My First Entry...

April 1, 2009

In 2009, I made a resolution that I was determined to keep. I have a degree in Fine Arts but had done no real painting in years, except at the cottage with a glass of wine in one hand. In the back of my mind, I always thought it would be great to dedicate more time to painting and to have a show again. This year, I said to myself, I will at least put a good solid effort into having at least one show!

Over the past year, I have been helping my sister Helen Utsal (http://helenutsal.com), an incredibly talented artist, increase her profile. We have been working on her website, artist’s statement and applications to get her the exposure she deserves. Thinking as an artist again stirred the creative juices to try to develop my own painting more seriously.

Serendipitously, I receive an email meant for another – it was a request for applications for local artists in Toronto for the Riverdale Art Walk. It looked like the stars were aligning so I screwed up my courage and decided to try - painting just enough works to fulfill the portfolio requirements. It was amazing how easy it was to provide input into Helen’s Artist Statement and how difficult it was to write my own! Still wet, I documented my creations and walked my submission down to the Hang Man Gallery.

I have no idea where this will go – maybe the Riverdale Art Walk was short on submissions, maybe I have more talent that I give myself credit for but I thought it would be interesting to document my journey.

Here’s hoping that April 1, 2009 will not end up being a big fat April Fools Joke!