Get Focused, Be Productive & Tap into your Creativity through Mentorship

Why spin your wheels in frustration, never getting anywhere in your artistic practice? Instead, receive truly helpful insight that will propel you forward faster than you could have ever imagined. Artists. Writes. Authors. Musicians. Dancers. Filmmakers. Directors. Actors. Sculptors. Curators. Gallerists. I can help you with your creative business. I am the mentor you have been looking for.

Mentorship Magic Alexis Marie Chute Artist Mentor art BLOG

I have mentored people for over a decade. I have taught them how to market themselves, how to write about their creative work, how to price their services, how to pitch their work, how to get out of the creative rut and into the groove, and how to be exceptional at their craft, business and as human beings. What a brilliant collaboration!

I grew up in a family of business people. While I am an artist through and through, I am able to see the full picture. In mentorship sessions, I (1) LISTEN, (2) BRAINSTORM with you, (3) ADVISE on how to move forward in your passions with style and purpose.

The value of this mentorship is $50/hour and we will talk by phone or skype. Email me to learn more and get started. Let’s book your first session! info@alexismariechute.com

Here is a testimonial by up-and-coming musician Evan Crawford:

“Alexis Marie gave me direction, and taught me ways of achieving my goals I didn’t know existed. She taught me how to connect with people through words and construct a more powerful self-image that people would be intrigued with. I learned how to turn my weakness into strength and how to use my strength in the right way. Before Alexis Marie’s mentoring I was running in circles, now I’m finally on the right track.

My mentoring sessions with Alexis Marie changed my view on how I was doing things. I learned that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but there is so many more things I could be doing right. I no longer sit around and wait to be discovered, I go out into the world and make people discover me.”

Listen & follow Evan’s music on Reverbnation and visit Evan on Facebook.

 

I look forward to chatting with you!

 

 

Win Free Tickets to the Edmonton Home and Garden Show

The Edmonton Home and Garden Show kicked off yesterday and what a fun event! I painted live and had passers-by peering over my shoulders watching the painting progress. I’m in an area called The M(art)ket with other creative folks; painters, photographers and crafters. My booth numbers are 1373 and 1474 in hall B.

Come visit me and find some art for your space!

Alexis Marie Chute artist booth Edmonton Home and Garden Show

I have tickets to give away to the Home Show and am doing a random draw from NEW WEBSITE SUBSCRIBERS FROM TODAY. So, if you want free tickets please click here and subscribe. Enter your name and email address at the bottom of my homepage. With the subscription you will receive tasteful and timely notifications of my blog posts about upcoming exhibitions and other fun artsy events and features to check out.

Subscribe today to be in the running for Edmonton Home and Garden Show tickets!  

Subscribe at the bottom of my homepage.

Also, visit me on Twitter where I’m running another competition for free tickets. My handle is @_Alexis_Marie

Alexis Marie Chute artist Edmonton Home and Garden Show

The theme of the home show is: Real Advice, Real Inspiration, Real Experts. In that line of thought, please comment below on what inspires you. For me as an artist, I find inspiration in nature, in its colours, textures and movement.

Happy Friday everyone! And good luck!

 

Edmonton Home and Garden Show:

Friday, March 20 – Noon to 9pm

Saturday, March 21 – 10am to 9pm

Sunday, March 22 – 10am to 5pm

Edmonton Expo Centre

7517-118 Avenue NW

Check out my artist business information on the home show website, click here.

I will also be offering consultations for personalized art commissions – the perfect way to get amazing art with a story behind it.

Alexis Marie Chute artist ART booth Edmonton Home and Garden Show

Merry Christmas Creative Ones!

Christmas reminds me of the magic of my childhood back when I believed in impossible dreams. As a kid my imagination was wild and uninhibited. Now, as 30+ year-old, I do my best to capture those qualities in my life and artistic practice because I know the amazing power they hold for the creative spirit.

This Christmas, I wish you the unlimited belief that your BIG dreams will come true and all the potential of your imagination to make them happen.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

 

To learn more about Alexis Marie Chute, read her BIO and check out her artwork:

The Quiet Rebuild – Portraits

The Quiet Rebuild – Sculptures

Unfulfilled Precognition

The Beginning of All Things

Paintings 2013-2014

Mixed Media 2006-2007

A New Kind of Beauty

Read Alexis Marie Chute’s Artist Statement and her CV

 

Walk to Remember Photograph from Unfulfilled Precognition finds Happy Home

It has been a privilege to have one of my photographs, “Walk to Remember,” displayed for the last two months at Kit & Ace on Whyte Ave. The photograph comes from my series called Unfulfilled Precognition, which is a deeply meaningful body of work for me.

“Walk to Remember” will be displayed until January 15, 2015 so if you have not yet had a chance to see it, you still have a few weeks. After that time, the photograph will go to a good home. It was really great to meet the buyer of “Walk to Remember” at the Kit & Ace Edmonton launch party. I was mingling and was introduced to a gentleman and we were talking. Then he repeated my name in one of those funny moments: “Oh wait, are you Alexis Marie Chute? I bought your photograph!”

Here are some images from the launch party, courtesy of Vivid Ribbon Photography and Design.

 

Walk to Remember Photograph Unfulfilled Precognition Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute blog 04 Walk to Remember Photograph Unfulfilled Precognition Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute blog 03 Walk to Remember Photograph Unfulfilled Precognition Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute blog 05 Walk to Remember Photograph Unfulfilled Precognition Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute blog Walk to Remember Photograph Unfulfilled Precognition Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute blog 02

View more images from Unfulfilled Precognition by clicking here.

Visit Kit & Ace:

Whyte Ave Studio – Edmonton

10428 82 Avenue, Edmonton AB,
Canada T6E 2A2

Hours

Monday to Wednesday  11am – 7pm
Thursday to Saturday  11am – 8pm
Sunday  12pm – 5pm

“The Quiet Rebuild” New Portraits at Exposure Photography Festival

Along with the exciting new group exhibition InFocus Edmonton, I am preparing another body of artwork to be exhibited during Exposure Photography Festival in February 2015. The first debut of my large black and white portraits was in my Artist-in-Residence exhibition, “The Quiet Rebuild,” at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre in Edmonton, Alberta in October 2013 – and the artwork has been seen in many galleries and public spaces since. Coming up, I will reveal brand new portraits in “The Quiet Rebuild” series during the Exposure festival.

These photographs are in keeping with the theme of resiliency in the wake and aftermath of hardship and are beautiful, subtle visual stories of my models. All models responded to an open call and volunteered. The show will feature Albertan and Ontario residents.

The Quiet Rebuild – New Portraits

February 28 – March 1, 2015

Annex Gallery at Harcourt House

10215-112 Street, Edmonton, AB

Saturday, February 28: 10am to 10pm, 6:30pm Artist Talk, 7pm reception with live music

Sunday, March 1: 10am to 5pm

To see many of the portraits in “The Quiet Rebuild” please click here.

To volunteer for “The Quiet Rebuild,” please email Alexis Marie: info@alexismariechute.com

 

Art at Kit & Ace Edmonton

I am so proud to be one of the first artists featured in the brand new Kit & Ace clothing store on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. My image, “Walk to Remember” was handpicked by Kit & Ace and greeted customers as the store officially opened its doors early this November. Rumor has it there is already in an interested buyer.

Kit & Ace are not only about clothing; they actually seek out and spur on community involvement, especially among the artsy. Kudos to them!

My fine art photograph featured at Kit & Ace comes from the series, “Unfulfilled Precognition,” which is an artistic documentary on personal hardship and resiliency. Click here to see more images from “Unfulfilled Precognition.”

“Walk to Remember” will live in the store until early 2015. If you visit Kit & Ace, snap a selfie with my art and I’ll share it on Twitter (@_Alexis_Marie) and Facebook.

 

Visit Kit & Ace:

Whyte Ave Studio – Edmonton

10428 82 Avenue, Edmonton AB, Canada T6E 2A2

Hours

Monday to Wednesday  11am – 7pm

Thursay to Saturday  11am – 8pm

Sunday  12pm – 5pm

I currently have a large exhibition of “Unfulfilled Precognition.” Read here for details.

The RBC Painting Competition 2014 – The Results According to my Four Year Old

A big congrats to Tiziana La Melia of Vancouver, British Columbia for winning the 2014 RBC Painting Competition with her art, “Hanging on to the Part,” (oil on panel, 42×25 inches)!

I loved receiving a copy of all the finalists in the competition catalogue. We are a seriously creative and talented country here in Canada! I had my favorites and my daughter, Hannah, had her own. That’s the beauty of art, right? The eye of the beholder…

Before the winner was announced, I flipped through the catalogue of finalists with Hannah, who is a buoyant and outspoken four-year-old. I asked her to give me her first response to each piece. I asked her, “Do you like it?” – And she was candid and insightful with her own preferences. One thing was sure, my mini-me knew exactly what she liked and had a strong reaction to the paintings.

I share my daughter’s reactions here not to upset anyone or poke fun, but as the honest and often humorous reactions as a child. Sometimes the art world can be so stuffy and we all need to chill out and enjoy the craziness of it all every once and a while.

I am not including the pictures of each artist’s work out of respect, but please visit the RBC Painting Competition website so you can follow along with the images as Hannah makes her declarations.

 

Here is what Hannah said:

Of 2013 national winner, Colleen Heslin’s “Almost Young, Wild and Free”

Hannah said: “I don’t like these parts,” as she gestures to the whole thing.

Of 2013 honourable mention winner, Neil Harrison’s “Knowledge”

Hannah said: “I like it. It looks like something a cowboy wears.”

2012 honourable mention winner, Colin Dorward, painted, “Labyrinthineon”

Hannah said: “It looks cool!”

 

From this year’s cream of the crop:

Ashleigh Bartlett of Calgary AB, “Ballet Duo”

Hannah said: “It looks cool.”

Carly Butler, Halifax NS, “Hurricane”

Hannah said: “I like it. It looks like a canyon. It looks like a piece of paper.”

Jennifer Carvalho, Toronto ON, “Landscape (pink)”

Hannah said: “I like it because it looks like outside.”

Wallis Cheung, Toronto ON, “Cut Corners”

Hannah said: “I don’t like it.” (Me: “Why don’t you like it?”) “Because I don’t like it.”

Teto Elsiddique, Halifax NS, “7 of 6”

Hannah said: “I like pink. I don’t like that colour,” she pointed to the rest of the image.

Karine Frechette, Montreal QC, “Cyclone”

Hannah said, “Yes, I like it! She made it, Mom,” she said excitedly as she pointed to the picture of Karine. “It looks cool.”

James Gardner, Toronto ON, “Fixed Rock”

Hannah said: “I like it because it has cool colouring.”

Ufuk Gueray, Winnipeg MB, “Market” – 2014 HONOURABLE MENTION

Hannah said: “Yes, I like it because that side looks cool,” as she pointed to the circle of colour.

Tiziana La Melia, Vancouver BC, “Hanging on to the part” – 2014 WINNER!

Hannah said: “I don’t like it because it looks upside down.”

Nicholas Lachance, Montreal QC, “index no. 3 The book of Empathy” – 2014 HONOURABLE MENTION

Hannah said: “No, I don’t like it because it looks dark, it’s just two colours.”

Gavin Lynch, Ottawa ON, “Before the Fire (2014 version)”

Hannah said: “I don’t like it because the trees have owies because they cut them down. The trees are poor because they got cut down.”

Megan McCabe, Toronto ON, “Wading”

Hannah said: “I like it because it looks like it has water skies.”

Laura Piasta, Vancouver BC, “Bog Breath”

Hannah said: “I don’t like it because I don’t like it.”

Robert Taite, Winnipeg MB, “Untitled Work from Always Somewhere Else”

Hannah said: “I like it. Yes, because it looks kinda funny, it makes me laugh, funny pictures.”

Elysanne Tremblay, Montreal QC, “Salut bonhomme, salut bonhomme”

Hannah said: “I don’t like it because it doesn’t look cool.”

 

There you go! The RBC Painting Competition finalists according to a four-year-old!

 

 

Women’s Art Museum Society of Canada – Sharing Her Experience Anthology

I received a lovely surprise in the mail last week from WAM Society (Women’s Art Museum Society of Canada). It was Volume 1, Issue 1 of their S.H.E. anthology, “Sharing Her Experience.”

I have two articles in the art publication:

“Art and the Canadian Landscape” – This piece is about the impact of natural cycles on artistic production, specifically for Canadians and more specifically for female artists.

– And –

“Her Threads: The Artistic Practice of Alexis Marie Chute” – In this piece I share about my process of thinking about my work, my approach to making art and how I order my creative space.

It is an honour to be included in WAM Society’s anthology!

 

Summer Art-Making

What creative fun did you have over the summer?

I find the summer to be a sporadic and dysfunctional season for my art making practice. That’s not to say it isn’t a productive time, I’m always prolific it seems; but that I am a little all over the place as I balance travel, family time and my hours in the studio. Yet, through the experimentation and creative play during the warm months of June, July and August, I always have a lot of fun with my art.

I started making pen drawings of people, which became felt drawings, eventually morphing into paintings. These were quirky surprises that began as simple doodles. When I make art, I love sitting back and seeing where my subconscious will take me.

Also during the summer I painted for my The Quiet Rebuild series. (Yes, there are three manifestations of The Quiet Rebuild: the sculptures, the portraits and the paintings.) The paintings in this series are represented by the Art Gallery of Alberta in their Art Rental and Sales program.

This is only a smidge of what I have been up to over the summer, my favorite season. I’m inspired by the vibrant colours of summer and its humidity and playfulness. It’s no wonder my work reflects the flirtatious fun of those sultry months. Yet, now that we are firmly planted in September, I am loving the return to routine it inevitably brings.

Alex Colville Retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario

The woman with the strong arms holding binoculars up to her eyes, the man behind her reclining and obscured…

I will never forget that image. The first time I saw it I was in my BFA undergrad studies at the University of Alberta. The lecture theater was darkened and I sat on a wooden folding chair as the art history professor projected the image, “To Prince Edward Island” by Alex Colville as large as the wall. I never imagined seeing “To Prince Edward Island” in person; that thought never occurred to me back then. When I was in Toronto for work recently, I snuck in a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario and was pleasantly surprised to find a retrospective of Colville’s work.


ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE

The smooth manner Colville painted skin tone, his stylized approach to form and the way his characters seem to float in their environments; the artwork is captivating and timeless.

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE PAINTING AND DETAIL

When Alex Colville died in July of 2013 at 92 years old, it was the loss of a great career artist. He worked at his paintings for more than seventy years, a similar length as his marriage to his wife Rhoda. Their love story can be seen on many of Colville’s canvases. I found it so compelling, and romantic, that the artist used his wife as a muse and painted her at every stage of her life, doing simple every day things. Colville also painted her, and himself, near the end of their lives, their bodies obviously changed from the youthful images found in early paintings like “To Prince Edward Island.”

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE QUOTE AND WIFE

There is something magical about seeing famous art in person. It is mesmerizing and surreal. I cherish these opportunities to lean in close to witness first hand every brushstroke, each tiny detail. Colville’s fine details seem to vibrate on the canvas, the surface work of the paint so skillfully applied I imagine the artist being a patient man with a steady hand.

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO ALEX COLVILLE ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE PAINTINGS

The retrospective was inspiring. It runs from August 23, 2014 to January 4, 2015 at the AGO. If you have the chance, I strongly recommend seeing it.

Art Gallery of Ontario
317 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5T 1G4
Call 1-877-225-4246 or 416-979-6648

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO DUNDAS WEST ALEXIS MARIE CHUTE

NOTE: There was an additional $5 fee to access the Colville Retrospective on top of the gallery entrance cost.