The daily painting is going well and I’m thoroughly enjoying playing with oils!  The colour saturation in oils is so intense.  You can follow my daily painting progress at: www.saskartist.blogspot.com. 

As well, I’ve partnered with artwanted.com to create my own online store.  You can now purchase paintings safely and securely online and have them shipped to your door with a registered mail service.  Shipping is included in the price.

I’ve been pondering the question of creating prints.  I’m tempted because the Saskatoon scenes sold so well, but I’m going to hold off on it for now.   I talked to Murray at Collector’s Choice and he explained the various reasons artists do make prints:  either the original is so expensive it’s not accesible to average buyers or there is so much demand for a particular painting that an artist cannot keep up producing the work.  As an emerging artist, it’s clear to me that I just need to keep on making original work. 

In other news, I stumbled upon Carol Marine’s art blog.   I love her work and she has inspired me to try something new.  For the next few months I’m going to play with oil paints (totally new for me) and work small (think 5 x 5″).  My goal is to make a painting each day, like Carol does, although I won’t beat myself up if I fall behind from time to time.  I want to focus on colour and impressions of every day objects.

These pictures were taken before everyone arrived that night.  Thanks to everyone who came out and made the opening night for elsewHERE: a dialogue of contrasts such a success!  I sold twelve paintings and felt on top of the world.  For those who haven’t made it out to the show yet, it is on until January 28th at The Gallery, Frances Morrison Library.

When I am abroad my senses are always on high alert: I never know what scene lies down a right or left turn, and that is part of the mystique and adventure of travel.  In contrast I don’t often “see” the beautiful prairie scenery around me because I am so used to it; it simply fades into the background of my everyday life.  After painting several exotic, colourful, and foreign scenes from pictures I had taken abroad, I wondered what my impression of the prairies would be like if I were seeing it for the first time.  I set off to paint cityscapes and landscapes of the prairies that mirrored scenes I had painted of abroad; elsewHERE: a dialogue of contrasts reflects what I discovered.  In this exhibit, paintings of Saskatchewan are placed beside similar paintings of abroad so that viewers may glean new impressions of the prairies in relation to elsewhere.

The two paintings pictured above will be on display at the Mendel Art Gallery from June 5th to the 21st.  They will be in the lower gallery for the Members’ showcase art show.