Well June is underway and some truly exciting opportunities have started that I just feel the need to share.
1st, I was privileged to have been selected by my local art guild – Allied Arts Council (https://www.alliedartscouncil.com/) to show my art in the Fireside Room. This is a huge opportunity to show my art here in my local community.
Gallery Show – Allied Art Council – Spruce Grove Library – Fireside Room – June 2018
I originally had thought this was to be possibly just a few pieces on one of the walls. But in fact the full room – so 24 pieces are presently adorning the walls in the fireside room at the Art Gallery which is right inside the public library here in Spruce Grove. It was definitely a lot of work to have about 5 days to get my pieces gallery ready. But with the help of some fantastic friends and family – we were successful in getting everything framed.
2nd, a brand new store is opening up in Stony Plain, AB next week – Country Scraps. (https://www.facebook.com/CountryScraps/) This is a great little story right in a beautiful character home at 4810 – 50th Ave, Stony Plain, AB. In here I’m thrilled to introduce our local community to RedTin Designs by Carrie. A collection of wearable art and desk art pieces. It will begin with a collection of inspirational Necklaces and eventually I will add other pieces at I have described on my web page.
Finally 3rd – Come check out the Rustic Charm table at the Highlands Community Event on Saturday June 16th – please check out “Highlandia” (https://www.facebook.com/events/243445292903397/) on Facebook under the Highlands Community League Page. This is such a fun community in the heart of Edmonton. Lots of character and charm. And I have the privilege of sharing a spot with a fellow artisan and family member. So please come on out to see the latest from RedTin Designs by Carrie.
I so loved pitting this piece together. There is something quite freeing about the thought of running out to play on the old tree swing under a magical sky filled with nebulae and galaxies far far away.
It reminds me that we are all children at heart. And sometimes the simplest moments will last a life time.
This is a 16×20 gallery wrapped acrylic canvas. Done with archival Golden heavy body paints.
Playing Under the Stars. 16×20 gallery wrapped canvas
If youvare interested in this painting please contact me for more information.
Well officially I launched – last night – Monday April 2nd rather than on April fools day… it just didn’t seem like the right thing to do. LOL.
Any ways, as much as my paintings have been leaning towards the spring florals and waves – here in Alberta — March ended with a new push of the arctic cold – and as much as the sun is beautifully shining – the temps have been in the -15 C to -20 C range over night and day time highs hitting anywhere from -5 C to +3 C. So it’s just dragging it out. That leaving the Ol People here a little unmotivated, bit more grumpy and sleepy, basically an extension of the winter blues. We know the warm weather and green grass is just around the corner… but which one already. LOL
It’s so
very important for all of us to keep moving and motivated. But here in Alberta it is really easy
Uplifted – Mar 2018 – Iris’s in bloom
to get quite stagnant as the weather tends to keep us indoors longer this year. And for folks like mine who were use to a earlier spring when they lived in Grand Forks, BC (Thought they had snow yesterday too)
The Farmer and Bertie by now would have been out on the deck in the mornings, starting some plants, Farmer would be thinking what maintenance the tractor needs cause that 1st hay crop would probably be ready in 8 or 9 weeks. But now living in this house back in Spruce – it’s been a very tough adjustment for them. Other than the fact they are in their 80’s, it has a bigger impact because of the change in their health. So daily I find myself trying to encourage some type of simple task. This is really important for Mom with the onset of Alzheimer’s. That encouragements is not always taken well – there is something that happens to the person(s) closest – where frustration is more easily launched , vs the same suggestion made by a family member or someone who is a specialist truly in the field of homecare, caregiver specialization that doesn’t live daily with those in need. The challenge is real, and there is no manual for those who take on the role of caregiver to their parents. There are some great books by authors who have or are living this. One in particular resource book: Feeding My Mother, by author Jann Arden http://www.jannarden.com/jann-release-feeding-mother-november/ truly an amazing story of courage, strength and family. I highly recommend not only her book, but also follow along with her on Facebook.
I will add some links to some more of these great resources or services, so stay tuned and follow along as I share stories of painting That’s a blog for another time.
But so far today is a good day for them both and I am trying to keep myself upbeat as much as I can. Having some daily tasks, projects is the best and for me – learning a new technique in painting is a great way to keep the mind sharp.
What is Negative Space Paint pouring – basically an image in the paint pour that does not cover the entire frame of the substrate you are using. (Canvas, board, tile, etc)
Iris’s in Bloom – Mar 2018
There is a variety of abstract options with a paint pour and it’s very easy to just keep tilting and stretching that paint over the surface and run it fully off. Deciding when to stop and what area to leave is sometimes tough to do. But when we paint pour artists find that “perfect time” to stop and just let the negative space tell us were done and not continue to fiddle with the painting. Then something truly beautiful is left. This past couple of weeks I have played with some negative space – small pours and the results have been very fun – and I also have played a bit more – the control side of me – using some tools (string, pallet knives, straws) to create some very interesting floral results. Attached are a couple pieces.
I’m having a bit of trouble uploading right now, please bare with me as I work our the ‘technical’ issues and my learning curve on the web site. More to come. Until then – have a Great Tuesday April 3rd. 🙂
Happy Easter Everyone. And welcome to my Website. I’m excited to start to share some of the work I have been doing over the past few years. From abstract landscapes, to more realistic Acrylic styles with mixed media and most recently engaging in the trending paint pouring styles that are bringing an amazing amount of enjoyment. Its all very therapeutic and allows me a great amount of time to think about all types of random thoughts.
As for today… being Easter… Is it about The Easter Bunny or The Cross – maybe it’s both. But where ever today finds you may it be a day of Joy, Reflection, Comfort and spent with those you Love. The attached image is a 10×10 Acrylic mixed media piece I did a year ago. The challenge to capture the shadows and build a nest with the eggs. This represents Spring to me and I feel for today it is timely and relevant for Easter.
If you enjoy this piece and would like one for your own home – drop me a line I’ll happily do one for you – we can discuss size, price, the composition
Inspired from a fun chalk drawing paint night with some gal pals from high school one night. I decided to try the big eyed face in Acrylics. A very different direction for me.. it was fun.
My artistic journey began in 2001 while I was living in the Vancouver area. At the time I worked in the financial industry as a Licensed Advisors Assistant. Investments, Insurances, tax considerations, dividends, capital gains, bonds, equities, Bulls and Bears. Daily dealing with the cherished clients, inside wholesalers, corporate partners and all while trying to stay up on markets, policies, regulations and all the other fun stuff that happens in the day to day life of a busy Financial Planner office.
I started to paint purely as a means of relaxation. Picking up an inexpensive set of brushes and Liquitex Basic’s acrylic starter pack and a canvas board. I carefully selected the perfect spot to set up my small wooden art easel. Right by the patio window, looking out at the flowers blooming in their planter boxes draping the deck rail. And what better than a view that would allow me to see the top of Mt Baker on a clear sunny day.
I was ready, everything was lined up just right. Brushes, paint on pallet, nice fresh water cup for cleaning, a rag to catch any drips, the lovely sound of Reflections music to relax by on the CD player… ah it was perfect… I was in the Zone. As I picked up that first #2 flat brush, loaded it with paint…(I was channeling Bob Ross)… I fearfully made my first brush stroke. For anyone who is accustom to a life of order and structure, you would probably understand that this first act of taking a perfectly white cleanly stretched canvas and randomly filling the top with Phalo Blue was almost enough to break out in a sweat! Let alone try to plan out what to paint in your minds eye with no previous lessons other than the last Art Class in high school – umpteen years ago.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been ‘crafty’ – crochet, some random Christmas craft project, even a little bit of Donna Dewberry style toll painting on gourds and pieces of wood. So its not like being creative or using a brush was foreign to me – but there’s a pretty sizable difference between using good old Folk Art or Apple Barrel paint and following the traced out lines and color map to make a kitschy looking scarecrow angel carrying a pumpkin, to trying to create a landscape which in my mind was going to be the quality of a Robert Bateman wildlife painting. (roll eyes and insert laugh here) So today’s plan was to try to work from the 2001 Landscapes of Canada – July’s mountain lake, (which was this years free calendar from one of the investment fund companies for all the business placed that year.) WHAT WAS I THINKING!!
But I persevered – I was now obsessed with the need to make those blue strokes of paint look like something because after all structure and order were mainstream in my world. But wait, I had to tell myself the reason for painting was to ‘unwind’, ‘relax’, ‘take a deep breath’, ‘loosen up’, ‘chill’… most important…not think about work.
End result – Mist over a Mountain Lake – March 2001. by Carrie Saur 16×20 Acrylic (not for sale)
Note to self: I still need to work on tree development more
So why have I decided now this 18 yrs later to start a website and blog. Well – life has come full circle it seems, and I now find myself living back in Spruce Grove Alberta. I’ve taking on the roll of fulltime support and care giver to my folks who are in their 80’s and dealing with physical and mental deterioration. Daily I see changes in my Mom (Bertie) who has what is called Early Onset Alzheimer/Dementia – some days are great some days not so much. And Dad (Farmer) well he’s had his ailments at 88 – so I am doing my best to help them remain in home vs going to assisted living for as long as they possible can. As for me, well it’s taken me out of my zone for a bit, and I’ve found the best respite is to go to my little studio garage with the green wall and paint. I’ve been having all kind of fun, exploring new techniques and ideas. Following along and learning methods of other artists, as well have recently joined the Allied Arts Council here in Spruce Grove to finally put some of my favorite pieces on display and up for sale.
I am definitely realizing the benefits of these little creative time outs, and now have a desire to see if some of my artistic journey may provide a therapeutic escape for others. Perhaps to find a piece you would love to have hang on your wall, in your office or on your desk. It is my hope that you might use this fluid art medium for your on little break in the day as you let your mind relax as your eyes look through the painting.
So I would like to say thanks so much for reading my First Blog entry. I will be slowly adding pieces as they are finished, from time to time will add a link to in instructional video on a technique and share in my therapeutic art journey possible with some stories about Bertie and The Farmer and improving my site as I go along. Please keep checking in and I honestly do welcome your feed back. 🙂 Until then my God bless you and keep a hedge of protection around you. Csaur
Some recent works in the Little Studio Garage with the Big Green Wall
Florals, Waves and Mountain meadows
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
(https://www.facebook.com/events/243445292903397/) on Facebook under the Highlands Community League Page. This is such a fun community in the heart of Edmonton. Lots of character and charm. And I have the privilege of sharing a spot with a fellow artisan and family member. So please come on out to see the latest from RedTin Designs by Carrie.
The attached image is a 10×10 Acrylic mixed media piece I did a year ago. The challenge to capture the shadows and build a nest with the eggs. This represents Spring to me and I feel for today it is timely and relevant for Easter.
