downtown.

After a slightly dragged-out hiatus, I have finally completed a new painting!

This is my city. It is my interpretation of downtown St. John's. I thought Signal Hill was a little too accustomed to getting the attention so I decided paint the view in the other direction. I took a photograph of this spot last winter.  Although I used it as a guide, I never wanted the painting to look exactly like my photo. I like to think of painting as an outlet to communicate my own unique expression of what is real. I use different colours, geometric shapes and smudges, but usually try and keep the overal layout of things the same.

I'm generally pretty pleased with this one thus far. I really like the colours. Specifically some the accents (bright red and mint green). I am totally digging the fact that it worked out like I wanted. Up close, it just looks like a pile of colours and shapes. BUT, from far away, it actually look like what I want it to look like! Downtown St. John's.

Hope everyone is having a glorious holiday with fam and friends! Merry Christmas and Merry wishes to all that you may be celebrating this time of year!

above my bed. it is actually fairly gigantic

Painting Soundtrack: Fionn Regan "100 Acres of Sycamore"

I swear I am working on something.

paint on the floor. blackberry on the paint.

November was a hectic month. School and work and wonky life events kind of took over. Here is a preview of something I was finally able to get into. Time to be creative again.

listening to - Junip "Howl" 

Life.

"Yes, it was agreed: we were going to do everything we'd never done and had been too silly to do in the past"

This is a painting I just completed as a gift for my bestest gal pal Kristen, who recently moved to Toronto (and left me flailing about and seeking adventure on my own. Sigh.). It is a painting about life- about learning and growing and experiencing new things. It's about doing the things in life you've always dreamt of, persevering through the roadblocks, and being foolish and having fun along the way. Kristen is doing that RIGHT NOW. Lets give her a digital high five/hug.

Life. acrylic on canvas

Above quote is from Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" 

My heart.

acrylic on canvas

Rainy days and beautiful places.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend Writers at Woody Point- a beautiful, literary festival held on the west coast of Newfoundland. Woody Point is absolutely stunning. I can barely express how much I fell in love with the place- I was effortlessly filled with calm relaxation and creativity (normally, not an easy task). Being there was the absolute best sense of being overwhelmed- beauty and art and music and friends and feeling at home. Lovely.

It rained one day during our stay, but there was no way I would waste any time indoors. I put on my raincoat and walked around, taking pictures that I knew I would eventually turn into paintings. Here's the first painting of that rainy day (I'm hoping there will be many more).

18" x 24"
acrylic on canvas

On another note, there was one particular spot in Woody Point called Galliott Studios that made my heart skip a few beats. A gorgeous art studio, shop and cafe, with MY DREAM WORKSHOP at the back. I wanted to put on an oversized plaid shirt, pour a cup of coffee and get to work. So many paints and brushes and ideas. I cannot wait until I can have a little workspace of my own.

What a spot. I'd have a few cups of tea out here, rain or shine.

Sketchin' about.

Lately, I have been inspired by Urban Sketchers (in particular, Omar-Paint, who has done some AMAZING sketches and paintings of downtown St. John's and everywhere else). So, I decided to buy myself a watercolour sketchbook and go sit somewhere around the city and give this a go. I have not painted with watercolours in about 10 years so it was interesting to break them out again. I left my apartment with my leather tote full of paints and coloured pencils, my sketchbook and a coffee. I walked only five minutes before arriving at the lovely Harbourside Park. I sat on a bench that was closest to the water and set everything up. Here's my first attempt...

Well it's not horrible for my first try (haha). I am dying to take an extremely inky, black, fine tip pen to this and give it some more detail (I must). But, most importantly, I forgot how extremely cathartic it is to sketch! I like to be very quick with the paintbrush/pencil so it feels almost natural. What a feeling and what a great way to spend time and explore a city. A gentleman actually walked behind me and had a look over my shoulder to see what I was painting and said "That's beautiful!" which gave me a little confidence boost and a much needed dose of happy.

 I have a long way to go before I am satisfied but I'll keep giving it a shot.

"Untitled", a painting.

"Untitled" acrylic on canvas (approx. 27" x 35")

I finished this painting two nights ago and am actually (surprisingly) pleased with myself. I'm usually not satisfied with my work, but I am really liking how the color story and texture has developed.

I'm honestly not really sure what this painting means to me (yet). Another unusual characteristic. Normally, when I paint something abstract I know where I am going or I know where I went. But this kind of just happened and just is. Hence, the unoriginal use of "Untitled".

Because there isn't much to say I figured I would share some FUN FACTS about my experience with this piece.

Sources of inspiration:

 1. Will Baras. Absolutely, head over heels in love with his work. Seriously, check him out, you will not be disappointed http://www.willbarras.com/. He was first bought to my attention via BOOOOOOOM! (Please also check out BOOOOOOOM!) Watch this video around the 1:15 mark and be totally amazed.


HBTV: POW WOW Hawai'i 2011 - Part 2 from HBTV on Vimeo.

2. This print. It's a shirt/dress I own (fairly unexciting compared to the above but awesome shirt nonetheless).

The soundtrack:


I always listen to music when I paint. It puts me in some kind of relaxation, zen-like, zombie trance. It's the best feeling. Here's what I listened to (all are highly recommended):

1. Bon Iver "Bon Iver" (Stream here)
2. Boards of Canada "The Campfire's Headphase"
3. Balam Acab "Wander / Wonder" (Listen here)

Stages of development:

I like looking back and watching how a painting has developed. So, lately, I have been taking pictures of the process along the way. To me, it's like watching a thought process, I dig it. Please, don't mind my horrid photog skills.

And at last... fini.

-but there is much beauty here, because there is much beauty everywhere.

I have been so introspective lately. I have, for the most part, been trapped inside my head. Thinking about life and love and God and me and everyone and everything else. But, this is not an unusual occurrence. My mind has always had a knack for getting ahead of itself. I pretty much specialize in over analyzing.

Analyzing the bigger picture helps me de-stress when I have the time to really let my mind wander. I always contemplate life's many questions (the "whys" and the "what ifs"). I am continually trying to pin point the ones that cause me stress and the ones that calm me down, both big and small.

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R. M. Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" has been my philosophical life guide for the better part of the last 8 months, the entirety of 2011. My paperback copy (same as depicted above) has been re-read, shared, recommended, and never far from my bedside table. I flip through the pages daily, scouring over my viscously underlined sections to find beautifully poetic phrases about life, love, art, direction, and uncertainty (pretty sure those would be my main questionable, in-need-of-guidance, life topics conveniently aggregated into a collection of letters.. amazing!).

You are so young, so before all beginning, and I want to beg you, as much as I can, dear sir, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

Seriously? Best advice ever and my favorite passage from the book. I can nearly recite it. I think of it whenever I let my mind wander to those questions that leave me feeling stressed or discontent. It never fails.

I've been using my introspective-Lauren time to look within for creative inspiration. I often let external pressures and fear of criticism prevent me from really opening myself up creatively. Well, surprise! Rilke has advice for that too:

..all critical intention is too far from me. With nothing can one approach a work of art so little as with critical words... Things are not all so comprehensible and expressible as one would mostly have us believe; most events are inexpressible, taking place in a realm which no word has ever entered, and more inexpressible than all else are works of art, mysterious existences, the life of which, while ours passes away, endures.. You are looking outward, and that above all you should not do now. Go into yourself. Search for the reason that bids you write find out whether it is spreading out its roots in the deepest places of your heart.

Well then.

He is so right. If i fear the criticism and opinion of others with respect to my art, how will I ever let myself grow (both creatively and personally)?  It is all about exploring your mind and heart without fear or restraint. In art as in life.

So, I'm taking the advice. Attempting to rid myself of fear without seeking external reassurance. I'm looking inward and trying to take notice of the simple things: happy moments, small wonders, enjoying the calm. I am digging everything and I feel at ease. I am hoping for wonderful changes and many creative projects to come from all this.

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paints.

baaa

How I spent my Thursday morning.

It was kind of raining and dull outside, so it only seemed appropriate to put on my favorite wool socks, break out the paints, and fill my little apartment with Iron & Wine's "Our Endless Numbered Days".

And oh what a combo it was!

This week has been overly hectic. I started another semester of my graduate degree on Monday and my mind has been preoccupied with becoming OPTIMALLY ORGANIZED and keeping up with life responsibilities. I'm already supposed to have approximately 13 chapters read for this Monday which pretty much makes my brain just want to peace out entirely.

It's not uncommon for times such as this, when I'm gone completely banans about work and obligations, that I become fixated on some little creative project that I want to complete (immediately).

Thus.. Painting Thursday begins!!

First, let me just state that "Our Endless Numbered Days" never fails to fill me with instant relaxation vibes: warm, cozy, calm all over. Mmm.

I always paint on the kitchen floor of my little home. Mainly because it has the best lighting. I like having the canvas laid flat, and it is closest to the house tea supply. But, there is paint all over my kitchen floor and I'm prob going to have a rough go removing all of that before I leave the rented space. eep.

I started this peacock painting a few weeks ago and kept finding things I wanted to change and finalize. I had the idea (months and months ago) for a collection of paintings of different birds on white backgrounds with their feathers having a color combination that was somewhat unexpected and frantic. I chose three birds: peacock, bluebird, and starling.

To be honest, I didn't even know what a starling was, but "Starlings in Winter", a poem by Mary Oliver, was inspiration for the entire project and I felt I should include one.

..Ah, world, what lessons you prepare for us, even in the leafless winters, even in the ashy city. I am thinking now of grief and of getting past it; I feel my boots trying to leave the ground, I feel my heart pumping hard. I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings.

Ah! So beautiful.. and oddly, so appropriate to my general feelings when I first discovered its existence.

(Could I request that EVERYONE please add the world 'frolicsome' to their everyday vocabulary?)

Hopefully I will have the next two paintings completed before the summer is out. I do have a few other projects that I am working on and school is slowly taking over my life.. but, I know I'll find the time somewhere. I somehow always do.