Lilac Window

Everytime I do one of these I learn so much.

This 4′ x 4′ painting was painted in an adult painting workshop. He wanted to make a piece for his mother, to hang in her home. He selected a colour palette that I worked with. He also had the idea that he wanted to create a sort of forest, with vertical “trees”

We used a new masking technique that I developed for the project, and had a lot of fun working together to make it. Carlos has never painted before but comes from a family of artists. He had some ideas of what he wanted to achieve. This is such amazing process as an artist. Where I provide the know- how, and advice. There is a give and take. Lots of communication about what will actually work, what affects one can achieve, and in the end, come up with a great piece.

I have not heard of this kind of thing being offered before- where an artist volunteers to work with a beginner, to help them realize their vision in paint. It is a really great, educational and fun experience when the communication and energy is right. So many people have a vision, they have inspiration and the desire to be creative, but are held back by fear, or inexperience, or simply time and knowledge. Its so great to open the doors, release those barriers and let out an artist! (Be it even for just an hour at a time!!)

Fun times. (sorry the pic is blurry, I actually didn’t get the chance to see it dry as we left the city that day… I’ll try to get a better pic from the artist in the future…)

We did a last minute trip to Edmonton to do some painting workshops.

It was a good chance to see friends and to learn about doing painting on the road. I will be back in Edmonton to do more workshops June 19 and 20th.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the weekend possible for us!

wishing spring would hurry up.

MAN sometimes this house feels too darn small! I can feel the wind in my hair, swing open the doors and let in the breeze!

Inspired by recent posts and comments I drew this today.

Its still a sketch, but I think it would be cool to print it and colour it, or photoshop it, or even print it on a tee-shirt.  Drawing is awesome. I am going to do more of it in the near future.

I have been working on streamlining my product and updating my website recently. You can see it at www.lilacwindowschool.com.

I want to promote the workshop idea, and explain what I do more clearly. It can get confusing if I offer too much. I am really excited to start getting out and promoting summer projects, I even hope to do some painting out doors!

I also have had the benefit of doing workshops all winter that have raised questions about how the whole thing works. I have had a chance now to provide concrete answers. Its great to fine tune and create something that seems to really work.

I am also excited about the possibility of doing watercolour painting classes at the Temple Community Center. More on that soon.

thinking about my babies, I did this painting today. I hope them being sick or hurt doesnt become a common source of inspiration! This effort is actually a part of a process of finding a painting style that evoke memory, nostalgia, glowy-dreamyness, and depth.  And combining that with subject matter that matters to me. It needs work, but this painting means a lot to me.

In all critical fairness, I am very pleased with the boy figure in the background. Isn’t he dreamy? sigh.

this was a fun little painting to do. Its been a while since I did it, and I find things always look better a few weeks later. I was working with brighter colours for an underpainting- more what you would do for oil or acrylic. It sort of leads to a dense painting in water colour that is hard to deal with a bit, but the intensity has got kick. I like the shifting light, representing in the cooler and warmer shades of blue. thats a fun discovery.

So, its GORGEOUS outside. Marcel needs training wheels on his rather large bike. I think we’ll do a search for that tomorrow. I know I haven’t had much time for the blog lately. I guess it goes to show Ive got a lot on my mind. I haven’t even been doing much painting. Just trying to get those old ducks in a row.

I just finished reading “La Perdita” which was a good read. I like Graphic novels. I love how they can make really difficult things seem really light – and then you think about it more and more. Like a very hard and subtle candy that sort of melts in your mouth. They are so easy to digest, and yet I always find myself thinking about them over and over. This book was less girl-y than “the imposter’s daughter” but still about a woman, and I like that its not autobiographical.

Isn’t this sunshine grand? I painted this before the whole hospital thing. Its amazing how green things can be even in the middle of winter.

Life is slowly returning to normal. Ive been reading Apartment Therapy blog and getting inspired to clean my kitchen. But it does make me wish I lived in a New York loft… or near a sunny California beach. Sadly I’ll have to make do with rearranged cupboards. – Which is actually amazingly satisfying in a pinch.

Hi all.

Here is another lovely painting made by a family of four.

Marcel comes home tomorrow. We are so excited to see him without any tubes or machines attached to him. What a trouper.

This past ten days have been a time of reflection and re-evaluation. You cant have an event like this without checking in on your ideals, goals and values.

I did this little painting last night. No need to explain what inspired it. My little guy holding his dad’s hand, in those adorable hospital pajamas. Hes doing great, but being attached to that machine when all you want to do is run and dance and play can be frustrating. I am admiring his patience.

I have been enjoying all the wonderful art hanging on the walls of the Alberta Children’s Hospital. There are days when I question what I do, and think – “man, for the years of university I have, and the effort I put into my work, I should have been a doctor. At least then I could be saving lives and doing something truly useful”.** Yup. I have thoughts like that. But seeing the art on the walls of the hospital and knowing that it inspires people and enriches lives makes me feel so much more proud of the career I chose.

Along Marcel’s hallway there is a series of lithographs by Alberta artist John Snow. They caught my attention right away and I had to look them up. They are just gorgeous. I love the lithographic process, and the beautiful marks and colors he makes. His own story of making prints in small town Alberta, is inspiration in itself.

**I should clarify, this is a totally irrational statement, and by no means do I intend to say the effort and skill of doctors is easily attainable. After this event we all agree, there is a special place in heaven for doctors and nurses who dedicate their careers to helping people.

Marcel pulling the sled got into this pic before I snapped it. It makes the picture so much cuter no? I hope its not too Hallmark-y. no matter. the light on the snow is fun to paint. I think I am working with shadow and light. And built-up texture with water colour paint.

I started my first blog a couple years ago. It was called Mammacomic, now I have this one. All through the process I have been resisting being too confining with it, and allowing myself to post whatever feels most important at the time. Despite encouragement from business teachers, etc, I held onto the idea that I would let the blog evolve, and that, at some point it would start to tell me what is truly at the heart of what I do. Being a person who has too many hobbies and interest, I knew that this little forum could help me narrow things down.

And now, here we are. I think this might be a few months now of posts almost entirely about art. Granted my family, architecture, even a little cooking is in there, but there definatley is more paint than anything else. And that’s just cool with me.

In that little space I showed yesterday, I have been churning out these little works. And I am having so much fun. These little projects are brainless, and I felt I needed that for a bit. With painting being my job I also need some paint therapy. So these ones involve going outside, snapping pictures of stuff I see everyday, and think – “wow, that’s pretty, I wonder how I could paint that?”.  printing contact sheets of the pictures, somehow, intuitively choosing a picture to paint, and then just going at it. I use the size of paper that fit the frames I like to buy, so that if one turns out great, its easy to frame. Its also easy to get painting when everything has been pre-set.

So. Here is another one.

I also have this gut feeling that if I just let go, and paint what my instinct beckons, it will lead me somewhere important. So I am taking the front brain out of this and letting go. Also I know the more I paint the better I will be at it. Already I learn so much with each piece.

Another little thought, that is sort of interesting to me, is how similar these pieces are to ones I did, over ten years ago in my undergrad. I feel Ive come full circle. wow. I did a series of drawings of places around my home in Vancouver. I also did a similar series in oil paint while living in the Yukon. I was struggling with integrating my education in neo-conceptual photography a-la Jeff Wall, Ken Lum and Roy Arden. And granted, I think a little of that still comes through. Though, I feel the intellectualism, that I admittedly, didn’t understand, doesn’t as much. Perhaps this is the path I should have been on all along. I’m glad to be back on it.

There have been times in my life when I thought I needed more space to paint. The funny thing is, right now I have more space, but this is where I have ended up. In the closet of the playroom! Its sort of been a process getting here, I started at an easle in the kitchen, then the easel in the play room and now here. I like to paint on a flat surface with water colours and so this is a space where I can leave it out, and its high enough that I dont have to worry about little fingers. I can paint in an instant as its already there and the kids play beside me. I haev a little light that is LED and colour correct, so that helps. Granted I am limited in size, but right now, thats OK. I am enjoying doing these little watercolor studies.

SO. moral of the story is: When one needs to paint… one will paint.

(Oh and thats not a MESS up top…OH no! its my paper supply and other boxes of paints and stuff… Also this particular dresser is completely FULL of art supplies. yes. I have a problem! hehe.)

The family that did the last workshop actually painted two pieces. This is the second one measuring 4′ x 2′. Now the memory of the event can be on the walls of both homes! Cool little matching set.

I want to update about some other topics of interest. I have sort of been out of the architecture loop. But I am still doing my best to learn little by little about sustainable building. OUR eco village just posted its summer calendar, and I would love to to the straw bale course… we’ll see. Also I have been looking into Rammed earth. Such a beautiful medium.

I am so inspired by all the painting that my students are doing. I realize that I have got to put brush to paper myself. I am working on another book – or perhaps series. I realize that I need to work differently than the last project. My process before was:

1. Sketch out thumbnails of the story board
2. try to draw characters, using my imagination or photos.
3. draw each character from different angles
4. more thumbnails of each page
5. draw/sketch charcoals of each page the correct finished size
6. trace charcoal sketch onto trace, as a line drawing
7. transfer drawing to water colour paper
8. paint the pictures, finding a colour pallet that worked
9. repaint paintings that don’t fit the series.
10. draw in ink over painting.

As you can see I didnt start painting to step 8. And this sort of drove me crazy.

I don’t know, but I am thinking this is pretty standard process for illustrators, but for me, it was very confining, and by the time I started painting, I had to spend a lot of effort loosening up again, to really enjoy the process.

though, there is no doubt all that drawing is good for me. But it hurts my brain.

So, for this project, I wan to start with the painting. I have a theme, and some general ideas. I have a little story to follow, and some image ideas, and then I want to let the paint and the process take me somewhere.

This book is about the devotional gathering we have weekly, as told through the eyes of my four-year old. This gathering is the highlight of his week. The love of his life-( his little female friend), attends regularly with her family, who also live in our condominium complex. It is a sweet little evening complete with tired children, who are often too excited and hyper to sit and pray. But it is lovely. I especially love the lighting of the candles process.

Anyways, this painting series focuses on our little complex, and the story of these children, coming together to pray, to think about unity, to make our little contribution to the world.