And may all your Christmases be whiteee

So busy! My job gets worse everyday. But there is good news! I sold another thing on Etsy. After 10 months of selling nothing I made two sales in a few weeks! Both having to do with coffee, so I feel I need to make more coffee art.

I sold this one:

Focusing on my Etsy shop is not what I want to be doing, but I could make some quick things to keep up there in the meantime in case people do become interested.

I'm really excited to have this commission done so I can work on my own stuff. Although I do need the Christmas money and it's coming along great.

In the near year I am hoping to put up a website (lookin at lenoregale.com) for my art and one for my comic (I'm thinking a separate domain for the comic). We'll see what happens, I'm a busy lady.

Also it was 9 degrees here last night. WHAT. Where's the snow? The radio is calling for a green Christmas. So in my sadness, I dedicate this song:

P.S. Love Bing Crosby Christmas.

<3 Lenore

Brunch

I am still working away at that Christmas commission, I think it's going to be some work to get it done before Christmas. I also have a thousand other things to do, but they will get done hopefully.

Despite working on the commission I managed to whip up a quick comic last night! A friend of mine tweeted about brunch, and I took the idea and took it a few more steps and made it into a comic. : )

Meanwhile I work all weekend, which sucks but I need the hours as my other job has decided to pay us pretty much nothing.

Also I made my first Etsy sale to a stranger after almost a year after I opened my shop! I was about to shut it down, as I am moving away from crafts and focusing on my conceptual art, but I guess I will leave it run for now and see if anything comes of it from what I still have posted.

Anywho enjoy the comic.
<3Lenore

Class in a glass.

Working on a Christmas commission for someone right now, so I haven't been working on my painting boooo. But in the meantime a comic!

I dooo miss class in a glass.

Also check out Children's drawings painted realistically by Dave Devries. Seriously they are awesome and hilarious and create crazy characters that could only come from a child's mind. Here's one:

<3Lenore

Support this film!

I met this guy in England three years ago when I was there with Visual Arts, he was there with the English program I do believe. He's seriously barely and acquaintance of mine, but when I saw him post this project on Facebook I was super excited.

Check it out, he is trying to raise money to do a short film called Life Doesn't Frighten Me. He has Gordon Pinsent on board to be in it! Gordon Pinsent, legendary Newfoundland actor who was the voice of Babar!

Anyways, seriously donate to support this film, it looks like it will be amazing and there's nothing more exciting than seeing a young talented person live out their dream.

Any mummers, nice mummers 'lowed in?

Alriiiiight! Finally got the new beautiful scanner my brother gave me for my birthday up and running. It is a HP Scanjet G31100. I love it when I own things of value in my life instead of just the crappiest version of everything. And all of those things are either shit my brother handed down or bought for me, hahaha. Loves him dearly.

Alright so here's a painting I do believe I posted before but here's a nice scan of it. Keeping with the lighter theme. It's a watercolor, it was a quick throw together. The imagery of lighters has been haunting me for fricken years.

 

I also really friggen miss the ocean. But anyways.

I also scanned some comics, I am going to buy a domain and host and get an artist website up and running soon, including a webcomic portion. So here is a random comic, please tell me what you think! Both about the art and the humor.

And last but not least, I was teaching my pal Brad about some Newfie traditions last night. And I guess growing up with it all you take for granted that not everyone knows about our traditions and food.

There is a Newfoundland Christmas tradition where people used to dress up in rags and put underwear on their heads and mitts on their feet and stuff with their faces covered and show up to other peoples houses and knock on the door and come in and get loaded and dance and stuff. And they'd never show their identity but sometimes it'd be people from your neighborhood or friends. Anyways in the spirit of getting ready for Christmas PLEASE listen to the Mummer's Song.

<3 Lenore

Motivators.

Quick update!

My cv is almost written. I sincerely wish that after art school I didn't fall off the planet in a series of minimum wage jobs, as there is a huge gap in my cv and it is almost impossible to find all the information from 3-7 years ago of exhibitions and publications I've been in. But alas, now I am motivated and poring over e-mails from half a decade ago. That was the point of moving to Ontario in the first place.

I also started a painting last night, on a nice 2.5' x 3' canvas, and it is one of the first paintings where the preliminary drawing on the canvas clicked and then I had to pick a paintbrush up immediately. I'm really excited about this one.

I also wanted to share this article by John Cheese, my favorite writer at cracked.com called 9 youtube videos that prove anyone can get sober. Mind you I am not addicted to anything (well except smoking, but that's more a lifestyle right? Hah.) But I think this was inspiring more in the sense for me as someone working a crappy job with a dream of making money doing something creative that I love.

After quitting drinking he leaves the crappy job he worked for 14 years and ends up becoming a comedy writer and making way more money at it than this other job. And this is something I've done for a few years, sit around and feel sorry for myself knowing I CAN be an artist, but not doing it. So now, ladies and gentleman, after a series of moves, courageous changes and the like I am getting off my sorry ass and getting out the door and no one is going to stop me. If you want any motivation for anything, check out those videos.

Anyways, off to work I am. More updates to come!

<3Lenore

My cat just fell asleep on my hand so I'm typing this title with the other one.

Alright, my work situation update I guess it passed due.

Previously I was working as a short order cook and as a server at a banquet hall. I was called by a temp agency and offered an office job so I took it. So I proceeded to work two full time jobs and one part time job for three weeks because I am a kind-hearted person who believes in giving a full two weeks notice.

So now I work at the banquet hall and in the office job. It is a company that scans old patient files from doctors and puts them into electronic format. I scan on a high speed scanner. All. Day. But it's work in an office environment and will look better on my resume. And I had to get out of the restaurant that kept our tips and forced me to work even while I was sick.

Soooo that's that. I have no idea how long the contract is actually going to be or if I'll become permanent but I don't plan on being there for too long.

Meanwhile, I am going to repost this painting I posted a while ago, as I have a better photo.

 

 More paintings to come.
P.S. My brother gave me a wicked awesome scanner for my birthday so comics are also to come.

<3 Lenore

Taboo

So a friend of mine from art school, who is also from Newfoundland, now lives here in the area. Which is great, I have someone to motivate me to be doing something with my art and to go through all the scary things together.

So on Thursday we went out talking to some galleries in Hintonburg. Everyone was friendly once we got them talking (a few were cold at first), they all gave us advice and an idea of what they do in their galleries and what kind of artists they take on. We went to the Orange art gallery who told us to come in the next day and bring our art.

So, being extremely nervous, we showed up at 11 am on Friday with paintings. And they weren't there. We waited ten minutes, and as any true Newfoundlander would do, popped to the bar next door to grab a beer. With our nerves sufficiently stewed in alcohol we went in and they were finally there.

They are moreso a commercial gallery. Which is all fine and good, every gallery has their niche. But the woman told me straight up, she couldn't sell my art. Nudes and figure works almost never sell in Ottawa, and Ottawa is a very conservative city in general.

Here is an example of one of the more recent pieces I've done to give you an idea what the direction of my art has been:

 

So to give this piece some context, I will tell you the direction I am taking right now. I for a few years have been working with addiction and sexuality. I am a raging smoker and I've been dealing with alot of feelings associated with this. The lighter has become a symbol of this addiction. It isn't the addiction itself but it's something as necessary as the cigarette. And while lighters have other purposes smoking is what is brought to mind when one sees a lighter. It is a smokers best friend.

This painting is an attempt to represent not only the passion and necessity for the addiction but also the taboo surrounding it.

Anyways back to the original story, the Orange gallery told me to go check out the Patrick John Mills gallery. So over we went, and went in to talk to the guy running it. This gallery seemed moreso like the kind of place my art would fit into.
So I am making a disc full of images whilst working on some more pieces to bring over there.

Also I have decided to start blogging more. And as this blog started as a safer blog concentrating on crafts I was doing, it is going to take a different direction. Because of some of the followers I've accrued I haven't been my raw self posting exactly what I am thinking and feeling about my art. But this blog is going to become an embodiment of who I am, and I hope my followers will grow with it.

I am also going to become more active in commenting on other peoples posts, so expect to see my face a little more!


Anyways. Thanks for reading!
<3Lenore

Quarter century today!

Okay, so I'm writing this post beforehand because I have a feeling I will be mad hungover on my actual birthday (plans to go out Saturday night and party like someone in their early 20s for the last time! with my work friends who are all 19 and 20, they think I'm old) but I am setting this to post on my actual birthday.

Quarter of a century is a big scary age. I thought turning 20 was horrible because I was supposed to be responsible to some degree, but 25 I think is an even bigger one. I've had a degree for well over two years, I should really be pulling shit together now. So where am I do you ask?

Well in the last year I abandoned the place and the people I love the most (St. John's, Newfoundland which I to this day refer to as home) to move to Ottawa in hopes of starting some sort of life for myself.

With the help of my awesome brother, I moved up here knowing no one else. I got on my feet little by little. I worked a hell of a lot. I made friends. I found an awesome house and ended up with an amazing cat by sheer fate. I have moved from waitress to cook to now working in an office and today I received an e-mail telling me I'm on a shortlist for an admin assistant position with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. That's right governmenty job, people. Why I came up here.

So while I am still no where near the position of having a career or a life, I think I'm at least on the track. I miss my friends back home dearly, but I have grown even more fiercely independent than before.

So what do I hope for the upcoming year? Well I'm going to steal something from one of my best friends in the universe, Sarah. I'm going to have a list.

Twenty-five at twenty-five

1. Exhibit something in an art gallery: I've had many things exhibited before but not since I graduated.  
2. Make an epic meal: It will be tough to top some of the stuff at bacon party, but I will try. See photo.
3. Get a professional massage: No. Seriously. I have worked five 85-90 hour weeks this year (two in August and 3 recently) and I am soooore. I have never had one.
4. Get one respectable full-time job that I can live off of comfortably: Is that too much to ask? 
5. Go on a vacation to somewhere I haven't been: While I have done some traveling in my life I haven't done enough. Ideally I would love to go back to Europe, but maybe this year it might be more realistic if I just pop five hours over to Toronto and check that out. 
6. Get back to St. John's to visit: I've been trying since I left
7. Start a webcomic: When I first moved here I started drawing a webcomic but as I worked more and more jobs that petered out. This year I will do it, damnit!
8. Ice skate on the Rideau Canal: I went to winterlude last year and didn't even skate on the canal! I've always wanted to do it since I was a kid. Ideally I would like this to be while on a date with a cute boy.
9. Go camping: This was the first summer I didn't go camping since my parents felt I was old enough to trot off into the woods unsupervised for a night. Not letting that happen this year. 
10. Lose weight: I lost 25 pounds last year, but I could afford to lose a bit more. I've seen way too many of my family members health be compromised because we are a genetically overweight family. 
11. Get my teeth fixed: Soooo many teeth problems. I just got dental care for the first time in three years! Git 'er done.
12. Make sure my friends all know how much I love them: I'm generally pretty good at that you can always be better. : )
13. Make 10 close friends in Ottawa: I've been working hard on the friend thing since I got here, but I need some really close ones in this province. And I'm greedy for pals.
14. Buy a camera: I feel like this will be a necessity in a life as a Visual Artist.
15. Get my learners permit: YES I'm 25 and I don't know how to drive, shit happens okay?
16. Apply to go back to school: Imma do it. Whether it be Graphic Design, Advertising or stupidly a Masters of Visual Arts, Imma do it. 
17. Sell a piece of art: Doesn't matter to who or how much. 
18. Try 10 new foods: That one was totally stolen from Sarah.
19. Make my own website: For my art. More professional that way.
20. Break a bad habit: In a perfect world it would be smoking, but there are many others I can work on too.
21. Learn to walk in heels: I feel like if I'm going to be a professional this has to happen. I bought a pair the other day let's see if I break my neck
22. Have a clean room: If you know me you'll know this is legit a yearlong process.
23. Fight for something I believe in: I'll let you know as soon as I figure out what I believe in.
24. Stay independent and motivated: I've got it now, I have to keep it. 
25. Always be 100% who I am: I'm pretty good at that too, but I don't want that to ever change. : )

 Well that is all folks. Happy my birthday! I will update you as these things get accomplished. Meanwhile, after today you are all free to start getting excited for Christmas. ; ) 

<3 Lenore

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

And then there were twoooo

I am back down to two jobs (hooray I get to sleep again) so I have more time on my hands! Kind of. I am currently running the three weeks of errands I couldn't even think about because I was working so much.

This includes making art, there are a few paintings that need finishing touches then I will post them!
I also purchased The Business of Art by Sandra M. Hawkins at Wallacks the other day. It was exactly the kind of book I was looking for and can never find: with information on how to get your art into the art market, how to network, how to get exhibited, legalities, etc. etc.

The only thing is that the book is only about 35 pages, and it was $36. Sadly pricy. But I guess for a book of stuff no one else seems to deal with I guess what can you do.


Anyways will hopefully post some art in the upcoming week!

<3 Lenore

Three jobs?

Soooo working three jobs now. Two full time and one part time. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME.

Long story behind it but my hours will die down in two weeks ( a bit at least). And I have some art to show, once I have the energy. But for now, I have five hours asleep ahead of me so it's bedtime.

Still makin da art.

So I'm trying to move my life forward a bit. I believe I am going to be applying to the graphic design program and the advertising program at Algonquin College here in Ottawa and see if I get in to one. Perhaps then I will be able to make my creative Visual Arts degree more employable. We shall see.

In the meantime, I am of the realization that no matter how much research into calls for submissions, etc I am doing the fact of the matter is I don't really have any art to submit. All of my good artwork is either in my parents house, destroyed by my horrid ex boyfriend or left behind to my friends once I moved. The tiny paintings I've been making aren't going to cut it. I've been buying some slightly larger canvases, but I do wish I had more money for big ones (like the five foot long painting I made once that didn't fit in a cab so I had to walk it home). Hence to be an artist - I must make art!

So I've been working on this. (Not quite finished)

 

Once again, terrible cell phone picture, but you get the idea. It's from an actual photograph that was not posed, caught in a moment when me and my friends were all laying on the floor cuddling. (We are wearing togas, it was a toga party for my birthday). There is a concept behind it, a reason for painting it, but if you want to find out what that is just ask!

So yes, I am still alive and painting. I will update with anything else in the future. In the meantime, any opinions on this one I would love to hear!

<3 Lenore

Art

Oh, I forgot to show this that I made a while back. I saw this lame cherub print in value village for five bucks, and I couldn't resist buying it to add a cigarette in there. It was too perfect.

In Newfoundland

Dropped off the face of the planet again. I'm currently in Newfoundland, in my hometown Stephenville. I flew in on the 16th, my grandmother passed away on the 18th. I am flying back to Ottawa tomorrow.

It's been rough, but at the ripe age of 93 it was to be expected and she had a great life. She was a wonderful woman and will be missed.

I got to see family, which was nice. And the ocean.

Anyways, tomorrow it will back to our regularly scheduled program. Hopefully I will be able to organize my life and pull some art together.

<3 Lenore

Caravaggio and cats

Tonight I went to an exhibition at the National Gallery entitled Caravaggio and his followers. Which I felt should have been called Caravaggio and his followers. But that is neither here nor there. Regardless, I did get to see at least some of Caravaggios paintings, and thoroughly enjoyed them (along with those of his followers). What really struck me is his amazing use of chiaroscuro (contrast between lights and darks) that make his paintings really intense and breathtaking, particularly in person. 

Here is one of the paintings at the gallery this evening, Martha and Mary Magdalene.

 

Also, today 10K (the cat) returned to us! My roommate who was allergic moved out, so she is now in the house meowing and sniffing about to see what's on the go. I hope she settles soon and comes and snuggles in my bed with me like oldtimes.

Meanwhile, no art has yet been made as I am still adjusting after two weeks of working hell. And tomorrow after my regular job I have to go to the banquet hall, then I have to work a wedding there on Saturday. Sunday is my first day off since the 7th (the day after the wedding) so I plan on doing some mad relaxation/artmaking. I will post anything that comes of it!

Lenore <3

Opa!

I do, in fact, still exist. I worked a whopping 170 hours in the last two weeks, no joke. I am le tired.

I worked at my regular job plus overtime at the Greekfest here in Ottawa. It was all gruelling on my feet work of dragging trays and garbage around. But I did learn how to Greek dance!

I also discovered that Opa! is the woo of the Greek world.

Now I must get motivated to get one good job and place myself in the art world! I am joining CARFAC Ontario (just waiting for the payment to go through now) and the Ottawa Art Association. Hopefully these will afford me some information and opportunities that I need.

Meanwhile, it is also my mission this week to make some art! So check back, as soon as I make something new I will post, I promise.

<3 Lenore

Wedding!

This is one of the reasons why I've been so MIA. Here is my brother and my new sister!!! The wedding was Saturday on a farm and it was soooooooo beautiful. More pictures to come once I get my hands on them, including me as a bridesmaid and Monty in a tuxedo!

Existing lenore exists

Ahhhh it's been so long! I have been busybusybusybusy. I now have two jobs. And Lora and Smitty were in town for a visit this week (Yaaaaay). And my brothers wedding is next week!!! And I am a bridesmaid. Busy!

Buttt in the meantime, here is proof that I am doing things. I paints.

 

Painty Lenore paints. Crappy photograph. But I will post some pictures of the wedding. Until then! Adieu.

Canada wha

Brief update. Canada day in the capital was awesome, I would suggest it to anyone.


I started the day down on Parliament hill. It was hooooot and sunny. We saw William and Kate come in (yawn who cares) and Stephen Harper (booooo) and saw some concerts and stuff it was pretty cool.

 

Paper hats prevent sunstroke!!

Paper hat fail. 

Then I did a variety of other activities, which included poutine, ice cream, sitting in the shade on Majors hill listening to some bands, going to a BBQ. 

Then... Fireworks!

If you look down Rideau street you will see that the crowds are endless.

There were 3 or 400,000 people there.

I am not dead! (yet)

So my apologies for being MIA from blogger! I have been a busy bee, of sorts.

Last weekend included, where I went to Montreal for a bachelorette party. Which was super fun! The day started with a trip to a waterpark, then a great meal and wine, and ended with going out.

The bachelorette party was for my brothers fiancee, and I am super excited for the wedding. (I am a bridesmaid!) Here is a picture of some of us ladies in downtown Montreal getting up to some shennanigans. (We had shirts made for the affair).

Bride to be / future sister in law far left

I will be posting more I promise. Within the next few days I'll try to update you all on the kitty we found (it's a very long story and needs a good update!) and finally post what I recieved for the ATC swap!

Thanks to all still following despite my busy-ness, I will be commenting on all y'alls blogs soon.

<3

Paint party friday once again.

Happy PPF!
I know I said I'd show my ATC that I recieved but it's so awesome and full of stuff I thought I'd save it for it's own post. And today is Paint party Friday so I had to make a post for that!

So first up, it is my brother's fiancee (Amber)'s wedding shower Sunday. (I'm gonna be a bridesmaid yay!) So as I have no money and sure as hell didn't get a Visual Arts degree so I could buy people presents, here is what I painted for her.

 

If you remember it's her dog Monty from this photo: 

So cuuuuuuuute! Also, although this hasn't recently been painted, I found a painting that I made as a part of some studies for my independent work in Visual Arts a few years ago. I posted it on my Etsy shop for sale too so you should check it out!

10K

So here is the story of a puss named 10K.

Saturday my roommates found a beautiful kitthen cowering by our step all day. So we took her in. They called her 10K (because that day they ran the 10K in the marathon). We had her for a couple days to discover that our 4th roommate who was not home is severely allergic to cats. We were super bummed.

But no one could bring her for a few days so she ended up going back and forth between me and Josh's room, never going downstairs. And we fell mad in love with her. My roommate that is allergic is moving out either the end of July or the end of August, so I think what we're going to do is find someone to look after her for the next few months and then keep her when he moves out.

So today we're taking her down to the Humane Society to see if she's microchipped and get her shots and whatnot. And then I may have an eventual cat!

She is the sweeeeeeetest ever. I wish we could keep her now.

Anyways! I recieved my ATC and I will post it tomorrow. It is super awesome. : D

Light(er)house.

Soooo here's some art I have been making.

 

The first one is on a newspaper clipping. The second two are watercolors. 

Where I'm going here is touching back to what I did with my fourth year work. The concept of drugs and smoking and drinking and how they are looked down upon in our society. The idea that if you partake in these things you are lesser of a person, or that they're bad, or you're stupid for being subject to them. Yet they are still a huge part of our society and if most people do not smoke, they have at some point. Some of the greatest influences in our society have. 

I'm seeing it more here, trying to meet people and become a part of a very stuckup city. I feel out of place. Not just as someone who smokes, but as I am. As me.

What I did for my fourth year work was plaster casted lighters (man they looked like real lighters) that I painted things like adidas or martha stewart and things like that on. Things you would not associate with a lighter (which is typically associated with drugs or smoking). 

Where I am reaching further now is placing them into totally unusual places. Places that they would otherwise have no consideration, to make people think why they're there and face what they are as objects. 

Anyways. I am struggling with a complete and total lack of money for some sort of art supplies. If I had it I have many ideas for other things to do. But in the meantime, here is where I'm going. 

Also happy (almost) Paint party Friday! Be sure to go there tomorrow to see what everyone else did.

P.S. this is the kind of conceptual art I really enjoyed making and miss making. I miss the creative environment of other artists and professors to inspire me. Sigh.

Mi casa

So I've been living in this house for 3 weeks now and I haven't even showed you guys the area. Geeez.

It's a nice sunny day so I thought pictures were a good excuse for a stroll. So here is my house.

It's a three bedroom place. I live with three guys, all of whom are right on. But busy so a little scarce at times. I live on the cusp of chinatown.

This is literally a one or two minute walk from my house. I think it's pretty awesome. I went to that coffee shop, the one in the bottom picture with the orange sign, and got myself a delicious iced coffee. It's called Raw Sugar and it's an awesome little artsy place.

Of course living next to chinatown means living next to endless delicious food. I have discovered Pho which I had never tried before, and man the Vietnamese know their food. YUM.


I've also decided to make the most of my summer out here by getting a weeklong festival pass to the Ottawa bluesfest for the first week. Which includes Soundgarden, the Flaming Lips, Infected Mushroom, the Black Keys and the Tragically Hip just to name a few! Gonna be an awesome week. I'm breaking the bank buying it, so times are going to be tight for a bit!

Hopefully by the time the festival rolls around I will be able to afford to get a ticket to Death Cab for Cutie the following week too. *crosses fingers*

May two-four

So I have not been making as many blog posts as I'd like. The reason is because my head is so totally all over the place what I post one hour might be 100% different than what I feel an hour later.

Right now I'm figuring what to do with my life. As of right now I'm working at a restaurant living in a random house in a city where I know no one and my sublet is up in August. I'm barely making rent. I have no ties to anywhere.

So I have been on a quest to figure out where I go from here. I am either going to do Graphic Design, do a Masters in Visual Arts (so I can network in uni and possibly become a professor even) or try to get a job harder (not going to happen I feel) or just move and try to find a job somewhere else. Or go home. Or hitchhike around Canada til I starve to death?

If I do do a masters the application date for September is long gone so it'll be well over a year until I can start. If I do that what do I do? Go home and party? Stay here for a year? Ahhhh.

But, on a positive note, my lovely friend Sarahsmmm got a job for September! A real job. I am so excited and proud of her. She worked hard to get where she is, and I know she's been as horrified of this future stuff as I have. Also it gives me some hope for my own future haha.

In the meantime I am going to try and make light of every opportunity I can. I have purchased supplies (that I cannot afford) for the weekend. This includes:

My first sundress of the summer!!! Only $15.

And

A 15-pack of Alexander Keiths. As close to Newfie beer as I'm going to get here.

Tonight my roommate is having a BBQ here for his girlfriend. Armed with these things I am hoping to make some friends? Fingers crossed.

How rainclouds are made?

So I bought some neat gritty acrylic stuff today and I made this painting while playing with it.

 

As always, on sale at my Etsy shop. 

Also I've been watching Boy Meets World from the beginning. Does anyone remember that show? Did it shape anyone elses childhood the way it did mine? TGIFridays? Awesomeness.

Made something.

Soo I did paint something this week. I am posting it now but I'll be using it for this week's Paint Party Friday. Don't forget to check out what everyone else does tomorrow too!


So I painted this.

 

Which is, of course, on sale at my Etsy shop. So check that out.

It says "I paid $40,000 dollars for an education, and all I got was this crappy job". I have a few qualms with it. I feel like maybe I should've made her bigger for better use of the canvas. Her head is alllllll wrong, as is her face, and it looks way too cartoony for my liking. 

And most of all, the writing on her apron is hard to read. Which is the point of the piece. It's supposed to be very contrasted and clear to make a blunt statement like this one.

Anyways that is very how much how I feel right now. Like I can't get a real job, trapped with crappy jobs at the age of 24 with a degree. Sigh.

Anywho. I may redo this I dunno. But that's the only decently large canvas I had (16" x 18") so it won't be anytime soon.

I took a few photos of the process to share. 

First I used a pencil to roughly shape out how I wanted the waitress to be moving.

 Then I redrew her with pencil with correct anatomy and outlined the toughest parts in pen.

Then I made a full ink drawing of how I wanted her to look.

Then I drew it on canvas and painted it. And voila. Art.

Great mail! And how have you been?

I haven't made a blogpost in about a week. And it's not really because I've been busy. Moreso because I've been pretty bummed living in Ottawa, and really really homesick. And I stepped down on the patches yesterday, after four hard weeks of quitting, and after a hard week of moving, and that was about 1,000 times harder in itself.

But alas I am going to suck it up and make a blogpost! Because on Friday I recieved some great mail! I won a giveaway at Alanah's blog! She is sweet you should check it out. So I got the awesome hat she made and I love it. Look see!

Okay, so not the best photos in the world. Stupid cell phone. But. Super awesome hat! Check out her shop here and see all the lovely stuff she has for sale!

So, has anyone else had a rough week? Or had a great week? I wanna hear about it! How have you been?

Do you still color?

I recieved a letter from my good friend muffin Patrick today! Which excites me! I wrote letters to all my friends when I moved to Ontario. Some I was expecting letters from for sure and some I was crossing my fingers. And he pulled through! Yayyy pen pals are the best.

Patrick is a busy man but he always made time for coloring and coffee with me! Now he's had to replace me with Sarah, as she's blogged about. But Patrick and I are to the agreement that it's not cheating because we're in different area codes.

So Patrick sent me some pictures he colored. And I wanted to share in my excitement. Because mail is awesome. (Especially when my brother and his fiancee are jealous when I get mail and they get bills.)

Awesome? Hells yeah.

I voted today! Excitement. I am waiting for the election coverage to start. I am way too excited to see how it turns out. (How can anyone be pumped about the royal wedding when there are elections going on!?!)

Also posted that cigarette painting on Etsy today! Check it out. I think I might look into the company that printed my brothers wedding invitations and see how much they charge for prints, as then I wouldn't have to pay shipping. (They're in Ottawa). Then hopefully I'll make some Etsy sales.

So a couple questions. What art of mine would you like to see as prints?
And do you still color? : )

Blog award and another painting!

So the lovely Sarah gave me this award, which I much appreciate.

Which doesn't surprise me as she is one of my IRL BFFS. Hahaha. So now I have to share 7 random things about myself!

1) I have a Visual Arts degree from Memorial University, Grenfell campus. Which means I owe my life in loans and can't get a job. I don't think I'd trade the experience for anything in the world, but I am suffering now trying to do something with it. Art is my life but it's hard to make money off of that.

2) I don't drive. I for some reason never got my license despite my parents having a car, and eventually two cars. I was really excited to get it at first too! But my dad had a heart attack a week after my 16th birthday, and with all the hustle and bustle I never got around to even getting my permit. If I could go back in time I'd get my license for sure.

3) I wear skirts 90% of the time. I hate pants. They never fit me properly (always too small in the waist, too long in the legs and too big in the ass and thighs) and they always fall down even with a belt. Skirts never fall down! And are so airy and breezy. I wear them all winter too, with spandex and knee high winter boots.

4) I am terrified of bugs. Sooo terrified. To the extent that when I lived alone last summer for three months I was almost perpetually terrified. If I found a bug it would take me a half hour to work up the gumption to just throw at shoe at it to kill it, then I'd have to wait until someone else came over for them to pick up the carcass. I used to pick up the cats and put them in front of any bug walking around in hopes that they would kill it.

5) This is the longest I've been single in years. I've been single for somewhere between one and a half to two years now. And this is also the most comfortable I've been with being single ever.

6) My favorite color is coral, in combination with turquoise is the best. In St. John's I painted my room a coral color called fiesta and happily lived in it that way for a year and a half.

7) I've had 32 different roommates in my life (not including my parents and grandmother). And come Tuesday I'll have had 35. I've lived in 14 (soon to be 15) different places. And this is all since I graduated from high school 7 years ago.

So that's a bit of info about me!

I'll turn it back around to award some of my fav blogs.

Patrick from if you trip in public because he is awesome and needs more reasons to blog.
Jessi from sparrows and arrows.
Christine from Christine's blog.


And Three weeks quit smoking today!!! 
Never thought I'd see the day. 

Also I made an acrylic version of the "Will work for food" painting. Which turned out pretty good!

On sale at my Etsy shop! 
Anywho time to go work my last shift at the restaurant in Kemptville! Thank goodness. 

Final Grow prompt and Giveaway winner and last weeks response!

Sarah and I have our final week for our Grow project which has certainly come a long way! We of course started it to keep us motivated and making stuff! And some great stuff has come out of it. Not just from us, but other people as well! So thanks for anyone who played along. : )

For the last week we decided to do something big. We're having an Artist trading card swap! Wanna know more about them? Check out one of Sarah's blogposts for more info.

So here's the basics:
- It's a tiny piece of art to be traded and collected, like a baseball or hockey card!
- ATCs MUST be 2.5" by 3.5", no exceptions (then they can fit in those card-collector sheets - cooool).
- You can use any sort of materials: pen, marker, crayons, paints, stamps, stickers, even cloth and string!

 The theme of the cards will be Grow! You can interpret this in any way you wish!

So want to participate? Please do! The more the merrier. : D To participate:
- Email Sarah at atlanticatlantis(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know you want in! (I am leaving the responsibility to her as it will be easier for one person to handle all the e-mails)
- She will then pair people up to swap with one another.
- Send the ATC, and enjoy the unique piece of art that is sent to you!

So contact us by next Saturday (May 7th) to be included! Then Sarah will organize the swap partners over the weekend and get back to you and we can get the ball rolling. So excited!

Now as you know I had a Giveaway posted for one of our prompts.

The winner of the Giveaway is Cat from brideblu!!!
Congrats! E-mail me at lenore.gale@mun.ca with your address and I'll send the painting along to you. : )

Lastly, my response to last weeks prompt! Which was grow your style, make something in a style you don't usually use .

 

So I never use photography! Well I do to take snapshots of drinking with my friends times or my stuff to put up on Etsy. But through artschool I never touched photography, I did all hands on stuff like printmaking, sculpture and painting. The cost was one part of it, but I also find it a difficult medium. Where it's so easy for anyone to pick up a camera nowadays it's SO hard to stand out from the crowd. And from the people I did VA with, while they were talented artists, when it came to their photography it was good but nothing spectacular. Because so many people do photography.

So I took my phone (as sadly I don't even have a working camera anymore. *Sigh* I miss the times when I had my dads SLR at my disposal) and ventured to the creek with the dog and took some pictures. So sadly they are not the best quality but I was as artsy as I could be!

The funny thing is my dad is a photographer. Well. He works for a newspaper as a photographer and journalist. He's a good photographer too! He also takes some of his own pictures and does photography for weddings. So between him being a photographer/journalist and my mom being a florist most of her life and painting on the side, I guess you can see where some of my creativity came from!

So as you can see these photographs are nothing spectacular. But it was fun! Going out with the express purpose of finding nice things to photograph really gets you looking at things. You realize the beauty in the little scenes around you and you cut our little squares of beauty in everything. I loved the contrast of the yellow of this tree against the blue sky.

And it gave me some good ideas for paintings. So what I might do is take more photographs of stuff and rework them for paintings at home!

By the way this park is two houses down from our house and the creek that runs by it runs by the back of the house. So nice to take the dog there! It's such a pretty spot. I will be glad to be able to visit in the summer.

Here I am throwing out my coffee cup. I thought the colorful trashcan was pretty cool!

So all in all I had fun doing it! But I don't think I'd ever use it as my creative medium. Like I said, hard to do something that stands out. But I hope you liked my little photographs anyways! And of course. I couldn't be all artsy and serious with Monty standing there being so cute.

 

So cuuute!

Lenore<3