It had been almost a MONTH since I have posted here.
Those of you who follow me on Facebook and INSTAGRAM know why.
And hey.....why aren't YOU following me on Instagram?
I'm hella interesting! (See - I am using young people speak!!!)
Anyways, THIS is what I have been up to....

It is a HUGE mural project that I have been painting with (and for) Cindy Scaife (her design!). The big underpass was commissioned by the City of Toronto and the stART Program. Which is AWESOME.
So gallons and gallons of paint, and a month later...we are DONE!!! I was really happy with the final look....and so was Cindy. I am super grateful that I have such a talented friend that would trust me to paint with her!
I will post photos and a video of the whole mural SOON!

You also missed me putting up my work at The Pearl Diver restaurant:

YES....it does look amazing!
​Go down until the end of December to see this work in person!!
Go for the oysters, stay for the art!
The Pearl Diver is at 100 Adelaide St E, Toronto!

You also missed me announcing all the info for my upcoming showing at the One of A Kind Christmas Show. But I will dave those deets for another post NEXT WEEK!

I also have a new retailer (I will talk about that next week too) and I am going to be installing some work in a coffee shop!
​(Details also next week!)

AAAAND....
​
I will be doing the last Kensington Market Art Fair this Sunday October 30th from 12pm-7pm.

Space Cowgirl, 24" x 36" - this is taken from an older work and I have reworked the composition a bit. I then spent a BUNCH of time repainting the colours and adding some fun additions! 
This is available for $550 (plus HST)

Transition, 24" x 24", $365 (plus HST) I accidentally ordered the WRONG size, I meant to order the 36" x 36" (which is also available -- you can special order it from me) But it is pretty nice in this size too!

FINALLY I have:

Decaying Slipper, 40" x 30" - $575 (plus HST) This is a photo reproduction of a piece that hangs in my house. I love it, and thought it would be a great one to share with you guys. Never shown, this one is a real gem!

So there you go!
I hope you can make it for the last KMAF of the season!

THE KENSINGTON MARKET ART FAIR
October 30th
12pm to 7pm
77 Nassau St

WOW! What a weekend!!!
Those were the longest hours I have EVER worked at ANY show - EVER!
(YIKES!)
There were THOUSANDS of people out this past weekend for the James Street Supercrawl in Hamilton!
And I was part of that craziness with my booth mate Cindy Scaife!
It is hard to know how to describe it!
I ate some good eats and met some really great people and I was entertained by the colourful locals.
From a 10 year old stilts walker, to a 60 year old shirtless dancer (that we nicknames Disco Boris) to the 500 dudes in tank tops , board shorts and neck tattoos!  We really saw a lot! 

The show had a number of frustrations as well, but I promised myself I would not yell about them!

To keep ourselves busy in the off times, or when people were totally indifferent to our art, we would imagine that we had a "Hamilton Bingo" card that got stamped each time we saw something unusual! So....below....I will write (HAMBINGO) each time a photo verifies the fun weirdness!
​Let's go!

WEATHER NOTES: First day/night was BLAZINGLY HOT and sweaty - but dry! Side note - sunscreen bottles left in the sun will produce boiling hot lava and burn your skin......but I digress....

The next day.....we were up early to locate and buy pool noodles to keep the impending rain from pooling in the corners of our tent - so that it didn't collapse on us!

Sadly, I had a rather terrible night sleep, as it seemed that a fair number of 20 year old university 'dudes' don't know better than to yell on the streets at 2am like a-holes! I guess Aaron, Tyler and Ryan just can't image a world beyond their bongs and beer pong where people might need to be sleeping....and not listening to them scream at each other! "CODY....COOOODY....YOU F^*&ING WASTED??" 
Okay - rant finished....
​
Just in case you were wondering...yes...Cody....aka Bra....WAS indeed "s**tfaced"!
​
But that is okay......I knew I had a 15 hour day ahead.....so I had a bunch of coffee and we went to set up!
I was so tired.....but THEN....we saw this...
(See clip below!)

AMAZING RIGHT??????? If only it could have been used to clean up the trash the night before!! :-)

​Oh, and did you notice the operator of this bad boy? It's Captain Jack Sweepoh! (HAMBINGO - hipster with an eye patch)

ANYWAYS.....here is day 2 at the Supercrawl.....enjoy....the photos:

What I have failed to mention thus far is the art installation that backed onto our tent. It was great and all.....but this is how it sounded....all day/night long....on a loop that lasted about 5 minutes on - 5 minutes off....for 12 hours straight!!!!!!!!!

We kept trying to make up words to it, and thought it sounded like a "minor key Mr Sandmand"...or rather Mr anti-sandman. Please enjoy. I filmed this IN MY BOOTH....which will give you an idea of the VOLUME.

Yup......about 38 hours of that "song"!!! 
It was I think waterboarding must be like! 

NEXT DAY.....are you ready for this......
WAS PERFECT FREAKING WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunny.
Perfect temperature.
No wind.
A-FREAKING-MEN!
​I had a great night sleep - and have to thank Donna at The Hamilton Store for making outlives SOOOO much easier! Make sure you go see her next time you are on James North. Her store is FANTASTIC!

After a good night sleep, I packed up and got in my car to drive to the show....and found this under my windshield......

ANYWAYS.......so Sunday at The Supercrawl was for the non-humans.....

That attack doggie started the day.....and then......

Missing from my pets of Supercrawl photo section....ONLY because I couldn't get to my camera out in time to get the photo are:
1. Man with 5 birds on shoulders/head singing (him - not the birds)
2. Lady with ferret
3. Hipster couple with 2 bunnies on leashes
4. Lizard guy
5. The snake people
6. Jojo the rat faced lady
But were any of these odd enough to get onto the Hamilton Bingo Card? 
​Naw.

Oh....did I mention the locusts??????
​I feel like that should have been a sign for me!!!!!!!!
;-) 

..more of the FINAL day.....

So there you go.
A SUPER recap - for the Supercrawl!

Thanks to Margaret and Alex and Donna and Gord and EVERYONE that was funny and lovely to be around for the weekend! I really did appreciate spending time with some great Hamiltonians!!!

Thanks to the folks who came by to spend some time and $$ this weekend!
​
And thanks to Cindy for keeping me in stitches!

ALL DAY
EVERYDAY
12-15 HOURS
LOOPING
ALL DAY
EVERYDAY
12-15 HOURS

You're welcome!

JAMES STREET SUPERCRAWL 

Friday, September 9th 6:00pm 12:00am
Saturday, September 10th 12:00pm 12:00am
Sunday, September 11th 12:00pm 7:00pm 
Hamilton, ON

Supercrawl is a free festival weekend of art and music on James Street in Hamilton, Ontario.

I WILL BE THERE sharing a tent with Cindy Scaife and her art!
I will also probably be drinking to make it to midnight!
(wink wink)
So come by to see THAT!
​
Also.....if you like music.....and I know many do.....

Headliners at Supercrawl 2016 will include The Strumbellas, Matt Andersen & the Bona Fide, The Trews, F---ed Up, Four Tet, Junior Boys, and Sharon and Bram.

FUN.....RIGHT???
For the show I completed some new Hamilton themed works...

There are also limited edition Giclée prints of these bad boys.
For those of you who are NEW to my merch.....

A Giclée (pronounced "jhee-clay") is a sophisticated inkjet method of printing on acid free watercolor paper. They are produced for me by a professional Giclee Printer on an Epson printer with K3 pigment inks. 

All my giclées are printed in 2 sizes, 16" x 20" ($80.00) and
8" x 10" ($40.00). The paper is high qualtity, acid and chlorine free 100% cotton rag paper. Each one is signed and numbered in ink - by yours truly.

​Please note, they are small (limited) editions.....so once they are gone - they are GONE!

I have also made a few new postcards for this event, and some original little art paintings - these are off my INSTAGRAM feed:
​

So come out at see these guys and MANY MORE this weekend!
Remember, this is A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT....and it is FREEEEE!
Come out and say HI!
See you tomorrow?!

WHAT UP Y'ALL!!!
I have been super busy getting ready for.....brace for it....my FALL....yes, I said FALL, shows. (Insert whimpering here!)
First up is....

JAMES STREET SUPERCRAWL 

Friday, September 9th 6:00pm 12:00am
Saturday, September 10th 12:00pm 12:00am
Sunday, September 11th 12:00pm 7:00pm 
Hamilton, ON

Supercrawl is a free festival weekend of art and music on James Street in Hamilton, Ontario. I WILL BE THERE sharing a tent with Cindy Scaife and her art! I will also probably be drinking to make it to midnight!!!!!!! So come by for THAT!

To get ready for the big show, I am doing a few new paintings.

​To add to my Hamilton collection, I wanted to replicate the kind of look in my "The 6ix" painting. Don't remember that one???
HERE IT IS!

I like calling Hamilton 'the Hammer' it's strong imagery!
I like even better that I have used the tagline from the 80's....

YUP! How fun am I??
ANYWAYS, so then I tried to pick a few highlights of Hamilton. Are they EVERYONE'S first choice? Naw. But I like them....and THAT is what is important! 
I chose architecture I really liked...the imagery is as follows....
1. The Hamilton waterfront/skyline (with a nod to the steel mills)
2. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats 
3. The Pigott Building
4. The George R. Robinson Bandshell in Gage Park
3. City Hall
4. The proposed light rail on King Street (I am imagining this is
   gonna get me into hot water with some people!)
5. The first Tim Horton's
6. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Here is a small non-detailed breakdown of how I completed the painting...

.....and then I stopped documenting it!
Which always happen when I get 'into the groove'......
Here is the FINAL IMAGE!
BLAMO!!!!!!

I am also working up merch based this this bad boy!!
Please come out in September to see me!!!
PLEEEEASE!

BIG NEWS!
I will be bringing my booth to Hamilton!
YUP! Come out and see my NEW work SEPTEMBER 9th - 11th on the street as part of The James Street North SUPERCRAWL!
It looks a little something like this:

WOW! Right?
​I have enjoyed strolling this event in previous years, but this time, I will be RIGHT IN THE ACTION!
I will be sharing my booth with Cindy Scaife....you can check out her stuff here!
I will obviously have more information as the days get closer.....but for now, put it in your calendar!
​FUN!!!!!!!!!!

WHEW!
Yesterday I was a part of The Kensington Market Art Fair. It was my 5th time showing with them. This year I was smart - I picked the first and last of the KMAF season so that I would not be sweating to death......
SO SMART ROBBIE!!!
Ya....it was 30 FREAKING DEGREES yesterday AND Saturday!
(I know what you're thinking - here goes author instalment of Rob's weather/art show rants!) 
But it is REALLY hard to get people excited about buying something when their wallets are so hot that they have FUSED to their shorts!
Just saying.
ANYWAYS....here is my photo-log of the process from load to unload!
ENJOY:

So, that is how it went.
It was hot.
It was SWELTERINGLY HOT.
It was dirty - as these things can be....and no...not in the sexy way.....BUT despite all that....it was a pretty good day!
I had a LOT of great clients come by and pick up something from my booth! I really appreciate the support!
Thanks to everyone at KMAF and to my art-neighbours for everything!
No time for slacking though.....as I turn my attention to
The Riverdale Art Walk!!!! READ ABOUT THAT HERE!

HOWDEE!
So show season is almost upon us!
SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO SEE ALL THE NEW STUFF!!!!!
I have new paintings, new prints, new postcards, new merch.
VERY EXCITING!!
First up.....

THE KENSINGTON MARKET ART FAIR
**I will be there Sunday May 29th and October 30th ONLY!
12pm to 7pm at 77 Nassau St (see map below)
I will be showing mostly prints and merch - and some LARGE paintings......THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BUY THE MERCH/POSTCARDS that will NOT be available at my fine art shows this summer!

SEE YOU IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!!!

Happy Tuesday!
So here's the thing. 
Sometimes I just plain forget to take photos of a project as I paint it. This is the case for this next piece....
"Leslieville" came together pretty fast when painting it. (Which is great and a refreshing change from my last few pieces!)
Here you go:

So as you can see, I went for the same multi-area focus that I did on my last big painting (St Clair West). I like that by picking a bunch of locations in the same area - I can really get the flavour of the area!! I think this one is pretty good...In it, I focused on:
1. The DeGrassi Street railway overpass that is essentially the gateway to Leslieville. 
2. The beautiful Ashbridge Estate.
3. The iconic Leslieville Mural at Jones Street - that is about to repainted! :-(
4. A stretch of Queen east that represents the many FAB shops!!
 
I have featured the streetcars (as they are iconic for Toronto - and especially Queen Street). I have also integrated the maple leaf as my homage to Alexander Muir, the composer of “The Maple Leaf Forever” who was a Leslieville big shot!

This is all in preparation for The Riverdale Art Walk:

Riverdale Art Walk is a two-day, public fine art exhibition showcasing established and emerging artists INDOORS and outdoors in Jimmie Simpson Park in Toronto’s flourishing Queen East arts district. The first outdoor art show of Toronto’s season, participating artists are selected through an anonymous jury process, allowing an opportunity to participate in the only outdoor art show that focuses ONLY on fine art. Last year, the festival hosted over 170 participating artists and the inclusion of local community groups, entertainment and food vendors.
Now in its 18th year in the Riverdale/Leslieville area of Toronto, the festival has grown to reach an audience of over 10,000 art enthusiasts and supporters. Through new partnership opportunities with the local BIA, the Riverdale Art Walk expects to continue to grow. 

The Riverdale Art Walk is held primarily in Jimmie Simpson Park (Outdoors) plus, NEW this year, the indoor space of the Jimmie Simpson Community Centre!

YOU WILL FIND ME INDOORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Tell a friend - actually, tell 10 friends!)

Saturday, June 4 11:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday,   June 5 11:00am – 6:00pm

I will have A LOT of new work to show you at this exhibition!
Mark your calendars!
I hope you can come out and see me!