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!!!

TIMES AND TOYS - a review - and installation photos!

HOWDY ALL!!!

So this is my last blog post before Christmas.

WOW. That is frightening!

Anyways…….I wanted to share the installation photos from my latest exhibition:

My "Sign of The Times" Series paintings and my "Tin Toy" Series are up for this show!
I got a review - ok - a comment card submitted at the space that said:

“Terrific show! Unusual, thoughtful, visually exciting.” – Anonymous.

So come out see both BRAND SPANKING NEW work and some crowd pleasing favourites!

This show has a NICE LONG RUN….so there is no excuse for not swinging by to check it out! ;-)

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

Here are the installation photos:

EXCITING!!!

I really hope you get a chance to check it out!!!!

HONEST EDS and "TOYS AND TIMES" EXHIBITION

Happy Friday!
I am a busy boy!!
First…I wanted to share this new painting:

"Eds", Acrylic on canvas, 30" x 24"

So…let's talk about it!
As you know, soon Honest Eds will be no more. Sad? Undeniably!
But I think we should celebrate the life and times of this institution!!!!!
This painting is my away of remembering it!
The 'poster' part was SUPER HARD to get right….but after a lot of repaints, I think I got it just right!!!
The background is obviously the Bathurst Subway tile.
Also on this painting…….a sign "so special" that is to resemble the GREAT signs that are all over the inside of Honest Eds!
The Turkey is because they used to give out free turkey during Christmas!
And those 'carnival lights' are like the ones in between the alley!!
I really liked this quote. ("The price of anything is amount of life you exchange for it!")
I tried 4 other quotes - but they all sounded a bit preachy…..so I thought this one was the best!
This piece, is now available with "Go West" (from Monday's post) and you can come out to see them at:

That's right! A big show of ORIGINAL WORKS!!!!

This is your chance to see a HUGE array of BOTH my "Sign of The Times" Series paintings and my "Tin Toy" Series!

"Rob Croxford’s latest exhibition has an agenda: to amuse and entertain! His "Tin Toy Series" is enjoyable for all ages, while his ‘Sign of the Times’ paintings explore the sights and the issues from the city he loves!"

Come out see both BRAND SPANKING NEW work and some crowd pleasing favourites!

This show has a NICE LONG RUN….so there is no excuse for not swinging by to check it out! ;-)

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

To get the prints of this painting - or of  "Go West"- or ANY of my 10 other prints, you'll need to come out to see me at the HOLIDAY ART MARKET on December 8th!

*****at the H.A.M. I will be offering a DISCOUNT on all my prints!!!

Or - go to my Etsy site!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND Y'ALL!!!!

TORONTO OUTDOOR ART EXHIBITION 2013 - Rob Croxford at Booth #12 !!

Hey howdy friends, loyal readers, and newbies!!
I have finally recovered from my last weekend showing at the R.A.W.!
(BTW that's AT the RAW not IN the raw)
So...now to look forward to my next show!
On deck next........the granddaddy of Canadian Outdoor Art Fairs....

The 52nd T.O.A.E. is at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West

It runs.....rain or shine.....
July 5: 10:30 am- 7:30 pm
July 6: 10:30 am- 7:30 pm
July 7: 10:30 am- 6:30 pm

About 400 artists are chosen from about 1300 eager artist applicants!

As the largest of its kind in Canada, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition offers a fresh-air and free alternative to conventional art shows and galleries. Approximately 400 artists participate and over 100,000 visitors attend the exhibition every year. Side by side, established artists, undiscovered talents and innovative students sell their work directly to the public and make lasting connections with art dealers and collectors.

A catalogue featuring the art will be available on the TOAE website VERY SOON!.
Here is a bit more info about the show:
“At 52 years, TOAE has become one of Canada’s most important visual arts events because all the artists interact directly with the public to discuss their work”, says TOAE President, Flavio Belli. “We’ve nurtured the careers of thousands of Canadian artists, some of whom have gone on to international recognition.”
The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition annually opens during the second weekend of July despite bad weather, civic strikes, and recent renovations to Nathan Phillips Square. It has not just survived but prospered, and each year TOAE gives away $30,000 in cash prizes to artists on the square. TOAE is a charitable, not-for-profit organization supported by a group of volunteers and corporate partners. The organizers take no percentage of the artists’ sales, and it maintains one of the lowest exhibition rental fees available to artists.

 www.torontooutdoorart.org

I am grateful to be a part of the SCALED DOWN version of this show! 

This will be my 8th showing at TOAE since 2004. Which is pretty good (insert pat on back here ;-)

I have a GREAT location this year.....(click the map to en-biggen it!)

Here is what the area looks like right now....

.....to give you an idea......this is what it looks like from the street.....

Find ROB and win a quarter!!! ;-p

So....I am pretty jacked about the show. I will be showing A LOT of work from my 'Sign of the Times' Series.....plus a LOT more. I will be showing a number of pieces that I did NOT show at the RAW this past weekend!

Here are a few little $100 (YES....YOU READ IT RIGHT!!! ONLY ONE HUNDRED BONES!!) pieces that will be for sale on the square those days.....

"Carbon Footprint", Mixed media, 9" x 6" 

The car imagery is from one of my sold images...but colour retouched....
The car is from a vintage puzzle......that I bought at ETHEL (and was missing a piece).
That puzzle has been a GREAT buy!!!
The bottom has a bunch of painted footy prints.
There are also some wooden mouldings.....and a bunch of colour washes to finish her off!
This one will also MOST DEFINITELY be gone on Friday!

"City Slicker", Mixed media, 9" x 6"

This one has an image I painted of Toronto New City Hall. (That original is also SOLD)

The bottom has a wooden 's' attached and a painted Rolling Stones tongue.

There are also 2 scrabble letters....

Finally - it has a LOT of paint and ink and washes....

SUPER FUN!!!

"Science Fiction", Mixed media, 9" x 6" 

This is a sure-fire sell item too!!

It has imagery on top is from 2 different paintings from my 'Tin Toys' Series - that are both sold.

There is a LOT of paint work on this piece too!!!

Then the middle has new painted work - of a guy FIXing a car.

And then some scrabble tiles 'tion'...

It has a wood moulding and a little "space invader" too!

So there are 3 new ones to look forward to seeing in person!

Remember to come by!

And also remember - this is a very well attended show, so get there on Friday for the BEST selection!!!

Things move pretty fast at this show!!

See you soon!!

~R

EXPLORING SPACE AGAIN!!

Howdee Y'all!
Yes, I know it is Saturday.......but since I have been a TERRIBLE blogger lately - I wanted to share what I have been working on. It is a commission for a new client!
So, what I knew going into the commish was that the clients liked my robots.
(Which I haven't painted in a while.) They especially liked the quote on this painting which is out at a gallery currently:

Truthfully - I was THRILLED to get beck to the bots....they are so fun to paint!!!
So, I took a drawing that I had on standby......one that I was in the middle of working on.....

....and then I "renovated it" to make it more like the other painting in colour and theme.
So, it started with this rough drawing that I sent to the client for approval:

I was pleased with it....but thought it needed a bit more colour.....the client also wanted an "old time" rocketship........so I went back to the drawingboard......and came up with this drawing:

DING DING DING! We have a winner!!!!
So I got the 'go ahead'....and started up. A couple days into production...the piece looked like this:

It was well on its way!
Well.......I won't make you wait any longer......here is the final piece:

COME ON!!!!!!!
I am so thrilled with the final piece!
More importantly (or maybe just as importantly) the client likes it too!!!
What say you????
Love it? Should I do more robots?????

WW104: HENSE, VINTAGE LONDON and SOME SWEARING!

I BET YOU WERE EXPECTING A VALENTINES DAY THEMED WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY.......well......you are WRONG.....but please do enjoy these 5 things not so romantic things.....

1.) Barbara Franc from the UK creates beautiful bird sculptures using found and recycled metals! According to her bio she is fascinated by the shape & sculptural forms of animals. "I try to capture a feeling of their movement and presence in my sculpture." Franc says, "For this I use wire and other materials in a way that suggests drawing in three dimensions. This allows me greater freedom to add changes whenever I want during the construction to keep the feeling fluid and to reflect the diversity of movement and form." OK. Sure. I just know they are SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!

Check out more of her AMAZING sculpture on her website!
(thanks to junk-culture.com)

2.) HEY LONDONERS! This one is for you!!! Check out Vintage London's Facebook Page. It is really really really GREAT!

Here is a sample of some of the AH-MAH-ZING photos you can see on this Facebook page:

3.) Atomic ToyBot. Part toy store, part art gallery, part bookstore, Atomic Toybot has a little something for everyone. It is a great little store on Queen East here in T.O.

Lots of great - fun stuff!!!

ALSO I am showing a little original art piece for their Pony Paddock show (a show all about My Little Pony) Here are the deets:

Hours of Operation - Wednesday-Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm
978 Queen Street East, Toronto

4.) This mural project is incredible! Atlanta-based graffiti artist Hense recently completed a new mural installation in Washington DC. The private commission involved completely painting a historic Church in Ward 6, an up and coming area located directly across the street from a planned 20,000 sqft museum. Hense completely transformed the church with latex paint creating a monumental installation. This is another great example of art vs architecture, where today’s artists are transforming neighborhoods and skylines with murals and paint. Remember to check out his website for more great stuff!!

(via designformankind )

5.) This is SUUUUUPER OFFENSIVE. Please cover your children's ears. Sadly, I cannot get the tune out of my head!!!! (I assure you the words are just as unsuitable to READ - but read them HERE)

(thanks CINDY for your filthy forward)

NEW WORKS: Moonstruck!!!

HELLO!
Well, it's a new week. And truthfully I am SUPER ANXIOUS. This is the week I will find out whether or not I have been juried into the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. I am extra nervous because some artist friends of mine started posting on Facebook their acceptances on FRIDAY of last week!!!! (Usually they mail out the TOAE acceptances first.)
But I am trying to keep positive and NOT check my mailbox every 10 minutes all day long.....all week long......But besides fretting about the TOAE......I HAVE been a busy bee.
I wanted to share with you a few more of the little shadow boxes that I just finished.
These are all part of my "Mixed Message" Series. For those of you who are not regular followers of my blog, or my work....here is a quick refresher....

"These assemblages combine imagery from my catalogue (of 450+ completed paintings) and brand new hand painted work. The existing items from my catalogue are printed on heat transfers, varnished and painted/inked on. I then take all the imagery and reassemble it to create the shadow boxes and I add some found objects to fill out the box. Each piece is one of a kind, completely affordable!!"

"Moonstruck", 6" x 9", Mixed media, $100.

The left side is a segment of "Shoot for the Moon" (sold) - I did my usual paint and inking on top. The other side is painted stars imagery (a bit wonder woman-y). There is a piece of red painted moulding and I added a large tile 's' and a vintage toy truck puzzle piece. I think this one is kinda clever! (If I do say so myself)

"Plain and Simple", 6" x 9", Mixed media, $100.

The plane in this one is from a sold Arcade Series piece (which I slighted repainted) and the background of clouds is new. The middle section has a vintage envelope (it doesn't photograph well - but it has a old plane on it too) and also has some vintage metal "Meccano" pieces on it. The final elements are some chip board letters that spell out '& simple". I have put some more paint and coloured washes all over it - to make it more cohesive looking!


AND FINALLY:

"Funny Farm", 6" x 9", Mixed media, $100.

The painting in the background of this one is from a commission I did. READ ABOUT IT HERE. I did a bit of repainting...and then painted "HA HA HA HA" all across it. I added some painted mouldings, and I painted a small wooden barn to add on top. I also added a toy tractor and some kids letters that spell out "funny".


There you go!
Thats some of what I have been up to!
Whadda ya think?
Like the new work?
Keep your fingers crossed for me - I am going to go check the mail right now........