On my to-do list today I had “write catch-up newsletter.” On a walk I made a mental note of all the things that have happened since my last post in… February? “Wow I have a lot of catching up to do…ugh.” Which brings to mind, why do I post here? Why do I feel like I must document absolutely everything?

Of course there is definitely a need for a place to inform my audience about upcoming events and workshops, that is part of it. But why I really started a substack instead of just a newsletter was because I wanted to tell stories about myself as an artist and how I create beauty from the mess that is my chaotic life and inspire others to explore the healing powers of creativity.

Looking back however, I feel like I’ve just been listing events and accomplishments like some kind of highlight reel devoid of any through-line or message. Actually I’ve felt like that about my entire art practice but that’s another story.

I am starting to realize that meticulously documenting moderately interesting info doesn’t quite spark joy for me anymore. I straight up avoid posting when it gets boring or repetitive. Like a chore. And I am really, really bad at doing chores that require consistency. Also, that kind of repetitive content is a copout. It’s low-risk, safe stuff. It doesn’t actually get to what I am TRYING to say.

And so, I am in self imposed isolation for 3 days in nature to attempt some modicum of focus as my suspected ADHD chaos brain was racing down a high speed train to distraction-town which resides at the bottom of a cliff.

Gotta post something. Don’t want to post lame stuff. How can I get to the good stuff? What even IS the good stuff?

I think the problem with a distracted brain is that the golden nugget of an idea is buried underneath layers of everyday life. Call it haze, fog, clutter, distractions, or just life in general. It takes honest work to clear the mind and see what’s really there. I’ve never been good at pulling the threads of my ramblings (or the events of my life) into coherent ideas. I’ve had coaches and therapists repeat back to me exactly what I said and to me it felt like a revelation. “All I did was say what you said but in one sentence.” Yeah but you made it sound good! (And this is why we pay them.) Why can’t I apply the same lesson to my art? My writing? My life?

I repeat the same lesson to my art students: “Don’t overwork it! We can see what you’re trying to say already. It’s finished.”

So here I am, trying to trim the fat, follow a thread, and instead I’ve gotten distracted writing an essay on distraction.

I don’t need to have a platform to tell you all of the surface level tidbits of my life since February. There is Instagram for that; or better yet, meeting me on the other side of a cafe table in conversation face to face.

OK I swear I will wrap this all up. There is a caboose to this crazy train.

Consistency in recounting all the things ad nauseum isn’t the point. The world at large won’t care if I didn’t update every month with my comings and goings from spring and summer. But *I* will care if I chose not to say something because I felt like I was drowning under the obligation to recount my entire life before I could share something meaningful.

I thought “consistency” meant repetition at regular intervals. But what it really means for me is consistently making the effort to connect. To show up with effort, patience, bravery and vulnerability. It may look like 5 posts in a week or 2 posts a year, so long as they are all with intention. Life is all about seasons and I work best when I listen to my own. Even if they’re a little crazy and not algorithm friendly.

… and here is a highlight reel of my favourite things from the past 4 months anyway!

And for you Ottawa residents, here are the news & upcoming things:

Art Battle Sept 3 - Season kick-off! (I am not competing, just paint-captaining)

Artawa - Meet-ups resume! September 13 at our usual location. More info here.

Remixed Festival in Chinatown Oct 3 where I will be officially representing my latest mural

Artawa: Resonance group exhibition November 5th, register here now!

Coming soon: Fall painting workshops (once I actually decide what and where I’ll be teaching them)

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading <3

My family has supported me in running away for 3 days to focus on my art. I am the happiest of campers. Above is my current view. Below is my dining room table at the moment.

It’s my favourite kind of mess. <3 I’ve started 5 new mini paintings and finished one already!

Tomorrow I plan to create a wrap-up newsletter that will cover my recent adventures, but also that I am making an honest effort to use Substack a little more, and using the “notes” a little more, too.

I made the promise to myself to only check my socials / phone / texts in the evening after the day’s activities are done. And so far I’ve been successful and not checking my phone at all today, and realizing how many micro moments I’ve inadvertently gifted myself by doing so.

Focus is hard. And it’s getting more difficult as I age. But I am getting better at asking for help. 💖⭐

I am freshly returned from my yoga retreat in Nicaragua and I am feeling the lows as I readjust to the temperature and the cadence of everyday life. Luckily I am surrounded by pretty incredible people who have been absolutely crucial in helping remind me that I am loved, that I was missed and that I can be happy even when not doing yoga, surfing, or frolicking in the jungle.

Nicaragua Yoga Retreat

I had one week in paradise at the end of February, on my yoga retreat with Modo Yoga Orleans. at Verdad Hotel in Nicaragua. Warm weather, excursions, campfires, baby sea turtles, volcanoes, surfing and of course, lots and lots of yoga.

One tradition I started a few years ago is to have an art / junk journal dedicated to my trip. This book ends up holding journal pages, sketches, scraps of paper from food, ticket stubs, boarding passes, and lots of doodles. It becomes a memory from the trip but also my very best souvenir.

View Entire Book

The only pages I omitted were the pages that were solid text/writing without any artwork. I didn’t write anything too personal throughout the book, it was not used as an emotional deep dive (I had my fellow yogis to go over all my messy thoughts and emotions with <3) more like a record of what we did and where we were.

Enjoy the art book!

And of course some of my favourite photos from the trip.

Artawa

Our next Artawa artist meetup is TOMORROW, Sunday March 8th at the Ottawa Art Gallery, from 2:30-5pm. Remember to bring your own supplies and projects to work on. We will be unveiling our group exhibition show theme and taking reservations for artists who want to participate, starting Sunday. Priority will be given to people who come to the meetup in person, and to members. More info on Artawa’s website.

ART JAM in Montreal

A couple years ago I experienced Art Jam for the first time. I loved it and plan to return on Friday, March 20th! Come to experience an art party with live art, tattoos, music and more. If you decide to get tickets, use my personal link here. I participated by painting a canvas live, and I will be doing the same thing again this year!

Key Details for ArtJam March 20, 2026:

• Location: 2023 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal. Not a kid-friendly venue.

• Time: 7:30 PM – 12:30 AM.

• Features: Live painters, tattoo artists, and musical performances.

• Atmosphere: A high-energy, curated, and immersive “night of Art x Tattoos x Pop-Ups x Music”.

All Hands On Deck 2026

Mark your calendars for May 3 for All Hands On Deck! This is an auction featuring local artists painting blank skateboards (without the wheels!) that are hung up and on display for a coupleonths at Beyond the Pale, in Ottawa. Partial proceeds of the auction sales go to charity. The Auction will happen from mid April until May 3, there will, of course, be a party at Beyond the Pale on May 3.

Thank You

That’s all, folks! Thank you so much for your continued support and love every month. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help me support my art adventures, or share this newsletter with a friend who’s into art!

I hope you’re all doing well, feel free to reply to this email to say hi or ask any questions about anything at all.

So much love!

<3 Kina

Welcome to almost halfway through February already! I really did mean to draft this newsletter earlier but here we go. Life has been wonderfully busy and full. Here’s a look at what went on in the past month or so.

My biggest win from January is completing the panda mural. It is currently drying / curing in my studio until it can be safely taken down, touched up, and varnished. Installation will happen in the spring in Chinatown, I will definitely share the process!

I had the honour of being one of the featured artists at Art Battle in January, due to my win in December. I painted a figure inspired by the singer Aurora surrounded by my favourite flowers to paint, namely peonies and roses. The piece was auctioned off at the end of the evening and I miss it already!

We had our January and February Artawa meetups, and I managed to submit a grant application to help us launch an end of year group exhibition for Artawa members. It forced me to formalize things a little more. I have been working on the website, adding membership registrations, and thinking of workshops to offer as well as looking up venues to have our end of year, 10th anniversary group exhibition at. Super exciting, more details soon! But for now if you ever want to hang out with other creatives and bring an art project of your own that you feel needs a bit of love, come to our next meetup on March 8th. More details here.

I secured a skateboard to paint for the All Hands On Deck charity auction at Beyond the Pale Brewery. The boards sold out FAST and I feel very lucky to have grabbed one. I will be posting progress of my artwork on it as well as more info on placing bids on the many incredible works going up for sale and supporting a great cause.

I am busy on Wednesdays teaching my acrylic cloud painting class and it has been going wonderfully! I have a great group of talented students learning all about value studies and colour theory and of course, how to make beautiful fluffy clouds. My next class in the spring will be all about FOOD! More info coming soon for that one.

Studio Update

On the easel I have a variety of new canvases that I am preparing. I’m trying something new, where I am preparing a bunch “in bulk” so to speak. Michael’s had a 2 for 1 canvas sale recently and I picked up a bunch of gallery stretched canvases. I did an undercoat / primed them all with a similar colour and I have been putting on their hanging hardware in advance so that I don’t end up needing to do it to a drying painting and potentially damage it.

I have a couple new murals on the horizon and I am really excited about them! I am still looking for bookings for the rest of 2026. My goal is to try to have one mural project per month, ideally. If you are looking for or know someone who is, please share my info with them! I am still in the process of adding my past murals to my website, but my social media has a decent amount of coverage of my recent murals.

Ahh the website update that forever keeps getting pushed back… along with updating my Etsy shop.. There are only so many hours in the day!

Coming up for the rest of February, we have one more Art Battle, on Valentine’s day! Pretty much the ultimate date night out. Great music, entertainment, and affordable art by professional artists who you get to see creating their masterpieces right before your eyes! I’d call that a pretty cool date :) Get your tickets for the next Art Battle here, at Overflow Brewery this Saturday at 7pm.

That’s all from me for now. See you again in March!

Live painting at Swizzles alongside Sara Prisma, making some fun UV Reactive paintings. This one is available if you are interested, just shoot me an email!

Studio Update

I am loving my new space. Everything in it now is a mix of the contents of the old studio at Gladstone which I vacated last November. The goal is to create my new creative sanctuary where I will be working and playing as often as I can. I am currently seated in the desk shown in the image below, trying hard not to be distracted by all the fun things to do in here!

I have begun working on the panda mural, which exists as two mounted marine grade plywood boards on the side of my space. The bottom panel had to be placed at an angle because our ceilings are just under 8 feet high. Thank goodness for handy partners! I’ve been posting time lapses of my progress on my Instagram account.

My flower series is ever evolving. I am still focusing on florals and natural elements, but slowly planning on incorporating other subjects and colour schemes. It’s been such a beautiful journey exploring themes that are close to my heart; namely nature with a touch of fantasy and the surreal.

The Picnic Tables at the Ottawa School of Art for the Orleans BIA have recently been (almost) completed! They are only missing a signature and some branding before their final send-off. Look out for them around the Shenkman Arts Center in Orleans!

Collaborative Mural Work

In December I also completed a mural with the Debra Dynes Family House through the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation . It was a group effort and a messy fun day with the kids in the community! I started off the project with the room to myself and later in the evening was joined by the kiddos to create a collaborative work of art!

New Year’s Resolutions

Before the new year I started the Artist’s Way 12 week program with the Creative Connection Collective. I’ve recently done the Artist’s Way book/program about 5 years ago and it’s amazing to see how much I’ve grown as an artist and as a person since then. It led me to create some new year’s resolutions, which I don’t usually do (or keep), but this year it felt relevant.

1. Commit to studio time Tuesdays & Thursdays

2. Overhaul and update my website & Etsy shop

3. Say NO to shows, to people, to things taking me away from my practice and my family

4. More dinners at home and routine evenings

5. $100k goal, including the trifecta of my work: Murals, Teaching and Originals

6. Balancing art career with life and my limited daily working hours, optimizing passive income

7. NO SHOWS OR EXHIBITIONS in 2026. Focus on creating, introspection, and building up inventory

8. Being more visible online and sharing more authentically

Please consider supporting me for a small monthly or one yearly fee to keep my substack going and help me keep creating! Every little bit helps, and I would love to be able to say no to more of the smaller gigs by having more passive income like this substack, so that I can focus on painting more original work.

Subscribe now

Events & Reminders

ARTAWA
Artawa Meetup this Sunday, January 11 from 2:30-5pm. We are back at the Ottawa Art Gallery! RSVP to the Facebook Event. Bring your own supplies and projects to put some time into around other creatives. Network, chat, share events, or just enjoy the well lit accessible space with large tables and sinks to explore a couple hours playing around with your favourite supplies. No registration required, all are welcome. 10 Daly ave, inside the Ottawa Art Gallery in the community studio across from the Jackson Cafe.

ART CLASSES

Classes start next week and there are still open spots left! This winter I will be bringing back my Acrylic Fundamentals class, teaching cloudy skies. All skill levels are welcome! I will be covering fundamentals as well as more advanced techniques. This 10 week class includes 7 unique lessons followed by a self directed project and final critique. Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans located in the Shenkman Arts Centre. Register Here.

I am also teaching painting for homeschooled children, Wednesday afternoons. More info here.

My last offering through the school of art: My first time teaching a March Break camp! I will be combining movement and crafts for ages 6-8. Register here.

ART BATTLE

Thank you to everyone who came out to the December Art Battle! With votes from you, I moved onto the final round and won! As is customary, I will be live painting throughout the next Art Battle event taking place on Saturday, Jan 17. My live painting will be happening alongside the battle, so I will have more time to complete it. The painting itself will be auctioned off at the end of the night.

Also a little heads up, I will be participating in another art battle painting at the War Museum in February on the 7th.

CAPITAL ART FAIR GALLERY

I will be displaying at the Capital Art Fair Gallery for another few weeks for the remainder of their holiday show until January 18th. Their winterlude show is coming up soon! As part of my new year’s resolutions, I will be taking a break from the gallery and all exhibitions for the remainder of 2026, but the gallery will continue to have amazing works and be a hub for the art community on Sparks street.

MODO YOGA

I continue to have the Monday 4:30pm timeslot at Modo Yoga in Orleans. I am no longer teaching the Saturday community classes as I have now “graduated” to teaching regular hot Modo (hatha style) classes! Come on out if you are in the area.

Sneak peek of a super awesome secret not so secret place in the world we call our own <3 More info on that to come.

That’s all for today, folks. Thanks for following me along on this crazy art journey called life. I hope you had a wonderful holiday filled with family, friends and food! Wishing you all the best in the new year of the horse!

If you’re looking for a fun date night out, consider coming to Art Battle this Thursday, December 11th. I will be competing alongside other all star painters to help raise funds for the family of Rob Nicholson - Art Battle Veteran - after his sudden passing in November. Part of art sale proceeds will be going to his family. Get your tickets now.

ARTAWA ARTIST MEETUP - THIS SUNDAY 1-4pm @Shenkman Arts Center

This Sunday, December 14th at the Ottawa School of Art, Orleans campus located in the Shenkman Arts Center, we will be meeting up for our last artist meetup of 2025. Bring your own supplies and projects to put some time into around other creatives. Network, chat, share events, or just enjoy the well lit accessible space with large tables and sinks to explore a couple hours playing around with your favourite supplies. No registration required, all are welcome. 245 Centrum Blvd, Orleans, 3rd floor, Studio A, 1-4pm. Facebook Event Here.

MODO YOGA WITH KINA - $5 COMMUNITY CLASSES

Yoga Community Classes are 60 minute Modo (Hatha, heated) style classes taught by new teachers to help hone their skills in their new teaching practice. As you may know, I recently completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification this past summer and have started my teaching career at Modo Yoga in Orleans. (Check out my official profile on their website!) Join me Saturday December 13 & 20th for practice and enjoy the discounted $5 rate for newcomers! If you’ve ever dropped in on a yoga class at a yoga studio, you’ll know how great of a deal this is! Register here.

Holiday Workshop Capital Art Fair Gallery

Join me in a workshop painting this glowing acrylic painting in the cozy setting of the Capital Art Fair Gallery! All materials are provided and you get one on one attention and instruction in this intimate setting learning basic blending and composition techniques in acrylic paints. Register here to save your spot!

Classes in the New Year

This winter I will be bringing back my Acrylic Fundamentals class, teaching cloudy skies. All skill levels are welcome! I will be covering fundamentals as well as more advanced techniques. This 10 week class includes 7 unique lessons followed by a self directed project and final critique. Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans located in the Shenkman Arts Centre. Register Here.

I am also teaching painting for home schooled children, Wednesday afternoons. More info here.

My last offering through the school of art: My first time teaching a March Break camp! I will be combining movement and crafts for ages 6-8. Register here.

High Horse Gallery - Studio Space for Rent

The High Horse Galerie & Ateliers is soon to open on Polytek Street, in Canotek Park. This 2000 sq foot newly renovated space is set to connect artists with each other and the art community. As well as adding another art gallery to the area, bringing professional art studios to the East End of Ottawa is sure to further enliven the visual art scene and continue to solidify our community. The main floor will house an art gallery, with rotating solo and group exhibitions, and the second floor will consist of a medium workshop space, surrounded by three art studios and a washroom. All studios have doors and 2 have north facing windows. The rent should be between 450 and 650 per month. Workshop space will be available for rent by the day or half day at a fair price. The High Horse Galerie & Ateliers is eager to welcome everyone!

If you want more information, have comments or questions, contact Dan Edward at danedwardpaints@gmail.com .

In Kina’s World

Some of you may know that I recently moved out from the Loft Art Studios, to a new home studio space. It’s taken some time to settle in, but it’s coming along. I am looking forward to less commuting time and more painting time!

Toy Mountain Mural

Maybe you caught me on CBC recently, on November 24th I was interviewed along with the Salvation Army about their big toy drive Toy Mountain, at their headquarters at the Carlingwood Mall. I helped decorate their space by painting a mural on 4 huge walls, including a winter scene complete with snowflakes, garlands and decorations!

Picnic Tables

In other news, instead of being in the studio these past couple weeks I have been working on these picnic tables for the Orleans BIA and the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans. I’ve had some help with some youth artists to get some lively colours back into this set of outdoor seating. Look out of them around Orleans in the spring!

Show Hiatus & Murals

As this year comes to a close, I am reflecting on my journey of 2025. It was a year of change, and hard events. Some losses in life coupled with hard times and difficult transitions, I’m looking at what I want my own life to look like in 2026. It’s going to be an adjustment, and I’ve been spending a lot of time reassessing my priorities and trying to imagine what I want my artist life to look like day to day, and not just imagine idealized goals.

I will be taking a break from all gallery shows and exhibitions for 2026 and focusing on my studio practice. Hopefully my home studio will help me focus on this. I will continue to teach, and I will also be looking for mural opportunities to help fund my practice. Continue to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and feel free to say hi now and then.

Artawa will continue to be a thing, as well as my involvement with Art Battle.

Here’s hoping I can paint a little more for myself in the year to come!

All the best this holiday season and well wishes for the new year to come!

A little break from my busybusy week to share with you something coming up soon!THIS SATURDAY DECEMBER 6TH from 10-4 is my one and only holiday market for the season, so please come on out and enjoy the free parking, free children’s activities and entertainment Orleans has to offer ❤️

🌟This is a free event at an accessible venue.🌟

The Shenkman Arts Centre is near and dear to me. It’s where I work and play; I teach at the Ottawa school of Art at this location, and it being minutes from my home I feel so blessed to be close to all of the wonderful programs they have to offer.

Support local makers, artisans and businesses this holiday season!

❤️☃️❄️⭐🌲🍪🎁🎄🎅🤶🛷🦌💕🕯️🔔

I will be bringing:

⭐ All occasion greeting cards

⭐ Vinyl waterproof stickers

⭐ Original artwork

⭐ Advent coloring books

⭐ More info on the classes I’m teaching in 2026

Hope to see you there!

Official Website for the event is here, or RSVP To the Facebook event here.

Stay tuned for a longer update coming soon on life, art, and upcoming classes and news.

Come to our big open house! Both The Loft Art Studios and the Enriched Bread Artists will be having a joined open house this and next weekend. The opening night is tonight, Thursday, October 23rd from 6-9pm. There will be refreshments and door prizes!

Open House continues this weekend, Saturday, October 25th and Sunday October 26th from 11-5pm, and again Saturday and Sunday November 1&2, 11am - 5pm.

I will personally be there opening night, and Saturday from 2-5pm. For other times to meet me in my studio, please message me personally (by replying to this if you got it in an email, or message me kina@kina-ink.com )

This will be my last open house at the Loft Art Studios as I am moving my studio practice back home for November.

Hope to see you there!

Kicking it into high gear this fall, there’s tons going on all over Ottawa and I have the pleasure of being part of the following:

• Painting classes at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans

• Free Yoga at Modo Yoga Orleans

• A fabulous mural made by me and some youth in Blackburn Hamlet at Just Food

• Merrickville Art Alley Art Walk

• Art Battle Season Kickoff

• Artawa Meetup OSA Downtown

• Community Canvas at the 4th Annual Fall Farm Fest at Just Food

• Workshop at Capital Art Fair Gallery

• Loft Art Studios Open House

Keep reading for more details below.

Painting Classes

My painting classes start THIS WEEK! There’s still room and time to sign up NOW for Florals & Foliage, an all ages (teen and up) acrylic painting class focusing on nature. Check out the course and register here!

The other one that I am teaching is designed for children aged 9-12 for the homeschool program, a painting level 2 course. Register here for that one!

Free Yoga Friday Sept 26

I recently graduated from the Modo Yoga Foundational Teacher Training program this past August! I am now hosting free practice classes at Modo Yoga Orleans so that I can get my teaching skills up to speed. If you are interested in signing up, just reply to this message and I’ll add you to the list for Friday evening; a NON-HEATED 60 minute Modo series (Hatha yoga) 6:30pm-7:30pm at Modo Yoga Orleans, 2442 St Joseph Blvd. Please bring your own mat, towel, and water bottle. 🧘

Mural Round Up

I had the honour of leading the Queer Youth Choir in rejuvenating two shipping containers at Just Food farm. One of them is the processing area for Capital Bees honey, hence the honeycomb and pollinator theme. The whole process took about one week on site and was a real team effort. Everyone did an incredible job and the final result is truly stunning!

Check out and share the video reel on Instagram.

ART BATTLE OTTAWA - Season Kickoff

If you’ve never experienced an Art Battle, you’re missing out! It’s an exciting live painting competition where artists have 20 minutes to create a work of art in their signature style. The next event happens this Friday, September 19th at 7pm at Overflow brewery. Get your tickets HERE.

September 21: First Artawa Meetup of the season

September's meetup will be at the Ottawa School of Art (downtown location) in room 304 (the library) from 1pm until 4pm. The Ottawa School of Art is located at 35 George St · (613) 241-7471. Artawa is an inclusive group of creatives that meet monthly to create alongside each other, share advice and stories, socialize and network. This is an accessible venue! HOORAY!

Come hang out, drink coffee/tea, sketch/paint/whatever, and meet fellow Ottawa artists. Bring your own supplies. Bring whatever art project you're currently working on or have been ignoring lately!

If you have any questions, reach out to me directly, either by replying to this email or using Instagram or Facebook (@kina.forney).

Merrickville Art Walk

Thursday, September 25 from 11 am – 7 pm, come see artists on location showing their process. I will be live painting from 3pm - 7pm at 1840 Guest House located at 223 Main Street West, Merrickville so come say hi if you’re in the area.

Fall Farm Fest at Just Food

A fun packed event hosted at Just Food, also a celebration of the newly completed murals which will be on site. I will be bringing a community canvas to share with attendees and happily answer any questions about the murals for Just Food and Capital Bees.

Paint a Jellyfish With me!

Come to the Capital Art Fair Gallery on October 18th to paint this simplified jelly with me, with plenty of steps on how you can go into more and more detail to get it just the way you want. Buy Tickets Here!

Save the Date

Thursday, October 23rd is our annual open house at the Loft Art Studios & Enriched Bread Artist Studios.

🌯And that’s a wrap! 🌯

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you soon at one of these awesome events or out in the wild world of the internet. ✌🏽

Hard to believe I’ve been out of touch since June, but usually as soon as school is out, my brain stays at home with family and not so much in the art world.

May/June

These months found me at different art festivals. I have so many wonderful memories from the Riverdale Art Walk and Art in the Park, and so many new connections to celebrate! The weather was mostly perfect, and many people went home with my originals and prints. So grateful for all of you who came to say hi!

Shoutout to my friend/coach Alisa who does amazing work at keeping creatives inspired and on track who came to say hi to me on a cold day. She went home with this gorgeous original that was fresh off the easel at Riverdale.

Sideburn Regional was also incredible. Friends and family gathering for a 5 day festival of celebrating music, art, and community and camping! I didn’t take many photos, but here’s one of me helping with our theme camp’s epic nature inspired portal entrance!

My friend Eva commissioned me to create a beautiful butterfly on her bedroom wall. It was so much fun to be hosted and also work at the same time. Nothing beats visiting a friend, painting, getting fed and having a beautiful place to stay while working doing what you love most. <3

July

Art Battle wrapped up - I was invited to participate in the Canada Day edition of Art Battle at the supreme court. It was a toasty one but we were cheered on by everyone celebrating Canada’s birthday near parliament hill. It was quickly followed up by Art Battle City Championships a few days later. I was happy to cheer everyone who made it into the finals.

Warm memories were shared with friends and family of my late grandmother, Tania, as we gathered for her memorial service. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and support <3 Miss you muchly, Baba.

I had the privilege of leading a workshop at a summer camp at the Ottawa Art Gallery. We had a blast creating mixed media canvases out of amazing sketches, fantastic creative collage work, and even a bit of embroidery. If you’re curious about hosting a mixed media workshop (any age level), I’d be happy to hear from you for the fall.

July/August: Modo Yoga Foundational Training

I took the plunge and after a few years of deciding whether or not I wanted to do it and attended my first yoga teacher training course. It was 200 hours of intense learning, practicing, meditating and community making. I loved every minute of it, and have so many thoughts, perspective shifts and new outlooks on life in general. I’m excited to integrate more of my yoga practice into my art practice and finding out ways that they overlap and inform each other. I’m proud to announce that I am now a certified yoga instructor for the Modo sequence (also considered a Hatha yoga practice). I’m not quite teaching officially just yet, but I will be practicing on willing or unwilling friends and family over the next few weeks 😂

Summer Camp in August

I am teaching one week of summer day camp at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans, August 25-29, ages 9-12. The theme is FOOD! We will be crafting delicious desserts, main courses and drinks out of plaster, paper, clay and paint. Register here.

Sign Up to paint with me in the Fall!

Florals and Foliage: Nature-Inspired Acrylics | Inter/Adv | Wed 6pm-9pm | AFC (Painting 2)

Painting 101: Homeschool Edition | Ages 6-8 | Wed 12pm-1:30pm

Painting 2.0: Homeschool Edition | Ages 9-12 | Wed 2pm-4pm

Artawa

Monthly artist meetups resume September 28th at the Ottawa School of Art, downtown campus, 1-4pm. More info to come soon, keep an eye on our website, instagram and facebook.

I think that about covers it. Feel free to reply, say hi, or share this newsletter with someone who you think would enjoy it! Thanks as always for your love and support through my chaotic and colourful art (and now yoga!) journey.

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<3 Kina

The show runs 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday.

Riverdale Art Walk

Riverdale Art Walk in Toronto was last weekend and went really well. The weather was unseasonably chilly but we stayed warm! Here I am in front of my booth, staying warm with my poncho.

My booth setup for Art in the Park will likely look very similar to the one I had for Riverdale. It’s been a busy spring!

Other quick news:

• Last Art Battle of the season on Thursday, June 12

• Next Artawa meetup is Sunday, June 22 at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans from 1-4pm

• Final Art Battle (regional Championships!) on Friday, July 4th

• Still some spots open for my week teaching summer camp to ages 9-12 year olds at Ottawa School of Art in Orleans, August 25-29.

• Fall class registration at the Ottawa School of Art starts June 27 and I will be teaching another painting class: Flowers and Foliage, Nature inspired Acrylics. Link coming soon!

That’s all for now! Thanks again for all of your support. I’ll have a longer update in the future with more artwork in progress and other musings.

Take care <3

PERSONAL

The month started with me in Panama visiting my grandmother. What was supposed to be a casual trip to visit family ended in sadness as I had to say goodbye unexpectedly to my grandmother, Svetlana. She will be missed dearly, and I feel that as hard as it was, the timing worked out in a way that I was able to be there for her in her last few days and say goodbye.

Saying goodbye to her meant that we also have adopted a new family member, Dečka (pronounced “detch” or “dech” like “dutch” but with an “eh” sound, followed by “kah”.. Detch-Ka!) The name Dečka came about when my grandparents got a puppy that they thought was male. They named them “Dečko” meaning “boy” or “boyfriend” in Serbian. Then upon finding out that she was in fact female, they turned it into a feminine noun by swapping the o for an a. Hence Dečka! She is a semi-feral Panamanian street dog and has a lot to learn about Canada - climate and customs alike! We are all still settling in and adjusting to each other. She is (sort of) getting along with Milo, our cat.

It being April also means that I celebrated my birthday. I am now officially 40 years old! Happy birthday to me! Though it was celebrated with some mixed feelings, being less than a week after my grandmother’s passing. I still enjoyed my day with friends and family, and an evening at the trampoline park!

PROFESSIONAL

My teaching semester has resumed and I am busy teaching 3 classes at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans. The first is a home school edition of a painting class for ages 6-10. The second class is my Fantastic Florals, which is rolling along smoothly, as we tackle value studies and analogous colour studies of various florals before diving into the nitty gritty of colour, composition and of course, making things GLOW. The last is one that I am co-teaching again with local author Timm Holmes, Illustory, where I instruct the art and he teaches the students how to write the story and then they complete the course with a physical copy of their very own published book.

On the art show front, I was accepted to 2 of the 5 shows I applied for. Look for me on May 31st in Toronto at the Riverdale Art Walk and Art in the Park in Ottawa on June 7-8! I want to normalize applying to shows and NOT being accepted: I spent $50 or more for each show that I applied to. I applied and was rejected from the Mosaics show by Art East, the Artist Project in Toronto, and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Remember that juries are constantly changing and you need to keep applying and NOT take it personally when you don’t get in! Application fees are NOT a scam. As an arts administrator, it takes time, effort and skill to jury shows and so much of the work is done on a volunteer basis. Pay your artists! Always remember if you are rejected that sometimes they are looking for a certain vibe and you may not match it. It doesn’t mean you aren’t any good, it means you will be a perfect fit somewhere else!

ON THE EASEL

A fun glowing flower, acrylic and oil on canvas:

PROMOTIONAL

• Modo Yoga: My Grow, Glow & Flow series is still on display at Modo Yoga in Orleans.

• My Little Pony paintings along with some of my Toy series are on display for the Spring show at the Capital Art Fair Gallery at 71 Sparks street where I volunteer on Fridays!

• Artawa: Our monthly meetup is this Sunday, April 27th at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans.

• Next Art Battle is May 15th! Get your tickets here!

• All Hands on Deck auction is OPEN! I completed a skateboard for the charity auction, along with over 250 other local artists! Check out the boards in person or online. Mine is board #033!

  

That’s all until next time. Stay crazy and colourful and chaotic <3

I believe it is the epitome of wisdom when you're able to do things sustainably, take rest before burnout, and anticipate needs before they become unavoidably urgent. Let me know when you figure out how to do that.

In the meantime, here’s my list for things in March & Beyond!

Works On Display at Modo Yoga

My latest body of work is currently being displayed at Orleans Modo Yoga is entitled Grow, Glow & Flow: A series of paintings celebrating inner light.

I set out to conceptualize and create a series of paintings exploring the concept of inner light as represented by luminescent flora and fauna. My work reflects my journey of self-discovery and growth. I am using these paintings to focus on exploring my inner world and building self-trust and confidence, particularly after a challenging period.

There are originals and prints on display and for sale. To inquire about any of them, feel free to contact me via e-mail. Modo Yoga Orleans is located on 2442 St Joseph Blvd, Orléans, ON K1C 1G1. Please note that it is not an accessible space, as it is on the second floor of the building and it does not have an elevator. The best time to visit is before or after a class, so check the schedule at https://modoyoga.com/orleans/ .

Capital Art Fair Gallery

There’s a new gallery in Ottawa and if you haven’t checked it out, it’s about to be the perfect time of year to do so! The Capital Art Fair Gallery started as a pop-up over the holidays in 2024-25, and is here to stay.

I currently have my toy series of paintings and prints and I share the space with 30 other talented local artists. I also volunteer my time to staff the gallery and am available to chat most Thursdays. This is an accessible venue, located at 71 Sparks St. Ottawa, ON K1P 5A5, a block away from the Parliament O-Train stop. We are open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10am-6pm.

Take a Class, Make Art With Me!

I’ve had my teaching hiatus this winter and am gearing up for a busy spring semester! I will be teaching three different classes at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans at the Shenkman Arts Centre:
1. IlluStory: Write, Illustrate and Publish Your Own Book! | Ages 8-12 | Thurs 6pm-8pm

2. Fantastic Florals | Intro/Inter | Wed 6pm-9pm (Painting, all ages)

3. Painting 101: Homeschool Edition | Ages 6-10 | Wed 2pm-4pm

Check out the links for full class descriptions.

Art Battle

Art Battle is a live competitive art competition, happening monthly in several major cities around the world. I participated and made it to the last round for February’s battle. This month I will be filling the role of volunteer wrangler and paint captain, as usual! Come say hi this Thursday, March 13th at 7pm at Overflow Brewery. Get your tickets here before they sell out!

Artawa

Artawa is a gathering of creatives that I started with my partner, Brad, back in 2016 where we invited our friends to a cafe to hang out and draw/paint/write/create. We’d work on whatever projects we had at the moment and invite others to do the same. These days we are meeting at the Jackson cafe inside the Ottawa Art Gallery, and the next meetup will be Sunday, March 23rd at 2:30pm - 5pm. Try to get there early to secure a spot, and please bring some change to buy a coffee or a snack to support the cafe in exchange for us using their space. Please bring your own art supplies, it is not a workshop and I do not supply materials of any kind. Check our website for more.

April and Beyond…

SideBurn is a vibrant regional Burning Man event that brings together a diverse community of participants to celebrate radical self-expression, creativity, and collaboration. Last year I went for the first time with Brad and we are going back again this year! We are part of a themed camp and are raising funds through the Sideburn Swap Party April 12th AND an Online Fundraiser for Cloak and Stagger Taverne in which I will be donating some of my merch, and proceeds go to our camp for decorations, workshops, activities and free offerings during the event.

I will be participating in the All Hands on Deck Art Auction benefiting Operation Come Home and the Ottawa Mission. They don’t really have an official site or anything, but it’s run by Dan Martelock and Beyond the Pale (City Center location). Keep an eye out for the next newsletter when I should be able to announce when you can place a bid on one of the 200+ painted skateboards from Ottawa Artists!

I think that is officially everything on my mind at the moment. I also applied to the Toronto Artist Project (Toronto, in May), Riverdale Art Walk (Toronto, in May), Art in the Park (Ottawa, in June) and the Toronto Outdoor Art Festival (Toronto, July). I should be announcing my participation in any of those once I hear back from applying!

Happy March Break!

The affectionately nicknamed “glowing space flower” paintings I’ve been making for just under a year now are starting to take shape as a real series. My latest three were made for the Square Foot Show, which I was invited to by Noémie L. Coté (thank you, what an honour!) and I’ve titled them Growing, Glowing and Flowing.

The Grow/Glow/Flow has been a concept/theme/mindset for myself for 2024 and as I look back, having completed my coaching work with Paige Jasmine saw it come through in my life more and more.

What’s in my grow glow flow mindset? WAY more than I have the patience to dump here in words, but I’ll try to sum it up in less than 1000 words. Healing of old wounds, evolving (growing!) into a version of myself that I am proud of, shining and guiding others, projecting my true essence (glowing!), banishing perfection, trusting myself and my intuition and experience (flowing!), having pockets of clarity and structure alongside swaths of absolute chaos, and being a colourful mess through and through. <3

Enjoy a break in the text and some pictures of Milo enjoying a catnip fish toy she got for Christmas.

With the help of some friends, we held a charitable paint party for the Ottawa Food Bank at the Nepean Arts Center. I had never been to that location and was pleasantly surprised. The facility itself was super accessible, had lots of parking, and the art room was very well equipped and had more than what we needed. We painted some coloured lights and had lots of laughs. It made me realize that I have never hosted paint parties before, other than when an outside client asks for it. I’d like to start hosting them more regularly in 2025. Reply to this newsletter to let me know if you’d be interested, and more importantly, what part of town is best for you!

I completed a custom commission for someone I met over the summer, and it was a lot of fun! I haven’t posted it online yet since it was a Christmas gift, but I’ll share it with you guys first. A matching set of Fisher Price barn paintings featuring custom toys. Acrylic on wood panel, each are 8x10.

And some other highlights in December, including Christmas shenanigans, lots of artmaking, an All-Star edition of Art Battle, and our awesome Christmas light paint party!

Thank you to everyone who was with me through this crazy year on my art journey quest. If you want to show some love and support, there lots of ways:

🌟 Buy My Art! How about the ones for the square foot show? Share it! You can start by subscribing to SHOP.SQUAREFOOTSHOW.COM to get first dibs for when the sale goes live on January 9th to get one of these works.

🌟 Buy / save / share my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/kinaink - if you want to get something but don’t want to pay shipping and live local, pick something from the shop and email/message me to arrange for pickup.

🌟 Buy ANY Art from a real, living artist, bonus points if you can do it in person. You have no idea how much of a difference you can make in both their and your life as a result. It helps the community and normalizes buying art from a real human in your community instead of getting mass produced images for your home. Find someone who’s work speaks to you, and proudly show it in your home as an expression of your fabulous taste!

🌟 Consider a paid subscription to my newsletter. Since getting rid of Patreon, this is the best way to support my practice without directly buying art or services from me. The monthly or yearly sub option helps me have some steady income for the times when shows and sales are slow and gives me the means to keep creating and coming up with classes to teach.

Brushes, Mess & Magic

A bi-weekly newsletter by artist Kina Forney juggling a beautifully chaotic life of full time creativity, family, and magical messes.

By Kina

• 🌟 Follow me on Instagram and Facebook and consider commenting, liking, saving and sharing my posts.
  

  🌟 Visit my website www.kina-ink.com and share it with friends
  

  🌟 Sign up for a class or book a paint party. Just ask! Currently I am not teaching until April but I am open to paint parties and workshops. I intend on teaching a few classes at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans in the Spring term.
  

  🌟 Say hi once in a while and be patient with me when I am overwhelmed and may not reply very often. I always get back to you eventually, but my brain is very noisy and my simultaneous obsession and repulsion with structure makes it hard for me to be predictable sometimes, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate you <3

All the very best to you and yours in the new year. I can’t wait to see you and connect in 2025! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

CALENDARS ARE HERE!

Check them out! They are absolutely GORGEOUS! They are full colour, glossy, and amazing. They are big enough to *actually* write things on, too. Plus when the year is out, you can cut out the prints and frame them! So really, you’re getting 12 prints for the price of one calendar. If you pre-ordered one, THANK YOU. I will be contacting you as soon as I have the capacity (probably after this weekend of markets and commissions are done.. or even better, come TO one of my markets this weekend to pick up yours! details to follow..). Here’s a sneak peek of the calendar I shared on Instagram yesterday:

The Orleans Holiday Arts Market

Saturday, December 7th, 10am - 4pm at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. I will be there with my stickers, totes, prints, and some originals. Along with many other amazing vendors, holiday music and food. Come on our for a festive time and get some ideas for gifts or just to spoil yourself!

The Loft Art Studios Holiday Market

The very next day, I will be at my studio for the Loft Art Studios Holiday Market. If you missed out on our annual open house, this is the perfect opportunity to come visit my shared studio space. Located at 951 Gladstone Ave in Little Italy, I am on the 3rd floor of the Enriched Bread building. We will be opening our doors to holiday shoppers from 11am - 4pm .

Holiday Paint Party by Kina

Come play with paint for a good cause! Join me as I instruct a holiday themed painting accessible to all skill levels for an evening of messy fun at the Nepean Visual Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 10th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. This is an accessible venue.

Proceeds (after costs) go to the Ottawa Food Bank, and the entry fee is a pay-what-you-can model. Give what you can and let us take care of the rest!

All ages are welcome, though recommended age is 8+. Participants under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Adults accompanying a child who are participating (occupying their own seat) must pay for their own spot in addition to their child's.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
1. Reply to this email / email me at kina@kina-ink.com
2. I will give your email to the lead organizer and put you in touch with them to confirm your spot
3. E-Transfer payment to the organizer to confirm your spot

Check out the Facebook Event

I think that’s about all I have for now as far as events. I have lots of rambles in my head as always, but the short version of my latest news is that:

1. Teaching for 2024 has come to a close. I will resume teaching workshops and classes in the spring of 2025

2. I am working hard on updating all of my inventory to my Etsy shop in time for Christmas. It’s a lot of hard work, and I have been pretty much dedicating all of my work hours to it!

3. I am steadily moving into my glowing flowers series of paintings, and as always, I am most active with art updates on Instagram.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

<3 Kina

I am taking pre-orders until November 17th for 2025 calendars with my paintings from the past 4 years, focusing mainly on my latest series of luminescent flowers. I will be ordering 50 calendars in total, no more! Grab one now! Tell your friends!

To pre-order yours, please e-transfer $40 CAD to kina@kina-ink.com with the note “Calendar” BEFORE November 17th!

I will e-mail you back to confirm your order and ask you what your preferred delivery  method will be. I will invoice you separately for shipping if needed once the calendars are printed. After the calendars ordered on November 17th, they will be $50 each so order now! If you have any questions, simply reply to this email :)

FREE STUFF WHEN YOU PRE-ORDER!

• For every calendar ordered, pick one greeting card and 2 stickers from my shop.*** Great for gifts!

• $40 per calendar until the order is placed on November 17th

• No bulk discount for multiple calendars ordered, sorry!

• 14.5″ wide and 22.5″ tall when open

• Durable spiral binding

• Crisp, full-colour photo printing

• Thick cardstock, won’t bleed

The price WILL go up to $50 after November 17th so get yours now!

E-Transfer $40 to kina@kina-ink.com BY November 17th to pre-order yours.

If you are unable to do an e-transfer, e-mail me at kina@kina-ink.com and we’ll sort it out (I can accept Paypal and Square for a small extra fee). Shipping is extra! I have no idea how much shipping will cost in advance, so we’ll work that out later! Yes I can ship internationally!

<3  Kina

*** We’ll sort out your freebies when we arrange delivery in December. 

Thursday, October 17th from 6-9pm, enjoy drinks and refreshments, check out our spaces where we work, play, and talk about art.

Buy an original piece straight from the artists' studio! Come check out my fellow colleagues' paint, glass, bead and textile works. We have such a wonderful mosaic of artists at the Loft Art Studios, you're sure to find something that catches your eye.

Please keep in mind this is not an accessible venue. Get ready to climb some serious steps, the Loft Art Studios exists on the third floor of the Enriched Bread building, at 951 Gladstone in Little Italy. It's well worth the climb! (elevator is in the works after our planned renovations).

Don't forget to check out the other art studios in the building, as the Enriched Bread artists are also opening their doors with special programming planned for the evening as well on the first and second floors.

If you can't make it to opening night, don't worry! The entire building as well as the Enriched Bread artists studios will be open to the public for two weekends in October:

October 19-20 & October 26-27, from 11am-5pm
*I will be in attendance on opening night, October 17th from 6-9pm, and October 19th from 11-5pm, and from 11am-1pm on October 20th. I will not be in attendance the weekend after.

It’s a big studio, and there will always be someone around. If you’d like to buy something or have questions, just ask an artist or leave me a note in my guestbook.

In other news, I just got back from France! I know, so soon after Spain! I’m a lucky duck. My mom goes to Paris for work a couple times a year and I was able to tag along this time! Above is a photo of me and my mom at the Palais Garnier, which was 100% worth the visit.

It was a little stressful pulling away from real life during the busiest time of year, and I feel a little frazzled and stressed upon my return being dropped back into the chaos, but I’m trying to do the best that I can. Basically I got home Thanksgiving weekend, cooked all day the day after returning, and then spent all of holiday Monday reorganizing and tidying my yoga room. If you’ve followed the yoga room saga on my socials, you’ll know, but it is FINALLY finished. The mural I spent over a year on is complete, and now the room is slowly taking shape with furniture, decorations, and even some framed artwork hung on the walls!

Here are some sketches from my short stay in Paris that I’m excited to share. I am especially proud of the fact that I tried drawing with ink without sketching first. This is new for me, and I’ve always wanted to develop the skill. It’s not easy, and it’s a little messier than I’m used to, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Some other upcoming events, since this newsletter is JUST NOT LONG ENOUGH!

I will be vending at the MODO Yoga Orleans local art & craft market on October 26th from 2-5pm. Modo is my home yoga studio that I’ve been going to for about 10 years.

*This is not an accessible location: Modo yoga is on the second floor of the building and does not have an elevator.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 7th! I don’t have precise details yet for start and end time, but I have a confirmed table at the Orleans Holiday Arts Market. This is located at the Shenkman Arts Center and is an accessible location with wheelchair accessible parking.

Okay I’m done for now :) Thanks for tuning in!

P.S. I think my biweekly post is now just a monthly post. As always, share with a friend or someone who needs more art and colour in their lives! I’d greatly appreciate it!

<3 Kina

A lot has happened over the summer.
The main events were our family’s trip to Spain, followed by two intense weeks of me teaching at summer camps, then getting ready for back to school. Squeeze in a few random camping trips and family visiting here and there, and you’ve got yourself a busy summer. 

Spain was wonderful. We spent some time in Porto, Portugal and made our way to Ribeira, Aguiño and Carreira where we stayed with family.

Then we did some hopping around to Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, and Bilbao. We found and walked along some parts of the Camino de Santiago trail, as well as visited museums and other tourist attractions. The kids were good sports, and I am downright impressed at the amount of walking they put up with! That being said, travelling with teens is not easy, and I think we’re good for a while. 

Above, we visited the Guggenheim in Bilbao and got to see the Yoshitomo Nara exhibit! I loved its illustrative and childlike qualities and all of the various media used, for obvious reasons. It was the perfect exhibit to see while creating my comic!

Upcoming Events
Before I get into the project I completed over the summer, I wanted to take a little pause to announce upcoming registrations and events:

FOR KIDS

• IlluStory! Write, Illustrate and Publish Your Own Book | Ages 8-12 | Tuesdays, at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans, 6:30-8:30pm Register now! I am teaching this class with Timm Holmes.

• Drawing and Art Journaling Club - Kids! At the Beacon Hill Craft Club, Thursdays, September 19th to November 21. Register here.

FOR GROWNUPS

• Oils Aren’t Scary - Intro to Oil Painting - Starts Thursday, September 26, 8 sessions. Beacon Hill Craft Club, Thursdays at 1pm.

• Drawing and Art Journaling for Adults, Thursdays starting September 19th, at Beacon Hill Craft Club

FOR ALL

• Sunday, September 8th, 11am - 3pm, Ottawa School of Art Open House (both campuses) I will be hosting a button making workshop on the 3rd floor. There will also be many activities and talks going on throughout the day.

• Art Battle Ottawa: Women and War Art September 13th, 7pm - 10pm

• Artawa Meetup - first of the season! Sunday, September 22 from 2:30 until 5pm at the Ottawa Art Gallery, Daly entrance in the studio. Bring your own supplies, snacks to share, come draw, hang out and network with other creatives while working on your own projects. 

I Made a Comic
One thing I struggle with greatly when going on extended trips or family vacations is my inability to spend time at my studio. I’ve come up with so many ways to make my practice more portable, and this trip was no different. For months, our family was preparing what to bring on a month-long trip away from home. We became very efficient with our packing, and I tried to apply the same minimalism to my art supplies that I chose. 

I ended up choosing a Traveler’s Notebook at The Papery Glebe shop in Ottawa, both highly recommended. I purchased a blank insert and used it as a sketchbook / scrapbook on our trip. I did not bring my usual bullet journal planner which is a first for me, as I’ve been inseparable from it for years. I knew I wanted something that could fit in my fanny pack along with a very small, sleek pencil case that my friend Leslie made for me. I used one ink pen the entire trip, though I did bring a pencil and eraser in case I wanted to sketch in a separate book. I really put my portable scissors and glue stick to use, as well as a mini sewing kit for some collage elements.

Instead of keeping my usual planner / diary, I needed to come up with some shorthand to recount our adventures but also be creative. What ended up happening was a journal / sketchbook / scrapbook hybrid which I grew to love. I drew in it every day and it was a really enjoyable project to have on the go and also scratched that itch to be creatively “productive” on a trip. 

This project is really important to me because it was not planned, there were no expectations, and I simply made it for fun. I’ve never considered myself a storyteller, or a comic book artist, but here I was, finding that the easiest way to journal this trip was exactly through those media. 

It is also really important to me because it is immensely personal. I didn’t exclude times where we were miserable, frustrated, or fighting. I didn’t sugar coat anything, other than with humour looking back. It’s an honest take on 4 weeks of my family’s life and at the end of every day, the family would read it like a newspaper, catching up on what they had missed, and making requests for things they wanted me to include (that was one of my favourite parts!). 

I think what I learned from creating my comic / journal:

• My art practice takes many shapes and forms and is not just painting

• My practice can be messy, playful and experimental and still valuable

• I am still an artist even if I don’t have a studio

• I am multifaceted and can choose how to express (and change!) my artistic creativity at any given time

Thank you all SO MUCH for supporting me through my practice and I hope we cross paths soon!

Click to see the rest of the 25+ pages of the trip (paid subscribers only).

Read more

It used to be a simple answer. I’d say that it’s finished when it looks like what it’s supposed to look like. These days I’m not so sure.

Over the past couple years I’ve noticed that sometimes a painting looked much better in what I considered to be its incomplete stages. I would power through those incomplete stages insisting that it hadn’t had enough hours put into it, or didn’t look “real/good/perfect/well rendered” enough, often overworking it. If the painting had other plans, I definitely wasn't sensitive to them. 

After many years, coaching and contemplation, I’ve been inviting more play into my work. I’m starting to hear distant echoes of what I now know to be my inner artist voice, or as some people put it, my “style”. What happens when I listen to that voice and let the painting dictate what it wants to be instead of me forcing it to look like something I saw from a book? References are well and great as inspiration, but at what point are you just reproducing something, and at what point does it become a new, living breathing piece of artwork? 

When you start speaking from your own artistic voice, you may start to realize that paintings are like children; they each have their own personality. A new painting is like a baby in their first month. You need to attend to all of its basic needs in order for it to survive. Canvas, paint, brushes, medium, references. The basic fundamentals and technical skills I’ve acquired are like those first few years of child raising. Great! My painting can stand on its own technically. But what is it trying to say? 

This is often when we get stuck. Your work may  resemble a reference you chose but something feels off. You put it away for a while because it just doesn't seem to be “listening.” As a mother I know that I have tried to instill certain things in my children. Habits, behaviours, interests. But as they approach teenagehood I am quickly learning that they are not carbon copies of my husband and I but their own unique individuals. I can have a plan for them, but sometimes I forget they are their own new and unique people with plans and personalities of their own. 

Bringing play into my practice has let me invite the painting’s personality (my own artistic voice) onto the canvas. Like a child is their own unique person, your artistic voice is your painting’s soul, the thing the painting is really trying to say. 

Sometimes you really just have to let go of perfect plans. Maybe you were aiming for a certain style, series or colour scheme. But the more you open up to play and listen to your inner artist voice, the more it will let you know what it really needs to say, and the more complete it will feel. Kind of like my kiddos needing space and time away from me to learn how to be themselves. 

In Other News…

What have I been up to in the past few months? Well I wrote a bit about my experience exhibiting as an artist at the Toronto Artist Project in April in one of my previous newsletters. Since then, I attended the Riverdale Art Walk (also in Toronto) as well as Art in the Park in the Glebe (Ottawa). Both went really well and I made so many great new connections! It’s been scary branching out to other cities, but also very exciting. The conversations I’ve had with people I met have made me look forward to coming back to these shows in years to come, as well as helped me feel part of the artistic community and was just so validating as an artist.

Back at home, I attended the Ottawa School of Art’s 145th birthday bash as a staff member at their downtown location where dressed up as my elfy self helping people make their very own hand drawn / collaged pin-back buttons / badges.

Another first for me and my partner was attending Sideburn; an Ontario Regional Burning Man Event. Something like camping mixed with an art and music festival mixed with general silliness. I brought my community canvas to the event and had attendees help each other make some beautiful art on am 8 foot plywood canvas.

The city championships of Art Battle Ottawa, where I work as Paint Captain and help things move along for the event. We celebrated the winners from every previous Art Battle this past season and they battled it out to produce our city champ, Michel-Antoine who will be representing Ottawa in the nationals in Toronto at the end of July.

I completed an awesome Pokémon themed indoor mural for a new client’s future baby room! That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had making a mural.

I think that about catches most everything up. I always feel as if I have to round everything up before I can carry on with other news.

What’s Coming Up?

I will be teaching some kids summer camps this summer! They are:

• August 26-30, Summer Craft Camp Anime with Kina, at the Beacon Hill Craft Club, 2200 Montreal Road

• August 19-23, at the Ottawa School of Art Orleans Campus (Shekman Arts Center) A Feast for Your Eyes: Food-Inspired Art Fun! Ages 9-12 Click the link to register; only 4 spots left!

For the Fall: these courses don’t have registration links yet but soon! Look for them in the next newsletter, or email me to be notified what you’re interested in taking.

• Oils Aren’t Scary: Intro to Oils at the Beacon Hill Craft Club Date TBA

• Art Journaling for kids, Thursday late afternoons in the fall at the Beacon Hill Craft Club

• Art Journaling for adults, Thursday evenings in the fall at the Beacon Hill Craft Club

• Teen Acrylic painting class at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans, Wednesday evenings

• ILLUSTORY: Write and Illustrate Your Own Book with Timm Holmes & Kina Forney, Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:30pm at the Ottawa School of Art in Orleans, Sept 24 to Nov 26

• I will be exhibiting my original paintings at Wall Candy Noir, November 8-10 at Landsdowne Park

Okay I think that is absolutely everything I can think of for the moment. I hope you all can forgive me that I said this would be a bi-weekly thing and so far it has been a … whenever I feel like thing. I’m not really sorry for that, I will write whenever I feel compelled to. But yunno, just in case you were looking for more ramblings. I’m always sharing in my stories on Instagram and Facebook :)

Take care and keep on playing!

<3 Kina

My Vision for Brushes, Mess & Magic
Substack is like a newsletter service. I will be using it to connect with you, my audience, in telling you about upcoming events, works in progress, and blog-type entries about my crazy artist life. I realize that being subscribed to a newsletter can often feel too much like marketing. I also know that for me personally, I enjoy reading my artist friends’ newsletters when they let me in on what they’re up to, what their life is like, as well as where I can find them and their work.

What I want for Brushes, Mess & Magic is a bi-weekly gift to your inbox with some art, a little storytelling as well as creative tidbits and advice for the budding messy magic creators out there.

Why Substack?
I used to create newsletters through Mailchimp and also update Patreon, which was a subscription service where people could support me financially and get some perks. I found keeping up with the perk part to be exhausting. I have a hard enough time doing the everyday things of life as a small business owner, content creator, mother and partner. Less is better!

Ack! Do I have to pay you now or something?!
You do not need to pay or subscribe to continue getting updates from me. You can choose to be a paid subscriber for $5 USD a month to support me trough my artistic journey, and eventually I may create additional or special content for paid subscribers once I get all my ducks lined up in a row.

Will I keep being charged for Patreon?
If you were subscribed to my Patreon, you will no longer be charged. I have shut it down for the time being. You don’t have to do anything about that, either.

Oh right, some updates and stuff!
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Riverdale Art Walk in Toronto two weeks ago, and Art in the Park this part weekend in Ottawa! I am slowly processing all of the amazing things that have happened over the past couple months, and will be adding photos to my instagram and new paintings to my website. My next upcoming “event” will be the Ottawa School of Art 145 Birthday Bash at the downtown campus! I’ll have my button machine for you to create your own souvenir of some fun artsy celebratory times!

OK I think this post is long enough. Thank you so much to all of you who have been with me through all this time. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I think you can actually comment on these things, so feel free to say hi! <3

Lots of love,

Kina