Getting Ready for the St Pius X Art Show

Wow! I just spent an awesome day at the school with Eddie and Mia's classes (grade 1 and kindergarten)! I showed them the finished painting and then they went out with their crayons and sat on the front lawn and made their own pictures of the school! We all had a great time and enjoyed some long-awaited warm weather too! Their pictures (and mine as well) will be featured in an art show at the school carnival next week.
It was a wonderful moment for me, because as a mom of 4 young children, I'm not able to be a full-time artist, but this was an opportunity I wouldn't have had if I wasn't Eddie and Mia's mom.

St Pius Fundraiser

My newest endeavour is a painting to be raffled off to raise money for a new play structure for St Pius (the old one was causing too many injuries... see photo!). Stay tuned to see the finished result!

After the Show

Well, the art show has come and gone, and it certainly was a success! The greatest success is that I actually did it and saw a project through to the very end (this is a great feat for me sometimes...)! I won't say it was easy - I found it very difficult to expose myself through my art and await people's judgment of it. Oh well, I am stronger for having had done it, I'm sure!
A few of my pieces are on display at the Balfour Gallery in Lumsden (across the street from the Letterbox) if you ever want to take a look.

Spring Art Show & Sale

My art show is coming up in less than a week! Come out to Lumsden this Saturday May 9 between 10 and 5 and check out my work, along with three other local artists. The exhibit is in the Balfour Building (located at the end of Main Street), which is one of the oldest buildings in Lumsden, and home to three unique gift shops! It would make a great Mother's Day outing!

Gallery 1

I haven't updated my blog lately because I have been busy preparing for my first art show. It's on Saturday, May 9th from 10-5 at the Balfour Building in Lumsden, SK.
This is just a little preview of some of my pieces.

Easter Lily - The Finished Product

Well, here it is! I finished it on time, and am happy with it. I'll be contacting someone in the city who makes prints and also making some art cards up for Easter. I am off to Atlanta, GA for a catholic women's conference, and although part of it is being paid for, I will be using the proceeds of the sales from my Lily to help pay for my flight there. So Stay Tuned!

Easter Lily - Yesterday's Progress

This is what I got done yesterday - I seem to be painting at a rate of two petals per day. Today it's just me and one sick boy at home, so I should be able to finish the painting. Plus, since it's Ash Wednesday, I won't be taking any snack breaks! ; )

Stay tuned... the finished product should be coming soon!

Easter Lily - Another Day

The background got another wash to darken it just a bit, before the "colour" for the lily petals went down.

Then the background got a third light wash, and I started on the petals. The goal is to be done by Ash Wednesday - will I make it?!

Easter Lily - the outline

With the background done, it's finally time to get to work on that lily!

Easter Lily - the Sunrise

This is neither too interesting or impressive (especially in this picture) - just a wash on the background that will probably be covered with quite a bit of black. Still, it is progress!

Finally, Some Progress

Some
Haven't had much time for painting, between 4 kids with the stomach flu, a trip to Winnipeg to renew our vows, and the regular day-to-day tasks that continue to pile up! Finally had a day to spend an afternoon working on the leaves detail. Next... the sunrise!

Easter Lily - Laying Down Some Colour

My favourite media to work with are watercolour and pencil on paper, but I am constantly trying to translate this to canvas. It starts with a watery layer of acryllic...

Easter Lily - The Sketch

I went to sketch my 3 Easter lilies, and ended up with one big lily. The canvas itself is about 2'x3', so that's a pretty big lily. Let's see what happens next!

Easter Lily - The Concept

I've started working on a large canvas that I hope to finish by Ash Wednesday, of which I will sell prints and art cards throughout Lent. It started with the idea to do white lilies for the Easter season, and I finally decided on 3. I sketched out the composition (without detail, of course) and basic colour blocks. The 2-year-old added her own ideas, which I will take into consideration, but probably not apply to the finished piece! I will also probably leave out the grease spot. Oh, being a mom and artist adds its own unique challenges!

Butler's, at Last

"After 79 years of operation, an era has come to an end and the Blue Bird cafe and Butler's Fish & Chips will change hands. Rick and Dianna Butler have sold the Cafe, which has been owned and operated by members of the Butler family since 1928."

I started this painting shortly after the summer of 2007, which ended up being the last summer the restaurant would operate under the Butler name. I wanted to paint it not only because I love the simple architecture and primary colours, but also because I love the fish and chips! I have since returned, and thankfully, not too much has changed, other than the Butlers sign. The fish and chips are still good and greasy, best eaten with a lot of salt and vinegar while sitting on the steps of the cafe or at a picnic table down at the beach at sunset - both excellent people-watching locations!

As for the painting, the original is spoken for, but if you're interested in a print, I am in the process of having these produced. Drop me a line!

Finally Online!

For those of you who have been asking, I finally have a website (well, blogsite) to post my paintings. For those of you who don't know me, I am a wife, mom and artist - in that order, which is why it's taken me so long to get this website going!