Pinhole Camera

Gallery 44 has some fun photography workshops. Last weekend I made my own pinhole camera to step back in time to learn the basic processes used when photography first began. It was rough, holding our tinfoil boxes still and making guestimates on the length of time the photo paper would be exposed for. It was also refreshing, using the sun instead of a button, going into the darkroom instead of on the computer, and waiting for the image to emerge magically instead of already knowing what it looks like! The unexpected inconsistencies of wide-angled distortion and textures were quite imperfect but very much welcomed.

The experiments:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/4126225655/in/set-72157622733622065/

Whodunit?

I was invited to this year's gala as a participating artist in the evenings exclusive silent auction. The fabulous party included delicious catering, wine and a live auction, raising thousands to buy new equipment for the college. All the work can be previewed online.

"The Whodunit? Mystery Art Sale is OCAD's signature fundraising event. It’s an exhibition and sale of hundreds of pieces of original art donated by artists who are famous and not-yet-famous, including well-known and celebrity artists, OCAD faculty, alumni and students."

http://whodunit.ocad.ca/info.htm

Photos Off The Lot

Thank you to all the supporters who came out last weekend! Photos from the show have been posted:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/sets/72157622664874417/

Art Off The Lot

I will be part of a new art exhibition happening this November. One of my images is in the advertisement below :) The venue will take place inside the old Crysler Dealership, a bright place to see art while it gets colder outside. Please stop by to say hi at booth A20!

Here are the details:

Art Off The Lot
Canadian Art Exhibition

Located at the vacant Chrysler Dealership
1030 King Street West, Toronto (at Shaw Street)

November 5th: Opening Night 7-11pm
November 6th: 11am-8pm
November 7th: 11am-8pm
November 8th: 11am-6pm

"ART off the Lot is an artist represented exhibition bringing Canada's best and brightest talents to for everyone to experience. Join us for a weekend of amazing art. Whether you are an experienced collector, a first time buyer or just wish to take in a little culture or cappiccino at our onsite cafe - its a great way to spend an afternoon."

CRAFT off the Lot is the following weekend!

To see more information, please visit the website:
http://www.artoffthelot.com/

Artistry Cards

Exciting news! I’ve been chosen to be one of the first artists to represent a great new line of ecological greeting cards, called Artistry Cards.

The company was formed to seek out talented new Canadian artists and publish their images on greeting cards, which are available at www.artistrycards.com. 5% of the sales of my card will go to Creative Works Studio, a charity which offers healing, and recovery through creative arts. Creative Works Studio provides an oasis from the daily rigors and challenges of life for people living with a mental illness. What’s more, the company uses all recycled and post-consumer stock and ecologically friendly printing methods.

Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, thank-you notes or really any occasion, Artistry Cards is a great way to give back to your community when giving greeting cards. I hope you’ll take the time out to visit the portfolio, where I’m featured with three other talented artists. Here’s the link:

http://www.artistrycards.com/ACOO3_Pam_Lostracco/ACOO3_Pam_Lostracco.html

Sunprints

I spent Sunday afternoon in my backyard taking advantage of the sun to make these fun prints! I experimented with a Sunprint Kit... just place an object on cyan-coloured paper, expose for about 5 minutes, rinse in water, then the blue-on-white image slowly reverses into a white-on-blue image! I used dried and fresh flora with some interesting forms. The flat money plant seeds and pine needles worked best since they are opaque and press well against the paper. The shadows of orchids and basil obviously didn't produce the same contrast. Lots of fun, I want to do more!

The whole series is posted on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/sets/72157622369987490/

Cream The Urban Dairy

Enjoyed a sunny bike ride over to Leslieville to visit my friend Danielle at her new ice cream shop. Also had to see my logo design in action, on the business cards, tshirts and window! More photos are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/3892365963/in/set-72157622276369080/

Cream offers a selection of homemade flavours that rotate every day. The store was busy and all the customers looked very happy :) I tried the avocado-brie-tomato-bacon crepe sandwich followed with a scoop of vanilla toffee chunk. It was so deliciously icy and creamy, I can't wait to go back and try more of the many selections!

To read a review:
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/cream-urban-dairy

Square Foot Show 2009

Another AWOL exhibit of hundreds of square feet! Show starts this Saturday, I'll have 3 up somewhere...

Join the facebook group:
AWOL Gallery Squarefoot Show

or get more info:
http://www.awolgallery.com/square_foot/

New Work

Have a look at my most recent drawings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/sets/72157621353093741/

and paintings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/sets/72157613551969264/

TOAE 2009

Great news--just found out I'll be at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this summer! Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more info on this year's show. I'll be at booth number 323!

Nathan Phillips Square
Friday July 10th: 10:30am - 7:30pm
Saturday July 11th: 10:30am - 7:30pm
Sunday July 12th: 10:30am - 6:30pm

www.torontooutdoorart.org

Cell Art at the Rivoli

Last fall, I made two pieces of art from photographs of heart stem cells. This Saturday, the images will be projected at the 2nd annual Grown-Up Science Fair!

The Rivoli
334 Queen Street West
Saturday May 9, 2009
Starts at 8pm and after-party in the back room with live DJs from 11:30 pm - close
Presented by the Treehouse Group

"Join us on May 9, as part of the city-wide event Science Rendezvous, to peruse science fair projects from a wide assortment of Toronto's best and brightest. Artists, government workers, teachers, lawyers, musicians, and maybe even some real scientists, will all try their hands at employing the scientific method to find answers to all manner of burning questions, big and small. Some great prizes will be given away, and it will be an excellent opportunity to see creative problem-solving in action."

More info at:
http://www.sciencerendezvous.ca/treehouse_group.html

T-shirt at Hardboiled

Hardboiled Inc. is located in Kensington Market and silk screens the best looking T's in town! Come on by and find my "helicopter" design which is now selling at the store!

A cute quote from their site:
"Hardboiled Inc. is a collection of t-shirt designers and printers who find great joy in creating unique t-shirts with original designs. T-shirts that look good. T-shirts that feel good. T-shirts that make strangers stop you on the street and say "Hello. I like your t-shirt. Let's go see a movie.""
www.hardboiledinc.com

Culture Works at the Big on Bloor Festival

My poster is up in store fronts on Bloor!

"On Saturday June 20, 2009 from Christie to Lansdowne along historic Bloor Street, The BIG Festival celebrates local business, community, arts and culture with a unique street fair featuring hundreds of events, activities and exhibitions. Closed to traffic to celebrate summer in the city, Bloor hosts up to 600 tables that will be used for projects, commercial sales, garage sales, food and information.

Bloor Improvement Group is a dynamic volunteer coalition in Toronto, advancing the economic, physical, cultural and social life of the targeted local Bloor Street by creating opportunities and events that improve and celebrate the area."
www.bigonbloor.com

"Culture Works is a feature DIG IN event of the BIG Festival located on Bloor between Dufferin and Lansdowne."
www.digin.ca

Design Hope Toronto Auction

Design Hope will be auctioning paintings based on the theme of SHELTER and one of my paintings will be up for bid! The event is open to the public on February 6th. I'm told the evening will be a lot of fun so feel free to come by and I hope to see you there!

See all of the 2009 artists here:
http://www.designhopetoronto.ca/2009_lostracco.html

"Design Hope Toronto is a volunteer initiative that raises funds and awareness for local organizations dedicated to helping the homeless.

The fourth annual Design Hope Toronto event will take place from 7-10 pm, on Friday, February 6, 2009. Venue this year is St. John's Parish Hall, 186 Cowan Avenue. Mark your calendars and be sure to come out to our annual auction in support of PARC/Edmond Place. This will again be a great evening of food and drink, a chance to socialize, and bid on unique artwork in support of a good cause."

Sold!

Crystalized Spikes recently sold at Engine Gallery Distillery! Details: Crystalized Spikes No.3, Mixed Media on 1/2" Acrylic, 6" x 6", 2008.

SOLD at the PINK Benefit!

The PINK show, a fundraiser for breast cancer, was hosted by Soho Myriad in Atlanta, Georgia. My piece (below: 2nd from top, 5th from the right) was exhibited for the auction... and... it sold!

Details from the press release:

"Soho Myriad owners Roger Caplan and Janie Stanfield are thinking pink once again. After successfully teaming up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Greater Atlanta Affiliate to host the first “Pink Show” at their Westside gallery space last summer, the gallery is ready to repeat the event’s achievement this fall. The “Pink Show” brings together art, charity and everyone’s favorite color for a feel-good cool-weather bash.

It’s an art sale, silent auction, and cocktail party benefiting the Susan G. Komen foundation at Soho Myriad’s Westside location. The evening will feature pink-themed works of art accompanied by a silent art auction and plenty of pink cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Entrance donation as well as a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art and all the funds raised through the silent auction will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation."

The Bookmark Project

Two miniature pieces of art I submitted for The Bookmark Project 2008: Insert, organized by the Koffler Gallery.

Cell Art

The Stem Cell Network hosted an art competition for artwork created from images of stem cells. Different but exciting! Celine Bauwens (my sister in-law) provided me with microscopic photographs she took for her lab experiments and showed me around U of T's bright and beautiful Cellular and Biomolecular building. These are my "experiments":

Nuit Blanche

The free all-night contemporary art thing is soon approaching! On this eve of October 4th, my artwork will be at 2 locations:

1. 401 Richmond: Art in the Fall
Zone B, #16
In the book: Page 49
On the website: http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/iProjects.aspx?zone=B&rowID=0

&

2. Distillery District: Octopus Project
Zone B, #28
In the book: Page 52
On the website: http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/iProjects.aspx?zone=B&rowID=12

The map: http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/pdf/ZoneB_Map.pdf

Octopus Project V

The theme "Secrets" will be interpreted by 105 artists of various disciplines for the night of Nuit Blanche in the halls of the Case Goods Warehouse, October 4, 6:52pm-sunrise. The exhibit will be in the Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St., Building 74.

Sold!

"Snow Angel" was sold at this year's Square Foot Show! See flickr for photos of the reception:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamlostracco/

Art in the Fall at 401

This year I will have 5 pieces displayed at 401 Richmond! A selection of artists will showcase their artwork all over the building from September 11 to October 9th, including Nuit Blanche on October 4th. My work will be on the first floor in the hallway between the Roastery and the Courtyard. Map, guide and details:
http://www.401richmond.net/events/artinthefall.cfm

Square Foot Show

The 2008 show is fast approaching! I hope to see you at the reception: Saturday August 16, 2008 at 7pm. Join the FB group: Squarefoot Show 2008

Small is Beautiful

Ben Navaee Gallery presents this group show, including four of my (small) pieces.

1111 Queen Street East
July 28 - August 8, 2008
Reception: Saturday August 2, 3:30 - 5:00 pm

Octopus Project IV

"One Ride Only" is the theme for the next Octopus Project. Come out to see new artwork by 48 artists! More info at www.octopusproject.ca

July 19 – 20, 11am – 6pm
Opening reception July 19, 2-6pm.
Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St.
Case Goods Warehouse, Building 74, 4th floor

TTC Slideshow

In case you missed it, here is a video of my slideshow!

It's Spring!

New colours of life are sprouting up everywhere now. Here are some fresh photos of: reflected-red graffiti art, bright-greens up in the trees, wet-browns after a storm, and... the gorgeous-whiteness I've waited a whole year to see again... cherry blossoms in High Park. Visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/97853875@N00/

Contacting Toronto

Tuesday May 20th my story of photos, "Street Shadows" will be displayed in the TTC!

"Contacting Toronto is an annual, open-call photography exhibition on the Onestop network of over 200 TTC screens. It offers photographers an audience of 1.3 million people a day in over 45 stations. The 2008 theme is Memories for the City.

Thank-you to everyone who submitted to Contacting Toronto this year! We were very pleased to have received over 120 submissions, 62 of which have been selected by curator Sharon Switzer for the exhibition.

The work of two different photographers will play each day, cycling every 10 minutes. The Schedule tab on the website will take you to the list of photographers in the exhibition, organized by day."

www.contactingtoronto.ca

New Photos from February and March

Just posted some new photos of the dino exhibit at the ROM, the aftermath of the Queen fire, and of course some more glimpses of our crazy winter! (Click on the title.)

Snow Paintings

My paintings are now at Engine Gallery! This is all new art that I've been working on over the past few months. Click on this pic to view other pieces at the gallery. Or, see them in person:

Engine Gallery Distillery
55 Mill Street, Bldg. #55
Toronto, ON, M5A 3C4
647-430-7960
www.enginegallery.ca

Sketches from Asia

Just posted some extra travel sketches from my trip.
Click on the photo to see more!

Thailand 4507
Originally uploaded by Pam Lostracco

White Snow Outside and White Light Inside

ooo, I like to blurryize!

plants 4538
Originally uploaded by Art Journey

Christmas Cards

Continuing what has become my annual tradition of hand-making Christmas tree ornament cards. This year, I took advantage of all the colourful, blurry-light images taken down the street and turned them into minature, to-scale digital photos. Printed on recycled paper at Pixel Print.

Wayward Arts Magazine

Flash Reproductions printed this magazine to create "… a home for errant creative."

"We love these artists. Not just because they are skilled impressionists of our retarded little world, not just because their talent fills our pages with colour and emotion. We love these artists because they get it, sweet holy Wednesday, they get it. When we pulled up to the visual arts drive-through and ordered a combo, these greasy little fry cooks filled our bag with Kangaroo, Snow Shark and some mystery meat we have yet to decipher."

20 artists were chosen for this issue. Here is my spread!

Christmas Time

IMGP4225pl.jpg
Originally uploaded by Art Journey

Christmas is here! See more blurry-light photos at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97853875@N00/

Pieces of Pine

IMGP4426pl.jpg
Originally uploaded by Art Journey

Even now that it's winter, l have found so much plant life. It must be either dead or dormant, but in both cases, nature still displays it's beauty.

Phnom Door

Phnom Door
Originally uploaded by Art Journey

The 2nd out of 3 prints exhibited at the airport have been sold! Now who would like Sukau Tree?!