Cheerful Beginnings

Hello out there!

I hope you all enjoyed some festivities these past couple weeks! Around here, we've had our fair share of celebrations, as well as some significant reasons for reflection on life. So, knowing I'm not alone in that, I thought I'd post a few pictures to spread some cheer. I looked around my house and found a few things I thought might brighten your day and mine. Enjoy!

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"
Oil on Canvas, 18 x 24"  Copyright 2011 Lisa Smouter
Limited edition prints available in various sizes.

And now, here's a little something I made for a little fan of the Disney movie "Tangled" -- I think there are quite a few little girls out there who will recognize this image of Rapunzel and the floating lights.

Born to be...

I'm blaming it on all the thought-provoking things I listened to while painting--this particular blog post isn't all fluff. Just warnin' ya :)

But first, I thought I'd give you a complete look at the finished painting for my sister. The Alumni show at Redeemer is all wrapped up--to my chagrin, there was no guest book so I have no idea who, if anyone, went to check it out!

Completed painting of Italy, Cinque-Terre (Manarola)
Oil on Canvas, 24x30"
Copyright 2012 Lisa Smouter

This will most likely be my last painting I blog about for the year 2012, but I do have some crafty stuff and a couple whimsical paintings on the go right now :) This Italy painting was a joy to work on, and I could do it (mostly) in complete confidence--but whimsical, imaginitive things...well...I think it's probably good for the soul to let loose and say "I have NO idea what I'm doing!!" If I eventually sum up the courage, I'll show you some of those pieces. For now, I feel very strongly that my 2 year old daughter is doing a better job of it than I.

It Only Takes a Spark...

A portion of a painting in progress. Italy, Cinque-Terre, Manarola. Oil on Canvas with acrylic underpainting, 24 x 30"

You know how they say "it only takes a spark"

My old stomping grounds, Redeemer University College, recently held a match to the back-ends (ha!) of my paintbrushes and let them burn to nearly nothing. Just to see how fast I could complete a painting.

Their method was pretty effective, I must say.

Golden Hands: a modern portrait

This may sound strange, but sometimes I look at my hands and nearly do a double take. My hands are becoming my mother's hands, or at least my childhood memory of them. Cutting bread into fours for Annie, pulling on the girls' hats and mitts, stirring the soup...they actually look exactly like my mom's.

Anyone else ever see startling familial resemblances in places other than the face?

Golden Hands
Oil on Canvas, 9 x 12"
Copyright 2012 Lisa Smouter

This is a portrait of my Grandma's hands. It is a fresh take on portraiture in that it doesn't include her face, and yet for those who know her it's undeniable. Without a doubt, these digits have but one sole owner! Hands can be as unique as faces, and they tell many stories. In this case we included some props to help the story along, but really you could have as powerful and interesting a portrait without the needle and thread.

one for the kids...

Don't you just feel for the little girl whose favourite companion is left hanging out to dry?

Hanging Out to Dry
Oil on Canvas, 14 x 24"
Copyright 2012 Lisa Smouter
Original Painting For Sale: $450  |  Prints For Sale: $85 each

Poor little bear...

I'm actually a bit nervous to let this painting go, because it has given me many a headache! An artist rarely knows when a painting is finished, but with this one I'm saying I'm finished! In the end it was kind of fun, as Annie's own sense of humour inspired me to add fun things like animals in the clouds and an airplane with a banner ("baby on board!" was Arie's suggestion since I was expecting Josie at the time). Having a two-year-old in the house has made me lighten up a bit. Maybe some of you can relate? :)

Plein Air!

It has been forever since I've done a plein air painting--someone was just asking me about it too, and I hoped I'd get a chance to do one or two while up north for Thanksgiving weekend.

I have a rickety outdoor easel--(a Costco special, anyone?)--that now needs my hubby's trusty Leatherman to set up properly. But no amount of mechanical frustration could surpass the beauty of this place and the excitement of capturing it in the moment.

The weather this past weekend was incredible, and this gorgeous landscape was literally in my lap that whole time. My husband might testify that I was a somewhat neglectful mother while working on this. Annie spent far too much time "napping"...or chit-chatting to herself the tent trailer behind me... Hopefully she thinks the painting was worth it! :)

"By the Boat Launch" Sandy Beach Resort on Balsam Lake, Ontario.
Oil on board, approx. 12 x 14"  For Sale $275 tax incl.
Copyright 2011 Lisa Smouter

Welcome to my new blog!

Having realized that my website is in dire need of updating, (and without the ability to do it myself!) I decided it was time to fill you in on what's been happening at home and at the studio lately.

Well, I guess I should let God have the glory for this work of art--Annie is a perfect little addition to the Smouter family. Right now her lungs are calling for cuddles and Daddy is getting some practice in that department (not that he needs it!). Annie is the curious type when it comes to easels, paint brushes and palettes; I will take that as a blessing, despite some paint on my living room floor. When she was only a few weeks old her clothes already bore the faint scent of oil paints. Now she's nearly 11 months, and all that crawling and walking is allowing for some serious paint exploration, if Mom doesn't catch her first....

"Reflection" oil on canvas. Approx 16 x 20"
Professionally framed. For sale $1800 tax incl.
Copyright Lisa Smouter 2010

As expected, Annie's arrival has really impacted my personal artwork. For me, the experience of nurturing an itty-bitty newborn was often like firmly supressing a huge adrenaleine rush. Calming the quick pace; willing the slowdown. It was my mind and body's urge to quickly get that load of washing in, when suddenly my heart would quietly remind me that this baby's beauty trumps dirty laundry every time. Besides, a newborn face is an obvious winner, but it doesn't stick around long enough to fight many fights--she sure grows up fast!

This painting came somewhat unwittingly from those feelings. When shooting some reference photos, I was fascinated by the many reflected shapes and by the pop of the orange leaf. I didn't even notice the small treasure  hiding  underwater  until later....hmmm, the irony. Is someone knocking on my head?!

I'm honoured to announce that "Reflection" has been accepted into the Bruno Capolongo Invitational exhibition. It was selected along with work by other emerging and established artists to be shown at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts from January 10 - February 5th, 2010. The opening reception is Saturday, January 15th from 5:30-8pm, where the awards will be given. Very exciting!

So if you are interested in seeing some high quality contemporary fine art, please visit HCA while this show is up. (Note: HCA is closed on Fridays and Sundays.) I know it will be a fantastic display!

Lisa

P.S.  Some of you might recall that I was awarded an Honourable Mention for my copy of Vermeer's "Milkmaid" at a previous BCI exhibit. You can see a photo of it and more of my previous work on my website.