Busy Fall

Man, it has been forever since I have been here.  Sorry about that but life has been extremely busy the last few months.  I'll begin with the Barge Festival,  a fun time but only visiting.  Very few people in Winnipeg know what this "festival" is all about and so don't come expecting to see fine art and certainly not to buy.  But we did have some quality visit time with relatives and friends which counts for a lot these days.

In Sept. Dawn and I combined with her sister and hubby and one of her cousins and took off for Iceland to see what the world was like in the beginning.  Volcanic eruptions, earth quakes, hot springs, geysers, ancient lava flows, glaciers and Vikings.  What a unique place on this earth.  We also hooked up with Dawn's Icelandic relatives who were so kind and gracious in their desire to make connections and show us another side of their culture and take us to where Dawn's grandmother was born.
In November we went to Churchill on a sightseeing and educational trip.  We stayed at the Churchill Northern Research Centre located where the old rocket range was headquartered.  Had a great trip, viewing the polar bear migration and seeing what has changed in Churchill since I worked up there in the late 1960's.
In the between times I did manage to finish a commissioned piece ( loon and two chicks ) and began a single adult Loon.  I also started a pixilation painting of White Pelicans.  Just finished that and will take to my Friday art group for critique.  They always give me an honest opinion and suggestions for what they think will improve the overall impression.
Should also mention that we are working on a new computer so I am not sure how to add pics but will try.

Another week of work done and pieces almost ready for The Prairie Barge Festival, neither had I until the Sask Craft Council received an invitation for Sask artists to participate.  Since Winnipeg is a city that has a long history with stone carving I thought that it would be a good place to reintroduce my work there.  There was a time that I had galleries there to sell my work but as goes the world of art they disappeared or dried up and then there were none.
Now the recent work has focused on smaller pieces since this is an outdoor sale at The Forks, not a gallery.  There was a definite lack of lower end pieces in my home stock. 

I like the leaf, turtle and beluga whales the most out of the completed work.  These are all smaller pieces and ready just in time for Winnipeg.    Hopefully the weather is great and there are loads of folks out.  If not we will just have to visit with the relatives and enjoy their company.  So next blog will be after that show and we will let everyone know what The Prairie Barge Festival is all about.  By the way there will be no barge involved this year due to high water, now that is really strange.....

August already

Has anyone figured out where the month of July went?  Seems that the summer is on the decline and I did not know we have had it, but you can sure see it in the daylight hours we now have.
After a work slack month and a half, it is back to work and the last two weeks have been concentrating on getting smaller pieces ready for the Prairie Barge Festival in Winnipeg at the end of August.  Really there is such a festival and the are promoting the arts at The Forks along with many other activities.
I also did a trip to Canmore AB to change my art at the All in the Wild Gallery there.  We incorporated a couple of relative visits at the same time and that really made the trip much more enjoyable.
So all for now but next week I will introduce you to the new carvings through pictures and hopefully show some stages of the next carving, I thought that might be more interesting than just seeing the finished product.
Enjoy the rest of summer.

Another show done

Yes the 2014 edition of the ReginArt is done and to rave reviews of both guests, sponsors and the artists themselves.  I would like to thank all our sponsors, Wolfond Financial, Dilawre BMW, Eyes on Hamilton,  Bravo Tango Designs and Western Litho, for their support.  We are now beginning the planning process for the 2015 show so keep posted and I'll try to be more regular with my posts to keep folks updated.
Our next project is a Gala Benefit for Prairie Wealth Management Group in Saskatoon.  They are raising funds in support of a new leadership program being introduced in Saskatchewan schools.. that will take place at TCU Place on October 24 with the artists extending the show to the 25 in the same venue. 

Work wise I have been concentrating on rehabbing a piece that I felt was not up to scratch.  I carved a female figure of wood but the grain of the wood made the face look ugly.  The harder I tried to get it right the worse it got.  I left it while working on the ReginArt show and then decided the rest of the piece was to good to scrap.  My solution was to remove the face and do one in stone.  This of course created other problems but the results were much more satisfying.  I still need some touch-ups but the pics will give you some idea and you can judge for yourselves.

A busy week ahead in preparation for the second annual ReginArt show and sale..  Please join us May 16 between 1 pm and 8 pm and /or May 17 between11 am and 8 pm. You will be amazed at the one of a kind/ original works of art and it is FREE.  Well entry is free,  the artwork not so much.  The show is at the Conexus Arts Centre in the Jacqui Shumiatcher room which will be set up like an art gallery allowing folks to wander and see it all or stop and study one or two pieces.

I do have another new piece called Old Man On His Back.  I depicts a man trudging along with this weight or man on his back.  Teenagers will undoubtedly interpret this differently than adults might so having highschool students view it will be interesting.

Thanks for reading and I'll try to give a brief review of the show next blog.

May ReginArt show and sale.

Spring is here ( I have been wrong before) I believe.  Have spent a good deal of time trying to get the art show set up and the pieces to make it run smoothly.  It is coming together but not much art work getting done.   The above are the two wood pieces I completed from the fir beam that was found along the side of our house.  The grain worked really well on the owl but poorly on the female figure.  Still learning new things.  I used Danish oil finish on both pieces. 

I have just posted the show invitation on Dawn Trasks facebook page,  have a peek for an idea of what we produce in the ReginArt world.

Spring News

Well, spring is supposedly here though as I write there are white flakes coming down.  makes outside work a little chilly but I have been out there doing just that.  Last post I mentioned that I was carving wood, fir to be precise.  I did get the two pieces done and am now looking at a chunk of soapstone.

Nouveau Gallery in Regina have picked some of my work for a spring show of Regina area artists and a small retrospective of Ted Godwin's work 1961 to 1988 ( one member of the Regina Five).  The show is called AWAKENINGS. Nice to have gallery representation in town. 

Also a somewhat frantic time for our ReginArt group and the spring show on May 15-17.  Trying to find sponsors , get info organized for printing invites, booklet, etc..  I think we have a phenomenal group of artists and we really want to make this a successful show for all of us.

The pictures are of  the two almost complete wood carvings.

Spring post

Spring has come, albeit with snow today but at least the temperatures are allowing me to get outside and do a bit of carving.  And being a new season I decided to try something new.  I have rescued a 7 x 7x 60 fir beam  the has resided beside our house since we moved in and who knows how long before that.  I cut it in two  and found the surface rot was minimal and there were few checks in the wood.  The two pieces sat in the shop for almost a year and I finally got up the courage to try to carve in a sort of  refined chainsaw style.  I like the result but still need to finish the base and for ideas I'll take it to my art group for critique and help in finish and base design.  One of our Fri. group (Alec) is a long time carver and is always willing to help with ideas;  it's always nice to have his blunt but accurate assessment. 

My other project is still on the easel.  It is a portrait done in the pixelation style.  I think I have figured how to get a better balance for it and will work on that the next week along with the finish of the carving.

In other news, our Regin|Art show in May is starting to take shape.  We have a phenomenal cast of artists but confirming sponsors has slowed the process.  This means the planning of the adverts and printing booklets, posters etc. are behind where I would like it.  But things are moving along.  Mark May 17 on your calendar and join us at the Shumiatcher Room at the Conexus Centre of the Arts.

Our sponsors in Saskatoon are also preparing for a show on October 24 at the TCU Place.  Rather nice in that they do all the planning and ads, etc and we just move in and sell.

Next blog I'll show the finished works of owl and portrait. 

Spring Post

Well spring has sprung, sort of; it snowed today but at least the weather has warmed.  OK, so by warm I mean around 0 which has allowed me to get outside and do some carving.  Being a new season, I decided to do something new.  I have had these 7 x 7 by 28  pieces of fir beam in my shop for about a year.  The wood sat beside our house when we purchased it and had some surface rot but very little checking of the wood.  I began a carving from one of the pieces and I think things have worked out reasonably well for a first effort.  I still have not finished the sanding nor the design of the base but I like the Owl shape and style.  I will take it to my art group and have them pick it apart and ask Alec about doing the finishing.  Alec is a long time bird carver and is always willing to help.
My other project, a portrait, is still on the easel but I think I know the change I need to make to get it to the frame.

Plans for the ReginArt show in May are starting to come together, but seems to be a bit slow in finalizing the sponsorship details and therefore printing and advertising issues.  We have a phenomenal group of artists lined up so mark May 17 on your calendar and join us at the Conexus Centre of the Arts, Schumiacher Room.

The Sponsors in Saskatoon have booked TCU Place for a similar show in that city on October 24.  Having them do the organizing is really nice, all we do is set up and sell.  How great is that.

The pics are of the wood carving and the yet unfinished portrait.

NEW Ideas

Vacation is done and we have returned to an icy paradise. 

I have be doing some painting but really not much to report as most of it is sort of experimental.  trying to figure out how to create images using squares.  I kind of like the effect of pixalations on digital photographs and am trying to emulate that in paint with only some degree of success.  The photo of my attempt at a portrait of Ovide Mercrede is partially done and I think it is working but is sure hard to create small curvatures with cubes.

Am also preparing for two exciting shows coming up.  ReginArt, a group of local area artists in various art forms, are putting on a show |May 15, 16, 17 at the Conexus Centre of the Arts.  We have brought together nine of the areas best artists in eight different art forms.  Joining me, are Dale Lowe, Anna Hergert, Jackie Berting, rod and Denyse Simair, Richard Loffler, Rachel Mielke, Howard Nixon, and Val Moker.  These are world class artists and are being sponsored by Wolfund Financial Group on an exclusive first night at the Shumiachter  Room.  If you have the time and love wonderous art pieces drop in on the 17th when we are open to the public.

The other show is in Saskatoon on Oct 24th, sponsored by the Prairie Investors Group and we are trying to get the same space for a public showing on the 25th. 

I am attaching photo of my Ovide painting and on of the sculptures to be at the show in May.  WEED PLAY was part of a provincial art show called Dimensions.