Old Prison Grounds

 

Old Prison Grounds, Millbrook, Ontario....on location...

...the prettiest 100 acres in Millbrook, Ontario. All evidence of the old maximum security prison has been removed...a good place to walk. Made on location from the front seat of my car. Acrylic on cradled birch panel 8 x 10 x 1 inches, wired at back and ready to hang. (Sold)

 ...still a few degrees above freezing...a quiet overcast day. People pull into this space at the entrance to the old prison grounds, and walk far up the hills with their dogs. The 'no trespassing' sign is still there, but the gate is open and many people walk these grounds...

 

Buckhorn Fine Art Festival

I will be taking part in the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival, in Buckhorn, Ontario, August 19th, and 20th of this year. I'll be showing a wide selection of my small works. Some will be framed, and many will also be unframed, in plastic sleeves, and can be looked through.

Years ago, this series of small landscapes began with the approximate size of the 2 pieces above...5.5 x 8 inches. These 2 are  new and were completed today and yesterday. I'm going to go back to this size for a little while....it feels like I'm making secret messages when I work this small....an interesting and enchanting feeling. I started making work this size while I was a teacher....I needed to  keep making work, but time was short, so I would make a piece this size when I got home from school in the evenings. I was always tired, but making one of these would rejuvenate me.

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How to be Prolific

Isaac Asimov's Advice on Being Prolific

...a good little article written by Charles Chu. The thoughts in here make good sense. Don't aim for perfection, but strive to do good work, every day.  Don't obsess over mistakes. Enjoy your own production. If you take some of the advice in this article, you will be less prone to creative block, and you won't fear creative block.

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2 in 1 Sitting....

 

Although at first glance, there may be a lot of consistency from work to work, in order to keep the process always fresh and unexpected, I mess with procedure. Although they are all small, the slight variations in size are very important and have a huge influence on the work. I change the methodology and working procedures in various ways. Here, the size is a bit smaller than usual, and 2 are done in one sitting, one right after the other. Seen here are 2 consecutive days.....2 works from one day, 2 from the next.

 

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Framing Small Artwork

 

Many thanks to the wonderful artist Mary Jo O'Gara  (click on the link to see her beautiful pieces) who sent along these photos of my artwork in her house. I love seeing how people frame and place the work in their homes...it`s just so exciting to see! And I think Mary Jo did an outstanding job of framing this piece. Framing can be a difficult thing, and it takes a lot of looking and comparing of results.

 

 

 

I also like how Patti Blumenthal framed one of my small collage paintings on gessoed birch panel, and I really appreciate getting a chance to see these photos of both works in their new environments!

 

 

 

 

Here's one of my drawings in a simple museum frame. The matte is 4 inches, top and sides, 4.5 inches on bottom, and the white is a warm off-white. If in doubt about any of your framing choices, this method will work very well for all my works on paper. Where the edge is part of the work, it should be shown, and not covered up by the matte.

 

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Final Days of 2016

...some of the last pieces from 2016...smaller collage paintings on Rives BFK paper...

Happy New Year Everyone!

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Winter Paintings....

I am coming to the end of my stock of Whatman paper. It's wonderful to paint on.....it holds washes beautifully, and buckles hardly at all with any application of acrylics. These 3 December paintings were done one after the other, on consecutive days....(top and bottom piece Sold)

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Hill Stop....Drawing on Location

(Sold)  Every so often, I make these drawings on location. 2b, 4b, and 7b pencil are used, and the pencil is continuously moving for about an hour.....drawn in the front seat of my car....

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Recent Pieces.....Late November

...a fairly gloomy time in this part of the world, but I enjoy painting these times. There is still time to do plein air work also, and more of those will be happening, although perhaps not with the same frequency as in the summer.

 

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Recent Pieces

A painting is made every day, and they all relate back to this place. I have to keep the process as fresh as possible, so the processes are constantly mixed....a piece done on location, a collage with paint on top in studio, a piece from memory and/or imagination, a piece from on site diagrams. I go out every day; sometimes it's to find a location to paint...but sometimes it's just to go out.....the painting comes after...

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Paintings in Response to the Presidential Election...

 

...all (sold)...

...each of these was done in response to the US election. The most optimistic one was done the day of the election, before any results were in. Can you tell which one that is?

 

www.harrystooshinoff.com

On Location, November 6

November Valley
 ...so mild for November, and perfectly still.....I barely had to spray my paints at all. I'm just a short trek away from my car. There is a beautiful service path next to a mature forest....I'm just on the edge of it here, and completely sheltered on 3 sides, with this grand view to the east...

Visit me here:
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www.harrystooshinoff.com
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