Friday, December 30, 2016

New painting Class Schedule, New Beginnings

Beginning Anew
Schedule of  winter painting classes



"Windswept"  Watercolour 


Christmas is barely over and a new year is about to arrive and my thoughts are split between what is ending and what has not yet materialized. On a personal note 2016 was a challenge for me in a physical sense starting with a broken wrist thanks to my lovable energetic mutt. From there it moved to hip replacement surgery. Needless to say it was a challenge but what touched me so much was the care and support I received from friends, family, students and a wonderful community. I feel such a deep sense of gratitude to all who touched my life during the past year. Thank you.

Painting continues as it is my way of being in this world. Teaching is a love and a way of sharing what I know and my views. My schedule of teaching is changing a bit for the winter  and I look forward to those who return and new ones to start. My training ranges from a traditional academic fine arts degree to various workshops embracing art in its many forms.   A sense of creative play is what continually keeps art alive and interesting for me. Picasso said that "Every child is an artist but it is hard for the artist to keep that child alive in the adult." I welcome those with a playful curiosity to engage in the artistic journey to join my classes or workshops. No experience necessary.

 Schedule of six week classes for the winter
 Instead of offering two evening sessions I am offering one session on Tuesday Mornings
 and one on Thursday evenings.

Six week Tuesday Morning Session
January 17th  10am-12 pm
fee $130.00 materials fee $30.00

Six week Thursday Evening Watercolour Session
January 19th
7:15-9:15pm
fee $130

Saturday one day workshop January 28th
10 am -2:30pm 
fee $65.00

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Seeking the Light






The time changed this weekend. It means winter darkness and short days and days of unending grey one after another. Magical days filled with sunlight become treasures to enjoy and perhaps try to capture in a painting. Clear blue skies and the sparkling white of snow are magical vehicles of light. Watercolour is a favorite medium I use to capture the light and transparency of colour and mood.
Even the winter grey's have a depth and  beauty captured so well in watercolour. Some of these will be on display in a new show coming up.
    In celebration of winter and the start of the Holiday Season I am holding a Studio Open house in my home on Sunday, NOVEMBER 27th. It will have some of my latest pieces as well as a new series of small paintings I will be offering. Seasonal cards will also be available and sales and discounts on many pieces. Would love to see you!

Studio Open House
17 Fernwood Park Ave.
Sunday November 27th
11:00am-4:00pm

416-699-8609 for more infromation

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Inspired by Nature



Abstracting from Nature 





Colour is starting to appear everywhere. It's that time of year. I see a leaf on the ground and have to pick it up. It feels like a little gift of amazing colour that I can hold in my hand. My six year old child emerges and I cannot resist gathering a hand full to carry them home. Some of them find their way into paintings and especially into subject matter for painting classes whether it is about pure abstract colour or amore realistic approach. How did nature get such glazing, such richness, such texture and how would it be done in watercolour or acrylic? Questions and challenges!

A childlike playful approach is encouraged in my workshops. Picasso said something to the effect that as children we are all artists but the problem is growing up and still maintaining that creativity.
Being in nature in awe and wonder awakens the child. Classes and workshops are coming up through October and November covering a variety of techniques  as well as focus.  Check out my class page, sign up and have fun.

The Beach Studio Tour is a Spring and Fall event in which I normally participate, I am not participating this Fall but will attend October 21-23 to support my artist friends who are in it.

I will host a one day open house November 27th, featuring small paintings, cards and matted works. An invitation will soon be issued.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Fall Painting Classes in the Beach


 Watercolour, Acrylic and MixedMedia




      Watercolour can be so much fun. It's a joy to share the fun of washes, colour and all that watercolour will do in my six week ongoing painting sessions. This Fall there are three one day Saturday workshops that will cover some of the great things that can happen with mixed media. This is when a painting might start as a watercolour but find that a bit of ink, pastel, or acrylic has found it's way into the mix.

My ongoing weekly sessions start Tuesday evening September 13th and Thursday evening September 15th. If you can't join a weekly session try a one day Saturday session. The first one is Saturday September 17th with more being offered throughout the Fall: October 1st and October 15th. These one day workshops will offer more of a taste of acrylic and ways to use it on it's own or mixed with watercolour and inks. The classes are limited in size so register early. The location is the Beach.  Imagination is the limit.

Check under classes on my web site for more details.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Art Camp

Summer Art Camp for Grown ups





The call of Summer is here with all it's beauty and my summer art camp. 
August has been full for a while but July had cancellations so there is space available.
July 11-15th paint each morning by the beach or inside. My studio is located a few doors from the lake so there is opportunity for both. Bring your inner child or dreamer and just play.
Time is 10 am-1 pm each day for a week. 
The week is always special to me because of the wonderful sense of creative play.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Art and Magic


Perhaps the winter is really gone and at last the soft warmth of the sun is to be trusted. Another real  sign of spring seems to be a creative awakening on all fronts from music to art to theatre. The human spirit seems to reaffirm itself after the cold and dark of winter whether it is a winter of dry unproductive work or snow and cold temperatures. In my own studio activity and excitement is growing with the completion of new work and the coming of the Beach Studio Tour April 29th , 30th and May 1st.

Memories of Sunlight
Watercolour Collage
The Beach Studio Tour is a great walking tour of the artists in the Beach. I always find it a pleasure to see whoever cares to drop in. The times are Friday evening 6-9 pm , Saturday 10 am-6:00pm and Sunday 11am-6:00pm. New watercolours and Acrylics and Mixed media will be on display. The magic of light and colour has returned to play across some of my new pieces for the Spring Tour. Hope to see you at 17 Fernwood Park Ave.

New painting classes Spring and Summer
A new series of watercolour classes will be starting Thursday May 26th and Tuesday nights
May 31st. They run Tuesday or Thursday evenings 7:15-9:15 pm.
Check Class Page for more information.
Art Camp for Grown-ups
painting intensive every morning indoors or out on the beach
July 11th-15th or August 8th-12th
Monday - Friday 10am-1:00pm
fee $200.00 plus $20.00materials fee.
Register early


Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Alternate Hand Painting

    There is theory which is what we study in a classroom and then real life where theory often flies out the window. So what happens when an artist loses the use of their dominant right hand?
Blue Chaos
An interesting exercise in my painting classes has been to draw and paint with the non-dominant hand to facilitate a shift in seeing and viewing the world. Theory says that one side of our brain is more intuitive and the other more linear and logical. Fun to do in a two hour session. Due to an accident that broke my right wrist real life has crashed my world of theory and I have had to rethink everything I do. For the past two months I have been trying to function with one arm and the non-dominant one. It has been frustrating to say the least. I just want to pick up a brush and paint the way I have always done. That isn't happening. When I use only my left hand I find the shift is into chaos and I feel anger that my right hand seems unable to step in.
I love loose abstraction so it isn't that I am a tight detail painter. I am still sorting it out and will be glad when my right hand is in full use again. An awareness has developed of how important both sides are in creating from a place of centered wholeness. Hopefully some of the chaos will have settled into finished paintings for the Beach Studio Tour April, 29th, 30th and May 1st.