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August 12, 2010 11:09 pm

Wedding Reception in Wolfville

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by Sharon    in art,canada,commentary,fog,lack of room to paint,live painting,low light,music,nova scotia,painting in the dark,reception,sharon hodgson,wedding,wolfville


“Wedding Reception in Wolfville” – Live painting in 3 hours on a 3×4′ canvas. 2010

Now this was an adventure. Not only was it the third live painting of the day…

Somewhere in between Halifax and Wolfville I managed to get myself lost. I panicked a moment, then got back in that car and found my way to the party.

I set up a giant 3×4′ canvas with no real genuine room to paint, but I made do. (I always do – if the Powers That Be for any given space will let me in…)

It was at a private home under a tent in the yard. There was a fireworks show outside the tent while I was setting up, so I painted those in early in the piece creation. There was a live band moments after that. People were just starting to dance! Soon there was wild happy dancing in front of me. The day had a thirties gangster theme, so everyone was dressed in fedoras and vintage attire. Fun.

The floor was bouncing up and down from people’s dance steps, and the mist of the night threatening to spoil my live painting fun (like it tried to do at the Halifax Jazz Festival.) It’s moments like that where the experience of painting in different settings and locations throws unexpected challenges into the process of creating the art… and it makes me feel just a little nuts for doing it. But I think secretly (or not so secretly) I cherish those moments.

I tried to capture the dance party that happened on one side of the tent vs the quiet of the wedding tables and settings left from earlier on. I think that the guests were overwhelmingly having a grand time. I hope that the wedding couple enjoy the resulting artwork.

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10:17 pm

Pride Week at the CoHo

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by Sharon    in art,artist feature,available for sale,canada,canadian,company house,halifax,halifax pride,live painting,low light,north end,nova scotia,painting in the dark,people mingling,sharon hodgson,the company house


“CoHo” - live painting in 3 hrs on two 20×20″ panels. July, 2010

This is a live painting I did at the Company House a few weeks ago during Pride Week. I actually snuck myself into the back of the bar in my “usual” spot and did this two panel piece on 20×20″ canvases, trying to capture the vibe of the CoHo. I would very much like to sell this work in support of a Pride-related group, and am currently finding out if the trans group that was there would like the work for that purpose. If you are someone I should talk to in regards to this… please contact me!

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August 3, 2010 2:07 pm

H’Sao – Halifax Jazz Festival

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by Sharon    in art,canada,canadian,challenge,commentary,fog,h'sao,halifax,jazz,jazz east,jazz festival,light,live painting,low light,matt semansky,mist,news,painting,painting in the dark,sharon hodgson,td canada trust,thecoast,wet paint

“H’Sao” - Live painted on 30×40 canvas in 3.5 hours at the Halifax Jazz Festival. 80% of the proceeds of this work went towards Jazz East.

Now this work was a challenge! I set up on my cute little stage with my duct-tape secured chair (see last entry) and easel ready to paint the show on a giant 30×40″ canvas, and then I encountered something I haven’t contended with while painting indoor events – fog! A 30×40″ sized canvas to be painted in a bit over three hours.

Thank goodness the Jazz Festival volunteers let me use this rusty trusty flashlight to see the canvas!!

In fog!!! I must be out of my mind. If you ever wonder if I am thinking such things to myself when I set up to paint places while things are going on around me, well yes… sometimes I do think that… because oh my goodness! Does the paint ever work differently when you paint in mist!! Someone was kind enough to take a picture of me with my flashlight working hard on this piece despite my frustrations with the drying time. I understood why they took the picture afterwards when I wasn’t busy struggling with the weather.

The paint I use is acrylic and therefore it’s water-based. The fine water in the air prevents the paint from drying… so I could rework a section of colour an hour and a half after initially laying it down initially. You know sometimes people ask me if the paint I’m using is oils and I tell them that would be impossible because it takes a few weeks for oil paintings to dry. Well, that night I felt like I was live painting in oils! [Kids, don't try this at home - leave it to the pros!!]

This work has a slightly different feel from my other works in that the colours (at least to me) have a feel of being put on the canvas all wet at the same time.

TD representatives were present to host this night’s event. We’re all glad to have their support in order to make these festivals take place. The TD colours and logos and such were stronger in this work than even the night before. Then at the end of the night, the bank said they’d buy this painting. I wonder if it will go up in a branch in Halifax, or what banks do with artwork they purchase?

H’Sao were nice people as well as good performers. They came up and talked to me after they performed to see how the painting of their performance turned out. They seemed appreciative of it. It makes me happy when performers like seeing themselves in the completed painting.

Matt Semansky – a blogger from The Coast snapped a picture of my paint in progress and quoted me when I talked about the nature of painting in foggy weather. (If you live in the maritimes, it is pretty normal. It’s foggy every other day, really.) the Coast blog entry is here.

There’s one more jazz festival painting to blog in this set of four, then there are other events I’ve done since that I still haven’t told you about. [Yes I keep busy these days!!]

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1:35 pm

Gypsophilia – Halifax Jazz Festival

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by Sharon    in art,canada,canadian,commentary,festival,funny,gypsophilia,gypsy,halifax,jazz,jazz east,jazz festival,live painting,low light,news,nova scotia,outdoor painting,painting in the dark,sharon hodgson

“Gypsophilia at the Halifax Jazz Festival 2010″ – 70×90 cm stretched canvas. 2010. 80% of proceeds went to Jazz East.

The second show I painted at the Halifax Jazz Festival this year was Gypsophilia, which played Jewish gypsy-inspired music. The tone of the performance and night was different from the first, with people actually getting up to join hands and dance together in unison at the front. (Which I captured in the work.) If you look at the painting image above, the word “Jazz” is hidden in the people dancing. This piece has quite a bit of the TD greens ebbing into different sections of the work. (TD was the major sponsor for the festival.)

I was on the other side of the big tent this time, and the Jazz Festival organizers gave me a small stage to set up upon. I was thrilled to have my own stage! While I was getting set up for the show, I sat down in my chair (which had one leg too far back on the stage) and promptly fell backwards with my dress flying up – oops!!

“Are you alright?” someone asked.

“Oh, I’m so embarrassed!” I replied, to which everyone who had noticed my fall looked away in unison. [Nothing was injured but my pride. I just think it's too funny.]

A kind volunteer for the Jazz Festival came to my rescue with duct tape, and we taped that troublesome chair to the stage. (Seriously… and he taped down my chair the following two nights I painted the Jazz Fest as well! Thank goodness for the Jazz Festival volunteers! They really pulled the festival together… or in this case taped it together.) Then I did what I normally do – I threw myself into painting because the thing doesn’t paint itself. (Not quite…)

Someone from the Herald took a photo of me while I was working on the piece.

It ended up on the Dartmouth Community Herald soon after the Jazz Festival, and a friend sent me the above.

As it got dark, I rendered the work with flashlight in one hand and paint brush in the other as I did during the other night.

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12:53 pm

NS Mass Choir – Halifax Jazz Festival

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by Sharon    in art,halifax,jazz,jazz east,jazz festival,live painting,low light,molly johnson,new paintings,nova scotia,ns mass choir,outdoor painting,painting in the dark,woody woods

Live painted on 70x90cm canvas in 3 hrs at the Halifax Jazz Festival. 80% of proceeds went towards Jazz East.
The NS Mass Choir performing with Woody Woods, followed by Molly Johnson (in the orange dress).

I am getting behind in blogging about art again. [This happens when I get busy... plus my site was down for a week.]

I had a fantastic time painting at the Halifax Jazz Festival. It was my first time painting this event, and they stuck me under the big tent on Spring Garden Rd. near Dalhousie. (This was incidentally the last year that the jazz fest will be held at that location. More on that later.)

The NS Mass Choir made you want to dance! It was impossible to NOT tap my foot and sway to their lively gospel tunes as I painted my piece.

For this my first painting at the Jazz festival on Tuesday – I was situated on the left side of the tent. I realized when the painting was half done that I was going to have an impossible time finishing it without light. Yes, that’s right… the sun sets on live painters and musicians and artists alike at the end of the day. Fortunately, the kind volunteers of the Jazz Fest had a flashlight I could borrow. I continued on with a brush in one hand and an orange flashlight in the other.

After the NS Mass Choir, I painted in Molly Johnson when she wandered onto the stage in her pretty orange dress. She sounds very much like Billie Holiday and I now understand the frequent comparisons. Her intermittent funny comments about her “six dollar shoes” made the crowd warm up to her easily. Fantastic performance. I was honoured to have the chance to paint this.

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June 16, 2010 7:20 pm

Back to Cohen – Cliff Le Jeune

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by Sharon    in back to cohen,blue engine string quartet,canadian,cliff le jeune,color,colour,commentary,company house,lack of room to paint,leonard cohen,lisa st. clair,live painting,low light,new paintings,sharon hodgson,the company house

“Back to Cohen -- Cliff Le Jeune and the Blue Engine String Quartet, arranged by Lisa St. Clair.” June 12, 2010. 3x4′ canvas in 3 hrs.

“Back to Cohen -- Cliff Le Jeune and the Blue Engine String Quartet, arranged by Lisa St. Clair.” June 13, 2010. 3x4′ canvas in 3 hrs.

Two nights of Cohen. Two canvases, each 3x4′ in size. I sat in the same spot both nights. These works were each completed in around three hours.

I hadn’t painted in the Company House for a month, and there was a Leonard Cohen tribute there on the weekend. I couldn’t miss that. The show featured vocals by Cliff Le Jeune, with musical accompaniment by the Blue Engine String Quartet, arranged by Lisa St. Clair. (Two videos of their combined work below…)

Cliff Le Jeune + the quartet performing Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen

Cliff Le Jeune + the quartet performing Take This Waltz by Leonard Cohen

On the first night, I sold the completed work to a sailor in the port from Denmark. That painting will be traveling a long way to get home from Nova Scotia!

The next night, someone else -- a friend of Cliff’s -- bought the paintingI did for him. I presented it to him at the very end of the night. It was well-received.

I will never forget last night! When you brought your beautiful work for me to cherish I was completely speechless (and that is not easy to achieve!!!) It is as priceless as the hand written note that Leonard sent to us.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…

CLIFF xx

It was definitely a show worth seeing.

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June 8, 2010 10:40 am

Women Who Rock

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by Sharon    in coconut grove,color,colour,light,live painting,low light,nova scotia,painting in the dark,people mingling,sharon hodgson,woman,women,women who rock

Then on June 5th, I went to Coconut Grove to paint Women Who Rock.I have never painted a rock’n'roll show before. Wasn’t sure what to expect with this show but I had a fantastic time.

My painting auctioned off for $125, with 80% of that going towards Adsum House. It turned out to be a very fun event. Everyone was very friendly and there were lots of sexy women there. I ran into a couple familiar faces, including Draikana. I painted at her 2nd book launch a year ago, and plan to paint her 3rd book launch in October.

And I have to say that the lead singer of Aquestrya is amazing performer [and hot to boot, but I'm sure she knows this]! I was impressed by the range of female talents we have here in town – from a fire eater, a troupe of belly dancers, an art muse, various jewelry vendors, body painters, and the female-fronted rock bands that rocked the house.

I had a moment where I was washing my paint brushes in the washroom when I ran into another person washing her paint brushes. I commented that I don’t usually run into someone else silly enough to bring paints and brushes to the bar… turns out she’s a body painter.

True story… maybe you had to be there.

I have more things to paint soon – I’ll keep you posted!

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10:29 am

Stand up comedy at Gus’ Pub

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by Sharon    in comedy,commentary,gus' pub,halifax,light,live painting,low light,north end,sharon hodgson,stand up


“Stand up comedy at Gus’ Pub” - 16×22″, acrylic on stretched canvas. 2010

A week ago on Monday, May 31st, I took my stroller full of paints and such down to Gus’ Pub. I somehow managed to convince the owner it would be acceptable for me to set up my drop cloth and easel to paint the show. Somehow.

There are a variety of local comedians featured in this two hour show. Mondays at 8pm at Gus’s Pub. For only two dollar cover, the proceeds going towards various charitable causes. 100% of the proceeds from this work will be going towards the Canadian Cancer Society. (More details to be announced.)

Since this is on every Monday, you should check it out. It’s presented by the Halifax Comedy Lounge and hosted by Gerry Farmer.

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May 30, 2010 12:52 pm

2011 Canada Games sponsorship by Atlantica Hotel

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by Sharon    in about the artist,art,atlantica,atlantica hotel,color,colour,commentary,conceptual art,downtown,halifax,hotel,light,live painting,low light,motion,movement,new paintings,nova scotia,photography,sharon hodgson

I was very pleased to be present on Thursday when the Atlantica Hotel announced it’s major sponsorship of the 2011 Canada Games, to be hosted here in Halifax, and I was there to live paint it! This celebrates some of the best athletes in Canada as they prepare for the Olympics.

The hotel hosted two events on Thursday – one in the afternoon and one in the evening – and I live painted at both of these.

In the afternoon, I painted the above concept piece 16×48″ depicting the speed skating rink that will go on Halifax Common this winter in preparation for the 2011 Canada Games.

The four-star Atlantica Hotel is not far from the Halifax Common. It’s right across the street! [It's the odd shaped building on the left in my painting.]

I was set up on my own little “stage” in the ballroom where the events took place.

I met the deputy mayor and councilor for Sackville, Brad Johns!

I showed him and others some samples of prior shows I have live painted that I had on hand.

The photographer for these photos is Mike McCarthy of McCarthy Photographic.

I got to meet the owner of the hotel, and he especially liked the first live painting I did in the afternoon of the speed skating rink. That painting is going to be on display in Seasons Bistro & Wine Bar, inside the Atlantica, with a plaque from the Canada Games 2011, to explain what it is and what it’s about. You can see the Common from Seasons.

After I completed the afternoon painting of the speed skating rink, it was moved to a display easel at the front of the room in front of black velvet curtains, under a spotlight that made it really stand out impressively. I was thanked for making the piece, and everyone seemed really happy with how it turned out. People said it helped them visualize the Common with a speed skating rink on it.

The second painting I did that day was a 2×3′ live painting of the gathering itself, of people mingling inside the Atlantica during the celebration of their sponsoring the Games. At risk of seeming self-referencing, I painted in my painting into the second painting, because it was placed within the “shot” of my composition:

There are athlete cutouts on the stage that I endeavored to capture as well.

The staff at the Atlantica were very friendly, helpful, and attentive. They decorated the room nicely, too.

Now we just have to wait till February for the Canada Games!! How exciting!

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May 10, 2010 8:20 pm

MAD Birthday at the CoHo!

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by Sharon    in bar,birthday,coho,colour,commentary,company house,dj motlette,fancy gay dress party,halifax,halifax pride,low light,mother's day,north end,nova scotia,sharon hodgson,the company house,wayves,woman,women

“MAD CoHo Bday Party” – live painted onto a 3×4′ canvas in 3.5 hrs.

After painting at the Prince George Hotel, I went to the Company House for the owner’s birthday party. The staff and her friends all pitched in to pay for me to be there and paint her birthday party. They also bought me drinks, and were all round friendly fun and inviting – I even got some champagne and shooters that made the rounds in toasts. And birthday cake! All the people who were on the cover of Wayves Magazine [along with myself] were there! Including the birthday girl! That’s DJ Motlette with the tamborine. She kept standing there with it up in the air, staring at me – like that was her big hint that this was how she wanted to be painted. I even called out to her, “you can stop now!” and was told by another not to bother telling her to do anything… because she wouldn’t listen. :P

There is such a close-knit a community to be found in this venue, and it’s only a bit over a year old! (If you don’t go there, you won’t understand what I’m talking about.) I am honoured at the patronage of my art by the staff and general community of the CoHo. I will continue to paint at this venue every month to promote it as the Halifax music, poetry and art hot spot that it is!

I have prints of live paintings I have done in the Company House on the walls there now! I will be giving these modest offerings away as prizes to people who compete in the poetry slam competitions next month, and paint the night as per usual. Thank you CoHo! And thank you to the fans and staff of the CoHo for bringing me to this MAD CoHo B-day bash to capture it on a 3×4′ canvas.

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