The View Master, the first virtual reality toy

I love this new piece, The View Master. I can clearly remember sliding the little white disks with tiny cells into the slot atop the red View Master, pressing my eager eyes to it revealing a 3D image and the beginning of a story. A toy that many generations have had, and as I recently learned, many more will have. The View Master is now a virtual reality toy, complete with apps and all. It takes a special toy to last generations. This piece is titled “I am the View Master”, 20” x 20”, acrylic on canvas for $275.

You can buy it here.

With a little time, a little canvas, and little toy painting, comes a very big idea!

Toy Study 6″x6″ $40

Toy Study 4″x4″ $30

I had a few little canvases floating around my studio, tonight my son feel asleep early and I had a desire to fill them in.  Sometimes it is really satisfying to work on small pieces, such a sense of accomplishment when you can bring a work to completion in a hour or two.  I do have a bigger piece on the go, but that feeling was needed and I’m glad I did because a really good idea came of it.

The wooden block, I love the wooden block! I will be making many more of these, starting with a bigger canvas spelling my son’s name out in blocks across it. So much fun, great gift eek! A good idea from a simple desire to feel accomplished. The lego block is also great. A classic toy staple with so many colours and kinds to paint. The simple things bring the most joy.

Commissions are available for all blocks!

The vintage toy journey begins with Fisher Price

After the art-walk hangover passed and I got over my tent loss…. yes tent loss. My big tent busted on takedown Saturday. A sad loss indeed, and a bit expensive too. That aside, I couldn't wait to get back to the studio and start painting more of those vintage toys. The response to my first phone at the art-walk was awesome, I heard about every injury a two year old eve inflicted on someone with it. The happiness and joy it brought was so lovely to see. Folks flooded me with so many new ideas I'm bursting at the seams.

I spent countless hours scrolling through hundreds of pictures of toys trying to decide where to start. The options were never ending, so I came to the conclusion that this subject matters vastness lends itself to many small series sets. So I'm starting with classic Fisher Price. This piece is called "My Little People", its in acrylic on canvas and is 12"x 36" for $250. The colours alone bring a smile to my heart. I remember popping those people into the cars and chairs, their painted smiles forever in my memory.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did painting it!

Non Realism Success!

It worked, it worked! That dreaded black canvas that I have repainted a few times this month has finally accepted the image. SUCCESS!! I am thrilled. This piece is black and white reversed and a stylized impression of looking up a twisted tree. It was finished last night at 3am in the cover of my late night mom art making. Trees are a subject matter I often, and repeatedly, go back to. They are home.  I named this one “Look Up” and it is in acrylic on canvas,30″ x 40″, and will be available for a new home at the Artwalk next week for only $300.

A little realism on the side

My second attempt out of the realism realm was a disaster! 3 nights and a canvas repainted black 2 times to hide the shiny mess of the metallic paint below.  I was so excited to play with the contrasting elements, alas it did not work. So I decided I would step back into the realism realm and paint a vintage toy.  I am so glad the black and copper painting failed, if it hadn’t this little joy wouldn’t be.  Vintage toys! This is the first, but definitely not the last one I will paint.  Sometimes the best thing you can do is fail.

Creating something new

My need to creatively explore has been strong, so I’ve been trying new things.  Some successful, some not so successful… I have repainted a few canvasses. Sometimes you have to just have to mix it up. My overall work has stayed focused in the realism realm for a long time. I don’t plan to abandon it, but I do feel the need to do more than just realism. So I slipped down into my studio and stepped outside my box and created this piece. I like it, think I might paint more.

Lavandar Stain 10″ x 30″ Acrylic on Canvas

When the brush doesn’t flow, pick up a pen

I was going to paint tonight.  I did all my chores and prep last night and this afternoon so that when my little man crashed I could hit the canvas running.  Artwalk is 12 weeks away and I am inspired.  Miles did fall asleep at a good time and I down I went into the studio, hot coffee in hand, ready to create a masterpiece.

That’s about where it ends. I couldn’t paint for the life of me. An hour and two full canvas re-paintings later it was still not working at all! Oh and how that can be frustrating… almost murderous. Okay so that’s a bit over the top, but it is definitely madding. I gave up and went upstairs to the comfort of my bed and Netflix.

Here’s where it gets a bit happier. I crawled into my bed and sitting on my side table is a journal I keep for my son. Once or twice a week I write to him, about him, draw a picture, or share a memory. So I picked it up and I picked up a pen and sketched for my son. A sweet drawing of his dogs that I am super pleased with.

The moral of the creative story, when the brush won’t flow pick up a pen!

An Elephant Never Forgets… well maybe sometimes

This afternoon while my son napped I was inspired to draw. He doesn’t nap long enough anymore to paint in the day, that activity is left for night time mom. So I draw. I drew an elephant, I don’t often draw animals but was inspired to do so by a conversation I had with a older gentlemen in line for coffee the other day.  He started to chat with me about my son, an oddity since I am usually the one starting random conversations with strangers. After a minute or two of chat he mentioned he was retired substitute teacher and his last school was my high school in the 90’s. Coincidence or what! He then asked if I knew or remembered Mrs. Stiles, she was the principle during his time there. I did, she was a principle for me for a few years there as well, all of sudden I have a memory flood into my head… Mrs. Stiles bought the first artwork I ever sold. A pastel drawing of an elephant in a marine colour scheme. I had completely forgotten. So thank you to a kind stranger for bringing to light a lovely memory and for my inspiration today. 

An encaustic moment

I have continued to play with the encaustics, the medium is so rigid and transparent that layering becomes essential and creates a very unique texture and depth.  I like it! The piece below was gift to my sons father for Christmas. He and our son walking hand in hand to the truck after lunch this past fall. The first time our son ever did that and I was behind them and caught the special moment.  It is so rare to catch those moments between a parent and child I wanted to immediately honour it for them.  I think I did alright. 🙂 

Ink-austic-ober….That’s a thing right?

Well it’s inktober and I kinda bent the rules. I did draw in ink, but I covered it in encaustics. I haven’t been able to explore the encaustics much since before my son was born. They are not recommended for pregnant and breast feeding moms. So they sat for almost 2 years in my studio, barely touched, calling to me. So that’s why I didn’t stay true to inktober….I was dying to play with that wax. I drew a small bear study tonight and now I have light the encaustic bug. Ideas are starting to flow with this interesting new medium.