After slipping by the show today and seeing what others have submitted I came home to paint. Much needed relaxing moments with my brushes, ink and sipping a cup of Kukicha from Davids Tea. This quick work needs some tea as well, green tea (yellowish hue) and perhaps some matcha (turned into paint. haha). Extremely excited about tomorrows Royal Wedding. I plan on coming home to watch the recap and get some more quick works done. Still have two canvas' waiting to be attacked with my new medium. Till latter, hope you all enjoy the wedding with a cuppa.
Nicholas starts out the evening by introducing early childhood work. Each work contained some sort of monster or chimera. Durring his stay at OCAD He posted stickers around toronto to get his name out visually. Further into His studies after changeing over from sculpture to, drawing and painting He began to see a direction. His goal being to make money off his work as soon as possible. Talking to anyone and whomever he could. Actively looked for submision oportunities, he then got some work in a book. Which then was bouht by a guy in NYC who had connections to a gallery. All this lead to being represented by Le Gallery in Toronto. From haveing His work for free to being sold in a gallery seemed unfair if the same work was sold,again Nicholas looked at his roots and changed directon. Anime being one of the sources with the outlines distinct in his current work. He atempted to recreate a "factory" by only working on the drawings and makeing refrences for an asisstant to use, as they laid down colour which was premixed. Audience member asked about "happy accidents" , Nicholas relplied that almost all of his work consists of accidents. No wasted material, any "accident" becomes part of the work.
Through some events on his trip to Barcelona He found an old taxadermy Museum near his residence. From the visit he began to draw the animals in pen and ink. He was trying to "create eco systems". Grouping creatures wih like habitats together, although all of these are still chimeras.
~Tips for Artists~ 1. Try to have something for everyone even if they can't afford the main works (stickers, books,t-shirts) or cheep peices. If your work can go along side "products".
2.Mailing list. Add everyone. Maybe have a draw for a product, give their e-mail and can send to them.
3. Publications. Magazines,blogs, etc. Helps people to see you work.
4.Promote shows! Put flyers everywhere (Nicholas put hem in art magazines, NOW magazine, and even made posters the size of NOW magazine and replaced each mag in free bins with it).
5.Tatoo image for free of a work. with exchange of a photo of the finished work. Send out high resolution image.
6. Get studio! leave a mess and spread out. 7.Internet. Website and Blog!
8.Work at it. Keep at the work, don't quit! Make a schedule. Be driven to create your work!
Vanessa just sent me the official invitation for the show. As I posted before the show starts tonight and runs till May 21st. I will be at the gallery Tonmorow for the openning from 6-8pm. Hope to see everyone there!
Afternoon tea was first created as a social gathering for Ladies of the English court. Now it is almost non existent except as a kind of performance for those who attend. Mothers take their children for their birthdays and are loud, all to slowly teach them manners. Around when I was 8-10ish area there was a small afternoon tea house down a side street. I remember my mom being very strict on noise level (the shop was always full of older women, we had to make her look good :D )and follow some rules for the table.
Rule 1: No eating with your mouth open (although my brother and I were taught not to do this at all since we could understand what "No" and "Don't do that" meant). Rule2: No elbows on the table ( we were still little so we got away with it a few times) Rule 3: Try everything at least once ( I was very picky as a child, I refused to have cucumber and cream cheese wedges till present day. Though I absolutely loved smoked salmon and cream cheese. Odd isn't it?) Rule 4: If something was too far from reach, ask someone closer to get it for you. (Clotted cream was in the dead center every time, I was quite small for my age and could not reach it) Rule 5: Always say thank you to the server. ( The owner was lovely, always making fresh scones throughout the day) Rule 6: If mom took you to the shop when you are "sick" or after a appointment of some kind, don't interrupt mom while she is talking to the owner (or anyone else) Rule 7: Napkin on your lap as soon as you sit down. Rule 8: Don't play with your food ( I think by going here my brother and I finally took this to heart) Rule 9: Don't talk about inappropriate things at the table (remember age here~) Rule 10: Always ask to be excused when leaving the table.
That little tea shop is long gone, sadly. Though a new one has popped up, Lauriam Tea House. For Mother's Day I am hoping to take my Mom and possibly my Oma for their Afternoon Tea. I am excited to be able to recall the last outing with my Grandmother all those years ago before she passed away. It is certainly a main reason for me adoring tea so much.
The Next Big Thing Exhibition and Student Art Sale April 27 to May 21 Reception: Thursday, April 28, 6 to 8 p.m.
The Next Big Thing, sponsored by Aboveground Art Supplies and presented by the OCAD University Student Gallery, matches collectors, new and old, with the hottest emerging artists and designers. This exhibition and sale is located right around the corner from OCAD U’s main building on McCaul Street, at 285 Dundas Street West.
OCAD Student Gallery 285 Dundas Street West, Toronto 416-977-6000, Ext. 262 | www.ocad.ca/studentgallery Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 6 p.m.
As a way of celebrateing my 24th birthday I posted some old works from around 2005-2008 area. Alot of work happened, anyhow instead of posting them on here. I ended up posting them for everyone on Facebook. The link is on the sidebar incase you missed it. I try to update here and there regularly. Anyhow I have to prep for work as I open (which means I get to paint more after work (yey!). Things have been great so far this new year for me. Look back soon for a show that is on latter this month, just trying to get things done. It will be at the same gallery and run for a month right through the OCAD U Graduate show that is in May. So take a look at my facebook page to keep up with me. More latter this week. Ta ta for now .
EYE WEEKLY
In the current issue of Eye Weekly they have covered the very evident tea renaissance of Toronto.
Took them long enough to notice the large amount of shops that opened over the last year. They stated that every 6 weeks a new one opened over last summer. One of those being Majesteas just south of my Riverdale home.
Their focus was mostly on Davids Tea, leaving out Tsaa and barely mentioning others (Majesteas, Tao Tea Leaf, House of Tea, Tea Emporium etc). I can understand the focus since Teaopia (My work) has been hidden along the Path inside the Scotia Plaza for 3 years now. The path is difficult to navigate when you are not used to the signs or maps. Only a short mention about David Bellisario, who owns Teaopia, in a single paragraph about his start in Mississauga.
It is nice to start with Davids (Segal)since it was on Queen Street they made their debut, but my location has been in Toronto for a much longer time. I wish the writer had thrown together a small list of the shops and gave reviews of them, as there is little to be seen on the Best of Toronto web page for Tea.
In all, the article was information on the background of Teaopia as well as other tea houses. Especially their starting point as I wish to own a small shop that will be inside my gallery in the future. Or perhaps even talk to either David about having a mini shop with in it (Or any of my new tea friends, any takers?). The options are there, only the future can tell. My question for you is what will happen to all the coffee shops with the tea-boom in this generation?
** Update: Also Teaopia is an older company. Having started in 2005 while Davids started in 2008, from what I have been told. How will this turn around will the T-Cafe's Teaopia is opening? So far it is a hit, I have had majority of the regulars come in talking about the service being amazing. (13/10/2011)
