Richmond Hill Arts Award

I was honoured this evening to be the Richmond Hill Arts Award recipient for mid career/established Artist at the 2019 Cultural Summit. I received a cheque for $1000 and a beautiful engraved glass award. I would like to thank the city of Richmond Hill and in particular the cultural team for making Richmond Hill a wonderfully supportive community in which to live.

My nominator and model for several of my recent portraits, Garry Sugden, video' d me yesterday evening while I gave my acceptance speech and was presented with the Richmond Hill Arts Award by Mayor Dave Barrow. Thank you, Garry Sugden. It is a lovely way for my friends from around the world who were unable to be there, to be part of the evening. For those of you getting this blog post via e mail. Please click on this link https://emotiveexpressions.blogspot.com/2019/03/richmond-hill-arts-award.htmlto see the video.

Thank you to the city of Richmond Hill once again and especially to the cultural department for your support and encouragement.

Photo credit: The City of Richmond Hill Cultural Department

In the Windmills of Your Mind

I am always fascinated how creating art doesn't happen in isolation. Other things in our world spiral in, influence our thinking, our approaches, the way we work and what ultimately we create.

'Like the Circles that you find in the windmills of your mind'

Transparent Watercolour 17 by 22.5 inches painted using QoR Modern Watercolours

Earlier this year I was approached by Bryce Lampe, Brand Manager for QoR Watercolors and Golden Acrylics who asked if I would like to try a selection of their watercolours. So, I selected a key few colours that, to me, evoked a soft dreamy, far away feel an a couple more warmer tones to create balance and to help me create skin colours.

The QoR paints when used have all the subtlety, transparency and flow of watercolor, with colors that have strong vibrancy even after they dry. I am used to seeing the vibrant colour when you apply the paint wet but many brands, become less vibrant as they dry. This isn’t the case with the QoR colours. There is also much more pigment held within the mixture and the combination of these two properties make the colours simply glow on the paper even when dry.

 I am a curious soul and my mind was certainly spinning wondering why- so I did some research. The exceptional color strength of the QoR range of Watercolors is apparently achieved through the use of a unique binder called Aquazol®.

'Conservators have been using Aquazol since the early 1990's as an adhesive, consolidant, and inpainting medium. The properties that make it ideal for use in conservation also make it a great binder for watercolor paint. It is highly soluble in water and remains re-soluble over time. It remains stable after accelerated light aging tests with no significant change in color, and it is very safe to work with. But what is really exciting is that Aquazol can hold much greater amounts of pigment than the same amount of gum Arabic, while retaining a strong and flexible paint film.' 

(https://www.qorcolors.com/science) 

When working with people in other disciplines– it can sometimes seem like everyone is speaking a different language as our mind circles round and round trying to understand why or how. But collaboration between disciplines is crucial for coming up with new ideas. Our minds may circle round and round as we play with fresh ideas but by allowing this circular thought amazing new products are born. Thank you QoR for your circular thinking.

Honorable Mention Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 2019 Member's Exhibition

I was very pleased to receive the news today that my painting 'Bah Humbug' was selected  by Juror Yachiyo Back from over 200 paintings  as one of the 15 award winners in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 2019 Members exhibition. Congratulations to everyone in the exhibition. There are some beautiful paintings.

Click on this link to see the award winners  and the complete exhibition.

We took our Christmas lights down inside the house at the beginning of January but still have our lights up outside. It brightens up a cold snowy winter and is a welcoming sight when you come home of an evening. I had to laugh though. We have a switch on the floor just by the front door which got covered in snow a couple evenings ago during our last snow storm. When I took our dog out first thing the next morning I wondered why half the lights were not working. I checked the main power socket, the power adapter, the fuse lights and still couldn't work out why they were not working. I probably had a very similar expression to this until I suddenly realized my husband must have stood on a switch that was buried in the snow and accidentally turned it off the night before. Luckily it was an easy fix and our lights are now working again!

Splash 19:Illusion of Light

I am honoured to have my painting 'A Penny for your Thoughts' featured as the lead image for the portrait section of the latest 'Splash 19: The Illusion of Light'  recently published by North Light Books. There are so many amazing images in this book. It is one well worth getting.

Louisiana Watercolor Society 48th Annual International Exhibition Award

After a fun workshop up in Sudbury, it was wonderful to come home to the news that 'Fly Away Thoughts' had been selected for an award in the Louisiana Watercolor Society 48th Annual International Exhibition.

Thanks to all the hard working directors of LWS for making the exhibition possible.

The Teds are featured in the International Watercolor Magazine's 3rd Issue

It was a great start to the new year to receive a copy of the latest issue of the International Watercolor Magazine. I have a 6 page feature in this magazine. My Teds have been eagerly awaiting this issue all holidays and so, of course, when it arrived we had to all sit down for story time.

 

I am honored to be featured alongside Alvaro Castagnet, Myint Naing, Huang Zhigang, Olga Litvinenko, Sun Jiangang, Dino Dante Pajao, Ouyang Songbai, Ouyang Songbai, Shi Zengxiu, and Mark Mehaffey in this issue.

You can purchase the magazine online http://www.iwsmagazine.com/en/products/

Happy New Year to you all.

First Friday Richmond Hill

It was our first ever 'First Friday' event in downtown Richmond Hill yesterday evening and I had a lovely time painting in the sunshine and chatting to the people walking around. I think the happy warm sunshine flowed into my painting too. Its not finished yet but this is where I got to by the end of the evening.

Any guesses when type of birds are visiting my painted oranges?

This is a photo of me with our local MP for Richmond Hill Majid Jowhari. Photo credit: Phil Shepherd

Emotive Expressions Gift Store

You can now buy directly from the Gift Store on the Emotive Expressions website using my newly installed online shopping cart.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars. Happy shopping!

Splash 19: The Illusion of light

I am delighted to be among the artists selected to be included in North Light Books Splash 19: The Illusion of Light which will be published next year

'A Penny for your Thoughts' has now officially become my most successful painting so far. It has been accepted into 3 big exhibitions, won 3 awards and now will be published in this book too. You can see the full list of winners here

Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors

I was delighted and very surprised to receive notification that my paintings, 'Leaf me Be' and 'Watch Over Me' have both been accepted into the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors. Thank you to everyone at the View Arts Center and to Juror of selection Ken Call.

Brand New Look to my Website!

Very Excited to announce I have a brand new website design! 

I hope everyone will enjoy taking a look around the brand new www.onak.ca  with its gift store, interactive galleries, paint along videos and much much more! Let me know what you think!

News

I had two exciting pieces of news this week. 'Chocolate Chipadees' will be winging its way to Kenosha this spring for the 2017 Transparent Watercolor Society of America's 41st Annual Exhibition (Jurors, Jean Pederson, CSPWC, AWS and Bruce Handford TWSA MS, NWS)

The exhibition will take place at the Kenosha 5500 First Avenue, Kenosha, Wisconsin from May 6th to August 6th 2017.

 My painting 'From Little Acorns' was also awarded an Honourable Mention in the International Watercolour Societies online contest.

The contest had an overwhelming response and received 1452 entries. To be chosen as one of the top 31 paintings is such an honour. I hope you enjoy the slideshow of all the winners. 

Paint Along with Ona

My Holiday gift to you all this year is a paint along with me. In this video you will see how I create realistic folds in fabric. I hope you will enjoy following along and painting your own version of this simple Holiday themed watercolour using just 6 colours. If you don't have the colours I use, just substitute for ones you do have. You need a neutral colour,  a purple/red, a pink, a warmer orange/red, a mid brown, and an orange/brown.

If you have subscribed to my e mail notifications or you want to see the video full screen please click on the link to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/q04gZvRFLEk

An early Christmas gift

Christmas came early today for my special little boy Harry. Jamie Markle from F&W kindly sent us a special preview copy of the newly published book 'Art Journey Animals' which has my drawing of Harry as the front cover. I hope you enjoy the photo's my husband took as I unwrapped the package and showed the book to Harry. I think he approves, don't you?

'Hey Harry, Santa heard you wish. A package has arrived from F&W'

'Look Harry, it's you on the front cover. Isn't that awesome!'

'That's me, that is. They have made my eyes extra shiny too'

The book can be pre ordered from North Light Books http://www.northlightshop.com/art-journey-animals.

Cheap Joe's Award 2016 NFWS National Exhibition

I had a wonderful message yesterday evening from fellow artist Cathy O'Neill letting me know that my painting 'Thought Bubbles' won the Cheap Joe's Art Stuff Award in the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society's 13th National Exhibition. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the opening reception yesterday afternoon. The composite photo below shows NFWS vice president Cathy Skeeter with my painting and the painting label with juror Thomas Schaller's comment. Thank you both for taking the time to pose for, take, and send me the photo. I really appreciate it.

Thanks to all at NFWS for making this exhibition possible and to juror Thomas Schaller, Thank you also to Joe Miller for donating the award.

Puppy love

   I've spent the last couple of days curled up on the sofa drawing with my faithful friend beside me watching my progress. This is him as a youngster. He is now 14 years old but he still knows how to leave paw prints on my heart with those soulful eyes of his.

' Puppy Love ' Pen and ink (10.5 by 7 inches)

Love, they say, is patient,

Love, they say, is kind,

It sees beyond another’s faults

For love, they say, is blind.

Love will not diminish,

Or rush or fade with years,

But it will gain its strength

From time, from laughter, joy and tears.

Love is God’s own gift to us.

A present from above,

He gives us peace, He gives us joy,

But first He gives us love. (Anon)

Leaf me be

There are times in our lives when we just need to take a break, to disconnect, to figure things out. At these times we need to be alone. We don't need to be comforted by others, we just need a quiet moment to take things in, all that has been, time to pull ourselves together again, or time to just let go.

'Leaf me be' Transparent Watercolour 20 by 28 inches

Creating this painting at my busiest time of year, for me has been my time out, my alone time, just me and my brushes, time for me to gather my thoughts. It has just been an odd hour here and there over the last few weeks but my 'alone time' with my brushes during these odd moments was just what I needed. 

Make sure you take the time out to take care of yourself however busy you are. You deserve it.

CSPWC Open Water

It's always an honour to have a painting selected to exhibit in a Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour International Open Water Exhibition.

From Little acorns has just been accepted into the exhibition this year. The exhibition is open from October 20th to November 18th at the JOHN B. AIRD GALLERY, 900 Bay St. Toronto, Ontario.

Strokes of Genius 9 Winner Notification

I had some amazing news to end my birthday yesterday evening:

"Congratulations! We are very happy to inform you that 'Forever and Always' and 'Act-Ted' have been selected for publication in North Light Books' Strokes of Genius 9!"

Harry, my labrador, just LOVES being in the Strokes of Genius books. This will be his third. 

and Little Act-Ted.... well you know how much my Teds enjoy being in books! The theme for this one is 'Creative Discoveries' and it will be published in the fall of 2017.

TENDERHEART-TED TALES

I'm so Excite-Ted!!! My book TENDERHEART-TED TALES is now available to pre order. All pre orders will be hand signed with a personalised message and will include a canvas Ted bookmark.

The 62 page hardback image wrap book is $85 Canadian Dollars with free shipping to Canada and the US. (Book size: 7 inches square) To reserve your copy please e mail ona@onak.ca

If you are receiving this blog post by e mail please click on the link to the blog to watch the promotional video or watch it full screen on youtube here