Category: Newsletter

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Rest

Cheryl
“Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop.” Ovid –  Don’t you love good advice that comes from the 1st century B.C.? And in keeping with this good advice – I will be on holidays from June 16 through to June 24, and taking a rest from the blogosphere too. The next blog post will appear on June 25. Hope you have a good week, and that you have some rest time planned for this summer too! 
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The Quest for Meaning

Cheryl
Setting aside the search for great composition, colours, and all that goes into a well created painting, at times I stop and ponder the larger meaning behind my art. I think it comes down to this for me – I hold beauty in high regard. Beauty has been a long time theme for me, and one that can be applied to any subject. I hope to delight the viewer with lovely lines, shapes, and colours. More recently, I have also wanted to include a sense of mystery so that the viewer’s imagination can participate in the art. This is accomplished by leaving some things within the painting in an unfinished state; soft edges, understated colour, layers of shapes that merge and re-emerge. You can watch for this theme in my art as I plan to work on this aspect of painting more this summer – beauty plus mystery. Since art is a language, there are as many different potential themes as there are different individuals. What about you? Do you have any overriding themes for your paintings or for the art that is on your walls? 
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Lakeside Painting

Cheryl
Painting at beautiful Brentwood was sooo good this weekend. The weather was perfect – only a bit of rain first thing Saturday morning but it cleared up beautifully and we had lots of sunshine and a gentle cool breeze off the lake. As well as lots of creative painting time, we simply had a lot of fun together! We had a campfire at the beach under the brightest stars ever, and fantastic food at every meal. Thank you, Brentwood, for hosting this art retreat. What a delight – we’ll be back! 
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Dream Big

Cheryl
“Some men see things as they are, and ask why. Other men see things that never were, and ask why not.” George Bernard Shaw –  It’s paint and canvas, or pencil and paper, or notes in the air, or words on a computer screen. Whatever your creative endeavors – dream big! Cheryl O 
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Acrylic Paintings & Heat

Cheryl
It looks like being a hot summer. If you paint with acrylics, you should avoid stacking acrylic paintings on top of each other in your car for transport. The heat affects the acrylic, making it soft, and if anything is pressing on it, it can stick and damage the surface. Keep this in mind if you are storing acrylic paintings anywhere that it gets very hot – don’t put anything on top of them! (Photo taken at Brentwood on the Beach.) 
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Art Show Update

Cheryl 2 Comments
The “Cheryl O & Students Art Show” opening was super! The place was a-buzz with people all enjoying the art. Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us on. Congratulations to MaryAnn Kristoff who won the draw for a $50. gift card from Mercury Art Store. And congratulations to each participating student – your paintings look amazing! If you didn’t make it on Saturday, the show will be up at Westmount Branch Library in London until June 30, during regular library hours. Don’t forget to sign the guest book and tell us which is your favourite painting if you come by.