"Life is a beach or make my day"

What can I say? I had every intention of going into the studio to work........
but........
four lovely ladies from around the globe invited me to the beach

So.... instead of working I took a day off, did a whole lot of nothing and got horribly sunburned.
the following day I continued work on a new piece the following day that you can see shot in time lapse here.

https://youtu.be/SzTomC0gtWQ

Here are some additional shots from the beach that day.

Video Art!

It's a VIDEO ART BREAK! Going back to my post graduate art roots.During my Belas-Artes residency, I attended 3 workshops centred around a Roland video switcher/mixer. I made some digital work and mixed in analogue with a mosaic effect then layered iteration and then mashed up. I really like how the moving colours and sound turned out which is why there is no narration or introduction this episode. Watch it below. Link here:  https://youtu.be/eAdxUyqJaP0

Episode 24 - "Deep into the blue"

This episode has is introduced  from a cablecar high above the expo '98 grounds. I take off to visit the aquarium Ocenario de Lisboa and a few other sights and sounds. I talk about the colour blue (azul), my references and add tidbits of what i've learned  about Portuguese heritage. Meanwhile my time lapse is working as hard as me and I complete my latest piece for exhibition at the Belas-artes residency in Lisbon this summer. Link to the video by clicking here or watch it below.

My residency is quickly coming to a close. Below are the invitations created for the main as well as the group exhibitions following the completion of the residency at Belas-artes Lisboa.

 After the exhibition my next stop is Apulia, about an hour north of Oporto. I am visiting Martinho Correia as well as to do a little painting for him on a church altarpiece commission. .

Boy in the box

I work diligently on a drawing of a blue figure trapped in Lisbon architecture  at my Faculdade de Belas-Artes residency in Portugal.  That sentence is a mouthful...... (segue) I've been  drinking a lot of coffee, so we begin this episode by taking a quick aside in visual celebration of my current automated coffee machine vice.

https://youtu.be/7xDxqnXE8LQ

For the nerds in my demographic.....
you are right! "Boy in the box"........there is a tiny reference to Corey Hart in there, you can faintly hear it in the background. When I was really young growing up in Surrey BC, we lived in an apartment and I had the top bunk bed, I had a "never surrender" silk tacked to the ceiling, and a spiky haircut to match my musical idols.

Belas-artes Lisboa residency week 1.5

I completed my first blue series drawing. The colour is inspired by the tile work found all around Portugal. I purchased all matter of blues in different materials so I could discover what wold work best. None of which are col-erase, which would probably have been sufficient and I have a huge stack of them back home. Below is my latest episode which offers a glimpse into my thought process and some time lapse of my physical one.

https://youtu.be/UhY1m_qtdzU

My ideas are developing about what I hope to make for this residency, it just seems that time is ticking away quickly. I am managing to keep my focus but there is a full roster with many workshops and assignments between work days. I decided to skip one that did not interest me yesterday in favour of some seeing some sights and visiting the Gulbenkian museum.

It collection was amazing and up lifting.  I revelled in the beauty of decorative arts and traditional collections, that was just what I needed mid week.  I am going to try and get in more museums and take a bit of the pressure off, it is a "working" / "vacation" after all.  Afterward I walked through a park and visited the Estufa Fria  which is an outdoor botanical garden housed in a converted quarry.

Belas-artes Lisboa residency week 1

After getting settled and beginning to navigate around the city of Lisbon. I have two drawings completed that I am fairly happy with. Watch below and see what inspired me and how I developed this "Good Shepherd" drawing.

From Lisbon with Love

I jump right in during my residency at the faculdade de belas-artes da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. There are a ton of plaster casts on the campus which is housed in a converted franciscan monastery. I begin with a graphite drawing on Fabriano paper of a torso I found in the basement, beside the wood shop.

My father was born in Lisbon Portugal, and part of my desire to come to Lisbon is to discover a bit of my families heritage. I don't know much about it or the culture. Growing up I was only exposed every few week-ends with visits to my grandparents. Portuguese was never spoken at home or taught to us. It has made it difficult to communicate since I don't speak or write any Portuguese. But it is nice to blend in a bit and to take in the sights and sounds which may be held deep in my soul waiting to be awakened.

Artist in Residence @ Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park

This year I am enjoying the much needed isolation after 5 months of intensive and challenging projects. This is a time to reflect and simplify while make work between scattered bike rides and hikes.

A  powerful thunderstorm rages above the artist cabin, a perfect time for me to update my blog.
Here is whats up on once blank walls so far. Some pieces from last year for inspirations, and a bunch of stuff to finish and blank stuff waiting to be made into something new along the floor.

While hiking I collected a beautiful little bird skull.The reason I have a heavy bandage is that I chopped off the tip of my finger while using my new axe while super tired. Blood spurted everywhere but It is healing nicely after a week. I focused in meditation that it would grow back like an amphibian. The force is strong in me, though I may be in the nubbin club with my two best friends. The core grounds keeper here also has the same marking, Maybe its a man's right of passage. lol.

This year I decided to time lapse the progression of my paintings as I create them. I posted them to my you tube channel and have them linked below. They are short so have a quick gander.

The first painting is in the style of Russian/Greek Orthodox Christian iconography. It is done with acrylic on panel. I intended on using real gold building but did not have enough, instead I used my next favourite gold product made by Golden Acrylics. It has fantastic reflection and glint, the nearest I have found to the real thing, though considerably less expensive and fare easier to apply.

I was inspired after painting the icon to paint a larger version of a gesturing hand to represent learning. I am also excited, not only to be time lapsing my work but also with my inventory and organization that I have been able to update while working in the Artist Cabin. Exciting! Stay tuned………Definitely more to come!

Painted Elephants

I created these two new pieces for the Inshala festival while on my Cypress Hills residency.

I started with brush drawing with black Gesso on the primed support. I like this method, it's fast!

I added the brightest paint colours to the surface. It killed back all the wrinkles which I will revisit.

I used a plastic bag and really watery paint to texture over the skin surface to take back a bit of the colour and make the piece more homogenous.

I went in with the white and highlights, right out of the tube.

I went in with some line and neutral gray and began with some bright green in the eye.

 ---
I started another on the same size canvas.

I threw down some texture before starting in on the second elephant head.

I drew in the elephant face quickly. I'm a bit attached to the plain black and white drawing, it looks kinda like an ink drawing.

I add the punchy neon acrylic colour as the elephant paint, it sits far on top visually so I will have to take it down like before.

Here is is after I apply a bluish grey and revisit some of the wrinkle lines. I went into the eyes with some sparkles.

 I am really happy with how these two new pieces turned out and how quickly they came together.

Cypress Hills Artist in Residency - final week

My time here is nearly up and after the week long of pissing down rain great weather has broken thru.

Here is a shot from the cabin porch from any given day this week.

In contrast with a view from the Butte on a sunny day.

I spotted this skull while out hiking. I'm sure ray would have liked me to pick it up and take it home to add to the collection. However, The only thing I'm taking from nature is pictures.

Some pretties.

Everyday I sit in this chair outside the cabin and read "the Believing Brain" by Micheal Shermer. It was a fantastic read and helped me get into the groove to make art. While sitting here the other day a huge moose turned the corner and was trotting toward me. I put down my book in shock and we made eye contact, the kind where I knew we both felt like shitting out britches. It recognized I was a people and gave a grunt as it bound past me. If I had stuck out my arm I would have brushed its enormoose face. Now that is close!!!!!

I was a bit stunned but went inside the cabin to grab my camera for some proof and snap a shot of the moose's behind as it walked away.

Here is an action shot of the stunt flying swallows that have become accustomed to me and swoop at me at the front door now. I think they are protecting their nest.

The internet signal is very weak and unstable, it has taken over 2 hours to make this blog post so I'm going to get back to the cabin and post again when I am back in town =:D

The camping continues....

I had a stretch of a few gorgeous days for some discovery. I've been starting some new work inspired by my camp and some of the surroundings.

Here is my Henessey hammock amongst the trees.

and a later version where I re-applied the trunk paint over the greenery.

I also started a piece where the camper is amongst the trees.

I used bronze and copper paint for the reflective pine leaves covering the ground and the trim on the camper.

On hottest day of the week-end, I cracked and I treated myself to some of Dar's ice cream goodness.

Nom. Nom.

I took myself on a bike ride but quickly found out it was a walking only trail so I parked my dreamy trusty steed against a big tree and went the rest on foot.





Bird, Butterfly and this little fungi - It is pouring rain now so I have plenty of time to sit down and crank out another painting inspired by my camp.

I sketched it out quickly on a Grumbacher artist panel.

I blocked in the background and base colours.

I worked in more depth on the forest floor.

I then used the a fan brush to block in the background and some of the mist.
 
I applied more textured lights and darks and painted in the hammock fly.

I still have more work to do on each one of the paintings and some of the other stuff I am working on while in the Artists Cabin.

Art in the Park - Mission refuel

Mission refuel.

I need both food and gasoline. I left the Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial park this afternoon to restock my camping kitchen. Having all this quiet time to reflect and relax has really helped make a concise list for the kitchen. I have had a lot of time to think what you really want to eat and drink.  I finished a book already and started another.

When I drove into Maple Creek and saw the high gas price,  I couldn't have felt more like I've been living in a bubble. I can see why disconnecting is nice, but it feels strange revisiting. Like Mad Max. I feel like I'm at end of the world coming back to discover its been obliterated. Mind you this is pretty close to the middle of nowhere. As I drove into the nearest town, my engine light has come on, I hope I can figure that out before I have to head back into the woods.

The weather has taken a turn for the wilder and windier. My camper door blew open waking me up super early this morning. I have been biking and getting inspired on interpretive trails before putting in some time at the studio. It's nice to have a place to go and work while camping, I am making the best use of it I can.

 Look up! These are the Lodgepole pine surrounding all the campsites and hiking paths.

 They whisper and sway in the breeze.

Down by the lagoon there are lots of entertaining birds. I love my new telephoto lens, it allows me to get nature shots without disturbing the critters.

And now for something completely different........ unnaturally bold in colour and man made, I copper coated my backgrounds then used the ammonia to blue them back up and began putting in some more time on the letter characters. I also made some more test boards and began some new pieces.

Here is a the wild flower that is beginning to pop up everywhere. The light is really beautiful here.

I think I've removed the last huge spider from my sleeping area so the next person to use the camper wont wake in horror to giant spiders in the face. I look forward to having another go at instructing some groups this week-end if the weather brings in a new slew of campers. Now off to pick up supplies and get back to camping.