The past four months have been consumed with finishing two enormous paintings measuring 6 feet by 9 feet for my museum show at the Art Gallery of Windsor. At the same time, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on an eight panel installation measuring 24 feet wide. Needless to say things have been pretty intense and my friends have begun calling me a hermit.

It’ a huge relief to know the largest and most challenging paintings are done. It’s now time to concentrate on finishing a series of 8 paintings measuring 3 feet by 3 feet and a series of 24 small monotypes on paper. There’s still lots to do but at least the pressure in my chest has subsided.

Creating a site-specific solo exhibition has been a major undertaking over the past two years, but it’s finally coming down the home stretch. Things are starting to get exciting.

Lots of you have been asking when and where this show will be. Here’s a screen shot of the Art Gallery of Windsor’s online listing. It’s too tiny to read on this page. Just click here and you’ll be taken to the page where you can view it easily.  Scroll down for the Curator Mandy Salter’s comments explaining what my work is about. The Blue painting is called “Blue Horizon” and measures 4 feet by 4 feet.

There will definitely be an opening reception, so STAY TUNED  for your invitation.

Art Gallery of Windsor

Exactly one month ago I was in Naples, Florida for my Opening Reception at Sweet Gallery. What a great evening. I am very grateful to Dede Sweet and her wonderful staff for making it such an incredible event.

My paintings were hung and lit beautifully. It’s always such a treat to see my “babies” displayed with such care. They never look as good in my studio.

I was especially blown away by the way she hung a 30 piece collection of framed 8″ x 8″ miniatures. People were immediately drawn to this wall to have a closer look. Even the Director of the Naples Museum of Art came and was seriously interested in this installation.

We had a wonderful turnout. Dede had done a great job with promotion. A lot of people I know have homes in the Naples area. In addition to about 100 guests and press, there were about 50 of my own friends, clients, relatives and contacts. I was overwhelmed that some even flew down from Canada for the Opening.

One of my friends who is an amateur photographer took 160 photos throughout the evening. How thoughtful of her to do that for me. It’s such fun to go through them now because the night went by in a blur. Stay tuned because I’ll be posting more of them when my website gets updated.

The past 3 1/2 months have been  incredibly intense and productive in the studio. Long 8 - 12 hour days  have been both exhilarating and draining. As a result I’ve really had no energy left over to attempt blogging.

I’ve been getting a lot of new paintings finished for my museum show this coming December, along with all the canvas stretching and preparing that goes with it. New updates to my website were just added with new paintings and events. I also revised my Artist Statement which tells a little more about where the ideas for my work come from.

And out of the blue, on January 4th, I was invited to have a solo show in Naples, Florida at Sweet Art Gallery. So I’ve been busy packing art and preparing to have it shipped.

This opportunity came about as if by magic really. New Years day, as always, I sat and thought about what I want to accomplish this year. In addition to creating a strong body of work for my museum show at Art Gallery of Windsor in December,  I decided I’d like to research and find a reputable gallery  in Florida to represent me so I could have a winter studio somewhere warm. I’ve always loved the Naples / Fort Meyers area so decided to focus on that.

On January 2nd, my husband was talking to his brother who lives in Orlando. My brother-in-law is in the roofing business and  has never really shown much interest in art. He  “accidentally” discovered on New Years day that his best customer’s wife owns a successful contemporary gallery in Naples. He showed her my website and  she was immediately interested.

Dede Sweet (don’t you just love her name) of the Sweet Art Gallery, phoned the following Monday and after a very comfortable chat she offered me a solo show for a month with the opening March 26th. If you’re anywhere near Naples on that day, be sure to come to the Opening Reception between 6 - 9 pm. More information can be found on my website under Upcoming Events.

How magical is that? My New Year goal - more than accomplished - the very next day !!! I still find it rather hard to believe.

The month of October is galloping to a close already. It’s hard to believe that 2 months from today will be Christmas day !

So much to do and so little time………………..

My show at Artspeak Gallery closed last Sunday. I was quite pleased that both the Windsor Star and Le Rempart (French language) newspapers interviewed me and wrote good reviews. The turnout at the Friday reception was awesome in spite of pouring rain. Over the course of the evening about 150 people came and went and another 100 or so dropped by the next day at my “Artist in Attendance”.

Artspeak Gallery Reception

I think the good press helped create a bit of curious buzz. To my great  delight, 19 encaustics were sold at the show. And one person came to my studio the next day looking for a large canvas for the dining room in the new home she’s building. She fell in love with this 36″ x 60″ Red Colorscape and snapped it up right away.

Red Colorscape ID #C-0906 (36" x 60" copyright 2009)

This past week has gone by in a blur. Monday and Tuesday was spent reorganizing after the show and delivering paintings to clients.

Then Wednesday morning I drove the 300 miles to Toronto for my annual pilgrimage to  the Toronto International Art Fair to overload my senses and eyeballs with world class art, see artist friends, network with dealers and just soak up the excitement.  I was also able to meet with my dealer, Leonardo Gallery in Yorkville to plan what I’ll showing for an upcoming 4-person Winter show there.

Tomorrow morning, it’s back into the studio - energized and eager to tackle new paintings.

A form of painting used in ancient Egyptian tombs has captured the imagination of Windsor artist Shirley Williams.

All of the works in Williams’ exhibit, Intimate Wax, at Artspeak Gallery, 1942 Wyandotte St. E., through Oct. 17 are composed of encaustic wax.

The combination of various waxes and varnish is heated, then allowed to cool to a hard, textured finish. The result is a durable and beautiful work of art that can be touched and even buffed clean with a cotton cloth.

The long-lasting qualities of encaustic, said Williams, are what appealed to the Egyptians when they painted tomb walls. The substance is resistant to heat and cold, and its vivid colours will never fade or peel.

Encaustic is not a new medium to Williams — she has used it for other exhibits in Windsor. But it is rarely used by artists.

“It takes hours to produce the wax,” she said. “And it can be very frustrating to use.”

Williams mixes up batches of the material in the shape of hockey pucks. During the creative process, she melts the pucks on a hot-plate, then applies it to a wood surface.

Wood must be used because the wax would crack on canvas or paper. After she applies the wax, she again heats it with a blow-torch or heat gun to create a bond between the wood and wax.

“Otherwise,” she said, “everything is lost in a puddle of muddy wax.”

Once the bonding is complete, Williams can apply more layers or carve out portions to manipuate the image.

All the material, she said, is archival and impervious to light. Her paintings in other media are on large canvases, but because encaustic starts to dry as soon as it is applied, she had to work on much smaller surfaces.

Williams has been a professional artist in Windsor since 1989, after spending several years as a documentary producer in Toronto. She has exhibited widely, from Toronto to New York and Dallas.

In 2006, Williams was commissioned to paint the cover for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s 2006-07 season program. The large canvas in her Colourscape series was later auctioned off at a WSO fundraiser.

In December 2010, Williams will have a solo show at the Art Gallery of Windsor.

An opening reception for Intimate Wax will be held tonight at Artspeak Gallery, beginning at 7 p.m. Williams will also be on hand at the gallery Saturday, noon-4 p.m. For more information about Williams and the exhibit, call 519-252-6855.

During these unsettling times, it’s challenging to make it through a day without being bombarded with negative, gloomy news. For artists it can be even more challenging.

In talking to other artists and reading Blogs online, I repeatedly hear the anguish and self-doubt. As most people focus on merely coping with their lives, art and culture becomes the first thing to be deemed unnecessary. Many professional artists are faced with few sales plus the added pressure of having the galleries which represent them closing altogether. As a result many artists are so disillusioned they  are giving up completely. Their tender, creative souls have been crushed.

It is very sad to see this happen. Yet at the same time there are also many artists who thankfully see these times as an opportunity for rebirth and renewal. - a time to go into the studio and get back in touch with their innermost creative selves. - to experiment - to question - to seek and to find themselves anew.

That’s how I’ve chosen to approach these times. Yes, I do have doubts at times. That little voice in my head that says “Why bother?”. But then the other voice booms even louder, “Because it’s who you are and it’s your destiny to create art.”

Usually at this point a third voice enters into my thoughts that says, “Show me a sign I’m on the right path.” Here is where it gets kind of weird and wonderful.

Over the 20 years since I made the decision to make art as my full-time career, I’ve had this little exchange with the “Universe” several times. Each time I do, something shifts and the phone rings, or an opportunity walks through my door. I instantly receive a batch of tangible signs in the form of sales or an invitation to show my work. I’m absolutely not making this up.

2 weeks ago, I was at a bit of a low ebb and that inner conversation came up in my head. Boom !!! Within days, I’d sold 2 paintings and been invited to have a 2-person show in late October.

Yesterday, a friend recommended someone to me and he ended up buying a small series of 8″ x 8″ works on paper mounted on wood. Someone else email this morning and they want a painting from my website. It may be coincidence, but to me it’s definitely a sign.

Red Vibe - series 8" x 8" each (16" x 16" overall) (c) 2007

My theory is that it all comes down to faith. We must all have faith in ourselves. And we must all have faith that when we are on the right path, doors will open. We will receive everything we need.

Keep the faith !!

Wow ! I just can’t believe it’s been 6 whole weeks since I’ve blogged. My most humble apologies to all of you who read this. You know how it it is. Life gets busy, and Blogging is one of those things on the to-do list that always seems like it can wait another day.

The past month has been intense in the studio. Yet when I look around, I almost wonder what I’ve accomplished. Most of my time has been spent doing prep work for my museum show next year. It’s involved going through my sketchbooks and doing small 8″ x 8″ color studies for the larger canvases. Now I’m itching to start painting large again.

This past week was quite fun. I had a studio visit by someone referred to me by our local Arts Council. They ended up buying a large 48″ x 48″ canvases called Green Horizon, which I only finished painting a few months ago. I went to the collector’s home to hang it for them and it looks stunning in their family room with the light shining in through the large window. They told me the painting makes them feel very tranquil.

Green Horizon C-0902, 48" x 48" Copyright 2009

On Wednesday I was invited to an awesome luncheon at the beautiful home of one of my collectors. There were only 8 of us which included the Director of a public museum, 2 museum curators of contemporary art, and other museum staff. Before an exquisite catered lunch we were treated to a tour of this collectors’  museum quality print collection of 10 Warhol Soup Cans,  6 Sol LeWitts, 15 Ad Reinhardts, 2 Jasper Johns, a Robert Motherwell, Roy Lichentstein and Jim Dine  to name only a few. Our jaws were nearly on the floor. There were so many beautiful works that it all went by in a blur.

In the midst of that fabulous iconic blue chip art were two of my paintings. As an artist it was a strange experience. Both very humbling and surreal to be hanging with all these legends of modern art.

In Canada they call public museums Galleries for some reason. Perhaps it’s a holdover from the British system, but it does cause confusion at times because commercial spaces are called galleries also.

The exhibition dates for my first solo museum show at the Art Gallery of Windsor have been finalized at last.  December 4, 2010 - Feb 6, 2011

You might think that’s awfully far ahead. Although it may seem that way, believe it or not,  I need to begin preparing now.

The Curator of Contemporary Art,  James Patten has asked me to paint an entirely new body of work for this exhibition. The space is gorgeous but cavernous with several smaller nooks for more intimate work. At about 2000 square feet with ceilings of about 18 feet, it’s daunting task.

The paintings on the top photo, which are not mine by the way, are actually about 10 feet x 12 feet. They’re just swallowed up by the space. For the exhibition to have any impact at all requires massive paintings. Massive paintings require a lot of pre-planning, and major work to create.

Shipping is also a huge issue when you’ve got paintings that large. This week, I’ve been researching specially built stretchers which can be assembled and disassembled easily. I found a quality supplier right in my own Canadian backyard about 200 miles from my studio which supplies artists all over the world, called Upper Canada Stretchers.

This will allow me to remove  finished paintings, roll them, and ship along with the disassemble stretcher. Then the whole thing gets reassembled at the other end. Pure genious !

Last week, an artist friend of mine told me a sad story.
This artist felt very fortunate to have a consistent group of collectors who always bought at her monthly Open Studios. To document her work she was in the habit of simply taking a quick snapshot with her phone. She couldn’t see the point of spending a lot of time taking quality photographs and creating digital images in various formats since she doesn’t submit to galleries or competitions. Snapshots were good enough for her needs.

Well two weeks ago this sad artist realized how wrong she had been.
Late in the afternoon on a Monday she got a call from an interior designer who had an unexpected, important meeting with the owner of a hotel the next morning. He wanted to look at photos of various artists’ work and make his choices before he headed out of town. The art budget was $20,000.

Unfortunately, this artist wasn’t ready. She couldn’t possibly meet the needs and deadline of the designer or the client. She lost out on what would most likely have been a huge sale. She’s been kicking herself ever since.

Artists ! Don’t let this happen to you.  Make sure you’re ready for any unexpected opportunity.

➢    For photographs and print media opportunities, have a color-corrected large digital image in TIFF format ready for every artwork you ever hope to sell.

➢    For email requests and submissions on disc, have each image ready as a small JPG image file.

➢    For online submissions and free promo sites, be sure to compress your images especially for the web, so no one can copy or steal them.

➢    Create a naming / folder / filing system on your computer so you can find any image quickly.

If you’re an artist and are confused about how to create these files, don’t worry, I was too. 7 years ago, I spent a year researching the easiest, least expensive methods of documenting artwork.

Check out my  e-Book for a step-by step guide Stand out in a Crowd with Dazzling Photos.

Yes, I came kicking and screaming. But finally after much gnashing of teeth, I came around to the conclusion that social networking is here to stay, and I’d better jump on this fast moving train.

The minute I made my mind up to give it a serious try, something strange happened. - It started to be fun !!!! Now I’m hooked - meeting and re-connecting with wonderful people online and loving it.

As an artist, my impression of social networking has always been that …………

1. it’s for kids
2. I don’t have time
3. why do I want to know what someone had for dinner
4. serious art doesn’t get sold on social networks

One of the advantages to being a speaker on this year’s SmARTist telesummit, was the opportunity to connect with the other panelists. 2 of them, Mari Smith and Nancy Mamolejo spoke about social networking and totally opened my eyes to the potential.

Through Facebook, after only 2 weeks, I’ve already re-connected to an art dealer who moved out to Vancouver and wants to buy several pieces for clients. I also was put in touch with a friend of a friend who has had her eye on one of my paintings but never knew how to reach me.

In addition to the purely business potential, it’s also a great way to post photos of my paintings for people who’ve never seen them, and to feed my blog to a whole new network of people.

Yes, there is an aspect of Facebook which is frivolous. But what I came to realize is that you can choose how you want to use it - business or purely fun and games.

Personally, I like my fun and games more one on one. So I choose to use it for social / business networking. However you choose to use social networking one thing I will admit. It’s very addictive !!!

Check out my Public Fan Page “Shirley Williams Art - Contemporary Abstract Landscapes” Be sure to register as a Fan for updates and news.