Victoire Love Birds and the Secret Language of Flowers

When Regine and Katie of Victoire Boutique reached out to me to design a window display for their Ottawa flagship shop, I was over the moon honoured and psyched for the project!  The timing worked out for a February window, so the boutique-boss ladies were thinking love for the theme.  Wanting to be inclusive of different forms of love - sapphic love, monogamous love, self-love, lost love, courage my love - I chose to anthropomorphize birds and throw in some secret messages from a language of flowers dictionary.  You'll have to head down to the window at 1282 Wellington St W to see these pretty things in full, but for now, here are the meanings behind the Victoire's love birds window:

1. Bell Flower - Gratitude  2. Cosmos - Joyful love  3. Calla Lily - Beauty & modesty
4. Geraniums - True BFFs  5. Cockscomb - Affection  6. Jonquil - Desire  7. Protea - Courage  8. Anemone - Forsaken  9. Bougainvillea - Passion  10. Narcissus - Self love  11. Camella - Flame to my heart  12. Gladiolus - Pierce my heart  13. Ranunculus - Radiant charms  14. Cactus flower - Ardent love  15. Pineapple flower - Perfection  16. Lilac - New love  17. Poppy - Pleasure 18.Tulip - Declaration  19. Violets - Queer femme love  20. Zinnia - Missing you 21. Fern - Sincerity

A very emerging artist's guide to putting on an art show

1. Make art.  Daily. Be prolific. Make it for the process- not all of it will be fit to show, but it will all be of value.
2. Share your work.  Use social media and all the hashtags - instagram's the best for this.  After you share yours, follow and genuinely support other artists.  
3. Make artist friends.  Go to their openings, check out their shows. Share their shows on social media.
4. Find out who the curators are. Get to know them.  Submit to calls for art.  An offer to show will come your way (be prolific, share your work, make connections).
5. Confirm a show date. Make more work.  Try different themes, subjects and approaches if you have the freedom to do so, or turn your focus to specific show themes/ mediums/ subjects.
   
   A couple weeks/days before the show
6. Edit down your work.  Look for emergent themes.  If it's a solo show, think of a title.  Don't try to be too clever.
7. If possible, scan your paperworks so you won't have to deal with trying to document them after they're behind glass.
8. Start collecting frames.  If you've got a bit of a budget, support your local framer - chances are they'll have discounts for artists, and they will have to know-how to make your pieces shine.  If your budget's more miniscule like mine, hit up local thrift shops and look for the best quality frames that have been donated - you might have to visit more than one shop to find enough frames. Keep your standards high. Another option is Ikea. Their Ribba series is classic. Either way, make sure to check the glass for chips and scratches. When you get home with your frames, clean both sides of the glass.
9. Start framing.  I discard any mats that come with the frames because there's no guarantee that it's acid free.  Since I don't own a mat cutter and my Bainbridge cutting days ended with architecture school, I use cold pressed watercolour paper as a background and float my pieces on top (purchase some archival acid-free tape).  I trust my eye to get things centered, but use my drafting triangles to make sure things are level.
10. Lay all the pieces out and start grouping and arranging them.
11. Record the dimensions of each piece and think of titles and prices.  Create a price list.
12.  Document each piece if you haven't already.  Take shots of the pieces on their own, and with props for styled shots to share on social media.
13. Get social.  You'll need graphics for a facebook (make an event for the show opening/ closing), instagram/twitter, and a hardcopy poster. Get business cards made to leave at the venue.  Decide if postcards are worth while.  Beyond your social circle, make sure your invitations get to everyone you'd like to see your work: gallery owners, curators, fellow artists, editors...
14. Visit your venue to familiarize yourself with their hanging system and gather the appropriate tools. If you're unsure ask the curator.
    
    The day before:
15. Pack up your pieces.  I use cheap kraft paper or newsprint in between each piece to prevent scratching.
16. Pack the gear you'll need for hanging: nails, hammer, level, glass cleaner, HB pencil, camera, tripod.
17. Print your poster and price list
18. Write out this guide as a means of trying not to forget anything crucial. Rest a bit.  Think or sketch out pieces you'd like to make but are currently too tired to do so. Be proud of the work you've done.

My latest series Small Worlds goes up at the Manx tomorrow.  Very excited, very tired.

Featured!

Rob Haggart's @aphotoeditor instagram account shows off promo material from professional photographers and has been a source of inspiration for a while now.  When I was finally ready so print my own promo of my faisons-ici photos, Rob was at the top of the mailing list.  Weeks after I sent my package on its way, I was so stoked to see my work on his feed:

Beyond the psych of having my work featured along with some very very talented people, it was really, really interesting to see which pages of my book caught Rob's eye.  I wish I could pick his brain about what made these images stand out a little more, but he's a busy guy who gets lots of mail.  I'll have to dig for clues in his very helpful blog instead.

If you're curious, head over to Blurb to flip through my photobook online! I loved designing and laying out the book as much as I enjoyed taking the photos, and I'd love to create more books! Get in touch if you'd like your photos printed in book form.

CALL FOR ARTISTS!

This is my second year on the Chinatown Remixed organizing committee, and I've been given an opportunity to curate my own pop-up art show in one of the neighbourhood's unique spaces.

Knowing that there are a few collage artists in this city whose work I admire, I'm putting out a call for either digital or analog collage art that fits the show's title IMPROBABLE TREASURES (thank you Patti Smith for putting those words together in M Train).  Existing pieces and/or proposals for new work will be accepted for display from September 24th-October 29th 2016, with the big festival vernissage on September 24th.

To submit, send a brief introduction to you/ your work, 4-5 sample images and links to your portfolio/ artistic online presence to hello [at] kristinacorre [dot] com, subject: Improbable Treasures proposal.  Deadline: Friday August 12, 11:59 PM

This'll be the first of my collage-related adventures for the fall.  More art announcements to come :)

Oooh, and for artists of other media/ forms - Remixed's general call for submissions is open until August 5th!  Please do submit proposals for your own exhibit/ performance/ installation for this month-long celebration of art in Chinatown!

At the end of #100daysofcutandpaste

By instagram's count it's been three weeks since I hit 100 days of cut and paste!  Within the 100 days of my project, I generated around 70 handcut collages sourced from National Geographics and free print material that came my way.  I discovered tons of fellow artists out there still kicking it old school with scissors and glue (#handcutcollage on IG reveals a treasure trove of work), and in creating these quick studies I've started to discover my own style to this medium - I think my favourite pieces are pretty minimal and have lots of negative space to breathe.

Since wrapping up the project I've taken a bit of a break both to see where I want to take collage making (though I've still posted a couple on IG), and also to set up an etsy shop where select collages can be purchased as signed, limited edition prints.  The first six collages (chosen at random) have been added to the shop, with more to be added regularly - I'm definitely open to requests if you have any favourites from the project :)

Check out my prints at etsy.com/shop/SeesCutsPastes!

Beyond setting up shop, I'm also super excited (and slightly terrified) to announce that the Westboro Brainery took notice of my project and asked me to teach a workshop on handcut collage!  The one-night workshop will take place on Thursday April 7th from 6-8 pm at the Dovercourt Recreation Centre.  Wooden panels (to use as the background) and supplies will be provided, and each student will be able to take home their own whimsical, minimalist collage at the end of the night.   I'll be digging deep into my memory banks so I can share basics about the principles and elements of design, along with some techniques I've picked up along the way, but mostly I want it to be a fun evening of cut and paste with new friends.  Details and registration can be found here: Westboro Brainery- Intro to Collage - I hope to see you there!