Breaking Away from Detailed Geometric Paintings

As an artist, I know the value of experimentation. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things can lead to exciting discoveries and breakthroughs in your art. This is why I recently decided to challenge myself by breaking away from my detailed geometric painting style and trying a more loose approach.

My detailed geometric paintings are notoriously time-consuming, with no real shortcuts. In 2018, I reached a new level of detailing with my painting 'Paris at Midnight.' While I was proud of the finished work, I felt that my style was becoming too rigid and wanted to break away from it.

For my latest experiment, a painting of Montreal, I decided to give myself only an hour to see what I could produce if I worked quickly and didn't treat the surface or map too preciously. I tried not to get bogged down in the details and instead focused on the bigger picture - a snowy Montreal. I also used oil pastels for the line work and the colour palette is a pastel nod to the city’s NHL hockey team.

Capital Cities: Nauru

Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, Nauru is a small island country with a population of around 11,000 people. It is the smallest republic in the world and one of the least visited countries, with fewer than 200 tourists annually. Nauru was originally known as "Pleasant Island," but the name was changed in 1968 when the country gained independence from Australia. Despite its name, the island has a troubled history due to its phosphate mining industry, which has had a significant impact on the environment. In fact, the island was once covered in dense vegetation, but most of the trees have been cut down for exporting phosphate.

Nauru National Flag

Despite its small size, Nauru has a few interesting quirks. For instance, it is the only country in the world without an official capital city. It is also home to the highest obesity rate in the world, with over 90% of the population classified as obese. Nauru is located just south of the equator and has a tropical climate. The official language of the country is Nauruan, a distinct Micronesian language, but English is also widely spoken. The currency used in Nauru is the Australian dollar.

New Work: BERMUDA

Bermuda is a group of 181 islands in the North Atlantic and offers several unique geological features. The Bermuda Triangle is an area with unexplained ship and plane disappearances, but its existence is subject to scientific skepticism. The island is also known for its extensive network of submerged caves, some of which are accessible to divers. Crystal Caves, a pair of limestone caves filled with crystal-clear underground pools, stalactites, and stalagmites that have formed over thousands of years, is a popular tourist attraction. The Bermuda Pedestal, a large, flat-topped plateau that rises about 3,000 meters above the surrounding seafloor, is thought to have formed during the Mesozoic Era. Finally, Bermuda's pink-sand beaches are created by tiny red organisms called foraminifera that live in the coral reefs surrounding the islands. These geological and geographic features make Bermuda a unique destination for both tourists and scientists.

Dans l'atelier... Los Angeles

As the Toronto weather gets cooler, I’m dreaming of warmer places. I started on a 4x5ft painting of Los Angeles which features of its amazing and unique neighbourhoods and some of the surrounding cities. IT even include Catalina Island, and essential stop on any visit to the City of Angels.