… to thrive as an artist…

From Lucia Joyce- To Dance in the Wake by Carol Loeb Shloss “In short, they were nice women, versions of the angel in the house, that perilously good creature that Virginia Woolf commemorated as Mrs. Ramsay in To the Lighthouse. It is relevant to Lucia’s story to remember that Woolf knew she had to “kill”…

Guilty of intent.

One word… come on, Thorsen— just one word… If I am to continue to commit to this artist life, answer to my gift, I must at least scratch out one word a day… just one word. Maybe it is this long winter, or old age, or plain old fatigue from getting up at 5 every…

LIFE AS A FREELANCE CREATIVE. #rentcheque

LIFE AS A FREELANCE CREATIVE Holy shit- let’s be honest- being a freelance creative is tough.  It’s a bare cupboard lifestyle and yet there it is- that inexplicable drive to keep creating– knowing that you somehow do not have the option to stop. WTF is up with that? You need to create.  It’s so fucking…

VanCaf reflections Part 3 of 6: Emily Cowan, comic artist

  Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday! I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts: 1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK 2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK 3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic 4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic 5. Inspector Pancakes 6. Erica Moen, Boumeries…

Delightful local Vancouver artist: Amy Tom

I am delighted to introduce an extraordinary Vancouver artist, Amy Tom.  I was introduced to her through my friend Anne Banner, owner/curator of Vancouver curiosity shop and paradise: Salmagundi West.  Amy’s whimsical and magical style inspires me to no end! Check out her ETSY shop! I create postcards, magnets and art prints reproduced from my…

Michele’s Happiness and Joy Lessons for Parents and Teachers

I first met Michele Lilyanna in 1996 at Roberts Creek Community Elementary School.   Through luck and serendipity, Michele taught both my kids.   She and I quickly bonded over a mutual and voracious love of the creative process.   We eventually taught art classes together to all ages.  I learned so much from co-facilitating with Michele- how…

What I learned in 2013: honor your gift.

– Yesterday I posted what I learned about myself in 2013.  I was going to write a long list of words and concepts I embraced in 2013. – – But I stripped it down.  Stripped it down to the bare essence: – So what I truly learned in 2013 is that I have the right,…

My new obsession: artist Lisa Cinar of “Draw Me A Lion”

I had the pleasure of finally meeting Lisa Cinar at her Draw Me A Lion booth at the Strathcona Winter Craft Fair yesterday.  What a beautiful person! I am a huge fan of Lisa’s work.  Her art brings up such immensely pleasurable memories of my childhood in Sweden, artist Lisa Larson and my favorite children’s books.  I…

CHAD. Whiteboard series by Eric Wright.

Introducing “Chad” by Vancouver artist, Eric Wright I was so inspired that I HAD to make a sock version: I am so excited to watch Eric’s artistic path unfold!  Stay tuned!

The beautiful collage journal of Darcy G.

Recall my wonderful afternoon last week with Darcy.  Yesterday we spent some time doing beetle studies… … and I delighted in looking through Darcy’s marvelous collage journal (ca 1999). Here are some highlights:      —

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…

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…

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…

Weekly artist series: Week 9 Part 2 SUE COE: A mother dying

Week 9 Part 2 Sue Coe The Last 11 Days is a group of charcoal drawings Sue Coe created from July 20 to 31, 1995 depicting her mother as she lay dying with cancer. The drawings reveal Coe’s private struggle with her mother’s illness and eventual death. [source] I’m not a big fan of the word “resonate.”…

Weekly artist series: Week 8 Part 2 DECONSTRUCT CONSTRUCT #OttoDix

Week 8 Part 2 Otto Dix As with George Grosz, I’m using the book LUSTMORD as my main resource this week. Look at Otto Dix’s paintings.  See the cartoonish exaggerated style. DECONSTRUCT Pull off the cover of an old hard cover book: Horizon publications are wonderful for this.  And the contents are perfect for collaging. Find a…

Weekly artist series: Week 8 Part 1 #OttoDix

Week 8 Part 1 Otto Dix OTTO DIX: Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix 2 December 1891 – 25 July 1969) was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit. [source]  …

Weekly artist series: Week 7 Part 3 ELAINE #deKooning. #husbandsandwives

Week 7 Part 3 Willem de Kooning Artists do not work in a vacuum.  I am fascinated by artists in relationships. Frida/ Diego Camille/ Auguste Lee/ Jackson Sophie/ Hans Elaine/ Willem How did they feed each other’s art?  How did they harm each other?  Influence each other?  Who was more powerful?  Are they inseparable? ELAINE…

Weekly artist series: Week 7 Part 2 ERASING #deKooning. #arttherapy

Week 7 Part 2 Willem de Kooning To read about the erased deKooning, click ERASED deKOONING Look up de Kooning in images. Copy a favorite with charcoal. Now erase it. See also: 35 PART daily journal exercise Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO Weekly artist series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO Weekly artist series Week 2…