An Opening “Order and Spontaneity”

I am happily heading out the door to help hang a show...my dear friend, a mentor to many, my adopted grandpa, a beloved artist, Arlington Hoffman is having another local exhibition at the AOM Gallery. This show is titled “Order and Spontaneity”, it will feature some old works with some new which I know every one's excited to see. It will be running from May 1st to May 29th.

For any or all of my local readers the opening reception is this Friday, May 1, 7 - 9 pm at 143 Main St West, We hope to see you there...Jonathan and I defiantly will be.

(Image copyright Arlington Hoffman)

Until Tomorrow where I have a nifty new house project to share with you all...Have a wonderful day.

Shadowy ART for a Shadowy Planet

Good Monday everyone. I have quite a few things which I am excited to share with you, but I am trying to pace myself to 'reveal' them slowly over the next couple of weeks instead of all at once, ha ha.

I really wanted to share with you my photos from the Shadowy Art for a Shadowy Planet exhibition/auction. Jonathan and I went to the preview last Saturday and had a good time. There were 30 artist created original shadowboxes...here's a sampling...

...and of course, as you know by now...here is mine "Earth Intruders".

Let me show you some of my favourites...here is one by Alex Maeve Campbell. She is now the gallery coordinator (in my old position) and she's doing a great job as far as I can see. Alex had brought me into her office to give me a sneak peek at the other boxes when I went in to drop off mine and I saw this one and said "Ohhh, I love that one..." and she said with a happy smile "Thanks, that one is mine..". Love it when that happens. Another Favourites of mine was actually Alex's dad...the ever cool and amazingly talented world-reknowned potter/sculpture Keith Campbell (check out his website, Keith makes great pottery). I took some classes with Keith and he's also an amazing teacher. He is also a fellow chronic/acute migraine sufferer so it's always nice to chat and complain with him because we know we totally understand what the other is going through. Now, I am against guns (except for law enforcement) but I just loved this box. It is all created from Porcelain I believe, even the gun. I just find it so strong graphically and therefore beautiful. I also really liked the minimalistic colour and of course the craftsmanship.

And I have to show you Arlie's box. Everyone was so thrilled with Arlie's box because it was so very cheeky and such a departure from Arlie's usual work. Whenever someone would see Arlie's name on the tag they'd go "What....I love it..." ha ha...

The guest support artist for this whole exhibition/auction was local artist Betty Sager. I never get tired of looking at Betty's work, she makes these incredible little self-contained worlds, each one so different then the other. I would like to have one of Betty's pieces someday. I had the pleasure of working with Betty abit when I worked at the Gallery and I remember her being a very nice and warm person. Her shadowboxes are so crowded with doo-da's one would just have to wonder where in the world she gets all the teeny tiny stuff. Apparently she has a group of family and friends who help her collect, they find stuff for her in their basements, at thrift stores, at garage sales etc and pass it along to Betty for her collections and art...I'd love to see her studio. I know that Betty lost her son a few years ago...and well I was happy to see all of these new shadowboxes and to see that she is indeed still creating despite her immense loss.

This was my favourite one of Betty's. I think it was called "The Underground Woman". Some thing hit home with me in this piece. The streets above seem abit cold and full of people and bustle, yet ultimately full of nothing-ness...yet below is this sweet and endearing old lady, cozy in her little crowded abode...the place is full of cats, one sleeps on the bed...there is a photo of a boy hanging on the wall (I assume it's her son) ...I just could have looked at this piece for hours and still find something new.

Here is a detail...

So the big auction night was this past Friday. I did not go as I wasn't feeling well but I hear from a few people that it was a great evening. Sales were abit slow apparently but there were a few boxes that harnessed bidding wars and I was happy to hear that mine was indeed one of them. I know that local artist and metal smith Peter Sloan won my box and I really hope he's happy with it. It always strikes me as funny...just when you think you know who likes and who doesn't like your work, someone new pops in the mix, it's a delightful thing.

So with all that shared I must go. A busy week is ahead of me I think. Jonathan and I are unfortunately starting this new week quite tired from the crazy weekend we just had with house/studio projects. As mentioned before, with the increase of snow and lowering temperatures we're in a race against the clock to get projects in the garage done.

Until tomorrow, be well and Happy Creating.

"Marlie" our Carousel Horse is Complete

Our journey to bring Marlie to life began quite a few weeks ago....just a blank horse, beautifully carved but awaiting it's colour, life and character...

Diligently working alongside a handful of other talented and local carousel painters who were a complete delight to spend time with every week...our carousel horses, one by one came to life...

After a month and a half, the carousel horse that Arlie and I have been working on is pretty much complete. With a suggestion from my friend Maria, we have called it 'Marlie'.

We met at the gallery for pretty much 2 days every week, sometimes 3 to get it done during the carousel art exhibition.

Our time at the Alex Dufresne Gallery and Museum has been a great one. I want to send out a big grateful thanks to Carol and Christine, who welcomed us in warmly every time, fed us and warmed us up with coffee's and hot chocalate, and who forgave us when we destroyed their light grey carpet with a big pool of dark blue oil paint! Thank you so much for giving us a cozy and relaxing place to work on Marlie for the past month and a half. I will miss seeing everyone there every week, I truly will.

The horses are now on their way back to the carvers, to have the manes and tails attached. Then they will go into storage until sprin. In the spring they will receive any necessary touch ups, they will be 'antiqued' and than receive their final coat of varathane.

It has been a spectacular project to be involved with (again) and I am proud to have this 2nd carousel creation done along side my dear friend, mentor and adopted grandpa, Arlington Hoffman. We put much thought, love and good creative energies into these carousel creatures we help bring to life and we are proud that it's part of our legacy to our beloved city, North Bay.

Until we see you again in the spring Marlie, rest peacefully and happily in the creative enjoyment you were made with. And my thanks to Arlie for asking me to be his partner again.

To the beautiful and enchanting art and world of the carousel...may your live on and enchant the world forever...

Until tommorow....Be Well and May you find inspiration in everyday...such as in a carousel:D

Nugget Article & A Snippet

Hi again everyone. Good Thursday to you all. I really wanted to show you all the most excellent newspaper article my lovely and talented friend Maria Calabrese wrote.

It was in our local newspaper 'The Nugget' (for which Maria is a reporter) and in Saturday's issue. I love the photo she took of all of us working (here is a better version just in case your interested)...

In the photo from left to right is; Arlington Hoffman, Mandy Saile a.k.a. me a.k.a. Bijou, Joanne Comerford and her twin sister Janet Comerford.

It was so exciting to see the article taking up the whole page like that and I am honoured that she choose one of my photographs to use as the feature image...and I am tickled pink (yes again) by being given photo credit and at also being quoted in the article itself, the whole thing just really made my day. You did a beautiful job Maria, thanks a million times.

To read the full article please click here.

And now I just have to show you the adorable little glass critters that Maria surprised me with last week....

Maria, they will forever live happily on our fridge (the magnetic side that is....tee-hee!), thanks. Today, I also thought I'd show you a small snippet of a new image...I can't show you the whole thing yet as I am not quite sure yet if it'll be done in time for the exhibition but just to add some whimsy and colour into your day...

Sorry the quality isn't too great, the photo was taken in a dark room and I am feeling too lazy to turn on my full spectrum lights etc. but I am too anxious to share it to wait till tomorrow for a sunny time to snap another photo. Now, I am off to another busy studio day, but oh how lovely it is that I can indeed spend my whole day in my studio...I am truly blessed. See you all next week and don't forget to enter a comment and your name for the giveaway draw (see yesterday's posting for details). Caio and Happy Creating.

My Friend Arlington Hoffman

Hi Everyone, well it's Friday and the week whizzed by without feeling very productive and that makes me uncomfortable, but what can you do....just not dwell on it, see it as a restful week and plan to be more proactive the next week, right? right!

So my little friend Penelope is still not ready to make her appearance, next week for sure. I don't want to rush any images just for the sake of having new imagery to post on here. And since coloured pencil is a timely medium, well hopefully you'll all thinks she's worth the wait.

So today, I wanted to show you some of the work of my dear friend, mentor and 'adopted' grandfather figure Arlie Hoffman. To say that Arlie is a beloved figure in our city is an understatement. Every one who meets Arlie falls in love with him. He is so so talented and he likes to share that talent with people, he is always welcoming people into his studio, always open to give pointers or show other artists how he creates. He is just a wonderful human being and I am proud and blessed and happy to call him a dear friend.

Arlie had a show this past month at the Calander Heritage Museum, which myself, Jon and a couple friends biked out to see. Today I want to show you the photos from the show, just to give you a brief glimpse of this artists amazing talents.

Arlie, works in oil paints and watercolour but for this show he also dived into some assemblages and photo transfers onto canvas as well. Standing amidst a collection of Arlie's work honestly brought tears to my eyes. I was struck again, of the vast talent of my dear and lovely friend.

I shared a studio space with Arlie for a couple of months at the WKP Kennedy Gallery, a couple years back and it was just wonderful, as much as his work and person inspired me, he found inspiration in my work as well and it was just a really good partnership. I will jump on any oppourtunity to share a studio with Arlie again.

When I left my job as Gallery Co-coordinator, where again, I worked closely with Arlie, he surprised me with this lovely painting as a parting gift. It was hard to tell Arlie that I was leaving the Gallery, I was so worried that I was letting him down. But he is still there, at the Gallery and in my opinion they are lucky as hell to have him. (sorry for the incorrect rotation).

A couple of years ago, I also worked on the Winter Wonderland Carousel with Arlie. He was the head-painter and I the understudy...we met at the carousel studio 2 to 3 times a week for a few hours to get our creature done in time. Over all, it took over 70 hours and was just a wonderful experience...to spend time with Arlie like that, to paint such a lovely carving, to spend time in the fanciful world of carousel creatures and their makers. Here is the fox that we painted.

First it needed some sanding, and plastering...just an over all smoothing out before applied the base coat of white.

Arlie, trusted me to do the top saddle design and also mix up the colour of the blue under saddle. It really was such a collaborative effort which made it every funner, I think.

Now our beautiful fox sits serendipitously next to the beautiful rabbit, on the carousel.

So if your ever in North Bay, come ride the fox...or any of the amazing creatures on either of North Bay's world famed Carousel's.

I am excited to be part of an upcoming exhibition which is made up of the Carousel artists. And to also possibly work on another creature with Arlie this coming fall.

I could go on and on about dear Arlie, but I'll stop here and let you bask in his talent. I wish you could all meet him, for every one's life truly is better for having him in it. Arlie, love to you my excellent friend and thank you.