Forest floor. #graphicnovel #crimescene #Vancouver #coldcase

Currently working on a page focusing on a child’s hand on the forest floor on  OCTOBER 5, 1947. — MOLLY- the graphic novel — Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project.  YES PLEASE!  You can donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE —

Friday night journal exercise: taming the inner critic. #arttherapy

With your dominant hand write all those nasty things your inner critic hacks away at you. With your non-dominant hand, tell the inner critic off, tame it, write positive things about yourself.  This exercise allows those racing thoughts to purge out on paper with the hand you usually write with.  Forcing yourself to write positive…

“Fresh sheets.” Journal exercise: your favorite memory. #arttherapy

Write for 10 minutes about your favorite memory.   Maybe a favorite unusual moment in time.   Stream of consciousness.  No censorship.  Keep the pen moving.  Don’t worry about grammar or making sense. Sometimes favorite memories can feel poignant, sad, sentimental, amazing. A favorite memory.  I thought of it last night as I changed the…

The Social Life is launched! Congrats to @annatfabulous!

Congratulations to my daughter, Anna T Fabulous, on the launch of her stunning new site: THE SOCIAL LIFE There are People to meet, Places to go and Things to do. The Social Life profiles the fabulous and fashionable People, Places and Things from cities all over North America. Their Editor-In-Chief, Anna T Fabulous, currently lives in San Francisco. I love you, Anna!!!

New minimalist work by Julian Bowers

These two new pieces by my son, Julian Bowers, are clean, quiet and peaceful, yet they still have the powerful and voracious exploration found in his previous work. Stay tuned for a blog post on Julian’s band Sleuth, as they prep for their trip to New York!

A day of creativity with Darcy Glip!

Spent an amazing day with Darcy yesterday creating and chatting and eating in his beautiful new space.  Reconnecting with old friends is very healing. Find the recipe at: I added a few things, Tandoori spice to the onions near the end of cooking as well as crumbled pecans. Instead of dijon mustard I used a…

Jessica Chau’s delightful Glitch Series 1-5 (2012) at UBC’s annual BFA/BA Visual Art graduating exhibition

As featured in the Dorothy Somerset Studios at   TOO DEEP FOR YOU | UBC 2012 BFA/BA Visual Art Graduating Exhibition This year, UBC’s annual BFA/BA Visual Art graduating exhibition is TOO DEEP FOR YOU. The exhibition showcases the ambitious final projects of graduating Visual Art students. Materially and methodologically diverse, artworks in the exhibition are representative…

Jasmine Schuett’s glorious painting ‘Pack: Not All Wolves Run On Four Legs’ (2012)

As featured in the AHVA Library Gallery during   TOO DEEP FOR YOU | UBC 2012 BFA/BA Visual Art Graduating Exhibition This year, UBC’s annual BFA/BA Visual Art graduating exhibition is TOO DEEP FOR YOU. The exhibition showcases the ambitious final projects of graduating Visual Art students. Materially and methodologically diverse, artworks in the exhibition are representative…

#Tattooing journey- step 3: Testing a skin marker!

Recall my posts: Watercolor tattoos 1 Watercolor tattoos 2 The purchase of a tattoo machine Getting to know the machine Tattooing- taking it seriously Tattooing Step 1: plug it in Tattooing Step 2: testing it out — I am not interested in doing old school tattooing and classical tattooing.  I will leave that to the…

Cult of personality revisited.

In the late 80’s I worked on a series entitled CULT OF PERSONALITY.  I feel a new art event coming on building on the work I did last year and taking portraits of fabulous people I know to a whole new level.  Stay tuned! —

Weekly artist series final: Week 10/10 Part 4/4 LUCIAN FREUD: Your self.

Week 10 Part 4 Lucian Freud The subject matter is autobiographical, it’s all to do with hope and memory and sensuality and involvement really… Lucian Freud Write in your journal whatever comes to mind as you focus on yourself: Draw a self-portrait.  What happens?   Next, I will be transfering this self-portrait to canvas with mod-podge…

A young woman’s healing journal.

My student, Rajwi, has an extraordinary journal and she shares her pages with us today.  How lucky we are to get such insight from this young spirit with an old soul! Kudos to Rajwi’s art teacher for this great project- to create a journal within a secondhand book.  There is something quite magical about it….

Drawing during ARTS WEEK at @wpgadotca! #creativity! #highenergy!

A huge thank you to Danielle Unger for the invite and to all the staff and students at West Point Grey Academy for putting on an amazing event and for being being so welcoming!  It was wonderful seeing artists from the community sharing their gifts with these talented and highly creative kids! It was all…

Weekly artist series: Week 10 of 10 Part 3 LUCIAN FREUD: your self-portrait sketch.

Week 10 Part 3 Lucian Freud A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or…

Weekly artist series: Week 10 of 10 Part 2 LUCIAN FREUD: Self-portrait prep. Exaggerate.

Week 10 Part 2 Lucian Freud As we prep for our Freudian self-portrait, let’s practice exaggeration of features. Choose a face that inspires you. Draw it without exaggerating the features: Now exaggerate the features slightly to better illustrate the subject’s character: Next time, we draw ourselves in preparation for Art House Co-op Self-Portrait Project: See also: 35 PART…

Weekly artist series: Week 10 of 10 Part 1 LUCIAN FREUD: Let’s be honest.

Week 10 Part 1 Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a German-born British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impastoed portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time.  His works are noted for their psychological penetration, and for their often discomfiting examination of the…

When I struggle with Critique vs. Criticism, it’s time for Critical Thinking

[Images from quote books from my art shows in the early 90’s] Ah, the artist dilemma.  Or really, the human condition.   The struggle with taking critique but not treating it as criticism.  Juggling the constructive and the destructive.  Be it from friends, family, community, clients… mainly OURSELVES!  By slowing down and pulling out some…