NEWSLETTER

I looked back to see when I started this Blog/Newsletter and it was way back in December 2012. I did a lot more posts when I first started my website, not all of which were sent out to my mailing list, but by 2022 I was down to only one post. My goals last year included making Art more of a priority in 2023. Well I am happy to say that I have been successful with this goal as this has been a very good year for my art.

I have participated in seven juried art exhibitions, won two awards, sold a number of paintings, was included as one of the artists in an article on “Finding your own Style” and one of my paintings is the current cover of FCA Fall Edition of Art Avenue. I also collaborated with a company to include one of my abstract paintings on a Scarf (see March 5th post). I did two workshops on “Playing with Abstraction” and was a Juror for 6 different exhibitions at the Federation of Canadian Artists. A good balance of activities that has kept me involved with Art throughout this year.

Looking forward into 2024 my plan is to experiment more. As I may have mentioned previously it is clearer now how important it is to me to try new stuff and essentially to paint for myself. That does not mean disregarding other peoples responses to my paintings but it is important for me to focus on what interests me and to enjoy what I am doing. I also believe this helps me produce some better art. It may seem obvious, but experimenting runs the risk that some painting do not turn out well or a change in style may not be received  enthusiastically by some. I have however accepted that creating some messes and making changes is part of the whole creative process. My confidence has improved over time and really I am just very very grateful that I am still motivated to paint and that I get positive responses to what I am doing. So thank you to everyone who takes the time to give me feedback on my art. 

My 2022 post also mentioned my desire to hear less of the “UN words” such as unprecedented, unsettled etc. It is obvious now that we are living in a time of uncertainty and dealing with some big changes in the world not in keeping with what many of us in the past have considered to be “normal.” In the last several months I have been involved in several conversations about how world events have affected some of us personally and how to deal with the impact on our emotions. I admit to being a a bit of of a “news junkie” but am learning to reduce my daily consumption. Someone sent me the cartoon below and I have already shared it with some people on this art mailing list but have included it here as well because it sort of expresses the dilemma we face.

But —what, you may ask, has the title of this Newsletter …..and a view from my 5th floor balcony …have to do with any of this? I mentioned to the guy in my life it was December and time to put together my “blog” but that I was dissatisfied with that word blog and thought perhaps I would change it to Newsletter. He was not impressed with using News or Newsletter. He felt that something with a little more “Pizzazz” was needed. One of the titles he suggested was the 5th floor balcony phase. Unfortunately I laughed at the suggestion but feeling badly I did agree to consider it. It is unlikely to become my new title but he did “hit” on something as one of the things I really enjoy is sitting on my little balcony and watching my world below. I am across from a school and playground and love to watch the kids and sounds of play as well as the bikes and strollers and all the dogs going by, some being walked and some taking their humans for a walk. I lost my cat Jack earlier this year, but it was favourite morning and evening spot for us to enjoy. So I have included a photo of the View from my 5th floor balcony and one of Jack sprawled out on the bistro table. The counterweight to some of the challenges we face is about the simple pleasures and special moments in life and and being able to laugh with others. So on that note I have also included one of my most recent paintings with the intent that a bit of whimsy may make some of you smile. The cow painting below is titled “U Talking to Me!!”

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024, with many many special moments and lots of laughter in your life!

All the best.  Linda

This is the first invitational show of its kind which will include a Sculpture showcase along with paintings done by 10 FCA signature members. Each FCA signature member will have 6 paintings of various sizes in this exhibition. Below I have include the 6 paintings I have submitted for this show. They range in size from 16" x 16" to 36" x 48"  Check the galleries on my website, lindabell.ca  for information on size, media used and titles of the paintings listed below

The Exhibition will run from May 22nd to June 11th at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island. Please mark it on your calendars and come and visit the show if you can. If you have any interest in the paintings below please contact the FCA directly at sales@artists.ca 

It has been a busy month for me art wise which is a wonderful change from last year.  

Collaboration 

I was contacted by a company called Banu Magnifigue inquiring if I would like to consider collaborating with them to put my art on clothing.. to be honest I  tend to ignore these requests but I looked up information about this company and felt it was a good fit. -- So I am very excited to announce my new collaboration @Banu_Magnifique for 2023 International Women's day: a new Canadian fashion line that works with artists and transforms art into ecofriendly chiffon scarves. With vibrant designs, the goal is to support artists, inspire positivity and improve mental well-being. On top of that, 2% of the proceeds goes to Anxiety Canada.

See more at https://banumagnifique.com/pages/abou-us

To view the scarf made from one of my paintings "The Big Coverup" click on the home page to see all the limited edition scarfs done for this event. Below are some images of my scarf. Please check it out. 

Statement on the International Women's day Collection

About Our International Women’s Day Collection

This International Women's Day holds even greater significance in light of the current global issues impacting women. From the women-led revolution in Iran, to the erosion of reproductive rights in the United States and the restriction of education opportunities for women in Afghanistan, it is clear that the fight for gender equality and women's rights is far from over. To commemorate this important day, we have created a limited edition collection of artwork that reflects the artist's perspective on women in an uplifting and positive manner. The collection is intended to inspire and empower.

New paintings 

As I mentioned I have busy painting again and have added a number of new painting to this website - some new ones to my tabletop series, some new abstracts and a couple of new figures. Today I finished the painting below - took me quite awhile as it is large and I kept changing things up. Let me know what you think. It is called " Red, white or Rose'?

FCA Award

A new Show started at the FCA Gallery last week the "Shape and Form Show" My painting called "Holy Cow!" won First Prize and it apparently sold before the show opened -- Yahoo it can't get better than that! The show will continues to the end of this week.  www.artists.ca

That's it for now - wishing you all a lovely spring.  Thanks Linda

Several of you asked to be notified when my workshop was posted - so here it is for those of you that are interested. 

Here is the link: federationacademy.ca

Click on Courses and Classes, then In Person and scroll down to my Photo to find the course description and other information.... hope to see some of you there! 

It has been over a year now since I sent out an update from my website. It has been on my list of things to do for months now, but for some reason (some of you might relate) I just never got around to it… The end of this year however is close and I have been reflecting on a lot of things recently and given the state of the weather it seems wiser to stay at home and just get some things done. Part of my procrastination is due to the fact that I have done very little painting in 2022. A lot of us have felt the weight of the last few years and I had some additional challenges this year to contend with. Don’t you just love the word “challenges” - it is overused but it does cover a lot of situations. I am not alone in this I know but I was overwhelmed at times and did not have the motivation or capacity to paint.

The good news for me on a personal level is that things are more stable now and I am excited about trying some new things again. I have also moved back into Vancouver and I am delighted everyday to be “back in town”. On another positive note, earlier in the spring I was awarded Senior Signature Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists. I know it sounds corny to say, but I was thrilled when I got the phone call letting me know. I have done a few paintings this fall and am in process with a couple of others (see below). I also recently accepted an invitation to do a spring workshop for the FCA on Abstraction which I am looking forward to. Painting can be hard work and is frustrating at times but art provides a sense of accomplishment and joy in my life and so I intend to make it a priority in 2023.

Speaking of 2023 some of the words I would like to hear less of in the coming year are what I think of as the “UN”words such as UNcertainty, UNprecedented and UNsettled. For many of us much of what we have thought of as normal ( from politics to weather ) has been turned up side down. To think that life will slow down and revert to what “we knew” is naive but my hope is that in the coming year that the degree to which we feel “UNbalanced” by all these events will be less frequent. At the risk of sounding like a pollyanna (or a pageant queen) I am hoping for and wishing for all of us a more peaceful, healthy and joy filled New Year.

Linda

As I sat down to start my biannual blog update, I also had the tv on to watch Dr. Bonnie Henry provide information on the planned roll out of vaccines to children 5  to 11 years old. She started by recognizing the many challenges, in addition to the pandemic, that we in BC have faced over these last 6 months including extreme heat, wild forest fires and most recently floods, mudslides and disruption to our transportation routes and supply chains. I had just been reflecting on my last post in May of this year in which I had stated my hope and wish that when I did this November 2021 blog, things would be more “normalized.” Who knew what was in store for us. We are all now familiar with words we could not have recognized or imagined several years ago, such as Covid 19, Heat Dome, Supply chain Disruption and now Atmospheric rivers. It is becoming hard to know what to say anymore about the difficulties we have all faced, with some people and communities feeling the brunt more than others. The good news is the miracle of the vaccines. I also belief we have been fortunate to have had excellent leadership in this province during these difficult times. I am happy to know that my lovely granddaughter will  receive the protection of the vaccine sometime in the next 2 months.

I am still painting and at this point only submitting work to shows at the FCA (Federation of Canadian Artists).  I have received 3 Honourable Mention Awards this year which is encouraging.  (see 3 images below)

OMG (Is she losing her mind).        Girl on a Swing.                               Feeling at 6's and 7's 

Last week I headed into my studio during a couple of dark and very wet days. I started with messing with a bunch of abstract shapes on canvas. The painting got more and more crazy but flowers seemed to be emerging in all that chaos. It took me a couple of days and a lot of painting over different parts to bring some semblance of order to it.  It is called "Flowers gone Wild" and is 30” x 40”.  The painting is very colourful which is perhaps a reaction to all the darkness outside. 

It is early but I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a good holiday season and best wishes for all of us in 2022.

I was very pleased to find out that my painting "Girl on a Swing" won an Honorable Mention in this International Open Exhibition. It is currently showing at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island. A variety of interesting paintings in this show - definitely worth a visit if you are in the vicinity. 

Linda Bell Website: www.lindabell.ca

The last time I sent out an update from my blog, to those of you on my mailing list, it was November 10, 2020. So many things have happened since then, both on a macro level as well on a more personal level. As I have discussed with my friends it feels like we have all been on a strange and challenging roller coaster ride for the last 14 months.  Spring is here and hope is in the air again.  If I send out another 6 month update in November 2021 my wish for all of us is that things will be somewhat "normalized" by then and that we will again be enjoying some renewed freedoms like connecting more with others and  travelling a bit. 

I am still painting - sort of in "fits and starts".  I am enjoying painting more but continue to find plenty of time to still "goof off".  Despite there being so many challenges in "Covid times" there are some benefits.  So what is happening.now?  I just "cleaned up " and did some minor reorganization of my website, including a new layout. Let me what you think -- the new layout is on "trial" as I am not sure at this point if it is an improvement. 

SOME OF MY RECENT PAINTINGS AND WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM:

On this website of course and in a current online show at the FCA as well as 2 upcoming Events. (Check the EVENTS section for more details)

PRAIRIE GOLD     Mixed Media on Canvas. 36"x48" is currently online (www.artists.ca) till the end of May in the 2021 Calendar show 

IN MY PLAYGROUND.   Mixed Media on Canvas. 30" x 36" has been accepted into the FCA Signature Exhibition. This show starts June 28 and ends July 11th. So if you are planning to be on Granville Island this summer go and take a look at whole show -- only Signature members of the FCA can submit to this show.

GIRL ON A SWING.   Mixed Media on Canvas 36"x36" has been accepted into Painting on the Edge at the FCA. This is an International Open Show that attracts alot of different artists. It also runs this summer in the FCA Gallerry from July 12 to August 1. So if you can, check this one out as well.

Well thats all for now - need to quit messing around on my computer and go paint... I hope you enjoy the "altered "website but I am open to feedback. 

Wishing you all a WONDERFUL SUMMER.

This is a novel written by a friend of mine Katherine Doyle. I was so pleased that she asked me to do the cover for it which depicts her main character Frances. You can now order the book from Amazon. There is a great description of the story on the amazon site - so check it out. I am so impressed and thrilled for Katherine.

My painting "Feeling at 6's and 7's just won an honourable mention award at the Abstracted Show currently on at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island.