Just Little Art :: Justina Smith's Art Portfolio

(For some reason, this blog post has a Stuart Mclean voice over to it. In my head. Not for real. It’s making me question what the ‘cream’ part actually is in this cup of earl grey cream tea I’m drinking. Either that, or I have O.D.’ed on Vinyl Cafe podcasts. I apologize in advance for the SM overtones that appear.)

Studio time this morning was very productive. I made really good headway on the portrait commission I’m working on, put another layer on another commission and started adding color to the first of the Quebec City paintings. If I scan through my digital archive of acrylic paintings or watercolors, I can tell when I got a new color, or saw a painting that inspired new colors in my palette. There is no gradual fade. All of a sudden there are a smattering of paintings using some awesome new red, or muted green mixed with other colors that I always go back to. I try to challenge myself by trying new colors and glancing at my color wheel to get new palette ideas. But sometimes….you just go with what you know. And if you enjoy it, well….why ‘fix’ it if it’s not broken?

I was just excited to finally have a bit of time to work on this new painting. I was half listening to the Vinyl Cafe podcast, and rummaging through my paint box and dabbing bits of color onto my palette and applying it to the canvas with my knife. After a few minutes I took another look at the portrait commission, and decided it could use another layer of gel. So I gave it one. Then as I turned back to my Quebec painting, I noticed an entire palette I had never used before sitting on the canvas. Completely unintentional. And it’s great! So I dipped my fingers into the mixes to record what I did in my idea book:

It was like spring cleaning for my paint box! And this is how this palette is looking on the actual painting:

Of course, this is not finished yet. There is ink and more shadows to add….and many, many power lines. I’m pretty stoked about it. It will be going up into the Next Act Pub here in Edmonton, along with 2 other new ones, so I can switch out the ones that have sold. Good times.

I’m also stoked that I bought tickets to a new summer festival here in Edmonton called the ‘Interstellar Rodeo’ which happens in July, and because I bought two tickets….they sent me two free CD’s in the mail! Yay mail! Yay free stuff!

And yay for reading in the back yard in the sun while paintings dry! Happy Monday.

(And as Stuart Mclean would say…..so long for now.)

What are you doing right now? I mean besides reading this. Do you have time to listen to something great?

I am a HUGE fan of radio. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but if not. I am. I love listening to things while I paint. The trouble is, I listen to things and then get inspired and start plotting trips….and it’s funny to me because in my last post I was remarking how wonderful it is to be home! And it is. I love home. I love Edmonton, I love spending sunny days in the studio and backyard. But I do LOVE to travel.

So while I painted this:

(quebec postcard #9: just up that hill)

I listened to this:

http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/Oliver-Schroers-Musical-Pilgrimage-on-the-Camino

(Scroll to the bottom of the screen and hit the little play arrow icon thingy. You can’t pause it, so you need about a 45 – 60 minute gap to listen to it, but it’s worth it. I promise!)

The two things are only related in the fact that I love to travel and it’s a radio program about a particular trip I have become VERY interested in lately….and that the postcard I just finished is from my recent trip to Quebec City. (Wait, that’s kind of 3 things.) The radio program is about my two OTHER favorite things. (I have been teased about having a lot of favorites.) #1 being Oliver Schroer and his lovely album ‘Camino’ which is by far, the thing I listen to most in the studio while painting. #2 being a story about Mr. Schroer’s trip along the Santiago de Compostela….which is a 1000km trek that starts in France and ends in Spain. I started learning about this when Jay mentioned it was something he’d like to do. It will take about 2 months. We watched a really great movie about it (called ‘The Way’, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring him and his dad, Martin Sheen….and you should probably give that a watch. It’s a gooder!), and then I stumbled across this radio documentary about one of my favorite Canadian folk artists…..and as it turns out, the album of his that I LOVE listening to was recorded in various cathedrals he had the pleasure of playing in along the way. I love how it’s all linked. So, Jay and I have come up with a goal that we’d like to walk the ‘Camino’ in 2014, when he is finished school.

Egads! I haven’t been to Europe yet. What an amazing introduction that would be! An artistic pilgrimage with my favorite bearded fellow.

Enough day dreaming now. You have something to listen to and I have things to paint. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

I was suffering from ”roastbeastia comatosis. It began around 5:30 this evening and subsided finally about an hour ago. I’m sure you’ve suffered from this too (unless you are a vegetarian). Potatoes. Gravy. Yorkshire pudding. That sluggish feeling that makes you wish you could curl into your warm teacup after dessert and call it a night. Early bedtime was looming, but I walked to said dinner at my in-laws, with anxious and happy dogs….and dammit! We were walking BACK. And somewhere between the golden light and long blue shadows cast over the sidewalks by the trees, and the wafting May Day blossoms just two doors down from my house….I found my second wind.

And beer. On the studio table. Big bottles of Phillips. Oh, that new husband of mine…well, he’s just swell!

The sounds of summer have begun. Lawn mowing. The neighbor across the street airing out the rooftop tent of their Westfalia and tuning up the engine. The loud top 4o tunes blaring from the parent’s vehicles of the young punks speeding down 109th. My sandals on gravel. Grass. Pavement. Evening soccer games in the school field. It’s so lovely. I’m so glad I was out in it. It’s really great to be home!

This lovely walk home inspired this:

(As did my husband.) You see, the running joke was that when I did a postcard giveaway on my fanpage….HE didn’t qualify. My reason was you can’t date the artist and get preferential postcard treatment. That’s not fair to everyone else. He gets to see everything before anyone else. He lives here! He sees paintings and drawings in various “WTF-is-that-gonna-be” stages, so he shouldn’t be allowed to be part of the postcard giveaway. Right?

But oh the WHINING. Oh dear. So, fine. That was my rule while we were dating. We’re married now. He said he wanted to see me paint this picture from our first trip together, which was to Newfoundland last fall. He also hinted he needs a bookmark. I really love this photo because I look at it and can remember the sounds, the smells, and the feeling of walking along the trail that day. The blustery wind. The sea spray that coated us. The roar of the sea. It makes my heart glad and reminds me why I paint.

(I also paint to prevent whining…..but only in some cases. As in, it might prevent whining but only in SOME cases.)

My Christmas postcard project is almost done! I have 6 more to paint and send. Two pressing commissions are well on their way to being finished by the end of this weekend. Spring is a bit constipated and it keeps trying to snow. The lawn has been mowed once. My right arm has been freshly tattooed. And I’m trying to write this post quickly so I can curl up and watch Anne of Green Gables before sleep wins.

So it’s May. I have a show on now at the Next Act Pub here in Edmonton that has been extended until the end of June. In July, I am participating in Whyte Ave Artwalk. I’ll also have a few pieces for sale in Steeps in the Glenora area in Edmonton. In August I have a solo show at the Transcend cafe on Jasper Ave, and then…..and I just got asked last night…..I’ll have 3-4 pieces in a show in Red Deer with 3 other awesome ladies at the Harris-Warke Gallery in Sunworks, downtown Red Deer also in August. Summer is booked.

Recently I was interviewed for an RDC Alumni feature. It’s online now if you want to take a look. It was a really fun interview and unfortunately the residency it mentions me applying for, I didn’t get. But hey, not the end of the world. It just means more time enjoying my backyard and taking in summer music festivals. It has got me thinking of applying for other things though. Here is the link:

https://extension.rdc.ab.ca/website/Notebook_webzine/featureStory.html

There is also a short video interview. The link is at the bottom of the written interview.

Many great and fun things going on. I’m really excited about my first few paintings from Quebec. Hopefully they will be finished in the next week or so. I do need sleep, however. Sigh. Well, goodnight.

This is day two of being home from our trip to Quebec City. The bags have been unpacked. The laundry done. The house cleaned. The sketches posted, and the chest cold that seemed imminent yesterday succumbed to all the sleeping I did. Today is a day to get things done. Sort receipts. Wash the bedding. Organize my email. Purchase festival tickets.

And sit on the burnt orange couch is the quietness of the studious little flat and think about my trip.

I’m not entirely certain how to put this trip into interesting words. Quebec City is friendly. Old. Historic. Delightful. Delicious. Chilly. Bustling. Layered. The weather turned quite chilly unexpectedly. That’s winter in Canada for you. As such, I wasn’t able to get in as much sketching as I would have liked. Between boisterous winds and very cold hands, I’m still pretty impressed with the sketches I WAS able to capture. We did a lot of walking. We did a lot of eating. We hardly did any planning as to where to go and what to see next. We also didn’t wander too far out of the Old City. Because of that, we got to know our way around pretty well.

I took so many photos, but here are some of my favorites. These will most likely be turned into paintings:

(there were so many stairs in the Old City. Hidden between buildings, IN buildings and out in the open where they were easy to spot.)

(some of the lovely buildings in Port Royale, one of the few sunny days good for sketching outside.)

(a fantastic back alley we walked through on the way to dinner. Parking and some housing was also to the right, at the very base of the cliff where “Upper City” sat. The overhead walkways were to get to the second and third floor suites.)

(looking down at “the Lower City” from the wall.)

(on our way up to the Citadelle, looking back.)

(a lovely nature trail we came across on the Plains of Abraham.)

(I can’t remember what historical person’s house this yard belonged to, but it was filled with tiny blue crocuses and fenced in by the lovely brick house in the background.)

(it’s hard to emphasize the steepness of some of the city streets there. Sometimes the sidewalk has to be stairs.)

(the “Promenade des Gouverneurs” which starts at the base of the Chateau Frontenac. It’s a very wide wooden walk way with a stellar view of the St. Lawrence. It’s also VERY imposing looking from the river, being that it is so high up and literally on top of the wall.)

(me and my affinity for fences, old houses, and trees.)

(a photo I took after we climbed the first set of stairs leaving “Petite Champlain” after dinner on our last night. We ran into a carver who had just harvested some wood from the bank along the river. The streets in some places are so narrow you can fit one vehicle and one person side by side….and that’s it.)

I was told that “je me souviens” means “I will remember”….though the driver of the carriage ride we took joked and said that no one can remember what it’s supposed to remind them not to forget. For me, it means I won’t forget my first impression of Quebec City. My first time being a cultural minority on a trip. My first time wandering old cobbled streets and sipping pints in an old converted storehouse that was built in 1754 and run until her death, by the 90 year old woman who lived in the house above. I won’t forget the blustery wind and street buskers on the promenade, or the colorful awnings or the way waiters and waitresses would wait outside the front door of some restaurants to greet you and entice you to come in by handing you a menu. There is so much to do and see there. I think it should be on your bucket list of places to visit before you die. You won’t forget it. You’ll definitely make plans to go back. And if you go in the spring, you’ll definitely need extra socks and batteries for your camera. I miss it already. Now I’m going to paint it.

Je me souviens…

Call display on a cell phone can be a mixed blessing. Now that the Alberta election is over, I toyed with the idea of phoning back the campaigners that phoned to harangue me about the evils of all the other parties, and telling them what an amazing artist I was, and ask when they would be buying paintings from me. Of course I would need to run down all the other artists that….you know….aren’t ME. Somehow I don’t think that would generate more commissions. I don’t see why campaigners think this works in helping persuade the public to vote for their party. I refrained from calling the numbers back. Oh, the high road.

I’m glad the election is over. Holy. Crap.

And now, tomorrow. Tomorrow, Quebec! Or more precisely, Quebec city.

(prepping my travel kit with the new Schminke pans….which is just a nice brand of watercolor paint.)

I kept forgetting my travel watercolor set had 12 more spots for paints, so I made a quick visit to the watercolor isle at the art store and got lost in paint swatches of delicious translucence. A purple. Some lovely browns. A stormy grey that softens with more water. I obtained 12 additional colors to help capture my newest adventure.  I have never spent time immersed in a city where I don’t speak the same language as the majority of the citizens that live there. A new ‘first’ for the Roaming Artist. I’m excited!

I’m a little behind the times in terms of reading the latest books. After wading through a book that examines how and why we Canadians perpetuate ‘nordicity’ as part of our cultural identity, I have purchased a copy of ‘Wicked’ to read on the plane. Yup, little slow. I love the Wizard of Oz and one of my favorite movies as a kid was ‘Return to Oz’. I’m not sure if anyone remembers that movie. It was a Disney movie. Anyhow….it’s not what inspired a purchase of red moccasin/loafers. I’ve been looking for some for a while. I just thought it was fitting….the whole ruby slipper thing….and writing a blog the night before my trip. I love the studious little flat…..but in the morning my chant will be ‘there is no place like Quebec City!’

I’m looking forward to sharing the sketches and musings from our trip.

The dogs know something is up. They are extra cuddly. This means it’s time for bed. Is it morning yet?

(clicking heels 3 times)

Nope. Not yet.

I have been accused of being very witty. I have this knack for saying things that other people are thinking, but (usually) have the good sense NOT to say at that moment. Yep, I’m that girl. Most of the time. It makes no difference whether it’s in person or on social media.

But this is one time where it paid off.

Edmontonians might recognize him. This is Bandit. Or if you are a twit this is YEG_Bandit. Maybe you’ve seen this little dude on the side of a building somewhere in your travels to and from work or school. A few days ago on twitter, Bandit was tweeting about street art that was spotted….and it got me thinking about Whyte Ave artwalk and my August show and how I need to get out and take some more Edmonton photos to paint….and how STELLAR it would be to have Bandit stickers somewhere in the paintings! So I mentioned it to Bandit in the twittervers…..and voila! Stickers in my mailbox a few days later.

Thanks again Bandit. I am stoked to use these!

I should be sleeping, but instead I am booking the hostel for our Quebec trip and wondering which colors I should add to my traveling paint set since I have an entirely empty row just waiting for whatever I want to put in there. Some ochre? Some purples maybe…..a new green? Something spring like. More reds! Will it be spring there, or will old man Winter be fighting bitterly to stay committed far to late in his seasonal game? (Much like the Oilers and Canucks….too little, too late friends.)

I wish I has stuck with my french. I am a little embarrassed to be going on this trip with VERY LITTLE french speaking at my disposal. I will remedy this in the next year or two. I will.

I was waiting at the chiropractor’s office yesterday for him to correct my road trip/painting-at-the-work-table forward slump and I got an idea for another girl in the hymnal dress painting:

The only paper available to me at that moment….was the back of his business card. I hope he doesn’t mind. There are no 20″ x 20″ canvases in the studious little flat, which is probably a good thing.

I should go to bed.

Well hi!

So much has happened lately, I’m not even sure where to start. My trip to Winnipeg was awesome. I did so much sketching and visiting and milling about in and around Winnipeg. There is so much to see and draw….and so. many. churches! Goodness. Looking back I’m sure someone will interpret this travel sketchbook as my ‘religious period’, but in reality the churches were numerous, historical and fascinating. And I was happy to draw them. I won’t post all the sketches here, but here are some of my favs!

(bridge in Saskatoon)

(Ukranian Orthodox church by right beside the Yellowhead hwy, passing Insinger, SK)

(Saint Boniface Cathedral, Winnipeg)

(near Osborne Village, Winnipeg)

(St. Andrew’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Canada. Winnipeg)

If you haven’t seen these before and want to see the other 11 from that trip, they are located on my facebook fanpage.

Got back from my trip and launched right into finishing up my show for April, which is now hanging at the Next Act Pub in Edmonton. Then, I got married this past weekend. A nice small, intimate affair right in our living room, with a bar-b-que promptly after. It snowed all day! Now, I am working on some commissions before we go to Quebec City for honeymoon #1 at the end of this month. Luke is adjusting well. He still hates having his picture taken but he’s good with having a bath. Baby steps, right? He’ll end up on canvas sooner or later. Now that the dust has settled from a crazy but very fun couple of weeks, this is what life is looking like as of, well….right now:

(new painting ‘in between, exchange district, Winnipeg’ ready to be taken to the cafe and hung)

(base for a commission I’m working on. It’s a ripped up transit map from Toronto)

(a peek at the new little animal piece called “Mag’s pie”)

And now to walk puppies and enjoy the last little bit of my day off. More posts to come. I don’t like such a long lapse between posts. Oh life and it’s busyness. Happy creating, friends!

That got your attention, didn’t it?

I am car less, currently. Little car is in the shop getting ready for the road trip. I needed to walk to the grocery store today to get a few things. I was grooving to Dan Mangan on my headphones, sipping a coffee on my way back and twirling around sign poles. It was just that kind of a care free day. (That takes care of the ‘pole dancing’.)

This evening I put the finishing touches on a lovely painting of a scene from the 124th street area shopping and gallery district here in Edmonton. Then I put the first few layers on painting #6 for the show. A lovely interior shot from a great cafe in Coleman Alberta called ‘Blackbird Cafe’. It’s in an old church and rumored to be quite the music venue. It’s also for sale. I hope someone who loves music, coffee and the local community buys it and keeps it awesome. The painting is of an open cupboard stacked with cups and dishes. The back of the cupboard has a very noticeable wood grain texture to it and so I reproduced it on canvas by etching into the wet paint with my handy miscellaneous paint etching tool. If you want to see a peek, you have to follow me on twitter (justlittleart). It’s the last insta-photo picture I posted this evening. (And that takes care of the ‘fun with wood’.)

Now for the ‘other Sunday activities’:

“down the street”

mixed media on canvas, 30″ x 36″

Ok, this painting was not really a Sunday activity. I finished this about a week ago and was just able to post it today. It was a commission by a friend for another friend for his birthday (confused yet?), and it was given to him last night….so now I for SURE won’t wreck the surprise because it’s hanging on his wall. He (the dude that it was given to) is from Newfoundland and so I was commissioned by the other dude (the giver of the painting) to paint an awesome picture from one of my Newfoundland trips. This was from my first trip to Newfoundland in 2010. Behind me in the picture would be the historic St. Thomas’s church (if memory serves me well).

Tomorrow is the day before the road trip to Winnipeg. Why? Why not! I love long drives. I love Canada. I love taking pictures. I love sketching by the road side….in the car…..in pubs….you know, wherever.

Sundays off from the cafe are rare for me and this was a lovely one. I hope your Sunday was too.