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!

WW188: JULIE MADLY DEEPLY, WAFFLE TATERS, and JUST ONE JOB

Happy 'Wonderful Wednesday' to you!
So here are the 5 things that I think you should LOVE this week!!!

1.) This one is for my friends who love show tunes - like I love show tunes……
      Julie, Madly, Deeply. I am so happy that I got to see this show!!! It was super fun!

If you like cabaret - if you like musicals - if you like those crazy Brits - most of all if you like Julie Andrews - THIS is the show for you!!!!

Yes, it is 105 minutes of delightful tribute to Julie - from her SUPER FAN Sarah-Louise Young!

SUPER TALENTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is how Mirvish describes the show:

Adored by millions, Dame Julie Andrews is a genuine legend of showbiz around the globe. This charming and cheeky musical show features songs from The Sound Of Music, My Fair Lady,Mary Poppins, Victor/Victoria and many more.

Julie’s incredible career is celebrated by a true super-fan: the award-winning singer, West End actress and international cabaret star Sarah-Louise Young, who has been named by Time Out as one of London’s Top Ten cabaret performers.

The brilliant songs are linked by stories and anecdotes about Andrews’ own life, from her beginnings as a child star to the recent challenges of losing her famous singing voice. What emerges is a delightfully funny and candid love letter to a true show business survivor.

Don’t miss the show’s North American premiere in this strictly limited engagement, direct from a sell-out West End season and UK tour. Singing along is not compulsory but few can resist!

Honestly, it was such a fun night out! Sarah-Louise Young was super funny.

So go get tickets…...BUT GET ON IT FAST!!! 

There are only 3 dates left!

Thu Oct 16, 8PM
Sat Oct 18, 2PM
Sun Oct 19, 7PM

at Panasonic Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto

2.) This is for my peeps who like great architecture……or who love nature……or BOTH! Let's all go to Sydney, Australia and marvel at ‘One Central Park‘:

It is ‘the world’s tallest vertical garden’. It is designed by Jean Nouvel in collaboration with PTW architects. Now check out this cool cantilevered reflector installation with motorized infrared panels, designed to redirect sunlight to otherwise shaded areas of the plan. It also becomes a cool LED light at night!

I like that there is greenery on EVERY UNIT of this apartment building! The plants help reduce energy consumption with leaves that trap carbon dioxide, emit oxygen and reflect less heat back into the city than traditional fixed shading. BRILLIANT!!!!!!

SO LET'S GO!!!!!!

photographer murray fredericks, courtesy of frasers property and sekisui house

THANKS TO DESIGN BOOM for this one…..there are more photos on the Design Boom site!

3.) A is for ADORABLE! Anna Kövecses, made this fantastic book for her four year old daughter!

 “This book is the result of a very personal project aiming to introduce a little girl to the 44 letters of the Hungarian alphabet. Illustrations were carefully designed so that every subject that appears in this book is something she’s currently very much interested in. So in one way this book is not just a tool but also a diary documenting a four-year-old little girl’s world in the summer of 2013 on an island in the Mediterranean Sea…”

WOW! That is amazing. So sweet! But I also love these retro-y very graphic art pieces!

Anna self-published this book on Blurb.
So let's all learn the Hungarian alphabet and buy her delightful book!

(thanks to The Jealous Curator for finding this for US!)

4.) WHO'S HUNGRY?? Darn you Cheeky Kitchen on Tablespoon.com

JUST LOOK AT THIS REVELATION!!

Tater-tot waffles:

OMG!

MUST TRY THIS! (and tell Husband that I thought it up myself! ;-)

Remember to check out other great recipes on Tablespoon.com

5.) Thanks to Deb….I now have a favourite Twitter feed……..it is "you had one job" or @justonejob (as the kids say)….it chronicles the failures of people and the things they create as part of their jobs…….let me show you some recent tweets:

I LOVE THE CHINESE FLAG!

…...TOTALLY uncomfortable with this failure…...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Prime…..

Racists who hate juice….it is so unapPEALing
(get it - like pealing a fruit - for juice…)

See more from @justonejob HERE!

WW126: TP ART, LEGO MAPS, and NEW TAYLOR SWIFT???

Welcome to Wednesday!!!!!
Here are 5 things I love this week!

1.) Hey all big kids.....(aka husband) Here is another reason to go to London! They have created Lego versions of the famous Underground tube maps! 5 stations in the tube proudly display these super cool maps! 

Each maps is comprised of 1000 bricks, the maps charts the progress of the Tube from 1927 to the present day and beyond, showing what the underground will look like in 2020.
HOW SUPER COOL IS THIS??
[via Buzzfeed]

2.) Toilet paper roll art. Crazy as it sounds - this is really wonderful!! Anastassia Elias is a talented paper artist!!! Just look at these!!!!



























Her book, Roleaux, is available for purchase here
You must see her website, there its a LOT of great work to behold!!!
3.) This gave me hope.....I LOVE ME some Civil Wars.....check out my blog post all about them HERE! But since they have decided to 'break up' I have felt kinda sad. THANKFULLY they are finishing their album our on the 6th of August!!!!! Watch this:



or go here to see the video!!!

here is the video for their 'latest':

[Thanks Cindy!]

4.) This looks NEATO! I am gonna check it out TODAY! Open to the public, and located beside the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in Yorkville, this lovely greenspace comes complete with mist wafting over the garden, every ten minutes! NEAT!

Renowned landscape architects and urban designers Claude Cormier + Associés of Montreal and NAK Design Group of Toronto made this surprising urban garden a reality. In response to a site dominated by theModernist Four Seasons and juxtaposed with the Victorian Yorkville Firehall, the garden and forecourt recall yesteryear's patterns but through a modern sensibility. Greeting the hotel guests in front of the entrance is an "urban carpet" made up of 8 different shades of red and gray granite setts, along with a grand, 4-storey vintage iron birdbath painted Tuscan Red. The adjacent garden adds nature into the picture, with plenty of trees and shrubs bubbling up amongst the limestone paving. Pathways laid out as swirling rose petals divide the lush shrubs to provide rest spots in the intimate green space.

NICE! More greenspace is ALWAYS a great thing!
[via www.urbantoronto.ca]

5.) Not sure why this amused me so much. But it did. CLAP YOUR HANDS for the new Taylor Swift video...and song.....

 http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/8559