Having moved to the “Big Smoke” (I don’t care if it’s not cool, I like it…) last fall, I found myself in a horrible bind. No proper studio. Space in the city is expensive and to recreate my 400 sq feet for $0 storefront studio or my 500 sq ft for $0 factory studio as I had in Kitchener would be impossible. What was I to do?
I paint oil paintings on both canvas and wood. I also like to paint large. Both of these are impossible to do in a 699 sq ft. apartment with two people and a cat.
So maybe I shouldn’t paint? Nope. I’d die. Dramatic, yes… but true. I’d die a little.
I did what I never wanted to do, but knew I had to do. I changed.
My new medium? Graphite and water colour on paper. Quite the change. Worth it? Hell yes. I have been working and reworking this drawings I’ve created and am loving it. The style is simliar to my old oily style, but it is evolving and changing. Watercolour purists would revolt at my methods (thick layer over thick layer over thick layer, laid out flat and dried fast to encourage cracking). When I have had the chance to paint with oil, I’ve found myself using some of the new techniques and approaches which I use with water colours.
So there it is. Even an oil painting snob such as myself can change. Am I still working towards a real studio? With every chance I get. Will I still do these smaller pieces? I’m kind of hooked now!
Check a few of them out here (click the new works album)
