Growing A Web Presence

Oy, I'd much rather be in front of the easel, paints mixed and ready for applying to the nearest surface,  than in front of the laptop, papers spread in disarray, searching my brain for words.  Nae bother - it's all creativity, in one form or another, so an end to the wingeing (temporarily!!). 

Joanie Gagnon San Chirico, a dynamic, highly productive mixed-media east coast artist has developed a great site which will be going public tomorrow:  ProfessionalFineArtNetwork.com .   Organized to help facilitate connections between fine art professionals and those who utilize their services (mainly in the public art sector) it's a good-looking, well-organized site which I'm proud to have representing my work. 

Scottish notes of interest:
The beautiful watercolours of Joseph Turner have come to light in their annual unveiling at the Royal Scottish Academy Building in Edinburgh.  Gifted to the National Galleries by their collector, Henry Vaughan, it was stipulated in his bequest that these delicate watercolours should only be shown in January when natural daylight is at its weakest, so they will not fade. This limited exposure has resulted in the works retaining their natural brilliance and luminous colours.  Aye, reason enough for a visit to Edinburgh, midwinter or no!

Homage....to Fromage!

Cheese.....one of the essential basic food groups, surely!  The heady smells and interesting stacks of edible geometric shapes in various colours make the wee cheese shop on Edinburgh's Victoria Street one of my favourite places to stop, just sniffing and gazing in fascination at the mouthwatering varieties of curdled milk!   This painting is in homage to one of life's best treats - a flavourful slice of cheese!
Oil on gallery wrap canvas  12"x12"   $400

Hogmanay.....

The New Year has come & I'd be fibbing if I said I was prepared....my normal mad 'cleanup & clearout" to start the new year right just didn't take place....PRIORITIES!!! Who wants to clean when there's family & friends, music to play, paintings to create, & an overwhelming amount of details to face off in the printing/marketing operation of this painter's studio?! Maybe I'll do a 15-minute pickup today, just to see if I can get a glimpse of the actual worktable surface.....!

New off the easel: Memento Mori Oil on Canvas 20"x13"
A favourite image I've aimed to paint for several years, this is my interpretation of a headstone in an Edinburgh churchyard. A fine art form I know little of is stonecarving. Such expressive manipulation of such a cold, hard, difficult medium. Burial works are examples I find particularly striking, communicating cultural values & info to those willing to observe. This headstone is an excellent example of the practice of indicating the occupation of the deceased with tools of their trade. Stone itself can represent so many things...solidity, security, harshness, & relative permanence. Primarily singular in colour on it's own, a stoncarving's years of exposure add the beautiful touches of a variety of hues through weathering and plant life, bringing character & personality to the work. An educational chat with a retired stonemason in Auchenblae has raised my appreciation for the stamina & dedication of those who take up this demanding trade.
Framed $950