A Painting in the School Archives

 

Cool Blue Sky

7 x 7"

acrylic on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2008

A neat thing happened recently which has resulted in another first for me. A couple of months ago my sister, a teacher, wondered if I had any art supplies to donate to a basket that her school was making for a fundraiser. I did and I also decided to donate this little framed painting, "Cool Blue Sky". I sketched it on the beach at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. Anyway, as it turns out a couple of parents from the school my kids attend ended up bidding and winning this basket at the fundraiser! What are the odds? And then they made a really wonderful gesture which was to give the painting to our school library archives! So now this little painting will be part of the history of our school and my kids and I will be recognized in a little write-up included with the painting!

Good News

Cool Blue Sky

7x7

acylic on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2008

I have shown you these three paintings before, but I am doing so again because recently I decided to submit them to a "small works" juried art show. It is taking place the same weekend (Nov. 27,28) as the Open Studio, so it will be busy, but I decided I wanted to be part of it because it is a fundraiser for the Food Bank. And you never know what a little extra exposure could do. Anyway, I was allowed to submit three pieces and all three were accepted! I guess there will be about 40 artists participating and I am sure all of the work will be quite varied.   

Out On Valley Road

10x10

acrylic on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2010
private collection

At the end of the summer, I was disappointed to receive a rejection letter from a public gallery in town, but I will try again. In hindsight I think my proposal was lame and that I didn't receive the best advice in how to write it. Proposals are not something I know much about and I think I need to learn how to play the game with a bit more of the artsy lingo.

  Spring On Janzen Road

10x10"

acrylic on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2010
sold

At any rate, I am pleased to have had success with this application and hope the show raises lots of money for the Food Bank.

Cool Blue Sky

acrylic on canvas

7x7

I did this painting last year at Emma Lake and I like the freshness of it, the movements of the clouds and the subtle colours in the clouds (yellow, green, brown, mauve) which my not come through on a computer screen. I also like the little skiff of blue along the very bottom indicating the lake.

The last several times I have been at the studio I have been listening to a CD I bought at Starbuck's of Paul Simon's greatest hits. I didn't realize how many songs I really liked of his... the whole CD is good. As I have been painting I've taken the time to listen to the lyrics and man, what stories they tell! As "Slip Slidin' Away" was pumping a few lines caught my attention and, although in reality the words are describing a male/female relationship, it immediately made me think of how I have handled (or maybe not handled) my feelings and commitment to my little boys. Here are the two lines that made me stop in my tracks:

"My love for you is so overpowering

I'm afraid that I will disappear"

Whew, that got me. It sums up in a tidy little package everything I have been feeling since I became a mom... and more specifically a stay-at-home mom. And now I am on this quest to make sure I don't disappear.