Cyclocross Moose

Another in the Critters on Bikes series...


Cyclocross Moose, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 17cmx15cm

Frosty Dreams of a Marathon in May

Late last fall Amanda was feeling inspired by our friend, Chris, who took up running earlier in the year and then ran the New York Marathon. Around the same time she was feeling like she wanted to do something for her niece who was born last August and was shortly thereafter diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. So she decided to run a marathon and raise money for CF. Anyway, you can read all about her training and the raffle she’s organized and her niece and stuff on her blog;

Amanda’s Run for CF

What does all this have to do with me painting…? Well Amanda asked if I’d paint and donate a picture for her to include as one of the raffle prizes. And so I did. I did TWO, actually… One for her to raffle off and the other for her to keep to remember what she accomplished.


Frosty Dreams of a Marathon in May – Day, 2010, Acrylic on MDF, 34cmx45cm


Frosty Dreams of a Marathon in May – Night, 2010, Acrylic on MDF, 34cmx45cm

The paintings are called “Frosty Dreams of a Marathon in May – Day and Night”. The Day painting she decided to use as a raffle prize, the Night painting she is keeping for herself. They both picture her and her dog Ollie running in the deep cold of a Saskatchewan Winter – something I felt needed to be immortalized. I mean really, what kind of a nutcase takes up running in the middle of a freakin’ Saskatchewan winter – with an intensive training plan to prepare her for her first ever marathon (heck, first ever race!?) at the end of may…?! That kind of nutcase happens to be my wife; Amanda Plante.

If you happen to be in Saskatoon on Sunday May 30th, 2010, come on out and cheer her on (and our buddy CVT who’s coming from Edmonton to run with her)!

Oh and – if you happen to be in Saskatchewan - maybe buy a couple of her raffle tickets! For the rest of you out in internetland, I’m sorry, but you’re out of luck – The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (yeah, booze and gambling – always a good mix) prohibits the advertising (er… ahem…) and sale of raffle tickets outside the province of Saskatohewan.

Critters on Bikes

What kind of got me started painting again was the Critters on Bikes series that I’ve been working on.

A couple years ago Amanda got a pile of picture frames of Xmas. I think my mom might have gotten them for her. They sat for a year. The following Xmas she put them up on the wall – with the silly “photos” that came in the frames – a very happy looking family in black and white… She hung them up thinking they would motivate her to fill them with… “something”. They hung there for a year. You wouldn’t believe how many people asked if it was Amanda’s sister and her family! Another Xmas rolled around and I decided to take it upon myself to start filling them with things…


Bison on a Mountain Bike, 2008, Acrylic on Paper, 17cmx12cm

This was her Xmas present. I snuck it into the frame Xmas eve after she had gone to bed. I think it was Finnegan (He-who-can-not-keep-secrets) that finally pointed it out to her.

Every gift giving holiday after that I painted another to put in one of the frames.


Snake on a Recumbent, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 17cmx8cm

This was her Valentine’s present. I missed Ground Hogs Day….


Flatland Kangaroo, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 8cmx12cm


Flatland Tiger, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 8cmx12cm

The first two were in individual frames. The rest of the frames had spots for multiple pictures so I thought I’d try and have a bit of a “theme” within the multi-picture frames. I think these were for her birthday…


Race Leader Zebra, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 12cmx8cm


King of the Mountains Ram, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 12cmx8cm


Sprinter Cheetah, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 12cmx8cm


Young Rider Bunny, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 12cmx8cm


Another four picture frame – another theme. “Le Tour” group I think started as a late Mother’s Day present (in JULY!?)… that didn’t quite get finished until… oh… November!?


The Touring Camel, 2009, Acrylic on Paper, 17cmx12cm

The Camel brings us back to Xmas again… It was also in a multi picture frame, but there won’t be so much of a theme to these. I have a general idea what the other two are going to be – but I’m not going to mention that here (as it will spoil the surprise).

I missed Valentine’s this year… but I was working on other stuff (as you shall see…) and this year’s birthday present is also late (birthday was last week, painting still being worked on… at least it’s STARTED!)

These have also been chronicled over on my bike blog...

Introduction

Hi, my name is tim and I’m an artist (wow, I feel like I’ve just entered a Twelve Step Program or something). I used to paint and draw comics quite a bit. Then I took a bit of a break. Now I’m trying to get back at it…

Anyway, since I’m a bit of a blogging fool I thought I’d start (yet another) blog to chronicle not only the new work, but also to have a look back and record some of the work I’ve done in the past.

More on that shortly…