What’s the Big Idea? – One Life Fine Art Blog

21Feb 2024 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Mini Donut Service

Art Sales, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Mini Donut Service, 11" x 14" o/c, 825 CAD Wouldn't we all like a mini donut service? I started this painting at the Calgary Stampede last summer during my engagement painting live and meeting the public in the Western Oasis. Of course, the way I work these days I knew there was no way I would be completing it in that 2 hour session, especially since I did more talking than painting. Which is as it should be, plenty of time to paint back in the studio. Or so I thought. Turns out that painting larger than life triptychs exploring the life cycle of diet culture can definitely take over your life and studio. So January of 2024 finally saw the completion of this lovely little painting of the famous…

14Feb 2024 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

One and Three Pears

Events & Announcements, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

One and Three Pears (after Kosuth). Digital Photograph, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Besides being a little shout out to an OG conceptual artist, Joseph Kosuth, this photo represents the process I went through to create Restrained, a stuffed pear tied to its seat with measuring tapes, which you can see now at the Okotoks Art Gallery in What You Do To My Body (and Mind) until March 22nd 2024. Referencing Kosuth's One and Three Chairs (1965) I've presented the real pear, the paper pattern made from the real pear, and the small scale model testing the pattern for the larger finished pear. Below you can see the pear in situ: Photo by Amir Said for the Western Wheel. Check out Restrained in What You Do To My Body (& Mind) before March…

07Feb 2024 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Review for What You Do To My Body (& Mind) at the Okotoks Art Gallery

Events & Announcements, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Photo by Amir Said for the Western Wheel So despite the bitter cold (high of minus 27 Celsius) I was pleased to chat with a good group of Art goers, both local and from Calgary, during the opening on Saturday January 13th. I also had the opportunity to chat with Amir Said from the Western Wheel about the show for his review. You can read it by clicking on the image below: Click here to read the article: The exhibition runs until March 22 2024. For more information visit: https://www.okotoks.ca/your-community/living-okotoks/community-event-calendar/debbielee-miszaniec-what-you-do-my-body-and

03Jan 2024 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Meet me at the Okotoks Art Gallery Saturday January 13th 1-3 PM!

Earthly Delights, Events & Announcements, What's the Big Idea?

Debbie.Lee Miszaniec: What You Do To My Body (and Mind) Saturday, January 13, 2024 - 10:00am to Saturday, March 23, 2024 - 5:00pm “visions of sugarplums danced in their heads…”Just in time for the post-holiday New Year resolution season, Debbie.lee Miszaniec presents a lush abundance of Dutch baroque-inspired still-life paintings of ‘forbidden foods’ in the Okotoks Art Gallery. The exhibition focuses on the psychological struggle between the body’s needs and the mind’s direction when pursuing weight loss. A soft sculpture, tortured by these sweet sights, sits caught in the struggle between nature and diet culture. Debbie.lee Miszaniec is an Alberta artist working in Calgary. She holds a BFA (2008) from the Alberta University of the Arts. Her paintings draw from her observations of the human experience, history and society as well as her…

03Nov 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: Energy Requires Mass

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Energy Requires Mass, 30"x40" o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the tenth instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. I set the final feast in this series in front of the sculpture in Calgary of the Famous Five, Women Are Persons!, by Barbara A Paterson. The Famous Five were the Albertan women who brought the Persons Case before the Supreme Court of Canada, recognizing that women were indeed persons under…

20Oct 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: Forces of Nature

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Forces of Nature, 30"x30" o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the ninth instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. We make our marks in the world trudging through the deep snow. We expend energy keeping warm and keeping moving in our winter playground. What could be better than a hearty hot beef vegetable stew, or a lasagna, or poutine? Warm buttered biscuits, hot chocolate topped with thick whipped cream, fresh…

06Oct 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: Fair Trade?

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Fair Trade (Just Desserts)? 18"x36" o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the 8th instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. Some people appear to have everything, but never seem happy. It's like they feel that, even with all the blessings in their cup, it's not quite as full as it should be, and possibly someone else has been sipping from it. Maybe they feel that they have worked hard but…

15Sep 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: Getting The Most From The Least

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

DRI - Getting The Most From The Least, 18"x36" o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the seventh instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. Following from my last post about DRI - Return on Investment, DRI - Getting The Most From The Least shows the ingredients from the former painting in the process of becoming the meals for one person, for one day in the previously mentioned healthy eating plan.…

01Sep 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: DRI – Return On Investment

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

DRI - Return on Investment, 30"x40"o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the sixth instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. Daily Recommended Intake (or Dietary Reference Intake, or Recommended Daily Allowance) - Return on Investment. Healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming, or so articles on eating on a budget claim. Canned and frozen foods are just as nutritious as fresh produce etc. However for every 'eating…

18Aug 2023 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Earthly Delights: Every New Salvation

Earthly Delights, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?

Every New Salvation, 20"x40" o/c, Debbie.lee Miszaniec Welcome to the fifth instalment of a series of blog posts going more in-depth into the thoughts and ideas behind each of the paintings in the Earthly Delights series. The series is based on my experience navigating health and diet culture as a long term participant. You can read the full background by following the link to that blog post below: Project Background: You can read more about the project background here. Every New Salvation comes along when you are suffering the consequences of your actions. Maybe you've reached your goal weight or maybe you haven't, but at some point you notice that the old equation of calories in and calories out stops working. Or rather, it works less effectively than it has…

Category: What’s the Big Idea?