Construction continues on my painting rack, and it’s square, and the paintings will fit! I’m busy cutting and gluing little pieces of wood that will hold the paintings in the frame. It will hold 52, 16×20 inch canvases. When I have everything glued, and nailed, and sanded I’m going to paint it flat black.
Anna's memory lane.
My daughter Anna discovered the box we keep all her art in. She had a wonderful time wandering through her many drawings, paintings, and other creations. I hadn’t looked in the box in awhile, and what surprised me was just how much stuff was packed into that small container. And now I have to put it all back.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and it mostly concerns a project I’m planning to start on January 1, 2012. For one part of the project I’m building a special drying/storage/presentation rack for 52, 16×20 inch paintings. I already have a large drying rack for paintings, but I’m hoping the new one can be a bit more refined, and be used almost as a piece of sculpture.
October Studio Morning.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Actually it’s been a busy five years when I really think about it, and after an intense period of activity I find the breaks that sometimes occur can be deflating. “What’s next?”, always comes to mind after an exhibition or a big project, and I can find myself adrift. The exhibition Assembly Lines opened on October 22, at the Confederation Centre Of The Arts, and it was an exciting time for me. But as with all exhibitions there is always a bit of a crash afterwards, and I find myself thinking, “okay now what?’
I find it always helps to start work on another project. Just jump right back in and see what happens. I decided to apply for an artists grant, and that’s kept me busy all week. I’ve received support from The Prince Edward Island Council Of The Arts in the past, and with those grants I feel I’ve been able to mature as an artist. The Prince Edward Island Council Of The Arts support has meant that I’ve been able to focus on my work, and go in directions I’ve always wanted to explore.
What’s next? I guess I have to keep on working, and I have to apply for some more shows. I have the work and materials, so I’ll be putting stuff together to send off to artist run centres in the region. I’d like to work with a curator again, and I found the experience very rewarding. So…back to work.
Studio In October.
This week I’ve been feeling a bit burnt out, and I have a cold, and I’m working on a grant application. I’ve not had much time to make up a Wednesday list, so I’ve pulled together some of my favorite things from past lists. I’ll have a new list next week.
This is not a top ten list, but rather a totally random list of things I like, listed in alphabetical order of course, and complete with links where possible.
1. Bedside tables. I believe that bedside tables are essential because where else are you going to put your junk? A good bedside table can hold at least 40 books, 3 Kleenex boxes, 4 water glasses, 2 pairs of eye glasses and a few other things all at once. Just don’t overload the table.
2. Cinnamon Sugar Crinkles. My wife made these cookies on the weekend, and they are fantastic. The recipe is from the most recent issue of Canadian Living. Jane adapted the recipe, and made them gluten free. The kids didn’t like them because there are no chocolate chips in them so We had to eat them all. I like that the kids didn’t like them!
3. Colours of the 1970′s. Even in the 70s people had a sense that something was not right with the world, and looking back at old snapshots I almost always have a WTF were we thinking feeling. I mean no one looked good in that much brown, tan and orange. But I still have a soft spot for a green fridge.
4. Ketchup packets. A couple of weeks ago my daughter looked at me and said, “We should order some of those little packages of ketchup that I like so much… and maybe some of the nice fish and french fries that go with them.” So we ordered fish & chips and the ketchup that goes with it.
5. Lara’s Rolled Oats. My wife and children are on a gluten free diet, and this is a product that we go through very fast in our house. My son is especially fond of porridge in the morning, and he will eat his, yours, and any that is left over. It is truly amazing watching this kid eat porridge; he doesn’t miss a drop. We add raisins and flaxseed to the porridge but I think it’s really the maple syrup that he’s after.
6. Moleskine sketchbooks. One of my many great weaknesses are sketchbooks, and I seem to have many around the house. Most are filled with doodles and rough sketches, and many are filed with grand plans I have no intention of following through on. My all time favourite brand of sketchbook is the Moleskine. They are beautiful to look at, to hold, to work in. If I’m giving a gift to a creative friend, be it an artist or writer, I often give them Moleskine sketchbooks or notebooks.
7. Stanfield’s underwear. Buy Canadian! I have yet to learn to not buy all my underwear at one time. I should space it out over the year. Unfortunately, I have not learned to do this which is why I always have catastrophic underwear waist band failure in every pair I own all at once.
8. Scotsburn Ice Cream Bars. I went to the store the other day and saw that Ice Cream bars were on sale so I bought two boxes. A great treat for the kids I said to myself, and I then tried to sneak them into the house hoping the kids wouldn’t find out, because really I bought them for myself. The kids found out. They love them.
9) The Tate Channel. I seem to get most of my information and entertainment online these days. One great source for for both is the Tate Channel. It provides thought provoking and entertaining videos of artists, and curator interviews. One of my favourite videos is a 14 minute piece about the creation of Ai Weiwei’s sunflower seed installation for the Turbine hall at the Tate modern. sometimes it really does take a village to create something wonderful.
10. Trains. There haven’t been trains on Prince Edward Island since the late 1980s but sometimes if the wind is right I imagine I can still hear that old whistle blow. We took the kids on a rainy day adventure to the Elmira Railway Museum on the weekend and took a ride on a miniature train through the woods.
