New work in April

I've taken a break from my garden series to create work for a commission and as gifts to mark different events in the lives of friends. While I've used some photo transfer in this work it is mostly straightforward acrylic painting rather than mixed media, which I've used in the last two years.

I was excited to accept this commission from a friend's husband for her birthday. I've made a decision to only accept commissions from people I know personally because I like to have a good sense of the person I am creating work for. Under these conditions I don't find it a stressful venture.

I included several photos that I used to create this paining in an earlier post. I was trying to combine the beach scene and the sunflower together but I could not make it work. In the end I decided to match the heights of each piece so they could be hung side by side. Sadly my technology prowess is still lacking. I could not get these two pieces to look the same height. More tuition needed for sure.

Life continues (2009) acrylic on canvas, 10 x 30 in.

Life continues II (2009) acrylic on paper on board, 10 x 8 in.

The idea for this work was prompted by my friend's (who received the work) story about finding a sunflower growing in the middle of the beach while out for a walk. She is an avid beachcomber but a sunflower in the middle of nowhere was quite intriguing. I was fascinated by this and thought about all the other things I have found on my beach walks. The remnants of life are found on beaches and pairing things as I have done here creates interesting narratives. I loved the old yellow bone handle which reminded me of flatware my grandmother had when I was a child. The ropes and wood reference the seafaring men that dominate the history of Newfoundland. If you look closely you will find other references.