#HIGHPARK #TORONTO - MERCHING IT UP!

So......according to my google analytics very few people read about this recent post....

Now......that is NOT a guilt trip/passive aggressive thing.......it's just the truth, yo!
Okay....so if you missed it....you can look at it here:

MY NEW PAINTING OF HIGH PARK IN TORONTO

Check it out - would 'cha?

I'll wait.....

....
......
...
.......
..........
.......
....
...........
Pretty - right???

So from there......I made some merch.......and blogged about the prints....
but even less of you read that blog post.......IT MUST BE SUMMER! My stats are always a bit down in the summertime......BUT you can read about it here:

PRINTS BLOG....

Exciting, huh? Well......NOW........I have the postcards!

Why do I look surprised??

Yes......that wonderful peacock from the High Park Zoo made the front of the postcard!

I will be selling these at the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Show in September......

Stay tuned for deets on that one soon!

Thanks for reading!!!!
;-)

HAMILTON, YOU'VE ARRIVED!!!

Okay, to I have been talking a LOT about Hamilton in the last few months.

You see.....I have done a couple shows there, and met some really great people.

Some artists, some foodies - and some swell business owners!

These people are trying to convince me that I need to MOVE and set up shop in the Hammer.

These are top quality people......people who love their city....and honestly, it is contagious!

I am honestly considering a move!

So...because I move in the direction that inspiration takes me, I give you this new painting!

I am gonna show you my progress on this piece with a series of photos -- my husband claims that when I do this, it makes the process look EASY! 

DOES IT??????

IT AIN'T!

It all starts with inspiration.......in this case..... it was this photo....

The Art Deco Style of the Hamilton Centre GO Station

and this inspiration......

So then I did a series of drawings - that look AWFUL - so I won't show you those!

Then I start to paint:

First......blocking in the building.....and get my 

Building up the colours - so it gets a more 'watercolour' effect....

Add in the people! I love how they look like they are marvelling at the building!

A bit more detail goes in, and a blue circle........

Adding in the GO train!

REPAINTING the circle border so that it is less distracting......
....but it is still not quite right......
AND THEN it occurred that there was something wrong....

I painted her arm wrong - OOOOOPS!
I also pumped up my colours.....and my shadow work......
I also put in a starburst to draw your eye back to the building...
.....and a bunch of washes of colours!

FINAL IMAGE!!!

YAY!

Well? What say you?

I think it is swell!!

(AND YES.......there will be merch - stay tuned for that!)

HIGH PARK PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE.....and a song........

Happy FRIDAY!!!
Remember this painting from last week based on glorious High Park:

REMEMBER? BRAND NEW???? HELLO?

So, in <> I talk about the park, and show you my progress on the painting.....GO SHOULD CHECK THAT OUT!
AND NOW......I have the limited edition giclée of this painting:

(A Giclèe is a super fancy inkjet method of printing on acid free watercolor paper.)

They are produced for me by a professional Giclèe Printer on an Epson printer with K3 pigment inks.
They look amazing (if I do say so myself)! I have them in 16" x 20" for $75.00 or 8" x 10" for $35.00

I will be showing them very soon.....stay tuned for deets on that - and if you want to pre-order one....

Just send me an email!

HAPPY WEEKENDING ALL!!!!!!

Oh.....and also let me share this song to get your weekend started......

HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER IT'S A TOE TAPPER.......

Here is the link if it didn't work:

https://youtu.be/1iAYhQsQhSY

HIGH PARK IN TORONTO!

Happy Thursday!
I have been super busy getting this new piece ready.
This was a request.
As you can imagine, people always ask why I haven't immortalized "their neighbourhood" in a painting........and I always ask, what is special about your area? What can I paint that would really tell the story of your 'hood? Sometimes it is not an easy answer!
But in the case of High Park, it was really a no no brainer!
Sit back and lemme tell you a story......

High Park opened to the public in 1876 and is about 400 acres of park land right in the middle of the big smoke. It is the LARGEST park in Toronto, and is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and even a zoo. One third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology. High Park was and is based on a bequest of land from John George Howard to the City of Toronto.

WORTH capturing in a painting.........like so......

First - I started with the subway tile backgound of High Park Station.
The poster part (in blue and green here) is illustration of the Hillside Gardens. 

THEN I forgot that you guys like to see the progress and didn't take photos for a day.....and THIS happened:

As you can see, the Hillside Gardens have a formal garden area - it was IMPOSSIBLE to
illustrate ALL the kinds of great gardens....so I chose this one!

 BAM!

The High Park Subway tile is in - with a bit of sheen!
ALSO there is a vintage map of the City of York on the bottom!

Finishing up the map at the bottom of the piece!

This is what I LOVE about these paintings......I was able to include the FAMOUS peacock!
If you don't remember the story ......check out this:

If you want more on this infamous bird.........just follow his twitter feed!

ANYWAYS, I wanted to make sure he was included in the painting - I painted him as though he is just popping into the frame - like only for a day - he was free again.

More progress on shadows, and the addition of the Train!
If you have kids, you most assuredly have been on the trackless train!

Adding in the words and more washes of colour - and the tape!

The quote "The earth has music for those who listen" is a nod to Shakespeare in the Park
Which if you haven't done - is a real TORONTONIAN MUST!

AND HERE IS THE FINAL IMAGE!

It has a bunch more finishing touches that make it really look swell!!
Lots of washes and highlights and shadows added!

I am super happy with the final look! I think it is the perfect addition to my series!

Yes.......I will have merch of this SOON! AND YES I will blog about it! ;-)

Also.....If you want to make a difference, try making a donation to http://www.highpark.org/donate/

Honestly, the fact that we have such a great place in the city, is AMAZING!

Go out today....and also feel free to sent a little dough their way!

Thanks guys!

KING OF KENSINGTON

Happy Friday!
I wanted to post this yesterday - but I just cold not get this painting DONE.......
So, to celebrate showing in Kensington Market again this year, I have created another new painting (and a print to come)
First.....here are the show details.......

The Kensington Market Art Fair (KMAF) is an annual curated outdoor art fair in Toronto’s historical neighbourhood, focusing on original art and craft. KMAF features artists working in painting, drawing, illustration, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and more! In partnership with the Kensington Market BIA and Pedestrian Sundays, KMAF occurs on the last Sunday of each month from May to October.

THIS WEEKEND ---
Sunday June 28, from 12pm – 7pm
77 Nassau Street, Kensington Market

More info: www.keep6.ca/kmaf
Contact: info@keep6.ca
Artist Directory: http://keep6.ca/kmaf/2015-featured-artists/

SUPER EXCITED TO BE SHOWING A NEW KENSINGTON PAINTING!!
So, I wanted to show you how the piece shaped up.....step by step.....

I drew a lot of this piece in - then inked it....then added the paint like watercolour!

Then slowly started putting in the shadows....

I really like how it looks without a bo!rder.......BUT.....

Beige border in place

FOREVER...now with a blue additional border.....

forever KENSINGTON MARKET....with more colour changes and such....

Then I decided it still looked compositionally unbalanced, so I
added the "Toronto Ontario"  -- then put washes and aging (my FAVOURITE PART)!

And here she is in all her glory!!!

"Forever Kensington", 36" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, 2015

YUP! She is a beaut!
I hope everyone agrees!!
See you next Sunday at the KMAF!
(Don't worry I will remind you across ALL the social networking platforms next week!)
;-p
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND Y'ALL!

THE GREAT MISSPELLING IN GORE PARK!!!!!

HELLO!
So..if you tuned in yesterday, you will have noticed THIS POST.
It was essentially the background of this painting....

"Gore Park", 36" x 24", Acrylic on Board, 

I thought it was great, so I did the blog post and social media-ed it up the wazoo.....

Then re-tooled the photo and sent the image to my printer - so that prints could be made......

BUT THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK.....

My oldest friend (old in the duration of friendship - not in age :-) noticed a spelling mistake in the art..........THANKS Michelle! Here is her website (she is a singer/comedienne/spelling bee champion)!

So...........can you find my error????

I'll give you a second....

Evidently I am a MO-ron, and overlooked the CORRECT SPELLING of "Nighttime".

WHAAAAA??

Yes......hard to believe it, but Night-time has a BUNCH of spellings - none of which include a version with only one 't'! I was one 't' short of a full nighttime.

So I spend more time....repainting out the sky and repainting in the CORRECT spelling of the words.

UGH!

I think it looks wrong! But it is not......but you be the judge:

"Gore Park", Acrylic on Board, 36" x 24" -- the REPAINT! ;-)

SO.......the NEW NEW painting will be on exhibition at the Queen & Jackson Art and Craft Market:

80 QUEEN STREET SOUTH, HAMILTON, ONTARIO. JUNE 13-14, 2015, 

11:00AM-6:00PM

(And yes.....there will still be giclèes available in June!)
THANKS!!!

HAMILTON'S GORE PARK.......BY ROB CROXFORD

Good holiday Monday!
YES, I am working today - so is the life of the artist.....insert your sympathy here.....
So, here is my new painting.....it will be on exhibition at the Queen & Jackson Art and Craft Market:

80 QUEEN STREET SOUTH, HAMILTON, ONTARIO. JUNE 13-14, 2015, 

11:00AM-6:00PM

So to be prepared for this show, I just finished my latest painting. 

It is the FIRST time I haven't done a Toronto 'landmark' in my "Sign of the Times" Series.

And I am really happy with it.

I took this existing poster as my original inspiration:

...BUT this is what I came up with.....

"Gore Park", 36" x 24", Acrylic on Board, 

So, the centre of the painting is the Gore Park fountain, which is originally from the 1870's.

STUNNING!

Yes.....some artistic liberties about the park area.....but not THAT many!

YES....this painting is available for purchase NOW!

For those of you who would like a giclèe of this piece......

I will have limited edition giclèes (both 16"x20" and 8"x10") that will be available in a few weeks!!! If you are interested in pre-ordering a giclèe, just email me!

See you in Hamilton in a few weeks!!

(I hope to have other Hamilton piece ready for then!! FINGERS CROSSED)

OTTAWA - NEW PRINTS!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!
Okay, so FINALLY I have a print to show you of this piece...

"Ottawa", 36" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas, 2014.
STILL AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

To read about the original painting please read THIS POST!!!
Just like all my other paintings, the original is ONE OF A KIND.
I showed this piece once, at The Ottawa Art Expo. It was a crazy weekend....read THAT story HERE!

If you LOVE this piece, NOW is your opportunity to own a limited edition giclèe of this painting!
(A Giclèe is a super fancy inkjet method of printing on acid free watercolor paper.)

They are produced for me by a professional Giclèe Printer on an Epson printer with K3 pigment inks.
They look amazing (if I do say so myself)!

Like my other prints, you can buy a 16" x 20" for  $75.00 

or 8" x 10" for only $35.00
Each one is signed and numbered, and fits in a standard frame!!!!
Get one today - HECK-- get 2!
If you are interested - see my site and email me....
I hope to have it up on Etsy by the end of the day!!!
Have a great weekend, y'all!!

...MORE TTC STREETCAR MERCH!!!!

Hey guys!
Here we have them....NEW PRINTS!!!
I am about to update my website, and update my Easy account.......but I wanted you to get a preview of these beauties:

To read about the original painting "King of the Road" please read THIS POST!!!
Just like all my other paintings, the original is ONE OF A KIND.
These prints are crazy affordable BECAUSE these are prints (or giclèes - if you are fancy person)
But they are a limited edition....so they will eventually be GONE! ;-)

A Giclèe is a sophisticated inkjet method of printing on acid free watercolor paper. 

They are produced for me by a professional Giclèe Printer on an Epson printer with K3 pigment inks.

You can buy a 16" x 20" for  $75.00 

or 8" x 10" for only $35.00

If you wanna be the very first to own one of these - just email me....
These pieces will also be available at The Spacing Store, starting NEXT week!!

OKAY! Have a great weekend y'all!!!

OTTAWA - a new painting!

Good Friday, friends!!!!
As you know (of you are a loyal reader - and hey…why wouldn't you be??) I have been working on new works for The Ottawa Art Expo

The Ottawa Art Expo opens with the Gala on Friday Oct 24th, then runs from
SATURDAY OCTOBER 25 and SUNDAY OCTOBER 26 from 10 am to 5pm

It all happens at the ST. ELIAS CENTRE at 750 Ridgewood Avenue, Ottawa

(Free Parking and Admission)

Well….here it is….the centrepiece of my booth. It is one of my 'Sign of the Times' paintings.
I wanted it to be about Ottawa, in the same way that my Toronto neighbourhood paintings are about my city. But I have to admit I really struggled with it at first.
You see, my work is very authentic to me.
What I mean, is I ONLY paint things that are part of my world, that affect me, that interest me and that I LOVE. But, I haven't been to Ottawa in 30 years, (see the photos HERE of my last trip) so I honestly know NOTHING about the city. YIKES!
So I started by asking a client (THANKS MARY) about the city, then I hit the Book of Face to get my 'friends' takes on the city. Then I hunkered down and did some research and some drawings.
What I found was that I couldn't just sum up the whole city with one piece.
DUH.
So I went with the obvious…..

"Ottawa", Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 24"

Yes, I know it may seem a little overdone, but the focus of my piece is the Parliament buildings.

They are iconic, and beautiful and worth celebrating! I just thought they would be fun to paint, but I wanted something else in the composition. Something that 'softened' the architecture a bit…so I added the tulips. For those of you who are as ignorant as me…..get hip to this bit of Canadian history….

The Canadian Tulip Festival is a tulip festival, held annually in May in Ottawa. The festival is the world's largest tulip festival, displaying over one million tulips!

Why?? 

Well, in 1945, the Dutch royal family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for Canadians having sheltered Princess Juliana and her daughters for the preceding three years during Second World War. The most noteworthy event during their time in Canada was the birth in 1943 of Princess Margriet to Princess Juliana at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. The maternity ward was declared to be officially a temporary part of international territory, so that she would be born in no country and would inherit only her Dutch citizenship from her mother. In 1946, Juliana sent another 20,500 bulbs requesting that a display be created for the hospital, and promised to send 10,000 more bulbs each year.

CRAZY story, huh? And there are LOADS of interesting little historical facts about the area!

The more I researched the more I was consistently discovering fascinating bits of history - that I had no idea about…..let's face it -- I am not exactly book smart! ;-)

So that was the reason that I put the tagline 'who says history is dull' on the bottom!

It summed up my feelings about how cool all the Canadian history in Ottawa is!

Initially my painting was going to be fairly mono-chromatic - like it was an antique……but after I realized that dull can also refer to colour - I decided to eject a LOT of colour into the piece.
I also added some Canadian geese!

At the end I gave it some 'aging' which as you know, is my FAVOURITE part!

The results are pretty great, I think!!

What do you think?

Yes….I will eventually be creating prints of this…..but for now, let's enjoy this original composition!

Well Ottawans and former Ottawans? 

What say you?

(You know I am actually only looking for compliments here, right? ;-)

NEW TORONTO POSTCARDS!

I know, I know, it seems like I have forgotten you.
Fear not dear friends, I have not forsaken you.
It was my birthday last week, and just got over my birthday hangover just yesterday!
;-)
So to celebrate being able to hold my head up again, I would like to share NEW MERCH.
More specifically, I would like to share with you my BRAND NEW POSTCARDS.
Now those of you who follow my work and this chatty little blog, know that I currently have a line of postcards that I have been selling for the past 5 months.
If you don't…..why not??
HERE is a post about them….
They have been very successful for me, and I am so thrilled!
So, I thought I would expand my line of postcards….so you have more selection!
(YAY)

No….not a professional hand model…….
But just look at the 5 new beauties!!!
These cards are still only $3.00 each.
That is only THREE BONES!
DEAL….am I right???!!!
Each card is 4" x 6" in size, and is printed on LOVELY thick glossy paper stock -- and matte on the back -- so that you can actually USE IT to send to a friend!!
Now as you know, I am a guy who loves the details……some even claim I am a little OCD…..
So the back of each card has a design that coordinates with the theme on the front of the card…..
Get it? Now look here…..

Cabbagetown….on the front…..which has a cabbagey-victorian loveliness to it:

The back? JUST AS LOVELY! See my cabbage…..
I put a lot of love into these…..so that you may love them too!!!
Perfect as a gift or as gift to self…..
Send one - frame one…..whatever you like!!!
See them on my website…or buy them from ETSY….
Or wait until December - for my Christmas show…..
(details forthcoming!)
Ok….that is it……HAVE A GREAT WEEK y'all!!

SPACING MAGAZINE at THE WORD ON THE STREET 'FEST (again)

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN.......
Time for W.O.T.S. (aka The Word on the Street Festival) -- yes…I am still calling it TWOTS - despite the fact that is TOTALLY OFFENSIVE! Sorry guys….I am still a 13 year old in my heart. :-)
For those of you who do not know this fest…..SHAME on you! ;-)
It is a FANTASTIC way to interact with all things written!
It's your best chance to pick up some great Canadian and Toronto reads!
And just look at this great poster…….

BTW WOTS PEOPLE…..I WOULD LOVE TO DESIGN A POSTER FOR YOU!
(just in case you are reading this -- have your people call me!!! :-) 

YOU MUST check it out!
HERE is their website…..for more deets.
I go every year! And am excited that my limited edition Toronto Giclèes will be showing in the Spacing Magazine booth again this year:

If you don't know Spacing Magazine…...READ THIS blog post...….
or just put the word "spacing" into the 'search this blog' box….
and read all the times I have talked about them!!

Come on people -- you gotta support them too! It really is an AWESOME MAG!

And soon they will be unveiling a real bricks and mortar retail store…..STAY TUNED FOR THAT!

You can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter

See you at The Word on the Street (see how I avoided the acronym there!! ;-)
Monday I have more great 'retailing' news……I am part of a new online art gallery…and am super excited to tell you all about it……but not until MONDAY!
Have a great weekend y'all!!