SPRING 2021

Today is Saturday, March 20th (2021) & its the first day of Spring!

Sunday, March 21st, 2021
Gallery : Crystal Dreams Visit
from Saturday~
Trip to the crystal store…
…but its the albeit end~all crystal store of crystal stores!!!

Sunday, March 21st, 2021
Two sings
from Saturday~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rORPLLZzIwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5sm-LcQhCo

its going to be really warm this week…

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
Off to the Prado Museum, in Madrid, Spain!!!!
Its the NinKatia Lovestory Book, Volume III

Saturday, March 27th, 2021
Deep Dusk Blue
These gems are very special in shape, size & with an exceptional amount of facets (“points”)
Gems that glow in the low light of a cloud cover
Gallery : Large Deep Blue Gems plus boxes

Sunday, March 28th, 2021
It’s a cloudy day again~ …good for this gem to glow in the diffused light
…very rare odd gem
I would call the color Viridian green, like the paint tube
Its classified as; “40.50 Ct Natural Brazil Blue Topaz Fancy Shape Loose Gemstone”

Tuesday, March 30th, 2021
It’s a sunny day again~ …good for this gem box to sparkle in the light
Gallery : Blue & clear white diamonds in heart box~ there are several different types of shapes and sizes!
Ahhh, my adventures…

“The story of De Beers drawer in South Africa”

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
Gallery : Tigress Drawings on Rice Paper
Tigress & her Be (with plus)

I made a set of drawings last night~
They go together
I finally found the time,,,, super tired,,,, in the late evening~
She, The Tigress, is intrinsically beautiful- she has a right to be, everything she does is sacred, & there is more ‘offered’ & wanted from her.~

Look; Jacqui is very interested in her mother’s Tigress drawing~ I had to let her step around it, just shy of practically on it!
Hmmm….

In the window; but I only have one paw available
(the other is taking the photo!)

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
Gallery : Pinkie Girlie Flower Bouquet
What’s this? Does Alicia have another bouquet of flowers?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
This past week I sent my artcards to The Prado Museum in Madrid! I’m not quite done.. There was the beautifully wrapped (bricolage) book… & then after I also sent them “the full show”, but still have more artcards to send.

Thursday, April 1st, 2021
Gallery : Pinkie girlie flower bouquet set #2

This photo is the “female” counterpart to the photo that I had printed onto a pearl card; a more mahogany and dark photo, with the vase… its was like it was for the dudes!

Super girlie sweet~

Looks like I made a fascinating abstract landscape!

~ girlie heaven!
So feminine!

So striking!

So luminous!

Saturday, April 3rd, 2021
Gallery : Pinkie Girlie Flower Bouquet set #3
For photoset #3, I pulled the pink rose out

on this bough..

Saturday, April 3rd, 2021
Gallery : Tigress Drawing on Rice Paper 2
Rice paper drawing from last night! (Fuck, I was exhausted…) Isn’t She a beauty?
Who’s that other older gentleman?

~All the drawings together

In the sunshine, in the window

Who’s that other older gentleman?

Monday, April 5th, 2021
Gallery : Blue Easter Cake
I made a blue (& vanilla) Easter cake yesterday, with chocolate frosting
…what a beauty

Tuesday, April 6th, 2021
This is my third Madrid envelope to the Prado; ready to go; completes the card set I sent them!!

Tuesday, April 6th, 2021
I was drawing yesterday evening..
Gallery : Posing White Bear (Girl)
…what a beauty

There she is!

Tuesday, April 6th, 2021
I wrote this article, all on my own, to submit to the local papers in 2008. I believe two at the time, published it. (~not the big Montreal papers, though.)
At the time, I really felt the arts were under-appreciated!

AN ARTIST’S LIFE

By Alicia Surveyer

“You are young.” “It takes time.” “It’s a bad market.” “Art is a commodity.” “Artists are only acknowledged after they die.” “They want to see if you’ll stay in the field.”

As an artist, I have heard these things so many times, it now sounds redundant and mind-numbing, and has become trite. However, I find myself blessed with a refusal to give weight to these statements, agree, and accept defeat.

I am indeed young, being 28 years old, and can actually say I am very lucky with the success I have had in the business. I have shown my work frequently- albeit I started at a very early age – and in many types of venues, including five official art galleries to date. I have had many accomplishments, and my paintings are becoming relatively well-known. I remember telling myself a few years ago to be prepared for the fact that I could paint my whole life and possibly never show in one real art gallery. But now, having encountered triumphs and failures, I have found that my will has reached its quota of let-downs for that same lifetime. This business definitely takes a thick skin.

These achievements are wonderful and could be deemed excellent, considering my field. But therein lies the problem. In my opinion, and this being an opinion that has grown from the numerous experiences in my career thus far, there exists another level of success that I am very intent on achieving. An artist can dream of exposure and recognition, but this should lead to the happy conclusion of having a career at which you can work full-time, progress your talent, and support yourself. This dream includes being able to work at your creations, and transmit your message, vision and passion to others. In my art specifically, this message is about nature and the value of respecting it, which could very easily be deemed a valid message given the prevalence of this topic in current society.

I like to think of myself as a person who is intelligent, ambitious and hard-working. This has translated itself into the various aspects of my life, as it is a part of my character. But I have a specific refusal to believe art has to be a discipline where these things don’t make that much of a difference, because of its infamous impossibility to “make it”.

I don’t agree with this impossibility, and believe it is deeply rooted in societal attitudes towards art. Art is often considered a lesser endeavor, or not a valid life’s pursuit. I remember encountering this in my family when I switched from the academia science route to the fine arts one, still within academia nonetheless. Often artists’ work is also seen as something that can be taken for granted, and received freely, as if it doesn’t stem from the same hard work and talent it takes to do other types of work. Try simply perusing online ads in the arts sections, and you will encounter endless “offers” where people want artists’ work for free, for the artists’ supposed benefit. Not to mention the infinite “offers” that would very quickly deprive a so-called starving artist of their money, because of their strong need to have someone show their work. Are artists expected to produce a richness from which everyone benefits, without rewarding them within their careers and aspirations?

Art can effortlessly be seen as one of the foundation stones of culture. It tells of history, questions contemporary issues and life, and shows poignant creative reactions. It is something that comes of fertile creative thought, and thus endures in our minds. One can think of the first cave paintings, the pyramids and art of Egypt, the great historical paintings of Europe, or our treasured Group of Seven. So why do artists have to encounter such difficulty? Why does it have to be that way? Does this serve people? Why must artists be “starving artists”? Growing from my experiences and career, I have found these questions occurring to me naturally, as if I am seeing something obvious that perhaps we are too accepting of and accustomed to. I recently asked these same questions to the National Gallery of Canada, our biggest art museum, at their annual meeting in December: Why must something that could be deemed so vital be at the bottom of the barrel? Even they could not reply.

As mentioned beforehand, my artistic ambitions aim for the top, and so this has included a high regard for the National Gallery which I have visited so much since my childhood. This fall I sent them an enquiry through their website, thinking I had nothing to lose by asking. “How does one get the attention of the curator of the Contemporary Arts Department?” They replied that I could send in a proposal for acquisitions, which means a professional dossier explaining and showing your work so that they can consider it for purchasing. I enthusiastically went to work, intent on sending them my best. This past week I received back a very polite letter stating that they would not purchase paintings at this time, but would like to be kept up-to-date on my career, and were happy to be introduced to my art. My dossier included much biographical information about me, my work, its intent, and other materials. I was shocked to see that they were not returning all this work, but storing it in their collection for the Library and Archives. You would think an artist would be happy at this prestigious event, but once again, and since I had not been forewarned, it instantly occurred to me that they were keeping and appropriating my hard work as if I had given it to them for free. If this under-appreciation and respect of a lifetime’s work goes all the way to the top, where does that leave artists?

Despite all these discoveries, and experiencing the trials and successes of the life of an artist, I am still trying to pursue my work and career. My attitude is one of being very devoted to my painting, but I have had to change and adapt as well. I am, however, inclined to take a look at how the system functions, and question it.

Alicia Surveyer’s work can currently be seen on her website, www.aliciasurveyer.com, at Centre d’Art Kirkland (3634 St-Charles Blvd.), and at Precious Ekelektik in Toronto (201 Queen St. East). Precious Eklektik is holding its opening party Wednesday, Jan. 28th, 1-9 PM. She is also the youngest member of the Lakeshore Artists’ Association.

This photo from 2008 (a selfie!) went with the article, in one of its two publications, I believe

I had had my blond hair blown out at the hairdresser, lol

Wednesday, April 7th, 2021
I was drawing again last night~
Its a big bull elephant in the water…. you could also call it a black elephant, like certain other animals of Africa. There’s black rhino, black lions… it means that they are very large alpha males; with a temper!
He is roaring; but also making a silly; his sacred roar & tempestuousness

Wednesday, April 7th, 2021
My brother-in-law Arash’s birthday gift! A photo with an Iranian look to it! Its supposed to be his portrait~

Thursday, April 8th, 2021
This is a 500 year-old artwork showing a unicorn

It is a tapestry. I draped it on one of my paintings; I am trying to restore the piece by adjusting kinks in the fabric. Its working!
(there are a couple of inches from the top that are folded over, and are not in the picture)

Closer view
The unicorn is happy to be in his pen; no worries there. It is part of the story. He (or she) is happily captured.
All the plants and flowers that adorn the piece, made by stitching, have a meaning.

Saturday, April 10th, 2021
Gallery : The Female Elephant; Drawing on Rice Paper
The Bull Elephant’s Female Counterpart (She Was Just Upstream) (She is also a Black Elephant)

Sunday, April 11th, 2021
“Adrian… Beast…. why must you yell like that? (lol) (@3:37)”
Starting the day with a song choice by me… by Ed, Grey & Adrian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyo3vCiezgs

Sunday, April 11th, 2021
New project… ~another new drawing
Its Fils & Jaq’s portrait at the same time~
♡♡
☆☆
○

Tuesday, April 13th, 2021
I was drawing again last night~
Self-Portrait Minerva’s Fortune☆
“Minerva, in Roman religion, the goddess of handicrafts, the professions, the arts, and, later, war; she was commonly identified with the Greek Athena.”
As Minerva, the Mermaid, of Ancient Rome, I have a peony (a sweet-scented big pink flower), a green apple (the bounty of fruit), a pentacle (an abundance of the best money), landscape (what I make and see), & sun and moon (the magic of the outdoors and the skies)… & my beauty (which I keep).

Wednesday, April 14th, 2021
I was drawing again yesterday afternoon~
Gallery : Sagittarius Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait Sagittarius Rising○

Both self-portraits back-to-back

Monday, April 19th, 2021
I was drawing again last night~
Gallery : Rice Paper Drawing Bull Elephant 3
Bull Elephant Coming Out Of The Water (Black Elephant)

Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
Gallery : VistaPrint Mockups April21-21
New Artcards

Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
Gallery : VistaPrint Mockups April21-21
The Edit
New Artcards

Friday, April 23rd, 2021
Gallery : Deep Blue Nighttime Landscape

Friday, April 23rd, 2021
Gallery : Bricolage~
….~wrapped book to the Smithsonian, Washington D.C. (sent today)

Sunday, April 25th, 2021
GI was drawing again last night~
Gallery : Ricepaper Trinity Tulip Art
I reworked a piece that my grandmother made; it was an assembled stained glass piece that always fascinated me ~
I decided to draw it, from memory, and I realized (as I drew it) that there was more to it, but it was a bit harder to understand;
It is an Easter trinity…. represented by using peaceful and beautiful natural imagery. It was just three pieces of assembled glass; the beauty but also the design was what always fascinated me…
The tulips are out in springtime~
And can be associated with Easter!!!!

Wednesday, April 28th, 2021
GI was drawing again last night~
Gallery : Ricepaper Trinity Tulip Art #2 HUSBAND

My version of the trinity tulip

Thursday, April 29th, 2021
Ahhh… the light of day~
This photograph is from about ten years ago!

Selfie
(I had it in pink, too!)
My forest green corset had a perhaps little known cousin in light taupe~pink~
Made famous on my boxing FB page

Thursday, April 29th, 2021
Heart gem boxes~

Are those blue windows?
Es-que c’est des fenêtres bleues?

Thursday, April 29th, 2021
Feature: “mitt”
219.0 ct loose gemstone cushion cut (Lilac shade) “Color change Alexandrite”

Ed’s mysterious gem wedding band to me came with a green amethyst cushion cut side~ring for my pinky finger (both on my right hand)
Do you think I got him back enough?

219.0 ct loose gemstone cushion cut (Lilac shade) “Color change Alexandrite”

Friday, April 30th, 2021
Feature: Article
I’m working on an art article (a digest; a dissertation) for the London Telegraph.

The Flower Painting Debate
By Alicia Surveyer
Thursday April 29th 2021

There are many angles & topics about the validity of flower painting in art. Is flower painting valid? Is it only kitsch décor nowadays? That, even if the paintings are nicely rendered? Or maybe a floral piece with artistic pop, yet like quick décor, or like what would be on a woman’s skirt, or dress. Is it better than a bare wall? Flower art is used in so many commercial product ways, and as simplified pared-down design on just about everything, too.

Thursday, May 6th, 2021
I was drawing again last night ♡☆
My wood duck ~Marker Art on rice paper
There she is!!!♡
☆
Gallery : Ricepaper Drawing Female Wood Duck
This drawing took a week in the making~ (planning, thinking, conceptualizing…)

Sunday, May 9th, 2021
The red of these tulips pops so much! ♡☆
The Reverend planted them, lol, in Ireland
The bulbs are From Aubrey, the best bulb guy in Holland!!!! He has the finest!
Aubrey is Nin’s brother

Sunday, May 9th, 2021
I was drawing again last night… I finally got my 2nd duck done! ♡☆
Male Wood Duck, in the water, with a cat-fish
There she is!!!♡

my photos!

Monday, May 10th, 2021
~more shots of the red~red tulips ♡☆
I wanted to photograph them at first because the side line was what attracted me
A beautiful redo

Monday, May 10th, 2021
My mother’s day bouquet from Bernard, the caretaker that lives with the Reverend
~there are flutes… well, you can see why♡☆

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021
My mother’s day bouquet from Bernard, the caretaker that lives with the Reverend…
…set 2 ♡☆

Thursday, May 13th, 2021
This is a very special set of two pieces of embroidered cloth…
One piece is about a square meter & a half, the other 5.5 meters long~
Intricate is an understatement

Thursday, May 13th, 2021
The inside of the pink flute flower~
Looks like a tiger…
Looks like my pink tiger-lily tat

Friday, May 14th, 2021
I just just finished this rice-paper drawing of a lovebird ♡
….hot off the presses!
Lovebirds are small parrots that are known for being very colorful, and very cuddly with each other

~bowl of lovebirds, lol

Saturday, May 15th, 2021
…from this afternoon~
“Just finished my 2nd lovebird drawing ♡♡”
Two Lovebirds canoodling

Sunday, May 16th, 2021
…from this afternoon~
Just finished another drawing of a lovebird~
…he looks sweet!

Sunday, May 16th, 2021
Mock~up
38-page book is ready!!!!

Monday, May 17th, 2021
I’m not sure what I’ve updated…
…but I’ve been working with Walt Disney World, the San Diego Zoo, Pat Sajak for Earth Day, & also now the Fine Arts museum in Budapest, Hungary. I’ve had stints helping (working!) at the crystal store, the jewelry store, & the lingerie store!!!

Thursday, May 20th, 2021
New Lovebird ART from last night~
Gallery : Sweet Lovebirds in a Hug
Are they chatting? …he looks like he must be a nice guy!

Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
New Lovebird ART from last night~
Gallery : Sweet Lovebirds Cuddling
~with Wet Feathers

Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
Drawing 6 ~Different bird type; Rainbow Lorakeet
Gallery : DRAWING Rainbow Lorakeet 1
Volume 2 (in the works) “Rice Paper Drawings by Alicia Surveyer”

in the window! fiery!

Monday, May 24th, 2021
Pictures from “days before”~
I fetched a treat!

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021
Gallery : Rainbow Lorakeets Drawing 2
I was working hard last night…

Rainbow Lorakeets
~couple with male alighting

A series with a different kind of birds now!

Thursday, May 27th, 2021
Gallery : Rainbow Lorakeets~ Drawing 3~ Couple Cuddling~
I was working hard last night…
I posted two photographs of my art right away last night; I wrote “Just done about an hour ago~ ♤♡◇♧”
I had to make sure people could look back on it right away~
Then there’s today’s photographs of the Rainbow Lorakeet couple cuddling ♡♡ …in the light of day
Drawing #3 of the Rainbow Lorakeet series

late last night

~Just now

~in the window

Tuesday, June 1st, 2021
Gallery : Rainbow Lorakeet Drawing 4
Another Rainbow Lorakeet drawing from last night~
Last one! (I’m switching subject matter)

in the window

Male Rainbow Lorakeet
“C’est le mâle”

Friday, June 4th, 2021
Rice paper drawing from last night~
Late!
Dragon

Saturday, June 5th, 2021
Roses

Tuesday, June 8th, 2021
My newest book is formatted

Saturday, June 12th, 2021
I made a cake~
There’s blue on the inside (marbled)

~its vanilla, with chocolate frosting, white chocolate chips & cherries

Sunday, June 13th, 2021
Christopher made my portrait~
Christopher is a very successful man with many accomplishments!

Sunday, June 13th, 2021
Stamp sheet~
~secret art preview

Sunday, June 13th, 2021
These 5 “Starry-night blue Sapphires” are like the one that I had set into a ring for Keanu; however, his gem is bigger.
The other two white sparkly gems in these photographs are something totally new to me; even; they are large rounds, with glassy white sparkly fissures & textures~
They look like snowy heaven

Monday, June 14th, 2021
From last night~
New Series (Rice paper)
Russian symbolism 1 CARD ART
Gallery : Drawing Design Symbolist 1

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021
Just now~
{New Series (Rice paper)}
Gallery : Symbolism + Design Art 2

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
Another custom stamp sheet~
~secret art preview

Sheet of 50 ‘Permanent’ stamps

~this is the image I used

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
Did you know that when I let my hair grow out that I had it ombré? Then eventually I died the blonde part on the bottom vivid red (mistake), and half of it all had fallen out anyway, from the chlorine in the pool from all my swimming training. It wasn’t thick anymore, and it even looked short! Piece of shit, man… (it was a hard time)