It has been a busy month

Well, Its been a very busy month. Started out real slow, work was cutting shifts, than next schedule for first half of may laneded and every body was working full time hours.

It was nice to have the work... but sometimes its hard to make plans.. nature of life right now for lots a folks..

Aside from work lots on the plate this month working on two large works for the local June / July juried show. the theme of the show is "music as muse". One is 32 inches by 48 inches total size, consisting of 4 seperate canvases

and is an abstract based on the songs My Hometown and Glory Days, by Bruce Springsteen. Using the shapes from the backsides of buildings in the downtown. Unfortunatly this one did not get finished, so i will submit in the October show. Its close but needs more work.

The second one is an abstract called Hiddin Journeys. It is based on Hotel California by the Eagles and Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. It is five canvases with a total size of 32 by 40. and I built a mounting frame work out of reused lumber left over from building a house last summer (thanks Marvin). I submit on saturday, hope fully gets in the show. It has been Photographed and will be posted soon.

Starting to develop plans for 14 day painting trip in august, Probably canoeing Ahmic lake near Burks falls. friends have a cottagee near there and have offered to loan me there canoe. still working out the details, More latter.

Painting above is based on my trip to venice in 1988. Wonder full city.

Hi Here's a pic of my work desk. this is where i do the actual paintings. It is one of those great old oak desks, with the long and deep drawers. . I found a peace of board co for the top. the top is 4 feet long and 32 wide so has lots of room. the water color in the center back is a garden painted by my daughter, Maria. the front center is the start of a series about journeys we take in life in oil.

Table to the far left is my drafting table, where all the planning gets done. When planning a painting i work of quick sketches done on location. than rough them out on full size sheets of newsprint. I find this works well.

More chair pics bellow

Hi, Well here are the picks of the front and seat of the muskoka chair I painted for the Quinte Symphony over the winter. With thanks to Maria for taking the pictures.

I will post more pictures of my art in the coming months.

I have started work on the two new works which shell be submitted to the B. Public Library show in June. One is based on urban spaces and the music they create as they are used. the other is framed around journeys, roads we take in life. and where we end up. both will be of a large size.

Front of Chair and Seat

Entry to 2008 BAA Jurried show.

ESCAPE. 2008

This is the watercolor abstract I submited to the BAA Jurried show October 2008
It recived the Murial Andrews award for Design. It is based on the music of Ian Tamblyns Spirit and Light c.d. the music is about the historey of the north shore of Lake Superior.

Painting the muskoka chair

Hi .... well here is a back shot of the chair I painted for the Quinte Symphony. Front shot is coming soon.

My theme for the chair was based on Vivaldis four seasons.

this the back was the fall, colors changing and birds flying south. Watched over by that sentinal of winter.

It is painted in oil over a base of Blue eggshell latex house paint. I enjoyed the project, and while it was chalanging, I would like to do another one next year if asked...

Well what else happened this week?

I took my daughter on a feild trip with the art association to the McMichael Gallery, on thursday. We had a great time and look forward to going back for a longer visit.

Saturday I saw went to a presentation on early canadian art at the library.

well I have posted my first picture. More to come, I just haved to get a friend to come over with there camera to photograph more... really

should invest in a digital camera.

My First post

Well, I finally set up a Blog..... How exciting!!!

Well, where to start???

I am 52 years old, and very much enjoy expressing my self through painting.

I came to art in a long path..... it started in 1980, with a hammer, and lots of nails..and assorted power tools..... and an old house on sullivan st. in toronto..... and a contracting job.....

In the summer of 1988 a good client sat me down with a cappichino on a very hot sunday, on the back deck and asked me some hard questions.... the aswers lead to the heart of downtown and the facalty of architecture at Ryerson. it took six years ( of night school) but in the fall of 1994 at the age of 38
i found myself a full time first year student of architecture. and the adventure began!! I have never worked so hard in my life as i did for the next 5 years.... I loved every minute of it...

and at this point just before I jump ahead to now I just have to say a thanks to a few who helped me make it through Len R. Steve and Naha, Richard L, and Blaine Who never left. Bob G. the man who introduced me to a small paint brush, walked me to the threshold, cracked the door open just enough to show me the light, than steped back, to let me find my own path . More about Bob in latter posts. My brother Mark for his guidence and lastly to my father Keith, for his quiet support.

Zoom to the present ....


I started with Watercolor about 3 years ago, and have started working in oils this past year. Iwork in what I call message abstract, blending images and textures. Things that inspire me are music with a message that comes from the gut , Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon, Eagles and Canadian folk such as Ian Tamblyn. Old buildings, I spent the 1980 s traveling in Europe ( when not renovating old houses in toronto ) how can any one walk in to the Cathedrals look up and think these were built by hand, and not be moved??

my paintings and soon sculpting have to say somthing...quite often the message is very diferent from where i started.....

where and how this blog will develop is a good question... but it will not be limited to just art

more to come ... just remember to stop and listen for nature is talking ... go in peace and goodwill

Norman K.