An Art Full Day in Mississauga- A show, Plein Air Painting too

This weekend, I had the unique opportunity to exhibit my paintings during the South Side Shuffle Jazz Festival. Five other Mississauga artists and I put on an art show in the historic St. Lawrence Starch Company, on Lakeshore Blvd in Port Credit, Mississauga.

The location was terrific, the venue attractively set up, and the atmosphere, with the Shuffle’s live music drifting through the doors, made for a really pleasant experience. The positive remarks on the artwork displayed, as well as the overwhelming appreciation for an art venue in the area was very encouraging. The show reaffirmed just how much an art gallery for Mississauga artists is needed.

This weekend was also World Paint Out Day, a day that individual artists and plein air groups around the world make a special effort or host special painting on location events. Ontario Plein Air Society was too recently formed to organize an official plein air event. Instead OPAS, asked its members to  make an effort to paint and to then post the work on its blog site.

My very full weekend – TIFF (The Men Who Stare at Goats gala ( yes – I saw George Clooney and Jeff Bridges) a street garage sale, and the art show, left me with only a short time to dash out a painting, while working the show at the Starch Building.

A beautiful day to paint! This 6″ wide x 12″ high oil painting is from the viewpoint of Fram’s St. Lawrence Starch Building, looking east, past the iron fence, to Lakeshore Blvd.

Although I prefer not to touch up my plein air paintings, I chatted too much to inquisitive & friendly passers by, and so need to clarify and brighten up a few parts. This includes defining the words “Port Credit” (the focal point) on the red and white banner.

09/09/09 Lucky Numbers for Mississauga Artists (well, most of them)

Today, on the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year, The Lakeview Legacy Project , a non profit organization, was to stand before Mayor Hazel McCallion & the Mississauga City Council to ensure that the proposed Small Arms Building creativity centre would receive the infrastructure repair funding it so richly deserves. I wondered, (as both a visual artist and with AIM, Artists in Mississauga) would the 09/09/09 date bring good news or not for the arts &  artists in Mississauga?

Now, I knew that  the team that makes up the Legacy Project has such experience, dedication and vision, that I really needn’t worry. But a little chink in my faith resulted when, as just before I headed out the door to the council meeting, my teenage daughter asked for a whopping $300 for school, and that the number on the cheque I made out  was  333! (add them up- they equal 9)

My anxiety grew, when stuck in traffic snarled by back- to – school buses, and construction everywhere, it took me 3x as long to reach city hall. Then, thinking I was lucky to grab a free  parking spot behind the Living Arts Centre – it wasn’t till I was far from my car  - I saw there were now new automated ticket booths. With no  change on hand, I couldn’t get mine to work with my charge card. I had the joy of adding some feelings of inadequacy to those feelings of frustration at being late… until  I passed a  gentleman equally perplexed at getting his card to work.

I moved my car to the Square One Parking lot instead.

Racing over to city hall, I held the door open for an out of breath young man who, all dressed up, looked quite perturbed as he ran up the stairs towards me. Aha! a fellow witness also late to this historic event!

But then, across the great hall, little flower girls dressed up in white and pressed against the glass – caught my eye . A wedding, and he made it.

Jim Tovey, Chair of the Lakeview Legacy Project, and the Lakeview Ratepayers Association was presenting his case as I entered the Council Chambers. With no further a due Council unanimously agreed the cause was worthy and deserving. Huzzah!

And then, but with a little more difficulty, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, also got approval for funds toward their much needed and deserved expansion ideas. Huzzah again!

Happily, I returned to my car only to find a ticket on my windshield. Somewhere in time, what had been part of a large mall parking lot, still looked like the mall’s parking lot, and has no obvious signs otherwise, at least not to a frustrated motorist,  was now just for private use by who knows who?!?

I could pull a “23″ story line and point out that the ticket # ended in 9 (which it did) and so did the officer’s number. But that’s not the real point. The real point is that Mississauga is getting all grown up. It is getting mature enough enough to recognize that the arts matter, and sometimes, the value of money spent is not just about numbers. And that the nuisance of traffic, and parking that has to be paid for (sigh) are simply growing pains of coming of age.

The Great One That Got Away

I thought you might enjoy the retelling of a blog I wrote from 2007. Lessons still apply!

Dry Docked. High & Dry with No Cash in Sight. Or The Great One That Got Away.

Ever read “Blink- The power of Thinking Without Thinking” by Malcolm Gladwell? Well,

read the following and find out how my snap judgement resulted in lost opportunity.

A very long time ago, as part of an OCAD class with the terrific teacher Chin Kok Tan, I was plein air painting (ie. on location) on Toronto’s Ward Island. I sat alone on my little stool (picture one of those little blue and white striped Canadian Tire folding ones) painting a watercolour of a sail boat in dry dock, the CN Tower & Toronto skyline in the background.

Three men came up from behind, and one of them politely complimented me on the painting and asked its cost. As I replied “$50” , I twisted around to look up the man asking. His fair hair was backlit by the bright sun, and I could not see his face.

Meanwhile, another of the three, yakked loudly and addressed me as “sweetheart”. He made me uncomfortable, and so I dismissively ascertained all three to be “jocks”, and I was an artiste (even though I was a runner, skier & generally liked physical activity).

The polite, potential customer, continued to compliment my painting, and pulled about $30 from his pockets, stating that was all the cash he had on him. I held firm to my price due my irritation and judgement of the louder man.

The three went off, the polite, potential buyer thanking me, even though he was empty handed.

A while later the three returned. Groan. They had searched for more money (at a nearby boat?) and had come up with $38. “You don’t even have to finish it” they laughed. I proudly held my ground. It was $50 or no sale.

The three men departed, and then, when about 50 feet away, the gentleman who wanted to buy the painting, ran back to me, put his hand on my shoulder, said “Keep up the good work, dear” , and then rejoined his friends.

Immediately, I was swarmed by my classmates who had watched from afar. “What did he say ? What did he want? “

I looked at them. I hadn’t a clue what they were referring to, although by now you may have guessed.

Yes, I had turned down selling my painting to Wayne Gretzky .

Well. Lessons learned.

• Snobbery does not equal professionalism.
• Always look a customer in the face.
• Treat every one with respect. Do not prejudge. Look after your customer. Appreciate when someone has actually taken their time to stop, look, and compliment.
• Be fair to your clients by being consistent in your prices, but sometimes, it pays to compromise. At the time I could have used that $38, although I have had more than $50 in fun in recounting this story.
• paint on location with a buddy (maybe a partner might have been more observant than I)

Epilogue: A year later I sold the painting at an outdoor art show at Corbyville, Ontario. By that time I had paid for a matte and shrink wrapped it. After the woman bought it I told her the Wayne Gretzky story. She was delighted as the painting was bought as a present for her husband and he was a huge Gretzky fan. Oh… and the price the watercolor painting sold for? $25!

And with the wisdom of age and hindsight (there’s that word sight again) , I mean, how cute were these guys going back to search for change to try to get the $50? What was I thinking?

Plein air painting at Riverwood with OPAS

Today I was to paint with the new group Ontario Plein Air Society, but rain got in the way. Instead we held a very constructive meeting in OPAS leader Zan’s SUV, and roughed out goals for the next year. OPAS will be holding plein air painting sessions every Sunday until November and yours truly will help organize at least three of them, including the three day paint out to be held in conjunction with the international plein air paint out day! To find out more about and /or to join OPAS  (it’s free!) visit   http://ontariopleinairsociety.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile here are a few hits of colour on what was a very gloomy day.

Riverwood cardinal in the rain Copyright Christine Montague 2009

A Hit of Pink Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Riverwood - Urban wilderness marsh Copyright Christine Montague 2009

A New Plein Air Painting

Plein Air Oil Painting Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Tubing & OPAS on the Credit River. Photo copyright plein air painter Christine Montague 2009

Today was the third gathering of the new group Ontario Plein Air Society.  Nine of us met at the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre in Glen Williams.  We used my former studio in the beautifully restored old yellow mill – which can now be rented by the half day – as a home base, but painted down the road by the Credit River.

In my secluded little spot on a couple of feet of eroded shoreline, and only a foot from the water, I painted the tree line that stood at my eye level. The day was hot, and very bright, but in my tiny shady oasis, I was cool and relaxed by the lapping water. That is, after I decided to ignore the huge yellow jacket that buzzed in front of my eyes every 20 minutes, and the clouds if midges that wafted above now and then!

Some terrific paintings were produced by all, and it is always fascinating to see each artist’s interpretation of  the same location.  I am always surprised how  3 hours of painting outdoors feels like a happy day away!

Today we were honored that J. Bandini, President of the International Plein Air Painters Worldwide Organization drove all the way from Niagara Falls to join us.

And for those of you who think you might like giving painting out doors a try – the following is info on OPAS. By the way OPAS is free, and anyone is welcome. It is a way for plein air painters across the GTA and beyond, to link up to paint.

http://ontariopleinairsociety.blogspot.com

Find us on Facebook Ontario Plein Air Society(OPAS)

Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/O_P_A_S

New Oil Painting: Lake Huron Afternoon

Original oil painting copyright Christine Montague 2009

Just finished this painting today, and have another small one almost done.  With my first art fair,  Art 2009 , drawing near, the crunch is on!  I am quite excited about this painting as I made a conscientious effort to apply more paint to the canvas.  After looking at a detail of the brush work of Australian artist Wayne Haag on his blog, I had a Eureka! moment. I am too stingy (not deliberately) with my paint. Although I am a confident painter, and my past paintings have definitely met with success, perhaps I am still caught up in my watercolor roots. Although the painting above  is not textured, the paint is quite loaded on, in comparison to most of my other paintings. I really enjoyed painting this piece – and it wasn’t just because I got to paint a scene of my daughter  reflecting in the summer sunshine by Lake Huron.

Note: this is third of a a series I am tempted to call  “The Reluctant Tourist” .  Any one out there who has “forced” their  children or teens to vacation or day trip will relate. Although I am not without sympathy – I certainly remember teen age trips  with my parents, where I spent my time ducked down in the back of the car . Who knows who might have seen me?!

Follow the Yellow Fish Road

Yellow Fish Road Photo copyright Christine Montague 2009

I just answered the door to a team of five middle school students wearing road safety vests.  My “blink” intuition (yes,  as in the  Malcolm Gladwell BLINK sense)  wasn’t kicking in.  My brain could not equate the facts – students in safety gear, the lack of chocolate bar boxes and  school  not yet out (it’s only 1 pm)  – and my experience, i.e.  they want money.

To my pleasant surprise, what these young people were selling, was awareness.

These young Mississauga Peel School Board Students working as “Trout Unlimited Canada” volunteers, were spreading the word “only rain in storm drains” .  They were giving  a friendly reminder , and an important one , too, that storm drains connect directly to our local streams, rivers and lakes.  As well, as part of the Yellow Fish Road campaign, they had just painted  a yellow fish by drain on the road by my house.

You may be enlightened  to learn , as I recently had, that in most cities, storm drains do not connect to the sewage treatment plant & that oil, salt, soap  &  fertilizer goes directly and untreated into your local waterbody!

What does this have to do with art?

Well, aside from the friendly, humourous and hopefully effective, creativity of the campaign, it is also another reminder to artists to responsibly dispose of our environmentally unfriendly materials.

And any campaign that has young people that might not normally paint, and have them think it is fun to paint, even it it just a yellow fish by the side of the road, is golden in my book.

For more information:

Yellow Fish Road

Trouts Unlimited Canada

Region of Peel: For Safe Disposal (unwanted chemicals, paints, oils) 905 791 9499

Report Spills & Dumping:

Into watercourses – Ontario Ministry of Environment Spills Action Centre 1 800 268 6060

Into storm drains – City of Mississauga 905 615 3000

On the “Go” – Two new paintings, Mississauga landscape, Kincardine Lighthouse interior.

The Lighthouse Stairs Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Last week was busy!  I finished this  20″ x 20″ oil painting of  a youth going down the lighthouse stairs at Kincardine, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. The challenge to myself was to paint whites in shadow (expand my gray palette). I wrote a blog on this painting & mini  mini color mixing lesson previously. Click  here.

Stop, Go. Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Above is a 9″ x 12″ oil painting of  a Go train emerging from the trees over the Credit River in Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario. Young boaters from the nearby Mississauga Canoe Club stop to watch it go by.  This is fabulous spot to spend an urban summer evening.

The actual painting isn’t quite as dark. Quite glossy from the use of liquin it is proving very difficult to photograph , even on this overcast day. My husband has decided this is his favourite of all my paintings. Hmmm. I am flattered, but considering I have done some fairly ambitious pieces over the past six years, I am bit “stopped” by such enthsiasm, but I will admit it was fun to have a “go” at a train.

(Last week I also did my first plein air painting . Here is that painting & blog – Click here)

Cast Fishing, Cast Shadows. Plein Air Painting by the Credit River in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Plein air oil painting Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Above is a 6″ x 12″ oil painting of a man fishing by the Credit River. We are both under the enormous Burnamthorpe Road bridge -  between Erindale Park and Riverwood Park. The day was sunny but the shadow and the wind was cold! After 3 hours my convulsive shaking told me the painting was now finished.

Today I had the fun of plein air painting  with the newly formed group,  Ontario Plein Air Society (OPAS). I had not painted on location in years and never before with oils  ( the exception  Tapatoo Tree (sold) in water soluble oils ) .  Painting on location is quite exilarating – at least that is what I felt after I was done, and could seek relief from the cold and wind in a more sunny spot.

Just before I headed out to meet up with OPAS at Riverwood Park, I quickly thumbed through some International Artist & other art magazines for some helpful hints. Painting on location requires effort put into the logistics.

Following the example of British artist James Hart Dyke (American Artist magazine November 2003) I used the limited palette French Ultramarine, cadmium yellow, cadmium red light, raw umber and titanium white.  What freedom!

Once on location, I struggled a bit with what to paint. I sat across from an enormous old tree, partiatially in decay – but what I wanted to say about this tree could not be said on my 6″ x 12″ canvas. Suddenly I found my self doing a quick – almost Japanese brush like gesture of the fisherman before me ( I could have drawn him all afternoon) and that was that – I had my subject. I guess I just cannot escape the call to put a figure in my landscapes.

Mini Art lesson 4. Learn Along with me in How to Paint Grays in Oil.

One of the reasons I wanted to create the painting I have in progress at the moment (scroll down) was the challenge to paint many variations of the colour gray. A trivia  email going around states that the human eye sees 500 shades of gray. In trying to confirm this online,  I have found the human eye sees 500, 700, 256, a dozen and less than 16 shades of gray.  Whatever the true answer is, it is a lot more than I normally mix in  my standard palette, and in the creation of this painting  I hope to illustrate as many variations as I can.

Normally, I use the following  standard palette -

My usual palette

• cadmium yellow pale
• yellow ochre
• cadmium red
• alizarin crimson
• viridian
• olive green
• chrome green
• cerleum blue
• cobalt blue
• ultramarine
• burnt umber
• titanium white

I create black from mixing equal parts burnt umber and ultramarine and my grays from adding white to that mixture. (see lower right of palette above)

I have just started this painting Down the Lighthouse Steps

So how to expand on my knowledge of creating grays?

I turned to the terrific book I bought recently Color Mixing For Artists Minimum colors for maximum effect using watercolors, acrylics, and oils by John Lidzey, Jill Mirza, Nick Harris, and Jeremy Galton. Barrons Educational Series Inc. This is one of the most readable, portable, helpful and affordable color books found in our local stores.

This is the starter palette from Color Mixing For Artists

Starter palette for oils

• titanium white
• lemon yellow
• cadmium yellow
• yellow ochre
• cadmium red
• alizarin crimson
• Winsor violet
• French Ultramarine
• raw umber
• Payne’s gray

The book has a whole section on mixing gray as well as sections on mixing most other colors

palette 1 Mixing Gray oil paint

Palette 1. Using Alizarin crimson, viridian, ultramarine, lemon yellow

Left: 7 parts viridian, 1 part alizarin, 2 white

Centre: 3 part viridian, 1 alizarin crimson, 6 white

Right: added some more viridian and white  to left mixture

Ignore blue blob

Palette 2 Mixing grays

Palette 2

Left: 2 parts French Ultramarine, 1 alizarin crimson, 2 lemon yellow, trace white

Centre: 4 parts French ultramarine, 1 cadmium red . White.

Right: 20 parts viridian, 1 part crimson, white, and more white

palette 3 Mixing gray in oil paint

Palette 3

Top left: 4 parts cerelean blue, 2 camium red, 1 lemon yellow, 2 white. And more white.

Bottom left: Mixtures of ultramarine and alizarin and white.

Bottom right: cerelean blue, burnt umber , white

Top right: 3 french ultramrine, 1 alizarin crimson, trace lemon yellow, white

Of course what I am really doing for much of this painting is creating the illusion of white painted surfaces- the railing, painted walls, white flowers on the t-shirt- in shadow and reflection. One of the great joys of painting is learning to intrept just what it exactly what we are seeing. When asked what colour are the walls, we would answer white, but what we paint is another story.

An additional note. A couple of years ago I enjoyed a show entitled “White” at the the Abbozzo gallery in Oakville.  Examples of the interpretation of white from all the gallery’s stable of artists wwere on display. This show was a great example to all painters and students on the myriad of ways to paint white (and its grays)  – whether in abstract. realistic or illustrative painting. To see a few examples from this show click here.