Too many paint fumes today

New painters I was introduced to today... I really can't get enough abstraction. It's something I was never interested in before but since doing it I have a newfound respect for it and it really gets me going. Colours, shape, pattern. Can' get enough.

Andy Collins




Charline Von Heyl





Cecily Brown

How many times can I swear in a post?

I feel like there's so many things to post about and so little time...

First, we had a rad BitchinStitch last night! There was vegan banana bread (thanks Kelly!), feta cheese dip (thanks Jen), and Verde vanilla Earl Grey tea (and thanks Kaja)! Weird combo but how can you go wrong? Jen was a newbie at the Bitch last night and is a more experienced knitter than all of us so soon we will be making thumb holes just like her. I also finished my scowl (scarf/cowl) last night! I think it could possibly be the easiest thing in the world to knit but it looks bitchin. You knit as if you're knitting a scarf then stop when you run out of yarn..... attach the ends with a massive button and you're in business! I think I'm going to challenge myself for the next project and work on a fingerless mitt pattern that was given to me by Melanie Wesley at a Stitch and Bitch at the Leg. I'm so excited about all the interest 'The Bitch' is getting and am starting to think we may need more space than the living room of my apartment....








Thought I'd also post some pictures of paintings I've been working on. Abstract is a very new thing for me - along with stretching a canvas and using oils but I think after the past month I've gotten the hang of it. These paintings are still in progress but 'The Camper' is nearing completion.



'The Camper' 4x6ft (I'm ball-parking) oil on canvas

Also, November is coming up fast and lots of exciting things are going on. Blog-wise, Leigh-Ann of Freckled Nest will be turning my little blog into a website! I'll keep you updated on that but just a heads up that things may seem a little wonky/be under construction for a while. I don't know what this will entail yet but I will let you know as I know. I've been planning this for a few months now and I can't wait for the finished product! I will also be having a show at the Starving Artist Gallery at Degrees Diner at the U of M starting Nov. 1 until Dec. 1. It will be a collection of my work from the past year or so, so if you have a chance you should stop by. And the date is uncertain but there will be an opening night at some point so I'll be sure to keep you posted on that.

Just to end off.... Here's a quote from my painting prof Sharon Alward that I find more and more relevant and can't get out of my head... "Painting is a moment from you - not you."

Hip-Happenings

1) A special someone gave me flowers for no reason today :) And this special someone is not Frankie (the cat trying to eat the flowers)


2) I am managing to un-hermit myself for a night and go see Where the Wild Things Are tomorrow night! Can't wait!


3) My Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting came via UPS yesterday


4) I just ordered Carte Blanche Vol.2 Painting


5) I'm back on Veggie-ism after a 6 month (?) hiatus. Hello veggie-bacon! A friend of mine posted a link from chooseveg.com about turkey slaughterhouses and I couldn't watch more than two minutes. The information on choose veg makes me feel guilty for not being a vegan but one step at a time.

Current Inspirations

Melanie Authier


Maria Britton


Inka Essenhigh



Elizabeth Condon


Jiha Moon

This Turns My Crank..

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Yet another knit-a-thon at the apartment tonight! Watched some Nip-Tuck (5th season) and had my friend Pascale knitting via skype! Sad story though.... I brought all my roving and felting needles to the art barn today and forgot them there! I'm very upset and I hope it's all still there when I get there tomorrow morning.... Otherwise I will be a very unhappy camper. On the brightside - I am almost done the scarf/cowl I've been working on! I will have pictures by next knit night if not before - I'm trying to decide on a big button to hold it all together right now. In the meantime here's some wool to drool over...

B&W

More felted earrings...

Felt Fur & Yarn

I'm trying to churn out lots of felted earrings right now. These ones are for my best buddies whose birthdays are Sunday and Monday! For the first time I am hoping they won't read my blog until they receive them but if they do I don't think it will be too much of a surprise... Anyways I wanted to document them before I sent them off (they live in Rhode Island and Calgary).
And a big thank you to the boyfriend for secretly wanting to felt and suggesting to add buttons into the felt balls... Brilliant boy.


Gunna sneak a picture of Frankie (my cat) in this post. And yes, he's wearing a hoodie... It has "Frankie Says Relax" printed in gold letters on the back... It kind of makes him look like a boxer. I realize this is ridiculous but it makes me really happy. And he actually likes it. He rolls around in it purring and trying to eat the strings. He's not your average cat.



I also realized I haven't mentioned how the Stitch and Bitch is going! It's called Bitchin Stitchin and it's held weekly in the apartment. This upcoming week will be our third meeting! It's quite possibly the raddest Stitch and Bitch around. Along with the normal knitting circle activities such as bitching and sharing knitting techniques, we bring baked goods, have friends knitting with us via skype, and watch arrested development. Couldn't ask for a better Tuesday night! Here is my roomie, Jarika, with her homemade chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies. She doesn't think she can cook or bake but I beg to differ. Stay tuned for more actual knitting photos when I get my camera back from the shop :) Then no more of this low quality photobooth business!
If you are in Winnipeg and want to join 'Bitchin Stitchin' feel free to leave a message in the comments and I'll let you know where and when!

A Murder of Crows

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So I heard an interview on CBC radio yesterday about a documentary called A Murder of Crows airing on CBC this Sunday night. I'm usually not so into the creepy bird but after seeing the most amazing painting by a thesis student a few years ago with crows in tuxedos and top hats holding canes outside of an old house I've been slightly intrigued. I wish I could find the painting I'm talking about to show you but instead I've hearted some pictures that will give you the idea. Anyways what's interesting about this interview is that apparently crows are almost as smart as apes and make tools that are even more sophisticated than the tools made by apes! Jane Goodall's mind is blown I'm sure. Anyways more interesting than tools, crows have complicated social networks like humans and can scheme, play, and have "gang-style funerals and killings". They also have great memories and can remember specific faces of humans. If you weren't afraid of birds after 'The Birds' now is the time. Just kidding I actually have a soft spot for them now and can't wait to watch this documentary with my Thanksgiving Dinner Sunday night!
Click here to see the promo video

All alone in the Art Barn

Snuck into the art barn this morning to work on a painting I'm having a frustrating time with. I'm happy with half of it but the other half wasn't working so on a whim I painted over (erased) half of my canvas last night. Also the other day I made a 'rookie mistake' of putting canola oil in with my paint thinner and oil paint - I'm new with oils - we don't have to talk about this. It's not actually a rookie mistake - I haven't heard of anyone else ever doing this - I was just being an idiot. Anyways shockingly the canola oil parts are almost dry now... I wasn't sure they would ever dry. So I came in this morning with high hopes that maybe the wet paint on the half of the canvas would be dry and I could get going on it but it wasn't so I just smeared some more paint around. Then decided to build a new canvas - stretching by yourself sucks but I'm pretty sure I was the only one in the barn so I was making due. And then I ran out of staples... Anyways this morning was a bit of a waste of time but it's the thought that counts and I did get to creep around the art barn by myself and I took these pictures with photobooth...

The half of the painting I think is working...

I'm not going to show you the other half :)

Stairwell

Kitchen/Lounge that no one uses as a kitchen

My mess

Flammable