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337 Sketch Gallery – Miniatures!

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Plant Shadow 3″ x 4″
Pen, Ink and White Charcoal

Bicycle, 3″ x 4″
Pen, Ink and White Charcoal

The opening Gala for the 2nd annual 337 Sketch Gallery Miniature Show is tomorrow, Thursday October 11 2012, from 7 to 9 p.m. Work by fifty local and international artists is on display, including some of my smallest drawings in pen, ink and white charcoal on toned paper. This is a great opportunity to find a little work of art for less than $200.  You will find the gallery at 337 Ottawa Street in Hamilton (905-966-2892).  I understand that the $10 admission charge goes towards artist awards. The show runs until October 29.

Art Gallery of Hamilton Super Auction

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Black Spruce, by Aleda O’Connor Oil Pastel, 20″ x 28″

My oil pastel landscape painting “Black Spruce” is up for sale in the first of three online art auctions in the 2012 Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) Super Auction.  Funds raised through this event are being used to establish an art acquisition fund for AGH .

 

My first presentation on oil pastels

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I was the guest speaker for the Burlington Fine Arts Association this week – an exciting first for me. I am so grateful to Victoria Pearce for inviting me to talk about this rewarding medium and to the Association members for their warm response to my work. I briefly discussed the origin and history of oil pastels, the artists who have inspired and influenced my work, and demonstrated my set-up and materials. As you can see I started a new pastel painting and I’ll post the finished work when it’s done.  The event was held at the Burlington Art Centre, a wonderful facility not far from our new home in Hamilton.

Art Fair, Seoul Korea

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One of my pen, ink and white charcoal drawings, Winch, Herring Smoke Shed is being exhibited in the 5th Seoul Art Fair in South Korea, from April 27 to May 1, 2012. Work by Canadian Artists is on display in a booth sponsored by the South Korean art magazine, 미술과 비평 (Art and Criticism). The Art Fair is being held at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre, SETEC. The subject of my 8” x 10” drawing is a handmade, wooden winch, located in the Sardine Museum and Herring Hall of Fame, at Seal Cove, Grand Manan, New Brunswick. The museum, established by the late Michael Zimmer, preserves the traditional environment of a herring smoke house and is open for visits during the summer months. The Seal Cove Herring Sheds are designated as a Canadian National Historic Site.  More than 370 artists participated in the event according to the Korean Herald. 

Whites

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My challenge to convey whites in watercolour in Barry’s Tuesday watercolour class was to maintain the relationship between core and cast shadows, while developing the shapes of the white containers in contrast to the brightly coloured apples. As we observed, when bathed in direct light, some of the apples were lighter than the adjacent white objects. Later in the week I re-visited the exercise, using red apples, white objects and a white cloth trimmed with a red stripe. I randomly touched very pale pink, yellow and blue into the bright fabric area before I drew in the shadows. It’s virtually invisible, but does help the white cloth glow. Once again I finished up with soft charcoal pencil.

 


Watercolour with charcoal pencil

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I joined a Sustained Saturday watercolour class taught by my partner Barry Coombs for the afternoon, after a space opened up at the last minute.  These studio days run from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. several times each term.  The still life subject was predominantly brass and we were encouraged to compose our image by employing a very tight crop. I admire people who work in watercolour, and even though I’ve been working at it for about 18 months, my results are very unpredictable. That’s partly what makes it fun – and terrifying!

My original idea was to spend the afternoon drawing in black and white with pen and ink. Working on hot press paper, I sketched the subject lightly with pencil. Then, inspired by the work being done by others around me, I changed my mind and used watercolour to block  in the key shapes, adding some secondary washes to form the shine and shadows. Next, returning to my comfort zone, I  added value, structure and depth with charcoal pencil. (So much for planning!) I was surprised by how the charcoal seemed to melt when it touched the still-wet paper as I worked. I liked the effect, and for a while worked back and forth between the dry and wet mediums.  If you want to see more about the class, see Barry’s blog post about the day. 

Watercolour and Charcoal Pencil study 12" x 16"

Solo Show January 19 to February 16

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I’m really pleased to be showing a collection of my Oil Pastels and Pen & Ink drawings, at Core Realty, 747 Queen Street East in Toronto, from January 19 to February 16.  Please drop by for the opening on Thursday January 19, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.  And keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

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