Escape to dream...

I recently put out the call for great artists. I am always amazed by some of the talent out there. This time I had over 60 folks contact me. It took awhile to talk to them all, get a feel for them and their week and bring you …like always “the best of the best”. I like to feature artist that are not just great artist but bring something personal to the table…errr…screen as well. Getting to know my next feature through our little email banter and some posts etc, I think you will find her as interesting as I have.



Her work is very simple at first glance, but on closer look you can see subtleties that are really awe inspiring. I love the way her work captures and holds my eye. It makes me question what she was trying to convey, what was she feeling? And great art is supposed to do that. It leaves you wondering, searching deeper in yourself. And so here I leave you do to your own searching as you hear from Gwen In her own words.



The art of Gwen Duda!

“My name is Gwen Duda and I share my studio space, sometimes with a cat. She's usually pretty quiet so she doesn't interrupt me much and I just try to not step on her tail. It's a working partnership. If you go to my blog you'll see a shot of my studio, it takes up the whole living room area pretty much.

Call me a romantic but a sense of global justice. I just wish that those who did bad would stop it and those who did good would truly prosper and that way war and violence would cease. Ah, I am such a dreamer.

Mom was a big supporter but since she got Alzheimer's I can't really discuss things the way I did before. But you know what is great? She still encourages me in her way and it is such a testament to the kind of great kindness and fierce love she has for me and I for her. My friends are very important as well and my cat, well, she's the critic and has pushed me further than anyone else, in my art.

I live in the great city of Toronto, in the province of Ontario in the golden country of Canada! Gold cause we did so well in gold at the Winter Olympics! Best ever! Okay, thanks for letting me get that out of my system.

It started as a child, with crayons, pencil crayon, pastel, graphite, charcoal, tempera, oils at home and at grade school. I remember the first time I used oils *sigh* I fell in love. Then in college acrylics, mixed media. collage, block printing, watercolor, gouache, more oils, photography, printing, etching, platen printing, etc. I continue in oils, watercolor and amazingly, more and more in acrylics even though at first I thought, "Gawd, how can ANYONE work with this stuff!". Now I love it!

My goals are several:
- do the work that comes to me, to be true to the transmission
- continue to produce high end, high quality and archival quality originals and
reproductions
- that my work, my paintings, my creations make this a better world to be in, to make it more beautiful, more peaceful, and to those who view it, for it to be healing to them

I started my own website a few years ago and just found Etsy a few months ago and I don't remember how I found it?! I like the idea of Etsy, though, and hope that it will be a great venue for connecting the artist and the art collector. I am a bit concerned about being buried, in that there are SO many sellers on Etsy, but I am hopeful that my market will find me, that those who find my work speaking to them, can find it and hope Etsy will enable us to connect!

I participate in one show back in my previous province that is held once a year. It is for a not-for-profit organization. I also have sold my work through an interior design brick and mortar store. I am hoping, now that I have moved just recently to Toronto to find some brick and mortar venues here as well. Word of mouth those has been my greatest ally.

{when asked her advice for other artists} Just keep doing it. Paint, paint, paint, study, study, study. I find I often just study great paintings, to understand what makes them great. Great design, color theory, execution of medium, all these things and more. But in order to improve you have to do the work.

Buying handmade, especially handmade in your area helps spread the wealth to you and your neighbors and enriches the wealth in your own communities. Also you are helping someone be able to get better in their craft, upping their experience and education and they're ability to produce top grade wares. Also, depending on their own beliefs and practices they may be doing their craft in an environmentally responsible manner. Mass producers of products usually are heavy polluters of the environment and their workers. You help the crafter and thereby yourself to create a better world, to make that a reality.

 My Shop name is GwensArtDreamscape currently (I will be changing it to "TheArtofGwen" when they enable us to change our names as GwensArtDreamscape is a wee bit on the long side and my link is http://www.etsy.com/shop/GwensArtDreamscape "

Please click! Her work is sure to captivate you and hold you for a spell… go! Let it capture and hold you!