Mad with joy

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. 

~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat
"Sunny blooms" / 6"x6" / oil on archival panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide) 

Good for the soul - SOLD

If you are new to my blog, you may wonder if you've got the right post : ).  For some time now I've been concentrating on abstract but I began as a plein air painter (painting the landscape outdoors) and then became a "daily painter" in 2009 (where I created small oil paintings daily and posted them to my blog) and for the past couple of years  I've been exploring abstract.
Due to an upcoming group order I had to build up my inventory of small works. So here is the first one of what will be a good month of daily painting. I enjoyed painting in this format again although the thinner smell got to me. Ick.
Happy Thursday!

All our beautiful moments - SOLD

I love this one. It started out as more of a painting of graphic shapes but when I revisited it I thought it needed to be pushed a little further. And then it began flowing and I stopped at the right time. Believe me, there are often times I don't. You just never see them : )
acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / 16"x12"x1.5" / SOLD
For details see Saatchi Art.

Northern Revival

Well, after a few weeks of illustrating, I got to work painting. It felt good! As for my illustrations, I gave them a sober second glance and decided to use all of them as a "rough copy" and perfect them the next go round. So it will most likely be summer before the project is completed. In the meantime I will be painting my heart out : ) This piece is "Northern Revival" and is 24"x36", acrylic. $875. To see how it would look in a room, click here and then click the grey bar "View Original in Room".

Happy Easter!

So I am almost done my illustrations for my book I've been working on! I have one left to paint. It has been so much fun "bringing them to life". And I've also had a number of hot baths and deep cold rubbed into my neck! Anyway, I'm hoping to show you something soon. In the meantime I thought I'd re-post a couple of Easter themed paintings. Hope you like them! As you can tell, I am attracted to shiny foil : ) Wishing you a wonderful day wherever this finds you <3 p="">

Painting, painting...

Here is one of my watercolour sheets filled with illustrations I'm working on. I'm having so much fun with this but man, I've got to remember to stretch. When painting on a canvas I am standing in front of an easel using my whole arm. With illustrating I am hunched over a table. Not good for the neck.

Introductions

And here are the main characters of my book. Rather snazzy dressers, yes? I went through a lot of costume sketches figuring out these outfits : ) Below is more progress on yesterday's illustration. Thanks for taking an interest!

Progress shot

So I worked on the character's clothing choices today as I had to make a few revisions - and I did some other stuff, but mostly I just coloured this in! I was surprised at how long just this beginning part took me! Holy hannah I'm not going to get this book done till July! lol

Getting 'er done!

So I know you wouldn't know this based on my recent posting history but I have been madly working. This afternoon I finished the drawings of my children's book illustrations on to watercolour paper (22 of them!). And this evening I was playing with their outfits - picking colours for their clothes. Here is a finished pencil drawing before it was transferred. Tomorrow I plan to start colouring them in. I'm excited to see them "awaken" from the line drawings : )

Acceptance!

I'm thrilled to announce that I have just been accepted to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, July 4-6th at Nathan Phillips Square! I will be showing my abstract paintings. As the date comes closer I will forward more information. So happy to be part of this show!

Yay!

So I'm renewing work on a children's book I began 20 years ago. Yep. Before many of you were even born : ) Feels great to illustrate again! I'm really moving along. I hope to bring some illustrations to colour by the end of the week!

Babe in the Woods

Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / 20"x20"x1.75"

So this is my nature: now I'm dying to get out there and paint trees! It seems I must keep going back and forth, back and forth.... For further details see Saatchi.

Peonies and Phlox

I'm almost finished my latest abstract but not quite, so I thought I'd post this painting I did a few years back. Where I live it is still cold and I am feeling rather desperate for spring. Looking at flowers helps : ) This is acrylic on masonite and is framed in a clean and classic polished black wood frame.
16"x20" / $450

Peacock

Hello folks! So at last I have finished this painting. Some "fall off the brush" and some are a battle. This was the latter. But that's okay : ) Below is a detail and lastly is a photo shown for scale.

Work in Progress

This is what I've been working on lately. As always, some parts are working, others not yet. It's a long push and pull. Keeping my fingers crossed! I'd love your feedback!
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
~Scott Adams

Sunny Side of the Street (SOLD) + a great meme

This is Sunny Side of the Street. It is 48"x36" on gallery wrapped canvas (edges painted black). I had posted this some time back but the more I stared at it, the more I thought I wanted to add. Ah, this happens! But now it is up on Saatchi and it is finished. No more alterations. It just really makes me feel good and warm when I rest my eyes on it. And happy. It reminds me of the warm sun that bathes you when you have a chill, and of outdoor cafés. I wonder what it calls to mind for you!
Details for this painting are here. You can also click a grey button that says "View original in a room" and immediately see the scale of it against furniture.
If you receive this post through your email, you may not know that I now have a Facebook page. There you will find my art posts but also memes I come across, links to other artists I am enjoying etc...  This was something I came across the other day and I fell in love with it. Do you feel this way about art? I most certainly do! I've always said you can walk by a piece of art and stop. And something triggers you, and it takes you to another place...

Also, a reminder that you are invited to attend the opening of On the Rock, Merging Art & Ecology Friday night at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas, Ontario. I had a sneak preview and it's going to be a wonderful show!

Show Invitation to On the Rock: Merging Art & Ecology

You are invited to the opening of On The Rock: Merging Art & Ecology, Friday March 7, 7-9:30pm at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas, ON. Free entry, wine and cheese! I will be showing with Barry Coombs, Kristen Brittain, Floyd Elzinga, Guennadi Kalinine, Ralph Heather, Janusz Wrobel, Lorraine Roy, Aleda O'Connor and Diana Schlotens.

This show is in partnership with A Rocha, Environmental Stewardship. I will have three landscape paintings at the show: Climb, Sanctuary, and Reaching.

From Diana Scholtens on the A Rocha website:
On the Rock: Merging Art and Ecology is an exhibition pulling together 10 artists and their reflections on a particular property, Cedar Haven Farm. Each artist was asked to take inspiration for their art works from this property and share what they discovered. Each artist has brought to our attention various aspects of the property in their own style and medium. It has been a great pleasure to take part in this exhibition, both as part of A Rocha and as an artist, sharing in the experience of each other’s merging perspectives. 

Climb, 36"x36", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

Sanctuary, 24"x36", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

Reaching, 24"x30", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

From the Vault: Hills in May

"From the vault" is something new I'm starting. Occasionally I will post an older painting from my studio that is available. Then on days when I'm home with sick children (cough cough) or am working on larger paintings, I can still post and keep in touch!

Hills in May / acrylic on canvas / 18" x 24" / $550 (framed)

"Replenished" by Kim Rempel

Hey there! This is "Replenished", my latest painting. It is a large piece: 30"x40" and is painted on gallery wrapped canvas (the thick, deep sides). If you'd like to see it in a room, Saatchi has a button that lets you do that! Simply follow this link and then click the button that says "View Original in a Room". It's pretty cool!

Reckless Blooms

Hi everyone : ) This is my newest painting: Reckless Blooms. Last year I read the most beautiful quote that stayed with me. And that was how I chose the title.

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, 

there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. 

~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Last week was a rough one in the studio! Lots of painting and quiet swearing but nothing finished up to where I was ready to post. This week is feeling better, like I've got a bit of my mojo back.
Listening to: CBC Radio One (Yep. Talk, talk, talk :)
Drinking: Coffee (but only one cup on that I nursed for a couple of hours)
Watching: House of Cards. Not while I'm painting, but this is my new tv fix. Oh, Francis and Clarie. The diabolical things you dream up...
For purchasing information please see Saatchi Art.
20"x20"x1.75" / acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

The Great Upheaval at the Art Gallery of Ontario

On the weekend we went to see The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection, 1910-1918 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. A very good show. I find going through with the audio support quite enriching as they impart bits of info they don't write on the wall descriptors. I have shared my three favourites below with links back to the Guggenheim site if you want to read a little further.

Do you get to galleries often? The more I go, the stronger the pull. You know how runners talk about "runners high"? I think "art gallery-goers high" is a condition as well ; ) What was the most memorable show you ever saw? Mine was Van Gogh: Up Close at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa in summer 2012. I actually had the experience of tearing up in front of a painting. That moving. The whole show blew me away. I wrote about it here. Anyway, without further ado, here were my picks this weekend:

Marc Chagall / Paris Through the Window, 1913

Vasily Kandinsky / Pastorale, February 1911. 

Franz Marc / Yellow Cow, 1911. 

Everlasting

My latest painting: Everlasting. And here it is to show scale:

This painting is 30"x36"x1.75" (gallery wrapped canvas) and is $1200.
For purchasing information: see Saatchi Art. I've been asked a couple of times if I do layaway plans, and yes, absolutely! Cheers.

Shenanigans

Hi everyone! Okay, here's my latest work: Shenanigans. A great burst of joy and colour for a white, cold February day. And here it is on my easel:

Shenanigans / 30"x30" / acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / $1050

Also, I am thrilled to say that my painting "Autumn" has been included in a Saatchi Collection this week. Awesome + a big thanks to Saatchi. You can see it here.

WIP + a handy tip

So this is a detail from a new painting I have started (the abstract from Sunday's post was on the sideline today). I was unsure where to go with the colour behind the branches. So out came my trusty acetate. I learned this tip from fellow artist Laurie Wonfor Nolan. When you are faced with indecision tape a piece of clear acetate or mylar on your painting and paint away. Stand back and check it out. Remove the acetate and wash it off for the next time. Up top you can see me lifting the corner of the film. Below are a couple other colours I tried.

Presto. I made my decision and have started working into the background of the painting below.

On the easel now

What I'm working on now. Need to think about where to take this one...
Hope you're all having a good day wherever this finds you. Peace : )

Gelato - SOLD

My latest painting fresh off the easel: Gelato. Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.
Feeling happy.

"Reaching"

So now it's complete! Memories of fall, windy days and glorious colour.
24"x30" / acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / $750

Stage 2: work in progress

The next stage. I took this at night, under bad lighting with a flash, so the colour is a little off. Funny thing is, I like it better than what it really looks like. I may need to make some adjustments! : )

Work in progress

Work in progress. This is the beginning of the third landscape painting for the March show. Feeling loose and free!

"Sanctuary"

Done! This piece has been painted for a show called On the Rock - Merging Art and Ecology taking place in March at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas, Ontario.
It is 24"x36" on gallery wrapped canvas and is acrylic.

Work in progress

At the outset you may not see a lot of changes from the last post but I've added a bunch of background branches and twigs as well as a bunch of texture on the forest floor. Next steps: refining tree trunks (value/colour/texture), defining branches on the ground and then working with the sky. I'm pretty happy with the way it's coming together!

The next step...

Here's the progress shot on the painting I posted last Thursday. Getting there. Much to do on the forest floor.
Gosh, it's been cold today. School buses were cancelled on account of severe cold weather. Brr. Hope wherever this finds you you're somewhere comfortable : )

New work, a new year!

After yesterday's lengthy post I will keep this short and sweet. Here's what's on my easel now: the very early beginnings of a painting of the woods.