My last weekend exhibition - 2nd update.... my first encounter with a Curator!

Last week end, at my exhibition, I had a chance to meet a woman (a rather distinguished lady I might add) from my corporate past who is a very skillful mixed media artist now doubling as a curator on behalf of artists. Our conversation went like this:

• Myself: "So you're a Curator?"
• Curator: "Yes" with a nod of approval
• Myself, expecting an old man: "So this is how a Curator looks like?"
• Curator: Big smile:)), no answer
• Myself: "What do you do when you curate?"
• Curator: "You should ask what can I do for you when I curate". Note to self: You've been outsmarted buddy!
• Myself bewildered - I couldn't help but think: "So, she's a Curator who curates..."

To this lady Curator, I meant to say: "Sorry I couldn't offer more than athletic 200 pound gorillas to ornate the walls of your selected public places and restaurants. Hopefully, my production this coming year will be more attractive to you! Thanks for having fetched my coordinates... a genuine expression of optimism vis-à-vis my potential artistic career."

Another successful painting exhibition... I'm super charged!

I thoroughly enjoyed my collaboration with Pietro Piunno for this second major exhibition of mine. Watching this skillful colorist paint in oil "alla prima" was an invaluable experience and his professional advice to me will sure be taken into consideration. Good luck Pietro and let's keep in touch!


Setting up the exhibition went like a breeze... and I almost felt like James Bond on a mission slapping plastic moldings on paintings mounted on foam boards at a frantic pace!

We had close to 80 people showing up over the course of 3 days (close to 40 at the opening night)...

In a nutshell: one year of honest work to put "ma blonde" (French Canadian term to refer to one's girl friend or wife) on a pedestal for a few hours... while sipping wine and hearing spontaneous comments from friends, relatives and perfect strangers about all this "wall to wall" beauty that she inspired! It was also a chance to go "boo!" (sort of an ego trip!) with the portrayal of those human machines involved in the Olympic 100 meter dash. It seems that my attempts to convey their sheer determination and brute power struck a cord.

A year of efforts culminating to a crescendo note of a few days: was it worth it?.... you bet, I would redo it anytime!

A special "thank you" to all who stopped by. A number of people wanted to attend but had last minute obligations or mishaps that prevented them to do so. Thank you for your kind consideration. To all of you, I want to express my sincere gratitude. Your show of support will give me the strength to pursue my artistic saga in the years to come. À la prochaine!

Neptune steps III-IV - I lost the spirit of the first pass... and probed deeper into the more conventional and ordinary!

The first pass was much more fluid, but I was caught off guard by the power of quinacridone violet. In my past experiments, I noticed that a ground made of acrylic paste works well when floating watery colors over it in a watercolor fashion. This time around, I did not like the dulling effect of paste when mixed with paint... and brush marks disappear as the paste shrinks! Too many new things at the same time!

This one, with a permanent light bulb over it, would be acceptable... at least, it's got the spirit of the men from Lascaux!

In retrospect, I would have been better off working on an orange background and go at it with a first and final pass "alla prima"... for the effect I wanted (abstract and figurative at the same time and pushing paint around as I do with my watercolor sketches). It's "partie remise"!

Note to self: "So far, working with multiple thin layers of paint on a textured underpainting done with a palette knife shows the best promise as an extension of my current style. For a more spontaneous alternative style, my next experiment will be to work " alla prima" (in the same way I do watercolor sketches) on a colored background using a stiff brush and mixing paint with gel as usual. I'd like to work both styles concurrently... until they mesh!"

Neptune step II... timidly graduating to higher contrasts...

Changing from gel to paste and using different primary colors applied with bristle brushes seem to be more than I can handle for now... feels like painting for the first time!

I used staining colors and they are much more powerful than I thought. With this one, I'm trying to leave as many brush marks as possible... letting the paint sit there... with difficulty I might add! I need to lose the guy a little in the background with the third layer... and bulk him up by shortening the left leg and increasing the size of his head.

Note to self: "My future challenge is to retain brush marks... somewhat like plein air painters... but on 6 foot panels!"

Laying the foundation for Neptune in Rome... thick and pink!

Based on a travel sketch and photo references, I mixed paint with modeling paste and used stiff brushes to lay down the foundation for this rather small painting (18 X 18). I favoured pink which is the color of air in Italy...

My plan is to float orange and turquoise on this absorbent ground... this is very experimental evidently. I want an abstract undefined mess with plenty of discernible marks in a close up that translates into pure figuration from a distance.... let's hope I don't end up with a "blue boy" or, even worst, a "pink boy"!

Note to self: "Using different primary colors poses definite challenges in the short term, but I want to broaden my horizons. Gotta get used to those new substitutes for crimson or alizarin... in a hurry! "

Down to the wire... literally!

After 4 weeks of heavy duty work (it's been a bit of a killer!)... I'm left with the wiring of a few stretched canvases (the others on foam boards will be assembled and wired on site).

It's leaving me with a week for some paper work (beyond invitations which were sent already)... and the painting of a few "commercial" paintings. I'm expecting a number of Italians at the exhibition... I think I can connect with them... time to re-look at some of those travel sketches!

Meanwhile, the muse, impressed by my painting and varnishing abilities, gave me an assignment to keep me stimulated...

... a small price to pay to keep "my model" happy! I took the opportunity to take snapshots of flowers around the house, sort of a last glimpse at summer 2009...


... hope some of these colors stick in my mind through the fall and winter!

Note: In the end, "commercial" may just mean smaller size... I'm in the mood to experiment with little compromise!

Note to self: "I realized all of a sudden that each of my watercolor sketches represent in fact the imprint of a scene in my brain, or more precisely what's left of it, shortly after I have experienced it. Lines are drawn on the motif but colors are applied as a second step while my memory of the scene is still fresh. Now that I think of it, my paintings should follow the same principle, i.e., they should not represent pure reality but traces of what's left of it in my brain after having experienced it!"

First coat of varnish... one more to go!

So far so good... I'm on schedule with 30 paintings with 2 weeks remaining! I used a first coat of gloss varnish which will be followed by a coat of satin varnish for a waxy non reflective finish... this makes bare canvas look likes it's painted (sort of my getting away with murder approach)!

One should never take photos after varnishing... da!