Verve Showcase on August 25th was a lot of fun! Thank you to everyone who came out - so good to see you all! The art in the room was fantastic; everyone was so friendly; the musicians rocked; the fashion runway show at the end was darling. It's hard for me to gauge how my performance went, but I seemed to have the attention of most of the people in the room, about 300-400 people at that point. It was an amazing experience to be performing on a runway in a mask and a headdress with my Split Mask and book trailer videos on three screens! (I stripped the sound in the videos and performed poems.) I sold books, raglan tees and a painting, which made it a lovely evening. The last photo in the row above is from the end of the night looking down on the floor from my artist's spot upstairs. On the aftermath of Verve, yeah, I'd say, a beautiful evening.

Cate McKim wrote a fab article on RAW Artist's Verve Showcase  highlighting some of the artists and offering a slideshow from the evening. Check it out. Thanks Cate! [Cate gets the photo credit on the 1st two photos of me on stage. Mucho gracias.]

The next night I was back at Verve Showcase to celebrate my niece, Tara's showcase! Took a double selfie... and we were lit up by purple lights!


As I made my way around the venue, enjoying every artist, the whole shebang of everything, what a great venue, Strike Boogie struck in the midst of transformation (that's him in the photo below), oh wow, wow! And Philip Cairns came, and, yes, he got some fabulous bling!


[A friend took video of my performance and I was waiting to meet and get it before posting. So I will be posting more photos later and possibly video, depending on how it turned out.]
___

I would like to thank everyone who purchased a ticket to Verve Showcase!!! So happy! Looking forward to seeing you all!!! ❤️ I will be performing two multi-media poems on stage, and will have an artist's display upstairs by the bar on Thurs Aug 25th. With 700+ people expected, it's gonna be a big, wild art party!!!

http://www.rawartists.org/brendaclews

Verve Showcase
8pm - 1am
The Mod Club
722 College St
Thursday Aug 25 (my night) and ticket good for Fri Aug 26th too
(If you thought to come, and hadn't got a ticket yet, you can pre-purchase right up until the event for a bit cheaper - and can also get a ticket at the door.)

I was told it best to also offer prints at Verve Showcase. But the cost of giclee prints, prohibitive, and which drawings or paintings to choose? So, I thought, wearables. Even I would buy a nice t-shirt. But I like sleeves! I found a local company that did raglan tees. Their reviews were great. I took the plunge. I bought 40 raglan tees in different sizes, but I'll have less to sell at Verve because I am keeping a bunch (for myself, and my family). The quality of the cotton is good, the print is excellent and the style is very comfortable. I hope to have enough tees to sell for the next year or so, but who knows, they may prove popular. These are beauts. Somewhat promo for my new book, Tidal Fury. The tees are for selling at art shows, though - I cannot imagine selling them at poetry readings! 😊📱❤️ (And I won't be too embarrassed to post this and leave it up, I won't.)
___

"My Studio" - or what my apartment turns into when I am painting. I can't have guests when I'm working on paintings since there is literally no room. The set-up works, though, and I get paintings of all sizes done. These small canvases (16"x20"x1.5") are almost finished - but not quite yet - especially the one on the right needs more hours. I am very busy this weekend socializing and won't get much done, and these will not be dry for Verve Showcase on Thursday, but that is no reason not to finish them anyhow.
___

Have re-painted this gorgeous face multiple times, and maybe finally almost there (painted while watching Bolt's astounding final race in the Rio Olympics). Tomorrow have to work on the eyes when hopefully the paint is a little drier. The flourescent daylight bulb in the studio light picks up the blues and accentuates them. Nice effect though. 16"x20"x1.5", oil on canvas. © Brenda Clews 2016

I did a series on the masculine in watercolours and so I thought, I'll do a series on close-ups of women's faces in oils. Oils are harder to work with in the style that I am doing but perhaps the end result is satisfying in different ways - these paintings are much smaller than the sizes I usually work in, and the oils are lovely, thick, rich and there's nothing like the fragrance of oils in your studio (which is what my living room becomes when I'm working).
___

Self-Portrait, unfinished (the fascinator has a veil that has yet to be painted in), ©Brenda Clews, 2016, 20" x 16" x 1.5", oil on canvas.

About 12 hours later:

___

___

Howdy y'all!

I will hit the stage on Thursday, August 25th at Verve Showcase at the Mod Club (720 College St, Toronto, 8pm-1am), as well as have an artist's display upstairs by the bar.


VERVE Showcase is 2 days of live performances, runway shows, live hair and make-up, accessory design and visual art displays! 80+ talented artists involved! RAW Artist's BIGGEST and BOLDEST show yet! One ticket gets you in on both nights! Support local art and come out to see the vast talent that exists in Toronto.

Thursday August 25th, Friday August 26th 2016 at the Mod Club (722 College St.)
8pm-12am (Performances, Runways, Art Displays, etc.)
12am-2am (After Party with music by Tony Smart)

$20 advanced (will count towards my tickets, buy on-line or email or message me to pay cash to buy a ticket from me) http://www.rawartists.org/brendaclews
$25 at door
19+ event
_________

If you buy an advanced ticket through my website at RAW Artists or from me in person, you get 20% off the 100% cotton raglan tees I will be selling.

*And* you can get 20% off a commissioned graphite portrait, 8.5"x11" on Moleskine Sketchbook paper from me.

I include the floorplan - you can see me listed upstairs on the right by the bar overlooking the stage. Please come hang out with me after you browse the cornucopia of displays of art, photography, jewelry, fashion all over the Mod Club!

And here are some promo pics for the Night to Come. VaVoom!!!

You can buy a ticket through my website there, I hope you do! Whatever you like (I'll still love you either way, but it would help me out if you did and then you can see a Verve for yourself and your clients): http://www.rawartists.org/brendaclews

hugs, Brenda





___