Audrey Hayes Art - Canadian Artist

downtown

Hey, I have two paintings in this year's LOOK Fine Arts Exhibition.  The show runs for 3 weeks, so if you are downtown check it out at the Bay Centre on the lower level.  There are hundreds of paintings to see.

upcoming

markyourcalendars

I am busily preparing for a few art shows that I have coming soon.  Today I took in two paintings to the LOOK 2012 Art Show which runs from April 21 to May 12 downtown at the Bay Centre.  Be sure to check it out!  

Currently, I have a painting at the Gallery Cafe at the Cedar Hill Rec. Centre for the Saanich Studio Tours Exhibition.  This show ends tomorrow.  

I took in the Oak Bay Studio Tour this weekend, checking out some of the great Oak Bay artists' studios.  Truth be told, I was trying to gather ideas about how to have a successful studio tour as I will be part of the Gordon Head Studio Tour on May 5 and 6.  Only a few weeks away and I am trying to get organized.

I have new paintings being completed as we speak.  Be sure to check my GALLERY regularly as I will be posting all new paintings as I finish them.  And look for all my upcoming shows on my EXHIBITIONS page.  Lots going on these days.  

I'll be sure to keep you posted.

gallery cafe

Hey, if you happen to be at the Cedar Hill Rec in the next couple of weeks, check out the show at the

Gallery Cafe April 3 - April 15

Every year the month of May is filled with artists' studio tours.  Each weekend artists from different areas of town open their home studios to the public.  This year I am in the Gordon Head Studio Tour.  

An exhibition of selected studio tour artists is on display at the Gallery Cafe at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre during April and one of my paintings is among them. You can also pick up brochures for the various studio tours at the the Gallery Cafe.  

More information to come about upcoming shows.  I am going to be a busy little artist over the next few months.  Stay tuned!

on the horizon

I can't believe how fast this year is going.  We are about to enter into the next season...Spring, and I can't wait.  I am ready to say good-bye to winter, my least favourite time of year.  

It has been a busy year so far with work, but I have also been working on getting my art back into the forefront and I am excited to share that I have a few shows on the horizon.

For several years now I have been going to Artist Studio Tours around town.  I always thought that one day I might want to be a part of one.  Well this is the year.  I am going to be a part of the Gordon Head Studio Tour.  This is the poster for the tour.  I will post more details closer to the date.  

[side note: my brother-in-law is one of the sponsors at the bottom of the poster]

I am also going to have a painting hanging in the Saanich Artists 2012 Exhibition at the Cedar Hill Gallery, next month.  This is an exhibition of selected studio tour artists from the various tours around Saanich, each of whom will have a piece of work on display at the Gallery Café at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre.  This show will run from April 3 to 17.

I'll let you know what else is on the horizon as it comes into view.  

Saw my first cherry blossoms today...Spring is on its way...YAY!

exhale

[this is the Palm Court, entrance to the Crystal Ballroom at the Empress where our art show was being held]

Phew!!  I am finally able to breathe.  After weeks of being totally consumed by art show preparation it has finally come and gone.  I am not going to lie to you, it was a lot of work to get ready for the big show at the Empress.  And of course, it also happened to be the busiest two weeks of teaching I've had in a long time.  

It was a long and busy day, but it was also fun.  Sean helped me set up my 10' x 10' space.  It took us about 2 hours.  My dad had spent the past week making me various sizes of easels.  How awesome is that?  I was pretty happy with how it all set up even with last minute changes.  

[the Crystal Ballroom, you can see why they call it that]

There was a steady stream of people the whole day.  It started at 2:30 and finished at 9 pm.  And from start to finish there were few quiet moments.  

There was a cash bar, a musician, a silent auction, a Red Cross donation table and 30 artists each showing dozens of pieces.

The whole thing was a great experience.  I got to talk to many of the other artists.  I received a lot of unsolicited positive feedback from them.  I had so many compliments throughout the day from show goers, it was very confidence building.  I even had a few people recognize my work from other art shows.  

[this was one side of my display]

[the other side]

 [the center]

 [can you see my display off in the distance?]

And at the end of the night my lovely parents came to help me pack up.  I was totally exhausted but bursting with contentment from an art-filled day.  

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to show their support.  It always means a lot to me.

AIM at the Empress

My art group is hard at work preparing for our first art show together.  We are just two weeks away from the ARTISTS IN MOTION at the EMPRESS. Join us Sunday, May 29th in the Empress Crystal Ballroom for our Art Show and Sale. Each artist will be donating 20% percent of all art sold to the Canadian Red Cross Japanese Relief Fund, as well as, 50% of all proceeds from a silent auction.

With 30 artists, each displaying 10 to 20 pieces, there will be hundreds of pieces for sale.  Something for everyone's tastes.  Should be a fun evening. Come join us at this beautiful venue and bid on some great items from the silent auction as well. Maybe take home a piece of original art from one of these talented artists.  

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We have been so busy around here lately.  These are just a few of the events of the past week:  Mother's Day, we went to Vancouver for my sister-in-law's wedding, Macy turned 7 (which we celebrated twice), had my car fixed after its bumper was smashed a few months ago (not by me), worked several days, went on a field trip with Emmy's class, and lots more...  All of these things deserve their own posts and perhaps I will get to it later in the week.  But for now, this will have to do.

Thanks for reading.

the show's over

Well, both of my art shows have finally come to a close.  I would consider them a great success.  Not only did I sell a painting, but it gave me a lot of exposure and I now have future sales on the horizon.  

I just found this video on Youtube of the opening reception of the LOOK Art Show.  If you didn't have a chance to make it to the Bay Centre to see the show, this gives you a look at what was there.  I don't expect you to watch the whole 14 minute video, but you can see TULIPS at 2 minutes 22 seconds in.  CINQ POIRES is at 4 minutes 20 seconds. And my FIL, Mike, even makes an appearance at 45 seconds (behind the artist who is speaking).  

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to the shows.  Hope you enjoyed them.

More paintings to come.  I have a new one to post, I just need to photograph it first.

Happy weekend!

He{art}-full

It's been over a week since my paintings were hung at the Boundless and LOOK art shows, and I just received some exciting news...TULIPS SOLD!!!  I am thrilled by this as there are over 400 paintings at the LOOK art show and at last year's show only about 5% of the paintings sold.  So I had no expectations of selling a painting, just hoping for some exposure.  How awesome is that?

I thought I should finally post my newest paintings that are showing at Boundless.  This one is from my tulips series. I'll post the rest over the next few days.

THERE'S ALWAYS ONE

12" x 12". Acrylic on Canvas.

It actually looks nicer in person, my photography skills don't do it justice.

Boundless, at Goward House, and LOOK, at the Bay Centre, will be running until the beginning of March.

TODAY:  making Valentines for classmates.  Hopefully getting some much needed painting time [working on another, bigger tulip painting].  

Happy Heart Day!!

art-full

It was a weekend full of art.  It began with LOOK and ended with Boundless.  

We had a great opening reception today.  It was a really good turnout despite the bad weather and Superbowl.  

Here are some photos from the reception.  

Before the reception in the main room. Those are my four over the fireplace.

My four new tulip paintings and pears. (below, in the left room)

Just some of the food.

A full house.

Thanks to those of you who joined us today.  The show runs until March 2.  

Have a great week!

tulips + pears

Tonight was the Opening Reception for the LOOK 2011 art show.  I have two paintings on display.  One is my old favourite, "Cinq Poires", and the other is from a new series of tulip paintings that I have been working on.

"TULIPS"

acrylic on canvas.  12" x 36"

There were hundreds of paintings hanging on the walls.  Cinq Poires was a bit hard to find, low to the ground, but Tulips was easy to spot.  

We decided to make a night of it by taking the girls out for dinner to Ebizo before heading over to the Bay Centre to see the art show.  

We had just finished our sunomono salad and smoked duck salad when Macy announced she felt sick.  Nothing puts a damper on an evening like a sick kid. She wasn't quite sure what kind of sick she was. So not knowing if she was about to puke all over the table, Sean and I wolfed down some sushi and quickly left.

She seemed to rally a bit, so we headed over to the art show and had a very quick look around.  It was hard to have a good look around while worrying that Macy was going to projectile all over someone's painting.  After about five minutes we decided we shouldn't push our luck, so we headed home.  

Thankfully, the show is on for the whole month, so I will go back on my own another day and have a better look at all the paintings. 

I am happy to report that within 15 minutes of being home, Macy was feeling fine and back to her old self.

Have a fabulous weekend!

my paintings were hung by the chimney with care

Today, I spent three hours hanging over 70 paintings for our upcoming art show, Boundless.  There were six of us trying to figure out where each and every painting should be displayed.  Not an easy feat.  But we did it.  I was lucky enough to get four of my paintings hung over the fireplace which is definitely a feature wall.   

The two shows, Boundless and LOOK, are now on.  I am going to stop by LOOK at the Bay Centre on Friday night for the opening reception.  There are over 230 artists and over 500 paintings at this art show, a must see.  This is a juried show and they will also have ballots for Peoples' Choice Awards [nudge-nudge, wink-wink].

My art group, South Island Artists, will be hosting an opening reception for Boundless on Sunday at Goward House.  I'd love to see you there. [Sorry, no Peoples' Choice Awards at this one.] 

It looks like I am going to have a busy, art-filled weekend.   Let me know if you get a chance to see either of the shows.  I'd love to know how many people get to these things.

Gung Hei Fat Choy!

another show

Today I dropped off two paintings at the LOOK 2011 Arts Exhibition.  This is an annual art show put on by the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria that runs for the month of February and will be showing around 500 art pieces from paintings and fabric art to jewelry and sculpture.

It is showing at the Bay Centre on the bottom floor (next to Esprit).  So if you happen to be downtown between February 4 to March 4 go have a look.  

I wanted to paint two new paintings for the LOOK show, but because I have been working hard to get my paintings ready for my other art show, Boundless, I only had enough time to paint one new, so the other is an old favourite.  

I wasn't expecting to have paintings in two shows so early in the year that run the exact same dates:  February 4 to early March.  I am pretty exited.  Can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds for me.

Have a fabulous Monday!

join me

You're Invited

(click on invitation to enlarge)

I would like to invite you to my first non-juried art show.  We are a group of nine artists, all with very different styles. This is a small works show with a maximum canvas size of 12”.  Although we are bound by size, the possibilities are “Boundless”.  With the diverse styles of each artist, there is sure to be something for everyone’s tastes. 

I will be showing 10 paintings, six new and a few recent favourites.  I’d love you to join us at the Opening Reception at Goward House on Sunday, February 6 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.  But if you can’t make it, all paintings will be on display until March 2.  So feel free to drop by Goward House anytime.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Hope to see you there.

a funny thing happened on the way to the gallery

The invitations are in for the upcoming show that I am in.  I would like to invite you all to come and see my painting (and many other artists) in this small works show.  It is a great place to find small art pieces at more affordable prices, perfect for Christmas presents.

The show will be on for over 3 weeks.  You can meet the showing artists at the Opening Reception on Saturday, November 27.  Unfortunately, I am not sure if I will be there.  I wasn't expecting to get my paintings in this show, so now I have a scheduling conflict.

*********************************

I was taking my paintings to the gallery today, but first I had to get a much needed hair cut.  When I arrived at my hair stylist's, she immediately asked me about my art.  She had heard I was a painter and wanted to check out my work.  So while I sat under the dryer she checked out my website and immediately fell in love with By the River.  And because I was taking my paintings to the gallery today, this painting happened to be in my car.  I brought it in, showed it to her, and...BAM.  I had a new hair cut and a sold painting.  Totally unexpected.  That made my day.

Have a great weekend, y'all.  Looks like it's going to be a cold one.

artist in the family

We have another artist in the family.  My nephew, Braeden was in his first art show this weekend.  He was asked to submit his self portrait to the Independent Schools Art Exhibition 2010.  

I have only just had my first show at 38 years old.  Braeden is on his way at only 5 1/2 years old.  Great job, Braeden!

I had a couple of errands to run yesterday, so while I was out I stopped into a couple of artists' studios along the way.  I first went to Lisa Hebden's studio on the Gordon Head tour.  She happens to be one of the artists that I am having a show with next February at Goward House.  Next, I went to an artist's studio on the Broadmead tour, Chin Yuen. Her paintings are colourful and beautifully displayed in her lovely Broadmead home.

Over the past couple of years I have been on most studio tours around town. Check out my reviews of them all, here.

MY ART:  I just have to put the finishing touches on my newest painting.  I'll probably post it tomorrow as it still needs to be signed and glossed. 

Now I must get ready for a wild party with 9 little girls.  Should be fun.

Welcome, May!!

small fish

Are weekends supposed to be busier than weekdays?  Well, this weekend was. But it was all good stuff.  We hosted Easter dinner on Saturday night for the Hayes side of the family.  Thankfully, Sean loves to cook and that translates into good food without me having to lift a finger [until after dinner when I turn into dishwasher]. 

This was Saturday's menu: After a great dinner and a short night's sleep [thanks to the Easter Bunny], we enjoyed two Easter egg hunts and another great dinner at my parents' house.

And, finally, Monday was the opening reception for the Federation of Canadian Artists Spring Art Exhibition.  Of course I went and I have to say, I was pretty excited to see my painting hanging amongst other beautiful pieces.  Some of Victoria's most talented artists are members of the FCA, and although I feel like a small fish, I am pretty honoured to be a part of it.

Here is Cinq Poires hanging out with some award winners.

And here I am looking like through a star at the CAC gallery.

Thanks for joining me.  I enjoyed the experience.  The show will run until April 14.  If you happen to be downtown in the next week, have a wander in and see all the beautiful paintings.  You can also vote for your favourite painting for the People's Choice Award.  I won't beg :)  

Hope you all had a great Easter weekend, too.  Enjoy your short work week.

everyone welcome

Tomorrow, Monday April 5 is the Opening Reception for the FCA's Spring Art Show.  If you find yourself downtown on Monday between 2:00pm and 4:00pm drop into the CACGV Gallery.

I'll be there along with many other artists and I'd would love to see you there. The gallery (Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria) is located on the corner of Douglas and Broughton in the Sussex building. 

I will be showing Cinq Poires which is one of 30 paintings on display until April 14.  I was told that out of 81 paintings submitted, only 30 were chosen, mine being one of them.  YAHOO!!! 

If you can make it, please make sure to say hi, especially if you are a reader I've never met before.

I'll tell you how it all went, tomorrow.  

another show

Well despite the stormy weather, today really has been a good Friday for me. Yesterday I submitted a couple of my paintings to the Federation of Canadian Artists Annual Spring Exhibition.  I got a call today to say that "Cinq Poires" has been accepted into the show.  This was unexpected considering this show attracts many of Victoria's very successful artists.  Needless to say I am pretty excited about it. 

 

The show runs from April 5 to April 14 at the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria's (CACGV) gallery.  There is an opening reception on Monday, April 5 from 2pm to 4pm and the artists will be in attendance.  

I will be at the Opening Reception on Monday.  If you are looking for something to do on your day off, I'd love to see you there.  It will be a great opportunity to see loads of beautiful paintings and meet the artists who created them.  And if you can't make it to the opening, stop in during the next couple of weeks during gallery hours.

Hope you are all having a wonderful extra long weekend.  Happy Easter!

i don't get it

On Friday night the girls went for sleepovers at the grandparents' and Sean and I went out for date night.  We went to Avatar 3-D.  Okay, I don't get it.  Yes, the bioluminescence was beautiful and the computer generated stuff was pretty amazing, but come on, looks aren't everything.  I am just glad it didn't win the Oscar for best movie.  

And, is it just me or does 3-D suck?  I found it distracting at times and the background blur was annoying.  It also made me a bit nauseous.  [Could I have more negative things to say about this movie? I am sorry if you liked it.] 

After a busy week of teaching and three birthday parties in 2 weekends, I am having a hard time keeping it all straight.  This became evident when I dropped Macy off at today's birthday party...an hour early.  Thankfully, we don't live too far from the birthday boy, so we went back home.

After dropping Macy off, again, at the party, my MIL and I headed downtown to the Maritime Museum to attend The Roberts Collection Art Sale.  This couple, the Roberts, donated over $100,000 worth of original art works to the museum to be sold as a fundraiser with all proceeds going to the museum.   

Many of the paintings were from well known Canadian artist like Robert Bateman and Robert Genn, as well as many others I'd never heard of.  There were several pieces I liked and many I didn't.  

When I saw this painting by Calgary artist Sharon Therkettle, I thought it had a similar use of colour to my own "Sleeping Beauty".  

 

When I checked out her website I found this one below which had a similar feel to it as well.

 

Spring break is here and we are going to try and enjoy it.  

Have a great week, everyone.

viewers rock!

The "Beginnings" art show came to a close yesterday.  I drove out to the Coast Collective Gallery to pick up my three paintings that had been on display for the past 10 days.  When I arrived, I was congratulated and presented with a blue ribbon.  Cinq Poires won VIEWERS CHOICE.

At the opening reception and throughout the art show, visitors to the gallery were asked to vote for their favourite painting on display.   

 

From over a hundred paintings to choose from, I was obviously shocked to find out that my painting was chosen as the favourite.  As I picked up my painting, the curator mentioned to me that not only had I won, but by a landslide.  How 'bout that?!?!

As I have mentioned before, one of my goals this year was to be in an art show which I have now accomplished, but I had never expected to win an award. This is a total bonus and I am thrilled.  

Thank you, Viewers!  You made my day.

UPDATE ON GIVING:  Just read on Kal's blog that she and a cool company called Uncommon are donating all proceeds from the sell of her Spread Love iPod [Touch/Phone/Blackberry Storm] case to Haiti Relief.  Check out Kal's blog for more info on how to buy. And don't forget she is also selling Sigg bottle and donating proceeds.  Here is a pic from her blog showing you the cool case.