Picking up from where I left off

As the holidays approach, I wanted to post one more instalment from my painting dairies, before things get too busy. Also, to take a moment to express my gratitude for everyone who has supported me, took an interest in my work, and look for more to come in the new year. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2010!

Peace

A continuation from my painting dairies and so, for the next few years I painted…

I would say the works that followed were studies. I began working on my technique and painted mainly from still life and photographs. Often I would cut dead flowers or bring branches and twigs into my studio and paint the same forms over and over again. But instead of painting the vase and the room the still life sat in, I would zoom in, like you do with a camera lens. Then layer the forms on top of one another, having them fill the entire canvas. The technique gives the spaces around the lines (negative spaces) as much importance as the line or the subject it’s self. I still use this device today although I don’t work with still life much anymore. From this period, I experimented a lot with in the same theme, but I would say it was not a cohesive body of work. I had some gems in the rough, sort of the way golfers describe that one great shot that brings them back. I had some paintings like that, glimpses of greatness. I had a great painting instructor at ACAD, Don Kottmann he was known around the college as the “hockey coach of painting”. Practice, practice, practice, how do you get better at painting he would ask… the answer paint. As I developed my studio practice and went on to teach myself, I found myself often using Don’s techniques with my own students, quick paintings to warm up follow by repetition, painting the same still life over and over again.

Empty Mailbox, 5X3', mixed media, 2008
Lisa Tornack

I had the opportunity to participate in the Market Collective this weekend. The Market Collective, is a relatively new venue where Calgary's performing and visual artists can showcase their work. The weekend includes live performances by local musicans, an artisan fair, holiday photo booth, and displays by the Quick Draw Animation Society and "Calgary is Awesome" group. Although the work the artisan fair was a bit of a mixed bag, it was a busy weekend with loads of people in attandence, despite the frigid temperatures outside. I had a the opportunity to chat with a lot of folks and hang with my friend and fellow painter, Lisa Oehler.

It has been a busy week for me including a sale at my friend’s home, the T-shirt show in Vancouver, and an installation in Edmonton!

The T-Shirt show was coordinated by Corie Tornack in Vancouver. This was the second one of this type, featuring the designs from artists as well as “other hipsters types” as my brother coined it.

The T-Shirt Show Hipsters include: Garnet Harry • Don Bull • Mark Mushot • Joel Whist • Cam Andrews • Jessica Bushey • Jim Cummins • Grant Vanderslagt • Kim Vanderslagt • Patrick Banister • Corie Tornack • Eric Nylen • Davis Wylie • Sabrina Modder • Kari Rust • Anthony Preston • Aleksandra Potkonjak.

My design (shown above) was inspired by a trip and artist residency a took in 2008. “La Pau” the title of the T-Shirt translated from Catalan to English means peace.

La Pau - Peace
1) freedom from conflict or disagreement (2) serenity (3) a metro stop in Barcelona, Spain (4) a town in the south of France (5) For me La Pau is the culmination of a great journey, to paint and walk the earth.

The design includes the words La Pau, with what looks like a figure eight below the text. The eight is actually an infinity sign, which is something I refer to as a “personal symbol” and have used in a number of my pieces. Simply stated, I describe personal symbols as imagery that you feel connected to. I have a painting that is titled “Infinity: Flying Hearts and other Personal Symbols”, which includes infinity signs falling like leaves, human hearts with bird wings, and a variety of natural forms. I will touch more on this later, along with another instalment of my painting diaries.

If you are interested in seeing more of the T-shirt designs check out
t-shirtshow.blogspot.com or to see exhibition photos search www.garnville.com.