KING OF KENSINGTON

Happy Friday!
I wanted to post this yesterday - but I just cold not get this painting DONE.......
So, to celebrate showing in Kensington Market again this year, I have created another new painting (and a print to come)
First.....here are the show details.......

The Kensington Market Art Fair (KMAF) is an annual curated outdoor art fair in Toronto’s historical neighbourhood, focusing on original art and craft. KMAF features artists working in painting, drawing, illustration, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and more! In partnership with the Kensington Market BIA and Pedestrian Sundays, KMAF occurs on the last Sunday of each month from May to October.

THIS WEEKEND ---
Sunday June 28, from 12pm – 7pm
77 Nassau Street, Kensington Market

More info: www.keep6.ca/kmaf
Contact: info@keep6.ca
Artist Directory: http://keep6.ca/kmaf/2015-featured-artists/

SUPER EXCITED TO BE SHOWING A NEW KENSINGTON PAINTING!!
So, I wanted to show you how the piece shaped up.....step by step.....

I drew a lot of this piece in - then inked it....then added the paint like watercolour!

Then slowly started putting in the shadows....

I really like how it looks without a bo!rder.......BUT.....

Beige border in place

FOREVER...now with a blue additional border.....

forever KENSINGTON MARKET....with more colour changes and such....

Then I decided it still looked compositionally unbalanced, so I
added the "Toronto Ontario"  -- then put washes and aging (my FAVOURITE PART)!

And here she is in all her glory!!!

"Forever Kensington", 36" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, 2015

YUP! She is a beaut!
I hope everyone agrees!!
See you next Sunday at the KMAF!
(Don't worry I will remind you across ALL the social networking platforms next week!)
;-p
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!

WW189: RAPHAEL VERONA, TOMORROWLAND, and FRUIT NINJA!

Here are 5 things I want you to love this week….
OH….also….I want to ESPECIALLY thank husband for his continuing contributions to this weekly post (that I evidently do NOT credit him with enough).
THANKS DAVID! ;-)

1.) There is something hypnotic and stunning about Impossible Bottles…..a series of animated gifs by Berlin based illustrator/animator Rafael Varona….just look at these:

See more at https://www.behance.net/gallery/17932945/Impossible-Bottles
See more from Rafael at http://www.rafael-varona.com

(thanks to The Verge for being so cool!)

2.) Got some time to waste?? Well I give you…...Fruit Ninja….GHOSTBUSTERS SPECIAL EDITION!!!! I am SOOOOOO addicted to this right now……

(see this LINK if the link above doesn't play!!!)
Go download it….NOW!
F - U-- N!!!

3.) …and speaking of nerdy pursuits…….I CAN'T WAIT for Tomorrowland. Yes…..it is still MONTHS away….but I have been looking forward to this one….just look at this promotional material:

…and I have been salivating looking at the retro-sets that they have been "building":

and the ACTUAL future-y locations that they filmed (like"The city of the arts and the sciences". The filming will begin this afternoon in Spain):

And then…….just look at this teaser trailer:

Looking forward to this one!!!

4.) Jerk balloons. These are perfect!!!! Shauna Luedtke has created these wonderfully jerky latex balloons…….they come as a set of 25 with five different designs….featuring typefaces by Neil Summerour, Ale Paul, Stephen Rapp, and Mark Simonson. Fill them air or helium or with water -- for an extra treat! ;-)

Buy your set at
http://www.fairgoods.com/products/jerk-balloons

5.) Thanks John Oliver for this….it made me laugh…..and I am not a huge animal lover………it is really good…….If you are not watching Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - you are seriously missing out!!!!

go HERE for video - if it doesn't work!
(Extra thanks Cindy and Dale for this one!)

WW187: BYOB COCKTAIL EMPORIUM, POSTMODERN JUKEBOX and "ew"

Welcome again to "Wonderful Wednesday" friends!
Here are 5 things that I think you should love this week!

1.) This is weird and wonderful…….Debra Broz from LA makes the sweet so strange…….I love her work…..like these:

So odd and so STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are a few more….

Yes…it's a rabbit with a fox mask or 'Lamb as Bear'….great pieces from her "Disguises" Series

Weird bird and flower combo from "Botanical/Ornithological Grafts & Hybrids" Series.

Support Debra!!!
At her website…..
or give her some like on the Book of Faces….
or follow her tweets!
(thanks to The jealous Curator for pointing her out!!!)

2.)  Do you like pop music……but not the people singing it? Do you miss the sounds of days gone by??? I often feel this way. I offer this solution…….

Postmodern Jukebox takes your radio hits and spins them a little differently…..for example….take an Ariana Grande / Zedd Cover  - and make it into 70's soul remake (ft. Morgan James):

(iPhone peeps - click HERE)

My goal with Postmodern Jukebox is to get my audience to think of songs not as rigid, ephemeral objects, but like malleable globs of silly putty. Songs can be twisted, shaped, and altered without losing their identities–just as we grow, age, and expire without losing ours–and it is through this exploration that the gap between “high” and “low” art can be bridged most readily.

I subscribed to the the PMJ YouTube….so that I wouldn't miss any song!!! (So must YOU!) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORIeT1hk6tYBuntEXsguLg
I couldn't stand to miss another song like this one…..

(iPhone peeps - click HERE)

YOU MUST get their new album: http://msclvr.co/0eX28X

Find a way to see them on tour: http://tickets.turnupgroup.com/postmo...
See PMJ on Wednesday nights in LA: http://sbe.com/exclusives/scott-bradl...
http://www.postmodernjukebox.com
I leave you with this one……."Anaconda" HOLY CRAP WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!!!

(iPhone peeps)

AWESOME!!

3.) This one is for Christina, Deb, Cindy and Husband! One of you gals NEEDS one of these purses from Anya Hindmarch !! OMG!!! These are from her Autumn Winter 2014-15 'Counter Culture' Collection.

 Yes….that's Tony The Tiger and Cornelius Rooster!!!
Look at how beautiful these are up closer….

 But then she also does a clutch bag!

BUY a limited edition cereal purse at Colette or we can take a trip across the pond to
Bond Street or Harvey Nicols!!!!!

(thanks to http://www.ifitshipitshere.com for this one!!!!)

4.) This one is for my fellow day drinkers ;-) When on Queen West, you are gonna want to check out BYOB Cocktail Emporium:

Everything you might need to enjoy a good cocktail! Everything from books to bitters…..everything from bar tools to beer glasses.

(you may recognize this bar from Ethel! - one of my most favourite-ist stores!!!)

Honestly I was there this past weekend at 972 Queen St West…and it was great!!!!

Shop online with them at: www.byobto.com
Give them a little 'like' at  www.facebook.com
or follow the tweets at: @BYOBtoronto

BYOB Cocktail Emporium is at  972 Queen West, in Toronto!

NOW GO THERE!!!

5.) Jimmy Fallon. I feel like I could dedicate the #5 position of this post PERMANENTLY…..I am sure you have seen this….but if you haven't….I give you "Ew" the music video…..

(go HERE for my iPhone peeps)

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!!!