a day in the life of an animal portraitist

'lady and little bit'...

2010-01-04T12:10:00.003-05:00

14" x 18"
oil on canvas
private collect s. love

'roman'...

2009-11-11T15:36:00.004-05:00

18" x 36"
oil on cannvas

(private collection of m & m roth)

'dreamer'...

2009-11-11T15:36:00.003-05:00

14" x 18"
oil on canvas

(private collection of m & m roth)

'grace'...

2009-11-11T15:34:00.002-05:00

14" x 18"
oil on canvas

(private collection of m & m roth)

'joey'...

2009-11-11T15:33:00.001-05:00

30" x 30"
oil on canvas

(private collection of m & m roth)

'maggie'...

2009-10-01T11:45:00.003-04:00

16" x 20"
oil on canvas

(private collection of the stoller family)

art and the economy...

2009-05-22T11:06:00.002-04:00

well, i knew it was bound to happen at some point and here i am at that 'point'...the current state of the economy has really put a dint in my business...in the past years at this time, i would have at least three or more commissions on the painting schedule...this year right now, none with nothing in sight...so, i'm using this downtime as an opportunity to work on personal projects...i'll be continuing with the 'saturday smalls', sculptures and large-scale paintings of carnival scenes...the sculpture work, i'll be posting on a new blog as well as any other work i'll be creating...don't worry, i'll be posting a link here so you won't miss out...

i am hoping that the financial situation in the world turns around soon...we need to start spending money to keep our local economy healthy and prosperous...

buy art, it will make you smile when times are tough...

hang in there...

'adrock'...

2009-05-21T10:57:00.003-04:00

'adrock'
12"x12"
oil on canvas

(private collection of d.anderson)

the first day of spring!...

2009-03-20T11:26:00.003-04:00

it's here, the first day of spring...the day which leads other days to longer, warmer, light-filled ones...the day where my neighbour takes his lawnmower out to the driveway and dusts it off...in his mind the first day of spring is a segue to sweeping his driveway three times a day, mowing the law three times a week, yelling at his wife in italian everyday, roaming his property in sandals and undershirt as if he were caesar augustus....ah yes, the first day of spring!...the other morning i heard the robin singing before the sun rose in the east...there he was perched up high on the maple tree as if he were the emperor of my hood...the intensity of his song echoed over the sleepy houses...it was haunting, yet lovely in it's performance....i love spring and most everything that comes with it (except the fellow who lives directly east of me)...i wish today to be the first of the best days to come in your life...may you find a patch of sun and have it shine on you, filling your soul with possibilities...go and be your own caesar augustus!...

'thunder'...

2009-02-01T13:21:00.004-05:00

24" x 24" oil on canvas

'sophie'....

2009-02-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

i know, it's been ages since i have added a new post...but good things come to those who wait...

introducing 'sophie'...she is a 36 x30" portrait currently hanging in the great room in a home located in breckenridge, colorado...both dog and painting are owned by laurie r.

two more of oscar

2008-11-06T17:20:00.000-05:00

both paintings are 12"x12" oil on canvas

(private collection of k. plante and oscar)

oscar and the end of october...

2008-10-27T10:17:00.002-04:00

well, i've almost finished two more portraits of 'oscar' to complete the triptych...(see the first portrait)...the two paintings will be posted in about a week...

not much has been going on in the studio lately...i've been wondering about what the coming months will provide with the world in a state of financial uncertainty...i am continuing to work on the saturday smalls and have started to post them on ebay...there are several sketches on my desk for very large paintings of mid-west american scenes...despite the uncertainty, i will push on with work...

*sigh*

enough depressing thoughts for now, back to the easel...

'lola'...

2008-10-02T15:27:00.000-04:00

18"x14"

oil on canvas

the new howling canvas website!...

2008-09-17T17:14:00.002-04:00

well, it is done...i've finished the website in a record three days...three days of staring at a computer screen redesigning it to look pretty and it does...i hope you have a look...

thehowlingcanvas.com

also, during that time i decided to create a newsletter which can also be found on the website...

hope whatever you are doing involves sunshine and maybe a martini!...

'moka'...

2008-08-24T09:55:00.002-04:00

12"x 24" oil on canvas

(private collection-commissioned by k.plante)

'back from holiday...'

2008-08-24T09:49:00.002-04:00

well, i'm back from holiday and somewhat back in a routine...although next week, i think i'll take off and go camping somewhere before september starts...since returning, i've completed one new commission which i'll post in the next entry...coming up in septmeber i'll be back with a new website, a new newsletter announcing something interesting and i'll be putting together a discussion group/meet and greet blog where clients can get together and talk about their furry companions...so in the meantime, i hope you continue to return to this blog as well as the 'saturdaysmalls' blog to keep in touch...

hope your summer has been great!...

stay tuned....

'on the road again'...

2008-07-12T15:28:00.003-04:00

sorry i haven't been updating this blog as frequently as i have in the past, i'll be back to posting a regularly in august...at the moment i'm in joplin, missouri on my way to the state of kansas...this summer we are planning to see most of kansas via the small county roads...part of the purpose of the journey is to take reference photos for future 'saturday smalls' and a future show of large paintings with a mid-west united states theme...

anyway, i'll be back in the studio the first weekend in august and will start work on two new animal portraits....one cat and one dog...

stay tuned!...

'gabe'...

2008-06-27T10:53:00.002-04:00

16"x16" oil on canvas

(private collection of a.lychak and m.hodgkinson)

'oscar'...

2008-06-07T17:14:00.001-04:00

12"x12" oil on canvas

big hug to oscar!

(collection of k.plante)

where my mind is...

2008-06-06T11:30:00.001-04:00

this week i learned of the passing of an old family friend, dr. sheela basrur or just sheela (obituary is the previous entry)...she was a fixture in my grandparent's house on oak street in guelph when i was very little...i remember being the third wheel in the friendship of my aunt donna (whom some readers may recall died suddenly two years ago at the age of 49) and sheela...i was always in tow when those two went riding bikes, for walks in the field behind the house, when 'aunt denise' would suddenly make an 'appearance' from my grandparent's closet wearing my grandma's clothes, i was the victim who lost her heart and other body parts during mock operations on my granny's drafting table, i was also the unfortunate passenger who was often tossed to the floor during our pretend airplane games, dancing in the basement, roller-skating and so many other memories from what was the most happy time during my life...sheela taught me a 'fancy' way to colour and i suspect that 'fancy' way lead me to living la vida loca as an artist today...so many memories, such carefree happiness...the passing of sheela two years after the death of my aunt donna makes me wonder...i won't articulate that thought but i just wonder many things while looking this photo of sheela, donna and myself at the cottage near sauble beach...the year was around 1968...we were young, happy and looking forward to going swimming, eating chips and staying up late while granny made a bon fire...those were the days!...i really hope that sheela and donna are somewhere having a blast together!...

i miss and love you both so dearly...

June 2 at 1:16 pm

2008-06-06T11:22:00.004-04:00

Dr. Sheela Basrur

Dr. Sheela Basrur passed away peacefully on June 2 at 1:16 pm at Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, Ontario with close family members at her side.

Dr. Basrur is survived by her daughter Simone, her mother Parvathi (Pari), her father Vasanth, her sister Jyothi, her nieces Natasha and Nina, by Simone’s father Peter Koves and by friends, colleagues and admirers across Ontario, Canada and beyond.

Dr. Basrur died as she had lived: with honesty and courage. Her fight with leiomyosarcoma was a fight she shared with the world upon stepping down from her position as Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario on December 6, 2006 to undergo treatment for this rare form of Cancer. Her willingness to speak openly of her personal challenge served as an inspiration to so many others whose lives are affected by cancer.

On April 10th, 2008, Dr. Basrur was awarded Ontario’s highest honour, The Order of Ontario, at a special ceremony held at her bedside and presided over by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley .

This was followed very shortly after with what would be one of her final public appearances, with Premier Dalton McGuinty and Deputy Premier George Smitherman, where they addressed the Annual Conference of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Her speech delivered from the heart received a standing ovation from over 6000 nurses from all parts of healthcare and public health.

This honour was the crowning achievement in a career and a life led to the full. Lived with passion, humour, commitment and a desire to change the world in which we live for the better.

She achieved international recognition for her calm and unflinching handling of the 2003 SARS crisis while serving as Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto. Sheela Basrur was, however, so much more than “the SARS lady” as a child in a supermarket had once called her.

Dr. Basrur was a devoted mother who cared deeply for her daughter and her family and would be passionate about protecting time to attend concerts with Simone even whilst facing a gruelling workload and multiple competing demands.

Born in Toronto, Canada on October 17, 1956 to parents Vasanth and Pari, young graduate students from Karnataka and Kerala in South India, Dr. Basrur began her education at the University of Western Ontario where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1979, and went on to receive her degree in Medicine from the University of Toronto in 1982.

Dr. Basrur was exposed to the extreme realities of the social factors shaping health while in India and Nepal in 1983. She was inspired by the need to work upstream on the factors behind poor health in populations. Dr. Basrur returned from India and Nepal to Canada, and with her experience of rural health projects in Maharastra state in India, completed a Master of Health Sciences in Community Medicine in 1987, from the University of Toronto. She then went on to be appointed Medical Officer of Health at the East York Health Unit.

In 1998, Dr. Basrur became the first Medical Officer of Health for the newly merged City of Toronto. In this post, Dr. Basrur championed a range of progressive moves by the City including implementing DineSafe, a new restaurant inspection system, taking aggressive moves to curb smoking in restaurants, pioneering work on pesticide control - all the time attempting to ensure that information and services were available and targeted to an increasingly ethnically diverse population.

In 2004, Dr. Basrur was appointed the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the first in the history of the province to be appointed by the Legislative Assembly. In her time as Chief Medical Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister for Public Health, Dr. Basrur exemplified the resolve required to speak the truth.

Her work on tobacco control included the groundbreaking Smokefree Ontario legislation passed in 2006, the establishment of Ontario’s first ever arms-length Agency for Health Protection and Promotion established in 2007, a 2005 report to the Legislature that honestly and frankly told of the challenges and work required to rebuild the Ontario public health system.

As Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Basrur also released a major report on childhood obesity sparking attention and action on the increasing health threat it posed. All of these achievements and many more earned Sheela the Amethyst Award, the highest award granted to a member of the Ontario Public Service.

All these awards and honours, bestowed on Dr. Basrur, can never fully capture the person she was. She was awarded honourary Doctorate degrees from Ryerson University and York University, and a similar event was planned by the University of Toronto this month.

Sheela Basrur is mourned by her daughter, her family and friends, her colleagues. Ontario and Canada have lost a brave and gracious leader.

The family is holding a private ceremony in the days to follow. A public celebration of Sheela’s life will be arranged in ensuing weeks.

Sheela had requested the donations be sent, in lieu of flowers, to the Grand River Hospital Foundation

Grand River Hospital Foundation
835 King St. W
Kitchener, ON
N2G 1G3
Ph: 519-749-4205
Fax: 519-749-4354
Online giving: www.grhf.org
Donations should be marked “inpatient oncology equipment”

Condolences may be forwarded to the family through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street South, Waterloo Ontario, N2J 1P7, 519-745-8445 or www.erbgood.com

'jake'....

2008-06-05T14:08:00.001-04:00

20"x16" oil on canvas

(private collection of s.nelson)

'maggie'...

2008-05-11T13:19:00.000-04:00

16"x12" oil on canvas

collection of m.j. catinchi

'mimi'...

2008-05-11T13:13:00.001-04:00

16"x12" oil on canvas

collection of m.j. catinchi

'many apologies...'

2008-04-20T12:13:00.002-04:00

i have to apologise for not posting a single word in a month...things have been hectic, tragic, sad and angry here in the studio...i'll be elaborating in a day or two once things have cooled off and i'm once again able to form sentences without the word "*&%#" in it...sorry for the profanity but that's the shape of things at the moment...

in the meantime, i hope you can visit the saturday smalls blog to see what i've been up...the work there is now available for purchase...

off to sit in the sunshine (now that my neighbour has finished cutting his lawn, yes that's right CUTTING HIS LAWN!!)

'fudge and jack'

2008-04-20T12:10:00.004-04:00

30"x30" oil on canvas
(private collection, c.chin)

'bo'...

2008-03-15T13:02:00.000-04:00

36"x48" oil on canvas
private collection of b. bashan, colorado

'fudge and jack'...

2008-03-05T09:49:00.004-05:00

work has been steady on the this painting since i started...so far things have been moving along smoothly and i'm really enjoying spending time with this piece...not much else to report at the moment...

we are in the midst of a huge snowstorm, with a windchill of -16C...i'm loving it!...i wish i could say that i've had enough of winter but summer just doesn't do it for me, at least summer in a crowded, polluted, violent city...also, i find it so noisy outside during the summer and as mentioned in previous posts, my neighbour makes being outside in the backyard an annoying experience...

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

back to the easel...

it's my birthday...

2008-03-01T09:57:00.002-05:00

another year old and whole new attitude...(or something)

'bo'....

2008-02-29T10:04:00.002-05:00

the portrait of 'bo' was completed a few days ago and it looks great...i'll be posting an image of the painting either next week or in a couple of weeks...

work has begun on 'fudge and jack' and i was hoping to finish this portrait sometime next week but things are moving along slowly...the composition is great, colours are good and the subject matter is very sweet, it's just that sometimes things transpire in the studio that make work move at a snail's pace...i can't explain it...

oh, back to work...

on a side note, there was a murder last night just down the street from my house...the body of a mother of three and owner of her own business was found in her flower shop...it's sad to see my city quickly swirling down the giant toilet of crime...my thoughts are with her as her ghost stands above the crime scene, her crime scene wondering 'what' and 'why' this had to happen to her...to think that she lived her entire life only to have it violently taken away from her...very tragic indeed...

'cami and spinnaker' portrait...

2008-02-23T13:25:00.003-05:00

'cami and spinnaker' 18"x24" oil on canvas

'bo' and 'fudge and jack'...

2008-02-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

the portrait of 'bo' is almost done and it looks great!...the portrait of 'fudge and jack' is next on the easel...i'll be posting a photo of 'cami and spinnaker' on friday after the client receives it...

'cami and spinnaker'...

2008-02-13T10:52:00.005-05:00

this painting is finally finished...i laid the final brushstroke down the other day...a photo of this painting will be posted in the next week or so...please check back then to see it...

also, please be sure to check out my new blog 'saturdaysmall s' for weekly updates on new, small-scale paintings i'll be painting and placing online for sale...(it's a weekly painting routine at the moment but that will be changing to a daily one in the near future)

the work on the portrait of 'bo' continues...i don't quite have a 'feel' as to when i'll be completing this piece but so far things are going along rather smoothly...

'hotel howdy ll'...

2008-02-09T14:27:00.000-05:00

5"x7" oil on gessobord

for more images (upcoming) please visit saturdaysmalls.blogspot.com

'saturday smalls'....

2008-02-03T18:13:00.000-05:00

most of you who read my blog regularly have seen me starting to post what i've nicknamed 'saturday smalls'...these are paintings done on small boards (5"x7" or so) during saturdays in the studio...i'll be posting the paintings online here for now...then exclusively on my 'saturday smalls' blog with the offer to purchase these small works of art at some point in the near future...at the moment, i'll be working on compositions from my few trips across the continent often visiting small towns in america that in some cases are quickly disappearing...

i look forward to your comments on the new paintings and hopefully you'll consider becoming a collector of this little gems...

the address of the 'saturday smalls' blog is 'saturdaysmalls.blogspot.com'

'circus tent'...

2008-02-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

'circus tent' oil on board 6"x7"

'grain crossing'...

2008-02-03T17:45:00.000-05:00

'grain crossing' oil on board 7"x5"

'coke sign corner'...

2008-02-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

'coke sign corner' oil on board 6"x4"

'hotel howdy, I'...

2008-01-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

5.5" x 7" oil on board
part of the 'saturday smalls'...

'salsa'...

2008-01-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

12"x12" oil on canvas.

'chirpster'....

2008-01-25T15:16:00.000-05:00

this painting is 12"x16", oil on canvas.

wednesday...

2008-01-23T17:58:00.000-05:00

it's cold outside...

the studio is chilly...

not much to report except in the next week, i'll be posting two new portraits, one of a bird named 'chirpster' and the other of 'salsa' a black poodle...

i'm currently working on 'cami and spinnaker' and hope to finish it by the weekend(fingers crossed)...

in the meantime, here is the first installment of my 'saturday smalls' a series of small paintings (less than 6"x8")

this on is of a furniture shop in a small town in the america midwest...

the week so far...

2008-01-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

today is the day that marks the decline to the weekend...wednesday as the kids call it...since i've been home from vacation in florida, the sun has NOT shone once here in the big smoke...not once...each day i gaze outside from behind the easel to find the same old cloudy, grey day...the clouds seem to loom over toronto as if they have taken up residency here permanently...now i'm not one to really complain about the weather, especially the wintery kind but come on where is the sun?...i'm not talking a brief interlude where the sun breaks through for a moment or two but i would like to see an all out sunshinepallooza even if for one day...i love, love, love the winter time...i love to cold, the clothing, the cosiness of wrapping myself up under my duvet for a fantastic night of sleep but during the day it would be nice to feel the rays of the sun on my skin...some of you may know that even in winter i like to take a chair and my coffee/tea outside to drink it...i love listening to the silence that so often is 'heard' during the cold, snowy days...i hear the birds...the occasional airplane...my idiot neighbour sighing for summer where he can mowed his lawn three times a week...the silence is what i like, the human silence...i also love it when the elderly women in my hood go out for the morning walks (when the road is clear of snow as my hood doesn't have sidewalks) glance over and see me sitting outside enjoying my beverage...i love the silence gesture that expresses their inner nodding and commenting on my action 'meshugana'...yes, i love winter but i need at least one sunny day, just one for this month...maybe i'll just go to my easel to paint a sunny day...

i've finished a very interesting painting this afternoon...a bird...yes a sweet looking finch named 'chirpster'...i have to say that i have never painted a bird and it was a challenge for me...i'm so used to painting fur/hair but feathers!...anyway, it's done and i think it is a lovely painting...now i'm going back to rework a small painting for a client before starting work on 'cami and spinnaker'...

think sunny thoughts...

the official portrait of me...

2008-01-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

is this the one i should use?...as i ask the great oracle of cyberspace...

'daniel and tiger man'...

2008-01-07T11:29:00.000-05:00

here's a small sketch i did for a client in atlanta...pen, oil on board, 6"x8"

'idgie and sandy'...

2008-01-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

the is the last painting i did in the year 2007...for clients in new york city...the size is 36"x30"

squinty....

2007-12-31T18:37:00.001-05:00

foggy gulf...

2007-12-29T15:05:00.001-05:00

so, i was down at the pool tanning, (which for me is a HUGE deal as i don't wear bathing suits in public) plugged into my ipod listening to delta blues enjoying the warm sun on my spf 60 covered skin...upon emerging from the towel that was over my head (don't want wrinkles) i found myself in a dense fog, literally, not figuratively....so here is the view from my balcony of the gulf engulfed in fog...(those are cabana chairs in the distance)...

swim girl...

2007-12-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

florida beach

2007-12-28T10:46:00.000-05:00

it's christmas, so it must be florida...

2007-12-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

here i am sitting on a balcony, next to a pool right on a beach facing the gulf of mexico...in my right hand is large glass of wine and i'm typing this entry with my left (do my talents ever cease??)...i'm on a much needed holiday from working in the studio non-stop from mid-august to december 16th...i'll write more about the trip as well as post a photo or two, but for now i'm going to head for the hot tub to gaze at the full moon (i wouldn't want it to think i was ignoring it!....)

i wish everyone who reads this blog a wonderful holiday and a healthy, prosperous new year...

lisa g.

here is the painting of 'zena and lucy'....

2007-12-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

'lucy and zena'...

2007-11-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

finally, the painting of 'lucy and zena' is finished!...i think it is beautiful...

saturday...

2007-11-17T08:23:00.000-05:00

well after spending three straight days in bed with a cold and a half of a day here in the studio, i feel that today i've recovered enough to work a full day...i've fallen behind in my schedule and have to work like a mad woman with four arms to catch up...this time of year is always hectic with commissions that people want for christmas which is a good thing...the work on the two dogs from england is coming along very well...the portrait of salsa the poodle is however coming along slowly...i've been trying to see if my productivity level is increased by setting up two easels to work on almost at the same time...i know this is a foolish experiment and all that will come of this will be me just pissing off the muse...oh well...i just feel as though i have not painted as much as i should have at this point in time...somehow the idea of having a thousand paintings with my name on it has been a goal in my head for a long time...perhaps i should just take a magic marker with me the next time i visit a gallery and sign the paintings 'lisa g'...

this posting is really going no where, so i'll sign off and head to work...

sunday...

2007-11-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

today i'm taking the day off to spend it at the royal agricultural winter fair...i might post photos of my adventure later for those of you who are keen on seeing horses, chickens, pigs and cows!...

the' five pugs from puerto rico' painting...

2007-11-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

thanks to sandra, my tech specialist for uploading the image of the portrait of the pugs...

in you are interested in seeing a larger version of the image, click on the title of this posting and you will be sent to my online portfolio...

by the way, the names of the pugs are as follows: carmela, rufus, lola, black jack and annie

back to the easel...

Pug Post

2007-11-02T22:30:00.001-04:00

My name is Sandra and I am not an animal portrait painter. I have a working internet connection. The hamster under Lisa's desk died and she asked me to post this photo because: 1) she is in mourning and 2) I love the pugs. Enjoy!

tuesday...

2007-10-30T17:11:00.000-04:00

here's an update on the 'great two paintings at once experiment'...i gave up...it was just too difficult for me to split my creativity in two...so i'm spending time working on the larger of the two paintings...thus far i have completed about 60% of the painting and i think it's really looking lovely!...

not much else to report at the moment...

back to the post...

two paintings....

2007-10-22T12:54:00.000-04:00

today i start work on two paintings...the first, is of two dogs from england named, 'zena' and 'lucy'...the second one is of a dog named 'salsa'...mmmmmm, salsa....

anyway, i'm hoping to finish these paintings without any trouble and lately i feel as though my muse is getting run down or just not that focussed....although i've been working non-stop since mid-august (which might explain her state of mind) and more than likely will continue this pace until the middle of december...at that point i should be finished all that is currently on my schedule...

as for the pugs, they are still drying in the prep room...i'll be shipping them sometime next week with any luck and then i'll be able to post the photo of the painting here for all the world to look at...

i can feel the lovely fall days dwindling down to less warm weather days to more chilly, rainy ones...i love the fall and now will end this posting to take my tea outside to side in the hue of the huge red maple on the lawn...

a night out with my cousin...

2007-10-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

(hey...come on, i can't always be working!)

the pug paintings...

2007-10-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

i'm happy to write that i've finally finished the 'five pugs from puerto rico' portraits...it was a long, slow process but i'm happy with the results and hope the client feels the same...now the paintings are hanging in the studio drying...then i varnish them, photograph them, ship them and wait for the client to respond before i will post the photo of the finished product here...

tomorrow will be a bit of a break before i start work on a new portrait...

heading off to the bath with a glass of wine...it's what call a 'reward'...

tuesday...

2007-10-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

i wonder...

2007-09-25T15:11:00.000-04:00

i've been working away here in the studio on the 'five pugs from puerto rico' and am wondering how will i be remembered when i die?...i don't mean this to be an post about my ego because i'm sure that there are some of you out there who have wondered on occasion the same thing...the past six years of my life have been the most prolific time in my career with close to five hundred paintings floating around the world with my signature on them...i wonder, 'will i be remembered as an artist'?...a 'female artist'?...a 'canadian female artist'?...or will i simply die without national gallery doors opening up to present to the public a retrospective of my life's' work?...i don't have any children and at this point really don't plan on having any (a whole other topic later on the state of the world and i won't contribute to the human breeding process until things here on earth are better) so i won't have 'little mes' running around to speak of me once i'm gone...my eggs aren't frozen next to celine dions'--(and frankly the world doesn't need another one of her!) in some human freezer bank in manhattan...so what's left but my work substituting as my 'children' living in various parts of the world...what are they saying 'about me'?...have they made an impact on another person's life?...will they end up in a garbage heap somewhere or passed down to the next generation?...will they appear on the antiques roadshow and given a lofty value?...i wonder.....

how will i be remembered?...how will you be remembered?...and in the end does it really matter?....

hmmmm.....

the five pugs from puerto rico...

2007-09-21T14:52:00.000-04:00

the progress of these paintings has been one of a stop and start process...i have been back on track for this week and things are plodding along slowly but in a good way...the composition is an unusual one in that the pugs are in the foreground with a pool behind them, then a a wall and finally the sky...somewhere in the mix i'm adding some bougainvillaea although my ability to paint flowers is not a very confident one mainly because i seldom do it...i'm excited to see the final product and am hoping that i'll be in that position by next weekend!...fingers crossed...

back to the easel...

the 'ballyhoo candy' paintings

2007-09-20T09:41:00.001-04:00

here are some of the candy paintings....

'dubble bubble' oil on canvas 36"x60"

'lifesavers I' oil on canvas 14"x30"

'whirlypop I' oil on canvas 60"x36"

'polar bear pez' oil on canvas 60"x30"

i'm still here...

2007-09-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

it's been a month since i've last posted anything and what a month!...

here's a brief breakdown:

'semi' renovated the bedroom
painted the outside of the house
worked on the portraits of the 5 pugs from puerto rico
finished 10 very large-scale paintings of candy for a show that just happened last weekend
had a haircut
and many more things that i won't bore you with in this post...

the paintings of the pugs are simple wonderful...i can't wait to finish them to see all five paintings lined up side by side...i keep wanting to finish them asap but i have to remind myself that these are five separate portraits and normally that amount would take weeks to complete!...i'm just impatient as a rule...

the large-scale candy paintings are amazing if i do say so myself...as mentioned i had them in a weekend show here in the big smoke...i had terrific responses from the general public walking past my booth but no one purchased!!!...as it turns out not many of the 244 artists present at the highly publicised show sold much or anything at all...it's pretty typical here in this city for people to 'really love' your work but not go that extra step and actually make a purchase...c'est la vie!...i'm going to shop these paintings to an american gallery and see what comes of it...more on this later...

back to the pugs!...

i present 'kip'

2007-08-20T10:16:00.000-04:00

message to the lone beader

2007-08-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

i keep trying to leave a message on your blog but for some reason, i'm unable to fully open it...so here is my message...thanks for the comments...i feel badly about not being able to respond to you directly...

your work is fantastic!...

back home from holiday....

2007-08-07T09:42:00.000-04:00

i'm back home and back to work in the studio...it seems so long ago that i was on holiday but it was just a few days ago!...i suppose it feels distant because we didn't stay away as long as we had planned...thanks global warming for making the summer too hot for us to camp or spend too much time outside before dehydrating into in a raisin-like feature!..oh well, i'm back to work and have plenty to do with both commissions and a couple of upcoming shows...

here is a photo of my new 'boyfriend' from montana...we are completely in love!...

off to the easel...

on holiday...

2007-07-13T09:10:00.000-04:00

i'll be back in the studio after a much needed holiday...keep checking in for possible updates from the 'road'...

humidity...

2007-07-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

not a big fan....for those of you who are playing the 'lisa g. home game'....

'19th century dogs'....finally

2007-07-04T14:11:00.000-04:00

question...

2007-07-02T16:22:00.000-04:00

is it really THAT important for an artist to put on their website a listing of awards they have won?...does seeing the list make the viewer MORE interested in the artists' work?...and for those artists whom might never have been given an award for their work or simply don't subscribe to the idea of entering 'contests', does that make their work less 'important' or desirable than those who have won awards?...

i once had my work taped to the fridge when i was young because the teacher gave me a gold star...does that count?

'electricity and lights IV'...

2007-07-02T11:28:00.000-04:00

'capri'...

2007-06-29T11:58:00.000-04:00

'electricity and lights'

2007-06-28T15:16:00.000-04:00

thursday...

2007-06-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

hell of a time since i've last written...a table in my studio collapsed which would have been nothing except it was holding some paintings that were wet...disaster!...one was ruined and a few were smudged and belonged to clients...now i have to spend time repairing the smudges which wouldn't be so bad if i were not slightly behind in my work...we are planning on going on vacation shortly and i really don't want to find myself working until the last minute...i want to take time out to relax a bit and move into a travel state of mind...i still might stop working early and give myself a fresh start after travelling however, keeping clients waiting for their work is something i get anxious about...hmmmmmmm.......

back to work...

not animal related but...

2007-06-21T11:18:00.000-04:00

although the following images are not animal related, they are paintings that i've been working on simulataneously...finished them all in less than two weeks time....these are part of a larger body of work and will be shown in a gallery outside of toronto for the summer months...

wednesday...

2007-06-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

the painting of the horse is finished and it looks lovely...now i'm back to working on kippy the clown....he is a very sweet fella from california who looks like he's has a tremendous personality...i'm hoping to post the photo of the 19th century sometime next week...i'm anxious to post this photo as i think this painting is one of the most unusual portrait i've done....

finally the humidity has lifted so i'm going outside to play today....

my neighbour...

2007-06-15T09:54:00.000-04:00

wednesday

2007-06-06T11:09:00.000-04:00

'victory'

2007-06-06T11:06:00.000-04:00

'jordan'

2007-06-01T09:42:00.000-04:00

school shooting

2007-05-23T19:02:00.000-04:00

so today i was outside waiting for my partner to return from home from his job as a math teacher at a local high school...twenty minutes after he was supposed to appear in the driveway, i was beginning to wonder where he was...i went back in the house and found that there was a message on my answering machine....'hi, we are under a lock-down...i don't know what's going on...i'll call you later'...i quickly turned on the news to discover that there was a shooting at his school...a fourteen year old boy was shot...and so the worry begins...i can't call the school as it's under lock down and no one is around to answer the phone...so i wait...i watch the news...i talk with my mother who tells me not to go to there and wait for him...his mother calls and we manage to discuss what's going on (she's deaf so the conversation has to be repeated and spoken slowly)...speaking the words slowly 'there's been in a shooting' really sinks in, hard...i can't believe that a high school in my town is under attack by someone...who?...a thug more than likely...but what if he goes on a shoots others??...although i sort of figure this is a vendetta against the dead boy, but why?....who cares i think, just let everyone go and get on with things....it's amazing to think what goes on in you mind when you are faced with what used to be an 'american' problem...not any more...high school violence is on the rise everywhere, so why not here in toronto?...five hours after the lock-down, i'm still waiting for joel to return home...he called and we've spoken, he's ok...but i seem to be not...i'm pacing the lawn looking like julian from trailer park boys, a glass of scotch on the rocks in one hand and the other is cursing the sky...why is the world such a wicked, wicked place???...

this blog entry was written while under the influence of stress and jb scotch...let me head clear a bit and i'll write more...

tuesday...

2007-05-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

i know that lately i've been a little sporadic in my posting here but things have been nuts here in the studio...i've been working hard to finish up all the commissions on my spring painting schedule...a few paintings have been putting me through the wringer emotionally while others i've seemed to breeze through...the latest difficult painting is the horse painting i've mentioned in a previous post...it's looking good but just taking a long time to complete...

a list of what i have to accomplish before the second week in july is as follows (for those of you who are playing the 'lisa g. home game):

10 commissions
5 large landscape pieces for a show in july
continue working on 4"x6" paintings for the upcoming '100 for $100 studio show/sale'

as well as the above i've been spending my down time working on small sketches that i'll be framing for sale at some point...

tonight i'm leaving the studio early to head downtown to go to a concert...gillian welch in is town and i've never seen her perform so i'm excited about going!...

off to clean up and head out....

tuesday...

2007-05-15T09:55:00.000-04:00

not much to report on the painting front...still working away...

monday...

2007-05-14T18:53:00.000-04:00

i've accidently deleted my links and have been trying all day to upload it again...it doesn't WORK!....so apologies to those who have me on their links list, i'll fix the problem as soon as i can....

other than that, i'm working away on the horse....

esther...

2007-05-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

here is the portrait of 'esther'...

friday...

2007-05-04T19:21:00.000-04:00

so it's friday...

i took the day off from work yesterday to go outside to play...i really needed to get away from working as i feel myself slowly getting 'studio fever'...the current painting i'm working on is going so slowly that i'm getting antsy to see the finished piece!...this painting is more complex than the others (although not as intense as the 19th century dogs in costume) but still it's involved...the composition is of a woman on horseback performing a jump...so far, it's lovely...i suppose that i'm worried that i'm taking a bit longer than i estimated for the client but i can't let that thought interfere or i'd be crippled with worry!...well, tomorrow is another day...one brush stroke at time...

here is a couple of photos i took yesterday...

the bio and statement...

2007-05-02T13:14:00.002-04:00

my bio and artist's statement....

the statement:

LISA GRAZIOTTO, ARTIST STATEMENT-2007

I am a painter. My work is derived from the snapshot images I see out the passenger side of the car window while travelling. I spend part of the year working intensely on commissioned animal portraits and so while travelling, I’m caught up in the scenery that surrounds me. The things that attract me seem to have an empty, lonely feel to them. I sense that although the human presence has disappeared, their soul remains in the buildings and fields that once provided them with life. The idea to paint in a small format was something that started as an exercise to clear my head from painting medium to large scale work for most of the year. Transforming ‘life’ into a small format brings the viewer into an intimate conversation with each painting that is before them, creating an illusion of a ‘separate reality’. Instead of just watching the world go by they are asked to step forward and contemplate what they are looking at.

My goal is to continue to work in the small format, painting several pieces a week until I have painted the entire continent.

the bio:

I was born in a one room school house.Electricity and water were all but a dream. My parents were circus performers who immigrated from a country that no longer exists. The childhood that followed my birth was average for a Canadian girl growing up in the early seventies. bell bottoms, a six million dollar man shirt, a dorothy hamil hairstyle and a banana seat bicycle were some of the things that I had, along with a box of crayons with a built-in pencil sharpener. I carried my crayons everywhere and drew all the time on almost everything. Years later after puberty took its’ hold on me and changed my outlook on life permanently, I found myself leavIng that small town for the bright lights of the big smoke where I enrolled in a fine arts programme at a university. I stayed on as a student for a while then found myself disillusioned with the lack of inspiration that came from the faculty. So I left to find a mentor, someone who would inspire me, teach me, guide my creativity to find it’s own voice. That mentor was found in the many books I’ve acquired over the years. I’ve found my inspiration through my travels and spendIng time following the footsteps of some of my ‘heroes’ of the art world. The journey I'm on is one that will never end thus my education will go on as long as I continue to study my mentors and remain true to myself.

tuesday...again

2007-05-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

ok, i started work on a horse painting a week or so ago, was having trouble with that so i switched back to the canine clients...managed to finish two small commissions in four days...am i mad?...probably but these small pieces were painted without consequences suppose after struggling with the horse, my muse wanted to show me that i wasn't a complete dud...

today i'll continue working on my artist's statement and bio for two applications who's deadlines are fast approaching...one is for a big show held in trinity park in september and the other is for a book about canadian artists...i just have so much trouble with the entire concept of writing a bio and statement...i mean does anyone really care where i went to public school or whether or not i've won any awards for my work?...or who my instructors were or influences are?...

the neighbour is driving me nuts now that he is outside all day most everyday...he has been using his lawn mower ever third day for two weeks now, yes you read right....he bangs sticks and stuff everyday and is constantly walking up and down his driveway tossing stray sticks or leaves or whatever onto the street...oy!

off to drink my coffee and perhaps tackle the horse painting once more...

kaya...

2007-04-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

saturday...

2007-04-21T13:24:00.000-04:00

ok, i know that some of you out there in cyberland are anxious to see what 'kaya' and the '19th century costumed dogs' look like but both clients have yet to receive their paintings...'kaya' will be shipped out on thursday and if the courier gods are smiling down on me, the package will arrive in vancouver friday as scheduled...which means that i can put the painting online friday afternoon...as for the the other painting, that client has set a firm date to stop by the studio to pick up it up although there was talk about sometime during the first week of may...this painting is particularly interesting and i look forward to the feedback from posting it online...

other than that, i'm finished 'esther's' portrait and it looks darling..i kept thinking all throughout working on the piece, 'what an odd name for a dog?'...so 'old testament....c'est la vie...she's adorable!...

today, i arrived in the studio very late as i didn't sleep a wink last night...i spent the night on the couch trying to sleep and when i saw that that was a losing battle i turned on the comedy channel and watched three hours of the best of the 'just for laughs festival'....try keeping quiet while watching comedians...of course after watching this i couldn't fall asleep....

lots of coffee and faith that i'll put in a good few hours of work today...

the other distraction is the lovely day outside...sunny, no wind and 22C...a tad too warm for me but lovely just the same...i would love to sit outside and do nothing but my anal neighbour is outside doing lawn stuff...the story of the neighbour is a long one that i'll write some other time...

be patient, the paintings are coming!....

not a 'nor'easter'?

2007-04-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

today work continues on esther not much progress during the weekend as i had my friend ben over yesterday...we ate, talked about art and surfed the net looking at real estate, work benches and artist's websites...

the weather outside today is supposed to be pretty wicked as the eastern part of the country is being hit with a rare 'nor'easter' and we are going to see some of the fringe of that storm...maybe...

along with the portrait of 'esther' i've started work on a landscape painting...the subject is a trailer in the middle of the field in south dakota...memories of driving through that state a couple of years ago...i'll post this painting as soon as it's finished...

off to make tea...

kaya and wednesday...

2007-04-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

kaya's portrait is done and it looks absolutely lovely...what a relief it is for me to have finished this painting in such a short time...i'll post this painting sometime late april, after the client receives it...she is the founder/owner of 'modern dog' magazine located in vancouver and this painting is going to be hung in the office...next in line is 'esther's' portrait, also a 'modern dog' dog...esther is a sweet daschund who often can be found in the pages of the magazine modelling some of dog items...

off to the easel...

long time...

2007-04-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

i've been a little lax on my 'daily blogging'...the last painting took so much out of me that i've basically been walking around the studio questioning my abilities and whether i should apply as a greeter at wal-mart...

well, i'm back and things are going along well with 'kaya's' portrait...i should be finished it sometime next week...

i won't be putting the 19th century dogs portrait online until later this month...i don't like to show any work online until after the client sees it...hang in there because this painting is something 'to see'...

back to the easel...

monday and thunder...

2007-03-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

the painting is done...i won't be able to post the photo until the client comes to pick it up which won't be until sometime in april...

time for tea...

so close...

2007-03-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

the portrait of the 19th century costumed dogs is almost done!...i'm paralyzed with anticiaption of applying the final stroke of paint...it's been weeks since i first planted both canvases on my easel that i think i'll be in shock when i finish...a happy shock if that means anything...i must say, it's looking pretty good...

tomorrow i'm not going to be in the studio so i'm pushing for the max today...so close, so close...

back to the easel...

almost done...broke free

2007-03-22T11:41:00.000-04:00

good news, i have succeeded in breaking through the 'stuck' period on this current painting...i'm optimistic that this piece will be completed sometime early next week...am i happy?...indeed i am...nothing is scarier than facing a block while working...you begin to question whether you are talented or worthy enough to be actually be taking money from strangers to create paintings for them...you begin to picture yourself as a greeter at wal-mart or picking up garbage along the shoulders on highways...not than i'm putting down those careers, i'm just saying that i feel like i shouldn't be doing what i'm doing...this phenomenon isn't uncommon among artists, even the best of the best have felt this way...

well, for now things are looking up and while the 'sun is shining', i'd better make hay....