solitary one spoke to my heart. I knew what I was and until I listened to that clamoring voice inside, nothing in my life made any sense.
You know it too.
So never mind the money, never mind if no one else 'gets it', never mind being the 'odd duck' in the pond....just never mind.
I'm telling you, when you follow what your heart says, it really all falls into place.
So, thank you, Mr Steve Jobs. Thank you for being the dreamer and thank you for letting me know it's all ok just to be who you really are.

May we all be as humanly alive as you were.

Painting: "DREAM BIG" by Christine Serres-Marie. I don't usually like abstracted work, and that's odd because I love color so much, but this painting really captured the feeling of this post. I like how it evokes the swirly undulating paths we travel to reach our goals. nicely done.

Ladies and Gentlemen : Fame

2011-10-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/artist-interviews-profiles/artist-of-the-month-marla-thirsk

Marla Thirsk: Artist of the Month

Posted on October 1, 2011 by hannahb
Categories: Acrylic, Articles, Artist Interviews & Profiles, Inspiration and Creativity, Medium, The Artist’s Magazine Tags: Acrylic. Bookmark the permalink.

DISCONNECT (acrylic, 30x36) by Marla Thirsk was a finalist in the category of The Artist Magazine's 27th Annual Art Competition.

Marla Thirsk

Hometown: Ucluelet, B.C. Canada

www.marlathirsk.com

Early Art Years and Education

My dad used to tell everyone I must have been born with a paintbrush in my hand. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t doing/creating art, when I was two years old I started drawing faces in my Dad’s university textbooks, which had the only clean white paper I could find. I liked the stark contrast of a dark line on the white paper. I’ve never had formal training—I’m a voracious reader so I have an extensive library of art books that have given me my education. If I found an appealing style or genre, I would get anything written about it and try it out until I mastered it or moved on to another topic. A lot of times the initial foray would lead me to interpret the medium my own way.

It took me until I was 40 to really believe in myself and approach art as a full-time occupation. Before that I painted, drew or created, but wasted a lot of time in questionable lifestyle choices.

Genre and Media

I was originally recognized as an accomplished watercolorist, but have developed a deep enthusiasm for acrylic, which I now work in exclusively, during the last three years. However, I’m eclectic in my creating. When I need a ‘recharge’ I also make highly original art dolls, metal ‘spare parts’ robot sculptures, collages and paint murals.

Inspiration for DISCONNECT

A few years ago I saw a fabulous painting (and I regret not remembering the artist) of two women in 1950s-style bathing suits. That reminded me of a collection of old photographs I had of my mother spanning the 30s to early 60s. She was very ‘vogue-y’ in them and when I started using them as inspiration, the floodgates opened. My mother passed away 25 years ago so it has proven cathartic in a way to use these images. The old salt box in the painting has been in my family as long as I remember—and as it is Delftware it reminds me of mom too—she was a Dutch war bride. The painting also reflects the rather disconnected and tortured relationship my mother and I had. I learned a big life lesson when she didn’t recognize me when I saw her just before she slipped into a four-month coma and then passed away.

In DISCONNECT, a pose from one of my mother’s photos was the initial inspiration. I used a projector to transfer the image in burnt sienna pencil crayon to the prepped canvas. I then played with the image—sometimes changing the facial expression or hands or arm placement. When I came up with this pose, I went over it with a copying pencil (this type of pencil was used in the map industry; it doesn’t photocopy and so you aren’t left with unwanted lines. An acquaintance had given me a huge box of these, which are about 60 years old.). The hair design was actually inspired from an old magazine my hair dresser gave me.

The backgrounds in DISCONNECT started with a piece of old fabric, and that morphed into me sketching little designs, scanning them into my PC and reworking the sizes and printing the sheets. Then I cut out all the elements and played around with the designs until I found one that pleased me and pasted it onto a sheet of paper to rescan and make many copies. I then transferred these by hand onto the background using graphite paper. Time consuming for sure! It generally takes about a week to get the canvas image laid out before I start painting.

My palette is original, in that I mix my own colors from what’s in my studio. The usual initial color choices are: burnt sienna, raw sienna, titanium white, Mars black, alizarin crimson, value 4 red, value 5 red, acra magenta, value 4 purple, value 7 blue, hansa yellow middle and hansa yellow light. These are usually the standards but depending on what color mix I wish for the background, things are added or subtracted. I have lots of little jars of my own mixes around.

Time Spent on Paintings

This always seems so hard to answer. Usually a painting of this size and detail will take about three weeks to complete. If I get into the zone I sometimes can spend 12 hours at a stretch working—mind you, my arm and shoulder want to leave me after. This painting just flowed out for me. I completed it in a week and a half.

Inspiration

Art is just every single reason for me being on this planet. It saved my life when I decided to quit my formerly reprehensible lifestyle and focus on the one true shining part of myself: art.

I’ve been creating art in one form or another for 55 years now but it wasn’t until I pulled out these old photographs and the floodgates opened into the past with my mother that people really started to notice my work. It was the process of working out the demons of my relationship with mom that my soul really shone through. I guess it’s true that until your heart speaks through your medium, you are just good with your hands.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artists of the Month are chosen from the list of finalists of The Artist Magazine’s Annual Art Competition.

The (Wo)Man in the Mirror

2011-09-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of pondering on the 'Reunion' over these last few days; probably due to having to sleep so much to recover, for crying out loud in the sink as my Dad used to say, and the fact that I'm tormenting myself with the way I appear in those reunion photographs.
I would hazard a guess that the reason we had so many more guys show up than gals is due to the above most succinct message. I'll tell you that I was most decidedly the 'heaviest' woman there and I AM damn sure the judgements were being made.
We have never passed high school.
It would be nice to believe that we do not judge the friends we have because of their weight but, sadly, we do. I do know one of the women told me I was 'brave' to go to this thing. Wow. Now I admit that I did consider not going just because of this exact reason but then it was my whole " who really cares what they think " mentality that IS completely Artistic. You'd only ever paint the 'safe' stuff (and many do) for that reason alone. And this other part of me is yelling out: "Hey, shallow people, I ORGANIZED this awesome event, I'm a HUGELY TALENTED Artist and I ROCK" back-of-the-mind rant going on the whole time because, truth to tell, I DO give a crap about how I'm perceived.
Ah yes.....my own worst enemy.
This whole thing does make me want to paint a series based on body image though.....hmmmmm.....

Wasn't That A Party....

2011-09-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Wowzers what a weekend. All I would like to say to those of you who staunchly insist that they would never go to a reunion is: GO. At one point in all the merriment I looked around and could only see absolute joy on every one's faces. And, being as I along with one other school chum were the organizers, THAT made my weekend right there. Apparently I am requested to organize a 'group' birthday party in 2 years when we all turn 60.
Ok then. Let's add 'party planner' to the resume shall we?
Honestly, I was on such an adrenalin high from it all I never needed a drink.
Mind you we did have a couple of 'fraught' moments with declined debit cards when we went to pay for the Friday night venue just before heading home to 'gussy up' for the festivities which ended up making us have to drive to the bank and get a cashier's cheque and then retrace our steps and of course that made us abysmally late and we had to panic call another school chum to 'meet and greet' but hey-ho - it all worked out. The weather was superb. Friendships renewed. Friendships discovered.
LOTS of grey hair (mostly on the men) Some surprises visually. (me)
Now the photos are being sent around and uploaded to Utube etc.
* 0 * * 0 * * 0 * * 0*
Why, in all that is Kodak, am I SO unphotogenic?!?
I seem to be the only one with the goofy face pose. The hair looks wa-a-a-ay too extreme beside all those grey and blondy heads. I have grown 3 chins somehow.
And I appear to be the size of a smallish dinosaur.
Sigh.
Bloody sigh.
No wonder the old boyfriend removed himself from my vicinity every chance he got.
Ah well.....comic relief yet again.
It is astounding to me, being that I'm so visually attuned, that I CANNOT work my own canvas. Personally I'm wishing there was a sort of 'white-out' for this girl.
Anywhataboreyouareway, shall we move along....?
There was so much good feeling and so many thank yous and hugs from everyone, that most of the image issues really pale.
...............would I do it again?
You betcha!
Painting is : "The Joyful Reunion" by Jan Massys. I like this because it really points out that reunions haven't much changed in a couple of hundred years. You still have the 'clowns', you still have the 'beauty', you still have the 'touchy/feely' going on. Some age well, some not so much. But you are all having one HELL-o of a party.

Reinvention

2011-09-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be travelling 6.5 hrs to go back to the city of my birth and to meet up with people I haven't seen in 40 years.
The High School Reunion is on this weekend.
And I can't wait.
Also you may have noticed the 'Artist's photo' has changed.
I've reinvented myself.
It was a truly spur of the moment happening....I walked into a salon in Tuff city that I'd never ever been in before and gave the absolutely creative genius of a stylist 'carte blanche' to work on me.
Here's what went in the door:

<Kinda washed out and decidedly aging woman canvas there....

Here's what walked out:>

Now is that a 'holey smokey' moment or what?

There you go. I guess every once in a while you just have to take a blind leap of 'what the hell' into Life.

It also occurs to me that this is the process of Art as well. You are constantly 'reinventing' your style and your technique and your subject matter. Sometimes it is not what you hoped for but sometimes....well, the freeking heavens open up to you.

So on Friday night as I step forward to greet the changed canvas of all those 'kids' I graduated with so long ago, I'm going to be thinking of how the canvas of life has worked on them. The brushstrokes of time leaves it's texture on us all. And isn't life a constant reinvention of ourselves too? From child to young adult to aging soul, what a rich rich palette we have to work with!

Never be afraid to leap.

(ps...I've gotten some superbly awesome Art Framed glasses to wear too!)

(ppss....Accepted into the Sidney Art Show!!)

(pppsss...."It Was 40 Years Ago Today....

The PAINTING

2011-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

REVELATION Acrylic with Gold Leaf 26 X 48

....almost forgot the last painting....boy oh boyo. Really like this one. We shall see, we shall see.....

Liar, Liar; Pants On Fire

2011-09-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ok....here I am again.
I'm a GEMINI...what can I say...hot and cold about EVERYTHING!
I think it's the 'evil twin' side taking over when I say or do something that doesn't necessarily pan out....sigh. We all have our crosses to bear.
I truly am my own worst enemy. YipYipYip....
Let's proceed, shall we?
Back from a 3 day down island jaunt to my beloved friends home that provides me a base of operations and safe haven to lay my burden down....(cue music..preferably Aretha Franklin). Delivered the 2 pieces for the first round in the juried show process....always rife with anxiety for me because the aforementioned 'evil twin' whispers black thoughts continuously...gah! (picture artist with hands around throat) Also a LOT of running around into Victoria proper. Now, usually, driving around in the city makes my knuckles clench spasmodically on my steering wheel. I may have mentioned that driving is not the fav of activities for moi. However, I think a major breakthrough happened as I was pretty relaxed this time. I navigated downtown traffic and parking with a decided 'savoir faire' and was even switching up lanes and all that 'lookee mee confidence' that certainly has not been a part of the personal canvas for many a year. Smug looks all round. It has me wondering about what actually makes the 'switch' flip, so to speak. Experience? Perhaps. Inner growth? Well, maybe. Age? Isn't that just experience of a sort? Who can say....all I know is I felt very good when it occurred to me that driving was actually not a task of Herculean proportions anymore.
Now I need that feeling to carry through to my painting.....indeed.
I will hear on Monday via the electronic highway if I'm in or out. All I can say is that when I picked up my work, it was in a back room facing the wall. Not exactly inspiring thoughts of 'ooo goody' currently.
Sometimes it's just a long long long road to walk being an artist.
Anywhatalifeway, we do have an extraordinary event on the horizon!
Our 40th year High School Reunion. FOURty years! Mother of all old children! I've been helping to organize this and I'm really pumped to see all these 'kids' from long ago coming to the event. I've spent WAY too much money on outfits etc (....really, am I going to wear this stuff to shop at the CoOp) and I'm definately stressed about weight (woman, oh woman...) and I've got the 'hair' business going on and so forth ad nauseam.
Heaven preserve me....I'm going to be fratzed by the time I go over next Thursday. But, then again, lots of everyone else is as old as me. That's the thing about these sorts of events. You are all sharing the arrival on the planet year and the journey thus far. And you will look at each other with the eyes of remember when.
So! To recap:
We will be writing the Blog still.
We can now drive relatively relaxed.
We buy too many outfits.
We think too much.

The painting: "Liar" by Julian Kimmings. I really think this captures my 'Evil Twin'. That 'foxy' slyness. Great stuff.

Silver Linings

2011-09-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yes I've been absent for some time. Well, the proverbial 'storm cloud' of life has been over my arty wee head and I've just found coming here and blithering on.....insert bummer word of choice.
Computer is gasping in it's death throes too, and it takes me 5 to 10 minutes to upload pics right now. Seriously, I've got a lot of patience but this is getting beyond the pale when I can go and wash my dishes or make muffins or add a couple of touch-ups to a painting while waiting for the page to be ready.
I'd paint my fingernails except that is such wasted effort when you're an artist - 5 minutes into a painting and they're toast. Goodbye 45 $.....
Anywhatareyoutryingtosayway, I'm going to shut the Blog down for now. Going to deal with the myriad 'little showers' happening and just maybe I'll re'invent' this blog in a different way.
Not too much feedback anyhow and , yeah yeah, I get that most folks just lurk but I think I only have @ 3 people checking in anywhatasadstatisticway......
So, to you most faithful, a very big cyber thanks.....I will see you again, somehow, someway!
Painting: Untitled Pastel by Larry Moore. Isn't that fantastic? I admire this painting big time.

Got To Admit It's Getting Better; Getting Better All The Time (Can't Get No Worse)

2011-08-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

BENEDICTION

Acrylic with Gold Leaf

26" X 48"

Oh ye-ah....hot off the easel as of 1/2 hr ago. Submission # 2 for the Sidney Fine Arts Show. AND! Even better than the last one....I think.
On to # 3..........can't stop this......

New! And IMPROVED! But Still With Original Command Center.....

2011-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

OK-azy...you may have noticed a brand new 'Header'....that's the title band - so to speak - up there ^. Well, it's taken me about, oh...., 2.5 hours to do that. Give or take.
But I did.
We are smugly congratulating our old dinosaur self right now.....mind you, I still can't fathom how to change the font color ie: how to type in correct code into the following....at least that's what I think it said when I -oh so cleverly- googled 'how to change font color in your Blog'; which told me.......
HTML >h3{margin:10px 0px;color:#777777777;font size:105Ihavenoideawhatsymbolcomesnext;}
Yep, right about there the eyeballs were spinning backwards.......however it necessitated a bit of playing around in Photoshop to reconfigure the colors so the original font of the header would show up and I got the image above. So I left it, feeling pretty smart and ok and I was just going to live with the original font color of white.
Then I posted the 'new' header and I set down this little story feeling all Miss Smarty Pant-ish and THEN......and then....yes, and then, well, I went into the 'layout' page and guess what?
There is that option to change font color already set up 'easy-peasy' style.......which is what I did with a click of the mouse.
Sigh bloody sigh.

In The Midst of Dark....Let There Be Light

2011-08-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

* ......I've expanded my original post.....
(I paraphrased the titled....you know " in the midst of Death let there be Life....)
Well.....if I have to have some kind of crisis of health or looks or whatever......can I just say "bring it on".....? If it takes going through some kind of crisis to make the creative juice kick up a notch, well, I'll happily suffer some more. I have to admit to even wowing myself with this...FINALLY we can paint faces. I mean, really paint faces. (Ahhhh...faces. My personal nemesis....) I was getting frustrated with the 'blandness' of my previous work.
A decided leap forward.
Isn't it interesting that there are so many examples of adversity bringing leaps in technique or a new more dynamic style into an artist's creative life.....(Frida Khalo painted her strongest work from her dealing with the pain of her horrendous accident; Georgia O'Keeffe took off after the hurt Stiegilitz caused her; Vincent's whole genre came from dealing with depression and being unrecognized) Do we need the stress of a 'fraught' event to halt our complacency with what we are doing to jump into the next tier of accomplishment? Or is it only then that our 'essence' is truly transferred into the medium....?
Food for thought.
"ANNUNCIATION FOR A NEW AGE" Acrylic with Gold Leaf. 26" X 48".
First submission for the Sidney Fine arts Show.

Crowning Glories

2011-08-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling like I've passed my "Best If Used By" date.
Let me recap this odd time.
First, and foremost because it is consuming my attention, my strange and mostly disconcerting happenstance of a 'balding' head.
In our great land of Canada - and I say this without a trace of sarcasm - I mean that - you pop on over to the Doc for whatever ails you, although I often wonder when I sit in a waiting room how seemingly endless the human body's frailties can be, which is what I did. I wonder, again, what my fine Dr thinks when he sees me as my troubles seem to be random hits from the capricious fates of the universe. What with 'twisted' fingers and routine operations gone awry, he gets a veritable feast from yours truly. Anyoffagainintothewildblueyonderway, this is where I went over a week ago to have the receding hairline checked into and was slightly alarmed when his remark was "What is that....no, why are you.....?" in a kind of sotto voice way and did not finish his statement other than to tell me to come to the clinic for blood work Tues am. I am now in the limbo land of 'wait and see'. I understand that I live in a far away place where things must go 'out-to-the-big-city' but, and herein lies the trouble, with all this time around before I know what's up, I compulsively research the topic on the Internet. Yes, yes, forewarned is forearmed, but in my case that imagination (I may have mentioned?) - takes me to places that may not be.....optimum.
So far I've checked out 'Rogain' (side effects are somewhat alarming), radical hair cuts (considering 'Punk' as a new statement), hair extensions (except your hair will break after the extensions are removed thereby bringing you back to square one) and wigs.
Ah great goddess of female vanity I appeal to thee......indeed.

Wigs are winning out I admit. Because you get to have all these different looks - and by all the Gemini artist in me do I EVER like that! It is immeasurably appealing to me to be able to change the 'canvas' whenever......although, it will be a dead give away about what is going on after the first few times. Do I care what folks may think? Not particularly. I've been telling some folks about going bald anyway and in this small place that about guarantees the whole town knows.

So here I sit, stewing about stuff that hasn't happened and wondering if I should just shave it all off and wear wigs and researching wig places and wig choices and wig costs (!!!) Bla de bla.....etc. The thing is : my 40th high school reunion.

O-h Y-E-A-H.

That particular bugaboo is looming up and I'm right in the thick of planning it with another old chum. (one other reason I've been away from this blog because I answer/sendout about 6 to 10 emails each day - I spend wa-a-a-ay too much time on this infernal machine!) I've been responsible for gathering the troops - so to speak - and it's been grand being in touch with all these people who were such a big part of my world some 40 yrs ago.

But that means exactly what you think.

High School man. Where some of the harshest judgements and ratings-due-to-looks were handed down and I don't care who you are, you know it colors how you think to this day. I'm fairly certain some of these old school contemporaries will not attend just for that reason alone. And I will be front and center because I've put myself there by helping organize.

So this whole hair thing is becoming some 'King Kong' of a deal to me. Oh, stress and worry cause hair loss as well, apparently........sigh. Like 'will the wig fall off.....' etc....Quel Horreur!!

Meanwhile back at the studio - we are armpit deep into what is proving to be a leap forward in painting. I know I say that every time I do a 'new' series but really this is just making my fingers twitch excitedly. I am hoping to have it done next week so we'll leave you with the anticipation on seeing the result.......oh, and finding out the head decision......never dull folks!

The painting is "Hypertrichosis - Self Portrait" by Jazz-mihn Moore. (Hypertrichosis is 'excessive growth of hair') This young artist does some very fine work.

And we only wish that was the problem......although sporting a beard and mustache would not be optimim either. But it would be easier to deal with. Maybe.

Past, Present and Future

2011-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well, what a weekend that was! It covered all of the above and I'd like to report that I had about the best return drive - yeah, me the 'hate-to-drive' girl, is saying that I enjoyed my drive home.
Go figure.
First off, on Friday evening I attended the 'Artist's Evening' at the Sooke Show and apart from the mind numbing-unless-you're-getting-something opening bit, I enjoyed the walk around and looking. However I did come to the conclusion that unless I was a part of the 'you're-getting-something' opening bit, I will be attending during the week on the regular opening hours for the show from now on. For one, that will be easier to walk around without the horrific crush of hot bodies and really be able to see what is what. And to spend as much time as you wish doing so. I wasn't as 'taken' with this years show...well, that is not quite right. The art was spectacular and I'm always impressed greatly by the quality presented, it was just that - and by golly I'm going to sound like sour grapes here - I couldn't fathom why awards were given to the works they were given to. Now I am completely cognizant that in these juried shows, and the art world as a whole, it's all a great big 'crapshoot' ......all is colored with personal bias, can't be helped. It just seemed that some work was chosen for reasons other than 'uniqueness' ....but then again, what do I know. I'm very sure that if I was a 'juror' lots of folks would be questioning my choice as well. I still adamantly state that the Sooke Show is one of the premiere shows in BC. ALWAYS worth a visit.
Saturday I had to catch the 7 a.m. (first ferry!) out of town to meet up with my brother and deal with all the myriad bits that an estate engenders from a parent's death. This was the end as it's been a year for the Probate for Dad's estate to be handled so it really was closing this chapter of my life. LOTS of paperwork.
Anyyoucan'tjustdieinourworldway, what was the BEST part of all of that was being with my brother....who happens to be that sweet little man in the photo above. I think I may have mentioned that I LOVE my brother. I mean L - O - V - E this man who has travelled with me the longest in this life. My brother is one of the truly good souls and I am so lucky to have him in my life. He's not my 'real-by-blood' brother, he too is adopted, but I cannot fathom having a closer relationship to a sibling. After all the paperwork guff, Iain and I decided to put up a small plaque we had near where we scattered Dad's ashes last year when he passed away. And as we were passing by the area where we had grown up in Kitsilano, Vancouver, to get to Jerico Beach where we had scattered those ashes of Dad's, we took a side jaunt back to the old homestead.
!!??!!
Our house had..............shrunk!
No, seriously, we couldn't believe that this house that seemed so endlessly big and full of special places and lots of staircases and 4 (FOUR) floors was now just another old tiny Victorian character home. And the backyard too!! TINY!
It's rather disconcerting to have your reality shifted like that. What is it about childhood that skews our perspective so? OK, I know we are smaller but even so I think it's pretty standard to revisit a childhood home and be startled by how it has shrunk. Is it that our imagination is so boundless back then - before the universe imposes it's 'grown-up' limits - we are 'larger than life'?
Food for thought. Or to translate into a painting...... ok. From that bit of memory lane we went to have dinner with all the kids (my niece and 2 nephews) and - my favourite part!- went back to my bro's new apt where we spent part of the night in our pjs eating 'twizzlers', watching old John Wayne movies and blabbing. I had laryngitis next day. Mind you I had to buy him an inflateable mattress so I'd have something to sleep on. But he cooked me breakfast.
And then it was back to the island and I had another first in my life - I bought a (new to me) sofa! I was pretty chuffed with that may I add. And, yes, it's pretty odd to state that at 58 I just bought my first piece of quality furniture but let it just illustrate in a small way how strange this life has been. And it fit in my BIG fleeping suv too....just about the only time I like that stupid beast.
AND Monday we had the most pleasant trip home with the beast full of the smell of freshly baked homemade bread and first thing I did after getting in the door was to have some toast with homemade peach jam (mm-mm!) and push 'play' on the answer mach to hear: "Hi Marla, this is the Sooke Fine Arts Show letting you know your painting ' Living The Myth-Down The Rabbit Hole' has sold."
Yepper.....a STELLAR weekend!!

P.S...and here's the future bit:

I've just found out I'm.....going bald. Of all the frelling getting old bullflacky crap to hear. Sheesh. I have visions of extremely colorful headgear....scarves?? Perhaps wigs ala Elizabeth Taylor. Apparently this is a genetic thing and since part of my genetic history is a mystery - who is my 'real' father - not something I can do much about. Well, drugs are available but side effects are really really really frightening.

*sigh*

The future is decidedly bizarre in my world.

Ah, Vanity, thy name is woman. What I'd give to be 'black' right now....I'd just sport a shaved head. VERY 'arty'.

*sigh*

...again...

Heading Down The Highway, Hope You See Things My Way......

2011-07-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we're on our way down island to the Sooke show tomorrow.......and, boy oh boyo, sure wish the wheels looked like the photo! Some cool that! I might even actually enjoy driving - which I don't. Never have. I should've been born in NYC where no-one drives. Not that I'm a bad driver - far from it. In the 38 years I've been at the wheel, I've never gotten a ticket or been in an accident (and let's just do every superstitious move to diffuse the evil eye here, shall we?) But the act of driving is extremely stress filled for me. I do not relax. The only place I like driving is out here.....in the winter....when no one else is around. Then I feel safe. For crying out loud.

Anywellherewegoway, I am off to attend the 'Artists Award Night' - sadly without an award to sweeten the mix but I AM looking forward to the treat of seeing some excellent artwork. I am seriously in need of a creative 'shot in the arm' so to speak. With so little sales happening, I'm feeling rather artistically pointless.....no, that's a wee bit harsh....more like I'm floundering in the sea of directionless inspiration. I need to get some charge about what is hot and exciting and the unarticulatable (wow, what kind of language is that?!?) charge inspiration can give. I shall be attending on my lonesome - I've exhausted the interest threshold of my 'dearly loved' - and who can blame them - but I am looking forward to strolling around as a single entity. And eavesdropping. Which is enlightening and hilarious all at once.

So if you are down in Sooke Friday night @ 7 p.m. c'mon by one of the best local art shows you'll ever see.

I'll be the lone figure in disguise.

Hear No. Speak No. See No.

2011-07-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Interesting thing has happened and it has me wondering if suddenly I've been transported to a repressive society or that my fellow citizens think Canada is actually 'Iranada'....
Let me start at the beginning.
I mentioned already that I've taken on a job with Census Canada - "The Government Job" - as I often refer to it. It certainly has opened my eyes to what working with bureaucracy is like and for a person such as myself that lives in a more 'creatively free' way, shall we say, certainly has me wondering just how 'anal' can you get.
As an illustration of the aforementioned I offer the fact that I receive emails from head office instructing me on the way to pack an envelope.....I kid you not.....and it will be sent back to me if there is even 1 small item out of order.....your tax dollars at work, folks.
Anyhowrepressivecanwebeway, this more than unbelievable job is coming to an end soon and I have been given a 'feedback' form (of course it's a form) to fill out. It actually has a identifying code number.
Now, I've been making note of the daily ridiculousness and phenomenal errors (due to the 'left hand not knowing what the right hand' etc) that have occurred whilst doing my daily entering of stats and data into the Government Official Site for entering stats and data.
The form provides a 1" X 1.5" box to fill in your responses to the questions on how you - as an empolyee of StatsCan - have perceived the working of the system and how you think improvements can be made.
I have attached extra sheets of paper to my little form.
Because there is so much stupidity going on that needs to be rectified. And yes, I can tell lots of stories but it will suffice to say my daily mantra for the last 6 weeks has been: "We work for Monkeys" (and apologies to monkeys but you catch my drift)
So, in my long and convoluted tale way, I was waxing rhapsodic about doing this form and how I was writing about all the dumb ass shit I've encountered to my friend in town and she looked at me and said, "You better not do that because they will flag you and you'll be marked out for a tax audit. That's what I hear happens to anyone who questions the government."
......?!?.....
Excuse me..? I'm completely astounded that she said this and even more astounded to have consequently heard it repeated by other acquaintances.
Did I leave Canada in some strange alternate universe? I was under the impression we are a democratic country....you know, free speech...and just how paranoid are we becoming? Is this how most people hide their heads when 'our' VOTED FOR leaders do something that we as citizens feel need changing and/or don't agree with?
YIKES.
That worries me even more than the idiots running StatsCan.
Oh, and good luck on auditing me.......

Painting is : "SPEAK OUT" by Robert Wolverton Jr.
...nuff said!

Winning at Juried Art Shows

2011-07-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

I've found this following article at a fellow artist's blog and I'm reprinting it here because I think it captures the whole spirit of what entering these juried show are for.

"Winning an art prize, regardless of its status or worth, is a major event in an artist’s life. Not all artists are interested in entering an art prize for a number of reasons. Some feel their work is simply not good enough; others are overwhelmed by the standards demanded, while there are those who don’t like having their work judged. Many artists choose simply to sell their work locally and/or produce their work at their own pace.

Entering any art prize puts your work ‘under the microscope’; you are judged by your peers. On the plus side such judgements give you credibility and status in the art community not only with other artists, but with the general public.
To enter any art prize you need to have produced artwork that is extraordinary, not ordinary. This has to be the best you can do (at the time). You need to have respect for the medium you are working in, show a strong grasp of technical excellence and aesthetics. Artists need to be fully aware of the nature of the prize they are entering, who the judges are and what is popular with patrons. This doesn’t mean that you paint for a particular market, it means that you make sure that your work is noticed.
There are many definitions of “winning”. Firstly, being selected for exhibition in any art prize is a ‘win’, your work was considered good enough to be hung with all the other selected entries; well done, you are a winner! Not all work that is entered is always chosen. If you don’t meet the selection criteria, your work will be confused. Always carefully read the selection criteria before entering any art prize. Don’t forget to get your entry form in on time!" (Richard Kleko - http://www.artkelko.wordpress.com/)

Now, apart from wishing I'd written that, it's pretty much nailed what juried art shows add to an artistic career. You DO sweat about what you create and when I stand in line waiting to have my work received before the whole juried process even starts, I look at what my fellow creative spirits are entering - and, yes, I do run 'my own' judging process (......we never leave high school, sadly) and weigh my chances in regards to getting in. And, may I add, it's not a 'given' with my work. I entered 3 works this year and only one made the cut....and not even the one I thought would. There you go.
But when you think about it - it's a great act of bravery for artists to take what they have worked on from their soul and put it out there to be accepted or rejected by their peers. It takes a good strong belief in yourself to be an artist and carry on. I still say we artists are the bravest people around because we are willing to pursue our art no matter how many times we fail or are judged harshly........and I also will add, how long we wait for recognition or even to sell something.
This must be the 'truth' about finding your 'passion'. And at the risk of sounding (and believe me I will) fatuous, that this passion becomes the definer, the soul quest, the very essence of who you are.
Money, Fame etc. be damned.

* .....no accompanying painting today. It's impossible to find one that is themed 'winning' and well, it behoves me to say, ALL art is a winner in my book.

And The Winner Is......

2011-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

....not what I expected at all......
There you go, the minute I can second guess this whole 'art' thing, I'll be a millionaire! Had an initial heart freeze when I downloaded the PDF file to find out the accepted artwork and couldn't find my name....my eyes got all teared up for cryin' out loud....literally. Anywhatafragileegoway, after I realized I was flipping through the pages before they actually downloaded completely....there I was.
Am I disappointed with the result?
I'd be lying to not admitting I was hoping all 3 would get in but considering over 1300 works have to be winnowed down to just 375....having got in at all is grand indeed!
OK....now we gear up for the actual show and the anxiety of hoping to sell and garnering some recognition.....end of July for that.
Next Show......Sidney Fine Arts Show in Oct. with the entry date in Sept.
No wonder my hair is turning white.

Road Trip!

2011-06-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well....me and the paintings are off to Victoria and the Sooke Fine Arts show ....the first step of being juried along with about 1200 other entries from some very very phenomenal artists. The jurors must winnow down these entries to a firm 375 that will be the actual showing of the Sooke show. I'll find out on July 1st if I make the cut.
A wee bit anxious, truth be told.
But while down there I shall endeavor to see my son and his lovely lady and will be celebrating a late birthday with my dearly treasured friends.
I AM so looking forward to this weekend! I spent 2 hrs washing and vacuuming and wiping down the van; loading her up and getting together all the various and sundry that a road trip entails......oh, and making sure the 'royal' Jams has the adequate care and attention she .....demands.
And the weather looks grand.

Newest Painting from the LIVING THE MYTH SERIES (# 3)

2011-06-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

"Waiting for The Prince"
36" X 43"
Mixed Media: acrylic/collage
With an original designed tattoo emblem (in the background 'wallpaper') for my painting by an old friend. Part of the submissions for the Sooke Fine Arts Show which I need to deliver to next weekend for the juried process.
We get to wait until July 1st until we know if we are accepted ........oh the agony.
Now I am in the 'weird' space of thinking these paintings suck....I half hate them, half love them....makes me crazy.
This is the dilema creative folk have endured throughout time. But it keeps you going because you keep reaching for that elusive goal of the most perfectly sublime painting/sculpture/music/choose your medium. And when and if you ever reach it.....well, what's the point of carrying on?
So in a way I welcome that 'push/pull' feeling.
It means I'm still moving forward.

The Three 'R's.......

2011-06-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd talk about some of the art books in my collection of over 300 (may I add) that I've found helpful in the creative process. Then again, I have a vast amount of the purely visual eye cookies in art books too and they are worth a mention as well. Being as it's the weekend and even though I have a deadline for finishing my painting looming like the proverbial sword - I am also planning a 'couch retreat' with a good book later. In my world, the three 'R's stand for "reading, reading and really a lot of books".
Anywheretobeginway, I thought that I'd try to break it down into categories over the next few posts and that way accomplish a few things at the same time, to wit: having something to blog about, helpful art related books and organizing the library.....how clever is that!
OKee-Pokey......here we go:
Catagory 1:
ART BOOKS I USE OVER AND OVER AND OVER
'Rendering In Pen and Ink'
by Arthur L. Guptill
watson-guptill publications
This is one of those enduring classics that ANY ONE the least bit artistic should have. It's been in print for over 60 years and I think that illustrates just how good a book it is. I originally 'stole' a copy some 32 years ago from the MooseJaw Public Library - yes I returned it many years ago with apologies both monetary and verbally contrite - but this book has been a constant 'go to' for me. If any of you are interested in learning how to draw in black and white and also for anyone who wants to get into the comics and graphic arts field....this IS the book. Some of the information is dated as it originally came out when you drew with 'qwill pens' but it still is applicable to the more 'user friendly' tools of today. got a budding artist in your midst? This book with a set of drawing pens (see your local art store) makes a great gift.

'Drawing Dynamic Hands'
Burne Hogarth
watson-guptill publications
Actually ANY art book by Burne Hogarth is worth getting - a real master of human anatomy etc and he was a founder of the School of Visual Art in NYC . This book is dog eared and coffee/paint/ink stained and full of notes etc by me. Hands are the most difficult of body parts to get right for me so this is definitely my bible. It's made a huge difference in my drawing and painting of hands.

'Painting Watercolor Florals That Glow'
Jan Kuntz
northlight books
I haven't painted in watercolor for a long long time now - 4 years?? - but this book was a 'top 10' from those years and I still go back to it. If you're into floral painting, it doesn't get better than this.

'Making Color Sing'
Jeanne Dobie
northlight books
I cannot say enough about this book. I've had my copy since the early 80's and it stands the test of time. Although geared towards watercolor, the information on how to place color in your painting to make it 'pop' with visual excitement works for acrylic as well. A gem.

'Arteffects'
Jean Drysdale Green
watson-guptill publications
Everything, and I mean everything you need to know about experimenting with all art media to achieve different effects in your paintings. Opened my eyes and made my hands itch to really take it up a notch. It has lead me down some fantastic paths to where I am today. Granted, not all attempts worked out but some did and you can see that.

...I have to stop here but honestly, I've pulled out way more books. However in trying to stick to the category of 'use over and over and over' I need to be stern with myself....it's just that some of the ones I pulled out made me all 'hey! this is so good too I forgot it was here and I should mention it too'.....well, that's why we love books isn't it? They spark our imaginations and make us dream big.
Until next time....hope you find some that work for you too!

Painting is: "Woman Reading on Bench" by Carl Larssen - and an artist who I've collected books on....but that's another category.

Say CHEESE!

2011-06-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is a 'photo board' ......which, pretty obviously, is a kind of painted board of amusing characters that you stick your head in the hole and have a pic snapped, thereby making 'you' the character. These were really popular in the Victorian age when photography was in it's infancy and folks got a kick out of looking 'different'. Well, not much has changed on that front. This board was a commission from my town's local Chamber of Commerce who requested a 'fun' west-coasty themed one to place at the Info Center out at the junction where the road forks to go either to Tofino, the Park or good ol' Ukee ( that's a much easier way to say U-Clue-Let...huh...?) It was a great project to design and paint except for the added twist of having to figure out how to make it possible to take in at night by the staff (whom are posing in the above photo) and I handed that job off to my friend who is a retired shop teacher and I have to say came up with a pretty nifty set up. I did envision kids of a younger set being more of the fan base but from the reports so far, it seems those 'bigger' kids want to get 'into the act' too. ( .....just how many little quotey marks can we use.....)
I think it's pretty zippy, myself! I would like to do lots of them for all over town...say, one with a bear, wolf, cougar and eagle maybe......or perhaps some mermaids and mermen.
Or some 'fisherman' type old salt kind of guy......or how about a surfer dude? Dudette?
Yesiree.....we could get right carried away with this.....
Oh, please let me!

You Got To Admit It's Getting Better - It's Getting Better All The Time

2011-06-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

(It Can't Get No Worse)
...la la la....thought I'd start this off with a little old Beatles tune, since I'm an old beatle myself. Yes by all the turning season's it's come around to my birthday again. Tomorrow in actuality, but we're writing today as I'm going to rela-a-A-A-x tomorrow. By painting a-a-a-all day! Sweet!
I share this birthday month with Sir Paul McCartney whose birthday falls on June 18th which, oddly enough, is my older son's birthday as well......how about that.
Anyhowmanytimescanwesaybirthdayway, I was wondering what artists I share this occasion with and lo and behold it's EGON SCHIELE - and I am a big fan of his. The painting above is done from one of his. With a few of my touches. I did this one as a 'trade' with my hairdresser...a long time honored practise in the arts community - generally how famous artist's paintings end up being discovered in some dusty attic or mouldy basement many years later because the following generations put away that 'awful/dumb/weird' (insert epithet of choice) painting granpa traded some ratty looking schmuck for some soup.
And I'm pretty sure that's the fate of some of the art I've created......funny to muse on that possibility. If you believe in reincarnation, well, I might even 'discover' myself in some far off age....and now we're getting really off track with this kind of strangeness.
Yes, there you go with my brain.....anylet'smovealongshallweway, I am going to turn 58 which in and of itself is no big deal except it has me right smack dab up against the fact that 60 is right around the corner and that is one of those 'pivitol' birthdays. More so than 50 which I could sort-a pretend that was still 'young-ish'. Yepper - 60 is where you really face the fact that you're in the 'winter' of your life - even if you are all the trite and goofy quotes ( you're as young as you feel; it's not the years in you're life but the life in you're years...yadda yadda yadda) Nobody lives forever. I saw that on the back of a fantastically painted VW van yesterday and that's been rattling around in my head for 2 days.
Because that's the reality of life, isn't it? We all have to pass on to whatever comes next in whatever your belief system says....and that includes you out there that staunchly insist you have none - it's still a belief.
Wowzers....we are getting old - there's all that 'philisophical' yap yap that seems to suddenly descend upon you when you're 'old'...eep!
Let's just say that getting older is 'getting better all the time'. What was so scary about this? I get more compliments on my white/grey hair than I ever did when I was young...huh. AND I find the best thing is how stuff just doesn't get me all stressed and freaky anymore. And that's a gift for sure. I'll take it.
Thank you Life!

Working 9 to 5

2011-06-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ok....let's not drivel on about how I've completely abandoned this blog....well, not entirely because here I am.....but I agree it's been some time.
A..N...D here's the reason.
I got a job.
Yes, indeedly, packyourlunchandbringabriefcase we are adding our woeful self that has had maybe @ 3 'real' jobs in our life to the general masses. Mainly because I am so broke currently, I find it behooves me to accept the fact that I need to.
Ah, sigh bloody sigh. Wouldn't it be fantastic to find a 'patron' that would enable me to live and paint.....but those days are long long past my friends. And if you really look at the whole patron thing; well, they actually told you what to paint.
Two sides to every story, good people.
So, for the next 4 to maybe 6 weeks, I will be getting up and ready-ing myself in a presentable way (perhaps girding my loins is more appropo...?) - as opposed to donning my paint splattered baggy sweats and hoodies - and spending 7 to 8 hrs typing stats into a pc for Census Canada. My arm is really considering packing it's bags and leaving....soon.
Now, aside from the fact that it's an eye opener working a 'government job' (can we say 'anal'?), I am so unfreekingbelievably tired at the end of these days I fall asleep at 9:00. Seriously. I feel like I've been transported back to 9 years old.
And the worst thing about all that is I have no energy to work on my painting. And I feel that wrench deeply. * Let's insert another sigh here, ok? *
Now like so many many of us, I live for the weekend - except by then my dishes and my clothes are piled up in teetering towers with the flies circling and DEMAND that I deal with them first.
My god. It's like an Escher print.
However, I keep saying to myself , " I will just focus on getting through this as best as I can and the money will give me a nest egg to carry on...." and it boils down to putting one foot in front of the other and doing what it takes.
.....but...9 o'clock?!?
..eesh.

Painting is "Self Portrait in Tub With Chinese Food" by Lee Price and boy does this hit home right now because I admit I did crawl into the tub with a plate of toast and then went to bed....
...eesh....again.

For Cryin' Out Loud - I'm Not Dead Yet!!

2011-05-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

See this? It's a 'painting' I did wa-a-a-a-y the hell-o back in the late 70's....I think; maybe even very early 80's. Anywhatthehellnextway, it's popped up FOR SALE on 'www.usedvancouver.com' for - and get ready to gasp - $ 1000.00......seriously.
I'm not quite sure how to react to this.
Part of me is flattered in a 'wow, look, I'm worth something after all must mean I'm getting famous' way but there's the other side to this and that's a bit of W.T.F. ?!!
This was such an early painting - and let's clarify that because it's actually a colored pen and ink drawing - and the perspective is so off and I really did funny people but there you go. (I believe I did post about this some time ago...I'll have to find that post after I have my fit of pique here)
the part that's so WTF about this, is that here is 'the unknown' who bought this at Value Village (I kid you not) for $2.00. And now, because of the long and hard earned reputation I've made for myself, wants to cash in on it.
Good luck on that, by the way, as I'm having a hell of a time selling anything lately and am down to drinking my coffee black because I can't afford milk.
Ok...all the wha wha poor me aside, this is the kind of thing that makes Artists collectively sigh - or perhaps scream in the great irony of it all. It does keep you humble ....well, it should anyway. The vultures are circling.
The irony is right.
And that's the lousiest frame job ever!
I wonder if I'll ever find out what the outcome is.
Sincerely bemused.
P.S. the original post about this painting is " BLAST FROM THE PAST" 10/20/10. The ending about how 'they really love it' takes on a whole new meaning after this, hey?
Sheesh.

The Artist in Their Studio

2011-05-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been prepping for a new painting over the last couple of days and that means, for me anyworkitgirlway, that I scrounge around in my stretcher wood pieces - they are strips of wood usually around 1.5" to 2" width - that I cut down to the required lengths and from there assemble and repair if needed - knotholes and sanding corners etc - and paint to keep it clean. After that comes the stretching of the canvas. I buy my canvas in large rolls (60" X 80') so it has to be cut to fit the frame every time. If you've never seen canvas being stretched I'll try to 'talk' you through the process. You start by making sure the frame sits relatively square within your piece of canvas that hopefully you've cut with enough 'margin allowance' to fit around and over the frame. From there, you staple the canvas (with industrial size staples!) to the middle point of the first side of your frame. Then you flip it to the opposite side and repeat. and etc etc around the frame, going from opposite side to opposite side. The tool you use to accomplish the straight and taught canvas you require are called - oh so obviously - 'canvas pliers'. They look like wide mouth pliers so to enable grabbing the canvas strongly and pulling tightly as you go.
Following me still?
After the canvas is nicely stretched and it should be tight enough to sound rather 'drum like' when you tap it - you fold the corners in neatly and evenly. Not as simple as it sounds as you need to ensure you aren't creating a big lumpy mess. It took me a good while to get it down pat, I must say.
Next comes the 'Gesso'. Gesso is a special base coat of usually white but you can get it in different colors, paint. It is rather like a very chalky paint. The extra 'chalk' - and it actually is a kind of chalk - gives your canvas a base that will 'hold' the paint better causing good adherence. You need around 2 to 3 coats laid down depending on how thick you make it. I used to struggle with putting on this coat as the Gesso is very thick and is a slow process for the first coat. Then I hit upon the idea of wetting down the whole canvas before putting on the first coat. ( as an aside - this process with me and my decidedly HUGE canvases is enormously entertaining to any viewers - to me it's a royal pain as I try to maneuver it under the shower head in the hovel's teensy tiny bathroom. There is a LOT of water everywhere when I finally am done. However, I have very clean bathroom floors from having to mop them after. A bright side to everything) This has made ALL the difference to putting on the first coat and as an added bonus really gives me a taught canvas after drying.
It takes about a day to dry completely and I have to admit I'm generally impatient to get my line drawing on so I'll stick the canvas by my heater or if it's a sunny day - outside. This wet and blazingly white canvas however, seems to attract every little black bug in a 3 mile radius.
All in all quite the process.
But as I go through it I'm thinking about how the thread of this 'prepping' stretches back throughout time to all the artist painters. It's a good feeling to know that even Frida Khalo and Georgia O'Keeffe did this too. We are all connected by this simple eternal act of art.
I feel part of something larger. Nice.
The pic is: "An Artist In His Studio" by John Singer Sargent. I like this for a couple of reasons. One because it's the whole theme of today's post but mostly because the guy has his canvas crammed into his unmade bed and is working in a little space.
And THAT really makes me feel connected!

LIVING THE MYTH SERIES - painting # 2

2011-05-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

" Running With The Wolf " - Mixed Media > acrylic with hand painted collage - 42 X 46"

For some time now I've posted my paintings on Facebook as I find it gets great feedback for me. I put this one one @ 5:30 p.m. today. By 8:00 I had 15 respones - and all pretty great too - the most any painting has garnered in such short time.
Well.....just color me gobsmacked.
Now if it sells that will be icing on the cake indeed.

Goodnight Dear Kiddies Wherever You Are

2011-05-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ah, Mother's Day.....the day that makes me cringingly writhe internally with feelings of disgust and longing. Disgust for the fact that it has become an almost obligatory celebration proscribed with some kind of feasting and floral tribute, and longing for the same from my children. A certifiable 'crazy making' state indeed.
For many whose mothers have passed on, it's a bittersweet day. For those whose mothers are not really 'acceptable', it can be tainted with "if only". For those whose mothers are 'difficult', it is filled with guilt and anger.
Ah, such things are fodder for the analyst's couch.
Not everyone gets the 'Norman Rockwell' version.
I've made no bones about the rather tortured relationship my own mother and I shared here, all that is visually documented in the paintings I create. And as for me as a mother....well, I left my own children at a young age and then I fell headlong into 'the rabbit hole' of drugs and debauchery until I changed my life with art.
Enough said.
Today I want to remember my Mom for the 'good times' and, yes there were those amongst the crippling awful. In all things there seems to be bad with good - perhaps this is why we get so confused. Nothing is completely black and white, but various shades of grey.
The title of today's ditty comes from a bedtime song Mom would sing to my brother and me. We refused to go to sleep until she sat on the stairs and sang that song....I'm pretty sure it was made up and she sung it to the old tune of 'Goodnight Young Lovers' and, boy oh boyo, if that doesn't date me, nothing will! She had a goofy sense of humour too. Honestly I do recall laughing until I wet my pants with her over the oddest things she'd do. Once when we were in a dept. store shopping, she spied some dress that was in the display case beside the escalator we were riding on. As we passed by it, she leaned over the railing and picked up the dress's hem to look for a price tag. Of course the escalator was continuing it's decent and consequently the manikin toppled over as my mom pulled it along with her. She also would make these incredibly weird faces that sent my brother and me into paroxysms of giggles.
And she made awesome soup.
So today let's celebrate the person that made it possible to live this life no matter what or how or why. She too was all too human and had her history that we may never understand.
For all you gave me, thanks mom.
The photo is of me and my sons in 1982 and my favourite photo of us together. And in case you are wondering, that's face paint on my eldest son's face - not some strange tribal tattoo.

Oh Canada! The true north strong and free!

2011-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

In case any of my readers reside in an alternate universe (and can I visit?) Canada had a major Federal Election yesterday. Now just in case you are now wildly screaming or perhaps your jaw is immediately embarked upon the act of yawning, may I reassure you all I am not going to blither on about politics. I shall, instead, be blithering on about the whole thing of voting from my side of the voting table, being that I have been involved in facilitating the voting process for the last 9 elections, both provincial and federal.
It's a huge commitment to put yourself forward to do this. I'm not saying that to garner any back-patting murmurs of congratulation but to point out it's not a job for slackers. This is a serious undertaking you are engaging in. And the hours are abysmal - 3 eleven hr days for the advanced polls and 16 hrs for the Election itself, where you must also be responsible for the counting of the votes cast after the long and often dreary or - certainly in yesterday's case - extremely busy day.
But I believe strongly in the process which I think many take for granted in our free land. How privileged we are.
The thing that struck me the most about yesterday was that it was so busy. It makes me hopeful that our good citizens are actually engaging in the responsibility in the governance of our country. However, the fact that so few young people do not vote and blow it off as not worth the effort saddens me. If only they realized the power they have to change our world. We certainly would have a government more committed to environmental concerns. And, may I hopefully dream, the Arts.
This is the other side of living in a Democratic society, you are free to exercise the right to vote or not.
So for those of you who DID exercise this right, thank you. And despite the outcome, that you are happy about or hugely disappointed in, may I hope you will still be true to your beliefs, encourage the positive and be mindful of the environment we all share.

The painting: " Esoteric Dreams " by Eugene Ivanov. I chose this because it made me think of how the media can color our voting choice. Often we float along and have no stronger idea of what is happening politically except for those 5 min sound bytes from all these odd folks who have something to do with running our land.

The new series: LIVING THE MYTH - Down The Rabbit Hole

2011-04-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

And here it is, finally, the newest painting. This one certainly has been a journey to complete. It started as a large canvas 40" X 60" and the figure was first standing up against the wall with legs akimbo (and isn't that a great word?) and the rabbit going through the door from between the legs. However part way through the start of painting that, I had a visit from a very dear young artist friend who is the manager of a prestigious gallery in Vancouver and someone who I mentored as a child. Kinda cool that. Anyawaywegoagainway, he came to a small show I was doing at a new venue here and was giving me some hints and pointers. The problem is that I got tangled up in the 'maybe-I'm-not-painting-the-right-way-so-I-need-to-change' idiocy due to the shaky self confidence we creative souls often have. It made me fool around with the original painting lay out and, well, basically, screw it up royally.
So I just redid the whole thing; cut down the frame to 38" X 40", and redrew the figure. And this is what came from that.
I'm thinking this worked out just right.
The background was a hand carved stamp of a tree that I painted to make it more sharp. The cat is Jams....and isn't she just perfect. I had to redo her wonky eye mind you. I hand painted them as well. That's got to be the coolest effect.
Never give up. And stay true to your vision.
Word.

Riders Of The Storm

2011-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

I was a witness to something today that has left me feeling...well, ugly and disturbed. Our little town has maybe @ 1800 or so souls that live in it and as we reside in a traditional land of First Nations People, there is a healthy population of our native folk that make up the population as well. Earlier today when I was in town doing some banking at the C Union, I happened upon two young native girls, perhaps 13 or 14, all of a sudden turning upon each other and whaling the crap out of each other. Not just a push/shove thing, but full on face punching and vicious kicking. In the 30 odd years of living here, that's a first for me. It was over long before any cop would've been able to attend and the kids scattered like leaves as soon as it was over.
I am finding this hard to fathom. Granted I'm pretty much out-of-sync with the times but still and all it saddens me to see that now we women are falling down to this level of violence. And to see young women particularly is disheartening.
Mind you I've known some pretty savage girls in my youth. One particular one who springs to mind, would wield her skipping rope with such force you would end up with welts.
Maybe this just points out the reality of life as a First Nations girl and that is just more sad to me.
I don't know what else to say about this and, truthfully, it would most likely sound sanctimonious and hypocritical.
I grieve for my sisters.
On a more positive note, the new painting is almost done and I'm right chuffed about it! It's been a bit of a trial but I think the end product is pretty kick-ass. Mind you knowing me I'll be frustrated with it about 1/2 hour after laying down my brush.......but then, that's what keeps you keeping on.

The paintings are from a series titled " Femme Maison " by Louise Bourgeois a titan in the world of feminist art. This series showed the way that we as women were 'branded' by our proscribed lives as 'housewives' not that long ago. I remember one time that I had been listed as 'Housewife' on a census tally and was outraged that the typically misogynist male census taker had so cavalierly treated my assertion that I was an Artist.
How long, Lord, how long.......

Apologies with a story.

2011-04-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ah my friends, I have been truly amiss in my attentions to this blog.....what can we say. Life seems to overwhelm at times in the way it does and all becomes impossibly chaotic. And my mind becomes blank with thinking about what to entertain you with.
I have been busy with painting - that never changes and thank all that is wonderfully creative it is so. My BIG piece has caused much tearing-out-of-hair but the end product seems to be working.
Anyflingingpaintaboutway, I thought to 'sugar-coat' my bad behavior that I'd tell you a story. It's called:

PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY
When I was a child growing up in the 1950's, my best friend lived two houses away from me. Marilyn was two years older than me but that seemed inconsequential to the bond we formed. I believe I spent more time at her home than at my own. I certainly looked upon her mom as mine too.
Marilyn had a younger brother, Barry, but opposite of my deep abiding affection for my own brother, Barry was viewed by both Marilyn and me as 'the enemy'. We openly disdained his presence whenever around him.
So it was completely out of character the day I 'played' with him. As I recall, Marilyn was not there and time has lost the reason why.
Barry had a power of dark persuasion in any group of children . We all knew it but it never failed that every child was enthralled by him. He could suggest the most wicked behavior and each and every one of us would blindly obey. However, he himself never participated. And, true to form, we others would then be caught by any parental authority with Barry loudly exclaiming "I told them not to!"
In retrospect it defies belief to remember how we children could all be taken in each and every time.
On the particular day I'm telling about here, Barry convinced me to spit upon a young boy who was 'different' He and his family were recent immigrants and had moved to our neighbourhood. He spoke little English and to our censorious eyes, dressed 'funny'. Oh how cruel children can be. In the world of childish 'rules' he was a target indeed.
I carried out the heinous act and, of course, was observed by the young boy's mother who promptly informed mine. Summarily I was marched over to their house and made to apologise. Oh! The horror! Fifty years have not dulled the cringing shame of that moment.
And Barry?
As my my mother and I passed him by, me, with my arm firmly clasped in my mother's fist and sobbing wildly, Barry called out, "I told her not to!"

The painting: 'Children's Games" by Pieter Brueghel - try to look at this painting in a close up. So incredible to see that kids have been kids, well, forever.

Please See Version Two For That

2011-04-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I'd like to have a duplicate 'me' to handle everyday stuff.
Don't we all?
You have to admit having the 'other' to deal with appointments and interrupting telephone calls and the myriad stuff that makes up our day would be nice.
For me this thought always jumps to the forefront of my mind around this time of year because it goes from the desert of nothing going on to the tidal wave of a full schedule of events. And it's seemingly all at once.
This month of March is generally the kick off to my 'arty' year with the PRAS Art Show that has 3 works I need to create. That leads into assorted other things and these can depend on the reception of work displayed at the show which may mean a commission or 2. Then there is my 'BIGDEAL' show - Sooke Fine Arts Show- that I try to create 3 major works for. In 'major' I mean that I push my boundaries and kick up my work a notch or two. And for some reason that calls the working of the universe into question, I get asked to do many various things - all art related! - that end up with me having to make a list and timeline to stick on my high-tech bulletin board, (the back of my door (I LOOK at it every time Jams needs a stroll in the outside environment....every 1/2 hr it seems)) all so that I can keep the balls all in the air.
At the current moment I have:
* Painting for Sooke Show (only 1/3 way through first piece)
* Designing, building and painting a photo Cut-Out board for the Chamber of Commerce.
* Poster for a local DJ
* Set up of work and ccommitment to appearance during Arts Week March 10th to 15th
All (or most) to be done by month end.

In addition to above, I must make a not-so-nice trip into Port (1 1/2 hrs away) for a 'special' ultra sound on a gimpy body part and you can understand why I'd like to be cloned.
Meanwhile, back on the ranch, Jams has morphed into a clingy 14 month old.
I cannot sit down at the computer with out her immediately positioning herself by my knee and constantly putting out her paw - with claws extended- into said knee, demanding a pick-up-and-scratch-me-pet-me scenario.
That is the monster I've created.
Now, if I cloned myself.....
Picture is of a sculpture called "The First Human Clone" by Wesley Anderegg. I like this because that's how my clone would feel and look doing all the above.
I know I do.

The BEST Four-Letter Word

2011-03-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

And that would be SOLD.

Yes indeedly, can we say the Art Show was a resounding success?

Let's.

In all the years I've been involved with our little local Art Show (and that's been close to 20 years...eesh!) this is the first time I've sold all pieces submitted. Sweet. (and the Bank is v.v. happy too) The show also made history by being the first show to make a substantial amount of money with more works and big ticket ones at that, being sold. There are some 'kicking-myself' artists around here for not entering today I'll bet. I'm sure a lot of the success has to do with the new venue of the Black Rock Resort here in lil' ol' Ukee. What a grand place! I thought when the show was in the Pacific Rim Park Info Center on Wickaninnish Beach that nothing would be able to top it....well, I stand corrected.

It makes having to tackle my income tax 'files' (that's a loose term - picture proverbial 'shoebox') (not kidding) almost pleasurable.

And it feels good to know all the hard work of setting up/taking down has paid off so handsomely.

Hi-YO ! I'm over here!

2011-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

In my eternal quest to garner some recognition for my art, I posted some paintings on a site promising recognition and etc etc etc. Admitting to ~~some~~ alot of scepticism in this kind of thing I was pleasantly surprised to get the following today:

Dear Marla,

Thank you for sharing your work and your story by submitting to The Power of Self. The Self-portrait, in any medium or interpretation, is an incredibly powerful means of personal expression. We recognize the great amount of reflection it takes to create a work of self portraiture and we’d like to offer you some feedback on your Power of Self submission.
Your portfolio is an intriguing interpretation of the portrait in the painting genre. I find it fascinating how you are using the old photographs of your mother as inspiration and creating totally new paintings. I love the graphic element in your work and how you mix all kinds of opposing patterns together! That is so successful. I especially like how in Beginning you blend the subject's hair into the pattern of the flower. Your work is really strong and I look forward to seeing it progress even further!
Our amazing panel of judges will decide our Grand Prize Winner, however, People’s Choice voting is now open, so share your portfolio with all your friends, family and social network and ask them to vote for you!
Your Portfolio Link: Share this Link!

http://Marlathirsk.see.me/aw2011

By sharing your link and gathering votes/feedback you will increase your chances at winning the $2,500 cash prize and the publicity that comes with the People’s Choice Award.
Thanks,

Marietta Davis
Guest Curator
Artists Wanted
curator@artistswanted.org
http://www.artistswanted.org/

.....well, it is a kind of 'pat-yer-own-back' feeling to get folks to vote for you but if you do feel I deserve some wee bit of notice, could you swing over there and click on the number of stars you feel I warrant.
Goddessofallartisticendeavors knows I could stand the monetary handout.
I thank you.

The Mixed Bag Edition

2011-03-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello-o-o-o kiddies!
Just because you've been so good and waited so patiently, I have a BIG bag of all-sorts-of-things-to-blather-on-about! Oh Joy! Oh Happiest of Readers! Oh Shut Up!
Ok, lots has been going on; from the ridiculous to the sublime.....and where shall we start?
Let's begin with the yearly local Art Show. Every year in my little part of the world the yearly Art Show gets put on. I've been a part of this for a goooood many years in one form or another, so it was no big thing to offer to help when I dropped off my work on Monday. As per usual I get drafted into 'making the tags' because I have nice printing. When your Gr. 1 teacher writes this on your report card, beware. You are doomed to forever after to be the one who gets all the 'printing' jobs, but I digress.....
As I'm bent over carefully scribing I get to also watch the other work being delivered.
Mother-of-all-things-calling-themselves-Artists!! Is there NO pride in what you've created?! The vast majority of work is so sloppily framed or presented it makes me cringe. Without a word of a lie, I saw one piece where the artist had glued her work to pieces of driftwood and put in screw eyes and wire from a stripped twist tie. Of course my 'professionalism' gets on it's high horse and tells these souls that they need to learn to 'frame' properly and, most understandably, they get miffed. Shut Up, Marla.
I know it's expensive to go to a frame shop; I was a picture framer for 15 years, I get that, but but but! If you are going to charge BIG prices for your work then by all that is aesthetic! learn! to! present! your! work! like a professional!
If this kind of thing was delivered to the Sooke fine Arts show it would be summarily rejected. Because we are in a small community, it treads a fine line with 'not wanting to offend' anyone. But this show will FOREVER be a craft/art/small potatoes show because of this. I am offering to put on a seminar about this but I may have alienated so many 'artists' that no-one will show....serves me right, huh.
Let's calm down and go to our favorite feline for comic relief shall we?
Jams has been slowing down - age is creeping up on my furry sister...as it does to us all. I could insert the latest personal body decreptitude anecdote but let's not. So, as we are wont to do, Jams and I are lying in bed - I am reading, she is not. Now, I keep the window cracked open wide enough so that Jams can flit out for a midnight reconioter if she so wishes. I heard rustling outside but paid no attention. In my little world, it's pretty par for the course to have deer stroll by 2 feet from my bedroom window, although there have been the occaisional bear or two. So, I pay no heed to the movement out there. However, I DID look up when I realized the 'creature' was actually approaching my open window. Suddenly two bright eyes appear surrounded by a dark mask.....RACOON! The world exploded right then because JAMS caught on to what was going down and literally flew through the air towards the window and the 'intruder' - I launched myself in the same direction too and the collision at the narrow but still open window was cataclysmic! I was smacking Jams down to keep her from propelling herself onto the racoon's person as she was mightly hissing and growling and at the same time I was also flinging my book at the creature to keep it from coming in. AND trying to slam the window shut. It promptly jammed, of course.
However it closed enough to keep Jams in and the night prowler out.
I believe this is all it took to scare that poor racoon into the furthest regions of somewhere else since I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since.
And the window now only opens 2".
PHEW*
In my own arty world, I have run out of old vintage photos......horrors for a few days as I had to flounder about trying to find new ideas. Maybe rework the photos? Perhaps use other vintage snaps? Maybe use contemporary poses in a vintage way? I put out a call through my FB cronies for old pics anyone had to see if there was anything but even though many fine fine examples were offered there wasn't anything that 'jump started' the creative muse....think she was sulking.....anywhatadarkmomentway, I was visited with inspiration. And because it's so fresh I'll try to show you how this process works.
I'm thinking about the old photos of mom and how the paintings have provided the 'mythology' of my life, if you will. This gets me musing on the whole thing of 'my life'. And 'myths'...mostly being the ones that have had impact on my own behavior. And what's my biggest warped viewpoint?
Relationships. (After 3 failed marriages and some decidedly poor choices in the opposite sex, I think that I can safely say that I'm processing some bad info. ) And where did I get my 'ideas about relationships' from?
Fairy Tales. Yepper, like: Cinderella (the Prince was gonna ride up and discover me and take me away), Red Riding Hood (the strong guy was always gonna protect me) and Alice in Wonderland (it was all magical and tralala and the Mad Hatter was the guy for me) (oh and drugs were yummy....NOT!) Boy, I'm telling you the richness of this vein makes my fingers itch!
My next series are going to be on the theme of myths as applied to how they have shaped my life and I'm calling it "Living The Myth".
Just built and stretched and prepped the canvas to my biggest frame yet > 60" X 40"......can't wait! I'll keep you posted!
Picture is an illustration: "Mixed Bag Mythology" by Nigel Quarless....could I have found anything more perfect?

Oh Vincent, I understand....

2011-03-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

Oh Vincent I understand. I really do. What a weary-ing life being an Artist is. You put your soul, your vision on canvas but it seems no one can see. You struggle and struggle to keep body and soul together. You debase yourself to just have food on the table; to pay the bills, the neverending bills. You give away your best work for the means to survive. You will paint souless dreck for the same reason. It's always more money needed for supplies. The people ignore what you've created or tell you patronizing little things that shrivel you up. You want to love, you want to just lay your head down on a comforting shoulder, but it's never there. Or in this desperate need to just feel a human touch once in a while, you choose unwisely and, yet again, become a fool for it. It is so endless. It is often just too much to bare any longer. You just need to paint; cannot anyone see or understand that and give you some recognition? So, yes Vincent, I understand why you got tired. Why it was beyond endurance any longer. But you are missed for what may have come later.
As for me, even though I am feeling tired-of-it-all today, the sun has come out and is casting a magnificent light across the distant mountains. And I am captured by thinking of how to paint that. My friends are helping me to find some new inspiration. And I know that this is the journey and it will be recognized. All is battle when you choose to live your life creating.

The painting: "Wheatfield With Crows" attributed to being Vincent's last painting before he took his life. Wrongly so, however. There is documented evidence that he painted 2 other paintings before his untimely demise. I think that folks pick this one because of the somewhat 'ominous' atmosphere that Van Gogh captured.

ORDINARY LIFE ( 2 )

2011-03-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

36 x 42" ACRYLIC with painted collage.

Is There Anybody Out There

2011-02-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

You know, this morning I was coming here to 'DELETE' this whole Blog. Couple of things why.....first I read this post by a friend on FaceBook about the 10(?) reasons why no one comes to your blog or somesuch thing - I'll get the right name and link after - and cringed after reading it as I pretty much was doing all the wrong things: writing about my successes; posting my paintings; ~~bitching~~ complaining mightily about my life...etc etc. Apparently this is viewed as B-O-R-I-N-G and not de rigueur in the realm of the Bloggo-sphere. (Am I???) (Horrors)
And I was thinking, it's been well over a year now that I've been trying to be witty or whatever you'd call it and I've gotten 3 comments total. And, admittedly I haven't posted lately because it's actually hard to think of thing....oddly enough. Even the unconventual lifestyle I have.
Oh, and the cat.
Harsh.
Sound evidence that I'm not the myth I think I am.....so I was just going to quit.
Well, just like Life likes to do when you think you've got it all sussed.....there was 'K's' little comment on my last post. And somehow, I was renewed.
And all of the proceeding has me thinking about 'feedback' or acknowledgement. An Artist's life is pretty much in the solitary envelope of a studio. Even when you have your paintings on display, it can be in a gallery or Show that you are not around all the times and consequently can miss dialogue about your painting (or you yourself....depending!)
We ALL need to have interaction in our lives. If you constantly put out your 'work' and no one responds, it leaves you feeling, well, alone. And it doesn't have to be even Art, per say. We need that word or that touch to let us carry on no matter what we do. It's a recognition that tells us we have worth in this very aberrated world.
So, THANK YOU 'K' and if i may be so bold....let me know, every once in a while, please, that you are out there. And if I AM worse than watching paint dry (which I am fascinated by because it changes color as it dries and the painting morphs...but I digress...yet again) well, let me know that too. What would you be interested in?
Willing to please.
Painting by Edward Hopper and I forgot to get the title so I will correct that as well...sigh. I love the atmosphere he portraits. THAT is some amazing when you think it's paint and shapes on flat canvas. In the presence of a master, my friends.....
*the addendum:
7 Annoying Social Media Personality Disorders
http://www.pushingsocial.com/
AND
' Morning Sun ' is the title.

CREE-ATE-TIVITEE!

2011-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Once again while involved in my 'personal fav' ~~wasting time~~ activity, trolling the by-ways of the Internet Highway, I found this gem. And my memory immediately flashed on my brother. My brother, an infinitely good soul if ever there was and a sibling that I love with all my heart, was not a child viewed as being anything special by the grown-ups around us. Mainly, he was considered a 'troublesome' Dennis-the-Menace clone. I believe that one of the first instances of his particular 'bent' surfaced at age 3 when he stood up on the handlebars of his tricycle and pulled down the handle on the Fire Alarm Box attached on the telephone pole at the end of our block. (Do they even have those around anymore?) Anyway the ensuing rush of sound and then arrival of large fire engines was the height of young boy nirvana, I'm sure. And the repercussions from my mother when brought home by the firemen was not, I'm also pretty sure.
Anyahthememoriesway, he wasn't particularly recognized as 'creative' in an 'artistic' sense. However, when he was around age 11 or 12, he started taking apart his bikes and rebuilding them into fabulous creations resembling the one in the the picture above. They were truly remarkable.
My point in all this rambling story-blabla, is that there are so many of us that believe or are not recognized for having any creative 'juice', so-to-speak', yet inside each and every one of us lies the fire of creativity. But lets take a moment to look at 'creativity' in a different light from the obvious talents of painting or sculpture or even sewing etc.
As you go about your ordinary day, the fact that you 'create' each and every moment may escape you. Isn't there a special way you choose to dress? (and I include even those who think 'just-any-old-thing' is not especially creative because it is as well - it's your personal statement of self and that's creativity) How about those women who 'make-up' their faces? That's 'painting', my dears. And your home environment. The way you place your 'bits-and-bobs' about you is creating, even those who live in the chaos of a self imposed hurricane. Homeless folks will 'decorate' their boxes or small corners too. Well, I've mentioned all this in previous posts.
Thing is, there is a something that calls to us all. And consciously or unconsciously we answer to it.
Today, right now, I want you to start thinking about your seemingly ordinary movements. Recognize how you are 'creating'.
And then kick it up a notch.
Put the toast on the special plate. Add the colorful scarf. Stick a funny toy on the dashboard. Dance down the sidewalk. (Yes you can! Who cares what they think!)
Bet'cha you'll smile some more!

(*We had a power outage early this a.m. and it's played havock with the pc. My 'spellcheck' feature is disabled as a consequence so forgive the mistakes, even though I actually used my dictionary, a real book!)

Elusive Artist Sighted.....!

2011-02-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

Well, Hi there. Wondering where I was?
(As if......)
I was doing this. And trying to make ends meet.
God love a creative heart but these last couple of months have me envisioning the dark corners of old Montparnasse in Paris' heyday that had a large-ish artist citizenry living on the stealth and grasping pleas for money from friends and family......and, yes, I too have been reduced to this demeaning behavior.
I keep saying small internal prayers to whatever powers may be out there and just hanging on to the gut felt belief it WILL all work out.
Anywechosethelifeway, on we go. Pretty stoked to continue with a series of 'reading' themed paintings. Been finding some very cool old photos in the stash towards this end.
I'll probably be absent again for a bit. Please feel free to promo me to your acquaintances......I'll be ever grateful.
Title of painting:.......I'm not sure. either" Vintage Couch Surfing" or "I Never Saw Her Read A Book", which comes from the fact my mom never read anything but 'Movie Magazines'. It's only now that I realize that this was most likely due to English not being her first language.
*Ok...here it is some days later and I'm pretty sure the NEW title is: "ORDINARY LIFE". And it was....it's only in the eyes of today that the feeling of 'age' appears. I'm pretty sure, well ever since books and reading became a part of the human experience, that curling up with some good reading was enjoyed throughout the ages. And even now that 'Kindle' is fast becoming a part of our world, we'll still love to read.
Although I'm not sure if someone holding a 'small personal computer reading device' will make as nice a painting.....but I could be proved wrong in time.

THE SEVEN SISTERS - a commissioned work

2011-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

This was a very interesting commission from my friend Sylvia Harron - one that gave me a huge learning curve and a personal win.First let's introduce you to the ladies.

And they were some VERY cool women!

Starting Left to right:

Blanche-she started teaching in a one-room schoolhouse and went on to take a Masters in French language and literature in 1949.

Irene-She was Alberta's FIRST WOMAN amature vertebrate palentologist.

Ann-ran a beauty shop (including barbering) during the war in a Pool Room / Ice Cream Shop.

Violet (Sylvia's mom)In the RCAF and was a decoder in the secret service.

Bette-Drove around all over the states and Canada in a convertable.

Dorothy-The Story teller and prankster and the hub of her community.

Beatrice-Accomplished horsewoman and rancher.

I was hesitant at first; I don't think I can actually paint people that are 'people-you-know' so I said this to her. 'That's OK' she said "I like what you do - just catch the feeling of them'. And here's what happened. I DID get them - pretty darn good if I do say so . It was an honor to do this!!
Live and Learn, my friends. Live and Learn.

Yummy Yummy Yummy I've Got Love In My Tummy

2011-02-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

...and I feel like throwing up.
OOOO...sour grapes or what. Ah Valentine's Day and to quote my friend Tertia " Valentines Day is a ridiculous concept invented to make single people feel like crap and to line the pockets of over-priced florists, kitch card makers and the manufacturers of naff gifts. " And may I also add that if you can demonstrate your love for someone only on one day, that's just sad. Of course, that being said I admit to thinking if I was in a relationship, getting some wee token on this day does make me feel all smiley.
However the reality is : One year I got an ironing board (I kid you not) and one of the "ex's" was so disconnected from what was going on he usually remembered as he was coming home late and got a choccy bar at the gas station. Nice token of love and consideration, that.
So forgive me my cynical stance.
Anywhatafoolforloveway, I still believe in love. We all do. I don't think there is a person on this earth who doesn't wish for partnership with a significant other. And I have an undying hope in my heart-of-hearts that I'll still be able to find that.
Painting: "Las Dos Fridas" by Frida Khalo. What a painter she was! What a woman she was! And, if I didn't 'tend' to it, we share that 'uni-brow'. Undying and heartfelt reverence for this artist.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2011-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

In my odd and always eclectic life, I've found a few things along the way that defy the ordinary behaviors of matter, energy, space and time.
I have a 'magic mirror'.
Seriously true.
No, it doesn't have a big green face appearing telling me about the beautiful stepdaughter I need to get all 'HULK' over (however, the green face has appeared occasionally to warn me to improve my behavior....but I digress)
This particular mirror is in a well lit alcove just outside the bathroom and it ALWAYS makes me look good. (baring those aforementioned bad behaviors)
I have no explanation for why this should be. Honestly, it defies belief, but without a lie it just seems I look better whenever I look into it. Now, I have other mirrors in my skimpy artist hovel - 1 large floor length one in the studio along with a large old bathroom one someone gifted to me that is propped up against the wall in my living/everything else room and a very old one above my old antique dresser in my bedroom (however that one is so old it has 'silvered' and makes you appear with some very odd 'growths' on your kisser) I even take photos of myself in this magic mirror and they ALWAYS turn out swell.
But here's the thing. I ONLY have this magic awesomeness in that mirror. Out here in good old everyday, I look...well, ordinarily schlumpy and odd.
It's like living in a fiction life that rudely ends whenever I glimpse myself in other mirrors or windows.
I wish I could figure out a way to do an 'Alice-in-Wonderland-through the-looking-glass' thing.
Now, that would be magic indeed!
The pic is a photo of Sally Eilers, actress in 29 films from 1930 to 1935. Classy! And I'm fairly certain she looked good in more than one mirror.

Just a note...

2011-01-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

I'm sure anyone who reads OFF CANVAS has noted the decreasing number of posts lately. Well, it's the time of year - nothing much going on except hibernation - and a focus on getting together a body of work for the new season which kicks off for me in March.
Don't worry...as if I'm that important - I'll post new work and anything Jams gets up to.

Left Behind

2011-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling decidedly 'behind the times' lately......probably due to having been at a friend's 50th birthday party last Friday and getting into a conversation about illustrating books. You see, for special people's kids in my life, I've written and illustrated some 4 or 5 books. And they certainly are a work of art - all hand written and illustrated with original paintings. I had written and illustrated a delightful book for this particular birthday person's children some many Christmases ago and, as my present to her was a painting, she was telling the folks about the book.( I guess to let them know all the arty stuff you can score from me when you're my friend) Someone piped up with the remark "Oh, have you thought of illustrating books professionally?" (to me) And I started explaining how you needed to be versed in the specific computer skills that the book illustrating industry today requires etc etc when it hit me.....I'm being left behind because I'm a dinosaur.....I don't have computer skills. Oh, I can fumble around and stuff in a pretty low key way but I'm out of my depth when it comes to using any of the graphic applications available now.
I kinda am bummed about it. And, yes, I expect I could learn but not in this remote spot.......in any case it really hits me with the fact I'm getting old.
All of a sudden time is flying by and I'm running real fast but the last person in the race passed me by some miles back. I don't recognize the names of musicians anymore and I'm out of the loop for what's cool. Never mind how I dress - that's a whole other kind of hopeless.
There is one good thing about being an Artist in all of this however. Most of what I can or can't do, act or say or wear for that matter, just is viewed as 'eccentricity' of the first order.
Once again, thanks Great Spirit for making me an Artist.
Painting is: "Eternal Almighty Medicine To Perfect Happiness" by Fuyuko Matsui. AND let's just compare this title to the earlier one some few posts back of astounding obviousness. This title would be the polar opposite.
I could use some of that medicine however. If only it was that easy, huh?

Living In The Age Of Confusion...

2011-01-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

Like many folks who are glasses wearers; and I've been wearing them since before it was cool - as a matter of record when I got my first pair at the tender angst ridden age of 13, I spent the first part of my school year with my hands shielding the sides of my face in the hopes "no one would see" (completely counter productive for that goal); I remove them at night. I actually remove them when I have my nightly bath and put them beside my bed and, of course, this is to make putting them on upon first rising convenient.
Well, they weren't there this morning.
And I've been looking ALL day for them but they remain......lost. And it's a small apt.
Luckily, I have about 5 pairs so I can fall back on one of the extras and still see.....it's just that this whole episode is really upsetting.
The slippery slope to complete dithery senility looms before me, I am bloody sure.
Shit.
Illustration: "Confusion" by Yuta Onoda, and right fine young artist!!

Loose Lips Sink Your-Not-So-Clever Ship, Missy!

2011-01-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ye-ah...so, you know how in this day and age of instant-reply-to-something-posted on the various social networks you can find yourself spurting out some totally innocuous comment and later realizing, from the following after comments, you really just should shut up? Well, that happened to me. Worse even than that - I did this on my son's page......oh just kick me now.
The thing is, I actually had a very pithy reply to the comment made to my original post....VERY pithy. But I was struck with the realization of how unfathomably childish this was all becoming. (and may I add that my son is in his mid thirties, so no longer a (recognizable) child). Consequently, I deleted all my comments from the post. Which may elicit more comments but I shall take the high road.
I am here and now admitting to wishing I had a 'DELETE' button on my mouth. I seem to be plagued with the inability to keep my own counsel. I've often written "SUM" on my hand before going to a meeting or event....that stands for : Shut Up Marla.
And to think I was once brutally shy.......ye-ah.
Painting: "Interior With Young Woman Seen From The Back" by Vilhelm Hammershoi and , again, we are bemused by the artistic naming of paintings. Unbelievably obvious. However it may be better than the other side of the coin and being titled "The End Of Light's Fight With Man's Quest For Undying Love'
" or some such incomprehensible ephemera of speech.

Pass The Salt Please

2011-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

I woke up today thinking about dinner parties.....no, I didn't dream about chowing down with all the intriguingly diverse souls that make up my 'A' list so I have no idea where this thought grew wings and flew into my head from.
Probably the diet but let's not go there.
I used to plan lots of big dinner dos. Enjoyed the browsing for menu items and the prep and cooking and table design setting and the convivial grouping of bodies about the table but that passed away into the ether of 'other-things-going-on' some many years back.
And I miss that.
However, now that I live in a truly minuscule basement apt where the one and only table is the computer desk - a true sign of the times - there is a fair chance I won't be hosting an extravagant soiree some time soon.
More's the pity.
Painting is: "Men Eating Prawns" by Belinda Eaton who is, hands down, my most absolute favorite contemporary artist living. I adore her!