MAN OF MANY HATS

I'm often asked how I always keep so many things on the go and that I'm a man of many hats. Indeed, I keep the ball rolling in many courts, but I also try to keep it fun. Maybe I'm just a crazy workaholic. Maybe its that I'm doing what I love. You see for yourself in this monumental goal reaching Episode 50!

Sticky fingers and youtube uploads

Sampler Sunday at Swinton's Studio.

I taught an oil sampler this fine and toasty Sunday.   I always hope that this little introduction to the glories of my favorite painting medium doesn't scare people off. Instead, I hope it inspires people to delve deeper and keep at it because it can very rewarding.  It has its ups and downs, limitations, toxicity, chemistry, history and traditions. That being said, when you are first starting out it can also be intimidating, expensive, challenging and confusing, not to mention messy. But if you stick with it, you will get stuck on it.

 I had a great group with diverse and dynamic backgrounds. My friend Sylwia, who I haven't seen in ages, attended. I even had a little girl, so I had to curb my usual rants and positive and passionate use of swearing.

One lady used a palette knife to put it on thick, I love the richness and creaminess of oil paint, thouh I've never been brave enough to slather it on like she did.  I am always amazed at what people come up with. I love seeing what colours they mix and how they apply paint. The possibilities are endless and I learn a surprising amount when I'm teaching.

This participant to work quick and loose and in doing so she put my demo piece to shame. As a quick demo, I often do an homage to Bob Ross and then scrub it off before anyone can take a picture of it leading to my embarrassment. But I do it quick so it seems less intimidating. Making art should be fun, playful and easy, so about halfway through, I remind them to smile. Eventually they hit a wall as is one of the main challenges when making art, that's when one has to know to take a break, a real art form in itself.

 This quick alla prima of a harbor turned out great for a first time oil user. Any more and the colours would become muddy and the whole thing would become frustrating. We don't have time to allow layers to dry in the short few hours of this class to really show off what makes oil so diverse and wonderful. You never know, somebody in that class could become and artist in the future!

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I am always making something. I put up a few new things on you You tube for you to check out.

Here is a teaser for the Blackfoot Graphic Novel.

And a quick motion graphic for the USAY Backback giveaway event this summer.

Blackfoot Crossing

Took the Aboriginal Youth Animation participants to Blackfoot Crossing for an off site field trip.

I have always loved the smell of sweet grass (Sipaattsimaan -Blackfoot). I'd like to be able to go out and gather it myself in the respect of tradition. On of my participants is a member of the secret buffalo horn society and gave me some to smudge with. While in the Blackfoot crossing museum I had the chance to study how sweet grass looks before it is harvested. Maybe I'll find it on my own while in the wild sometime. Here is how it looks, I haven't colored the drawings yet, and I only had the one pencil while at the museum.

The eagle fan is a sacred/ritual object of beauty.
I'd like to make one, but it's use in my reality is very limited.