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ART SHOWDOWN
1 hour Painting Battle
April 16th 2016
& Company Resto Bar
Mississauga, ON


This past Saturday April 16th 2016 I competed in &Company Resto Bar's ART SHOWDOWN! I didn't end up placing but I am very pleased with the results of this piece. Strangely I felt like I had so much time to spare! I got my eyelashes in precisely and put tons of detail in the eye colour. I even had time to include purple and green pen in the eyes! What a blast! I received lots of kind compliments and felt really good about the whole experience. This piece along with my two practice runs will be available to purchase at very low prices! Stay tuned to my blog! :)

$150 CAD
BUY

"Pushing Past Familiar Sights"
April 2016
Acrylic Paint, Pencil
and Pen on Canvas
20" x 24"

On April 16th 2016 I took part in a 1 hour speed painting ART SHOWDOWN at &Company Resto Bar in Mississauga. I did two practice runs throughout the week so I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I decided to do the painting on an angle so that it could be hung square or askew. I didn't place but I am very pleased with the results of this piece. Strangely I felt like I had so much time to spare! I got my eyelashes in precisely and put tons of detail in the eye colour. I even had time to include purple and green pen in the eyes! What a blast! I received lots of kind compliments and felt really good about the whole experience. :)

$100 CAD
BUY

"Seeing A Challenge And Facing It"
April 2016
Acrylic Paint, Pencil
and Pen on Canvas
16" x 20"

I did a couple of live 1 hr speed paintings in preparation for April 16th 2016's ART SHOWDOWN! This was my first attempt and I'm quite pleased with it. I decided to call it "Seeing A Challenge And Facing It". My work generally takes days, weeks, even months at times, so to create a piece in only 1 hour was quite the challenge. Not to mention, at the last minute we were told we would no longer be allowed to use references which I usually work from to create my pieces. The project was daunting but sometimes challenges can teach you something if you face them with confidence. I did just that and learned that I could create a stunning eye off the top of my head and in such a short time. I hope you like it!

$100 CAD
BUY

"Seeing A Challenge And Embracing It"
April 2016
Acrylic Paint, Pencil
and Pen on Canvas
12" x 16"

In preparation for April 16th 2016's ART SHOWDOWN I did a couple of live 1 hr speed paintings. My first attempt went surprisingly well so I was feeling excited to create the 2nd attempt. I decided to call this piece "Seeing A Challenge And Embracing It" because I was feeling more confident this time around. I love the soft flesh tones and interesting angle of the eye.

"A Celebration Of Love"
March 09 2016
Oil Paint on Canvas
11" x 14"
COMMISSION


This artwork has so much meaning to me. Here's the story ...

~ I had wanted to be a Teacher since I was 12 years old. I worked my butt off all throughout Secondary School and University, doing an extra year of courses, completing extra qualifications, and even traveling to Ecuador to volunteer. When it came time to get the job I'd worked so hard for it turned out there were none available. Greedy Universities were flooding the teaching market with new teachers to the point where I couldn't even find a volunteer position. How insane is that? I was devastated. Thankfully I'd started my Art Career part time and was seeing some success. I had never allowed myself to put much hope into a full-time Art career because for some reason it just never seemed like a realistic option. But hey! My realistic option certainly didn't pan out so, thanks to the support of my selfless and loving fiance, I decided to leave my dream of being a teacher in the past (and the broken heart that came with it) and fully immerse myself into my TRUE dream.

~ It took some folks a while to get on board. I don't think many of my friends took me very seriously. But I think out of everyone it was hardest for my Grandparents to accept. Living in Toronto meant I didn't see them very often, and maybe because of that they didn't quite see how serious I was about my new path, but every time I'd see them they always asked about teaching and how sad it was that I wasn't a teacher. But as the years went on and I became more and more successful I think it became clear to them that Teaching was no longer on my radar and that despite the odds all artists face I was making a living doing something I was very good at and that I loved. Having this experience made this commission extra special to me. My Mémère and Pépère contacted me last year in order to commission this 11" x 14" wedding portrait of my Matante Fran and Duane as a gift for their 10 yr anniversary. It felt really amazing knowing that they not only trusted me with such a special item but also that they wanted to support my new career path. It really meant a lot to me.

~ Creating this custom portrait was also very special because, like I said, it portrays my Matante Fran and Duane on their wedding day. When my Matante Fran received her official wedding photos after the big day she was very disappointed. They didn't have the professional look since the photographer hadn't used any backdrops or lighting. Can you imagine how devastating that would be? Not having a nice picture of the most special day of your life? This always made me so sad so it was very exciting creating something beautiful for her. Something they could proudly hang on their wall to commemorate that amazing day. It was such a challenge. I was working from the aforementioned not-great photos and on a very small scale. I swore to myself I would never do anything like it again! Haha! But in the end it looks stunning and I was very proud to hand it off to my grandparents here in this photo.

~ Also, as many of you know my Papa Gilles Prud'homme Master Carver is a professional artist part time (along with a full time job as an Electrician at one of Sudbury's local mines) and was a big artistic influence for me throughout my life. He still inspires me with his incredible skill for detail and his belief in me that I can achieve my dream of making a comfortable living as an artist. But what some of you may not know is that my Pépère was also a part time Carver! A talent for the arts really does run in my blood. So you can imagine my Pépère has been an inspiration to me as well. On top of being an amazing artist I have also looked up to him in other ways. I love this man very deeply. He is so soft and kindhearted. And, like me, he LOVES to laugh! I have so many happy memories of him taking us fishing, teaching me to play pool, but most of my memories are of him laughing. He’s got the best laugh! Haha! It was cool making this piece for him and hearing that he was impressed with it. I just love that he passed down his knack for capturing realism through the generations to me. Such an amazing thought!

~ Lastly, I love my Grandparents very much and it was really nice to have this moment with them. I don't get to see them very often and we don't often take nice pictures together because both my Mémère and Pépère dislike taking pictures and are shy about smiling in them. It's always a struggle let me tell ya! Haha! But I really do think this photo turned out beautifully and I'm definitely going to cherish it.

Face & Figure Exhibition
Ben Navaee Gallery
Toronto, ON
April 1st to 7th 2016
Opening Reception - April 1st 2016


I was absolutely thrilled to exhibit my work in Ben Navaee Gallery once again! Some of you may know that I was offered my First Solo Exhibition at Ben Navaee and it went off without a hitch! So naturally I couldn't wait to get my work in there again. When Ben contacted me about the theme of this show I knew it was PERFECT for my work. The Opening Reception of the exhibition actually took place on my fiance Darren Edward's 30th Birthday! Arriving a little late to the gallery, I was overwhelmed by a lovely group of people who really enjoyed my work and had lots of questions to ask. It felt incredible seeing how much interest these folks had for my work and how impressed they were with my style. On top of that, I finally feel like I really know my artwork, my message, and my techniques down-pat so talking about them, even when I'm very shy, has become so much easier. It was truly a night to remember and I cannot wait to have my work up at Ben Navaee Gallery again. :)

"Inspiring Freedom"
March 2016
Acrylic Paint on Canvas
18" x 24"
COMMISSION


I got a surprise commission the other day to do an abstract. I mean a pure abstract focusing mostly on texture. It's been SO many years since I've done something like this and my goodness it is such a nice change of pace. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my work to death. When I make my work I feel skilled, organized, planned, and when it comes down to it; I feel like I'm totally in control. That doesn't appeal to everyone and I get why, it can be exhausting, but I just thrive off of that. However, it's really nice to have a canvas in front of me and not feel entirely restricted by rules and plans. I still have a plan in my head but it's not rigid. I can splash and scrape and smudge and slap ... it's just so freeing!

I am happy to say that I was able to deliver this piece in person while visiting Sudbury last week. The new owners have been so supportive of my dreams and this is actually the third piece in their Malinda Prud'homme Art Collection! They love the piece and it was so nice to see them and catch up a bit. An all around amazing experience. :)

"See With Your Soul"
February 2016
Mixed Media on Canvas
Watercolour, Coloured Pencils,
Acrylic Paint & Gems
8" x 10"


Original Artwork:
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8" x 10" Print:
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Larger Prints:
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VIDA Tank Top:
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For the past few years I've been so busy with the business side of my art career that I had stopped making pieces based on instinct and bouts of inspiration. I focused my energy on commissions, practice pieces, contest prizes, and pieces made specially for exhibitions. I can't begin to tell you how many ideas popped into my head over the years but instead of starting them I would add them to a list; "Pieces I Want to Do". I think as the years passed and the list got longer and longer I began to feel a bit disconnected from my work. I longed to make work from my soul but I couldn't find the time. Finally I've decided I MUST make time because an artist can't sit on passionate messages, they have to get them out. Moments after having this realization I was struck with a thought that often comes to me.

How much better would the world be if we were all accustomed to questioning the things that are presented to us? What if we all questioned ourselves, our thoughts, our morals, and our beliefs? This thought is based on my personal journey of deciding to question our world and my thoughts about myself and people in general. It was this internal investigation (one that will go on for the rest of my life) that has allowed me to challenge a lot of societal norms and personal beliefs that were causing me harm. I have changed drastically in the past eight years and it is all because of internal thought and what I call "evolving my soul". One of the biggest ideas I challenged was the concept that people can be compared as equals; that one person can understand another person. Despite what the media tells us, we can never be like anyone else, ever. It doesn't matter if you're an identical twin being raised in the same household. You are a unique person because no one has lived your life completely and no one truly knows all of the thoughts and feelings that have gone through your mind. From this came my belief that it is our uniqueness that makes us beautiful and extraordinary. This then led to never comparing myself to anyone else because we are all on a unique journey. Once that thought sinks in it is much easier to stop judging, to be kinder, to take joy out of other peoples joy and successes, and to know that we can grow and change for the rest of our lives. This concept of communicating with my inner self, my soul, is represented in this piece by the golden eye. It alludes to the idea that if we see the world and ourselves through our soul we will inevitably understand ourselves and others better which can only lead to change and happiness. The idea of inner reflection is sometimes a scary thing. Learning that we don't like certain things about ourselves or admitting that we've been wrong can be very hard. But getting passed those hurdles, realizing there is no shame in admitting you're not perfect, can open you up to a world of understanding and a sense of peace. No matter how many or how few people you have in your life, you will ALWAYS be in the company of yourself so why not make yourself the best and most content person you can be. :)

"Mehndi Indian Bride"
February 2016
Acrylic Paint, Oil Paint, Mica,
Pearls, and Gems on Canvas
24" x 24"
COMMISSION


This piece and I have had quite the journey! I remember when my client from Hong Kong first commissioned me to create this painting last February 2015, just over a year ago, I was over-the-moon excited. The piece captures the natural beauty of my client's wife on her wedding day using layers of acrylic paint, washes of oils, and 3D features such as gold pieces, pearls, and gems. There were some fantastic challenges that I knew I'd need to overcome such as the sheer look of the veil, the mehndi on her hand, and the multitude of fine adhered gems, pearls, and metallic pieces. I'm happy to say the results of these challenges have come out better than I imagined! Another challenge was getting the facial features highly realistic, and an exact likeness to my client's beautiful wife, at this unique angle and when the reference image contained many shadows. In the end her true beauty shines through the smooth luminescent washes of oil paint. All of those challenges were inspiring! I figured I could complete it by the original due date in the Summer of 2015 but it wasn't meant to be. A challenge I couldn't predict was that my health would take a bad turn. Though I tried to work on her little by little, the deadline was forced way back. This was the first time in my life that I'd been this tardy with a project or deadline. I was one of those "goody two-shoes" in school that always had homework done on time and to the best of my ability. And that was school, something forced on me that wasn't always fun; when it comes to my art career I'm even more eager and serious about my professionalism and meeting deadlines. It quite literally broke my heart not being able to complete my work. It was a tough year but I won't dwell on it; when I think back I'll remember how I battled through it and spent what time I could on creating this breathtaking portrait! I can never thank my patron enough for his patience. I hope that the piece will bring his lovely wife lots of joy and that the two of them will enjoy the painting for years to come.

Art Maze Exhibition
By Exhibit Here
At the Historic
Oxo Tower Wharf
Bargehouse Gallery
London, England
Dec 16th - Dec 20th 2015
Private Viewing: Dec 16th 2015


I am so very blessed to have had this incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience. In December 2015 I created a special series "Bejeweled Beauties" inspired by UK based women specially for the "Art Maze" Exhibition being curated by Exhibit Here and displayed in the historic Oxo Tower Wharf in London, England. I'd shown my work in London twice before but this time would be extra special. On December 13th I flew 8.5 hours from Toronto to London to set up and see this exhibition in person. As a humble full-time artist the cost of the trip was quite the challenge but thanks to some space on my loan, my incredibly supportive husband to be, and my supportive fans who purchased my 2016 Art Calendars, I was able to make this dream a reality. :)

Some of my fans may already know that I'm an avid traveler but what they may not know is that I am constantly cursed with travel nightmares. In my dreams I loose my luggage, I miss my plane, a ship I'm on is sinking, my belongings are thrown into deep water, a tall building I'm in starts to fall over ... and on and on. Why do I have these dreams? Your guess is as good as mine. Although I suspect some of it is due to flights having lost my luggage TWICE while travelling alone. Because of all this I never travel with luggage. Never. I fit everything I'll need, in this case for almost three weeks, into a school bag (back-pack). I'm not a typical girl that needs a ton of fashionable outfits, a set of makeup, a hair straightener, and whatever else many women feel is the requirement. I survive on a couple of comfy outfits which I wash in hotel sinks as I travel, some mascara and blush, a brush with hair ties and clips, and I purchase some necklaces as souvenirs as I go along which I love to wear while I'm still traveling. So generally packing light wouldn't be a problem ... but this time I also had to bring my artworks. Storing them in luggage was too risky! I couldn't invest so much into this trip only to have the flight loose my artworks. So I planned to make small 8" x 10"'s on paper and frame them once I arrived in London. The plan seemed like a good one until I arrived in London on Monday Dec 14 and had a real heck of a time finding a store that offered frames. In the end I did find a store that specialized in frames but was quickly informed that 8" x 10" wasn't a usual size in the UK. Thankfully they did have 4 available in two different styles so all worked out in the end.

The day after was quite the challenge as we were required to set up our artwork ourselves at the Bargehouse Gallery. Thank goodness the curator, Leila Bibizadeh, had her father there to help me because drilling holes into brick walls is something I simply physically could not do. I am so very grateful for his help. I also had the help of a new friend Katrina Steinman (who is also one of my "Bejeweled Beauties") and after set up was complete we went out and had a lovely dinner. :)

The Private Viewing on Dec 16 was a two hour long whirlwind! I had the pleasure of meeting of all my "Bejeweled Beauties" in person as well as their family and friends. I also had a brief chance to meet some of my fellow artists which I'd come to know through social media. I cannot express just how grateful I am to everyone who showed me support that night. It truly was a night I will never forget. My only regret is that I didn't have enough time to chat and get to know everyone. But you never know! I may get another chance to make my way overseas in the future.

"Bejeweled Beauties"
December 2015
Mixed Media And Gems
On Mixed Media Paper
8" x 10" / each
$425 CAD / each
£250 GBP / each


Back in the Fall of 2015 I was invited to take part in a special exhibition "Art Maze" being held at the historic Oxo Tower Wharf in London, England. I had exhibited in London twice before but this time would be very different. The curator Exhibit Here required all Artists to be present in order to install their work in the gallery. After seeing pictures of the unique venue I KNEW I had to make it to this one in person. With my passport quickly renewed and some money freed up on my loan I was soon purchasing flight tickets for a trip of a lifetime! Seeing as the trip was going to be rather costly for a humble full time artist I knew I had to take full advantage of the experience and create a series specially for this show. I put out a call for UK based beauties, seeing as the exhibit would be in London it seemed right to celebrate the women living in that country, and I was surprised to receive many submissions. Originally I only planned to create six new pieces but these eight women really inspired me so I took on much more than I could chew. Luckily with early mornings, long nights, and full work weekends I was able to finish the series just in the nick of time, the day before my flight to London!

Watch the video of the Exhibition HERE!

Using watercolour paint, pastels, pencil, acrylic paint, and real acrylic gems and gold/pearl mica, I hoped to celebrate each unique women's beauty by staying true to their facial features while at the same time giving each women the opportunity to feel incredibly glamorous! We are so often bombarded with glorious images of stars, models, and royalty but are rarely given the chance to feel like we're among them. I wanted these women to feel like stars, to feel like royalty, for at least one night during the Private Viewing or whenever they look at the portrait. Because in my eyes they are all just as beautiful and glorious and the women we see in the media.

"Boomer"
December 2015
Acrylic and Oil Paint on Canvas
11" x 14"
COMMISSION


Creating this piece and seeing how it affected the owner really brought back to me just how important artwork can be. Sadly, Boomer had to leave his loving parents P.J. and Jaime not very long ago. As a Christmas gift Jaime wanted to surprise P.J. with this portrait of his beloved pup where he was most happy, at camp. The whole time I was creating this piece my heart strings were being pulled because I too am a pet parent and I cannot imagine the devastation I would feel if Maverick had to leave us. But I also knew that a painting like this could help keep him in their daily lives forever. Jaime was sweet enough to forward me a personal video of P.J. opening his present and I can only say that his reaction proved to me that THIS is what art is for. THIS is what my skills are meant to do. To celebrate a soul (whether or not that's a furry soul doesn't matter). I am so glad P.J. and Jaime see their Boomer in this piece and that it will bring them joy. I am incredibly proud of the way it turned out and spent far longer on it than I had anticipated. Every detail was put in with love and care and I hope that shows. Feel free to continue scrolling to see close ups of this gorgeous painting. :)