How do I raise the level of my art if I don’t know the height of the bar? This year I am making a conscious effort to update my art education by means other than just touring virtual art galleries. So….

… on Tuesday I paddled on over to the Art Gallery of Mississauga (AGM) to check out Highlights, a new, free art lecture series held the last Tuesday of each month. This month‘s Highlights was a guided tour of “Sally Thurlow: Canoe Dreamings “ (on until July 15^th). For info, click http://www5.mississauga.ca/agm/Exhibitions/Exhibitions.htm

If you are new to art, particularly sculpture, and normally only appreciate something more traditional, this is good show for you to test the waters of the contemporary art scene. Striking in scale, form, and vision, these sculptures can be admired solely on the artist’s technical ability alone. Like sewing? You will gasp at the fabric canoe. Been in a row boat? Wait ‘til you see the paper one. And I bet you never would dream of a shredded tire as a Viking boat.

Now, look a little closer. You will discover layers of thoughtful symbolism on femininity, feminism, culturalism, suburban sprawl, native history, Canada, and more .

This show is a prime example of why one must take a break and see art for real. Although this show made me salivate over how beautifully it would photograph, it’s beauty can never properly be appreciated on the 2D computer screen. This is a show that makes use of the natural light and shape of the gallery it is in. This is a show that needs to be seen big! In fact, this is a show that must change with every gallery it visits. In the AGM it was still, and dreamy. Lower the ceiling height, darken the wall colour, take away the natural lighting or change the room shape and the mood of the show must alter. It is an installation in flux.

L-o-o-o-ng ago, in the galleries I visited in Europe, students would be drawing or painting works by the grand masters before them. It would be magnificent to see what art could be inspired by the images in this show.

After the tour & talk, I made my own origami canoe under the tutelage of artist & teacher, Joe of the Gallery. Childish? Not at all. The careful, precise hands on creation of our own little paper canoes, drove home how much care must have gone into the precise, large, beautiful sculpture by Ms. Thurlow. No wonder it took 7 years to complete the 12 pieces of this series.

Epilogue: “Always paddle your own canoe“…the sage advice written in my autograph book when I was 9, by my hardworking, homesteading, World War I Grandmother. Well, I’m trying.

I’d love to hear your comments on anything art related-What art education venues are in your area?What shows have you gone to recently that you thought eye opening? Do you know of a show that you think would appeal to the elite art eye as well as the one new to looking at art ?Do you think it even matters as an artist to have knowledge of other art?

A very long time ago, as part of an OCAD class with the terrific teacher Chin Kok Tan, I was painting on location at Toronto’s Central Island Marina. I sat alone on my little stool (picture one of those little blue and white striped Canadian Tire folding ones) painting a watercolour of a sail boat in dry dock, the CN Tower & Toronto skyline in the background.

Three men came up from behind, and one of them politely complimented me on the painting and asked its cost. As I replied “$50” , I twisted around to look up the man asking. His fair hair was backlit by the bright sun, and I could not see his face.

Meanwhile, another of the three, yakked loudly and addressed me as “sweetheart”. He made me uncomfortable, and so I dismissively ascertained all three to be “jocks”, and I was an artiste (even though I was a runner, skier & generally liked physical activity).

The polite, potential customer, continued to compliment my painting, and pulled about $30 from his pockets, stating that was all the cash he had on him. I held firm to my price due my irritation and judgement of the louder man.

The three went off, the polite, potential buyer thanking me, even though he was empty handed.
A while later the three returned. Groan. They had searched for more money (at a nearby boat?) and had come up with $38. “You don’t even have to finish it” they laughed. I proudly held my ground. It was $50 or no sale.

The three men departed, and then, when about 50 feet away, the gentleman who wanted to buy the painting, ran back to me, put his hand on my shoulder, said “Keep up the good work, dear” , and then rejoined his friends.

Immediately, I was swarmed by my classmates who had watched from afar. “What did he say ? What did he want? “

I looked at them. I hadn’t a clue what they were referring to, although by now you may have guessed.

Yes, I had turned down selling my painting to Wayne Gretzky .
Well. Lessons learned.

• Snobbery does not equal professionalism.
• Always look a customer in the face.
• Treat every one with respect. Do not prejudge. Look after your customer. Appreciate when someone has actually taken their time to stop, look, and compliment.
• Be fair to your clients by being consistent in your prices, but sometimes, it pays to compromise. At the time I could have used that $38, although I have had more than $50 in fun in recounting this story.
• paint on location with a buddy (maybe a partner might have been more observant than I)

Epilogue: A year later I sold the painting at an outdoor art show at Corbyville, Ontario. By that time I had paid for a matte and shrink wrapped it. After the woman bought it I told her the Wayne Gretzky story. She was delighted as the painting was bought as a present for her husband and he was a huge Gretzky fan. Oh… and the price the watercolour sold for? $25!
And with the wisdom of age and hindsight (there’s that word sight again) , I mean, how cute were these guys going back to search for change to try to get the $50? What was I thinking?

At a show opening in which I had some work , I couldn’t help but notice two very nice women seemed very interested in one of my paintings. They looked at it for quite a while, singing its praises. It seemed a sale was about to occur! However, suddenly, they exited the gallery.

To my pleasant surprise, a couple of hours later, they reappeared in the gallery and one of the women bought the work. In the time that had elapsed, they had sat in a local eatery figuring out how to justify this purchase (a medium sized painting just under $1000) to friends.

I understood completely. For most people I know, the purchase of original art is low on the priority list. In fact, it may be non existent. There is a practical side to buying the new couch, rug or TV. That extra $1000 dollars is needed for the kids’ hockey season, or the family vacation. To many 2D art is perceived as solely a decoration for the wall. Won’t anything do?

I believe the woman who bought my painting had an aha! moment. The painting was more than decoration. It stirred strong memories and inspired dialogue. She experienced the art. The scene and the mood of the painting reminded her so much of where she had come from, she bravely made that step over the line from “visitor” to “collector”. I very much appreciate that big step.

Here are a few other points to ponder. I would love to hear from you on these or any other art related subjects-

• Although amongst the most educated group in Canada, artists are amongst the poorest.
• Looking at a landscape painting can help with SAD.
• When artists move into poorer urban communities, those areas often transform.
• Almost everything man-made has involved an artist at some-point.
• No other group is so open for criticism
• It is an art form usually viewed for free with no enumeration going to the artist
• Most galleries take 40-50% commission
• Artists must pay for expensive supplies, memberships, insurance, rent, self-promotion (business cards, websites, mailings- just to start)
• Artists are life long learners