Thing-a-week: Art as dessert

A friend visiting from Vancouver recently remarked that art is like dessert - it's not a priority for everyone. Some people are just 'meat and potatoes' folks who'd rather put money aside for practical things. Others, like my friend, see value in beautifying their spaces with art that resonates with them.

I'm a practical person and respect that art doesn't float everyone's boat - that's perfectly okay. But, our conversation made me think a lot about the eat-dessert-first people who've supported me as an artist. It also made me think of a good idea for a series: cupcakes. Of all the desserts I'd eat first, cupcakes are at the top of the list. But only the deluxe, bakery-quality kind. Grocery store cupcakes are generally pretty wretched, in my experience.

All of my cupcake paintings will be available at Whyte Avenue art walk this weekend (beginning tomorrow at noon). I'll post whatever doesn't sell on Etsy next week. :)

Not surprisingly, Mike Kendrick's thing-a-week is dino-tastic. You'll be able to catch him at Whyte Avenue Art Walk this weekend too! So, if you're in Edmonton, come on out. About 300 artists will be in attendance, and there'll be live music, too!

Thing-a-week: Treedom!

With Whyte Avenue Art Walk quickly approaching (it's July 15-17!) and Capital Ex a week later, I've been painting up a storm - mainly smaller works. I've also been experimenting with acrylic ink and invested in some fine brushes.

Here are three of the pieces I finished last week - all are 10 x 10", acrylic (and acrylic ink) on gallery-wrapped canvas, which hang well without a frame (although, you can frame them too).