The Jaime Capell Show

Streams.

2012-01-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

A little progress on the project I've been procrastinating on. This spread is still in the working, but so far so good. I took my inspiration from this lovely piece by JEH MacDonald. I wanted to have this whole thing done by March, but I think that may be a pipe dream. However, if I just keep going...

Some sketchbook tomfoolery. The last two images are actually a series of shapes that my 3 year old nephew drew in my sketchbook. I just filled them in. That was pretty fun, but not as cool as this.

My pally Annie, Annie B, Andy, Annabelle, Abigail, Andrea, Tiny D, or Napoleon. Your choice, she doesn't really answer to any of them if she really doesn't feel like it.

A happy palette is a happy palette.

2012-01-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

I dedicate my one hundredth post to my favourite subject.

It ain't easy being Beejee, but thanks for being so.

Love.

A little Christmas Cheer.

2011-12-18T21:38:00.000-05:00

A portrait of Neville Quinlan (of NQ Arbuckle fame) for a gift exchange I recently participated in. I knew some dudes in the crowd would really want this guy.

And the best part of Christmas this year...ANNIE the little Corgi! She's our new dog and she is the best. Just look at that squirrelly little face and those tiny little legs.

Sketchy entry.

2011-11-29T20:52:00.001-05:00

The following are a few things out of my current sketchbook. It's like filler. A really chalky filler.

Hedgehog in the Fog.

2011-11-23T12:10:00.001-05:00

I liked yesterdays video so much that I thought I would post another one. Perhaps that's because I have nothing of my own to put up, but it is quite a charming animation. It's a Soviet animation from the 70's, I think. Regardless it's pretty cool. Some of the characters have a similar feel to the ones in the video from yesterday. I love the fog and the wee hedgehog.

Whoa!

2011-11-22T09:54:00.001-05:00

So just this morning I discovered this video (posted below) on a design/art/interesting page I follow called The Fox is Black. If you haven't checked out The Fox is Black you should. There are always really cool things to look at.

The artwork in this video is beautiful. I just love the whole thing. Parts of it kind of remind me of retro cartoons from the 80's. It's something in the graininess of it and I guess the lighting too. Anyway, watch it, I'm sure you will have a totally different opinion that's all your own.

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

The video was directed and animated by Sean Pecknold and the art is by Stacey Rozich.

P.S. Her art is quite lovely.

Sunflower Seeds.

2011-11-21T21:06:00.001-05:00

These are for a book that, hopefully, one day will be. I guess we're all just waiting. It's waiting to be finished and I'm waiting for some more time, which always seems in short supply.

Crafty Pants

2011-11-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

This was part of the Halloween costume I made. I was supposed to be a spirit guide coyote, but then I didn't get to wear it because haunted houses don't let people wear costumes. So instead I wore it in the car on the way to the haunted house.

A really good friend of mine is having a baby! Which is both exciting and terrifying, because people start to ask in ernest when you're going to have one. Thanks, but I really like my lady-parts the way they are. Anyway his name is going to be Hunter, so I made a campy screen print for the little fella and put it on a baby blanket. And then I decided I really liked it so now I have a shirt with the print too.

These are not crafts. I think someone is trying to talk to me from beyond the grave perhaps? Or maybe my salad just loves me and my tea is possessed.

Grandmother too.

2011-11-12T11:10:00.001-05:00

Bernice.

You made a woman who is strong and lovely, and I guess I love you for that.

Some Visual Stimulation.

2011-10-25T20:42:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across this amazing artist (Julia Hepburn) and I just had to share. I love, love, love her work. It just transports you. I feel like I can crawl right in to her images. There's is something so child like and there is such a sense of curiosity in each piece. Please have a gander I think that you will like them, possibly love them. I feel so inspired.

A Thanksgiving.

2011-10-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

A warning before you proceed - this is a gratuitous Thanksgiving post. If you are not interested in photos of trees, fungus, and perhaps the biggest hornets nest ever go no further. This post is about the place that fills me up. I can't really describe it, but when I feel wrung out and kind of empty going home fixes it.

My mother makes these little forest altars. She has them scattered all over the place.

The peak of the fall colours was over but it was still pretty glorious.

He's hard to pick out, but my little nephew is in here somewhere.

The world at mushroom level.

I used to hang out on this rock a lot as a kid. I thought for sure magical things happened right here. If only I could see them.

Grandmother Birch.

On the way to the pond I saw lots of different fungi and mushrooms. All of which are mysteries to me.

Gah! What type of fungus is this!? It looks like some horrible cheese. Does anyone know what this is?

These fluff balls are the best part about the bog in fall. At dusk they almost glow like drifting spirits.

A lovely pitcher plant.

The Noble, yet disliked, Tamarack.

A swamp thing. What is it?

As I promised a huge hornets nest. Seriously this thing is like 3 times the size of a human head. It's delicately balanced on tiny branches. It's actually quite lovely. I love the patterns in the nest, which is made of chewed up tree bark.

My little dog brother Tim is terrified.

Grandmother Sunflower. This lady was like a foot tall at the start of August. It's a giant now.

A little boys tomato harvest. Excellent work Evan!

And so I am full once again.

This song...

Books and of course more horses.

2011-10-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is the first page of a current book project. So far so good, except for that one leaf.

This is the second of the series. The first is posted below.

Continuing

2011-10-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

The accordion mail project is going well.

Berries collected in my sketchbook - abstract art.

I am in love with images of nebula (s). I really want to make

this t-shirt.

Self portraits are hilarious.

And horse picture 1 is finally done. I need a name.

Progess

2011-09-26T11:27:00.001-04:00

Apparently people like the horse paintings I did for my brother and his gf. I think I'll try to sell a few and risk being the girl who only paints horses.

A Sunday Morning...

2011-09-18T20:17:00.001-04:00

Good Morning.

GPS.

Best Breakfast in town.

Orb Weaver.

Pristine.

Totem.

Indeed.

Chores.

The Rabba Buildings never looked so fine.

A(rt) Post

2011-09-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

It's really about time I did a little art post. I haven't done a ton of finished stuff, a lot of sketchbook work. But in my defence I was working on a pretty large project for a friend of mine. The images are not super interesting so we'll forgo a viewing here, unless of course you'd love to see some instructional icons.

Cranes and Fairy Lanterns.

A cowgirl.

Queen Mab.

Spinning Plates.

Big B.

Collage.

Vera.

My fish Loogy (worst name ever!) as a deep sea explorer. We had a work contest where we had to paint our pets as something they always wanted to be. A fresh water fish would of course want to be an ocean explorer. Also, it was an excuse to watch The Life Aquatic for some sweet reference.

Last, but not least, a portrait of my Grams. My Grampy commissioned me to paint her. She passed away last year. Honestly I'm not much of a 'real' portraitist. Most of the time I'm lucky if I can get a good resemblance, but I gave it my best.

And just because this song is awesome...

A Hair Piece

2011-08-15T11:55:00.004-04:00

I got the idea into my head that I wanted to make a feather hair piece for my friends wedding. I figured it couldn't be too hard. After some browsing of some other peoples creations I hopped to it.

This is the finished product. It wasn't very hard to do, but it took a really long time. I chose to sew all my feathers on because I liked the feathers in the bag more than on the pre-made feather pad. I started with a tear shaped piece of felt and then laid out my feathers to get an idea of how I wanted it to look. Then I trimmed all of the fluffy bits off, which really helped with the sewing and cut down on all kinds of fluff sticking out between the feathers. I thought that made it look more clean and sleek as well. It made a crazy mess though. Feather fluff gets every where especially your mouth. When I finished the pad I sewed that on to a hairband.

What do you think? If you have a few hours to dedicate, say on a rainy day, it's a great project.

I think I'll try some simpler ones soon.

Algonquin Vacation

2011-08-12T10:42:00.006-04:00

I was reading that Muskoka was rated as the number one vacation spot in National Geographic the other day. All I have to say to that is, HA! Algonquin is by far the superior spot for a little R&R. There's not a McMansion 'cottage' in sight and there's not a seadoo to be found.

Best nap ever.

A mushroom and his little mosquito friend.

Mother Merganser.

Mama Loon.

We found some little houses. Or were perhaps inspired.

I took way too many pictures of this guy, but he was just so into it.

I was really upset with whom ever left this bar of soap in the waterfall. Humans just can't go anywhere without leaving all kinds of junk behind - myself included.

Delightful.

For the entire trip we were obsessed with this band - not only because they're awesome, but also because we saw them just before we left. So it was a week of 'that's ridiculous!' and 'I liked you right from the start.' NQ Arbuckle - they're pretty rad.

I promise, promise, promise I'll have some actual art updates soon. Scanning is just so darn tedious.

Ugh...

2011-07-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

The Dentist, or should I say braces. A sad, sad story.

Finally for so many reasons.

2011-07-02T13:56:00.006-04:00

A little update. It has been such a long time, but for good reason. A lot of things have been happening in my world. Visits to distant friends, bridal showers, long weekends, and of course the most exciting thing, a show! I've been working really hard the last little while, so I could be ready for a group show at the Steam Whistle Gallery in Toronto. I'm super excited. There's a wee preview below just to get you excited too.

The Ether.

The JaNus.

The Warrior.

It would be great to see everyone out on July 6th. If you are on Facebook, which of course you are, you can check out the event here too. I'm pretty sure someone will go home with a Dan Martins original, free of charge.

And just a little Canada Day love! It was an amazing day, the weather was perfect! A perfect day to lay on a blanket and read and take pictures of birds and flowers and such.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Ducks you've just got to love them.

Last Pages.

2011-05-19T09:33:00.002-04:00

Flower Child.

Tiger Hymn.

The bee.

Fuck, I hate computers.

Bells, Wedding Bells!

2011-05-08T18:34:00.004-04:00

Some friends of mine are getting married this August, which is super exciting, but what's even more exciting is that they asked me to whip up some illustrations for their invitations!

This last one here is the one they mailed out on the cards.

Guess Who Learned how to Screen Print!

2011-05-05T09:47:00.004-04:00

Finally after 5 years of owning screen printing supplies I have actually used them! And it only took three tries to finally figure out how to properly burn a screen. Now that I have it (by it, I mean the knowledge), I have it. Watch out!

Above is my practice run after burning. It's Neil Young, from the Mirror Ball album artwork. My husband is a SUPER FAN and since we got tickets to see Neil play at Massey Hall, which has been a life long dream of the Beej, I thought I should make us some fan-atic t-shirts.

This is my shirt and it's a total happy accident. At first I was miffed because the print was so light, but it think it gives off a dreamy feel, which goes well with the tie dye print. Note H&M does NOT cater to the pear shaped woman. Who are all these tubesque ladies that they make shirts for?

This is the old HB's shirt. I am so happy with it. I was worried it would turn out light like mine so I made like a dozen passes with the ink. It looks even better in person. I think he likes it too.

I can't even wait for the concert and how awesome are these shirts right?

My personal favourite song...the theme of my current living situation:

WERD.

Old Man of the Sea.

2011-05-03T12:38:00.001-04:00

A little something.

The Grimsby Wayzgoose.

2011-05-01T08:57:00.013-04:00

I have never been to the Grimsby Wayzgoose before, but I must say it was pretty awesome. It's basically a gathering of bookbinders and printmakers connecting and selling their art all in one spot. There was amazing work there. I met Will Rueter of The Aliquando Press. His books were absolutely beautiful and completely handmade. They were filled with incredible prints and typesets. Sigh. Unfortunately I was shy and didn't take any pictures at the Wayzgoose, but I have some of the things I acquired while there.

This handmade sketchbook for instance.

Up-cycled from an old craft book.

Leaving some of the old images inside for a little flair. The coolest part is that there are still instructions on the backs of the sheets. I just might make some his and hers tie dyed wash cloths. Or maybe the egg cozy pictured above.

I love the binding. I hope it stands up to being lugged around in my b-pack, but it looks pretty tough and it lies completely flat.

And who made this rad book you ask? Why the Weathervane Press from Orleans, Ontario.

I'm pretty excited to use it, but I think I might have to glue an envelope or something to the back flap just so I have a place to put all my cut up bits of things.

And of course I had to get some print blocks/typesets. Is that what you call them? I will not pretend I know anything about this SUPER interesting world.

There were so many of these to choose from that when I look at them now I wish I had got different ones.

Except for the R the R is pretty cool. I found these at the KOZO Studio/Gallery table. They had some really nice work and they run some really neat looking classes out of the studio.

I am really sad I didn't take a picture of the gents from the Mackenzie Printery because they were the real deal and they let me use their printing press, which was awesome. One fellow told us how he fell in love with printing at the age of 6 or 7 when he used to walk around the handset printers as a child. His father worked for the paper and he got to take all the old letter sets home. It was pretty interesting.

Anyway, if nothing else the Wayzgoose was super inspiring. It happens one day, once a year in a lovely little Ontario town. If you haven't been, GO! It's nice to know that the world hasn't lost the art of bookbinders and typesetters to machines and factories completely.

2011-05-01T08:57:00.001-04:00

A Little Roby Doe from Paris.

2011-04-27T21:25:00.003-04:00

I got this in the mail the other day. I have to say there is nothing quite as nice as knowing someone was thinking of you. She'll keep my succulent company.

A (kids) Book Report.

2011-04-26T20:54:00.010-04:00

If books aren't really your thing, or kids books aren't really your thing, or you just don't care about what I've been reading then TURN BACK NOW! Because this is going to be about two of my most favourite books. One story new to me and one old.

The first book is Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

This was the best book when I was a small girl, in fact it was so good that I'm sure I read it as a young woman.

When I was really little I wanted to be a lumberjack. I thought it was probably the coolest job ever. I wanted to live in the forest and run logs down rivers. I wanted to sleep in a log cabin with a fireplace with my snowshoes nestled just outside the door. In all of the black and white photos all of the men look like they are so satisfied with their work and their life. Looking at them now they all look really tired. But that was the thing all of the men looked satisfied, there were no women to speak of. Unless of course they were women of ill-repute. All of the stories and pictures were of lumberjacks, not lumber-jills.

And then I found Little House in the Big Woods. It was from the perspective of a girl, and sure it was still a lot of, girls do this and boys do that, but it was still awesome. They lived in the forest with trees as tall as buildings. There were stories told by the fire and a fiddle song to go along. Winter was harsh, but the fire place always kept them warm. Especially when the attic was full of veggies and grains for the winter. I felt like I was in the same room basking in the warm glow of the fire. I always wanted a calico dress even though I had know idea what calico was, but it sounded (and felt) like magical fabric. Forget being a lumberjack I was going to be a homesteader. There was cow milking and chickens and hunting and bears and even a cougar attack. Like I said, awesome.

Now, on to the reason I wrote this. I happened upon a book a week or two ago that gave me those same childhood feelings of excitement and warmth all over again...

Seriously, this book is fantastic. Once you get over the whole rabbits killing rabbits thing, it's beautiful. I read it with relish. Plants were described through scent and feeling. Each rabbit had a name that resounded in my head after reading. Hazel-rah floats through the mind like a whisper on the breeze. And the best part are the creation stories. Stories told by the rabbits of how they came to be. Stories of El-ahrairah the Prince with a thousand enemies and of Frith. Stories similar to our own creation myths told with just as much importance and reverence. These stories were as necessary as food.

This story was one that I held, and hold, close to my heart.

Anyway enough with the literary gushing. If you haven't read it you should. I promise you will love it. Maybe it will remind you of a past book that you have picked up in awhile that you should.

Mariee Sioux kind of makes me feel all child-like and wonder-filled too.

Collaborating.

2011-04-16T09:34:00.004-04:00

A friend and I, Paolo Diaque Venturi, have been doing these drawings at work lately. They are pretty fun to do and they pass the time. We take turns drawing and rendering each one, and then they go where they go. Of course customers get their own touches in there some times too. Unfortunately my scanner really didn't pick up all of the colours in some of the drawings, especially the third one. There are a lot more soft peaches going in the real copy. Oh well.

Trying These Old Hands at Bookbinding.

2011-04-09T14:28:00.003-04:00

So, this is my second attempt at making my own sketchbook. This is a quarter-bound book, which means that the fabric is only on the spine. It's way, way harder then it looks.

And I did the simplest binding to start with.

I'm definitely going to work my way up to some really big nice books, but for now I'll start out small. I really have an appreciation for a good sketchbook now. Not only is it a lot of work it's also pretty expensive, especially if you like nice paper.

That little book of words was my first, pitiful attempt at a book. I had a bunch of binding problems. Each signature has a big gap between them when you open it.

I think they are in love.

So good.

Dance, Dance, Dance.

2011-04-05T10:00:00.004-04:00

The last two pieces were inspired by a co-worker/friend of mine. She's a textile artist who is obsessed with Simon Pegg. You can check out her blog here. It's pretty awesome!

This song is so happy and it reminds me of the post above. You know the one, with the feet on the carpet. I just like it.

This is a sketchbook piece that was inspired by this guy. I really love his work. The colours are fantastic and his eyes are BANANAS.

No Art. (the evilest Care Bear villian)

2011-03-31T10:17:00.005-04:00

So a lady came into work and asked me to paint a diaper baby. Who knew these even existed. The head is a panty-hose stuffed diaper. Somewhere, something deep inside of me, died a little.

I really like this mystery forest painting.

Unfortunately, someone threw their couch away right beside mystery forest painting. One person could see the beauty in nature and the other wanted to shit in its mouth.

I can't wait to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike. I'm not a winter cyclist. I like to ride it when it's nice.

I agree Queen, I agree.

Breakfast of Champions.

More of the Same.

2011-03-16T11:54:00.005-04:00

Coming to you...

One day I became obsessed with blimps and zeppelins and how they work. Now I know it's not magic.

This just kind of happened.

Research. The placement of the oars is not very accurate.

Blending markers, and mylar.

And of course:

Awesome.

Blurg.

2011-03-04T11:52:00.005-05:00

Barry in retrospective perspective.

Dental Barbarians.

A buxom Diana.

If my fish had a lover, or if Mermaidens kept fish.

I am apologizing in advance.

A serious case of curvature of the spine.

You Took Root

2011-02-19T10:00:00.003-05:00

This is the final piece of the mini-series I've been working on. Of course it's just for fun and for sanity. Art or even just making stuff is compulsive.

This is a detailed shot of the image. I wanted to show the layers because I think they turned out pretty neat. I tried a new technique. It wasn't really planned, but when your thoughts start getting churned up stuff just happens.

The three of them tell a little story. The forest does strange things to a person.

Lino Action

2011-02-10T11:46:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine was talking to me about lino stamps the other day, because she has had to make them recently in an art program and I was really excited because I love lino work it is so much fun. It's repetitive, but meditative at the same time and it's kind of a mystery to see how the stamp translates when you are done. The deer above is a stamp I made a couple years ago for my brother. I really enjoy how it turned out. If anyone wants one let me know I'll make one up for you!

This is our deer theme wall. I think I need some frames. And yes that is a penis with antlers second from the right. Thanks Erick.

The Stars Had Predicted It

2011-02-09T10:10:00.002-05:00

Sorry about the horrible scan quality of this guy. I always do things in the wrong order. Glossy surfaces are really hard to photograph or scan. Anyway this piece goes with two worlds collide. This happened to me once where I asked the universe a very important question and I saw a shooting star. I took it to mean yes, and although that sounds crazy everything has worked out so far. You just have to trust.

I have to give my friend Carlie credit for the amazing sky. A few years ago she painted me a beautiful picture that hangs in my living room and it has the same sky. Her work is amazing. She is such a talented lady if you have a chance check out her blog I promise you will be happy you did.

Two Worlds Collide

2011-02-03T10:51:00.003-05:00

That is the name of this piece. I have decided to get back to my illustrative roots a bit and by saying that I mean I am going to work from words and build a piece from them. It'll be fun I feel like I haven't done any tricky interpretive work since school and I really miss it. This piece is probably not that tricky, but they won't always be right?

I was just enjoying another blog and it inspired me to post this video, which I just learned how to do! Yes! Anyway it's an amazing song with an equally great video. CocoRosie is so fantastic.

Birdman Continued

2011-01-30T16:46:00.004-05:00

So, I found the original drawing for the Birdman in an old sketchbook. The sculpted character is pretty accurate. I really need to get some life drawing back into my life though.

This is the finished birdcage (it's really more of a display case, which I found broken on the side of the road).

I'm pretty sure if my fish could talk he'd say he really likes it, but for now I'll just have to pretend. Yes, that's right, for now.

Finally.

2011-01-28T11:06:00.008-05:00

Things I've been doing, things forgotten, things found again.

This gift was an epic fail.

Of course we must talk about the weather. It was really cold for awhile here the frost made amazing patterns on our windows. They were beautiful at night, although they photographed terribly. For more information on crazy weather and global warming, read Eaarth by Bill McKibben it's very important.

This is my very first beeswax candle...handmade! I learned a good lesson about silicone and that pour on is the way to go. If God exists it's breath probably smells like beeswax...JUST HEAVENLY! But seriously it smells so good. Bees are the most incredible creatures. All of their by products are sweet! Too bad humans aren't so awesome.

And this little birdman I had forgotten deep in a drawer and then one day I was inspired. I dug him out, finished sculpting and painting him and finally I completed his home. He, my fish, and I now live together as one big happy family. The cage posted above is not the completed version, but I will post one soon.

Inspiration

2011-01-10T10:30:00.005-05:00

It comes from so many places. I drew this Buffawhoa while watching a documentary on Native Americans. Their relationships with the land and the animals that live with them really made me feel like we are missing out on something. The buffalo was such a huge part of their lives and to me it sounded as if it was a celestial being and not just food. The buffalo was powerful and possessed a type of magic.

Image: David Michael Kennedy

This is a Buffalo Dancer. There is a story about the origins of the Buffalo Dance here. I really enjoy that there is a give and a take. That to take life is respected by honouring that life. Life and death are both sacred both veerry magical.

10.16.10

2011-01-07T10:38:00.003-05:00

The lady on the right is my Grandmother. And she was always my Grandmother. She was never a woman who had a life before mine, or who was ever young. When she gave me this picture it suddenly dawned on me that there was a time when she wasn't married to my Grandpa. There was a time when she was an individual I wouldn't recognize. She was just starting out. Perhaps she had goals in mind in this picture. Her life was an open book, blank and waiting to be filled with dreams, adventures, and memories. She is most likely my age in this photo.

October 16th she died. It was a pretty heavy day. I have not lived a day in my life without Margaret. I mean, she lived 7 hours away, but I always knew she was there, doing Margaret type things throughout the day. Watching an episode of Days of Our Lives here and there, making sure Gramps took his heart medicines or pestering someone about something.

I guess what I have now are the memories. The history we shared together. Since I am the victor be assured they will always be good or at least honest. A part of history I didn't know or share of a young woman, wife and mother. Memories of an awesome lady who put dentures under the Christmas tree and chocolate Easter eggs up her nose. I will always feel the warmth of a woman who cared very deeply for her family and in the end only wanted the very best for them.

The Tree.

2011-01-04T09:39:00.005-05:00

My first adult Christmas tree. There was a big debate, should we get a real tree or a fake tree? I felt terrible about cutting down a tree and throwing it away just so our holiday would be complete. I'm a big fan of trees. So, we found the perfect compromise. A potted tree. A Norfolk Island Pine to be exact. It doesn't smell pine-y which is too bad, but it's alllll pine regardless. And I got to decorate it and that's what really matters. I made all my ornaments out of sculpey, beads, and glitter. The paper chain of course was made of paper. Hopefully, if I care for it correctly, we'll never have to cut a tree down for Christmas ever!

Gifts Alive!

2011-01-04T09:27:00.004-05:00

These are some of the gifts I made for Christmas from the paper cutouts from an earlier post. I think the whale pin is my favourite. I used basswood to make the shapes, which is harder then balsa and acrylic and acrylic varnish to finish them. They were pretty easy to make. And it's always nice to receive something handmade, right?

Handmade Gifties.

2010-12-06T09:54:00.003-05:00

Here are some critters I am going to turn into broaches or hair clips. I found this really beautiful blog the other day and in one of the posts she is wearing this super cute hair clip. I can make this! I think? That one might be ceramic, but I'm pretty sure I can make them out of wood. Mmm, hand painted with a little collage thrown in for good measure. I think this is going to be fun!

Mom Part II.

2010-12-05T23:52:00.005-05:00

In an early post I posted a drawing of my mama and like my dad I also made her a lovely mask. The idea is to describe the part of them that you don't see, or what is covered by the mask. For my fathers image the mask is more about his outside. What you see everyday is his mask and what is underneath it is what he is hiding. My mom on the other hand appears to the naked eye as your typical softy mom, but underneath that exterior is her mask. She only puts it on on certain occasions, but it's a warriors mask for sure.

Sketchbook fun

2010-12-05T23:29:00.004-05:00

This is an accordion sketchbook, otherwise known as a Japanese Sketchbook, and it is being filled by a couple friends and I. It's a pretty fun thing to do and it's really exciting getting it back again. Not only because you get to see a mystery drawing, but also because getting stuff in the mail is so nice. I apologise for the crazy layout, but you work with what you have and I don't have a lot of computer programs and photo studio is only so good at stitching images together. Mariah Burton and Yargot are the two participating lovelies.

Aw Dad Part II.

2010-11-29T10:55:00.004-05:00

So this is it. The completed piece about my dad. It's for a little personal project I'm working on (ha, who am I kidding all my projects are personal projects). Anyway, this is the earlier picture of my dad and now he has his mask on. Unfortunately it doesn't photograph too well, so I'm going to have to experiment with removing the cover glass, which by the way is the most static ridden stuff of all time. It's called 'Who Knew You Would Become the Goat Man.'

Canvas Collective II.

2010-11-28T19:22:00.004-05:00

Science...it blows my mind. Anyway I put this up for the Canvas Collective. It's a sketchbook piece from the sketchbook I'm doing for the Sketchbook Project. Wow that's a lot of sketchbook.

Hey Ma!

2010-11-28T19:17:00.003-05:00

This is a drawing of me ma. I think maybe it's accurate, but really it doesn't matter too much, because most of it will be covered. This is for the same project that I painted the picture of my dad for. Big surprises coming!

Dog Water

2010-11-16T20:59:00.002-05:00

Whoa! This image appeared in my dish water the other day. What does it mean?

Halloweeeeen!

2010-11-15T11:12:00.003-05:00

I went as a star-nose mole-moth for Halloween this year complete with mylar wings. They're a very rare creature, found in attics and dusty places. The first image is the inspiration.

Aw dad...

2010-11-11T12:24:00.003-05:00

Ha, this is a portrait of my dad when he was a little kid...it's hilarious. Anyway a little something for a future project.

ienjoythis

2010-10-30T03:16:00.004-04:00

everything you see here could be all wrong.

Check IT!

2010-09-28T21:30:00.004-04:00

So, if you don't know about these peeps you should! They are amazing. They are THE TUGBOAT PRINTSHOP! If you have some spare time check out what they've got going on. I love. Bonfire is amazing! I can't even think of the crazy amount of planning that went into this.

It's not that funny...

2010-09-22T21:21:00.001-04:00

Seriously.

Hiatus...

2010-09-18T12:30:00.003-04:00

So, I am packing up to move to a new home, which is both exciting and meh. I will miss the library, awesome bars and the lake, but I will not miss fist pumping dance music all day, everyday, or dicks with little penises and huge, loud motorcycles. I have a treat for anyone who reads this page though! I found The Joke book when I was packing the other day. What a GEM! The illustrations are rad. I love it. Oh, and a little joke you say? Why is a mousetrap like the measles? Because it's catching! Bah! Terrible.

2010-09-11T12:10:00.002-04:00

So this is a bit of a random image for a wedding gift, but I don't know. Clearly this isn't the only gift we'll give them...that would be a bit egotistical of me. The last week we've been living in a hotel down the street from our apartment because the apartment electrical wiring had a meltdown. Anyway, I have been piecing this all together on a hotel bed, so give me some credit it turned out all right. Right?

Canvas Collective Completed

2010-09-11T12:00:00.005-04:00

I most likely mentioned the canvas collective, so I thought I would post the piece I finished for it. You can check out the posting here or at my pal Erika's website. Check it out!

Things to Come.

2010-08-21T14:22:00.006-04:00

I have lots of things floating around in this old noggin of mine so please check back! I will try to be more diligent with blogging. I swear!

2010-08-21T14:22:00.001-04:00

Another Work Project.

2010-08-21T14:16:00.004-04:00

I might be ruining the surprise here, but it's done. We had to paint someone (randomly drawn from a hat) that we work with. This is Pam. I wanted to do something hilarious but I failed. I think I made here chin too big, but she has pretty eyes!

And Then we went Camping!

2010-08-21T14:01:00.006-04:00

We came across this little lady at the end of a portage. She's a beauty! Look at those crazy nostrils! They're like lips. I felt really bad for her because she's COVERED in flies. All those little spots on her cheeks are writhing, biting, humming flies. GD! We also saw 4 otters a mouse and Americans, oh my! And maybe, just maybe, we heard an eagle, but I don't know I don't think they're native to Algonquin Park. Ha!

These are some sketches I did of the landscape. It's def not my strong suit, but they are fun to do and pretty relaxing. When you aren't too worried about how it turns out it's all good.

The Square Foot Show!

2010-08-21T13:48:00.005-04:00

I entered these two into AWOL Galleries Square Foot Show. I hope they get some positive feedback or at least get into the show. That would be awesome! I really like the gold background in the oil drum painting. Unfortunately it was not totally my idea so check out my inspiration here. Her work is lovely!

Solid Jam

2010-08-21T13:29:00.005-04:00

Earlier in the summer I went to a friends for an 'art-jam,' but it turned out he just wanted to play video games (Boooo). Anyway, it worked out pretty good. I jammed with myself, baha. I had some old dried up leaves which is what I started with and then went from there. I actually coated this piece with resin, which I had never done before and I made a tape wall around the whole piece so that it couldn't run down the sides, but that turned out to be not so awesome. It made this awful uneven edge, so I guess letting it drip and smoothing out the drips is a better way to go about it. We live, we learn. I probably won't end up doing that much anyway, but it does look really polished, ha. I ended up giving it to my mom - she thinks she'll be rich someday.

Yay! I'm Baaack!

2010-08-21T13:17:00.006-04:00

Pow! So, we had a little competition at the art supply store I work at. Everyone had to paint, draw, glue, sculpt, whatever they want on a square canvas. As you can see I did continue with the ladies, which I will continue because it's fun and I can be consistent with it. I won too... that's pretty sweet. If you read this and you voted for me thanks and to everyone else thanks for participating! You can see some work by one of the lovelies I work with here.

Ladies Who Lunch.

2010-05-20T11:59:00.003-04:00

This is a little something from my sketchbook. It has inspired a little painting for a work contest. I think I might just mess around with these ladies for awhile. They're fun Bitches!

I'm quitting art...

2010-05-04T22:54:00.003-04:00

At least for a little while. Terrariums are waaaay more fun.

Riding my bike is like...

2010-05-04T22:52:00.001-04:00

Just Judge It.

2010-05-04T22:46:00.005-04:00

So I'm entering this in a juried show. Meh. I'm totally bummed out about image being split dead center. I didn't even notice. Oh well, you live you learn. I hope.

It was a long, long drive.

2010-05-04T22:38:00.002-04:00

I went to Windsor with my Mom, Dad and Brother. It was a long drive. Let's just say somethings were said and I apologise. I don't hate hanging out with my family. I only dislike hanging out with them in confined spaces.

Spring!

2010-04-24T21:11:00.003-04:00

Spring, I love it so much I want to take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant.

Bad Dreams!

2010-04-24T21:00:00.003-04:00

Gahhhh! I had this horrible dream and this guy was it. He liked to kill people. It was one of those dreams that sticks with you for a couple of days. A friend of mine suggested I draw him. I did this on terra skin paper. It's my new favourite thing. I'm actually addicted to working on it. I tried painting on something else today and it was awful. What have I done?

BJ Box Revamp.

2010-04-24T20:44:00.006-04:00

BOOOOORING!

SWEET! So, I bought this bedside/end table for two bucks at the reuse center. It looked like it was worth about two bucks, but some sanding and some stencilling revealed a beauty! Easiest project of all time. And now The Beej has a place to put his book at night instead of the floor.

Rabbit Hearted Girl.

2010-04-24T20:33:00.003-04:00

This is a little tribute to Florence and the Machine. I listened to Lungs repeatedly for a month or so and love the song "Raise it Up." She has an amazing voice. I know, it looks like she has a crab on her head.

My Sketchbook. My happy place.

2010-04-12T22:30:00.005-04:00

It's not a Fairy.

More Horses.

2010-04-12T21:25:00.004-04:00

I love horses! Nope, no I really don't, but the first ones were so well received and because I actually sold them to someone I thought I'd give it another go. I did give this picture to my brother and his girlfriend though. I think it turned out okay. It was really fun, so I guess that is all that matters. I have to say, horses are pretty beautiful, prehistoric, and powerful.

Tavi.

2010-02-18T21:15:00.006-05:00

This is the most interesting person I have never met and never will and that is okay. If you ever read the things I write, which is probably not, you should still check out this girl and her blog. I can't stop reading it and I can't not find her absolutely fascinating. Can't not? She makes me wish I was thirteen again and not afraid. I always wanted grey-ish hair! (This picture, above, is hers, not mine and is totally copy write to the Style Rookie).

Tigger.

2010-02-06T13:57:00.004-05:00

So, this is our dog Tigger. Around the time I painted this we were calling him notorious because he was notorious in the neighborhood for being a bit crazy and that turned into him being the Notorious T.I.G. I totally bit from a great picture of B.I.G in a crown with a red background. It really worked for this piece. Tigger died last week, so I am really glad I finished this painting. It really captures who Tigger was; a prince. A prince who was always scheming to steal your food, bite a stranger, or eat another dog. He will be missed.

(P.S. sorry if the picture quality sucks.)

My Fish.

2010-02-06T13:45:00.002-05:00

This is my new fish. It's a beta fish. He is beautiful. He is probably the most uninteresting pet I have ever owned. Upside, watching him swim calms my frazzled nerves and I don't ever feel an overwhelming urge to have conversations with him.

A Lesson in Looseness.

2010-01-27T22:47:00.004-05:00

I painted this to practice horses. I don't especially like horses, but my brothers girlfriend does and they just bought a new house, so I thought gift. It was so fun to just drip and be really messy with it, but I don't think it's drawn very well. I used ink and charcoal on paper made of stone. Yes, paper made of stone. It's environmentally friendly they say because it's not made of trees, but I ask you, have you ever been to a rock quarry? LIES!

We had a party too.

2010-01-27T21:47:00.004-05:00

This summer my husband and I also had a big 'Yay, We got married!' party. It featured a pig on a spit, a circus tent, beer, and a LOT of rain. We also had a sound system set up so we could have a little outdoor dance party. This is one of my favourite pictures from that night. I'm not even in it, but just look at the conviction on the face of DJ fresh and her companion DJ Giv'n the Gunz. They know they're mix is so fresh and so sweet. It's finger pointing good. This was taken right before Fresh jersey-ed Gunz and threw him down a mole hill.

Newfoundland...You should go.

2010-01-27T21:02:00.007-05:00

These are not photos of Newfoundland, true, but they are all flowers from Newfoundland. I have a huge obsession with taking photos of flowers. I love it. I took all of these on my honeymoon in July. It is so beautiful there, and I have so many pictures I am sure that more of them will get posted. For now though the flowers are doing it for me. The petals, the colours, the contrast of soft flower flesh against stone, it's all so good. Delicate, yet resilient. That my friends is a flower.

It's been a while...

2010-01-27T20:09:00.007-05:00

So, finally I am posting again. I've been doing a little artwork here and there. This was the first piece of anything that I had done for ages. I started in the summer with this huge theme I was running with. I think it was about people and the things we say, but somewhere along the way it got lost in a bunch of other ideas and so, this is the lone product of that thought. It's probably for the best anyway, losing the idea, but I have started writing things down now. This was about self loathing not being martyrdom. It's painted on an old pizza pan. Classy.

Jesus is a Zombie...

2009-05-20T20:35:00.011-04:00

These were originally sketches I did for a website about
Zombie Jesus Day, which right now is still operational (www.zombiejesusday.org). These images didn't get used, but I liked them a lot so I thought I would finish them up. I guess he's a bit creepy, but endearing. If you think about it...the zombie thing makes total sense.

Springy Fun!

2009-05-12T19:54:00.004-04:00

I made this little birds nest hair clip for something to do. It's a deep acorn hat with feathers and sea-glass and a little hemp for the inside of the nest. It was really easy to do and pretty cute!

2009-05-12T19:51:00.001-04:00

2009-05-12T19:49:00.001-04:00

The Day Has Finally Come...

2009-05-12T17:08:00.003-04:00

I have officially graduated, so exciting and terrifying.

My first year sketchbook!

2009-05-12T16:58:00.008-04:00

This is so old!!! One of my favourite mixed media pieces from my very first illustration sketchbook. You have to guess what's in his hands a butt or some boobs...the million dollar question. (NOTE: I modified a mint ad, so I can't take credit for the actual photograph, which is awesome).

Judy!

2009-05-12T16:53:00.001-04:00

Virginia Woolf

2009-05-12T16:40:00.004-04:00

More 'Sparrow' Bits.

2009-05-12T16:33:00.007-04:00

This image was for a book I made while in school called 'Sparrow' about lost love...It's a really good high-school sketchbook piece. I just, like, really like...drawing eyes.

Lusty and Dusty

2009-05-12T16:13:00.007-04:00

I really thought this turned out funny. It was originally about lust and the characters were youngsters, but then I thought that everyone at every age feels lusty, right?

Disconnect.

2009-03-31T09:56:00.001-04:00

An attempt at 3D illustration. This is a series being created around the phrase 'ecosystems of guilt.' Disconnect is the title.

Sparrow.

2009-03-31T09:42:00.001-04:00

This image is for a story I am working on. It's a love story that falls apart and ends badly. This character was once beautiful, but has become a shadow. This picture actually turned out better then I could have hoped. Happy accidents are great.

Scandal?

2009-03-31T09:34:00.001-04:00

Bettie Paige...Is she macho, or submissive?

This is my FIRST POST ever...go easy.

2009-03-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

Because I am graduating in 3 weeks, GAHH, I thought maybe it's about time for a little page about me and my work? This image is from a series based on phrases or words that connect humans and animals. You know, 'Little Piggies.' I really appreciate the colours in this one.

2009-03-23T21:37:00.002-04:00

This is a page for all of things that I draw. A way for me to share with the world.