When it rains, it pours! In Vancouver, this is both figuratively and literally true, but I'm talking metaphorically. Fight/Flight opens this Thursday, then The Drift on Main happens this weekend, and as if that weren't enough excitement for one week I will have another exciting piece of news to announce!

I'll give you a hint...

The wonderful potential of acrylic paint...

Fight/Flight at Lüt Boutique!



Summer is fading and it's time to fall back in love with the cozy activities of autumn, like ART OPENINGS!

In participation with The Drift on Main, the chic Lüt Boutique is hosting an exhibition of my latest painting series! I've posted few of the bird paintings (here, here, here and here), but have been working on several others. Come see the series in person at the opening on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6-9pm at Lüt Boutique .
(Photo by Peter Jensen)

The opening will be enhanced with a complimentary beverage and the mad skills of DJ Saucey, recently returned from Taiwan.


As I mentioned in my last post, I will also be at Lüt Boutique during The Drift on Main, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2nd and 3rd from 11am - 6pm. Please come by and say hello!

The Drift on Main is an annual arts festival, now in it's sixth year, which showcases a variety of artists and art events along Main St here in Vancouver. It will take place Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd. It's a great community and family event. Come one, come all! I am thrilled to be participating this year. Check out this link to learn more about the almost 100 artists involved and see examples of their work. Details of my exhibition coming soon!

I'm going to miss you summer...





xoxo

Asterios Polyp


Such an amazing comic! It's beautiful to hold and read, and an expertly modern piece of literature where the style is the content and the content is the style. David Mazzucchelli uses opposite colours very effectively, and the prevalence of purple with yellow is beautiful and unexpected.


What I am enjoying most so far is how much can be imparted about something by the way that thing is drawn. For example, take a look at the variety of drawing styles used to describe the faculty members below:


And the simplicity of the following panel is all the more powerful because the way the two characters are drawn tells so much about who they are and how they are feeling.


It's exhilarating to read something this good!

Acrylic ink + cat + carpet= temper tantrum


To start the morning, I thought I'd work on my sketchbook. I've been enjoying acrylic ink lately, so that was my medium of choice. Acrylic ink is permanent, water-resistant and quick-drying. It's a gorgeous, sunny morning and a whole family of house finches are fighting over the feeder. I can only enjoy this pleasant view from the table in the living room - the carpeted living room.

Turns out, it was also the perfect morning for being reminded why I chose the little room with both a door and laminate floor as my studio.


Ambrose is a very whiny cat. He whines even more when it's sunny outside. He whines even more still when Josh is away. And he really likes to sit on whatever you are doing that isn't taking him outside. I know all this.

So why, you might ask, did I tempt fate by bringing my lovely bottle of dark umber acrylic ink out to the living room table to work on my sketchbook? Because I was still half-asleep? Possibly. Because it was so nice there I didn't consider the consequences? Yes. Because Ambrose is a maniacal genius who can control my mind and make me do things I wouldn't normally do? Unfortunately, no. This one's on me, as much as all my yelling and swearing and stomping was directed at him. Perhaps scrubbing the spilled ink from the table, the carpet, my foot and Ambrose's paw could be considered therapeutic?

I'm sure I'm not the only one with stories of art-ing and crafting supplies falling into the hands/paws of children/pets. My Mom still tells the story of three-year-old me cutting her in-progress tailored French silk blouse to ribbons with pinking shears! How 'bout you, what kind of stories have you got?

The Happiness Project

One of the best things about having time off is letting your morning start slow, with really good music. Charles Spearin's Happiness Project was the perfect thing for this morning. If you click on the link above, you can give it a listen. Mrs. Morris is awesome, but I have a soft spot for Vittoria. The video below offers some background and nice imagery.

New painting, old camera

I've finished another bird painting, this one with a little hermit thrush. I had the luck to see one in the backyard a few months ago and posted a sketch and picture.



I am really enjoying playing with the textures and effects possible with acrylic paint, but do not enjoy trying to get a decent photo of them!


I have been using a cheap little digital point-and-shoot for my web pics, but recently upgraded to a nicer camera. I took these pics before I got the new camera, but I can hardly wait to figure it out and get some decent pics of my paintings.

I came across something called The Sketchbook Project through a blog I follow. It sounded pretty neat: an international call for artists to participate by ordering a sketchbook, filling it with sketches based on one of the suggested themes, then returning it to be part of a touring exhibition and eventually catalogued at the Brooklyn Art Library. So, I ordered my book and I've started sketching. My theme is "in flight". It's intimidating to look at the wonderful sketchbooks of past years, then look at the blank pages in my book. At least, when I'm feeling cheeky, I'll be able to say I've shown in New York! Hee hee hee...

It was a secret, so I forgot about it.


I was asked to make this painting by a friend as an anniversary gift for his wife. It was a big secret, so I couldn't post it when I made it, and then I forgot to post it altogether. Anywho, it's based on this little wooden clock from a while ago and playing with flat and perspective painting styles. Happy belated anniversary you two!

This combines so many of my favourite things: low-tech animation, people watching/listening, and animals. Win, win, win!



The goat is the BEST!

Summertime= empty studio.

My little studio room is in the darkest part of our little basement suite. No natural light. It's freezing in the winter, but it's even less appealing in the summer. Funny that I haven't posted more work *wink*. Really, all I need is a project I can get excited about. This is part of why I think I'm well-suited to illustration. I really like working once someone has given me a place †o start. When it's all on me, it's not as engaging. Suddenly other things seem more enjoyable, like reading outside does tonight, for example.

Kickin' it at Kranky!


Four of my clocks are on vacation at Kranky Cafe, on 4th at Main, for the next month or so. Pop by to support a new local cafe/live music venue/mini-gallery, an artist proprietor, and your caffeine addiction! The cafe has a website coming soon and can be followed on facebook (where they keep you up-to-date on fresh baked goods and whatnot).

Little sketches of random things...




I've also been enjoying India ink...

Why didn't I think of this?!


Check out this (now complete) brilliant project/blog of artwork inspired by Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.

Terrible Yellow Eyes

I'm not sure I would have the guts to tackle something I see as perfect, but luckily there are many braver (and more talented) artists out there!

Urban Skyglow 2: Dark-eyed Junco



Here is the third of my bird paintings, and the second related to urban skyglow. It's acrylic on a 30 x 30" canvas. This time, I wanted to use a blue-green palette, much like the cast of fluorescent lights, rather than the warmer tones of the previous canvas.

This little bird is a Dark-eyed Junco. We had many of these birds visit our garden quite frequently in the late winter/early spring on their route north. These perky little birds migrate at night and tend to fly quite low, and are therefore often victims of the host of problems associated with the lights of our cities.

Simply Read

As part of the children's book workshop course I am taking, the publisher from Simply Read Books was invited to speak to our class. I have admired their books for quite a while. They are a local publishing house and have the most wonderful aesthetic. The books seem to be illustrated and designed to be as beautiful as possible, rather than to pander to a market or what parents and kids are perceived to enjoy. The books are simply as lovely as possible. They publish the charming board books by Paola Opal, including Saffy. Matthew Porter has illustrated a whole series of books, including the beautiful Flowers.


Can't imagine why I'd like that one so much (wink)! They have also published Julie Morstad's books.

One of their authors is Kari-Lynn Winters, a professor of mine from the UBC Education program, a former student of the same children's book workshop course, and an increasingly prolific author.

It is refreshing to see a publishing house put faith in a child's ability to enjoy something modern and well-designed, and to put faith in an adult's desire to read, gift, or keep a well-designed book for children.

New... to me!

Michael Katz, the instructor of the children's book workshop course I'm taking and the publisher of Tradewind Books, mentioned illustrator Helen Oxenbury to me during class last night. This talented woman has been illustrating for years, and yet this is the first I've heard of her! Check out her charmingly English pencil and watercolour illustrations...




She makes drawing anything seem like the easiest thing in the world - like anyone could do it. That's when you know you've got a real master on your hands. There are so many English illustrators with a wonderfully accomplished line drawing style. Is it their art history, schools, scones and cream? I'll test the scones and cream theory first....

Hondo and Fabian!


As with any discussion or study of children's books, often the most fun part is being introduced to new (or just new-to-me) books. Hondo and Fabian is a gem of a book illustrated by the very talented Peter McCarty. Check out his website - watercolour and pencil! Mad skills! SO jealous! More exclamation points!!

Brilliant ideas with brilliant (white board!) animation.



You mean we have to work hard and spend time to get what we want, instead of willing it to ourselves from the comfort of our couch!?

A little bird told me...

I've mentioned my growing interest in local birds, especially songbirds, and the variety of pressures that contribute to their decline. I've finished another bird painting, this one considering the phenomenon of urban sky glow and light pollution. In my research about birds, I came across some upsetting information and statistics about the effect communication towers and other lit features of the urban night sky have on night migratory birds. A report compiled by the American Bird Conservancy in June 2000 analyzed data relating to the number of birds killed by communication towers, tower lights, and surrounding wires and structures. The report showed that 230 different kinds of birds were killed by the towers and a conservative estimate of the number of birds killed each year is about 5 million. One little songbird, the Tennessee Warbler, has a declining population and is also the third most commonly killed bird at the towers. The understated little bird was also the subject of my latest bird painting.



It's hard to deny the beauty of city lights at night and this tiny little bird seems pretty insignificant compared to our urban centres and the communication of millions of humans. I wanted to emphasize that vulnerability. Much like the canary in the coal mine, I also wonder if these little birds might be trying to tell us that all these lights at night aren't so great for us either.

Hope this hasn't been to rant-y for you!

Edu-ma-cation!

I had my first class of a continuing studies course I am taking at UBC through the Writing Centre. It's a Children's Book Workshop led by Michael Katz, head of Tradewind Books. Already I appreciate Mr. Katz's honesty about the gauntlet a writer or illustrator must run in order to be published.

Who are your favourite children's book authors and/or illustrators? Mine include Maurice Sendak and Shaun Tan.

Extended metaphor time!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Vancouver is a bad boyfriend. For most of the year, he rains on your parade. He's cold and moody. You end up feeling trapped in the house and depressed. Just when you muster up the courage to leave, just when you start thinking about all the other exciting options out there, he turns up with flowers. He's hot and cold, but there are beautiful days (like this one) when you wonder why you'd be anywhere else. You start to wonder if it's been you all along. Maybe you should have made more of an effort. As soon as you try to make nice, you get dumped on.

Jillian Tamaki has the life I want.


Canadian girl, now living in New York, and making a living as an illustrator and comics artist. She's incredibly talented and makes each illustration look as if it poured easily from her pen. I highly recommend the comic she drew, written by her cousin, called Skim. It's a wonderfully thoughtful portrait of a teenage girl in a suburb. Maybe she wants to trade lives for a bit? Underemployed substitute teacher and unknown artist with lesser talents - I should give her a call.

Haven't had much to say of late - I've been getting quite a bit of teaching work and the weather's been classic Vancouver (lots of rain and wind with little bits of glorious sun to tease me). I can't post a painting I've finished because the weather's been too wet to get a decent picture of it.

I have been getting in the habit of doing a quick, usually terrible, sketch most mornings. Here are a few I'm not too embarrassed to show. I mostly sketch whatever random thing pops into my head or happens to be laying around, hence the cat, octopus, bird feeder, purse and sock on this page.


Ambrose usually only sits still when he's looking out the window. I have a lot of sketches of his back.


An adorable little hermit thrush visited our yard one day. The proportions in this drawing are way off, but the bird was so charming I wanted to try and draw him.


This is how they look:


Such appealing proportions and bright little faces!

Bird feeder action!

The new bird feeder outside our window amuses me by attracting house sparrows and chickadees. Hopefully more varieties of bird will visit as the bird-word spreads. As a bonus, our cat slides all over Josh's piles of books and papers trying to get a better look at his would-be prey. This is sort of how he looks and sounds, so I get entertained once by the birds and again by the cat! Talk about getting your money's worth!

Phew! All of a sudden, so much time has passed since my last post! I must admit, I was feeling pretty doom and gloom last week. Between the grim budget delivered by the Vancouver School Board and the inevitable low-points of making art, some poisonous post was probably best avoided anyhow.

Instead, I'm finally feeling game for sharing a new painting. I've been increasingly interested in local birds. I received a bird book last year and have really enjoyed putting a name to the birds I see and hear. Josh also brought home a bird feeder, so there's been some amusing activity right outside our window. While wandering around our local library branch, I picked up the book Grass, Sky, Song: Promise and Peril in the World of Grassland Birds, by Trevor Herriot. Although the birds he describes are specific to a different, and dwindling, landscape, his enthusiasm for each bird as a representative of the spirit of the land is contagious.

So, yeah, I'm interested in birds. Enough blah, blah, blah. Here's the painting...



It's 30 x 30" and I haven't titled it yet. I've been interested in the depth and texture achieved through acrylic mediums and glazes, so the background gave me a chance to explore some interesting techniques. As I learn more about local birds, it was inevitable that I would begin to learn more about how human activity threatens many species. Among other things, I was thinking about the increasing toxicity of a bird's environment. And so, the acid colours against the neutral and natural tones of the bird and it's home.

I always love to hear what people think...

It's been a while since I posted any artwork, so here are some little sketches to show I haven't smothered my creative impulses completely!

The cottage in England...


The view of our dining room table/Joshy's office...


A Sunday breakfast in the 'hood with Joshy...