BLOG CROXFORD: yearly review

Showing posts with label yearly review. Show all posts

Friday, January 10, 2014

ONLY 9 THINGS TO CELEBRATE???

Yes…time again for a little introspection.
Do I have the time for this? NO!!!! I have a BIG SHOW opening in 6 weeks from now. YEOWSA!
But more about The Artist Project in a couple days…...
Until then, let's see what happened for me last year….I know it sound like bragging - but don't think of it like that! Think of it as me 'taking stock' of a kinda BRUTAL year in art!
So…let's get to it……..
What was so great about last year????

1) I created about 50 new original artworks….a little down from last year! Generally, I was happy
with my "artistic direction" for the year…..especially considering how much time went to creating
smaller affordable pieces like these:

If I added all of these to my list of completed works….I could claim to have created an additional
33 pieces of art!
So that would bring my numbers up to over 80!
THAT SOUNDS MORE IMPRESSIVE!! Ok - let's go with that!!!
PLUS……I also spent a great deal of time in production with my prints and giclees…...

2) Not only did I develop a line of 6 heat transfer prints, but I also created a series of TWELVE
limited edition giclèes! I even developed some bags too!! THAT IS CRAZY!!! The prints have
been a great success so far, and I continue to produce them - and add to my inventory of
reproductions! I have 2 sizes available, and am looking forward to adding MORE soon!
Now…the numbers are harder to count…..but it looks like last year, I was able to move about 100
reproductions in varying sized last year! Which is really great!!!!

See my FANTASTIC PRINTS HERE.

or on my ETSY site!

3) Now the prints are hard to keep an exact inventory of because I was able to solidify my
partnership with Spacing Magazine! I LOVE SPACING!!
If you don't know them.......READ THIS
blog post...….and check them out at Spacing Magazine.

Not only do they carry my prints online:

But they also showcased them at both WOTS and at Christmas in a POP-UP SHOP

So weird to see them all together in a line. I LOVE IT!

I hope 2014 prints more with me and Spacing!!!!!!

4) Speaking of press…...I was THRILLED with the press from this year!
ESPECIALLY A GREAT PROFILE IN NEIGHBOURHOOD LIVING FALL 2013!
Not only was my work on BOTH covers…..

But Neighbourhood Living included a FOUR PAGE spread all about me and my illustrious art

career! It is a really enjoyable article writen by Tracey Coveart. (more of her writing HERE)

Read the whole story HERE.

……now that seems like enough press right?? Well then there was these:

- Check out this LINK to Torontoism.com (Thanks Richard Silver/Jackie Marchildon)

- A fantastic mosaic artist and aspiring writer wrote a GREAT little piece about me! Check out

Natalie at www.Fragmentalist.com

- mentioned on 3 other blogs last year including the Grid and Blog T.O!!

- Peter Glaser's column "Northern Roadsides" explored the history of Ontario Place. Using a

photo of my work in The Society for Commercial Architecture. You can check out the SCA

on Facebook HERE......or their website at www.sca-roadside.org

5.) I WON AN AWARD!!!!! Finally!!! I mean, all you need to do is work full time for 9 years,

and then you are recognized for your talent! ;-) Re-READ this post to remember!

Or you can re-read about it on the Cabbagetown site...…

6) I did 108 Blog posts last year!!!! Down a bit…..but certainly respectable!!
I hope you read ALL of the posts???
Go back and re-read them all now……then come back to finish this post!
;-)

7) A record amount of rain and number of group shows….this year for all it's faults included a
record of 12 shows last year!!!!
- “Holiday Art Market”, Artscape Barns,
- “Canadiana” , Project Gallery, Toronto, ON
- “Just my Type”, #Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON
- Cabbagetown Art & Crafts Show, Toronto, ON
- Riverdale Art Walk, Toronto, Ontario
- Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
- “Monsters & Robots”, and “Pony Paddock “ Atomic Toybot, Toronto, ON
- The Artist Project, Toronto, Ontario
- The Toronto Home Show
- The International Home Show
This does not mention the galleries and retail locations that supported me in a significant way last
year…special thanks to:
- MJG Gallery
- Atomic Toybot
- Red Church Gallery

8) ONE solo show of work last year……..

My "Sign of The Times" Series paintings and my "Tin Toy" Series are STILL UP!!!!!

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

9.) Thanks to my long suffering (and greatest fan) husband, I was ONCE AGAIN, somehow able to
make a living in the arts!! It was a harsh year, with harsh weather to deal with!

AGAIN…… I am sooooooo grateful for those who purchased my work this year.

I am grateful for the Galleries that were able to stick with me this year - especially mark at

MJG GALLERY

who has turned out to be a world class kind of guy!!!

Finally, thank you loyal readers for checking in with me, I appreciate every one of you.

Thanks for taking the time!

And remember your comments are most welcome here!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

WW: TOP 3'S - ANOTHER MEGA POST 2013 REVIEW (PART 2)

WELCOME BACK - 3 of the best of my WW posts last year.
Let's do it:

1.) I LOVE me some brunch! Here are 3 that I enjoyed last year…..

A) "The Starving Artist" here in Toronto at 584 Lansdowne Ave!

THEY ONLY SERVE WAFFLES!! BAM!

Here is a sampling from the menu.......MMMMMMMM......

Check them out for your next carb-craving!!
THE STARVING ARTIST

B) An old fave……….brunch at OKOK (in Leslieville)

"The Elvis"

(Peanut Butter and banana sandwich covered in egg and fried)

C ) The White Brick Kitchen.

FOR SOME ADVICE ON THIS PLACE - CHECK BACK HERE!!!

Cinnamon Bun Waffle:
white chocolate cream cheese icing, brown sugar crumble, with hickory bacon

Banana Bread French Toast:
chocolate chips, caramelized banana and caramel

There was this cool (and huge) retro ad there too (right up my alley):

2) Favourite Art things….this was HAARD! I wanted to pick ONLY 3 and make them be totally different……BUT I COULDN'T!!!!!!!! So here is my choices…..

A ) Paper Favourite: The Me Bird.

The short film "The Me Bird" is described as "a free interpretation of the homonym poem by Pablo
Neruda. The inspiration in the strata stencil technique helps conceptualize the repetition of layers as
the past of our movements and actions. If the video didn't play GO HERE to see it!

The Me Bird from18bis
on Vimeo.

B ) Mural Favourite...Anders Gjennestad aka Strøk just completed this new piece in Porsgrunn, a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway.

see more of his work HERE!
(via Streetartnews and Junk Culture)

C ) Installation Favourite…..Michael shvo and paul kasmin gallery turned a gas station in New York City into a sculptural sheep pasture!!!!

This installation debuted to the public yesterday, 'sheep station' is a pop-up, surrealist landscape which sets dozens of sculpted farm animals fixed amongst gas pumps and fire extinguishers in a grass-filled getty station.

READ MORE HERE!!!!

D ) Photo Favourite...for-real coloured photographs, taken at the beginning of the 20th century!! All
the images shown on THIS WEBSITE were taken using Autochrome Lumière technology.
YOU MUST CHECK OUT THE REST AT CURIOUS EGGS