she paints; she is a painter

When I’m introduced as “an artist”, the response of the polite person opposite me is invariably , “What do you paint?” Or, sometimes if that person has some experience with original art, the question is, “What is your medium?”. In both cases I’m taken somewhat aback because I don’t paint one subject, nor in one medium. So, often I’m left a bit stunned not knowing exactly how to answer a simple question. Yet the answer is just not simple for me. This blog will hopefully help me to define myself and what I do.

This is my first post. I thought I would show some of my most current work and explain the origin of the idea. Usually I don’t have an exact image of what a finished piece will be.  Sometimes a painting evolves from the process and that is a very delicious experience. In this case the work is about a barn … Last Spring my friend Laura invited me to her family home where she was born in Advocate, a small fishing village in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. (This area had no small attraction for me since I grew up in Portland, Maine and continue to be bereft of all things pertaining to the sea. ) 

When we arrived the weather was mostly foggy with that heavy sea air which drives one indoors to huddle around the wood stove with a glass of hearty red wine. In this mood Laura led me to the inside of the barn that was built by her father, who has been gone for many years. The slanted light, the smells of herbs, motor oil and aged wood and the sight of all the artifacts of a shipbuilder, the stored pieces of furniture  and the remnants of a  cherished childhood overwhelmed me.  I loved the barn. When I returned to Toronto, I thought that I must paint something about that wonderful barn and knew the idea would stay with me.

I joined a painting class in the Fall. Our teacher, Ewa, suggested we work out our ideas on small, 12 x 12  inch gallery canvasses with the goal of having a studio show in December. Working from the photo above, I first painted Barn #3 in acrylics and was rather pleased with the resulting ethereal  quality, and continued on with 5 more.

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Project Art opened the show on December 9, 2010 and closed on the 19th. The presentation was extremely well done and the party was great: live music, food, wine and lots of people!

Until the next time … into the New Year 2011!