AREN'T YOU DONE YET......T.A.P. IS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!??!?

Hi! It's me AGAIN! I know....twice in one week.......
Ah-MAH-zing!
Today I want to show you 2 more pieces that are ready for The Artist Project....and I also wanted to share all the deets about T.A.P......and then there is this small explanation.....

So, I am working at a feverish pace, which unfortunately is not the pace I WISH I could paint at.
The "trouble" with my work is that it is concept driven. Each piece is COMPLETELY different from its brothers and sisters. I know, for the most part - the amount of work that goes into each piece remains unseen to the viewers who think my work is "cute" (which, YES is still a compliment). The thoughtful nature of my paintings is often looked past because they are fun. It is that same FUN that also makes my art seen as "less serious" by a bunch of my peers and by the traditional art collector. And to be honest, I don't really give a tiny rat's ass about that! However, I wish I could explain to these people how each piece requires hours and hours of planning!

Unfortunately, I am just not interested in painting a scenic vista of mountains, the stillness of a river through the forest, or the energetic paint patterns of an abstract piece. These are all equally beautiful, and I admire my peers who are passionate about these things, but it is just not my style! I also do not have any "shortcuts" to fast production......there are no stencils or spray paint or photographic transfers that could help facilitate a faster execution of a number of pieces at once! Truthfully, I have been looking for years to find an easier way to do a LOT of pieces for QUICK......so that I could price things lower......alas.....I can't seem to find it! Thankfully now I have a whole line of easily affordable merch!

So, I "plod along".....thinking and reflecting and planning and designing and REdesigning -- THEN painting! The result is work that I am very proud of, and that makes me happy......like these CUTE new pieces that are freshly done........

"Whole New Ballgame", Acrylic on Wood, 12" x 12".

You know how I am a big sports nut? OH YES! I love the sports.

(Okay.....maybe not......but I DO love a good idiom!)

"Research" Acrylic on metal and wood, 20" x 16".

This guy has been sitting on my easel for MONTHS.....finally finished, come see this super fun new piece - it looks SOOOOO much better in person......
COME OUT and see it at The Artist Project 2015:

"From seasoned collectors and first-time art buyers, to gallery dealers and interior designers, visitors can explore and discover works of art from over 250 top contemporary artists from Canada and abroad. This is a unique opportunity to meet and buy art directly from artists at Toronto’s most celebrated contemporary art fair."

My booth is #502:

Also....there is this video.....

Artist Project 2015 from Artist Project on Vimeo.

(or go here to see the video)

Okay....so that is it for today! Thanks for reading.....and remember I LOVE your comments and imput!!!!! Have a great weekend y'all!!!

I'M BAAAAACK!!!

(INSERT FANFARE HERE!!)

So.....after 3 months of being away in London, I am officially back home! 

YAY! 

It’s been a long & very sad few months. The sudden loss of my Dad, having my Mom go to a long-term care home, and now the selling of my childhood home really knocked me on my ass! Truthfully, I really had no concept of what grief and sadness was before it beat me over the head! I know, it sounds really naïve – or maybe just selfish, but it’s true. I guess I have been lucky to have not felt this kind of LOSS sooner!

Now that I’m back in Toronto, I assumed I would immediately pick up everything where I left off……you know, as the same upbeat, sarcastic, colourful, bow-tie wearing clown I was when I left! But honestly, right now it’s a challenge to be that guy. I figured I would just fake it until I felt better, and nobody would even notice. But the funny thing is, the last thing we want the world to see is almost the first thing to show.

DRAT!

That is why I share all this with you dear friends and followers! This post is both therapy for me, and hopefully illuminating for you. I am gonna use ”the power of gratitude to heal and enhance my life”. (Sounds like I found the title for my new book - in paperback - coming soon!) And I want you to do the same!!!

So, here I am……diving back in – faking a great attitude, and working on finding good things in each day. Step one is trying to be grateful for the things I have, and trying NOT to dwell on all the things that I have lost (because, in the words of Maya Angelou “loss sucks ass”)! I know they say that “grief is the price we pay for love”….but that doesn’t make it feel any less crap-tastic.

So, in the spirit of up-beated-ness, (um, yes, that is a word) here is what I am most grateful for (perhaps your own grateful list?):

1.)        My long-suffering hubby (who deserves an award for his patience and kindness)…..my dear friends, my nieces/nephews and in-laws, and my amazing sister (who I admire greatly, and who has made the last 3 months a lot less terrible! Her strength and humour has helped keep me together in the toughest times!)

2.)        My home. My life in Toronto. Everything I have built for myself in 20 (ish) years as an adult. I am grateful for my bed, my new bathtub, and my backyard. (The “old Triple B” – Bed, bath and Beyond.)

3.)        The memories of my parents. KNOWING that they live on in me…that I have my Dad’s wicked sense of humour, and my Mom’s remarkable type-A behavior. Once the sadness of being an orphan clears away, I know I will cherish all the fun times we shared as a family.

4.)        My talent. I’m an artist. I always have been, and I am grateful for that talent. Even in the darkest days, I still have ideas and inspirations that I hope will grow to fruition.

FINALLY…..there’s  this…….

5.)        My career. I still LOVE my work! I am proud of the business I have built over the last 10 years. Honestly, this year is already off to a REMARKABLE start! 

            I have six – yes, I said SIX commissions lined up. 

            There is The Artist Project this month:

And in addition to the shows I have planned, there are a couple of secret NEW projects that I am excited about. (Stay tuned for more about that!) 

I also have a great alliance with The Spacing Store in Toronto:

They have been a miracle in the last few months! I’m grateful for them selling my prints and merch like CRAZY! Click on the link to see the store!

So there you go. A deeply personal, and honest post about my journey back to happiness - through gratitude! (Hey…maybe that is a better book title??) I want you to count YOUR blessings today…..it feels pretty good!

And…..as proof of my hard work this week…….I leave you with an up-beat and brand new piece…..

"A Stitch in Time Saves Nine", 12" x 12", Acrylic on Board.

Cute right? Stay tuned for more EXCITING new pieces soon! The Artist Project is only a few weeks away! (YIKES!)

And oh ya......the last thing I am grateful for.......YOU GUYS! 

Thanks for reading.....you're the best!!

MY DAD'S ROSEBUSH…….a parable…...

Good Monday y'all.
Today……a tale……….I will try to make it interesting!
This weekend I was at my parents home in London Ontario.
Those who know me, know I am there every two weeks trying to help around the house.
My parents are both getting up there in age so I do what I can!
I am telling you this NOT to sound like a saint (Lord knows I am NOT saintly in any way!)
Truthfully, there is probably a part of me that helps so much in the hopes of banking a little good Karma…so that when I am 80 years old -- SOMEONE will care enough to take care of husband and me (as we have NO KIDS)……
...hint hint hint - Nicole - Jeff - Rachel - Rebecca - Jake - Stella - Dahlia……
Ok ok…..on with the story……...I…….

My Dad is a master gardener.
Ok…maybe not a master - but he takes loving care of his plants and has a real green thumb!
I give you this photo as proof:

This is my Dad's rosebush in 2012. As you can see, it is rather splendiferous!!!

For years, this rosebush was in the front of the house. It was small and rather unimpressive then. I would even go as far as to say that the roses - for the better part of two decades - were kinda….meh.

(I know - BIG WORDS - but true!!!!)

It was a little bit of a failure.

When my Dad retired, he replanted the 'meh-bush' in the backyard against the garage. He was determined to have a better roses! Each day, he would go out and tend to it, fertilize it….you know….just generally put effort into helping it grow.

And grow it did.

And grow.

AND GROW.

Within 5 years, it was huge!

It would bloom all summer long and cover the garage in an explosion of red flowers. When they were done blooming, there was an incredible trail of red petals on the ground!

Honestly - it looked as though he had just hosted an Indian wedding! ;-)

It was spectacular to me! 

He would then 'dead-head' the stems….and within a few weeks……MORE roses would appear.

And he would go through the whole thing again! All summer long!

It was like magic to me! (Granted I was NOT the one who had to water and feed the plant, nor was I the the one - who had to nor clean up after it…..so I guess that is why it was such an amazement to me!)

At the end of the year, he would never prune it back, and so year after year that rosebush got bigger and bigger and bigger!!! It got SO huge that I named it "Audrey 3".

(If you don't know why I named her that - I seriously question your commitment to this blog! ;-)

Honestly, I thought Audrey would just keep growing and growing and growing until it completely obscured the garage! A sea of red flowers! 

Like a giant float in the Orange Bowl Parade. 

Then this year, something changed. 

It is hard to pinpoint what changed, but overnight - or rather over a long cold bitter winter, poor Audrey kinda gave up. As the spring came, we waited to see the first buds on that big beastly vine…..we waited patiently……I mean, nothing had changed…..so surely Audrey would be as beautiful as ever and perhaps grow 3 times LARGER! 

Alas, it was not to be. After a month of waiting, there were no signs of life on the branches closest to the top of the garage. It appeared that there was no green ANYWHERE……my Dad tried new fertilizers and spent some dough almost desperately trying to get her green again…..but it was no use.

The result was this………

This is the lion's share of what was left of my Dad's prized rosebush.

Yup. Two pails full of prickly sticks.

The process of us cutting Audrey down was painful.

Literally!!!!!!!

She fought back….but we hacked and hacked at the thicket until it was all off the garage.

I bled. He bled…..honestly, it looked like I had been mauled by Roy's white tiger!

It was a lot of blood-letting work, and was actually quite sad. 

My poor Dad (who is rather stoic) even remarked about how sad it was that his rosebush wouldn't be there - covering the the garage with her spectacular blooms this year.

It only took one terrible winter to destroy something that he had worked on for a decade!!!!!!

Sad story or interesting parable????

It is sad….but do not lose hope…..this story does NOT have a tragic terrible ending. 

You see, my Dad, never one to give up, kept watering and caring for Audrey! So even when it looked the most bleak…..he kept trying to bring her back to life!

Then something amazing happened!

After we cut away all the dead, un-useful growth, there was new growth beginning!

Yes! Audrey had some fresh new vines, and some healthy leaves!!

Now, would she be the elaborate display that in pervious years people had marvelled at??

No.

But there is now a glimmer of hope! 

This year, she will be a bit smaller, with a few less roses, but as God is her witness she WILL have roses again! (Sorry…..I was channeling Julia Sugarbaker there :-)

Ok…here is the interesting part for me……..It was only as we talked about it more that I thought it was a parallel story for how I have been feeling the last 2 years……you see…….

I have worked for 10 years to grow something rather magnificent from a 'failed' start. 

It began by making a change that would create new growth. I began to reap the benefits of hard work -- watching things grow bigger and better year after year! From my passion and hard work I created something kinda amazing (a full time career doing what I loved the most -- creating beautiful things)! But then, out of the blue, something unplanned happened (a.k.a. the economy "tanked") and what was left, was a huge unmanageable prickly beast! Last year, I did EXACTLY what my Dad did at the beginning of the season…...I tried to make that old vine come back to life…..spending money and time on projects that would pump life into my career again….to no avail. Eventually I realized that it was time to cut things down to size….it hurt. It was like a million thorns bleeding me dry…..

(Oh Rob, you really are a drama queen!)

But then this year, I finally see new growth again!!!!!

Are things as great as they were 3-4 years ago? 

Not really…..but now I have a smarter plan for my growth, and a keen awareness that when the tough times come around again, I will be able to cut things down to grow them back stronger than ever!

It is your classic 'phoenix-from-the-ashes' story or maybe a 'roses from the dead vines' story! 

Am I right???

But I think the best moral of my story is…….

Don't let a bunch of pricks keep you from growing your beautiful roses!!

FOR AN OLD FRIEND…...

Hey guys……..I wanted to share something kinda personal this week…..
Excuse the somewhat sombre feeling of this post.
I found out this week that someone who meant a lot to me years ago, had past away.
I met Sylvie Boulanger (Lovett) when we worked together in Grand Bend painting for the Huron Country Playhouse. She was the head of the paint department, and I weaselled my way into her shop for 2 years!!!
Now here's the thing…..we hadn't actually spoken in well over a decade -- although we had the occasional Facebook update….we were no longer close friends. STILL….the news of her death really saddened me, and got me thinking.
First I thought about her poor family and loved ones - she was taken FAR to early, 51 is way too young…..so my heart goes out to them!
And then I got to thinking about me! (yup THAT SELFISH! ;-)
It is amazing how a person can affect the course of someone else's life in such a huge way.
I am sure I never told Sylvie that without her support at the beginning of my career, I would not have turned out to be the painter - or the person - that I am today.
So I want to dedicate this post to her. I want to believe that she is looking down today…..or that maybe she is surfing and enjoying the "Heaven internet" (it seems possible!)….…..so this is for her...
I want her to know that her friendship and the lessons she taught me had a long lasting impression.
The following photos are some photos from those good ole days…..

PICTURE IT…..it is 1996, a young apple cheeked boy from London starts working at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. The money is terrible, but thankfully it includes lodging…..

This is the cabin I lived in for 2 summers (right beside Sylvie).
They really should have been condemned!!!
It was so drafty that on cold nights a candle would flicker INSIDE!
SEE…who says I can't 'rough it'??

Let it be known…...the showers…..that were inside the theatre…..were used exclusively by the "tech's" were DISGUSTING too…..they actually had mushrooms growing in them. MMMMM good times!

Here we are in the Men's bathroom…the shower stalls!
I had made a BIG sign telling others to not be dicks…….
…..and use as little of the limited amount of hot water as they could!

At HCP we put on 5-7 shows during the summer…including 2 BIG musicals, a farce and a straight play….it was a tall order, given the fact that we also RAN the backstage during the shows…...
The great thing about this place for me…..was although we worked 9am-9pm days….6 days a week…..for WAY LESS than minimum wage, I had the opportunity to create a LOT of scenery…..and learn a lot on the job…..Here are some of my faves….

"Me and My Girl"
This was a HUGE revolving set piece with a TONNE of stone like faux painting!
There was a lot of stone work…and a little stoned work too….….there….I said it.
;-) 

"Me and My Girl"
Kitchen tile drop cloth (40' x 20')
These puppies are HUGE and we painted them on the floor with brushes on broom handles!
Thanks HCP from my chiropractor!

It was trial by fire……I had never painted SO MUCH scenery SO FAST….we were one of the ONLY small time theatres at the time still doing drop cloths! (A drop cloth is that HUGE cloth scenery that flys in and helps set the scene.)

"Me and My Girl"
Bar drop cloth (2 of the 40' x 20' cut drops) 

"Me and My Girl"
The marbled inside of the GIANT turning set piece!!

Not sure WHAT this show was…..but I remember Sylvie and I worked until 5am doing the painted wood plank floor…..and then were back in at 9am….VERY GRUMPY!!

I became an EXPECT woodgrainer in those years.
So good…..that for the opening of a show booth Sylvie and I made vests that we had wood grained!
They were very fetching…..and stiff like wood…which made them hard for dancing in….but we managed!
Sometimes I still wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night thinking about woodgraining!

This was "The Hound of the Baskervilles" LONG before Cumberbatch!!!
Look at all the wood….and fake stucco, and brick…..

The biggest show I painted there was probably "The Wizard of Oz". We had 6 weeks and 18 drop cloths! PLUS all the truck units! (the truck units are the big set pieces that roll on and off stage)

"Wizard of Oz"….Wicked Witches castle set and a painted drop!!

"Wizard of Oz"….Munchkinland had 2 drops and a truck unit!

"Wizard of Oz"
Stacked drops…..4 of them….
foreground trees, mid ground trees, background mountains and then the painted sky curtain!

"Wizard of Oz" The Haunted forest - made of 2 drops…..

"Wizard of Oz"….Kansas forest

That is all the photos I could find easily……it really was quite a time in my life!
Yes……it was a million years ago….but it taught me so much:

1.) The meaning of working HARD

2.) How to be collaborative with other people

3.) How to drink beer….cheap beer.

4.) To be okay being a nerd!! Although it would take many years before I would understand this!

5.) How to paint! I had never taken fine art, so it was a learning curve!
Oh I am sure there are a million other things I learned in those years…..but you get the idea.

I really cannot thank Sylvie enough for letting me in her shop! 

Her open heart, and her willingness to teach me was an incredible blessing! 

She was a good friend….and we spent MANY hours painting together, singing together and dancing together in the paint shop. She was almost as silly as me, and I was glad to have her friendship!

Oh…..we also spent a lot of time drinking together, rollerblading together, and even watching the stars and the sunsets together!!
I will always have a place in my heart for her. She helped shape the course my life would take, and that is a BIG thing in retrospect.
Geez…...I guess she has taught me one more thing……
If there is someone out there that YOU know changed your life for the better…..someone that made you a better person in some way…..go NOW and send them an email or give them a call. Everyone wants to know that they will leave the world having touched someone.
Thanks for that last lesson my old friend!

 We miss you Sylvie.
 XX

COMPARING IS DESPAIRING: A cautionary tale.

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!
Wow…..that is an oxymoron…..am I right?
And speaking of morons…….(seamless segue Rob!!)…….
I wanted to talk to you about insecurity!
Normally - I keep this blog upbeat, but stay with me for the 'happy ending' on this….
It is not a secret that last year was kind of a career low for me.

Not in the number of shows - or the amount of press - or even in the production of the work….
I am talking just about the actual dollars and cents.
I know, you are thinking…
"Rob….you are lucky to do what you LOVE everyday.....you can't expect it to be easy/lucrative!"
While I am grateful for being aware of my passion - and having the inherent craziness to do it full time…….let's be clear….it is a job!
It's not so much luck….as it is work. HARD work.
I am my accountant, my web-builder, my marketing manager, my salesperson, my administrative assistant…and I am the talent at Rob Croxford Artistic Endeavours Inc.
(and my boss can be a real B*ITCH)
Now…having said all of that, I would love to say that LUCK has nothing to do with it.
Unfortunately there is an element of 'right-time - right-place' to the art world!
Last year, the stars did not align for me in sales. Which is kinda important when you are a
FULL TIME ARTIST.
Without income, my children cannot eat……(and by children, I mean ME!)
Yes, I am fortunate that I have a VERY kind husband that believes blindly in me…but still…it really made me feel sad, and horribly insecure about my work…….
In addition to losing my confidence, I lost my studio space, and a bunch of gallery representation.
IT WAS NOT GREAT….and the result was an overwhelming feeling of FAILURE.
Truthfully - I have NEVER been insecure about my paintings.
NEVER.
But having limited success made me feel like people did not like my artwork!!
Artists are NOTORIOUS for feeling insecure about our art - and then comparing our success to our peers! The "why not me" complex is EASY to get!!!
It made me question how to go forward making art…..which is a bit debilitating to the creative process.
I thought the time had come…..that I should finally take the advice of all the galleries that told me that I needed to just paint landscapes, and cut out the wording and the politics. Essentially cutting the 'me' out of my work. The idea was that if I completely 'dumbed down' the work, that I could start selling again.

When I realized that I cared more about other people's opinions, I realized that I needed to step back and take stock of things!!!
I am now realizing with the help of my team of professional care-givers and electro-shock therapist, that insecurity is not productive…in fact it is COMPLETELY self-defeating!
And I think I have realized, that what makes my work 'good' is the fact that it is cheeky, and playful and as such I NEED to stay the course! I will try some new things - in art and business…..
But Willy Shakespeare said it best…….
"To thine own self be true, yo!"
Now let's fast forward to the good news…….this week one of the galleries that I thought had "dumped me" sold 2 MAJOR pieces! And I have sold a bunch of prints from my show at the JCC!
For the first time in a YEAR I feel like I am gaining a little momentum again!!
I am THRILLED that these older - but FANTASTIC pieces just sold…..

YAY ME!
Ok…so what am I sharing so MUCH today?
Not to brag. NOT AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is what I want you to take away from this:

1) Artists - stay the course. Believe in your passion -- even when the odds are against you! You will be
    tested!!!! Weather the storm and keep moving forward

2) Artists - take stock - be able to look objectively at your work/habits and see what is working/not
    working! - do what you can...so that you can do what you love!
    MAYBE THAT IS GOOD ADVICE FOR EVERYONE!!!??

3) Everyone else -the biggest moral of my tale is that you MUST run your own race
    - do NOT waste your time in comparing. Comparing is despairing!

So there you go!
I hope you can take something away from my story.
The thing is, the ending of my story is still unwritten. Yup….that is SCARY, but I feel excited again about the future! I guess that means my old confidence is returning!
HUZZAH!

ONLY 9 THINGS TO CELEBRATE???

Yes…time again for a little introspection.
Do I have the time for this? NO!!!! I have a BIG SHOW opening in 6 weeks from now. YEOWSA!
But more about The Artist Project in a couple days…...
Until then, let's see what happened for me last year….I know it sound like bragging - but don't think of it like that! Think of it as me 'taking stock' of a kinda BRUTAL year in art!
So…let's get to it……..
What was so great about last year????

1)     I created about 50 new original artworks….a little down from last year! Generally, I was happy
        with my "artistic direction" for the year…..especially considering how much time went to creating
        smaller affordable pieces like these:

       If I added all of these to my list of completed works….I could claim to have created an additional
       33 pieces of art!
       So that would bring my numbers up to over 80!
       THAT SOUNDS MORE IMPRESSIVE!! Ok - let's go with that!!!
       PLUS……I also spent a great deal of time in production with my prints and giclees…...

2)     Not only did I develop a line of 6 heat transfer prints, but I also created a series of TWELVE
        limited edition giclèes! I even developed some bags too!! THAT IS CRAZY!!! The prints have
        been a great success so far, and I continue to produce them - and add to my inventory of
        reproductions! I have 2 sizes available, and am looking forward to adding MORE soon!
        Now…the numbers are harder to count…..but it looks like last year, I was able to move about 100
        reproductions in varying sized last year! Which is really great!!!!

         See my FANTASTIC PRINTS HERE.

         or on my ETSY site!

3)     Now the prints are hard to keep an exact inventory of because I was able to solidify my
        partnership with Spacing Magazine! I LOVE SPACING!!  
        If you don't know them.......READ THIS
       blog post...….and check them out at Spacing Magazine.
   
       Not only do they carry my prints online:

      But they also showcased them at both WOTS and at Christmas in a POP-UP SHOP
   

So weird to see them all together in a line. I LOVE IT!

        I hope 2014 prints more with me and Spacing!!!!!!

4)     Speaking of press…...I was THRILLED with the press from this year!
        ESPECIALLY A GREAT PROFILE IN NEIGHBOURHOOD LIVING FALL 2013!
        Not only was my work on BOTH covers…..

      But Neighbourhood Living included a FOUR PAGE spread all about me and my illustrious art 

      career! It is a really enjoyable article writen by Tracey Coveart. (more of her writing HERE)

      Read the whole story HERE.

       ……now that seems like enough press right?? Well then there was these:

        - Check out this LINK to Torontoism.com (Thanks Richard Silver/Jackie Marchildon)

        -  A fantastic mosaic artist and aspiring writer wrote a GREAT little piece about me! Check out 

            Natalie at www.Fragmentalist.com

       -  mentioned on 3 other blogs last year including the Grid and Blog T.O!!

       -  Peter Glaser's column "Northern Roadsides" explored the history of Ontario Place. Using a 

          photo of my work in The Society for Commercial Architecture. You can check out the SCA 

          on Facebook HERE......or their website at www.sca-roadside.org

 

5.)    I WON AN AWARD!!!!! Finally!!! I mean, all you need to do is work full time for 9 years, 

        and then you are recognized for your talent! ;-) Re-READ this post to remember!

        Or you can re-read about it on the Cabbagetown site...…

6)      I did 108 Blog posts last year!!!! Down a bit…..but certainly respectable!!
          I hope you read ALL of the posts???
         Go back and re-read them all now……then come back to finish this post!
         ;-)

7)      A record amount of rain and number of group shows….this year for all it's faults included a
          record of 12  shows last year!!!!
       -  “Holiday Art Market”, Artscape Barns,
       -  “Canadiana” , Project Gallery, Toronto, ON
       - “Just my Type”, #Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON
       - Cabbagetown Art & Crafts Show, Toronto, ON
       - Riverdale Art Walk, Toronto, Ontario
       - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
       - “Monsters & Robots”, and “Pony Paddock “ Atomic Toybot, Toronto, ON
       - The Artist Project, Toronto, Ontario
       - The Toronto Home Show
       - The International Home Show
       This does not mention the galleries and retail locations that supported me in a significant way last
       year…special thanks to:
       - MJG Gallery
       - Atomic Toybot
       - Red Church Gallery

8)      ONE solo show of work last year……..

My "Sign of The Times" Series paintings and my "Tin Toy" Series are STILL UP!!!!!

When?      Wednesday December 18th, 2013 - Thursday January 23rd, 2014 

Where?     The Miles Nadal JCC (right on the corner of Spadina/Bloor in Toronto) 

** HOURS: Monday - Friday 9am - 9pm; Saturday - Sunday 9am - 7pm

     

9.)    Thanks to my long suffering  (and greatest fan) husband, I was ONCE AGAIN,  somehow able to
        make a living in the arts!! It was a harsh year, with harsh weather to deal with!

        AGAIN…… I am sooooooo grateful for those who purchased my work this year.

        I am grateful for the Galleries that were able to stick with me this year - especially mark at 

        MJG GALLERY

        who has turned out to be a world class kind of guy!!!

        Finally, thank you loyal readers for checking in with me, I appreciate every one of you.

       Thanks for taking the time!  

       And remember your comments are most welcome here!

NO BAD NEWS.

Ok. Here's the thing....

I have gone on a NEWS DIET!!!
Yes, I know, you can't even notice all the weight I have put on...but it's obvious to me.
I'm talking about "emotional weight"! Honestly, there is nothing like having a 'heavy attitude' poison the rest your life, am I right folks??!
I have, in the past, been an emotional "news binger".
But clearly one cannot sustain themselves in a healthy way by continuing in life with a 'News Consuming Disorder'. So I am making a change!
I am - stating publicly - that I have wrestled with my emotional weight for years!
To keep me from slipping into bad habits, I am sharing with you, about my diet - or lifestyle change - as I like to call it.
YES YES YES.......I understand there is no end of terrible stories out there....and it can seem somewhat inescapable! The last few weeks have been especially violent and terrible.
With bombings and shootings and natural disasters - it is a whole world of sadness and discouragement and AWEFULNESS!
Yes...you heard me......"awefulness".
BUT WHY MUST WE GET SO WRAPPED UP IN IT??
How do we keep from living in a perpetual state of fear? The news is lousy with sad, scary emotionally debilitating stories!
In the words of Dame Anne Murray......can't we use a little good news today?
The media is intent on spreading panic by catastrophizing every story that they can.
It's called ratings - or readership.
DUH!
It's a business - a business that depends on US to keep it going!
"It could be the most deadly thing in the world, and you may be having it for dinner - tune in tonight at 11pm for all the details" Seriously news people??? WHAT IS IT?
Is corn on the cob secretly killing me? IS IT??
Now I know what you are thinking......
Dear sweet emotionally obese Rob, I cannot just put my head in the sand - I cannot live my life NOT KNOWING what COULD effect me or my kids or my dog.
I understand. I really do! I understand your struggle. I have made a living making slightly political artwork....and in doing so, have let news penetrate my life.
Does it make me a hypocrite??? Maybe.
BUT......I try to keep my art (as well and this blog) a POSITIVE thing.
Yes, there is some 'sharpness' to some of the content, but it is meant to provoke change! I am not interested in regurgitate horrible news stories - and feeding them to you baby-bird-style!
I am interested in change. Change for the good!
And your bad news does not help that. It just doesn't.
So, loyal friends, if you MUST watch one cycle of news - or read the headlines on the Yahoo homepage....(yes, I am talking directly to you Christina and Erika) then you must.
BUT....and here's my big butt.....
DO NOT  feel it is your responsibility to welcome all that negative news into your life and into your head.....you cannot afford to do it!
Personally, I have such limited capacity in my tiny brain - that it is standing room only! One extra piece of bad news just will not fit...without pushing out something good!!!
If you MUST allow in the news.....try adding this in...
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Good_News/
or try this news feed:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/
YES!!
That's what I am talking about folks!!!
Let's all TRY to find the good news each day!!!!
And in the meantime I like to think of this song as my motto......

YES. I will probably still find the bad news....and will probably always make art about making a difference.....but I will no longer SEEK OUT bad news items and let them penetrate my head!
I WILL sustain a healthy emotional weight - and will stick to my new diet lifestyle change, if only to save myself the heartache caused by the glut of bad news!
How about you? Can you join me in my cause?
At least think about it!
;-)

****I was gonna leave you with that.....but while You Tubing that number from the Wiz, I came across this clip......and I SIMPLY MUST SHARE IT......

(...and yes.....I know you are picturing me in that onesey right now! ADMIT IT!)