I recently purchased a new book titled Collage, Colour and Texture in Painting, by Mike Bernard and Robin Capon. One of the main starting points for a mixed media painting illustrated in this book is to begin with attaching paper and recycled paper materials to a blank canvas. I tried this technique out myself and I really like the end result. Basically, no matter what you paint on top, there is a level of interest and a unique look to the canvas. You can either just paint and scrape to reveal some of what is underneath or a wash of acrylic paint. Go ahead and try it yourself, the end result is always unique and original. Have a look at my new series called back to basics, where I used the techniques from the book.

When I first began as an artist I had a clear style, abstract expressionist. Abstract expressionist is when the artist creates, paints, draws or sculpts from feeling rather than a more confined source of inspiration. A painter might choose colours and pour than onto a canvas with or without a brush. This was the style that I loved to paint in when I first began to paint with acrylic paint. I was further inspired by the work of Lila Irving from Mississauga Ontario. Lila poured acrylic paint from tubs onto huge canvas, and let the colours mix naturally. I truly did enjoy the freedom and excitement of painting, and all of my art dripped with pure emotion. So what has changed for me? As I began to get more serious about selling my art I had more and more seasoned artists and curators commenting on my art. The biggest complaint that I got was that I had failed to create cohesive enough series of paintings, instead I tended to simply create art based on no structure, each painting could be vastly different from the next. What I am trying to day is that this tendency was pointed out as an artistic flaw, one of an inexperienced artist. i have since spend a number of years trying drastically to paint in series of works, at least eight or more paintings of the same theme at a time.

I am not sure at this point if this has made me a better painter, sure my shows looked cohesive and the paintings looked good as a group, but was my art really better than it was when I started. At this point I would argue no. Some of my best work was done with no thought at all as to what it would fit in with or weather it was similar enough to hang as a show. Perhaps some of the best art is developed with the least amount of over thinking, and little attention to the audience that will view it in the end. I feel that I am moving back to the expressionist art that inspired me the most, playing with colour, texture and shape with a childlike enthusiasm. I am not sure where i will end up, but the journey seems more important than the end product. I am inspired by artists who stick to their gut instincts, such as Brenda Gale Warner, an artist who runs galerie 240 in Ottawa, ON. She is an expressionist artist who really sticks to her internal instinct when it comes to her art. Each of her paintings are unique and really stand alone, they don't follow any strict rules at all. All of her art is unique and from the heart, mind and soul. Keep it up Brenda, you inspire me to break free from the rules of the art world.

The recession has hit all major industries and small businesses hard, so naturally the artists, galleries and theaters are feeling the crunch. I was surprised myself when three major galleries swiftly closed their doors in 2011 in Ottawa, Ontario. And I have no doubts that the remaining galleries are feeling the crunch. Artists by nature are resilient as the nature of selling art can be feast or famine at best. The trick is to survive as an artist thought these tough economic times. You might have to rely more on another source of income or lean on working together with other artists to get buy. Another interesting new trend is online galleries, I never thought that day would come, but it has. I found this interesting article about visit by President Obama and his wife to major arts related institutions to show their support. Tell me what you think?

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1901465,00.html

I am happy to announce that all of my art inventory is now for sale online on ETSY . I am now selling reproduction prints of my artwork for $21.00. They are perfect for gifts so don't miss the opportunity to purchase them now

I am happy to share that an image of one of my 'Green Roofs' series paintings titled Arts District was used for the website and press material for the Bay Area Community Land Trust (San Francisco.) They use a community land trust model to convert existing properties as well as build new ones within a framework that fully benefits a full range of income diverse people. The non-profit organization promotes affordable, cooperative housing communities as is a green initiative using solar electricity and hot water. It its truly a think out of the box organization with an excellent mission. Here is a link to view the website with the details http://www.bayareaclt.org/
Of course I love the idea that my art is associated with group of people who are promoting better ways to live in the city and innovative buildings with green technology.

It was certainly a pleasant surprise to me to realize that I would no longer have to collect taxes on my art sales as of July 2010. Yes...that sounds crazy, how could a new tax law benefit artists? Simply put, small businesses that collect under $30,000 in revenue a year are exempt from having to collect the HST. The catch is that the very minute that you hit that $30,000 mark, you need to collect taxes on any sales above and beyond. In order to do this properly it is wise to keep track of your sales. The minute that your sales start to creep up to $30,000, march right over to the government offices and sign up to collect HST.
Here is a useful link http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/taxchange/transition.html

To my huge surprise the HST is actually a benifit to small busineses that collect under $30,000.00 in revenue. I have a lot less paperwork now that the HST came into effect, and I do not currenly have to charge tax at all to my customers. There have been huge changes to the tax system for small busineses and you want to keep up to date. A simple explination is that if you did not collect GST before the HST came into effect on July 2010, you will not collect tax at all. If you are a small business (small Supplier ) that collects less than 30,000 per year you are not required to collect HST. The catch is that if you are edging up to 30,000 you had better register for HST before you hit $ 30,000, because you start to collect HST the minute you go over $30,000 in revenue. That is why is so important to keep track of your sales while you make them and not just at the end of the fiscal year. I know that its tough to pull yourself out of the art studio to figure this stuff out, but trust me its worth it.

What is HST? The HST will merge the provincial sales tax with the goods and services tax into one single Harmonized Sales Tax of 13%.

According to an article by Maria Cook in the Citizen today (May6,2011) there will be 45 free walking tours of Ottawa neighbourhoods and spaces this weekend. Walking tours called 'Jane's Walk' were spurred on by the memory of author Jane Jacobs who wrote 'The Life and Death of American Cities' encouraging people to become more familiar with urban spaces. Most people who are familiar with my art work know that I often paint urban cities which focus on places where we live, work, and play. My art puts a spotlight on gaining familiarity with spaces that we take for granted and celebrating great urban design and innovation. So you can imagine my surprise when I read an article in the paper today about a walk that celebrates just that as well as initiates people to be connected with the good and the bad of shared urban spaces. My art primarily focuses on the positive aspects of city living, but I think the main idea is to get connected and notice things that are normally taken for granted in a fast paced world. Currently have a series of paintings on display at the Westboro Optometric Clinic that are a celebration of the eclectic shops and restaurants ,and coffee shops of Westboro. All of the art is for sale. Thumbs up to the concept of Jane's Walks which have spread to cities all over the world. For more information about the walks visit http://www.janeswalkottawa.caThe Storefronts of Westboro show is on now:





Westboro Optometric Clinic
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
298 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ON K1Z 6X3 (613) 725-0816 ‎

I recently checked out a new book at the library called The Artists Guide to Grant Writing, written by Gigi Rosenberg. This book is a wonderful resource for any visual, literary, or performing artist who is thinking of applying for grants. The book is well written in an easy to read step by step approach with a number of her personal experience stories. Gigi Rosenberg is American and not Canadian so many of her references to grant sources may not apply to Canadians, but none the less the book is chock full of hands on advice for getting through the grant writing process. Even for those who think that grants are not for them and out of their reach, this book could certainly inspire some people with serious reservations about the process and chances for success to consider applying for a grant in their field. I also really liked the fact that the author included money making ventures that are alternatives to grants, such as fundraising for your own project. I have borrowed my current copy from my local library, but this book is so full of useful links and resources I am going to order a copy. Gigi Rosenberg has a website with all of her latest insights visit, www.gigirosendberg.com

Last night was a huge turning point for Canadian politics, Prime minister Harper lead the conservative party of Canada to a majority victory. Harper has not generally been overwhelmingly supportive of Canadian arts funding. He has been known to sidestep the issue and impress upon other matters. I am certain that a Conservative party will not press for increased funding for the arts in Canada, and I am sincerely hoping that current funding is not cut further. Many prominent Canadian writers, artists and performers stress that the state of arts in a country says a lot about its people and goes a long way towards defining a nation as richly cultured. I agree, and I truly hope that artists like myself can make sure to pressure the government to continue to value the arts in Canada as a valuable resource. Artists, make sure to keep up to date with party policy regarding the arts and put your votes where it counts in federal elections.

I recently saw Michael Ostroff's Emily Carr documentary film "Winds of Heaven: Carvers, Carr and Spirits of the Forest." It was showing at the Mayfair in Ottawa, and also at the National Art Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario. I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary. It was clearly well researched and illustrated Emily Carr's life in relationship to her art, and first nations people during her life. I enjoyed it partially because it is very interesting to have a glimpse into the life of a female artist who struggled to have acceptance as a serious artist with talent. I would recommend this documentary to artists. I enjoyed it.

Over the years, I have heard many times that my ability to get the kind of art shows that I want will hinge on my ability to produce my art in series of work rather than independent mix of paintings. And it has not been easy to disciple myself to stick with one thing at a time, but it's well worth it. It makes you look like a pro instead of an artist who lacks a clear vision.

Getting started with a series:

• Eight or more works of art, photography, sculpture etc with a unifying theme.
• It never hurts to bounce ideas for your next series off of a friend or family member. Talking out loud and writing down your vision in even a couple of sentences can really help.
• You need to figure out a series title and a brief description before you start the work. Be specific.
• The theme could be extremely simple, such as an exploration of a specific flower or colour to a much more complicated exploration of an idea.
• Use a similar technique, if you have an urge to try something vastly different, does it fit with this series or should you write it down and use it on the next one.
• Fully exploring an idea or technique before moving on to the next one.
• When it's completed you should be able to line up all the art and have it look like a unified exhibition to a person who knows nothing about your art. It should fit into the concept that you outlined before you began.
• If you had no idea what you are trying to explore in your art, or what you are attempting to capture...unfortunely the viewer will not either.

Have a look on the internet at other successful artists work, and how they manage to pull their art together. I have found that some of the most successful artist are extremely good at creating art that has slight variations.

My trick to curbing the urge to start something new before I have finished it to write it into an idea book and save it for later, here will be a lot of opportunity to explore something different l at a later time.