The Paper Caffé

Bold and Beautiful

2012-02-27T15:31:00.004-08:00

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council issued a call for artists for their upcoming exhibition “Bold and Beautiful”. I submitted two of my paintings – Tulips and Prosperity – Prosperity was accepted! Eighteen artists will be featured. Along with me, my studio neighbor and artist friend Anne Gudrun was also accepted.

“This inspiring exhibition celebrates the seasonal rebirth and renewal of spring. Through the powerful use of colour, light and intriguing compositions, eighteen artists revel in the timeless muse of flowers and their sensual beauty through bold and beautiful paintings.”

The Opening Reception is Thursday, March 8^th, from 7-9pm.
Hope to see you there!!! ~ Sharka

Mr. Big ???

2012-02-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

MR. BIG is finally hanging up on my studio wall and he looks like a charmer!!! But now, my husband and I keep thinking, how can a male cow be so big? We think it's a dairy cow and so that would mean female? Then why does Mr. Big have horns???

The word 'cow' specifically refers to one sex-FEMALE. But we often mistakenly use the word cow no matter what the sex, age or breed they are. There's a whole world of 'bovines' I knew nothing about until now!!!

So my next question is; Can female cows have horns? Answers.com states that almost all breeds are born with buds, the ability to grow horns that are almost always removed at a young age. Sometimes farmers allow them to grow horns, depending on what breed they're raising.

To make this long story short, I believe I have painted a female cow with horns and named her MR. BIG but I'm sticking with it because I like the name! ~ Sharka

Valentine Cards for Kids!

2012-01-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

After checking in on one of my favorite blogs, I spent the last few evenings making some {14 in total} Valentine cards for the challenge that Faith is having. On February 10th, all of the cards that have been collected will be donated to a local children's hospital. What a fun, sweet and thoughtful challenge!!!

If you would like to make a Valentine’s card and join in on this challenge visit - www.faithabigaildesigns.com/2012/01/cards-for-kids-valentines-day-blog-hop.html

Also, here's the recipe for this LOVE card... easy and inexpensive to make! - all supplies from Michael's...

Recipe

Cards & Envelopes (12 each) - Studio G

Stickety-Doo-Da - American Greetings

Red/White Twine - Martha Stewart

❤ Sharka ❤

Meet Mr. BIG!

2012-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Here's an update... another look at my work in progress! ~ Sharka

Sneak Peek!

2012-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek of my second goal for 2012 - we're gonna have a BIG cow party at my studio! This is one of four, 36" x 48" canvases I'm working on...

~ Sharka :=)

A New Year means New Goals!

2012-01-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

One day left of leisure and tomorrow I start back to my normal routine… work! I’m excited to get back to the studio and start painting. I find that I am motivated and disciplined if I have a goal to reach and I have two of them to start off the new year in 2012!

The first one – while visiting our cousins this past September, I went and bought two Halloween Haunted House kits for their kids and we had a lot of fun making them the last afternoon before heading home. When finished the youngest, Alexander, asked dad to get the laptop out so he could check out my website and my paintings. He thought it was pretty cool to have an aunt that was a painter.

A few weeks passed and I received an email with some wonderful photos of the boys. When I saw one photo I knew what the next step was… a painting!

Below you will find the process I’ve started and I will keep you posted as to how it goes… The second goal for 2012 is still in the planning stages, I'll let you know what it is and show you more as it comes to fruition! ~ Sharka

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

So this is the last Saturday in 2011! To ring in the New Year, I started making three calendars yet haven’t been able to finish ONE on time… A new calendar would have been the perfect thing to start the New Year with - hope to have them finished by Monday! Attached are some photos of the one I have completed the most. I hope they can give you some creative inspiration!

I’d also like to share this quote I read the other day…

If it didn’t Bring you Joy

Just Leave it Behind.

Let’s Ring in the New Year

With Good Things in Mind.

Let Every Bad Memory Go

That Brought Heartache and Pain.

And Let’s Turn a New Leaf

With the Smell of New Rain.

Let’s Forget Past Mistakes

Making Amends for This Year.

Sending You These Greetings

To Bring you Hope and Cheer

Happy New Year!

~ Sharka

No TV = Things Done!

2011-12-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

I had the Christmas baking itch for a few weeks and hadn’t made anything until... our cable went down, all but one channel was out of commission!! No TV – what was I going to do?!

Cable ended up being off for a week. I was actually happy because along with the baking itch resolved, we also put up the tree, put some of the decorations around the house in place, Christmas cards made and sent, and all my little Christmas packages for friends completed.

I ended up baking four batches of Toffee Shortbread cookies and two batches of Gingerbread ‘Crackle’ cookies. After the cookies were baked I still thought some of the gifts were missing something… hmmm? Kathryn solved that problem… after watching one of her videos, I decided to add some gift wrapped chocolate bars into the mix - wrapped in patterned paper and embellished with a large snowman!

If you still have a to-do list for Christmas, my recommendation at this point is to put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done! ~ Sharka

DIY TP Wreath

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I was totally inspired when I saw Emily's Christmas Wreath made from…. recycled toilet paper rolls!

Yes, you read that right - a Christmas Wreath made from toilet paper rolls! I thought this must be simple and would be the perfect wreath for my door at the studio, so I began collecting all our rolls…Yippee!

You will Need:

recycled toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls…lots of them!
hot glue gun
red craft/acrylic paint
sparkle craft varnish (FolkArt) or Glimmer Mist
wire coat hanger
embellishments for flower centres

The How To:

You will need 1.5 toilet paper rolls for each flower. My wreath has a total of 9 flowers, so 11 rolls were good.
With red acrylic paint, paint all the rolls. I gave my tp rolls 2 coats of paint (allowed the red paint to be solid/opaque). After the paint is dry, brush on some sparkle varnish to give them a ‘sparkle’.
When the tp rolls are completely dry, flatten them and cut into 3/8” rings. You want the rings to be the same depth, so do take the extra time to measure!
Glue 7 rings together to form a flower. Repeat until you have the number of flowers you want for your wreath.
Assemble flowers in a wreath shape and glue together… hot glue gun is great - fast, easy and holds!
Made the wire coat hanger into a circle to the fit the wreath. Attach with hot glue to back of the wreath. The wire gives the wreath some strength while hanging. Without the wire my wreath was changing shape and became a droopy oval.
Embellish and voila, you’re done!

For embellishing I used stuff that I had for awhile in my Christmas supplies – glittered acrylic snowflakes and Sandylion poinsettia stickers. My other idea was to make paper rosettes for the centres. You can use buttons, ribbon, gems, you name it!

Here's to creating great things with friends and family this holiday season! ~ Sharka

Deck the Walls...

2011-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Twenty-two local artists held a holiday Open House at their studio warehouse in North Vancouver this past weekend, Saturday November 26th. The show offered an opportunity to visit artists in their working environment where they create paintings, mixed media, jewelry, sculpture, and more.

There was live music, cookies, hot spiced apple cider, original art and networking on the menu. Have a look at the video... ~ Sharka

Anonymous Art Show

2011-11-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Opening of The Anonymous Art Show. The doors opened at 7:00pm and I was the 25th person waiting in line… This is the third year I’ve participated and by the time I left, one of my paintings had sold, yay!

The show is a group exhibition and a fundraising event that includes paintings by both established and emerging artists. All paintings are 8”x8” on canvas.
The artwork is sold right off the walls - once a painting is sold, the purchaser takes it home with them. Each wall is named after one of Santa’s reindeers and the exhibit runs until Saturday, December 17th.

The paintings are $100 each; 50% goes to the artist and the other 50% to the North Vancouver Arts Council. People do not know who painted each piece as they are only signed on the back. The show allows the community to support local artists and provides you the opportunity to purchase original art work at a great price!

This year, The Anonymous Art Show received over 900 paintings - they have accepted 641 in past years - but because of the number submitted, they allowed room for 732 paintings. I can’t remember how many artists they said participated.

I think since the opening has happened and one of my paintings is off the wall, I can reveal all three pieces I submitted. If you get a chance and live on the North Shore, go and have a look, it’s truly a wonderful venue!!! ~ Sharka

Recycled Christmas Cards & Gift Tags

2011-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Card #1 - used a holly border punch along bottom, then tore along 3 other sides.

Glued to embossed piece of golden cardstock which then was glued to green mat

and all 3 layers glued onto card base.

Card #2 - trimmed father christmas (used card) and glued onto scrap gold

paper (trimmed to size). Using piece of 'scrap' scrapbook paper, glued to red mat and then

attached all to base of card. Added bow for decor.

I know there are people who love to receive greeting cards for special occasions - especially at Christmas time. They're thoughtful, memorable and beautiful - I hold on to them for years and years… But when they start to pile up, it can create a dilemma; what should I do with all these keepsakes?

If you feel like lightening your load of cards, don't send them to the recycling bin right away! There are many ways you can reuse your cards - one is to make easy, beautiful new cards, from pieces of the old ones!

Card #3 - punched circles from a few cards (shimmer/glitter) and created a wreath.

Added a bow and red gems for holly.

Card #4 - glittered ornaments were done using a paper punch. Attached silver twine

and bow. All 4 layers of matting were attached to card base. One of the

white mats was embossed. Added silver Merry Christmas sticker.

You will be able to clear out some clutter, help the environment, and create something new and beautiful - all at the same time! Those who receive your "upcycled" Christmas cards will know that no one else has anything like it!!! :-)

If you’re not crafty and are looking for another option, instead of throwing them away, donate them to a friend, a local school or daycare, or a senior centre. I volunteer my time at a local senior activity centre, and my annual Recycled Christmas Card class (this year on December 5th), is always "sold out"!

Tag #1 - Snowmen with trees were cut to fit tag; added dimension with pop-ups.

Glued to embossed mat and then all was glued to green tag. Used corner punch on

all 4 corners. RIbbons were attached with a fancy stapler/fastener.
Tag #2 - Scallop punched both pattern (from card) and blue bling base. Attached gem to
centre of snowflake and used Stickles to give remainder of snowflake
some shimmer. Punched hole and attached ribbon.
Tag #3 - Trimmed what I wanted from card and matted onto green, then onto golden tag.

Stamped "No Peeking!" and used Stickles to give falling snow and flakes some shimmer.

Punched hole and attached ribbon.

This year create you very own GREEN Christmas cards and tags! ~ Sharka

Life Drawing

2011-11-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would voluntarily join our 'Life Drawing' sessions... well I have and I am now in my third month and pretty happy with the results from this week's session. They are held once a week, on a Tuesday for 3 hours and when I'm done, I am drained and exhausted. You would have thought I had run 5 miles or something!

With drawing there are different tools to try and many kinds of paper. I have tried basic white sketching paper and newsprint, and I noticed that most of the people were using a tannish coloured paper known as Kraft. Kraft is what I'm liking most so I'm sticking with it. For the drawing tools I have now tried pencils in many different grades, graphite sticks and conte in black, white and sepia.

All I can say is I'm going to hang in with the 'Life Drawing' for awhile, and if nothing else it will give me practice, make my sketching/drawing for my paintings a bit easier, and get the right side of my brain working. It's also a fun evening out! ~ Sharka

My Newest Mini-Album

2011-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today I created my first ever video using still pictures of my newest mini-album "Nature".

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

(of the album, not the video... :) )

~Sharka

Paper Birch {betula papyrifera}

2011-10-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

My husband loves Birch Trees. There are many species of Birch Trees, but the one we see here, throughout BC is the Paper Birch, also known as Canoe Birch, Silver Birch or White Birch. 'Papyrifera' means "paper bearing" and refers to the bark.

The Paper Birch grows throughout BC and it typically grows at higher elevations, in floodplains, near avalanche tracks, and in swamps and bogs. It is not usually found on the Gulf Islands or near the ocean.

It's the bark that really gets my attention. It is paper thin, and is white to reddish-brown or copper coloured. It feels smooth, and is characterized by brown horizontal lines. The inner bark is exposed when the bark peels off and the peeled bark gradually turns black.

I painted my first Birch Tree painting above in 2008 - my second painting ever - for my husband. I just completed Birch Tree, number 2 below, a few weeks ago. The paintings are both very different, but the subject matter is obviously the same. My husband asked me if he can trade in the original and take the new one! ~ Sharka

"The birch begins to crack its outer sheath
Of baby green and show the white beneath...." Robert Frost

Hallowe'en in Wonderland

2011-10-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

BC Scrapbooking Crop for Kids just took place this weekend and it was my 4th year as one of the class sponsoring teachers. It was spooktacular to have my Hallowe'en in Wonderland Album class sold out again by Friday night! The pictures included here are from my album.

BC Crop for Kids is an annual charity scrapbooking event benefitting BC Children's Hospital Foundation. Since 2008 it has become BC's most popular educational & inspirational paper crafting weekend. It offers a weekend-long crop with amazing classes designed and taught by talented designers. All of these classes are generously sponsored by local scrapbook retailers and scrapbook manufacturers. Proceeds from the sale of crop seats, class seats and any other products offered benefit BC Children's Hospital Foundation - a great cause to support!

"'I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!'" ~ Alice

~Sharka~

Studio Open House - A Touch of Paris!

2011-10-03T16:18:00.001-07:00

It's a Spotlighting Technique!

2011-09-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Do you want to "shine a spotlight" on part of your stamped image?

Spotlighting Technique is a fun way to use detailed stamps, color part of the image, punch out a portion of the image, and highlight it with glitter. It adds depth to your card or scrapbook page, and it's pretty easy to do. The results are fabulous!

I learned this technique on the weekend from my new Stampin'Up friends Nicole and Jenna.

Step #1 - Stamp your image twice (use black ink).

Step #2 - I coloured in the ears of the dog, nose of both dog and cat, and the ears of the cat on both images. Then I chose two colours (red and green). On the one image I coloured the dog's hat stripes, and the cat's sweater stripes in red. On the second image I coloured the same areas with green.

Step #3 - With 2-Way glue, add glue to the areas you just coloured on both images, and sprinkle them with glitter. I used Glitzy Glitter by Stampendous (Diamond).

Step #4 - Choose one image you want to punch out a part(s) of, this will be used to highlight the other image. I used a Martha Stewart Snowflake punch.

Step #5 - Line up the layered punch out(s) over the main image that wasn't punch, and glue it down.

Step #6 - Finish your card.

The base of this card is 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". I then added a piece of snowflake embossed paper where the snowflakes in view have been glittered. The image was double matted first with green and then red/white scrolls and then I added dimensions for some 3D affect.

Happy Card Making! ~ Sharka

The Wheels on the Bus...

2011-08-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

As we all know "The Wheels on the Bus" is a popular children's song. It is popular on journeys to keep children amused because it has a very repetitive rhythm.

It may seem that summer just arrived, but it will be gone as quickly as it came. I can't believe how short ours was. Labour Day is just around the corner and that means the kids are back to school.

I had all my school photos tucked away in their report card envelopes and created this elementary school years mini album to remember them. This is the perfect time of year to start one yourself. I am showing all the pages I created - all from leftover scraps. Hope this gives you some inspiration!

Make the most of the remaining weeks of sunshine! ~ Sharka

Martha's Got Nothing on Me!

2011-08-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

New Studio!!!... more ROOM! It's been only about a month, but when I open the door (I now have a door that locks with a key) the new place still feels too good to be true!

I am loving the space - it's quite a bit bigger, actually double the size of the last one. There is enough room to paint BIG canvases (yay!), and teach classes. It still faces west so there's great natural light during the day, light walls to better display my paintings, and laminate floors which were bought on craigslist. (recycling is good) I had some great help installing the floor - click'n'lock isn't as easy as you think!

The studio is in a great location, only a few walking blocks away from home! Enough talk, here are some photos:

And I would like say Thank You to my father in-law (you know who you are) for taking and sharing the photos! ~ Sharka

Prosperity

2011-07-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished this painting yesterday and today gave it the name Prosperity! I came up with the name after being told earlier that Peony meant Peace in Chinese. When I got home I went to the computer and searched Peony flower symbolism and this is what I found... "Peony symbolizes bashfulness and compassion. It symbolizes a happy life, happy marriage, good health and prosperity."

Did you know? The Chinese call Peonies the King of Flowers or the Flower Fairy.

The painting is 24"x24", acrylic on canvas. ~ Sharka

2011 Harmony Arts Festival

2011-07-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the Harmony Arts Festival is but a few days away. I will be participating in two events this year; three paintings for sale under the "white tent" as a member with the North Shore Artists' Guild, and in the Studio Tours.

The Studio Tours are a unique opportunity to meet North Shore artists where they work. It gives you the chance to explore the natural landscape of the North Shore while visiting us at your own pace. Many artists from 195 Studios will also take part in this year's festival.

Please come check out my brand new and expanded studio! ~ Sharka

New 160sqft Digs

2011-07-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

First, I want to wish everyone a HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

Today I thought I could post the latest exciting news... my new studio will be ready in a couple of weeks and I am looking forward to moving in! The walls are up with one coat of primer, door is in place, old carpet has been taken away and windows were going in this morning.

As I sat in my "old" studio painting, I could watch the entire process. When I left yesterday, I was so hoping it was finished so I could go in and paint the walls and get it set up this long weekend.

The construction of the new space has created a bit of "musical studios" - Red Door Studios downstairs will be moving next to me upstairs, an artist just a hallway away on the other side will be moving into my "old" space - this making room for two new artists to join 195 Studios. I am excited to have this new space and I will show you all the new and exciting things I have planned, so stay tuned! ~ Sharka

195 Studios - Artists' on Pemberton

2011-06-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Check out the wonderful video created by one of our 195 artists, Sandrine Pelissier.

ART SOLSTICE

2011-06-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of SUMMER! (aka Summer Solstice)

Our next open studios ART SOLSTICE is this Sunday, June 26th, from 11am-5pm.

Discover the energetic group of artists working and exhibiting their vibrant art at 195 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver.

Find paintings, collages and sculptures during your stroll through these welcoming buildings.

Participating artists: Anna du Bois, Michael Gordon, Brenda Henry, Sharka Leigh (that's me!) Sandrine Pelissier, Isabelle Procter, Ricardo Spinacé, and Norm Vipond.

Award Ribbon

2011-06-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

My friend called me up last week to ask if I would help her create something for an event she's doing for work. Today we did that; making paper rosettes and using our own supplies, we created 20 special award ribbons. I think they are pretty cool and I think her work will be wow'd when they see them!

Buying the supplies for 20 of these was quite costly, and we had trouble finding "doggie" paper as these are for a "doggie fundraiser". We went to the ribbon section and found ribbon with paw prints instead - a great alternative. We then picked out papers to match the ribbons.

The cost was $35.00 and when we had all 20 completed this afternoon, we still had plenty of paper and ribbon left over (I guess our math needs some help!). I am now thinking "who's birthday is next" so I can make a birthday version for them!

Paper Collage {aka Butterfly Storm}

2011-06-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

I needed a break from cows and had a vision to try a mixed media or paper collage. I knew I had things tucked away in the closet, collecting dust so I brought them all out - canvas board, decoupage glue, tissue paper, oil pastels, metallic acrylic paint, shimmer/glitter mediums and lots of scraps of patterned scrapbook paper.

The term collage derives from the French "colle" meaning "glue". It is work made from an assemblage of different forms, creating a new whole. A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas.

After checking out my supplies, I decided to use origami paper. As this was something I did not have much of, off to the store I went - turns out it's not cheap! The papers are all so beautiful and the vision I had was coming to life just looking at the paper...

While working on my project, that vision changed a bit but I continued and when finished, I am quite happy with the results!

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” Mary Lou Cook

My Facebook page - www.facebook.com/papercaffe

Name Change & FB Fan Page

2011-05-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone!! Hope you had a good week! Mine has been just a little stressful...but good! The sun has finally showed it's face today. It's been so cold and wet - we are all waiting, patiently for SUN and WARM temps, brrr! I'm so ready for summer... being able to relax and enjoy the outside!

Now.. the latest news is that I had to change my "company name". The new name is... The Paper Caffé. I hope you all like it. :)

The amount of time it takes to get a new name and then to make sure it is available is where the stressful part comes in. We (my hubby and I) started my fan page on Facebook and PaperCapers was already taken - there is already a store with that name. We couldn't come up with an address that would be easy to remember that went with PaperCapers.

Anyway, we like the new name as it fits everything to a "t", or should I say "coffee"! (get it? caffe, latte??) Having my tall, no foam, 1/2 sweet caramel latte at Starbucks was the inspiration for the new name...

This week I also had a card class at the seniors centre. I always prep for 6 and when I called Monday afternoon to check how many signed up, I had 4. No issues because I had prepped enough. Tuesday afternoon I thought I should call back and ask to close off the registration and I then had 7, ah!!! Had to prep a few more kits in a hurry.

My new Facebook Fan page is http://www.facebook.com/papercaffe Please check it out and if you like it, become a fan!

The FB page will be for my paper art only. My blog will continue to be a mix of painting and paper art.

Thanks for stopping by today! ~ Sharka

Paper Rosettes

2011-05-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

Paper rosettes {or Medallions} are the latest right now and after this past weekends crop retreat I've caught the bug! They are cute and fun to make - also, they are pretty easy. I love how I can make such a great embellishment with just paper!

There are three ways to get these:
#1 - purchase rosettes already made and decorated for you with adhesive on the backs.
#2 - make them yourself by cutting strips of paper, punching the long edge on one side, scoring every 1/4", accordian folding, and gluing your ends - finally adding the decor.
#3 - purchasing the "new" Tim Holtz Sizzlet Mini Paper Rosettes Die.

I have seen them in packages and I think they are pretty pricey for what they are. I have made one by cutting a strip of paper and doing all the hard work. But if you are off with your cutting, punching, or gluing ends, you will see the error when complete.

Because I caught the bug, I purchased Tim Holtz's die. The great thing is that it is quick and easy, and they are all coordinated, and the two smaller sizes both come on ONE die - which means less storage and less cost which makes me a happy camper!

There are some great online tutorials about making all kinds of paper rosettes, either using Tim Holtz's die(s), or by hand. Tim Holtz dies work in a Big Shot with the extended cutting pads and platform. I believe they work in the Cuttlebug machine because my friend at the crop was making lots that way all weekend long! lol!

I also love how I get different effects with the rosettes depending on what print/pattern or papers/cardstock I use.

Happy Rosette'ing! ~ Sharka

Busy Spring!

2011-04-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy April so far and we're only in the third week. We still have Easter, which is later than normal, and then I'm off to a "Groovy" weekend crop (scrapbook retreat) with my partner in crime at the end of the month. Then May will be here and the pace will pick-up as I need to paint more paintings for juried events for the summer.

This will all be followed by designing my halloween mini-album for a class I've sponsored at BC Scrapbooking Crop for Kids - an annual charity scrapbooking event benefitting BC Children's Hospital Foundation. And then attending this same event.

I won't get into too much detail with the projects coming up because I will be keeping you all up-to-date! But for this coming weekend, April 16th and April 17th, I am participating in the first ever North Shore Art Crawl, a free weekend event with 40 locations/100 artists in their studios and galleries open for all to explore.

Do you remember my "Picowsso" painting I had on my blog earlier? Well, I entered it for the "Man's Best Friend" exhibition presented by North Vancouver Arts Council and it was accepted, yay!!! This is my first gallery exhibition and if you're unable to join me at the Opening Reception, you can catch the exhbition while it is running... ;-)) Sharka

My Childhood Friend...

2011-04-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

On February 5th we came home from a dinner with friends and the phone rang... it was sad news, my childhood friend Noelle passed away.

She fought some difficult times in the last 8 years, but always had a smile on her face! She loved sports, was no "girly-girl" and had a life long quest for travel and adventure - she experienced more than most can dream. She met life's challenges with determination, dignity and a great sense of humour; we sure had some great laughs, didn't we...

Her "Celebration of Life" is this weekend and I had to do something... Noelle had a passion for gardening and you can tell by her space at a community garden that she had a pretty good "green thumb"? One of her favourite flowers was Snow Peas so I purchased 50 seed packets and attached handmade tags for guests to take home when they leave.

When I was thinking of what to write on the tags I found this quote, "The April birth flower is the sweet pea, which means good-bye or blissful pleasure. The sweet pea also has a hidden message too which is thank you for a lovely time." I didn't use this quote, but did use this little poem, by Friendship's Garden...

"In friendship's fragrant garden

There are flowers of every hue.

Each with it's own fair beauty

And its gift of joy for you."

I know I'll be planting Snow Peas in my garden this year!!! ~ Sharka

Standard #10 Envelope becomes Multi-Pocket Mini Album!

2011-03-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

I caught the latest bug that's been going around so have had a few days to do research on the computer (when we want to search the internet, it's called "research" in our home). I found this wonderful tutorial on YouTube by Laura from Following the Paper Trail on how to make a multi-pocket envelope album. Nice on its own or a few combined to make a mini scrapbook.

The neatest thing... this 4 pocket mini album is made from just one, #10 standard envelope that we all have at home or from the mail we get everyday. It doesn't matter if it has preprinted material on it because it will all be covered with great patterned paper in the end!

After I watched the tutorial I went and tried to make one... I was going to make one for Spring and/or Easter. After it was all put together and embellished, with the papers I used it turned out to be a general theme for any occasion.

The one envelope will give you four different pockets; one on the top, two on the right hand side and the last one in the back. I recommend checking out this tutorial (and her others) for some great mini album ideas and projects.

I hope I feel better soon so I can get back to my normal routine and I hope you all have a wonderful and creative weekend! ~ Sharka

Painter's Block?

2011-03-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say you have all heard of "writer's block" - correct? Right now, because I am a painter, I have to say that I have "painter's block"!

For those painters out there, you know those times when you stare and stare at the canvas and just can't bring yourself to pick up your brush and paint? I don't have trouble at the start of a painting, it's at the point in my style where I have to start adding detail. (see the photo) I get that feeling of... I don't know what to do, or can I do it?

Sometimes there are so many thoughts dancing around in my head that it makes me dizzy! Most often I think it's a little lack of confidence. The painting and I are having a battle of sorts; my brain starts talking to me...go ahead, do your best but it won't be good enough. I wish only the painting was talking to me and not my brain!

I get up, plug the kettle in for a cup of green tea, go back to being comfortable and settle down again to paint. My brain starts talking again, challenging me. Sometimes being somewhat intimidated I decide to go away, clean some of my brushes and change my water. I come back, the tea is now cold... those voices come back... and frustration sets in.

At this point I shut the lights off and go home and tell my husband, "Guess what, I'm at that stage again and don't know how to get over this temporary slump". I then leave the painting for a few days which somehow allows me to overcome the block - at which point I go back and finish it, most often painting and finishing faster.

Do any of you experience "painter's block"? If yes, tell me how you get past it? I think next time I'll try setting the painting aside and starting a new one - until I am ready to go back and finish the first one. Maybe this way I'll even get more paintings finished, faster! ~ Sharka

Can You Guess Which One is Mine?

2011-03-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

When we woke up this past Sunday, I looked outside and this is what we found! We drove slowly and made it to the second day of an acrylic workshop I was taking with Janice Robertson. I haven't taken a painting workshop in some time now and since becoming a member of the North Shore Artists' Guild I have new opportunities to explore - so I signed up for Janice's class. I'm pretty sure that I want to sign-up for next month's class as well - it's a workshop on oil painting.

We arrived Sunday morning, 15 out of 16 made it, and it was "show'n'tell" time for our study/exercise we did Saturday. It was a study in value and placement. We all had the same photo to paint from - can you guess which one is mine?

The snow continued to fall most of the day but it didn't matter - we were inside having fun learning and painting. When I came home after the workshop, this is what greeted us in our front yard! Looks like the nieghbours were having some fun in the snow! ~ Sharka

Picowsso

2011-02-22T17:08:00.001-08:00

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council is seeking artists for a themed exhibition called “Man’s Best Friend” and I think Picowsso fits right in (well, at least I think it does...).

They are looking for "artwork that captures the ideal of peaceful cohabitation amongst creatures and the human species. Through contrasting, positive imagery, this exhibition intends to present humankind living in harmony with creatures that might otherwise be thought of as a threat, a product, an impingement, or seemingly irrelevant to existence."

This is a great idea for a exhibition - anything that promotes better treatment of animals is a good thing! ~ Sharka

My First Story!

2011-02-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I received an email from a friend asking me to share stories, art or anything related to crows. I left the email for a while as I didn't know what to do. But a few weeks later I couldn't sleep one evening so I sat at the computer and wrote a story called Mr. & Mrs.Crow.

Giggling to myself, I was wondering how I could write anything about crows, let alone a little story. But I did and I left it for a few days on the computer desktop. As I walked by a desk in our room (a desk that I walk by many times a day) I finally realized something was meant to be... The family of crows I painted on the desk insert four years ago would go really well with the story that was sitting on the computer desktop ready to be emailed.

Have a read, the desk insert is above and my story is here below...

We get up in the morning, I open the front living room blinds and there are two black crows by one of the original cherry trees (it no longer produces fruit). The tree is here from when there wasn’t anything on this street but a huge piece of land with lots of cherry trees. We were told it was all owned by the Black Family. Mrs. Black, who still lived on the street, in the house her father and uncle built, would always say, please call me Barbara - she wore her name broach everyday.

Barbara passed away a few years ago and her original house on a very large lot was sold. I probably don’t have to tell you what happened… two huge ugly new houses.

It’s eleven years since we moved in and it’s the same thing every morning; I open the blinds, there are two black crows hanging around that cherry tree, and we think of Barbara. We believe it’s one of the last cherry trees still standing from her orchard, so we decided we will not cut it down. I ask my husband, do you think they are still the same two crows I noticed the first day?

When we take Molly (our cocker spaniel) out for her walk or to play ball, she doesn’t even bother with Mr. and Mrs. Crow anymore. And Mr. and Mrs. Crow can’t be bothered by Molly, Kramer (the cat) or us anymore either.

After eleven years in our home, Mr. and Mrs. Crowe have slowly made themselves part of our family! I have learned that crows are partners for life, they always come back to their original (home base) and I think Mr. & Mrs. Crow will be around for a long time…

If you want to join in and write, paint, draw a crow story or just simply want to read and/or see some great art, check out "The Great Crow Party" blog and you can find out more...caw caw! ~ Sharka

Cow Got Your Tongue?

2011-02-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Not sure if you know, but I have always been dabbling in artsy/crafty things and in the last three years I have really enjoyed painting - painting on canvas that is! I started with acrylics and about a year ago tried oil. Whenever I have a slump I always go back to my comfort zone - acrylics!

I went through a butterfly phase, then painted some people, flowers, venice gondola scene (which I hope to experience in real life one of these days) and now - cows. My goal for this year is to paint more cows and when I reach twelve, I would like to make a calendar.

As I've started painting these cows a theme is starting to happen in my studio. The latest addition is a cow pillow - don't get too comfy when you come by for a visit... I finished the painting here a few weeks ago and the name Cow Got Your Tongue was perfect! It's 18x24 acrylic... went back to that comfort zone once again.

I find my cow paintings have been a conversation piece, they talk to me when I paint them and they sure can brighten anyone's day. This is the fifth cow painting that I've done. The other four have sold and #6 is almost finished. I will end here and you'll have to wait to see #6 on another post! :) Sharka

"An heART Affair"

2011-01-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

If you don't have a full agenda for February 12th, take a break and come on down to 195 Studios and check out our "heART Affair". Fourteen great artists showing off their stuff and yes, you can buy some art too! Check the poster for all details needed.

Doodling...

2011-01-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go.... I have been at the studio every day this week and worked really hard the last two days on a painting that is almost finished - I will post it once it's done. All of the artists at 195 Pemberton have been busy getting our studios ready for an upcoming open house and the rest of us are painting to get ready for different shows/openings that are happening around town. 195 Pemberton will be hosting its second public show, February 12th called "The heART Affair" - all the details will be coming soon.

I met with an artist friend and had a great chat about painting. He gave me a fun exercise which I tried, to help find out what my natural painting/drawing stroke is - curves or linear? You let your mind wonder and your hand doodle across the page, your natural rhythm will show. Draw patterns and keep your lines flowing but keep the lines very close together at all times. I giggled when he said, it's better when you have a beer or glass of wine in the other hand!

I turned out to be natural at drawing curves, my husband drew nothing but squares and triangles. Perhaps that says something about our personalities? After this exercise we were in Indigo and bought a book in the "sale" section called Brain Games Dare to Doodle; "This book is filled with simple, fun doodle activities designed with to keep you in mind. No artistic ability is required. So tap into your undiscovered creative side and start doodling!" It's great to sit in front of the TV and let my hands doodle while my mind wanders! The results are quite neat and I have a laugh doing it.

Pre-Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

As 2010 draws to a close, there are 31 hours left for us to close the door on this year and open the door on the New Year. I thought it a good time to celebrate what we want to do more of... for me it's more blogging, concentrating more on my painting and spending more time in my studio.

We got a new camera for Christmas and I took some photos of my studio to share with you. I have been there since June and am happy to finally be able to show some photos. Along with the camera was an iMac and the last few days have been just a little "frustrating" as I'm not doing very well with change...lol!

As I sign off I also wanted to share a December quote, I think it is pretty self-explanatory.

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?

Theodor Geisel

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

As the day draws nearer and we rush to put last minute gifts together, I wanted to take a moment to stop and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I look forward to posting throughout 2011 and showing you some of the paper and painted artwork I create.

With this post I wanted to show a Christmas mini-album I created for this year. I am very happy with the result as it provides a beautiful keepsake album for pictures from this year’s festivities. I held a class on it at this year’s, 3rd annual BC Crops for Kids. Hopefully it will provide you with a few ideas you can incorporate into your own artwork!

Health, wealth and happiness to everyone! ~ Sharka

Have You Ever Had Reindeer Tea?

2010-12-16T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here I am with another post...a few weeks ago we met up with friends for dinner and as we were leaving one said she had frappuccino bottles for me. I then remembered last year I had asked her to save them for me and now she had them, a year later! She had a case of 12 bottles and I left them in the back of my truck for a few weeks until I saw a post on Everyday Cricut about something called "Reindeer Tea"? I searched the internet and found out Reindeer Tea is aka Holiday Spiced Tea. It is a very nice warmer'upper type of beverage. I think it's now a holiday favorite.

I had to clean the bottles and take the labels off. The labels came off no problem, but the sticky glue left behind sure didn't, argh! My DH was kind enough to use all kinds of products to remove it and he finally put them in the dishwasher to make sure they were sterilized. I made tags for the tea, adhered instructions to the backs of them, and decorated the tops. Each bottle given out included one of my handmade Christmas cards. I'm happy that one of the projects on my list is completed, pwef!

For those that want to know, Reindeer Tea is a mix of Orange Tang, Country Time Lemonade, Iced Tea and spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & ginger) added to boiling water. It sounds odd, but it's delicious!

Today's Mail

2010-12-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

After coming home from the studio (195 Pemberton) today, I went for a brisk walk and ended up running a few blocks; which was a good thing! In the kitchen there was an envelope with a friend's Christmas photo card and a few extra photos from this past summer's Harmony Arts Festival Studio Tour that I participated in...here's one of the photos...all of them were Kodak Moments!

These two paintings were my first attempts with oil paint - Smuggler's Cove and Don't Have a Cow. Very happy with the end results.

Bright Lights

2010-12-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone :) This is my first ever blog post. I am excited to let you all know that 195 Studios held our first Open House on November 13th and we made it into the local paper!