Hello Earth

New site

2010-10-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

please visit me at www.rachaelspeirs.com

Thanks!

New Painting and ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-10-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I have been working away on some new pieces and I would like to share my newest piece with you. It may already have a buyer, its a small piece (16x20) made on wood panel with scrap fabric, embroidery thread, paper, watercolor and ink.

click on image to see full size and zoom.

I also have an ANNOUNCEMENT. After some very pressing suggestions that I just could not ignore, I have decided to change over all my contact information (including my blog) to just represent me as an artist.

From now on things will be moving under the name "Rachael Speirs" instead of "hello earth", except for my etsy shop.

I will be sure to keep you posted of my changes so you have all of my contact info.

My email under hello earth will still be active but the emails will be forwarded to my new email address:

rachaelspeirsart@gmail.com

So please contact me via my new address!

This is a really positive and exciting change for me. I have typically felt too shy to share my artwork via my name and felt more safe going under a shop name like Hello Earth, but as I grow professionally I am really excited to feel confident in sharing my artwork under my name.

I hope you all are well and thank you so much!

Rachael

Custom Logo

2010-09-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

This week, along with other new paintings, I worked on filling a commission order for a logo for a vintage company from Australia. Stone Fox will be opening in a couple of months so please check them out when you get a chance!

Love,
Rachael

The Queen West Art Crawl

2010-09-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

My biggest goal for this year has absolutely been preparing for the Queen West Art Crawl. It was to be my first art show of my life, and kind of a time for me to figure out whether or not its realistic for me to keep going with my artwork. The whole experience has been a bit of a risk but also an adventure. I spent the summer working away at some pieces and this is a post about how it went.

Its kind of hard to see them with the glare of light on the glass (Scott did a great job!). But here are my two babies. They took a lot of time and a lot of hard work. Each piece took 1-2 months to create.

This piece is called Baba Yaga and is based on a Russian fairy tale about Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave. In the story a young girl named Vasilisa is cast out of her house by her wicked stepmother and told not to return until she has a light from the witch Baba Yaga who lives in the forest. Baba Yaga is the goddess of dirty jokes by the way.

Vasilisa ventures into the forest and comes across three horses, the white one brings in the dawn, the red brings in the day and the black brings in the night.

Vasilisa meets the terrible Baba Yaga and is given a set of tasks to complete, these tasks seem impossible except for a magical doll that Vasilisa has that her birth mother who loved her, gives to her and the doll helps her complete the tasks. She is awarded the light and ventures home, however the light is placed inside a skull and upon arriving home the skull turns itself on her stepmother and engulfs her in flames.

This story is a message of using our past and the love and experience of our ancestors to forge a new path in life. And that the frightening things we experience are what lead us to new light.

This piece was purchased by Psychologist Dr. Paul Kelly of Clear Path Solutions and will be displayed in their offices.

My next piece is called The Dollhouse and it was purchased by a wonderful couple with an amazing art collection, Sharon and Fred Kroft. This piece is entirely open to interpretation and the only thing I want to tell you about it is that it is very dark at the bottom and gains more hope and light as you move upwards. One visitor at the art show said I have an obsession with upward movement. This gave me an 'a-ha' moment. All my life I work towards developing and reaching my full potential. Its amazing the subconscious things that appear in artwork. I was completely unaware of this.

Each room tells its own story and has its own adventure going on. Much of the piece was about my own experience exposing myself as an artist and a lot of the insecurities I experience with that.

Both pieces sold within the start of the first day and I have requests for new pieces that I have to get to work on. So its back in the studio for me. And by studio I mean guest room. As each piece takes over a month I had better get to work. I have one in process that I am going to finish up too.

All my love

xoxo

Rachael Speirs

This is my 'im in shock' face.

In the studio....

2010-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Im spending a full day in the studio getting paint on my hands! Its been a long time since I have felt this inspired and look out for an upcoming post about it. What do you do to get inspired?

Love,
Rachael

images via weheartit

Coloring Digitally

2010-08-21T04:37:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered the joy of digitally coloring my drawings and it is awesome!
Why didn't I do this sooner?

She was walking through a cornfield when she saw the geese fly north and she knew winter was on its way...

You can buy her HERE

He is a salty old french Canadian sea captain and he spends his time fishing in the Gulf of St Lawrence..

you can buy him HERE

This kitty is so happy and so sophisticated. Pick him up HERE

thoughts?

2010-08-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I am still wondering what to do with this young lady. Should I list her? Should I not? She seems stuck in limbo on her chilly bike...

perhaps not the best thing to draw in the winter time but lately I have been feeling fall creeping into my bones and filling me with thoughts of falling leaves and stew.

I have been trying to force myself to relish the rest of this amazing summer! Why cant I be more grateful?

xoxo
Rachie

She Moved Through The Air

2010-08-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Im off to the cottage this weekend so I am going to be pretty quiet. I will have lots of pictures to share. Its our annual cottage celebration at Scotts cottage, we call it, "Scottage".

While sitting on the beach of lake Erie last weekend (best weekend ever), I soaked up some sun, drew on some driftwood, and created this lovely lady:

Painting in Progress

2010-07-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some shots of a piece in progress. Its been awhile since I have made a large scale piece and I am super excited. Its going to have the textural qualities and mixed media of this piece I did in the past:

Here it is in progress, made on salvaged scrap veneered wood.

Adding fine detail to the trees, I had just showered so please excuse the wet head.

xoxo

Rachie

Lace Fox

2010-07-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Gouache and ink on old phone book paper

New Drawings

2010-07-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Some new doodles are up!

Shop

Bye Bye Grizzly Bear Kings

2010-07-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

My beloved piece Grizzly Bear Kings sold today. Its an limited edition original so the lucky buyer will have a completely unique one-of-a-kind piece that they can be sure no one else will ever have. Sad part: I will likely never see it again. Happy part: I am so happy someone loves it!

More Drawings

2010-07-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Oy Vey

This week is crrrraaazzzzyyy. I am teaching sculpture to kids at the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery this week and by the time I get home, I am too drained to do anything creative and interesting for my blog. :(

so in the meantime...more drawings.

Drawing love

2010-07-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with drawing right now...my large pieces are getting kinda ignored.

Sorry for the blurry photo..

Six by Eight Exhibition

2010-07-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

I had such a good time last night and got to see some INCREDIBLE pieces of art. I wanted to get more photos but the Paper Place filled up so fast that we could hardly move and ended up ducking out early due to the crowd and heat. My piece got a great response and I am so proud. I didnt bring my fancy camera as its large and bulky, but thank god for iphones!

I was so lucky to share it with my two favorite people and I cant wait for my next exhibition!
Love you

xoxoxo

Rachie

Buffalo Girl

2010-06-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am so so happy with how this one turned out!

She is on display at The Paper Place on Queen West in Toronto!

Her buffalo costume is nothing but scraps and bits of fabric sewn onto Japanese paper with ink, pencil and acrylic paint.

xoxox

Rachie

Busy Day Post 2!

2010-06-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

finger paints are a ridiculous amount of fun but a ridiculous amount of mess especially when you use oil paints!

Its Just A Costume

2010-06-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

As pretty as this girls dress is, her wolf costume scared too many people.

Available for custom color purchase here

Nest Hair

2010-06-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

This girl thinks a birds nest would look fabulous as a hat. I agree.

Fox

2010-06-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Available for sale for a song!

xoxox

Rachael

Playing With Display

2010-05-31T04:59:00.000-07:00

One of my many weaknesses is photography, especially when it comes to photographing my artwork. My friend Andrew is coming by this week to help me learn my camera and photoshop...I hope to have new worlds open up to me!

Meanwhile I have been playing with display. What do you think?

xoxoxo

Rachael

Im Back!!!

2010-05-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Phew! Last week was crazy! I finished up my last days at work, and now I am ready to throw myself into this blog and my artwork full time.

I have been branching out a bit lately with some pieces that are more portraiture than mixed media. I used to paint portraits quite a bit when I was a teenager and I am really loving getting back into it.

The following are works in progress, but I thought I would share their process so far.

The girl with the books on her head is being created for a charity auction for Red Seven

They are working to raise $12,000 to build a primary school for children in Lai Gow, India and will be auctioning off my work for the cause. Go here to buy tickets! I hope to see you there.

xoxoxo

Rachael

p.s: Its good to be back!

Sourcing inspiration

2010-04-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday!

I thought I would share my favorite place to get inspired, find some random but amazing objects and generally relax and enjoy a saturday. I got a new camera and I was so excited to practice with it. Southworks Antiques in Cambridge Ontario (where my parents live) is the best. I love grabbing a chai and checking out all the amazing finds.
I hope you enjoy the photos!

ALL MY LOVE AND HELLO TO YOU AND YOUR LOVES

XOXOX

Rachael