LUCKY DUCK COMMISSION.....

HELLO!!!!!!
So, I have been working at completing the commissions on my drawing board...and I am getting there. SLOOOWLY but surely.
At The Artist Project I was asked to create a companion piece to this guy:

"Stitch in Time....", 12" x 12" Acrylic on Board.

So, I just finished this little guy:

"Lucky Duck", 12" x 12" Acrylic on Board.

No......not exactly the same. But obviously similar in theme, colour and size.

I am happy with these 2 together!!

What do you think?

Super cute?

See how easy it is to get a commissioned piece??

DO IT! 

(Just email me, and I will start as soon as I can!)

ROBOT ATTACK -- the commission!!!!

Howdy folks!
Happy Monday!
Okay, so I finally have something new to show you!!!!!
I have been working like crazy on this piece for the last 2 weeks to get it done.
It is a commission. (YAY! Making headway on my commission list - 1 down 6 to go!!)
So, this client saw me at the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Show in September of 2014.



(read more about that show HERE)
So anyways......he saw this print.......

These limited edition giclees are still available as 8 x 10's, 16 x 20's or 24" x 30"

and loved the print.....but wanted the original - which was thankfully available.....

He also LOVED this BIG painting:

"Evolution of the Streetcar" (which is still available)
(and also available as a print)

 and this guy.....the original of which is hanging in my house. (I painted it specifically for myself!) But was willing to part with it.....for the right client!

Available as a print....obviously! :-)

So I took all three to his home to try them out.

UNFORTUNATELY the one that worked the best was "Robot Attack" -- and it was just waaaaaay too small for his space:

LUCKILY, I am the kind of guy who can make magical things happen.

We set out to do a commission - the same basic painting - BUT LARGER.....and with a few alterations -- which is a new concept for me --as I NEVER paint the same thing twice!

BUT then, without warning - tragedy stuck my family like a freight truck and I spent the next 4 months away from my studio.......in February I called him and promised that I was back and would have his commission DONE by March.....alas......

What I didn't realize, was that after a life changing loss, it takes a long while to get your "artistic mojo" back......finally in mid-March I got some drawings together for him....

It was a 48" x 60" painting instead of a 24" x 30" painting......HERE is the start of it....

It took a number of drawings to get it right - and a lot of erasing on the canvas....I became a crazy perfectionist on this one.......As you can see, I kept the robot and I took his request of adding Toronto scenery behind him, instead of the general city backdrop that he had before. I figured that that alone and the size difference, made it different enough for me to feel comfortable.

Here was a photo from the mid way point.....

Now, when I tell you my Mojo was out of whack - I really mean it!

I repainted this part of it 4 - COUNT THEM - FOUR times!!!!

That is completely unusual for me. I just wanted it to be perfect, because I had made him wait so long! But then 2 weeks, and multiple coats of paint later....I had THIS (click to en-biggen it! :)

I am so happy with it.

There are a number of changes to the original - I put more of my clients colours in it, I changed the blueprint completely, I changed the postcard and the tags slightly, and of course the poster part was different too! There are also a couple little surprises in it too.....to make it personal for my client!

So tonight - he travels to his new home.....I will try to get a photo for you!

So there you go.....after a 6 month wait, this client is about to get EXACTLY what he wanted!

AND WHO DOESN'T WANT THAT?

Think about it commissioning me to do something special just for YOU!

I do them all the time, and the result is ALWAYS great!

I usually only add a small fee (for the extra meetings a work involved) for custom works!

And if you are WORRIED -- YES - the timeline for your custom artwork will be much better - as my regular turnaround is 3 weeks.....

The advantages are clear. 

The right size - the right colour - the right words and imagery FOR YOU!!

How great would that be?

Email me ANYTIME with your request and we can chat about it!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK Y'ALL!!!!

 

FRIDAY - LET'S DRINK!!!

HOWDY!
If you are a regular reader........you will know that I am in the thick of:
The Artist Project
(you can read more about that big show HERE!)
But here are the deets one last time:

The Artist Project, Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto

Tonight (20th) from 11am to 8pm
Saturday (21st) from 11am to 8pm
Sunday (22nd) from 11am to 6pm

See me in BOOTH #502

Also.....I wanna share the last NEW NEW painting I will be showing:

"Drink Like a Fish", 12" x 12", Acrylic on Wood

I LOVE THIS ONE!

Come out and see it in person!

There's nothing like the real thing!!!!!

Have a great weekend -- I hope to see you!

A "COCK AND BULL STORY" FOR THE ARTIST PROJECT

Howdy!
Happy Friday! YOU MADE IT!
Today I am gonna share ANOTHER new painting that I am entering into The Artist Project's competition. Each year, TAP has a contest based on a theme. Artists are encouraged to enter a piece to be judged for a cash award!
So, each year for the past 8 years, I have entered a piece created SPECIFICALLY for this yearly T.A.P. artist competition. I know what you are thinking......have you ever won a first, second, third or people's choice award?
No. (Insert "aaaaaw" here!)
I know, I know, a crime. I should probably be sore by now....that's 28 chances....no wins.
My win? I have sold most of the works that I created!
Oh.......and hey.....it's just an honour to be included.
And even if that isn't 100% honest, it HAS always been fun to create something different.
Here are all SEVEN of my losing entries....

"Speed" -- 2008 ORANGE competition - SOLD!

"Chocolate" -- 2009 CHOCOLATE competition - SOLD!

"Beauty Queen" --2010 QUEEN competition - AVAILABLE!

"Lemonaide" -- 2011 LEMON competition - SOLD!

"Energy" --2012 ENERGY competition - SOLD!

"Face Value" -- 2013 FACES competition - AVAILABLE!

"Toronto Harbour" -- 2014 SET SAIL competition - SOLD!

OKAY, admittedly, as I look back on all the entries, some are stronger than others...and there are 2 still available for sale!
BUT THIS YEAR......the competition theme is "TYPE".
Now, any of my work would fit this theme....I have text in almost all of my paintings...but I did a new piece to enter.....here it is......

"Cock and Bull Story", 24" x 24", Acrylic on Canvas.

**A "cock and bull story" is a hard to believe or made-up story.

Well? Whadda ya think?

Will I continue my unbroken record? 

Why don't YOU come out to The Artist Project next week and VOTE FOR ME!?

;-)

HERE IS A POST ALL ABOUT T.A.P.!

I hope to see you there!

Have a great weekend y'all!

NEW WORK.......AGAIN......

Good day friends!
I meant to have this posted yesterday, but things got in the way......SO BACK OFF!
;-)
But these two new pieces are TOTALLY worth waiting for!
The first one is a bit of a f**k up......
Sometimes, when I am trying to do too much at once......something like this happens:

Yes....I see the irony of NOT being able to spell!
I did consider leaving it spelled wrong, because it is NOT rocket science to spell......HONESTLY.....
I even showed this piece in an exhibition in December at Julia Veenstra Gallery in Hamilton!
(Even Julia didn't notice it was wrong until she was taking the exhibition down! GEEEZ JULIA! ;-)

But....in the end, I decided to repaint it?

I think it may have gotten tiring having HUNDREDS of people telling me that I spelled science WRONG........it would get old FAST......and I don't wanna yell at a stranger.......so......

"REALLY Not Rocket Science", 12" x 12", Acrylic on Wood.

Fun right? This little gem will go pretty fast, so make sure to come by and snap it up at The Artist Project....read more about that big show HERE!

Okay.....I also have this WONDERFUL little piece ready to go:

"Pie in the Sky", 12" x 12", Acrylic on Wood

It is also super fun, riiiiiight??

You CANNOT see this piece on my website yet (or any of the NEW NEW work) -- I want you to come out and see it LIVE LIVE LIVE! It will be on my site once TAP is open:

www.robcroxford.com

AND if you love either of these pieces, and don't want to take a chance that another collector will snatch it away from you, just email me and I can give you more deets!!

OKAY...that's it.....happy Tuesdaying!

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!!!

OTTAWA ART EXPO….a couple weeks away!!

Hey everybody…….BOY OH BOY have I been busy this month…….
I have 5 commissions on the go……which is a LOT…..
AND I have been busily preparing for my big show that is only about 22 days away...

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

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

in Ottawa
(Free Parking and Admission)

Let me tell you what they say about their show…….

The Ottawa Art Expo was founded in the fall of 2008 to provide a significant indoor event for fine arts, based on the belief that Ottawa, as the Nation's capital, deserved such an event and that the time had come for Ottawa to come out of the shadow of Toronto, Montreal and New York. The Expo helps to promote and sell the works of Ottawa and area artists; hopes to educate the public through awards and student competitions, and proudly celebrates the continually developing artistic heritage of Canada and its people.

Ottawa Art Expo is a not for profit corporation founded and run by artists. The event welcomes the participation of established and developing artists. By broadening the commercial possibilities and by promoting the appreciation and purchase of art to a wider audience, the OAE hopes to encourage another generation to become artists and to help them to make a living doing so.

OAEx was an immediate success in its first four years, gaining major sponsors, welcoming well know public figures as presenters, attracting thousands of visitors and recording substantial sales. We wish to grow our awards program into a national institution and create a student scholarship. Our vision is to become an integral part of an artist's journey from high school to art school, from gallery to museum, from home to around the world.

It is exciting to be a part of this show! Not just because I get an entirely new audience….
This is the first time I have been to Ottawa since I went on class trip in grade 7 (in the days before I discovered hair product!) Sadly, am only able to find 2 photos I took from the trip…..

Yes….that is the Parliament Buildings in the back!!
VERY EXCITING STUFF for a 13 year old.
Well…..not as exciting as a squirell…

Here I am chillaxin' on the bus.
I gave someone my Kodak Ektralite 500 Sensalite to document this momentous trip!
(Yes…that is actually the camera name!!)
AND yes, I was dressing like a resident of a Jewish Retirement Community
What of it?!?

ANYWAYS…….sufficed to say, it has been a LONG time since I have been to the Capitol!
So I am looking forward to it!!!!
Here is some BRAND NEW WORK I will be debuting in the 'Twa:
(that is my short version of Ottawa BTWs)

"Rose Coloured Glasses", 12" x 12", Acrylic on canvas.

Do you want me to expelling this one?
It is all painted….and I think it is super fun!!!!
I will have more new work to show you next week…..so stay tuned for that!
Have a great weekend all!!!