Ink and Tea

Recently I have been playing with my two favorite things: Ink and Tea. So far I have been just been experimenting but I soon wish to utilize this in a final piece.

In addition I have been trying out different surfaces of which these two can be placed on. Canvas, paper, and cotton fabric. Are so far the ones I have played with.

In addition I hope to make notes here on the different tones each kind of tea creates as well as document my other art or rather art form through Gung Fu Cha (the way of tea or Cha Xi).

I actually picked up a new tea pot resembling an Yixing pot but made out of glass. I am about to enjoy another session of tea before heading out to see friends this evening. I will post more once once I begin my list of tones/colours that the teas I have create.

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Grad Exhibition- Saturday

So this is where I have ended up. Cards are up, the works look great (although I'm wondering If I should have had matted them) and the show is coming to an end tomorrow. On the side I have continued to work on this series in my own studio. Experimenting with application and letting the ink be ink, not controllable pigment. I am hoping to put together a proper website soon and have it launched before September.
If you happen to come here after seeing the Graduate Show, I thank you for taking the time to see everyone's work and to visit this page. If you would like to see more of my work I can show you my portfolio in person or online. Ink is my current obsession but I also work in Acrylic, Oil , Graphite, Watercolour and Charcoal.
Please excuse the warning which came up before reaching this page, it is for you that I have decided to place the warning as my work tends to dip into the explicit at times.
If you have any questions I can be reached at bellmanart@gmail.com at any time. And I will be around on Sunday to answer any questions in person. Again thank you.

Pieces shown:
"Spot" 2010
Ink on paper. 18" x 18"

"Hold" 2010
Ink on paper, 18"x 18"

"Hug" 2010
Ink on paper, 18" x 18"

"Choo" 2010
Ink on paper, 18" x 18"

"Nervous" 2010
Ink on paper, 18" x 18"

"Mine" 2010
Ink on paper, 18" x 18"

"Held" 2010
Ink on paper, 18" x 18"

Grad Exhibition- Opening night

Opening night went quite well. The school was packed,I'm pretty sure we were over capacity in the Great hall. The 4th floor was well organized and professionally presented. It was great to see what everyone else had submitted to the show.
There are still 3 more days of the Exhibition, information can be found on the OCAD website.
Now finally I have time to come up with a body of work I am proud to use for my portfolio to get into Grad School @_@ On the side I also hope to start writing art reviews and post them on my city art blog (which posts to my Twitter Account on the side bar).
http://cheshire-nest.tumblr.com

Time to eat and find myself a job >.< Going to finish a painting tonight as well <3

End of a good thing

The year is officially over. Everyone has begun to clean out their spaces at 205 Richmond. It is looking quite empty. I need to look at times for when to move my work to the main building but that can wait till tonight.
The grad show is just around the corner and will push everyone to work hard again. Personally I still have to make my cards >.< oh well.
I'm off , going back to Toronto for work. Came home for a bit to relax. Going to read Journey to the West on the way. I will put up images latter tonight of work I have done.

Thesis exerp - Past Work

Past work
I received a quote from Cathy Daley attached to an assignment on child hood memories, “We are all rooted in our childhood” from Ida Appleboorg, perhaps this is what fueled my work. My ink work began in her class Representation from Memory and Desire (third year), each assignment consisted of a series which tended to be more than 5. All my work from that class related to a childhood memory, but my final series on fear relates to it most. My fear of carrying a child to term and delivering, something my mother will not be told till after I have my first child. Twenty ink drawings 9.5 by 10.5 rice paper I had purchased at The Paper Place to experiment with the summer before.
The year (second year) before that I had taken Chinkok Tan’s watercolour class, where he taught us to work without prior drawing before putting paint on the surface. I tend to switch between drawing before and direct painting since this class. It also fueled my admiration for Chinese brushes. Not only were they more than affordable but their ability to hold the ink was much better than the acrylic brushes I had before then. I have acquired squirrel hair brushes since then but I still find myself going back to these goat hair brushes you can get as cheap as a dollar.

Thesis e=Exerp- Day in the life of a girl

Day in the life of a girl

Men stare and lick their lips in anticipation. As if tasting the air will give them a taste of the woman in their sight as they pass by her. She sits alone contemplating her own existence slowly becoming disgusted by the constant looks from them. A feeling of dirt latches upon her skin, as each one attempts to look past her dark glasses to possibly see what kind of creature lies behind them. Each one of them look at her then when her gaze meets theirs they look away or (as she dreads) stare even more hungrily.

Is it how she is dressed that day in particular that attracts these looks? Hair tied up at the back of her head with a clip. Lips and cheeks pink from applying a touch of make-up that morning, to hide the acne which lingers. Tight jeans cling to her body, hiding the signs of cellulite. A thick coat wrapped tight around her petite fills out her tiny waist and bust. Knee high boots disguise aching feet from her afternoon walk in two inch heels. Her stomach grumbles angrily as she has yet to eat that day, a reminder of a hidden bloated belly.

Sipping her Starbucks she notices that women as well are looking at her. Looks of jealousy, appreciation, hate, and admiration- These women do not want her as these men do. They see and understand the looks she receives, they want them in return or have experienced them and offer sympathy to her. We all have our silent screams we want the world to hear, but keep them to our selves.

Inspiration- HIV Advertisements

So I finally found the advertisements that I mentioned before. There is one more but I did not like it as a reference as the models are on a couch laying down with less arms covering the body.

Large works?

Been so busy with papers and such I took a moment to start some larger pieces. I have always been fascinated by the old art of the east. Gods and Goddesses, Buddha, immortals and demons. Especially the Bodhisattva with a thousand arms.

After thinking it over I have decided it was time to reincorporate my old themes into my new work. I am hoping this piece turns out as well as I wish it will. In addition I have plans to create an even larger piece which will play out the HIV advertisements I saw last year. Bodies covered in many arms, clining and possesing the body. I am beginning to wonder if these new pieces are still part of this collection or not. They do not invoke innocence but desire and the want to be loved or held by someone. It has been perhaps too long since I have seen my girlfriend that it's unconsciously being put to paper with my ink brush. Oh well time to get back to work <3 ----------------
Now playing: ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION - Rewrite
via FoxyTunes

Reaserch notes- "what is a woman?" Google search

So I searched this general question and I'm surprised at what I have found. this question itself was formulated after reviewing my work from when I began at OCAD till now, it is the question I subconsciously have been dealing with.

- How to master a woman's G-spot
Informative but not what I was searching for.

-Every woman is a cheating whore
Very sexist. "Getting attention from men is a woman’s lifeblood. That’s why women worship men in the form of menial tasks that they’re not very good at — because men control our attention like the gods of old controlled the sun and the crypt. We giveth and we can taketh away." The writer is either doing this deliberately or as a "joke". The site url menarebetterthanwomen.com makes it only worse. It is accompanied by articles such as why women hate sex and pets are not children. By the way the reasoning for why women hate sex is this "Women hate sex simply because they are lousy at it."... apparently. Oddly enough it reminds me of the oblivious men who are part of the mens club in Bleach (anime) and wonder why they are single (it's also hinted that they don't get laid either lol.).
I am highly amused by this site to the point where I want to write to Xtra-Toronto about this strange poor man.

-Why is a woman's Breast called a 'tit'?
Interesting wiki answer for this question. I still remember the fist time hearing it in High School, such an odd word. Women even use it.

- What is a woman to do? Age, Sex and Menopause
Definitely not what I was looking for but helpful in what another 20 years? Strangely there's an add for a memory game on it, was that deliberate?

-Sex, gender, and the body: the student edition of What is a woman?
Where has this book been all my life? It is so strange that there is no feminism lecture in High School for all the girls hitting puberty. I wish I had gotten this book instead I got the damned "what's happening to my body?" which explained where babies came from, what genitalia I have, what happens during sex (briefly, it's for 10-14 year old of course can't get them run off to experiment), what pads do, what tampons do, where hair grows now, and Why your different from men. Ah how I despised that book with it's odd drawings. (continued with other point)
-What is a woman?: and other essays

By Toril Moi
So I found the book twice. Anyhow. It has everything- Donna Haraway, Judith Butler&
Simone de Beauvoir. To name a few. If I had encountered this book earlier perhaps my questions
could have been answered more completely at an earlier age. Compleately being too broad a term
as it calls for an end, when I have only begun to fall down this "rabbit hole" of knowledge.

-What is a woman?
About.com article on such? I'm quite surprised. even more so at the definition that get's presented
from a blog
"WOMAN- The term `woman' means a female human being who is capable of becoming pregnant,
whether or not she has reached the age of majority."
This deffinition does not bring forth the differentiation between body and mind. Anyhow it continues
and the US Senate does not see someone who is female bodied-barren-woman as a woman. Has
this question been changed at all? There is no date on the post so I can not tell how old it is, but
there is a comment from 2008. Strange strange.

I'm going to stop my search there for the night and return to my books. Thesis paper is due on the
1st and I have yet to put together the information to create this piece. Back to my coffee for another
late night. <3 All my best <3

New peices

This series is currently titled "Reclaiming the body" and ongoing series I am working on. I hope to reach 25 before my final critique.

Back to my roots

So in the end after much debate I went back to ink, but with better paper. This series is much more enjoyable compared to my past work. With exception of my fetus series and cats cradle. There is something just simple and yet complex to the drawings that come out when I use sumi-e ink and Chinese brushes. Perhaps it is because I had so much "training" in water colour that it just comes naturally now or because of it's simplicity?
I an currently working on a rough copy for my artist statement, max 100 words or so for the catalog and I think it's 250 for the final copy. In addition I have to come up with a artist statement of 5 sentences max for my submission for the Retrospective show (due friday by 4pm). Things are slow to fall into place but things are getting there.
On another note I realized I'm near the end and I have done next to nothing for the paper, so I'm getting it going now. I also have a curatorial project to make a power point for (got it going so no big there) and an essay about Simone De Beauvoir for Modernism: Critical perspectives (I have everything I just need to pick out what I will use and start it). Even though there is a lot to do in such a short time I'm thankful that I have at least got things going.

Today I paid to stay for the summer or rather paid for august and I have to pay for the others as it comes up. I applied to jobs to stay, if all goes well I will hear back from someone soon. Well that was just a quick update on things that are going on. Back to writing! ( will post images of what is going on with my work soon<3)

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Now playing: Laibach - Nippon
via FoxyTunes

Back from New York

Glad to be back. Although I miss being able to go to any shop to get a sandwich late at night and cheep flowers (didn't buy any but wish I did). Really tired and I want to go out to try my new cigars I got at the duty free shop. Bought Lou Lou while walking back from the Porter shuttle. Putting on Sex and the City for an hour before doing work for tomorrows class.
Got to see Chairlift play, saw the Tim Burton Show at the MOMA , walked down 6th ave and stayed just off of 8th. Who can ask for more?
Off for a smoke <3

Progress-portrait

Well it's going okay. Needs A LOT of work still. Put it's getting there. Have to tidy up to go back home for a while . <3

Holiday clean-up tommorow

I went home for a while but I'm back to tidy up my apartment and thesis studio. Going to work hard tonight to finish a portrait of my late Grandma for her husband. So far it looks Impressionist so It should turn out well as I know I can do that well. I will post pictures either tomorrow or later to night of it's progress.
On a side note I am going to work on studies for final works for thesis and do some drawings etc. I might even start the files for my photo series I want to do. Although I am wondering how much it will cost to print when I do it. Size is always an issue for me it seems when talking to peers about my work. I'll do some research on it and decide it all out before I compile everything together. I'm going to go make some tea and tidy up for dinner/lunch and my painting session <3>

working more on the body

After Wednesday and Thursdays critiques I've been working aggressively on various works. I hope to get about 10 works done by Halloween, various sizes. It's a goal, a good one at that.
I'm trying to get good-old-rough-copies of assignments that need to be done. If all works out, Monday will be a studio day. Tuesday, I am hopeing to head to the ROM for a few hours (2-3?) to see the Vanity Fair show. It's free for students to get in so I save 10$ ( I usually go on half price nights, aka friday).

This work I have though is done on Velum with charcoal. I really think I need to make a large version of one like it on the same paper. I am working with the ideas of Donna Haraway and her Cyborg. I quite like the construction of the body. The biology, the mechanics etc.

This other piece is in process, same idea but trying to use the same candy like colours in it. I started to use gel transfers as well, their prity interesting. Going to see how this piece goes.

This watercolor is done actually, but here is it before it was. It's at the studio, I will get around to documenting it soon. Really nice, I wonder what Catherine Will say about it. I'm off to bed, going to open tomorrow. Good Night world.

Toronto International Art Fair

I was really surprised at how many people attended but even more surprised that prity much EVERYONE knew about what they were looking at. Every booth was filled with different works from many different places, Europe, China, Japan, Chicago, Montreal, New York and Even locally (Toronto). I visited many booths ( I think all of them actually), but here is a list of the ones I walked way with some kind of card or catalogue.

Gallerie De Bellefeille ( Montreal, Canada)
Angel Gallery (Toronto, Canada)
Olga Korper Gallery (Toronto, Canada)
Art Scene (Shanghai, China)
Art Mur (Montreal, Canada)
Corkin Gallery (Toronto, Canada)
Galerie Deste (Montreal, Canada)
Birch Liberato (Toronto, Canada)
Anrena Estudio (Mexico)
AGA-T (Nagoya & Fukukoka, Japan)
Quantum (London, England)
Projects Gallery (Philadelphia, USA)
The Power Plant (Toronto, Canada
Galeria Contrast (Barcelona,Spain)
Headbones Gallery (Toronto, Canada)
Patrick Mikhail Gallery (Ottawa, Canada)
Gallery Page And Strange (Halifax, Canada)



There are more, local ones mostly, that I saw but did not get anything from their booth. It was exciting to see people buying and enjoying the art. Instead of it being loud, and annoying, it was quite calm (unlike the Anime Convention I went to back in 2001). It is definitely worth the time to go, I missed the lectures but I promised myself to get a pass for the whole duration next year. I may not have walked away with a piece of art but I did manage to get a subscription to both Border Crossings (5 issues and the choice of 2 artist pins that were limited edition) AND Canadian Art Mag (20$, with free mug and current issue, aka that would be 5 issues in total).
In conclusion it is very apparent that I need to go to both Montreal and London to see the art scene.

Final schedule for first semester

After complaining to myself about not haveing time to A: relax B: go to galleries C: go to the refrence library and D: go for my usual long walks which comprise of gallery hopping, I finnally planned out when and where I will be for most of the week.
Sunday is pretty much a day I can choose what to do and Saturday I have time to go for a nice long walk or even go home for lunch then go for a walk.
Tomorrow and Thursday are subject to change but this is my general plan right now.
Trying to save money on food by making it at home as opposed to buying it will help me save money for the New York Trip in the new year. Anyhow, I am going to eat and make a cup of Puerh tea from my Toucha (need to chip a piece off since it's a tea cake)

Almost end of a long day

Today I attended(attending or waiting more so for the latter) Post-Modern perspective & Art Writing Workshop. Almost at the end of a long week, I look forward to Gongfu Tea session after, in addition to reading required texts. Assignments need to be completed ,or considered and studies need to be done.
Thesis went well. I have to present my past work next week. Although I switched studios, from room 430(100 McCaul) to the 205 Richmond St studio ( there was a $50 deposit for the other room, money I need for food). Because of this my thesis adviser is changing.
I cleaned up my room studio and set out work to photograph for presentation next Thursday. These images will be posted here as well.
I have been reading Sun Tzu's Art of War in preparation of thesis. It has helped me mentally prepare for the work I want to do.

Class is starting in less than an hour so I will stop here. Wish me luck.

New year = thesis

Today I headed out to get OSAP done, but ended up with a number (62) and told to wait till 12. I was really hoping to give the kitchen a wipe down and start cleaning my mini-studio to prepare for classes (school starts on the 8th but my first class is the 10th). Amanda is back today around 1 or 1:30pm-ish, that is including time it takes at Neil-Wyck to get keys etc. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she has done this summer, while I have done a little ,I find it is not enough.
I told my parents yesterday that I'm going to come home Thursday night and stay till Sunday. Perhaps I can get my energy back to work on the large painting. I tried to work on it yesterday but I ended up drinking tea ans stareing at it for 2-4 hours.
When I finnally get OSAP done I think I will document what I have done this summer or maybe the last 8 months.
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Thesis- EVERY THURSDAY
I get my space on the 11th, hopeing for it to be in the 100 McCaul building. Tonight I need to make a list of stuff I want in my locker and maybe check kiji and craigs list for a cheep (5$-10$) kettle as well (unless my parents have their old one...which pours badly).
I have not decided 100% what materials I'm going to use yet but I have some ideas.
-Oil Paint
-Chracoal
-Acrylic
-Pastel
-Chinese Ink
Sadly that sounds like all the materials I use. I would love to use ink though, but the decision I would have to make is what surface.
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Cathy Daly is haveing a show this month at Birch Liberato. I believe it is on the 12th.
Planing on going. Going to go get something to eat, I'll post latter.