Finding your mojo after hiatus

Detail from current work in process, oil & charcoal on canvas

hi·a·tus

hīˈādəs/

noun

noun: hiatus; plural noun: hiatuses

1. a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process.

   
   

   "the spring hiatus gave us time to rethink our next project"
   

   
   

   I was on what you might call a hiatus since December 2014, with good reason. I became a mother for the first time and my creative energies were shall we say being pulled in a slightly different direction. Others may have found the secret formula of how to balance work and look after a baby... but I opted for a break from my studio practice. I have been so eager to get back to work it has been keeping me up at night. I can only describe the feeling like being a runner at the starter block waiting for the gun to shoot.
   
   After a hiatus however, it can be tricky to pick up exactly where you left off. The interruption in the work flow has both positive and negative.  The negative side you tend to forget some of your little short cuts that make studio time not only fun but productive. I have also found that for myself it has brought up the question of should I continue in the vein where I left off or start something completely different? I have changed during this break in work, should my work not change as well? This last point lays in the pros column as well. One very big pro to my hiatus is re-thinking or really thinking about what kind of artist I want to be including the kind of work I want to do, how I market myself, and the types of projects I want to pursue in addition to studio practice. Having a child for me, has equaled having less time in the studio.

   This means I can't apply for every residency, grant or exhibition I am interested in. Instead I must be more selective thinking is it a good fit, why do I want to be involved, and how much time will this take? This is my new approach. I can't do everything and perhaps this selective way of being will be more fruitful? Time will tell.

I am getting a makeover!

With the turning of the calendar and the year of the Rooster's arrival, with a new year comes a new me! I am getting a makeover, but not the kind you think.


I am in the process of launching a new and improved website with Squarespace. I have been working away on it this project this last month and I am getting close to completion. I was inspired to make some changes after taking an online course about marketing yourself and your artwork. I came to realize the importance of an online presence and I am looking forward to adding some new features to my site including an online shop and commissions page. Yes, I am now accepting commissions for anyone in need of a special piece. I am very excited about this new me and really looking forward to connecting more online this year.


My site is still a work in progress, take a look at what I have so far and let me know what you think!


www.lisatornack.com

Studio is complete!

Over the past few months my husband, Eric has been slaving away to create an art studio in our garage. I just wanted to give him a shout out for all his hard work and also show the stages of the project.

We have an over sized garage in our backyard, originally my plan was to paint in a corner of it. Last winter was very cold and it soon become clear that heating the entire space would be difficult.  Our solution was to create a separate room within the garage, an insulted and dry walled space that would be easier to heat and keep the dust down to a minimum. Here are the results of his hard work from project inception to completion!

Now I am back at it, working on a new series of paintings inspired by a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, stay tuned for some works in progress. A big thank you to all that helped with the project my Dad, Max, Clint, Wayne, and most of all my most excellent husband ERIC!!!

Art & Coffee

If you are in the Banff area, pop into the Wild Flour Bakery. I have of my most recent artwork on display there from now until July 1, 2014. The work featured in this mini exhibition include a series of paintings on top of photographic print. Have a coffee and enjoy some art in the spectacular setting of of the Canadian Rockies!

http://www.wildflourbakery.ca/

Year of the Horse: Goals for 2014!

As we gallop into the year of the horse I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and start goal setting for 2014!

Last year was a big year for me! I moved from a condo into a house, completed a number of contract roles; one with Calgary Arts Development, the second with the Arts & Culture division with the City of Calgary, and the biggest news of all I got married in 2013! With all the changes, challenging roles professionally, and excitement in my personal life, last year was a slow one on the art front! I am looking forward to getting back to work and have some new ideas for projects both inside and outside the studio.

One of the first items on my list is converting my garage into a working art studio; stay tuned for images and updates on the progress. I will also plan to continue my studio work, oil painting on photograph prints. I have some great imagery taken from my honeymoon, which I plan to use in a series of paintings and am excited to share in the months to come! Watch for works in progress. The year of the Horse's focus will also include education. I hope to continue my professional development and do some further research into educational opportunities. I am kicking off this year's theme of education by participating in a course presented by the City of Calgary's Public Art program, "Artists Working in the Community".  I hope to share some of my learnings from the program in the weeks to come.

If you have not visited my website in a while, it is new and improved...swing by www.ltornack.com

Lastly, a big thank you to all my family, friends, and supporters in 2013, especially my husband Eric! You inspire me to keep on trucking!

Peace
Lisa Tornack

Wildflower Art & Salon Sale

Join us Sunday December 8th, to see the wonderful artworks and fine craft created by the professionally trained, practicing instructors of Wildflower Arts Centre. From ceramics to glass, drawings and paintings there is something for everyone on your holiday list!

Wildflower art Centre 
3363 Spruce drive SW
10am-4pm

Artists will be onsite all day, pop by say hello and get into the holiday spirit!

Refreshments will be served
cash/visa/ mastercard accepted

New Logo!

Check out my new logo designed by graphic artist Adam Warner of Calgary Alberta. I plan to use this every where... I am thinking a rubber stamp may be in order! Adam also designed a business card for me, I love the way he integrated the infinity symbol within the card design. The infinity symbol is one of my personal symbols which I have use in a number of my paintings. Other personal symbols of mine include falling cherry blossoms and the use of the colour red in virtually every one of my paintings.