Germinate

Each month I meet with a group of artists and we work towards putting on a theme-related show of our works. I thoroughly enjoy working with this talented group because our viewpoints and works are very diverse and this makes for an interesting and visually exciting show. This year we are to create a work a month based on a word chosen at the previous month's meeting. Last month's word was Germinate. (Click here to view Andrea's Germinate work.)
Many of my works are inspired by ideas about "community" and this work sprang from the same well. I covered my foundation with bits of text torn from my community newspaper and added many layers of glaze and paint to depict the germination of a community.

Letting the Light In - Thank You Leonard

... so there I was, working on a new painting and mumbling to myself that this particular work wasn't turning out quite as expected - it's different than my usual works and I was wondering if I was on the right track, or if I'd be better to stick with my tried and true style of past works. I looked down at my palette and gosh darn ding dang, there was Leonard Cohen staring back at me from the cadmium yellow/red mixture. I stared at the image, wondering when Leonard had grown that big mole on his nose, when the thought was interrupted by one of Leonard's wonderful quotes, "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

Thanks to Leonard I've decided to throw my usual self-imposed style constraints to the wind and follow my paintbrush to where it will lead me - I've never enjoying basking in "the light" more.

Discovery update

Thank you for the feedback on my last post, I've worked with this piece to enhance both the "mystery" factor and the "pop" factor, and I'm pleased with the look of it. Just a few hours of work to go - finish the edges, mount it on a backing board, attach the hanging device and then it'll be ready to hang in my upcoming show at Gallery Fourteen.

Illustration Friday - DISCOVERY

OK, so I'm cheating a bit on last Friday's theme ... I'm on a voyage of DISCOVERY and need your help. I'm working on a series and had a moment of possible DISCOVERY as I was nearing the finish of the work currently on my easel: instead of finishing the work in the first image to the usual level of resolution in the second image, I kind of like it as it is and am thinking of doing just a little more to it. In it's current state, the work has an edgier feel than my highly resolved works and whenever I reach this stage in a work I pause and ponder, then keep going. What do you think? Finish as usual, or leave the blurred edges and streaks?

Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

OK, enough of this snail trailing already

Seymour continues his adventures, however I am back in the studio this week getting ready for my August exhibition. The show will feature paintings from With Sturdy Shoes and from Our Town (a series I've been working on and off again for many months - this work from the series has already been sold - thank you Kay!).

"Borrowed" Garden Snail on the Move

No artwork to show you this week - I've been busy with a new blog http://theadventuresofseymoursnail.blogspot.com/

New Jewellery Works

To see my latest jewellery works listed on Etsy, click here.