The AGGV Art Rental & Sales Program  launches 'Covid Creations' on Friday September 18th. Go to this link to view & purchase works from the show.

Above is an image of my 40 x 30 inch oil on canvas, titled Time For Healing

This brand new exhibition is on the walls in the Massey Sales Gallery & online at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.  

As you might guess this exhibit focuses on art created by Vancouver Island artists during the time that the world shut down during the pandemic.  It's a way to exhibit important local works created during this strange time in our lives.

The show and sale runs from Sept 18 - Oct 19th.  Artworks  can be viewed & purchased online and in the gallery.

Cottage Beach Art

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/CottageBeachArt 

I started Cottage Beach Art at a time when I was moving from Ontario to the west coast, Victoria BC.  It seemed a fitting way to showcase all my miniature artworks and plein air works that I have created since moving to the coast.  It is also a collaboration of creativity with my daughter Holly and hubby Jeff, who create rustic beach decor and sea glass items.  Cottage Beach Art was born on Etsy to find a wider audience for these creative things.  It's been fun and its been a successful, so win; win:)

Five Fun Podcasts For Artists

part of a work in progress in studio today

When I'm painting in my studio, one way that I like to zone out and let the work flow is to listen to Art Podcasts. Somehow for me, listening along to a good art podcast keeps my brain amused while my intuition steps in to take charge of art making.  

This morning while flipping through UK artist Flora Yukhnovich's work on Instagram, I noticed that she mentioned that she was going to be a guest on a podcast called The Great Women Artists Podcast
I zipped over to have a listen, while I squeezed out my paint. 
Oh my, what a lovely interview.  I so enjoyed hearing Flora's inspiration and thoughts behind her process ... a total delight for an art geek like me to listen to!

If you're an art geek like me, you might just love having a listen.    
Here's some of my other current fav art podcasts :

Art Juice -
Art For Your Ear - 
The Savvy Painter Podcast
The Abundant Artist 

Keep Making Art - Art in the time of Covid19

Opening Time - 40 x 30" oil on canvas $1500

Keep doing art; the world needs art. Boy does it ever. It is every bit as vital in the times we are in now.  My heart is big for the nurses and doctors and all the service workers that risk everything to keep going, helping people through this difficult time.

My work on this painting began in a very literal way.  I thought I wanted to paint the blossomy hill that often captivates me as I drive by it on my way home.  But each painting session became less and less about representing that view, and more and more about how it made me feel.  Which meant that instead of imposing what I actually saw, I had to figure out how to create what I felt.  Letting go of the image was necessary.  Keeping space, and texture and subtlety became important.  I feel closer to the essence now, if further from the image. This is what intuitive painting is for me.  It's the kind of art I need to make just now.  

Artist self care

birdies made it onto the mini's
 this week  in celebration of the
little darlings flitting about in
the garden lately.

Not a great deal of studio painting going on this week.  I've been nursing a cold so staying home and focusing on health improvement instead.  When I'm away from the studio and not painting I feel like part of me is missing.  My studio practice is an essential part of feeling whole.  I recognize that 'a break is as good as a holiday' though, so a little self care is what's in order this week.  When I've been feeling like it, I have been satisfying that need to create with some little mini's.  My mini oil paintings are a meditative practice that celebrate little joys.  I plug into a podcast (favourites are: Art Juice, Savvy Painter & Art For Your Ear) and lose myself in the rythymn of the brushwork.

I applied to a couple of galleries for various juried shows last month and now they are all coming to fruition, which means there's a lot of dropping off/picking up paintings this month.  As a matter of fact there are 4 shows this month where I will have work ... two at Coast Collective, one at ArtPod and one with the Victoria Sketch Club.  I'm honoured to get to participate in these.  As an artist its important to 'get the work out there' so different people get to see the work.  One never knows where that might lead; often it leads to art sales and happy customers, and often it doesn't.  But we make art because we need to say something, and sharing the work is important.

AGGV Art Rental and Sales gallery program

Eminence - oil on canvas - 36 x 30"

I'm excited to say I got my painting 'Eminence' accepted into the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Art Rental and Sales Program.  Happy about that!  I love the venue that they have at the Victoria Airport;  a unique and eye catching display for all travellers to enjoy when passing through our airport.  

The rental and sales gallery is a great program.  It allows people to rent first class contemporary original local artworks for a minimum monthly fee.  That's nice because it means people can live with an artwork for a while, its especially good if they are contemplating purchasing it.  Or if they like they can rent it for a few months and then take it back to the gallery.  This allows them to rent another artwork to enjoy for a while.  

I love how Victoria is sooooo supportive of the arts.  And I'm tickled pink to have my work accepted into the AGGV art rental and sales program:)

APPROACHING GALLERIES

Moss & Arbutus - 8x10 en plein air- oil panel

Finding the right fit in a gallery is an important thing.  But it does take time.  You need time to look around at suitable galleries and to have an idea about what sort of work the gallery shows.  It helps to visit the gallery and pay attention to how the work is displayed, how often it is refreshed and what the price points are in comparison to work that you make. 

When all of these things seem in alignment, a request in person or by email on whether or not the gallery is currently seeking new artists is a good idea. In person a gallery owner may say upfront they are or are not seeking new art, and often will explain how to submit if they are. 
Email is less personal, and often an email request to a gallery goes unanswered.  Don't take it personally; but do understand, some things can be learned from no reply: 
1.  They are busy.  Who isn't?  
2.  They don't think they can sell it
3.  They are not seeking new artists at this time. 

In my opinion, no reply to a simple email request tells me something else too:   It tells me that I probably don't really want to do business with that gallery anyway.  Think about it... Would you do business with someone who wasn't available or accessible about business matters?  A professional gallery has the courtesy to at least reply even a standard:  "...at this time we are not currently seeking submissions..."   

An important thing I want from a gallery is a professional gallery / artist relationship.  Make no mistake about it, artists provide a gallery their inventory, in exchange I expect a clear contract and a business approach.