Remaking and Upcycling

October 27, 2014

I don’t know why, but I’ve been intimidated about tackling even the simplest DIY project around the house, and there are a few I’ve been contemplating for YEARS. Two weekends ago I decided to finally go for it, and started working on redoing two small projects, a wooden shelf in the bathroom, and a wooden shoeshine box. I didn’t have a clear idea for either of them, but I wanted each to be fun and colourful.

The shelf started out as an ugly dark green, and the shoeshine box started out as a beaten up object covered in greasy black polish. Neither were in great shape so I didn’t want to spend much money on the redo. I chose acrylic paint rather than latex to save money, and it seems to have worked out just fine.

I regret not taking “before” photos of these two objects, but at the time I didn’t really care about sharing a before and after comparison. I painted many coats of white paint on each, and then had to decide what to do. I made up the designs as I went, using green painters tape to create the lines. There was a bit of clean up after I removed all of the tape, in areas where the paint snuck under.

Both pieces reside in our bathroom as organizers, and they are a welcome splash of colour to the decor. Now I’m considering my next DIY upcycling project…

Paper Cut Dioramas For So Nice

October 22, 2014

This is work I have been sitting on for months while I waited for the advertisements to be approved by the client and go to print. I was commissioned in June by ReThink Communications to cut and fabricate by hand two illustrated scenes created from ten layers of paper to advertise So Nice soy and almond milk.

Around the time I completed my part of the work I shared two tiny details of a bird and a maple leaf, one from each scene. It gives an idea of the scale I was working at, though both scenes once assembled were approximately 9.75″ high, 3.75″ wide, and 8″ long.

Work in progress of the Yoga pose diorama, just after all the layers were cut.

Work in progress of the Yoga pose diorama, fully assembled in my studio.

Work in progress of the Gardening diorama, just after all the layers were cut.

Work in progress of the Gardening diorama, fully assembled in my studio.

The paper I worked with was 100lb watercolour paper, which was a heavier paper than I was used to at the time. The agency wanted a handmade look and feel to the pieces, to suit the organic focus of the products. The blank cartons were provided by the client, and skinned in post-production by the agency.

The final version of the artwork used in the advertisement can be viewed in my portfolio.

Paper Cut Work: Keep Apart

October 20, 2014

This piece was originally going to be a square made of smaller squares, but as I got closer to completion I felt the idea was really boring. I left the two opposing corner squares uncut for a few weeks while I contemplated what it needed to feel right, and I chose circles over squares.

Looking at this now I begin to wonder whether all of these recent geometric paper cuts would be stronger if they were cut away from the surrounding white paper and floated against the colourful background. Food for thought in the work I create in future. I should mention the colours in real life are not as bright as pictured here.

The finished piece is 17″ x 14″ cut from Canson drawing paper, and backed with Canson Mi-teintes coloured papers. This is but one of the many new works on display in my show at Kafka opening this Friday.

Paper Cut Work: Intertwine

October 15, 2014

As I was working on a price list and titles for work in my upcoming show at Kafka, I realized there are a few pieces I haven’t yet shared here. I document everything on Instagram, and sometimes work doesn’t make it beyond there.

There are three pieces I reworked a few weeks (or maybe even months) after I initially felt they were complete, and this is one of those three. I was inspired by an image of intertwined circles I came across on the sidewalk of my neighbourhood, but as a paper cut design it felt rather dull. I went back and added smaller rings within the two larger ones, and then it felt complete.

I was following my fascination with circles at the time, and I would really like to redo this same idea in a different way. I’m happy with this piece but there are things about it I want to do better.

The finished paper cut design is created from 14″ x 17″ Canson drawing paper, backed with red water colour paper. It’s all framed and ready for it’s IRL debut at Kafka next week.

Exhibition: Intricate Intimacy at Kafka

October 14, 2014

At last I have an invitation and details to share about my upcoming exhibition at Kafka Coffee & Tea. The show is titled, Intricate Intimacy, and it will feature a series of new paper cut pieces, as well as drawings, and small pieces combining both paper cut and drawing.

The show opens Friday October 24th, 8pm to 10pm, with the exhibition continuing until December 1st. There’s a Facebook event page if you’d like to RSVP or share details about this with friends.

Intricate Intimacy
Kafka Coffee & Tea
Opening Friday October 24th, 8pm to 10pm
Dates: October 23rd to December 1st, 2014
Address: 2525 Main Street at Broadway

Doodling to the Moon and Back

October 9, 2014

Last week I was feeling like all the work I needed to do for my upcoming show was ready to go, that is until I visited the venue again. I decided I needed a few more pieces to properly fill the space, and one of these needed to be large. I decided this was a good opportunity to work on a large gel pen drawing, which turned out to be a bit of an endurance test.

I used a white Sakura gel pen to draw on a piece of black 98 lb Canson paper with a light texture. I didn’t like drawing on this paper as much as the card stock which has a smoother surface to work on. The diameter of the circle is 13.5″ on 17″ paper, and I drew it over the course of about four or five days.

I’ve never spent so much time drawing, but my hand did not end up feeling as sore as it does when I’ve been doing too much paper cutting. That seems to take more effort.

I shared the collage of the four in-progress photos on Instagram a few days ago, and a few people expressed liking the incomplete versions. I like them as well, but I really wanted this one in particular to be a circle.

And just like that it is now framed and ready for the show.

Hot Talks @ Hot Art Wet City: Leanne Prain

October 8, 2014

Leanne Prain is the upcoming speaker for Hot Talks at Hot Art Wet City gallery. She is a designer, maker, and the author of three craft and textile-related books. Leanne’s latest book is Strange Material: Storytelling Through Textiles, and the content of her talk will tie into epiphanies she had while researching and writing this new book.

Sewing Our Stories: Stitch Narratives

…Leanne Prain will take you through a personal journey of how multiple conversations with textile artists resulted in her obsession with linking the stuff we make to the act of storytelling. Amid the weft and weave of textiles, she has found societal commentary, personal confessions, humor, fictional dalliances, the secret lives of oppressed people, and simple snapshots of individual experiences.

Read the full description on the Hot Art Wet City website.

This latest Hot Talk happens on October 23rd at 7pm. Tickets are by donation and are available for purchase through Eventbrite.

Hot Talks: Leanne Prain
Hot Art Wet City
Date: October 23rd, 2014
Time: Doors 6:30, talk 7pm
Address: 2206 Main Street (at 6th Ave), Vancouver

Thread Installation by Hot Tea

October 7, 2014

I dropped by Burrard Arts gallery space yesterday afternoon to see Drawing On The Past, a small show curated by Booooooom, and was pleased to see this thread installation by Hot Tea. I’ve seen photos of this on Instagram shared by other people, but it’s even better in person.

Hot Tea was the artist in residence over the summer at Burrard Arts. He creates public and installation art almost exclusively with yarn. You may have noticed a few isometric forms on chain link fences around the city, and this is also the work of Hot Tea.

I am inspired by this installation because it takes the simple material of yarn and transforms it into a three dimensional piece. It has me itching to create a new yarn tree somewhere, but maybe I should just find a chain link fence…

Professional Development for Artists

October 2, 2014

On Tuesday and Wednesday I listened in on Lisa Congdon’s class, Become a Working Artist, on Creative Live. Even though I’m well on my path as a working artist, I was curious to hear what she had to share. I readily admit I don’t have my career all figured out, and I was hoping for a few tidbits.

Lisa Congdon’s class is just the thing for someone starting out, with things like building a portfolio, marketing, social media, putting together a CV, etc. But there was plenty of information for more experienced artists as well. I really enjoyed the segments on goal setting, actionable tasks, creating a schedule, understanding the art world, and licensing work. These are all items I’m interested in (and kind of suck at), but it’s helpful to hear how someone else does things.

The way you learn how to be an artist is through trial and error, and through knowledge shared with you by another more experienced artist. I think art school helps to a certain degree, but I’m a self-taught artist finding my own way in the art world. There are oodles of resources out there in terms of artist materials, techniques, process, and mediums, but very little for professional development for artists.

I’ve focused more on consciously learning new skills (outside of art-making) these last two weeks, and it’s made me realize how little time I devote to professional development as an on-going goal. Watching the class, Become a Working Artist, was just the thing I needed to reinvigorate my desire to succeed as an artist, and to aim even higher in the goals I want to achieve.

If you’re interested in learning new things, visit the Creative Live website to check out the huge variety of classes they have available.

Doodle Evolution

September 29, 2014

The other week I bought a white ink Sakura Gelly Roll pen from Opus on impulse, and my doodling addiction was refueled. I tested it out on a piece of scrap card stock in black, and knew immediately I needed to do more.

This series of drawings combines all the shapes I often doodle on repeat individually into one crazy composition that plays with the eyes. The white ink on the black paper seems to glow. The drawing above is the first of the full size pieces I did on 8.5″ x 11″ cardstock.

After the first drawing I decided to work towards a circle as the end result. Pictured above are the first two of these doodle clusters, both of which I completed in one sitting.

The latest of these I worked on over a few days because I didn’t have enough time to work on it in a single sitting. The photos below are how the piece evolved as I worked on it.

In the process of working on all of these drawings I’ve used up the first Sakura pen I purchased and returned to Opus to buy more. These pens feel so lovely to move across a smooth surface, which is why I love to draw with them.

I am very pleased with this series of drawings and have decided to include some of them in my upcoming show at Kafka in October. More details to come about that…

Canvas to the Imagination

Rachael Ashe – Art | Craft | Life