Diary of Artist Shayla Perreault Newcomb

Photo Friday- Black

2012-01-27T15:19:00.000-04:00

Can you guess how this was made?

Behind the Scenes

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

"Ecstasy" 48x48" ©Shayla Perreault Newcomb 2006

'Behind the scenes' is going to be a weekly, regular feature around here that will show a picture of what's going on in my life (mostly artsy stuff, studio pics etc.) or will highlight another artist's studio. Here's a sneak peek before it starts with regular publication.

This painting caused Jason and I a lot of excitement recently since RBC Dominion Securities bought it for their permanent collection. It's the biggest piece I've sold so far. It looks different from what I'm doing right now, still I found it satisfying to see in their space. It warmed it up and made it look inviting and dynamic.

McKenzie College Gallery November 2006

This pic is of my first show while I was still a hobby artist. The venue was in a college with a space meant for encouraging 'would be' artists and this was the only wall that had any coherence. My style was all over the place, I hadn't found my 'voice' and I learned a lot from seeing all my experiments 'screaming' off the walls. Developing a coherent series is more like finishing a thought without interruption than it is copying yourself. It doesn't mean I don't try other things or I limit myself creatively. Now I get pleasure in seeing how one painting leads to the next, like a conversation. While that's my preference, it's not the only thing that works. Some artists prefer to put a little bit of everything in the show and can pull it off.

Art Quote Monday- Edgar A. Whitney, artist

2012-01-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

"No door will stay closed to a stubborn scholar."

Edgar A. Whitney, Watercolor master and instructor More info useful for watercolorists and Whitney fans

Photo Friday Canadian Winter Landscape

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

New Brunswick

The North West view at my mom's in Woodstock before they sold the place. They're now live on a sailboat, with the cat, and are currently in Dominican Republic. We just had a snow, so it would look like this there today. We're going to connect with some city nature today at the park.

Art Quote Monday- Artist Nick Bantock

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

"Ideas are ten-a-penny. Everyone gets them. It's just that we tend to edit them out or throw them away; we dismiss them as irrelevant and unworthy, or we start to develop them but become riddled with self-doubt and lose our energy. Ideas have to be fostered, made friends with, and then encouraged through their various stages until they're strong enough to stand on their own. When they're ready, they'll make their own demands and direct their own completion."
artist Nick Bantock The Artful Dodger p.103

Master Class

2012-01-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

If you could take a class from any artist that has ever lived, including the present, who would it be and why?

While I've got someone in mind, I would like to know who you would choose. Seth Apter from The Altered Page asked the question as part of the fifth edition of The Pulse. I'm participating this Sunday, and the answers of other artists have been revealing dynamic trends in mixed media. Leave a comment with your ideal master teacher, and then check Seth's blog to see if anyone else in the online community would be in the same class as you.

ho would it bed why?'

Photo Friday- The White Queen

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

"White Queen and Birch" larger than life ATC ©Shayla Perreault Newcomb

Art Quote Monday- Ernst van de Wetering PhD, Art Historian

2012-01-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

"You are your style. If you make something in another style, you are lying or faking or evolving."

Ernst van de Wetering

Photo Friday- Black and White ATC's

2012-01-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

Photo Friday is a new, weekly entry on my blog featuring photos I've taken. Sometimes they will be of my art, sometimes not. Bookmark it, and visit again.

Art Quote Monday- Allegra Goodwin, writer

2012-01-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

"Only art is the mnemonic for experience."

Mondays will now feature a favourite art or creativity quote. January being a time of reflection and processing last year's memories, it's the perfect time to fill up or start an art journal. I'm thinking of doing a monochromatic challenge...

Allegra Goodwin, writer from her book Intuition

Top 10 favourite things in 2011

2011-12-30T19:03:00.003-04:00

Date nights with my spouse guy out on the town...

or home with him dishing up his secret calamari recipe

The new apartment and the blue we painted the kitchen while listening to Dracula on audio

Having fun completing Art Every Day Challenge in November and discovering a new series

Developing my landscape series

Shooting footage for my first film

Starting work at Art Shack

Starting belly dancing at Studio Sephira

Being happy for Jace with his multiple collaborations, new body of work and his first live gig (coming up in 2012) Happy about the mulberry colour we painted the living room too.

Hiking and forest bathing in my favourite park.

What did you enjoy about 2011? Wishing you health, happiness and a life of ease in 2012 and beyond.

Reflecting

2011-12-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

Did/Been- Had fun playing board games like Pictionary and Trinidad and Tobago with friends, got hot pink extensions and got a boar bristle brush which makes brushing my hair into an ecstatic, extreme sensation. Started belly dancing classes and made art. Am now hooked on fav TV show "Once Upon a Time". The above journal page I did while listened to audio of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I'm already starting on year end reflections and the writing is a spontaneous gratitude list. I put it beside one of my gratitude lists made last December.

Don't they look like gems? Feels like eating rubies from the trees in Aladdin's cave of wonders.

Have you started reflecting on 2011 yet? It's a bit early yet, but I'm slow and need plenty of mulling time. What is one thing that stuck out for you when you think back on 2011? Fav book? memory? song?

First week of December, diary post

2011-12-05T20:42:00.001-04:00

Did/Been -This week I've been teaching, working, and painting, bringing home some greenery for a lift against dark, dark December (lush Boston fern and a round leafed rubber plant) and we enjoyed a dinner and a movie with a pirate theme. Jace made me calamari and we watched the first Pirates of the Caribbean. Am currently reading Tina Fey, Bossypants and Masculine and Feminine-the natural flow of opposites in the psyche by Gareth Hill. Had tea after work with an artist friend today and she gave me a great quote.

Words of Wisdom- "At once it struck me what quality went to form a man of achievement especially in Literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason." Keats

How I felt-Recognizing I'm getting frazzled, fatigued, so hooray- I've done something about it and am taking off the last week of the year.

Art Every Day Month Closing Ceremony

2011-11-30T19:51:00.001-04:00

Back in the studio-When trying to think of a closing ceremony for Art Every Day Month, I decided to burn something. Destruction, creation, a pleasing finality. Plus I get to play with matches and I have the extra long ones for romantics with fireplaces (don't actually have a fireplace...). Made up the above piece. Which has given me a hard time over the years- yes years- I've been working on it. I'd work on it, it would look crappy, I'd put it back in the box, pull it out later, try again, lather, rinse, repeat. I'm liking it now. It feels like a good symbol for this month of creating.

Did/Been-Lots of inspiring people came into the shop today and we had some good art talks. Denis showed me some of the behind the scenes with framing and I found out they have conservationist standards. Fascinating- they even consider how to hinge paper artworks in so they won't tear from the matting if the frame drops. A lot to learn there.

How I felt- more mellow than usual, at least at times. When it came time to do my burning ceremony the paper wasn't burning fast enough, so I got up The Big Bang Theory online and was about to watch it at the same time when I realized that wasn't very mindful, and kind of defeated the purpose of a closing ceremony. Plus when I get overstimulated, I get clutzy... hmmm....

Conclusion- My big lessons this month were about routine and surrender. Like breathing. Not always breathing in. Also breathing out. Figuring out when. It's already a little better. The large oil painting I've been working on since August is starting to come together. I can see the steps laid out ahead of me until the finish. While the routine portion came easier than I'd ever imagined it would, I'm thinking I may need an entire year to come to terms with surrender.

Day 29, Picture Post II

2011-11-29T20:14:00.001-04:00

Remake, done this morning. I like both versions.

Day 29, Picture Post

2011-11-29T09:07:00.001-04:00

"Ivory Breeze" ATC ©Shayla Perreault Newcomb

AEDM, Day 27 diary post

2011-11-27T16:32:00.001-04:00

Did/Been-Woah! The end of this month gained such momentum that I'm still trying to process it. Whenever that happens, I disappear from cyberspace. Blessings, upheavals, changes.

Back in the studio- Have been working on my latest in the Rebirth of Light series for 4 months now. Birthing this painting seems to be taking forever and I want it out already!!

Synchronicity- The tune buzzing in my head whenever I create this painting is "Caught a Lite Sneeze" by Tori Amos. That's always my clue as to what the painting is about. My initial internet search brought up false starts. Fans thought it was about her relationship with Trent Reisner, and that didn't resonate with me at all right now so it stayed a persistent, stuck in my head mystery. Yesterday, I found an audio commentary on youtube with the artist explaining her symbology and there we have it. Exactly it. With those obscure lyrics, I always figured I had no idea what she was talking about.

Story time- Did you want to know my secrets being exposed in this piece? It's about struggling with the masculine and feminine powers within. For so long I've thought I had to be hard. I'm just starting now to understand and respect the strength in the feminine.

How I felt- Such a roller coaster of extreme highs, ecstasy, and lows. Receiving understanding for my work in progress made me cry because the power of creating from the subconscious still surprises me. It feels as though it comes from some place separate from me and yet still connected. Also feeling more patient. I've realized I'm going through my own death and rebirth right now. Big stuff. It's OK to be gentle.

My big challenge- Surrender. Can't quite do it...yet. In life, I mean, but also is probably why this painting has taken 4 freakin' months. Any tips?

AEDM, Day 23

2011-11-23T19:59:00.001-04:00

Atc- "In the Woods" © Shayla Perreault Newcomb

Did/Been- Big mammoth sized storm has finally hit today. Feeling that all day yesterday, and still a bit of storm pressure today. It's been a busy, intense week.

In the Studio- Another Atc

How I felt- Making art every day feels like a habit. Not intrusive. Much like brushing my teeth isn't intrusive on the amount of time I have in my day, a few minutes of art making feels low pressure.

What I learned- Not attaching qualifiers to my daily art making has been the secret I learned this month. It's ok if I feel like scribbling. It doesn't have to be an act of dazzling brilliance. Yes, it counts if it's under 15 minutes. No, it doesn't have to get finished or be in a particular medium etc. etc. Bringing a list of rules to what or how that art making should go has made it a burden in the past-meaning less art gets made- and it's turned out to be a good thing to let that go.

AEDM, Diary post day 22

2011-11-22T09:16:00.001-04:00

Atc- "Cosmic Birth" © Shayla Perreault Newcomb 2011

AEDM Diary Post, Day 20

2011-11-20T20:19:00.001-04:00

Back in the Studio- Tried out the studio upstairs at the ArtShack to teach a Chinese Brush Painting class from my Asian Inspiration series. I like to have a calm almost spa like feel to the class so after not only do students get to have some fun art time, but they feel refreshed and more centered.

How I felt- It felt so good to be teaching again. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it.

AEDM day 19, diary post

2011-11-19T19:03:00.000-04:00

Back in the studio- Preparing for the Chinese brush painting class tomorrow. The painting above is one of the exercises. To the Chinese the cherry represents feminine beauty (to me, my favourite fruit from a visual standpoint). They also think having a painting of fruit in the dining area is a symbol of abundance and gratitude which in turn will bring more abundance. The dining room is seen as sacred with the table being some what like an alter. I like the idea of recognizing the spiritual part of eating with meal time being a time of gratitude and connection. (The Fundamentals of Feng Shui by Lillian Too and The Chinese Brush Painting Bible by Jane Dwight).

Savoured- A book on Japanese art a co-worker lent me. Bliss! I don't read Japanese so I can't find the title and link to it although it's probably out of print now.

Grateful- 1. Curried shrimp at lunch 2. the colors and buzz at the market today 3. meeting new people 4. having fun at work 5. the coconut butter and vitamin e hair treatment worked well 6. my mohair wooly socks 7. ready to unwind!

And the winner is...

2011-11-18T08:12:00.001-04:00

Lynne Chiacco from Ragzedge and Décolleté Glimpses. I used a random sequence generator and number 7 came up first. Thank you for your comments. They made this give away extra joyous. Sending you all love, love!

Day 17 AEDM and 1 more day till give away draw

2011-11-17T16:30:00.001-04:00

by Jason Newcomb

Back in the Studio- Yesterday was the first day in a month that I didn't make any art. I was in a place where it would have been a bad thing to push myself. Today I taught Jason Chinese painting for about 20 minutes before phones and craziness took over. He made the above painting, first try. I love how much easier it is to get the various shades of ink when you grind it yourself.

Art and Fear- Sometimes I've been at a place where I don't make art because of fear and that's a completely different thing. If you've ever been there, you might like this video on 'Playing Big'. From what I understand, the EFT method works in a similar way to acupuncture and Yates says it works all the way to the cellular level. It might not even work for you. Personally, I like it. Ta Dah! Enjoy if desired.

How I felt
Without going in TMI details, I'm not feeling that hot and yet it's not a bad thing. There's all this crazy energy in the weather, and everything feels crackling with "about to happen", the good kind of happening. To prepare for the massive shift coming this way, whatever it may be, I need to rest and just be in my body. I'm eating a lot of stuff to slow me down. While it's not cool that I won't be going out as planned, I'm going to love vegging out and watching Grimm- a new crime fighting series in the fairy tale world.

Would you like to bag some goodies? One more day till the draw.

For details on my 300 posts give away, click here. Check it out before Friday, November 18.

More about Art Every Day: Leah Piken Kolidas started the project 9 years ago. She explains it was, "a challenge to myself to create some art every day for one month and post it on my blog. I was inspired by Nanowrimo and wanted to do something similar with art, and thus Art Every Day Month (AEDM) was born. Posting art on my blog every day helped to keep me accountable and it was fun to share my creations. The following year, I invited people to join in and each year since I've had great groups of creative people committing themselves to more creativity for the month of November with me."

Day 15 Art Every Day and Give away Details

2011-11-15T18:27:00.001-04:00

Back in the Studio- Do you know what's cool? Whenever Laura Hollick does a business call, it involves a guided art project style meditation. The theme was "Transform your Iconic Trait into a Thriving Business." This is what I made as a symbol of what it feels like when my iconic trait is grounded- put the recording on pause for a couple hours to do it the way I wanted. The experience was powerful, with tears and awe inspiring stuff that rocked my world. While she doesn't seem to have the sign up to that talk any more, she does have one up I haven't heard yet in case you want to check it out: Secrets to living your legend.

How I felt- It was just as demanding as a large piece and I was tired out after.

Would you like to bag some goodies?

For details on my 300 posts give away, click here. Check it out before Friday, November 18.

300 posts Giveaway, Art Every Day 14

2011-11-14T07:10:00.001-04:00

1. Choice 1, Moleskine Pocket Watercolor Book (3.5x5.5") value $16

2. Choice 2, Winter Issue of Artful Blogging

3. Choice 3, 4x4" original artwork called "Early Morning Mists" (above) or "Seed",(below) an abstract 4x4" from the new series finished up tonight for the art every day challenge. ©Shayla Perreault Newcomb, value $35

If you want to be entered for the drawing, just leave a comment before Friday, November 18 and be sure I can contact you through email or your blog (If someone wins and I'm unable to contact them another winner will be chosen November 25).

A big thank you, to all the blog readers that have come, gone and stayed over the years. As I said earlier,

there's no way I would have kept writing here if it wasn't for them and the benefits have been numerous. When I was bedridden for an entire year at the peak of my health problems, I didn't even go out the door to get the mail on the side of the house. These relationships helped me keep my sanity and helped me develop my artistic voice. Thank you again, you gorgeous souls. xoxo