Another little 6" x 6" completed painting. I think I've figured out what has captured my heart with these pieces lately - I'm having so much fun trying to paint these new patterns without actually painting the patterns.
One thing about a small space like this to work on is you are forced to prioritize and simplify. To actually depict these patterns in their entirety would require a 000 brush and infinite patience. The outcome would probably be stiff and stilted as well. Instead, by focusing on the impression of the pattern, it gives the viewer a chance to participate in the experience by letting their imaginations fill in the blanks. It's neat when painter and viewer can engage in this dance. For a few weeks, I have had stacks of new bowls and plates in my studio. When I'm in the middle of a project and trying to think, I sort these into new arrangements until something catches my eye. In this particular set up, it was the juxtaposition of the icy cold, late afternoon light against the warm rusty reds of the shadows cast by the objects. Winter has very much arrived in the Foothills and I feel this painting reflects the warmth and coziness of my studio perfectly.
On a side note, it has been tough for me to get in the studio this week. I've had a number of pressing deadlines that are for future endeavors mixed with a wobbly, sick dog. I felt really blocked for painting, which is unusual for me. Today it was so good to put on a cup of tea, play music and just paint. I find when I have too much on my mind I feel creatively scattered. If I'm not creating and making stuff, I feel stifled. Definitely left the studio feeling much happier than when I entered. Also - my Card Making class at Leighton has been moved to a later date! There is still room to sign up, Just follow the links below! Leighton Art Centre, Calgary: Classic Holiday Cardmaking Workshop New Date! Sat, December 9th, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Supplies included Cost: $85.00 (Leighton Members receive a 10% discount) Make the Holidays extra special by printing your own Christmas cards! Join Michelle Wiebe as she guides students through some simple printmaking techniques. In this fun, fast paces class students will learn basic linocutting skills to make their own Christmas themed blocks that they can keep to make other great gifts and cards. Participants will cut blocks, learn some special embellishment tricks and hand print their own set of Christmas cards to take home. Excellent for adults and teenagers who are beginner and intermediate linocut students. Space is limited and registration is required. Please visit Leighton Art Centre or contact them at workshops@leightoncentre.org to register. I love it when the theme of a picture just sorts itself out for you. I've been playing with plate composition all week in the studio with my new treasures. Stacking, re-stacking, moving to a different light - its been an undercurrent of activity and thought while I putter away on other projects.
Once and a while, I'll snap a picture or two of a pleasing arrangement and sort the images out later. When I was editing photos, this one leaped to the the forefront. Absolutely by chance, the shadows on the table and the bowl interior were in the same family as the rosy pink plate. What would have normally stuck out like a sore thumb (the lone pink plate) works in harmony here because of this. What fun to paint = I loved pushing that airy, precious pink into every corner of the canvas that I could fit it into! This painting is part of my submission for the Christmas in Country show at the Leighton Art Centre in a few weeks. You can read more about it here. I have exciting news - I've taken the step of seeking out gallery representation! This move has been in the making for some time, I wanted very much to find a gallery that not only suited my paintings, but also was supportive of my printmaking and letterpress work as well.
I am delighted to partner with Bluerock Gallery in Black Diamond, Alberta - they have an amazing collection and great curation. Every time I step foot in this space, there is a buzz of colour and energy. There are many artists also represented with this gallery that I feel honoured to share wall space with. Check out what work of mine they are carrying here. Thank you, Bluerock! I am so happy to have a chance to sneak a trip in to the Lower Mainland in British Colombia before the mountain roads get super unpredictable. I do have my winter tires on, just in case though!
This weekend I have three demos at Opus Langley - an amazing art store that has been a part of my life for over 20 years! The two Saturday demos are all about Acrylic based products and how you can use them together in a variety of ways to create your art. The Sunday morning demo covers mixed media printmaking and some different approaches you can take to get striking results. There is room in the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning class for sure - it is not too late to register (see below for registration info). I'll have along some interesting examples, lots of products and my usual enthusiasm - it would be amazing to see you if you can join me. Also, I have received some inquiries already about bringing flour sack clothes and artwork for purchase to save on shipping. If you are wanting anything in particular or have questions on what is available for early Christmas shopping - please contact me by Thursday night and I can let you know what is available, prices and arrange drop off at your place. I accept Visa, Mastercard, and cash, receipts are no problem as well. (I might even throw in a little discount as well!) Here are the descriptions: Opus Art Supplies, Langley: Intermixing Acrylics with Flair and Ease Demonstration Sat, September 30, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Sat, September 30, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Cost: FREE Join Michelle Wiebe as she explores the versatility of intermixing various types and brands of acrylic paints and mediums. From ink, fluid, spray and standard heavy body paints, she will demystify the differences between them and give you ways can breathe fresh life into your work. She will explore some techniques on paper and canvas that will combine these products in inventive ways so you can bring together new body and textures for your own signature style. Space is limited and registration is required. Please visit Opus Langley or contact them at 604‑533‑0601 to register. Opus Art Supplies, Langley: Breaking Boundaries in Mixed Media Printmaking Demonstration Sun, October 1, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Cost: FREE Add colour to your linocut printmaking through a variety of mediums and techniques. Join Michelle Wiebe as she covers a number of approaches one can take with mixed media printing. Demonstration time will cover basic linocut carving, inking and printing skills as well as how to use them with other art materials. Emphasis will be placed on utilizing other dry and wet media with your carved block in a number of different approaches to create one of a kind art with a few simple tools. Space is limited and registration is required. Please visit Opus Langley or contact them at 604‑533‑0601 to register. One thing I really love about instructing is that I often will create work to illustrate a point or technique. To prepare for my upcoming workshop at Leighton and demonstration at Opus, I decided to noodle around with some hand coloured linocut prints.
After painting with a limited palette for months, it sure was fun to add splashes of colour to this variable edition of one of a kind prints. I've been playing around with Daniel Smith watercolours and they sure pack a punch with rich, vibrant colour. These are titled "Made of Stars" and will be available for purchased, framed and unframed fairly shortly. Contact me if you have any questions or want me to put one aside for you. Confession, this is not really a "new" painting in the sense that I just started and finished it recently. Rather, it is a painting I was working on during the earlier part of the summer that got placed on a shelf waiting to be finished. So it waited... and waited... till today. I finally took a little time to do the finishing touches while I worked on another still life.
Sometimes a little time away from something is just what you need to gain the perspective it takes to continue on with purpose. Even though this sat around for a few weeks, I was busy painting in my head - the physical changes took barely any time at all. One thing I struggle with is naming paintings. I stop short of "untitled 1, untitled 2 etc" only because that is a little too barren (and is a catalog nightmare). I hesitate to get too involved with titles as well - sometimes I wonder if artists come up with a clever name and then paint a work to fit it. Often the title guts me a little as I try to give further meaning without being too fancy or pompous. Today was easy. though - I looked at the piece and knew immediately. I called this work "Blue Music" because I love painting patterns. When I look at the blue lines on these plates, they are like a dance. I can hear their music in my head. I'm in the process of adding details and availability to the works in my portfolio - I know with Christmas coming up that people are starting to get their shopping started. If you see something you like, please contact me and I can give you all the info you need! I'll be taking my available work to a few Christmas art sales this year, so stake your claim early! Where to begin? Fall is here, kicking and screaming and I finally feel like I've had a chance to come up for air.
Studio Expansion: My garage is now officially a core component to my studio practice. Late July, we welcomed a third press to our family: a Chandler and Price Old Style platen floor model. Some good friends helped us load and move this along with a paper cabinet, composing table, type cabinet and full sized paper cutter. I am truly blessed. The flip side to this is making room and extra clean up. Almost all of my open studio time in August has been spent puttering away in my garage doing glamorous jobs like scraping old labels, sanding, painting and degreasing. We are in the homestretch now which is good - winter is coming and my car needs it's shelter for parking! On a side note, paper cabinets are a beautiful thing. With 25 shallow drawers, this is for my art supplies like what the wardrobe is for Narnia. Things feel so in reach and organized! Current Projects: I'm in the early stages of some small still life and landscapes for the upcoming Christmas season. I am also busy printing all sorts of letterpress goodies for market as well. Add in some collaboration involving a laser engraver, block printing more flour sack cloths, instructing as well as the aforementioned studio expansion and I am a busy girl. Website Update: I've cleaned things up and added some greater detail on events and workshops. I've been planning this out in my head for a while and finally sat down long enough to get it all up on the web. I still have loads more pictures and details to add, but this should suffice for the moment. I have a love hate relationship with digital tinkering. Plein Air Postponement: My deepest apologies to all of you who have expressed interest in further plein air meetups - this has been on my mind constantly. I had a domino effect happen with that equipment acquisition that affected too many areas of my household. Add in multiple extra weekend bookings for August and I couldn't make it happen. Stay tuned for spring though - I have some alternate ideas I'd like to try out with plein air! Have I told you lately how much I love living in the foothills of Alberta? Every day I get to go out onto the local path system and either walk, run or bike through the wild beauty of the Cochrane area. This keeps my cup pretty full.
One of my most favorite places is Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. it is less than 10 minutes away from my house. There is something about the Bow River, the grasslands and the copses of trees that make my heart happy. This is what I was trying to capture in this piece. My apologies for not posting terribly frequently these days. I've been swept up in the frenzy of summer, moving/cleaning letterpress equipment and travelling all over the place every week. I'm back in the studio now for the most part so expect to hear from me a little more in the coming weeks! I have some exciting events coming up that I'll post once they are finalized! I do post a little more often on my social media (but not as much detail as my blogs) feel free to follow me for some behind the scenes pictures and updates! Facebook: Michelle Wiebe Art Instagram: @mw.artco Twitter: @Michelle_Wiebe I could see this development coming for a long time. Discontent with the plates in my possession, at first I branched out to borrowing the plates of my friends and family. This worked for a while but lately, I could tell my eyes have been straying... I find myself building surreptitious stacks in thrift stores and sneakily taking pictures with my phone.
The arrangement in this painting is one of those fleeting encounters in the housewares department of a secondhand store. I was attracted by the different eras represented here. A classic fine china floral sandwich plate balanced on an 80's era dinner plate with punchy colourful fruit and leaf combination anchored by a graphic platter from the 60's or 70's in the prerequisite brown pattern of the day. I fiddled and played around with the composition for a few minutes under the quizzical eye of a staff member. I felt a little odd after I took my picture and returned the plates to their mates. I loved the image I captured though, it was worth the stares. Still working in my limited palette. I seemed to have dropped the cobalt blue in favour of only having phthalo blue to mix with. Old habits die hard and I find I don't have to think too deeply to mix what I am looking for. I could have used a magenta for the floral china though - the pinks are not as vibrant as the real thing but I am just fine with how it looks in the completed piece - I find magenta can easily look too harsh sometimes. |
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