New discovery: Thermal paper

I have been using a new medium that I have fallen in love with: Thermal Paper. My roommate discovered it by accident and it has revived my creativity!

Thermal paper is what receipts and faxes are printed on. I enjoy it because it is often unpredictable. It reminds me of when I used to paint with watercolor (my first love) because you cannot totally control it and have to let the medium to some extent take you away.

I use heat to create images, therefore there are endless ways to use it. I love what the use of heat represents, for example creating art using a cigarette versus a hair straightener have different connotations. I have some ideas I am playing around with in my head with the use of this medium.

For an example, here is a piece I recently finished using thermal paper.

City

11"x15"

Thermal paper, acrylic, wood panel

I have more in the works and I will be updating you as I finish them! Meanwhile, have there been any great mediums you have discovered lately? 

<3 Lenore

1 Second Everyday

Today I stumbled upon this video which I think is absolutely amazing:

He records one second a day every day in his life for a year. This video has an amazing mixture of quirky moments spliced in with the perfect amount of every day boring life. At the end it gets sad, as someone is in the ICU and the shots start repeating almost exactly the same in the hospital.

I love how it expresses all of the small moments in life, and then when it hits the ICU all the excitement and enjoyment freezes and it comes almost to a standstill. My favorite part of it is the audio, the one second clips of empty audio are comforting. It makes me think of sitting back and reminiscing about a year gone by.

The guy who made this video quit his advertising job and took a year off, which is the year in which he made this video. (That's why his life seems fairly exciting). He is also currently developing an app that would allow anyone to do this, which I think is an awesome idea.

If you want to support and get the app, here is his Kickstarter website! Check it out.


<3 Lenore

Ryan Larkin

I was flipping through an old sketchbook today and the tiniest note "Ryan Larkin - Walking" brought back a memory. When I was in first year Visual Arts, in about 2006, one of my professors showed me this animation by Ryan Larkin.

This video, make in 1968, is one of the best animations I have ever seen. It captures fluidity of human motion so profoundly in so few brushstrokes. It expresses emotion through body language. It captures the movement of muscle and bone people are made of.

My professor told us the story of Ryan Larkin.  A few years after making this and working with the Film Board of Canada he fell hard into drugs and alcohol and eventually became a pan handler and was forgotten.

Decades later he met Chris Landreth who made a film about him, Ryan. This brought him attention and in the 2000's he cleaned up and began working with animation again.

The tragic part of the story is that two years after I saw this for the first time I learned that before he had ever really finished anything Ryan Larkin passed away of lung cancer.

This story always lead me to wonder what paths take us where and why. He may have gone on to do so many amazing things and his path took him somewhere else. What is the deciding factor of all of these things? Many of us start out in the same places. It's good to remind ourselves to keep on a path worth travelling.

I hope you enjoyed the video.

<3 Lenore

Fixation - New painting

I have finished a new piece, at last! I have been working on this one forever.

Fixation
Acrylic on canvas
3' x 4'

Finally I have done a reasonably sized piece here in Ottawa. It is something I would not be ashamed to show. The premise behind the piece is an expression of addiction. Addiction has many sides, this is an expression of the comfort of smoking for me. There is a dichotomy in my life between the hatred of how cigarettes are destroying me and my pure love of them. It is something I fight daily. Anyone with any addiction fights similar feelings.

I am making another painting right now. It is small, perhaps more a layout for a future bigger piece. I have been concentrating on the idea of addiction too much so I have decided to branching out a bit. I also want to do a body of work with people working service jobs and hopefully expressing the state of the economy, something I am very affected by right now.

Meanwhile I am trying to stay motivated despite working 60 hours a week. Hope you all find the time to do what you're passionate about as well!

<3 Lenore

Birthdays, amiright?

I turned 26 yesterday. I feel as though my life has been consumed by work. Never making art anymore, I'm feeling a bit downtrodden. One of my friends gave me an easel for my birthday, so I worked a bit on a painting tonight.

I need to make art more so I know what I'm making it about. My main focus was addiction, and I do not know if I am expressing it properly. I am not sure what I even think about it anymore. The more I work the more my smoking addiction takes over my life. Maybe work itself has become an addiction, the need for money to sustain myself and protect myself in the future. I need to play with canvases and materials. I need to figure things out.

Regardless I downloaded a postcast tonight called Art Marketing Action Podcasts from Alyson B. Stanfield. It is full of helpful tips on marketing yourself as an artist. I am going to continue listening as I bus to and from work everyday, hoping for inspiration.

On a lighter note, here is some art humor. That is priceless blog. Check it out!

New comic! And new drawing

My comicing was on hiatus for a while, but I downloaded a program on my ipad and I think I'm going to draw them on there! Check out my new post!

Checkit!

It's still a bit rough going but I feel in the future it will be easier to draw and upload from, and then I can color them! The comic is a bit lame, but it was a tester, really.

Also, look at what else I drew on my ipad! That's my roomie/bestie Abigail. I'm really gettin the hang of this thang.

Hope you all are well! Drop me a line!

<3 Lenore

O hai

I do not go on this enough.

Some updates! I am working the same crappy jobs. Uh. I love my cat. That is all.

Here's a picture of myself I drew on my ipad with my new stylus!

Thoughts: yesterday I realized I've been in a relationship with my cat longer than any guy. Commitment issues much?

Aw but I love my cat.

How have you all been?

<3 Lenore

Heatin up

Dear universe, I still exist.

Still working two jobs. I was pretty sick for two weeks, I had the flu which turned into a sinus infection that I was too stubborn to get meds for for a while. Now I am antibiotic-ed up and feeling better!

My comic Tales from the Vault is still going (tell all your friends!) and I ordered some business cards from moo.com and they look great! I do suggest. Meanwhile my dad is coming up for a visit for my brothers convocation for his Masters! Very excited for that. And not long after that I'll be gearing up for my trip to Newfoundland, which is making me so excited I could explode!!! 22 days. Follow me on twitter (@lenoracle) and you will see my Newfoundland countdown which consists of me listing all the things I want to do in Newfoundland when I'm there for every day I am waiting to be there.

Meanwhile, it has been heating up here in Ottawa! It's been off and on 34 with humidity, which is a bit hot for me. And for the kitties.

My kitties have been sleeping like they're dead all week during the day! I've actually checked a few times (I'm a paranoid mommy). But it's kind of blissful when they're in that state, no one fights and I get to pick on them all I want.

So how is everyone elses summer gearing up? Any great summer plans?

<3 Lenore

Bacon

Comic is still a goin! Check it out http://talesfromthevault.net

In the meantime I am crazzzzy busy. Trying to get roommates and house in order, and being super pumped to go to Newfoundland in June. So excited.

Also, have a ticket to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers April 30th! Eeeee

<3 Lenore

Newfoundland!

I have booked a flight to Newfoundland on June 15th! I will be flying in to lovely St. John's then going across eventually to my hometown, Stephenville, and flying back to Ottawa out of there on the 25th. I miss home and all my pals soooooooo much. And the ocean! Geez!
Okay so if you don't know much about Newfoundland, here is one of the beautiful tourism ads they are playing on tv. The ads are so good, I tear up every time.

Isn't the place I am from the most beautiful place in the world!!!! Why am I not there right now?

<3 Lenore

New comic and my drunk kitchen!

Someday I will finish my painting. Someday...

In the meantime I am working on my comic and working. Always. As usual.

Meanwhile, if you haven't heard of my drunk kitchen you should check it out. I spend a few hours with my pal Brad dying in laughter at her last night. She is adorable and hilarious.

Have a good weekend everyone!

<3 Lenore

Webcomic gone live! Tales from the vault.

Webcomic has gone live today! As is this blog, it is named after the imaginary vault me and my best friend Daniel keep our secret amongst ourselves in.

talesfromthevault.net

This picture is a teaser! Go check out the site. Will update Monday and Thursday every week. Will update more AS SOON AS I GET LESS JOBS. Someday. : D

And tell me what you think of the layout and the comic and everything! Love your opinions.

<3 Lenoracle

Old artwork (and webcomic in the works)

I purchased a domain for a webcomic now that my artist website is up and running. I have been crazy busy, constantly working and trying to make art and keep in touch with all my friend folk. Also my brother's cat just moved in for a visit while he's trying to sell his house, so I had to get her and my cat getting along.

But I have been working on some art! I'm still working on my big painting, and I have been doing some fun things with beeswax. More to come!

In the meantime, I thought it would be nice to share some of my older artwork. This was part of my independent work in fourth year. It is a plaster cast of lighters, which I have painted Gucci, Adidas, Apple, the Olympic rings, a Jesus fish, Rock band 2, Martha Stewart and Barbie on. The idea behind this was the juxtaposition of symbols, the lighter as a symbol of smoking and drug use against symbols that would not typically be related to those things. Doing so my intent was to cause the viewer to question the meaning of these symbols and how they actually relate in society, and what they are supposed to represent. Perhaps questioning their assumptions.

Anyways, as soon as more art or the website is up I will share.

<3 Lenore

New website is up!

After some hard work, I managed to make a website all by myself! My new artist website is up!

My artist website: lenoregale.com

Check it out, tell me what you think! Suggestions are welcomed.

<3 Lenore

Quick update

So, the website is underway! I purchased a domain and host and after getting through a few snaffu's it's becoming a website. Hooray! I will be posting my comics on there as well.

I have no new art to share as I've been occupied with my teeth, I have a root canal scheduled Wednesday, which I am not excited about.

Anywho, once this website is up I will post.

<3Lenore

The bacon is ready

Life has been hectic as per usual. My mom has had a stint put in and she's doing well, thank goodness! I didn't have heat for five days due to first the incompetence of my landlord then the incompetence of Direct Energy. Now I am getting cut arbitrary shifts at work because they do not "have enough work for us".

SO. I do not have any more art made. Also I have not started my website. My money has instead been going into things like a $75 late fee from the Ottawa Library I was being sent to collections over and to start filling the eight cavities I just discovered I have. Ridiculous.

But alas! These cut shifts may not provide me with money, but hopefully will provide me with time to finish that painting I am working on.

On a lighter note, here is an old comic I drew that I will share with you. The drawing itself is not the best, but I hope you enjoy! And tell me what you think of my comics, I'm still considering getting a webcomic off the ground if people are amused.

<3 Lenore

Whaddaya'at?

Things have been crazy. Christmas was fantastic and I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. But unfortunately my Mom had an angina attack and she's now in the hospital back home. They are going to do a dye test to see if she will need bypass surgery. It seems that something is always up in my life.

Anywho, I have been working on a painting (the same one) and I will finish it someday I swearrr. It is coming along nicely.

I also want to get a website off the ground, but in the meantime I had to take my cat to the vet, I have to deal with national student loans, I have to finally see a dentist,  I have to find a fulltime job that doesn't demean me and kill my soul and I have to apply to go back to school. So it's kind of on the backburner.

In the meantime, here is Allan Hawco with some tips on how to speak like a Newfoundlander! Many people up here tell me most of the time they can't tell that I have an accent, but back home I actually use all of these phrases. They're not just for b'ys from down da bay, they're predominant expressions. So enjoy this bit of my culture.

Also, watch Republic of Doyle! It is set in St. John's, the most beautiful city ever.

<3 Lenore