Art2 at the Arts Quinte West Gallery

 

The first snowfall of the year blanketed everything.  The boy and I were out making snow angels before sunrise.  Not my idea of the first thing to do in the morning but it is wonderful to watch him frolic about with delight.  Yes, I did make angels as requested.

Something about winter makes me want to hide in my painting cave and paint sunshine and summer flowers.  These two paintings are a donation to the Arts Quinte West Gallery here in Trenton for a fundraiser 'Art2'.  Everything 12" square is ONLY $50.00.  On to bigger pieces, more sunshine and flowers and grape vines.



November Gales

 

Painted for the Arts Quinte West Juried Show 'Stories' in November.  This encaustic wave piece has snippets of news clippings from the Great Storm of November 1913 which plummeted the Great Lakes from November 9-13 leaving more than 250 people dead and 19 ships lost.

 



 

 

Also for the juried show, this painting is typical of a visit to the beach with my son, an only child who enjoys family 'hoping'.  In this painting he is chatting with his new friend Grace and her mom while we wait for the fireworks to start over the harbour at Kincardine's Station Beach.

'Stories' Juried Show and Zumba

I am working on a new water-scape for Arts Quinte West Juried Show 'Stories' to be held in November.  My water-scapes often have crashing breakers and the generous application of paint needs a long drying time.  I am determined to have this piece completed in plenty of time for it to dry and not risk painting someone.  The boy family hops every visit to the beach.  Mr Social has a little visit with the family, finds out their names and then moves along.  I have lots of stories about our beach visits.

 

I buried another project that I was to have done for a donation while playing with my waves, it's done but it is leaving the studio wet.  It has taken a long time to work out the sailboat structure.  I'm not familiar with sailboats.  This is the second year I have painted a piece for Quinte SailAbility.

 

When I am not painting, I like to teach Zumba.  It is so much FUN!

This is the second year that I have planned a Zumbathon with my Zumba friends.

 Come out and have fun while helping raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

October is Arts Month in Northumberland County

October is Arts Month is a very successful initiative started a few years ago to promote art in Northumberland County.  I usually teach a few workshops at The Gates in Brighton.  The workshops are subsidised by the Brighton Arts Council, so it is a great time to sign up for a very inexpensive workshop.  I am especially excited about my Encaustic workshop this year since the weekend before  (coming right up), I am attending a two day Encaustic seminar with a local Encaustic artist.
See http://www.octoberisartsmonth.ca/arts-events.php for more details.

EXPLORING ENCAUSTICS
Brighton Arts Council
Category: Visual Arts
Date: October 7
Start Time: 10:00 am

Location: The Gates, BAC Arts & Culture Centre
Description: Exploring Encaustics

Lisa Farrell excels in the arts. Her 'Encaustic Workshop' will create for you a take home unique art piece, a collage, layered with heated wax, oil pigments and secrets from Lisa's resourceful treasured mind. This presentation is limited to 12 participants! $15-all included. (Lions Passport friendly)
10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. October 7th 
Details www.brightonartscouncil.com The Gates, Brighton Arts Council 240 Presqu'ile Parkway, Brighton.  Reserve at brightonartscouncil@gmail.com or Lisa at fareyre@hotmail.com.

A small selection of my Encaustic work

 

The ART of WET FELTING
Brighton Arts CouncilCategory: Crafts
Date: October 21
Start Time: 10:00 am

Location: The Gates, BAC Arts & Culture Centre

Description: The Art of Wet Felting
Lisa Farrell takes her creative self yet another step forward drawing from her tremendous talent in the visual arts to design a one of a kind scarf using different wool and silk in the process of wet felting. You will create one for yourself right alongside the master. This is limited to 8 participants. $35 includes supplies (Lions Passport friendly discount applies) Brighton Arts Council The Gates 240 Presqu'ile Parkway Brighton. 
October 21st -10:00 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details www.brightonartscouncil.com and reserve at brightonartscouncil@gmail.com or Lisa at fareyre@hotmail.com.

My September show at The Blue House in Brighton wrapped up.  As nice as it is to cover up the nails in my walls at home it was great to see my work in a beautiful well lit setting.  The Blue House is a lovingly restored Queen Anne house on Main St in Brighton, ON with a gift shop downstairs and the Gallery upstairs.
Thanks to everyone that made a point of visiting and to those who purchased a piece of art, more thanks and Enjoy!  And a thank you to my host, Anna.

Project Finishing Day

I had to wait patiently for this little Marsh Wren to show its self.  It liked to flutter down low in the cat tails, teasing me with its call.

 

This Blue Heron has been on and off my painting table for a year now.  There's nothing like a looming deadline (my September gallery show), which I have been avoiding due to summer boating and cottage visiting, to get things done.

 

 

A few more highlights and accents.  Now it is finished.  We live in an area that is home to many swans.  This is the second time I have painted them.  I love reflecting other colours in the white.

Swan Flight

 

It was a nice quiet afternoon of painting. 

This one is almost finished.  Swan Flight 12 x 24 Oil on Canvas.

Today and tomorrow are my last two days to finish up incomplete paintings for my show at The Blue House in Brighton, opening September 3.

 

 

This guy goes to school full time next week. 
Maybe I'll get some more unfinished projects done.  Or, maybe I'll dig out my encaustics and have time to make a big, fun mess.  I teach the odd encaustic class but never seem to get at any encaustics in my studio.  Here are two of my students from a workshop I taught on Monday.

Peonies in a Pint, my painting for a Realistic Floral class that I am teaching at Loyalist college in Belleville starting September 18.  I have set up of whites peonies I'd like to get painting to coordinate.

End of Summer Cram

I am feeling the end of summer cram. 
Too much holidaying, not enough painting and organizing. 
Actually the holidaying has been great!  Lots of fun cottage/cabin time with the boy, cousins and grandparents.  However, the preplanning for fall has taken a hit.  Today, I am packing for more cottage time, while getting ready for a solo show in September, painting a donation for the Trenton Memorial Hospital Gala, an Encaustic Workshop at the Gates in Brighton August 26 and trying to get the finishing touches on the piece I am teaching at Loyalist College starting September 18.  More on the class at Loyalist to come.

The Boy and the Maine Light

My husband thinks that there shouldn't be pictures of the boy on my blog, that it should be all about my artwork.  Professional.  But the boy is what it's all about.  He's five.  I paint around his schedule.  Which means hanging out at the beach a lot.  Grass cutting, gardening and 'honey do list', the one made for me is competing with painting too.

The boy and his cousin he calls sister.

Today though, I finally have a new painting to share after puttering an hour or two here and there for weeks. 

Maine Light 16 x 20" Oil on Canvas

I also have a new painting is on the go.  A piece I will be teaching at Loyalist College in the fall.  It is a realist floral, acrylic with oil glaze.  I am slowly working away at it.  The beach is calling...

Sailing off shore at Presqu'ile

Last week I set up a display of artwork at the Presqu'ile Provincial Park Interpretive Centre Gallery.  This is a new painting that I did to put in the show.  It was a cool week and I was dreaming of boating while painting.  Not a bad way to spend my time.
12 x 12 Oil on Canvas.

Quinte Arts Concil Juried Show 'Expressions'

Last week I entered my second juried show. 
Why?
Peer critique, expanding my viewing audience (slightly as QAC in Belleville is only one town away), adding to my CV.
They were 127 entries. 
60 were selected for the show that opens May 9 at the Parrot Gallery in Belleville.
Here is the piece that didn't make the cut.

Dahlia    Oil on Canvas   16 x 20

 

 

And the one that made the cut.

Blue Churn    Mixed Media on Canvas   12 x 24

Fascinating Felt

 

 

The last few weeks have been about felting and Zumba. 

 

In April, as part of a Brighton Arts Council Show, I will be displaying some of my felted pieces and paintings at the Impresario Artisan Market, 37 King Street West, Cobourg.  Also on April 13th I teach a felting technique class at Loyalist College.  Welt felting, felting with resists, nuno felting, lots of playing around with felt happening in the workroom. 

I am starting a Seniors Zumba class in a few weeks and last week I started teaching Zumba for a High School gym class.  I can practicing new Zumba songs while felting but not while painting.

Back to painting soon...

 

Wet felted butterfly fascinator.

Nuno felted scarf with tassles.

Harry Potter and Painting

 

It is will a sense of finality relief I write this post.  I have been reading Harry Potter.  That is a lot of reading and I have been very distracted.  I'm so happy Harry accomplished his mission and I can get back to work.  This painting I started weeks ago and I think I can finally call it finished.

 

36 x 36" Mixed Media on Canvas  Lake Storm

 

This painting of the Bryon Bay light was a late Christmas present for my brother in-law.  He sent me this picture when he was working in Australia a year ago.  I used to paint a lot of lighthouses, I love the history, architecture and of course, the locations.

8 x 10" Oil on Canvas  Bryon Bay Light

More Waves

 

This little 8 x 10" oil glaze floral was for a quick workshop that I thought was to be three hours but the workshop is only two hours.  Yikes, a new one is on the table but I keep getting distracted by waves.

 



 12 x 24" Oil on Canvas Thanksgiving Waves 2.  This is the second painting that I have completed from the collection of photos taken Thanksgiving day.

 

36 x 36" Mixed Media on Canvas.  I had to pull out my dusty Reebok Step to paint the sky.   Grandma is visiting and she has been very busy keeping the busy boy feed and entertained while I am in my happy place playing with layers of oil glazes and impasto.

Stormy Waves

 

Stormy waves make me happy.  Great black clouds, fabulous crashing waves.
Skip the tornadoes though. 
The small square painting in the first photo is from the day of the Godrich tornado in August, 2011.  My family was happy splashing in the lake wondering where to the south the serious thunderstorm was.  We never thought a tornado would be riping completely through the historic town of Godrich. 
The finished painting is shown four photos below.

 

  

Lake Huron at Thanksgiving. 

The boy needed a nap, we had a nice drive along the lake and he did fall asleep.  I got some great photos.  On the painting wish list, the view to the north.  A rainbow just happened to be shinning north of Kincardine.  My future home Mom says wishfully.

 

Every year JB Print Solutions asks local artists to submit paintings for their free calendar.  Three of my pieces are in this years calendar.  Shown in this picture, Aunt Florence's Peony.

Here and Gone

 

Detail of broach.

My latest painting with a love story behind it that touches my romantic heart.  Teenage love, reunited after 30 years and a pre-Christmas engagement.  I was totally caught up in the details of this painting, the beautiful broach, carved metal pieces and the plaid.  I'm not sure what it is about plaid, it fills me with warmth and imagined coziness.

Two little sweeties on an adventure, skipping down the path in the secret forest.  This is how I always imagine a hike with J.  It is rarely how it turns out, inevitably I push him to far when he really just wants to play hide and go seek, but I couldn't stop thinking of how much fun it could be. 
I hope this Christmas commission brings special memories to mind for the parent's. 

The final touches went on this painting before Christmas, I think.  I am tempted to put the original cupola on.  It had a beautiful shape.  I am sadden when these historic landmarks can't be up kept in their original form.  This painting is safety on display so it can't distract me from other projects. 

Post Christmas Planning

Distracted by Christmas and last minute commissions, well not really last minute more like left to the last minute.  I'm now back into the swing of things, class planning, Art Council Board meetings, painting what inspires me and ta da....routine.
First up a new painting for a new show home in Brighton.  Clouds and surf.
Second a scarf felting class a Loyalist College in Belleville January 26.
Here is the link Wool Felting Classes. 
And then the painting of an special two hour introduction to oil glazes class in Brighton March 23.  More information and photos to follow.