FAQ on deep fried butter

Good morning!
I'm writing from the road today on my trusty iPhone. Though I have been busy painting away, getting ready for both art shows coming up...






... I took a break to go to the Canadian National Exhibition (or the Ex) last night with some friends. It was good fair fun- pet some farm animals, play some crown and anchors, people watch- with the addition of a new phenomenon. By far, the most popular attraction at the Ex this year was the deep fried butter stand.






Yes. Deep fried butter. Here is a little FAQ for those of you who are curious.

What exactly is it?
A: globs of butter that are battered at deep fried. They are little and there are 4 in a serving, but I recommend a serving of one.



What do you put on them?
Though likely good with savoury toppings, this stand served them with sweet syrups. I tried with vanilla.

What do they taste like?
Hot melted butter in a fried batter. It was not as bad as I thought it would be.


Pat, being lactose intolerant, regretted that bite a bit later, but enjoyed it here. Is it worth the hour wait in line to experience the buttery goodness? All I can say is that if you choose to make the time commitment at least pick up a side of chocolate covered bacon as well.

Back to the ol' golden acrylics tonight. Will continue to post sneak peeks at my work as I finish!

Claire loves... Saving Grace!

It's MONDAY!

I've been meaning to write this post for a while- what's a blog called Claire Loves If I don't tell you what I love every once in a while, eh?

Saving Grace is my favourite brunch location in all of Toronto. I am NOT kidding. It blows me away every time I go. It's on the corner of Grace St. and Dundas St. West in Toronto. We recently went there a few weekends ago, and it reminded me just how awesome it is. Just look at these specials!


The restaurant itself is pretty tiny, and is only open for breakfast and lunch. I won't lie- there is usually a line to get in, but it's worth the wait. They have the most incredible french toast with caramelized bananas. I had the poached egg special this day and it was perfect. The Sunday we went they had opened the alley way beside the restaurant as a seating area. Tiny, yes. Fantastic? Definitely. Go there. Now.

In other news, last weekend I completed my first ever illustration job for a client Overseas. I did a series of three illustrations for a UK magazine called Mother and Baby. Of course, I will reveal the art once it's been published in the magazine in October. It was such an uplifting experience! More about this at a later date.


To cap off this post I thought I would post a shot of Ramona. She's been attempting to be my assistant when I paint or ink. She's cuter when she sleeps.

Make your own darn robot!

This is a safe statement to make, as you now can do so. All you need is your handy dandy, brand spanking, hot off the press, copy of this month's BROKEN PENCIL MAGAZINE!!


I must say I am a bit biased, being the illustrator featured on the cover, but in all truthfulness, Broken Pencil is a great magazine featuring literature, articles, and artwork you wouldn't find in your everyday Maclean's. In this month's issue, the D.I.Y. issue, you can learn how to build a robot of your own. I wonder how I would construct these odd fellows.... likely with lots of plastic and love. Anyhow, I would definitely pick up a copy if I were you! Here is the final illustration prior to the addition of info:

Hope you like it!

I just finished working on some roughs for an upcoming illustration gig. Will tell you all about it in the next post because I have to get my butt up for work in only 5 short hours. Ahh, the joys of 9-5 (or rather 8:30-5).

M. Night Shyamalan, I understand now.

Do you remember a movie that came out a few years ago called "The Happening" by one M. Night Shyamalan? *SPOILER ALERT* It sucked total balls, so I don't recommend it. Anyhow, it's all about how the wind was making everyone kill themselves. Stupid, I know. However, after spending the week spray painting my frames for the big show out in my backyard, I know where Mr. Shyamalan must have found his inspiration. I didn't want to kill myself, but man oh man, the wind this week brought me to the brink of insanity. That being said, I am now finished the colour spray process- yay!!


I'm going to spray them all with a thick gloss to make them extra awesome, but I've decided to wait a week to calm my nerves and focus on my painting. PAINTING!! I haven't done it since moving into the new joint. Last weekend I found an awesome deal on a little corner unit desk and bought it as a temporary solution to my desklessness. I've started setting up my work space so I can whip out my acrylics, like, now. Here's what I've done so far:

Note my prized Jon Todd painting and Raquel Schmidtke bunny taxidermy. Very important, inspiration wise. Also, I love the nice big bay window. I think it's a sturdy start.

In other news, I just got the issue of Broken Pencil that features my illustration on the cover, and I'm as pleased as punch! Expect me to show that off later this week.

On to painting!

Antiques Roadshow meets New Yankee Workshop meets my backyard

Do you hear that? It's the sound of my heart beating a bit faster than usual. The long weekend is over and August is now in full swing. Where the hell did my summer go? I'm now in full speed ahead mode getting ready for the Queen West Art Crawl here in Toronto. I just got home from a lovely weekend split between my friend Brad's cottage and the Manning family cottage. So relaxing, and even a little productive. I've been searching for unique antique frames to refurbish for the show. Finding frames in Toronto has been time consuming and expensive. In cottage country this weekend, my Mom found bargain antique frame heaven. She brought me to this awesome sale outside of Goderich, Ontario that had, literally, thousands of amazing frames, all for $10 each! This is just one of many piles!


I wish I could have taken them all home (I do have a three bedroom apartment now, right?) but settled on four of them. That including a trip to the local value village, a Toronto antique store, and a generous donation from Brad I now have loads of frames. I have started the hard labour now. I've been in my new backyard sanding, staining, and prepping the frames for spray painting.



I have had a little help from a little friend.



I am (hopfully) going to start spray painting the primed frames tomorrow after work. I've just got to find a place spray:)

Will keep you in the loop of the process. Until then.

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