BIG NEWS! I am thrilled to join the Blue Crow Gallery! It is a brand new gallery located at 1610 Gerrard Street East, Toronto (right in the heart of Little India). I am excited to be in company of so many of my favourite artists including; Ian Busher, Mark Gleberzon, Kelly Grace, Lisa Hickey, Julie Himel, Rachelle Kearns, Sandy Middleton, Alanna Peters, Ann Shier, Marjolyn Vanderhart, Jodi Wheeler....etc.......
Go by this holiday and check them out. There is fine art, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, some cool robots and MORE. You can also sign up to do some classes! There is a full calendar of events that run in this GREAT new space for both adults and kids!! FUN!
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HEY FRIENDS! Well, it's been a full week since the close of the One of a Kind Show. Am I well rested yet? NO! Did I get I sick AS SOON as the truck was loaded? YES! And have I contined to be sick all week?? Yuppers!! THIS is not a new story - and I am grateful that I wasn't sick DURING the show! But YEEESH! Okay enough pity-party.....let's look at my 2016 experience at OOAKX16 though photos..... Here are the 5 paintings I thought would sell fast......they are inspired by The Wizard of Oz.... Top Dog, Bird Brain, Home Sick, Goody Two Shoes and Clean Sweep. All 12" x 12", and all $275.00.....which I kept having to explain was a fair price, due to the time I spent painting them, and the number of years I have been PROFESSIONALLY showing my art. (That part, admitedly, made me a tiny bit crazy after a few days!) ....and then.........after the wine..... Tsk tsk tsk. There you go.
Lots of photos to explaining my 11 days at OOAKX16. I could NEVER have done it without Husband, he wa there evrery day to helpl me keep my sanity!!! I want to thank the One of a Kind staff for making my 2nd show run smoothly! They work super hard, and i really appreciate it!! I lastly want to thank all the new people I met, and all the old friends that came out, I really appreciate your support!!! YOU DA BEST!! And now.....back to bed........ ;-) So if you have been at my booth at the One of a Kind Show in the last couple of days, you may have run into this guy: He has been manning the booth in my absence. BLESS HIS HEART! (aka WHAT A SUCKER!) I left early yesterday, AND came in late this morning. I know you imagine I was doing this: But no....here's why. 1. It was nice and slow at my One of a Kind Show booth. 2. I wanted to decorate our house with Christmas stuff! Yup, for the first time in 3 years I am feeling a bit of the holiday spirit - and that's even WITHOUT egg nog! So, I dug out all the outdoor stuff, that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time, As I unburied it, I almost forgot there were a number of new additions: Please note - this is a work in progress - the ;lighting still needs to be fixed up a bit - but you get the idea!!! These deer are actually NEW to my front yard! They moved here a couple years ago from London! My Dad made them, and so when he passed, I insisted they come home with me. THIS was my Dad and Mom's house in 2012..... As you can see, it was a LOT! Yup. My dad (and sister) made and painted a LOT of stuff!!! It wasn't always so crazy. When I was a kid, it was just lights.....but then once retirement and the grandkids came along.....it became a real big deal for my folks. I knew it was Christmas when his lawn display went up! When I would call them from Toronto, I would always ask "how much of the penguins are covered?" And we would talk about the snowfall! (Londoners get a whole lot more snow than we do in T.O.!) I still remember vividly how I felt when I drove up to the house and saw the whole Christmas menagerie, and all the lights up! It was WONDERFUL!!!! Sadly, all good things must end. This is the 3rd Christmas with the house I grew up in sold, and my Dad gone. When he passed, many parts of his Christmas display went too. They were in very bad shape after 2 decades of canadian winters. Truthfully looking at these pictures both fills my heart with love, and a stings a bit from sadness. I still remember that I would go down in late November to help Dad take all the animals down from the garage attic. We would carefully assemble the deer and then put them into formation. Dad would spend much of the time grumbling that "this is the last year I am doing this".....he would complain while we worked, and it was kinda funny! I KNEW that next year we would find ourselves assembling Santa into his sleigh again! When we would finish, we would light it all up, then celebrate with a peppermint boozy drink. I KNOW he loved how it looked, and he was proud that their house was one of the nicest in the cull-de-sac!
These are the best kind of memories, the lasting ones. So this year, for the first time in a few years I decided to do my best to honour his 'over-the-top' decorating! I come by it honestly! A few minutes in, I was complaining about how much work it was....and how I was never doing it again! Then I started laughing to myself at how much like my Dad I can be sometimes!! But now that it is "done", I look forward to looking out my window and seeing the deer, and judging the snowfall by the penguins, and remembering the good times of Christmas past.....oh and having a peppermint boozy drink for my Dad!! And now.....back to the OOAK to sell my wares! I hope you enjoyed that little story! And to all a good nite! HEY YOU GUYS! Next weekend - yes in 7 days......the studio where I rent space is having a big open house! For those who haven't been by to say hello....this is your chance to swing by and see artists in their natural habitat! :-) Here is where the Studio is: Looking to see some art - and maybe buy some Christmas presents?
Look no further! It will be a fun party! Saturday November 19th from 6pm-11pm at 83 Walnut Ave, Toronto! PWYC at the door Reception • Cash bar • DJ It’s that time of year again, Walnut Studios is opening its doors to the public for our annual Holiday Art Exhibition and celebration! Walnut Studios is a collective art studio in the King West Village, housing 55 artists working in a variety of disciplines including painting, jewelry, fashion design, sculpture, photography, graphic design, and installation. Established in 2007, Walnut is a hub of creativity, inspiration, and collaboration. On November 19th, We will open the doors of the warehouse studio to allow the public to come in for a holiday celebration of art and share in the creative process Please join us and support local artists in the community I will be there all night!! I hope to see you there too!!!! I know to many people, today is a dark day. Thanks to a stunning US election, it is a disturbing moment in history. It is hard not to feel pessimistic and deeply frightened by what is to come. I am overwhelmingly saddened by people's hate and anger and ignorance! I think in these times, when the loud-mouthed bullies seem to win, we need to come together and stand strong. I really do know first hand, that in the end, the bullies never win. Being bullied from the age of 4, I know whereof I speak! It was rough for me for many years, and truthfully it leaves a lasting scar on your heart and your ego. HOWEVER it also makes you stronger and more self sufficient and gives you a greater understanding of yourself. Here is what I also am sure of. Going forward will require us ALL to have more love, patience and kindness - even with those people who seem least deserving of it. One thing helps me face the dark days: Laughter! It is what I have built my career on....so with that in mind, I want to show you some work that I am in the midst of painting.... Here is the sales pitch....you must come out and see this new work at The One Of a Kind Show at the Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON., November 24-December 4, 2016 (BOOTH #G03) -- BTW I WILL NOT be showing the brand new art at my studio open house - which I will tell you all about in a couple days.... If you follow me on Instagram, you will see the new work FIRST! Go check it out. Lastly, I want to say that in days like this, it is really easy to be overcome by hate and anger. However, I think that if we can find our own personal strength, we can learn to be gentle and kind with each other and ourselves! So....let's just do that. Okay?? WHAAAAAA? For those of you who have never seen that catchy hashtag, it stands for The One Of A Kind Christmas Show, 2016. Let me tell you all about it! It is a MASSIVE indoor craft and art show here in Toronto, and I am thrilled to be back for my second year!!!
Come out to the Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON. Thursday November 24 from 10am to 9pm Friday November 25 from 10am to 9pm Saturday November 26 from 10am to 9pm Sunday November 27 from 10am to 6pm Monday November 28 from 10am to 9pm Tuesday November 29 from 10am to 9pm Wednesday November 30 from 10am to 9pm Thursday December 1 from 10am to 11pm Friday December 2 from 10am to 9pm Saturday December 3 from 10am to 9pm Sunday December 4 from 10am to 6pm BOOTH #G03 The One of a Kind Christmas Show is one of the most anticipated Christmas shopping shows of the year, featuring unique products for everyone. The show gathers the work of approximately 800 artisans for your browsing pleasure. Shop for hand-crafted ceramics, jewellery, furniture, clothing and accessories, browse through art galleries, watch a fashion show and take part in artistic holiday activities. Since its first show in 1975, it has become the largest consumer craft show in North America. There are also hands-on workshops where you can make unique gifts. Each includes breakfast and admission to the show. BUY TICKETS TICKET PRICE Adult: $13, Senior/Youth: $7.50, Children 12 and under: Free It is 11 wonderfully exhausting days, and I would love to see you there! It is a great way to get some holiday shopping done (or gift to self)! I am so happy to have my Hamilton prints and postcards with a new retailer..... THE HAMILTON STORE: They are celebrating their 3 year anniversary this week. I am a big fan of the store, and of Hamilton. If you are a regular reader here, you know that already! But I really do love this store - partially because the owner is spectacularly lovely and charming! One of the things that is special about The Hamilton Store, is the curation of the products. Almost everything is made by local people, and THAT is amazing! There is a hugely diverse line up of things....from condiments to art!
This is the perfect store for your holiday gifts! Whether you know someone in Hamilton, or ARE someone from Hamilton, there is going to be a great gift (or gift to self)! I LOVE the city, I have a bunch of relatives and friends that live there.....and they MUST go down to The Hamilton Store at 165 James Street North, and pick up something special!! Also check them out on the interwebs: The Hamilton Store Website on their Facebook page and on Twitter! Thanks guys!!!!! 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. It is gonna be sunny but chilly.....AND YET I still want you to come down and see me.....I will have my prints and postcards! I will also be debuting 3 STUNNING new limited edition Giclees! Now what makes these guys special, is that each one has a bunch of painted embellishments on it to make it slightly different. WHY DO YOU WANT ONE??? Because not only are they STUNNING, they are also nicely priced!! Generally my giclees on canvas are less than 1/3 of the retail prices of my original paintings! So it is a good deal for my work, and each is different....here is a sneak peak... 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 Hey y'all! If you were not around this last Saturday....you missed the big show. The 3rd annual flagship Etsy: Made in Canada show. Hundreds of small business owning artisans all across Canada, taking time from making things to sell to the masses! It was a fun show - and SUPER BUSY! It was also MY BIRTHDAY! So if you missed it... Shame! The show was co-hosted by the Toronto Etsy Street Team and 416Hustler - and they did a great job - I was very happy! The event was at the MaRS Building...which as you will see in my FEW photos, was pretty neato! It was wonderful to see so many Etsy artisans!! What a crazy busy day! Met loads of great people....but it was super packed - so there want a lot of time to check stuff out! Here are the photos I promised: See what I mean? I took the hall shots at 4 different times in the day!!! BUSY!!!! Now...a complaint I had......the booths on my side were all right over the cold air grates..... Honestly....I kinda felt like this all day long: No....I wasn't wearing a dress.....but DAAAAAAMMMMN it was windy on top the grate!!! Eventually I had to do something....it was CCCCCCOLD! (that is me stammering from the frigid air!) I kid you not.....it also felt like this: I put down a blanket....and that helped me from freezing solid...although it did look a tiny bit like I was having some kind of strange picnic - or perhaps like I was a homeless person.... IT WAS FINE. RAMSHACKLE - but it worked! I did make a small error in judgement beginning this NEW piece though..... I had to explain what it meant....... I guess it is kinda too "gay" for everyone to get?? I had not thought that it would be something I would need to explain the mechanics of! BUT. Note to self going forward. On my short lunch - husband came to relieve me whilst I crammed down a turkey sammie. i became TRANSFIXED with the escalator....... RIGHT??? IT was really really memorizing!!!!! (could be I didn't have enough sleep though....) THIS was what it looked like when I came back!!! SO MANY PEOPLE! Which was great! Thanks to all the great people I met!
Thanks to husband for taking care of me! Thanks to all the folks who organized the show, it was a nice quality show, and your effort did not go unnoticed!! OH.....and thanks to everyone that came out to support the me!! YOU ROCK! See you soon! OKAY! So I think I have finally decompressed from the big Supercrawl super experience! Truthfully, it was not as super as I had hoped for. BUT I really try to look at this whole art career in the long term. A blip in fortune is expected over a career, so a couple shows in a row that don't live up to my expectations.....not such a big deal in the long run. Honestly, even a couple bad years when amortized over a lifetime are not a big deal in the end. It also provides contrast. The good is better when you have the bad to counterbalance it! Right?? Besides, you never know what is around the corner - and what non-super experiences will provide SUPER DUPER opportunities! Certainly, every experience leads to the next experience - in the same way that each painting leads to the next painting. So it's onto the next thing..... This is the 3rd annual flagship Etsy: Made in Canada show. The show which is co-hosted by the Toronto Etsy Street Team and 416Hustler, featuring 130 top handmade and vintage Canadian Etsy sellers! Saturday September 24th (YUP - my birthday!) from 10am to 6pm The event is at the MaRS Building (Which in itself should be enough to entice you come out!) 101 College Street I am located in booth #114 This event FREE to attend and FREE DIY workshops for the public! PLUS there are 100 swag bags available at the door for you eager beavers! WANNA PREVIEW OF WHAT YOU WILL SEE? Check out the look book for the event: SO MUCH GREAT STUFF!!!!!!!!!! As for me, I will be showing SMALL prints, and postcards and NEW 6" x 6" original artworks!!!! Like these (that you may have seen on my INSTAGRAM feed): I really hope you can come out!
Great space - great crafty and arty vendors! (and you can bring me some birthday cake....no...wine...no BOTH! ;-) Thanks guys! |
MY BLOG - YOUR INBOX:AuthorRob is a professional artist, lover of vintage stuff, part time smart @ss and compulsive pancake eater! Archives
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