Putting the “fun” in 2021
Greetings from Ottawa,
We are already halfway through January so it’s high time for a bit of Marion Aitken Art Update. To begin, I’d like to thank you all for your support of my artistic pursuits. Whether that means reading these newsletters, following me on social media, or telling your friends about my art, I’m super grateful for your interest and assistance!
While being a dark year globally, it was a very productive year for me artistically. In a nutshell, I painted 33 pieces (about 1,050 square feet), including 14 commissions. If you’d like a quick look at most of my 2020 work, check out my little video on YouTube.
Since so many art shows were cancelled in 2020, I only participated in 3. The first was a solo exhibition at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa, and due to Covid-19 lockdown, that one stretched on an extra six weeks. I had work hanging at the Rideau Sports Centre for a month as well, but due to the situation, I’m not sure anyone saw it as traffic inside the building was vastly limited. Finally the West Carleton Arts Society Expressions of Art Show made the leap to a virtual/online show. Kudos to the team, as it was a huge endeavor, albeit never the same as an in-person show.
In a similar vein, I tried something new as well, executing my first online art auction in November, with 15% of proceeds going to the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (RVWS). I was over the moon to see so much of my art head to “forever homes” and, to top it off I was delighted to be able to donate $250 to RVWS to continue their great work of helping orphaned and injured wildlife.
This year much is still unknown. I’ve decided I will endeavor to have another small online auction or two, likely in May and/or November. As time permits, I’ll continue to paint pieces for my “healthy lifestyle” body of work (see below).
Conquistador – 24″x24″
I’m enjoying creating a small series fungus paintings on round canvases as a fun (!) start to the year (see the first one below). In addition, I’ve got some interesting commissions on the table already. If you are looking for a custom painting to fit a special space in your place, look no further (see some past commissions here). You are always invited to shoot me a message to discuss your ideas.
Sunkissed Fungiss (8″ diameter) on left | Various art magnets (2.25″ diameter) on right
Finally, I at the end of the year, I invested in a fantastic piece of machinery that will allow me to create custom magnets of my art. They are 2.25” in diameter, are super strong, and can feature any detail from my paintings (see right image above). If you’re interested, just let me know and provide all the details.
I’ll keep you posted via these messages or you are welcome to follow me on social media (links in top navigation bar).
Stay healthy, keep seeking beauty, and hang in there!
Marion
