Paper Cone Wreath

Just finished making the paper cone wreath for my table at the Rose Theatre Winter Art and Craft Sale on NOVEMBER 20, 2010. It will go on the front along with some over sized pearl garlands. If you look closely you will spot excerpts on Robin Hood...thats because I used the pages from an old Robin Hood book....they were beautifully yellowed with age, with rough edges and soft like blotting paper. Hope to y'all there! 

Christmas in Paris

'Christmas in Paris' Tags 

My 'Christmas in Paris' series............stamped and embellished with a beautiful glitter sticker......they sparkle so beautifully. Still to put the ribbons on them....maybe tomorrow. Listening to Harry Connick Jr's album When My Heart Finds Christmas....love Big Band music. 

A shout out to the Little Tweeze for helping me with affixing the stickers...you the best! 

Gift Tags - Flora & Fauna series

Gift Tags
Handmade by Lynda D'Souza 

Still working on the tags and thought I would post pics of some of them. The show is in exactly 5 days and I am terribly excited.......don't forget people.....November 20, 2010 at the Rose Theatre for the Winter Art & Craft Festival. Got my table site today and I will be located in studio 2 which is nice as it is near the snack bar!!! 

This series I call the 'Flora & Fauna' series. They have a post card look to it and embellished with pics from a vintage Nature book. I will put the ribbons on them later in the week. 

I am also taking advance orders and will ship to anywhere required. Just email me at 70popes@gmail.com. 

Factory Line

Been busy making the tags for the Winter Festival show on November 20 at the Rose Theatre and I have set up a factory line of sorts in my studio. Just a long table laid out with my stamps and embellishments so everything is at a hand's reach. I have been busy at work everyday and all day. Coach is very bothered by it and most times he will patiently wait for me to take a break and play with him, and most other times he will jump onto the armchair in front of my work table and call out to me......like this!! and he won`t leave until I do!

 "So where's the ball?" says Coach

My work surface with my current series in progress...`Vintage Bugs`...I think they are my favorite so far!

My work surface showing current tag series being created.

Bargue drawing

A quick update on my Bargue drawing...after completing stage 1 construct and stage 2 articulation, I then transferred the drawing to 'good' paper and proceeded to stage 3 contour. In this stage I had to match the values within the shadows paying close attention to the shapes. The last stage 4 rendering will be where I copy the fine details...outline of the eyes, soft edges, etc. I learned much about the 'bed bug' line and how it is darker just before it reaches the edge of the shadow. The school really trains our eye to 'see' things better......shapes...... curves...edges.

And on a funny note I realized I need reading glasses. I could not see a particular shape within the copy thinking the image is too pixelated and thats why I could not make out the shape. After asking a colleague if she could see it clearly (she looked at me very strangely) and she could see it perfectly....she then told me I need reading glasses either 1.75 or 2.00.

And all this time I thought they did a bad job of photocopying!!

Artist of the Month - Lynda D'Souza

I was featured as Artist of the month on the Facebook group ARTists for ARTists led by the lovely Cat Salter. The group was started by Cat and you can see some of her work here. She is very generous in giving us artists this exposure - eternally grateful Cat !!

Cathryn Smith November 4 at 4:41pm Reply • Report

Dear all

I hope you are enjoying the monthly Featured Artists. I am really enjoying reading about other artists experiences and inspirations. One of Lynda's paintings has been used for the groups avatar for this month. This months ARTists supporting ARTists is featuring LYNDA D'SOUZA. I hope you enjoy her lovely oil paintings: -

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Lynda D’Souza is an oil painter who aims to capture the essence of the subject while interpreting it in a more impressionistic style.

Lynda has been making art in different forms for the last 15 years. Faux wall finishes, stained glass painting, mosaics, ceramic painting and murals are some of the media she has sampled. In a professional capacity she has designed exhibition stands, corporate backdrops and even designed high fashion garments. 10 years ago her husband gifted her a canvas and box of oil paints on the birth of her first daughter and she hasn’t stopped creating original art since. Lynda has a passion for all things vintage, fashion related and portraits, and this is reflected in her choice of subjects. Her vast travels have influenced her perception of the world and she strives to bring out the beauty of her subjects......even if it is a simple ‘teapot’.

Her original oil paintings can be found in private collections in USA, Netherlands, Australia and India. Her works can be found on Etsy and on her blog.

Lynda was born in Mumbai, India after which she moved with her parents to Qatar and then Dubai, where she briefly worked in an Ad agency before her curiosity led her down the corporate route. Her job led her from Dubai to Bahrain and she now resides in Brampton, Ontario.

She has completed a degree in Psychology from the University of Bombay and a post grad diploma in General Management from the Leicester University, United Kingdom. After 20 years in the corporate world Lynda decided to pursue her Fine Art studies full time and quit her management job in September 2010. She is currently studying at the Academy of Realist Art (ARA), Toronto completing a 2 year program modeled on the 19th century European academies. She is living her dream...making her art....being among like minded souls and giving her full attention to her family. She encourages everyone to follow their dreams ‘now’ and seek to make yourself happy first.

“Not only can we create art, art creates us”

Maria Eskenasy

Lynda D'Souza

Shop me: www.70popes.etsy.com

Browse me: www.70popes.blogspot.com

Friend me: www.facebook.com/lynda.dsouza

Mail me: lynda.dsouza@gmail.com

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If you would like your painting or creative efforts featured on the group, then please upload some of your work so we can see it.http://www.catsalter.co.uk/catsalter.co.uk/index.htm

Rose Theatre Winter Arts & Crafts Festival

This year I have taken a booth at the Rose Theatre Winter Arts & Crafts Festival and will be be selling my original oil paintings, prints and tags. I am very excited about this event as over a 1,000 people attend it and the other vendors are very talented. D is making a three tiered stand for my art and I am still looking for something to display the tags in. If you see two very exuberant girls handing out my bookmarks those are my two girls.......indulge them please !!

If you have nothing planned for Saturday then do drop by the Rose Theatre on November 20, 2010 from 9 - 4pm. I look forward to seeing you there.

STAR Portraits on Bravo TV CA

Since some of the artists on the reality show Star Portraits are from my art school I have been watching the series and am quite fascinated by the talent in Canada. I like that the show invites different kinds of artists ranging for oil painters, water colorists to encaustic artists, etc. One of my favorite paintings was of Gordon Pinsent done by artist Jim Bourke in wax medium (encaustic) and I love how the background color is repeated in the face, the impressionistic quality of the work and the bright colors....simply superb.

If you are a lover of the arts you will enjoy the show.

Halloween Nite

It was cold last night but that didn't stop our girls from going round trick or treating. My older one dressed up as Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and we picked up her blouse and vest from Value Village. The pants and scarves/hat we had at home. I put braids in her hair and hung some beaded bracelets alongside the braids then blackened her eyes with kajal. The younger one wanted to go as Frankenstein so we got her an over sized jacket and ripped the sleeves and pockets. One of her old jersey pants were ripped at the bottom and she wore her father's shoes for effect. The bolt was split and hot glued to a narrow black hair band. I think I got a bit carried away with her makeup. Total outfits cost - $10 - good old Value Village! However I would not recommend going there on the eve of Halloween - everyone else decided to check it out too...it was packed.

Hope y'all had a spooky Halloween.....

Etsy Shop - ( 23rd / 1st )

Another shop that caught my eye was "23rd / 1st" run by Ms Meg who hand makes these gorgeous clutches and below I have featured two of my absolute favorites. Did you realize it's only 8 weeks to Christmas.....the shopping frenzy starts!

Click HERE to see the previous shops I have featured on my blog. I hope this is helping you with your Christmas shopping...I know how crazy that gets closer to the date.

Spooky Frontdoor

As mentioned earlier the girls finally completed the cut out bats and we fixed them to the front entrance along with the spider on the mailbox. They were so thrilled with their efforts...today we carve the pumpkins.....although I think we are late no?

The wreaths were simple ones with black leaves and skulls that we picked up at 'No Frills'. I like symmetry (almost to an anal extent) and every season we put up wreaths correlating to the season.

Click here to see what we did last year for Halloween decor in our home.

Painting was featured in Etsy Treasury for the 6th time

This is terribly exciting...Butternut Squash proves to be a favorite (for the second time) as it has been featured in another Etsy treasury taking my total features count to SIX ! yay! Thank you to the lovely Ms Tina from 123Pants for including my artwork in her treasury. Tina makes beautiful handmade cards using Sharpei markers and watercolors - please drop by her shop to see her beautiful creations.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION

What is an ETSY TREASURY? 
The Treasury is an etsy member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just whoever they like.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FIRST COLLECTION THIS PAINTING WAS FEATURED IN 

CLICK HERE TO BUY

What would you say to an artist just starting out?

What would you say to an artist just starting out?

Build up your self esteem to the level that might seem unwarranted. This will help you ignore both positive and negative responses to your paintings. Both are usually misguided, since they come from the outside. Be your most severe and devastating critic, while never doubting that you are the best thing since sliced bread. ~Alex Kanevsky


Alex Kanevsky is one of my favorite artists and often times I find myself going to his blog and spending hours staring at the layers within the layers. I am very drawn to impressionistic art and his work is like a cross between graphic + abstract + impressionistic. His website shows how he develops his paintings and it appears to change with each layer. So much confidence in every brush stroke. 

Lab Style Decor

Via the 'Oh Hello Friend: You Are Loved' blog

I used to love bright colors....spices...you know rust reds, coral, ochres but in the last 5 years my taste has completely changed and I want everything white, white, white! White floors, white ceilings, white walls and strong pieces of furniture that make a statement against the white. The kind of furniture I am drawn towards is laboratory style...metal tables, rack style shelving, rusted lamps, salvaged wood and anything that has an industrial look to it.

So my D has been working hard to grant me my wish. He has been breaking his back removing the popcorn from the living room ceiling (I don't know why he hasn't given up yet?), ripping up the carpet, then he will install new crown moldings & baseboards and finally will paint the hall a beautiful decorator's white. We are trying out the whites and while we tested Benjamin Moore's Decorators White in 5 patches we found it not as brilliant white as BM's Polar Bear.

Then the hunt for the furniture starts - this is my favorite part.....scouring antique stores and vintage malls for just the right pieces. The above pics kind of tell the look I am going for....only thing missing is my art. Watch this space for pics of the finished room!

Abigail Breslin - part 3

Title: Abigail

Oil on canvas

12 x 12 inches

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Completed the painting today and just added the bling on the eyes (the glints in the pupils) - I love doing that....like a cherry topping on a  beautiful cake. I hope you enjoy looking at her as much as I did painting it.


I was drawn to this picture as I loved the concept...the black dress, black flowers in her hair and Abigail's strong features. She is such a pleasure to watch in the movie "Little Miss Sunshine".

Tags - Gift Labels

GIFT LABELS - TAGS

A number of people enquired about the tags I sold at the X'mas Bazaar yesterday so I have attached a pic above. I use them when gifting a bottle of wine to the hostess with my personal message on the back. Since each one is stamped, embossed and embellished by moi it always goes down well with them (and then it doesn't matter if I get inebriated at the party!) There are still 40 remaining and if you are interested do drop me a line on my facebook or my blog. They are going at 6 tags for $10 or one for $2.

Makes a nice gift tag for X'mas gifts too.

A Hint Of Spring - SOLD

Title: A Hint Of Spring

Oil on hard board

7 x 7 

SOLD

Thank you to the wonderful people of AT&T for being so appreciative and generous of my artwork. I wish all of you luck in your $$ goal towards the charity. What a superb effort from everyone!! 

Christmas Bazaar

I was invited as a vendor to the AT & T Global Services Canada Co Christmas Bazaar in support of United Way York Region. It was my first such experience and I had a great time. It was wonderful interacting with the people, explaining my art and finding out more about their choices. I took along all the handmade tags and my oil + watercolor paintings and prints. It was well worth the effort as I managed to sell 60 of the 100 handmade tags as well as a painting. I had gone with no great expectations as it was my first sale but from expecting nothing me thinks we came away with alot.

A shout out to my friend Eva for inviting me.......thank you Eva! Hope you guys do it again next year.

Etsy shop - Brigite

As I mentioned earlier, every week I will feature one of my favorite shops on ETSY giving you great ideas for Xmas gift shopping. This is BRIGITE and she makes the most gorgeous felt flowers by hand. I have a huge weakness for all things made of felt, and felt flowers are such an easy way to dress up a denim jacket or sweater. The above three are my favorite with the cinnamon one being top of the list. 

Adam - 12 x 12 gallery canvas

Title: Adam

Oil on canvas

12 x 12 inches

CLICK HERE TO BUY

This painting was done from another pic from the Urban Weeds blog, Lisa really takes good pictures. I was drawn to this photograph as he had quirky glasses and I loved the beret. Just realized this is my second painting of a guy in a beret.....whats with me and berets! 

At school, after weeks of working on the cast drawing on rough paper I finally transferred it to good paper and will be working on the rendering this wednesday. I missed last mondays class due to Thanksgiving and that has put me behind my class - not liking it. Anyways I plan to go in for an extra class this week to make up.