CherylAnnHillsArtist

  Often when we do something, we have an expectation of what the outcome will be. Go to bed so you’ll be energized in the morning. Eat food so you’ll no longer be hungry. See the new Star Wars movie so you’ll be entertained. And on and on. Sometimes our preconceived expectations are met. Other times they are not. And depending on the sort of person you are, disappointments can be devastating or easily brushed off. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of this scale. We are taught as children that our actions always have an outcome; sometimes good and sometimes bad. But few of us were ever taught to focus on the process, the steps leading to the outcome. We are sometimes told it doesn’t matter how, as long as we get the expected results. This kind of thinking leads us to only consider the beginning and the end. Both of those states are short lived and do not represent the effort, thought and emotions experienced during the process between the beginning and the end. It can a...

It was mid October 2022 when I went up to my favourite place to spend a weekend taking in the fall colour and exploring the corridor between Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie. On this visit I went a bit further west of the Soo to Batchewana Bay, located on the north east shore of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. I'd read many descriptions of the north shore by notable Canadian authors and seen first hand many paintings of its moods. Sometimes it's almost better if we have no prior knowledge of a new experience, place, person before arriving as this keeps expectations at bay. I'd already visited Lake Superior Provincial Park in 2018, specifically the petroglyph trail. I was alone on that trail in the early light of the day. A peculiar staircase formed by rocks led down into a quiet earthen glen of large mossy rocks and trees with clumps of lichen floating down from branches like soft feathers. I actually expected to have a fairy appear in front of me, aligh...

 I wanted to write this fresh from my trip to Whitefish Falls in Ontario Canada. I booked my cabin early in winter and did some initial planning and research to prepare myself for the week away in Northern Ontario. Little did I know that this trip would result in a feeling of finding my place both in the world at large and within myself. There are other ways to get to Whitefish Falls, my choice was to drive up and along a route that borders Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Once out of the rat-race that is the cities of Hamilton, the GTA and Toronto weaving through the 6 lane 400 series highways you come upon views that likely you’d only seen previously in paintings. Pushing past the popular area of Muskoka’s you can visibly notice the landscape change as you drive further and further north. When people talk about the Muskoka area and how much they love it, I will often comment “keep driving”. I too used to feel that area was the best it can be. Now I know, keep driving. (of course...

Ok so first, I apologise for the week delay on this last part. I’ve been prepping for my upcoming solo art exhibit in Hamilton . Tomorrow I will be at the gallery installing the exhibit. I will cover this adventure in a future post. Stay tuned! Now on to Craft Show tips . Marketing tools; brochures, bus cards, booth display Your decision to include or not various marketing tools before, during and after the show depends greatly on your overall vision of your craft making activities. If you are a hobbyist who has simply run out of room at home for all your wonderful crafty creations and your friends and family are finding it hard to be surprised with your gifting; then maybe it’s time to sell some of your inventory. As a hobbyist your risk is minimal because your crafty activities are not your main source of income. Printing off a few basic business cards on your own ink jet printer at home is the most you probably need. You can also make a basic sign to insert into a d...

As an artist who almost exclusively paints with oil paint, I get this question a lot. Is oil paint toxic? The simple answer is no, oil paint is not toxic. The paint itself is made of a pigment which is ground into an oil base. The oil base can be made with linseed (most common), walnut (my preference), poppy, safflower and other less common sources. The pigments were originally from natural sources such as; mineral salts, semi-precious stones, cadmium sulfide, crushed cochineal beetles, various natural clays,  buckthorn berries, bones and charcoal to name a few. Some modern day paints still use these sources while others have adopted synthetic sources to achieve similar pigments. While some of these pigments do contain toxic properties, when handled correctly in the studio they do not pose a risk to the artist. (ie: do not eat) The solvents used in oil painting can be toxic, however again when handled correctly this is not an issue. A solvent can be used to clean the brushe...

Recently my day job was taken from me, suddenly, unjustly and without warning. Anyone who is in my close circle already knows this. My first reaction was of course, a sense of loss. There was a period of mourning, anger, then acceptance. Then I experienced great relief, excitement and a realization that this was not an ending but rather a beginning. I also had to adjust to an income that was far less than I was accustomed to earning. I had always considered myself somewhat frugal, but now it became important to refine and embrace my frugal ways. There are always areas in our finances that are fluid; flexible enough to meet basic needs when required. I've cancelled my cable TV. No great loss, as I really only watched a handful of the same stations and programs most of which I can get for free using an antennae I already owned. My food budget was generous because, well, I enjoy eating like most people and I felt it was one thing I could justify spending money on. Now I spend far ...