Work, life & my studio

I have made a lot of changes in my work and life this fall. I began teaching at Sheridan, a huge leap for me in terms of lifetime goals and also a big commute. It's a major adjustment to make, but the experience has been very positive, so far. It is also a reason why I haven't posted much work lately. I have been super busy, assignment wise, so look for some upcoming posts about what's on my desk and what I have been doing this fall.

I was happy to have my work included in the latest Work/Life annual, published by Uppercase. They are based in Calgary and put out some fantastic and inspirational collections of designers, artists, and illustrators, and Uppercase magazine.

I was asked to create an illustration of my studio space, something that I designed and built myself. Since I spend most of my time in the studio, it is something that holds a central focus in my life.  Having the right place to work, to be creative is critical to my success as an artist. Everything has to fit together.

Lots of great talent in this collection, like James Gulliver Hancock, Carey Sookocheff, Michael Byers, Jessica Brilli & more.

You can see more images of my studio here. You can also find out about why I need a compass.

 

Wrapping Up, part 2

Maintaining your perspective can be a tricky balance. I came off a ridiculously busy month in November to face a very quiet December. Good time to get my house in order for the Holidays. I hauled out some prints that I have been intending to frame and got them together. Framing up work is incredibly meticulous and stressful, but ultimately rewarding once the work is on the wall. These pieces are much larger than I usually work, but it is so nice to see them up on the wall!

 I ventured into the bathroom to do some renovations as well. Never a good idea, under the best of circumstances. But I emerged with with my sanity in tact and happy with the results. I have patched, painted and renovated almost every square inch of the house we live in over the past 15 years. It's looking pretty good now. 

I worked on a cover for Renovations magazine with Pete Morelewicz last month. Great guy to work with. Here's a peek at the cover artwork.

Given the ups and downs of the economy, how do you see the upcoming year? Up or down? The prospects for an economic recovery look promising, but there is the looming fiscal cliff in the U.S. and the ever-present Eurozone Crisis.

I worked on a series of spots for the Wall Street Journal on the Congressional budget negotiations last fall and recently did this piece for the New York Times, with European leaders playing a dangerous game of 'chicken' with the markets. It's been a white-knuckle ride so far. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

Keep your head on straight in the New Year. Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season. All the best for 2013!

 

Show Ready

I am very excited about getting the upcoming Mecanismos show together. It opens November 26, at Oeno Gallery. Part of the challenge in launching a show like this is finding a way to get one hundred pieces framed and ready to hang. I worked with Carlyn Moulton at Oeno and we decided to handle the framing on site.

I have been working with Ivan Tanzer, matting the pieces and then assembling the frames. It is meticulous and demanding work, but anything this repetitive has a certain zen-like quality to it. I think that all artists get lost in process at times. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

I also appreciate getting everything together well ahead of schedule. A luxury for someone who works to short deadlines on a regular basis.

If you are in Prince Edward County or passing through, please join me at the opening or drop by to see the show. It runs from November 26 through the holidays until January 3.

Project Projector

Our local theatre, the Regent, is a local landmark that has gone through a remarkable transformation this year. It was remodelled, upgraded and given a complete interior renovation. In a small town like ours, it plays an important role in creating community, and it's always a nice treat to walk down and see a live event or a movie. Plus we get Cinefest films straight from the film festival circuit. In Picton, we are really fortunate to have a thriving main street, and the Regent is one of its anchors.

I was asked to create a piece for a fundraiser with the goal of purchasing a state-of-the-art digital projector. I decided to invent my own projector, not modern or digital, but very, very enthusiastic! The fundraising committe provided a letterbox frame to the contributing artists, so I took on a collaged frame as well.

Here is a step-by-step look at the framing, and the final result

Frame, print and rice glue (from the Japanese paper shop in Toronto, and really amazing for collages)

First stage

Adding a little colour

Putting it together

Done! 

The Regent Theatre Fundraiser is October 13 at the Picton Golf and Country Club. Support local theatre!

Mecanismos

Creativity can be daunting at times. Sometimes it's like reading a compass without a needle. What direction to take? I am working towards filling sketchbooks with drawings, but I struggle with the routine. When I am busy working, the sketchbooks sit on the shelf and gather dust.
Most of the work that I do is digitally based, so I do find the time to experiment with vector-based images. A sense of play that I have used in the CMY-X series and Retrobots. This series springs from my digital sketchbooks.

 Over the past couple of years I have been working on a series of screenprints. These are collages based on my collection of dusty old science textbooks, hardward catalogues and do-it-yourself magazines. Animating the inanimate. Bringing out the mad scientist in me.

 

When I started this series, I felt a strong need to experiment. I've worked on a number of small edition prints, working towards consistency. With this series, I wanted to produce 100 unique prints, using the same elements throughout, but mixing and remixing the different pieces. The heads and bodies are mixed and matched, in and exquisite corpse kind of way. It was exciting to play with different combinations of color, shapes and expressions.

Sixteen heads
Sixteen bodies
45 background elements
7 colors
100 prints

Thanks to Chrissy Poitras and Kyle Topping at Spark Box Studio!
I am putting the first ten in the series up at Illogator.  Or you can contact me directly and I'd be happy to send one along to you.