tinku tales

Women Artists

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

I was in the bookstore the other day, in the Art History section, and picked up a book called Women Artists by Margaret Barlow. There are so many names in there that are completely unfamiliar to me, and it struck me how odd it is that in 2009 we still need to have a book devoted to this subject. Imagine how funny it would seem to publish a book called Male Artists.

What is the reason for the lack of awareness of female artists? Director Pamela Tanner Boll explores this subject in the film Who Does She Think She Is?, a film which I have yet to see but is on my must-watch list. The trailer quotes a man saying that art schools have a student body that is 70% female, yet in the gallery system, about 70% of the exhibitions are of male artists.

At my gallery, I never considered a person's gender when selecting their work for a show, and as it happens, I have an almost equal split of male/female artists in my roster.

I want to hear from you - do you feel that it is harder for a female artist to be taken seriously? What are the barriers? What can we do to change the system, either as institutions or galleries or audiences?

tinku Cube(d)

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:48:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I wrote about entering a nationwide competition sponsored by Nissan to find the 50 most creative Canadians, to whom they would each give a new Nissan Cube car. I decided to compose a series of short stories depicting imaginary road trips with some of my favourite artists, both living and deceased. What surprised me most was how something that started off as a contest ended up inspiring me to learn the stories of the artists I admire and let my imagination take me around the world.

Many of you read my stories and voted throughout the campaign. And to you I have much appreciation. I am also ecstatic to share with you that it all paid off, and I indeed was selected to win this car, as you will see in the video when they announced my name as one of the winners. (forward to 3:35 to see me screaming!)

A friend asked me to deconstruct the experience of winning to see what lessons I learned, and I decided I didn't want to do that, for it would spoil the magic of the experience for me. What I can say though is that by believing in myself and working with my strengths rather than around my weaknesses, I was able to do what seemed improbable at the start.

Over the coming year I will share some stories of what I am doing in this very unique car, and hope you will come along for the ride!

17 seconds

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Is 17 seconds enough to communicate something? Make a first impression? Wow someone? Piss someone off? Make someone laugh or cry? Journalist Jaime Woo once did a video series called Toronto in 6 words, which included a short clip from yours truly. He is now trying to see what he can communicate in 17 seconds, and the first clip is from our last opening, where he interviewed artist Brigid Watson on her show. Check it out for yourself - the circus music alone is worth a listen.

Ignore Everybody: Hugh MacLeod

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:21:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I find everywhere I look (either online or face to face) there are people who are self-proclaimed experts. But dig a little deeper and you will see they are like the Emperor with no clothes, with very to add to the equation.

Once in a while though I come across a guy like Hugh MacLeod, who is the real deal. Hugh MacLeod is a cartoonist who makes his living both by publishing fine art prints via the internet and consulting other companies on web 2.0. I first heard of Hugh only a year ago, by reading his blog which receives over 1 million visits a month, and following him on Twitter where he has thousands of followers. I should disclose that over the last few months Hugh & I have struck up a friendship and are exploring some collaborations together, so there is some inherent bias in my review of his new book. On the other hand, if his book was complete shit, I would not mention it at all rather than write about it here.

Ignore Everybody is a collection of ideas on how to be more creative. At first I was skeptical about whether or not creativity was something that could be taught to people. But after reading Hugh's book, I realized that in many ways creativity is a muscle that can lay flacid or be exercised and nurtured.

Each chapter in Hugh's book begins with a point (and an accompanying cartoon) that seems almost impossibly obvious, but he adds to it in a way that set off lightbulbs for me on how to approach what I'm doing with the gallery. As an example:

Chapter 4: Good ideas have lonely childhoods
"Good ideas exist in a social context. And not everyone has the same agenda as you"

Chapter 11: The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props
"Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on a piece of ordinary stationery that he had borrowed from the friend whose house he was staying at. Ernest Hemingway wrote with a simple fountain pen. Somebody else did the typing, but only much later....There's no correlation between creativity and equipment ownership. None. Zilch. Nada"

Hugh says things in his book that we all have considered in our minds but have never said out loud. Perhaps some have not considered this point of view at all. My one beef is that the book does go a little overboard in giving the finger to those that have seemingly rejected Hugh in the past, painting all those folks, whether in the advertising industry or the art world with one stroke, but hey it's his book so it's his right to do so!

This book landed in my lap at exactly the right time and I find myself reading certain passages over and over to help me articulate the longer term plans for the gallery and articulate how to take these principles and apply them to my life. That is the mark of a good book and I know this one will be a regular read for me for many years to come. Hugh's book strikes the right balance between art and commerce which is a struggle many galleries and artists face.

Ignore Everybody is a must-read for any entrepreneur, and by entrepreneur I include the person starting a business out of their home or an artist trying to develop her practice or the owner of a contemporary art gallery smaller than most people's dining rooms. You can get your own copy through major online booksellers or ask for it in your local bookstore.

Leah Sandal's Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Leah Sandals is a well known Canadian art critic, writing for publications including the National Post, Canadian Art and NOW Magazine. I also follow her feed on Twitter, where she posts links to interesting art reviews as well as her own blog posts, including this hilarious one where she unleashes her inner rock star to compile a music playlist fit for art critics.

Have a look and a laugh here.

Pics from opening: Brigid Watson

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Friday night was our opening for Brigid Watson's exhibition The Ground Beneath Her Feet. It was a warm summer evening and we had a steady stream of visitors throughout the night. Our openings rarely get packed like sardines, which means I get a chance to talk to our guests and introduce them to the artist.

I asked Brigid in this video captured by Toronto artist Sandy McMullen how this opening compared to others she has attended in Boston, New York and Singapore where she has recently shown. She replied that people seemed more approachable, asked lots of questions and there was a friendlier atmosphere.

For those who were unable to make it, do check out the video or the pictures I posted on the gallery's Flickr page.

Upcoming Exhibitions

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:12:00 +0000

The gallery calendar is booked up for most of the year. Check out our upcoming exhibitions:

June 2009 - Brigid Watson: The Ground Beneath Her Feet
opening reception: Friday, June 5th, 6-9 pm

July 2009 - Open Studios Member Show
(a collaboration with Open Studios, Canada's leading print making center)
opening reception: Friday, July 10th, 6-9 pm

August 2009 - Gone Fishing
(this is not an *actual* show, tinku gallery will be closed for the month of August)

September 2009 - Selena Wong

October 2009 - Elena Popova

I will post images on the gallery site in the coming weeks so you can preview what's next.

The Long and Winding Road

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Do you ever read profiles of successful entrepreneurs who look back at their early days and chuckle at the hiccups and struggles they faced? I had one of those weekends which I hope will make me laugh a year from now.

I have been preparing the gallery for our next exhibition, Brigid Watson: The Ground Beneath Her Feet, and had arranged for Brigid's paintings to be shipped up from Boston, where she lives, to Toronto.

Without getting into the gory details, there was a little glitch with the shipper and the only reliable way for me to ensure the works got here in time and in good condition was to go and get them myself. Even this would not have been terribly challenging, however my additional constraints were that my work outside the gallery (I moonlight as a marketing consultant) required I be in Toronto during the week, and secondly, my car is rather small and on its last legs.

One thing led to another and I found myself making the 9 hour car journey to Boston on a Saturday morning in a rented SUV, returning to Toronto the very next day. Add to that some complications at customs and I was on the road for 20 hours, covering 1600+ km in less than 2 days!

Needless to say now that the art is in the gallery safe and sound, the trip was absolutely worth it Soon enough I will say "Remember when...."

Brigid Watson: The Ground Beneath Her Feet opens at tinku gallery Friday, June 5th, 6-9 pm and runs until June 28th.

Tough Times Good for Creativity?

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:15:00 +0000

I'm hearing so many stories of people having a tough time - layoffs, job cuts, bills!

I don't know about you but I have found that the most challenging times of my life have been the times when I have pushed myself creatively speaking. Is it because we need escape? Or just that we are forced to be resourceful and push the envelope beyond the status quo?

The New York Times posed this question to artists and the general consensus was that the tough economic times have resulted in more breathing room for them to express themselves without the constraints of commercial pressure. Food for thought. You can read the full article here.

Meanwhile I've decided to set up a little studio in my apartment. It has been exactly 4 years since I picked up a paintbrush and while I don't profess to be any good at it, painting gives me enormous joy and fulfilment. I realized that I spend way too much time on my computer which at times feels as useless as watching TV, so despite my crazy schedule I am looking forward to finding little pockets of time where I can sit with brush in hand and just see where it takes me.

The Nissan Cube Grand Finale

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:46:00 +0000

Some of you may have read my earlier blog post about being a finalist for a nationwide competition in Canada to give away 50 Nissan Cube cars to the most unique/creative people. All 500 finalists were given a web "canvas" on which to express themselves. Many people used graphic design effects or video or sound to create multimedia presentations.

Me? I decided to imagine a road trip in which every day I would have a different artist as a passenger, and write a little vignette of the experience. While the exercise was an effort to win a car, I found myself really enjoying the exploration of these artists' worlds and it tapped in to my thirst for exploring new terrain, my love of art and my imagination.

I also commissioned artist Orlin Mantchev to design a custom skin for the Cube should I win the car, so I could use the vehicle as a canvas. Winners will be announced in mid June; in the meantime you can see my collection of stories here.

Let me know which ones you like!

Luben Boykov at The Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:21:00 +0000

Twelve years ago I was offered an assignment to work in Sofia, Bulgaria. I knew little of the country but recalled that many Bulgarians defected to Canada in the early 1990s through a stopover on their flight in Newfoundland, where I grew up. The summer I was leaving for Sofia, I spent a month in St. John's, and called The Association for New Canadians, and asked if there were any Bulgarians I could get in touch with.

They said there was a sculptor named Luben who lived outside the city so I looked him up in the phonebook and called him out of the blue, introducing myself and telling him I was leaving for Sofia. Luben invited me to his studio and later to his home to meet his wife, artist Elena Popova. While in Sofia it turned out I lived around the corner from his parents so would visit them occasionally, bringing almonds and coffee from Canada.

Flash forward 11 years. Luben's wife Elena is not only a friend but now one of my gallery artists, who will have a solo show at tinku gallery this fall. Both of their careers have flourished tremendously.

One of the many feathers in their caps is the current exhibition of Luben's sculptures at The Rooms, Newfoundland & Labrador's provincial art museum. The show is running until the end of the summer and I am planning a visit in June to see the works in person and to have a nice visit with Luben & Elena.

Do check it out if you find yourself in St. John's. Or view a slideshow of the exhibition here.

Image credit: CBC.ca

Three Brothers chosen Toronto Life's Best of CONTACT

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Kudos to tinku gallery artist Laurie Kang whose solo gallery debut Three Brothers has been recognized by Toronto Life magazine as one of the best 50 picks of the 2009 Contact Photography Festival.

See the full list here.

CONTACT Festival: Laurie Kang

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:35:00 +0000

tinku gallery is participating in the CONTACT Photography Festival for the first time this year with artist Laurie Kang's first show, titled Three Brothers.

A trio of real-life brothers perform for the camera, creating a sur-reality that merges fact and fiction. Kang explores the psychology and dynamics of blood relations with Three Brothers, curiously photographing her father and his brothers.

The opening reception which was held last Friday, May 1st, was well attended, with lots of new visitors to gallery, packed like sardines at times. It was great to see Laurie's parents join the celebration, including her father's who's portrait donned the walls.

Laurie Kang: Three Brothers runs until the end of May.

On the Road

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:20:00 +0000

So the last few days I've been creating daily postcards on which artist I'd like to have as a passenger on a roadtrip, if I win the Hypercube car I mentioned in my last post.

What I love about this exercise is that I can choose anyone, dead or alive, famous or unknown and imagine what a few days on the road would be like. Before I write each one I research a little about the artist & create a story of what would happen on the trip.

So far I have written about road trips with John Guthrie, Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo and more. You can see the series of web postcards on the gallery Flickr page or follow along every day on my Hypercube page which is http://www.tinyurl.com/tinkucube

So now it's your turn - which artist would you go on a road trip with and where or why? Who would you recommend I choose?

Why I'm writing about a Nissan Hypercube

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:34:00 +0000

I often take art from artists studios to the gallery, or from the gallery to client homes. Because I drive a smallish 9 year old car, I end up renting a Zipcar for the days I need the extra space. Not a big deal but adds up over time and also limits how often I can help out one of my artists or friends.

So a few weeks ago I was alerted to the news that Nissan Canada was launching a new vehicle called the Hypercube, primarily through social media (to the majority of my readers who don't know that term, essentially a web competition), in which they were awarding 50 to the most creative, unique people in the country.

I figured I had as good a shot as it as anyone else so I put in my entry, filling in all sorts of information about who I am, what I do, my likes, dislikes etc... When asked what I would do with the Hypercube if I won, I said that in addition to using it myself, I wanted to make it available for my artists to borrow whenever they needed a car. I wouldn't do this for just any car - this one is special because of the way it looks and also all the stuff I could fit inside it - perfect for the gallery!

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that out of 7,000 applicants, I was one of the 500 finalists. Since they are giving away 50 cars this means I have a 1 in 10 chance of winning.

So what does this have to do with you? Well, they are choosing the winners based on how well we make use of a web canvas that they have provided for us.

I decided that shilling the car too much would not feel true to who I am. I also realized I couldn't compete with the graphic design wizardry of many, so I decided to work with my best asset: my imagination.

Over the next 5 weeks I will use my web canvas to showcase artists I would like to have as my passengers, and describe where we'd go and what we'd do.

I'd love to hear your recommendations on the artists I should feature and of course I'd also love to have your vote. To see my canvas or vote, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/tinkucube

Sorry So Silent!

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:44:00 +0000

This is the longest stretch I've gone without updating my blog, so sorry to those of you who have been loyally reading and waiting for something new. This has been one of those months where it seems I am everywhere but my blog!

The Mary Anne Davis show opened on April 4th with a bit of an unexpected hitch -- Mary Anne was to fly in for the opening from her home in New York and discovered a little too late that our new border rules require her to have a passport!

So rather than declare the day a total disappointment, we had Mary Anne join us via Twitter, which made for an interest experiment. People came to the gallery and left their comments to her via Twitter instead of in our usual guestbook.

In some ways it was apropos, as Mary Anne and I have both been proponents of using technology to promote art. Lucky for us, Mary Anne will be coming up later in the month so if you are interested in meeting her, do drop me a line at frontdoor[at]tinkugallery[dot]com so I can make sure you are connected.

And all's well that ends well, as the opening was still a success with very positive comments and a few sales of her wonderful ceramic chargers. For those of you who have not yet come by, the show runs for the full month of April. You can also download the show catalogue on the gallery homepage.

Mary Anne Davis: Dots

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Mary Anne Davis: Dots
Opening Reception: Sat April 4th, 2-6 pm
Artist in attendance

Tonight we took down the Ian Amell: Canadian eh? show, which was very well received by gallery visitors. I will soon post the images on the gallery site for those who weren't able to make it in.

Next up is the gallery's first ceramics show, featuring the Canadian debut of ceramic artist Mary Anne Davis.

Mary Anne is an accomplished artist whose work has shown in museums and galleries across the U.S. and has appeared in publications including Oprah Magazine, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Elle Decor, and Metropolitan Home.

I am thrilled that Mary Anne will be making the trip up from her home outside New York City to attend her opening at tinku gallery. I would love for you to come and view her artful ceramic chargers and help me give her a warm Toronto welcome.

Our opening takes place this coming Saturday, April 4th from 2-6 pm. If you are interested in receiving an electronic version of the show catalogue, it is available for download (2.1 MB file) by clicking here. Print copies can be mailed upon request by emailing frontdoor[at]tinkugallery.com or calling us at 647 430 9195.

Art: It Stay with You

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:26:00 +0000

I just found this great TV commercial from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles that uses images/music to show how art stays in your soul. Love it!

Ada Lovelace Day

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Ada Lovelace was one of the world's first computer programmers, and around the world today, women and men are commemorating her by blogging about women using technology in all walks of life.

My own world is a mix of art and technology and entrepreneurship and I wanted to salute another woman who uses technology in the arts. Mary Anne Davis is a ceramic artist from New York, and she will hold her first solo exhibition at tinku gallery next month. I first met Mary Anne last year at PodCamp, a conference in Boston on new media and we had great discussions about how we as artists/gallerists can use technology to promote our work and the arts in general.

Mary Anne has helped many other ceramic artists set up their own blogs and her online gift registry inspired me to start a similar one for the gallery. What I admire most about Mary Anne is her ability to see the bigger picture, how technology is the tool that can connect us all - art lovers, art makers, art buyers.

So thank you Ada and Mary Anne for leading the way for people like me.

tinku gallery Submissions now closed

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Long before I opened the gallery, I considered many artists among my group of friends and acquaintances. I heard stories of how difficult it was to get into a good gallery and how hard it was to get a response.

So when I opened tinku gallery I posted a Submissions policy that made it very clear what I was and wasn't accepting and what sort of time frame it would take for a response. I received volumes of submissions, sometimes 10 a day, which for a small gallery with no staff, was more than I could keep up with. Truth be told, 99% of the submissions I received were not a good fit for the gallery and most people clearly didn't do their homework to see if the gallery was the right venue for their type of work.

I equate that to my marketing consulting life, where I receive resumes from people who sent out a generic letter to every company they could find. As a result, they went straight into the trash. In the same vein, I have often deleted emails from artists that sent a generic blast to lots of galleries or people that didn't take the time to do a little research beforehand. I figured if they weren't respectful of my time, how could I do the same for them?

Only twice in the last year have I received an unsolicited submission from an artist I wanted to move forward with. I scheduled a studio visit with one of them, a young artist called Kyle Tomkens who is based in Toronto. Kyle hosted me in his studio (below) and we had a nice chat about his work, which has an illustrative quality to it and definitely some good foundations. Upon further review with my curatorial advisors, I decided it wasn't the right work for my space and so we left it at that. No hard feelings, just not the right fit.

At this point I've realized that I am no longer able to take unsolicited submissions due to the resources required to keep up with the reviews and responses. I've had much better luck finding new artists through personal referrals and so that's the direction I'm taking.

There has been much written about this subject so I won't repeat it all here, but instead will point you to a very well written series of blog posts by art critic Edward Winkelman. This post in particular highlights how not all artists need galleries (which I agree) and has some great discussions going in the comments section.

To those who are searching for a gallery, my advice in closing is simply to find the right fit, network with other artists and most importantly, just keep making great work and eventually your collectors will find you, gallery or not.

New Canadian Contemporary Art Blog

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:57:00 +0000

There is a limited number of Canadian publications that write about contemporary art so I was happen to come across Untitled Toronto, a new contemporary art blog published by the Toronto Star.

This week writer Murray Whyte covers stories on shows at Metivier Gallery, Jessica Bradley Art + Projects and the Power Plant. Let's hope he gets out to see some of the lesser known galleries around town. You can read the blog here and/or follow @untitledToronto on Twitter.

tinku's guide to art on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Some of you may have heard of an increasingly popular social media tool called Twitter. The best way I can describe it is a cross between a newsfeed and a chat room. Individuals or institutions use Twitter to tell others what is going on in their day, to exchange discussions or to share links to articles, blogs, news.

I have been on Twitter for about 8 months now, and have built up a lovely network of interesting folks to follow. One very nice surprise was to see the presence of artists, art critics, museums and art lovers. This is by no means an exhaustive list but here are the ones I recommend you connect with.

Art Critics/Writers:

@leahsandals
@carzoo
@ArtFagCity
@Art21
@ArtMarket
Update: Here are a couple of new ones that I found:
@antlea
@UntitledToronto

Art Museums

@MetMuseum
@MuseumModernArt
@GettyMuseum
@BrooklynMuseum
@WhitneyMuseum
@Museodelprado
@SFMOMA
@KemperArtMuseum
@LACMA
@Mass_Moca
@Tate

Artists/Artlovers/Galleries

@AminaBech
@Alexispl
@ClearyGallery
@easthawaiiarts
@20x200
@Rejinl
@ninaksimon
@MaryAnneDavis

If you are on Twitter, you can follow me @tinkugallery. I tend to Tweet about art, marketing, travel, life and everything in between. Feel free to also post in the comments any additional art-related Twitter folks you recommend. Tweet you later!

tinku's 6 words

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:05:00 +0000

Today marks the 175th anniversary of Toronto, the city in which I am currently based, and the home of the gallery. I was invited to participate in a cool video project conjured up by bloggers Jaime Woo of Torontoist.com and Suresh Doss of Spotlight Toronto. Called "TO in 6 words", a host of people from the Mayor to people off the street were asked to sum up Toronto in 6 words. It was hard to come up with only 6 words but it was fun trying and the resulting video is a great snapshot of the different voices and faces of the city.

Now it's your turn - tell me what city you live in, and what 6 words you would use to describe it. And Happy Birthday Toronto!

Video credit: Jaime Woo & Suresh Doss

Ian Amell: Canadian eh? at tinku gallery

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:09:00 +0000

Ian Amell opens his Canadian eh? exhibition of photo-based work at tinku gallery on March 4th. Please join us for our opening reception on Wednesday March 4th from 6-9 pm.

The exhibition runs till March 29th. Gallery hours are Fri-Sat 12-6 and Sun 12-5, as well as by appointment.

Images: Ian Amell for tinku gallery

Canadian Contemporary Art Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (tinku) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:37:00 +0000

With the increasing popularity of blogs and Twitter as ways to reach audiences, there are more ways now to get your Canadian contemporary art fix. I list these blogs in my Blogroll on the right hand side of this page but thought I'd give them a special mention in a blog post for those who are looking for online publications on Canadian contemporary art. This is by no means an exhaustive list, rather I'm sharing with you the few I read regularly.

Things of Desire
Things of Desire is a blog that updates every Thursday with news on gallery exhibitions from across Canada. What I like about this blog is that it is not Toronto-centric so you can discover lesser-known artists from around the country. I also love that the editor, Mike Landry, describes himself as "a schmuck with little to no knowledge in art history, and way too much knowledge in journalism".

View on Canadian Art
VoCA is one of the longer running contemporary art blogs in Canada and bills itself as "Your Cultural Concierge". What I like about VoCA is that in addition to reviewing gallery shows, it features regular articles on current topics such as arts funding, art criticism, the role of commercial art galleries, etc...and the posts are thought provoking, good fuel for debate. Writer Andrea Carson is also on Twitter under the handle @carzoo

UnEdit My Heart
Writer Leah Sandals is a well published art critic in Canada, writing for most major publications including the National Post, Globe and Mail, Canadian Art magazine, NOW magazine and more. What I love about Leah is her ability to offer art criticism without the snob factor. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced collector, you can read her articles as though they were written with you in mind. Her writing style is conversational yet intelligent, making it a great read. Leah Sandals is also on Twitter under the handle @leahsandals

Those are my picks for favourite Canadian Art blogs - what are yours?