the fragrance separate to the flower.

2012-01-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

36" x 120"

charcoal on pico paper

more to come!

2011-12-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

here are some paintings i've been working on! please forgive the documentation, i took this photo with my cell phone. i broke my camera two weeks ago so i've been making due. i'll get some nicer photos in soon. :)

2011-11-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Fox is Black featured Trapshot Archives’ L’Anonyme today! Take a look under the cut - I’m really proud of these drawings and want to share them with everyone, meep!

2011-11-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

did a quick stint in the studio today! take a look, hope you like! also follow me on instagram, i upload progress photons like a madwoman: ealtosaar.

-e

2011-11-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post some updates because I've been getting flak for not posting enough. I assure you that I am busy, but that I'm trying my best to get things up as frequently as I can! It's not always easy! At any rate - these drawings are from a new series that I'm working on. The drawings are 3x10 feet, and they'll be suspended so that the drawing sits at its crease! Take a look, I'll post more photos as the series develops. :)

-e

ohaidere

2011-11-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

this is life right now.

process:

2011-10-23T21:20:00.001-07:00

structures

2011-10-18T00:49:00.000-07:00

2011-10-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

36"x48"
oil on canvas

2011-10-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

2011-10-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - I know I haven't been posting much WORK lately, mostly because I've been so busy with other projects and things (ie The Void, Trapshot Archives, Brown-Griffin, and commissions for publications internationally). I assure you - this will change! I AM still working, I'm just transitioning. I'll post some work soon. :)

-e

2011-09-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys - I’m going to be at the NYC Book Fair tomorrow at MoMA’s PS1 - come by! I’m going to be signing from 2-3pm! See you there, xx.

-e

bye bye ruby

2011-09-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

opening:

2011-08-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

if you live in toronto - come to this! it’s going to be a great time! the event is being sponsored by PBR, so in every sense - the more the merrier! here’s the link to the event on facebook! tell all your friends!

dem old things

2011-08-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

I finally caved and got a tumblr. You can follow me both here and there as I'll be synching my posts! Click the image above for redirection!

-e

coded

2011-08-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you guys haven't had a chance to - you should take a look at Brown Griffin's growing collection of independent zines and art books. Right now if you use the promotion code "ERIKA" you can get any and all of them for 20% off! Get your hands on L'Etranger (signed or unsigned) - the edition is limited and getting to the end of its run so catch it while you can!

x

giddy two shoes

2011-08-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little bit preemptive, but I have a new collection of drawings being published by Trapshot Archives, an independent press out of Toronto/Montreal. L'Anonyme is being published alongside books of fiction (by Ed McNamara), poetry (by Zoe Sharpe) and photography (by David Zilber) with covers designed by Toronto artist Liam Crockard. I'm really excited about the project so I decided to start talking about it immediately so please forgive me for being eager! The Toronto launch for it is looking to be late August/early September, and Montreal's should be soon to follow. Click here to read an early introduction and synopsis of all of the zines being published later this month. I will keep you updated with more information as I get it myself!

-e

super last minute but

2011-07-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

to anyone who lives in toronto:

doggy doodles

2011-06-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

I spent some time on my lunch break doodlin' in the park across the street from work. My fingers are itchy because I haven't had enough time to draw the way I'd like to! This just in: over the last two weeks I've worked 155 hours between my two jobs! Womp womppppp!

-e

l'Etranger

2011-06-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Trendocher and Jacklyn Warmington of Beaux Mondes get their hands on an issue of L'Etranger! Click here to read what they have to say!

(Also - kudos on documenting the work ladies! You did a much better job of it than I ever could!)

big applez

2011-05-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I spent some time in New York with talented people both in the gallery and out. I saw my collaboration with Brown Griffin, L'Etranger, at Opening Ceremony and Desert Island which was way too weird an experience. What was stranger (and equally as exciting!) was seeing Afterzine on the shelf at the Gagosian on Madison Ave!! Anyway - now I'm just bragging but I only do so because I'm really excited about it and I'm also very happy.

The above photos were taken by Andrew Meehan - click here to see his photostream! Ya ya moar moar!

Life updates? I need sleep, badly!

-e

casino mag

2011-05-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

CASINO Magazine is an annual publication printed in Montreal, and this year I was lucky enough to have work featured in it! Also - I want to apologize for posting so infrequently! I've been working two full time jobs given that it's the summer and I'm finding it a little bit difficult to maintain my blog. Push me to post and I will! Sorry sorry!

-e

buddybuddy

2011-05-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm working two jobs and 65 hours a week so I haven't had much posting time - I'm sorry! Lots of cuddle time, though. To make the days pass, you know.

Also! If you want to pick up a copy of L'Etranger and walk out with a copy, you can do that at Opening Ceremony (New York City), Desert Island (Brooklyn), and Skylight Books (Los Angeles). I just recently saw it on sale at both Opening Ceremony and Desert Island - out-of-body experience. I'm so happy Brown Griffin took me under their lil' wing. They're working on Afterzine pt. 2 right now, and from what I hear it's going to be stellar.

-e

mentions

2011-04-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd make a post about The Void: a project I've been involved with here in Montreal. Through the year, the magazine has picked up a lot of steam and we have our contributors to thank for the content, and our editorial staff for putting it together.
We've had the chance to feature written contributions by Emma Healy, Guillaume Morisette, Leesa Dean, Frankie Barnet, Julie Triganne, Rowan Cornell-Brown, Lexie Comeau, Rebecca Hiscott, Mathieu Boulet, Mike Saunders, Gleb Wilson, Jacob Spector, Alex Manseau, Olivia Wood, Anton Runkles, and Deragh Feran.
We've also received phenomenal visual contributions from Yuli Sato, Pier-Yves Larouche, Cora Woellenstein, Amanda Craig, Sara Maston, Ariana Sauder, Craig Spence, Mark Stroemich, Matthieu Bouchard, Johanna Torell, America Blasco, Matt Reichmann and Richard Muller.
Many thanks to them from our editorial staff: Cole Robertson (Editor Emeritus), Mike Chaulk (Editor-In-Chief), Jack Allen (Fiction Editor), Marie Jane (French Editor), Rob Mendonca (Nonfiction Editor), Aeron Machattie (Copy) and Kelly Hewitt, the production manager with whom I've been working with very closely. At any rate - we're optimistic about the upcoming school year and we feel privileged to have had the support of so many talented artists so I thought I'd extend many thanks and also invite you to take a look at the issues by clicking here. Our website is under construction so bear with us in the mean time!

-e.

trapshot archives:

2011-04-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

beyond working on l'etranger i've been working on trapshot archives. sneak peeks above, hopefully printing happens soon. i'll keep you updated - it'll be a smaller scale project with 200 vs. 500 copies, and it is in collaboration with my friend cora woellenstein. at any rate, stay tuned!

twitter.com/#!/traparchives
twitter.com/#!/ealtosaar

-e

L'Etranger

2011-04-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

some time ago i shared snippets of a printed project i was working on and it's finally finished, printed and ready to be seen! i'm really happy with it and hope you will be, too. click here to read more about l'etranger.

-e.

amanda

2011-04-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

we layered our drawings of children playing games and put them into mobiles where you were exposed intruding an intimate space. amanda's drawings were really succinct and detailed with a lot of information whereas mine looked like dust pulled across a sheet of paper, acting more like a protective layer than a second dimension to the drawing itself. we were exploring the ways in which children behave when adults are not around, and how 'shame' is expressed when they are caught playing games, making fun, or doing 'wrong'. view a video of the walkthrough by clicking here (forgive us for the dialogue - haha hysteria is kicking in because it's that time of year), and here to view more photographs of the installation itself.

-e.

multiple

2011-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

working from somebody else's source photographs is really interesting, actually. i'd never really given it much thought but the process becomes so much unlike your own despite treating the image in a similar fashion. these are some quick shots of the collaboration i'm doing with amanda craig - and most of the images were hers that she's found and catalogued. i felt really removed from the process and am actually really intrigued by the results! anyway, sneak peak for now and i'll have the final installation up by tuesday at the latest. see more by clicking here, and read updates here!

-e.

rivalry

2011-04-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

my friend amanda craig and i are collaborating and we are dealing with 'siblings'. it's going to be a full scale installation and our critique is monday. stay tuned!

also sorry for being negligent. it's been a horribly busy end of semester - i'm on paper 3/6 on top of my studio work. it's no excuse but i hope you understand!

-e.

wow hey,

2011-03-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

school is busy.

cam chord found:

2011-03-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

next on the list of things to acquire: better camera. click here to view 'high(er) res' image of the painting.

-e.

noooooo!

2011-03-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

GUYS I LOST MY CAMERA CHORD AND I AM SO SAD because I just finished a painting that I'm really happy with and wanted to share with you! I will make magic happen or get my hawk-eye on so as to find this chord and plug you with the good stuff once and for all!

In the mean time - check out my twitter account where i post twitpic updates all the time always of bits and pieces of paintings/drawings/things/snacks/lolz. see you dere?

-e.

encore plus

2011-03-18T00:15:00.000-07:00

again i have to apologize for being inactive on this thing - i've been working with the void magazine here in montreal as the art director and have also been busy working on a few drawing projects to come. one has just been printed and is called l'etranger - i'll be able to advertise it appropriately very soon! i'm really excited about it so i'm seriously looking forward to sharing some drawings with you. the image above is from my collaboration with cora woellenstein for trapshot archives. we're nearing completion on the project so i'll be able to give you clearer dates on the projects release as soon as i have more details. at any rate - i got twitter so you can see updates on drawings and paintings there while my blog is a little slower than it usually is!

(not to swamp you with any more links or anything but you can view a higher res version of this photo by clicking here)

still thinking about you all! x

-e

2011-03-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

drawing in process. ps i got a twitter account today so that i could post more shots like this from my phone because i've got a lot going on but nothing finalized that i can show you! so check it out so we can hear from each other more often! (also - i don't know how to use it and am kind of nervous about it so don't laugh ha)

-e

la gousse qui pousse

2011-03-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

i made huts. my friend amanda craig and i are going to collaborate for the last project of this term so expect drawings, forts, and other pretty creepy things. winter things by winter things.

anybody else getting cabin fever or does montreal have the last snow standing? at any rate, to see a high res click here!!

-e.

flesh is hard

2011-03-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

still learning how 2 paint it properlyyyyy (finally!)!!!

oh and btw - i finished that series of drawings and it's being packaged and ready to print into a journal that you can buy! more specific updates to come! what's important now is that i'm excited for it! i've also got a few paintings on the go right now, and believe it or not, paint is where i'm feeling most inspired right now. it's good.

-e

2011-02-15T08:21:00.001-08:00

looking at spaces as environments and examining full vs empty. i am so tired - phew. please click here to see the images in high resolution! okay okay okay.

-e.

meep

2011-02-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

checking in to say hello to everyone and also to confirm that i am working! final products are just harder to reach in the winter time, i suppose! joints don't move as quickly, etc. i'll bring you some painting progress photos tomorrow... i promise. see you then! in the mean time stay warm and be brave out there!! (i say so coming from montreal where there is a bank of snow 6 feet high outside my window and it has snowed every single day this month! brrrrrrrr)

-e.

update: i completely forgot to bring my camera so my cell phone will have to do yet again (srysrysrysry)! they go in hand with the update i showed you in this post. i feel like i can't show this one in full quite yet. it's not finished yet. it's challenging me.. and it is a good feeling to be challenged, only to learn from it. my prof said to me, when i admitted defeat to the painting of flesh, that it was refreshing hearing someone like me say, "i don't know how." so anyway, fingers crossed and full steam ahead.

more sneak peeks

2011-02-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm actually really happy with the direction this series took. Details about what happens to them are to come - I'm excited about their prospective project! In the mean time here's some stuff to look at and you'll hear from me soon!

-e.

Everything old is new:

2011-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

Brooke Manning's Old Quaterly is back after the success of its debut issue. The second issue is bound and packaged into three parts, and I'm really proud to say that Brooke has selected one of my drawings to put on the cover of part 3. The issue's theme is "vision" and comes with pullouts, colour pages, and vellum printed covers. They're being sold as a limited edition for $15 per bundle plus shipping. Click here to read more and to order!

-e.

In other news, I've officially signed on for a few projects in print - some already in the works and some upcoming. Among them is a collaboration for The Trapshot Archives - a small press founded here in Montreal, that releases volumes of short fiction, collections, and artist books.

I will keep you updated on release dates and any info I have when I get it myself! =] =] =]

Kruger

2011-01-19T09:36:00.001-08:00

"I'm also a body working within a particular space who is making work to further her own pleasure. And that pleasure means a certain investment in tolerances, in differences, in plenitudes, in sexualities and in pleasure rather than desire. Because desire only exists where pleasure is absent. And one could say that the wish for desire is the motor of a progress that can only efface the body."

knotty or -

2011-01-17T16:43:00.001-08:00

this was really hard to document but i've done my best! check out this video on flickr to get a better sense of the way they were displayed! they're suspended just high enough for a child to sit under it. do with that what you will!

-e.

ps: go here and read up on Trapshot Archives, a small press project that i've been asked to contribute to! i will keep you posted on details.

back2school,

2011-01-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

SRY 4 FOTO QUALITY BEING SO BAD! Hah, I took it with my cell phone and well - it shows!

-e.

ok!

2011-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

new year,

2011-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

new series. this one isn't about my gut. it's exciting and i'm curious to see where it goes. i've resorted to having a really productive year this year, so expect to hear much more from me.

-e.

ma armastan sind, vanaema.

2011-01-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

-e.

happy holidays, everyone! :)

2010-12-25T09:17:00.001-08:00

it's been a snuggly season but don't worry - i haven't stopped working! i just don't have a scanner at my parent's place so sharing doodles is a bit more difficult! anyway, i'm thinking of all of you today and about how as people who frequent and read my blog you've inspired me to continue working and to work harder! i just wanted to say thank you and i look forward to seeing you again in the new year!!!

-e.

i couldn't drink my mother's breast milk:

2010-12-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

she said i would spit it out like it had gone sour.

click here for higher-res photos and here for a video of the installation. the holes in the wall at school are tragic - bear with me! i know they would look better on a clean wall! i also don't know if it's worth mentioning, but disgust/laughter are appropriate reactions.

-e.

what wipes your milk?

2010-12-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

see larger documentation by clicking here.

muse:

2010-12-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

mothers.

-e.

belly buttons and menstrual cycles.

2010-11-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

click here to view a video of the installation with zoom-ins on the drawings. view larger works by going to my flickr photostream.

-e.

last minute advertising

2010-11-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Art for a good cause? Come out! I've also uploaded them to Flickr so you can see larger versions of them, :). Click here to see them in a larger format!

-e.

crunch time:

2010-11-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

school has a pretty tight hold on me right now. in turn though, i'm producing much more work. it's exhausting but not nearly a bad thing. the painting above is oil on polyester and it's 48"x52" (4 ft by 4 +abitft). click here to see a larger photo of it on flickr. i have to admit that it looks very different in person. the polyester is really transparent and because of how thinly the paint is applied you can even see the cross bar through the image. i thought i'd give painting on that surface a shot and i think i liked it. the image itself probably isn't something i'll re-visit, but it was fun to work with and to experiment with. below is an update on my bags. they're growing in numbers and hopefully getting stronger? they won't be displayed this close together, but it gives you an idea.

anyway - wish me luck getting through it!

-e.

3rd

2010-11-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

view on flickr by clicking here. i'm hoping to have about 20 of these bad boys.

-e.

putting stomach aches in paper bags:

2010-11-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

barf bags, lunch bags.. it's all the same in here. i made 'em myself.

-e.

stomach aches:

2010-11-19T13:52:00.001-08:00

my sketchbook makes me feel nauseous when i've seen too much of it. pew pew.

-e.

oh and ps: come to this.

if you go to my school, come to this!!

2010-11-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

list of contributors: Amanda Craig, Selina Doroshenko, Nicole Levac, Yuli Sato, Benita Whyte, and me. see you for a cup of tea and maybe some treats!

-e.

workings:

2010-11-14T07:35:00.000-08:00

underpainting to something i'm working on. you can't really tell in this photograph, but it's really 'milky' and translucent because i'm working on polyester. my subject looks like a ghost!

-e.

wearing thin

2010-11-12T07:39:00.001-08:00

this is a painting i'm 'finished' but probably not FINISHED. you can view a larger version of the image by clicking here, :). i'm trying different things with paint this year, the next two i'm working on are completely set apart from this one and i can only imagine that the painting after that will follow suit and take a step away from the three that precede it. i'm still learning how to paint, so it's all trial and error for now. i've been living by, "if it's not right... throw it out." believe it or not, it's strangely liberating. at any rate, here you have it. it's four by four feet and less red than this in person. i need a better camera or a friend with one.

-e.

finger stretches

2010-11-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

just keeping my hands moving whenever i have downtime. click here to view a larger image of this drawinggg.!

-e.

the question of scale:

2010-11-10T06:24:00.001-08:00

here are some quick sketches i've been working on for a collective project i've been developing. some of the drawings are comfortable being small, and others belong on 6 foot surfaces. i suppose the question i'll have in mind while i'm working on them is the impression; confrontational or intimate? my prof and i had a lengthy conversation yesterday about the language of scale and what it implies, forcing me to question the dialogue i'm having with my work and the dialogue its having with the viewer in turn. SCHOOL, phew. a learning experience.

-e.

consideration

2010-11-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

new series of drawings i'm working on on tracing paper. my sketchbook is finally hitting the mainstream because i'm becoming less afraid to show my work. i'm really sorry for the awful photo quality.. i only had my cell phone on hand (again). at any rate, better photos soon (probably when they're finished)!!

oh and also - if you go to my school.. i'm really sorry for monopolizing the corner! they'll start coming down soon, i promise. they are just really fragile atm.

-e.

afternoon shake up wake ups

2010-11-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

today we had a model session with edward burtynsky's landscapes projected onto the figure.. here are two rough sketches! click here and here to see them in higher resolution!

-e.

woops

2010-10-26T09:52:00.001-07:00

since i have nothing finished.. i thought i'd throw you more sneak peaks! i'll be the first to admit that i'm a little stumped right now.. but i'm working through it. it'll be good. oh and also, forgive me for feeding you cell phone pictures of my work.. i keep forgetting my camera at home!

-e.

friends:

2010-10-25T06:15:00.001-07:00

Why Was I Out There? from Fraser Munden on Vimeo.

Video by my friends Neil Rathbone and Fraser Munden, creators of Vaseline and Pepper. Stay tuned for more from this duo - they're talented and have an incredible aptness for storytelling and humor. At any rate.. enjoy the show!

-e.

process:

2010-10-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

working paintings from slides that my father took when positive film was fashionable. beyond looking through slides of his travels through south america and north africa, i've been particularly interested in his family shots and rolls. why? the women, the fish. there's something really humorous to me about it.. must be the baltic background.

-e.

(the women in the shots above are my mother and grandmother!)

i just needed colour in here.

2010-10-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

strange, i know. i have paint in my hair, permanently. little freckles of it all over.

-e.

a montreal advantage:

2010-10-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Every block is saturated with young talent. This is from a shoot I did with Montreal photographer Sara Traore. See more of her work by clicking here! ! !

-e.

dialogues and dichotomies:

2010-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

view a larger version of the drawing here! my blog layout doesn't give me much freedom with clarity! it's worth clicking to see because between the quality of the photograph and the limited space my layout offers me on blogger, you aren't left with much to work with! also, here is a preview for a painting i'm working on right now! i'm planning on having it finished for next week! fingers crossed..

at any rate, speak soon!

-e.

late nights at the studio starting now:

2010-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

if you see me roaming around montreal, chances are you'll see me vacant and drained. i woke up realizing how behind i am on all of my work and it's looking like a long ride ahead. good news is that the stress pushed some plans i'm eager to get working on into my head. time to stop rolling around and finally start getting my hands dirty!

-e.

"but your thoughts are clear-sighted, why are you sad?"

2010-10-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

i've graduated from vegetation and flora to fauna and limb. i'm also becoming increasingly more careful about spewing what my thought process in creation is because i feel that it establishes limitations in the reading of the piece. at any rate, let me know what you think.

view the larger image by clicking here!

-e.

fluorescent:

2010-10-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

building more light boxes. hands are now cramped and blistered! amazing! view larger here.

-e.

studio lockdown:

2010-09-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

my hand is cramped from cross hatching! owwiiiiiieeee!

-e.

snippets:

2010-09-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

i'm sorry for teasing. hints? i'm building lightboxes.

-e.

ps to see a quick, ten minute self portrait CLICK HERE to follow link to my flickr.

pose:

2010-09-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

It feels like it has been a while since I've uploaded an in-class exercise, so here you have it! This is a cropped view of a quick sitting with the model from class last night!

-e.

back2school:

2010-09-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

getting right in there with some rough sketches and loose ideas. expect to hear from me soon and more frequently!

-e.

Afterzine:

2010-09-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

As seen in 'Afterzine', curated by Hamish Robertson. The list of contributors is really well rounded and issues are only $10. Read more information by clicking here!

-e.

locals on locals:

2010-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

SANDMAN VIPER COMMAND - Jose Did You See? from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

-e.

moving sale:

2010-08-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

I've been glued to the city of Toronto this summer and it has actually been a prosperous season for me. I showed some work, sold some work, and made some work. It has inspired me to empty my inventory before I head back to school! If you're interested in any prints, watercolour works, inked works, paintings, or drawings, leave your email in a comment and I'll email you back but hold posting your email online. I want to see these in other environments but my own!

-e.

ball point, savvy?

2010-08-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

drawing people who don't want to be drawn. view the larger image by clicking here.

-e.

last night,

2010-08-06T04:28:00.001-07:00

i couldn't sleep because i was having bad dreams, so i drew a two minute self portrait. my sketchbook is a dreamcatcher and a record.

-e.

anonymous at milk thistle:

2010-07-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

I showcased these two paintings this past week at Function 13, a gallery/showroom in Toronto's Kensington Market. Like with any of my work, I recommend you click here to view a larger image of the photo on my flickr account! My friends Jackie Musial and Erin McPhee will be showing there next month, too! Anyway, my photos of the work in the space are less than impressive because my camera doesn't do so well with little light and my hand isn't so steady.. so below is a paraphrase of what they looked like on the wall. I hope a few of you got the chance to see them in person throughout the week that they were up! If not, I can promise you that it won't be my last time showing if I have any say!

-e.

working space:

2010-07-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

the only con to an outdoor studio? the heat. everything is melting, including my gloves!

how rude!

-e.

when i go to galleries:

2010-06-29T16:34:00.001-07:00

this is what i look like, leaving.

-e.

open air:

2010-06-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

i've been getting my hands dirty again. i'm working with my studio door (ahem, garage) open to all visitors, so if you're in the neighbourhood come by for some tea or some company (or both!).

-e.

sketches that stayed sketches:

2010-06-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

it's raining and i am nostalgic.

-e.

you know the drill on zooming. click here.

ghost child:

2010-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

i'm terrible with commissions. this is a rough idea and a fractured sketch. see a larger scan here.

-e.

read all about it!

2010-06-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

see you there!

-e.

sorry world,

2010-06-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy all I can think about on my time off is hiding in my duvet. In other news, I've been working on some side projects and commissions, and also - I'll be showing in Toronto at Function 13 on July 10th. I'll have drawings for you the next time we talk!

-e.

"Give me the 'Erika bun'"

2010-05-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've drawn her portrait, and now she's taken mine! My friend Johanna Torell is a photographer and she is supreme. See her work on her blog and on her website.

-e.

Where's Gustav?

2010-05-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I got started with this painting with a photograph sourced by Christine Rounds, but I took the subject into a different direction. Everyone asks, "Why the rat?" - the only answer I have to offer to you is that I miss my friend Cora and her rat Gustav. The painting itself is a little bit more red than it appears to be in the photograph? I need a better camera or a photographer willing to help me out!

View a larger image of the painting by clicking here!

-e.

off-shoots of what i've been working on

2010-05-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

and previews of works to come!

-e.

lean,

2010-05-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

i don't know what perspective is anymore.

-e.

click here to view the larger image.

summer:

2010-04-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

i set up a studio in my garage - may it be known to anyone in the GTA that they're welcome to come and paint with me. the space isn't big, but the environment is warm and the light is great when the sun's up. i'm currently painting from the above image, a photograph taken by Christine Rounds (see her portfolio here). i've really fallen in love with the headless portrait and i've asked two of my favourite photographers to collaborate with me on creating an extended series! once i get started i'll have more images to share with you!

-e.

ps i have allergies for the first time ever, and my head feels like a bowling ball. if you get allergies every year... my greatest sympathies are with you.

nyc, take me back.

2010-04-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

I was just in New York City to gallery hop and visit friends and make new acquaintances. if any of you are in New York this week or some time soon, the Marlene Dumas show at the Zwirner gallery is on until april 24th, Julie Mehretu's show at the Guggenheim starts may 14th, the William Kentridge show at the MoMA blew me away, and the Guggenheim's current show "Haunted" was excellent. The city's energy came at the right time, too! I have a few projects to start working on and I'm eager to get started. New Yorkers - you have no idea how lucky you are for belonging to that city!

-e.

rush job:

2010-04-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

i'm starting to realize how difficult oils are to photograph because of how shiny they are with my medium. it can't help that this was taken in my kitchen. anyway, the semester is over but i am bringing art supplies back home with me, and the goal is to keep working at the same pace over the summer! i don't have enough room for all of my canvases though so if anyone wants to buy or borrow... plzcontactme! note: buying is preferable - that way i can keep producing!

view larger image here!

-e.

academic hiatus:

2010-04-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

summer is on our doorstep.

-e.

guess who:

2010-03-31T14:41:00.001-07:00

i wanted to create a gendered identity without any literal indication of it. these are 3x4 feet and i'm finally teaching myself how to PAINT.

see larger images here!!

-e.

filtered.

2010-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

see the full series on my flickr.

-e.

studies:

2010-03-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

figurative studies for abstracted work to come! my critique is tomorrow so i'll be posting the final products very soon! here's one of nine to give you an idea of what to expect!

you can see an enlarged version of the above images on my flickr.

-e.