Open Studio Tomorrow

I just got home from putting the last touches on my studio space. It looks really good and I took photos to share with you. If you happen to live in or near Saskatoon swing by and say "hi". All 11 artists will be there from 11-5 and we'd love to show you our work and where we create it. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. It's my first Open Studio and I want it to go well... I am hoping I will get a real positive response to my work from all the artsy types that may come through. I really want them to like me... sales schmales... I just want to be liked!

Standing in the doorway looking into my space.

You can see the wonderful sculptures of another artist

in the space just beyond mine...

Starting at my shelves and working clockwise around my workspace...

 

 

From the far end of the studio this wall looks pretty dramatic...

Standing by the sculptors space looking back at mine

toward the door where I took the first photo...

A close up of my "grid" of small work...

 

My drafting table/desk area with my awesome

Mastercraft rolling work station...

And finally a close-up shot of the top of the work station.

That's all folks! I have a bit more work to do for tomorrow and then I am hitting the sheets!

Feelin' Sketchy Saturday

20 minute pencil sketch

2 minute gestures (charcoal)

20 minute pencil sketch

I have loads to do for the Open Studio tomorrow, but now that I am in the rhythm of sketching on Saturdays, I had to go for a short while. I only stayed for an hour (out of three) but I'm glad I went. I had a few good laughs with my friend Kerry so that put me in the right mood for the rest of the day. I've just zipped home to eat supper with my family and now I am heading back to the studio to get the finishing touches done for tomorrow.

If you are able to come to the Open Studio, please note that the entrance to our space is in the alley. It sounds shady, but it really isn't!

Patchwork of Raw Emotion

Patchwork of Raw Emotion

24 x 24"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2012
sold

It never fails that as the Open Studio approaches the desire to rework old paintings escalates; I tweaked three paintings this week. Well, two paintings got tweaked and one got overhauled!

I originally painted "Raw Emotion", which is based on a little 6x6" study called "Patchwork Prairie", one year ago when a lot of things were going on in my world. I clearly remember that day- I was at the studio alone, I had my music turned up and I was really attacking the canvas. I do believe there were tears involved in that session and a friend was sending some supportive texts my way. Hey, sometimes that's how it goes. Anyway, I liked the result, but didn't love it - it seemed unfinished. It has always bothered me until the other day when I decided to rework it. My emotions conveniently happened to be running a little high this week what with the closure of the Kenderdine Campus and all. At least I was able to continue in the same frame of mind. Thank goodness for small blessings!

Here is what it looked like before:

Raw Emotion

24 x 24"

© Nicki Ault, 2011

And this is the study:

Patchwork Prairie

6x6"

© Nicki Ault, 2011

I'm happy with the reworked version which, as you can see, I have now named "Patchwork of Raw Emotions". I feel good about it hanging on my studio wall for the Open House tomorrow.

Speaking of which, if you are in Saskatoon please drop by the St. George Open Studio if you have time. I'll be there smiling my way through wearing contacts and high heels! It is between 11 and 5 and the invitation can be found in the top right corner of this blog. And remember, the entrance is in the alley.

And if you haven't had a chance to consider signing the petition to stop the closure of the historic Kenderdine Campus in the Boreal forest of Saskatchewan, well, I'd love it if you took the time to consider it now. Here is the link:

Stop The Closure of the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus

Sky Over Canola

Sky Over Canola

24 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2015

Here is another take, much larger this time, on the same subject as "This Is Saskatchewan". My favourite part might be the yellows in the field.

You can view this painting and many more officially displayed for our Open Studio... please come and see! Tomorrow, Sunday November 22, we will be at the studio (236A 20th Street W) from 11-5 having a grand old time with all of our clients, friends, family and hopefully we will make some new acquaintances! The common spaces are hung with art by all eleven studio artists; our individual rooms are tidied up and very presentable compared to how they look during the rest of the work year!

The Studio On 20th artists are:

Bridget Aitken
Nicki Ault
Kathy Bradshaw
Jan Corcoran
Ann Donald
Jane Harington
Miranda Jones
Brenda Kennedy
Karen Maguire
Amira Wasfy
Carol Wylie

*please note the studio is not wheelchair accessible.
 

Sweet Prairie

Sweet Prairie

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2014
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/sweet-prairie/292055 
sold

I wanted to paint one more little prairie scene to round out my display board for the Open Studio tomorrow and "Sweet Prairie" is the result.

The studio space is really coming together- both the common area and the individual rooms. There is a lot of anticipation for a busy day and we are all excited for this inaugural event. Please come if you are in Saskatoon- details are at the top of this blog.

The Reality Of It All

 Portal

7x7
sold

I found out earlier this week that another painting has sold! So that makes fifteen and I couldn't be more thrilled or appreciative. I don't think I will ever get used to the incredible feeling I get when I discover that not only does someone enjoy viewing my work, but actually loves a piece so much that they would want to spend their hard earned money to own it and live with it on a daily basis. It fills me with gratitude. When the Curator and I hung the show we both agreed that the space needed a few more pieces just to make it look full enough, so I zipped home to get a couple of abstract reflections that we had not included at our final cut meeting and I also brought two paintings that I was keeping for myself. This was one of them. Well the day of the reception came and a lovely couple that bought a painting at my last show wanted another painting to put with it. This is the one they wanted and with a bit of gentle persuasion (she was good at it), I agreed to let them have it. I'm a bit sad it isn't mine anymore, but I know it will look good with the one they have which is of the same dimension and called "Low Storm". Here is "Portal" shown at the gallery above the table with the guest book and you can also see on the wall the three paintings from my last post.

So the accident has affected me much more than I initially realized and that is why I haven't posted anything for over a week. I spent so much of the first week hyper-aware of the kids and how they were doing; making sure they felt safe and not too disrupted by the events that I forgot about myself a bit. Also, I think I have been feeling that because we survived such a horrible crash with very few injuries, I really shouldn't complain or feel anything but thankful when there are people that have been so much more worse off in accidents. In the end, however, the emotional side of my brain has won out and the rational side of my brain has been put on the back burner. I have had difficulty stopping the tears for the last few days and more aches and pains have appeared this week. The air bag and the impact have done a bit of a number on me and there have been moments where I just feel desperately sad. My boys are doing well, but they are nervous at intersections and ask often, "Mommy, is this where we had the crash?" and Tommy has been so teary at bedtime. They have both had bad dreams, but don't want to talk about them. I cannot believe that they had this frightening experience and it has been sobering to realize that John and I can't necessarily protect them from horrible things. I feel utterly panicky when I allow my head to go awful places, like what if something happened to them? What if they weren't here with me anymore? It is too much to even imagine and yet I know that there are parents who have been in this tragic position.

So after an emotional week I couldn't get through a four hour shift at my part-time job on Thursday night. I ended up leaving after two hours... in tears and in pain. I saw the Chiropractor on Friday (yesterday) morning and she put it into words... as she watched me cry through the entire session. She said I had a near death experience with my family and I needed to take care of myself. She said my body would not heal until I got rest and some sleep. So a new game plan was made. I went home that very day and slept all afternoon when the kids were at school. I took today off work without guilt (I usually work Thursday nights and all day Saturday). I went for a massage this morning and slept again this afternoon. Tonight some of my most wonderful girlfriends are gathering at one of their homes to eat yummy food with me and let me cry... and I am pretty sure they will also get me laughing. I made the painful decision to not be part of the studio's Open House tomorrow. I have always wanted to be part of it, and this year I thought it could work out, but this turn of events has got me too low on energy and I was unable to paint in a productive way the last two weeks.... and the majority of my work is at the gallery right now. It just isn't in the cards. I am trying to put a positive spin on it by saying to myself that next year I will have my own space in the studio to showcase my work the right way. And now this means that tomorrow I will be free to take the kids to the Santa Claus Parade! For the remainder of November I will not go to the studio. I am going to take my afternoons to rest, nap and do any treatments that seem necessary for my recovery. December will bring better things and a studio space of my own in which to create. I hope I will feel better and be able to approach my art with freshness at that time.

I still have lots more to share... like how I spoke with Irene this week, the wonderful woman who was there with her husband at the scene to help me and my family before the emergency crews arrived. She confirmed that we rolled one and a quarter times. And some amazing things the kids have said about the accident. And about the outpouring of friendship that many people have shown my family since this happened. And about my grandma's necklace. And so much more... but my husband has BBQ'd a delicious steak dinner for us, so I must go enjoy it and appreciate him.

Thank you for reading my blog and stay safe...please wear your seat belts and make sure the kids in your life are in the right car seats.

Night Moves

Night Moves

36 x 48"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I have been powering through these last days before Open Studio. I am feeling more and more excited and love the work I will be showing this year. My remaining paintings are back from Boffins, and I still love them! I love my display boards of my 6x6's - I just did three more new ones, two of which are starry skies. And I love my new large work - yesterday I finally finished the rainy sky that was giving me so much trouble. This one, "Night Moves", is a bit of a force, which I was hoping it would be! I've said it before, I like drama in my art, not in my life! It's best seen in person, as all original work is, so come if you can. Here are the details one more time...

Studio On 20th is the door to the left of the Odd Couple restaurant and our event is sharing part of the day with Santa who arrives in town via parade at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon! We are open11-5, so if you plan to come around parade time you may want to avoid driving anywhere near Santa's route.

See you soon!

River Fire

River Fire

4.75 x 4.75"

acrylic on paper
© Nicki Ault, 2010 
private collection

In my previous couple of posts you saw the series of three abstract reflections that I painted for a housewarming gift for a dear friend. I painted three others around the same time and "River Fire" is one of them. I think it is my favorite of all six - not sure why, maybe just because it is quite different from any other reflection I have done. The darkest marks you see are more purpley than they come across on the screen. I am pleased with the energy in this one. I put it in a black frame today and it looks great! Really dramatic.

It has a been a crazy few weeks getting ready for all of the art events that are happening right away. Tomorrow is the opening of the small works juried show called "Little Gems" in which I have three paintings. There are about 40 local artists participating and it is a fundraiser for the Food Bank. Then on Sunday it is our Open Studio, so I have been madly wiring, hanging, organizing, tweaking, varnishing, framing for that. I will have photos to show you of my space soon. I'm very excited to be a part of this- it's like a dream come true! A reporter and cameraman came today from Shaw TV Channel 10, so tomorrow a short piece will run approx. every 45 minutes in a continuous loop throughout the day.

I will quickly sigh with relief after the weekend, but then I will have a shot of espresso and start pulling together work for my solo show at Moka which goes up Dec. 8!

Keep Me Where The Light Is

Keep Me Where The Light Is

24 x 48"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

ONE DONE! Three to go.

This big fella came out better than I hoped! I love it and it is way better in person! A new camera is on my wish list... and a tripod!

I always listen to music as I paint. The energy of the music often influences my work and keeps my brain engaged in various ways. Occasionally words or lyrics jump out at me and that was the case while painting this piece. I was listening to "Gravity" by John Mayer and the line "keep me where the light is" caught my attention. I immediately knew that was the name for this painting. 

These sunset water reflections are quite powerful, especially at the scale of this one. I think the glowing light and glistening water offer a sense of hope and beauty. The sun might be going down , but there will be a tomorrow; there will be light again. As someone who has struggled with depression (I think a very extended post-partum depression) and who has watched others struggle, sometimes just getting through the day, if you actually get out of bed, is a miracle. I truly hope that whoever ends up with this painting, feels my positive energy radiating from it, and that it helps keep them where the light is, depressed or not. 

We need more hope in this world and art can help with that.

This painting will be at Open Studio on Sunday. Come if you can!

Little Big Sky

Little Big Sky

6 x 6"

oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2011  

sold

I have so much to show you! I have been getting loads of painting done for the upcoming Open Studio. Things have clicked and I am enjoying myself again. It's all thanks to a beautiful gift I received in the mail last week which I will tell you about soon. For now enjoy this new little sky... and there is another tomorrow!

Light Hearted

Light Hearted

20 x 20"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

available

This painting is derived entirely from the little 6x6 I did called "Hidden Juniper". Gosh it was fun to paint the bright colours popping off the neutral grays! The most bright, most chromatic orange in this painting was made by mixing three colours: Cadmium Orange by Daniel Smith, Minium Red by Rublev and a dash of Magenta by Winton (a student grade oil, but I love the colour- it mixes so well with so many others!).

detail

Tomorrow, Sunday, November 27 is the day! It is our third annual Open Studio Show and Sale where I paint. Please come... 236A 20th Street W from11-5. If the idea of original art doesn't entice you perhaps the thought of my home-made Skor bars will!

Surrendering the Day

Surrendering the Day

6x6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2013

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/surrendering-the-day/130600 

I was lucky enough to have a day at the studio today and I think I will enjoy that same privilege tomorrow. I did this little study and also worked on my commission. I've been wanting this large, commissioned painting to work so badly that I have paralyzed myself a little with the desire for excellence. To ease the anxiety I have been doing small studies and it is helping. As I painted today I realized that perhaps working at a large scale may actually make some elements easier, so I am going to shift my thinking and go with that!

When I left for lunch today to could hardly get out the door at the studio. Why, you ask? Well, the wind had blown a huge snow drift across the doorway and because the door swings out, I could only open it just enough to squeeze through (luckily). I had to bring a shovel to get back in after lunch! Crazy! Ahhhh, the joys of the first day of Spring in Saskatchewan!!!

Burning Sky, Waskesiu

Burning Sky, Waskesiu

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2016

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/nicki-ault/burning-sky-waskesiu/462084
sold 

I spent half the day at the studio yesterday and it felt great. I didn't get there once last week, things just kept coming up. Anyway, I tackled some odd jobs including painting a bunch of edges on my 6 x 6's and signing and dating some of them. Wanting to start an under-painting on a big canvas with my acrylics, I cracked open my stay-wet palette and got a shock with what I found! 

EEK! They aren't kidding when they say the palette stays wet... it also stays very dark when sealed up- a bit of a problematic combination for extended periods! I had quite the culture growing. Thankfully someone at the studio had a jug of bleach in the cupboard so I soaked the sponge like there was no tomorrow. After that diversion I was able to focus and get a bit of a composition sketched out on a 40 x 36 canvas. I'm ready to start a painting of the Kingsmere River in Prince Albert National Park.

It doesn't look like much, but it makes sense to me.

I capped the day off by painting "Burning Sky, Waskesiu" while sipping my coffee and listening to some great music. I left feeling centered and motivated.

Another Sound Bite!

Bridget's Lane

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

Why am I still up at 11:30 at night sipping wine, eating left-over pizza and listening to iTunes? Because I feel better, that's why!

I just spent the last week flat out in bed with a brutal cold/flu/sinus thing. The week I thought was going to be spent at the studio after a long summer hiatus did not materialize. I did not get much farther than my dark bedroom and a cold cloth on my eyes for about five straight days. NyQuil and I are now on a first name basis.

But that was then, this is now. 

Today, finally feeling more human, I decided to jump-start my week, so I drove out to the country, destination: Bridget's acreage. On the way I saw hundreds of cranes in the fields along Valley Road.

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

It was a gray morning, but the warm fall colours popped against that backdrop. The twenty-five minute drive was stretched a bit with all my photo stops, but when I got there Bridget and her menagerie welcomed me with open arms. I spent the next few hours enjoying the scenery and her company.

When I decided to venture out Bridget stayed back at the homestead while I wandered and took photos. She had warm tea and conversation waiting for me when I returned. Please enjoy a small collection of the pictures I took on my solitary hike which invigorated all my senses; the smell of sage and wild juniper was the perfect medicine as were her trusty companions, George and Pepper, who joined me for part of my walk.

the homestead

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

a spot of vibrant colour

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

from the height of land

photo © Nicki Ault. 2016

fall colour

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

George and Pepper

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

the lookout

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

And lastly, as we chatted and drank tea with horses as the backdrop...

 backyard horses

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

Today life was good.

And tomorrow I will paint.

Sweet dreams!