Friday, June 20, 2008

Monkey Graduation

One of my favourite, little preschoolers is preparing for his summer holiday before he begins primary school. To commemorate his accomplishments, his International school, in Shanghai held a fantastic graduation ceremony, complete with English and Chinese speeches by the 5 & 6 year old scholars, as well as singing and dancing performances. It was a proud parents dream; to see their child waving frantically from the stage, stepping on each others toes and scratching their little butts with cut-out star props;) Honestly, there was not one child who happened to forget their lines, miss their cue or produce a good chuckle from the crowd.

On an assortment of bright greens this chocolate peek-a-boo style monkey, with curly 'q' and quirky smile is painted on an 8x8" square linen canvas. It sums up in an instant the playfulness of this age group, who are full of wonder, mischief and oftentimes teach us more than we could ever teach them.

This canvas is dedicated with lots of love to Domi Monkey; a little English genius with a memory like I have never known before. May you always be learning at the speed you do now, full of as many questions about life & able to make others laugh as much as you do for me.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Ni Hao...from Shanghai

Ni Hao!
Sweet Pea Murals here, in Shanghai, China;)
Great to be back in our old stomping grounds.

Shanghai is full of inspiration for artists; thousands of intricate buildings and alleyways teaming with bamboo laundry poles, pond-laced parks and temples, 20 million people in colourful ponchos heading to work on bicycles & some of the funkiest designs around. Shanghai is a chaotic mix of East & West, traditional & modern, disarray and elegance...all in one large city; enough to make an artists head spin.
Having done just that, I hurried to Fuzhou Lu, an art street that boasts hundreds of tiny art shops jam packed with supplies. I must admit that finding supplies identical to Canada's stock may not be possible, but the mediums I will have to adjust to, will add to the flavour of the illustrations. Some of the traditional canvas here are made of linen, as opposed to heavy cotton and the range of paints are definitely brighter, bolder and perfect for childrens illustrations (or funky home interiors.) Loose canvas is available and plentiful, as scrolls are a popular art form here. Otherwise some customers have expressed interest in having pieces shipped to Canada on loose canvas, and once they arrive they will have them framed themselves. This will avoid the cost of shipping oversized pieces already stretched on wooden frames as well as give you the option of keeping it in scroll form, or having it framed.

Today I am working on a piece for a wee friend...Sweet Pea's signature monkey...an appropriate character for the receiver. You only graduate from preschool once..so it should be commemorated with a monkey;)

So please stay tuned for the coming posts all the way from Shanghai;)

Monday, June 16, 2008

Memories of Calli Lilies



One of my all-time favourite artists, Diego Rivera, was born in Mexico and many of his paintings reflected the political and social times of his era. Here, he depicts a simple market scenario of women selling Calli-lilies from giant bunches. The contrast of bright white on black and traditionally dressed women brings focus to the task at hand. Though faceless, it seems these pieces overflow with emotion. They are my two choice pieces completed by Rivera and stand out as both a set or on their own.

Considering that these are facsimiles of the real thing, they are simplifications of how I have envisioned his technique. Many prints are on the market, but the originals are worth the time to discover.

Sweet Pea's version are 2x2 foot replicas on stretched canvas; a gift for my baby sister gone gardener, since she purchased her first home;)
They also bring back memories of our time together in Central America...though we tell our favourite stories enough that it is hardly forgotten;)

With lots of love and best wishes...from your big sister.