New Starts

A new year has begun and it hasn't had the greatest. However there are always different ways of looking at this; instead that it is a NEW start. New year, new life, new ways of doing things. So here is to a new start!

And what better way of looking at things is how weddings create a new start to life. I've been getting a great deal of interest in my invitations, and wedding season has begun with a vengeance! So here is one for your viewing pleasure! Obviously names, dates, locations have been invented ^_~

Don't forget to visit the website for all updates!

Done

So it's done!

We are all moved in. Cat, boyfriend and art supplies! I'm putting up paintings and hanging photos. I've even begun painting again. I couldn't do it till now as the second bedroom was a horrid colour of purple. Not a relaxing shade, not even a vibrant colour of purple. No it was a dark shade of puce (yes people "puce" is a dark dark dark shade of purple, NOT green). It was wretched. And so for an epic deal at our local hardware store, 2 gallons of paint, 2 quarts of primer + extra donated primer (cuz oh boy did I need PRIMER), the room is painted a lovely shade of straw.

After that I set up the room with my drafting table and my easel, and of course with my boyfriend's desk. So I'm open for business! Started a birthday present for my sister's oldest. It's going to be Kaylie's 3rd birthday this year. It's nuts I remember when I was three!! I will keep you updated on that projects and all future projects as well!

 Till then, keep smiling!

Moving Sucks

As I am sure that most of you know, moving sucks. It's messy, crazy, and incredibly stressful. It's never done the way you want, or when you want or HOW you want... but somehow, unpacking is even worse! It's not done in one horrible day, it's done over several horrible weeks. And for some, months or YEARS. Currently, I am about 70% unpacked, but one whole room remains. And trying to get it done in an orderly and prompt fashion seems to be impossible right now.

I have yet to move my cat. She's currently at my parents' place, and until that silly bedroom gets unpacked, she's not coming home. She's now 17 years old and has the beginnings of kidney failure, and from what the vet has told me, she has to avoid stressful situations. Moving house is stressful enough for a cat, let alone coming into an apartment filled with boxes and strange smells is worse. So she's staying put till we get things settled.

Now onto the stuff you care about: PLANS! LOL yea I know you don't really care about what my plans are, but it's a good one! I have a friend who is a graffiti artist, and we're planning a collaboration. Should be definitely interesting! His style is so different from my own that it will certainly be a contrast. He works almost exclusively with spray paint, and I'm nearly exclusively traditional media! How we're going to do it will be a challenge, and essentially we've agreed to do it, not what or when. But that shall come shortly!

Until after my vacation, I bid you all adieu...

Rain Rain Go Away

It's pouring rain. I mean POURING big, huge, gargantuan buckets of rain. It's been like this since about noon too. And I have to walk the dog.... oh the trials of being a dog owner is having to walk the dog, even when the BOTH of you don't want to go. But it shall be done, however I shall defer the walk till after this post. Maybe my prayers will be answered by then.

As I promised in my last post, I would show you my latest framing job. I'll give you the background first, however!

Long time ago, in a land far far far away, my grandmother, Nanni, had been an accomplished athlete. Now, she was never at the Olympics or something like that, but she did compete. She won a Bronze Medal from the Amateur Athletes of Canada Association, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day. And a long time ago, in a land, not so far away as before, I was little, and I loved swimming (still do) and running (not so much now). Nanni recognized that in me, and gave me her Bronze Medal, still in its little leather box.

For years, I had it sitting beside my dolls, and my fine jewellery. I thought, that's what you do with something like that. Sadly, I babysat my sister's cat for a week, and being a complete putz, the cat ate the box. Well, not completely, but he did manage to separate the lid from the base. I was a little angry...

Now, about two years after that, I was surfing the Larson-Juhl website, and I got my inspiration. With a bit of toiling, a lot of drawings, an abundance of patience, and a plethora of papercuts, I managed to frame Nanni's medal:

Needless to say, I am very proud of the final results. It's getting a place of honour in my home, and far away from any cats!!!!






P.S. it's 15 minutes later, and the rain has only gotten harder. Oh Mother Nature you are heartless.... or have a wicked sense of humour....

Puppies, ticks, and Lakehouses

Funny how weeks can fly by now, and it took sooo long as a kid! Summer never lasted long enough but school. Oi school went on for YEARS (even though it was only 8 months)! My weeks have been spent picking apartments, packing, painting, and paying for things out of my nose!!

At least I am able to show you what I've been working on:

Phase One:

 Phase Two:

 Phase Three:

 Phase Four:

This is the final product, at 8x11 inches it's bigger than my cat's portrait, and I have to say I'm proud of the results. Now I could have worked on this for another 6 months, but that's just the way I work! My client was overjoyed with the results, and that's what counts more than anything. And it was done on time for her husbands birthday!

Speaking of dogs, my boyfriend had the pleasure of finding a tick (pretty big one too might I add *makes yucky face*) on my parent's dog, Wickham. So glad our vet was open! They're nasty little creatures... burying their heads into the skin to drink blood... I mean really??? In any case, we think he got it from our new lakehouse. Delightful little house on a lake, surrounded by woods. I can't wait to make a painting of the view... and sleeping in and doing nothing for a week or two!

Till next time with a new framing project!


Me.

The Month in Which Nothing Gets Done

It's been that kind of month. Where everything happens and nothing really productive gets done.

I have a few new projects/commissions and I'm slowly plugging away at them (I don't have a rushed deadline). Found a new apartment, but now have to plan for the move. I've been painting, cleaning, organizing and purging. Yet nothing feels to be done. Really quite a frustrating feeling.

I ought to be excited and proud of what I have accomplished (2 oil paintings in the works, 2 garbage bags, 2 bags to the second hand store, and 3 bags of recycling). I suppose it must be the stress of everything!

The commission is a portrait (much like the portrait of my cat from a few posts ago) of a client's two dogs; Bailey and Buzz. They are really quite cute, but difficult as they are Jack Russels and they're sleeping!! I'm resisting the temptation of posting a WIP, however I don't want this SOMEHOW getting back to my customer's husband. It is supposed to be his birthday present after all! Would kind of spoil the surprise!

As soon as I am done however and my client has the painting in hand, I'll post the entire process. I find it interesting to see where I started to where I finished and how I got there.

Till next time :)

Norman Rockwell

To most illustrators, Norman Rockwell defines the essence of the Golden Age of Illustration. Not only did he do countless covers of The Saturday Evening Post, he also painted some of the most iconic imagery that we still recognize today!
"Freedom from Want" 1943

He also managed to define the American culture for people in a way that the population could really see and digest!

The reason I am prattling on about Mr.Rockwell is that today, in one of the world's forgotten and dinkiest mall's, I found a Saturday Evening Post from 1927. With a Norman Rockwell cover. I was SO excited when I saw it I could barely contain myself. I then proceeded to gently pull the cover out from its protective plastic, only to find out that it was in fact a print, like a Wal-Mart, Cost-co generic print. Can I tell you how deflated I was? All the wind and excitement had been blown right out of me. I had found a treasure (or at least what I consider to be a treasure) only to have it snatched away.

I begged the salesman if he happened to have any originals, he gave me a negative and I walked away. Not two minutes later, the salesman came over to show me a "print" that was, for some unknown reason, priced higher than the others. I pulled it out only to find the back had a Del Monte add from 1927.

Long story short, I am now the proud owner of a August 13th, 1927 Saturday Evening Post Cover!

"Dreams of Long Ago" 1927

Cheers :)