SOMEONE GRABBED MY ASS AT THE AWOL SQUARE FOOT SHOW and

Ya. You heard me!
As you may know (cause I have been relentlessly tweeting and blogging about it) I am part of the AWOL Square Foot Exhibition this year (for the first time in 7 years)!
Now, the art community in Toronto is actually strangely small......a couple of years ago at The Artist Project I was across from AWOL Gallery. We spent the weekend commiserating and kvetching....it was fun! So I thought 'why not' do the show this year??? It could be fun!
BUT THEN TRAGEDY STUCK!!!
Ok....so here's the story.....
On Monday I got an email from the lovely people at AWOL telling me that the toy donkey from my art piece walked away! I couldn't believe it!! 

I mean...COME ONE.......anytime someone has touched my ass, I have usually known WHO it was.
(I said usually....stop your judging!)

Seriously, what kind of a person steals objects off an artwork?
Right then, I decided to put on my best Jessica Fletcher.....and scour the crime scene for clues!
"Rob Croxford and the Case of the Grabbed Ass." 
It was all very Miss Marple.
Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I give you exhibit #1:

(insert clever ass comment here)

So....after dusting for prints and using my electro-mass-spectrometer  (I learned that one on CSI)....
I found NO CLUES in the case of the ass-napping!!!!!
OK TRUTHFULLY, none of that happened.....what did happen was........I scoured the Value Villages and model stores on Tues/Wed to find a replacement.....finally after HOURS of looking I gave up.
Thankfully husband has my back (or in this case - my ass) and found a nice small ass to replace my missing one.
Then I went off to Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West, just west of Dovercourt) to fix my art piece.
I was IMPRESSED - it was super well hung....(you know what I mean) there was like 1500 or so pieces all hung with care...it must have taken them FOREVER to get it all up!!
Anyways, it took me a while to find 'Audacity' 
(No, the irony of someone taking a chunk from a painting called 'audacity' is not lost on me!)
Here's why it took so long to find my art pieces:

YEOWSA! That's a lot of art!

It is actually a great way to get VERY AFFORDABLE art. 
At $225, you can get an original from some great toronto artists including:
Randy Hryhorczuk
Cindy Scaife
Kelly Grace
Stewart Jones
Laurie DeCamillis
Brian Harvey
as well as a bunch of the AWOL artists like..
Pamela Rosales and Paul Robert Turner
Oh and yes..there are about 550 OTHER artists across every discipline there too!!!
CRAZY!!
Here are a few more photos from the show:

(Find mine.....win a shiny quarter.)

Buyers? Artists? ASS GRABBERS??
(they look suspicious)

Photo reconnaissance for future stealing - or harmless photographing?
You be the judge!

This piece of mine was sold! HUZZAH!!

Love the cotton candy!!!!

So, as you can see it is quite an exhibition. Well worth a look-see!
Give yourself at least an hour to look!
Here are the deets again:

The 10th annual original Square Foot Show runs until Sunday August 19th, 2012 at Twist Gallery, 1100 Queen Street West, Toronto. GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday - Saturday 12-7pm & Sunday 12-5pm 

That gives you a couple weeks to check it out! 
Go and buy a very reasonably priced artwork!!
For me, I learned a powerful lesson from this whole thing:
Make sure you cover your ass! 
;-p

ONE SQUARE FOOT OF GOODNESS!

Hey Ya'll...well this weekend the 10th annual AWOL Gallery Square Foot Show opens! And I have some work that is in this HUGE show. Here are the deets on the show:

THE 10th ANNUAL ORIGINAL SQUARE FOOT ART SHOW
EXHIBITION DATES: Saturday August 4th – Sunday August 19th, 2012

PRESS & COLLECTORS EVENING GALAFriday August 3rd, 7pm – 10pmTicketed event in support of Daily Bread Food Bank and Arts For Children & Youth - PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE: Tickets $25 in advance, $30 at the door

ARTIST EVENING RECEPTIONSaturday August 4th, 7pm – 11pmFREE admission
Location: Twist Gallery, 1100 Queen Street West, Toronto 

 (just west of Dovercourt)

GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday - Saturday 12-7pm & Sunday 12-5pm  (Please note that on Saturday, August 4th the show will be open from 12pm-4pm and will re-open at 7pm for the Artists reception)

AWOL Gallery celebrates the very special Tenth Anniversary of The Original Square Foot Art Show. Since its inception in 2003, The Annual Square Foot Art Exhibition has become one of the most exciting Art Shows for Artists and Collectors alike. Collect Visual Art by New & Established Artists.  More than 600 Artists & Over 1500 pieces of Art! All artwork 12x12 inches & Collectible at $225.

JOIN US IN CELEBRATION OF ART & ARTISTS! HELP MAKE THIS YEARS SQUARE FOOT SHOW A GIANT SUCCESS!

For my part - I created these 3 BRAND NEW pieces of mixed media works specifically for the Square Foot show.
Now, I also created 2 of these style of 'Mixed Message" series for my "Town and Country Show"
WHICH CLOSES THIS WEEKEND - see info HERE!
And I got some good feedback - that people were not to sure what they were about.....
But here I can explain them! I also came up with a solution to the 'What does it say' inquiries!!!
I think they are super fun!!!

"Audacity" - which is phonetically spelled 'odd-ass-city' is 12" x 12".

This piece uses a transfer of my (sold) painting "Going Somewhere", which has been repainted and re-inked.....I then added an original hand inked donkey (aka ass).....and a bunch of painted mouldings!

I also added a plastic donkey, and some kids letters that spell 'odd'.
I really think this word works well to describe a view of city hall.
You know what I mean????
As you can see (below) - these new works have the name painted right on the side - so that you KNOW what it is saying immediately! I think the painted name is a great addition to these works!
What do you think?

"Insinuates" - phonetically 'in-sin-ewe-eights' also 12" x 12".

This one is a totally repainted transfer of my (sold) painting "Sleep Late", 

I made and applied a giant eight painted on wood.

It also has a bunch of painted mouldings!

I added a plastic ewe - but then thought it might be too obscure for people.....so I also added some kids letters that spell 'u' and also put in letters for 'in'.

I think this word also works with the subject matter of a strip club. 

Then there is "Succubus" ('suck-u-bus') my final 12" x 12".

This piece uses a transfer of my (sold) painting "Party Time", which I repainted with a bus instead of the original firetruck...so it was a TOTAL repaint!

I stained the wood in the background and then added (in ink) the imagery of the lady busy vacuuming!
Like the others, there is a bunch of painted mouldings.
I also added an antique printing press letter 'U'.
On this one I thought I had better I really give the definition of the word which is:
"A demon that assumes a female form to tempt men, ofter appearing in their dreams"
 COME ON!!! Is that perfect imagery/meaning for all the 'breast-taurants'???
It maybe a bit more risqué than my others.....but I really like it!!

What say you?
Do you love these new pieces?????
I'd love your comments!

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!!!!!