I met Ryan at the Railbender Gallery Grand Opening only a couple of weeks ago when he was introduced to me by Sylvie Hill.  She told me that his work was amazing and that I had to check it out.  Ryan's humble demeanor and non-descript business card gave no hint of what I should expect to see on his website but I decided to give it a look.

The next afternoon I spent some time looking through his online albums and found his work very intriguing!  He has developed a unique style using oil, acrylic, and spray paint and applies these to canvas and panels.  I'm also exited to see that Smeeton is starting to take his work outside in the form of murals and street art.  

His 2013 series of paintings - Objects and Things - show a great deal of skill in the way he reproduces the fluid folds in fabric and illustrates objects with only a few simple brush strokes.
When I asked Ryan to tell me more about his approach, he said: "[I] try to remove and/or alter information so as to put a break in the line of direct representation and to present the viewer with new perspectives.  I like to think it’s my job to create questions rather than provide answers."

For a recent BFA grad, Ryan has already attracted a lot of attention with his work.  I'm happy to have found out about him and I think he'll be a great contributor to the Ottawa art scene!

You can check out more of his artwork at: http://ryansmeeton.ca/

My motivation to make art sometimes fluctuates.  When it's low, it's usually not because I'm feeling lazy and don't want to work, but because I've temporarily forgotten the answer to a particular question: What is the point of making art?

On the surface, art doesn't seem very important.  I mean, my paintings are not saving lives, feeding the hungry or providing clean drinking water to anyone.  When I'm working hard or when I can't sleep at night because I'm thinking about my next project, I wonder if it might all just be a waste of energy. 

After going through this thought process many times over the years, I've come to the conclusion that despite it's obvious lack of practical usefulness, art is essential because it contributes to our health and happiness as individuals and as a society.

It isn't just about aesthetics either - although that's definitely a big part of it - I think that art  gives us new ways to look at the world, it helps us understand each other, it creates dialog, a sense of community and simply makes the world a more interesting place.

I can usually snap out of my melancholy mood when I remember that making art is my way of connecting with people and showing them how I see things.  Even though it might sound a bit negative, these reflections have actually become an integral part of my creative process. 
  
I'd love to hear why you make art or why you think it's important.  Leave a comment!

One thing I've struggled with as an artist over the years is how to divide my time and energy between my personal life, my job and my art.  More often than I'd like, making art has fallen to the bottom of my to-do list.

A couple of years ago I took a look at how I was spending my time and money, and decided to make some big life changes.  For me it was all about lowering expenses and I started thinking about every purchase in terms of work hours required.  For example, before buying a new pair of shoes I would ask myself "how many hours will I have to work to pay for these?".  This new way of seeing things allowed me to considerably lower my spending. 

Spend Less = Work Less = More Time for Art

Recently, my wife and I moved into a cheap 300 sq. foot bachelor apartment in downtown Ottawa to save money and to eliminate time wasted on commuting to work.  To give myself even more free time, I decided not to have a phone or a TV in the apartment.  So far it's been going really well - I've been able to start this blog, completely revamp my website, make new art and participate in more art shows.

I don't necessarily recommend that you follow the path I've taken, but if being an artist is your dream and you're finding it hard to find the time to make it happen, I think you should look at how you're spending your time, why you're working to earn all that money and then make the decision to prioritize art over all of it.  Unfortunately no one is going to come along and give you extra free time - you need to make it happen for yourself!

If you're an artist, I'd love to hear how you make time for your art - leave a comment!

I’m excited to be part of a project that is going to contribute to the art scene in Ottawa in a big way.  My friends Alex and Marta are opening Railbender Tattoo Studio & Art Gallery in a couple of weeks and I’ve been helping them put together a list of artists to contribute to the group art show at the grand opening on February 15th.  It’s going to be an amazing show with works from the usual suspects + some new faces.  It’s definitely worth checking out!  You can visit their facebook event page to RSVP.