Painting, Creating and Re-Creating!!

Hi everyone - have been doing lots of creative things in addition to the painting and thought I would pop some pics up for you... and we had our First Snowfall which is always exciting!!

We had a milk jug out on the front porch for years at the old house and it got all rusted and abused with the weather and outdoors... so I went crazy (FUN) with the acrylics after preparing it and sanding it and rust coat etc. and then a gloss finish on it and it is a very fun creative "re-used" piece of art now - keeping it indoors for the winter but it will be fun outside again with wild grasses or corn stalks or whatever I end up putting in there on the front porch - an old broom? 

This is an old table that my husband's father made many years ago, it must be at least 50 or 60 years old... and it was in the shed covered in sawdust, underneath a bunch of boxes. I grabbed it and have covered it in old book pages (Tess of the d'Urbervilles) and letters, postcards, handwriting, stamps and pretty scrapbook papers... stamped it and wrote on it and coloured it with pen - the light is not accurate in this photo but it has an aged patina to it now and will finish it with a varnish and another item RE-Created !!! And of use and old Granddad would be pleased I think to see his table being used properly again

Book Pages and Scrapbook Paper decoupaged onto table

 Just a peek at the studio where it all happens - it looks messy but came in here after dinner to turn the lights off and go do the dishes and thought I would snap a pic !! But it is organized... I need everything within reach and accessible as it is difficult with gel medium and paste and paint on your hands to open drawers or boxes - so everything is out in the open and set up to be "quick grab" - all the books are sorted and the music playing and only one window - hmmm... but maybe that is part of the reason my work is so colourful, eh? I love this studio - it is a happy place and lots of CREATING going on in here - Hope you are creating too - and thank you for your support of my art

Claire   -  Visit me at ArtistClaire   and  

find me on EBSQ as a self-representing artist - My EBSQ site

Thanks!!! 

Fall Winter 2011

November is Remembrance Day and my birthday and my father's birthday ... the leaves have fallen from the trees and we are getting ready to settle in for the winter by the fire.

I have been winding some knitting yarn and have my books picked out... the studio has two landscapes on the easels and some abstract art drying and waiting for photos so I can upload to the computer.

We have had our wonderful Thanksgiving and looking forward to the next family get together.

Finished a mixed media piece and some pretty daisies as well as an abstract and have been trying to update websites but need to slow the pace down a bit as the weather is killer right now for me.

I have not been sleeping much, in a lot of pain from the damp cold weather. But I am happy to be able to paint what I can and knit what I am able, and even made some brownies and apple crisp this Fall which is wonderful as I have not been able to bake for a few years now.

So things are okay and the painting to the music really helps mentally. Have finished two hats and a pair of socks, and working on a shawl - so winter knitting is taken care of - and our dog is waiting to run through the snow (which she loves).  She loved the boat rides this summer and stands on the side of the boat looking out... on her hind legs like a little kid - so cute - doesn't she look happy????

I also painted a Victorian Santa Claus on some unstretched canvas - just a scrap piece of canvas and then put it onto a support but obviously should have used a stronger support and it warped a bit - so really not useful for anything other than prints and cards... but it was fun to paint from my imagination and might paint more of these on canvas board instead so they are sturdier - at least this helps get into the Christmas spirit - we don't have snow yet, but it sure is getting colder and this fellow will be on his way soon !!!

Hope everyone had a lovely summer and Fall and happy to hear from all of you - Please visit my websites for custom reproductions, prints, cards and gift items with my original art - or contact me if you like

My Artspan website

Custom reproductions, prints and cards here

and

Fun gift items from my Zazzle site

I am working on some great new pieces and the sun is shining today so I thought I would take the time to say hello and update the blog. Stay warm and cozy - and a Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends

Claire

Great Summer so Far!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!! I have neglected the blog as it has been lovely and warm outside and good walks to the water... lots of painting time and have my work in an art gallery, entering different art competitions, art auctions, attending street festivals (although I did not display my work at those) and generally enjoying the summer.
Finished all three of the "Hunger Games" books and they were great! Enjoying "State of Wonder" now and finishing a knitted lace shawl, two pairs of socks are done and am on the third pair - today it is raining and I am updating websites a bit
Wait 'til you see the NEW artwork !! Lots of fun things to show you! Have to take better photos...and do a bit of tweaking and they will be up for you to see

Here is a "teaser" for you - this one is called "Ballerina Girl" a mixed media piece and the second one is "Wedding Day". These are both 8x10 and are in the Zephyr Art Gallery in Orillia - what do you think? I loved making them!! Nice summer colours and fun theme - kinda shabby chic, romantic and fun...

These are available as reproductions, prints and cards at my websites (as I am updating the websites, you might not see them just yet ) I will make more of these for sure!

Hope you are enjoying family and friends and the great sunshine too!! Back soon

One Whole Month ? Seriously? I Know Why...

Ok so some time has flown by... I apologize but then again, it has been really productive and that is the whole point, right? This is an art blog and I need to paint and create... so I have - but you have missed out on all the fun
Here is an update with some of the latest art and I have just added 19 new pics to Facebook photos and trying to get these pieces onto the websites. This is a heck of a lot of work and takes way more effort than I would like (it takes away from painting time) but I hope you are hanging in there and happy to see my latest... I appreciate all of you supporting me and buying my art - Your money goes right back into art supplies (!!!!) SERIOUSLY it takes a lot of time and money to do this - but wow - it is what I have done all my life and now can do every day
YAY for living this long... here ya go

This one is called "Forest Flower Fairies" and is done on unstretched 22x22 canvas with mixed media and acrylics - it took a while - lots of time and tissue paper, Japanese papers and layers of transparent and luminescent colours - I am trying to figure out how to mount this on foamcore board and frame it cause it has too much detail and is too "thick with mixed media" to be stretched onto stretcher bars but for now it is available as prints and cards
I have been listening to some fabulous songs and they totally make the art - I was listening to "Dancin' on the Ceiling" and I almost fell off the walls - I listen to "GLEE" songs  and Stones and Rod Stewart and Kate Bush is great with her Cloudbusting song (on repeat) or Alan Parsons (all day long) - it depends on my mood but I just set it to repeat on iTunes and (Bodyrockers "One Night Only" is a fave) off I go... here are more

This one is to WELCOME SPRING with the tulips (which have yet to bloom here... although we have our Daffodils up ) and I love the red ones - they are my favourites - so I just kinda wanted to paint something to welcome Spring after all the white "ness" and no colour... this is acrylics on canvas all of these are for sale as originals, prints and cards and custom reproductions at my websites
Custom Reproductions at my Fine Art America website
and there are framed versions and prints at my Imagekind website but of course the originals are here at my house and I can ship them off to you with just an email and Paypal ... let me know what you would like
Delphiniums are one of my favourites and we used to have so many of them at the old house... in every shade of blue and purple (which as you have probably figured out are my fave colours - I am trying to NOT paint so much blue stuff but that is MY colour and I just grab it and go...) this is part of my Meadow Flowers series and is acrylics on canvas - all of these are painted on the sides and varnished, signed by me and ready to hang
I hope you have some of these in your garden, I miss them...
This is really different and SO COOL - I used mixed media to make this with acrylic paints and it is called "House and Home" trying to show the pride of ownership and how any house can be made into a "home" where you belong and feel that sense of pride and self worth...

This is another one that is part of my "Meadow Flowers" series and it is a wonderful bright painting acrylics on canvas - I entered it in the Saatchi Online Gallery (in the UK) competition and out of 6000 entries, it came in at 167 !!!!!!!!!!! It was in the top 300 (voted in with a two week period of public votes) and went on to the juried section - What an honour just to be in that top 300 !!! I did not make it to the top 30 - but a lot of the art is nudes and really different - but I MADE IT to the top 2 PERCENT which is awesome support and incentive to keep going - This painting is one of my favourites and I had to make myself stop at this point, I wanted to continue with details but put it aside - and want to try to do more like this - a loose style, and much easier on my hands to paint this way

I was lucky enough to be able to visit Florida this winter and get some warmth and sunshine. We were walking on the beach and this little toddler was chasing the birds... they would fly up above our heads and scatter and then gather on the beach pointing in one direction again and off the little one would go... chasing them and screaming - I had to paint this as soon as I got home - seeing this child gave me a sense of freedom and happiness - I loved that day  - this is a large one acrylic on canvas
all of these are for sale and available as prints and cards

And finally, to leave you with another Spring Floral, the Lilacs will be blooming soon and at the old house they used to grow up to the second storey windows in the mauve and purple and white colours - I would clip them but they spread and spread and took over - the bees would come but were so happy with the flowers they did not bother us and I could sit out there and knit and inhale the Lilac perfume... this is acrylic on canvas and of course available for all of you to enjoy

It is wonderful to be able to paint like this and create new works - experiment and learn about new techniques and have the ability to offer my work online - and to hear all of your positive comments!! I appreciate the support and again I am sorry I have not posted in a while but I was able to see my kids for Mothers Day and have been trying to rest and paint and hang in there with all of you and produce what I can, to make the world a happy colourful place. I have been trying to walk my dog each day (although it is raining today and she won't go outside in the rain) and reading a good book (Middlesex is good - takes a while to get into it - and just finished reading "Unbroken" which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND excellent WW2 story and really worth reading) and working on two lace shawls and three pairs of socks -  - the paintings are for you - I put my heart and soul (and music) into these and they need to be loved in a good home - I can do an update about every two weeks - that seems to be my best - Thanks guys !!! Happy Spring and hope all of you are having a wonderful day

April update... Our first rainstorm and snow melting!

Hi everyone - been a while but have been painting and creating like a crazy woman... Here is one called "The Conversation" which is an abstract acrylic on 20"x20" canvas and I love this one - my favourite course in University was 19th Century English Literature - so this one just painted itself - all I can say is "not much has changed" since our grandmothers were young girls... (and my grandmother agrees - it is all the same dearie, you just express it differently than we were allowed to...)

and my Meadow Flowers painting was something I wanted to do while the snow was still on the ground and we were all wishing for our flowers and Spring Summer colours - acrylic on canvas - really a fun piece

    

 and then of course, I overdid it working on those and would have to rest for a day or two (sigh) but while I am resting I am still creating. I am a creative person so of course there is always something that I NEED to be doing - have just finished another pair of socks (man socks for hubby so they are the extra mile in knitting time) for his birthday and they fit perfectly! Just under the wire as I was Kitchener stitching the toes last night - done in dark browns and black/indigo with Stephanie's (Yarn Harlot for those of you who do not knit, she is the knitting queen) vanilla pattern. I should take a picture... he is wearing them right now. Also have finished numerous shawls in many different yarns and colours, so even while resting I am leaving a mark of COLOUR on the world and have gifts to give and something homemade produced. I gave this one as a gift to my Best Knitting Buddy who lives in California. It is a light lace shawl made with Malabrigo lace yarn - the "Haruni" pattern with beads - it took me months to make this - and is an heirloom piece, I think it is one of the best ones I have ever made.

It is starting to feel like Spring here and we had our first big thunderstorm (the whole house was shaking - my poor dog was shaking too) last night which will green things up and make those flowers appear... I do miss my flowers and the garden and used to look forward to the Lilies of the Valley at the side of the house of the spring bulb flowers appearing through the snow... ahhhh well - I can paint them instead
which is what I am doing....
I have been working on a series of paintings in acrylic on various canvas sizes in beautiful colours with any flower I feel like painting and it is my "Meadow Flower" series which is coming along nicely

I love this Poppies one... very happy and abstract - some are dark (I just finished a Delphiniums) and some have been difficult and take many many hours and days and totally exhaust me (it is like they drain my energy and I am so completely done after a bit of painting ... but while I am painting to the music I do not feel any pain and I am free - then I collapse )  and some are spontaneous and paint themselves - these are without photos as reference... they are done from my imagination and abstract and I am very pleased as I now have some beautiful flowers on canvas to offer everyone.
Some of this work is in the Saatchi Gallery in the UK (online gallery) and all of these are available as originals, prints (framed or unframed) and cards - also some are on gift items - I have just joined the Muskoka Arts Group and the Huronia Foundation for the Arts and am now part of Artists in Canada - have ordered prints of my fractal art (which is what I do on the computer when I cannot physically manage the easel work) so I can offer you those as prints and they are gorgeous! This is a closeup of one of the fractals where I added an embroidery technique... it looks like it was embroidered !! (which I also used to do...)

Wonderful contemporary art created by me, using the computer as a tool (the computer does NOT do the work - we artists do the work) and it takes hours and hours to make ONE single artwork but it is a great way to explore creativity and use new techniques and I have been making fractals since the 1990s but gave up for a while and now back with the new programs - they are really addictive but honestly it takes forever to do one piece and then to render it (make it so you can have a good print) takes hours on my computer so I leave it overnight and come back to it. This is the full view of the fractal (the embroidered one - called "Reach for the Moon" ) which is offered as a print or card on my websites.

It has been really windy today and the power was out last night with the storm, but I went for a little walk with the doggie and we found some bark pieces and some driftwood that I want to work on and see what I can make... Looking forward to the warmer weather and the heat - it was a beautiful winter here but am missing the warmth and the colours - Hope all of you have been doing great  - looking forward to Spring and happy to be still on this planet and able to follow my dream - are you following yours? Back soon...
(Thank you everyone for believing in me and buying my art - everything is available on my websites - I am a self representing artist on EBSQ where you can find all of my links )
My EBSQ website

All art displayed on my blog or websites is Copyright Claire Bull  - thank you for your support

Claire Bull Fine Art March 2011

Claire Bull Fine Art March 2011

Look what I figured out!! Click the link and see a quick 30 second video with my latest artwork !! With a little help from my friends on Fine Art America... we all share ideas

wow - Technology is FABULOUS!

So it is my first attempt at trying to make a video but it is a good start and I am pleased, it was easier than I thought it would be... each month I will put up the month's artwork as a video - isn't that cool?

This is fabulous progress for me and a wonderful way to reach all of you quickly and efficiently - gives me more time to PAINT

Have a great day everyone and thanks again for supporting me and helping me figure out all this technology stuff - we are lucky to have this and reach so many people so easily

Claire (http://claire-bull.artistwebsites.com) and also on EBSQ - setting up a great site for self-representing artists - am working on adding more art there but it is a great spot !!!

(http://clairebull.ebsqart.com) it has all my links to different spots and they are so supportive and helpful

hugs to all - I am off to paint - working on a really cool painting

Done, Done and Done!! Did You Miss Me?

Okay so I have been painting and working on the fractals and NEGLECTING THE BLOG which is not a good thing
Here is the latest - paintings and fractals and recent happenings - hopefully some of you  missed me...I would like to think that maybe you look forward to my work as I am painting my little heart out and trying to do endless hours on the computer creating modern art and fractals (the most recent fractal took 26 hours rendering time and about 9 hours of work to make so seriously for one fractal? it takes time...to produce this stuff) and now to show it off to you!

So THE GIRL IS DONE - that is a big deal for me as I usually do not do portraits... so getting the skin tone and the eyes (I love the eyes, don't you? They follow us around the room, my daughter says they are spooky and she is "creepy") but I used to have a collection of China Dolls and she reminds me of one of those dolls and to me, she is from that time era where they were all dressed up and the curls and the elaborate clothes and the velvet chair - even though she is just sitting to read and enjoying her beautiful fairy tale book (The Gift of Imagination title relates to the reading fairy tales like we did ) and gazing off into the distance collecting her thoughts and imagining the fairy tale world
If you want to see the progress (she started off with a pink dress) you can scroll back to the previous blogs)

I have also been doing a lot of fractal work on the computer when I wait for the paint to dry - or take a break

So this is something I came up with using Apophysis which is a fractal program on the computer - to commemorate the 9/11 Twin Towers with the fire and flames and explosion and kind of a ghostly image of the two buildings from a unique perspective, looking up at it - a tribute to that day and all of the people who suffered and how the world changed - I actually like it, although it is a bit different for me as I try to paint and create a world with everything all beautiful - but this turned out really well and I like it - a good modern piece and commemorative and reminder of the history of our world and how we were all united that day  no matter where we were located

After that... we need something beautiful and happy and peaceful - this is a delicate floral fractal, made without a photo - using layers and a lot of experimentation to achieve this view of the inside of a flower. I called it " Be Strong Little Flower" after some words in the last stanza of a poem by Walter Poe called "White Rose" - " Be strong little flower, your heart will guide true" - it is a beautiful poem and I thought it was so appropriate, given the tragic recent events in Japan and their delicate paintings and florals and just a bit of sentimental encouragement to the people who are suffering with some inspirational artwork.

This one is called "Flight of Future Days" from a bit in John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' - "the never-ending flight of future days"  - I thought it was a great title - this is a fractal made with a blank slate on the computer and it turned out so beautifully... I think it is inspirational - like a kite flying or an angel or a sailboat sailing freely through the waves. It is a bit of a statement. I think the world is upside down right now and although I can manage rocky shores .. it is too much for so many of us and I am trying to send out some personal work that is inspirational and uplifting and positive. This art takes hours to make and the computer is just a tool to create a new art form. Hours of time go into each of these pieces and yet it is a way to add some beauty and peace and creativity so I am enjoying it.

I am grateful and although we are so busy and caught up with our individual lives, I want to just send my best wishes to those out there who are suffering and maybe the art will brighten your day or help you feel like there is hope and things will get better. I used to use food and cooking and baking as a way to give hugs and love, and try to make things "better" but now that the kids are grown,, I have gravitated towards my art. Maybe some of my work will help. I am working on some canvas pieces right now which are really fun abstracts and I appreciate the freedom of being able to create and paint and contribute something. Hopefully all of you will find some time today to be able to feel a bit of freedom and peace and hope for our future.

I will be back to visit soon and I am so glad you visited me - thank you again to all who have supported me and are buying my work. I appreciate it so very much. Claire

Wow - Time Changes Everything...

You guys! The Victorian girl pink dress is totally blue now... and she is coming along nicely - good progress for someone who has not done figurative work before - I am pleased.
And the abstract floral painting? It is now a man in a garden with his grandkids helping out - who knew?  - ANYWAY - you get into that place where time is lost and you are immersed in the painting and using fingers, brushes, sponges, and dancing around (at least that is me) and the painting totally changes into something else.





 Sometimes I leave the art on the easel and go take a break and as I climb back up the stairs and look at it, I see something totally different - or move the canvas around upside down and sideways and it becomes something else. Use a mirror and look at your painting that way. It is wonderful - the way the brain interprets colours and textures and changes it up.

So this was the FLORAL ABSTRACT - painting from the previous post - can you believe it? Me neither. I used a palette knife and then all of this stuff appeared... my father has always had a vegetable garden (but this painting is abstract so this could be flower garden or vegetable garden) and he just kinda appeared and then these kids appeared (they could be us or they could be the grandkids) and it is pretty non-descript so anyone can identify with the figures and the activity - It is actually still a WIP (work in progress) but I love the textures with the palette knife and the gel mediums and fun enough to post as it is... my dad grows these amazing vegetables and spends hours in the garden and of course, adores the children - he is the best "Dad" and "Grandpa" in the world - so I have called this one "Grandpa's Garden" and prints and cards available - I will have a second version up later

Also some great new fractals - fun to work on these while I take a break from knitting at night by the fire - using the laptop to create - check it out  - called it "We Are All Connected" - 'cause we are... with this great thing we call the internet - love it - and love that you can all share with me and I can be part of your world - thank you for being there and supporting me 

Today's Child and Abstracts New 2011 Paintings

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays and back to work and a NEW year - Making great progress with the painting and happy to share with you!! Thank you all for your support and for following me...
I have been working on a really different one (figures are different for me) with a little girl reading a book - I have always loved my books
I am pleased... she looks a bit bizarre right now but that is what paintings look like as you go along... just don't be afraid to play with it and adjust and adjust and adjust... it will be fine eventually you will make your statement and the painting tells you what to do (I am planning to make her hair long but have to work on the dress first so it is the base and done - then add more hair - but who knows ? She might talk to me and want a whole different look)

So that is my newest acrylic painting and here is a close view of her face (so far - remember things change and this is just the start - I am shaky with the fine details too so she might be more impressionist as I cannot control my hand movements anymore the way I could in the past) 

So this closeup is for those of you who have asked me how I do this... you need to know where the light is coming from and then you work with the shadows and the different shades to get the depth and shape of the face and features - I outline in pencil for these ones and then work it in layers and keep changing it up... with my abstracts I am more free and no pencil, no outline, no rules - which is actually what I prefer - I love the freedom of the abstracts and just randomly going for it... working with the music - this one might work and it might not but I am having fun with it and creating 

here is an abstract that has been sitting around for a bit and I have picked it up again - it has no meaning other than what you can see - I have been told there are butterflies here ... 

It is a little "pink" right now and too much quinacrodone rose but I want to add some blue (of course - most of my work has blue) and this is all transparent colours so layers and layers but also using gel mediums so it is 3D and interference colours so who knows what will happen - I love the Pearl colour (GOLDEN pearl) it really is great when you mix it with other colours it just adds a sparkle and reflection

I have also been working on fractals and digitals and computer generated art - so when I am not able to paint at the easel I can still create.... here is a sample - these are all for sale as originals and prints (framed or unframed) and cards at my websites by the way - lots of colour and something for everyone

I called this one "Jewels and Satin" and I think it would be perfect for a dressing room or makeup table - my grandmother would have loved this  I used to do them in the early 90s but with dial-up and 28.8 and the old 386 computers it took hours and hours - am happy to work with the new technology and do this again

Here is another one...

I have called it "Fishing Around" cause to me it looks like a fish on the hook - although I have never seen a beautiful fish like this - my best fish was from my elbow to the tips of my fingers - how long is that? I made an iPad case and iPhone3G cases and mousepads out of this on my Zazzle site http://www.zazzle.com/artbyclaire  if you want something cool

I have been working DAILY in the art studio and KNITTING at night - working on a Forest Canopy shawl in beige cashmere with crystal clear beads on the leaves and almost at 12 leaves - for my knitting friends - and starting another pair of socks - Love to all of you and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR !! 

Thank you again for all of your support and for buying my art and it is an honour to have my work in your homes and offices - wow - it is really a pleasure