Getting things done on a cloudy Sunday

So, I'm accomplishing what I planned for this weekend so far and I feel a cup of tea coming on and maybe a read. I just started A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book and so far I haven't been able to get past page 10. You really have to persevere with her books at the beginning and then they are a really good read.

Got to see the Art of the Danforth yesterday, more parts of it than planned, but that's okay. Many of my photos made it into the murals at the Greenwood and Woodbine subway stations (I have to check Coxwell). I have to re-tack some of my mats down for my watercolours tomorrow but I have new adhesive for that, which will hopefully work. Had a good walk down to the Beaches area to get that for tomorrow.

The chairs are out of the shed and on the deck but today is not the day to enjoy them. A bit cold and blustery although not wet as promised.

Also worked on sorting out my closet. I feel a purchase may be needed for further organizing. I'm also tossing some stuff. I'll be able to drop it off at a charity box tomorrow on my way to look after my art pieces (I like when you can do many things in one trip).

And I'm getting my computer organized and figuring out some Photoshop things I've been meaning to sit down with for ages now. Above is a result of playing with some free "grunge" brushes (the frame is actually the brush). Fun! On to watercolour painting, hopefully, this evening.

To do list for this weekend including ART OF THE DANFORTH

So what to do this weekend? Well, first and foremost is participating in the Art of the Danforth show at 2035 Danforth Ave (see below for work). I plan to walk along the Danforth from Greenwood to Woodbine and take in the various installations and activities and then there's a media launch to attend.

But besides that... I need to get the deck set up for some serious lounging this summer so the chairs are coming out. I might even get ivy for the camouflaging of the ugly shed. I also have to work on my closet (I couldn't find a shoe yesterday but retrieved today). I must get back to painting (I have some ideas coming from my trip to High Park) and work on photos. Ambitious? Maybe but it sounds like fun too.

Have a great weekend.

*the photo above is one that seems to creep out everyone but it's my desktop photo and I like it. It was taken in Paris near Bastille. I believe the store front was for a dollmaker's or repair shop.

Power!

Power Supermarket, that is. This is taken from an image of the grand opening of their store at Woodbine and Danforth. Torontonians from this area might remember the location as that of the lumber yard which had a bit of a fire on a Christmas Eve more than 7 years ago. Since then it's been a hole in the ground. There are now plans to build a condo with retail but because of the height proposed it is stalling a bit. None of the buildings in the area are more than 3 storeys high.

I still have a little bit of work to do on this one, though.

I meet next week to go over how to divide the space up with another artist and all the rest of the things that have to be sorted out. Not long now!

Streetcar

Yes, another streetcar but this one is older than the one I painted before. I might not even include both of them although I'm more pleased with them than some of the other works.

So, I've been absent from here yet again. But do not fear, I have been busy creating. I had to get a set of photographs ready for a gallery who took on 5 of them (Hurrah!). I had to mat and frame an etching and hand it in for the Stomping Grounds exhibit opening this Thursday at Alternative Grounds. Some editing (best if I don't get too creative there). Trying to grow my business. Making contacts etc. Setting up an art based website for my work with e-commerce (so if you've liked something here you might be able to buy it!). Planting flowers... Okay I'm reaching but I've been busy.

Excuses out of the way. On to the next picture.

Greenwood

Well this lonely little house is long gone. When the street was widened on Greenwood it was one of the casualties. That area of Greenwood had a lot of changes. It was once a brickyard and is now both a ttc stockyard and a park.

Feeling better about my progress now. I intend to do more images than I need and then sort them out.

Monarch Park

Okay, so I didn't get this posted yesterday. Maybe because I only finished the painting today (when I say finished I know I will be making some changes later). Here's another painting for the Art of the Danforth. What will I do next? Hmmm...

I have fond memories of going to Monarch Park with my mom. Again, it seemed far away to me when I was little but then my legs were shorter and everything seemed far. It was the closest park with a full swimming pool but it was always freezing. I always tried to just jump in instead of trying to slowly go in little by little. My brother tried several times to teach me to dive. I still can't.

Coxwell Streetcar

Yes, another Coxwell subject but this streetcar would have travelled, obviously. I'm more pleased with this in the end than I thought I would be. Still more to do...

Still happy from yesterday's art opening. Met some new people and possibly have an art exchange going with one of them. My mom and dad came, which was wonderful. All of my friends who said they would come (except one who was poorly) did even though the weather was terrible. And then we celebrated with some of them with pie. What better way to end a day. Now will any of the photographs sell? We'll see.

Coxwell houses

Yes, yes, I know, I've been neglecting the blog again. And yes, another Coxwell image. I have been doing other things. Seriously. Let's see, I've been trying to make contacts for work, I've been doing photography, I got work ready for a show, getting cards made up, I've been sorting things out at home etc.

I do have to ramp up things when it comes to this show. I'm almost regretting choosing watercolours based on archival photos. First, I'm guessing at colours. But this doesn't mean I can use whatever colour I want. For the most part, things were not painted bright colours. It just wasn't done even if people had access to fuschia and the money to paint their house that colour. Mostly, as with these three houses, I would assume that the people didn't have much money at all and probably left their houses as they were or preserved the wood with a quite serviceable colour.

I did pick up some fantastic paper (Somerset) which I plan to use if I decide to just do prints of the original watercolours for the show. We'll see.

Coxwell waiting room

I wish this was still there. It just seems so much more charming than the graffitti'd bus shelters we have now. And this one had a lunch counter. I think the woman in the doorway is the hostess. The brick would also keep out the cold winds.

Apparently this was at Coxwell and Danforth but I'm not sure which corner it would have been on. I want to say the south-east but I'm not sure.

What to tackle next. I seem to be rather Coxwell-centric but I seem to have the most workable archival photos for this area or street.

Linsmore hotel

I feel like it was only recently that the old Linsmore Hotel sign was taken down. Or maybe I'm dreaming. I was by there recently and it looks totally different (even more seedy than I remember).

Again this one was started and then reworked. Will the same happen for the next one? Probably, not. That's up next.

Danforth revisted

Here's the update of the Danforth Radio store image that I've done for the Art of the Danforth fest in April. It's less washed out. I may revist all of these at some point.

February 8 - Danforth project

Here's a quick sketch of one of the pieces I'm working on for the Danforth Art Walk in April in Toronto. I'm basing my watercolours on archival photos of the area of the Danforth between Greenwood and Woodbine. This was Danforth Radio. Of course most, if not all, of the photos that I'm digging up are black and white so I'm having to use artistic license with the colours. I also have to work bigger than I normally do to do a better job of the text (so you can identify the place). I'm going to the actual archives tomorrow to get more images.

Wish me luck.