I tend to work fast and in series of multiple pieces. I apply layers of colours and move them around the canvas. Once the paint is dry, I take a picture and, using my tablet, I explore various options without having to commit right away on the canvas. I often draw upon my subconscious and bring forward familiar shapes. Then, I transpose the chosen design onto the canvas, apply Gesso to assign the negative space bringing forth, by contrast, the colourful shapes or I add more colour where needed. If I get stuck, I take another picture and repeat the process. Once finished, I use a gloss varnish the piece to bring forth the wet qualities of watercolours and to protect the work from UV rays. The resulting work is a vibrant semi-abstract painting, to which a title is finally given to highlight both the intent and execution of the artwork. Below are the pictures of the making of “Rise and rise again”, a 16″x20″ Watercolour and Mixed Media (acrylics, watersoluble wax pastels and gesso) painting with the War in Ukraine as inspiration.
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J’ai tendance à travailler rapidement et en série de plusieurs pièces. J’applique plusieurs couches de couleurs et les déplace sur la toile. Ensuite, une fois la peinture sèche, je prends une photo et, avec l’aide de ma tablette, j’explore plusieurs options avant de reprendre le pinceau. Mon subconscient guide ma main jusqu’à l’émergence de formes familières. Ensuite je transpose mon choix de design sur le canevas en appliquant du gesso dans les espaces négatifs pour accentuer, par contraste, les formes colorées ou je rajoute de la peinture si nécessaire. Si quelque chose me dérange, je reprends une photo et recommence le processus. Une fois le tableau terminé, j’utilise un vernis brillant pour rendre permanent l’effet eau mouillée de l’aquarelle et protéger l’éclat des couleurs des UV. Le résultat final est une peinture semi-abstraite à laquelle je donne un titre qui souligne à la fois l’intention artistique et le rendu. Ci-dessous ce sont les photos de mon processus pour “Dressez-vous sans relâche”, peinture inspirée de la guerre en Ukraine réalisée en aquarelle et techniques mixtes (acrylique, pastels à la cire aquarellables et gesso) de 41 cm x 51 cm (larg., haut.).
First layers on the canvas.Using the tablet. First thing I saw. A fairy…Second thing I saw. Playing with abstract shapes.Look a turtle!Something between a fairy and abstraction.Punk lady.Punk lady reminded me of Spartan warriors helmets.Liking where this is going.Refining newfound design.Transposed onto canvas.Working through helmet and shoulder details.Getting there…Done with the painting part.Rise and rise again – 2022 (Picture of the final piece, with UV gloss varnish on and with watermark added for online copyright)
Every 2 years I participate in the Alumni Exhibition at the Ottawa School of Art Orleans Campus Gallery. The Exhibition featured the work of 25 artists between Jan 9 and Feb 4, 2023. Here are pictures taken during the Jan 15 Reception.
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Tous les 2 ans je participe à l’exposition des anciens de l’École d’art d’Ottawa. Celle-ci a réuni les oeuvres de 25 artistes entre les 9 janvier et 4 février 2023. Voici les photos prises lors du vernissage du 15 janvier.
En ce début d’année 2021, par ces temps de pandémie, il est difficile pour les grands-parents et les petits-enfants de se voir … Surtout lorsqu’un océan les sépare. Alors il m’est venu l’idée de créer un pont par-dessus les nuages et les virus, par-dessus l’Atlantique aussi, pour entrer en communication avec mon petit-fils âgé de 8 ans. Il connaît la maison de ses grands-parents en France. Elle se situe à Muret, petite ville à une vingtaine de kilomètres au sud-ouest de Toulouse. Dans le sud de la France, traditionnellement on racontait des histoires aux veillées. Cela permettait d’alimenter l’imaginaire des plus jeunes et de valoriser les qualités des plus vieux. Dans cette tradition s’inscrit cette histoire : les personnages sont principalement des animaux. Des animaux qui parlent, lisent et ont des traits de caractère assez ressemblants à ceux des humains. Depuis Muret, donc, j’ai entrepris de lui faire connaître les paysages proches de cette partie du monde dont je suis moi-même originaire. L’Espagne de mon père, toute proche, mais aussi l’Afrique du Nord, jusqu’au Sénégal, tous ces pays dont les cultures et populations se sont entremêlées au fil des siècles pour former la singularité du sud-ouest de la France d’aujourd’hui.
Au Canada, où vit ce petit-fils, l’écho du vieux monde parviendra par ce petit conte. Conte émaillé de faits historiques et de personnages ayant réellement existé. La géographie aussi est respectée autant que possible. Quant à l’idée du voyage « à thème » par un jeune solitaire, elle est fortement inspirée de la pratique de l’association Zellidja qui me tient à coeur. Cette association permet, par l’octroi de bourses, aux jeunes francophones de 16 à 20 ans de voyager seuls pour aller de par le monde étudier ou observer quelque chose. Il manque à Max, notre petit lézard voyageur, les contraintes de la restitution de son étude comme le demande Zellidja. Mais comme il est suivi par le narrateur … C’est tout comme !
Chapitre 1
Max
Dans nos promenades, au dessus de Muret, nous voyons fréquemment des animaux sauvages. Chevreuils, lièvres et parfois même des sangliers … De nombreux oiseaux aussi. Mais peu sont bavards et se laissent rarement approcher. Seul un petit lézard a surmonté sa frayeur et m’a laissé m’asseoir à côté de lui. Suffisamment près pour qu’on puisse entendre ce qu’il voulait nous raconter : voici donc son histoire. Elle est véridique !
Ce petit lézard, que nous appellerons Max, m’a dit qu’il aimait beaucoup les histoires, qu’il lisait beaucoup, surtout tout ce qui concernait ses semblables : la grande famille des lézards.
Il sait qu’en Espagne ses cousins sont plus gros que lui, plus verts aussi car ils ont certainement plus de soleil pour les réchauffer. Et oui, les lézards ont besoin de soleil : les reptiles sont des animaux à « sang froid ». Ça ne veut pas dire qu’ils n’ont pas jamais peur de rien et ne s’affolent pas facilement. Non c’est simplement qu’ils n’ont pas de capacité à réchauffer eux-même leur température corporelle. Quand toi tu as froid, ton corps frissonne et s’active pour brûler des calories qui maintiennent la température de ton corps. Les reptiles ne peuvent pas. Ils ont donc besoin de se prélasser au soleil pour chauffer leurs corps.
Donc, Max m’a expliqué qu’il aimerait beaucoup voyager et rencontrer ses cousins Espagnols : avec eux il se sentirait en sécurité ! Et il pourrait échanger sur leurs expériences personnelles, sur leurs menus, leurs loisirs, bref sur tout ce qui intéresse Max!
Ce qui intrigue le plus Max ce sont ses cousins d’Afrique ! Il a lu que ceux-ci sont capables de saisir un gnou par le mufle et l’entrainer dans l’eau afin de le dévorer ! Ça alors ! C’est incroyable !
Ces cousins Africains vivent dans l’eau la plupart du temps … Pourvu qu’elle soit chaude : quand on est un reptile, on a le sang froid ! Et comme Max n’a jamais vu de gnou, il a du mal à imaginer la scène. Est-ce que le gnou est aussi gros que le chevreuil qui passe souvent près de la souche d’arbre qui abrite Max ? Il ne sait pas : les images qu’il a vu dans les livres ne donnent pas une idée assez précise des proportions. En tout cas, même s’il s’attaquait au faon de chevreuil, Max ne pourrait pas s’en saisir en une seule bouchée et l’entrainer dans son abri pour le manger ! Mais peut-être n’y a-t-il pas d’insectes en Afrique. Peut-être les crocodiles, ces lointains cousins Africains, sont-ils obligés de manger du gnou parce qu’ils n’ont pas autre chose à manger … Voilà bien qui intrigue notre lézard. Du coup il aimerait aller voir sur place pourquoi ça se passe comme ça!
Mais voilà une question qui le tracasse : qu’est-ce qu’il va manger en Afrique? S’il n’y a pas d’insecte, devra-t-il manger un gnou lui aussi?
Where Did Spring Go – I (20″x16″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Where Did Spring Go – II (20″x16″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Where Did Spring Go – III (20″x16″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Pieces for the Ottawa School of Art Holiday Art Sale (Dec 2020)
Like many artists who lost their exhibition opportunities and teaching gigs back in 2020, I found myself quite at a loss in the first year of a global pandemic. Towards the end of that year, I entered a Holiday Sale and had to prepare for an Alumni show for early 2021 that lasted a month but due to a province lock-down never got to be seen by the public. Introducing deadlines helped me focus again. I also took an online course with an artist friend of mine to keep me motivated by having 3 online meetings a week to talk about our progresses.
Rise of the Raven (20″x16″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Social Media (20″x16″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Symbiosis – You Are Therefore I Am (24″x30″, Watercolor, soluble graphite)
Pieces for the Ottawa School of Art Alumni Exhibition (Feb 2021)
Meanwhile, in France, my father who couldn’t come visit his grand-son, started to write a story to connect with my 8 year-old boy who likes to read about his favorite topics. This is how “Max, le lézard de Muret” started. 29 chapters later I agreed to illustrate this lovely adventure about a curious little lizard who decides to travel across the south of France, Spain and go all the way to Senegal to find answers to his many questions about his cousins from Africa.
It’s in French only for now. I will post the first Chapter soon. Tell me what you think in the comments section. Thanks.
I know it’s been a long time since I last wrote on my blog. I spent 3 years of my life managing every aspect of an art Gallery and while it was a lot of work, I had a lot of fun as well. As if it wasn’t hard enough, I also had to deal with health issues with a thyroid cancer diagnosis right after I turned 40. It was during a trip to France to get my operation done earlier than in Canada that I visited “l’Atelier Céramique de Saint-Amans” in 2018. Here are the pictures I took of this lovely studio space, set on top of a sinuous countryside road in the middle of beautiful hills. Sylviane Perret, the artist, is a lovely lady who kindly agreed for me to visit her place. Her work has strong Japanese influence and she uses local clay for both her functional pottery and sculptural work.
Here are the picture of her magical space.
Inside her studio she had built a very interesting gaz kiln with an opening mechanism that made it easy for her to fire her work.
Here is the latest flyer for Galerie Côté Créations. Wishing Hanna MacNaughtan all the best in her artistic pursuits. Her work is available at Santini Gallery and Kevin Dodds Gallery in Ottawa and in other galleries outside of town. We are pleased to welcome Wendy Feldberg in our group. 🙂
Last week-end, I went to what now feels like my personal pilgrimage, my annual rendezvous with local clay artists and friends: 260 Fingers (Glebe Community Centre, Ottawa). I usually peruse the aisles, mostly chatting with colleagues, longing for work by mentors and friends Leta and Don Cormier, checking out what other artists have been doing, discovering the year’s guests, wishing I was one of them some day, except that this year I came back with 2 pieces. Part of the reason I bought pieces this year is because I have been working as a Gallery Artist/Curator/Manager and I often hear people saying ”I’ll buy from you next time, next year…”, which always feels as a missed opportunity for both the artist and the potential collector. And I realized I had been doing the same for a few years, though to be fair I haven’t had any so-called “income” in a while being a full-time artist and mother to a toddler. This year though I allowed myself to indulge in buying art pieces I will treasure, while also choosing consciously to reinvest some of my earnings into the Arts Community.
Display by Leta and Don Cormier
Ceramic vase by Leta Cormier. Now it’s mine!!!
Ceramic pieces by Leta and Don Cormier
Display by Leta and Don Cormier
I talked to Toronto artist Chiho Tokita, whose sculptures allude to functional work. I loved the fact that she works with coils and through addition and subtraction, constructs her pieces without the use of a mold. My favourite was the one that looked like a boat, of course…
Display by Chiho Tokita
Ceramic pieces by Chiho Tokita
This year, one of the guests’ work by Toronto artist Jeannie Pappas, reminded me of local artist Stefan Thompson, whose work I always found a little creepy but fascinating to look at. This is what I mean.
Display by Jeannie Pappas (Toronto)
Ceramic work by Jeannie Pappas (Toronto)
Ceramic work by Jeannie Pappas (Toronto)
I was also pleasantly surprised by the direction artist Susie Osleris going. I knew of her colourful work but it never resonated with me as much as her series called “Objects for the hand and heart” does now. I can’t wait to see where it will lead her. The pieces are so tactile, soft like bones and antlers can be, “spirit-like” in their white porcelain body, cold to the touch, organic in their shape and “shamanic” in nature. Loved, loved, loved.
Early June this year I have embarked on an exciting journey as an Artist, Curator and Manager for a Pop-up Art Gallery in Westboro Village (in between two trendy Ottawa neighbourhoods Westboro and Hintonburg).
It is called Galerie Côté Créations after the artist who got the space in the first place, Yan-Éric Côté (a painter from the Mont-Tremblant area).
We’re located on the ground floor of a complex of condominiums in an unfinished retail space and it is gigantic so much so we’re using only half of it.
Front of the Gallery.
We give part of our proceeds to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
We’re now 12 artists + a pianist-in-residence who comes to play almost every day we’re open on his baby grand piano.
Our address is 98 Richmond Road (just west of Island Park Drive, across the CIBC). We are open Tuesday-Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm except for the first Thursdays of the month (until 9 pm).
First official donation to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
I am proud of what we have accomplished so far and will keep on improving our customers experience.
Front and back of our flyer.
Opening Night (06/30/16). Pieces by Sandra Marshall.
Painting by Yan-Éric Côté.
Hannah Ranger demonstrating her feltmaking techniques during our Open House (09/17/16).
Thomas and his friend performing during our Open House (09/17/16).
Hanna MacNaughtan demonstrating soapstone carving Open House (09/17/16).
Watercolours by Alena Liapko.
Poster for our 1st Thursday of the month – Art Walk.
Stiched paintings by Karen Goetzinger and Watercolours with oil pastels by Alena Liapko.
Felt pieces by Hannah Ranger.
When nature feels at home on my work, I can’t stop thinking I must be doing something right.
Glasswork by France Grice.
Sculptures by Cairn Cunnane and paintings by Yan-Éric Côté.
Sculptures by Cairn Cunnane
Holiday Season Shop with glass work by Miriam Silburt.
While distributing pamphlets downtown at the Ottawa Art Gallery I visited the exhibitions of two of my friends/colleagues were having an exhibition this summer: Gail Bourgeois and Paula Murray.
“Correspondence” – From roots to rhizomes to mycelial networks – by Gail Bourgeois June 4 – Sept. 18, 2016
I was particularly attracted to her abstract shapes on Mylar.
“You are me” by Paula Murray June 24 – Sept. 25, 2016
Here a my favourite pieces. Guess why…
Recently, I had one of my pieces (one of the 3 ”Arrested Development” black and white pairs from the Series ”Mute Message Down Under”) purchased by a customer from Laval, QC.
It is meant as a gift for his mother’s birthday. Since I found it was a lovely reason to buy one of my pieces, I decided to make a box for it to travel safely and be worthy of the gesture.
I have always admired the Japanese for being very thoughtful regarding the packaging of their work as they believe it to be an extension of the work itself. Called ”Tomobako” (accompanying box) it serves as a means of storage for the artwork and a way to authenticate the piece as the maker often puts his mark/brand on it.
Here are few interesting sites to learn more about Tomobako:
For this project I had in mind to use one of the available laser-cutters that our city library owns, in Ottawa’s first public makerspace. I had been ”certified” to use it in 2014 and had not had the chance to use it yet. It took a first failed attempt to realize that even with the knowledge I have in design softwares, Inkscape or SketchUp are hard to understand. Because I needed to deliver the artwork in the following weeks, I had no time to learn how to use them, which meant I had to look online for shortcuts.
While I was told one could get designs from Thingiverse where I found an awesome box (maybe for later), due to size constraints I instead went for an online software that is especially designed to deliver a file to make boxes called MakerCase.
Once the pieces were cut by the laser, I realized the thickness I entered for the wood was not quite right so the junctions do not fit seamlessly. As well, there was a strong burnt smell. So I thought I’d get rid of it by rubbing the cut parts with baking soda… It made it smooth and less smelly but I left the pieces outside for a few days to air as well. I used No More Nails glue on all the pieces except for the lid of course and since it didn’t dry transparent (yikes!) I resorted to painting the seams with Van Dyke Brown acrylic paint. It made the seams shiny again.
Being a first, the result is not perfect but overall, I’m pretty pleased with it and was proud of the astonishment of the buyer’s friends who would deliver the box later in the week. I just hope my customer’s mom doesn’t mind that I put my artist statement in English only…
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