I have a vision.

I have a vision to one day open up a space where this blog can become a reality. I want it to be a space where people can come explore the arts, and become an artist themselves.

I personally feel that the art community can be a little intimidating for those who are strangers to it. I know I was years ago when I had no idea I was going to be an artist for the rest of my life. I was terrified of going into galleries or picking up a paint brush let alone putting paint on a canvas. I find there are a lot of areas in the arts community that can come across as stuck up or a little rigid. People are intimidating. People with an incredible talent are more so. I think we all have a little artist inside of us but a lot of us just think we aren't "good enough". I am lucky enough to attend one of the best art schools out there and yet I still hear "I'm nervous 'cause I don't think I'm that good." K, then explain to me how you got in.

I invision this space to be relaxed, cozy, comforting, and most of all welcoming. I see this space as my working studio but open to the public. Pedestrians can come in and buy cheap, quality art supplies and get painting right away inside if they would like. They can set up shop, create their own little piece of art to bring home ready to hang on the walls. There will be a little photo area set up where quality photographs will be taken of their work which then can be turned into prints. A perfect idea for cards, invitations, or to be framed as a gift.

I will sell my work along with other local artists of all kinds. Jewellery makers, musicians, graphic designers, small furniture makers, sculptures. Everything and personally made or handmade.

Music will be playing all the time over the speakers and local musicians can book little gigs and there will be live music every month where everyone can come in, listen to music, look at art and meet new friends.

I see a section of records where people can come in a donate old records, trade, sell, or buy new ones. Access to a record player where people can come in and pick their choice of music to paint to.

This will happen one day. I will open it with my Mum and we will be partners in crime.

Keep your eyes peeled for the coolest little shop in town.... (in the next couple of years...)!!!!

Aug 23

So here's two pieces that I've had hung in a home for a while now but only now got to documenting them so I though I'd throw them up here. What I'm excited about is the bottom painting. I've been asked to do the wall decor for a few show homes in a new development thats going up in town. It's a great opportunity to get some exposure, and it's also somewhat of a challenge because all the pieces have to match the already places decor in the home. As you can see with a lot of my work, I work with bright colours and lots of loud, bold line. This one I had to dull down quite a bit. It took me a long time, a lot of paint, and a lot of layers to get it right. I think I did. This painting is being hung and is also for sale!

Mixed Media on Canvas 22"x24"

Mixed Media on Canvas 22"x24"

Mixed Media on Canvas 48"x72"

Just recently finished this piece for Du Rails. Check them out at www.durails.com and get that lion on a wicked awesome tank. This piece is also for sale, price yet to be determined. Once it's up on the site you will be the first to know!! Cheers

Electric Blue Heaven

I'm sure you've all seen this by now but it's been a little while since I came across a video that gave me chills, especially in this blistering heat we have going on here in Ottawa. Russian models, crystal blue water, surfing, and one hell of a song combined to give me a little inspiration finally. If this video doesn't sum up the word "free", I'm not sure what does.Globe's Electric Blue Heaven has certainly lived up to its name; a heaven for sure, combining the art of film and sport together to create something incredible. Somebody take me there.

Also a new update..

Here's a new short series I recently finished. Hoping to put these up in a gallery shortly but they are definitely on sale if anyone is interested.

Acrylic and Oil pastel on canvas 36"x50"
Canvas quality is also awesome. I make the bars myself and stretched it all myself. I will also be making frames for these in the next couple days. Contact for more info

Stay tuned for another series within the next couple weeks.
DU Rails and RMS Galleries are starting to team up and create some Du art for all you Du lovers out there.

Not sure what DU is?
Click here for DU! - this will explain.
We're starting to spread the Du lifestyle through art! Stay tuned!

32"x48" acrylic and pastel on canvas

this puppy is for sale! im putting it up on the gallery now so check it out!!

a final

check out a performance piece i did for class

eXposed

what i'm watching right now...

I might write on this later.. I might not. Check back and see. For now, just watch.

something new finally

My grandma is my biggest fan at this point.. and has probably spent the most money on anything i've done thus far. Thank you grams, i love you

VOTE!

IM GUNNA TYPE IN CAPS CAUSE ITS SUPER IMPORTANT

CLICK RIGHT HERE AND CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON TO HELP ME GET INTO THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA YAY!

I NEED ALL YOUR HELP!

Petra Halkes

So my school is putting on a fantastic exhibition in the ByWard Campus Gallery. Petra Halkes is an artist in the Ottawa region who has put together an amazing exhibition called Bright Lights. Bright Lights is based off photographs she took while being in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle which leaves trails of artificial fluorescent light streaking through each painting. Each piece has its own story behind in and all in all the exhibition left me wanting to drive through the city during a warm summer night.
again... i'm craving summer.

Click HERE for more info on Petra and her work!

Go see this!

New Site!

www.rmsgalleries.com 

Work now on sale. Spread the word!

David Altmejd...and me

 

 Haven't posted in a while so heres something i'm working on in class. it's a work in progress but hopefully it's going to turn into something pretty neat.

starting out with a skull, next step is to add muscle and tissue. this is a self portrait and i'm awful at drawing those let alone sculpting them so i'm curious to see how this is going to turn out. i'll at a bust eventually. after, i plan on making a mold out of this and turning it into something contemporary. Altmejd has given me inspiration. i do recommend seeing his piece at the National Gallery asap. 

Portfolios are starting due within the month so i'm working my ass of. I'm off to toronto this weekend for a clinic at OCAD so i'm hoping all goes well. apologies for ghosting in the next little bit but i'll be back once school and applications settle down!


Enjoy!

something new something blue.

c'est fini!

So I think those three turned out pretty well. I ran out of most of my paint and most of the materials I used so the last one was pretty make-shift. Surprisingly they're in higher demand than I expected (not complaining at all) so I don't think those will be headed to the gallery. Another series will be started and posted within the next 10 days or so. I'm thinking of the same styles and techniques but a brighter palette and a lot more whites. Stay tuned!

gallery series in the making!

mixed media and acrylic on canvas 26x30

so a little gallery in Perth, an hour outside of Ottawa, decided they want to show my work.
stoked!
heres three (Second added Dec. 23/10, Third added Dec. 27/10) multimedia works.

it is what it is and was what it was.

the amount of working computers is lacking right now thus the lack in posts. the mac is still currently in shangai. maybe wuhan? not sure.

but better things...

i spent five hours at the national gallery of canada today at the 'it is what it is' exhibition. please go.

out of those five hours i sat in a dark room taking in Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay's work Live to Tell. Its a short film of about 5-6 minutes long. you can read a little blip of it on the site and a little more at the gallery. this has to be my absolute favourite piece i have seen in a long time. just lovely.

now.

i was told today
working on a piece of art can teach you things about life you would never elsewhere find. when drawing, you come across something great you want to hold on to and are proud of. you start to work around this one particular thing. what's wrong with that is everything else starts to become distorted because of how focused you are on keeping this one particular thing in frame. let it go. erase it, and with time it will naturally reappear and redefine itself. we are naturally programmed to cling onto the things we like and things that make us happy so we engulf ourselves in them. the only way to live in the now and to create in the now is to let go of the memories and what was good in the past, and to recreate over and over again.

thank you andré martel.

foundations.

visual foundations class and drawing in perspective.
tedious.

eskmo.

when some good ear candy meets some good visual pleasure, it doesn't get any better than this.

another thanks to earmilks daily 2%