Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Hope you all had a great Christmas and got to enjoy time off work. I know I have. To start the wonderful festive season I sold one of my paintings which I am thrilled about. I hope to sell many more.

A short and sweet post but more to come in the New Year.

xx

Puppet Making

Crafts is not really my thing but I love to do arts and crafts with the kids to get their imagination going plus it is a lot of fun too. Particularly as Christmas draws nearer I feel the need to create, makes things, paint things, make a mess type of thing; it brings out the child in me. 

To learn how to do this please visit this blog.

Sunday Sketch

I painted this on Sunday but am posting it now. Not my favourite twisted tree image. I wanted to do more of a winter scene but I did less tree and more trunk, I don't likey, However, I know how I will develop this lack luster piece.

I am not quite ready to paint these images onto canvas, I am undecided if  I will go this route but I have time and I am enjoying the process. The enjoyment interests me more at this point.

Artist: Patti Munro

Image: Artist Patti Munro Patti Munro, animation artist turned artist was exhibiting at my local art center in Port Moody. I witnessed her work a few weeks ago, the last day of showing. Sadly I did not spend enough time looking at her work but one picture struck me, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. He was amazing, mixed media, with a real watch hanging from his pocket.  I love Patti's use of materials, they stand out. Her experience as an animation artist shines through, theatrical images and characters that are presented in a manner I have not seen before. Some of her work was a little disturbing, like the beach scene with dolls sunbathing on the beach with missing limbs. Nonetheless I would love to see more of her work as she progresses.  I am trying to find more information about her as a new artist. I hope she gets a website to show case her work. I want the White Rabbit.

Saturday Sketch Book

Latest twisted tree painting. Something dark and eery about it, perhaps it reflects my mood. I have finally bought a canvas to recreate one of my tree pieces but I am thinking I will do several, all of the same size. I think it might work well as a theme. 

Thoughts? 

Stephanie Matthews

Sunday Sketch

Another twisted tree. I am having fun painting these trees. The twists are inspired by Christmas candy canes that seem to be in every shop I enter. I also like how the black paper emphasizes the colour, it almost illuminates it. I think this is how I will paint the original, I will purchase a black painted canvas, I have not decided if I will use the gold pen or use white paint or another colour and I also have to decide on the background. I find the it so enjoyable painting the tree when it comes to the background I rush it but I also like a glimpse of the background with the black. I may add clouds. However, what I will do is paint another tree with more detail.

Happy Sunday!

Stephanie Matthews

You can Follow me on Bloglovin

I haven't really done a big push when it comes to people following me on my blog nor Facebook for that matter. But there are some positive people I love to hear from through my Twitter account who keep me positive and are not critical but they are real. I think because they are artist themselves who know the struggles for recognition. Since Google has made changes to how people follow I have also changed and the popular choice seems to be Bloglovin.

So here are a list of places to follow me:
Twitter
Facebook
Bloglovin
Google+

I am also on DeviantArt but I will add that later, once I have updated it.

So here is to my new followers.

Saturday Sketch Book

A mixed media painting I did on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Predominantly acrylics with Sharpie pens that formed the tree. There is a call for artists and the theme is twisted, so I thought I would start a few sketches to see what takes my fancy. My problem with my paintings, I am beginning to realise, I need to work on composition. Not sure why but in all my time during art and design study I was never taught composition. I understand their are 8 principles:

• Unity
• Balance
• Movement
• Rythmn
• Focus
• Contrast
• Pattern
• Proportion

It sounds simple but it really isn't. The picture has to flow and move the eye around to all the elements but when I am painting I do not consider this, I paint what I want without considering the composition. I have watched some YouTube posts to assist me, I have a vague idea of what it is all about.

The one thing that frustrates me about art is:  someone, somewhere has constructed rules so that the canvas is supposedly perfect and the one thing that allured me to art was that I thought there was no structure just wonderful images people can create using the imagination. It seems I was wrong. Shame because the rules constrain art somehow.

It looks like I have something to learn!

Stephanie Matthews

Not a Lot Blog

I don't have a great deal to talk about and even though some professionals say that it is best not to blog when you have little to say but I feel it is best to fill the large voids of posts that I have a tendency to do when I am busy with other things.

However, I have just started my Photoshop course which I am thrilled about; thank goodness I have learnt about layering and creating banner adds because Photoshop is not user friendly. Layering, masking, adding layers, moving them, deleting them, resizing images etc is just a mind fry but I had lots of practice on my first day so I think I can handle it.  Now I have to decide which version of Photoshop to purchase, it ain't cheap and they have released a cloud version that you pay month-to-month, I will not be getting that at this point. It will be useful when I want to retouch images, change colours etc, I also need to know how to create a design from scratch but I have not gotten that far yet.

I took my kids on Pro-D day to an art class at Port Moody Art Centre where they created puppets and a theatre which I thought was fantastic. Using pieces of cardboard, beads etc. It reminded me when I was a kid, making my own toys with things around the house. It get's their creative juices flowing and gets them thinking in ways that school perhaps restrains. As far as I am concerned art is great for everyone, all ages but especially kids; pictures are the first thing they are able to put on paper before letters and numbers, it is a way of expressing themselves, tell a story that they can't yet write in words. Next time I will get them in the clay class, I didn't work with clay much as a kid. Ironic really since I come from a city known for its pottery industry, with great producers like Wedgewood, Spode and Moorcroft. I interviewed a number of senior people at these places as part of my dissertation. Very interesting why some succeeded and others lost their way, it is not clear cut but it was well worth investigating. Gosh! I miss my university days where I was able to research and use my mind openly.

Here is to my Not A Lot blog!

Vancouver Painting to date

As you can see from my painting, it is now progressing. Top images illustrate the basic colour scheme and as I went along I made adjustments, added detail and I am finally coming into the final phase . The only thing I am not 100% convinced with is the water, it may get changed again!

Stephanie Matthews

My New Art Station

It has only taken me years to get a desk with draws designated for painting and kids arts and crafts. All from Ikea and I built it myself with some help from my little ones. Plus Ikea has a  deal on, if you spend over a certain amount you get 20% off, I was well chuffed.

So here is my desk with some art materials tucked away in the draws for easy access. Kid won't need to ask me where things are and I will be able to find stuff.

I will be able to paint on this desk without worrying about marking it because that is what it is for, making a mess. My poor new dining table will now be used for its purpose and hopefully no more pen marks.

In celebration to my new art station :)

Stephanie Matthews

Opus Art Supplies

What artist doesn't like an art shop? Shelves filled with colour, canvas, sketch books and new and exciting tools.  Shops filled with toys for artists who want to explore, create, try something new. One of my favourite go-to art shops is Opus in Vancouver, I particularly like the Granville Island location, it is near Emily Carr University and the most fabulous art library I have ever come across. The store layout is very well organised and doesn't feel cluttered or unorganised, everything has its place. Their website has some great tutorials and information about products and how to use them as well as featuring artists.

Here is a video about one of their products and visit their site.

Work in Progress Painting

I have been working on this painting for quite a while. It is an image of the sails in Vancouver among other landmarks. It is progressing slowly. I have to do a lot more work on the water, smaller brush strokes and light paint. I almost overworked the sails and the water but I am happy with the colour chosen, red, they look less like mountains. I do intend to place mountains in the background even though they are not strictly there but the background is what makes Vancouver's scenery so wonderful.

I hope to have the end result soon.

New Art Gear

I have been wanting a Sta-Wet ever since I saw one of my friends using it in her art studio. So I am so pleased to be able to have it and limit the amount of paint wastage. Now I can mix my paints and use as much as I need and needn't worry about them drying out.

Also with my little purchase is a size 8 flat brush by Simply Simmons, it cost $4.99. I really like using flat brushes, I find them easier to control and blend paints nicely. I like to mix and blend quite a lot in my work so this is ideal for smaller areas in my work.

Sennelier Acrylique

  

My lovely package of paints from Sennelier. I have the heavy body acrylics it's perfectly packaged and in handy travel sized 21 ml tubes.  

Here is some more information about these paints.

Ramblings to date.

In the summer this year I did another cross-continental move back to Canada. I must be insane moving like this, it's an expensive affair and incredibly stressful moving away from family. To manage with the move and to get a balance in my life I have gone back to yoga, you can read my blog here. I practice Bikram Yoga, I enjoy it because it is demanding and it does not go into spiritual healing and chanting which kind of scares me a bit. I have also been working on a number of journals, like Keri Smith 's Wreck this Journal as mentioned in a previous post.

As I get older I like big personal change least of all, or at least moving around. I want stability and a home but most of all I have what is important to me more than anything - my family. Since I love art I want to pass my passion onto my kids, or at least explore it. I mean what kid does not like playing with paint, clay, coloured pens etc? So during the summer I wanted my kids to experience art without worrying about making a mess. I signed them up to a mixed-media course at 4Cats, it's the perfect studio, in fact they encourage making mistakes and getting messy, you never know what these things can lead to.

Because there has been a lot of change I have not been painting at all. I was doing some doodling and sketching but nothing serious. I also seek inspiration, where I live is so inspiring however, I am not ready to pursue my work at the moment due to other pressure but I am signed up to attend a Photoshop course which I think will help in so many ways; with business and with my art work. I have also been doing a lot of reading, knowledge based reading. How to improve my writing skills, keeping up-to-date with social media platforms and so on.

One of my favourite places to shop for art supplies is Opus Art Supplies in Vancouver. A huge selection of artist materials, it is like a toy shop for artists. Recently I had the pleasure of receiving acrylic paints from Sennelier  in France. I signed up to test their packaging and reviewed it, in return they sent me an unexpected box of paints as a gift. I was thrilled. I have always wanted to try out their paints. I am a lucky girl. So when I get back to painting they will be the first things I play with.

The nights are drawing in and it makes me think more about art, I think it is because when I started painting properly, it was during this time of year. Inside, painting and creating.

Soon, I hope to produce a work of art and post to the site. In the meantime, I will ramble or maybe not post a darn thing until I have something worthy to say.

wreck this journal by keri smith

Have I ever been on a mission with this recently purchased book! I have been wanting to get my hands on this for a while and my local bookstore just stocked up with the latest updated version which has several new covers. I have a number of Keri Smiths journals which I have listed below. She has a great talent of getting your creative juices flowing by making you look at things and bending the rules, it has childlike qualities since the ideas are so simple and some of the things in her books are activities we used to do as kids. A lot of her activities involve drawing but it is nicely mixed in with writing creatively.

I highly recommend this for school kids, creatives, stay-at-home parents, executives who need to improve their ideas generation, anyone really.

Wreck this Journal is a good place to start. Mess is also fun, How to be an Explorer is great at making you see all the things around you and my other favourite is Living Out Loud, geared towards women in need of empowerment, creative space, relaxation and reading guides.


You can see on my Instagram page the work I have been doing in my journal(s).

All images from Amazon.ca

Tate Modern

Source

It has been a considerable amount of time since I last visited to the Tate in London. The architecture of the building is quite breathtaking and it is in a lovely spot along the embankment overlooking the Thames. Once inside the bright and airy art gallery there is plenty of light and window seating to enjoy the views and of course, people watch since Londerners love this pastime. 

Even though modern art is not to my taste I do find inspiration behind the creativity. Putting a collage together and claiming it is a masterpiece makes me incredibly skeptical and many a time I hear people say, that they could have created that. But they didn't, did they? Someone else did and they shamelessly exhibited it, but guess what? It gets people talking whether you love it or hate it and to me that is what modern art is about, creating conversation.

However, there are some classical pieces shown at the Tate which appeals to me more and currently there is a paid exhibition of Lichenstien. Really there is art for everyone at the gallery and I can't wait to go.

A trip to London this week and I will be heading towards the Tate to see its latest and greatest. Let's see what rattles me enough to swear or something that I love and want. It is all good fun and I will post results soon.

Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am

It took several months before I received this book and I have to say I was thoroughly disappointed. It is now sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I like Sara's concept but the execution is of no appeal. I know she does great work and I have read a number of positive reviews, including this book but I simply don't understand what the hype is all about. Maybe its just me and what I consider to be good and not so good but out of all the books I was persuaded by this one and I wish I hadn't, she has other books that I prefer. I found that her drawings were of a dark nature and a little eerie. I am not a fan of dark art. Anyway, its just my opinion, maybe someone could enlighten me!

What are your thoughts?

Too long...

Gosh it has been a while. I have been working on a number of projects and writing blog entries that stray away from art but hey, it's all good. I have also been doing lots of doodling so really do not have much to show.

I do hate to leave my blogs unattended for too long so I thought it best to say, something. I have been back in the UK to be with family but a change is on the horizon. I just hope this time it is more permanent.  Moving around is unsettling but sometimes you have to do what you need to.

Hopefully my next post won't be so vague and I have more news.

Dev Randhawa

I met Dev Randhawa https://www.facebook.com/dev.randhawa today. He’s a CEO in the mining industry and (more importantly!) an big fan of the art world. Yep, I’ve met my first benefactor! I don’t know that much about the world of stocks, bonds and the stockmarket in general, I think Dev Randhawa http://www.ppmpng.com/corporate/dev-randhawa-ceo-of-papuan-precious-metals/ probably lives and breathes that stuff but he saw some of my artwork and really liked it – he even bought a piece so I’d say I’m pretty happy overall.

A really nice guy (Canadians have such great manners!) I thought and what impressed me even more is that he blogs. It’s aimed at the corporate world as you can imagine and I think probably gets quite a few hits. Check it out if you’re one of those investor types: There’s his blogger account: Dev Randhawa www.devrandhawa.blogspot.com and here’s Dev Randhawa executive profile.  http://devrandhawa-ceo.com/executive-profile/ He’s also got an account on slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/Dev-Randhawa

if you’re interested and a Twitter profile. https://twitter.com/devrandhawa

Glorious white stuff - snow

Nothing but wonderful snow to stop traffic in its tracks. I mean it is hardly thick, knee deep snow however the visibility was very poor when it was coming down and as soon as the snow plough came by the snow had soon stuck to the roads again.

What snow does bring is the peace and quiet you rarely get when there is the constant noise of traffic, something quite lovely about it. And to top it off, people actually come out and play in the snow, young and old, snowball fights, snowman building, igloo building, sledging and snow angels. It is fantastic to see everyone having a guilt free day off and playing.

Hope you had a snow day and had fun with it.