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Writer's pictureAnnie Mason
3 min read

Meet the Artist - David Loblaw


One of my most popular series introduces my readers to an artist through a virtual interview of questions. Enjoy.




 

David Loblaw

Toronto, Ontario, Canada



  • Who are you, and what is your background?

I am David Loblaw, and I was born in Chicago to Canadian parents, we lived in Chicago and then Boston before my parents decided to move back to their home city of Toronto Canada, where I grew up. I got an early introduction to the arts as my parents attended The Ontario College of Art and Design, where they met and fell in love. So, I was exposed to all sorts of art from an early age. After high school, I attended The Ontario College of Art and Design. Focusing on illustration. After that, I started working in the design business, mostly a mix of retail store design and graphic design. I spent several years working for a few of the top design companies in Canada and the USA, before starting my design firm with two partners.















  • What is your favorite medium?

Digital paint! I use a Wacom tablet on a Mac with a few different programs.




Click the image for Art Prints on Society6


  • Has your practice changed over time?

Yes, I've been at it for a long time. I started with drawing and painting in my youth, and I worked as a graphic designer for several years. Then, about ten years ago, I started going digital with my art, doing fine art and landscapes using a program called Artrage. This software lets you paint realistic-style paintings digitally, and I don’t mean realistic paintings but realistic ones in digital form.

After doing that for a while, I turned my focus to creating more surreal-style images, and that's when things started to take off for me. I had always enjoyed working with Photoshop when I used it for my design work, So I've produced a more surreal style for the last seven or eight years. I still enjoy digital painting, but I have mostly been creating surreal photo manipulation images these days.





 


  • What do you most enjoy painting?

Landscapes mostly, particularly because I grew up in Ontario; the natural landscapes in Canada are wonderful to paint. Such untamed wilderness abounds everywhere. And the fall colours are outstanding.


Click the image to find it on FineArtAmerica.


  • What food, drink, or song inspires you?

Baklava, a Cadillac Margarita, and these days any song from the band “Stick Figure” , an awesome reggae band.


  • What has been your favorite response to your work?

I’ve had some great feedback about my artwork over the last few years, and hearing that my “compositions and use of colour” is outstanding is probably my favorite response along with all the wonderful comments. It's all very encouraging.



Click the image to find it on FineArtAmerica.com



 


Ottawa River by David Loblaw

 



click to Behance.net




 



click image to David Loblaw: "my portfolio"



 

  • What’s your best advice for someone wanting to start as an artist?

It’s a journey, so be patient and always learn. They say you must do ten thousand hours of practice to become a master. This might be true; I am not sure (it might be faster these days with all you can learn on YouTube). But if you enjoy what you are practicing then those hours will fly by… Also, be observant and keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to fail.



 


Thank you, David, for sharing your fabulous artwork with my readers.


For more of David's work, please see:


David Loblaw Social Media



 

Visit previous Meet the Artist posts: Michelle Brenmark





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Meet the Artist David Loblaw, art, Electric Jelly Fish









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Writer's pictureAnnie Mason
3 min read

Create a Seamless Pattern with Photoshop








My background in art involved paintbrushes, paper, pencils, paint of various sorts, and something to paint. As I began a major in Graphic Arts I moved into the realm of photography, copy, advertising, layouts, fonts, and the technology which existed in the late 1960s. Would you believe that in order to "justify" the print in those days, I had to type my copy on a keyboard that kicked out a roll of tape with a pattern of holes? The tape was then fed into a linotype machine.


The holes matched the copy that had been typed on a keyboard. The copy could then be set to align to right, centered, left, or justified.

Can you imagine? I am typing this now and all I have to do is look to the top and pick out my desired alignment.


Point of note: in 1967 when I was a graphic arts student at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) I was allowed to do the copy process whatever we were working on...but I was NOT allowed to work the printing press because that was a "man's job."


Whaaaatttt!!!!!







My next art experience was when I transferred to Westfield State University to continue my education. My major was then "fine arts" so I was back to using paints, and paper, and added potter's clay, weaving, sculpture, and art history.


Back to the point. I LOVE ART. I say it often and now, in retirement, I paint almost every day. I also have a mantra that may seem cliché: Learn something new every day.


I have written here in this space, however, that digital art is a whole other animal. One of my principals at one of the schools where I taught elementary art proposed that there be a computer at every grade level, and he mandated that at least one teacher in each level learn how to use it. This was around 1976, and the computer was still elusive in the classroom. Most teachers cringed. I couldn't wait.


When I started using watercolors again after my retirement, my daughter gave me a phone case from Society6 with a small bird. We began to check the site, and she said, "Mom, you should upload your work to this platform." I didn't know what "upload" meant; I had to learn about pixels and assets and edit my artwork for print.


I've come a long way since then. I can resize, HTML, embed, change the hue, rotate, and transform with the best of them (well. maybe not with the best). My daughter has been impressed with how well I can navigate in Photoshop. It has been a slow process but I love learning.


I have subscribed to SKILLSHARE. This is where I really took off in learning how to make Seamless Patterns from my artwork. I joined my favorite artist-friend, Cat Coquillette https://www.skillshare.com/user/catcoq You can read my earlier Meet the Artist - Cat Coq to get to know her better.








 


Here we go. Start with the more traditional plan: watercolor image. You want one dominant form, then some middle-sized elements, and finally small "pieces" of the floral designs.



Cat's sample

My dogwood painting


 


Next, we remove the background.



Cat's class: Removing the background



Removed my background in Photoshop

 



Next, we isolate the pieces into separate layers:



Cat's class: each element on its own layer



My isolated layers

 



Next, arrange the block with the elements:



Cat moves each element, flips vertical, or transforms.


My pieces scattered.

 

Finally, the finished pattern:

Cat's finished pattern.


MY DOGWOOD PATTERN!!!!!


YAY! I LOVE learning new things !!


I confess that I had to watch the video four times before the whole thing was down. That's the way we learn.



Samples of my patterns after taking the Skillshare

class with Cat Coquillette

Yep. I got the hang of it, eventually.







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Writer's pictureAnnie Mason
5 min read

10 Amazon product reviews from our household to yours





This is how I start my mornings. This is how I will start this blog, where I will try to describe Amazon products and give the reader a fair review. There are no pros and cons, just a simple evaluation of how much we like the ten products listed. All are household-type products, and many of these I have purchased more than once (giving you a hint at how much we like these).


 



Bigelow Constant Comment Green Teas


I have been sipping these teas since 2003 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I know. I know...does it inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells? I'm not a doctor, but my oncologist said the studies have been positive. See this Mount Sanai article: Tea Green And, here I am. Twenty years later.


Another testament to drinking these teas is that they taste great. The orange/spice one is just a tad more my favorite, but I love them both.


Rating: A++


 


Technology changes with the speed of light, but the older SD cards lie around your office drawers. The cards have your precious pictures from days gone by, but they are hard to retrieve. In addition, the devices don't have slots, or your camera doesn't have Dropbox capabilities, so It's nice to have an adapter for your newer machines. This card reader has been a blessing as I can transfer photos from my older Nikon camera and put them into a cloud or Google Drive.


It's super easy to use. Compatible with Windows/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS.




Rating: A


 



This is brilliant. MAKES HANGING FAST & EASY: The Picture Perfect Hanging System can help make your blank walls a beautiful art display.


This Hanging System is an all-in-one kit with all the hardware necessary to mount, level, and hang your favorite works of art or wall decor. The only tools needed are a hammer and a screwdriver. This is a two-pack; each can hold up to 50 lb.


My husband and I were able to hang a framed picture in a matter of minutes and marveled at the tiny level included to help position the hanger brackets. We both agreed that this pack is ingenious.


Rating: A+


 

I bought this after we moved into a home with a fabulous kitchen. Vowing to cook more, I thought this looked intriguing. I don't regret my purchase because this book has easy recipes that fill almost any muffin tin. What could be easier? Not just muffins but quick-serve appetizers and sides to gourmet entrees, pizza cups, and desserts. Scoop a bit of cooking spray and a mix of ingredients into the pan...and violá! A quick, yummy breakfast or lunch treat that doesn't have you in the kitchen for hours!


Rating: A+


 



We're in a new house just three years old, after thirty-five years in our former home. This one is going to stay clean. (!) However, dragging out the full vacuum cleaner is a chore in itself. This one is accessible, has attachments for specific places, and is battery-operated. Plus, it has a wall holder to charge when not in use. The vacuum cleaner has a Crevice Nozzle* Hair Brush* Water Absorption Nozzle, and Filter* Adapter*. The material of the filter is non-woven fabric, which can be cleaned of dust with tap water. The dustbuster filter can block dust particles.

Weight is just 2.2 lb. Nice little vac.


Rating: A+


 

This lid protects your microwave from splatters and spots. The BPA-free plastic and silicone topper covers food to encourage even cooking and to keep food inside for a cleaner microwave. This lid has many features, including an easy grip at the top. Easy, clean collapses for storage and choice of color. We have had this for quite a while, and it still looks new.


Rating: A+


 




Medium point tip magnetic dry-erase markers in 6 assorted colors: black, purple, red, orange, blue, and green. Non-toxic, low-odor ink with a bold color laydown works on all dry-erase surfaces and dries quickly.

  • Magnetic marker caps feature built-in felt erasers. The dry-erase marker ink erases easily.

  • The contoured marker cap shape prevents the markers from rolling off any flat surface or tray.

  • Perfect for whiteboards and glass boards in the office, classroom, or at home


We thought these would work nicely on our calendar dry-erase board. They do, with this exception: two markers keep losing the felt erasers (we haven't attempted to put a little glue on them). Also, two colors (the orange and the lime green) don't show up well from a distance, so we have stopped using those colors).


Rating: B


 


This is a pack of 200, which is ok with me because I use them on the cabinet doors, drawers, and the backs of frames we hang in our new home. These are particularly nice, as they have a clear transparent color, strong self-adhesive backing, anti-slip soft material, and suitable thickness. The adhesion is exceptional, although if I had to reposition one, with a good tug, I could move it to another spot.


Rating: A

 


This adjustable bamboo organizer expands to fit any drawer and has nine separate compartments, making it perfect for organizing things in any room of your home. Easily find kitchen flatware, accessories, and the cutlery you need for that perfect meal.


I found this organizer on Amazon and liked it for its attractive material (as opposed to the plastic types that are more common). It does look beautiful in our new kitchen (as if a visitor would be perusing our tableware for the aesthetics). Utensils fit in the slots quite nicely, and you can reconfigure the size of the compartments if needed.


Two issues: 1. the whole piece moves a lot in the drawer. It was missing a bamboo piece that should lock it at the bottom. (see the picture for a hole at the bottom that I think should have a bamboo stick to extend the piece. Some reviews on Amazon mention this function.


2. The sizes of the slots are similar, and I wish you could change the sizes to fit the number of items you wish to store in that slot.


Rating: B+


 




Our new home has beautiful vinyl flooring in the Great Room, Kitchen, and Sunroom areas. We needed something for our furniture legs to protect the floor, and this set did just the trick.


The 2" size is close to most chair legs, so the square and round pieces were easy to apply. The felt is high quality, and just pulling off the paper sheet allows you to set the adhesive against a chair leg. Instructions tell you to hold firm for about 30 seconds.


We also purchased a set from Amazon that could be cut to size for some of our furniture: Furniture Felt Pads. These have come in handy, too, and come in two color choices.


Our experience has been that no pads have come off any legs in the nine months we have lived here.


Ratin






 


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