February 2, 2012.

It’s February so we all might as well be lighthearted.

February 1, 2012.

It’s February…what more can I say?

#1015.

The heart appears often in my work. Possibly it has something to do with my 5 year old daughter wanting to learn how to draw hearts, and maybe it is a nod to the month of February, that most heartless of Canadian months.

This is not a top ten list, but rather a totally random list of things I like in no particular order.

1. Watching TV Series After They’ve Been Canceled. I get frustrated trying to watch a TV series when it takes a mid season break, or it takes every third week off. I like my television to be dependable. Which is why I love watching a show after it’s been canceled or finished it’s run. I can watch the whole series in a week, and enjoy it.

2. Mini series.The best length of any TV series should be from 3 to 10 episodes per season, 22 shows in a season is too much, and is mostly filler.

3.The Length Of British TV Series is the perfect example of how many episodes should be in a series. Most of my favourite British shows rarely have more than 7 episodes, and often only run for 3 or 4 seasons. There are only 13 episodes of Faulty Towers, and it’s perfect.

4. The Smell Of Turpentine. The other day I was using turps for the first time in a long while, and I have to admit I loved that smell. It brought back many memories.

5. The Smell Of Oil paint. I always love the rich musky smell of oil paints. No other paint smells as good. Probably one of the reasons I don’t use acrylic much.

6. Red Tories. This country could use some of those old school red Tories that we used to have. Just so that people who’ve always voted Conservative can realize that the party they are voting for is not a conservative party, but can only be described as a political party from the Land Of Mordor.

7. Raw Carrots. Maybe it’s because I’ve eaten too many overcooked carrots in my life, but the only way I really enjoy a carrot is raw. Or in a cake. Carrot cake is good too.

8. T Bone Steak. I’m dreaming of summer. BBQing on our deck, and cooking up some fine tender steaks. Winter is long, and I’m sick of it.

9. Pockets. I tend to need a lot of pockets. I tend to carry a lot of junk. I never have any money in my pockets, but I do have many hair elastics, and wadded up kleenex.

10. Frozen Fish. I’ve come to the conclusion that buying bags of fresh frozen fish is the best way to purchase fish. It is cheaper than buying fresh fish from the fish counter, and when thawed it tastes just as good. Especially with lots of tarter sauce.

Sketch.

I have several projects on the go that all add up to one big project. Each day I take a studio photo and post it on my blog, and each day I record with a check list my daily art related activities.

Every Monday I start work on a 16×20 inch painting, and each month I start work on a 24×36 inch painting. I use social media to direct the creation of the paintings by asking questions, and tomorrow is the first day of February so I’d like your opinion. I’m going to start with two simple shapes. A rectangle, and an oval. Should the oval be over the rectangle, or should the rectangle be over oval, and should they be on the left or right side of the canvas?

January 31, 2012.

My last daily photo for January, and I actually like the quiet, boring quality of taking a daily photo in a small space. After all, the project is about what goes on in a studio. A friend suggested I should include myself in the photos, and I think he’s right. But I’m not going to include a lot of myself, just little hints.

#1014.

When I was working on this painting I had an accident, and silver paint splattered across the surface of the painting. I’ve decided to call it done, and keep the accident as part of the image. I like how the paper of this painting curls at the edges and this too is something I want to keep.

January 30, 2012.

A friend told me that I should include myself in my daily photographs. I am, to put it simply, lacking in photogenic qualities. But maybe he’s right. We’ll see.

#1013.

I was very happy with the results of this painting. The grid was drawn using a gold paint pen. I like the fact that the painting at first appears pretty, but if you look close it is rough and ugly. Does pretty + ugly = beauty?