doodling my way from dark to light...

I am on the verge of creating some new work, probably continuing on the theme of motherhood or home life or something familiar and real right now. They say "paint what you know." Well, what I know right now is a big pregnant belly and three busy kids.

But first. I have to get over my real aggravation with Kathleen Wynne's sabatoge of the family. The sneaky, subtle and subversive attacks on the very thing that takes up all my time and energy--I'm so done with it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, maybe you don't live in Ontario. Sigh...anyway...

No one wants artwork that oozes bitterness hanging in their home--much less do I need a reminder of that on my easel. Plus, whining under the pressure doesn't seem overly honourable. There must be a helpful way to think through the reasons why family life is beautiful, important, valuable. The honest truth is, right now I often have trouble seeing it myself. Maybe that's why people call this stage being "in the trenches" of motherhood.

SO.

Until that gets processed into something positive...

I thought I'd catch up on the blog.

This spring I had a wonderful opportunity to create a commissioned piece for a friend. Doesn't this just lighten the mood :) It was a joy to paint!

Portrait of a young boy, Waterton National Park, Alberta.
18 x 24" Acrylic Painting on wood panel.

I began by selecting the photo below out of a handful of excellent options. Then I felt I needed some inspiration as far as the colour palette and brushwork went, so I kept this image of a Monet painting beside me almost the whole time.

One of the reference photos I worked with, alongside a painting by Monet.

Maybe you can see how my painting was influenced by this.

Detail of Acrylic Painting.

Following this painting, I was busy with three weeks of Art Camp--too. much. fun! A separate blog post about that is in the works.

One final quick thing to show you. Recently, Flagship Gallery launched a new website which shows off a lot more artwork than the old site. You can also buy prints and originals, and support this fantastic group of artists I am blessed to call friends! Here's a look at the page showcasing some of my work. 

www.flagshipgallery.com

Thanks for reading!

LS

The time has come...

...to say hello, world. For precisely one month, October 9 to November 7th, I am waving a giant hello to the world down at Flagship Gallery with a solo exhibition called "Look, child". This likely won't happen for quite a few more years, so come see it while it's up.

I missed making the announcement about the opening reception here... sorry about that. I was busy painting until about 12 hours before the opening night, and even then my infamous yellow toolbox of paints was reluctantly tucked in the back room right before I did my hair. But don't worry, you didn't miss the wine because I discovered we're not licensed for that. Aw, shucks. (This world has become too strict for me.)

Right now there are twenty-some-odd paintings and drawings on display at 237 James Street North. Begged and borrowed from friends, family and former clients. There are a few for sale though, so please ask if you see something that catches your eye.

There is work from the past 10 years or so, including a drawing series called "Grace" which I did while still a student at Redeemer. It's surprising to me how readily people open up about their perspectives on deeply personal things. The drawings encouraged many responses that I thought were very revealing, and I was grateful to have these interactions!

"Grace"
Charcoal on Stonehenge, giglee prints each 18"x20" $950
Copyright Lisa Smouter

The show is up until the first Saturday in November. Consider stopping in or get in touch with me to meet up at Flagship if you prefer.

Left: "Sleeping Spirit Awakened" Acrylic and Liquitex pouring medium, 36x60"  $1800
Top Right: "Sandwiches are Beautiful" Acrylic, 24x24"  $425
Bottom Right: "Moving ahead, feeling behind" Acrylic, 24x24"  $425

These were the most recent paintings I did--painting basically every day for 2 or 3 months.... I hope it is an encouragement to others. Thematically these came out of the most recent paintings I did called "Your Kingdom Come" and "Child of the King", both exploring ideas and realities about the Kingdom of God. By the time I was done working on those two more metaphorical works (see below), I was ready for some tangible representations of what Christians often call "kingdom work".

Left: "Your Kingdom Come: tear another strip off me" Chalk pastel, 16x20" Prints available
Right: "Child of the King" Acrylic and Liquitex pouring medium, 14x18"  $425

Thanks for stopping by!

LS

missing the sand and sun...

Welcome back everyone--I hope you have had a lovely summer and a pleasant introduction to fall. I'm just now getting around to writing this post, as my life is starting to slow down in preparation for baby number 3.

I have to apologize for not letting you all know about SUPERCRAWL, which is an annual festival on James Street North. All the galleries are open late, vendors line up and down the middle of the street, and musicians from Hamilton and all over the world come to entertain. Did any of you make it there?

Next September it returns again, and in the meantime, you could always come experience a regular Art Crawl (2nd Friday of every month).

Here's my latest work, a large acrylic on canvas that has only taken since January to paint...

Portrait commission. Acrylic on Canvas, 24 x 30"
Copyright 2013 Lisa Smouter

I was very thankful that my (patient!) client chose this scene for this project. It's a portrait pleasing to a wider audience than simply this young woman's family, because although it captures her likeness, the absence of her face allows you to imagine her being any number of young women. There's also a serenity and simple beauty in the ocean view. It bridges the boundary between landscape and portraiture, making it easier to find an appropriate place for it to be displayed.

Detail of portrait. Acrylic on Canvas.
Copyright 2013 Lisa Smouter

The next thing on my project list is a small pencil portrait commissioned by another of my (long-suffering) returning clients, which MUST be completed as soon as possible. After that I'll be taking a break from commissions for a while.

A heads up for....dare I say it? Christmastime! The Christmas show at the Flagship gallery will be displaying an array of smaller, more affordable work from each of the artists. We're all busy coming up with some fresh work under the theme: "Gifts From the King." I'd encourage you to consider dropping by sometime in the next few months to check us out.

Flagship Gallery is at 237 James St. N, Hamilton. 
Open Wednesday to Saturday, 12-5pm.
Remaining Art Crawls (12-midnight): October 11, November 8, December 13.

Some of you may be wondering how Art Camp went this summer--I'll post some pictures and video soon.


Till next time!

LS