'Dad' painting complete and something cool.

Finished the painting of my dad.  My dad took us (4 kids)  in a little wooden 'clinker' boat to many of the small islands off the tip of southern Vancouver Island.  Often we would camp for days on deserted beaches and abandoned fields of old homesteads that once were productive farms on these little islands.  After working 2 jobs, one as a full time postal worker and the other in the evenings at a gas station to support his family, my dad along with my mom would regularly pack us all up on Friday night and early Saturday morning we would head out in the boat for our budget adventure.  I realize now how lucky I was to be able to spend time on these little islands that were pristine and uninhabited in the 1970's. 
The picture of the building all cover with vines is just for the beauty of it.  I think its beautiful.

Thoughts on bad art and a 19th Happy Jude Day

Going back to a style that I seem drawn to, images and icons that float in space and have unknown meaning often to the viewer.   I am challenged to see if I can get feeling into these paintings.  I like what Julia Cameron say, 'you need to be willing to paint bad art'.  I am afraid of my bad art and yet I need to be willing to paint and paint and paint even when they are bad.
Also some beautiful pictures of my son Jude surfing at Sombrio beach,  the wave were gigantic.  Yeehoo Jude!!!!

new painting not yet finshed

work in progress 

Jude surfing at Sombrio beach

Judes birthday adventure

Birthday breakfast

Plantain salve that Veda and I made

Fun with color...maybe Mexico did have an effect....

Lost Girl or Running Up That Hill cause Kate Bush is on My Mind

Well with a long title that like that  I don't need to write anymore here.  Well actually I 've been working out the color kinks in my printer to get a new print out.  Available in the shop now.

Little Girl in the Garden

Here is a funny little painting I did  of myself.  I am about 3 years old.  This is from a series a paintings I have been working on based on childhood memories.  My art prof at the times comment on this paintings was, 'what I evil looking little kid'........I didn't tel him it was me!

Chicken Boy

Some more art to share with you.  This painting explores themes from my childhood.  I have painted my brother and one of our chickens.  The beer bottle, life jacket and baby are references to alcoholism that runs in my family.  I was reading some Julia Cameron the other day, and she was describing how in her writing at one point she was reconciling her divorce, unconsciously.  I think that is what I do with my art much of the time, reconciling my childhood and and the family I was raised in.

One of my favorites

Here is a painting that was not well received when I painted it during the last year of my BFA. When I say not well received, what happened was during a critique none of the profs made any comment on this painting, either they were ignoring it or they over looked it. What ever was going on, I felt alot of shame about this painting, and I brought it home to hide it away. But when I had it in my house, I realized how much I liked it. Its one of my favorite paintings. I don't care if its not sophisticated, it spontaneously came out of me and I am charmed.

FIrst painting after one and a half months

I am finally painting........and I feel really rusty. It's been a month and and half since I last painted and boy do I feel it. Here is the under painting I am working on. This is done in acrylic on panel. I have no idea what I am doing, which always freaks me out. But I have been told not knowing is the best place to be. I am such a controller. I am excited to see where I go as I start to layer on the color glazes next.

The Perfect White

I am so excited how the paint job turned out in my studio. I painted it in Benjamin Moore's paint color 'Cloud White'. The wall was originally white, but next to the new paint the old paint looks grey. My friend Feng Shui Nancy who is an amazing feng shui practitioner her in Victoria (she trained with Denis Linn in California) recommended 'Cloud White' as the perfect white. Thanks Nancy, my studio is going to look so amazing. This picture is not my studio but it is Cloud White.