COUNTDOWN....AND R.A.W. INFO.....

So, the countdown is on. I have 8 days until I hang my latest show!
I still have a LOT of work to get done......but things are beginning to take shape.
I am down to the last 6 paintings. I will have a couple to show you for Friday, but until then, I wanted to mention a show I am part of this upcoming weekend.
I am doing the Riverdale Art Walk.

I have done this show a number of times in the past - in the par. BUT this year, I am opening up my studio on Queen St and showing from there! How exciting is that?? I am excited about NOT having to set up in a park and get wet!! I can sit in the comfort of my own studio, right in the heart of all the action.
What makes this different? Why come to this show? Well there is lots of great art in the parks and up Queen St! Also I will NOT be showing the works that you will find in The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. So it is stuff some of you have not seen.
You will also NOT see the works from my upcoming AUTO FIXATION EXHIBITION!
What will you see? Some very well priced 'older' works!
Come out and get a deal!!! Here are the deets:

The 13th Annual Riverdale Art Walk is a two day, juried fine art exhibition open to all. We showcase established and emerging artists in retail spaces, artists’ studios and in Jimmie Simpson Park. We select artists through an anonymous juried process that does not discriminate on any basis.

Saturday June 4th and Sunday June 5th from 11am-6pm

756 Queen St. E. (Basement Studio - right below Hangman Gallery)

I hope you come out despite the weather!!

AUTO FIXATION: the deets

Hey y'all.
Today is the shorted blog post EV-VAH!
It is a crazy busy day, I am already 11/2 hours behind schedule and it is only 11AM!!!!!!!!
So.... here is everything you need to know about my upcoming exhibition:


"AUTO FIXATION"
A new exhibition of original works by Rob Croxford

Here is my Artist Statement about the show.....imagine me not speaking in 3rd person though...

 ‘Auto Fixation’ is a tribute to the long line of mechanics in Rob’s ancestry, especially his Dad. Truthfully, Rob has never been a ‘car guy’, mostly because he has no aptitude in this area. However, he does have a deep appreciation good design and a talent for finding the beauty in almost any subject matter. The vintage car is the ultimate testament to outstanding design, and the paintings in ‘Auto Fixation’ explore the beauty of this! Rob’s work appropriates quotes & through irony/word puns/satire, re-invents the subject matter to draw attention to current issues. He mimics advertising iconography from pre-1950 to establish a ‘vintage’ visual look in his paintings. The unapologetically happy style enables the work to remain accessible, and helps diminish any political sting. Rob hopes that his work entertains but also challenges people to re-assess their opinions about our values and our traditions. 

The Reception will be a super cool night....come out and share a tasty beverage with him me!

I look forward to seeing you there. 

 I will not have the full catalogue of 25 brand spanking new paintings (YES I SAID TWENTY-FIVE!!!!) on my actual website (www.robcroxford.com) until the day of June 9th!

(but if you spend some time on this blog you can probably see them all)

Remember, seeing the web versions is NOTHING like seeing them all in person.

Also......I will not be showing these works at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in July.

So try to come out and see these great new works.

There.

Have I built it up enough for you????

I hope to see y'all out on the 9th!!!

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY - COLOUR CONFIDENTIAL

Howdy!
I thought this week I would do a Wonderful Wednesday theme.
Colour.
As many of you know, I am coo coo for colour.
My work is colourful, my wardrobe is colourful, my language is colourful.
You get it.
So here are a few fabulous things that I LOVE this week:

1.) This photography series by Marco Ugolini and Pedro Motta seeks to subvert the power of manipulation of corporate giants by organizing supermarket products in specific color groups. From black and white to red and blue, it’s really interesting to see just how everyday objects can be used to create thought provoking images. Find out more about the project here.

I saw my basket and I had to paint it black......

Am I blue?

It's not easy being green.

I cant' think of a song that mentions yellow....

Thanks to Junk Culture Blog for this link! Junk culture is one of my very favourite blogs EV-VAH!
You should check out the J.C. blog......it is always inspiring to me!

2.) Look at these STUNNING photos from the Netherlands. And what do we think about when we think about The Netherlands.......clogs, cheese, windmills, dykes, weed, and legalized prostitution? Well yes, but we also think about tulips. Look at these fields of tulips. Just gorgeous!

Thanks to Pitch Design Union. This blog is another fantabulous blogs about design.

3.) These are some great shots that make my face melt. Yes, that is a good thing. Check them out and try NOT to salivate. I DARE you! Thanks to my friends at Design Crisis for finding these. If you have not checked out Design Crisis. You must. MUST.

blue and orange.......YUM!

The rainbow stairs.....I wish I had the stones to do this!!!!

Every building needs a splash of colour!!

Um.....which is the passing lane???

One does need a hint of colour.

This is the floor that makes my face melt the most.

4.) Ok, as you probably know, I am a bit of a Disneyphile. I hate using the term as it sounds slightly unsavoury.....but it is what it is! So here are some stills from "The World of Colour" water show at Disney California Adventure Theme Park. It looks spectacular...and I look forward to seeing it in person next year! I have attached a video of it as well.....if you have 30 minutes to waste, please enjoy!!!

5.) Finally 3 songs that are colour related.
ONE: From "Color me Barbra" this ridiculous medley of songs is a sure fire hit....
           and the fact that Ms. Brolin is on a trapeze. COME ON!!!!!!

TWO: "True Colors" by The incomparable Cyndi Lauper.

THREE: "Rainbow Connection". I love this movie. It reminds me of my misspent youth!

There you go.
The colourful world of #WW!!!!
I hope you enjoyed it.

SEEING DOUBLE

What time is it?
No, not creepy clown nightmare time.......
it's time for another trip to the Value Village!

Hey y'all.
Well, another Sunday brunch has come and gone. Which means another trip to the Double V!
I discovered a number of things that I wanted to share!
It seemed wherever I looked there was 2 of everything. 2 paintings, 2 dolls, 2 screaming children whose mother thought it was fine to let them fight in the aisle, 2 mentally unstable people arguing about the prices of things......you know....the usual.
I felt like Noah of the V.V.!
So here are some of my finds.
Enjoy.

What a lovely painting......I can't think how this could be a better find.

Oh wait. NOW I see how it can be better. There are 2 of them.!!

2 'Children of the Corn' dolls. 2 times the spookyness!

Rob: I am not sure. The 2 dog paintings are nice, but I think I like the warm colours in these better.
Husband: Well, I think these really fit our lifestyle. As we are both Class 3 Jedi's

Sometimes, two heads are better than one!

I made the mistake of thinking it was a weave....and putting on my head........
AWKWARD!

Ok...there were more than 2 of these....but can one really have too much freedom?

How au courant! And no, I could not convince husband to buy them so that we could match.

Finally! A good, sensible, everyday champagne flute.........for those with very long necks.

Rob: What about these matching hats for us?
Husband: No gracias
Rob: But they are super fun.
Husband: No me gustan. Vamos a parecer estupido usarlos.
Rob: Um.....when did you start speaking fluent Spanish?

2 Mr. Tennis Ball Head dolls. I don't know what to say about this.

I would have bought these, but our living room isn't large enough to feature 2 kleenex boxes.

Ok. There is only one of these.......but it is 2ce as cute as everything else!!

So. There you go. Another interesting shopping trip. If you are interested in any of these beautiful one of a kind two of a kind items, make sure you get to the V.V. asap!

FRIDAY....

I believe it was Robert Frost that said "It’s Friday, Friday...Gotta get down on Friday...Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend.....Friday, Friday.....Gettin’ down on Friday.......Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend.....Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)....Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah).....Fun, fun, fun, fun... ..Lookin’ forward to the weekend."
That was Robert Frost who wrote that...wasn't it????
Anyways....So I have had a super productive work week. 
I finished 2 more paintings and began another (that I will show on Monday!) 
So here you go...the 2 latest:

"Good 'Ol Days", Acrylic on Board, 24" x 18"

 So you might recognize this one. I decided to retrofit an old painting (see photo below) to jazz it up.

Truthfully if something lasts in my studio over 3 years, it is time for it to be re-imagined! I like the new look of the bottom! Don't you?

"Speed Demon", Acrylic on Canvas, 16" x 20"

This one is fun. It was a pleasure to paint and it really moved quickly which is great at this point (as I have only 2 weeks until the big 'Auto Fixation' Show! 
So that is it for this week. Enjoy your long weekend.....and i'll be back on Monday!!

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY - EIGHT IS GREAT!

Ok...ok.....not the best title........I am a little rushed this week!
I promise next week will be more clever....well, maybe not promise........maybe...hope?
Ok, so with no further delay........here are 5 things that I loved this last week.

1.) "Bridesmaids".

     I do not know who I love more.....the impossibly funny Kristin Wigg or Maya Rudolph.
     Together they are spectacular. I know what you are thinking - it is a chick movie, Rob. You are only    
     partially right.......it was laugh out loud - almost crying funny. YOU MUST SEE IT for a very low
     brow laugh! (and is there any better kind?) Here is the official trailer:

2.) Every year some amazing talent is produced by the t.v. program American Idol. This year is no
     exception!! The breakout super-talented stars from this year are most definitely Jennifer Lopez, and
     Steven Tyler!!! Anyways, so every year, there is a great summer song. Something that sounds great as
     you sip (insert your fave cocktail here) by the beach/on the patio. This year, I am nominating this one:

    Yes, I know he is older than the crypt keeper, and he dresses like your crazy Aunt Linda...but I enjoy
    him and his floppy hats and woman's pant suits!!
  
3.) This book (thanks Dale) "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" by James and Karla 
     Murray. SUPER FANTASTICO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy these pictures from it....THEN BUY IT!!!!

SEXY! N'est pas?

This one makes me tear up......it is how I always pictures heaven.

I could use a day at Marie's!!

C'mon!!! This is bee-autiful!!

THANK GOD. Finally a place to buy my "Manx" (Spanx for men)

I would marry this font!

Actually, it is THIS font that I would marry. COME ON!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!

Funny fact...that since the book was published 1/3 rd of the stores featured - have closed!!!


4.) I stole this from one of my fave's. The blog is called Junkculture...and I LOVE IT!!!!!! This artists work is really appealing to me. As part of his new "Disassembly" project, artist Todd McLellan disassembled and photographed all sorts of everyday objects and gadgets. The series shows a telephone, an alarm clock, a camera and a typewriter, each taken apart and photographed to display the internal parts that we rarely see. Find out more about Todd's work here.

     AMAZING!! NO????? Check out the rest on his site!!


5.) I found a quote this week that I like....but have not found a way to use it:
     "The odds are good that the goods are odd."
    If you can think of a clever way for me to appropriate (aka steal) this quote...let me know!

So there ya go!!! Hope you enjoyed this weeks #WW