A Penny for your Thoughts WIP 1

  I love setting the scene with a background. I wanted a dreamy feel for this one with a suggestion of mist so that the actual location can be left almost completely to the viewers imagination. I have included a small penny in the background as the child I am going to paint has a very thoughtful far away expression... to quote the saying... its a penny for her thoughts. 

I have adjusted the photo above so its close to the actual colour of most of the background on the painting but unfortunately the camera did not pick up the coppery colour of the coin and refected copper colour on the rock. You will have to imagine this for now. I am hoping to use this coppery colour in the child's eyes and hair also so hopefully as I get more of the colour into the painting, the camera will pick it up more easily.

I also wanted to let you know that over the last few weeks I have been setting up an Ona Kingdon 'Emotive Expressions' facebook Fan page.

 On this page I have a selection of my paintings in various albums including one with all the Ted paintings in and another fun album of people with my paintings. Over the last few years several people have sent me photos when they have either seen them while on exhibition, have bought one of my paintings or have a magazine or book with one of my paintings in, and a calender where you can see where my paintings are or will be on exhibition. I thought it would be fun to put them all into one album and I am sure more photos will be added in the future. I have also added a calender so you can easily find out which paintings are going to be where for the big international and national shows and when I will have solo or group exhibitions locally or am painting in a public place where you can drop by and watch.

If you want to like the Ona Kingdon 'Emotive Expressions' facebook fan page click on this link  It is not intended to replace this blog but just to provide some of the information in a place that many people visit daily.

Ona

Best in Show

I have just got back home from the NFWS Spring exhibition reception in Buffalo US. John Salminen was the juror for the exhibition and I am thrilled that he awarded my painting 'Rhythm 'n' Blues Best in Show.

 
Thank you John and thank you to everyone at the exhibition for making James and I feel so welcome. It was so great to meet several on line friends in real life for the first time and to make several new friends too.

Here are a few more photos from the exhibition

 A general view of one of the two exhibition rooms

 Another of the award winning paintings. This one is by Kathleen Giles.

 People looking at my painting. You can also see a painting by Cathy O'Neill just to the left of the white pillar who won an honorable mention

Receiving my award from President Anne Gayley

You can see all the award winning painting here on the NFWS website

Ona

When will I ever learn

I have been taking a quick break from watercolour to play with my pens again. Working in pen really trains you to look for the light and shade and plan because, as a medium, it is even less forgiving than watercolour. I have called this one 'When will I ever learn'

I think we have all felt like the chimp in my drawing for some reason. It might be because of life in general or something more specific... a project, a relationship, or something at work. You are full of hope thinking this time you will succeed, this time it will work, only to realise the hard way that you were wrong.

 When my children were younger we used to spend a lot of time at zoo's animal sanctuaries and wildlife parks because both of them loved watching the animals especially the apes and and monkeys. They have such wonderfully expressive faces with almost human like expressions at times. We used to sit and watch them for ages and I would tell my children a story about what they were thinking and why. This memory was my inspiration for this drawing. I wonder what story I would have created to tell them about this poor young chimp.

Pen and Ink 12.25 by 12 inches

Charles Strissel Memorial Award

Its always exciting to get good news.  My painting 'Coded Thoughts' has been chosen to receive the Charles Strissel Memorial Award by juror Lenox Wallace at this year’s IWS 30th National Exhibition. This award is named in honor of IWS founding President Charles Strissel.

The exhibition will be held at The Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon, Illinois. It opens this Tuesday coming  (May 6)  and runs until May 30, 2014. The Gallery Hours are: Tuesday - Saturday 8 am - 4 pm. 


Ona

Recollect-Ted

Sometimes, even though we may feel loved and content with our life now, we can't help but to pause and think about how much we miss the old times.

Two old well loved Teds find a photograph of themselves when they were younger and recollect the times when they used to go everywhere with the two girls.

Just to recap this painting has a very special story behind it which began last November. I was asked to help raise money for the Sunshine Foundation of Canada which is a national charitable organization that makes dreams come true for children with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. There was a local TV auction back in December and person with the highest bid won the opportunity to work with me in developing an idea for the next Ted painting. 

My lucky winner Helen has been wonderful to work with. She wanted her and her twin sisters Teds to be the stars of the painting. She also gave me a few objects to include in the painting including an old photograph of her and her sister when they were just 2, her heart shaped locket, and her grandfathers pocket watch. As I was carefully unpacking everything I could almost feel the memories associated with everything and the idea came to me to base the painting on memories. It seemed fitting as the Sunshine Foundation is all about making special memories for the children and their families.

It has been such a joy working with Helen to bring this painting to life. Thank you to you and your sister Linda for providing me with your treasured Teds and other sentimental items to use as the subjects for this painting.

Ona

Greening the Hill, Our Community, Our Future

It was the official unveiling of my painting yesterday evening to celebrate The Town of Richmond Hill’s first Environment Strategy, 'Greening the Hill: Our Community, Our Future'.

Here are some photos for you with Mayor Dave Barrow, Terry Ricketts the Director of the Environment Services Department and members of Council

You can also see a photo of me with the Town of Richmond Hill's Environment Services Department that commissioned me to create the painting.

 The painting will be used as the cover art for the document and the original will become part of the Towns permenant art collection.

 Ona

Recollect_Ted WIP 2

It has been so enjoyable bringing the first of these two old Teds to life in the painting. He is full of so much love and knows so many stories.

The worn fur on his face, the hand sewn eyes and nose and the knitted areas on the rest of his body to me all tell a story of the cuddles he has received and the places he has been with Linda. He has travelled well being adopted in Ireland and then travelling over to Canada with Linda when she was small. He also had a trip back again to visit family. I would love to be able to hear his thoughts as he looks at the old photo.

Do you have any stories about your old Teds?

Ona

Recollect-Ted WIP 1 and hopefully sharing a smile

Do you remember when I showed you a photo of two old Teds and a few other objects a few weeks ago? Click on the link if you want to see the photo again.

To quickly recap, in November of last year I agreed to help raise money for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada. There was a local TV auction and the person with the highest bid won the opportunity to work with me in developing my next Ted painting.  My lucky winner Helen chose to base the idea for the painting on her and her twin sisters two old Teds who have been with them since they were both two years old. She also loaned me an old photo of the two of them as children and a few other sentimental objects to encorporate into the painting. As I carefully unpacked the Teds, the old photograph and the other objects the idea of the two Teds recollecting a very special moment in their life when they were first adopted came to me.

I wanted create a background that was relatively plain but at the same time enhance the soft feminine feel that I want the painting to have so I chose to suggest a stitched quilt type texture.

The old framed photograph was a delight to paint. At about 3 by just over 6 inches it's almost a true miniature painting within the larger painting. I adapted the old reference photo slightly and added in Helen and Linda's two Teds as youngsters capturing that moment when they had just been given by their uncle in Ireland. Click on the photo to see the painting so far a little larger. I will be working on Linda's Ted next (the one behind the photograph).

I also want to share with you a fun e card that I made while waiting for the successive glazes of paint to dry on the background. I hope it makes you smile.

Ona

Incriminate-Ted to Feature in Splash 16

I am honoured to have a painting selected to be in this popular series of North Light books again this year. Splash 16, which will be published sometime in 2015, will be all about textures so I will have lots to write about with this painting. It was such a fun to create. I will never forget my poor husbands face when I asked him to put his camera inches away from my Ted while I drizzled maple syrup all over him. He was so afraid I was going to miss the bear and catch his camera instead. His expression was a picture!

Ona

Promotional Video

 I have created this short promotional video to share with potential clients who might be interested in getting a portrait painted or drawn of themselves, a family member or a pet. I hope you will enjoy it too though.


Ona

Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society Exhibition Acceptance

I was really pleased to get a letter in the mail yesterday to say that both  'Distort-Ted' and 'Rhythm 'n' Blues' have been juried into the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society Exhibition. The juror for this exhibition is John Salminen

You will be able to see the exhibition from May 9- June 6, 2014 at:

Artists Group Gallery
One Linwood Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14209
716-885-2251

The Gallery Hours are : Tues - Fri: 11 am - 5 pm and Sat: 11 am - 3 pm

Ona

Finished Painting

I have just finished the painting that will be used for the wrap around cover of a publication.

Now I get to hand over all the hard work to my husband who has the job of photographing it and producing the colour matched digital file to be sent to the publishers for printing.

Thank you for all your e mails and messages as I have been working on this project. It was so lovely to be chosen to capture elements of where I live in a piece of artwork and I am glad you have all enjoyed watching it develop over the last few weeks.

Ona

Book Cover Project WIP 5 and Skylight Gallery Photo's

I'm progressing well with the bookcover commission and now just have the people left to paint.

I will post a photo of it once I am finished.

I also wanted to share with you a couple photos that James took yesterday evening of our reception at the Skylight Gallery. Its a beautiful venue and James managed to takes these photos early in the evening before it and we got busy so you could see the exhibition in context.

The exhibition will be open each weekday except Good Friday  from 8am-5pm until April 29th so please visit if you haven't already done so and you live close enough.

Book Cover Project WIP 4

I've been switching between two different areas over the last few days. As both are on opposite sides of the painting it allows me to work on one while I wait for a glaze to dry in the other area...the joy of a large painting. I still have a lot of work to do on the front cover section but the back cover section (the left hand side of the painting) is beginning to take shape, just the rest of the bus, all the tiny people to paint both of which will give my miniature brushes plenty of exercise.

Ona

Skylight Gallery Exhibition is Open

I hung the exhibition this morning at the Skylight Gallery in Aurora. My section of the exhibition comprises of 12 pieces, all of which have eyes or what we see as their main focus, hence the name 'Windows into the Soul'. Each painting or drawing though is also a window into my soul as the artist and into the viewer's soul as they look at the painting or drawing so I guess the title applies to this too. I took this quick photo this morning so those of you that are too far away to visit can see it too, albeit virtually.

I hope that those of you that are local can pop in and see the exhibition over the next 4 weeks. You are also welcome to come to the Artists reception on friday evening 7-9pm. (Use the 3rd floor entrance at the back of the building) I would love to see you.

Ona