25/12/2023
~Cory
23/12/2022
~Cory
25/12/2021
~Cory
08/09/2021
I've added a few new prints to The Painted Banana Shop on Etsy! Each is presented in an 8"x10" mat (with backing board) safely stored in a cellophane sleeve.
~Cory
22/08/2021
~Cory
08/04/2021
Way back when I was a kid, teachers would talk about how great The Group of 7 were. It wasn't until highschool that I realized how amazing they actually were. And of course each time I revisit their work, I continue to see this.
For those of you who don't know: The Group of 7 was a collective of Canadian artists who captured the beauty of the Canadian wilderness in the early 20th century. The group eventually grew beyond seven members, but the idea remained the same. The Beauty of Canadian Wildnerness, Painted Beautifully. At first it was Lawren Harris who grabbed my attention, his style is probably the most recognizable. Think: Surrealist Marzipan Winters, and you'll probably conjure an image of his paintings in your head.
My evenings over the past month were spent working on the above image, a study (not a copy) based on Harris' Mountains in Snow. Harris' original at bottom.
~Cory
22/02/2021
It's always nice to get back to an old medium. Pencil and Paper!
I've added 8 new Bunny pencil drawings to The Painted Banana Shop on Etsy.
I've also added this pencil rendering of my Shih-tzu's paw! :)
>>> check out
The Painted Banana Shop on Etsy.
~Cory
01/02/2021
ThePaintedBananaShop has officially launched on Etsy. It is also available via the Shop link in the menu.
~Cory
06/01/2021
Sometimes when we're working tirelessly toward a well planned end goal,
we take an entirely different direction. Sometimes it's a really bad idea to do that. But, sometimes it's a great idea!
In this case, sitting down to create an image for a Valentines Day card and the subject is a fresh-and-meaty human heart, it's a great idea!
Because, if you're going to look at a fresh-and-meaty human heart, isn't it better to know it's looking back at you? This is available for you to purchase in card form over at ThePaintedBananaShop!
~Cory
09/01/2021
This is what I've been waiting for—some fresh canvas, just need to iron it (to remove any creases) and prime it.
I grabbed a few shots of the weave with an inexpensive clip-on macro lens I got from amazon a few years back.
I'm planning on applying 4 coats of primer, with sanding in between. Then it's painting time again!
~Cory
06/01/2021
And my excitement continues. Today was spent working on all variations for the “Print Your Own” Artwork items in the soon to be launched Painted Banana Shop on Etsy.
The idea is to make it as easy as possible for you to download and print smaller art prints from your home printer.
The shop will offer 4 options for printing from your home printer using standard 8.5"x11" paper:
5"x7" prints, 5"x7" prints in an 8"x10" frame (with mat), full size 8"x10" and full size 8.5"x11".
The Painted Banana Shop will open with 10 paintings as a foundation for inventory. The paintings are pictured above in their Print Your Own templates,
each page marked with clearly visible dotted lines indicating where to crop the paper to fit your selected frame size.
I added the 8.5"x11" at the
last minute remembering that the dollar store sells these inexpensive glass frames for that size—a quick and easy solution for putting art on your walls!
~Cory
05/01/2021
At last a new year. I'm sure we all have much to say about 2020 in hindsight... (groan).
The year has started with great strides
in the direction of setting up The Painted Banana Shop! After considering various e-commerce and shopping cart solutions,
I decided to utilize Etsy.
Etsy has an amazing platform and community to begin with as well as many features that are perfect for people like me, who are looking to sell Art online. I realize I might
be jumping the gun on announcing this, because the store isn't open yet, but the truth is... I'm too excited to keep it in.
I've set up several product shots and templates for self printing. 
I'm sorting through archival paper options for high quality prints.
And, I'm getting ready for another round of paintings. All of this web and administrative work takes a lot of time,
so it will be nice to wrap up the first stage of the store opening and put brush to canvas again. More updates really, really, soon!
~Cory
31/12/2020
The better part of my Christmas “Holidays” have been dedicated to creating the Painted Banana Logo.
As seen above in all her glory... his Glory? It's Glory? ... As seen above in all thine Banana's Glory. :)
This means I can now do things like this (below):
But don't be fooled! Just because it says “The Painted Banana” on it, doesn't mean it's a Painted Banana. But you probably knew that already... or did you? In this particular case, it is a Painted Banana painting! We know this becauase it says so, right there in the center of the painting! Clarified and signified with my fancy new Painted Banana Logo. And this is the power of branding: To confuse and confound, while redirecting your money (more on that later!). But, yes, it is a painting of an apple.
I worked through several variations, using both hand inked and vector elements, until finally settling on the above design, which was finished as vector only. This means I can make it really, really, really big. Because... well... I like to dream big! While it is in many ways perfect for my needs, that is: both elegant and playful, I also know that it will evolve and change over time, which I quite look forward to.
I will also be able to isolate elements from the design and use them like this: 
The above example will be used on the back of my business cards.
Check out the latest post "Branding The Banana" on my blog (monkeychirp.com) for a more detailed look at this process: Check out "Branding The Banana" on monkeychirp.com
~Cory
21/12/2020
When COVID first made its appearance in early spring, most of us probably thought that hand-washing, social distancing and a gentle slowing down of everyday affairs would be enough to rid ourselves of the strange new virus.
Well, time has ticked away, and here we are with Christmas morning only a few sleeps away. The most observant and surely the most concerned among us are wondering: "What about Santa?".
“Will Santa still visit us this Christmas?”
A good question.
While I have not met the jolly old elf in person, I have been assured that he is in good health, and that this coming Christmas
morning will be much like any other Christmas morning.
Santa, I am told, is well ahead of the game in regards to personal protective gear and most certainly a master of isolation, living as he does
in the most remote of northern lattitudes.
Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!
~Cory
The Painted Banana is a gallery of Artwork by Cory Daniel Todd.