Mechanical Fancies

9 years ago I made a small series of work using cogs, clocks and locks. I was prompted to revisit this theme and made these mixed media (watercolour, pen, pencil and collage) pieces on paper. It is so interesting to see how my style and technique have evolved in that time. When I was making these works a piece of music came on the radio called Mechanical Fancy. I thought this was the perfect title for these – Mechanical Fancy 1, 2 and 3.

I have since tried to find this piece of music and I can’t, so I think it likely that my mind just heard what it wanted it to!

Swimmers and Synergy: A Dive into Artistic Collaboration at Langham Court Theatre

Langham Court Small Works Show – Sam Agar (left)

Amber Lomax (Left) Susan Salvati (right)

Amber Lomax (left), Nathanya Vo (Right)

Swimmers and Synergy: A Dive into Artistic Collaboration at Langham Court Theatre

I have a number of swimmers on display at Langham Court Theatre as part of a small works show with a group of women artists I have been meeting with on and off for a number of years.

The Power of Community

Working in the solitude of a studio, while often necessary, can sometimes feel isolating. It’s in these moments that the true value of having a group of artist friends becomes immeasurable. We are a collective that meets monthly, to offer a space where ideas and struggles can be shared openly. The laughter and camaraderie found in these gatherings is refreshing and provides a wellspring of motivation and inspiration. It’s this spirit of collective creativity that sparked the idea for our current show.

A Harmonious Blend

Even though we all have our own unique styles, ranging from the abstract to the precisely detailed, our works compliment each others perfectly. My series of swimmers, speak to the soft abstracts and mixed media watercolours of my colleagues. As a result harmony is created through a clever integration of materials and concepts that run like threads throughout the show.

Visit

I invite you to dive into this collaboration – open to visitors during the theatre’s operating hours. The show runs in conjunction with the current play at the Theatre ‘Murder Weekend‘ from Feb 21st to March 10th.

Staying Creative Gallery Opening – Room at the Top

My show Room at the Top at Staying Creative Gallery came to an end on Sunday. A big thank you to all those who came out to see it. A huge thank you too, to Nate and Kris the owners of Staying Creative Gallery and also artists in their own right, the show looked fantastic and I really appreciated the time and support they gave through out the show. Here are a few snaps from the opening.

The Jealous Curator – Art Delivery

I had a wonderful surprise on Saturday; to be the featured Member in the Spotlight in the Jealous Curator’s newsletter Art Delivery. I have been a huge fan of Danielle Krysa’s podcast, blog, books and also her own artwork for many years. Her podcast Art for your Ear especially has inspired me over and over again. Studio life can get lonely and it has been so helpful to hear about the journey of other artists. I am so thankful for Danielle’s generosity with herself and her time and I am over the moon to be included in her newsletter.

Room at the Top

I have been steadily working away for the show for some time and the date is fast approaching. I would like to invite you to Room at the Top at Staying Creative Gallery in Brentwood Bay.

In Room at the Top I use dream imagery to explore the archetype of the witch and it’s associations with feminine power. A dream in which an unusually tall woman with dark hair and an old fashioned dress is standing in front of a top floor window formed the starting point for this series. Inside the forgotten building strange and unusual plants are thrive.

I hope you will join me for the opening on Sunday October 29th 12:00 – 2:00 PM.

Sea & Cedar Magazine – Summer 2023

The Summer Edition of Sea & Cedar Magazine is out now and I am I happy to have 7 of my swimmers included in this beautiful publication of poetry, fiction and art. Vancouver Island Regional Library have done such a beautiful job of putting this together.

The gorgeous cover art is by artist Wilma Millette.

This is available to purchase at your nearest VI Regional Library branch or you can download a copy here.

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Summer Show and Sale

Three of my lovely swimming ladies are headed to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for their annual summer small works show and sale.

The swimmers are part of my Going Deeper Series that came about through my explorations undertaken as part of the 100 day project. The 100 day project is a global art movement that encourages people to undertake 100 consecutive days of creating. I chose to focus on the image of the swimmer. The daily practice almost became a daily meditation and I experienced several creative breakthroughs along the journey.

To me the swimmer represents a being that can travel between the water – the subconscious and the land, consciousness. They float free from time and space allowing the viewer space to daydream. These works are mixed media (watercolour, ink, pencil and collage) on Arches Paper.

Please join me for a glass of wine at the opening reception on Thursday June 8th from 5- 8 PM at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in the Massey Sales Gallery. The show will run until August 27th and includes a fabulous selection of art from artists across the Victoria Region.

2022 – The Best Bits

Happy New Year All! Here is my round up of 2022. Looking back, the first half of 2022 saw quite a few firsts for me. Organizing a show of tunnel books (which looked totally magical!), my first solo drive in the truck to the mainland for a show with Joanna Kim, having my work published in print and online, my first Moss Street Paint In and learning how to add my work to products. Phew… A big thank you to all the people and organizations that supported my work this year. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into 2023 and sharing more art with you beautiful people.

Stay magical.

Powerful Little Things Exhibition – Virtual Tour

Sit back and take a virtual tour of the Powerful Little Things Exhibition on now at the Roaring Artist Gallery. The show runs from Nov 18 to Jan 10. I have a selection of swimmers available to purchase and shipping is included. It’s a fabulous show and I am happy to be showing alongside some very talented women.

Roaring Artist Gallery is on a mission to empower and support women artists. Learn more about them this unique gallery here.

Become One of the Newsletter Elite Squadron

Happy Spooky Season all.

Did you know that I send out a newsletter a few times a year? I include sneak peaks of what I am working on, updates about sales and exhibitions and behind the scenes studio news. I find the newsletter is the perfect forum for me to explain more about the ideas behind my work in a way that social media just doesn’t allow. I also like the direct connection with my subscribers and love it when people respond to my newsletter with their thoughts and comments.

Become one of the elite squadron and subscribe now.

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Taking the plunge into a New Series

Exciting News! I am embarking on a new series. I will be off Instagram for a little while because I find it hard to post there and focus on my painting too. I wish I could do both but when I do, it feels like my brain is trying to be in two places at once and I can’t make it work. I will update my Journal and newsletter with progress as I go.

For this series I will be looking at the archetype of the Witch and I plan to write more about this in the future. I have been experimenting with this idea for a while now with some smaller pieces and I am ready to turn it into a body of work. With my detectives series I used several dreams that featured the same characters as inspiration. This time I am using one dream only and I intend it to evolve as a kind of visual dialogue between me and the archetype of the witch. I hope that by working this way it will give me more freedom to explore ideas and images as they come up through the process.

I just finished the little 18″ x 19″ shown on the easel and today I get started on a large 30″ x 30″. I feel like a deep sea diver sat on the edge of a boat about to take the plunge – wish me luck!

Watercolor and Mixed Media Demo with Opus art Supplies

When: Aug 26th from 11:00 am -12:30 PST

Join me for an online demo as I take you through step-by-step the techniques and tools to create a watercolour, mixed media work of art. Media demonstrated includes collage, ink pens, pencil and graphite paper. Experiment with these techniques to create your own colourful and creative compositions.

Register on the opus website.

See you there 😉

A Big Paint In Thank You

I want to say a big thank you to every one who came out to the Moss Street Paint and made it such a special day. An estimated 30,000 people attended and I got to chat to so many people; art appreciators – young and old, artists and people who were curious and interested to learn more about the artists in their community. As this was my first Paint In I did not know what to expect. The love and support I received for my work made this such a rewarding event and I enjoyed every minute. ❤

Totes, Beach Towels, iPhone cases and more now available on Society 6

I learned some new skills and uploaded 6 of my swimmers to Society 6. If you don’t know Society 6 they are a print on demand service and a portion of all sales go directly to the artist. Check them and get yourself some original merchandise not available in shops, including totes, beach towels, iPhone cases and more. If there is a design or colour combination you would like to see, let me know and I will see if I can add it.

Moss Street Paint In 2022

After a two year hiatus the Moss Street Paint In is back on July 16th!

This is my first Paint In as an exhibiting artist and I have been busy working on my set up for the day. I will be at Booth 10 on the corner of Moss Street and Revercomb Place, two blocks down from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. In addition to my original paintings I will also have tote bags and cards available for purchase.

It’s going to be a great day, with over 150 artists showing their work. I would love to see you there so come and visit me at Booth 10.

Artist of the Month at Mile Zero Coffee

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As artist of the month at Mile Zero Coffee I have a selection of framed and unframed swimmers on show until Mid June.

Located in Victoria, BC Mile Zero is a local landmark. Mile Zero is one terminus point of the great Trans-Canada Highway, and close by are some of the best spots to kick back and chill out on the coast.

If you like great coffee, there’s no better place to start than Mile Zero.

Feature: Subjectiv. Journal

The spring issue of Subjectiv. Journal is out and I am happy to report that it features work from my Hit and Sunk series. Subjectiv. Journal is an independent online journal promoting the visual and literary arts of the Pacific Northwest. Published seasonally, the journal features art, photography, poetry, flash fiction and creative nonfiction. And the best part is that it’s free to download so hop on over and give your eyes a treat: Subjectiv. Journal Spring 2022

Fluid Dissonance – Virtual Opening

Fluid Dissonance – Art Show

Fluid Dissonance

Painters Joanna Kim & Amber Lomax consider the duality of self & the tensions in exploring one’s identity through surreal & abstracted works of art.

Joanna Kim explores her Korean-Canadian identity through surreal images combining traditional Korean motifs with the Western culture she was raised in, alongside abstract mixed media works that express the vulnerability of living in a dissonant state of cultural identification. Kim’s striking work illustrates this relationship as she interprets herself through images, reflecting on her self-defined regeneration to accept her dual-culture identity.

Amber Lomax investigates the conscious vs subconscious through noir detectives exploring chaotic abstract spaces representing the hidden. The detectives are used to explore the internal struggle between who we think we are & that shadowy other that lurks in the background of our psyche & the pursuit to bring them together.

Virtual Opening Wed. Mar. 9 – 7pm

West Vancouver Community Arts Council invites you to join them live for an engaging evening with the artists as they discuss their inspirations & techniques, take questions from viewers.

Under the Covers

“UNDER THE COVERS.” Presented by The Chapel Gallery, St. Matthias Church, Victoria, BC, March 4 – 20, 2022.

Samantha Agar, Rose Cowles, Rhiannon Davies-Willson, Jessa Dupuis, Jennifer Rae Forsyth, Alesha Fowlie, Jessica Jean Kuyper and Amber Lomax, a group of established and emerging artists, have come together to celebrate the tunnel book.

I am so excited by the work I have seen these ladies creating for this show, they really rose to the challenge of creating in their own personal style and using the format of the tunnel book. There is something magical about peering into a little 3-d world and I can’t wait to see all the ‘books’ together in one place.

I hope you can join us for the opening reception on March 4th 6-8pm or stop by during the show which is open 12-4 fri and sat and 12-3 sun until March 20th.

Tunnel Vision

I have been preparing for a group show at the Chapel Gallery that opens on March 4^th. It is a celebration of the tunnel book.

What is a tunnel book?

Tunnel Books (also known as a Paper Peepshow or Theatre Book) have a long history and there are examples in the V & A museum dating back to the 19^th Century. I recommend checking out the selection on the V & A’s website. Tunnel books create an optical illusion of a world that recedes away before your eyes. They are in fact layers of images that are held in place by a concertina of paper on either side. Popular in the 19^th Century as souvenirs they then fell out of favour to be re-introduced in the 1950s as paper theatres for children. Artists have taken the idea of the books and put their own stamp on the original construction. I put together a selection of ‘books’ on Pinterest and they range from the traditional to full scale room sized installations.

I think the format is magical and together with Rose Cowles, we decided to get together a group of artists and challenge them to create their own take on the tunnel book. The work that I have seen this group producing is inspiring, whimsical and imaginative and I am grateful that they were brave enough to depart from their usual creative work and take on the challenge.

I have posted some images of my journey in constructing my books – it took some figuring out – especially choosing which paper would tolerate watercolour and not be too difficult to cut. I also had to work out how to display the books because the paper makes them quite fragile. This led let to me constructing boxes for them to give them a sturdy base to allow them to be shown on a plinth.

If you are interested in having a crack at making your own book I recommend checking out this guide from the V & A: Make Your Own Paper Peepshow.

They are a lot of fun and can be as simple or as complex as you want to go. I will be sharing more about the show in the next couple of weeks.

St. Ives and London

After 3 years, I finally got back to the UK to visit my family at Christmas. It was so good to see them all.

St. Ives

I managed to squeeze in a trip to St. Ives because it is one of my most favourite places on earth and to visit the Tate. I saw Petrit Halilaj’s exhibition: Very volcanic over this green feather. It was built around drawings Halilaj made aged 13 whilst living with his parents in a refugee camp in Albania, displaced by the Kosovo war. The drawings are magnified to a monumental scale, soaring birds, animals and symbols of faraway places are entangled with fragments of conflict. Walking through the drawings was like walking through a hallucinatory dream. The contrast between the tropical landscape elements and scenes of conflict made the scenes of conflict more horrifying to me, as I saw them as looking through the eyes of the child that witnessed them.

Petrit Halilaj – Very volcanic over this green feather

London

At the end of my visit I spent the day in London before flying back the next day. What to see when you only have a day? I decided on the London Grads Now. 21 at the Saatchi Gallery in the morning and then onto the Hokusai exhibition at the British Museum. I loved the grad show at Saatchi Gallery, it was really inspiring to see the range of work and innovative mediums being used. Also at the Saatchi Gallery was an exhibition by Ally Mcintyre ‘Dog Day Circus’. Dynamic and vivid paintings incorporating media such as glitter and hair spray.

Ally McIntyre – Clown

London Grads Now.21 – Camilla Bliss – Test Card

I was avoiding the underground to try and minimise my covid risk and walked across London from the Saatchi Gallery to The British Museum. Stopping for lunch at a coffee shop along the way. The show consisted of 103 drawings by Katsushika Hokusai which were made for an unpublished book The Great Picture Book of Everything. I kind of encyclopedia of its time. The drawings are exquisite – imaginative, creative, sometimes humorous and sometimes spiritual. Many of the drawings were not much bigger than a postcard and they conveyed so much information and energy in such a small space. I also got to see in person various prints of The Great Wave off Kanagawa which if I am honest it’s a picture that feels so familiar to me I found the illustrations for the book far more interesting. I am in awe of Hokusai’s level of detail, observation and economy of line. It was a wonderful show and I am grateful I got to see it.

London Grads Now. 21 – Saatchi Gallery

Katsushika Hokusai – Illustrations for the Great Picture Book of Everything

Right now I am prepping for a group show of tunnel books coming up in March – more details to follow.

Until next time London x

Fair Art Pledge

November saw the creation of the Fair Art Pledge. I couldn’t be happier about this movement for equality and inclusion in the art world. The Fair Art Pledge is a collective, public promise that museums, galleries, art fairs, and organizations are invited to sign as an indication of their commitment to representing the full population in their collections, exhibitions, programming, and management by 2030.

Did you know that despite the fact that 70% of MFA recipients are female, only 14% of artists with gallery representation are women? A recent survey of the permanent collections of 18 prominent U.S. art museums found that the represented artists are 87% male and 85% white. The statistics always shock me – how is this acceptable in any way? I hope the pledge will go some way towards accountability for galleries and museums to diversify who they represent and who they collect. If you are interested in reading more I have listed a couple of articles that go deeper into this subject.

I hope you had lovely (if maybe downscaled) Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2022.

Winter Small Works Show and Sale

I am thrilled to have three of my 100 day project swimmers included in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Winter Small Works Show and Sale. Pieces are at a size and price point perfect for gifting or treating yourself. The Show features the work of 70 local artists, so get yourself in the festive mood and go check it out. The show runs from November 19 to Jan 29.

ArtSpacific

ArtSpacific, Langley Arts Council’s annual BC wide, juried competition and exhibition opens tomorrow at 6pm @ the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre. I have three paintings included, so if you are in the Langley area stop by and check it out. The show runs to November 24th.

Refilling the Well

September has been a month for refilling the well, taking a vacation and visiting art shows. We went to the mainland for a week and squeezed in a visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery. I very much enjoyed seeing the group exhibition Vancouver Special and Jan Wade’s Soul Power.

From Vancouver Special – Manuel Axel Strain – Me cutting through a white lady to reveal my mother picking medicine in our home territory, 2021.

Also this month I attended Rain Cabana-Boucher’s show, Distance, at Xchanges; Her work included a really powerful selection of monochromatic paintings and sculpture depicting among other things her experience of being part British settler and part Michif, memories of home and reflections on homelessness in Vancouver during the pandemic. It was a pleasure to talk with Rain and learn about her practice. With the first Truth and Reconciliation Day a few days away this is a timely show. Her work ‘Repeat’ made comparisons between the hunting of buffalo to near extinction by settlers and history repeating itself with the current decline in salmon stocks. ‘Article 10’, a work designed to be displayed as a flag, highlights the continuing abuse of land rights granted to the First Nations. Truth and Reconciliation Day is about readdressing history and acknowledging the suffering caused to Indigenous Communities, Cabana-Boucher’s work makes it clear that that these injustices are not a thing consigned to the past.

The second show I got to was Fear and Distemper by Kyle Labinsky at Errant Art Space which continues to October 10th. It was really interesting to gain an understanding of the political commentary underpinning the paintings which at first glance seem light and colourful. Many of the paintings were worked on un-stretched canvas which had been hemmed at the edges. I loved the incorporation of sewn elements into the work. Glitter and googly eyes provided an interesting contrast to more serious underlying political narrative.

Kyle Labinsky – Elegy for the Rainbow Coalition

In my studio I continue to experiment on my next series. I am still not quite ready to share this just yet. There has been some slowdown in the work rate in September. I have struggled with poor sleep due to allergies and asthma, which is always a problem this time of year. After a couple of days of heavy rain, my allergies are gone and I am starting to feel like I am coming back to myself again.

Force Fields

I am happy to report that my art work is included in this set of two books that explores force fields.

Available to pre-order now, it will ship September 2021.

Published by the lovely people @perennial_press, here’s what they have to say about it:

“A force field is a barrier that protects someone or something from attacks or intrusions. What are the force fields we hold up? What are the force fields we fight against? Fifty-five creatives explore these questions in the form of dreams & tangents, declarations & imaginings, whispers & visions”

Head over to Perennial Press to pre-order your copy.

Gorgeous cover art by Isalina Chow. ❤

Painting BIG

Painting BIG – In June I was fortunate enough to assist fellow artist, Rose Cowles, with a large three story mural. The mural is intended to welcome the Olympic Basket Ball teams arriving at the Delta Hotel for the Tokyo Olympic qualifying tournament. Having never painted a mural before I got to see how things are set up for painting BIG. It was a welcome change from the solitude of studio life and fun / interesting to interact with people passing by as the mural progressed. Luckily the weather was clear and warm and our wall was in the shade. It was physical work climbing up and down the scaffolding and the next day I really felt like I had done a full body workout. A new fitness class is born – ‘mural-a-size’. I would like to say a big thank you to Rose for including me in the project. Swing by the Delta and check it out.

Virtual Art Guide – I am happy to be included in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s TD Artists Guide for the annual Moss Street Paint-in that will be happening (virtually) in Victoria this month. Click here to view the guide.

Summer Fun

First of all, let me say that I hope you are all enjoying the arrival of the summer weather! There are always a tonne of things to be done around our home in Sooke but as you can see from the photos, late spring, early summer can be pretty idyllic.

New Series I have been taking a deep dive into planning a new series of paintings. Using my experiences from the 100 day project I am going to allow myself an experimental phase and let the work develop organically. As always, I am going to use a dream as the launch point for the paintings and I have been doing some research on the themes. Writing to clarify my ideas has also been a big help. I will keep you posted as the series progresses.

Art Show The Xchanges annual members’ exhibition opens in the gallery Friday, June 25 at 7:00pm and runs weekends until Sunday, July 4, 2021. I will be showing my painting ‘Trawling for Birds’. Trawling for Birds was a piece that I started for a demo and finished during the first lock down last year. It’s a painting for me that will always remind me of the high levels of anxiety, uncertainty and sadness at the time. I got a sneak peak at a few of the pieces in the exhibition when I dropped my work off and I am really looking forward to seeing the show.

Opening Doors – Habitat for Humanity Online Auction

May was largely taken up with completing a door for the Habitat for H umanity Victoria’s online auction, ‘Open a Door’. The doors will be auctioned to raise money for their affordable home ownership program.

When I saw the call out I knew I wanted to participate and not only because it’s a great cause. I wanted to see if one of my 9″ x 12″ swimmers could work on a much larger format. It has been a challenge as I usually work on canvas but I am pretty happy with the result.

The swimmers represent to me the crossover between the conscious and the subconscious – land and water. I like the idea of swimmers being able to travel between two worlds. I feel like the door also plays into this idea of opening up access to something that is normally closed off. An entry way into something deeper within ourselves.

Who knows, maybe painting on doors will be the start of something?

The auction will run from May 28th to June 13th.

Postcards to Save Ancient Trees at Fairy Creek

This month saw the NDP backtrack on their promise to protect old growth from logging. The Box Car Six art collective coordinated a campaign to encourage John Horgan to do the right thing by sending him hand decorated postcards. Lets be clear, I am not against logging, provided it is done responsibly and sustainably. To log trees that are over 800 years old seems short sighted in the extreme. If Victoria had a building that was that old you bet it would be slapped with a heritage preservation order. Vancouver Island’s old growth is just as much a part of the Island’s heritage as its historic buildings. It’s time to stop looking at these trees as a resource and give them the protection they deserve to preserve them for future generations. If you agree contact John Horgan and let him know what needs to happen before we become the generation that saw more value in these trees dead than alive.

Top Tips for Completing the 100 Day Project

I did it! I finished the 100 day project. I am pretty pleased with myself for sticking with this and honestly 95% of the time I really enjoyed doing it. If you are thinking of taking part in the 100 day project I have made a list of my top tips for completing the journey.

TIME LIMIT – Set a time limit for the amount of time you want to spend on each piece, each day. I often went over my set time limit but it helped me not get too carried away because I always had half an eye on the clock. Set aside an amount of time that is realistic to work into your daily schedule. If your project needs long periods of time each day to work on it then it could quickly become too onerous to keep up

HABIT – Try and get in the habit of working at the same time of day. I always worked on my piece first thing in the morning before anything else could get in the way. It doesn’t matter what time you choose but it should be a time when you know you can work without distraction.

DON’T OVERTHINK – You don’t have to have 100 pieces planned out in your head before you start. I chose a theme and let each piece lead into the next. Just make a start and see where it takes you, let yourself play and have fun with it!

MATERIALS and SIZE – I chose to limit the materials I used and stuck to watercolour and ink on paper with some pencil and collage thrown in. I also stuck to the same sized piece of paper every day. Narrowing my options meant that I was not overwhelmed with possibilities and when I was without inspiration I had certain parameters to guide me without too much thought.

IDEAS – I started keeping a list of ideas to try out. I would often think of things I wanted to try and forget them through the day. Adding them to a list on my phone (I use Keep Notes) meant the idea didn’t get lost and it was a good back up to turn to on those days I was not feeling inspired.

TIDY and PREP – This is a dull one but I think that it really helped me keep going. When I finished each swimmer I made sure I cleaned my brushes, set up a fresh pot of water for the next day and that my desk was clear. This meant that each morning I could just get to work without out any fuss

SOCIAL – Share as much or as little on social media as you want to. Sharing on social media can create pressure for every piece you make to be polished and this could be stifling if you want to allow yourself to experiment. It’s your project, you decide what works for you.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this project, the daily repetition allowed me to experiment and really explore materials and ideas. I felt doors opening up along the way as I had breakthrough moments, so if you are thinking of trying it, my advice is go for it!. I am going to put together a group of the swimmers that I think turned out particularly well for sale. Subscribe to my newsletter if you would like to be notified when they are available.

Studio Mates

In February I started a program through the Gathered Gallery called Studio Mates. It connects artists virtually to give and receive feedback on their work. In the critique sessions artists share their work and ask questions, which helps to keep the feedback specific and focused. I have been able to gain insight and perspectives from artists working different styles and mediums and coming from different academic backgrounds. It’s a really positive group and I have received so many great suggestions from my Studio Mates it is going to be invaluable as I start to put together a new series of work.

I am still going strong with the 100 day project. Today was swimmer 54. I felt like I had a breakthrough on day 49 where the pieces started to feel like they are me. Actually I thought I had lots of breakthroughs along the way! ‘This is it’ moments when I thought I had it figured out but it was really just another step on the journey. Maybe there will be more to come. I am really pleased that I decided not to share them on social media because I haven’t got caught up with likes or trying to be consistent with the outcome too soon in the process. I thought I might be flagging by now but I am still really enjoying the possibilities. Life is imitating art and I have been spending more time actually at the pool teaching myself to tumble turn. It’s so much fun, I feel like a kid again in the water.

Onwards to swimmer 55!

Rituals – The 100 Day Project

Happy New Year! I kicked off 2021 by committing to the 100 Day Project. The idea is to do something creative everyday for 100 consecutive days. I have chosen to work on paper with watercolour and collage using swimmers as my theme. Swimmers represent to me the crossover between land and water and the conscious and the subconscious. (Incidentally I taught myself to swim front crawl last year as the pool remains open and I am loving it).

Getting up early I complete a swimmer before I do anything else in the day. I light a candle and put on classical music and it has become such an enjoyable daily ritual. I am really allowing myself to experiment with each piece. These won’t be posted on social media as I don’t want any pressure to produce something insta-perfect. The project doesn’t officially start until Jan 31st but I started early and I am currently on day 19. I have already seen a progression in the work – the progression is definitely not linear though. Some days they work out and some days they don’t. On the days when they don’t work out I try and remind myself that I allowed myself to experiment and that is just as valuable as having a lovely finished piece!

Covid Life – Virtual Opening Saturday December 12

Through the Covid lock down I was able to continue life drawing via zoom. I was skeptical at first – how would it work not seeing the model in person? It actually had some surprising advantages. Firstly some of the models used multiple cameras so there was a greater variety of angles to draw the model from that would not have been available in the in-person sessions. The unusual angles provided a real challenge. Secondly I was able to work with a greater variety of materials than I would be able to in the in person group sessions. In my studio I was able to experiment with watercolour, ink and collage and anything else to hand. I hope online life drawing is something that continues when the pandemic ends. Xchanges Gallery has put together an online show of some of the work from these sessions “Covid Life” together with the annual members show “A Moment in Time”. The virtual opening for both shows will take place on Saturday December 12 at 4pm and you can register here for the Zoom Link.

A Determined Vision

I am delighted that my painting Coral Masters was chosen by the City of Victoria for inclusion in their kiosk animation project. You can see Coral Masters at the Centennial Square Parkade and checkout out the map on their website for details of all the locations of work by some super talented local artists. This project embodies Create Victoria’s vision “to thrive as a place for everyday artistic encounters.”

A state of semi-lockdown has returned to Vancouver Island. I was due to take part in the annual member’s show at Xchanges in December however it was cancelled to try and slow the spread of Covid-19. Understandable but dissapointing. Xchanges will be going ahead with an online exhibition of the drawing from the virtual life drawing sessions that took place during the first lock down and I will share a link to that when it is available.

Before lockdown commenced I got together with a small number of my Thrive Ladies to see the Emily Carr – Fresh Seeing exhibition at The Royal BC Museum. It was lovely to see my group in person and the show was really well put together and comprehensive. The main focus of the show was Emily’s Paintings completed during her time in France. I felt that I really got to see another side to her work. It was so interesting to see her influences and the development in her style. I was inspired by Emily’s determination to continue experimentation and growth in her work even in the face a of a conservative audience when she returned back to Victoria.

Another show that I was able to get to was Liam O’Sullivan’s, Nature Preserve at Xchanges Gallery. Liam experiments with “absurdism and humor to present a landscape of playfully fluctuating possibilities, that we may explore and celebrate these unsung parts of ourselves.” The show consisted of mostly monochromatic, large scale, oil painting and some video installation. Looking into the landscape paintings I was reminded of the feeling of seeing a forest at dusk when the mind imagines seeing faces and wild animals in the shapes of branches and rocks (if you are interested, I just discovered that there is a word for this phenomenon and it is ‘pareidolia’). I really enjoyed this show, the landscape element of the paintings felt familiar and yet simultaneously jarring and otherworldly.

I continue plugging away in my studio and getting together with my fellow artists via Zoom for now.

Eerie Sketchbook

What a year! Pandemic, lock down and a health scare. Through it all I have been working in the sketchbook I bound earlier in the year. I covered the book in road map of Ontario and the Lake Erie is prominent on the front, so I like to think of this as my eerie sketchbook. For this sketchbook I mainly drew from dream imagery for inspiration and many of the drawings are strange, watery and subterranean. I had a lot of fun with this using watercolour, paint pens, collage and gouache. I enjoy so much having these to work on alongside my painting I am going to make a couple of new books today. My the detective ‘Hit and Sunk’ series continues to evolve and I will be updating the gallery this week with new images and progress shots can be seen on my Instagram account.

Summer Art Show and Sale

Finally art shows are back!

Now that the VAC has re-opened, they are showing the work of over fifty artists in their main gallery space all summer long! I am happy that my work “Diving Down Just to be Deeper” has been included among them. I stopped by the show on Saturday and it is looking fabulous.

Come see original art by some of Victoria (and Vancouver Island) artists working in drawing, ceramics, jewellery, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, installation, mixed media.

Each Wednesday the VAC is hosting artist salons where select contributors to the show will speak about their work for a small audience. RSVP: arts@vicartscouncil.ca to reserve your spot!

Gallery Open 12-5, Tues to Sat – 1800, Store Street, Victoria, BC

The Incoming Tide – Masks

Masks have been on my mind. I poured the painting to the left -The Incoming Tide – some time ago and decided to pick it up again. Sometimes images jump out at me from the poured paint but on this one there was nothing obvious. When I started work on it I was listening to a podcast by the Jealous Curator with sculptor and jewellery designer Debra Baxter. I turned back to the painting and there it was, as clear as day, a mask, less than 10 seconds later Debra Baxter talked about her wish to create a stone mask, my jaw dropped. Debra had been talking about the kind of mask we are all wearing now to stop the spread of Covid19 but I have been thinking about their relevance right now.

Masks are being worn to prevent the spread of disease and at the same time masks are falling away. We are openly talking about racism and our complicity. The mask of politeness, not wishing to offend our opinionated relatives or clients, and the mask of silence is being removed. Seeing the mask in the painting in its watery setting also made me think of Edward Colston the Bristol Slave Trader whose statue was tossed into the water and how it had been swept there by a tide of anger at the continuation of the kind of injustice his ‘benevolence’ was built on. I know this is just the beginning but I feel excited about the possibilities for all the empty plinths that are left behind. This is a unique moment for cities and towns to build something together in equality, art that is relevant to this and future generations.

Staying Connected

I hope this latest blog post finds you well or at least coping. I am used to spending a lot of time alone as I work from my home studio so that hasn’t been a problem for me, however my husband is also working from home now, so I actually have to get used to having more company than usual. There are a few things I miss – going out for coffee, the cinema, restaurants and seeing art in person and not through the screen. Believe me, I am very aware how I lucky I am that these are the only things I miss. I have been making time to get into the studio and I have been working in my sketch book. It took a little while to get into some kind of routine though.

Real life has gone virtual and like millions of others I have learnt to use Zoom so I can catch up with my Thrive Art Studio group, it is really nice to check in with them and hear how they are handling this time. I have also discovered that Youtube has life drawing sessions online which is awesome to get some practice in. As all of the summer art events are cancelled or postponed, online events and exhibitions are set to be the norm. The Victoria Arts Council is sharing local art through a new online magazine called ‘Until’ and instagram accounts like Quarantonics and the Quarantined Art Gallery have emerged to help artists share their work.

I love how artists are looking after each other right now – sending each other art postcards, selling art to support other artists or turning their skills to making masks. Even just being open and honest about feeling crappy or unfocused can help reality check the expectation that this is the time to be super productive and write that novel or learn a new language. I am really grateful for my online art community and I feel like connections are being reinforced. I hope that this is something that continues when we get to the other side of this, in the meantime, take care of yourselves!

All Bound Together – Handmade Sketchbook Tutorials

After a bout of illness I got myself together and bound a new sketchbook. I won’t be mailing this one off to the Sketchbook Library – it is just for me! I am going to use it to play and test out some new images and ideas for my next set of paintings. Someone recently asked me how I make my books so I thought I would share some links to the YouTube video tutorials that I followed to make my handmade sketchbook.

Things you will need: a bone folder, awl, thread, needle, glue, cardboard, cutting mat, scissors, craft knife and paper.

The tutorial said to use wax thread but I didn’t have any and just used a regular acrylic thread, which worked fine and is holding together with out any problems.

If you want to get inspired by the possibilities of bookbinding here are a few accounts to check out @arquitecturadellibro on Instagram and Judith Coe on Pinterest.

The world news about Covid 19 has sporadically turned my brain to mush and making art is about the only thing that quietens it down right now. I can highly recommend trying the tutorials to make your own handmade sketchbook and giving your brain a break from the news and stress.

Art Demonstration at Opus Art Suplies, Victoria

I will be doing a free art demonstration at Opus Art Supplies in Victoria on Saturday, January 25th, 12:00 – 1:30 P.M.

I will demonstrate how to incorporate dream imagery into your artwork. Learn how to build your own dream vocabulary and layer up acrylic paint to express your subconscious side. Techniques to be discussed include paint pouring, transferring your sketch to canvas and the use of mediums such as glazing fluid and gel medium. Gain confidence to express your inner world using acrylic paint.

Please visit Opus Victoria or contact them at 250-386-8133 or toll free 1-800-524-6555 to register

Double Act

Little Bird by Angela Menzies, Acrylic on Canvas

It’s been a little while since I posted. After my show at Xchanges I was exhausted. I took it easy for a while, recharging my batteries in the beautiful wilds of Sooke. I have been working in my sketch book but nothing huge. I have a couple of things coming up in January that I would like to share. Angela Menzies and I have an art show together at Langham Court Theatre. It will run from Jan 15 to Feb 1st alongside the play ‘Company’. Company is a musical that asks the value of relationships in modern society. I love the Langham Court Theatre, it is such an intimate venue and their performances are always fantastic – I would definitely recommend checking them out.

I will also be doing a free demo later in January at Opus in Victoria and I will post the info for that soon.

I hope everyone had a relaxing Christmas break and wish you all the best for 2020!

My Agent Hasn’t Solved a Case – Acrylic on Canvas – H 29″ x W 29

Hit and Sunk

Just over a month to go until my show ‘Hit and Sunk’ opens at Xchanges. I have been working steadily towards my goals and it has been good to paint consistently on a daily basis. Things are a little out of balance in my life as I am in painting mode and some things have had to slide but I know it is only for a set period of time and I can correct it soon.

In the show I plan to explore our connection to our subconscious side and the internal struggle between who we are and who we think we are using the theme of twin film noir detectives and the game of Battleships. The idea to make a series of paintings with the detectives had been bubbling away for a while and is a departure from the animal theme paintings that have previously occupied me.

Check out my Instagram for progress and process shots in the run up to the show.

In The Studio

Right now I am busying away in the studio, working on a series of paintings for a show I have coming up at Xchanges in October. The theme for the show involves using twin film noir detectives to explore the duality between the known and unknown self. I am steadily making progress towards my goal of finishing 8 paintings before the show – two done and I start my next one today. My goal for this project is to make a series of paintings that all look and feel connected, I have a tendency to skip around with color and ideas so I am working hard to make a cohesive show. I am really excited about what I am working on but also nervous because this will be my first solo show in a gallery. What makes me most nervous is the opening but I am trying not to think too much about that at this point. Do you get nervous about openings? I would love to hear your experiences and any tips you might have for maybe even enjoying it!

Last week I went to Andrea Soos‘ and Natalie Brake’s show Coastal Inclinations at Fortune Gallery. A beautiful and really vibrant collection of abstract art inspired by the coast, it is a bolt of sunshine in this so far wet and grey July. The show runs to July 31^st.

Now, to the studio…..

Sketchbook Project – This One Thing

I finished another sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project! I managed to keep to one theme this time (instead of meandering all over the place) – beach pebbles. I will be signing up again for another book towards the end of the year. I enjoy working on these so much I am sad to let them go, so that is why I made the video. I hope you like it. The Sketchbook Project Library is in Brooklyn, NY, so If you are in the area stop in and check it out, they have a collection of over 40,000 sketchbooks, you will leave inspired.

The Doors

Door 84 – Dorothea Tanning (1984)

“This is the strangest life I have ever known.”
― Jim Morrison, The Doors

This Spring I went home to visit my family and managed to squeeze in a couple of days arting in London and St. Ives. There was crazy wind and rain on the South West Coast but I got to spend a few hours at the Anna Bohiguian exhibition at the Tate St. Ives. I wish I could have stayed longer there was so much to take in. It was inspiring to see her sketches and characters freed from the page to take up various positions around the gallery.

In London I spent a day at the Tate Modern, taking in Pierre Bonnard, Dorothea Tanning and Jenny Holzer. I loved Bonnard’s use of colour and space. As a viewer I felt like I was in the room with the subjects of the painting. Windows and doors were almost life size and I had the feeling that I was being invited to step through into the painting. Windows and doors marked the separation between an interior and exterior world. The tranquil and predictable interior home life and the external wildness of the garden.

The theme of doors continued in the Dorothea Tanning Exhibition. People pulling against a physical door separating two canvases; Subjects hiding behind doors and doors leading to rooms in an unending pattern. Tannings doors take us to the unknown rooms of the subconscious and there is a strong sense of an unknown otherness in all of her work.

On Day two I got myself over to Brick Lane for The Other Art Fair I got to see the art work in person of some artists that I follow on Instagram which was awesome. I also discovered a few new artists whose work I really enjoyed, you can check them out on instagram @spiralwonders @georginawaltonartist and @altaberri

Lady (P)arts

Please join me for the opening reception of Lady (P)arts, held at the Victoria Arts Council Head Quarters May 10 from 5pm – 8pm. The show will run from May 10 – May 31.

One year ago I joined the Thrive Mastermind program. As part of the Thrive group I attended monthly group meetings for one year. We united to support each other, share knowledge, humour and give accountability in our art practices.

Originally started in Vancouver, THRIVE Mastermind is a community of local and online artist groups who believe that “thriving artists must make art, meet the people and do the work”. Gender inequality in the arts has been highlighted again and again over recent months with many major art museums re-visiting their collections and starting to address this imbalance. The Thrive Network provides a powerful platform for female artists to connect, share their experiences and raise each other up through community, in a non-competitive environment.

Free and open to the public, Lady Parts is our first show together – a celebration of the art and camaraderie that brought us ‘to the table’ over the past year.

Artemis Rising

In Conversation III – Poets Write, Artists Respond will be at the Coast Collective Gallery Apr 3 – 14*meet the artists-and-poets reception 1-3 pm Apr 6* Please stop in and say Hi!

My painting ‘Artemis Rising’ and was inspired by a poem titled ‘Advice to a Poet’ by Susan Braley. The painting and the full poem will be on display at the show. Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the moon and the wild places. I felt that the poem represented a thorny and dark state of mind that must be travelled through to reach the vulnerable place where creativity happens. There is also strength in vulnerability and I imagined the wild and ancient Artemis finding this strength and herself again in the painting.

Library Heaven

This summer I got to go to Brooklyn with friend and fellow artist Marisa Tsikitas to visit our sketchbooks at the Brooklyn Art Library. It was such a cool place with so many amazing sketchbooks, we could easily have spent all day there📚. Art + Library = Heaven! I gained so much by participating in this project that I signed up again for 2018/19. I am posting pictures of my watercolour rock gardens for the 2019 project on Instagram if you want to follow along.

Little Gems Show and Sale

Little Gems

“Letters of Gold” – will be going up the VACs Little Gems show and sale at 1800 Store Street, Nov 28 – Dec 21.⭐ To celebrate Victoria Arts Council’s 50th anniversary there will be 50, 10″ x 10″ canvases all priced $150 on the theme of GOLD ⭐ Happy Anniversary Victoria Arts Council ⭐

The Yellow Bird Paintings

The Yellow Bird Paintings

I just finished a small series of paintings that all feature a yellow bird in some way. They are all hanging together at Victoria International Airport until Mid Jan 2019. Close up pictures are posted in the Gallery 🙂

We Should Come Here More Often

We Should Come Here More Often

Imagine a garden soaked in light drizzle, the trees and shrubs radiate green as they bask in the moisture but the colour is muted by the mist that hangs in the air. Every leaf and blade of grass is spattered with tiny droplets of water. There is a soft hush all around from white noise of the light rain and the sound dampening fog. The grey is comfortable on your eyes and ears. You breathe it in and remind yourself to come here more often.

Thriving with Fellow Artists

Thriving with Fellow Artists

Back in May I became part of Thrive Mastermind. Thrive is a group that provides community, accountability and support to female artists. We meet monthly in Victoria and talk about what we are working on, what we have learnt, our achievements and share any useful resources we may have discovered over the month. There are also online discussion forums, podcasts and tutorials to help with every aspect of being an artist. Studio work can be lonely, it has been so good to meet and talk with other women artists about the highs and lows of a creative life. It has encouraged me to set goals for myself and think about all aspects of my art making practise. I would recommend the Podcast – you can listen to them here: Thrive Podcast

Pink Power

Pink Power

Using YouTube tutorials, I have been teaching myself to bind my own sketchbooks. I signed up again to the Sketchbook Project; you can re-bind or alter your sketchbook any way you want so long as it stays within set dimensions. I knew this time I wanted to use watercolour paper to open up more possibilities in the type of media. I tried my hand at binding one hard cover book with glued spine and one method without spine or glue using Coptic stitching. The stitching was a little tricky at first but now I have the hang of it, it is definitely something I will be doing again. Shop bought bound watercolour sketch books are so expensive and this way I can be as creative as I want with the covers because who doesn’t love neon.

The Sketchbook Project – Update

The Sketchbook Project

The sketchbook project is over : ( it is winging its way over to the Brooklyn Sketchbook Library. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed participating in this project. Originally I decided that I would use the lyrics from a Jack Johnson guitar tab book to inspire the project but this turned out to be just the launch pad. Once I got more into the project I realised that there were things I wanted to try out so I went with it. I played with collage, gouache, abstract drawing and watercolour. There is even a pop up page. I had so much fun doing this; it has made me approach my sketch book in a whole new way. A little book of ideas and experimentation just for me. I have decided to keep this going and signed up to the 2018/2019 project!

The Animals in my Head

The Animals in my Head

Acrylic on Canvas, 36″ x 40″ 2018

“Once we were blobs in the sea, and then fishes, and then lizards and rats, and then monkeys, and hundreds of things in between. This hand was once a fin, this hand once had claws! In my human mouth I have the pointy teeth of a wolf and the chisel teeth of a rabbit and the grinding teeth of a cow! Our blood is as salty as the sea we used to live in! When we’re frightened, the hair on our skin stands up, just like it did when we had fur. We are history! Everything we’ve ever been on the way to becoming us, we still are.” (Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky)

The Saboteur is a painting from series I am working on called ‘The Animals in my Head”. I have been recording my dreams over recent years and I found that animals often make an appearance. The animal dreams stand out from the others, they are the ones that leave a lasting impression upon waking. In some instances I have dreamt about animals that I have only ever seen in books or on TV. It made me curious as to where this imagery could be coming from. I started to research dream imagery and quickly found Jung’s work on dreams and archetypal symbols.

Jung believes that we have in part inherited this symbolic language through our evolution. Archaic elements can occur in a dream, “mental forms whose presence cannot be explained by anything in the individual’s own life and which seem to be aboriginal, innate, and inherited shapes of the human mind” (Carl G. Jung, P57, Man and His Symbols 1964).

It is these archaic remnants of imagery from my uncivilized monkey mind that is the focus of this Series.

The Sketchbook Project

The Sketchbook Project

I have recently signed up to the Sketchbook Project. The goal is to fill a small sketchbook and submit it to the Brooklyn Art Library where it can be viewed by visitors or online. When I signed up to the project I really had no idea what theme I would use to fill the pages. I was browsing in Value Village and found a book of Jack Johnson sheet music for his album Bushfire Fairytales. Although I didn’t know his music I bought it, thinking that the pages of sheet music might be good for collage. I discovered the beautiful imagery in the lyrics and decided to make them the inspiration to fill my sketchbook. I am really enjoying thinking about and making the pages, it just feels like unadulterated play.

Fog Bank

Fog Bank

“For a moment he seemed impressed with the speaking loneliness of the scene, or rather with the complete abstraction from all its compass of the sights and sounds of man. Human shapes, interferences, troubles, and joys were all as if they were not, and there seemed to be on the shaded hemisphere of the globe no sentient being save himself; he could fancy them all gone round to the sunny side” Thomas Hardy – Far from the Madding Crowd

Fog Bank is a piece I have been working on over the last month. I submitted it for a call out titled “Boxed Sanctuary”. The exterior is made from reclaimed wood and the interior is a collection of miscellaneous objects and poured acrylic paint on clear sheets of plastic.

The call out asked the artist to address what sanctuary means to them. When I think of sanctuary, I think of the fog. It arrives in August and it is the antidote to the bright, bleaching, high contrast colours of summer. Colours become muted, they start to merge together; it is a soft blanket for my eyes. It dampens sound and comes with its own murmuring shush.

Fog Bank asks you to look inside, away from exterior distractions and cast yourself adrift in the shapes and colours that reside there.

The Proposal….a guide for proposal/submission writing

I recently went to a couple of free workshops, one by artist and author Nancy Crawford on putting together your portfolio and one by the good people of the Fifty Fifty Arts Collective, Open Space and the Ministry of Casual Living on Proposal Writing. Both covered putting together your Biography, CV, Artist’s Statement and portfolio images. A BIG thank you to both for providing these workshops, as someone who is largely self-taught they were so helpful in sorting out in my mind the purpose of all of the documentation that goes with your work when you make a submission.

I thought that as I found it so helpful maybe others would too, here is summary of what I learnt….

CV

Include education, relevant employment, curatorial projects, exhibitions, residencies, talks and panels, publications and reviews, awards, auctions, collections
List exhibitions from most recent to older, include where, when and duration
Programs – who did you work with? What did you get from the experience?
Be clear and concise
Keep formatting consistent
No more than 3 pages
Include your name and address on all pages
Remember this is part of a package, do not duplicate information
Indicate if shows are Group/ solo/ permanent / Juried
List a couple of your references
Your CV is not the space to get creative

Proposal

The proposal document is a layout of your proposed show, time line, media and logistics

This is what I want to do.
This is how I am going to do it.
Explanation of your practise – why did you /or why are you going to make it?
Tailor your proposal to the gallery space; let the curators know that you have considered the space, which pieces would you put where? Consider including a floor plan.
Use direct language, be confident.
Reference work in your portfolio to tie everything together in your submission package.
Edit – do not include everything you have ever done, keep it relevant.
Let the work speak for itself; don’t tell people how to read the work.

Artist Bio

This is all about you – Where are you from? Who are you? What have you done?
It is a profile, a brief CV.
About 250 words
Include photos of you, your studio space or yourself working.

Artist’s Statement

The Artist’s Statement is specific to the work in your proposal.

You can be creative with this – use poetry and quotes
Talk about your inspiration and evolutionary journey
It should be about 3 paragraphs long.
What is your medium/ dimensions etc.
Why did you make it?
What does it mean to you?
This is to help the viewer understand your work but be careful not to over explain.
Do not anticipate someone’s reaction to your work.

Portfolio Images

Most proposals will specify their image requirements.
If you are including photos of paintings do not include the frame or surrounding area. Crop the photo to exactly the size of the painting.
Most submissions require the images to be 72 dpi max. This can be adjusted on Photoshop.
Images should be in RBG color mode
Use a common format like a jpeg
A portfolio should consist of between 10 – 40 images of your strongest works.
Include images that show details of a piece.
Each Image should be labelled with the title, size, medium and year

It may be appropriate to include letters of recommendation – What is it like to work with you? Are you reliable? Include one letter that deals with you as an artist and one that deals with your character.

When you are submitting a proposal or application consider how you can make it easy for the administrator/adjudicator/curator to copy your submission and identify all parts of your package. If you are unsure about any part of the process don’t hesitate to contact the co-ordinator for clarification.

I hope this helps – I think I have some work to do on all my documentation!

Balance

I was struggling to come up with my next blog post because I have hardly been in my studio for the last two months. We went away on vacation in September and when I got back I had received a job offer for temporary work. I said yes to the work and have been working pretty well full time for the last 6 weeks. Art has been on my mind, I read ‘The Gift’ by Lewis Hyde and Carl Jung’s ‘Man and His Symbols’ – I just haven’t been able to get much down on canvas.

I know I am not alone in my quest for balance between making art and having a paying job. Since moving to Canada in 2010 I have tried various set ups – seasonal work, temp jobs, random craigslist employment. None of these situations were ideal, usually because I let the paid work take over or they meant working weekends which meant no time with my family.

I was lucky enough to spend a year being supported by my husband which I have started to think of as the gap year I missed in my 20s. Whilst we can get by on his wage it made me feel uncomfortable not to be contributing to the household income. It didn’t seem fair to put all of the wage earning pressure on him. I weighed up my options. I considered if I could make a living just from selling my art – whilst I love the idea of that it just wasn’t realistic for me. I am just beginning and I really want to allow myself time to experiment and keep moving forward with the dreamscape ideas without worrying “will it sell?”. Lewis Hyde’s book ‘The Gift’ was particularly helpful in setting out reasons for separating your art making from market forces. I know that is a whole other debate.

In any event my full time work has come to an end and I have regular part time work now for 3 days per week at a job I enjoy, leaving the rest of my time for art and life. I am really happy with this arrangement – yes it will slow me down in the studio but I think it will be a good balance for me. Studio life can also be isolated, so being out in the world amongst people who don’t respond to every conversation with a meow might also not be a bad thing.

Talented

Talented…..

So I have started a blog, I am not sure how often I will update it but I wanted to write about the subject of talent. It isn’t often for me that the ideas in my head coagulate into writing.

I have started back at a life drawing group, there is no teacher so we sometimes ask each other for tips. A member of the group told me that she liked my drawing style and that I am talented. I admit it, this went to my head. She thinks I have talent? The rosy glow of her words lasted for an afternoon. The next day I went back to my drawing and realised it wasn’t that great “the hair is flat, some of the shading is clunky and it’s an easy posture”. I let the inner beast off the leash “you don’t have talent, you’re a fraud, an artist wannabe, how could you let that person think you are talented even for a second?” I will save the subject of the dangers of comparing and the inner beast for another time. I was thoroughly down on myself.

I decided to go back and look at the drawings I made when I started life drawing. I was shocked – some of them are really bad, I honestly didn’t remember them being that terrible. But as terrible as they are there is an obvious progression, at some point I discovered proportion, eventually some shaded muscles start to bulk out the form. Hands and feet remained the shape of spades and facial features are sparse. I was so pleased because I have come such a long way from those first sketches. This leads me back to talent, looking at my first drawings I don’t think anyone who saw them would have told me I have talent. So I ask, does talent exist at all? I love life drawing, for me it is a kind of meditation, when I am figure drawing there is nothing else, no brain static and 90% of the time I walk away a more content person. My love of it makes practising it a joy. I have been working on life drawing on and off over a period of years, I am still learning, seeing a progression in my work gives me hope that I will continue to grow and learn. I will take some of my first sketches with me to the next life drawing group to show my beginnings. Forget talent, if you love what you are doing, just keep going.

Life Drawing circa 2009

Life Drawing 2015

Fluid Dissonance

Painters Joanna Kim & Amber Lomax consider the duality of self & the tensions in exploring one’s identity through surreal & abstracted works of art.

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