50 Shades of Grey

I have become very interested in using grey in my most recent works.... 

(these are both progress shots, neither are complete yet)

oil, 3'x4'

oil, 24''x30''

Work in Progress

Here's a portrait I'm currently working on. I'm thinking about vanity, and similar to my thesis work, ideas concerning female sexuality and identity. 

Florence Art Show

Hello!

A couple weeks ago OCAD held a show displaying last year's Florence students. We just took it down yesterday, so I thought I'd share a couple pictures from the opening night. Don't mind the red lighting over all of the photos.....

Thanks to all who came out for a great night of drinks, art and memories!

New Work in Progress- Thesis

Hello!

I seem to be pretty bad at updating this blog often! So much has been happening the past few months that this is really the first time I've had to sit down and reflect on what I've been up to. Basically, since I'm in my final year and in thesis, I have been working non-stop on creating a new and (hopefully) exciting body of work. I originally thought I would stick to depicting bodies in motion, but that has not been the case at all.  I'm not going to try to explain in-depth what my current work is about, because, honestly, I am not completely sure yet. What I do know, is that I am relentlessly interested in depicting the human form, particularly the female body and quite usually through self-portraits. I know some aspect of my work touches on the ideas of identity and a woman's place in society. The work brings a lot of colour, thick paint strokes and and exploration of different mediums. I have also been creating a ton of small water colours, which I plan on turning into a book by the end of the year.

Most of these pictures are progress shots, and sub-par quality, but more will be posted soon. I haven't yet taken any photos of my water colours...

oil, 6'x4'

oil, 24''x40''

acrylic, 9''x12''

Encaustic Experiment

Hello all!

Since work has been slow and hard to find, I have decided to teach myself how to paint in encaustics. Definitely an interesting medium to master and so far I've just done one experimental piece, trying to figure out what kind of techniques I can do with the wax. So far it's been a lot of fun- hope to continue it more in the future! I've posted a picture below, I know it isn't the prettiest piece I've made, but I do really like the textures you can get with encaustics... I'll probably use this piece and keep adding to it, so expect changes soon! Hooray to trying new things!

Back in Canada...

Hello all, I have been back in Canada for a couple of weeks now, and the adjustment has been... interesting. My experience in Italy and Europe couldn't have gone any better- I made so many wonderful friends and memories that I will cherish forever (cheesy, I know, but true).

As I am living back in Ottawa with my family for the summer, I am really just trying to find myself a well-paying summer job while also juggling time to see my boyfriend, friends, family and of course, making art. I wish it were easier for young artists to get a start in the elusive 'art world', but unfortunately, is it proving to be very difficult. At the moment, I'm really trying to talk to anyone I can about my art in hopes of the possibility of getting commissioned. Really, I'll take anything at this point- I just want to feel as though I am going somewhere with this, ya know?

Anyways, I'll try to update much more than I have been, and seriously, I need to post photos! (All my work from this year is sitting wrapped up, still in Toronto..)

Interview

Hello again! Critiques have just finished, which is giving be some weird withdrawal feelings...soon I will have to leave Florence and go back to life in Canada. How bittersweet it is. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Italy and am feeling much happier with the work I produced this semester. Working in a shared studio environment, an opportunity came up to be interviewed by a fellow student, Edison Osorio,  about my current work. Here is the link to his website and the video, please watch!

 Thanks, and Buona Pasqua!

cARTel nouveau

Well, my time in Italy is starting to come to an end. I have been hastily finishing up my artwork for critiques next week, and I thought it's about time for me to update my photos!! For now I just have some in-studio shots, but more will be added soon in better quality! 

Check out this link for photos and a write up of my artwork on OCADu's Florence program website:

http://ocaduflorence.wordpress.com/waesdf/julie-agro/

Upcoming Art Show

This is very exciting! I will be featured in a cafe gallery show, Zoe, here in Florence from February 27th until April 1st. Hopefully this will gain me some exposure! 

Update

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I guess I should fill you in with what's been happening in my life lately.

A couple weeks ago I travelled to Prague and Berlin with my boyfriend, which turned out to be a wonderful trip! Of course, Berlin is a hotspot in contemporary art, so as a young artist it was great to be able to see the galleries and street art in the city. Prague is a very beautiful city, and I hope to get back there one day. Overall, I found the trip to be very inspiration on my own artwork.

The last week has been busy school-wise in Florence. We just had midterm critiques, which luckily went quite well.  As mentioned earlier, I have been working on a series that captures bodies in movement. I will upload some photos of my current work soon, but for now I'll add some snapshots from my trip.

Enjoy!

New Work in Progress

Yesterday I posted some of my paintings from the last few months here in Florence. I was pleased with the outcome of some of these pieces (namely, the ones I posted below), but not entirely impressed with my series so I decided to take a different direction. As such, this semester I will be focussing on the body in motion. I've also gone back into drawing which is something that I haven't done for awhile. So far I'm pleased with my work, so I thought I'd post a few progress shots! 

Some photos from last semester (finally)

Not all of them, but the ones that I think were more successful. All were done in acrylics.

New Year, New Projects

Well, 2012 has started with a bang. After a great New Years in Florence with my friends and a birthday party last night, I've been avoiding the studio and any plans for new painting projects. Partly because I'm just too tired and want to rest now while I still can, but partly because I'm flat out of ideas. I wasn't entirely pleased with my series last semester and have trying to think of a different direction for the second half of my program.

I've started to feel a bit of stress due to my lack of ideas, especially since I need to submit paintings to a local cafe show in the next week, and have nothing to show for it yet. I've been thinking that maybe I could continue my series of portraits in motion...I had a lot of fun painting the first one of myself (posted earlier) and I think I could do a lot with this idea. I've been told that it's better just to paint whatever you want, even if it doesn't fit into a laid out plan. Sometimes I think it's better to have no plan at all.

....I guess all my worries can be fixed. I really need to work on 'going with the flow'. Everything will work out in the end!

Buon Anno

p.s....I promise that I will post my paintings soon...I'm just being lazy about it