KENSINGTON MARKET ART FAIR

Hey guys!
What a weekend!!!!
There was a huge turn out for the first ever……granted it was a CRAZY BEAUTIFUL DAY!
Honestly I felt like summer was ACTUALLY on its way!
Here are some photos from the day!

My booth -- YES….THAT'S SUN!!!!!!!!!!!

The <3 bag="" br="" toronto="">Each one is a little different…….and only $25 BONES!!!!!
COME ON!!!!!

These smalls were a great success!

Here are the BRAND NEW postcards……I LOVE THEM!

Kensington Market glamour.

See pithy comment above!

The show was in the parking lot at 77 Nassau Street!
Which was really well located….. 

It will be shady by the next show!!

The unfortunate part was that it was FILTHY because there was no grass….
LOOK AT MY LEG - EW!!!
Old filthy legs Croxford. That's what they call me!

Gwartzman's was there!

Julia McNeely brought her farm!

Neato drawings from Margo Jane Duncan

Enjoyable mixed media by Morgan Jones

Nice photos from Nina Staer Nathan!

YOU MISSED IT?????

Guess what? Your'e in luck….come out on Sunday July 7th for "Pedestrian Sunday" in Kensington.

A lot of the streets are closed and it is a super fun day!!!!

And I will have new stuff to show you!

I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
(sorry for the caps lock!   ;-)

"MAY THE FORDS BE WITH YOU", and KMAF

Happy Friday!
So…….are you tired of talking about me???
Well then this is NOT your day……….
I wanna talk about the two shows this weekend……I mentioned them in my newsletter…..and if you are not signed up for those…..CLICK HERE
FIRST…..

"May the Fords be with You"

May 24th, 7pm-10pm
Atomic Toybot  (978 Queen St E)
What do you get when you combine the Star Wars Universe and the whatever universe that Rob Ford lives in? THIS SHOW! Nerdy, political, fantastic! Here's a preview of my painting showing that night (Toybot will also be carrying prints of my Ford painting for only $35.00 -- there is a limit of 30 of them, so get 'em while you can!)

"Dark Side", 30" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas

Now let's talk about my painting……nope……..it's not about crack and it's not about his weight.

I honestly do not see much humour in addiction. It is sad.

Truthfully I really did some soul searching about this painting. 

You see, I try to keep my art positive and smart. I really did not want to get hip deep in the mire of Rob Ford lunacy.  But then again, I do not enjoy his antics, and moreover I do NOT enjoy his politics, his lies his sense of entitlement or his general hateful views on things.

So why depict Rob Ford as General Palpatine?

(and here is where it gets extra nerdy)

Palpatine rises to power through deception and treachery. He outwardly behaves like a well-intentioned public servant and supporter of democracy, all the time he has his own agenda. 

To me, this seemed to be the EXACT right fit.

Now, I am not a fan of hate-art, but I thought it was just as silly as it needed to be. 

As silly as municipal politics have gotten in this city. 

I tried to handle it smartly and through humour….What say you??

LOVE IT?

HATE IT?

I'd love to hear - come out on Saturday night and we can talk about it!

THEN come out AGAIN this on Sunday for:

Kensington Market Art Fair
Sunday, May 25th, from 12pm-7pm,

Come out and enjoy the first outdoor art event as part of "Pedestrian Sundays" in historic Kensington Market! If you are looking for fun this weekend…art filled tents will fill up the parking lot of “Wheels for Rent” at 77 Nassau Street. Here is a list of the Artists you will see this Sunday! I will be showing GREAT merch at this show including some fun postcards! Come out for the sun and stay for the art!

I will be showing my merch: 

NEW "I heART Toronto" bags, 10 postcards based on my paintings.
There are LOTS of things priced at $25.00 and less!

Including a total of 31 prints based on my works……like these:

8 x 10's and 16 x 20's of Toronto Landmarks….
SHOW PRICED AT ONLY $30-$65

A bunch of my "Nerdy A-Z's" available as 8" x 10" prints
(SHOW PRICED at $30.00)

Also, I will be showing a couple bigger giclees printed on canvas and stretched on a frame:

"Outta This World" is 40" x 30".
It is a reproduction, BUT I spent many hours repainting on top of the print.
So it is original in its own way!
It is signed and numbered 1/10….and each print is obviously different.
If this were an original painting it would retail at over $2000.
BUT Because it is a reproduction, it is only $550.
BARGAIN!!!!!

Come out and see the merch at this show……because you WON'T see it at The Toronto Outdoor Exhibition in July!!

Ok….that's all folks!
I hope to see you real soon!

MAY SHOWS ADDED………AND NEW WORK…..

Howdy!!

Well the weekend is almost upon us. Sadly,m I won't see much of it as I am locked in the basement working!!! SIGH. Oh the glamourous life of an artist.
NEXT WEEK I have my first show of the Spring Season!

Artfest at the Distillery

May 17, 18 & 19, (YES…..that's Victoria Day Weekend)

11am-6pm daily

Artfest Toronto launches the summer with a celebration 85 of the top artists & artisans from across Canada. Artists are exhibiting at the Historic Distillery District for three days only. Come stroll the cobble stone lanes and take in the beauty of the Distillery District. Featuring pottery, glass, jewellery, paintings, wood turning, gourmet foods, live music and more. FREE admission.

LOCATION
EXHIBITORS

FOR MY PART…….I will be showing a few new paintings and a BUNCH of great NEW and affordable works!! You will love the new stuff I promise! Like this BRAND NEW PIECE:

"Sunnyside", 30" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas (also available as prints FOR THIS SHOW)

PLEASE KNOW that this is one of the ONLY shows that I can show my prints at - so come out and pick up the merch while you can! You will find me enjoying the SUN in booth #E12 (on Gristmill Lane)!!!

Later this month…….

"May the Fords be with You"

May 24th, 7-10pm

Atomic Toybot  (978 Queen St E)
What do you get when you combine the Star Wars Universe and the whatever universe that Rob Ford lives in? THIS SHOW! Nerdy and fantastic! I have a fun piece all ready for this show…that I will be showing that night…and previewing to YOU dear readers in a week or so!!

AND……ending out this month……. (whew)

Kensington Market Art Fair

Sunday, May 25th - 11am-6pm

This is the first ever! Come out and enjoy this outdoor event as part of "Pedestrian Sundays" in historic Kensington Market! I will be showing more GREAT new merch at this show! More information coming soon! 

OK…..now go have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
Have a cocktail for me! Oh who am I kidding - I'm drinking as I type this!!!

;-)

TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK - MJG GALLERY and The Holiday Art Market!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!
So….it's been another busy week.
I did a pop-up shop at MJG last night……and they are keeping it popped all weekend long!!!
CHECK OUT MJG for my prints and such this weekend!

Most everything is a bit discounted for the season!!
ONLY CASH for this weekend only, please!!

MJG Gallery is at 1028 Queen East……which is Queen almost at Pape!!
He can also be found on FACEBOOK--HERE!
Check it out!

OK……so here is something EXCITING……a brand new piece!!!
For all of you who have been asking for more west end related paintings……there is THIS:

"Go West", 30" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas

Ok….so let me talk about it……
The 'poster' part is the gates of Trinity-Bellwoods Park (on Queen St West)
(you'll even notice there is a subtle CN Tower in the 'poster' background!)
The background is taken from an OLD map of the area…..and a picnic blanket on the bottom - as this park is well known for people boozing it up picnic style!
There is a coaster that shows the Gladstone Hotel……and I added the infamous white squirrel in this painting too!!!
The Quote "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is a little extra."
I like it a lot.
The prints of this are in the process of getting done NOW…….and will be available at the H.A.M:

The Holiday Art Market is at
The Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie St, Toronto)

Sunday, December 8, 2013, 12pm-5pm
** FREE TO ALL!!!

Check out some of the other great things you can buy in the PREVIEW GUIDE  HERE!!!!
I will have MORE to show you next week……more new work for the HAM!!!
Have a great weekend y'all!!!

HORSING AROUND: MY LITTLE PONY

Howdy y'all.
Sometimes I get 'stuck' artistically. I know you may find it hard to believe (given how much work I produce in a year) but it is true!!!
Sometimes inspiration comes in the oddest of places.
My friend Cindy suggested I create something for an upcoming show at Atomic Toybot.
The show is called "The Pony Paddock" and it opens on Wednesday February 13.
It is a show all about My Little Pony.
Yes, you heard me.
I know it seems like a strange fit for me, but sometimes, you just need to do something ELSE to kickstart your creativity. This was EXACTLY the kick in the pants I needed!!!
I will have more deets on the show in the next couple weeks....
But until then, please enjoy my take on the MLP phenomenon:

Yes. "Friendship is Magic" is actually their 'motto' or 'credo' or whatever it is......

My take is perhaps a bit more cynical.

What do you think??

NEW SHOW AND HOUSEKEEPING......

SO? How you been?
Me? I have been busy doing lots of non-art career stuff.
For example, I was busy decorating my house for The 'Ween:

(Which I realize is slightly insane.)

(Yes, it did put my neighbours houses to shame - and NO,  that was NOT the point!!)

I have also been busy doing this little job for my friend Cindy.
(Check out Cindy's website for lots of great work)
It was a simple little faux job for some LOVELY people!!!

It is a lovely harlequin pattern!!!

It was a nice dining room!!!

But this week I hope to get back to the drawing board.
(Or the easel - as the case may be)
I have a little show coming up in December, and I wanted to give you a heads up on it too:

I will have more information in a few weeks on this show!!!
Ok....so that is it for housekeeping for now.....
Have a great week y'all!!!

SPRING LOADED........

Starting on the 4th, you will be able to see the group show I am a part of at MJG Gallery.
Here is the POST all about it.....and 2 of the 3 new pieces that I will be showing!
Deets again:

April 4th-30th.......with a wine reception on the 12th, from 7-11.
I will be there a bit later on the 12th......but I will be there!!!
MJG is located in the heart of Cabbagetown, (555 Parliament St - Just south of Wellesley)
Here is another new piece that I will be showing:

This is another of my "Mixed Message" pieces.
The barn scene is from an old commission. I then painted on top of it to make it more appealing.....

The other side I repainted based on imagery I borrowed from one of m A-Z paintings. 

There are 2 heat transfer drinks on springs that are from old A-Z Paintings.

I also attached kids wooden blocks that spell out 'loaded'. 

I had to repaint them to blend with the rest of the composition.

I then added paint washes on top to make it look complete.

Also for this show at MJG I will be showing this piece:

It is called "Melt Down" and I have only shown it once (at my "Arcade" Exhibition )

This piece is almost entirely made of reclaimed materials including:

Grommets

Bike Reflectors

Chair bumpers

Scrap wood & Caulking

Christmas blink-y lights

Melt Down, 43.5" x 22.5", Acrylic on Mixed media.

Here is the painting in ACTION:

So...that's it!!!

I sure hope to see you out on the 12th.....but if not, make sure you swing my the gallery and check it out sometime over the month!!!!

Later Gaters!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Hideeho All!
So, I know what you are thinking......ROB.......we haven't seen any new work from you for WEEKS!
Well, it doesn't mean that I haven't been doing anything.
HOW DARE YOU! Catching up on Ellen is VERy taxing!
;-)
So, I am part of a group show that is celebrating spring.
It is at MJG Gallery. Located in the heart of Cabbagetown, (555 Parliament St - Just south of Wellesley)

It's a fairly new gallery...and is owed by Mark Gleberzon.
It is a really nice space and Mark is great!
Here is his gallery facebook page.....and his site!

I don't have all the deets yet.....but it is a Spring theme. With lots of different artists!
Here is one of my BRAND NEW submissions:

"Hope Springs Eternal". 11" x 14", Acrylic and Ink on Mixed media.

So, let me break this one down for you.
I stained the wood on the left and painted on the word "Hope".
The middle has a series of springs.
The final part is a heat transfer of an older (sold) painting.
I then added ink and paint on top to make it look complete.

Here is the SECOND one I did for the show:

"No Spring Chicken", 11" x 14", Acrylic and Ink on Mixed media. 

So, on this one.....

I painted a green background and applied two letters "N and O" (then I painted on top of them to colour correct them) The middle has a huge spring with 2 pieces of stock holding it.

I painted a chicken one the wood on the right.

I attached a couple of chickens (one black wooden - hand painted piece) and a rubber one (top right)

The final part is a heat transfer of a tin toy chicken from another old painting (sold) "Cock-Up"

I then added ink and paint washes on top to make it look complete.

So whadda ya think????

I will post all the details and an invite by the end of the week!!

Have a great one!!!

PUTTING THE 'CULTURE' IN AGRICULTURE

Hello again!
Here is the other part of the Royal for me.
Yearly, they have a call to enter the art exhibition at the Royal.
This is my second year as part of this.
Normally, I would not classify myself as a farm/rural painter, but since I am only one generation away from my families farm, and since I do paint a LOT of old barns in my Landscape Series, I thought it was a good fit. Here is the piece that I entered this year:

"A New Ending" 24" x 18", Acrylic on Board and Metal. 

This piece, is a perfect fit for the mandate of the Royal. City meets farm. I like the quote a lot.
"You can't go back and start a new beginning, but you can start today and make a new ending."
So, here is what the Royal's Arty Exhibition looked like this year:

Baaaautiful!

HOLY COW!

This piece was very unique too! It was sandblasted glass.
The foreground is animals and the background was Toronto and a streetcar.

Brigitte Nowak was demonstrating. It was great!!

IS IT HOT IN HERE......OR IS IT JUST ME?

Well, it is a balmy 33 degrees here in Hogtown. 
Not warm enough for you? When you add in the humidity, it is a sweltering 42 DEGREES. 
HOT DAMN! 

I just came home from packing my truck full of paintings in preparation for The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, which begins in 38 hours and runs all weekend long!  There is something very unsettling about all your works crammed into a vehicle, that for all intents and purposes, is a microwave on wheels in this heat! What's worse, is that due to the 80% chance of rain on Friday morning, everything is wrapped in plastic, which makes it more like a microwave than ever!

You can tell from the photo it is H-O-T!!
I know what you are thinking....'Oh Rob, what a glamourous life you have".
Petty jealousies get you nowhere, gentle reader!
What else can I share today?
OH. On the square you can also buy this little 6" x 6" art square called "PIG OUT". Each artist is encouraged to donate a piece for the T.O.A.E. fundraiser. The deal? For a sale price of $40, you can get a great piece of art! These art squares are available at the TOAE Shop and all proceeds help maintain low exhibitor fees (Which is great for all us 'starving' artists!)


AND ALSO on the square....I will be showing a preview copy of the new book that I am fortunate to be a part of called "The Hogtown Project". It is an exciting snapshot of all the most interesting parts of our fair city!


Ok, this one is a short entry today, as I still have packing to do! I will give you a preview of my new Arcade piece tomorrow! EXCITING!!!