Leftover Abstractions

L

Leftover Star

This is part of my ongoing series of abstracts which are like a counterpoint to my realistic paintings. They are united in that I use my leftover paint from my realistic paintings and slap it onto boards and canvases with the palette knife. So no paint brush ever touched this board. In this one, I just wanted to see what would happen by starting at the centre and pushing the paint out in all directions. I have started in other parts of the canvas or used other hand motions for some of my other ones. At the end, I just put some white paint at the centre to focus attention. I think it sits well and creates some a sense of moving back as you look further from the centre. Anyway, it's a fun way to break from detailed painting, just slap on the paint and see what happens and do that with layer upon layer upon layer. Size is nine by twelve inches. Sold.

Transportation Series

Pearson Arrivals January

A group of people together but in fact they could not be more isolated. They are at ease but also tense. It's a fascinating situation and I am pretty happy about the result overall, I think I caught the mood. The initial comments were that the background is eye-catching. I thing the yellows and oranges really resonate and make the people stand out, there is a vibrancy between the back and front. 
This painting took me five months and I am now happy to have moved on from this relationship... It was great to spend time together, but it was all consuming almost obsessive. Now I need to find some other transportation images, which I think will be a natural move on from my windows series. Size is two feet by four feet.

Mall Window

When I started my series, one of the windows I knew I had to paint was a retail image. Finally, in January, sitting in the Eaton Centre with my small point and shoot, I found an image that fascinated me. No heads! The resonance and balance felt right too. So away I went. When you think about how much time we spend looking at store windows and the effort involved in getting us to look, it's significant all around. The window images invite us in to little worlds where some of us will feel comfortable, creating little exclusive oases. Dimensions: 36 by 36. SOLD!

Queen and Yonge

What do windows look like when they are reflected on windows? Well, let me tell you - they are distorted. I looked at a lot of reflected windows and these were the most interesting, you can just tell they are windows, an interesting combination of both complete order and abstract squiggles. Start looking at windows reflected on windows - you may be fascinated. Dimensions: 30 by 40.

Trinity

A crisp fall day without a cloud in the sky. Sun shining almost horizontally on the horizon and streaming through windows all over the University of Toronto. I happened to have some time on such an afternoon and wandered around looking for a window image. I found it in the Trinity College Chapel. The usually gray wall was alight with warm colours contrasting with deep shades. I was lucky to capture the moment and knew that it had to be part of the series. I even broke my own rule for the project - only windows from the outside, this is the only one from the inside. I think I should be breaking rules more often for my art, still a skill I need to develop. Dimensions: 36 by 36. Sold

Bev @ Jet Fuel

As soon as I came up with the theme of windows, I knew I had to do something with someone in a cafe. It is the ultimate place where people go to watch other people from behind a window. I took a number of pictures, but nothing seemed to work. One day, I met my friend Bev, who is a successful artist, and worked on a number of shots of her and me in a cafe window. This one of her multitasking seemed to me the one that captured cafe windows for me. I really got into the glazing on this one and that part of it works because windows are also mirrors. Dimensions: 40 by 30.

PK @ Zimbel

Sitting in a cafe for a networking chat, I was distracted by a round window. It's pretty rare to see a round window, so I was fascinated by it and stopped paying attention to my companion. Then I brought her into the game by taking her picture on the other side of the window and then she took some of me. I decided on the one of me. I have a soft spot for self-portraits, and I can see why people find me serious... This is the first attempt at actual reflections on windows, something that has figured in my window paintings since then. It's a new technique for me and I like some of the results better than others. Dimensions: 30 by 30.

Subway Station

I think I should be the official artist for the TTC, transit appears in so many of my paintings and drawings. This one is the People's Choice winner as many people tell me this is their favourite. It was one of those warm summer nights and I was fascinated by the light coming out of the subway station that is pretty much all windows. Its meaning for me is that particular type of urban loneliness filled with people. We are surrounded by light, darkness, others and yet often feel alone. Dimensions: 24 by 48.

Subway Windows

A subway station is inside, yet within that inside, there is the further inside of the subway. So it is a like a Russian doll, insides within insides. In summer 2009, this was one of the images that I was determined to capture. Dimensions: 24 by 30.

Distillery District Window

Here is the first painting of my 2009-10 series on Windows. It was a lovely spring day and I had a networking lunch in the Distillery District. As I was leaving, I noticed the building across the street from the main building with these incredible, old windows and coverings. I take it this was the building where they stored the whiskey before shipping, so it was well protected. It came out so well, it launched a whole series. Dimensions: 24 by 36. SOLD!

Reflections on Windows, July 4 - 10, 2010

From July 4-10, I will be showing eight paintings at the gallery at my art school, The Toronto School of Art (410 Adelaide St. West, 3rd floor). The reception will be on Sunday, July 4 from 2:30-5:00 p.m.

I chose the subject because windows are all around us. They protect, they let light in, they let light out, they are mirrors - and so much more. We are surrounded by them but we don't think too much about them usually. I have thought quite a bit about them over the last year and now I hope you will reflect on them in new ways too! Have a look at my other posts to see what will be in the show. Thanks for looking and reflecting!