The Art of Under Construction

I am just about to leave to go to England for the first time.

Let me clarify that last statement. I am going to England for the umpteenth time but this time I will be departing the airport and actually staying around for a bit to check out the place.

Before I left the studio today I gave my folks a list of things that still need fixing in the new studio so they would not think, for example, that stairs are just that squeaky because they broke them. They are going to be staying there for the next week so I thought I should give them the heads up.

So my newest piece of artwork that is underway is...my life. I will not rush it. I will take my time making choices but seize the opportunities that present themselves. I think I have all of the tools I need in my studio - so to speak - so it is time to exercise. Upon returning I will be in the studio working on literal works. But new works will emerge. New ideas. I will be exploring them. I will not worry about reactions. I will not show all of the work. I will keep some behind. I will not paint or create shows but will create and show.

Victoria and I are off to jolly 'ol and life will never be the same. It will be a work in progress.

Lastly, the 3rd of the 'Tuft's Cove Power Plant' images was collected today. It has gone on to a wonderful home. Well deserving. It is a special work.

The New Normal - Part One

I always knew there would be a new normal. I am happy to say I have been in it for a while now. Part of this is the new blogs. I feel like a recovering alcoholic who promises God that s/he will never drink again, but I swear I am back on the straight and narrow with my blog updating. Twice a week. It will run like an Italian train.

Part of being back to a new normal is that I am doing art classes again. Well, in this case, summer workshops. It is the first time for the workshops format – although I have done workshops for other groups a number of times. It always astounds me when I put out info about a class starting and I hear back from people who are interested in taking a class or workshop. I am so thankful that people enjoy the lessons. I see so much improvement with students in such a short period of time. If I had of known how enjoyable it was to teach I would have done it a decade ago. I actually sent the email out about the workshops at the same time as the one about the upcoming Italian Art & Cultural Excursion. Two people have registered already. It is almost a year away and people are already interested.
Life is interesting sometimes. I feel like in a way that in taking 5 steps backwards, a few side shuffles and baby steps forward that I am already 20 steps ahead. 20 steps ahead in a direction that I have always wanted to go. It isn't any easier. In fact it is more difficult. But the rewards are staggeringly more gratifying and lovely.

Speaking of which...just had a show open a month ago and am part of a group show later this week! There is a bottle of Brunello in the wine fridge with a few people's names on it. It will be popped very soon.

Some Work Comes Back

Always a bitter sweet pill when work that has left the studio makes its un- triumphant return. Disappointed they were not collected but happy to see them again!

That's what happened this past week. No biggy though. All of the rest are slowly finding homes. Although, these ones coming back just prove that I have no sense of what sells and that, perhaps, is not a bad quality. I figured they would sell immediately. Nope. Not even a spec of interest. And these are the ones that were similar to the ones I did at the Secord Gallery a few years back and sold before the opening.

The Secord Gallery is busy and has 6 of my recent works so they are full for now...although on an unrelated note, I am showing with them in mid April along with my friends Brad Hall and Sally Ravindra. This meant that I had to find temporary homes for them. I unloaded 2 on an unsuspecting friend. 2 more went to my folks place who will take anything I have ever done and hang it on their wall. Another 2 went to my father's office. I guess it's kinda my way of sneaking through the back door of the province's Art Bank program - which is to say I hang work in mundane office spaces and do not get paid for it. (That will show them!) That leaves me with 2.

2 is the loneliest number that I ever knew.

Wanna borrow some art?

Almost Done...kinda.

I have four images I have been working on simultaneously for the last month or so. Like the Erosion series, they all have written words under the images. The images themselves are of the Tuft's Cove Power Plant with a distorted north end view of Halifax in the foreground. I have always thought very highly of the smoke stacks. As someone who grew up near the north end the red and white stripes are kinda like comfort food for the eyes. (The hops at Oland's Brewery are the comfort food for the nose.)

You can imagine how surprised I was to see that Nova Scotia Power is actually painting the stacks! Now, instead of rusted red and dirty light gray, the stacks are again fire engine red and snow (in the country) white. They have never looked better.

Now you are probably asking yourself: What kind of an artist is this? Aren't artist's supposed to be environmentally conscious? Isn't this a symbol of what is wrong with our energy hungry society?

Yes.

I also see them more as a monument of our city. A huge monument that everyone thinks is ugly, but is actually a striking landmark of Halifax. Three great church steeples that rise from sea level and engulf our landscape. A beacon for ships that enter our port. Our Eiffel Tour.
Too often we turn our backs in order to look at the "pretty" view of downtown Halifax. I feel there is something magical about these stacks. In fact, I hope that once we resolve our dependence on energy, in particular, fossil fuels, that in 100 years time the city decides to not rip down our Eiffel Tower and instead embraces them as a part of our industrial past.

Art-ist Classes Starting Soon

I just released my poster into the city. "Art-ist Classes at the Christopher Webb Art Gallery & Studio." This is always a nerve-wracking time. Will people sign up? How many? Will all of the classes be full? So far the Realism Painting class has been the hit...but usually it is the other 2 that are.

Life has been hectic. Work has been hectic. No blogs posted for quite some time.

But I'm back to it. Back to basics. Back to grinding things out like an NFL team who is down by 8 with 5 minutes left on the clock in the 4th quarter and who need the win to keep their season alive. Just keep on trying to get a few first downs in order to at least have a chance.
And yes, I'm a little excited that the NFL regular season kicks off tonight at 9.

Back in the Studio...thank God.

3 days in a row. Open 12 – 5. Even had a few folks drop in. I think one person was a bit weirded out by my red church prayer votive candles and the Gregorian sounds of Mysterium- the brothers of San'Antimo performing a mass. (Laugh all you want but did you know in another life I was a 15th century monk?) People can say what they want: I need any advantage I can get.

The past few days have been spent prepping canvases. Generally I like to paint the sides black before I start so that I can avoid doing it at the end, thus avoid getting black acrylic paint all over my finished painting. Therefore avoid yelling/crying in the studio.

Today's plan is to continue to prep the canvases. I have more of Lennett's sermons that I am going to use. I also have a stack of letters, envelopes, messages and other waste of trees from TV's 'Profit Peter Popoff' who is currently praying for my dog Murphy. He is also asking Murph to send him some money to help his ministry. Perhaps you want him to pray for one of your animals, too. http://www.peterpopoff.org/ In fairness, Profit Peter has written Murph religiously letting him know that he has been woken up numerous times in the middle of the night thinking about Murphy's problems and knows that the tough times that Murphy is going through are coming to an end and all that Murphy desires, god will provide.

Murph must have been asking for money for me – so I can spend more on bones I guess – because I just got a letter in the mail yesterday. For those of you that live (or pay taxes) in Nova Scotia, I want to officially take this opportunity to thank you for giving me money. The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism Culture and Heritage notified me that I have received a grant to help offset the costs associated with my show last month.

Sorry Murph. Money already spent. But a warning to you who are reading this blog: If you happen to notice a lot more garbage in your area (except Napoli) or experience the miracle of bones falling out of the sky. Don't worry. That is just Profit Peter Popoff answering the prayers of my pooch.

The Dreaded In-Between Time

How do I always let this happen?

I once watched a documentary on a Canadian artist who stated that she tried to work on projects that lasted in increments of 5 -10 years so that she didn't' have to face, as often, the depression that usually sets in post project. In this case, the show I just sent off to Western Canada.

Granted, I am much better at cushioning the blow that I was a few years ago. Here is what I have managed to do to make life bearable in the post show times:

1. Line up work that needs to be done the moment the said project is complete: In this case it is the fact that I am in mid section of teaching an art class and that another two start at the beginning of July. This sorta counts I guess. Problem is that it is only on Sundays.

2. Make sure that the next show is on the horizon: Truth is I am motivated by deadlines. Not as an artist but as a person in general. Just so happens that this nasty habit crepes into my art practice. What I am saying is that unless I have dates and timelines, I will do nothing but watch sports and do admin stuff. Good yes! But does not pay the mortgage. At this point I am participating in a group show in Toronto in late September or early October (too far away!!) I am also trying to put together something for the Secord Gallery for November or February (way too far away to worry myself into action). I have a grant application along with every other artist in the province of Nova Scotia – which means I have a better chance of getting stuck by lightning (which is much more likely than winner Lotto 6-49 as it turns out!)

3. Open the studio: Open the studio! Wednesday to Saturday 12 – 5 pm. This means that if I do procrastinate and fall deeper into a post show funk, it will be in the studio. So starting this Wednesday, it is open!

So all in all, it could be much worse.