Author: dmckee

I delivered some more paintings to the yoga studio yesterday. There was a bit of a logistical problem getting the paintings delivered, solved by the new crates I had made. The crates are a great design, but I’ve got to go back to the manufacturer to discuss some adjustments in the construction. They used a glue gun to fasten the seams, and that stuff doesn’t work well when it’s cold, or when the joints/seams are under stress — which makes it useless for this kind of crate. Also, the foam cushioning wasn’t cut to the right size, so none of the paintings fit until I cut away some of the foam, which throws into question why I’m paying so much for the foam padding. One other problem lies in the hand-holds: they essentially cut away parts of the side panels, to allow you to put your hands in and lift the box. This may have been more economical than having external handles (as per my design), but there’s no cushioning. When the box is fully loaded, they are about 15-20kg, making it kind of heavy, and that coroplast digs into your hands.
The studio has already been showing my initial two paintings in their lobby, so that’s a big bonus. I was thrilled to see them hanging in such a high-traffic area. Unfortunately, most of the studio’s walls are concrete, which makes it impossible to hang anything on them. The ceilings are tin, or are riddled with duct-work, and are about 6m high, so hanging from the ceiling isn’t going to work either. After some scouting around the place, it looks like I might be able to get another five paintings into the space, in various nooks, so it’s not a total write-off. I’ll be back in on Sunday with some business cards and some painting nametags (and pricetags).
I’ll see if I can get some pictures of the space and post them. I’m also going to ask if I can rent/borrow the space for an art opening. We’ll see how it goes.

An artist’s statement is a short piece written by the artist to accompany a particular painting or group of paintings. An artist’s statement shouldn’t be dismissed as insignificant or dashed out in a hurry as it’s a vital selling tool, promoting and explaining your work to people looking at your paintings, whether they’re potential buyers, exhibition curators, critics, fellow artists, or casual browsers.
At its best, an artist’s statement reads easily, is informative, and adds to your understanding of the artist and the painting. At its worse, an artist’s statement is difficult to understand or rambles on, is pretentious, and irritates rather than informs (or, even, provokes laughter).
How to Write an Artist’s Statement

D. H. McKee’s artistic education stems from a Bachelor’s degree in English and Film Studies. He is a multi-skilled artist who works with painting, mixed media, journaling, digital photography, music, and video. He has a range of experience in various media, but painting is his first and foremost output; painting is a way of expressing ideas and emotions which cannot be formed through words or sound.
His education has helped him integrate film and video aesthetics into his artwork: video stylistic themes work their way into the paintings, and one can discern letterboxing, test patterns, scrambled pay-television signals and oversaturated colours in the works. It is in this manner that he explores different mediums and surface techniques.
Paintings are created quickly, passionately. They are assembled adjacent to thought and emotion, and are influenced by music, noise, television, and computers. The highly decorative images are richly textured and overflowing with colour. They are a combination of cubist and surrealist influences on non-representational abstract forms — essentially the interpretation of different external stimuli. The image dictates its final form, resulting in a surprising, unpredictable finished product.

Gallery 101 hosts approximately eight exhibitions each year, as well as many video presentations, lectures, performances and other activities. Artists and curators working in any media or discipline are eligible to apply. All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Submissions should include the following:
– a project description or proposal
– a current CV
– an artist’s statement
– support material with an identification list (including 10 slides, video/audio cassettes/cd, etc.) Please do not send original works. No fax or email submissions will be accepted. For more information, please contact info@gallery101.org
Gallery 101 is committed to paying artists’ fees in accordance with CAR/FAC recommendations.
Director/Curator: Jessie Lacayo
Gallery 10
236 Nepean Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0B8
Canada
info@gallery101.org
Floor plan: http://www.gallery101.org/downloads/G101_Floorplan_04.pdf

ALLEYJAUNT is Toronto’s alternative, urban, community arts event. The event gives exposure to local artists, encourages public interaction with art, and reaches out to a diverse community of all ages within the Trinity Bellwoods Park neighbourhood setting.
In additional to our juried exhibitions, this year’s ALLEYJAUNT will also include two externally curated and juried sections to the event. Please clearly specify which of the three calls for submissions you are applying for.
1. The Jaunt. ALLEYJAUNT’s general call specifically seeks art exhibits, installations, and performances that respond to the environment of the garage, the alley and the local urban community. Proposals should reflect this mandate.
2. Surprise. Ephemeral artistic interventions into collective spaces can surprise and provoke, make the familiar strange and provide for a momentary critical reflection of the nature of urban experience. This is a specific call for temporary installation or performance works designed for the sites and spaces beyond the designated garages. We are seeking projects that will tie together the various exhibition garages with another layer of artistic intervention that captures the flux, chance and accident of everyday life.
3. Give! We invite submissions that investigate the dynamics of gift-giving as a concept, creative statement and mode of operation for subversion, intervention and connection. Gifts may be ephemeral or physical, an action or an object, articulated as street actions, mischievous interruptions, spontaneous interludes, or unconventional connections confronting the ways we practice shared urban space. Without being limited to the designated garage spaces, artists are encouraged to address the multiple faces of gift-giving, so that engagement is simultaneously affectionate and cynical, intimate and removed, charitable and motivated by criticality.
The 4th annual ALLEYJAUNT will be held on August 12 & 13, 2006
3 Calls for Submission
Deadline: May 1, 2006
Submission Requirements:
-CV
-Identify which call you are submitting to
-A short description of project (max. 250 words)
-Support Mateiral (Max 10 slides/jpgs on CD)
-Include SASE if you want support material returned
Please send submissions to:
ALLEY JAUNT
17 Bank Ave.
Toronto, ON
M6K 1R4
Queries: info@alleyjaunt.com www.alleyjaunt.com

I’m still waiting for further developments in the ASAP show. When the news first broke, it was a whirlwind of activity, and I was worried about not having everything ready in time. I work well when I have deadlines, but when I make them, and nothing happens, it leaves me feeling a little anxious. Understandable, I suppose. But now I’ve got all these paintings on-deck, waiting for transportation to their destination, still with no word on when that’s going to happen.
There’s an unexpected bonus to this, though. Now my slides are getting developed, and I’ve got most of my portfolio put together, just in time for another deadline with the Cambridge Centre for the Arts. They’re looking for submissions for the 2007 year, and I’ll be able to submit to it for the end of March.
So, it’s still working out. I’m not wasting my time by getting everything together.

Who am I?
I’m an artist living in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I was born in London, Ontario, and went to university in London and Toronto, living in both cities for a number of years, finally settling down somewhere in between the two.
What am I about?
I paint. I photograph. I maintain an online journal. I occasionally edit videos and make music. Mostly I paint. To me, it’s a way of expressing some thoughts and feelings which can’t be expressed through words or sound. If you’ve ever felt mesmerized by a single shape or colour, or been lost in a photograph, this is where I spend my time. I often paint unconsciously, without thought or plan, without theme or pretense. I simply put the colours where they should go.
My paintings tend to convey a feeling of immediacy; quite often one gets the impression of motion or movement out of the static pieces. Part of this sensation may come from how I’ve integrated my film and video aesthetics into paintings. Some viewers are often reminded of video test patterns and scrambled pay-TV channels in the work. In some cases, I even letterbox my paintings (it adds to the drama). The paintings are created quickly, passionately — they are exploded on to the canvas, assembled outside of thought and emotion with all the raw materials.
What’s my technique?
I use vibrant acrylics — thick textures, glossy and flat, varying levels of geography and real estate on the board. Reckless abandon always wins out over a steady hand.
Palette knife, brush, or any blunt object at hand. I’ve used pieces of wood and cloth, hand tools, sponges … anything that makes an impression in soft gelled acrylic or the underlying media.
For me, a piece has turned out well if it balances vibrant primaries and dark, earthy colours, positive and negative space, geometric order and chaos.
My standard painting surface is a 61cm, 91.5cm, or 122cm square canvas or masonite sheet with reinforcements against warping. They are rarely framed. When placed on a wall, they resemble windows into insane and abstract worlds.
Where have I been?
My most recent solo show was part of the Kitchener Business Association’s Available Space Art Project.
What have I learned?
I’m still learning. It’s part of a life-long evolution of style, content and technique. I have a B.A. with a double major in English and Film from the University of Western Ontario, and I’m currently investigating supplemental fine arts courses at Conestoga College and the University of Waterloo. I would like to work with other artists in the region as part of a peer support and training group. We could discuss art topics and critique each other’s works, offering suggestions and alternate methods and styles.

The artist résumé is different from a curriculum vitae or artist bio. The c.v. is a record of all professional activities within academic careers, and is intended for use in academic situations only. An artist bio, while containing information similar to the artist résumé, is presented in a different format than the résumé. An artist bio is most often written in the third person and in paragraph form, and it highlights the information present on your résumé.
Artist Statements
Many artists are downright intimidated by the thought of writing an artist statement. We have all read too many bad artist statements. In addition, I think artists hear a lot of different advice when it comes to writing about their work. The best statements I have read are written by the artists themselves. Statements written by those with a commercial interest tend to be more marketing pieces than informative statements—which in certain situations is appropriate. So again, know your audience.
NYFA Interactive – New York Foundation for the Arts

ArtistsRegister.Com- artist directory for western states
As any craftsperson or avid collector will attest, there is something truly special about buying a piece of art that was carefully crafted by human hands. But being invited into the artist’s psyche, learning more about the work and its creator can make the experience even more remarkable
An artist’s statement can be your best marketing tool, yet it is the aspect of craft marketing that is most often overlooked.
A well-executed statement is far more useful than the conventional résumé that we have come to know and revere. In today’s competitive marketplace your artist’s statement can not only contribute to increased sales of your work, but also to increased validation and visibility in the world of crafts.

So this is an interesting development in the whole “gallery without walls” project:
—–Original Message—–
From: Available Space Art Project
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 9:44 AM
Subject: Re: Call for Artists ASAP: Gallery without walls in downtown Kitchener
Your paintings are installed at Queen St. yoga. I talked to the owner and she agreed to have more of your work in one of their studios. How many pieces do you have and when is a good time for you to bring them?
—–/Original Message—–
Nice. I followed up on this. It’s a big studio (OK, yoga centre), and they want 10 more pieces. Looks like I’ve got a whole show to myself. I’m going to be taking slide and digital photos this week, and I’ll get the paintings into presentable condition. Now, I just have to figure out how to get them all down there.
Wondering if I should also have an art opening or something? I should probably see what options I’ve got at the Yoga centre.