Adventures in Oil

Earlier this year I decided that I was going to try my hand at a new medium, oils. Well, water mixable oils actually, but any oil’s oil to me, having never used traditional oils before.

So after researching what supplies I needed, I set off to the art store with list in hand and reluctantly bought what I needed to get started.  To tell the truth, it was 90% excitement at buying new art stuff and 10% reluctance. Then, I watched about 100 YouTube videos about oil painting techniques before I got the nerve to try it myself.

I must admit I have this innate fear of trying new things because I hate to fail. I see myself as one of those people who is just mediocre at everything, and great at nothing. But eventually, my curiosity for a new medium and my love of painting won over the fear and I picked something easy  to paint and I got started.

My first impression of oils was that it was like painting with butter. That first painting was really an experience in learning how oils move on the canvas, how the brush techniques differ from watercolour techniques, and trying to figure out how to blend and work the paint into something recognizable.

From this experience came my first lesson:  go back to the store and buy good brushes. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I got what I paid for. I should have known this already, but apparently the excitement of a basket full of new art stuff clouded my judgment in making me think I didn’t need more than student quality brushes to begin with. Lesson learned. After I got better brushes, I finished my first painting. 

In the end I was happy with it as a first try and the things I learned in the making. 

Fear subsided, I moved on to painting number two, and I decided that my next subject would be an apple pie. I couldn’t find a good reference photo, I decided to bake a pie and shoot it myself.  After all was said and done, we had a delicious dessert and I had a great photo to work from.

While working on this painting, I discovered I really like working in oils. They are so versatile and forgiving compared to watercolours. However they have a downside, and that brings me to my second lesson learned: oils take an eternity to dry. No wonder oil artists paint more than one at a time… you need to circulate through them to keep working every day!

I was really happy with the final pie painting.  Here it is:

Fresh Apple Pie - Oil on Board. 18" x 14".  For Sale, $260.

 So maybe I can do this after all… on to the next challenge! 

I’ve always wanted to do a painting of a Muskoka chair lakeside.  I ended up Photoshopping together two photos to make a composition exactly as I wanted.  This new painting posed two challenges: One, it was bigger than any painting I’d ever done before, and two, it was a landscape. I loathe painting landscapes because I find them stressful. Stressful in the sense that it’s hard to determine as a realism artist just how much detail to include in a landscape painting without making yourself nuts. The compromise here was painting details in the chair and dock, and not so much in the landscape.   

Here’s the end result:

Dockside - Oil on Board. 20" x 24". For sale,  $625

Which brought me to lesson number three:  work on canvas sizes that fit standard frames, because all the non-standard frames (for lack of a better word) suck.  I found a frame at Michael’s (they had exactly one frame in this size) and I was able to hang it in my booth at the Unionville festival:

June 1, 2012. Unionville Festival Street Fair Booth

 I was really unsatisfied with the frame and eventually I found a great frame at Curry’s that really suited the painting, so I reframed it, which a much more suitable result.

This is what it looks like now hanging in my hallway:

So that brings me to what I’m working on now. 

I’m putting the finishing touches on my Barred Owl painting and I’ve come to a realization: I like painting with oils better than watercolours.  I’ve started two watercolour paintings recently and finished neither because I now prefer the versatility of the oils.

I feel kind of guilty about it, like I’m being unfaithful to the medium I learned with and loved. Perhaps someday I’ll go back, just not yet, maybe after I get a few more oils under my belt. For now, I’m putting my watercolour supplies to the side to be explored another day.

Gone but not forgotten.

Don't blink you'll miss it.

~ The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot. ~   --Michael Althsuler

Today I'm wondering where this year has gone, and how it went so fast!

It makes me wish I was a kid again, when the days were longer and there were only two dates in the year that seemed to take forever to come:  my birthday, and Christmas. Now as an adult, they're the two dates I seem to be the least prepared for. One because in no uncertain terms it means I'm a year older, and the other because it means the holiday season is encroaching, and soon undoubtedly I'll be armed with shopping lists and hitting hot, crowded stores that are filled with tired, cranky clerks and moreover; tired cranky children.

As of my last post I had just started my new job, which turned out to be a high-note of this year. I work with truly amazing people and I've been successful in implementing some helpful tools to streamline the processes in the department, which in turn made us more organized team and makes me enjoy my work even more.

I created some paintings that I'm really proud of this year, including this one of Cody and Kramer (I miss you buddy):

And this one of Stockdale United Church:

Both were highly detailed endeavours, creatively challenging and took what seemed like en eternity to complete, but both ultimately successful in the end.

I'm looking forward to starting a new commissioned painting this week, a portrait of a Cocker Spaniel. I haven't had a paint brush in hand in almost a month, so it's time to get back at it. Next year I hope to take part in a couple of art fairs in an effort to promote myself and sell some of my paintings. The last art show was a bit of a disappointment because I didn't sell anything.  Not because my paintings were not well received, but because of the show itself, although it was well attended, it was clearly not attended by those with the intention of doing anything other than browsing and visiting with each other on a rainy October weekend.

Finally, I'd like to introduce you to the newest addition to our family– Murphy the Bouvier des Flandres. He is growing up fast and has become quite a character. I hope he brings us as much joy as those who came before; Bozley and Kramer.

Murphy at 6 months old

Things change.

“You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”
- Charles F. Kettering

First, let me apologize for the gap in posting to my blog. I spent a lot of time leading up to the Christmas season wishing that things were the way they used to be, thinking about better days and I couldn’t find any inspiration to write.

The weeks leading up to the holidays of 2009 were tough, when knowing that for the first time, my Mom would not be part of the festivities. I felt her loss in every aspect of the Christmas season this year; from the decorating, to the shopping, to the decisions involved in what/where and when to celebrate.

Christmas sure was different – but not different bad, just different. Thankfully I got to spend some quality time with my Dad, including a very nice Christmas Day steak dinner with just the two us. I still got to cook the Christmas Dinner with all the fixin’s, but did it on Boxing Day when more of us could be together. So my memories of Christmas 2009 are fond ones.

Creatively, I ended the year on a high note: I was successful in finishing a challenging painting I’d been working on too, which brought me some much-earned satisfaction. As part of a call to artists for “An Evening in Paris” theme painting, I tried my hand at painting buildings and figures, with some success. The painting was a hit, and I had a buyer before it was even hung for display. (Thanks, Marlene.) I’ve decided to create some limited edition prints of it, which I hope to have available in time for summer art shows/sales.

I just finished my first painting of 2010, my Bozley portrait for My Biggest Fan (MBF), which I’ve been promising for some time. It took a while to complete due to some unplanned life events (which I’ll explain in a minute) but the effort was worth it, I am truly happy with the final painting, and it will be hung with love in our home.

Sometimes when you love something, you have to love it enough to know when it’s time to let it go. That’s precisely what I had to do on February 8th, when our family chose to say goodbye to our Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Kramer. He had been my trusty sidekick for almost 13 years. He had been in failing health for almost a year, and I just couldn’t watch my little friend suffer any more. We decided to make his transition over the rainbow bridge happen sooner than later, so that he could enjoy being a dog again. It’s a good thing there’s an unlimited supply of cookies in doggie Heaven, because he loved those things. In his final days when he wouldn’t eat anything else, he still ate his cookies.

Kramer will be memorialized in many future paintings, and forever in our memories.

My worry shifted to my Dad last week, as he suffered a mild heart attack and he spent the week in the hospital. After many prayers and a quick “tune up” I’m happy to report he’s feeling better and he’s on the mend.

So for now I’m staying focused on the good things in my life: my family, my new job, my friends, and my creativity. With a mix of all of them, I’m assured of a better tomorrow.

Why be an artist? Now I remember.

There are days when I wonder why I wanted to pursue being an artist.
Then there were days like yesterday which made me remember.

Other artists can relate I'm sure, to those days that you sit there staring at your own work (whatever the medium), wondering at what point you lost the love for it. You know that pivotal moment, when you've come too far and invested too much effort to scrap it, but you don't know if you can save it.

Well, the old me would have just scrapped it. I hate to admit it, but I have a history of being a quitter. I have a closet full of unfinished projects that I enthusiastically started on, only to have the perfectionist in me not like the way things were turning out, and abandon it. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of projects that I did finish, but I think that was because I was ultimately happy with the way they turned out.

Enter "new and improved" me. I have learned to listen to criticism (even my own), interpret it into my work and become a better painter.  The satisfaction that is gained when someone sees your work and you witness the emotional response it invokes in them, is worth all the criticism in the world.

So on to yesterday.

As some of you know, I'm preparing to paint a portrait of Bozley, a Bouvier des Flandres, who holds a special place in the heart of my biggest fan (MBF). Bozley passed away of old age about 5 years ago, but when he talks about Boz, there is still a twinkle in his eye.  Boz is the dog that all other dogs in the world are measured by.

I have been doing my photo research gathering images of Bozley and other bouvs so that I can start sketching out my next painting. Yesterday, MBF had a bad day. A really bad day.  He had to go out for the evening, so I spent the time while he was out finding pictures of Boz and printing out enlargements and I left them right where he would find them when he got home.

He found them right away, and after a few moments of silence, he came around the corner with a smile on his face. Probably the first smile of his day.

That is the very reason that I want to be an artist. If my work makes just one person conjure up memories that makes them smile, then it was worth every minute of effort that went into it.

Thanks especially to MBF, for helping me become "the new me".

Finally Finished - Yellow Lab

I'm happy to report that I was able to finish my painting over the weekend. This painting progressed a little slower than I'd hoped, but it's finished nonetheless! Finding time to paint was the biggest challenge I faced this time around. Quite often when I do find the time, it's already 10 pm, and by then my mind is just too tired to be creative.

On the flip side, I learned a few things from this work, lessons that will prove useful with my next subject.
(It's all a learning experience, isn't it?)

I am truly inspired by some really talented watercolour artists that have been sharing their work on the wetcanvas watercolor forum. There is always someone who will lend some advice when a painting isn't turning out how you hoped, before it's too late to save it.

Thanks to everyone there who lent their advice for this one: Bryan, Tom, Laura, and Syliva. (And of course Rod, where would I be without you?)

The inspiration for this painting is my Aunt's lab Dakota. Who is getting up in years, but she is still a great old girl and a fine subject for a painting.

Here she is:

This Week's Work in Progress: Yellow Lab

Despite all of the turmoil around the RWF art show, I have still been managing to make headway on my Yellow Lab painting.

I found this one challenging because I was working with a number of reference photos and I've had to correct a lot of things along the way, but I like the direction that it's going now.  I'm hoping to finish this one by the end of the week.  **crosses fingers**.

That's all for now, soon the finished piece!

Udder Disorganization. Really.

I was elated, as you know from my last post, when I was notified that I was to be a top ten artist in the Royal Winter Fair's art showcase.

Due to (in my opinion) some gross incompetence by the art showcase organizers, things have changed significantly from my last post.

Here's what happened:  (Forgive me if I sound bitter, but my blood boils every time I think about it.)

It started Monday when I emailed the RWF art show coordinator to find out which cow painting I submitted had been chosen for the top ten.  I received an email later that day that it was Curious Cow.  Wonderful! My favourite painting. So happily I write my blog to share the great news with my friends and fellow artists.

Things started to unfold when on Wednesday night I got an email from the show's coordinator. By reading between the lines, I determined that there was some kind of mix up and somehow both paintings that I submitted got accepted to the show, and therefore Curious Cow was not chosen, but my other submission, Closeup Cow, was. They will only hang one framed piece per artist. Don't bring Curious Cow she says, it will not be accepted.

Fine, mistakes happen. Both pieces were already at the framer anyway.

I was kind of happy that I was accepted twice, it was their oversight that they didn't notice this earlier.  I emailed the lady back to ensure my other painting was still part of top ten.

So this is when the bomb hit.  I got an email back saying that my painting "had slipped below the threshold of top ten" because of an addition error on the Jury sheets.  I was one point out of top ten. COME AGAIN?? Apparently math isn't their strong suit.

I was furious, seeing red, and embarassed that I had self-promoted as top ten and now had to retract my statement. I called the Marketing Coordinator of the Fair, (to her horror) ranted about how grossly unprofessional it is to notify an artist they have received this honour, and then say "oops" our mistake, and take it away. She promises to get to the bottom of it and get back to me, because her sheet says I'm in the top ten.

The art show's coordinator (different lady) called me back full of apologies and explanations and tried to convince me that one point out of top ten was "pretty good" and I should be happy.  Really? NOT.

As some kind of peace offering she offered me the opportunity to be a "demonstration artist" on the Monday afternoon of the show.  For two hours I would be painting on the demonstration stage and answering questions by show visitors. Since like most people, I have a job, this was never an option. I tell her I'll think about it and I'll get back to her.

By this time I am furious and I vow not to attend the show at all. The whole thing be damned. A personal vendetta. I cried and wondered how things could be this disorganized. I consider withdrawing from the show on principle. (There were other miscommunications to the artists that I won't go into detail about because they didn't involve me, but only reinforce my feelings of udder incompetence.)

Fast forward to today...

The love of my life left with my painting this morning to deliver it to the Royal's offices.

Having had the weekend to reflect on the week's events, I have decided to attend the show despite the way things were handled. I notified them that I would not be a demonstration artist and thanked them for extending me the opportunity. (I have to be the bigger person here, right?)

I will go to the art show presentations on Friday the 13th (how appropriate) after all, because I still want to see the other artists work, and represent myself as one of the chosen entries.

In the beginning, my only goal was to be accepted into the show, and I should be thrilled that that was what happened. So I am.

Who knows, maybe Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles will comment on my painting as they tour the Royal this Friday... so Close Up cow, you will be graced by the presence of Royalty. Hang proud.

Here is the painting that will be actually hanging at the show. (Sorry Curious Cow, you're outta here!)