Walt Whitman

Matching the Couch...

For a while, there was a joke circling about making paintings to match the couch. Or for a gallery client to find "something that go's" with their decor. A joke not among artists and gallery staff... but solely among artists. "Make a painting of a couch on fire," one artist suggested.

Instead, I've chosen not to participate in the whole thing.

The strongest affirmation I've had of this belief, is having been told of a client who purchased a very large painting a few years ago. It was a two panel piece and she wanted it in her dining room. Unfortunately, the antique dining room table stood a little bit too high, and interfered with the bottom line of the piece. Instead of choosing another painting, she had the legs of the table cut down.

This is my position: own only what you love, or, what you need.

Matching the couch is a fad. What happens when the couch is out of style in half a year, and then you have to look for a new painting to match your new couch anyway... ?

...

Lately, I've been noticing that the colours in some of my paintings and colours in other things, are similar. While drying a bathing suit on the arm of my rocking chair in my studio after swimming the other day... And eating a cantaloupe while gazing at a painting I was currently working on.

Environment impacts painting. Maybe if someone lent an artist their couch for a few years... a painting would show up to match it. Although, there would probably be a lot of paint left on it as well...

The Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria

Thank you to The Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria for acknowledging me as one of 150 significant BC women artists.

http://www.bcwomenartists.ca/living25%2B.html

Two people who help me make this work... work.

Yesterday, while painting in the studio, I felt a substantial amount of gratitude for two people here in town: Kevin Head, and Stand Rath.

Kevin Head is the master mind behind Kroma Artists Acrylics, down in The Net Loft, on Granville Island. Although I work in oils, I rely heavily on Kroma's high quality gesso and Escoda brushes from Spain. Not to mention the dose of positive calm that Kevin manages to dish out every time I see him. http://www.kromaacrylics.com/sitemap.html

Stan Rath is another person I depend on. Stan builds all my stretchers, and provides me with Holbein and Kama pigments. As well as any sketch books, pens or introductions to Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun (!)

Spending long hours in the studio offers little opportunity for social interaction. I value these two people. Not only for the essentials they provide, but for their dedication and love of art, kindness and generosity of spirit they share.

Thanks Kevin.

Thanks Stan.

The new website is finally up ! Please feel free to check it out if you like. Sure is nice to be able to do things myself.

www.sheribakes.com

Looking is half the painting...

The Special Places Initiative. Bau-Xi Toronto, March 27th - April sometime...

I'm in the midst of completing a show that will open in Toronto at the Bau-Xi Gallery on March 27th, 2010. Objects have been introduced to many of the landscapes. This isn't completely new as seen previously in Elastics: Blue on Green, and also in a large painting made for a show at the Foster/White Gallery in Seattle a couple of years ago. That one had some gesso buckets in it.

Three Sheets to the Wind

36x48

oil on canvas