Why I did not vote

Yesterday was the provincial Election Day but I decided not to vote for the first time ever since I was eligible to vote. I live in the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River for more than thirty years. Our area is ethnically diverse with many new immigrates and almost always vote for Liberal. Even I am not that in love with the Ontario Liberal but just think of the Conservative reminded me the suffered we had with Mike Harries leaded PC. I was rather surprised with lack of door knocking or any campaign flyers at our door and with the exception of the Liberal. As for the PC and NDP which were none to be seen. I haven’t even seen a single sign anywhere in my neighborhood. Maybe both parties think they are fighting a losing battle and not even bother to waste the money or energy to send it a strong candidate. In a recent election special section at the Toronto Star, I was looking forward to see who the other Candidates only to find out with all the ink and space on them, the NDP candidate, Shelia White, all her talk were about her grandfather and his achievement and the PC candidate, Horace Gooden has listed all his hobbies, like golf, painting and guitar but none on their goal and platforms or how they wanted to help the community. With CV like that, you think I will vote for them? Today when I checked the paper on how they did: the liberal candidate Bas Balkissoon won by more than 14,000 votes. Well, thank goodness because with voters like I stayed home otherwise the result will be more embarrassing for them!

Kensington Market, Toronto

white lilies 30"x40" watercolour

my paintings in a movie

I got this email from one of my galleries in US about a movie production filming in the Pittsburgh wanted to rents some of my paintings. Today I decided to Google it to see if any stars I would know in it. The movie is “adventureland” is a moving about coming of age and the only actors I had heard of is a Ryan Reynolds and he is a Canadian working in Hollywood and engaged to singer Alanis Morissette another Canadian! It is pretty neat to have all this Canadian connection, I am sure they have no idea also from Canada. connections.

Foggy morning in Toronto

This was the view I had when I came up from the subway yesterday.

on Art Donation

As an artist I often had been ask to donated art for different charity art auction, almost every time I had until recently. Not only I have to frame the painting for the art auctions but often I also have to pay for my ticket to attend. Some would think it is a good way for the artists to get the exposure to more well-heeled patrons with their donated art. However, I had not had one single one ever contact me after one of those art auctions. At many of those occasions they publicly thanked the person who brought the art but seldom they thank the artists. And the worst of all, most of the art sold were below their value the normally sell at the gallery. Many of the buyers would take advantage of that to pick up some under-price art and they would never buy at the commercial galleries where the artists had their exhibitions.