Music-Inspired Paintings Inspire Study of Music and Emotions

 

Piano

Another triple-header of hockey this weekend, but as my schedule conflicts with some of the games, I may need to miss out. But, what can ya do?

To continue with my mini series of music inspired paintings, this 18″x36″ acrylic and charcoal painting is entitled  ”Piano”. (I know, not a very exciting title… I am really going to have to work on my titling. Put that on my goals list!)

I love piano music. When I was a kid, one of my fondest memories was when my mother would put us to bed at night. Then, she would head to the piano for a little nighttime practicing. We would fall asleep to the soothing sound.

Last Christmas, we bought our daughter a digital piano. Before we moved out west, we had to part with our old Bell piano as it was too heavy to bring on the truck. Faith enjoyed her piano lessons, so we decided to invest in a small, portable digital piano. The really cool thing about this digital piano is that it has a demo setting, which can play 50 preset piano songs. Who needs to practice when your piano plays for your?!

As an adult, I have come to truly appreciate the work put into practicing to learn an instrument. It is one thing I wish I didn’t give up on as a kid. The learning process is just the starting point. Once you learn to play an instrument, it opens you up to a whole new world of creativity. So much can be expressed through music whether it be writing your own music or interpreting other composer’s music.

I understand this now being an artist. Similarly in the visual arts, once you understand the basics of drawing or painting, it opens your world up to new ways to express creativity. Your own unique voice becomes visible to the outside world. It becomes a non-verbal way of communication.

A composer communicates with the audience with musical notes. A poet communicates with the reader with word patterns. A choreographer communicates with the audience through dance. A director communicates with the audience via actors. And, a painter communicates with the viewer with a canvas. Understanding a perspective without speaking – it is this non-verbal communication that makes the arts so intriguing and invaluable.

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my music-themed paintings (they haven’t made it to my website yet www.rawdesigns.org) or for a follow-up blog post regarding my “missing something” questions from last issue of OFF THE EASEL visit my blog www.rebekahwilkinson.wordpress.com.

 

WITH OR WITHOUT

As part of my new resolution to pursue attention from the galleries, I need to figure out what it is I want to say with my paintings. On my quest to find my unique voice, I spent a couple of days last week surfing the net and researching things that I found quite interesting.

Maybe it has been my music-inspired paintings, which has brought this new interest to the forefront, but I started researching how music effects our emotions. One thing led to another as I leaped from different aspects that surround this fascinating study. I was interested to understand music and emotions and how that correlates to visual arts and emotions. What I discovered is that there is a strong connection between the ear and the brain. When this connection is broken a disorder emerges called amusia where the patient is unable to process music and goes beyond tone deafness.

Similarly, there is a strong connection between the eye and the brain. And from this broken connection stems a variety of disorders including common colour blindness to agnosia, which does not allow a patient to recognize visual stimuli. Agnosia then can be broken down further into many other specific disorders such as apperseptive agnosia (can’t copy), associative agnosia (can describe but can’t recognize) and colour agnosia (can’t recognize colour).

On the other end of the spectrum there are patients who are classified as savants. Savants suffer from severe brain handicaps such as autism but display natural artistic genius without being taught. You will remember, the main character from the movie “Rain Man” was a savant who’s genius was numbers.

During this part of my research, I stumbled on the videos of this extraordinary artist from London, England, which I just couldn’t wait to share with you. His name is Stephen Wiltshire. He is autistic but has a remarkable gift for drawing panoramic cityscapes with tremendous detail all from memory. You have got to check out his videos! http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/videos.aspx I specifically watched the video of him creating a panoramic cityscape drawing of Tokyo. Unreal – absolutely amazing!!

Looking at the extreme cases of deficiency vs genius, may shed light of understand on what is in the average range of normal artistic tendency. Understanding how the brain processes the arts is a fascinating study. Will this be my unique voice? I am not quite sure. The future will dictate the outcome. But, in the meantime, I wanted to share the neat things I have learned.

 

Have I Found What I Have Been Missing?

So in the last issue of OFF THE EASEL e-newsletter I wrote about how I felt there was something missing from the art world that I really couldn’t grasp. My questioning centered around missing the aesthetics in some conceptual art. I looked for your opinions and you answered. One email I received stood out and I thought I would share it with you. My friend George writes from a Christian/writer perspective which has some really valid points. He wrote…

“Writers have the same conundrum  believe it or not. Our version of conceptualists just string together several affective (NOT necessarily “effective”) words and aim to get an emotional response. I think it’s much the same as those you describe or abstract artists, (which for me are in the same category). I came across these types when I first investigated writing as a serious participant/ artist. What I have come to find is not that one is better, or more valid, than the other, but that both appeal to different tastes.

I have to acknowledge that those other types exist even though what they do doesn’t really resonate or does really annoy me on occasion. What they do, is reach readers, though perhaps not a large cross section of them. To deny or invalidate the creativity of those artists, (or their appreciators) is a loss to all appreciators of which ever art form it might be. In christian terms…. I CAN say this piece or that works for me, or doesn’t… What I can’t do is judge whether that art should or shouldn’t be or whether people should or shouldn’t appreciate it.

In short, what I’ve found is pretty simple. Yes, there are different areas of appreciation. Yes, my work appeals to those in one arena more than those in the others. At the end of the day, put your art, as I do mine, where people who will appreciate it, can. The others can do what they do and the people who like that sort of thing can like it. He uses all things for His purposes, (even bad or nonsensical art), so let Him do what He does and do what you can as best you can. Trying to assume His mantle of judgement (beyond personal taste ot moral ethic), just isn’t productive and certainly is not beneficial to our spirit.”

Here’s my reply…

“Thank you so much for what you wrote! It completely makes sense, and actually, takes the pressure off of trying to figure it out. I think, I just like to understand where people are coming from as a way to connect with them. And, maybe there are things that just can’t be understood and that is ok. I can’t expect to understand everyone all the time, can I… just like people aren’t going to understand me all the time, too. That’s what makes the world so interesting and colourful!”

So, have I found what I have been missing? Maybe, maybe not… maybe I’m finally ok to not have to search for that particular answer anymore. And, in that, there is resolution.

 

Music-Themed, White Acrylic Paintings

The Violin

I am gearing myself up for 3 hockey games this weekend. Now, that is a lot of hockey. At least, we get to share the experience with my brother & sister-in-law who will be visiting for a late Thanksgiving. But there, unfortunately, won’t be time for a traditional turkey dinner like I had initially planned. Maybe we will have to save the turkey to celebrate the American Thanksgiving in November.

So, as I mentioned in my last issue of OFF THE EASEL, I have created a mini series of music themed paintings for the Penticton Dream House Tour which will be held the weekend of Nov 27-28^th. Actually, in the meantime, these paintings are being showcased in the Kelowna Community Theatre for another week until the end of October. So be sure to stop in if you want to see these paintings in person.

These paintings are my first attempt at this new subject matter. Not that music is a stretch for me, since music is a huge part of my life. I grew up in a very musical family. Both of my parents, my brother and my sister all played an instrument at some point in their life. As a kid, I did take piano lessons, but I never liked to practice, so never went very far. I seemed to have been the one to use my creativity in the visual arts. I do love to listen to music, however. In fact, I love to paint to music. So when the Penticton Dream House Tour needed paintings for their music themed house, I knew I could tackle this project with confidence.

This 20″x30″ acrylic and charcoal painting is obviously entitled “The Violin”. For many who know my parents, they may not know that my mother played the violin. And, as I understand, she is teaching my niece to play the violin. Because of this family connection, the violin was a natural choice of subject matter. Not only this, but of all the instruments, the violin has very feminine curves and becomes a natural extension to the feminine theme within my paintings.

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my feminine themed paintings visit www.rawdesigns.org .

MISSING SOMETHING?

Can I be perfectly honest with you? There is a huge part of the art world that I don’t seem to get. It is this aspect that actually turned me off pursuing an art career back when I graduated from university. And, I am finding that that struggle has returned once again. But this time, I am determined to not let it push me from my goals of being an artist. Instead I am trying to work through my questions and issues so that I can rectify this in my own mind. But being at a place of wanting to compete for the gallery’s attention, my questions and confusion has come to the forefront. How can I compete in a world I don’t fully understand? Let me explain my dilemma so that I can, hopefully, look for outside opinions and answers.

I am sure most of you have noticed, whether you have realized it or not, there seems to be two camps within the art world. In the one camp, you have the artists that create art that most people can relate to or identify with. These pieces of art are aesthetically pleasing and are easily understood for their aesthetic appeal. This is the art that the majority of the public puts on their walls in their homes and can easily enjoy. Typically this art is found in commercial galleries full of landscapes, photo-realism or paintings of that sort.

In the other camp, there is the art that is based on an original concept. These artists create conceptual art that is shocking or feels bizarre to the general public. It is what you often see in public galleries and pushes the limits of aesthetics. From a mess of car parts hung on the wall painted blue to a gigantic stuffed hamburger, it leaves the viewer scratching their heads as they walk away.

Now, I understand a lot of different conceptual art and can appreciate the creativity and weirdness of some, especially in comparison to a lot of the general public. I understand that often art is about the creative process on a journey to an end result. What I have a difficult time understanding is when conceptual art throws aesthetics completely out the window. What I don’t get is if the original concept precedes a unique ability in the creation process. If there is no aesthetics or evident talent, what makes it art versus junk on the floor? What is the point of going to school to learn about aesthetics or to hone a talent only to be dismissed and pushed aside by an original concept?

There are times when I hear about artists getting accolades for original concepts when I can’t seem to recognize the aesthetics or talent that I feel like I am missing something. Am I missing something? I would love to hear your opinions, so please comment on my blog.

By the way, the big Canadian RBC art competition winners have been chosen. I was one of the 600 artists who applied (no, I didn’t win. J). The first place prize was $25,000. Follow these links for the results…

The winner – http://www.canadianart.ca/foundation/programs/rbc/2009/07/23/rbc-winner/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=E%20Weekly%20Campaign&utm_content=795151196&utm_campaign=Canadian+Art+Oct+8%2c+2009+_+kuhluh&utm_term=newsrelease

The semi finalists – http://www.rbc.com/sponsorship/paintingcompetition/pc-semi-finalists-2009.html

Any thoughts? Please leave any comments on my blog.

 

White and Blue Painting of a Tulled Dress with a Simple Bodice

 

Tulled Dress

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! The weather is getting cooler as the fall is settling in. I am looking forward to warm, cozy nights beside the fire with a blanket and a hot mug of tea.

This Thanksgiving weekend for us, being away from family, will be low key. Weekends for the past few months have been busy with art or family commitments. And, I am actually looking forward to a weekend without juggling a schedule. It is nice to take a break from a hectic schedule to focus on appreciating the blessing surrounding us. I am planning to put together a small Thanksgiving dinner with a stuffed chicken and an apple crisp for four just for our immediate family. Then, the following weekend we will get together with my brother & sister-in-law for the traditional family visiting and fun.

There are not many more pieces I haven’t shown you from my solo show at A Woodside Design Gallery. This is the last of the costume dress paintings I have created for this collection. It is entitled “Tulled Dress” and is a 30″x30″ acrylic and charcoal painting. This piece was again initially inspired by a wedding dress with a Cinderella ball gown skirt made of tulle. However, during the creation of this piece, I simplified the details down to the graphic nature of the bodice in comparison to the rough layering of the skirt. In the end, the dress has become generic and could be another ballet costume.

It is a very feminine piece that, to me, embodies the different aspects of being a woman – the feminine curves, which are simple and beautiful versus the edginess of the skirt, which is interesting, deep and complex. There is so much more to a woman than the outward curves.

Next I will show you some pieces from my music inspired collection created for the Penticton Dream House Tour, so be sure to stick around for the next coming OFF THE EASEL issues.

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my costume or formal wear inspired paintings visit www.rawdesigns.org .

GROW UP

Last weekend, my son made rep hockey! Yes, we are very proud and, yes, again our schedule will be extremely busy. But part of being a player on this team is the dress code. He is required to wear a shirt and tie before every game. This is a stretch for him considering he has never worn a collared shirt before in his life. It is all part of the discipline getting him ready to take more of an active role in his own hygiene and taking care of his body in becoming an athlete.

This is the first year I have been able to dress him in jeans. Up to this point, he was convinced track pants and running shoes made him faster. Sometimes, it was just not worth the battle to get him to care about his appearance. Fighting everyday over showers was enough. Now, being a part of this team, he is not allowed to leave the arena without having a shower. My little boy is growing up!

As an artist, I too, have been feeling a major growth spurt these days. Confidence has been building over the years and I feel it is time to take my art to the next level. What does that mean exactly, you may wonder. Over the past few months, I have been feeling the need to stretch. Thinking the feeling had to do with my home studio space, I have been looking into taking on outside-the-home space. Some really neat opportunities have presented themselves and have been very tempting. However, after months of consideration, I have finally decided the direction I need to take.

The realization, being on this side of Artwalk, has become evident that good exposure does not guarantee sales. Just like talent does not guarantee sales. The art market is unpredictable and volatile which, in a way, creates an intriguing mystery of challenges, but makes taking on steady expenses rather difficult. I also feel that because my family is my number one priority and are not ready to be on their own yet, taking my studio out of the home is just not feasible at this time.

So then, where does that leave me with regards to growing as an artist? Up to this point, I have been convinced that I do not yet belong in the galleries. Yes, the galleries are full, but it is more that I have not felt ready to compete against great artists for space on gallery walls. Over the past couple of years, I have gained experiences that have taught me about the art world and how it works. My artistic resume tells me it is time to take the next step. I have been hiding behind the excuse that “the galleries are full”, way too long. I need to prove it to myself. I need to spread my wings outside of the Okanagan to see how far I can fly. I need to at least try.

Will I make the team? I don’t know, but at least, I feel ready to tryout. It will require focus, dedication and perseverance to push through the rejection to success. But, it is all part of growing up as an artist.

 

Lively Acrylic Brushstrokes Surround this Maiden as She Sleeps

 

Sleeping Maiden

Artwalk was great fun! If you were unable to make it, I created a video so you can see my booth and the art that I put into the show on my Youtube Channel. As part of their Olympic theme, they held art competitions throughout the weekend, which I was asked to be a participant. The challenge was to paint a 18″x24″ painting in 15 minutes. We had a blast, not to mention was mentioned in a newspaper article. You can read the article here at http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local.php?id=211040   

This 48″x24″ acrylic and charcoal painting entitled “Sleeping Maiden” is one of my personal favourites to date. It was a highlight of my solo show at A Woodside Design Gallery, which is still hanging for a few more days. However, you will notice that this painting is actually absent from the walls. Just over a week into the show, it was sold to a Calgary couple who will hopefully enjoy it as much as I do for years to come.

The inspiration for this painting was a culmination from my figurative work and my fascination with beautiful gowns. I initially envisioned a beautiful young woman falling asleep on a bed after a celebration. I was interested to use a pose that captured the feminine curves and was generic to represent any female. But the texture and brushstrokes became so interesting during the execution that the need to detail the story further became irrelevant. The texture and movement of brushstrokes livens the painting and becomes the focus for this painting. The image became contemporary and slightly abstract allowing the viewer to attach his or her own story to the painting.

I really enjoyed the creative process of this painting. Taking a realistic image as a starting point and allowing the creativity to take over is what I have learned from this particular painting. I hope to develop this further in future paintings.

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my formal wear inspired paintings or my figurative work visit www.rawdesigns.org .

SPEAKING OF ART COMPETITIONS

Yes, it is finally here! And it’s about time…I know you have all been waiting for it. I just read in the Canadian Brushstroke Magazine that there is an art-based reality TV show running for 13 Saturday evenings on Bravo! Television. The Canadian series is called “StarPortraits” and the premise is 3 artists compete to a creating a portrait of a celebrity who sits as the model. At the end, the celebrity chooses the winning portrait.  

I had to laugh when I read about this reality show as I have been wondering when they were going to develop a visual arts reality show. In the world of reality TV, I personally have watched cake-decorating competitions, home decorating competitions, fashion design competitions, modeling competitions, cooking competitions, losing weight competitions, music competitions, survival competitions, talent competitions, racing competition… the list goes on and on and on… It was just a matter of time before the visual artists jumped on board the reality TV bandwagon.

And, why not? Artists have been competing for centuries dating back to papal commissions to the Olympic games. Today, the web and every art magazine is chalked full of art competitions. And often, art groups require some sort of jury process in order to join.

But when you think about it, how does art really compete with art? How does a photo-realism painting of an apple compare to a surreal painting of an orange? Art is extremely subjective and based on opinions and tastes. So then, do you compare the artistic resume of the artists? How do you compare the technical training of one artist versus the natural creativity of another?

I can’t necessarily endorse this “StarPortraits” as I haven’t yet watched an episode. But, I have to say “good-on them” for at least bringing the visual arts to the forefront through this media. I only hope the show will make it past the pilot season to give more visual artists the opportunity to compete for the spotlight.

 

The Francesca Pitera Gown in White Acrylic Paint and Charcoal

 

The Francesca Pitera Gown

So, we had a great time at the opening of my solo show at A Woodside Design Gallery. We had steady visitors right through the beginning to the end, which was great. Check out my Youtube channel for a video for those who missed out. If you were unable to make it and are still interested to see my new work, the pieces will be hanging for the month of September. 

This 24″x48″ acrylic and charcoal painting is on showcase at my solo show. It is entitled “The Francesca Pitera Gown”. Lately, I have been really interested in watching fashion television, especially the formal wear by designers like Valentino and Vera Wang. These fashion designers are experts in dressing the female figure accentuating the curves and feminine lines. I am also drawn to their use of romantic fabrics that move and flow down the runway.

Haute couture is definitely out of my price range and seems unnecessary when my home is basically what I see on a daily basis. But, I am intrigued at how similar fashion is to creating an original painting. I have learned that “haute couture” means clothing, normally gowns, that are one of a kind fashion created specifically for the client versus “off the rack” which mass produced and everyone can purchase. This is not unlike creating a commissioned piece of art versus prints.

Inspiration for my art comes from that which is feminine and pretty. In everyday life between cutting-up raw chicken to dirty laundry to disciplining screaming kids to worrying about bills, femininity and prettiness can be lost. It is important for me to hold on and surround myself with these major aspects of being a woman.

Prettiness requires effort. In this modern age of business, it is easier to entertain with a bbq and paper plates instead of tea parties and fine china. Today, the uniform in our casual society is jeans and sneakers. It is rare when the occasion calls for a beautiful gown that accentuates femininity. The effort, sometimes, is just too much.

Let us not forget feminine beauty. If prettiness cannot be achieved in everyday life, I choose it as inspiration for art and hang it on the walls of my environment to remind me of the woman I am.

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my costume or formal wear inspired paintings visit www.rawdesigns.org .

 

SCHLEPPING MORE ART

Artwalk 2009, the largest art event in the interior of BC, is this weekend. In fact, it has become my main focus since my opening this week at the gallery. There are so many details that still have to be worked out and will keep me busy as the kids go back to school this week.

Although I am excited for this art weekend, there is a huge part I am dreading. That dreaded part is the actual set-up. The design and arranging of the booth can be quite creative and fun. But I am not looking forward to getting all the stuff to where it needs to go. The behind-the-scenes aspect of an art event can be quite exhaustive and requires a lot of manual labour. People sometimes don’t understand that art does not miraculously appear on the walls. It requires a lot of schlepping large pieces of artwork in and out of vehicles. It requires packing oddly shaped items into small spaces such as trunks, which, at time can be like working a rather frustrating puzzle.

Then, there is the part where if your space is too large, new walls or hanging structures are required or the artwork gets lost in the space. This dilemma can often be solved with easels. However, if many easels are needed, the space becomes rather cluttered. Another solution is the usage of metal wire grids, which carried in large numbers become extremely cumbersome and heavy. It takes a different kind of creativity to turn these grids into a visually appealing display.

Visual art is a very unbalanced business where it takes a huge amount of time for the creation process and set-up, whereas it only takes a few minutes for the viewer to appreciate the display and move on. It is not like the behind the scenes work of a production where there is a captivated audience for a couple of hours appreciating the hard work and creative energy.

And, at the end of a busy day of watching people walk by the display, it is time for the dismantling and repacking as the artwork is schlepped back to the studio. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

 

Artwalk 2009 – Great Weekend of Art in the Okanagan!

I’m am sure you are all wondering how Artwalk went. What a fantastic weekend! It was a ton of fun but extremely exhausting. Even my flowers are tired!

Once my energy returned, I made a new video so you can see it for yourselves. Check out my Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/BekahWilk). 

I even got mentioned in the Kelowna Daily Courier which was great – nothing like a little free press!

 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local.php?id=211040

If you are ever in the area in the fall, be sure to mark the 1st weekend after Labour Day on your calendar for the annual art event. You don’t want to miss it!

 

Floral Acrylic Painting in Bright Colours and Charcoal Lines

 

"Flower Urn"

So did ya miss me? Ha! We just got back from a whirl-win tour of the west coast of the USA. This was a trip I was really looking forward to, as I haven’t been anywhere down the west coast before. Our end destination was Palm Desert, which we had a time-share unit booked for the week (BTW… I highly recommend Club Intrawest in Palm Desert. Very clean with authentic desert atmosphere!) – nothing like 45 degree weather! But to get down to Palm Desert we decided to drive with a stop over for a few extra days in San Francisco.

 

Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, out-skirts of Los Angeles and then over to Palm Desert and Palm Springs with a day trip to San Diego’s Legoland. Then, for our drive home we decided to take a different route back through Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Pocatello (BTW… avoid the Ramada Inn in Pocatello, Idaho! This tired hotel has seen better days. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.), Missoula, Spokane – we saw it all! But man, were we ever happy to see Canada by the end of a second full day of driving on Monday night!

And now back to normal day life here in Westbank, BC and back to my art world. As I mentioned before in the last e-newsletter issue before I left, there is so much great art flying “off my easel” it is kind of getting rather difficult to keep track of it all. Here’s “Flower Urn”, a 24″x24″ acrylic and charcoal painting.

Done in my textured, layered style, this painting is a great example of how important the frame can be. It sat on my easel for a while, as I was just not happy with it. It seemed to be missing something but I couldn’t quite put my finger on the problem. I decided to try it with a frame to see if that helped. I had a smaller, plain 1″ frame planned for this piece but discovered an unused, wider and ornate, gold frame at the back of my storage closet. I slide the canvas in and turned it over. Ahh – low and behold, this gold frame gave the piece a regal feel and was just what it needed. Now it will hold its own with an inspiring presence on any wall.

If you want to see this painting framed, you will need to come to my opening at A Woodside Design Gallery, Kelowna on Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-8:30pm. You are all invited! I would love it if you all could come! (Visit www.awoodsidedesign.com for gallery directions.) Hope to see you there…

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my floral paintings visit www.rawdesigns.org .

 

WEST KELOWNA – THE NEW SAUSALITO?

I have to tell you about this little town called Sausalito that we visited on our trip. Right across the Golden Gate Bridge, they claim it’s the reason “why they built the bridge!” (Visit www.sausalito.org to learn more about this quaint little village.) This neat little town started out as an artist colony and boasts the #1 art festival in the country. I was floored at the number of high-end galleries, especially considering the rumors of many closing galleries here in the Okanagan and across Canada due to the economy. I think I stopped in 10 galleries just on the main street where paintings were valued up in the tens of thousands.

It was an artist eco system that I had only wished could exist. Here was a community that understood the value of their artists and was proud to promote their artists to success. In return, the community is a buzz with activity and swarmed with tourist. And now, the property values average millions and the artists cannot afford to rent space. Hmm… ironic don’t ya think!

Walking around this little town, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was thrilled to see a place where artists came together to create the ideal and were thriving. On the other hand, I was confused and saddened to think that I could not identify such a place in Canada. Not that it doesn’t exist, just that I have yet to experience it. I do know that the average artist lives below the poverty line in Canada. And to think, we have just as much natural beauty here in the Okanagan to draw in the tourists but with galleries forced to close because of slow business, where is all the art enthusiasm?

Could West Kelowna become the new Sausalito? We too are across a bridge from a busy city. We have views that rival European vistas. (Have you seen the video of the outdoor art event at Quail’s Gate Winery – www.youtube.com/BekahWilk .) And we also have the artistic talent. Could one day we boost that West Kelowna is the reason they build the William R. Bennett Bridge? Oh to dream! Until that day, I will be happy with my busy art schedule and with the hope that one day, I too, will be able to experience the Sausalito artistic ideal close to my home.

 

“Antiqued Rose Tea Set” Acrylic Painting

 

Antique Rose Tea Set

I am sitting here manning my booth at Quail’s Gate Winery for the Westside Art-in-the-Park. What a beautiful day and a stunning view surrounded by art and artists what more could I ask for? Visit my YouTube channel for a video of my booth. I decided to write my e-newsletter in between visiting with art admirers as a lot of time is spent waiting around. I only have a limited amount of my laptop’s battery so we shall see how far I get. 

 

There has been so much going on since the last issue of OFF THE EASEL. It seems so long since the drama of the fires even though the smoke has been lingering in the valley for days. Although, today the smoke has seems to have vanished just for our outdoor event. Over the past few of weeks, in between our beach days with company from Ontario, canvases have been flying “off the easel” as I have been getting ready for my solo show and Artwalk in September. I have completed 9 paintings and have framed 14 other pictures. I still have 2 more paintings to complete and 10 more to frame but I feel like I am finally out from behind the “eight-ball”. It is going to take me well into the fall of newsletter issues to show you all the pieces I have created this summer.

Let’s start with a couple more fine-china inspired paintings. These two 10″x10″ acrylic and charcoal paintings are a set which I have framed together in a 15″ x 27″ black frame to create this piece entitled “Antique Rose Tea Set”. I was specifically inspired by the delicate curve of the handles with this teacup and teapot. When painting the floral pattern, the last layer of white turned the redish under painting to softer pinks. I have also left hints of the bronze show through the white to create a glimmer.

Hmm… I just realized I can access internet from here too…

Catch ya later,

Rebekah

PS. To see more of my fine china paintings visit www.rawdesigns.org . 

 

‘A’ LIST

Do you make lists? I never used to be a list person until more recently. Now, there are so many things on the go, if I don’t write them down, I forget. Maybe that is just old age starting to set in? Sometimes, I get arrogant and think I only have a few items to pick up from the grocery store and can manage without a list, only to get home and realize I have to go back out to get the one thing I have forgotten.

Lists have been my focus these days as I have been juggling so many balls. I would hate for one of these balls to get dropped and roll off under the table. There is the list of paintings that I have to create for my upcoming shows in September. This list incorporates music and Olympic paintings that can be shared at both Artwalk and the Penticton Dream House Tour in November. Add prices to this list and I have the list that I need to send into Artwalk for them to create labels. “To Do” List #1 – check!

My “To Do” List involves things like buying supplies, frames, and display items… send in Livessence submission… organize volunteers for booth set-up of Livessence at Artwalk… paint 2 more paintings… frame pieces… set prices… photograph artwork… Prioritizing becomes key as deadlines loom.

Then there is the household list which, at this moment, has a few sub-lists going of things I need to buy before we leave this week for vacation. Another sub list involves items I need to pack. Then, there is the list of things I need to do before the kids go back to school… podiatrist appointment… school supplies and clothes… In fact, before I left this morning I left a list on the counter for my husband to pick up milk and hamburger buns for dinner.

Who has brain space for all this information? I need to write it all down before I move on to the next thing and it gets lost forever. As long as I don’t loose my lists, I will hopefully be able to cope. (Maybe I need a list of all the places I left my lists! Ha!)

A few weeks ago, I was feeling very overwhelmed with all the items on my lists. But, things are getting checked off one by one. There is satisfaction knowing that my lists are becoming shorter and a little bit more manageable.

Write e-newsletter – check! Hmm… and I seem to have battery left over to work on more computer work. Maybe I’ll work on a video – fun stuff!

 

UPCOMING SHOWS

 - August – I will be having my art fill one of the display cabinets in the Rotary Centre for the Arts for the month of August, so make sure you stop by the RCA and look to your right as you pass the information desk. This show has grown to include the second floor mezzanine, so while you are looking right go up the stairs to see more of my paintings. 

- August 22 7:00-10:00pm – my “Edgar Degas’ 14-Year-Old Dancer” painting will go on the block for auction at the “Almost Famous Full Regalia Gala”. Make sure you bid high as all the proceeds goes to Gallery Vertigo’s exhibitions and programming.

- NEW Show Added – August 29-30th – My paintings will be showcased at Greata Ranch Vineyard which is just outside of Peachland on Hwy 97.

- Wednesday, September 2^nd from 5:30-8:30pm will be the opening of my solo show at A Woodside Design Gallery, Kelowna. The show will showcase some of my teacup and china paintings as well as some gowns and florals. It should be a pretty show. All are welcome! The show will run for the month of September.

- September 12-13^th  Artwalk 2009 – There will be lots of great art so be sure to make a day of it. And be prepared to take breaks so your brain doesn’t get over stimulated with all the art. I have been accepted to host my own booth again this year. And, I will also be apart of the Livessence booth, The Painter’s Studio booth and the theme gallery. 

- And don’t forget about my 2nd floor “gallery” space at the Cove Lakeside Resort, Westbank.

 

West Kelowna’s Art-in-the-Park at Quail’s Gate Winery

What a beautiful day for an outdoor art event! Surrounded by the vista of the Okanagan Lake, what more could an artist ask for? 

Lots of people visited the winery that Sunday afternoon and enjoyed the tents of artwork on the back lawn.

Towards the end of the day, however, the wind picked up and spilled pieces of art off easels. It was then that some artists decided to pack it up early, unfortunately. But it didn’t dampen the great time we had earlier in the day!

Visit my YouTube channel to catch the video!