Rick Janson Art Studio

Every time I see a fair or carnival I think about painting some aspect of it. I don’t know if it is about nostalgia (likely) or the colour experience (also likely) that pushes me towards such subject matter. Up until now it was only a thought.

Working on a series of “smalls” — 12″ x 12″ canvases — it presents itself as an opportunity to experiment more with my work, although my assumptions about the idea of working quickly through a bunch of smaller paintings has been really shattered by the first two attempts of this series (the second will hopefully go up later next week — it too has been a struggle).

There is always a quandary about canvas size for painters. It seems the art world continually pushes us in opposing directions. One gallery in Toronto will only sell large paintings, although they don’t really define what large is — one can only judge by the pieces they promote on their website and in the gallery. The people who bought McMansions are looking for something to fill all that space without breaking the bank (thanks to no doubt enormous mortgage payments) and no doubt this suburban gallery fits that need. On the other hand, the hours it often requires to do a larger piece also means one has to charge at least four figures to even make minimum wage. Hence, the smalls.

I noticed that the December show of the Artists’ Network (Toronto) solicits “smalls” as being something affordable prior to the holiday season. It’s one of the reasons I started doing foot-square paintings this month. Back when I was first involved with this group in the 00s, they used to hold a fundraising event at the BMW dealership overlooking the Don Valley Parkway. Prior to the “Little Art Show,” they would send out 8″ x 10″ canvases to artists to work on and submit to the silent auction.

Where I went wrong this time is the assumption that these would take a lot less time. It has been a long time since I did something this small. Having worked on two of them over the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize that while the canvas size is limited, the amount of work is really not all that less. Part of it may be the brush size required to add detail. It is finicky. It also requires much more thinking on pulling it all together, including how to generate impact on something that small. There is the additional challenge of these being square in proportion, which makes them easier to hang but more difficult to compose on.

Back when I equated smalls with fast, I thought it would be a good idea to have a number of them ready for the Studio Tour in May. I am appearing as a guest artist, generously offered space by a textile artist on the Myrtle Road. I still have not resolved in my own mind whether participating is a sales opportunity or a promotional event. An image of my painting of the empty cafe in Tournon is in the promotional print booklet, so that itself was well worth the price of admission. Its one of my stronger pieces from the last year, and I wanted to put my best forward given the wide distribution. Knowing how much time I have put into paiinting the first two smalls for the tour, I am now thinking that the sale of them will essentially be a lost leader to bring people out and take a look at my work. There is no way I could make money on this. But if someone buys one painting, they are far more likely to buy two from an artist they like. I’m also thinking that it will be a prime opportunity to introduce my art book project, which should be back from the printers in time for the start of May. Every artist needs a story, so I have been writing my own. Who else would do it otherwise?

But back to the fair.

I captured this image near Barassie Beach on the Clyde coast near Troon, Scotland in November. We heard there were fireworks going on that evening and followed the crowd until we reached the midway. It had been raining earlier in the day and the grounds were water-laden. It did bring back a lot of nostalgia for me, having loved attending these as a kid, including while living for a short period in the UK. I recall one fete taking place literally over the fence of our house in what was normally a field of sheep.

While the fireworks were happening on the beach, the Barassie Beach fair temporarily drained of most of its patrons, and left it looking a little forlorn, especially amid all the mud. There are no discernible people in my painting. Amid all the bright kiddy colour there is a sadness about it, perhaps longing on my part for something that has been long gone from my life. The horses are riderless.

The last time I rode a ride on a midway was at the CNE in Toronto. We had just marched in the labour day parade which finishes inside the Exhibition, had a few drinks in the beer garden, then decided to head for the rollercoaster. I know, after a few beers, this was not the most prudent thing to do. I think it was the third or fourth ride where I started to feel unwell. That was the beginning of what became several years of vertigo. No more rides for me.

While the forms seemed simple enough, I think the lighting is what took me so long, and perhaps, I may revisit one more time. There are multiple light sources, some of it picked up in the puddles off in the distance. Normally to paint a light source, one would try and darken everything around it. Given the light would be reflecting off the canopy, that made my usual strategy much more difficult. I tried it. It didn’t look right.

The other problem I had was the bright colours themselves. I found I just could not mix them with my normal Winsor & Newton oils, and ended up ordering a set of bright neon colours (Paul Rubens) to finish the job. I noticed that the Rubens oils also contained Alkyd, which helps to speed up the drying process — a benefit to someone who likes to layer their work. However, I did find them a little thin and had to do multiple applications to make it stick.

I find that the iPhone has a formula that does not replicate works like this well, and had to a lot of adjustment to make the image look more like the painting. I’m not sure I entirely succeeded. You may just have to see the painting in the flesh for yourself.

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It’s been a week mostly spent in the studio, including prepping the next two smalls in the series. If you would like to see more of my work, you can click here, or you can show up for the Scugog Studio Tour May 2-3, 2026 (you’ll see the promotional logo over the next few months). I’ll be posting directions to my location a little closer to the date. And hey — keep in touch by hitting my subscribe button. It’s free. And I won’t spam you for taking an interest.