But first, I’d like to start off by wishing everyone a very happy Canada Day!!! Gotta love Canada day. We did partake in some activities earlier today, after I’d finished all my prep work and final details for competitions.

And speaking of competitions, I have been juried into the La Cloche Art Show for the second year in a row. I don’t know if I won anything, or which of my paintings were accepted, but I am part of the show and am very proud and excited to have been juried in! If you’re in the area, please make sure you drop by the show which is in Whitefish Falls, just before you get to Manitoulin Island. It’ll be an amazing show with a great assembly of art from various artists. I believe that about 200 works from 104 artists will be displayed. Check out the show’s website at http://www.geocities.com/laclocheartshow/

And now for these 2 new works. Both were just completed and entered into another competition today, this one for a magazine. Many artists might know which one I’m speaking of . . . Hope I do well!

I completed Tea for One yesterday and battled for a while if was going to make it a lighter, brighter piece with a light background, but I opted for the black. I had started with the lighter background and it just didn’t speak to me. Once I changed it to black, the piece became alive with drama, full of shadows and light. Bingo! That’s what I wanted.

The other piece, Glass Apple was painted yesterday, as a last minute entry for the competition. I was going to enter another piece, but my gut screamed, NO!!! I knew I wanted to paint this piece over a week ago. Gilles received this as part of his 25th celebration at work and as soon as he opened the gift box, I sat mesmerized by the apple. Picture this, a classy affair at a fancy, shmancy place, and here I am holding this thing in my hand, moving it around, looking at how the different light played on it. People must’ve been wondering what I was doing. Artists, eh! You can dress ‘em up but ya can’t take the creativity outta them. We see stuff everywhere we go and always notice things such as the way light bounces off something, the way shadows and light play, colours, sunsets and hazy skylines, misty mornings . . . Everything we see we look at in a unique way, always painting when not painting. But I digress . . .

Back to the apple.For this piece, I sat the apple on a glass table on a dreary day and loved how the reflection almost appeared like a double exposure photo, with the trees showing. Anyway, I absolutely loved painting this apple and plan on using it in more pieces. I have several ideas for it, and the next one will be with more dramatic lighting in the same size as this one. Both are for sale and will be posted on my site soon with prices listed. In the meantime, please inquire through my site if interested.

So my friends, after a very busy few weeks, I’m taking the night off. But there’s never really any such thing as a night of with artists is there; we’re always thinking of and planning the next one, or two, or three. Oh, and there’s blogging and posting new work! Right now, I’m feeling the need to paint a horse. I have two ideas in mind, so I guess I’ll see which I’m really inspired to paint once I start. Many of my paintings are last minute decisions, and these always seem to be the best.

I’ll write back this weekend after my visit to the show and let you know what’s what. Until then, take care and again, hope you have a wonderful Canada Day!!!

P.S. The mural is being shown at the Calgary Stampede! From July 2-12 you can see the Cadeau du Cheval mural at the Western Oasis in Hall E at the BMO Centre. Let me know if you have the opportunity to visit it. I’d love to hear comments! Wish I could be there . . . For info visit http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cadeau.html

©Copyright 2009 by Carole Rodrigue. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.