Hot One Inch Action 2014

Woo-hoo! I made into this year's Hot One Inch Action! This fun one night art button trading show is one of my favourites and I'm only sad that I won't be able to attend. Below is my submitted image "Big Mac" which is from an artist's proof of a yet to be editioned drypoint. 

If you haven't been to this yearly show yet you really must go. It maybe teeny tiny art but it's big time fun. And make sure you trade for my Big Mac!

Langley Art Studio Tour

Why hello there! How have you been? I've been crazy busy! I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping up with my studio practice while still putting out cake orders AND trying to home school our kids while we go through a teacher's strike here. Needless to say my kids schoolwork involve baking and art projects. Meh, makin' it work.

 Right now I'm preparing for the Langley Art Studio Tour Sept. 20-21 & 27-28. This self-guided tour will feature 43 artists in various studios throughout Langley. To view a list of participating artists and venues click here. This year I will be stationed at the Loafing Shed Glass Studio where Robert Gary Parkes will be demonstrating some glass blowing magic. Who couldn't watch that sort of thing all day? As for me I will be doing printmaking demos everyday which will include linocuts, silkscreens, and monotypes. I will be emphasizing  how to print at home and without a press. Demo. times will be 1-3pm each day but I will probably be working on something the entire time I'm there.


Below is a short video I created of using a homemade gelatin plate for monotypes. I will be demoing this technique on Sept. 27. Shall I see you there?

Abbotsford Wine and Art Walk

I don't know about where you live but now that September has hit someone has decided to flick the fall switch here and the temperature has dropped and the leaves have started to turn colour. Can't we drag summer out just a bit longer?

  Coming up this month I will be participating in the 2nd Annual Abbotsford Wine and Art Walk on September 11, 5pm. For $15 ticket buyers can do a self-guided tour of various downtown businesses and sample some tasty wine while enjoying the displayed artwork. Only 200 tickets will be sold so if you haven't picked yours up yet you should soon as I heard last year sold out. I will be showing at Tha Realm Dance Studio at their new location, 33788 George Ferguson Way. I will be selling original drypoints, a linocut and an original watercolour. See you there?

Green Door print exchange

Hey, check it out! I've actually been working on some artwork lately. Even though a good chunk of my spare time has been spent creating custom cakes, I was able to squeeze this linocut in for the Green Door International Printmaking Exchange. Did you create something for it too?

Now selling at Kizmit

I'm really happy to announce that you can now find my work at Kizmit Gallery in historic Fort Langley. They will be carrying some of my hand-pulled prints, pocket mirrors, and fridge magnets. Visit them on your fun day trip around the birthplace of B.C.  You might even see a movie or two being filmed.

Photo source

PaperGirl Vancouver is back

It's been ages since I've posted on this blog. Sorry. It's not that I haven't been creating but rather my time has been occupied by my other creative venture in cake decorating. Take a peek and you'll see I've been busy learning so many new things. That is one of the best pay-offs for me, the chance to learn something new. I need it. Nothing sends me down the slippery slope of depression faster than boredom. Unfortunately it also means I can't hold a full-time job very well. Ah,the lottery....if I ever win I do believe I would become a professional  student. Teach me more!

 For now though, I'll sneak in my creative fixes whenever I can. That brings me to how I'll be sharing some of my artwork again through PaperGirl Vancouver on July 8th. PaperGirl Vancouver is a city-wide event where volunteers will ride bikes through Vancouver and hand-deliver  artwork donated by artists to anyone they come across. Anyone can submit and anyone can receive a piece of artwork. Take a peek at last years Flickr shots of the event to see how well it was received.

I sent 25 copies of my Birthday Bear this year and one hand-pulled linocut of my edition "Flower". I wonder where they will end up.

The Jealous Curator talks at Hot Art Wet City

  So last night I went to my friend Danielle's talk at Hot Art Wet City where she spoke about her best-selling book Creative Block. As I told you before, Danielle and I have been friends from before our blogging days and I was eager to catch up with her now that we live so far apart. Realistically I knew we wouldn't be able to have one of our coffee chats though because there were far too many people there who wanted to talk to her too. What can I say? She's one popular gal.

  As I was driving to the event I felt nervous for Danielle for having to speak in front of so many people. How was she going to do it?  What if she stumbles on her words? What stories would she be telling? She had said that she would bring up the conversation that we had so many years ago that spurred the Girl Crush Workshop series and the subsequent book. Eeek! I was nervous about that too. Of course I had nothing to be nervous about because Danielle is a fantastic and entertaining speaker who has always  been able to stay authentic and accessible.

As I've watched Danielle's career progress over the years I've noticed with delight how any time she's felt insecure about her choices and worried that she should act like some preconceived idea of an artist, curator or author, that someone has reminded her otherwise. Back in June '09 I had written a post about Danielle's blog to help promote it. Later Danielle had asked me to remove her name from the post because she wanted to remain anonymous as the Jealous Curator. "Why?", I asked. At the time Danielle believed that no one would think a stay-at-home mom in the suburbs would know anything about contemporary art. It didn't fit her preconceived idea of a curator. I didn't agree but I obliged and took her name off. Luckily many other people felt the same as myself and she was exposed for what she is: a formally educated fine artist, a creative director, an educator, and a public speaker who just so happens to also be a stay-at-home-mom who lives in the suburbs. I always thought adding the mom part made everything else look more impressive.

The whole world has asked for Danielle Krysa the original and an altered one won't do. I remind myself of this every time I doubt myself and think I should make my work more like so-and-so's to be more accessible. Stick to the original.

Below are some pics I took of the night's talk. Supposedly the brownie badges are going to be made for purchase. When they come out I'm snagging "My inner critic is an asshole". What's your pick?