Showing at Watershed Cafe

It's been ages since I've posted here! What can I say? Offline life is getting in the way. I have been pretty busy though as I have been preparing for an offline solo show at a little local cafe. The Watershed Arts Cafe is a busy and funky place that serves up wonderful homemade items. I had been in there numerous times enjoying a latte and a treat or two and noticed that they were rotating their artwork. I enquired about showing and was able to snag a slot for the month of September.

 I had almost forgotten how much it costs to put on a show! Matts, show tags, frames, printmaking paper, etc. Yup, those costs along with the problem of storing all that framed artwork is why I started trying to sell online.

  At this show I've gone with a food theme and I think you can see the influence cake making has had on the imagery. So if you're in the Langley area and would like to enjoy a latte next to a fireplace, come check me out.

Reductive monotype

La Calaca Print Exchange

Yeah! This year's submission to the La Calaca International Print Exchange is done and has been mailed off. I did a linocut again this year but this time my preparatory drawing was digital. I really like this skeletal couple and I hope it brings a smile to those printmakers that will receive it. As always, I can't wait to see what I get in return because the quality of the prints have always be great. What about you? Do you have a favourite print exchange?

Alive and kickin'.

You may or may not have noticed that I have posted a lot less lately. I know the "rule" about blogging is to be consistent and blog at least once a week but I've lost some of my online drive. While  I love reading blogs,browsing Pinterest and making chit-chat on Twitter, I have cut back on how much time I spend online to create and keep up with my everyday life.

 I have found myself chastising myself for not promoting and selling like so-and-so or not opening this account or taking that course that claims to rocket my artwork sales. It's all too much sometimes and I have found myself happier to just back away from the computer. My mantra has been, "It's all okay. Be inspired but don't compare. They are not you".

What about you? Have you found it helpful to take an online hiatus to recharge? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Steveston Salmon Festival and the Fraser Biennale Art Show

Hi there! Did ya miss me? I'm still here but I just haven't been spending as much time online as I used to. I've been finishing up some pieces for the upcoming Steveston Salmon Festival on Canada Day. It's supposed to be sunny and beautiful that day so that will be a welcome change from all the rain we've been getting here. If you haven't been to that show yet, it's worth the drive out to Richmond. There will be a parade, a horticultural show, martial arts demonstration, and a fishing derby. Top that off with a great water park for the kids and you've got a great day planned.

I will be in the craft show this year and I hope to sell out of my new magic wallets, napkin sets, lavender fairy sleep pillows and dolls and tea towels.  A lot of my silkscreen textile work are only available at these shows because I feel like the shipping I would have to charge is such a deterrent for people. What do you think? Should I list my sleep dolls? Would you pay $7-$10 shipping for an $18 item? Hmmmm...

On a side note, it you happen to live in the Valley you can catch some of my artwork at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery for the 2013 Fraser Valley Biennale. I have three landscape monotypes in that show which runs from June 15-July 27.

Little Red Riding Hood and other stories:the making of a picture book

Hi everyone! I thought I would tell you about a show I'm going to participate in this summer. A while back I took an illustration course at Emily Carr University for picture book illustration with Lisa Cinar. One of the assignments in the course was to illustrate parts of Little Red Riding Hood. I've always wanted to illustrate a classic children's story but it can be tricky to come up with something fresh for a story that's been illustrated so many times. I suppose that was probably the point of the exercise.

On June 15th-June 29th you can view how many different ways good old Red can be depicted by current and previous students of the Picture Book Illustrating course. The opening reception will be on Jun. 15th at 2:00pm at the Granville Island campus.

Below are the two pieces that I will be showing. They are both digital "linocuts". Yup, that's what I'm calling them. I've been creating digital works recently using the same reductive methods that I use in printmaking. There's the huge advantage of the "undo" button though and that's why a well cut and printed traditional linocut will carry more weight with me. What do you think about the merging of the technologies?

A fairy found

Shhhhhhhh......I found this little fairy sleeping in my studio. I'm sure you're going to see her again but I wanted to give you a peek. 

Rest well little one.

Sneak peek

A quick post and a peek into what I've been working on. I'm planning couple submissions for some print exchanges and some other promotional stuff. Below is the drypoint plate I'm working on for the ArtSpace Original Print Exchange and Exhibit. This is a mini-print exhibit and you can find the details here.

The second exchange I'm working on is for the annual La Calaca print exchange. I haven't figured out what method I will use or even my image yet but it's always a fun subject to do. If you're interested in submitting to that one, you can find it here.