Maps! And an invitation to Fuse & Form
Hello again. Happy cherry blossom season. Thanks to everyone who read to the end of my February post and suggested places I might try to show my work around Vancouver. Read to the end of this one for your invite to a fun new monthly arts event I am helping to organize.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MATTHEW SHLIAN
There's an exhibition on until early May at Kostuik Gallery in Yaletown featuring one of my all-time favourite paper artists, Matthew Shlian. He creates gorgeous geometric low relief paper constructions. Check him out on Instagram too. His unique handling of this medium never ceases to amaze me and it's lovely that he is represented by a local gallery.
His work is clean and pristine. The precision is mesmerizing. One of the things I love about it is that he has found a way to marry technology with creativity in a most eyeball-massagingly way. He uses AutoCAD and a flatbed plotter along with his curiosity and creativity to elegantly blur the lines of art and design. Of course, this touches something in me having come from the world of design and having landed in the world of art. Check him out and write me back to let me know what you think. I've seen efforts to copy his style but no one comes close.
Commission of Thetis Island.
MAPS, GLORIOUS MAPS
I managed to finish all the commissions that came my way from the 2024 Eastside Culture Crawl. The last one was the map of Thetis Island (left), a keepsake for my client's mother who has made the island her home for many years. I followed that piece up with a few new maps to hang in the studio. The header image (scroll up) is my latest Gulf Islands piece (30"x11"). It's 20m elevations of Salt Spring, Prevost, the Penders, Saturna, and Mayne, and a bit of Vancouver Island around Duncan and Maple Bay. I’m loving this long skinny format which lends itself so perfectly to some of the long waterways and coastlines in this part of the world. This was a fun one to assemble. Many juicy layers. It's available for adoption as are all my other 11. 30 maps, some horizontal, some vertical. All of them can be seen on the paper art page of this website.
Thetis and the Gulf Islands gave way to a few more 8" x 8" mini maps. You might remember I premiered a series of six of these at Paper Trails last year at CityScape Community Art Space. Below left is Clayoquot Plateau Provincial Park and right is Harrison Lake.
Turns out these make lovely wedding gifts. Who knew! I've customized two in the last year for clients to give as wedding presents. The latest one depicted Soames Hill in Gibsons, location of the marriage proposal.
The unfortunate downside to all the paper cutting is that I now have a shoulder impingement — a change of pace from the usual repetitive strain — so, I've picked up my paintbrushees instead of my blades and will work on less injurious watercolours while I convalesce.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE! YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED…APRIL 25TH
An artful, interactive evening event is coming soon to Vancouver's Eastside. I'm pleased to be a part of the creation and launch of a new monthly event called Fuse & Form. Our studio will be opening the doors on the last Friday of each month for a night of art and engagement. The inaugural event will consist of demonstrations, hands-on activities, refreshments, and open studio visits. We are putting together a fun and lively evening and hope that you and your friends will join us in growing this new community of creativity and connection.
Friday, April 25th, 5–10pm
Eastside Atelier, 1310 William Street (at Clark Drive)
Vancouver, BC
The Creative Act + Quiet Patriotism
Some of you might know that I have been reducing my time on Instagram and trying to connect more actively on platforms that aren’t owned by billionaires. So, I’m stepping up my e-mailings a little and I’ll be posting here to see if a blog takes hold. Here are a few things that have piqued my interest lately followed by a bit about some recent art shows I was fortunate enough to have been juried into. Enjoy.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: THE CREATIVE ACT
I recently read Rick Ruben’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being. I can see this one living on my nightstand for some time to come. Part Buddhist philosophy, part how-to, this book is for anyone who has chosen to immerse themselves in a creative life. Rubin’s book quietly cheerleads readers along the often fraught path of self-expression. If you are a creative — or you love one — visit your local library to find this book. Vancouverites who wish to purchase this book through a Canadian retailer can contact Pulp Fiction.
FREE DOWNLOAD: THE ORIGIN OF YOUR ART SUPPLIES
File this under 'Making quiet patriotic statements'. Like many of you, I’m trying to prioritize as many things Canadian as I can while navigating these head-shakingly absurd times. And that includes prioritizing Canadian-made art supplies or, at the very least, buying from companies that are based in countries not trying to annex us. To that end I have started a list! If you see any errors or would like to suggest other often-used-brands to add to the list so that informed choices can be made, please get in touch. I'm personally looking for a replacement for Yes! Paste, and Excel and Xacto knife blades. VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE LIST HERE.
SOUNDTRACK: CANADIANA
Here's another one for that patriotic file. I have created a Spotify playlist called 'Canadiana: True North Calm and Free' filled with mellow tunes to play while you paint, work, stretch, walk, drink tea. It's a versatile playlist. Once there, click the '+' sign to follow the playlist. FIND IT HERE.
MY ART NEWS
Map commissions have been keeping me busy since last year’s Crawl. Thank you to my wonderful new collectors. I have also been painting bivalves in watercolour (more on that another time). In addition to map-making and clam-painting, I have inadvertently front-loaded my year with three back-to-back group juried shows, all at Federation Gallery.
We started with Sechelt and Jervis Inlet which hung in the Emerging Members Exhibition and which, I was delighted to see, received a very kind write up in the gallery’s newsletter.
That was followed by Of a Feather which was juried into the Animal Exhibition that ended in early February. Fun fact: this piece was inspired by water marbling experiments where I floated paint on top of thickened water.
And until March 2nd you can visit my map Shuswap Lake in the Scenes from Canada Exhibition. There is some really stunning work in that show. Well worth a trip to Granville Island to see it!
AND FINALLY A QUESTION FOR YOU… DO YOU KNOW OF ANY VENUES I MIGHT APPROACH?
In 2025 my aim is to find more places to show my work around Metro Vancouver — I’m thinking retail, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. If you have any leads for places that might be interested in some coastal themed artwork, please let me know. Thank you!