For the love of print making

It been little over a month since I returned to school and taking classes for print making, I was surprised how much has changed since my art school days. My class mates came from all ages and background but few …

Many shades of white

My I love painting white flowers with watercolor because in watercolor white paint is not used instead the whites came from the paper itself. Painting whites one really just painting the shadows and reflected colors. Here is my latest  “Double …

Summer dream

This is my latest watercolor/paper cut , although it is rather small compare to the others I had done but it took days to complete.  I had spent the last month working on my paper cut. Today, back to painting …

It takes money to makes art

Recently, for a commissioned painting my client paid me with cash. He paid the full amount with brand new $100 bills. As I looked at those bills I was attracted by the colors and design and each one is a hologram image. They are the new plastic bills.
This got me thinking,: now a day with credit, debit card, pay pal, and online banking I hardly handle cash any more. I decided to have some fun with those bills, I went to the bank and exchange for more bills, $5 and $10s and started to play around with them, make them into paper sculpture and took photos of them.

Oh, I felt so rich!

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Retink and remake on my old art

 

I had been making art since I was a young boy and kept almost everything I had created. Although I had sold a lot of them but I own plenty more I make art daily, almost as soon as I finished one I would put it away and go right into the next. I treat every piece as a learning lesson to improve my skills and to develop my concept.
Some of my works sold almost as soon as I completed without any effort but some took months or even years. Unlike other artists I don’t get discourage if the work doesn’t sell because I been doing this long enough to know one doesn’t lives or dies with just one work, my enjoyment came from doing them and the discovery of what I could do.
I have stacks of prints from my art schools days; few had been seen by the public. Lately, I decided to give them a make over with my more experience eyes and new skills. I been doing paper cut for less than two years and this  one is my latest: a paper cut on a two color etching I done some 35 years ago.
‘The nature of man” paper cut on etching, 10″x12″.

paper cut on etching, 10″x12″

 

A mult- medium card

 

I made this 5″x7″ card by combining three different medium, silkscreen, paper cut and paper sculpture.

I printed the silkscreen on both side then add the paper cutting and finally with the paper sculpture inside the card.

New life for my old art part 2

During my art college years I enjoyed making art with found material. I always on the out look for material .One day, I discovered a boxful of small booklet discarded outside of the school library. The booklet was about how to use the library and how to reach the members of the staff which about 5” square with 12 pages.
I took a handful of the booklet and use them for my screen printing. on each page I made a separate screen for it.
Recently, I came across those made-over library booklets I started to adding paper cutting on each pages because each page with different color and design it keep one wanted to turn the page to see the next layer. the design for this page was inspired by William Morris. ( I place a sheet of white paper behind for better photo)

Faster than I could say “yes”

I was cleaning up my studio and came cross some old works I done which I completely forgot. I post a couple of them on my facebook and mentioned on my find. Almost right away, someone I don’t know comment on it and asked if it for sell. ( he is friend of another of my facebook friend)  I sent this person a reply of yes and the price, right away it was sold and I was sent the money via PayPal!  now my painting is on its way to California .

Butterly lover

I particular like the yellow Phalaenopsis orchid because when the blossoms open the color almost looked green, usually take a few day for it to turn yellow.
I painted this watercolor a few months ago but was not to satisfy with it. It seems needs something more but I couldn’t think of what to add so put it aside.

Last week, I took it out again and an idea came to me: The Phalaenopsis orchid’s common name is butterfly/moth orchid. I decided to play with the name and process to add a woman surrounded with butterflies in the background
Here are some shots from beginning to the finished work.

watercolor with paper cut, 24″x16″

Breaking ice with my Art

 

 

Canadian are more reserve as whole, rarely strangers would start a conversation with another stranger on the public transit. However the frozen facades been melting slightly since I been drawings on the subway trains.

This winter is seems extremely cold in Toronto. The morning trains, it is ice cold inside, Even I bundle up with hat, scarf and gloves but I still manage to draw. Passengers around me usually resting with their eyes closed around me

Today, the man sat near me look like he was napping during the whole trip but when he got up for the exit he tuned back said to me “Nice drawing”.

Another day, the woman sat next to me commented on my beautiful drawing. Next she would started to tell me story about her daughter’s up coming wedding.. She has to give up this year vacation in order to pay for her up coming trip to Jamaica for her daughter’s big wedding. We chatted all the way to the end of the line while I was drawing.

Last Friday, another woman was so interested in what I was doing. She told me when she was a child how much she loved to draw, seeing me drawing she wanted to get back to drawing again. Before she got off the train, she inquired about where to buy the paper and pen..

Never expected my mobile studio has invited such lovely responds.