In need of a Crazy Minute? I am.

So how are you feeling today? Superb? Or just a shade above normal? Perhaps what you need is a crazy minute! 

'Awaiting Crazy Minute', acylic on masonite, 13"x14.5" (including frame)

An aid to getting through the lesser fun parts of life is spending time being silly.

Years ago, I created such a silly break with my youngest sister (who was much younger at the time) called 'crazy minute'. Crazy minute is the last minute of every hour (9:59, 10:59, 11:59, etc...). At every crazy minute, you would do a dance, wave your arms up, do gymnastics, or some enthusiastic variation over the next 60 seconds to recuperate your energy. 

Visually, the panting is made to look tranquil with lighting based on the late afternoon sun beaming in. Typically, it is a lazy time of the day when there's still work to be done and less interesting things seem to happen. Cuckoo clocks are quiet until every minute of the new hour when the silence is abruptly broken. And that is the whole point of crazy minute - it's meant to disrupt stagnancy.

Have tickets to the art fair yet?? If not, click here or the image above to receive a discount on regular admission tickets.  


See you in  just over 2 weeks! Stay creative,

 

-Jono

Huckleberries

Wow! The Artist Project art fair I've been preparing for in Toronto is now less than a month away! I hope you are planning to come. (If you still don't have tickets yet, click the header image above for a discount on regular admission tickets.) 

I want to share another painting I did for the upcoming event with you:

                                           Huckleberries, acrylic on masonite,
                                    8"x10" (image) 13.5"x15.5" (including frame) 

There is a George Carlin routine where he talks about how there is no blue food that isn't naturally occurring. (And YES, he mentions blueberries aren't actually blue. Well, yes & no: they appear blue before consumption, but once you put them in a recipe they turn a distinct purple or a lavender color.) Huckleberry Hound is blue (cyan if you want to be specific), and not actually the same color as huckleberries. I think of blue food as some sort of mythical treat said to exist, but no-one has ever seen or tasted... 

You probably wouldn't have believed me, but the customized ornate frame came after I already completed the painting! 

The frame directly above was the first frame I put it in. I customized it and it did suit the job, but later on I came across the other frame with the berry motif. It was PERFECT - as if it was made for that painting! 

I removed it from the previous frame - after it had already been mounted and everything. I thought it would be cool to show you the difference. Can't wait to show you the painting in person!  

See you next month! Stay creative,

-Jono

Taking responsibility

Here is the final painting of 'Responsibility'. (I finished it up before the end of the year, but had to wait after the holiday to get it scanned.) 

'Responsibility', acrylic on wood panel, 12"x16" (framed)

The subject matter of this painting was inspired by a quote from neurologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Viktor Frankl: 

"Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast." 

Viktor Frankl was also the founder of logotherapy - a theory holding the belief that human nature is motivated by the search for a life purpose. -

The Peter Pan statue in the painting (which mirrors the poise of the Statue of Liberty) holds a story book (instead of a tablet) that reads 'PUER AETERNUS' - Latin for 'Eternal Boy'. This is also a term in psychology to describe an individual (mostly attributed to adult males, but not necessarily gender specific) who has remained socially immature. -

The more we age, the more responsibilities we inherit. When I think about the fictional character, Peter Pan, I see him as synonymous with irresponsibly in his efforts to protest adulthood due to his residence in a fantasy land where he never ages. This disdain would also counter Frankl's logotherapy theory as one can not learn what our purpose is if we do not give ourselves an opportunity to discover what we can become. The spiraling galleon on the right has sailed from Neverland only to go out of control with the crew's inability to navigate in a world with accountability. 

The painting will be for sale next month at Toronto's 2017 The Artist Project art fair. 

Buy tickets to the event here. 

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017! I hope you and your friends had a wonderful holiday.

I've had a very productive year (2016) and have made what I feel are some of my best paintings to date. (All the images above are new paintings that were made this year. Since it's 2016, I thought I'd do a recap of the best 16 images.) While I do receive a lot of enjoyment in creating art, I retain equal enjoyment in seeing the response my work has on others. Making images is a way I've chosen to communicate with individuals and I'm honored that you're one of them. 

I look forward to sharing more new art with you this year and hope you will join me in February for the 2017 The Artist Project in Toronto.

-Jono

The Artist Project 2017 - painting list

Continuing on with The Artist Project 2017 preparation: compiled list of major paintings I want to complete for it. Looking forward to sharing these with you!

If you would like to know more about The Artist Project, art fair in Toronto, you are an artist and would like to apply for the the 2017 event (it is a juried exhibit), there is still time. The deadline is September 15th.

The Artist Project 2017 - the prep begins

I exhibited in The Artist Project in Toronto earlier this year and will be returning for the 2017 art fair showcase - which will be their 10 year anniversary! The event is 6 months away and I'm already gearing up for it. This panel is 12" wide and 48" in length. It will be a panoramic painting I've been plotting for a while. So excited to share it with you! Details to follow...

If you are an artist and would like to apply for the the 2017 event, there is still time. The 
deadline is September 15th. Details here: http://www.theartistproject.com/application-package/

If you are a patron of the arts and would like to know more about the event: http://www.theartistproject.com

eyes of the artist - The first painting HAS BEEN REVEALED!

So cool! The first 'eyes of the artist' HAS BEEN REVEALED!!

The story:

This past weekend at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit, I launched a new series of paintings called 'eyes of the artist'. 4 paintings in the series total, each one named after one of the seasons (winter, spring, summer & fall). Each painting has NEVER been seen by anyone prior to sale other than myself. The collector opens the painting knowing they are receiving an exclusive look at something not previously shared with the world. (Or, they could choose to store the painting and never share it with the world - they get to choose the outcome.) I offer art enthusiasts a rebate if they choose to film their reactions when they open the painting. AND, if that's not enough - I also include an additional surprise included with each painting too... 

You can watch the reaction of the painting "Fall" (the true title of the painting is 'Tongue Twister') above. (the big reveal occurs at 2:05)

Here is an image of what the painting looks like:

'Tongue Twister'

acrylic on wood panel

5"x7"

The paintings were hit at TOAE and I ONLY HAVE ONE LEFT. If you want to join the party, you can claim it here.

THANK YOU, Toronto!

Wow - hard to believe the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is finished already! THANK YOU to everyone who bought artwork, stopped by my booth to say hello and expressed their enthusiasm in my work! THANK YOU to the entire staff at TOAE and the many volunteers who repeatedly offered their help. Thank you to Higgins rentals for the tents.

If there is work you spotted that would be a great fit for your space, and you would like to discuss it with me further, feel free to send me an E-mail ( jono [at]jonodoiron.com ) ‪

Toronto: I'll be back!

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit - LAST DAY!

Dear Toronto,

Today is the LAST DAY of the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit! I am heading back to Montreal tomorrow, so if you've been eyeballing anything in my booth (#119) and want to avoid shipping, I will be serving you today from 10:00-6:00. I look forward to talking with you!

Toronto Outdoor Art Event begins next week!

NEXT WEEK: July 8-10 begins the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition! I will see you soon, Toronto! You can find me at booth #119 in green on the map above. 

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit - resources for collectors and art enthusiasts

Did you know? The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition has some resources in place to assist collectors and art enthusiasts during the exhibit including tours and talks. You can see a listing of what is offered this year here. 

First of the secretive paintings

Finished up the first (of four) of the secretive ‪‎paintings‬ yesterday for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition coming up July 8-10. Here is the ‪palette‬. I thought it would be a fun change to just 'free mix' all the colors, as opposed to making color strings like I normally do for my larger pieces.

"secretive" paintings

I have 4 "secretive" paintings in the works for the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition coming up July 8-10. Here they are gessoed and primed. More details soon...

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit: ONE MONTH AWAY!

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is now ONE MONTH AWAY! (Ah, the pressure is on!) Hope you can make it! You can find me at Booth #119 (high lighted green on the map below.)

*Photo above from 2014 by my friend and artist, Denise Busiman Pilger. She will also be exhibiting in TOAE this year. You can check out her work here.

Nightmare Sauce

My latest painting 'Nightmare Sauce'. It will be available at the upcoming Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition next month July 8-10! You coming? 'Nightmare Sauce'
acrylic on wood panel
12"x12"

new painitng for TOAE - progress

Some progress on a new ‪‎painting‬ I'm working on for the upcoming Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition coming up soon -July 8-10 (just over a month away)!

Drawing for new painting for TOAE

Here is the rough ‪drawing‬ to a new ‪#‎painting‬ I'm working on for the upcoming Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition coming up July 8-10. I haven't decided on a title for the painting yet, I'm open to suggestions if you have any. (The painting is about seeing shapes in spilled ink.)

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition - Artist Directory

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition has now released the list of all the artists involved this year on their website. You can see who else is exhibiting here. (You can find me in booth #119 at the event.) 

Confection - tonal

Here is a tonal study I made for a new painting called 'Confection' I'm working on for the upcoming Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. I completed it with these great water soluble lead pencils that Derwent Pencils makes. (Honestly, I hadn't used them in years - but had a lot of fun with them again.)

Let the primith begin!

I'm choosing to focus on creating some smaller more affordable new works for the upcoming Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2016. Here is a shot of the gesso express. (Gesso = the white liquid used to prime a surface for paint, for those unfamiliar.)