"The more I paint, they more I like everything." - Basquiat

"Waiting" by Claire Bull
Available as original, canvas, print, cards, phone cases and more  through my websites
Visit ClaireBull on Redbubble

That quote is absolutely the truth... for me. The more I paint or create, the more I NEED TO paint and create. Art has always been a huge part of my life and it consumes you and depletes you and energizes you and rejuvenates you and then does it all again. Every day. Even when I am sleeping, I dream about painting.

This first work is digitally enhanced but is from a painting with acrylics on wood. It is called "Waiting". I am not sure what she is waiting for or why we are waiting, but she looks pretty relaxed and comfortable. It could be a sun umbrella or a rain umbrella. I am really enjoying Figurative abstracts lately. Just painting women or children with no face, hidden face or imaginary faces.

I have been working with computer art starting since back in the 1990s when everyone had dial-up and 14.4 kbps connection and the big honking computers that took up an entire desk. 

"Flight of Future Days" Fractal Art by Claire Bull
Available in sizes up to 11 x 14 on cards, prints, canvas, acrylic, metal surfaces, phone cases
Visit ClaireBullGallery.com for originals and reproductions of my work

I had found KPT and Painter and got really into the creating buttons and bars and backgrounds for people who wanted websites on the "World Wide Web" and then got into digital art. I started making Fractals and working hard at the art, So much that I missed a bit of my "real" life for a few months and luckily realized that it was turning into an obsession.

It is now 24 years later. 

I have been an artist all of my life.

But a digital artist for almost 25 years. This was a fractal image I made in 2011 and since then I have been working on digital art and photo manipulations and painting programs with the computer. It is a huge learning curve! 

But I always have colour - you can count on that !!  

"Flying in the Snow" - Photo Manipulation by Claire Bull
Available up to 43 x 48 inch on canvas, paper, metal and acrylic surfaces, cards prints canvas
Visit ClaireBullGallery.com to order Originals and Reproductions of my Art

Thanks to all of you who have been purchasing my work through the winter months - it makes a huge difference when we are inside and in the studio all winter and not seeing anyone. It is WONDERFUL to receive that gratification and the lovely comments ;) 

Keep on FLYING IN THE SNOW and if you can't, you can WAIT for the FUTURE DAYS 

Thanks for hanging in there with my random blog posts. 

And for buying my work. It is wonderful to wake up in the morning and see the sales. 

Honestly. You people all buy at night. ??? 

I love it - thanks ! 

Claire 

Field Floral 2

Field Floral 2
6" x 8", Acrylic on Wood Panel
Original  $65.00

Abstract acrylic painting with color and motion, as you might find in a field of flowers. 

This is the second of two paintings on 6 x 8 wood panel, sides painted black. Signed, varnished and ready to hang. 

Art by Claire Bull

Shoreline Stroll

Shoreline Stroll
Acrylic on Canvas, 6" x 6"
Original art $65.00

Missing the summer strolls along the marshy shorelines with my dog. Right now all of this is covered in snow and ice and tricky walking. Not safe. I can hear the frogs in my memory and feel the sun.

Happy New Year to everyone. I am going to just start putting my art on here and it is available through Daily Paintworks or my FASO websites. 

 I am pretty happy working on lots of smalls and it gives me variety and change in what I choose to create.

Just need to take the time to put them on here so for 2015 I will just keep uploading. ;)

Gorgeous Fall Colours this year!

Summer has come and gone... and the beautiful FALL colours are spectacular this year!

Available on canvas, framed/unframed prints & cards at Claire Bull Art website 

Have been able to get out and take photos with great walks and fun with the dog - she loves Boating!

Fun Boat Rides and Water in the Sunshine = Happy Dog!

New art available from summer - This original is acrylic on 6 x 12 inch wood panel - LOTS of SIZES available as canvas art or prints ;)

Dancing Boots - Original available at Claire Bull Fine Art , or you can choose any size Canvas, Framed and Unframed Prints, Cards available here  Claire Bull Art Selections

The Guardians - from part of a larger acrylic painting - this is available as canvas art, prints, cards at my website on Fine Art America

Also working on some Christmas cards - putting them up at my Zazzle Shop 

Handmade Cards for Christmas - from my original art - available through me at my ETSY shop

or printed professionally through my Zazzle store  http://www.zazzle.com/artbyclaire*

Thanks everyone - I will keep you updated when I can ;) Hope you had a great summer!

VL Artist of the Day: VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Claire Bull

VL Artist of the Day: VL Magazine Artist of the Day is Claire Bull: © Red Umbrella By Claire Bull © The Path By Claire Bull © Color Blocks By Claire Bull "Creative expression and free...



Today was a good day. The entire month of April was good - On the COVER (and inside pages) of Visual Language Arts Magazine for APRILSpring is here after a LONG winter (although it gave us time to create and be in the studio it was really tough on the old bones and heating pads with fireplace and warm knitted sweaters were a necessity ) and YAY for getting some color back to this gray brown world.

We saw the sun about five times through the whole winter. The rest of the time we saw big flakes of Snow and gray. BUT. In the deep cold with the white covering everything, it is silent and magical and there is no dampness and it does not hurt and there are no bears or critters so your dog can run free and the fireplace and the knitting and the sun sparkling on the snow. It is really really nice and crisp and clean and white and beautiful.

and another BUT... I am glad it is done. Welcome Spring and warmth and color and new growth and rain and sun and flowers. The paintings in this "Artist of the Day" featured are my Umbrella painting - It is a Mix of Rain and Snow falling on the Red Umbrella - and "The Path" is from Honey Harbour at Georgian Bay area in Muskoka where we all enjoy our cottage time and those beautiful pink granite rocks and evergreen trees, and the "Color Blocks" is an abstract work from my imagination.

I am honoured to be part of this magazine and featured here among so many talented artists.
Please support my websites Claire Bull Fine Art for my originals and my Print on Demand website with amazing quality and the best reproduction website I could find, I have personally ordered every item from them and am proud to be have them representing my art - Claire Bull Prints, Cards, Canvas Reproductions at Fine Art America and I am working on Art Licensing and Royalty Free images with them (contact me - we are working on it) - and many gift items (iPhone cases, notecards, pillows, binders, magnets, notebooks, etc) available through my Zazzle websites worldwide. Just type in your suffix - ie. ca. nz. au. com.  

My link to the main site is ArtbyClaire at Zazzle

And an "easy to remember" site - Artist Claire  they all get you to my art and my links and you can email with questions or commission requests. And I do LOVE your support so if you are on Facebook, please support my Fan Page and let me know y

ou like what I am doing and I will be happy to keep on going!

my Facebook Fan Page

Of course you can email me from any of those sites

I have been an "artist" since I knew how to hold a crayon. When I am out for a walk all I see is the color and where the branches lie and how the light hits them and where is the moss and what colors in the moss and how the bark shadows hit the tree and how the shadows hit the ground. The new flowers and how they shine and the shades of green in the leaves and the pinks of the flower with the curve of the petals. I am trying to capture that. But it is impossible to capture so I try to interpret it and I am glad you are liking it.

THANK YOU.

Please tell your friends and family and other art people about me as I find it really difficult to do the shows and am trying to work in the studio and just put it here online. We ship worldwide and Canada Post and internet are huge for artists like me.

Grateful to you and thanks for supporting me.

Claire Bull

Rise Above it all

Rise is an acrylic painting on 6 x 6 wood with a surprise added to it. I often find bits and pieces of things like a perfect leaf, or a beautiful flower or seed while on my walks with the dog and I bring them home. They can be used for ideas, or actually incorporated into the work in my mixed media art.

"Rise" Mixed Media on 6x6 wood by Claire Bull 

Lots of fun colour in this one, the blue of the sky and bright reds... it is an abstract landscape piece with a fading barn rising up in the distance and texture added for fun.  Signed by me, the artist and ready to hang. No frame necessary.

Have a good night folks ;)

Remember

Remember when everything was blue and beautiful and you could lie down in the field and look up and see flower stems and blue sky and stillness? And you felt like everything was peaceful and it was so quiet... except for that darn mosquito or fly

Remember
Acrylic on wood panel
6x6

I wanted to paint something abstract but it feels like a nature landscape to me with those flowers and that sense of freedom. This has a lot of texture in it and is almost 3D.

Painted acrylics on 6x6 wood panel, painted on the sides so need for a frame - ready to hang, signed front and back by me, the artist Claire Bull.

Have a great night folks - "Remember" and try to keep forging on making more memories as I am trying to do with you. ;)

Rose Garden

Rose Garden 6x6 acrylic $65

     
A red Rose Garden to help ease us all through the snowstorms and ice and high winds. I hope everyone is safe and warm out there. The roses will be back again soon with their beautiful soft petals and lovely scent.
This is acrylic on 6 x 6 inch Ampersand artist panel, signed and ready to hang.
Happy 2014 everyone, I think the Roses are positive and bright and happy, and hopefully that is what the new year will be for us all.
Have a good night everyone ;)

Winter Trees

Winter Trees
5x7 acrylic on canvas
75.00
Art by Claire Bull

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 - Hope all of you survived the ice storms and power outages and we are all back to "normal". The only good thing about the horrible winter storms is the ability to have some new material and photos to paint - if you were lucky enough to watch from indoors all cozy by the fire and have your shelter, heat and food, you would appreciate the beauty and know that we can somehow take away a bit of positive from it all.

My parents suffered tremendously and so many others have suffered true devastation. We saw streets with driveways full of trees on cars and houses with trees on them and ice and cars in ditches and we ourselves experienced it all with my parents and it was worse than I could ever have imagined and cannot describe 

I hope this gives some of you a bit of winter's positive side and the glory of the snow and ice 

This is a second one in the series ... the first was "Winter Wonderland" and this matching 5 x 7 is called "Winter Trees"

both available as originals, prints and reproductions - enjoy  

Art by Claire Bull

http://clairebullfineart.com

Merry Christmas Everyone - Stay Safe in this Ice Storm!!

We have had snow every day for three weeks straight (or longer) and it is piled high to the sky... there is nowhere to put it all and now with the ice storm and high winds and colder temperatures, I hope everyone is safe and can make it through alright - I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas - hopefully you have a wood burning fireplace or access to a warming centre.

A Bit of the Process

It takes many layers to make a lot of my paintings and sometimes it takes weeks. I use different materials and techniques to make the textured backgrounds and work on more than one painting at a time so the crackling will crackle or the mediums will work their magic.  I thought I would just post a few "Progress" pics here so you can see a bit of the process.
This one is called "Under the Sea" and is 30 x 30 on gallery sized canvas. This is one of the acrylic paintings that took me weeks of work.

With the Fibromyalgia and arthritis and the back injury, I do have to work at the paintings in increments and take breaks - sometimes it is hard to hold a brush so I use my fingers and sponges. I paint each day and it is my favourite part of the day.

that is a day's work for me ... I cannot work faster than that or do more and all of that motion with my hands meant pain later in the evening but I loved the start of this and it was a large canvas for me so - then it had to dry for a couple of days while I worked on another one. Here is another progress pic...

Lots of colour added (this was over a few days also as i added the colours separately or they would mix together )  we are getting some depth now




And the texture is growing - I don't think I took more pics but will see if I can find any and insert them here - otherwise you can see from this closeup, the texture and the detail increasing. I work on portions at a time and do not work right to left or left to right, I work on where the music takes me and then step back and let the painting tell me where it is going.

So stepping back, you can see the fish now and the way it is building up in layers.

I always love LOTS OF COLOUR so of course, this one was fun to do with the transparent colours and layers and mixing some and leaving others right out of the tube

Eventually it was done and turned into a fantasy seascape of underwater fish and coral and maybe that is what it is really like down there !! Remember the story about Atlantis?? Maybe ....

Then some final touches and wait again a few days for it all to dry thoroughly - this is acrylic so it does not take too long, but with oil paints you wait months before varnishing. So with this acrylic, then you can choose to varnish it (which brings out the colours and seals it) or leave it ... and I like to varnish most of mine. I did not varnish this one as it is such a large painting and I have nowhere to put it in the house to do it !! But I think when the warmer weather comes, I will spray it to seal it and at least get that vivid colour.

This is now available as prints, cards, reproductions on canvas, acrylic and metal surfaces through my websites   here is my Fine Art America website   Have a happy day no matter where you are, full of colour and fun ;)

Come Sail Away Lady with Suite Madame Blue

So can you guess what music I am listening to while I paint??? Styx ... and let me just say that music is very inspirational and it gets into your head - if you paint to music, this is a great band - actually we can add "Mr. Roboto" to that list - I just put my iTunes onto "Styx" and all the songs looped

 Fun to do the

abstract painting listening to that and it takes me back to the great memories.

Here is "Black-Eyed Susans" 11 x 14 acrylic on canvas, Sold - but prints, cards and reproductions available here ...

This is from a few days ago and not time for photos of today's art but at least I am posting on the blog for you guys ;))

My art is now available for purchase at a local cafe in Midland, Ontario - The Ladybug Cafe  - Wonderful sandwiches and homemade soup and amazing desserts! Plus local musicians play there on Tuesday nights. Check out Chef Glen and Elaine's great cafe and buy some art at the same time ;)

Support YOUR local artists too - go to art galleries, shows, studio tours and visit their websites - let them know you LIKE their work and become a Fan on their Fan Page - there are a lot of ways to show your support that do not involve "purchasing" but of course we do need to make a living too and work hard at this.

This art has sold but is available as framed/unframed prints, cards, and reproductions on canvas, metal and acrylic surfaces at my Fine Art America website   here

And of course one of the first flowers to pop up is the PANSY - little Violas, Violets and Pansies are very hardy and can tolerate the cold frosty nights of Spring - here is an acrylic painting of Purple and Red Pansies on 8 x 10 wood - I had to brighten it up for viewing as the original is much darker... the greens are a deep evergreen and the purples dark dark  - and it was difficult to get an accurate photo - this has lots of texture in it and the Original is for sale ;)  Have you bought your Pansies yet? I am hoping to be able to see them come up soon along with the Tulips and Daffodils !


I sure do hope we see the flowers soon - the snow is almost gone and there are lots of buds on the trees - we are waiting for the green !!!

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