~{ Living Magic }~

INSPIRATION:

This fun little series was inspired by my latest travel experience; going to Portugal with my sister Meagan. In mid-December we spent 9 days in Lisbon enjoying the sights and meeting great people as well as exploring the outlying cities and towns.

The very first sight we went to see on our first day in Lisbon was the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian.

As you can see the museum held many impressive pieces and I was just in heaven! To top it all off, when we visited the gift shop, I was lucky enough to snag the very last set of Calouste Gulbenkian coloured pencils!

Now if you are already familiar with my work then you probably know that I love to collect art supplies from all of the places I travel to. I love that I can use these collected media and make pieces that, not only portray my artistic expression, but will also remind me and other viewers of the places the media come from. Thus, I was extremely excited to give these coloured pencils a shot!

Right before leaving for our trip, I introduced my sister Meagan to a new show I had just discovered and loved, Merlin. As we are alike in many ways, she liked it too. She was able to download it on her iPad and we ended up watching it on flights and long bus rides during our trip. So this series is extremely inspired by Portugal and my memories of my time there.

NAME:

I chose to name this series “Living Magic” because the Merlin series by BBC inspires an interesting thought. It proves to me that magic exists, perhaps not in the fairy tale sense of the word, but in the way that people still love tales like these and want to believe in them. This amazes me as there are so many mindboggling things occurring in our world today; what with our advanced technologies. Yet, there are some of us who do not dream about future possibilities but romanticize what could have been in the past. Do I have any kindred souls out there?

CONTINUE:

For close up photos and individual art piece details please continue. If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces please visit my shop at www.malindaprudhomme.etsy.com.

"Arthur”

March 23, 2012

Coloured Pencils from the Museu Calouste 

Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Portugal; on Paper

5”x5”

$30.00

“Gwen”

March 23, 2012

Coloured Pencils from the Museu Calouste 

Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Portugal; on Paper

5”x5”

$30.00

“Merlin”

March 23, 2012

Coloured Pencils from the Museu Calouste 

Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Portugal; on Paper

5”x5”

$30.00

"Morgana”

March 23, 2012

Coloured Pencils from the Museu Calouste 

Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Portugal; on Paper

5”x5”

30.00

My Very First Photoshoot!

On Saturday March 10th, 2012 I was in my very first photoshoot!  The purpose of the photoshoot was to accumulate some quality images of myself for my new upcoming website www.MalindaPrudhomme.com.  The images were meant to portray me for who I really am as a person and an artist.  Therefore, the photoshoot took place at my apartment in the Art and Design District in Toronto, Ontario.  The set was created in my little comfy studio and features me with my favourite berry tea, my warm candles, my cuddly 20 pound cat and, of course, my art.  I was really dead set on having these images represent an authentic me so I had my hair died back to my natural colour and wore my everyday sweats and crazy socks!  Above you can see three of my favourite photos and to see more please stay tuned for the launching of my website. 

I really think these photos turned out beautifully and I would like to thank those involved.  First and foremost I would like to thank the photographer who spent an entire saturday afternoon shooting these photos for me free of charge.  Their patience and consideration was greatly appreciated.  I would also like to thank David from DatSalon who was able to take my dark brown/red hair and turn it into my light brown natural colour with brilliant shine.  He did an amazing job and if you are interested in a new hair professional in Toronto please check him out at www.DatSalon.com.

Website Logos!

After weeks and weeks of imagining, rethinking, and creating multiple different logos for my website I have finally come to a decision!  As some of you may know I am currently building my very own website.  I have never designed or built a website before in my life so it has been quite the challenge.  Suprisingly it is not the actual building of the website that is taking so long, but the fact that I continuously second guess every decision I am making.  I can't help it!  I want it to be perfect and reflective of who I am as a person and an artist.

Well I finally feel I have tackled and moved past the initial challenges, particularly choosing a logo.  As you see above, the logo I have decided on is simply my name written in my own handwriting.  Though it seems like a simple technique it actually requires a lot of time and effort including caligraphy pen and ink attempts and multiple stages in Photoshop.  In the end I chose this logo because I do not feel I could get anymore authentic then my own name written with my own hands.  As an artist I really thought the logo should be authentically my own.  I also enjoy the simplicity of the logo.  I originally toyed with colourful logos and felt that extravagant colourful logos may take away from the art I plan on showcasing on my website. 

Please let me know what you think!
And again, I really appreciate your continued support. :)

BIG NEWS - Launching My Own Website!

I am so excited to announce that I have finally begun designing, building, and will soon be launching my very own website.  My website, www.MalindaPrudhomme.com, is not currently published but when it is officially launched it will feature all of my completed works in one convenient location, as well as a "News" section and a "Shop".  I will also be sending out monthly newsletters to my followers and anyone will be able to subscribe to the newsletter through the website.  Those who subscribe and spread the word will be rewarded with prizes and pieces of art. Though I do realize that designing and building a website will be a tremendous amount of work, I am really thrilled about taking my art career to the next level. :)

:.:.: Prestigious Professions of the Past :.:.:

This mixed media art series strives to depict the struggles that creative professionals are currently suffering from. It also personally depicts the four creative professions I am very passionate about but am finding it impossible to find work in. Each of the four professions currently has workers who are struggling to find quality work. To read about each profession and/or each work of art please continue reading.

"Artists Insignificance"

March 17, 2012
Mixed Media with Watercolour Paint, Oil Paint, and Graphite Pencil
8” x 10”
$100 (Or $375 for the Series)

The first piece in this series represents the struggles that visual artists are currently struggling through; especially artists who work solely with their hands and do not employ electronic “help”. Throughout history, particularly during the Renaissance, artists held prestigious positions in society and were honoured for their skill and talent. A very good artist could gain employment with various wealthy families, cities, religions, and so on. In fact, many wealthy families would spend their entire wealth on grand paintings or sculptures. However, in our current society visual art seems to hold little or no importance. Those artists, such as myself, who work solely with their hands and create classic pieces of art have a very small niche with regards to employment. Therefore, sadly, many artists are forced to take on another profession (if they find one) and their artistic passion and talent usually takes the back burner.

"Teachers in Abundance"

March 17, 2012
Mixed Media with Watercolour Paint, Oil Paint, and Graphite Pencil
8” x 10”
$100 (Or $375 for the Series)

The second piece in this series represents the struggles that new teachers are currently suffering from. As an extremely qualified and passionate teacher who is finding it impossible to find quality teaching work, I feel very close to this issue. Throughout history, particularly during ancient history, teachers were regarded as extremely intelligent professionals that were very highly regarded in society. Unfortunately this no longer seems to be the case. At this point in time there is a serious over abundance of teachers, specifically in Ontario. Because of this it is impossible for new teachers to find a teaching position in a quality school. Furthermore, because of the quantity of teachers who are applying to the few positions that do arise, those teachers who have a passion for teaching and did not “go into teaching for the summer vacation”, are falling through the cracks. The state of this professional is proving that even with a university degree and specialized education teachers are finding themselves unemployed and struggling to survive.

"Travellers Irrelevance"

March 17, 2012
Mixed Media with Watercolour Paint, Oil Paint, and Graphite Pencil
8” x 10”
$100 (Or $375 for the Series)

The third piece in this series represents the lack of travelling professions or even the ability to travel while maintaining a profession. Once again, throughout history travelling to new nations was a celebrated profession as explorers would return with new relationships, experiences, and knowledge. They would apply all that they gained in order to better their own nation and the people living within it. Our current society seems to feel that they know what is necessary of other nations and refuse to admit that their own nation could and should be altered. This arrogance is a major fault in our world today. Travelling the world should be something that is promoted and held in high regard. I definitely feel that there should be more professions that include world travel. At the very least, current professions should make it easier for their employees to travel in order to gain world experience. At this point in time, if a worker is lucky enough to gain full time work, they are given very little time off and are therefore limited to exploring only the world around their work. Sadly those of us who have a strong passion for travelling find it almost impossible to make a living doing so or find it difficult to travel while making a living.

"Writers Depreciation"

March 17, 2012
Mixed Media with Watercolour Paint, Oil Paint, and Graphite Pencil
8” x 10”
$100 (Or $375 for the Series)

The fourth piece in this series represents the current decrease in the book industry. Books used to be renowned, interesting, and most importantly, integral to society and passing on information. Now with the internet and having information so easily accessible, books and professional writing are losing their relevance in today’s society. I have recently delved into the writing industry and have definitely gained an understanding of writer’s struggles. There is such a lack of writing professions that deal with creative genres and those that do exist are few and far between. Even the thought of reading books electronically saddens me (though I do realize this is beneficial to the environment) as there is something solid and comforting about holding a book. The cover art, turning the pages, and of course, the essential book smell is something I personally cannot imaging loosing in my life.