Under the Microscope

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The ideas explored in the sketchbook work I shared last week quickly made it’s way into finished pieces. I’m still working at a small size on these (5″ x 5″) because I find the drawing intense even though I’m marking making with simple circles. It’s the tight repetition that is the killer on my hands.

Microcosm

Microcosm

A friend remarked on Instagram that the series feels like looking through a microscope. This is exactly what I was thinking about these drawing/paper cutting compositions, and it will probably inspire a related title for this series.

Microcosm

Microcosm

I have completed two more pieces for this series, and will share more later this week.

Retreat to Bowen Island

Boris and I decided to spend an extra long weekend on Bowen Island earlier this week. It was lovely to spend a longer stretch of time there, and just relax. I walked in the forest every day, mostly in the morning and evening when the weather was cooler and the trails were empty of people.

Kilarney Lake

Kilarney Lake

Water Plants on Kilarney Lake

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Tree with elephant trunk

The extra days away were just the thing to recharge Boris and I. We were badly in need of a vacation.

Sketchbook Peek: Paper Cut & Drawing

A preview of two experiments in my sketchbook combing paper cutting and drawing that recently led to finished pieces (not pictured here).

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These are small, about 4 or 5 inches square, and I used those metallic gel pens I so love to draw with. The tiny circles are just the thing I often doodle obsessively, and once filled a page with them using pencil.

I’ve decided to include a series of small pieces like these in my upcoming fall show.

One Self Portrait A Month: Feeling Silly

As usual, I left my monthly self portrait to the last few days of the month, because I kept procrastinating even though it was on my mind. I came close to giving up on this series completely because I wasn’t in the mood. But I pushed through this feeling because I hate giving up on projects with such a clear deadline.

Feeling Silly

I feel silly shooting self portraits these days, so I decided to do something ridiculous. At least I am wearing a nice dress in the photo (a new birthday dress in fact). This is not at all what I had in mind when I started, though I did intend this paper cut piece as the background. I wanted to make myself small because it seemed to suit my mood.

Opus Presents, By All Means Create

Opus Art Supplies just released a beautiful new video campaign this morning, to inspire people to put aside the negative voices and create in every way possible. I make an appearance in the video along with 17 other artists. You’ll probably recognize the paper cut word Create from last year.

Check out this blog post mentioning the full list of artists. The video was shot and edited by the talented, Ryan Mund. (He doesn’t have a website but you can contact him at: me(at)rymu(dot)ca ).

C Is For Cookie: Paper Cut Typography

A client contacted me through my Etsy shop last week to enquire about having a custom letter paper cut. We discussed a few different coloured papers, and she went with white. I drew the outline of the letter “C” and freehand cut the design.

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The finished piece looks dramatic and striking backed with black paper. I cannot wait to see this framed once this makes its way into the client’s hands.

View more paper cut typography on Flickr.

Hot Talks @ Hot Art Wet City: Miranda Lievers

It’s always a thrill for me to introduce another talented, well-spoken, and knowledgeable friend to the audience of the Hot Talks speaker series. This month features a talk by Miranda Lievers, a photographer, entrepreneur, crafter, mom, and a zillion other things.

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The Art of Pinterest-Perfect:
A talk on learning by doing, and never assuming that you can’t

In a world where we’re inundated with Pinterest-perfect snapshots of seemingly impeccably executed culinary adventures, craft projects, and even home renovations, it’s enough to assume that everyone else has got this already and that you should probably just stay in bed. Not often perfect (but usually close enough), the “sure why not?” approach can lead to a funny story, a new skill, and the courage to say yes again.

Read the full description here.

The latest Hot Talk happens on August 21st at 7pm. Tickets are by donation and are available for purchase through Eventbrite.

Hot Talks: Miranda Lievers
Hot Art Wet City
Date: August 21st, 2014
Time: Doors 6:30, talk 7pm
Address: 2206 Main Street (at 6th Ave), Vancouver

Work in Progress: Triple the Double Triangles

This is the last of the reworked paper cut designs from recent weeks. Now I can finally move on to create new work. Pictured here is how this one looked before I decided it needed a little more something. When I finished this initially it looked boring and incomplete, so I decided to add more triangles.

Work in progress paper cut design

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I added two small triangles offset from one another along each side, cut in the same elaborate style. When I was finished this time it felt complete.

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Updated triangle paper cut piece

The finished size is 14″ x 17″, and is hand cut from Strathmore drawing paper. The coloured papers underneath really make it pop.

Work in Progress: Concentric Triangles Redo

This week I’ve been revisiting some of the recent paper cut work because a few of these have felt unfinished. Yesterday I reworked the concentric triangles paper cut I shared about a month ago, and added one more layer to its design.

Work in progress paper cut

The original version is pictured above. I’ve had it hanging in the studio for weeks and I started to feel it was a pretty dull piece despite the elaborate cutting. What it needed was another concentric triangle to complete the composition.

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I worked from the top down, and this outer layer is thinner than the others because I didn’t have enough room for a thicker line. The bottom corners of the triangles are angled rather than straight for this reason, but I think it works.

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Concentric Triangles

The finished piece is 14″ x 17″, hand cut from a piece of archival Strathmore drawing paper. I can wait to get it framed and let it really shine.

Summer and an Art Roadtrip to Seattle

My friend Christina and I decided to go on a day trip to Seattle last Thursday, using the Sketchbook Project Tour as our excuse. It turned out to be a day filled with art and inspiration, and the Sketchbook Project was the least exciting thing we experienced.

There were three shows I really wanted to see while we were in town, all at the usual galleries I like to visit in Seattle. Our first stop was to see the latest work by Morgan Brig at Patricia Rovzar Gallery. I really admire her new figurative pieces, but there was a series of her ships there as well.

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Seattle art July

Visit the Patricia Rovzar Gallery website to view more work in the show.

We visited Greg Kucera Gallery on 2nd Avenue and saw mind blowing kinetic sculpture by John Buck, and textile work by Marie Watt.

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Watch this video of John Buck’s kinetic sculpture, Cat’s Cradle, in motion.

Seattle art July-2

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A beautiful textile piece by Marie Watt made from old blankets.

Our last gallery stop for the day was Roq la Rue to see more amazing kinetic sculpture, this time by Casey Curran. Visit his website to see these pieces in motion. Each has a crank for the viewer to gently move the handmade mechanics of the sculpture, and make wings flap and flowers bloom. They are difficult to photograph and way more compelling in person.

Seattle art July-7
Seattle art July-8

It was a terrific crazy-busy day of art, and I’m so glad we decided to do this. I love road trips, but there’s something pretty special about going on a trip to see art with a fellow artist. The best part is that we both came back inspired to get back into our own studios.