Angela Menzies Art

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Circus Freak

"We're not the pretty dogs.
The preened, puffed and witty dogs.
We're not the privileged elite.
We are the gritty dogs,
the sewer and the city dogs.
And we roam free on our feet."

David Smith White

"The Underdogs"

"Circus Freak"

18" x 29" acrylic and plaster on board

$450

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Unwind

"My heart is so tired"

Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

"Unwind" #1

24" x 24"

acrylic and paper on board

"Unwind" #2

24" x 24"

acrylic and paper on board

"Unwind" #3

24" x 24"

acrylic and paper on board

Last year I painted this series as a reflection on being overwhelmed, heartbroken and tired; on how important it is to take time for renewal, to unwind, to wake up and start again.

The original versions of these paintings had keys inserted into the women's back. I had intended for the keys to symbolize the process of winding down at the end of a long day. Unfortunately, time and again the paintings were misinterpreted as misogynistic, and my heart broke each time. I really wanted to stand behind the message of these paintings while still celebrating women. Last week I finally decided to paint over the keys and send these paintings back out into the world with a lighter heart.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Just Joe

"It's hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor."

Kate diCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie

"Just Joe"

detail from "Just Joe"

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Team "Fat Russell Crowe"

You heard me. I love a fat Russell Crowe. I've spent the majority of my art career celebrating women of all shapes and sizes. But what about men? Funny enough, hardly anyone has ever asked me about this. Maybe men don't worry about their physical appearance the way women do. Maybe. But as a mom of teen aged boys I've given it some thought. I worry they'll want the rock hard 6 pack abs being paraded about in the media by any boy older than 15. In a world where grotesquely shallow movies like "Magic Mike" are actually taken seriously I work against the system to make sure my boys know which character traits really matter as they are slowly making the journey towards manhood; and it sure as heck has nothing to do with how you look or someone else's definition of what beautiful is.

Over the years I have painted various portraits of my beautiful dad.

detail of "The God of Bullshit"(unplugged)

"The God Of Bullshit" (unplugged)

"The God of Bullshit"

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Mouse Kings

"Mouse Kings"

When I was pregnant with my first baby I worked as a nanny for two amazing little girls who ran around wearing t-shirts that said things like: "Girls Rule and Boys Drool!". I was immersed in an all girl world and all I wanted was someone to rock the Easy Bake Oven with. Then I was working out at the gym one day and a woman wandered past and said, "I hope it's a boy! "

I have two teen aged sons and I wouldn't change a thing. I mean, don't get me wrong. Boys do some pretty weird stuff. A "friend" of mine's 5 year old once launched a piece of lego from his springboard penis and it ricocheted off her forehead. It was a "shit just got real" mothering moment. But they are also going to tell you that you're the bestest mommy in the world, they will always want a hug and they will still call you mamma when they are 16 and towering over you. No wonder moms fall head over heels in love with their sons. They are the Kings of our hearts.

"Even bad men love their mammas."

Russel Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma

Matty's first portrait

"You Are My Sunshine"

Mason's first portrait

"Goodnight Growly Bear"

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Bringing It Back From The Dead

It's not all "winner winner chicken dinner" in the art studio. Sometimes you lose sight of your vision, other times you never had one in the first place, and sometimes... well, you just plain old f*#@ it up. You can re-prime a piece and call it a day; or if you're lucky, you can re-work a piece and bring it back from the dead.

I spent days labouring over the tedious detail of the layered background on this painting; only to discover that I hated it! It was just too contrived and static and lacked any heart. I was in no way motivated to even continue working on it.

The first thing I did was too cover the entire background in white, using a palette knife. Scary!

I have continued working this painting with paint, pencil, grease pencil and carbon paper. So far, I'm much happier with the energy of this version. I'm not quite finished yet, but I'm excited to continue scribbling, splattering, scratching, sanding and rubbing my way to the finish line. For me, that makes this painting a winner.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Renovation Sale

With a summer full of gallery shows going on and coming up, I can tell you that my studio walls are almost bare. This is always a good time to patch and paint the walls, move around the furniture and even buy some new furniture. So everything left has to go! I'm having a renovation sale via this blog, right now! Prices have been slashed by 50% or more. You can contact me directly at bdstudio@telus.net if you are interested in any of the listed artworks.

Okay, here we go:

I'll update the status of paintings as they are sold.

Paintings