The Storyteller

 The Storyteller

20" x 20"  

oil on canvas

 “Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. 

But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” An old Native American proverb

I love weathered, rugged wooden boats.  There's always a dozen stories at least in the chipped paint, the barnacles and rust.  A modern fibreglass boat, while often elegant and streamlined, never is quite the storyteller that a well-worn vessel is.

This piece is just about finished.  I let a piece sit on an old easel in the far corner of the studio where it catches my eye for a week or two and lets me know if any changes are required.  Sometimes a touch up of a line or a colour enhancement take place, but rarely major changes.

While standing back from a painting every 20 minutes or so is very useful, give yourself even more space to really see a piece.  Standing back further from a painting, depending on its size and situation gives a different impression of the piece than the "nose to painting" view.  I know everyone (mostly artists) usually leans in closer to see detail, but especially in looser paintings, the detail is very abstract and only when you are at a distance will things jump into focus.

Heart Harvest

 Heart Harvest

3" x 4" on ginwashi paper

Available on Etsy

I don't do a lot of printmaking, but I do thoroughly enjoy creating both relief prints and etching.  The whole process, from design, to inking, making paper choices and the final reveal as the paper is lifted off the block or plate is intriguing to me.

I created this little print with spring in mind. Of course here that will be a long way off yet, but I'm optimistic that with the unusually warm winter we're having that spring may be a treat and not a misery of fog and dampness.

I'm not a fan or "Hallmark" holidays, which I always consider Valentine's Day to be, but if you do celebrate, this print could just fit the bill for the love of your life, or for a treat for yourself.  A little bird pulling hearts, almost like worms, out of the ground, letting the wind scatter and share them to spread the love, is my thoughts behind it.  And we all know that there's no harm in spreading some love around the world these days if you happen to watch the news.

I hand printed these in black or red in on ginwashi paper and have provided an option for personalizing a print with colour and words.

You can see the details of the prints in my Etsy shop.