Harcourt Members Show and Sale, Two Florals, (not the Moose), by Kim Blair,

Me at opening night of the

  Harcourt Members Show and Sale

standing beside

"Burlesque" & "Golden Petals"

No the moose painting isn't mine... but I thought the positioning of my two floral paintings below him (her?) was fun.  What do moose and other tall four legged animals (plus numerous small four legged animals) love to eat?  If you garden even a tiny bit you will know the answer to this one...

If you are interested in seeing an eclectic selection of art then make sure you check out this show, 'Symbiosis' at Harcourt House, 3rd Floor, 10215 - 112 Street, Edmonton.

The Show/Sale is on until July 21, 2012... 

Let me know if you see the moose... or if he has eaten my geranium!

Enjoy

Cutlery, Oil Painting, Two of a Kind, by Kim Blair

Silver on Silver, Two of a Kind

8x10 oil on canvas

Two of a kind is a fitting post to revisit... it symbolizes the wonderful creative atmosphere in our home since January.  Sure, it has been going on longer, but the truly magical effects have been more obvious to both my husband and I for the past 6 months.  Most evenings we are cocooned in our cozy home... Ferdinand playing his guitar in the living room, while I am upstairs in the studio working on my art.

Both of us enjoying our individual creative processes... together. 

When we take our coffee (or wine) breaks we sit and share our inspirations... and our struggles.  

P.S.

The wine really helps with the struggles...

Framed Pen and Ink, Birch IV, by Kim Blair

Birch IV (framed)

pen & ink

You might remember the post from April 11, mentioning that Birch IV sold and was on its way to Vancouver, Canada... well, it arrived and the collector had it framed.

He mentioned that the frame is a dark brown/black tone which enhances the subtle variations in the ink.

It is quite a thrill for me to see it matted and framed... hanging in his living room!

Thanks Rob for sending me the photo so that I could share it on my blog.

Mango on a French Plate, by Kim Blair

Mango on a French Plate

8x10 oil on canvas

We went to a House Concert in our neighbourhood last night and I had the pleasant surprise of bumping into the art patron who purchased this painting.  After only a few questions we discovered the link to the hostess... me via a friend and her via her daughter, which explained how each of us heard about the house party/concert.  I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and the chance meeting to catch up with Deb.

It seems to be true that we are all connected by 'six degrees of separation'.

The fun is asking the right questions to discover the connections... which makes attending a house party an interesting experience!

Poppy Painting, Orange Flames, by Kim Blair

Orange Flames

10x10 oil on canvas

Yes, I have been playing with a more muted palette lately... but my heart still sings when I look at vibrant hot colours!  This orange poppy painting hangs in our kitchen and its happy little face reminds me that gardening season is fast approaching, which means more opportunities to paint lots of crinkled, silky petaled poppies.

NFS

10x10 oil on canvas

Birch IV, Pen and Ink, by Kim Blair

Birch IV

11x24 pen & ink

sold

This pen and ink painting is sold and will be shipped off to beautiful Vancouver, BC today.  Lucky painting... she is off to see green grass and spring flowers on the west coast of Canada!

Sectional, Snow Abstraction Photograph, by Kim Blair

Snowy Morning

 April 5, 2012

All of our snow was gone... until this morning!  I love the abstract look of the snow nestled in the branches of our backyard apple tree.  

A magical, snowy day here in Edmonton... a perfect painting day. 

*I am working on a new series of paintings... changing my color choices.  Stay tuned for a sneak preview of some larger paintings.

Amaryllis Floral Painting, Amaryllis Red, by Kim Blair

Amaryllis Red

12x12 oil on canvas

This amaryllis painting gives the illusion of being much larger than its actual dimensions of 12 x 12 inches.  Painting is all about illusion.  An artist is often trying to recreate a three dimensional world in two dimensions... and when it works it feels sooooo good.  Sort of like when you swing a golf club and it connects with the ball and you hit a nice clean shot down the fairway... this analogy may give any of you who golf a sense of the feeling of accomplishment and joy an artist feels when the brush connects with the canvas in just the right way.

Later on, at the 19 hole, you get to share your experiences with other artists... (I mean golfers.)

Amaryllis Red is now hanging the front entry hall of a home in Ontario.

Group Art Show and Sale

'Avocado for Matisse'
(one of the pieces I have in the show)

Group Art Show and Sale

with 100% of the sales going to two non-government organizations dedicated to the prevention and protection of children trapped in the horrors of human trafficking in Cambodia.

Paintings on display from March 3 to 31, 2012

at the 'Madplatter Bistro'

780-571-0220

20 McLeod Avenue, Spruce Grove, Alberta

Opening Reception

Saturday March 10, 2012

2 to 4pm

Human trafficking is a subject that is rarely discussed, and I felt the need to get involved in this art show and sale to show my support for 'Ratanak International' and 'Place of Rescue'... to bring more awareness to this horrific illegal practice and how it affects the children of Cambodia.

Pen and Ink drawing, Van Gogh Grey, by Kim Blair

Van Gogh Grey

6x9 pen and ink

Creating pen and ink studies helps to keep my drawing muscles limber while freeing up my thought process.  The process of working with ink is immediate and permanent, which seems the opposite of freeing... but, in a strange way it is liberating to create a variety of marks that magically morph into an image you are trying to interpret.  Just think about the freedom of doodling...

  

Van Gogh Grey was created using an image I photographed of dried sunflowers... yet this image of sunflower heads that Vincent painted kept popping into my head... what can I say... the man inspires me!

Gloxinia, by Kim Blair

Another painting shipped off to a good home... what more can a painter ask for?  I know she will be well cared for and loved.

Gloxinias were discovered in Columbia and Venezuela in 1739.

A relative of the African Violet family it prefers similar growing conditions, so when your gloxinia plant stops flowering, just be patient, it will soon be flowering again.  If you have a green thumb with violets, you probably will have good luck with  a gloxinia.  Velvety bell shaped flowers with scalloped edges, and broad fuzzy green foliage add up to the unique characteristics of this luxurious plant.  The blooms are gorgeous... I found myself compelled to touch them... they feel like a swatch of fine velvet fabric.

SOLD

12x12 oil on canvas.

Three Fruits, by Kim Blair

These 3 fruit paintings sold today, and are on their way to hang together in a beautiful kitchen!

Foiled Cherries, Green Lights, and Blood Oranges... all in a row.

Each painting was created by placing the fruit on tin foil to capture the vibrant abstracted color reflections and then I painted them in oils on stretched canvas, all are 10x10 squares and will probably be hung as you see them here.
Hanging paintings of the same size in groupings creates lots of display possibilities, because you have the option of changing the order... or not.

Sort of like re-arranging your furniture for fun, and then wait to see if anyone notices.  In my experience people often think you have purchased something new, when really all you did was switch the location of something.