Yonge-Dundas Square: Monthly Digital Art Exhibit

One of my pieces from thesis will be on display at Yonge-Dundas Square for the entire month of August on the three digital screens, rotating about every 5 minutes between ads and other artists' work. If you're ever in the area, please look up! 

Lots of people have asked me whether this was something I applied for. Actually, I was communicated through email from those who are in charge of sourcing art for this monthly exhibit. Signed some paper work and we were good to go! I can only imagine that this was found from Grad-ex, the other artists who are being shown for August with me were actually in the same room as me for the OCAD Grad-ex show!

On another note, I've been balancing my personal life and finding a part time job to fund my future endeavours and lifestyle of going out! I'm currently trying to make more prints and sticker packs I have in mind, but I am also looking into making more resin pins. I'm also looking into manufacturers for nice enamel pins... if anyone reading this knows, spread some knowledge this way! 

The Rosedale Art Fair

It has been a while since I've last made a post and in that time a lot has happened which I hope to cover in the following weeks ahead. I still have yet to make some travel related posts about places I've been to (Philippines, New York, Elora-Ontario). But right now I'll cover something that happened just a few days of getting back from the Philippines (straight to work instead of rest!) and that was The Rosedale Art Fair.

The official graphic used on signage/posters.

Firstly, The Rosedale Art Fair is an annual weekend long event that took place at Scrivener Square  with big tents to showcase artists who applied and got accepted to show. There were also artists chosen through OCADU to show work in collaboration with local Rosedale-area businesses. I was paired with a flower shop called Thriving Metropolis Flowers, who were very kind and accommodating to me.

THE MAKING OF:

In the Philippines I was contacted by a friend of friends (but I would like to say we're friends now) who happened to be curating/organizing the event, Courtney Gillatly. With my struggle to find wi-fi, I saw the message request much much later after she had sent it. I told her I was interested, though thinking it was too late, but luckily there was one more spot left. I managed to land a spot, but knew that I had to start grinding some new stuff as soon as I landed back to Toronto for this event the following weekend.

Because this was a flower shop, I knew I could have fun drawing foliage and plants alongside my usual girls in fun outfits.

I had work from my thesis show and previous prints to use but I didn't know what to expect from this venue or event at all! Especially before having an in-person conversation with Ingrid (owner of Thriving Metropolis) and Courtney for the first time at the shop. I knew I wanted to make more paintings on display so I bought some wood panels as soon as I could and scheduled a work day with my friends who were also showcasing.

I saw this long wood panel that was 12x24 that could make for an interesting painting. Though I didn't know what to do with it when buying it. It's the biggest of them.

I'm always amazed at what I can push out at the hands of a crunch time deadline. I ended up creating four new paintings (though I planned to do six) in a very short time. Though I like them, I wished I could have made them in a more leisurely way. At least looking at them now, I can go back and spend more time on some areas that I know in my heart can be better--despite others telling me it's good enough.

THE SET UP:

Setting up at the shop took no longer than thirty minutes, which is a very short time compared to other set ups for other things, which usually took hours. Ingrid was very helpful and I suppose, as a florist, had a good handle on how colours and shape work in a space. We put some paintings out in the window and some prints sitting on the shelves. And with the space itself, covered in green foliage, it made my work look cooler than it probably was.

THE ART FAIR:

I was fortunate to be at shop where I didn't feel constrained to my little booth and could go out and see my friends /how they were doing. I do wish I stayed in the shop longer and interacted with others more, that's something I need to practice and hone with time. The area is outside of my friends and I's usual demographic which proved challenging in finding footing of things to talk about/make any sort of sale--but everything is valuable experience. If it is anything, it's first hand experience. Here are more photos of the final weekend display. 

One of the shop's regular customer even got me a coffee, so kind!

Thanks for sticking this far! Until next time...

103B: A Year In Review, A Group Show!

I've been gone a very long time being wrapped up in the final moments of my thesis and final year at OCAD with Grad-ex and in no time at all embarking on a month long family vacation to the Philippines! Ideally I would have wanted to blog in my downtime but it turns out there isn't a lot of down time and there isn't a lot of wifi here!

Currently still in the city of Manila, I'm typing away about a group show my friends and I (me,barely, because I am here so bless them) put on together almost a week ago in Toronto. It's sort of a behind-the-scenes or accompany show to our Grad-ex at OCAD, but this was coordinated without our school affiliation. The opening night took at 26 Augusta ave (home of 156 Studio Project Space) on May 22nd at 7pm. It consists of: Aliya Ghare, Caerina Abrenica, Elise Conlin, Janine Kwok, Jinke Wang, Molly Graham, Rohan Adel, Sabrina Tu, Shevon Lewis and myself!

We first got ear of a the space through a friend-of-a-friend type of connection and occurrence. As soon as things were tangible the gallery show started to manifest at the contribution and efforts of Wandy Cheng and Sabrina Tu (who are both dear to my heart!!). We thought it would be fun to do a following show, especially since thesis was so much work besides the final that people only get to usually see, and circled around a workspace and build-up. For someone who had to prepare for the show (bless Wandy for printing out my material I sent over from overseas) abroad, a show consisting of work we already have made it more fun and focus on how to make it homey and fun.
But that being said, the challenge for me was that llots of the things I wanted to show were in my little nook in Toronto. And I was always nervous that I wouldn't have wifi to send things over unless I booked it somewhere somehow from the province/rural area of the Philippines I was staying at during the time of show prep. While I couldn't be more hands-on or more in depth as I wanted to be, I think it worked out alright.

photo by Wandy Cheng

A big shout out again to Wandy and Sabrina, powerhouse queens of getting things done. Also thanks to "Mike" of 156 Studio Projects for the space. Valerie Poon took photos and the credit for them are all hers--her work can be found here. I'm looking forward to putting on more shows in general with amazing people!

I'm there in spirit, I hope someone photoshops me in or something