​What a great name for a current events TV show, and this past week which has been busy with preparations for the September 17 & 18 New Edinburgh Studio Tour (NEST). There was a meeting on Wednesday evening to go over what's being done and make more plans and I've been busy revising my media lists for promotion. I must say that it's been a while since I last did it and only a few of the names remain the same. It also made me aware of how the media has changed over the years. Used to be that there was print, radio and TV media. Period. Now we have print, radio, TV, online media and bloggers, not to mention emailed newsletters such as Artengine and the arts councils. I also remember when media releases were mailed, then faxed and more recently emailed, but now you can also fill out forms online with your information to submit to the media outlets. Way too many choices! Way too much work!
 
There was also the duty of contacting potential sponsors to cover printing costs. It's not my favourite job, but it needs to be done! And speaking of printing, I offered to get quotes from my printer because the prices they were getting seemed high to me. And of course, along with the quotes came stock samples that needed to be picked up and dropped off to the committee. So it has been busy, but there's nothing wrong with that! Right?

Painting Tip: Composition... developing a focal point
 
There's a lot of things to consider when dealing with composition in a painting or drawing and developing a focal point is one of the important ones. There are, of course, many ways to do this and today we look at one of them.
 
When working from photographs many people try to duplicate the photograph, verbatim. The problem with photographs is that the cameral lens sees the entire scene with a sharp eye, whereas, the human eye sees what you are looking at sharply, but what is in the periphery is less focussed with softer edges and less prominent colours. Cameras are great tools for gathering resource material, but it's what the human artist sees that creates the most captivating paintings... the ones that engulf peoples' imaginations... the ones that sell!
 
If you are painting a scene of water, land and sky that doesn't have any specific focal point then you need to create one. In the painting below, artist Karen Dyrda has created a focal point using an area of bright light next to the darkest clouds. This creates a contrast between the lightest and darkest colours which draws the eye towards it. Karen has also included more definition and hard edges in her centre of interest (red circle) and then softened the edges, colours and contrasts the further away you get from it. Notice how she has left detail out of the foreground so as not to impede the viewer's eye from getting to the focal point. Nicely done!
 
Canadian artist, Charles Spratt has an interesting way to get an artist to focus on their focal point or centre of interest... he asks "What are you showing me?" Of course in this case it is the light coming through the dark clouds, not the sky or the bit of land in the foreground. 
 
Even if you are doing a very detailed piece it's always a good idea to soften edges, colours and contrasts around the outside edge of the canvas as this will help keep the viewer's eye from inadvertently wandering out of the painting.
 
Special thanks to Karen for letting me use her painting to illustrate this painting tip! You will be able to see her work at NEST  in September as we are sharing a studio at 255 MacKay Street.

​Guest Writer: Erika Déruaz on her Fractured Flowers

The idea of fractured flowers came from stained glass that has always fascinated me. For my paintings, I use direct transfers of my own photos, transferred straight on the canvas. On the computer, I crop a pleasant picture and calculate the size of the pieces I need (for example a 16” x 16” canvas needs four 8”x 8” pieces). Carefully, I divide the picture into the pieces and print them in the desired size in mirror image on basic white letter paper.


 
The transfer is done by spreading Soft Gel Gloss over the canvas, using it generously to get a good transfer. Start from the middle and work out to the sides getting rid of the bubbles which prevent the ink from transferring. Be careful not to get any gel on top of the paper which will make it un-removable.  

 
After this has thoroughly dried, you can start removing the paper by wetting it and rubbing it off. Start from the middle and work out to the sides but don’t soak the paper all at once. When all the paper is removed, let the work dry and apply a coat of medium, I use GAC100.

​Then the fun begins. With a black pen, I carefully outline all the different colours and shades. When this is done, the first coat of paint can be applied.  

​Usually, I then leave the painting for a day or two to get some distance. The next, final layer of paint must cover all the uneven spots and bring the picture to a pleasant whole. With a black, permanent marker of medium size I then outline all the colour fields carefully, giving the painting the appearance of stained glass.

 Next I apply an isolation layer of polymer medium thinned with 25% of water or just GAC100 which gets the painting ready for varnishing, framing and hanging!

 
If you have any questions or comments for Erika please respond by clicking on the orange "comments" link at the top right or lower left of the blog page and she will respond to you. You can learn more about Erika, and see her artwork at www.erikaderuaz.com/

​So that's it for this week. All comments and suggestions for future topics are welcomed, again, by clicking on the comments links and letting me know. 

Best wishes,
​Susan      

​Sorry, no blog last week due to the lack of my computer, which was in the hospital all week after doing some very strange things. I had my tablet so I could still access my email and the internet but not my files on my computer or some of the functions and software that is not on my tablet. Anyway, I'm back now, but it got me to thinking... what would we do if the Internet ceased to function?
 
I remember a previous lifetime when I had a flower shop. The swipe technology for credit cards was new then (yup, it was that long ago) and from time to time the machine went down. This particular time one of the young members of my staff told a customer that she could not accept the credit card because the machine was not working. "Whoa!" I said, use the "zip, zip" imprinter machine, which we still had, and even if we didn't we could have taken the card information, gotten the customer's signature and processed it later. But what is the backup if the Internet goes down?
 
We do so much of our communicating and business online these days... some people even store their documents in the "Cloud", but what do you do if you can't access the Cloud to retrieve them?
 
Okay, if I need to order silk scarves for a workshop I could pick up the phone and place the order; if I needed to have something printed I could actually take the file to the printer instead of emailing it; snail mail is still available for paying bills and other communications needs... as is the phone; there's still TV, radio and newspapers to catch up on the news events; entering art competitions would go back to applying by mail; and I would have to go back to printing and snail mailing my newsletter, class brochures and invitations to events.
 
It's an interesting ponderance though and I'm sure we would find ways of doing the things we need to do, but it does show how our lives have been changed so much by technology... in such a short space of time.

This Weeks Painting Tip: More Acrylic Mediums
 
Gel mediums
These mediums are similar to liquid mediums in many of their properties, with one notable exception... they are thick and hold their shape. This allows for adding texture and depth. They come in a variety of viscosities from soft gel to super heavy gel with a range of viscosities in between. Again gloss dries clear, matte dries slightly cloudy, although quite cloudy if you are using student grade gel medium… so watch out for that when purchasing.
· To thicken paint
You can save some money on expensive paints, either soft or heavy body, by adding them to some gel medium and mixing them well.
· To use as glue
These mediums make great glue for adhering heavy weight materials in your work, such as cardboard, heavier fabric, shells, buttons etc.
· To create dimension
Mix some colour into a gel medium and then extrude it using a cake decorator’s icing bag to write words in your work, or create a dimensional stencil applying the gel over the stencil with a palette knife.
· To create skins, transfers and appliqués
Amazing acrylic skins can be made with one or two layers of gel medium with or without colour mixed in. You can build up layers to create a thick skin and then cut it into tiles to use in a mosaic. Appliquéd things like leaves can also be made using gel medium, finished and applied to the work using gel medium as glue. Image transfers are wonderful to add to your artwork and gel mediums are just the ticket to create them.
· Impasto painting
Get all the body you need for this type of painting, without spending a fortune on paint! Because many gel mediums dry clear the beauty of the paint colour shows well.
· For use as a binder with powdered pigments
Using a gel medium with powdered pigments will create heavy body paint. Mix thoroughly and store in a 125 ml or 250 ml mason jar.
· Modelling or Moulding Paste
This thick medium also allows for texture, dimension, gluing etc, the difference is that it dries white. It can be mixed with paint but it will dry the colour you see while it’s wet.
· Faux Encaustic
Matte gel mediums are also used to duplicate the appearance of encaustic wax pieces of art. The milky appearance of the mixtures create the look of wax... without the heat and fumes!
· Mason Jars
Mason jars are amazing for storing paint and mediums that you have mixed yourself. The two-part lids seal very well and as they get damaged or encrusted with stuff, are easily and cheaply replaced. Always use the size that will give you the least airspace for the amount that you are storing, and it's also a good idea to wipe the lip of the jars and the lid insert with a damp rag... this helps stop the lids sticking or letting air in, which will dry out your paint/medium.

To clean Mason jars wipe out most of what was stored in them, leave them open so that the remains dry and then soak them in a bucket of water until you can just lift out the gunk, rinse and dry them. Presto! They are ready for your next concoction. By the way, this is the time to purchase them as it is summer canning season and they are readily available.

Painting Update:  Seashell Mixed Media Piece
Well the seashell piece did finally dry, after which I applied some brushes of peach colour to it to tie the colour scheme together. After that I applied some Interference Orange paint to give it an ethereal shimmer, and finished it off with some metallic gold touches to the high points of the texture. It is now at the framer getting it's "beach wood" frame. I'm looking forward to getting it back and including it in the New Edinburgh Studio Tour this coming September.

Also, a new set of note cards finished this week... The Fossil Series based on the Fossil Paintings...

Next Week: Guest Blog
I am very pleased to announce that next week Erika Déruaz will be writing about how she creates her phenomenal "fractured flowers" paintings. I love what she is doing with them and am so pleased that she has agreed to share this with you. Don't miss it!
 
Best wishes,
Susan

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who emailed me with your thoughts on the school board cancelling adult evening classes. I appreciate your support. I also want to thank Susan T who emailed me contact information for another educational institute that might be interested in having my programs for their students. I will be following that up shortly... because you just never know. Thank you very much, Susan!
 
Also, I appreciate the emails that I've received about my little seashell piece. It seems to have caught people's imagination. Good! Hopefully some of you will be inspired enough to try your own version of it... and maybe even send me photos of your work. That would be awesome! I'd love to feature some of your photos on my blog! And don't forget, you can always email me or leave comments on the blog site, with suggestions of the types of projects that you would like to see featured.
 
I hope you all had a great national holiday this past weekend. Happy Canada Day!, and to my American friends, Happy Fourth of July! I actually took Canada Day off. It's true, I did! It was like a mini-vacation. A friend and I took a scrumptious picnic lunch and sat in the shade of a huge willow tree at the beach. We dined, watched life  pass us by and solved all of the world's problems. A truly successful day!
 
Today I had lunch with my friend and investment advisor, Lynn Cain. She has been researching "crowdfunding" as a way to fund her favourite animal rescue charities. I've heard of crowdfunding as a way to raise funds for accident victims, the rebuilding of Fort MacMurray and other tragic situations, but it seems that it also has more far reaching possibilities, such as funding startup businesses, creative projects and product development. For those doing volunteer projects it offers an opportunity of funding that is an alternative to grants, which are often limited as so many people and groups apply. Just a little something to tuck into your mind for the future!
 
I see that the space craft "Juno" has reached Jupiter and managed to put itself into orbit around the planet without incident. That is amazing! It's a shining example of technology actually working! I'm often heard to mumble... "Technology's great... when it works!"
 
Speaking of technology, this past week there has been some discussion amongst my artist friends about the various painting apps that are currently available. If this is a particular interest of yours then you might want to check this out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHEXBiH0TRU, and if you want to try it go here: http://www.escapemotions.com/experiments/rebelle/index.php.
 
Whatever you are doing this week, this summer, be creative!

Painting Tip: Getting to know acrylic mediums
Acrylic mediums can become very confusing very quickly. Many are so similar that they can be substituted for each other. Each manufacturer takes a similar basic medium and refines it for certain tasks and purposes and gives it a new name. Add to that the number of manufacturers of acrylic mediums each using different names… well it’s almost impossible to know what you already have that will work for you. So let’s look at some mediums and see what we can use them for.
Liquid, fluid, polymer, glazing mediums
These are basic mediums that are the most liquid of all the mediums. These are used to thin acrylic paint. Glazing medium does the same thing, but for glazing it needs to be very transparent so glazing medium is always gloss. The others all come in gloss, semi-gloss and matte. Keep in mind that matte is a bit cloudy because of the stuff added to it to take away the sheen. Gloss dries crystal clear. Some of these mediums come with UV protectants in them.
· To thin paint
I always mix the medium with 25% water because I find it makes the paint flow more easily. Use instead of water, to prevent polymer breakdown.
· To use as glue
These mediums make great glue for adhering light weight materials in your work, such as tissue paper, light fabric etc.
· As a separation layer
Before varnishing an acrylic painting it is highly recommended that one or two coats of liquid medium (I use the watered down one) are applied to separate the varnish from the paint. In the event of damage and the varnish needs to be removed for the repair, the separation layer protects the paint from being removed along with the varnish.
· To create or thicken skins
Acrylic skins can be made of any of these mediums, straight out of the bottle. They can also be applied to stenciled skins to hold all the pieces together as one.
· As a transparent sealer
Before the invention of Clear Gesso, I used the liquid medium to seal some painting surfaces, such as oak panels and various fabrics, so that the paint sat on the surface rather than soaking into the surface, while still letting the beauty of the surface show through. A couple of coats did the trick quite nicely.
· For use as a binder with powdered pigments
Many of the powdered pigments available these days can be mixed with these mediums to create liquid or soft body paints.
· And more…
I know as you become familiar with them that you will find many more uses for these versatile mediums.

​Painting Update:  Seashell Mixed Media Piece
This week I have added some rows of beads to the piece. I purchased them strung, which made them amazingly easy to apply. Using a cake decorators icing bag made of a triangle of parchment paper, I extruded an amount of gel medium the length of the string of beads I wanted to apply. Then I cut off the knot keeping them on the nylon string and laid down the number I wanted into the gel medium and holding the lowest bead in place, pulled the nylon string out. This kept the beads in a line and also kept the holes in the beads out of sight.  If some got out of alignment then I just used a palette knife to realign them.
 
Again, using the icing bag, I added some strings of gel medium. They will dry totally clear and will add subtle visual and textural interest. Finally I spread some gel medium, thinly, in areas where I wanted to apply some light aqua glass seed beads. I gently poured on some beads and when the gel is dry I will gently remove the excess by tapping the piece on my work surface, into a container so that I can reuse the leftovers.
 
As usual, this piece is now waiting for the gel medium to dry... who said that acrylics dry too fast????
 
Next week you will see the finishing flourishes of paint and the final piece.
 
Best wishes,
Susan

​Change is constant, especially in these times of ever-advancing technology, but here's one change that I wasn't expecting, although in retrospect, I'm not surprised.
 
The trustees at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board have voted in favour of cancelling all of their continuing education adult night classes, effectively immediately. Everyone involved in organizing and teaching the classes were taken completely off guard.
 
It was only a few years ago that the Ottawa Catholic School Board stopped printing and distributing their catalogue of evening classes, and as a teacher there I saw the enrollment decline to the point that classes no longer ran.
 
It appears to be an economic consideration with both boards being strapped for funds and the ability to balance programs, staff and student needs.
 
I lament the loss of these teaching venues because this is where I made new friendships, helped new students and enjoyed the sheer pleasure of seeing the "AHA" moment at it's finest... in the eyes of a new artist.
 
So, things have definitely changed and now I'm looking at possibilities for other options and venues for reaching a new audience of art enthusiasts. I will be spending a good portion of my summer working on this, but if any of you have suggestions I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

Today's Painting Tip: Brushes
I use synthetic brushes in all of my media. I like the fact that they are inexpensive, function well and are easy to maintain. I recently purchased several brushes from Royal & Langnickel's Zen and Moderna brush lines. I was attracted to these brushes because they are available at DeSerres for $3.69 each for all sizes. In my work I use larger brushes so this was a bonus for me! Mind you, even at $3.69 the smaller brushes are less expensive than other brands.
 
The Zen series come with three slightly different "springs"... stiff, medium and soft. I personally don't notice much of a difference when using them, however others might. The Moderna brush was of similar spring and comfort of using, but the ferule separated from the shaft and I have not been able to find it since. It's probably just a fluke but I have not purchased additional brushes to see if it was an isolated incident.
 
Whenever I have to go to Michael's for products that I can only get there, I always take a look at their pricing on various products. Here's what I found on the Royal & Langnickel brushes... they start at about $3.50 for the smaller brushes and go up to $6.99 for the larger (1") ones, so choose your brush venue carefully and, if you are going to Michael's, go armed with coupons!

Painting Update: A new mixed media seashore piece
I've had a lot of fun with this new piece, which started by applying white gesso to a canvas board, thickly and with a palette knife to create a slight vertical texture. Once that was dry I applied s coat of paint, using Pebeo's Iridescent Blue Green and Golden's Titanium Buff, to create the suggestion of a weather worn painted surface, such as one might find at the coast.
 
While that was drying I brushed a coat of white gesso over all of the pieces that I was going to include in the work... just to tone down the various colours of the pieces and make everything more unified. Some pieces did take two coats to meet conformity.
 
Once that was done and the background was dry, I started arranging items to create a design. It just wasn't working for me and in a flash of brilliance I realized that all the pieces I was working with were much the same size. There was no variety, no melody, just a bunch of very similar notes that weren't working well.
 
Okay, so I wiped everything off the board and started again, this time searching my stash for things that would work. Found some larger seashells, some turquoise beach glass and some flattened glass beads in the colours I needed. This is working better now! I started with the seashells as they were the largest and I could set out the design with them. Then I added some beach glass to accent the shells and help create the composition, followed by the glass beads.
 
Once that was done I started adding the fun pieces, anchors, hearts, ships wheel and other interesting pieces. Then I decided that it needed a bit of bling and added a few copper coloured accents as well as some glittery stars, to create visual interest and enhance the composition.
 
There's still a lot to do, but it will be finished in next week's blog, so stop by and check it out, or subscribe to be notified of new blog posts!
 
Thanks and best wishes,
Susan

​Busy week, but when isn't it? This week I had classes at all of my retirement residences. My local group at the Cumberland Lodge, having recently had a very successful art exhibition, are now planning for their Christmas Bazaar and deciding what kind of projects they would like to do.  The painted glass ball ornaments were a major hit with both the artists and the visitors at the bazaar, so more of those please! The Christmas cards also went well, so we'll be doing more of those. This year they want to do some bigger projects like wreaths as well.
 
Looks like I have an enthusiastic group of entrepreneurs on my hands at the Lodge. They enjoy setting up the events and do much of the work, taking flyers around, putting notices up on telephone poles, looking after the sales themselves and then they pour all of the money they make back into art supplies for the next event.
 
This all started a year ago last winter, when I didn't get a grant that I had applied for, for a community art project at the Lodge. I was having lunch with my longtime friend and investment advisor, Lynn Cain (http://www.cainandosborne.com/)  and told her about it. She asked me how much I needed for the art supplies, as I was willing to volunteer my time, and I told her. She got 10 of her clients to donate $20 each and the project was off to the races!
 
This set in motion the first art exhibition, which was followed by the first Christmas Bazaar, and now it is an ongoing cycle. I believe in the value of art, and it's not just as a therapeutic past time. The residents at the Lodge have taken this a step further and made it their little business, in which they take great pride and also fund their future art projects. And like most artists... they are having way too much fun doing it!
 
 Today's Painting Tip: Making texture mediums
I love using texture in my work, and while there are a number of excellent commercial texture mediums available, I usually want something more specialized and original. That results in me mixing up my own custom textures on a regular basis. It's not difficult and if you store them properly, they will keep for years.
 
I start by putting my particulate into a small mason jar. I use mason jars because they come in a variety of useful sizes, the snap lids seal very well, and the snap lids and rings can be replaced very inexpensively if they corrode or get too gummed up with medium.
 
Next I start adding Self-Levelling Gel (Clear Tar Gel can also be used and to a slightly less effective mixture, Pouring Medium), and mixing it in. Start slowly, making sure the mixture is thoroughly mixed, and that you use only enough to coat the particulate. If you use too much you will end up with a sloppy mixture that will not work as well.
 
I apply texture mixtures with a palette or painting knife, either small or large depending on the surface area I am covering. Because the mediums I've recommended above are self-levelling they drip down onto the canvas creating a pool of medium for a better hold and also, while leaving a layer of the medium on top of your particulate to protect it, it's a thin layer so it doesn't hide the beauty of your particulate.
 
As you will see from the photo below, you can use lots of things to make texture mediums: small shells, assorted types of vase fillers, sand, aquarium gravel, glass beads, etc. You are limited only by your imagination. One thing to watch out for though, if you are using organic material such as dried beans, lentils, rice and the like, only mix up what you need at the time. These products absorb the moisture from the medium causing it to harden very quickly in the jar, even though it is tightly sealed.
 
By the way, if you want to clean a mason jar, pour out most of the medium, let the rest dry unopened, then soak it in a bucket of water for a day or two. Most products will come out easily after this process then the jars can be washed, dried and stored for re-use.
 
So have some fun with texture! Get creative and be original! And let me know what kind of wonderful mixtures you've created and how you used them. Can't wait to hear what you've done!

Painting Update:
With the leaf paintings finished I hauled out a partially done canvas that I had used as a demo piece at last fall's "Art School Fair", here in Ottawa. The demo had been about creating texture mediums and using them. For this piece I mixed sand with self-levelling gel for use on the beach, and plastic bead vase filler for use on the waves.
 
Prior to applying the texture mediums I had coloured my canvas to start and then applied gloss gel medium to create a textured surface gently suggesting the pattern of the waves and the ripples in the sand. Once the medium was dry enough to work I painted it with several layers of paint, the second last one being interference paint, and the final one being gold metallic paint, brushed lightly over the texture marks to enhance them.
 
The next step was to apply the texture mediums that I had mixed to the areas I wanted to accent... the waves and the beach. I was pleased with the painting but felt it was missing some interest... a focal point. I thought a starfish washed up on the shore would work, and went off to find one. I could only find ones that were too large or too small, so poked around for something else that would be suitable. I found a gold coloured metal lobster and a seashell decorated with gold coloured metal, in the jewellery department of the craft store and rushed them back to the studio so see which I liked best in the painting. The shell won, mostly because you only notice it the closer you get to the painting, and I like adding little surprises for viewers who look carefully at my work.
 
So that's another painting ready to add to my collection for the New Edinburgh Studio Tour in September. If I keep going like this I'll have lots of great new stuff to show!
 
I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for future blogs. Let me know what you would like me to include.
 
Best wishes,
Susan 

​Remember this little rhyme from when we were kids?
 
No more pencils,
No more books,
No more teachers' dirty looks,
When the teacher rings the bell,
Drop your books and run like hell!
 
... Oh wait, I AM the teacher!
 
Except for my retirement residences, all of my classes ended last week. I thought I'd take some time for myself and unwind, but that apparently isn't going to happen. It seems that my Right Brain told my Left Brain to take a hike for the summer and has been flooding my head with great inspiration, which I am helpless to ignore! Oohheeee!
 
I've got some mixed media abstracts in mind, as well as some pieces using masks as the focal point, similar to my "Keeper of the Garden" piece, not to mention a couple of florals I've been working on, from photos borrowed from friends. I don't usually do florals, but every so often I see something that sets my soul on fire. These two photos did just that!
 
I've also started working on original note cards. I've wanted to do cards for a long time, but my work does not photograph well, because of all the texture, bling and metallics that I love to use. So then I thought I would have them printed and "remarque" them by adding bits of bling, metallics and texture. Well, the other day I was wandering through DeSerres art supply store and came upon some precut cards and envelopes for making original cards. "AHA!", says Right Brain, "lets make them by hand." We agreed and I purchased a package of 10 mixed media cards, got them home and got working... more about this later on in the blog... anyway it was so much fun that I'm already planning a different technique for my next ten, and then my next... next...next...!
 
This spurt of creative energy is perfectly timed as I will be participating in the New Edinburgh Studio Tour (NEST) on September 17 and 18, so I will have lots of new work to show!

​Today's Painting Tip: Plein Air Painting
 
Plein air painting, while it might not be your cup of tea, can only help improve your studio painting. It teaches new skills, imparts confidence and enhances your problem solving abilities. You also learn to work with a basic set of colours and equipment because toting all the stuff you have in your studio gets old real quick!
 
My first experience with plein air was a two week course at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. We painted for four hours every morning and four hours every afternoon. My first morning I took all four hours just to sketch my view on the canvas... just painted outlines of objects on a white canvas. I felt totally inadequate as others taking the course had finished their first painting, but each day I improved and by the end of the two weeks I could complete a painting in two hours. I had gained confidence and learned not to get bogged down in the details. It effected how I have painted since.
 
The important thing about enjoying plein air painting is to be prepared and have at hand all that you need... things like water to drink; water or solvent for washing your brushes; sun screen; insect repellant; a good hat that will protect your head, face and the back of your neck (even in the early spring you can get a serious sunburn without realizing it); of course your pared down art supply list and tools; a portable easel and/or folding stool, depending how you prefer to paint; your camera and sketch book for making notes for working back in your studio; lunch/snacks; and a knapsack to put stuff in so that it is easy to carry. Being prepared does take a bit of planning, but it makes the entire experience much more enjoyable.
 
While I was at Mount A there was an exhibition in the Owens Gallery of plein air oil sketches done by the Group of Seven. These were all 12" x 16" panels, to fit into their paint boxes. Having seen the studio paintings that resulted from these sketches, at the National Gallery, I was in awe of the sketches. They were raw and powerful. They transmitted what the artists were seeing, feeling and smelling while they painted at each location. Sadly, some of that was lost in the translation to their studio paintings, which brings me to an observation that many artists have made... when you paint plein air you are able to capture and share a better understanding of the location, than you are by working from a photograph of the same location.
 
So, if you want to experience plein air painting and the difference it can bring to your studio work, I am offering a 4 day plein air workshop here in the Ottawa area on August 2 to 5, 2016. We will meet at a central location and carpool to the day's venue. Paint all day and then return to the central location. For more information email me or check out the summer courses on my website.

Painting Update: Finished leaves and original note cards.
 
Below I have included a photo of the second maple leaf painting, which I finished this week. The process was the same as the first, which I have already shared with you.
 
The note cards started with random applications of glue for metal leaf, and then the application of variegated gold leaf. The variegation is a result of a chemical process and creates great visual interest, as you will see in the photos.
 
Then I used pouring medium, mixed with soft body paint, for colour, and poured some shapes onto a plastic garbage bag. Once the shapes were dry I peeled them off the garbage bag and glued them onto the cards using gel medium. Voila! Original abstract note cards.
 
Hope you enjoyed this blog. Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to write about, and don't forget, you can subscribe to receive future blogs by going to my website, clicking on Blog and entering your email in the box on the lower right hand side of the page and clicking on subscribe. You will receive and email from "Feedburner" asking you to confirm your subscription. Once you confirm you will receive notification of new blogs, and of course, you can unsubscribe at any time.
 
Best wishes,
Susan

Okay, who turned off the heat outside? Brrrrrr! In an effort not to turn on the heat inside I'm buried under a blanket while writing this. Okay, I can hear you giggling!  Say, did you know that June 8 is the first official frost free date in Eastern Ontario? Just some trivia from my horse and farming days. Well, on the other hand, no matter how cold it is, at least we know that there won't be any frost! Brrrrrr!
 
Last Acrylic Abstraction class Wednesday evening at Glebe Collegiate Institute. My students never cease to amaze me with their talent and enthusiasm. This class was no different. All have been producing excellent pieces and feeling much more comfortable experimenting with ideas, and that's what it's all about. My philosophy is that it's great to experiment and if it turns out well, frame it and sell it... if it turns out not so well, throw it back into the pile for painting something else on. Quite often a failed piece is only failed until you apply another technique on top of the failed one, creating a layered effect and redeeming the original failed piece.
 
Actually, I think that might make a great one-day workshop... bring your failed pieces and let's make them part of a successful work of art! What do you think? If you like the idea let me know. If enough people like it I'll make it happen. It would be a lot of fun, don't you think?

Thursday was the last class in the spring session of Acrylics and Oils and also my evening Beginners Painting Class. It's always fun to hear what students have planned for their summer, but it's also sad that some will be moving away. Goodbyes are said, phone numbers exchanged and new friendships are formed.  

In between my classes today I stopped in at the vernissage of an art exhibition put on by a number of my former students: Darlene Provost, Anny Huber and Josée Larocque (also joined by Joanne Beaubien, Norm Goddard and Robert Gudgeon). The exhibition is at Urban Ottawa Art, 115 Beechwood Avenue in New Edinburgh and worth going to see. There is a "Meet and Greet" on Sunday, June 12 from 2 to 4 PM.
 
Today's Painting Tip: Hard and soft edges.
 
When I was into my ultra-realism work I faithfully reproduced photos on canvas. Lots of hard edges, as cameras are want to produce. Since then, thanks to learning more about advanced composition, and I don't mean the composition using mathematical formulas and geometry, I came to understand how changing edges can really improve a painting.
 
Here's a little exercise that can help you understand. Focus your eyes on your actual subject matter and then pay attention to what you see in your peripheral vision. If you keep focussed on your subject you will notice that what is in the periphery is less defined with softer edges. By recreating that in a painting it helps to draw the viewer to your subject matter... what you are showing the viewer, what story you are telling.
 
Softer edges can be broken lines, rather than hard lines; they can be blending of colours; they can be the cooler, grayer colours and diminished definition of aerial perspective. They can be a soft shadow rather than a hard shadow created by a strong light source. In the end, it's all about varying hard and soft, strong and weak, bright and subdued... a variance of visual delights for the viewer of your work. It will keep your viewer interested in your work for longer, perhaps even to the point of making a purchase.
 
Painting Update:
 
While I have been working on a second maple leaf painting, it is not yet ready for publication, however, I did promise a maple leaf painting and I have one to show you. 

Best wishes,
​Susan

​Wow, a few weeks off because of my hectic schedule over Christmas and here it is at the end of May! It seems it's just been one thing after another so far this year, however, things are now stabilizing, and I'm finally catching up and getting back on track again.
 
First, something that Claire, one of my student's at Glebe Collegiate Institute, brought to my attention...

The Canadian Conservation Institute participates in Doors Open Ottawa
Saturday, June 4th, 2016

"We invite you to join us at the Canadian Conservation Institute during Doors Open Ottawa on Saturday, June 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to explore the fascinating world of conservation and conservation science. Tour CCI laboratories and speak with our conservators and conservation scientists about the work we do to preserve Canada's heritage." http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/doors/2016.pl?id=17&lang=en
 
The CCI is not open to the public so this is a rare opportunity to find out about how works of art are cleaned and repaired, how forgeries are detected and lots of stuff you've probably never even imagined. It will be a worthwhile way to spend some time this coming Saturday.         
 
Another upcoming event that may interest some of you is the 1st Annual Cavan/Millbrook Outdoor Painting Festival on October 1 and 2. Cavan is about 20 minutes southwest of Peterborough... lovely country and a great place to paint plein air! The entry fee is $25, you can paint up to 5 paintings and there are prizes of $1500, $1000 and $500 respectively for first, second and third place winners of the juried competition. All paintings will be offered for the "Fresh off the Easel" sale after the jurying. For more information click on this link: http://cavanarts.ca/index.php/2016-03-22-23-44-51.

I've also been putting summer programs together and should have them up on my website shortly. If there is something you are particularly looking for let me know this week and I'll see if I can put it together. Programs of note will be a four-day plein air painting workshop and "open studio" time for those who want to work on a painting problem, learn a new technique or just get re-inspired in creating art. 
 
This past Saturday was my art group at the Cumberland Lodge's second Art Exhibition. It looked fantastic, and of course the homemade baked goods for sale tasted fantastic! I was only able to stay for the first half hour as I had a class in the afternoon. But by the time I left four paintings had already sold! Way to go guys!! 
​

Today's Painting Tip:  Thinking outside the stretcher bars!
 
If you normally work on commercially prepared stretched canvas or canvas boards, why not switch it up for a little bit of fun?
 
Many years ago I fell heir to a piece of gessoed linen yardage. I loved the look of it, although not the side gessoed to receive paint, but the underside which showed the beauty of the linen fabric. So I stretched in onto stretcher bars and applied two coats of liquid polymer medium, thinned with 25% water. (There was no clear gesso back then!) Then I painted a still life on it, leaving the unpainted fabric as the background... a vignette, if you will. They were very popular and sold quickly... all I have left are the photos!
 
Now one can purchase stretched linen canvases and canvas boards, but what about other fabrics? As long as they are natural fibres there should be no problem painting on them and with the advent of clear gesso you can use the designs on the fabric as part of your artwork. Oh, and if you are not into stretching your own canvasses you can glue the fabric to an existing canvas or board, or even a failed painting, using acrylic gel medium. I'm thinking cotton, burlap, denim, muslin... you are only limited by your imagination, so experiment!

Painting Update:
 
Just to bring you back to speed on the current paintings, I'll go back a few steps and next week you will see the finished pieces.
 
I started by making appliqué leaves by taping a sheet of waxed paper over the image of the leaves. Then I applied two coats of gel medium to create the leaves and then cut them out. Then I painted them. I also added a bit of Interference colour to create a shimmer and some iridescent gold to accent the texture.
 
In the meantime I had prepared the backgrounds on the canvasses that I am using, and applied a coat of pouring medium, with some Interference Blue and some Spectral (glitter) paint mixed in to create a mystical watery background.
 
The final step is to apply the appliqué leaves to finish the piece. So tune in next week for the final reveal, and don't forget to send me ideas for what you would like to learn from the blog, or classes.
 
Thanks and best wishes,
Susan

I hope that those of you who celebrate Christmas had a lovely one, and those of my friends who don't or have a different celebration, had a wonderful holiday! And I wish everyone a Happy and Successful 2016!
 
So, with the holidays behind us it's now back to the routine of days and business as we know it.  For me that is organizing and promoting classes and events, teaching, painting and running the Michael Wilcox School of Colour Canadian office. Sounds like I'm busy, and I am, but it provides for a variety of interests and leaves very few dull moments!
 
I have my regular classes coming up starting next week: Acrylic and Oil Painting; Creativity with Acrylics and Mixed Media; and ABCs of Acrylic Painting which can be found at http://www.susanashbrook.com/winter-classes.html.
 
There are specialty workshops featuring Knife Painting with Denise Pelletier; and Botanical Illustration with Frank Andrus, see http://www.susanashbrook.com/specialty-workshops.html.
 
In addition I am offering colour workshops being held at Wallack's Bank Street and Nepean stores: Colour Mixing; and Colour Harmony and Contrast, for information and registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/d/canada--ottawa/wallacks/?crt=regular&page=1&slat=45.4215&slng=-75.6972&sort=date&view=list
 
This morning I met with Cheryl, program coordinator at the Lodge, to set up a new art program for 2016. Their Christmas Bazaar was a great success in terms of raising money for art supplies and they are anxious to get going again! Can't say as I blame them!
 
So, the routines are falling back into place and should be in full swing by next week. I'm looking forward to it!

Today's Painting Tip:
It's that time of the year again, when paint manufacturers, decorating magazines and clothing manufacturers all put out their new colour trends for you to see and hopefully become inclined to dress up your wardrobe or your home.
 
I make it a routine, at this time of year, to go to the various hardware/paint stores to pick up the 2016 colour trends brochures from a variety of paint manufactures and also a few decorating magazines promoting the new colours.  I also hang the suggested colour palettes on a bulletin board in my studio for instant inspiration.
 
Because I do abstract and semi-abstract work, colour schemes are often left to my whim and fancy, rather than reproducing naturally occurring colours in a landscape or still life. The samples and trends suggested by the decorating industry give me a quick way to pick colour schemes that I like, and because they are trendy the finished paintings work very well with newly decorated rooms.
 
I know, I know... "Good art doesn't have to match the sofa", but it sure goes a long way in getting it hung over the sofa. I have noticed that when following the decorating colour trends my work sells faster in the popular colour schemes, and I don't see anything wrong with that! People who collect art know it doesn't have to match the sofa, and that's not what they are looking for in a piece of art anyway.

There is a large market for art out there, for example those who watch renovation and decorating shows on TV, where the art always matches the room. Working with Catherine and Jerome Pulcine, the CPI Team at Decorating Den (http://www.cpi.decoratingden.com/index.html), I see that designers often pick art for their client's room, and of course it's going to enhance the room. That's a market that may be even larger than the collector market. In any event, as an artist and teacher with the School of Colour, I always find the evolution of use of colour interesting, in any industry... you might too if you care to explore it a little deeper.

Oh also, please note that only the first two images are 2016 colours. I haven't yet done my run to collect the paint brochures so I've used versions from past years so that you can see what I'm talking about. 

Painting Update:
My apologies that there is no update this week. I took a break from the studio over the holidays, but the two appliquéd leaf paintings will be basically finished for your review in the next edition.
 
Best Wishes to you and your's for a very Happy and Successful New Year!
And, my sincere appreciation for your interest in my blog. Without your readership it is just an exercise in talking to one's self, and, while I'm not yet totally crazy, it might be interpreted that way. Thank you so much for your support!

All the best,
Susan

Still another couple of weeks? Oh good! (Can you guess I'm no where near ready?)
 
On Saturday I helped out at the Cumberland Lodge Christmas Bazaar that my students at the Lodge wanted to do. I did four sessions with them, making cards, ornaments and things to sell. They decided that all proceeds would be put towards art supplies for future classes and raised enough money to do just that. I was thrilled! Staff at the home also contributed baked goods to the bazaar. What a great team!
 
We did it the same day as the Cumberland Farmer's Market Christmas event. This has become quite the event in the village as other organizations and churches also open their doors to sell crafts and foodstuffs etc. There were cars and people everywhere!
 
Special thanks go to Dan Blais, owner of Weekly Flowers at 5303 Canotek Road, and http://www.WeeklyFlowers.com, who printed and donated the signs to point visitors to the village in the direction of the bazaar. Great job Dan, and they worked really well! Much appreciated! By the way, if you need flowers this holiday season, these are the people to call. They have a team of excellent designers and shop staff that take great care of each and every order (613-748-0000).
 
From the bazaar I dashed over to the New Edinburgh Square retirement residence in New Edinburgh to give a Silk Scarf Workshop. We had almost double the number of attendees that I was expecting, causing a bit of a scramble for me, but it all worked out in the end and everyone made two beautiful scarves that they were all pleased with. I also had some inquiries asking if we could do another Scarf workshop after Christmas. No problem, but I have to restock my totally depleted scarf inventory first!
 
And if you are a last minute shopper, like me, I have a suggestion for you... Why not give an art class or a gift certificate towards a class? Art classes are a gift that lasts a lifetime. Once a person has been exposed to art it becomes a part of their life, forever. Even if they don't practice art for years, most eventually go back to it after a change in their lives... retirement, an illness, a tragic event or something else, because art is a way to express feelings without words... just colours, strokes of a brush and emotion. The gift of art classes is truly a caring gift!

This Week's Painting Tip:
As an art teacher I often find that my students want to duplicate a photo on their canvas. In fact I used to do this so successfully that people who saw photos of my paintings just assumed that they were photographs not paintings. When I did the art fair circuit people would come into my booth and exclaim that my work was amazing... then go to the booth next door and purchase a more "painterly" piece.
 
While working in the studio I often tried to remind myself that, "Susan, it's a painting, not a photograph. It doesn't have to be an exact replica." I was finally able to break the habit by embracing abstract art.
 
Now, I tell my students that they are the artist and they can improve on the photograph that they are working from. As photographers we are limited by what is before us, or spend hours, days or eternity waiting for the conditions to be perfect to get that once in a lifetime image. As artists, armed with the knowledge of colour, perspective and composition, we can take a ho-hum photo and turn it into a spectacular painting and to illustrate that I have one of my student's paintings and original photograph to show you. Cathy Dempsey did this amazing painting from the photograph shown. She definitely improved on the photo, wouldn't you agree?

Painting Update:
This week I did the backgrounds for the two appliquéd maple leaf paintings. The first background started out with the last of my tube of Prussian Blue, but there wasn't enough so off to the art supply store I went, and picked up a jar of Phthalo Blue, a very similar dark blue "cold" or green-blue colour.
 
The first canvas I did in a traditional rippled water pattern, while I did the second with a more textured appearance. The ripples and texture were enhanced by using interference blue paint. I love interference colours. They add a shimmer and life to my work, although they should be used judiciously as there is a very fine line between an interesting piece of art and kitsch. Trust me on that one!
 
Next week we will see what happens when the leaves fall from the trees and land on the watery backgrounds. I hope you will join me then!
 
Best wishes,
Susan