Tuesday, January 26, 2010

"A Life In Paint"

"Shoal Brook", oil on panel, 8"x10" One of the small paintings I am taking to
Turkey with me for the upcoming art exhibit for International Women's Day


"When it's all over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms." ~Mary Oliver


Again I must apologize for being so neglectful of this blog. Blogs are, like many things, little responsibilities, commitments that we take on and try to nurture and help evolve through whatever we choose to write about, where we travel, whom we meet. I promise to pay more attention to this one in the next few months!

What with the hectic holiday season and some other challenges that have come up, time has slipped away from my regular entries on this blog, which really has become a travel blog, with the odd artistic musing as well. My robust travel schedule begins in earnest next month, with journeys to Arizona, New York City and Ankara, Turkey starting off this exciting year!

The journey to Ankara is particularly interesting because I have been invited by the gracious wife of Canada's Ambassador to Turkey. There is an art exhibit and fundraiser that will be coinciding with International Women's Day in March and I will take a small selection of paintings to have for this exciting event. Proceeds from the show will help women in need in Turkey, which makes the whole adventure even more compelling.

Two other important projects are also happening. One of them I have spoken about already. The pictorial book of photographs that Christopher McCandless took on his two year odyssey from 1990-1992 is coming together! I am working on paintings for this book, paintings based on Christopher's photographs. It is a collaborative effort with Chris's parents and the whole project is very thrilling and one that is especially close to my heart.

Another fledgling artistic endeavor that I have taken on is writing a book based on my travels and subsequent photos and paintings. It will also have a strong, personal component and have my day to day journal included. I shall try my best to steer clear of self-indulgent, navel-gazing writing here yet try not to self-edit too much. The most important thing is that this writing come from the heart, where all true art truly originates.

"Self-Portrait, Renewed", oil on canvas, 14"x11"
Another painting that I shall take to Ankara with me.

My dear friend Wyll is the one who really encouraged me to take on this writing project. I hope that people will find it interesting and want to read it. It is a terrifying yet exhilarating prospect, and on my list of things to do in my lifetime. Why put it off...why not start now? This could apply to anything in our lives...if you have been putting something off, whether talking to someone or making a career change, why put it off? Act today. As Ghandi so wisely said: "be the change you want to see in the world." Thanks Wyll...

Upcoming Events!

I will have a small painting in this year's Burlington Art Centre Art Auction, happening on February 19th, 2010. Here are some details!

"Self-Portrait, Renewal", oil on panel, 8"x10"


"Sasha", oil on canvas, 16"x12"

The cat, what can one say about this glorious creature? With its majestic form, formidable meow, rhythmic purr, and its uncanny ability to hear a can of tuna being opened from three rooms away? One cannot help but fall madly in love with such a glorious creature. Therefore, and quite happily, we as avid cat fanciers have created this homage exhibition consisting of paintings, drawings and transfer art to express our love for the cat. The show was inspired by two cat lover art friends and their cats, Zorica Krasulja and Claudette Losier, who then invited their other cat loving art friends to participate in their show: Heather Horton, Amanda Mckinney, Cathy Peng, James Wylie, Carolyn Endacott, Gisele Grenier, Theresa Dinsmore, and Patricia Robertson.

The Cat's Meow
March 1-31st, 2010
239 King Street East, Hamilton, Ontario
Opening Reception March 6th at 7pm

Have a beautiful day, wherever you are...

Heather

Sunday, January 24, 2010

"Picking Partridgeberries"

'I always think of myself, not so much as a painter,
but as a medium for accident... and chance.' ~Francis Bacon


"Picking Partridgeberries", oil on panel, 8"x10", has a long journey ahead of it. This small painting is one of several that will accompany me to Ankara, Turkey next month. I have been invited by the wife of Canada's Ambassador to Turkey to participate in an art exhibit and fundraiser to help women in need. This event will coincide with International Women's Day in March. I am ecstatic to be a part of this exhibit and the chance to travel to a beautiful city in a beautiful country!

I will bring a variety of paintings with me on this journey...a selection of landscapes, portraits and still life pieces. I have painted two small landscapes that feel very "Canadian" to me...and this is the first. "The Berrypicker, Greenspond" echoes this small piece, as I took many photos of this kind woman while she stooped to collect berries on a hillside in Newfoundland.

As before, the vibrant red of her sweater jumped out at me, I thought it would provide a nice contrast to the faded grasses on the surrounding slopes. I also liked how the houses on the hill were partially hidden by the grass, with the beautiful blue of the Atlantic ocean just visible on the horizon. Newfoundland is such a fresh place, almost no pollution to dilute the intensity of colour and always the constant briny wind to keep any sort of stagnancy at bay.

I have spoken before about the freedom that I feel when working on small paintings...I smile at the seeming irony there as I would presume most artists would find a larger canvas more conducive to a freedom of brushstrokes and room to breathe within the composition....however the opposite is true for myself. For one thing I don't use a lot of paint when working, and logically, there is less paint required for smaller paintings. I am able to really concentrate on brushstroke economy here, and generally have more fun with smaller pieces.

You can see the ladder on the top of the house in the painting, the ladders that are so ubiquitous in Newfoundland. When I asked one local gentleman what they were for he explained that chimney fires are very frequent in Newfoundland and these ladders are a way for homeowners to scramble up the roof to douse a fire with water if such an emergency should arise.

I do hope that the Turkish people and diplomats who attend this exhibition enjoy this piece as a small peek into a typical Maritime Canadian scene. I cannot wait to be a part of this good cause and chance to see another culture and enjoy making new friends as well!


"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Self-Portrait, Renewal" will be up for auction next month at the Burlington Art Centre in Burlington, Ontario. Here is a link to the auction information...if you can attend, please do! It is an opportunity to see some excellent local artists' work!

Have a beautiful day, wherever you are...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

"Sasha"

"A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another,
may hide their feelings, but a cat does not." - Ernest Hemingway


"Sasha, Oil On Canvas, 16"x12", is a portrait of my Russian Blue cat Sasha. This painting will be a cat-themed show called The Cat's Meow in Hamilton, Ontario which runs from March 1-31st. The show will be held at Intolerant Gallery, located at 239 King Street East. More details about the exhibition can be found at the end of this entry.

Cats, and moreover, any animal that shares our lives with us, truly become a part of the family. They love unconditionally. They adore us when we are at our worst and at our best, they do not judge, they simply are what they are. They sport no pretense, ulterior motives or artifice. This innocence is what I love so much about them.

I have had many cats in my life, and Sasha is the most recent addition to the family. Being a Russian Blue, I wanted a Russian name for him and found that Sasha is an endearing form of Alexander. I was sold. He is my partner in creative crime, sitting on my shoulder while I paint and helps me make crucial artistic decisions. He learned quickly as a kitten that my palette was off limits after he stepped in paint a couple of times. My life would would not be the same without him. I am sure you can understand as most of us have had the good fortune to be loved deeply by a companion animal.

Clients often commission me to paint dogs, and I have worked for a couple of dog magazines off and on over the years as an illustrator. Cat lovers however, are a more elusive breed. In 2010 I will be completing one of the first cat commissions I have had and I look forward to this experience very much, especially because it will take me to the far north, Whitehorse, in The Yukon Territory. There is nothing more satisfying than combining adventure, exploration, art and the opportunity to meet new friends and make new connections! I think it is funny how society tends to divide people into two groups...if you love cats you must hate dogs and vice versa. Not true! I have never had a dog but the way that people explain their connection with their dogs, it sounds as though their devotion is almost unparalleled. Cats, I believe, are just as devoted, they just express their affection in more subtle, or different ways.

I captured Sasha sitting by a window one day last year and as soon as I took the reference I knew I would do a painting of it. Painting fur is always a challenge, but I tried to not get too fussy with it and simply paint the more general tones of his fur without making him look too spikey. I liked the vertical lines of the window frame, Sasha's tall posture, and how those elements echoed one another. I tried to capture the pale green of his eyes in the bright light and had fun painting the reflected tones underneath his head.

Here is some information about the upcoming exhibition. I may be out of the country at the opening reception but if possible, I will be there! I hope you can make it to the exhibition as it is on for the entire month of March! Here is a description of the exhibition:

The cat, what can one say about this glorious creature? With its majestic form, formidable meow, rhythmic purr, and its uncanny ability to hear a can of tuna being opened from three rooms away? One cannot help but fall madly in love with such a glorious creature. Therefore, and quite happily, we as avid cat fanciers have created this homage exhibition consisting of paintings, drawings and transfer art to express our love for the cat. The show was inspired by two cat lover art friends and their cats, Zorica Krasulja and Claudette Losier, who then invited their other cat loving art friends to participate in their show: Heather Horton, Amanda Mckinney, Cathy Peng, James Wylie, Carolyn Endacott, Gisele Grenier, Theresa Dinsmore, and Patricia Robertson.

The Cat's Meow
March 1-31st, 2010
239 King Street East, Hamilton, Ontario
Opening Reception March 6th at 7pm

Have a beautiful day and take good care,

Heather

"Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes." - W B Yeats