Solo 2011

Ingram Gallery posted their 2011 exhibition schedule last week and here I am! Exhibition dates- check, exhibition title- check, paintings- working on them like mad! So save the date- May 5th, and come celebrate my first ever solo opening with me!

Berman's Art Fair

Opening night- Toronto International Art Fair- between my favourite Berman painting ever and my portrait of her

R.B

oil on panel

24"x30"

2010

Wow, that art fair was so much fun. I had a blast with Tarah, Jeff, Geritt, Ekin, John, Wendy and Jean Miller Harding. Great food, mango cocktails and, well, I just couldn't stop smiling- oh and great art of course!

The good folks at Ingram placed my painting, as can be seen above, on a very visible wall- beside a stellar Rachel Berman painting. It was such a treat to see our paintings together- the wall was all about her and she deserves that much attention and more. That painting of hers- a little her-girl morphed with her now, masked- the gesture, the emotion, the distortion of proportions- one of my very favourite pieces of contemporary art. It is enlightening being a friend of hers-  my art and my nerves are better for it.

Oh, and my painting sold! First art fair sale for me- yey! Man those guys at Ingram gallery are good to me- super fantastic fit.

Ok, got to get back to painting for my solo.......

Toronto International Art Fair

Ingram Gallery is showing a brand new painting of mine at this years International Art Fair (Booth #302). The painting is a full figure portrait of the super fantastic artist Rachel Berman. Rachel just moved back to Victoria, boo-hoo, but I was able to paint her for a few hours in her studio and then take some great reference photos.
The art fair opens this Thursday and I will be at the opening gala as a guest of Ingram Gallery. For details about the fair go here http://www.tiafair.com/.

Lovely

Untitled (Hatley)

oil on canvas

16"x24"

Just finished this one. Originally slated for the International Art Fair, this lovely young woman's parents scooped it up before it could make its way out of my studio. I've know Hatley since she was 3. She is stormy and intense and intriguing and I find her absolutely stunning. So, onto the next one- hope its good enough for the art fair!

Murray rocks!

My Kind of Star

Oil on panel

9"x12"

This is Murray. He is a super, fantastic life drawing model who sat for my life painting workshop last month. I started this painting during one of the workshop days- from life obviously- and finished it this weekend from a photo. Man, I really love this guys face. This painting and perhaps a few others will be hanging at Ingram Gallery in a few days as part of their Summer Series ll show.

Waxed Margo

Study of Margo

oil and carbon on plaster under bees wax

8"x10"

This lovely young woman is Margo. She is a student of mine. She is a combination of carbon drawing and oils. The surface is a wood panel covered in a thin layer of plaster (sanded). I wanted a surface that I could both draw and paint on. When she was finished I brushed on a fairly thick coat of melted beeswax and burnished it with a metal canning lid. 

More life painting!

super quick, monochrome, oil sketch of a lovely young model

another demo oil sketch of a popular Toronto life model- spent about 2 and a half hours on this one

I taught a life painting workshop for the past 3 days- for my school the Leslieville Schoolo of Art. We had a great group of teens and a few adults and a couple of super models. I eased the group in on the first day with a demo and a sepia and white oil sketch. The second day I mixed colour flesh palettes with the students and did a more extensive demo. They all rocked their full colour oil sketches that day. Today they had about 4 and a half hours of model time to complete a third oil sketch- another full colour one. It was great fun watching how differently they all turned out and the progress of my die hard teens totally blew my mind.

Life Painting

Last night I did my first ever life painting of a painter, painting me. I worked with a great illustrator by the name of Harvey Chan. It was a total blast! We worked for about two, 50 minute stretches. I painted Harvey, who was painting me from my reflection in a full length mirror. Man,  I am already itching to do another oil sketch from life- nothing like it.

our set up at Harvey Chan's studio

my painting of Harvey

oil on wood panel

Harvey's painting of me

acrylic on board

my palette from the session

Second Globe and Mail illustration

for today's Facts and Arguments, Globe and Mail

Here is my second ever illustration job. I drew most of it sitting outside of Arcadia gallery and while waiting at JFK airport. Here is a link to the page in the Globe and Mail. 

Jeremy Lipking Show

                                      

My great friend Jenn Sgro and I at Lipking's opening reception

Jeremy Lipking and his model

                     

Lipking's oil sketch- done in about 1.5 hours

I went to New York last week to see Jeremy Lipking's solo show open at Arcadia Fine Arts gallery last Thursday. Lipking is one of my favourite contemporary painters and the work was tremendously exciting to see in real life. On Saturday Arcadia hosted a free Lipking painting demo. Jeremy did an oil sketch from life in about 2 hours. It was a full house and quite magical to watch. I swear to god he hit the likeness in the first 4 strokes. I think it was extremely generous of Arcadia owner, Steve Diamant, and Lipking to do this demo. Clearly most of the people who attended were painters, not buyers. I'm sure those two will go down in the history books as a couple of the good guys.

Ryan Price Show

Ryan Price, monkey in the middle and I at Ryan's opening

Ryan Price has a great exhibition at Ingram Gallery- on now until June 22nd. http://www.ingramgallery.com/artists/ryan-price/index.htm

I love this guys work and have been following it for over 10 years. The show has wonderful mixed media drawings on drywall, over 160 wee drawings and a couple etchings. Check it out in person, it's totally engrossing.

Life drawing again!

5 minute pose

2 minute pose

I did some life drawing a few days ago for the first time in almost a year- sigh. I was pretty rusty- couldn't capture a likeness to save my life- but it was great fun. I was drawing with a few illustrators who kicked my ass and made me excited to do more. There is some talk about myself and illustrators Harvey Chan and Kagan McLeod doing a 3 way portrait painting session! Sounds like a good time.

Plugging away at solo work- sketching, making panels and taking reference photos- very exciting.

So It Begins...

Here is a small detail or glimpse of the first piece for my solo show at Ingram Gallery in May 2011. The finished pieces will be under serious secret security in my studio until opening night! Gotta maintain some suspense and the body of work follows a specific narrative so I want you all to see it as a whole. The work will be created with a wide variety of painting and drawing materials on my 300lb hot press Arches watercolour paper- nicely protected under a layer of beeswax.  I promise to keep the blog up with quick studies, oil sketches, life drawings and whatever else peeks my interest! Yey solo show 2011!!

Self Portrait

Strange Little Girl
18"x29"
carbon and gouache on watercolour paper

So, it has been quite some time since my last self portrait- and I don't think I've ever done one looking straight at the viewer. That took some guts- I'm a pretty shy person. I am all over this piece, so it doesn't need any explanation (or maybe I'm not comfortable saying anything about it!)

Otto

Mr. Monkey Legs
Carbon and gouache

Here is the second portrait commission I did in the past month. It was commissioned as a surprise, belated wedding gift for the parents of this lovely little guy (very thoughtful huh?!)
I had a great time doing these 2 portraits and I am putting it out to the world that I am now taking portrait commissions again!

Nomi

I did this portrait of a lovely young sprite named Nomi. She has been a student of mine for the past few years and her parents commissioned this as a gift for her Bat Mitzvah. The characters in the foreground are based on her illustrations of a poem she authored. I haven't taken many portrait commissions post babies- but I have done 2 in the past 2 weeks (I'll post the second one as soon as it is delivered).

SUMMER WORKSHOPS!

I am teaching 2 workshops this summer at the Leslieville School of Art. Here are the outlines:

Painting From Life: July 5th- 9th
Learn how to paint a live model in this exciting 5 day workshop!
Limited to 7 students, you will learn how to mix a flesh colour palette, capture a good likeness, proper proportion and perspective and other secrets to making a life like painting. Paint and brushes will be provided and the workshop runs from 10am-1pm daily. This workshop is for adults and keen teens.
$350.00

Sketching with Oils: August 23rd- 27th
Complete 5 oil studies in our new 5 day workshop!
Each day students will complete 1 oil study in a 3 hour period. Subjects will range from live models to plants and trees in our garden to drapery and still life objects. Students will learn colour mixing and fundamental drawing, painting and composition skills. Paint and brushes will be provided and the workshop runs from 10am-1pm daily. Ages 10 and up.
$325.00

For more info or to register email sara@leslievilleschoolofart.com

New oils

Eastern Block Heart

       oil on panel

      

Bound to Tuesday

Oil on panel

So, I haven't painted with oils in about a year and a half. Thought I'd get my brushes dirty again and see if oil painting is any more condusive to life with 2 small children. I spent a couple days on each of these, but it is still tricky, with drying times, to make working with oils, work with the mom shifts and the early wake up time.

The model in both is my friend Anna. She is an actor and a chameleon- and a new mom herself.

My Family

Sometimes when you spend most waking moments with your immediate family you stop seeing them. I spent 3 days by myself for the first time in 4 years this week. While I was away I wrote about and did drawings of my husband and children- in an effort to really see who they are, as individuals and to me. It was an incredibly enjoyable and fruitful exercise.

Globe and Mail

 

I did my first ever illustration job this week for today's (Thursday) Globe and Mail. It is a Facts and Arguments essay about a woman living with Parkinson's disease. Thanks to Cinders McLeod for the job and the confidence. Here is a link to the story http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/my-life-with-parkinsons/article1480100/ 

Latest...

 

Something About Gros Morne

I finished this one last week for the Ingram show. She is the same model as in my A Question Begins piece. However, this one is more about me than anything. The place in her arms is Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne, Newfoundland. I went there are few times as a kid and again during my honeymoon. It makes me feel 13, nostalgic, a little sad, but alive and so me. The weight and age of those fjords can hold you, they surround you and make you feel woven into a world so much deeper and larger than your own. I find that comforting. I had the best time sitting on my couch in my studio, listening to music, making this piece. Now I have a solo show to consider.....

Opening Night!

Rachel Berman and I

  

Appreciation!

  

A few on the walls

Thanks to everyone who came out on Thursday evening. It was a full and merry house. Such an honour and treat to exhibit with and get to know Rachel Berman and Scott Owles. The show hangs until the 20th, so do check it out if you didn't make it to the opening. It is a super solid show. 

Upcoming Show!

Opens Thursday February 4th. The 2 other fantastic artists, Rachel Berman and Scott Owles, and I will be at the reception from 5-8pm. This is my first real show at Ingram gallery and the first ever with my name in the title! Here is a link to the exhibition page on Ingram's site. http://www.ingramgallery.com/February_2010.html 

Nickolaas Den Boer the Third

 

What Makes a Man?

carbon and gouache on watercolour paper

2010

 

This is the indefatigable  Nick Den Boer. A Dutch boy from Elmira, he is a super creative, self made kind of guy who makes crazy collages, blogs and videos. Nick can also build pretty much anything- or figure out how to. He has been friends with my husband since high school and is known as Uncle Nicky around here.