Figure Sculpture - week 7 (9 photos)

Perhaps you're getting bored, but I continue with posting, now into week 7. Only 4 more weeks to go! I worked on the face (re-done twice, so roughed in) and the hair (roughed in). I also took some video but think I will wait to see how the sculpture goes over the next month before posting anything along that line. Even though I am very new to sculpting -this is my first time ever working on a figure- in the 2nd photo surprisingly there is strange resemblance to the model's personality, something in the face.

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Exciting News: Solo Show at Urban Gallery in January!

It's official. I signed the contract today. I'm having a solo show at Urban Gallery in Toronto in January, and maybe February. The Opening party is slated for Thurs January 9th 2014 from 5-8pm. During the time my paintings are up, Luciano Iacobelli will host a performance poetry event; Nik Beat, a poetry and music night; and Banoo Zan will host a poetry event. I am thrilled. The winter just got a whole more fun!

http://www.urbangallery.ca/

And the lady who is responsible for this turn of events is Mary Lou Patchell, who owns He and She Clothing. She told Calvin about a lady who danced poetry in masks that came out of paintings and he told her to tell me to get in touch with him. We (Calvin & I) met in September, and I thought, that was nice, what a lovely man, and nothing of it, and then got an email a week or two back and am finally able to burst with the news.

Today I was in Lou Lou's store, and she dressed me up a little bit. I did buy the top, and maybe will the shaped leather mask (which fit perfectly) later on if I can figure out a poem for it and how to use it in a poetry performance... (She also laced me into a corset, a purple and black one (that is definitely for performances), and it is now tucked away in my drawer.) She took this photo and I really love it even if I think I look too thin, but then again, I didn't in the others she took, so it's just the angle. She kept saying, 'You look so different in that mask... another side of you.' Something to ponder... what is a normal self? And why should a simple eye mask change the perception of this elusive concept?

After my last meeting with Calvin Hambrook, one of the owners of Urban Gallery and Urban Catering, I took some iPhone pics and videos of Lou Lou's store. Plan to go back sometime to draw those mannequins!

direct link: He and She Clothing Store

The video was a quick patched job of iPhone video and photos, but today am considering making it a videopoem with a voiceover, so that might happen, who knows. It's been awhile since I made a videopoem- it might be fun.

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Figure Sculpture, week 6 (5 photos)

decided to leave the tool marks, to make a calligraphy of them all over her body

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A Vampire Story for Halloween @ The Beautiful and the Damned

direct link: A Vampire Story.

Looks like this video received a 'naughty' rating. Delighted!! (And it ain't the outfit. lol)

One of my stories about a vampire, told on Halloween 2013 at The Beautiful and The Damned, a poetry event in Toronto, Canada, hosted this month by Lizzie Violet.

Many thanks to John Oughton (one of the features of the evening, terrific poetry on time, memory, Honest Ed's and many other surrealities) for kindly videoing my open mic.

Looks like I now have a 4th performance piece to add to my growing repertoire (of now 4 pieces, with their own rudimentary choreographies, costumes, mannerisms, the speech patterns of poetry and prose clusters) . :)

Also, this is the first time I have worn a corset in my life. Don't ask. It wasn't uncomfortable.

I did forgot one of the main punch lines, but we won't mention that. Sheesh.

The Beautiful and The Damned Halloween 2014 -photo of the hostess of ceremonies, Lizzie Violet (taken by moi).

The Beautiful and The Damned Halloween 2014 -photo of moi, with thanks to Lizzie Violet who posted it on Facebook.

The Beautiful and The Damned Halloween 2014 — with Lizzie Violet, Brenda Clews, Philip Cairns and Heather Babcock,  at The Central in Toronto. Photo posted by Lizzie in her Facebook album for the evening.

The Beautiful and The Damned — with an enmasked John Oughton reading at The Central. Photo in Lizzie's Facebook album of the night on Facebook.

 psst. from the video above).
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Sketches @ Life Drawing Sessions

Paris posing at the Art Bar sketching group @ The Gladstone Hotel 23Oct2013, by Brenda Clews, 15" x 11", charcoal, conte crayon, water pastels, 130lb archival paper.

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Sketches @ Life Drawing Sessions

Paris Black posing at the Art Bar sketching group @ The Gladstone Hotel 23Oct2013, by Brenda Clews, 15" x 11", charcoal, conte crayon, water pastels, 130lb archival paper.

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Figure Sculpture, Week 5

Forgot my 'art glasses' - blended tri-focals that enable me to see the model clearly and up close. So I used some off-the-shelf readers that are always in my purse. I saw outlines more clearly without details. This resulted in a serious re-working of the figure. When I viewed the series of iPhone 4 shots I took, I wasn't happy with the results and hence am only showing you one, with a photo filter added. Lol.

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Poet Sketch Series: Art Bar

Alex Boyd @The Art Bar @Black Swan Tavern 22 OCT 2013, 11" x 8.5", graphite, charcoal, conte on 130lb paper.
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Poet Sketch Series: Art Bar

Roger Greenwald @The Art Bar @Black Swan Tavern 22 OCT 2013, 11" x 8.5", graphite, charcoal, conte on 130lb paper.

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Gallery Photos - '5 By 5' Art Show in the Art Bar @The Gladstone Hotel

Here is a slideshow of the pics I've uploaded so far. I'll be adding to this album shortly, but wanted to get it up as time is slipping away.



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Figure Sculpture, Week 4 (4 photos)

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Week 4, still pretty rough draft of figure. She's maybe 16" high, sculpted with Klean Klay.

This Saturday Afternoon! -Invitation to Gallery Opening of '5 By 5' in the Art Bar at The Gladstone Hotel

Hello Lovelies,

You are invited to our Gallery Opening this Saturday afternoon, October 19th, from 1-5pm in the Art Bar at the Gladstone Hotel. Nik Beat will be playing music, and there will be poetry readings (I'll be performing at 4pm). It'll be an even more glorious afternoon with your presence.

'Five artists, five visions. Jacques Albert, Brenda Clews, Jennifer Hosein, Anna Karoliina Koskinen and Greg Nordoff are largely figurative artists whose works explore facets of the strangeness of living in a world that can be inscribed in paint. Their paintings criss-cross realism and surrealism, poetry and myth, theory and what can be evoked of the depths of emotional crisis as it is expressed through the intensity of personal aesthetics.'

Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1J6
(416) 531-4635

For your enjoyment, a couple of 'off the cuff' short poses that mimic or riff those in my paintings. And I think it would be fun if others wished to pose for similar photos ::smiling::
Hope to see you there!

fondly,

Brenda

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