Surprise Garden Obelisk + Garden Love

The odd time I share art that is not paintings. Today I wanted to share a gift my family made for me for Mother's Day. I am in LOVE with it : ) It was meant for my clematis to grow over but it will stay a garden sculpture because it would be a crime to cover it up!
My husband and children each designed a side of this obelisk along with their name "signed" on it. It was then cut and welded. What a treasure! Seriously, I almost cried. What a perfect thing for our garden. Thanks again all of you. xoxo

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."  

~Abram L. Urban

"It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences 

may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought." 

~James Douglas, Down Shoe Lane

They made a Green Man sculpture a couple of years ago. I planted a vine that we are trailing through so the idea is that over time it will look like a plant man. 

And this is a flower that my brother-in-law made. Hurray for gardens!

Pretty Things

Just a few moments ago on Facebook I read this quote from Anne of Green Gables: "One can dream so much better in a room where there are pretty things."
Touché!
And of course those pretty things vary from folk to folk. Some of my pretty things? Flowers, a ribbon, a coloured glass ball, some assorted bits of pottery and dishes, art - and they are tied to cherished memories. What are your pretty things?
6"x6" / oil on hardboard / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Tulip burst

I am almost out of my Raymar canvas panels so I bought a couple of different panels - gessoed hardboard - from Currys to experiment. For today's painting I used acrylic. It definitely feels different but interesting! And the tulips are still going strong.

6"x6" / acrylic on hardboard / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Spring bouquet

Today a spring bouquet. These tulips and forsythia are from my garden. Aren't flowers incredible? I just LOVE them. This is acrylic on stretched canvas, 12"x12".
Last weekend I was at The HandMade Market, a wonderful "small box" shopping experience showcasing local artisans, food and wine. It's always a great time. This year we were treated to rain, high winds and 2 rounds of hail! I wanted to thank my sister and cousin who sat with me in the tent (it always makes the day extra enjoyable) and also Barbara Muir (an artist blogging friend of mine who drove down from Toronto). Thanks! And thanks to all the people who came out and enjoyed the day.
If you don't know Barbara, please check out her blog. She is a wonderful, generous, funny person, and wow - can she ever paint. She is always filled with joy and gratitude and when you read her blog it's contagious ; ) Here is a picture from the weekend. And below I've posted a few paintings of hers. I've seen her work in person (and own one!) and it is delicious. Did I mention she was on Oprah? : ))

Water Image 2, Water Image 3, Water Image 1
Acrylic on canvas
90 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

Mother and Child
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

To inspire

This is an iris from my garden - well, last years - this years haven't bloomed yet. I looked up the flower meaning and it said "Inspiration". I thought that seemed perfect. Who doesn't need a little inspiration from time to time? Inspiration and hope that people can be better. There have been a number of grim events in the news lately - internationally, nationally and sadly locally. When events weigh heavy on my shoulders and I wonder how on earth people can be so awful I find comfort in flowers and trees. They just goes on showing us their beauty and offering peace.
Also, Saturday and Sunday is the HandMade Market. I will be there along with other artisans, food and wine. Treat yourself and get away for a few hours! For all details and information click and scroll down the page here. Happy weekend everyone.
6"x8" / oil on canvas / $100 (incudes free shipping worldwide)

Opening: "Sharp Intake" at Gallery M

My piece "Nude from behind"(36x36", acrylic on canvas) at the show.

Brenda (an artist friend), Merryn (gallery owner and artist) and me. As you can probably tell, Merryn really knows how to throw an opening! Thank you Merryn for such an interesting show. You did a wonderful job as always!

 Opening night, "Sharp Intake", Gallery M. By the way, Cambridge has some cool shops. Check out the dress shop Rodney Philpott across the street from the gallery! Dreamy!

Blaze + Upcoming Events

Autumn trees are a little weird at this time of year, I know! But I was going through pictures on my camera and I came across this photo I took of a maple last fall and I wanted to paint it. So, voila.
6"x8"/ oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

In other news
• Wednesday I will be at the opening of Sharp Intake at Gallery M in Cambridge exhibiting this piece.

Nude from behind, 36 x 36", acrylic on canvas, framed

• The next plein air at The Good Earth is Saturday, June 1st. For more info see here.

• And last but not least, this weekend I will be at the HandMade Market at Ravine Winery in St. Davids. Info here. Small box shopping at its best!

Snowball bush

This is our snowball bush. Yep! That's it's real name. It get's these clusters of white blooms that look like a bush is blossoming with snowballs and the kids even pick them off and throw "snowballs" at each other. And then the loose petals fly and flutter everywhere and it's really like a beautiful summer snow.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

In the garden - SOLD

Spring has sprung. And it is dazzling. Tulips are blooming, fruit trees are in blossom - heaven! This is from our garden - they look like peonies but are actually peony tulips (Easter Egg Basket Combo to be specific : ) So pretty.

6"x6" / oil on canvas / SOLD

Thaw on the Niagara Escarpment

My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing. 

 ~Aldous Huxley

I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements. 

 ~Henry David Thoreau

Done! I had started this painting a while back and it sat half-finished in my studio. Today I finished it up. This is a section of the Niagara Escarpment. We hike here all the time and I love it in every season. In fact, I painted a similar view of this scene back in 2010. It was a small oil called "Precipice" and is sold (below).
24"x30" / acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / $750

Dawn

So I suffer from this thing sometimes of painting over paintings that have been sitting around too long or that had something about them that bothered me. More often than not this is a good thing because a better piece emerges. Other times it goes south. But that's okay. This painting was this piece:

As you can see I turned it upside down and the little pink "olive" is now in the bottom left quadrant.

Now it feels right though!

And speaking of going over paintings, the piece I showed on my last post is now covered in gesso ; )

detail, new work in progress

A section of a new piece I'm working on. I wish this was the entire painting because I like what's going on but the rest is seriously challenging me. Back at it tomorrow.

Plein Air (eat, drink and painting) THIS Saturday. Lots of room!

Just want to say that the plein air class this Saturday at The Good Earth in Beamsville, Ontario still has openings. In fact we need a couple more to make it a go, so if you've toyed around with the idea of wanting to give it a try, this would be a good day! And I wanted you to know that guys register too. Proof above : ) 10am-4pm. Feel free to message me with any questions or go to my website and get details there. 

Opening Reception: Beyond the Wall. Unpacking the Layers of St. Catharines' Walls.

Today was the opening reception of Beyond the Wall. Unpacking the Layers of St. Catharines' Walls (The City of St. Catharines' 9th Annual Juried Art Exhibition • April 22-August 16) I was honoured to have my painting "Stacked" (In the City series) selected (and I'm happy to report it sold this month : ). There were thirteen other pieces in the show - all beautifully done and thought-provoking - a very good exposition!  One of the other artists was Elizabeth Zapotoczny (shown below). I really loved her painting and found it so moving.

On another note, you know how I told you about my (mis)adventure with my plein air class the other day? Well, here's what I started. I really liked the composition but when I began painting...well, let's just say it needs a lot of work. But the bones are there so I will press on! Happy almost-weekend friends!

Some nights are like that...

and tonight was one. I went to meet up with my plein air group which was an hours drive away at a new location. Couldn't find them anywhere! Turned around, drove, called...no luck. So in my goings back-and-forth I crossed a beautiful spot with a woods on one side and houses on the other. I decided to park it and pull out my gear and begin painting. A while in, a nice couple who lived across the street came to talk and I told them my original plan had gone astray. When I explained to them where I was supposed to me (in my defence) they did kind of laugh and say that the road was fairly confusing as it stopped and started and had a few dead ends. Anyway...my painting was beyond un-postable so I will  work on it tomorrow and see if I can redeem myself. In the meantime I am showing you this, which I had fun doing today in my studio. Something a little different. I was experimenting. It reminds me of batik and I am calling it "Farmer's Fields".

The sunny side of the street

I had a few design problems that were taking me a while to solve but I figured them out. I find when something's not working I sometimes can solve it if I give myself over to the fact that I might have to completely destroy the painting in the hope of regaining it. And today it worked. This is a large acrylic painting (36"x48") on gallery wrapped canvas.
On another note, I've had a good month in sales of abstract and landscape paintings and I just wanted to say thank you, THANK YOU to my buyers! And to all the people that have purchased my art at one time or another - sincerely, it means a lot. Cheers everyone!

In the studio

So here's the latest work in progress and a detail below. It's 24"x36" on gallery wrapped canvas. I'm liking where it's going but the trick will be developing it without losing the freshness! The funny thing is my last thought before I began to paint this was that it was going to be primarily blues and greens. Ha! On another note I'm thinking it's time to paint my studio walls white. At least one of them.

Outdoor Painting at The Good Earth - Registration Open!

Can you believe it's that time again? Registration for Plein Air Days at The Good Earth (Beamsville, ON) is now open! For those that aren't sure, "plein air" is really just another term for painting the landscape outdoors. The first workshop is Saturday, May 4th. This year we are trying something new and offering a mix of Friday and Saturday classes. 

Information:

Please join us for our 3rd season of open air painting sessions with Kim Rempel. Gardens, vineyards, orchards, farm life and interesting architecture await you! Featuring individual instruction and lots of painting time, artists of all skill levels will relish this series. The days begins with a demo followed by a couple hours of work. Then you’ll break for a delightfully inspired lunch at The Good Earth Bistro. The session fee includes your entrée, a glass of wine, dessert and coffee or tea (in addition to instruction). Once you’ve recharged your batteries, you can head back to your painting with renewed enthusiasm. Please bring your own materials. 

TO REGISTER: Please call The Good Earth at 905-563-6333. Cost is $90 (includes HST and gratuity)

2013 DATES: Saturday May 4 • Saturday June 1 • Friday July 5 

Friday August 9 • Saturday September 7th

latest abstract

This is my latest painting. It is big: 3' square.  I'll snap a picture of it soon to show scale. It would look very sharp on an empty white wall! This is painted on gallery wrapped canvas.

Abstract Painting Workshop

A full house. I was impressed how everyone dived in and fearlessly got to work (okay - maybe there was a little fear here and there but they tamped it down and their creativity was flowing). Everyone worked hard and made some terrific pieces. I've posted one shot from each artist - although there were more great paintings. Thanks everyone - it was a very enjoyable, productive day!

Leisa

Merryn

Sandy

Iris

Katia

Carol

Anne