The Keyhole Sessions 'Sneak Peek' Show 2010

This year has been a whirlwind in so many ways. I wasn't even thinking of getting involved with any shows because I'm working on a new series and REALLY wanted to focus. However, when The Keyhole Sessions sent out word about this upcoming group show, I was very interested. I've very much enjoyed their Tues night Life Drawing sessions the past year, and I had a few pieces that were finished....so I submitted 4, and 2 were accepted. 1 of those 2 was unfortunately already sold, but it was beautiful and I wanted to show it in a gallery space.
The owner agreed.

The other was very recent, and so tickled me pink to have the chance to show it off. It was titled 'Space Girl' and the support was this amazing copper panel from Duho (I've posted my love for them before)! Duho Panels are premium, exquisitely crafted works of art on their own. The panel was only 8"x8" but weighed a substantial amount. So why would anyone use an expensive metal panel only to cover it with paint? The metallic surface is reflective, and many painters are interested in the light that reflects through all the layers of paint, creating a very unique luminosity. It's more common for (portrait) oil painters to use metal panels as the adhesion is very good. Using acrylic paint means you have to use thin layers, and/or roughen the surface with a sand paper or abrasive marks for the paint to have something to grab onto. With this piece, I had a lot of fun experimenting with Tri-Art's most expensive acrylic paint, Liquid Mirror. It's exactly like painting with liquid metal! It's highly reflective, used alone or as a base (for the same reason you might use a metal panel) or mixed with other colours. I used it as a main colour which sorta took over, so in the end it might seem a bit odd that I changed a copper surface into a silver one, but that's just how it worked out with the materials I had and what I felt suited the subject best. And no doubt it worked out perfectly... 'Space Girl' sold by the end of the show. ♥

*NEW* Tri-Art Acrylics Facebook Page!

 

 

Connect to pure, colourful inspiration -
Tri-Art now has a page up on facebook. 

Join and contribute to Tri-Art's 
acrylic revolution!

Somewhere between worlds...

  
Six incredible things in my life right now:


1. Shared Palette at Heenan Blaikie, one of the 6 big sister law firms on Bay St, where the founding partner Roy Heenan has the largest collection of N.American Art
2. Rocking the Namta show with Tri-Art! -- this painting titled 'All Docked' is a Shared palette creation by Namta guests using Tri-Art paint on gorgeous Faux-Cadres artist canvas primed with Tri-Art Finest Quality Gesso!
3. Meeting wonderful people from around the world!
4. Moving to Kingston ON with Steve and Mordecai!
5. Renewed energy to create and to realize! Someone one said my work was 'somewhere inbetween the worlds of representation and abstraction"...which I am really feeling these days. I have so much to explore and create...and I am so excited!
6. Commissions and painting sales...oh my!Keep 'em comin' <3

Acrylic grounds for mixed media

It's really easy for me to fall in love with materials. These past few years I've been dating acrylics. First, it was Tri-Art's gorgeous Artist Acrylic colours that won me over, then their innovative recycled paint Sludge...then I fell madly in love with Dry Media Ground, and now I just can't get enough of Nepheline Gels (the following artwork is graphite, charcoal and pastel on Nepheline Gel Coarse, and it's published in the New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist mixed media chapter). Just as I'm known for charcoal, acrylics have now become synonymous with my mixed media works, blurring the line between drawing and painting. Acrylic grounds allow me to create a textured surface that is very exciting and different than just working on common surfaces. And just like paper, I can soften dry media (graphite, charcoal, pastel) to a velvet finish with a brush, and also leave crisp edges, intense with colour or value.

Dry Media Ground is simply perfect, and will always be my true love! When you apply it to a surface, the result is like a very fine sandpaper. If you have ever used a pastel paper or board, that's what I'm talking about - it's the same thing, only it's much more cost effective to buy the Dry Media Ground in a jar and then you can create your own surfaces the way you want them. You can add colour to it or even apply it on top of layers of acrylic paint, creating a new surface of possibilities! On the other hand, Nepheline Gels have a unique granular texture and appearance. It's available in a fine (which is not as fine as dry media ground), a coarse and extra coarse. Just like Dry Media Ground, Nepheline Gel can be mixed with colour or used on it's own, glazed over top of and anything else you can think of....and it's a brilliant surface for graphite, charcoal, pastel and other drawing materials.

Gesso is a common ground for sealing surfaces for painting preparation. I love drawing on Gesso with graphite or charcoal. Gesso is a very dense White, but it is also avail in Black, Burnt Umber or Canvas colours, and even better, Tri-Art recently came out with a Clear Gesso and it's absolutely fabulous for tinting.  I also find it particularly useful when I have a beautiful piece of birch that I want to prepare and yet incorporate the natural wood surface into the art itself. I use to draw right onto wood and yet have found that over time the wood gets oily and stained and dirty, and I can already see that my newer pieces will last longer simply because the wood is primed. On that note, though I am an experimental art materials pixie, I've learned that there are some rules you should follow...there will always be plenty of rules you can still break! A few rules I recommend for all artists: always use good quality materials, take the time to experiment and get to know your materials, and prepare, finish and safely store your art. 

A few secrets to relieve any fear of acrylics and mixed media:

• all acrylics and mediums are ok to mix. it's recommended to mix artist quality with artist quality/student quality with student quality and so on, but that aside don't hesitate to try new brands. Company's often has a signature colour or product, such as Tri-Art's new Artist Acrylic colour 'Golden Orange' and it's good to step out of your comfort zone even in regards to your favorite brand of paint!
• acrylics are the most versatile medium out there, and can be used on a variety of surfaces and combined with any dry or water-soluble medium....and you can really open up new worlds by exploring collage and sculptural materials. 
• Rheni Tauchid's book New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist will inspire and is a handy reference with detailed charts on how to prepare your surfaces, using acrylics with other mediums, media and materials.
• it's ok to fall in love with your materials ...the paint, the canvas, the brushes, the tools... and the play, the journey, the creative process ♥
  
   

 MY FAVORITE QUOTE TODAY!

Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play. ~Henri Matisse

Varnishing Mixed Media Art?

Most all of my work is mixed media containing charcoal and pastel. I know that even the best fixatives change colours and texture and softness, which is exactly what we love about them, and so I have learned through experimentation when and when not to apply a spray finish.


For example, I've been happy using Krylon's Crystal Clear for years as the most affordable and effective finishing spray for my work until I destroyed the luster on a piece that was primarily micaceous iron oxide and charcoal. I had to start over, and though I eventually got over the disappointment, for the first time I started questioning and thinking about why I was trying to 'varnish' mixed media work anyway.

When Rheni Tauchid's 2nd book, New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook came out, I thought about it even more after reading about mixed media and presentation in chapter 7 'Beyond the Basics'. It's a very good question for us artists that are exploring the outer limits of material combinations and yet it seems to me it may remain unsolved because there are too many variables and that maybe it's not about one golden answer...but rather knowing all your options.

I personally believe that if you are using quality materials, the discovery and collision of magic is all that matters. I have many beautiful pieces that are unvarnished and unframed because I've decided against it for one reason or another....but that said, I would love to know your thoughts about varnishing, finishing, fixing, protecting mixed media artwork that contains paint and drawing materials ie. charcoal on acrylics. Do you choose to varnish or not varnish? Any tips or product recommendations....

Here are some experimental and common sense methods that I know about, not including liquid 'brush-on' varnish such an acrylic polymer or top coat since I'm specifically interested in mixed media .

1. frame the work behind glass
2. use a matte or satin spray varnish, or Crystal Clear or Kamar Varnish. I used to use Grumbacher's Final Fixatif spray but it's now being sold as Prismacolor Tuffilm and is not as accessible to me. The downfall to all of the these products is they are permanent. I now recommend to spot varnish by masking off areas that are metallic, interference or glitter ect
   
3. work the dry media into the paint or surface - this is a technique that creates a symbiotic superhero by combining materials while paint is still wet
4. using a pastel fixative in between layers, leaving the last layer rich and soft (which is delicate, so I guess you should frame it!)
5. using skim milk to fix charcoal and pastel on paper. Of course it will alter the work, so definitely an interesting approach for a particular effect (more on this technique here). ps. I am finding that I prefer wood panels and watercolour or printmaking paper to canvas these days.
6. Sell your work in print format (cards, posters, giclee ect)

UPDATE - I recently used a spray varnish on a mixed media piece, and the spray varnish turned it white as if covered in snow! I researched quite awhile online and found that it's probably an old can and I didn't shake it enough. I shook the can for a few minutes then sprayed it again and it helped. I will only have to fix some areas instead of trashing the whole piece! *whew* I've thrown out the can and will be buying a new one.

To end, I would LOVE to learn about your experiences and opinions on the matter. Leave a note and share discoveries!

Rheni's blog - http://newacrylicsbooks.blogspot.com/
New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook can be purchased at Amazon -a great addition to your library for all acrylic and mixed media artists!

Duho Panels

Recently I had the awesome experience of joining Tri-Art in Pasedena, CA for the Learning & Product Expo:ART! and meeting the people who own Duho panels. As you know, I love materials, and it's what primarily inspires my own artwork. WELL, everything Duho makes is perfection - beautiful and stunning exotic woods like bamboo and zebrawood to metal copper panels and more. You might want to check them out for yourself: www.fineartpanels.com. Honestly, I have to remember to breath when I put down my first stroke on these gorgeous panels, but after that it's an absolute pleasure to be an artist.

Here are two mixed media works on Duho panels...

Zebrawood panel 12"x12"

Walnut panel 12"x12"

I am very excited with the result of staining the walnut with Tri-Art's liquid Golden Orange...currently my favorite colour! Both of these panels are part of my ongoing BURNT TREES series....which I should probably blog about soon :)

Tri-Art and the Environment

Tri-Art's Green Initiatives in production and product development:

• Water Filtration System - reuse & recycle
  
• Sludge - recycled paint
  
• Tri-Art Palette - The last palette you will ever need
• Solucryl - Green paint for the classroom
  
• New Product Packaging - "Our quality is clear"
  
• Raw Materials - support local & Canadian
  

Zero-waste is just good business. Tri-Art = honest, good people ❤
for more information visit http://www.tri-art.ca/en/whatsnew/environment/

Too many notes

There are just so many awesome things happening, I think I'm going to have to break out the bullets!

• Shared Palette has a new artist on board! International artist Claudia Jean McCabe debuted for a Showmakers Preview at the Toronto Congress Centre on Sept 30th 2009. We are a brilliant team, and I am so happy! The theme was 'Winter in the City' and the clients loved the concept, resulting in a magnificent painting work of art. Pictures of the Shared Palette team and the finished painting can be seem on my Flickr site here.
• Claudia and I are working on her new book of MUSINGS....you can read one of them featured on her website www.cjmccabe.com. We'll be sure to announce the book publication and CD soon!
• I am in a group show, opening this Wednesday at the Steam Whistle Gallery. I'm super excited about sharing my personal artwork, especially with artists Paul Savard and Jim Lasby. I suppose it's part of who I am...I am happiest in the company of friends and artists. We are all unique from one another, so the variety of work will be interesting. Maybe I'll see you at the opening!
  
• Visual Arts Mississauga hired me to teach a Teen Portfolio Class Sept 28-Nov 23rd. I love teaching kids, and after the first class, I realized the magnitude of this opportunity and what awesome stuff I can pass on that may just be the midas touch for their own opportunities. Life, and all the little things, is really is what you make it.
• Claudia just opened an Etsy store: www.CJMCCABE.etsy.com
  Beautiful work, perfect for gifts (are you thinking about Christmas yet....)
  
• In 2 weeks, Rheni Tauchid and I fly out to Pasadena, CA for the Learning & Product Expo: ART! show representing Tri-Art Acrylic Paints and Mediums www.tri-art.ca.
  I will be assisting Rheni for her workshops and teaching one of my own, as well as giving a free demo...more info here at Rheni's Blog (which you should follow, I love her posts!)
• Oct 19th is the MARTYS. It's a celebration of arts in Mississauga, and now that I live in a quiet part of the city, I humbly share with you that I have been nominated and chosen as a finalist. So......in a few weeks I'll attend the Awards night, party, and support the local talent, and with a little luck I'll win. I already feel like a winner though ♡
  

Write your own Review: The New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook

Have you sneaked a peek at the
New Acrylics Essential Sourcebook: Materials, Techniques, and Contemporary Applications for Today's Artist

This book is awesome, I love it and want to hear what you think of it.
Do you feel up-to-date, knowledgeable, inspired? How has that encouraged you in your work ? Are you excited it's apart of your resource library?

Please submit a review on Amazon which supports our own Canadian Author Rheni Tauchid, the many Artists featured in it, and Canadian brand Tri-Art Acrylics.
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.amazon.ca

Summer Art Class in Paradise

I organized another 'Art Day in Paradise' last Sunday. What an incredible group of artists! I must say, it is equivalent to bliss, eating, drinking, drawing and painting. And it goes far beyond that, as we share artistic visions with each other. The concept is similar to an open studio, with direction, and one of the coolest things is all acrylic paint materials are provided for by Tri-Art. I usually bring in other media (I love drawing mixed with painting) and really goal to make it as experimental and inspirational as possible. I'm an uber-curious person, I question everything! I believe experiments, samples and notes should be made.....like an artistic scientist in a mad lab! muahahaha.

I've booked another class for Sept '09 and was thinking about scheduling one every month! Stay tuned.....

www.sharlenawood.com

SHARED PALETTE art entertainment

What is Shared Palette? Well, it's one of the major things in my life that keeps my heart beating...it's my passion, my dream job. I can relate to many people when the say that it took them a long time to discover what that was because, well, I had to create it! And Shared Palette was designed out of my love of art and people, teaching and sharing ideas = Art Entertainment! The most important part of the concept is that it is an interactive experience. The magical formula consists of an artist (me!) and many guests who all happily create together. From the Corporate suit to the red carpet ballgown, my aim is to engage everyone to collaborate with me in the creation of a single painting. You do not have to paint the whole canvas yourself, this is a team effort! The painting comes together as everyone makes their own unique brush stroke of colour! And I not only provide the opportunity for everyone to add their own mark, but to also be involved in the process of making a work of art, with the same approach, techniques and materials that a professional artist does.
So what is Shared Palette? Well, it's really an amazing, shared experience that you will never forget.

visit www.sharedpalette.ca for more info.