Hey it is 2016!

 "HAPPY 2016" and I want to share some great news with you all in this post!

 ART

.....but first back in 2015 we had the www.culturecrawl.ca event in our neighbourhood and thousands of people came through our building, Paneficio.  In our studio, AMP Sharon and I counted 3200 visitors.  This is the time to show new work, get feed back, sell your art and expose people to your art practice.  I did very well and sold 5 pieces and lots of my collage cards that weekend and a couple more pieces after that.  I also participate in www.firstsaturday.ca with several other artists, which is an open studio event where visitors can come to your studio while you are working.  It is a relaxed atmosphere where you can take time to talk about your work and show your tools and techniques. 

my studio during the Crawl with the great weather

2 young boys who had been in my studio left this message outside  (go to see amazing art work) Love!!!

a couple weeks later it started snowing on the mountains

the highest point in our hood and is where the eagles perch

also in my hood are many, many craft beer tasting rooms....finally went on a tour organized by my brother Glenn with Rob and Arnt....look at his tiny beer (he was the driver) compared to my big cider

A few days after the Crawl I host a mini-crawl.  This is where a few of us visit each other in our tidy studios before we get back to work.  It is a great chance to see what other artists are doing in their art practice and also see how they set up their studios.  Everyone ends up at our place for chili and more conversations at the end of the day.

VANESSA LAM - painter, assemblage

her studio is in the new city owned Art Factory building

DAVID ROBINSON - sculptor

Arnt with a new piece of David's...his bases are as interesting as the pieces

LISA OCHOWYCZ - painter

she has been moving from abstract to landscape over the years so was great to see her progression

PILAR MEHLIS - painter, drawer, sculptor

JULIE PONGRAC - textile weaver, sculptor (and scientist)

 

NOEL HODNETT - painter, sculptor

this sculpture represents a life jacket

actual life jackets brought back from the Syrian refugees

SONYA EWASIUK - painter, mixed media

SALLY GOODING - photographer, mixed media

MICHELLE SIROIS-SILVER - textile, mixed media

Such talented artists in my neighbourhood.  Thanks for opening up your studios.

I dropped in to see Michelle for a visit this month and got a demo on deconstructed printing.  Lichen was used to create the pattern.  This will be a 4' x 5' mixed media piece when finished.

CRAFT COUNCIL OF BC GALLERY

Rachel Gourley's wonderful polymer & mixed media sculpture show "Contained"

EQUINOX GALLERY

Gathie Falk's lovely retrospective "Things in My Head"

...sculpture, painting, installation....

I also attended the Fred Hertzog opening and met an artist new to me Erin McSavaney-painter

MONTE CLARK

Rodney Graham's fabulous box lit photograph

UBC MUSEUM OF ANTHRPOLOGY

"InVisible" works by 7 comtemporary artists from Taiwan (till April 3) 

I went to this show with 6 gal pal artists and we were blown away...

installation, painting, mixed media, drawing and sculpture

DON'T MISS IT! 

 paper cutting

 video of calligraphy by a woman on a mirror

mixed media painting

 installation

FERRY BUILDING GALLERY
group show "Wit & Whimsy" 

 
 Isabelle Proctor - assemblage

I went to hear her talk on her new pieces "sticks" and
I will be the proud owner of this one when finished.

these are some of her pieces from her black & silver series

this is a bashed up typewriter I gave her

Lisa Keplak - painter (yup they are paintings!)

LEESA HANNA - painter, drawer, mixed media, writer
I was teacher assistant for Leesa in her daughter Ruby's grade 5 class
teaching a painting art project about polar bears and the environment  



 



AMP STUDIO

The studio is becoming more and more active which suits me just fine...Sharon is starting a new mixed media series, the BEES have been together for 2 years and will continue with a couple nights a month in my studio doing textile and thread projects.  I also started a collage night which I am looking forward to once a month.  The window project was very successful and I am now booked for another year.  Love the interaction with the artists and the neighbourhood.

CHERYL FORTIER'S boats she painted in France - painter, mixed media
as guest artist this month for "Window Dressing" 

I tarted up my typewriter and wrote my "Happy 2016" letter to friends and family far away.

"from the desk of Leonard"

18th INTERNATIONAL COLLAGE SHOW NEW ZEALAND
DALE COPELAND - assemblage... curates this show and here are 4 of the 12 pieces I sent
http://outofsight.co.nz/Dale/collage.htm

FIRST SATURDAY

First Saturday is now over 50 artists strong and I am looking forward to 2016.  I made 55 collage cards for the Crawl and sold them all.  I am now making a series of 10 collages for www.firstsaturday.ca February 2, 2016 which are about 10" x 12" and will make more cards.

 "3 Monks" sold to a collector in New York

 OARLOCK AND SAIL WOODEN BOAT CLUB

 we are fixing up Vogler,  a 12' circa 1920's rowboat with new steam bent ribs

once this is done we will resume work on the Providence 

River Boat which will take over a year to build 

2nd ANNUAL ARTIST'S OFFICE PARTY

we usually always work by ourselves so we have our own version of an office party...this 

year we held it in Arnt's studio with lots of food, beer keg, music and conversation

Glenn the bartender

  

TRAVEL

my brother-in-law Leif from NYC surprised us with a visit and we flew over to see their dad and step mom on Gabriola Island....was a fabulous clear day for flying in a seaplane

Arnt, Lloyd and Leif

beach access stair way

love this in my mother-in-law's garden

the flight home

This was our view for New Year's eve 

 spent it on the boat ERN with Arnt, Leif, Sharon and Rob

eating lobster and scallop bouillabaisse and playing music

so the BIG news.....we have bought out two of our partners in the building and we now own a 1200 square foot artist studio with Dan and Rika, our remaining partners.....we take possession Feb 1 and we already have it rented out to www.lorisokoluk.com who is a mixed media painter/drawer.  She will bring 3 or 4 other artists with her so we will increase the number of artists in the building.  We are already planning lots of events like openings, film screenings, First Saturday, music and barbecues that will see renewed energy with up to 8 artists participating.  I will keep you posted.

So that is it for the end of 2015 and the start of 2016....looking like a great year ahead to me.

New Year's Day Vancouver, BC