April has already been a whirlwind of activity, both high and low. Spring is showing its face already and I am filled with excitement for painting outdoors, more time spent in nature, and new routines!
PERSONAL
The month started with me in Panama visiting my grandmother. What was supposed to be a casual trip to visit family ended in sadness as I had to say goodbye unexpectedly to my grandmother, Svetlana. She will be missed dearly, and I feel that as hard as it was, the timing worked out in a way that I was able to be there for her in her last few days and say goodbye.
Saying goodbye to her meant that we also have adopted a new family member, Dečka (pronounced “detch” or “dech” like “dutch” but with an “eh” sound, followed by “kah”.. Detch-Ka!) The name Dečka came about when my grandparents got a puppy that they thought was male. They named them “Dečko” meaning “boy” or “boyfriend” in Serbian. Then upon finding out that she was in fact female, they turned it into a feminine noun by swapping the o for an a. Hence Dečka! She is a semi-feral Panamanian street dog and has a lot to learn about Canada - climate and customs alike! We are all still settling in and adjusting to each other. She is (sort of) getting along with Milo, our cat.
It being April also means that I celebrated my birthday. I am now officially 40 years old! Happy birthday to me! Though it was celebrated with some mixed feelings, being less than a week after my grandmother’s passing. I still enjoyed my day with friends and family, and an evening at the trampoline park!
PROFESSIONAL
My teaching semester has resumed and I am busy teaching 3 classes at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans. The first is a home school edition of a painting class for ages 6-10. The second class is my Fantastic Florals, which is rolling along smoothly, as we tackle value studies and analogous colour studies of various florals before diving into the nitty gritty of colour, composition and of course, making things GLOW. The last is one that I am co-teaching again with local author Timm Holmes, Illustory, where I instruct the art and he teaches the students how to write the story and then they complete the course with a physical copy of their very own published book.
On the art show front, I was accepted to 2 of the 5 shows I applied for. Look for me on May 31st in Toronto at the Riverdale Art Walk and Art in the Park in Ottawa on June 7-8! I want to normalize applying to shows and NOT being accepted: I spent $50 or more for each show that I applied to. I applied and was rejected from the Mosaics show by Art East, the Artist Project in Toronto, and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Remember that juries are constantly changing and you need to keep applying and NOT take it personally when you don’t get in! Application fees are NOT a scam. As an arts administrator, it takes time, effort and skill to jury shows and so much of the work is done on a volunteer basis. Pay your artists! Always remember if you are rejected that sometimes they are looking for a certain vibe and you may not match it. It doesn’t mean you aren’t any good, it means you will be a perfect fit somewhere else!
ON THE EASEL
A fun glowing flower, acrylic and oil on canvas:
PROMOTIONAL
Modo Yoga: My Grow, Glow & Flow series is still on display at Modo Yoga in Orleans.
My Little Pony paintings along with some of my Toy series are on display for the Spring show at the Capital Art Fair Gallery at 71 Sparks street where I volunteer on Fridays!
Artawa: Our monthly meetup is this Sunday, April 27th at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans.
Next Art Battle is May 15th! Get your tickets here!
All Hands on Deck auction is OPEN! I completed a skateboard for the charity auction, along with over 250 other local artists! Check out the boards in person or online. Mine is board #033!
That’s all until next time. Stay crazy and colourful and chaotic <3
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