My Magazine is finally here!!

The copies of my magazine spread finally arrived in the post today! I could not have been more excited to receive my copies of HER Magazine (New Zealand) with my 6-page spread featured in it! There is actually a tiny black and white head shot photo of me as well....I haven't been able to stop smiling since I picked it up...I'm soooo incredibly happy!



In other news, Toronto is trapped under a huge cold and snowy blanket that appears to have not let up in the past 24 hours. Sigh, now that the first official snow has fallen, I suppose it will begin to look a lot like Christmas. Although, I must say that long these harsh winters are what I most dislike about Toronto. They send me to a really dark place and I often wish that I could spend the next 6 months just hibernating in my house, not resurfacing until the blossoms of spring awaken me. I think too that because I have been so sick and then working 2 jobs while trying to keep up with my painting, everything has just fallen to the wayside. And by everything I mean, mostly my health and of course the creating of the art. I feel so bleh and uninspired at the mo and just cant seem to shake this funk. Calling all suggestions please!!



Will also be having a ETSY sale and try to get rid of some pieces lying around my studio.

Gotta run for now but will start posting paintings again really soon....





xoxo with Love.

New on ETSY

These past few days have been pretty horrible for me. I have been so incredibly under the weather and finally had to give in and take some much needed time off to recoup and just relax. I think the worst of the flu may finally have passed but it has left me feeling slightly weaker than normal.

Anyway, I have to really get back into painting and adding new stuff to my site and getting ready for the holidays etc. I have added a few more $25 Limited Edition Prints to my ETSY store and also dropped some prices on some of the originals, just in time for some great XMAS presents! I will be adding new prints to the site as soon as I receive them so keep checking back..

I entered a competition a while back for an Ontario winery. They were looking for local artists to feature on the labels of their wines and I made it to the short list of finalists! I really hope that I am one of the 12 winners selected for the bottles but it has been really great getting the nod up to this point. Can you imagine one of my "ladies" gracing a label on a bottle of vino?? How fun would that be! Check out mine and the other finalists at the FACEBOOK Fan Page for HILLEBRAND Winery Artist Series. Some of the comments are a bit harsh but I suppose that's to be expected in this sort of competition!


Until a bit later then...
xoxo with love.

Twilight New Moon

Today is the darkest rainiest day ever and it seems fitting since I'm heading to a double feature screening of the Twilight movies tonight! New Moon opens at Midnight so that should be fun! I haven't really been a die hard fan or anything and haven't even seen the first movie. Tonight I will hopefully see what all this fuss has been about.

In honour of vampires and the dark arts, I have started this small shoe painting (very rough still). I should hopefully have it finished by tonight if all goes as planned...but uh when does that ever happen! Lots of coffee in prep for this evening, although since I am quite the insomniac, staying up till all hours shouldn't really be an issue. Speaking of vampires......


xoxo with Love.

Another week has begun...

I was recently given an award from the wonderful, always inspirational and super creative Kolleen from her blog over at HeartWingSisters and also from the kind and talented Janine at her blog Join Janine. Thank you so much to Kolleen and Janine ! It never ceases to amaze me the amount of support and encouragement that Bloggers have brought me in the past few months. Please check out both artists' work and inspiring words/thoughts daily..

To accept this award I have to do the following:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreative Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

So here goes with 7 things about me:

1. I absolutely hate to fly but adore travelling and jump at the chance to explore new countries and meet new people. My goal is to eventually travel to every country in the world...
2. I've always secretly dreamed of being a singer/dancer and have spent many a night in front of the TV trying to emulate my favourite performers!
3. I love to shop. I think it may be a problem for me at this point. I have to buy something new every day (even if it's small like a magazine or a paintbrush)!
4. I looove food um especially sushi and pretty much anything my mom cooks when I visit. I also can't make it a day without coffee and would walk around with it attached to me intravenously if I could in an IV drip bag!
5. I want to be great (not good) at everything I do and often struggle with feeling defeated when I can't make that happen.
6. The unknown future, (my unknown future plans) and the feeling that you aren't in control of your own life at times...this really terrifies me.
7. Even though I have been burned many times and have not yet been successful at it, I will always believe in true love.

And now I must pass on this lovely award to these creative and fun-to-read-daily blogs. I found it really difficult to pick just these 7 but here goes....

1. Kaili: Kaili Art and Illustration
2. Melissa: Wild Dalliance
3. LuLu: mypinkturtle
4. Heather: Life Abroad
5. Tascha: Time with Tascha
6. Kocomo: Brilliant Farmgirl's Beauty Secrets
7. Cheryl Lyn: Dream Out Loud! Design Studio

Also, here are some pics from my art show this weekend. I did not sell my submission that night but I hope it moves sometime this month when I list it in my Etsy store!









xoxo with Love

Yikes!

I'm not 100 percent sure how this came about, but I am one of the artists featured on Diane Kennedy's fab blog Blossom Style. It's basically a Graphic and Website Design Boutique dedicated to creating beautiful graphic design that is stylish, chic and girly for print and the web. It is right up my alley and I really cannot wait to work with Diane and her clients in the future!(scroll down on her blog for my bio and images..)

I entered an online art competition ages ago and the results are in finally. And while I am not a finalist, I suppose I should be happy with an honourable mention commendation. Over 12,000 images were entered for international judging and only 40 artists were selected for the final stage of this competition. There were only 50 commendations in the end so I think it was still an honor to be considered. The magazine will be out in publication in December! Check out the site and details about the competition at Aesthetica Magazine.


Until Later,
xoxo with Love

Accounting Diva

Bloggers, Hola! So yet another week has come and gone and the closer to the holidays we get, the more excited I am! This week has been a bit hectic with work and then keeping up with my commissions etc. There's something about this time of year that I'm sure makes everyone nostalgic and yearning for family, quiet nights snuggling against a burning fire and long walks with a loved one through the fresh fallen snow. I will have to settle for Facebook updates, midnights at a hot stove top and long freezing cold walks to and from the grocery store with heavy bags. Bah..

Here's something that I just finished working on. It was a graduation present for an "Accounting Diva" who just completed her Chartered Accountant course. I don't have permission to post her actual photo yet but please know that I tried to do this in her likeness!
I'm pleased with the results......enjoy.

xoxo with love.

I'm Back!

OK, so I realize that it's been ages since I've blogged but to be honest, I have had a lot going on. With getting sick and working like crazy and not enough hours in the day to do everything that I need (and want to), it's been high stress for me! I really wonder how some artists are able to blog on a daily basis. Never mind my twitter account...i think I forgot the password, it's been that long. I still have to update my actual site and stay focused on new work. And with issues with a temper mental computer, camera, scanner and printer, doesn't really make my job any easier!

That said, I will update ETSY with all new prints this week and then download new photos of paintings.

Finally saw the MJ movie this weekend and all I can say is...WOW! He truly was the King of Pop and he will be missed by millions around the globe.

Here is an 8 x 10 canvas piece that I did for this Little Art Show, here in Toronto on November the 14th.







xoxo With Love

Little Bits of Excitement..

I'm posting this in a real hurry and so won't have time to add much. I can't seem to upload any new pics to the site right now coz I cannot locate the thingie that transfers files from camera to computer. Que sad!

For the time being though, I am pretty excited to report that I will be featured in an upcoming issue of New Zealand's HER Magazine! It's all the way over on the other side of the world but I'm so thrilled! I will post more info. and details as soon as I get them..

Have a great week everyone.
xoxo with love.

Progress Painting

I am working on a series of shoe/dress paintings for next week but continuing to do some personal work as well. These are some progress pics of a painting that I was working on for a juried competition. Somehow, I thought the deadline was not until the following Friday (turns out it was yesterday) and so even though I worked through the night, I was unable to get this one completed. Regardless, I should have it completed by this weekend and can use it for something else (I hope!). The theme was Ontario based and I wanted it to have a fall feeling as well...





Happy Long Thanksgiving weekend to all the Canucks!



xoxo with love.

FASHIONISTAS..

I absolutely love fashion blogs and one of my daily faves is Couture Carrie. I recently did a custom illustration for her site featuring Tolani scarves. Check out Carrie's great fashionista tips and must have wardrobe essentials (and my illo) at: Couture Carrie.

I'm also trying to finish up a painting for an art competition here in Toronto. Of course the deadline is this afternoon and I have hours to go before I can submit anything I'm happy with. Plus I have to rush to work this evening. Um so in a nutshell, I won't be able to submit the piece that I wanted to and will have to send in something older.

xoxo with Love.

The start of all things shoes..

So sorry that I have been MIA for so long but after that last art show, I've been scrambling with picking up extra shifts at work and trying to keep up with my commissions on the side. I'm exhausted (what else is new) and I was supposed to set up for a solo show this weekend but I'm terribly behind and so that will have to wait till after Thanksgiving (Canadian date). For the next little while, I will be posting scans of my "SHOE" series of paintings. Actually, I may throw in some dresses on mannequins into the mix, but for the most part it will be just shoes! FUN, FUN, FUN!

Hope you are all well out there in Blog land..I will start to post on a regular basis from now on.


xoxo with love.

FINALLY my ETSY shop!

Hellooo Bloggers. Just a quick post to let you all know that I have finally set up my ETSY online shop! In the days/weeks to follow, I will be adding original art, fine art prints and greeting/holiday cards to my shop. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season...

It's been in the works for a while but I was a bit nervous about starting it up (reason unknown)! Anyhow..as soon as I figure out how to update my website, it will be on there as well. For now, feel free to browse through the shop from the link on the left or you can check it out directly here:

MY ETSY STORE

xoxo with love.

Technical Difficulties...

I'm having some problems uploading pictures to this site at the mo but hopefully this will be resolved by the end of the day! I wanted to share all about the art show on the weekend and other tidbits but I guess I will have to recap without photos for now. The art crawl was pretty great, although people seemed quite thrilled with all the art for sale, there didn't seem to be any actual purchases made! I did manage to sell a few originals and got a few hot leads...so I was happy.

I will be heading into the city shortly to meet with the owner of a gallery/cafe. It's in quite a trendy spot so hopefully it will launch some new avenues for me. It can get a bit frustrating...I hear the positive feedback but I feel like I'm not really moving forward, know what I mean?

Anyhow, I FINALLY cut my hair (to my shoulders) and put in some hi-lites. I guess it looks pretty different but it was a long-time coming! Pictures to come soon....


Wish me luck, xoxo with love.
Charmaine

Queen West ART CRAWL WEEKEND!

Well it has finally arrived, the art show that I have been preparing for this past month! As I write this quick post, I have about 15 pieces that I will be selling this weekend ...I had planned for much more but time was of the essence and quite frankly, never on my side. Regardless, I am quite content with my collection and will possibly try to squeeze the below unfinished canvas in on Sunday.

In the meanwhile, my parents are in town for the show and my sister will be joining us tomorrow as well. We will also be celebrating Mom and Sis' birthdays so all in all a great weekend, um whether or not I sell anything!

Will post pics from the show on Monday. Here's also one of the newer acrylics I will be selling.


Unfinished ->




<- Completed











xoxo...with love.

No Rest for the Wicked..

First off, I would like to say thank you to everyone who called and emailed/commented or sent me well wishes while I've been sick and then with the accident. What a wonderful community of friends I have developed over the Internet!

I got a chance to photograph some stuff for my site but I'm not thrilled with the lighting and quality. I shall wait for the sun to come out of hiding so that I can re shoot some of my new art and then upload! In the meanwhile, here is one finished piece. Onto the next one now....




xoxo with love.

CRASH!!

Today has been a really crazy day. I have 2 seconds to post so this is a short one. I'm at an Internet cafe and unable to upload any pics till I get home. I was in a car accident earlier this afternoon. It was completely scary...I was in the passenger seat and another car came out of nowhere and plowed right into us. She hit us directly on my side and we spun onto oncoming traffic. No one was hurt luckily but the cars are totalled and it's pretty safe to say that my friend and myself will have horrible whiplash in the days to come..

Well, I have the night off from work as a result and will spend the evening with my easel and coffee instead!

xoxo with love.

Sick Again!

I'm not sure if I am sick once more or just have never really gotten over the flu from weeks ago when I had it. Regardless I must push through the congested haze that is my mind, and finish 6 more pieces by next Saturday! Am I mad, you ask? Well yes...definitely so. By my calculations, that is 9 short days left. So this is just a post to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten you and that I will be updating with pics for my show next week!

I've also updated my website (finally), so feel free to wander over there as well: www.charmainedsilva.com.




Here's a snapshot of something I'm working on at the mo. Will upload the finished piece tonight....(hopefully).



xoxo with love.

My Other Love....

I must admit that outside of painting and drawing, my other great passion is for FASHION and in particular SHOES! I have hundreds of shoes...they just make me so happy! Of course this is probably true for most women but I must say that I have a borderline crazy need to shop even when I'm completely down and out. I would rather spend my last $6.50 on a fashion magazine than a latte at Starbucks. .


Anyhow, I had done a few mini shoe watercolor paintings for some girlfriends that I thought I would share with you. I may start to focus a bit more of my fashionistas in prettier, more detailed outfits from now on. It takes a bit longer for me to incorporate my fashion outfit ideas to canvas but it's definitely worth it in the end


Ciao for now.
xoxo with love.

Happy End of the Month Everybody!

I love that feeling of early summer mornings, when you wake up with the sun streaming through the curtains and those early morning breezes come through the window and whisper in your ear. The serenity of stumbling through the quiet house, into the kitchen to brew that perfect pot of coffee and begin the day...it's heaven to me. I spend the next hour or so enjoying that coffee while perusing through interesting food, photo and art blogs. Some of these are so captivating that I'm off in another world for ages. It's just the reality of all my own projects looming that quickly draws me back to life..

Today I'm off work and not due back into the restaurant till Wednesday. I'm so thankful for that and will spend the next few glorious days painting and enjoying what is left of the Toronto summer.

On another note, I had some of my art up at a gallery/co-op in town. When I went in to check on what had been sold, they informed me that they "lost" one of my pieces and had no record of it at all. Can you imagine that happening?? I am so pissed off right now and will have to figure out how to deal with them later. In the meanwhile, I promptly removed the remaining pieces and took them with me!

Just a really quick sketch for you. Playing around with some ideas. The hair on her is really a disaster....









xoxo with Love

Back to Reality!

I've had a few days to basically just paint and work on pieces for my upcoming shows and not have to worry about rushing off to the restaurant every evening. But that all comes to a screeching halt this afternoon as I must return to work.

On a brighter note, the Incentive Works convention was an amazing opportunity for me to network, meet new people and really introduce a whole new group of individuals to my art! It was incredibly rewarding and I cannot thank the organizers at Tourism Toronto enough for including me in the event. Hopefully, some actual work will pan out for me through the contacts that I made. Here are a few pics from the show...I was painting live on the spot! The photos aren't wonderful but once I get better ones, will post those too. I've also posted the finished photo of the Girl with the Porcelain Mask.














Have a great weekend everyone.
xoxo with love .

Heellooo out there!

I'm just posting a quickie today...so much to do and so little time! There's not much of any "arty" updates at the mo, most of my new stuff is currently at the printers so I'll have some prints for my show next week. I also will try to get those framed and matted so they look a bit better.

On another note, I have decided (with much encouragement from my 7 readers)to post a bit more about personal stuff. I mean how can an artist truly write about their journey without discussing the trials and tribs of their every day life, right? It may be nothing fantastic, but perhaps a bit more regular and hopefully I can entice more followers!!

These photos were taken a few weeks ago at my birthday dinner/night out. My close friends Sheila and Linda are in the pics. I think we were dancing to MJ in the second one..such good times! Oh those crazy kids...

My thought this morning by the way, was that the only thing that I always know for sure is that I have doubt..it's an absolute certainty.

xoxo with love.

Torn...

So I've been struggling for the past few days, trying to determine whether or not to post more than just my art on this blog. My intent, when I began the site, was to promote myself and chat about what I was working on. But it has occurred to me since then, that perhaps I need a venue to vent a bit further about my personal life. It's always a bit of a struggle when this sort of thing comes up, as you can never tell when you are about to get too personal and delve into issues that quite possibly no one else but yourself will even care about or maybe even offend some. Sigh....regardless, I will continue to write about my painting and maybe slip in a few juicy tidbits about my life in the process!

I will also be doing a live painting demo in a few weeks at INCENTIVE WORKS 2009! So please drop by and check me out if you are in the Toronto area.



Here's a snapshot of the piece that is taking me longer than expected...a few other issues have arisen with work and upcoming shows and so I have been a bit distracted! The goal is to have this completed by tomorrow (gulp), so please stay tuned....

xoxo with love.

Thank You Cheryl...this is an Amazing Honor!

Hello All! I was bestowed this inspiring Bella Sinclair award from a wonderful artist and friend, Cheryl Pastor. She is a prolific artist and her work speaks for itself! This award has been passed along in the name of many dedicated and creative individuals and I am truly honored to be included in this group of extraordinary people. Everyone has been so kind with high praises and constant support at every turn. It is a really amazing network of artists that I have been introduced to. There are so many moments that I feel the need to throw in the towel and give up on this dream but with encouragement (like this) from all you out there in Blog land, my dreams are closer to becoming a reality.

Thank you to everyone who has made me laugh, cry and basically just put a smile on my face with their love and support. I am truly touched...

xoxo with love always.

A Happy Birthday posting...

Today is another birthday....35 and counting I suppose! It's always nice to get the birthday wishes phone calls from family and close friends. I will be heading out for sushi this afternoon and then either karaoke or bowling later on this evening with some gal pals. Should be great for a few laughs...I guess this is what ole-timers do to celebrate.

I'm rushing to finish this painting as well...the goal was to have it done by this coming Tuesday but as you can see, I have barely got the sketch done on the canvas. It's going to be a few more sleepless nights before I can say this one is complete! Anyhow, enjoy the horrible photo for now and more to come later.

xoxo with love.

Quickie Post..

So as usual, I am really behind schedule and scrambling to finish up a few things and then head off to work tonight. I feel pretty crap about always taking on new and better paying commissions while the projects I have promised to friends and family fall to the wayside. It's not that I want to ignore the other ones...just that I do have to pay the bills and it's usually the bigger deals that will get my work out there and more recognition will just lead to greater things (hopefully the freedom to take on the smaller gigs and just coast)!


Meh....this is just an old sketch done in gouache and ink that I'm posting so that there's something new to see from me....my new stuff still has to be photographed and uploaded and that will take a bit more time. I turn 35 on Sunday (not looking forward to that) but have the day off to relax and hopefully enjoy some time in the sun!

Until later.
xoxo with love.

Another Pet Painting

Here's just a little painting I did for a friend of mine. It was a gift for her friend and her dog. I tried to do the best I could with the likeness while still keeping my style intact! Anyhow, it's acrylic on illustration board and I think it was pretty well received by my friend..

I've been back at work these past few days as well and it's been non-stop. The next few weeks are going to be pretty much the same...paint all day, go into the restaurant and then paint all night again! I am working toward getting ready for the show in September but also trying to save money for a new Epson printer so I can start making my own prints to sell.

I also deperately need to update my website. I'm a bit weary of doing that on my own though and I don't really want to mess anything up. I'm not that great with Dreamweaver just yet!

Well that's all for now but will post some more a bit later.

xoxo with love.

And She's finally Done!

So this Queen Bee acrylic on canvas (16 x 20) is complete and ready for the BeeCause, a juried exhibition and art auction. I won't get any results till late July, but the process was definitely a challenging and fun one for me! You can check out mine and the rest of the terrific entries here at: BeeCause.

Onto other exciting news (well not really). I am starting a new project...this one is just a tiny one for a close friend of mine. Will be painting a small picture for her (a birthday present for one of her other friends), of a girl and her dog. Should be another fun project. I'm feeling a lot better these days too, so that will definitely help out the creative process.



Muchos besos...
xoxo with love.

Progress Report

So this is going to be another brief one. I'm back at work as of yesterday and despite the fact that I'm still battling the flu, I've had to suck it up and get right into the thick of it. It's going to be another all-nighter and then back to work in the morning!

Here's just a sneak peek at the latest...just a few more hours and Queen Bee will be reigning in all her glory. Her hair is really bugging me though and the photo is not the best quality!

xoxo with love.

Wish you were here.......Love, Panda

The idea of quitting has entered into my head. For days now actually. And quite severely so, I might add. And it's really not that I am unhappy right now (well maybe not entirely), it's just that I realised that I am in for a very lonely and difficult summer.

I'm getting sick too....losing my voice.


xoxo with love.

Heeellllooo Bloggers!!

First off, HAPPY 4th to all the Americans out there! Where have I been these past few days you ask? Well maybe you didn't ask, but I will tell you anyhow! I've been at work...at the resto every day till about 11pm and then home to paint till 6am! Que sad. It's been quite draining physically but the sun-shiny weather and the fact that I have a tonne o' work to finish before Sept, has really kept me motivated and keeps pushing me forward. Need to get paid for a few jobs but still, smooth sailing...

My house on the other hand, is a complete disaster. There is laundry to be done and dishes piled high; brushes and paint-soaked towels collecting in almost every room and stacks of unpaid bills to be tended to! Sigh, I am really in no rush (at this point) to get to any of this any time soon. All I want to do is sit in my garden and sketch away till the afternoon sun fades into the evening sky. Best of all is that I've started to listen to all my old fave tunes again. Music like Corinne Bailey Rae, Adele, and of course, Missy Higgins.
Really lovin it...just reminds me of summers almost 3 years ago now. I'm also excited because one of my best friends will be back in town on Monday. Can't wait to see her: a much-needed night on the town for dinner and a late movie. It will be a welcome change of pace!

Anyway, this little sketch in my notebook turned into an epic full-day Photoshop project. I need to really work on my speed from now on. From the looks of things, at my current rate of completion, I may never see an end to all this..

xoxo with love.

Sleepless Nights and Sun filled days

I can't even begin to tell you the last night that I slept through peacefully.
Most nights, I am up till about 4 or 5 a.m sketching, painting or just doodling my random thoughts down in notebooks. Usually when I look back at most of it, it all just seems like incoherent babble, but made perfect sense at the time. I'm not sure where my head is right now and I feel like I need to share what I'm feeling with others but I truly can't. I mean I never ever wanted this to be anything but an art blog, but let's face it..most days life gets in the way and you just need an outlet to vent! I have secrets buried deep in my heart that I can barely admit to myself, much less to anyone else. But everyone has secrets, I suppose, that's just what makes us human..um definitely babbling at this point!

OK, so that was a mild melt-down. Back to business now. This day began for me at 5 a.m as well. While waiting for my coffee to brew, I managed to get this really messy watercolor down in my little sketchbook. I messed up on the hair but didn't want to play around with it at that point! If only all days could stay this peaceful, warm and invitingly bright..

xoxo with love.

Quick Update!

This is a super quick post as I am in the middle of a lotta work but still feel guilty about not updating this blog regularly. Anyhow, am currently working on something for a juried art show and this piece has to be completed by next week. I'm trying something new...both with the medium I'm using and also a slight variation on my usual style. Hell if it works out...The theme is honey (in all its forms), and bees. This is my take on it but its in the very early rough stages still! Please feel free to let me know what you all think.
xoxo with love.

Standstill...

I'm really bothered by the fact that I'm in a bit of a creative cul-de-sac at the moment. While I have plenty of ideas and projects that are constantly on the go or in the works or floating ideas in my mind, for the time being my finances are really bringing me down. It's like I cant get ahead of the game at all. Just when I think I may be in the clear...WTF???!! Something breaks, something gets fried, more money has to be shelled out for repairs or supplies or something or the other. It's never ending. I also seem to be easily discouraged and extremely intimidated by all the talented and dare I say, working artists that are out there. Spending any time at all reading their blogs and seeing all the great work they seem to pump out in excess on a daily basis can really make me feel quite small. It brings to the forefront, tonnes of my unanswered questions: Am I not working hard enough? Am I not good enough? What are they doing that I am not doing? Should I just throw in the towel already and take up a day desk job?

With frustrations mounting like this, I'm just not sure where I stand at all.

xoxo with love

Mints Juleping....

Ahhhh, summer has finally arrived in Toronto. And while early mornings and late evenings are still crisp, breezy and cool, there is nothing more splendid than the hot afternoon sun beating down on your back. It's just that perfect weather for enjoying all things outdoors...something which normally I am quite indifferent to. But now is the perfect time for cute maxi dresses and long lazy afternoons lounging on the patio. Just that feeling of the deepest heat of mid summer that I long for; it just sends my mind racing to a wonderful and romantic time. I suppose that's mostly due to the fact that at a formative age, I read the Great Gatsby. In it, there is this pivotal scene where they are all sitting around, deranged in the airless heat, sipping mint juleps, before everything goes horribly wrong. It's really wonderful!!

Well I have been slaving away on a few projects but for now will post a photo of one that gives immediate gratification! My Asiatic Lillies. I'm hardly a gardener, but these flowers (while currently just a solo bloom) are stunning!

xoxo with love.

Something New...

So now that I have taken to posting a mere once a week for some reason, I have to figure out what the most important stuff is and blog on all that only! It's really difficult to keep up with the updates on Blogger, Twitter, Blellow, Facebook!!?? I really don't know how people manage all of it. I am desperately trying with it so please bear with me...I mean I suppose it's a good thing that I currently have a small following.
Anyhow, in the midst of portfolio work, I have finished this watercolor for someone else's blog. I just sent it in so I hope it's what she envisioned as well.

Back to my Tablet for the rest of the night oh yeah and figuring out how to update my website!

xoxo, with love...

What I've been up to...

Well, it's been ages since I've posted a picture or illustration. I'm so hard at work on my portfolio and other commissions that I'm exhausted...but so very very happy at the same time! It feels amazing to be back on track and working toward a goal.

The best news of all is that out of my 3 followers/fans, one of them is my Mom! A huge awwwwww and shout out to her!

Uploads to follow soon.
xoxo, with love

Oh My Motherboard!

Well it finally happened....I fried the motherboard on my computer! What a nightmare; I went completely mental as well, with panic attacks and loss of sleep, no contact with the outside world whatsoever...the works! How can a person be expected to function without a computer, I wonder? And what if none of the files were recoverable? REMAIN CALM: Just got everything sorted, so now I can breathe. Am back online, back to regular and frequent updates and most important..painting, painting and more painting!

I must say though, I have still been working away on large canvasses and canvas panels for a show that I am a part of in September. I also have some commissions that are nearing completion. The newer pieces are very large and therefore I am not able to scan them in. I will have to try to photograph them myself or better yet, get a friend to do a more professional job.

It feels GREAT to be back!!!

xoxo with love

More fun on the computer....

Still fooling around with Photoshop and Painter. I have been burrowed away working on a few ideas the past few days and have barely resurfaced for air. Just enough time to eat and catch the season finale of LOST...WOW!

But I have to go into work tonight and for the next few evenings. Ah the grim reality of having to go to an actual job! Am really looking forward to the long (it won't be relaxing) weekend!

I have come to realize that if you don't have a really strong drawing/sketch to start with, nothing can make it better. Not even Photoshop can help you. I just couldn't get this one to pop!! Try to enjoy this little doodle anyway.

xoxo with love

Drama with Photoshop

Unlike every other illustrator on the planet, I am incapable of mastering the art of Photoshop. I just can't seem to get it to work out in my favor...well not easily anyhow. Not without cursing at the computer and throwing the drawing pen at the screen and slaving over a tiny iluustration for an entire day! I surf the net and see hundreds of artists posting elaborate renderings that they have created in a few hours. How is this possible I wonder? I find using any of the ADOBE software challenging and it takes me a really, really long time to get an illustration down once I've scanned it in. And I'm still never satisfied with it. My end goal is to create a comic strip or cartoon of some sort with the main character that resembles me! But at this current rate, how many years will this process take me? Hee hee...

So here is a mock up of what I'm thinking so far about the "me" character...let me know what you think!

xoxo with love

For Vanessa....

I needed some direction and as always, some inspiration. Sometimes I can get so down on myself and on life that I get lost in the misery of what usually seems like an average everyday situation that a normal person wouldn't even blink twice at. But of course, it never is normal for me and all I need is to hear some encouraging words or feel a loved ones supportive arms around me. But last week I would have settled for either of those, maybe even less. And then I met someone over the Internet. Another artist whose story was quite unlike mine but somehow vaguely similar and she actually reached out a hand to help me.
I've never blogged about my past; my marriage; my loves; my life..none of that. I just wanted to start from scratch and focus on art and so it was refreshing to get all the words of wisdom and advice from Vanessa. She is warm and above all, wise! Please check her out at: http://oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com.
Vanessa is truly fabulous, sweet, and one of those rare, really kind people that you only meet once in a lifetime.

So, this FALL GIRLS illustration is for her!

xoxo with love

Happy Mother's Day!!

I have been so swamped over these past few days that I haven't been able to post at all. I have worked quite a lot at the restaurant and then stayed up most nights painting and coming up with new stuff for my site. I'm also trying to set up my online store and that is taking ages! I think because I am so tired and overrun, I am also coming down with some sort of flu. Oh well, it's good to be busy.


But I did manage to speak to my mom and sister in all the madness and so everything is good right now. I think my mom reads my blog which I think is super cute of her! So this illustration is dedicated to her especially and of course all the other fantastic moms out there.

xoxo with love

Missing Persons!

So I've been searching the world for someone I knew a lifetime ago, for quite sometime now..for years really. We grew up together, well until the age of 11 anyhow,(which is hardly growing up at all) in Kuwait. We kept in touch via these cute letters every month and then all of a sudden..nothing! I can find no correspondence from her anymore; nothing at all. I have scoured the Internet, MySpace, Facebook blah blah but cannot find this girl. I mean its been like 24 years but wouldn't that be nice to reconnect at this point? You would think with all our insane technology, this could be possible, but sigh, it's not. Just re-reading her letters makes me reminisce about happier, simpler, times. I'm sending this vibe out into the cosmos..ANIA, If you're out there, please contact Charmaine!

Anyhow back in the real world, pretty busy at the mo with restaurant work, commissions and just fun doing-it-for-myself-projects.

Love Ya Lots...xoxoxo

Back to Work!

I've had some friends in from out of town recently and it had been such a whirlwind, trying to get stuff done while spending as much quality time as I possibly could with them. It's great having people visit...I got to do all this touristy stuff that I hadn't done in years, sight-seeing and spending time in the city, staying out till all hours of the morning, and most importantly, taking time off work and having some fun in the sun! I haven't had a chance to upload all the photos yet but here's just one from the past Saturday night out..

But I do have to get back into it this week. My studio is a mess as usual with massive piles of clutter. It may appear to an outsider that I live in only one room of my house; I have developed the skill of hiding junk and papers everywhere. The madness really has to stop. I have hoarded so much over the years that I have to start donating and giving things away in order to make room for uh....dare I say, more junk???!! I wanted to snap a few pics of the insanity that is my home, but I think I will leave the embarrassing fire hazard photos for another day.

So I've been playing around with Photoshop lately. I've had this Wacom Tablet for ages but for some reason am extremely intimidated by it. There are soo many amazing artists out there that are wizards on the computer and I can safely say that I am not one of them. It's really challenging for me but I am slowly learning and attempting a few new techniques daily. Am loving the girlie-hot-jessica-rabbit-looking-over-the-shoulder doodle right now. Will post more pics of some of the decent results as I create them!...XOXO with love

Before....

I used to have a completely different style of painting. I mean for a short while, I tried out some home-decor, around-the-house type of stuff. So I had all these mini 4x4 canvasses for the bathroom and for the kitchen etc. They were fun and sold well enough at craft shows, but I got a bit tired of that particular mode. So I decided to switch it up a bit. Anyhow, from time to time, I do get bored and restless of what I am working on and will switch back and forth between several different projects. This often leaves me with heaps and piles of unfinished canvasses just lying around my studio! These are just a few examples from that phase:

















Well, my goal for the next few months (more like years really), is to be able to generate enough freelance work for myself so that I am able to travel and paint from anywhere in the world. That way, I am not tied to Toronto, or my house and my little studio for any extended period of time. It's all coming together very slowly but surely....I'm so excited!!