After a few mishaps, a couple panic attacks and a blister, I believe that I’m now ready to announce my exciting news! Starting June 6th, the talented Cameron Tiede and myself are having a duo show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in LA!

Click here to see all the pieces.

“Heart Strings”
10 x 13″
Egg Tempera / Oil on Hardboard

“Bone Orchard”

Exploring the underpinnings, bumps, and anomalies in all manner of historical arcana, Bonni Reid’s subject matter reflects a dark underlying mythos that belies the innocence, wonder, and imagination of a hazy past. Reid combines these elements in a clear, graphic, almost deadpan style, using her own hand-made ingredients mixed from gesso, egg tempera, shellac flakes and oil paint glazing for finish.

“Trees like bones, skulls like fruit, organs like flowers, branches like veins - where live things die and dead things grow. A place that while very real in what it describes, can only be an impossibility when taken literally by its fanciful phraseology. This seemed to be the very place where my images bore their own fruit, further connotating this strange nowhere-land where the similarities of design in nature, resemblance between all organic things, whether anatomical, botanical, or even zoological, come together. “Somehow in this bone orchard everything is both mortal and immortal, yet all the same thing. And within these similarities lie questions, puzzles, possibilities that form playful nightmares, tricks of the eye - a natural surreality. Yet at the same time it convinces me that there can be no deceitful juxtaposition of imagery in this place and that the surreal is everywhere and all around. Because, really - that’s life.”

I often wonder how places like My Space are able to control and censor everything that’s posted and never in a hundred years did I expect that I’d have something removed due to content, but here am writing in defense of myself.

Was it because Anais Nin did wrote erotica? Seems unlikely. I did cover her nipples with pasties in this original painting of her so I’m not sure why it was removed. I was also warned that I might be removed from My Space if I continue posting “nude/sexually explicit, violent” images, but I didn’t think I was doing so to begin with. I’m confused.

How I came upon this ad, I’m not sure -it was one of those”googling one thing and came across another” situations I guess. The site I found it on is called Modern Mechanix and it’s filled to the rim with old magazine clippings  of weird ads, crazy contraptions and all sorts of stuff to do with how our past perceived the future.

On a brighter note (and I’ll skip the frustrations that came with it this time), I finished and sent off this piece for a show that I’ve been asked to participate in. Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in collaboration with DvA Gallery is having a Group Show which I’ll also be attending in Chicago.

What makes this trip all the more fabulous is that I’ll finally get to meet my new nephew Jack! If it weren’t for him I’d probably would have skipped going altogether given my current situation which includes a hell of a lot of painting, but there’s no way I could pass up on meeting him!

This is the piece that I’ve put in for the show.

“The Chinese Emporium”
18 x 22″ (Framed)
Egg Tempera & Oil on panel

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right? I can’t say that the first option hasn’t sounded appealing lately, and yet I’m still sort of hoping for the second. Neither has happened, so I guess I’ll just keep plugging along.

First off, besides being over taxed (literally as well as figuratively), the server I’m using has been screwed up and running super slow so I stopped using it for awhile. Really, the timing couldn’t be worse, I’d applied for a few things, including a grant, and for all I know, no one could look at either this blog or my portfolio without waiting forever like I had to. Work has also kicked in full gear and not only am I colour designing, but attempting to act as some sort of production co-ordinator. Let’s just say that it’s a lot for one person to handle.

Even the good stuff has had some major obstacles, although I’m extremely happy to have such opportunities. For instance, I’ve been trying to get together a number of paintings done for a duo show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery that’s in June. I’m really excited about it, but right off there’s been “issues”, and this is besides the time constraints. I decided that I would continue to use egg tempera on the most part which means that traditional gesso as a ground is a must. Well, instead of using MDF as a support, I went and bought more expensive birch plywood. I soaked, then heated up the gesso as required, coated 20 panels with about 6 to 8 coats, and then sanded them to a smooth eggshell-like finish. It took quite awhile to do, but damn, they looked good, or so I thought.

Little did I know that birch plywood is a bad choice for supports, at least for tempera, because the stuff cracks! So then I bought MDO because that is one of the best supports you can use but it turned out to be too thick for most of the frames I have. I’ve ended up using MDF again.

Then I noticed that my pigment supply was dwindling down and decided that I would get something called “dispertions” because then I don’t have to do any grinding, and can just add the egg medium directly. There isn’t really anywhere to buy them in Canada, so I ordered $200 worth from NY, and thinking that I could save a few buck’s with shipping, had them sent to my brother, assuming he could send them from Chicago a little cheaper. Well, not only was it more expensive to send, but the package was sent back from the border because it was considered hazardous. They’re basically watercolour paint! Now I’m feeling pretty much stuck, frustrated, and very tired. I also got a bit of other bad news, but I’m not going into that -blah!

In retrospect maybe it’s good that I haven’t been posting lately…

It’s that time of year again for La Luz de Jesus Gallery to have their annual Everything But The Kitschen Sync show. This year I submitted three and one was accepted while the other two will be in a duo show I’m scheduled for there in June (more details later).

“The Fortune Maker”
8.5 x 12″
Egg Tempera / Oil

Dabbled hosted a very fun Valentines day contest and here are the results: Black Heart Anti Valentines Day Contest Roundup!

My “Heart Felt” Pillow (shown below) received an honourable mention!

“Heart Felt” Pillow
10 x 15″ Embroidered Velvet
Looks Could Kill Gallery Feb.2 - 29

Over Xmas I did this C. Coles Pillips inspired piece for
“Monster Beach Party” Group Show

“Frankie & Annette”
16 x 16″
Casein on Fabric

I came across what looks to be my dream home while searching the net for interesting abandoned places. I know it seems a little extreme in size and condition, but for me, it’s what dreams are made of - Victorian, lot’s of trees, on the East Coast, waterfront and plenty of land! I could weep just looking at the place and the fact that it’s abandoned is the topping on the cake! To think that it’s only $495, 000 -anyone wanna go for it?

For more images and info, check here. 

Obviously, I seem to have managed getting this thing up and running again -yeah?