Monday, March 31, 2008
Happy Happy
I’ve been waking up blissfully happy for about 5 days in a row now…FOR NO REASON! Being the cynic and borderline hypochondriac that I am, I’m imagining it’s because I have a tumour in the left frontal lobe of my brain. The good news? I’m too happy to care! So nuttin’ to blog about, just sending good, happy vibes your way. Here’s a happy little song about global warming from Jill Sobule. If the above video is fussy, here's the link.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
My Art Studio - Before and Almost After
Before on the left, after on the right (I’m hoping that’s obvious).
I’m feeling like a brave soul posting these pictures of my former work chaos. The studio is still a work in progress. I have some wall shelves to put up and nice storage baskets waiting to be put to use. Now there is order and function to everything! I also finally have a place all niched out for my kids - the table with the white cloth on top. I used to have this room arranged to teach art classes to small groups of children and I have almost every kid friendly art material that exist on the planet. It was encouraging to see my kids use their space immediately instead of watch tv or bicker. I’ve also been productive in this space and look forward to finally posting some new work.
Nothing gives me more voyeuristic pleasure than seeing other peoples work spaces so I was happy to find this blog. Speaking of spaces, here are some unusual finds for your viewing pleasure. If you’re a Facebook fanatic, there’s the Cool Architecture application. It lets you have an ever changing gallery of interesting architecture. Not that Facebook needs any more applications, but this one isn’t obnoxious ... nothing hatches from it, it doesn't rate you or make you do a quiz.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Getting Deep at IKEA
It’s my birthday. It’s interesting how these celebrations have mellowed over the years. I did the ultimate suburban thing and went to IKEA. I also realized how easy I am to please these days. Nothing could have made me more happy this birthday weekend than my husband entertaining the kids while I browsed IKEA for shelves and things to make me feel organized. It was (maybe sadly so), blissful.
As I stood in the checkout, I noticed at least 3 people purchasing mass produced canvas art. All of the artwork was either florals or abstracts, nicely stretched and some were textured to look like real paintings. Since the woman in front of me was buying about 800 different types of knobs, I knew I had time to ponder those arty questions - what is art? If it seems purely decorative, is it art? Is painting truly, finally dead as it has been repeatedly claimed since the invention of photography? If growing factories in China can mass produce oil paintings in every genre for peanuts, then why aren’t we painters just chucking it all in and becoming caterers and postal carriers?
Thanks to the ‘knob’ lady, I had an epiphany for all my juvenile angst. It seems so obvious and I knew it before, but I didn’t really FEEL it until then. Original art has soul. It’s not definable, it’s just something you feel. It’s the same reason I just had to go see the Monet to Dali exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery last year. Sure, I’ve seen so many of those famous paintings in print throughout my life, but standing in front of the originals was a completely different experience. I went having a preference for Cezanne over Manet, and left with the opposite. It’s the same reason when you spend time in someone’s home where there’s color and original art on the walls, you leave with a cosy feeling and can’t remember what their couch looked like. Then you spend time in a perfectly coordinated house with one or two strategically placed pieces of nicely framed, store bought posters and all you really remember is the sofa. Original art does have the ability to breathe life into a place. For that I'm grateful and I'll just keep on painting.
Here’s an interesting artist, Bill Braun. Click on the link, DON’T READ, quickly scroll the artwork, then read and take a close-up look. Surprised?
As I stood in the checkout, I noticed at least 3 people purchasing mass produced canvas art. All of the artwork was either florals or abstracts, nicely stretched and some were textured to look like real paintings. Since the woman in front of me was buying about 800 different types of knobs, I knew I had time to ponder those arty questions - what is art? If it seems purely decorative, is it art? Is painting truly, finally dead as it has been repeatedly claimed since the invention of photography? If growing factories in China can mass produce oil paintings in every genre for peanuts, then why aren’t we painters just chucking it all in and becoming caterers and postal carriers?
Thanks to the ‘knob’ lady, I had an epiphany for all my juvenile angst. It seems so obvious and I knew it before, but I didn’t really FEEL it until then. Original art has soul. It’s not definable, it’s just something you feel. It’s the same reason I just had to go see the Monet to Dali exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery last year. Sure, I’ve seen so many of those famous paintings in print throughout my life, but standing in front of the originals was a completely different experience. I went having a preference for Cezanne over Manet, and left with the opposite. It’s the same reason when you spend time in someone’s home where there’s color and original art on the walls, you leave with a cosy feeling and can’t remember what their couch looked like. Then you spend time in a perfectly coordinated house with one or two strategically placed pieces of nicely framed, store bought posters and all you really remember is the sofa. Original art does have the ability to breathe life into a place. For that I'm grateful and I'll just keep on painting.
Here’s an interesting artist, Bill Braun. Click on the link, DON’T READ, quickly scroll the artwork, then read and take a close-up look. Surprised?
Monday, March 10, 2008
Barf and Marine Life
I've been mostly absent from the computer these days. Truth is, I've been acting a bit like a Stepford Wife, except without the good looks, and okay, not all the pleasantness either. I have been engaged in family matters. Flu season hit us hard. I've been dutifully picking up snotty tissues and cleaning up projectiled vomit -yesterday! at the dinner table no less! and no, my cooking isn't THAT bad.
In between assorted viruses we did manage a family trip to the Vancouver Aquarium. Evident from the below pictures, my husband was in charge of the camera. Where are the humans?! When I'm old and reminiscing over fond family memories, I wonder if the turtle and the crocodile pictures will help me remember the good old days. Luckily, I painted this oil painting of my daughter a few months back to remind me how much we like looking at fish in this family.
In between assorted viruses we did manage a family trip to the Vancouver Aquarium. Evident from the below pictures, my husband was in charge of the camera. Where are the humans?! When I'm old and reminiscing over fond family memories, I wonder if the turtle and the crocodile pictures will help me remember the good old days. Luckily, I painted this oil painting of my daughter a few months back to remind me how much we like looking at fish in this family.
Fish face art anyone? Take a look at these painted faces.
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