The Quiet

The Quiet
30" x 36" acrylic on canvas

I'm still going, still painting away. This one caught me off guard. It's moodier than I anticipated which is weird for a daisy. I have one more day before I have to pack up the car. The weather is going to be a killer though. Weather Guessers are saying it's going to be a record-breaking Thursday here: 37C/humidex 48C. Phew. A little bit of relief going into the weekend. I am hoping that Ottawa's rep for being cooler than Toronto hold true.

Frog Stack

Frogs Five High
18" x 24" acrylic on canvas

I'm just pushing forward into the week now, heading toward Saturday when I'll be in Booth 41B at Minto Park in Ottawa on bustling Elgin Street aka at Urban Art.

I'm feeling the before show panic now.
I'm remembering how many times I have felt this way and that everytime it works out.
I just need to keep pushing through.

So if you have the time stop by and visit me. I'll just be sitting there drinking coffee--I sure hope it's not too hot for coffee--and just watching the time and the people go by.

Meditations on local traffic

The Commute
16" x 20" acrylic on canvas

Here's my latest 2 hr. painting.

I confess I have been affected by the Toronto commute. Traffic and traffic delays and cars cars cars have kept me away from my studio in the downtown core.
I just am not getting there.
In the need to be practical and to save some money, as I haven't been at shows forever, and we moved and all that, I have given notice on my downtown space.

That was really hard and I shed more than a few tears.

However, as you can see here, I am painting up a storm at home.

I discovered I can paint outside in the backyard. So, given our climate, I'm all set to work outdoors until about mid-October I figure. I recall painting at Ottawa Markets until about that time, after which it gets too cold to hold a brush, and the paint won't dry, and you don't want to empty your water jar outside, or get more water, for fear it'll splash on you inviting hypothermia to set in.

Eventually I'll find another studio space and it'll come naturally when I really need it to happen. Toronto is not Ottawa. Toronto has a lot of studio spaces. Ottawa has very few. But, this is a concern for the future. For now I am still focused on paintingpaintingpainting. Time to go sketch out a few canvases for the next round.

See you back here soon.

Sunflowers and Smiley

Continuing my quest to have something to show at my shows this summer, I worked from a.m. to p.m. and came up with these two.

The sunflowers are a rare subject for me. I hardly ever do flowers but I got a challenge from a friend to try it and so here they are. Voila!

Sun Worshipper
24 x 36 acrylic on canvas

Smiley the Dog is the kind of thing I really enjoy doing. Face on, direct gaze, big smile. Animals who know more that we give them credit for. This guy's very optimistic. Treats anyone???

Smiley
16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

Fresh Today: The Escape Artist

The Escape Artist
24" x 48" acrylic on canvas

I love hamsters. This image of taking a hamster walkies just killed me. I'm happy to have painted it. I am still feeling the urge to add a little here and a little there, and until I am packing the car for the Urban Art in Minto park show in Ottawa, I can do just that.

But not today.

I am worn right out. 3 major paintings in three days. I have 10 more working days until I leave for Ottawa. It would be great to have 10 more canvases completed + cards + small fun paintings.

We'll see how far I get.
Kind of exciting.

The Friendliest of Plans

Hello Plastic Masters aka those of you readers who like to make things with friendly plastic.



I've been thinking about all the stuff I've made over the years - this being year TWENTY - of making things with Friendly Plastic, and I am about to embark on the next logical step with the stuff.

I am starting to compile downloadable files full of plans and pictures of my designs so you too can give Friendly Plastic a whirl.




There are a few of us out there teaching it, but there are still many many people looking for information on how to use it. We all do it differently and I think it's time for me to teach other would-be plastic masters how I do it.

I'm deciding what format i'd like to present this work in and of course I have to dissect my things and get them into teachable/learnable shape. It's an exciting thing for me and I hope to hear from some of you about what you'd like to see and also about how you would liek to get this material.

Please feel free to comment here on the blog or email me personally at katieargyle@yahoo.ca.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. I hope to have something by the fall.

-- Katie

Today's New Work

Obey The Crown

22 x 28 acrylic on canvas

Continuing with the building of paintings for upcoming shows I made this today. I think it was longer than 2 hrs worth of work. I have another painting 2/3 done but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it.

Aurora Jazz and Art Festival - - July 29 - 31, 2011

I am going to be showing my art at the Aurora Jazz Festival July 29th to the 31st. I am also one of the artists who will be creating a painting on site. I have two hours to paint something which will then be auctioned off in the evening in the Silent Auction Art Tent.

With such a strict time limit I thought I would practice and see if I can actually do this. Since I am readying myself for a string of art shows over the next two months (how did that happen??) I need to paint like a fiend anyway. When I moved I *gasp* happily destroyed a lot of my work since I have no space here to store it all. I also wanted to start fresh.

So today is my first try at a 2 hour acrylic painting. I am going to work outside in the backyard.

Here's a canvas I didn't slash. I can't relate to what I was getting at on it so I'll use it for my first two hour project. It's a large canvas: 30" x 32"

I really like getting water from the hose. It should make clean up fast and furious too.

Awesome.

Start Time: 1pm
Deadline: 3pm

Let's go.


Time 1:10 gessoed over my old image


Time: 1:12 checking out my source material for my new painting. Found my charcoal to sketch guides onto the canvas.


Time 1:20 Image is drawn onto the canvas. I'm ready to paint. Must be done by 3:00pm. Yikes.

Time 1:40 Background is in and first shadows applied. I only realized later that I didn't start with my darkest darks. Normally that's what I first place onto my forms but I forgot. I'm rusty.

Time 1:58 More colour added to the figures.


Time 2:00 The Halfway Mark.
I've been painting for an hour. Time to step back and take a look from a distance. I think I can make it but I can't stop. I have to keep going. (I am so relieved I can still paint... yay.)


Time2:05 Have to start dealing with the details and all those gaping maws.

Time 2:15
Stepping back to see if the images make sense, and they do.


Time 2:20 More darks and more shades of red.


Time 2:30 Only 30 minutes left to deadline. Here I am pushing the darks. This is when I realize I didn't do this at the start... hello?

Time 2:50 I changed the background colour completely and continued to add details and darks.


Time 3:00pm.
Time's up.
It's titled TRIO and I've signed it.

After thoughts: I feel I could add some feathery bulk to the guy on the lower right.
I'm wondering how adding a touch of green would work as well as placing some fiery red-orange-just a dab-into the focal points of the two open mouths. Since this is a practice canvas I have time to do it.

I can practically hear those noisy birds.

Good.