Left Brain - Right Brain

My friend, Raven, of Oregon posted this illustration in a group we both belong to. It made me smile. I don't know who to credit this to, so if anyone knows, can you please let me know so I can give proper credit for the illustration.

This morning I got another Christmas commission for a portrait. That gives me three commissions to complete before Christmas. I am really quite excited because they are all excellent ref photos.

Portrait of Darrell

Completed portrait of Darrell, Yvonne's father
8" x 10"
Coloured Pencil on 90lb Stonehenge White Paper


Original reference photo of Darrell
This is the latest commission I have been working on. It was from a pretty small reference photo that was a bit blurry. However, all in all, I am quite pleased with the end result. The scan of the portrait does not do the colours justice. Despite tweaking and tweaking the colours in my photo management application, I was unable to get the colours to truly represent the real life coloured pencil portrait.

I will be shipping this portrait early next week. It is going to British Columbia too. With luck and a prayer, we will not have the courier fiasco of the last one.

Soon, it will be time to take down the art from the show at Williams. It has been a successful show. I have sold 5 pieces off the wall!

Portrait of Yvonne Aleck

This portrait was a birthday commission by a dear friend of mine (Robert Westbrook) for his dear friend, Yvonne. Her birthday was November 7th. I could not post anything earlier than that because this portrait was a birthday surprise. You can view the work in progress below.

Yvonne Aleck - Work In Progress

It is 11" x 14", coloured pencil, on 90lb white acid free Stonehenge art paper. I did manage to get the portrait done in time, despite spending over 80 hours on it. I really enjoyed working on this portrait. The massive amount of curls in her hair were a definite challenge. (smile).

This portrait had to travel from Ontario (where I am) to British Columbia (where Yvonne is). This was a challenge in packaging as Robert wanted it fully framed. The portrait was packaged in a heck of a lot of bubble wrap and then into a box. The glass still managed to arrive cracked. I have since been told by friends who ship a lot of framed work that I should have put an X of drafting tape (similar to masking tape but easier to remove) across the glass. Live and learn.

We did have an awful scare when DHL courier lost the package. The package was to arrive by 9:00 am (British Columbia time) on Friday, November 7th, 2008. It did not arrive. We then thought it might arrive by Noon, then by 5:00 pm. Still nothing. DHL claimed that they had delivered the package, but Yvonne did not have it and no one in her household had signed for it.

I was sick with worry, and just plain sick at the thought the package was lost forever. I had put a lot of work into this portrait (as I do with all my artwork). The thought of it being lost just tore at my insides. It is like losing a piece of yourself.

After a restless night's sleep, I got a call from Robert early Saturday morning to say that the package was finally delivered around 11:30pm their time. Thank God!!!

I am quite pleased to hear that Yvonne and family LOVED the portrait.

I am now working on another portrait for Yvonne. This time it is of her father, Darrell.

Art Opening Reception

ArtOpeningReceptionNov2008

November 4, 2008

The opening reception of my art show at Williams Coffee Pub was quite pleasant. It was not as well attended as we had hoped, however, those that did show up had a great time.

The Tirolese Jazz Trio played and they were fabulous. They are a very talented group of young men. Everyone enjoyed the music. Many people took their cards so hopefully they will be getting some gigs from this.

I sold some items and art on opening night. I also got a Christmas commission, so I am pretty pleased. It was a successful evening all around.

It was great to see some people I had not seen in ages. All in all, it was a pleasant night.

Horizontes da Poesia Book Launch

On Sunday, October 19, 2008, Mr. Euclides Cavaco had a book launch for his latest book of poetry: Horizontes da Poesia. It was held at the Wolf Auditorium and Mr. Cavaco arranged to have several wonderful Portuguese performers join him and put on a wonderful show for us.

I had the honour of being Mr. Cavaco's guest and having this portrait I did of him included in his book.

My parents attended this function with me. Anthony and Alexander were not feeling well enough to go out, but they managed a few hours without me. My parents were proud that my artwork was in Mr. Cavaco's book. They also really enjoy Mr. Cavaco's poetry and also like him as a person.

My father, despite not being well these days, managed to sit through the whole performance. He was in extreme pain and his legs were very swollen by the time it was time to go home. He could barely walk. However, I spoke with him the next day, and he said he would not have missed it for the world. He really enjoyed himself. My mother enjoyed herself too. They were both thrilled to be there.

Many of Mr. Euclides Cavaco's poetry translates well into Fados (a traditional Portuguese song/music). Many of his poems have been turned into Fados. There were several Fados performers at the book launch that performed for us. All were fabulous. There was a young man (early 20s) who is a new Fado singer. When this young man opened his mouth to sing, I got goosebumps all over. His voice is absolutely gorgeous. His name Paulo Filipe is and I have a feeling he is going to go far in this genre.

All in all, it was a great time had by all. The party continued at Aroma Restaurant. My dad was too ill to go, and I needed to get home to my sick men, so we did not attend. I am sure it was a lot of fun.