Monday, March 4, 2013

The Canal - Day ONE. March Painting Marathon

Day One - March Painting Marathon.

March 1st, 2013.  
 
Short Video of painting on location
 
 
 
The Canal. oil on canvas. 24 x 36 inches. March 1st. 2013. Price: $1500.
 
 
 close up of painting


close up of painting
 

close up of painting
 
 
 
Stages of the painting 

blank canvas - time to work 
 

photo of the location before starting 
 
 
starting the painting - earth tones, transparent pigments
 

 The weather changes so suddenly - sun behind a cloud
 
 
 detail comes out of chaos. 
 
 
 make a mess and clean it up
 
 




















March Painting Marathon - Day / Night Four - Live the Dream

March Painting Marathon - Day 4
 
 
Short Video taken on location around 3:30 am


Sunday Night... March 3rd. I was informed that Isabelle (my daughter / 9 1/2 years old) was sick.  A had a fever and was not feeling well. So she would not be going to school on Monday. 

One week on - one week off.  So this week is my week with my beautiful Isabelle.  So knowing that I would have to stay home and take care of her... Time to paint before she was dropped off at my place Monday morning. 

Sunday was a long long day. I had trouble sleeping the night before.  I only had 4 hours of sleep.  I woke up at 5:07 am Sunday. 

I painted a day painting. And was out on location the for the entire day.  I was very tired. The wind was starting to give me wind burn.  I had really pushed myself... so I was really looking forward to a good night sleep.  But then I find out Isabelle is sick. So being the intense individual that I am... time to get off my lazy boy ass and get to work.  That way I would stay on track with my March Painting Marathon, and be able to stay at home with Isabelle while she is off from school. 

I posted it on Facebook.  Called Patrick S. Greene.  He too was very tired. And had painted all day Sunday with me.  When I told him I was going out painting.  He said, "Sure why Not!". So I drove out to Bells Corner. And well the night was ours. 

We both were really focused and fully committed.  Not in the insane manner. But filled with passion and focus.  It was not really all that cold. It was only minus 9.  But we were both so locked in a creative zone that nothing mattered. 

The paint was so fuild. I used a fair amount of painting mediums... so that the paint would flow.  I had the Scream and Shout sound in my head by Will i am - Scream & Shout ft. Britney Spears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtGl1dX5qI 

So I was feeling pretty sexy.  I was dancing on the bridge.  I had a party inside my soul. I was a bird dying in the night. Everything was falling into the canvas. I touch the canvas like a lover, a killer. I was fucking a suicide bomber. Everything was working. I was pure. I am Pure. I am ... Me.  And I have so alive. It was a dream. Buy Sexy Art.

Now I go watch movies and hang out with Isabelle all day.  Life is a Dream.

Live Love Art -

Patrick


ww.PatrickJohnMills.com


Sussex Drive. oil on canvas. 48 x 53 inches. March 4th 2013. Price: $2400.
Patrick John Mills
 
 



Stages of the Painting:


 Before you start - your mind has to be so focused
 

 The paint was so smooth... I knew that I was going to get something special. 
I was just so connected... everything fell in the night. 
Everything felt correct. 
I was thinking of Franz Kline
 
Franz Jozef Kline (May 23, 1910 – May 13, 1962) was an American painter mainly associated with the abstract expressionist movement centered around New York in the 1940s and 1950s
 
 
Create and Destroy... the process of making a painting breathe. 
 
 
Starting to add the forms
 

 

Starting to add the bones, the structure to the form. 
 
 
Keep pushing and moving the lines and forms.
Can not worry if it does not work... it will work.
 
 
 
Here is my studio... hahaha  All or nothing.  Love it.
 

 Here is Patrick S. Greene working on his painting.
 
 
Finished painting
Sussex Drive (Night). oil on canvas. 48 x 53 inches. March 4th. Price $2400.
 

 
photo of painting against a brick wall... natural light.
 
Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 

Close up of painting
 
 
Sussex Drive (French: Promenade Sussex) is a major street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's major ceremonial and institutional routes.
Running roughly parallel to the Ottawa River, Sussex Drive begins at Rideau Street at the north end of Colonel By Drive, running north and then bending northeast until MacKay Street, where it becomes the Rockcliffe Parkway.
Sussex is a particularly famous street in the capital, as it is home to the Prime Minister's residence at 24 Sussex Drive and home to the Governor General's residence at Rideau Hall. Also located on Sussex are Ottawa's former city hall on Green Island, which includes the Karsh-Masson Gallery, and a number of prominent embassies such as those of France, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

The Canal - Day Three.. Plein Air painting

March Painting Marathon - Day Three
 
 
A short video of painting (Day Three)
The Canal. oil on canvas. 24 x 36 inches. March 3rd. Price: $1500
Patrick John Mills
 
 
Wish to share the stages of the painting.
The weather changed dramatically over the day. 
 

 
process of painting - stages
 

process of painting - stage
 

process of painting - stage
 

process of painting - stage
 

process of painting - stage
 

process of painting - stage
 

process of painting - stage
 
 

process of painting - stage
 

Finished painting
The Canal (day three). oil on canvas. 24 x 36 inches. March 3rd. Price: $1500
 
 
close up of painting
 
 
close up of painting
 

photo of painting on location at end of day
 

close up of painting
 

 
The Canal (Day Three). oil on canvas. 24 x 36 inches. March 3rd. 2013. Price: $1500
 
 
 
Live Love Art
 
Patrick John Mills
 
 
 


Saturday, March 2, 2013

The Canal - Day Two - March Painting Marathon. Patrick John Mills

March 2nd, 2013.
 
March Painting Marathon 
 
The Canal. oil on canvas. 38 x 78 inches. Price available upon request.
 
 
I wanted to document the process of this canvas.  So I took a few photos of the process. 
 
It snowed a little, and my camera got too cold that it failed to work for a peroid of time. 
 

 
Starting the painting
 

Working on the painting
 

 another stage of working on the painting
 

 working on the painting - process... (close up)
I like to keep the painting moving, loose, free, so that the painting is a painting. 
The forms can move around and movement moves.


 working on the painting - process... (close up) 


  working on the painting - process... (close up)
putting in the transparent pigments to build layers.
 

working on the painting - process - scraping with large palette knife
 
 I took a large drywall palette knife to scrap the painting. 
This helps free up the painting. Removes some of the paint to allow the under layers to breathe more.
I have learnt that you need to destroy to create. 
Sometimes you have to crack an egg to give birth to something beautiful.
 

It started to get dark... snow came for a little time.
My camera got too cold.  So I could not take more photos for a while.. .sorry..
.
.
.
 
here is the finished work
photo taken on location
 

The Canal. oil on canvas. 38 x 78 inches. March 2nd (Day Two), 2013.
 

close up of finished painting

close up of finished painting
 

close up of finished painting
 

 close up of finished painting
 

close up of finished painting
 
 
 
 
here is a video taken on location - I take about the painting.
 
Live Love Art
Patrick
 
 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Update - Live Love Art

Last night I attended the Artistika :  Love Art Party

I LOVE YOU


So many individuals were asking me, "Patrick, what is happening with the gallery?"


Well, here is the update. 


Last June 2012. The City of Ottawa forced me to shut due to zoning issues. Well. they did not force me to shut. But they said that I must operate my at home business within the guidelines.  Essentially that meant only ONE person attending my home at a time.  And if they received a complaint I would not get a warning, but rather I would be fined from the Province ($5,000 - $10,000).  They were very clear.  I could not host events.  Not even have Let's Talk Art (20 or so people listening to an artist present their work), I could not have Theatre Nights inside the gallery, no more art openings, and hell, no more art parties. 

So I closed the gallery. I took 5 - 6 days off to absorb the news. And then I started to renovate my home into a duplex. The 3,700 square foot property was not something I could afford to live in.  Having the gallery close... meant I lost my job.  I lost my business.  It was really hard news.  I knew I had to move forward. And fast.... I spent $15,000 on materials at Home Depot, built a bathroom, kitchen, and converted the gallery into a rental unit.  So I worked for 2 1/2 months.  And a tenant moved on September 1st.

Stage One - convert property into duplex.  Rented.   Done.

Next I had to earn money.  I was really broke.  Spending all that money to convert by home into a duplex, Work for basically 3 months with no income.  My Mother sent me $5,000 as a gift. And that was very kind. Still I was really screwed.  Thank you Art.... I managed to sell some paintings.  I sold some paintings overseas, some United States, and a couple here in Ottawa.   

I was still pretty broke. I lost my business. I had not worked a full time job in 15 plus years, not worked for anyone but myself for 10 years. I have not had a job... but I work.  I work very hard. My life was in more crisis... My marriage was broken. At that time we had been separated for over a year. And my ex-wife called the banks. It was time to apply to assume the mortgages. Really bad timing. And it was extremely stressful. I was in a position of extreme vulnerability. I might be forced,  if declined... might be forced to sell my home. So I had to get all my taxes, mortgage application together.

It took another 3 months to have all the paper work from the banks and lawyers signed and approved. I was approved for both my Hinchey property (gallery), and my rental investment property down the street (where my studio is).  Not really sure how I how I managed this without a job. But with all the equity, my high credit score, and the four rental incomes. Well, I got the green light. 

Stage Two - both properties titles and mortgages were transfered into my name.  Done.

Stage Three  - settle the separation agreement (19 months) and file the divorce papers.  Done.

Stage Four -  apply to the City of Ottawa to demolish a section of my property.   Done.

Stage Five - list on MLS Lot 145  for Sale - Done

Stage Six - I have to apply to the City of Ottawa to sever my Hinchey property. The lot is a double lot.  66 x 100 feet.  So I have to apply to the Committee of Adjustments to divide the lots. So next week I will be calling a surveyor, lawyers, and proceeding.... Moving Forward.
Sage Seven  - Andrew (future bussiness partner) and I have been meeting for the past month to discuss and develop the business model, permitts, vision of the gallery.  We have a specific location in mind.... Moving Forward.

In short... It is taking some time...everything is moving forward.  The last year and a half has not been easy.  I have had some deep sadness.  But my heart is on fire... and I am so passionate about the future. 

Currently, I am painting. 

Next month. I am doing March Painting Marathon

I am enjoying the time off from the gallery. Well at least that is what I say to myself.  It is nice to have a break from putting up thousands of posters. 

I anticipate being in a position to purchase a new location in about one year.  I just have to sell my Lot. I am prepared to also sell my investment property down the street.  Fuck it... Life is short... I want to Dream Big.  And if it all falls apart... I can say... Wow.  That was a Great. But this time I will talk to the City, my lawyer, and experts in the field. Keep Smiling.

Live Love Art

Patrick