Welcome 2011!

With a new year upon us, it is a time for both reflection and looking forward. I wanted to take a moment to thank my family, friends, and supporters for their interest in me and my art work in 2010. I am looking forward to hitting the studio in January and have some exciting new ideas that include photography and oil paints.

I wish you and yours, a very Happy Holiday and all the best in the coming new year!

Peace
Lisa Tornack

Mark Your Calendar!

Please join me December 18-19th at Calgary's Market Collective. Come down to the former home of Ant Hill Fabrics in Kensington and get into the Christmas spirit! Shop and meet local artists, photographers, creators, and other hipster types. This independent art market showcases the talents of local artists and featured musicians, as well as a holiday photo booth!

Market Collective is happening
Saturday December 18th / 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday December 19th / 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Ant Hill Building
148 10th Street NW (Kensington)

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/pave-over-paradise-put-up-a-parking-lot-6651/
www.marketcollective.ca

What is Creativity?

What is creativity; what does it mean to be creative?
Most people think of creativity as solely a creative pursuit i.e painting or drawing. No doubt creativity can include those activities, but I think creativity can be applied to many areas, even to something as linear as business for example. Creativity or creative problem solving is the ability to make choices or decisions on the fly; in direct response to unplanned events or problems. It is also the ability to think outside of what has been done to find answers, resolutions, or new ways of doing things. This type of problem solving is done consistently when creating a work of art. The artist is constantly making decisions or problem solving to work out compositional concerns; what colour to place next to one another as well as where to place objects on the picture plane. The artist makes these decisions in direct response to unplanned events. Artists are able to make snap decisions for what is best for the artwork or project. This may result in changes, alteration, or elimination of key elements of the original idea. I often describe this to students as doing what is best for the piece, which may mean letting go of their favorite elements in order to create the strongest artwork possible. Often times I hear from the untrained eye, when viewing a piece of art that appears simple or is abstract by nature "I could do it". In the act of copying or mimicking an artwork the I could do that statement may hold true, but I challenge those voices to start from the beginning of the creative process with blank page and create their own simple or abstracted work. This of course is far more difficult. Like many activities when done well, appear to be easy to execute.

Like any talent some people are naturals, but I believe everyone can develop their creative side. Individuals should go in with realistic expectations when beginning their creative pursuits. Whether taking a painting class or learning to play the guitar, practice makes perfect. The more time you spend doing an activity the better you will become at it. Word to the wise, it is unrealistic to think after one session of art classes you will have a master piece to hang above your sofa. Take your time, build on your skill set, and try to enjoy the creative process. Very interesting things happen when you learn to let go, this holds true in both life and art.

If you have ever had a interest in a pottery class or if you have always wanted to paint at the lake, I encourage you to go for it. You may find a life long hobby or at least tap into creative problem solving skills.

Infinity and Other Personal Symbols

As promised here is an image of the collaborative piece Eric Nylen and myself have been working on in the studio. The mural is a "work in progress" featuring a youthful Neil Young, winged hearts, and falling stylized cherry blossoms. The imagery in this mural is pulled from our own personal symbols. As I have mentioned before personal symbols are images that hold meaning to the creator of them. I often use a number of symbols in my artwork. Falling leaves, cherry blossoms, infinity signs, and the color red are symbols I use often in my paintings. The leaves and cherry blossoms are symbolic of inner peace and tranquility. This imagery juxtaposed against messy aggressive text represents an inner dialog. I have also begun using infinity symbols in my paintings, looping the shape over and over the horizon line. The definition of infinity is something without limits: limitless time, space, or distance; the symbol itself is unbroken and never ending. I use this symbol in tandem with leaves and blossoms to represent ever lasting peace; beginning with peace of mind and in the larger context harmony with all of mankind. The colour red is seen in almost every one of my paintings; like blood pumping from the heart, red is a symbol of energy and life force. The use of symbols in my artwork communicates to the viewer through visual language, themes I am exploring in both my artwork and my life.

The Importance of Seeing Art

Above: Caixa Forum, Madrid, Spain.

In my life, I have been very fortunate to see a number of master pieces up close and personal, one might ask why is it important to see art in the flesh? The main reason to view artwork personally is for the experience of seeing the world through different eyes. Aristotle once said, "the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance". The experience of seeing artwork can be up lifting, inspiring, and often thought provoking. For artists and art enthusiasts you can also uncover techniques by viewing work in person; often times there are many subtleties within the piece to be discovered. Nuances in colour, as well as brush strokes are often lost when a painting is reproduced, in a book for instance. Also, I am often surprised by the scale of many iconic works. A prime example of this is Leonardo Divinci’s Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda) because of the paintings notoriety, one assumes the piece is larger than it really is. In life the Mona Lisa is actually quite small, with dimensions of 20 7/8 x 30". On the opposite end of the spectrum Picasso’s Guernica, is shockingly large and it's massive scale is both awe inspiring and extremely moving in person.

In the list below I have outlined some museums I have been fortunate enough to visit and would highly recommend. Get out there and see art, on your next vacation or in your own community at local museums, galleries, or artist run centres.

Lisa's Picks
Musée de l'Orangerie- is an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings located on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The high light of this museum are the massive panels of Monet’s water lilies that were inspired by his own garden. http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/

Museo Reina Sofia- If you are ever in Madrid, Museo Reina Sofia features Picasso’s Guernica. The massive painting is a must see. This enormous piece is very moving and was painted in response to the bombing of Guernica, in the Basque Country of Spain.

Caixa Forum- This relatively new facility in the heart of Madrid, features rotating post modern art exhibitions and the dynamic architecture is amazing. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron the exterior of the building in collaboration with French botanist Patrick Blanc integrates living plants juxtaposed against a rusted sheet metal exterior (pictured above).

National Gallery of Canada- Closer to home, if you are in the Ottawa area check out our own national treasures. The National Gallery of Canada features an excellent collection from artists from the Group of Seven.

Musee D’Orsay- Located in Paris, the museum holds mainly French art including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, Musee d’Orsay is best known for its extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (the largest in the world) by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
Musée d'Orsay: Overview


Above Picasso's, Guernica, oil on canvas, 776 x 349 cm, 1937

My Time in Farrera

This blog entry is a continuation of my painting diaries. As I have mentioned before in 2008, I was fortunate enough to work as an artist in residence in Spain. While working at the Centre D’Art i Natura I encountered some of the most challenging days of my life both personally and artistically. The art centre is located in a remote village high a top the Spanish Pyrenees. There was not too much in this tiny village; no store, no café, or public transport. My days began with a self catered breakfast and the ritual of logging on to my computer selecting music, pouring fresh water and if weather permitted, opening the large glass patio doors of my studio. The studio was beautiful, featuring a long wall of exposed rock wall. The space was unheated, with a tap for water and amazingly there was also a small natural spring that jutted out of the base of rocks. The opposite wall of the studio, there were glass patio doors that opened on to a large deck. This all glass wall allowed for an abundance of natural light. After working in such a grand space, the Spanish studio is the template for the studio I hope to build one day.

I signed up for a seven week residency at the art centre. The days were long without interruption, with very little contact with others. In all honesty after the first week I wasn’t sure if I had it in me. I was intensely lonely at the beginning. After all the preparation for the trip; working hard, going away parties, as well as visiting with family and friends, the quiet and stillness of the mountain was almost unsettling. To battle the isolation, all I could do was work and that is what I did. I worked fast and furious, taking breaks only to eat and take walks. When I wanted time away from the studio, I would hike down the mountain paths, my main routes were two to three hour hikes. Even with large breaks during the day, I still worked any where from 6- 8 hours in the studio. Dinner was served at 9 pm, many days it was the one time of day I would speak to someone. As the art centre was very quiet in the spring with few residents, mainly visiting on weekends from Barcelona. Without the distractions of regular life; coffee with friends, maintaining a household, and running errands, time was in abundance.

The result of this experience, although at times difficult was extremely rewarding. I emerged from my time on the mountain confident and armed with an entire body of new work. The intense studio time allowed me to complete a series of works I began back in Canada. Before the residency I had the seeds of a new idea; the integration of text into my work. The time afforded to me during the residency allowed for me to develop this new idea completely, but by the end of the seven weeks I was completely tapped out creativity.

My time in Farrera also taught me a few things about discipline and I honed my work ethic. Before this experience I didn’t know I could work for long periods in the studio. During this time I developed rhythms in my studio practice. I worked on multiple pieces; while one piece was drying another was ready to go. I would sketch write, and work on unrelated side projects when I needed a change of pace. This way of working that I took away from the experience and are the methods use in my studio to this day.

Back to the Studio

This summer I have had the opportunity to spend a good chuck of time painting. I have been fortunate to complete some new works and have had the opportunity to experiment with new materials. One material I have begun working with are oil sticks. For those of you that have not worked with the material before, oil sticks are basically an artist’s oil paint in stick form wrapped with paper. This material has allowed for a different way of working. I am able to apply colors directly on to the canvas as easily as if I was drawing instrument. Unlike oil pastels, oil sticks are much larger, softer, and can be easily combined with traditional oil paints. I began experimenting with the sticks as a way to integrate words into my canvas pieces; as a way of creating thin, fluid lines. Although I have completed many paintings with text, most of these work were on paper. The challenge I have been facing, is how to create thin precise lines of letters on the rough tooth of canvas.

Another method have been experimenting with this summer, is something I learned from my ceramic studies, a technique called sgraffito. Sgraffito comes from the Italian word meaning to scratch. I begin by applying one paint color, then allow it to dry this usually takes 4-5 days. Then when dry I paint a second color over top of the first. While wet, almost immediately after application I will use the end of my paint brush and write words by scratching away the top layer of wet paint away, in order to reveal the dry color beneath.

I am looking forwarding to displaying this new work at the Marquee Room this fall. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, October 7, 2010 for the opening reception!

Oil painting without thinners or solvents

Peace, oil on canvas, 4x4', 2010

This blog entry is about oil painting without thinners and solvents. I think it is important information to share not only environmentally but also for the health of artists.

As I have mentioned before, when I began painting with oils it was a huge transition from acrylic paints. I was accustomed to short drying times and easy clean up. I really I didn't know how to use the medium at all despite numerous painting classes at art school, as oil paints were not allowed in the studios at ACAD. Many of my instructors at the time, had switched from oil to acrylic due to chemical sensitivities.

When I first began painting with oils I was using thinners to wash my brushes at the end of each session, stand my brushes while painting, and for cleaning my skin. After a few months of this, one day I was cleaning my arms with paint thinner and notice a tingling sensation. I knew it was from the solvents and I was sure it wasn't healthy. Later I was speaking to a fellow painter and she explained, how to paint without thinners. She suggested using canola oil to stand brushes in (like water in acrylic painting)and detergent based soaps to clean brushes at the end of painting sessions. When painting in this historical manner, you will need rags, loads of rags. Rags are used to remove excess paint between colors and canola rinses, and before final clean up with detergent based soaps and water.

Detergent based soaps also work on your skin, with the only side effect of drying of the skin. Sometimes if I have paint on my face, I will use a cold cream like nivea and a cotton ball to remove oil paint, so I am not scrubbing my face constantly. An example of a detergent based soap is ivory soap, alternatively there are oil brush cleaners that work with water, sold at art supply stores. These cleaners claim to be conditioning and to prolong the life of your brushes. I personally cannot say where or not they work, as I replace brushes frequently.

In regards to rags I don't buy them, instead I use worn sheets, old tea towels, and old clothes that are either stained or torn; first as painting attire, then as rags. This way you are giving these articles another life before tossing them into the landfill. To make your own rags for painting snip, then tear your old garments. tea towels etc. into smaller segments, then you can dispose of your soiled rags regularly to lower the fumes in your studio.

I must tell you during the painting process, there will be a residue of color left in your brushes, even after rinsing in canola and squeezing off the excess paint with rags. Although thinners leave your brushes ultra clean, I have found that working in this way has in fact made my paintings richer in color, by enhancing my color mixing.

Tip Your Hat

Paisley Hat, mixed media, Lisa Tornack 2010

You are invited to Tip Your Hat to This is My City! This year's event presented by This is My City Society and The First Flip 2010 Stampede Breakfast, will take place on July 8th, 2010 beginning at 8AM. The live and silent auction will feature more unique, artful cowboy hats created by local artists, with all proceeds benefiting art programs for Calgarians living the issues of homelessness and poverty.

New & Notable

2010, has been an exciting year filled with many new announcements and exhibitions, I wanted to take a moment to look back at the last six months and make some updates on what is new and notable.

This year started off with a bang, beginning with my participation in a group exhibition at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium. Also in the March, I was honored to be named runner up in the Homes by AVI's, Calgary's Next Top Artist Competition.

CURRENTLY
If you are in the Edmonton area, visit Henry's Purveyor of Fine Things, at 222 Jasper Avenue NW, to see my painting "Realization", that is featured in the company's design centre.

I am also very pleased to announce that the mixed media painting "Cherry Blossom" completed in Spain in 2008, is now an asset of the Canadian Embassy in Madrid. Stay tuned for photographs of the piece in the embassy's new location!

On Blogger under links, click "Art Gallery: Lisa Tornack"... there are loads of works and now an all new Etsy Mini Store.

COMING THIS FALL...
A solo exhibition of new works, at the Marquee Room (upstairs of the Uptown) 612 8th Ave, Calgary AB

Pictured above: Cherry Blossom, 24 1/2x18 1/2" mixed media, 2008
Canadian Embassy Madrid, Spain

Canadian Artists for the Poor

Look for my work to be featured for the month of May, in an online auction for "Canadian Artist for the Poor". This organization helps to break the cycle of poverty by raising funds to aid the poorest and most destitute areas of the world.
Please visit ihttp://www.artistsforthepoor.ca/auction.html for more information.

As a visual artist I am often asked to donate works for charity auctions and fundraisers. I used to feel put out by these requests, wondering what the benefit is for me, but in the last year or so I have changed my mind about this. In early 2009, I began working with the City of Calgary in the department of Arts & Culture, programming art classes for risk youth and homeless Calgarians. This experience has been very inspiring and has helped me reassess how I want to give back. Participating in this online auction is one small way I can get involved.

Looking towards the future I am interested in running annual art projects that engage children and youth in Central and South America.

Studio re-new

I will take a little break from my painting journals and talk about a project I taken on in the past few months... a studio re-new. I currently have a home based studio, one room dedicated to creating, storing, and imagining possible work. As you can well imagine it is rammed full of paintings, paints, easels, foam core, matte board, frames, etc.

I have had a number of different studios since my graduation from art school, in basements, garages, spare rooms, and even one warehouse space, but my current studio is my best studio by a long way. My studio is the master bedroom of my home, it was chosen because it had the best light, the most space, and an interesting roof line. I also share this studio with Eric Nylen, portrait painter. In the past few months we have under taken a re-vamp of the studio space, by painting the walls, working on a collaborative mural(watch for a posted photo in the weeks to come), and hanging wall paper on the longest wall, yes you heard me... wallpaper! I ordered the paper from the UK, from Cole and Son the pattern is called Malabar (see in photo above). The studio is also filled with a number of items I have picked up on my travels. Whenever I have gone abroad, I have always been on a shoe string budget, so I started getting in the habit of bring home found souvenirs. Some examples of this is shard of broken tile, glass bottles, sea shells, coral, dried pods, and pine cones. I also have a collection of postcards from art galleries and museums I have visited. I started collecting the postcards to remember the places I have been, and because they were cheap and light to carry. All of these little items are mementos that remind me of a past journey, but these objects also describe my personal aesthetic; the colors, forms, and lines that I am drawn to.

I also have a sketchbook that I fill with magazine clippings, mainly from design books that I buy. This is a good practice for a budding artist or anyone thinking of taking on a design or renovation project, to help you discover your personal style.

Welcome to Farrera

I arrived first in Paris in early April of 2008. I will never forgot the wave that washed over me while travelling from the airport on the metro. It was a grey day and graffiti lined the train track. I had my head set on and the lyrics sang out "I have been waiting, I have been waiting for this moment all my life".

Farrera is just on the over the French boarder in the Spanish Pyrenees Mountain range. The village has 25 residents, no store, restaurant, or café and public transport only arrives once a week. To get to Farrera, I first took a five hour bus ride from Barcelona that stopped in a town called Llavorsi at the base of the mountain. I was given instruction to find a small bar and call a taxi to take me up to the art centre. A half hour later a woman and her young daughter rolled up to the bar and in a giant black SUV and asked if I was Lisa, I nodded. Then the pair proceeded to grab my bags and began ascending up the long winding road. I saw a tiny sign that simply said Farrera. The village it's self is pretty and quaint. All the houses are made of stone and it is forbidden to construct with new materials; it was like I had entered an place where time had stopped.

The landscape surrounding Farrera is very simular to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, covered with evergreens and mountain peaks. I found my time in the studio observing the landscape, to be very inspiring. Although the series of work that came from my time on the mountain, is not literal a depiction of the Spanish Pyrenees the colors, lines, and forms of the pieces were informed by this region. Before my stay at the art centre, I often used the personal symbol of a falling leaf in my paintings, after my stay I also have began regularly utilizing falling cherry blossoms in my pieces, as a symbol of inner serenity and peace.

Something Significant

A time came when I decided I needed do something significant, in order to focus on my studio practice and develop my work. In the spring of 2007, I began researching international artist residencies. Artist residencies are located worldwide and offer artists from a variety of disciplines, a space to work and concentrate on their practice. I decided that if I wanted to pursue a painting career and I needed to take a big step. The artist residency offers residents studio time away from the distractions of regular life, often in an inspired location. I had three must haves on my wish list, I was looking to go abroad, work on my Spanish, and find residency that was located outside of a city. I did a lot of research in the months to follow and nothing seemed to fit the bill. After a break in the summer, I did yet another search on line and found "the place". I came across an art centre high atop the Spanish Pyrenees, in the tiny village of Farrera. The Centre d’art I Natura, was a ideal, as all the residents had projects rooted in the nature. I applied that week and I was accepted for a residency commencing in the spring of 2008. This was a very exciting time for me. The opportunity to participate in a residency was something I always wanted to do. I planned on spending two months in Farrera and travelling for another four. Looking back, the decision to quit my job and make this move was the best thing I could have ever done for myself; the journey proved to be one of the most rewarding, productive, and challenging experiences of my life.

"I Hope it Lasts"

“I Hope it Lasts” is tiny painting 4X6”, mixed medium on board. I created this piece by coating the board with oil paint, letting it dry and then sanding the surface and the edges to create irregularity and texture in the background. Using colored pencil crayons, I then pulled text from my journals and wrote across the board. The floral forms in the foreground were cut from a larger oil painting on canvas. I was about to throw away an old painting, but liked a few of the forms on the lower corner, so I cut them out from the painting and glued them to the smaller piece. The title of the piece refers to the contentment I was feeling after a long blue period and within the painting the words I feel happy, “I Hope It Lasts”.

New Directions

After riding a high in a studio, things began to slow down and I was seeking new direction. I was complaining to a friend(my substitute mailman in fact) about the state of my art and my life and he suggested writing “to work that sh%*t out!” So I began journaling, in an effort to sort out what I wanted from my life, both personally and professionally. I did this for myself, but eventually the journaling began creeping its way into my work. On large pieces of paper, I started writing with different colored pencil crayons, phrases from my journals. I decided I didn’t want anyone to be able to read it, I then tore the papers into long strips and pieced them around the organic forms of my paintings, a type of collage. The fragmented words swirled around the organic forms, giving the viewer a glimpse into my private journals.

Technically this was problematic; it was difficult to adhere the paper to an oil coated board. I used all sorts of adhesives and eventually settled on rubber cement. After experimenting with this process for a number of months, it dawned on me to use the paper as support. I started a series of paintings on paper and board. During this time of exploration, the text also grew in size and become more statements than story. Some of my favourite pieces from this series include “Wanted it”, “I Hope it Lasts”, and “Soft Skin”. Pictured above is "Wanted it", completed in 2008.

Exhibitions

I just wanted to take a minute to let you know about some upcoming exhibitions that I will be participating in the next few months...

The Alberta Jubilee Auditoria Society presents:
IMAGINE, EXCITE, INSPIRE a group exhibition featuring the paintings, photography and art books of Jessica Gowling, Alana Thorburn-Watt, Alison Philpotts, and Lisa Tornack

The exhibit is located on the second balcony at the Southern Jubilee Auditorium, on display from January 18 through to April 7th, 2010.

I am also pleased to announce that I have a solo show currently on display in Edmonton, at the Kaasa Gallery in Alberta. The show is titled "Ingrávida" and is located on the lower level of the Northern Jubilee Auditorium. This exhibition runs until the end of February, with a closing reception on Friday February 12, 2010.

If you happen to be at the Jubilee in Edmonton or Calgary in the next few months come and check me out!

Stalled in the Studio

There was a period where I began to stagnate in the studio, I had less time to paint and when I did nothing new was pouring out. I didn’t know this before but there is a relationship between your personal and professional life. I had moved around a lot and was feeling unsettled in many ways.

People often asked me where my inspiration came from and up until about three years ago, I didn’t know how to answer them. I was very shy to speak about my work even after all that art school training. For sure, I could speak to technique but inspiration was another thing. In my development as an artist, my work has become not only technically better but also I understand it more and is has become a deeper reflection of me. Lisa Tornack is now in the work.

Fortunately, the winds of change came and I was riding a new wave of creativity, painting fast and furious. My work became more abstract and free, while still firmly rooted in the natural world. How you may ask? During this "stall in the studio", I just painted. I worked a lot and didn’t wait for inspiration to hit, resulting in real breakthroughs in the studio. I am a firm believer; brilliance is found where discipline meets talent. I find many connections between art and life. One thing I know for certain, is the creative process works the best when you stop worrying about the outcome and focus on the process, this also holds true in life.