14 x 11 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting #299, 2024 - black floater frame
While window shopping in Halifax a decade ago, I entered the Freak Lunchbox candy store on Barrington Street. I was aware of the existence of Chupa Chups lollipops, but I think that it was the first time that I actually saw some in person. The sight of them gave me a visceral response, so I bought two. Upon my return home, I did a Google search about this candy on a stick. Chupa Chups is a Spanish brand of lollipops and confectionary founded in 1958 by Enric Bernat.
In 1969, Salvador Dali was approached to reinvent their logo. He would set the Chupa Chups name inside a daisy shape flower and suggested that the logo be place on top of the lolly instead of its' side. It would soon become one of those iconic commercial logos and help propulse the brand.
Click to view this entertaining bio of Dali
Upon learning this, I knew I had to paint these while paying an homage to Salvador Dali. I would soon acquire a coffee table book entitled Dali Pop-Ups by Courtney Watson McCarthy. The book features the Persistance of Memory on its cover which seemed fitting to anchor a composition. Since these lollipops were hard to find in New Brunswick, I ordered a dozen from an on-line vendor. When they arrived, they were much smaller than I had anticipating, so I decided to put this painting on hold for the time being. Almost a decade would go by.
While standing inline at a self checkout at Walmart this past summer, I spotted a few open boxes of XXL Chupa Chups in the now so-call candy aisle. These were the size that I had envisioned for a painting, so I bought six. In keeping with the narrative, I changed Ball to Dali on the vintage mason jar. It was quite the challenge to paint.
_________________
My love affair of visiting art galleries and museums across North America and Europe began soon after I began painting in 1987. Among the firsts, was the Beaverbrook Art Gallery (BAG) in Fredericton, the designated art museum of the province of New Brunswick. It was here that I was introduced to the art of surrealist painter/artist Salvador Dali. The gallery owns no less than five of his paintings, among them is one of his masterworks, Santiago El Grande painted in 1957.
This painting was first exhibited as the centerpiece inside the Spanish Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Once the fair closed, the massive painting was acquired by Lady Dunn (Marcia Anastasia Christoforides), wife of the late James Dunn. It was gifted to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery when it opened in 1959. The Dunn's had established a relationship with Dali since that late 1940's, having commissioned three portraits paintings that also hang in the Beaverbrook.
Santiago El Grande, oil on canvas, 1957
Beaverbrook Art Gallery, November 2022.
After many visits to the BAG, it's quite possibly the painting that I've spent the most time admiring inside an art museum during my lifetime. I was finally able to connect the dots and fully grasp the scope of the imagery with its symbolism and metaphors during the process of preparing my 800 km hike on the
Camino de Santiago back in 2009 (Way of Saint James).
Santiago El Grande translates to Saint James the Great, who's the patron saint of Spain. Legends has it that the apostle James the Great made a miraculous apparition at the Battle of Clavijo during the Reconquista, helping the Christians conquer the Muslim Moors during middle ages. In art, Saint James is often depicted on a white horse while holding a sword and given the name of Moor-slayer. In this Salvador Dali's painting, the sword has been replaced by a crucifix made of light beams with Jesus looking towards heaven. His hands are not nailed to the cross but are facing upwards while forming the shape of cups. Symbolically holding all of the sins of the world.
Video description of Salvador Dali's paintings
at the BAG, narrated by John Leroux, art historian and
currently manager of the collections and exhibitions at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
Self in from of the old Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Fla. - 2005
My son Jean-Luc, age 10, napping on a melting clock bench at the Salvador
Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Fla. 2005.
Over the years, I had a chance to see, The Persistance of Memory up-close on several occasions. Housed in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, although smallish, it's considered by many to be his most famous painting. I've also had the good fortune to view countless others during my travels and was pleasantly surprise to even discover a few at Musei Vaticani in Vatican City.
While vacationing in Torremolinos, Spain this spring, we rented a condo-apartment for one week. Less than a km away, along the sea-side promenade are two sculptures of Salvador Dali and his wife Gala who stayed here during the spring of 1930.
Sculpture of painter Salvador Dali and his muse Gala,
whom between April and May 1930 resided in the Santa Clara Guesthouse,
where Dali created the painting "The Invisible Man".
Avant-garde poets Manuel Altolaguirre and Emilio Prados are the two other figures
who were part of the Generation of '27.
This painting is currently on view at the Fog Forest Gallery in a group exhibition entitled, "Winter Songs" - Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, 2024. (painting will be removed from exhibition if sold). Check website for gallery hours.
To acquire this painting please contact:
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting #298, 2024 - black floater frame
I first discovered the Harry Potter books through the Rosie O'Donnell Show in the late 1990's. Rosie was a fanatic from the get go and promoted not only the books, but its author J.K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling), the film series that followed and its stars. I started buying the books at Costco not long after, and anticipating each new releases which totalled seven in the series. Each new book became an event with people lining outside book stores for hours if not days before its release. I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone during the month of November/December 2000.
A great author has a way of keeping the reader engaged. J.K. Rowling's creative story telling, imagination and the whole fantasy world she created just sparked my imagination and painted every scene in my head with details and wonderment. When the films started coming out, I was awestruck by how they were able to recreate that whole world on celluloid.
Much like the books series that broke sale records, the blockbuster motion pictures were equally on par as a cultural phenomenon. Not to mention all of the derived commercial products associated with this franchise that are still being produced for their legions of fans. The seven books has been translated in over 80 languages and sold in excess of 520 millions copies. On a 1,2 billion dollar budget, the movie franchise comprising of eight films has made a whopping 7,7 billion dollars at the box office. The films which stared then newcomers Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) were surrounded by a stellar cast of the most celebrated British actors including Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Imelda Stanton, John Hurt, Kenneth Branagh and many more.
Platform 9¾, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (movie scene)
I ended reading five of the seven books. The only reason why I didn't read the last two was because I had changed jobs and devoted less time for reading. Not because they weren't captivating.
When the first film was released, it became the highest-grossing film of 2001 and the second-highest-grossing film of all-time after The Titanic. My son Jean-Luc's childhood revolved around LEGOS. When he was six years old, he asked Santa for the Hogwarts Castle for Christmas. Harry Potter Lego sets started coming out during the release of the first film. He had seen it at Costco so when he found it under the tree on Christmas morning, he was as surprised as I was. We spend that whole morning setting it up. Jean-Luc has a very creative imagination, so it wasn't long until he dismantled it and elaborated other versions combining other Lego sets from his collection.
Jean-Luc with his re-invented Hogwarts Castle, 2002 (age 6 or 7)
In 2010, when Jean-Luc was 15 years old, we visited London and did a few day trips in England. He is still to this day a big supporter of Chelsea Football Club. While we weren't lucky enough to get tickets to see them play a soccer game, we did go on a tour of Stamford Bridge, the stadium where they play. However, we were fortunate to attend a match when Manchester City was visiting West Ham F.C.
During one of our day trips, we visited the campus of Oxford University. Christ Church College provided the location for many Harry Potter scenes. The staircase below was used to film the famous entrance scene where Professor McGonagall meets Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Oxford University, May 2010
The staircase then leads up to the Tudor Great Dining Hall which served as inspiration for the great Hogwarts Dining Hall. The hallways of Christ Church were also used to film the scene in which Hermione shows Harry the Quidditch trophy his late father had won.
Oxford University, May 2010
Fast forward 2019, when Jean-Luc was 24, he and I hiked the Portuguese Way on the Camino from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Our 10 day walking trek covered 240 km. Before departing, we visited Porto for two days. JK Rowling lived in Porto from 1991-1993, where she wrote the first three chapters of the first Harry Potter book. The famous Livraria Lello's bookstore's interior is rumored to have inspired the book shop Flourish and Blotts in Daigon Alley for the serial.
My son Jean-Luc, Porto, July 2019.
Signed by JK Rowling, Livraria Lello bookstore, Porto, July 2019.
Back in 2001, Jean-Luc was collecting Harry Potter trading cards which was part of a card game. I would later incorporate some of these in a painting entitled "Trading Cards".
Trading Cards, 16 x 12", acrylic, painting #64, 2004
This current painting, "Platform 9¾, the Portal to Hogwarts" has been on the backburner for more than 10 years. I initially did of a photo study session back in 2013, but somehow felt the time wasn't right to paint it until now.
Last month, Jean-Luc, now 29 got married to his sweetheart Jessica. Even the rain could not dampen that day. They exchanged vows in a small garden wedding on her father's property. Many of their close friends had small roles in making it the most memorable wedding that I've attended. I even pitched in by making the wedding cake and cupcakes. This painting seemed like a perfect wedding gift for them both. Jessica is also a fan of the Harry Potter series and is currently reading the books. Jean-Luc recently mentioned that they've watched the films numerous times on DVD since they've been together. I'm happy that this painting will remain in the family since Harry Potter is linked to my son since childhood and continues to follow him in his adult life with his wife.
Jean-Luc and Jessica's Wedding, Sept. 2024
I had acquired the Harry Potter glasses more than a decade ago as a prop for the composition. All seven books do appear in my painting. These were published by Bloomsbury/ Raincoast in Canada, sharing the same artwork on their book covers as the UK editions. In the US, the books were published by Scholastic with completely different artwork.
The art cover for the first book for Bloomsbury was a pencil/watercolour by illustrator Thomas Taylor showing Harry boarding the Hogwarts Express. The following books in the series featured more fantasy styled artwork created by Cliff Wright (books 2 & 3), Giles Greenfield (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and Jason Cockroft (last three books).
Illustrations and studies for Harry Potter by Giles Greenfield.
I completed this painting on September 27. Later that same day, I was sadden to learned that Maggie Smith, who played the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in film series had died at the age of 89. Of course she is also known for her scene stealing, multi-award winning role of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the British period drama Downton Abbey.
-Private Collection
14 x 11 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting #297, 2024 - black floater frame
This painting is an homage to Lucy Maud Montgomery on her sesquicentennial. This is my fourth painting inspired by the Anne of Green Gables novel. Other paintings can be view on this link or by clicking Lucy Maud Montgomery found in the right column under Labels.
Heritage Minutes
The famous House of Green Gables that served as the setting for the Cuthbert's in the novel was built during the 1830's by the MacNeil family who were related to the author. In 1909, a year after the first Anne of Green Gables book was published, the house was sold to Myrtle and Ernest Webb. Myrtle was a cousin of Lucy. In 1936, the house was sold to the Government of Canada when it became vacant, later to be turned into a National Historic Site. I've visited the house several times, but not in recent years. Two years ago, just before Prince Edward Island was hit by hurricane Fiona, my wife and I spent three days in Cavendish to cycle on the bike paths of the National Park. We then visited the house that now boasted a beautiful interpretive center (2019). I had brought a bottle of Raspberry Cordial with me, and did a few photos on site. Unfortunately, none of the pictures I took were major enough to paint from. Not long after, I found this book published by Paper Mill Press at Homesense, which seemed perfect to anchor a composition.
Anne of Green Gables, the Musical was performed annually from its opening in 1965 until 2019. The musical had to be cancelled for the first time in 54 years during the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2014, it was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest running annual musical theatre production in the world.
Anne returned to the Charlottetown Festival stage for the 2022 season. However, organizers announced that the show would be produced only in alternating years from then on and would return in 2024, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Montgomery's birth. My wife and I took in the second presentation of the summer season on June 20. We had seen the theatrical production twice, the last time was when our son was quite young. We absolutely loved it. We laughed and even shed a few tears. Kelsey Verzotti as the mellow-dramatic protagonist was a revelation to us. The cast, set decoration and orchestra were equally amazing.
Earlier that day, we visited the Green Gables House again, specifically to do a photo study session for this painting. It was quite possibly the warmest day of the whole summer, with the mercury pushing 34°C and the humidex climbing up pass 40°C. We left Moncton under a blue sky that morning. A heavy downpour came out of nowhere just before arriving to Cavendish. Afterwards, the sky remained partially overcast and grey, so the lighting was not great. When I opened the soda pop bottle of Raspberry Cordial, with the beverage being cool and the weather being so muggy, the inside of the bottle instantly fogged up. Nonetheless, I did my best to set up a composition under these conditions.
Anne's Room at the Green Gables House
After I got home, I proceeded to do dozens of photos for the sky, bottle, book and apple tree under sunnier conditions. I ended up working from nine photos, using bits and bites of each in order to achieve the imagery for this painting. The book is resting on a bench made from a stone slab that is located across the front lawn of Green Gables House.
In late June, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled commemorative coins of $1 (loonie) and a silver $20 to celebrate the 150th birthday of L.M. Montgomery. This would also mark the first time an author has appeared on a Canadian coin.
My wife Suzanne at the Lucy Maud Montgomery Park in Cavendish, PEI. - Sept. 2022
The artist responsible for the iconic artwork on the Raspberry Cordial bottle is Ben Stahl. The Chicago born artist / illustrator moved to Prince Edward Island in 1984. He did a series of Anne paintings during the late eighties and early nineties that would make him famous. These were also reproduced on book covers, Canadian postage stamps (2008), posters, decorative plates and coffee mugs. Sadly, Mr. Stahl passed away on June 15, 2024 at the age of 91. Unknowingly doing the photo study in Cavendish five days after his death, this painting is also an homage to him, since it's the imagery on the bottle that inspired the whole painting. Anne's face on my painting is only the size of a dime. It was intricate to paint. My rendition, although not exactly identical, might make her appear more youthful.
Artwork of Anne by Ben Stahl (1932-2024)
Pawn Stars: STUNNING APPRAISAL for RARE First Edition (Season 18)
Self at the opening reception, Sept. 6, 2024
This painting will be on view at the Fog Forest Gallery in a group exhibition entitled, 40 years in the Forest, celebrating the gallery's 40th anniversary. September 6 until October 11. Check gallery website for hours of operation.
-SOLD
The Crown
12 Jul 2024 2:32 PM (9 months ago)
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting #296, 2024 - black floater frame
The year 2022 marked a milestone and a memoriam for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 at the age of 25 following the death of her father King George VI. On February 6, 2022, she would celebrate her platinum jubilee, marking 70 years as the longest reigning monarch of England and Head of the Commonwealth. She died later that same year on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96.
As one of the most famous person in the world, Queen Elizabeth II was known for her unwavering sense of duty, responsibility, steadfastness and grace. She always put the needs of her country and her people first. Although she faced occasional republican sentiment and media criticism, most often directed towards members of her family and during certain tragic events; the support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high throughout her lifetime, as did her popularity.
During her reign, she visited and toured my province of New Brunswick a total of five times. Click HERE for a highlight of her visits. I got to see here briefly in a passing car while visiting Moncton on September 24, 1984.
I've been to England three times. Although I've never visited the inside of Buckingham Palace, my wife Suzanne and I have visited Kensington Palace while Princess Diana was still alive and with our son Jean-Luc, we visited Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip spent many of their weekends.
Buckingham Palace, London, May 6, 2010
Windsor Castle, May 3, 2010
One person who has made the monarchy relevant to the masses is none other than screen and playwriter Peter Morgan. He's responsible for writing extensively about Queen Elizabeth II creating no less than three major productions. First, as the screenwriter for the 2006 film, The Queen starring Helen Mirren in the title role. The movie received rave reviews and earned Mirren many accolades including an Academy Award for best actress.
In 2013, Morgan wrote the play, The Audience with Mirren reprising the role of Queen Elizabeth II. The play revolves around weekly meetings between the Queen and her prime ministers. I had a chance to attend a production of that play as it was broadcast live to cinema on June 13, 2013. The broadcast broke the record for most people viewing a live production with nearly 80,000 people watching in the UK and 30,000 people in North America. I remember waiting two hours in the movie theatre on Trinity Drive before the broadcast started as there were technical issues in London that cause a major delay. Still, Helen Mirren gave a tour de force performance. The conversations with the prime ministers are not held in chronological order so with a magical quick changes of costume and wigs, she could be switching from Winston Churchill to John Cameron within a few minutes.
Lastly, Peter Morgan is also the principal script writer for all six seasons of the Crown on Netflix. I watched a few episodes of season 1 when it first came out in 2016. But it was only when I started this painting late last fall that I watched all six seasons. The Crown has been praised by critics for its acting, directing, writing, cinematography, and production value. However, its historical inaccuracies have been criticized, particularly in the latter seasons. Netflix has noted that it's "fictional dramatisation" that was "inspired by real events". Nonetheless, I have to say that I absolutely love it and found all six seasons riveting.
The concept for this painting arose upon seeing two companion books written by Robert Lacey about the Netflix series. Lacey also served as historical consultant for The Crown. It immediately ignited the possibility of incorporating them in a still life painting with a Crown mason jar. Last fall, during the process of doing a few photo studies for the painting, I realized that they lacked color and impact. A quick visit to my local Chapters bookstore remedied that problem as I was lucky enough to find a small coffee table book entitled, The Platinum Queen published in 2022 by Allen & Unwin. This book is a photo essay that chronicles more than 75 speeches given by the Queen during her reign.
In 2012, during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary), the Royal Collection would acquire four of Andy Warhol's famous serigraph portraits of Queen Elizabeth II that were exhibited later that fall at Windsor Castle. Click HERE to view the acquired artwork.
During her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II would get the royal treatment by gracing the cover of the May 2022 issue of Vanity Fair Magazine, with three variations of Warhol's portraits.
On November 24, 2022, two months after her passing, a serigraph prints entitled, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queen, Royal Edition was sold at auction by Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Toronto for $1,141,250 CDN, double the pre-auction estimated price. Click HERE to view.
For this painting, I not only wanted to pay homage to the Queen but to Andy Warhol as well. Incorporating a Pop Art portrait in the background would create a myriad of colors inside the canning jar. In order to establish a more cohesive palette, I took the artistic liberty of modify several colours. After painting her face a pale shade of blue, I then proceeded to paint several thin glazes of a peach hue to tone down the blue in order to avoid references to the Blue Man Group. I procrastinated for the longest time in painting the Queen's face that appears on the book. That photograph is attributed to Getty Images. Because of the perspective of the book which physically alters her features, her profile in pencil almost looked like Mr. Burns of the Simpsons. All joking aside, I was able to pull it off. In the original photo, the pearl necklace she is wearing has three strands. I opted for two so it would have more presence.
I did a quick online search and found that the original photograph Warhol used to create his serigraph prints was taken by Peter Grugeon (1918-1980) at Windsor Castle in April 1975. It was later released in 1977 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee. Reproduction of this particular image was used extensively, appearing on commemorative merchandise as well as banknotes across the Commonwealth. In Canada, it was printed on a 25¢ stamp, which I collected at the time when I was 15 years old. On the original photograph, the dress she's wearing is in a pale shade of pink with pearl embellishment, while on the Canadian stamp it appears more to be in a mauvish tone which was the color I settle on for my painting.
Canadian Stamp SC 704 - 1977
She is wearing a collection of Royal Jewels: the Vladimir tiara, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace, Queen Alexandra's wedding earrings and the Family Orders of King George V and King George VI on the Garter sash. The tiara has a fascinating history since it was smuggled out of Russia by a British antiques dealer after the assassination of the Tsar Nicholas II and members of the Romanov family. It was later bought by Elizabeth II's grandmother Queen Mary. It originally belonged to the Grand Duchess Vladimir (1854-1920), the wife of the Tsar's uncle, Grand Duke Alexandrovich of Russia. She was the last Romanov to escape Revolutionary Russia and the first to die while in exile in France.
Both sporting killer moustaches,
Emperor (Tsar) Nicholas II of Russia with
his doppelganger first cousin ,
George V (grand-father of Queen Elizabeth II)
photo- Wikipedia
The Crown mason jar in my painting is dated 1947 on the bottom. It was actually made in Canada, but for the narrative I substituted it's origin to England. The jar is only one third fill with water. I often insert a marble in the composition as a form of symbolism when my intention is to play a mind-game with the looker. More recently, in the early 21st century, increasing dissatisfaction with several members the house of Windsor and the Royal Family, especially after the death of Queen Elizabeth II has led to public support for the monarchy reaching historical lows.
With a reign spanning seven decade, Queen Elizabeth II was the only sovereign that most of us have known during our lifetime. She was as much of an institution as anyone in modern history. I leave you with one of her speeches that is written on the back cover of the book featured in the painting.
''For more than seventy years, I have been lucky to meet and to know many of the world's great leaders. And I have perhaps come to understand a little about what made them special.
It has sometimes been observed that what leaders do for their people today is government and politics. But what they do for the people of tomorrow - that is statesmanship.
I, for one, hope that this conference will be one of those rare occasions where everyone will have the chance to rise above the politics of the moment, and achieve true statesmanship''.
-Her Majesty, the Queen. Address to the COP26, urging world leaders to find solution to the climate challenges facing our planet. Nov. 1, 2021.
This painting is currently on view at the Fog Forest Gallery in a group exhibition entitled, "Summer Views" - July 11 to August 30, 2024. (will be removed from exhibition if sold). Check website for gallery hours.
7 x 5", acrylic on gessobord
Painting #295, 2024
I've just returned from a solo trip to France where I spent 24 days. My main goal was to walk again on the Camino de Santiago Trail network. This time, my trek began in Périgueux in the rain, on the Vézelay Way GR-654. It’s a much less traveled path. My first three days were spent on the Bergerac variant. I left the Vézelay Way after 9 stages, and transitioned onto the Puy-en-Velay Way GR-65 during my 10th stage (so I was off the grid from Villeneuve-de-Marsan to Aire-sur-l'Adour). My last six stages took me to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and the finish line. Having previously completed 10 stages in 2017 and 14 stages in 2018, by walking these last six stages, I've completed the Puy-en-Velay Way (752 km). After five treks on the Camino de Santiago network (2009, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2024), I have now accumulated 78 stages in France, Spain and Portugal totaling over 2000 km. I hope that there will be more in my future.
Saint James Gate and the finish line!
Before departing on my Camino, I had an opportunity to visit some friends, Chantal and Thierry who happen to live 5 km from Périgueux in France. The Dordogne region of France is known for its vineyards and the land of 1001 castles. After I was done hiking on the Puy Way, I spent three days in the Basque country in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Bayonne and Biarritz. As luck would have it, the Olympic Flame of the Paris Summer Olympiads would be making its way to Bordeaux during my last day in France. I had the opportunity to take part in the festivities surrounding the Olympic Torch Relay. Having been a torch bearer twice, it meant the world to me to just bask it all in.
This small painting was gifted to my friends who picked me up at the Bordeaux airport, hosted me in their beautiful home for two days and share with me some the local culture, cuisine and wines.
-Private collection - FRANCE
"Candy Crush"
24 x 16", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #284, 2021
-Private Collection
Title - Perfect Seal Jar
10 x 8", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #289, 2021
-Private Collection
Title- Pinned up 7-Up
14 x 14", acrylic on gessoed aluminium panel
painting #291, 2021
-SOLD
I'm a bit late in posting this, but better late than never. Earlier this year, I had submitted three images of my paintings for the 2024 OPEN INTERNATIONAL ONLINE JURIED EXHIBITION hosted by the Society of Canadian Artists based in Toronto. From 767 submissions from across Canada and around the globe, a jury of five selected 122 works for the show based on the criteria of technical excellence, artistic expression and creative innovation. I'm among a dozen artists to have three pieces in this collective. Grateful to add this show to my résumé. The on-line exhibition runs from April 1st to June 15th, 2024. You can view the exhibition at this LINK.
On March 1, 2022, I had received a notification
from Dr. Samuel Peralta (physicist, author, entrepreneur, art curator) that
imagery of my artwork would be included in a time capsule that would be heading
to the Moon. But I was not alone, far from it. Lunar Codex, founded and curated by
Dr. Peralta would include creative works digitalized on nano fiche discs from 35,000 contemporary
artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers from 233 countries, territories and
indigenous nations. Three images of my paintings appeared in The Realism Issue (#67) of Poets and Artists Magazine back in September 2015. It was guest edited by Frank Bernarducci, and published by Didi Menendez. This magazine was digitized on one of the Codex Nova nano fiche discs.
A first attempt of a
lunar lander mission was launched on January 8, 2024. Peregrine Mission One
built by Atrobotic Technology experienced problems shortly after the lander
separated from the rocket. A propellant leak prevented the lander from
completing its mission. The spacecraft would eventually be redirected back to
earth, where it burned over the Pacific Ocean, six days later on January 18.
The second attempt
was launched on February 15, 2024. The lunar lander, Nova-C named Odysseus was
designed by Intuitive Machines. Codex Nova was among the small payload carried
by Odysseus that successfully landed on the South Pole of the Moon yesterday
evening, February 22. This historical event would mark the first American
spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon in over 50 years, since Apollo
17 in 1972.
The Odysseus lunar lander, including all payloads - is now a de facto Artemis Accords Heritage Site - and all the artworks, writings, music, and film on Codex Nova are now part of the designated heritage of humanity, to be preserved for posterity as signed by 36 countries to date.
Lunar landing of Odysseus, February 22, 2024
YouTube video from the NASA Channel
(skip to 1h41min for landing confirmation)
I
am forever grateful to Dr. Peralta and all those involved in this monumental
achievement.
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Acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel, 14 x 11"
Painting #294, 2023
Some of the first consumer inspired products that made it's way into Andy Warhol's artwork during the very early 1960's included the Campbell's Soup Cans, Heinz Tomato Ketchup and the iconic Coca-Cola bottles. During the winter/spring of 1964, he started producing more sculptural pieces. Life size replica boxes of Brillo soap pads followed by Campbell's Tomato Juice, Del Monte Peach Halves, Heinz Ketchup, Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Mott's Apple Juice. Warhol hired carpenters who constructed plywood boxes in the exact same size of the depicted products. The Factory (his art studio) assistants Gerard Malanga and Billy Linich then hand-painted each box, before Warhol and Malanga silkscreened the graphic logos onto them.
Self at the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum
Bratislava, Slovakia - May 5, 2023.
Lisbon, Portugal - March 6, 2024
These were first shown in his second exhibition at the Stable Gallery in NYC during the spring of 1964. Eleanor Ward, the art dealer of that gallery at the time remembered that the Brillo Boxes were "very difficult to sell. We had visions of people walking down Madison Avenue with these boxes under their arms". The various boxes were priced between $200 - $400 depending on the size. It also cause controversy with critics stating, "How can this be art?"
Preview of the HBO documentary
Brillo 3¢ off by Lisanne Skyler
What Andy Warhol and Eleanor Ward had envisioned would take 50 years to materialize. In 2013, artist Charles Lutz (b.1982) was asked by the curator of the Armory Show in New York City to create an art installation. The Art Fair was held from March 7-11. The installation using Brillo cardboard boxes was entitled Babel, based on Pieter Bruegel's famous painting, The Tower of Babel (c.1563). The boxes were referred to as Stockholm Type since they were an exact replica of the Brillo Boxes that Andy Warhol had shipped from Brooklyn to Stockholm for his show at Moderna Museet in 1968. According to Lutz, the idea was to "disseminate the Brillo Box to the masses". "Each day a new Babel tower was erected out of the Brillo Boxes and visitors were encouraged to take one, fulfilling Warhol's idea of everyone in New York City carrying around a Brillo Box".
Pittsburgh, PA, March 29, 2013.
The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA held an exhibition entitled "Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years" from Feb. 3 - April 28, 2013. The same "Babel" (Brillo Stockholm Type) by Charles Lutz was set-up in the main lobby of the museum. That year, joined by my wife and son, we just happen to spend the long Easter weekend in Pittsburgh. We did a whole lot of walking and sightseeing during this jammed-packed mini-vacation. We were lucky enough to watch Sidney Crosbie play hockey when the Winnipeg Jets were in town to play against the Penguins. We also got to see Green Day rock the Consol Energy Center and attend a performance of the hilarious touring Broadway Musical, The Book of Mormon. We took the funicular, visited the Frick Mansion, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the spectacular Cathedral of Learning. I visited the Andy Warhol Museum on March 29. Upon entering I was told that photography was only allowed on the first floor. Before leaving, I asked the security guard if it was OK to take a picture of the Charles Lutz's Brillo Boxes, to which he replied, "Yes, and you can take one with you when you leave". I had to ask him to repeat cause I couldn't believe my good fortune! I had to cut the tape and carefully detach the side where it was glued to fold smaller in order to bring in with me on the plane ride back home to Canada. It's been keeping me company in my painting studio ever since.
Self Portrait, 1967 - ANDY WARHOL
Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen on canvas
Tate Modern, London - visited May 26, 2018
The background for my painting is from a page of the 2017 Andy Warhol calendar printed by Galison. For the exception of the red and yellow version on the top right, I took the liberty to change a few of the colours. Warhol created a very large series in a multitude of colours of this self portrait in 1966-1967, all based on the same photography.
The wooden blocks under the IKEA glass cloche dome are made by a company named Mudpuppy. They come in a box of 8, of which only one is yellow. In reality, Andy Warhol's yellow Brillo Box (3¢ off) are rarer and fetch higher prices at auction. Once hard to sell, they would later found themselves in many of the most prestigious art museum around the globe. The yellow base is actually The Andy Warhol Diaries with the book jacket cover removed.
In response to the art critics, Andy Warhol once said, "ART IS WHAT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH".
This painting is currently on view at the Fog Forest Gallery.
:
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
-SOLD
Acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel, 14 x 11"
Painting #293, 2022
When I first visited the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) located in Halifax back in the late 1980's, I distinctly remember a display of folk art that was part of the museum's permanent collection on one of the upper floors. Among the painters that stood out to me at the time were Joseph Norris (1925-1996) and Maud Lewis (1903-1970). I became aware that this institution held folk art to the same standards as the more academic art movements.
Maud Lewis in her painted house, photo Bob Brooks
Much has already been written about Maud Dowley Lewis. With the passage of time and sustained public interest, her popularity has only continued to grow. In recent years, she has been elevated to the status of an icon. It's impossible to separate the artist from the life she lead and the artwork she created. While her story is defined by poverty, hardship, physical disabilities and debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, it was also one of triumph over adversity that was sparked by her creativity and her temperament to endure.
Her paintings are a celebration of life and the beauty she observed in her own little world located in Digby and Yarmouth counties Nova Scotia. Unlike her own life, her paintings are happy, whimsical and colorful. Subject matter often remain within the domain of birds, flowers, oxen, cats, deer, modes of transportations (pulled sleigh or wagons, cars, trucks, boats), bucolic winter, pastoral and costal scenes. These themes and imagery were revisited time and again.
Photo op on the Halifax Waterfront - May 2022
While growing up, Maud Lewis was introduced to art and painting by her mother. She crafted hand made Christmas cards done in pen and ink, watercolors and crayola crayons and sold them door to door. After the death of her father in 1935, then later her mother in 1937 she moved out of the family's South Ohio home. There is a brief transition period where she lived with her brother Charles then with her aunt Ida in Digby. Her acquaintance with Everett Lewis was a result of answering an ad when he was looking to hire a housekeeper. They married in 1938 of what appeared to be a mariage of convenience. Her painting career gradually evolved over the 30 years that followed. Her signature painting style was not restricted to panels and boards but could also be found on rock, scallop shells and household items. With her reputation growing over time, the little painted house in Marshalltown would become a popular roadside attraction for locals, visitors and tourists alike with many becoming patrons and collectors of her paintings.
Her work began garnering unsolicited attention by the media during the 1960's. During the Richard Nixon administration either as US president or vice president (conflicting reports), he would have commissioned two paintings. NS premier Robert Stanfield also started to collect her work. In 1965, writer Murray Bernard and photographer Bob Brooks of the Star Weekly Magazine published by the Toronto Star were dispatched to Marshalltown to do a story on Maud. This nation wide publicity would increase demands for her paintings and elevate her status as a painter. The photography taken by Brooks remains the quintessential pictures taken of her as an artist. On November 25, 1965, CBC's biography series Telescope aired a 30 minute televised documentary on the Lewis couple. (A portion of this documentary can be viewed on this CBC LINK . )
Much has also been written about the relationship with her husband, Everett Lewis. In his case, not always in the best light. With the thousands of paintings sold, he could have provided a much better life for her. Her paintings sold for about $2 to 3 dollars at first with gradual price increase to 5 dollars and 7 to 10 dollars for larger paintings. With inflation, a 5 dollar painting would be have been worth the equivalent of about $47 in 2022. While their house was very small, they also lived without indoor plumbing, running water or electricity.
Everett Lewis (b.1893) was raised in the Alms House in Marshalltown, NS. after his father abandoned the family while he was still a child. It was an institution known locally as the "Poor Farm". He had no formal education, he never learned to read or write. He earned a living as a fish peddler and also worked at Alms House as a night watchman then later as caretaker. The parcel of land that Everett bought for his house was an adjacent lot to the Alms House. In the 1965 CBC documentary, we can see Everett leaving the house on his bicycle and passing in front of the Alms House about 200 meters away. Despite living in poverty, Everett had a reputation of being a miser and had accumulated considerable wealth by the time of his unfortunate and untimely death in 1979. Everett himself dabbled in folk art creating paintings that were very much inspired by Maud. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia would acquire some of his work while he was still living.
In 1961, Ten-Mile House and Art Gallery in Bedford, NS owned by Bill Ferguson And Claire Stenning started selling her paintings doubling the purchase price to 10 dollars since these were framed. Maud and Everett Lewis didn't want to appear greedy by increasing the price of the paintings in fear of losing customers and alienating an already established market.
My wife Suzanne with the Painted House, AGNS - May 2022
Interior of the Maud Lewis House, AGNS, Halifax, NS
Part of Maud's legacy is the little painted house they lived in with many surfaces and items used as her canvas. From the window, walls, doors, stairs to dustpan, cooking stove and breadbox. Their house would become her greatest work. After Maud's passing, Everett did little to nothing in upkeeping the house. In 1979, The Painted House Society was formed in Digby following Everett's death. The house, land and copyrights were purchased by the society from Everett's heir the following year. Unable to raise the $50,000 needed to restore the house, the estate was sold to the Province of Nova Scotia in 1984. The house was moved to a secure indoor location outside Halifax in order to prevent further decay. It would take another decade before restoration would be undertaken and to plan for it's permanent home once the restauration completed. The Scotiabank Maud Lewis Gallery which also included the house opened to the public in 1998 part of the expansion of the AGNS.
Since her death, the AGNS has been a major catalyst in preserving her legacy, with the restauration of the house and amassing a collection of her paintings that is on permanent public display.
Author Lance Woolaver would become Maud Lewis' premier biographer. He's written several books including the popular picture book, The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis with photography by Bob Brooks (1996). A retrospective exhibition of Maud's work sharing the same title was organized by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 1997 that would later tour Canada. A full length documentary also named, The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis was produced by the National Film Board in 1998 with the script provided by Woolaver. He has also written two plays about Maud, A World Without Shadows (1996) and The Return of her Child. And is the writer of her full biography, The Heart at the Door (2016).
In 2019, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (MCAC) in Kleinburg, Ontario organized the touring exhibition: MAUD LEWIS. The exhibition in currently on view at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia until April 23, 2023. An art book entitled "Paintings for Sale" by Sarah Milroy, chief curator of the MCAC was published in conjunction with the exhibition. The book cover is an image of "PAINTINGS FOR SALE", the road sign that she painted and used outside her home. This book also served as the base and title for my painting.
On November 2, 2020, in time for the Holidays, Canada Post issued three stamps featuring her winter themed paintings from the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia collection. All of the Christmas cards we mailed that year were adorned by these stamps.
In 2017, Mongrel Media and Sony Pictures Classic released Maudie. An award winning feature film of the life of Maud and Everett Lewis starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. The movie was directed by Aisling Walsh. This film introduced Maud Lewis a much wider audience outside Canada. Receiving generally positive reviews with an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 151 reviews. Sally Hawkins gives an arresting performance as Maude. It won awards in all of the seven categories it was nominated for at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards, including trophies for best actress, supporting actor, director, screenplay and best film. The film stimulated a resurgence and an interest in Lewis' work. It is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Maud Lewis was never really allowed to spend the money she made in order to make her life more comfortable. On the other hand, collectors of her work have been raking in the rewards for having a keen eye for art at a bargain. I remember seeing a few of her paintings being resold in commercial galleries in Halifax for about $4000 to $5000 during the 1990's. On November 30, 2009, her painting "A Family Outing" sold for $22,000 CND at a Bonham's Auction in Toronto. A painting found in 2016 at an Ontario thrift store, "Portrait of Eddie Barnes and Ed Murphy, Lobster Fishermen" was sold in an online auction for $45,000 CND. Click HERE. In May of this year, a painting entitled "Black Truck" made national headlines as it was traded during the 1970's to restauranteurs in exchange of a grilled cheese sandwich by a Maud Lewis art collector, an Ontario artist named John Kinnear. The story goes that Kinnear and his wife had lunch at the restaurant every day. And every time he ordered the same grilled cheese sandwich. Kinnear also kept in touch with Maud Lewis, sending her proper art supplies and boards. The painting was expecting to fetch as much as $35,000 CND at auction. But when the hammer fell, it went for 10X as much, for $350,000 CND. Full story HERE and follow-up HERE.
I've always been an admirer of Maud Lewis' artwork but doing an homage painting only appeared on my radar as a result of the pandemic. While we were restricted to the Atlantic bubble for travels because of the Covid-19, my wife and I did a few road trips within the maritimes provinces. In mid-September 2020 we visited the western portion of Nova Scotia. Our itinerary took us to various sites that had a direct connection with Maud Lewis. The background painting that appears in my own painting was the featured image for the month of August in the Maud Lewis 2021 calendar. Growing up in Cap-Lumière, NB, I could relate with the image since our house was located one mile from a similar looking lighthouse. In the calendar, it is referred to as "Lighthouse and Steamer", while in the art book Paintings For Sale by Sarah Milroy, as Untitled (Digby Ferry Passing Point Prim Lighthouse), 1950's. This lighthouse was located 14 km from the Lewis' house.
The current Point Prim Lighthouse built in 1964
The original Point Prim Lighthouse dates back to 1817. It was destroyed
by fire in 1873. The lighthouse that appears in the Maud Lewis painting
replaced the original. It was equipped with an attached lighthouse keeper's
residence. It remained in operation until 1964 when it was demolished and
replaced by the current lighthouse.
When the province of Nova Scotia acquired the Painted House in
1984, it also purchased its' land in Marshalltown. In 1997, a
stainless steel framed structure was erected where the house once stood
and a memorial park was established on the remaining grounds.
This Painted House Replica was built by Ross Murray in 1999 on his property. Located on Route 217, seven km from where the original house once stood.
Amazing to see so much attention to details. The property also
included a shed and a mailbox. Being there and able to enter the house
and walk around the grounds was like entering a movie set. Completely surreal!
Click HERE for backstory.
Photo op in Yarmouth, NS - Birthplace of Maud Lewis - September 2020
My decision to use a Campbell's Soup can as the centerpiece was inspired by the Bob Brooks photo. She used the can to wash her brushes with turpentine. The one shown in the picture taken in 1965 would have been of the same period as when Andy Warhol did his 32 Campbell's Soup Cans in 1962.
During the summer of 2020, we visited the Village Historique Acadien in Bertrand, NB. Among its' buildings is a replica of the original Nicholas D. Thériault General Store (1924). Almost every items inside are for sale for a few exceptions. The available inventory is meticulously curated by Mrs Lanteigne. While none are antiques, every items has a vintage flair. The top shelf had a display of can goods wrapped in vintage replica labels. When I spotted the vintage Campbell's Tomato Soup cans, my knees buckled. The label is probably pre 1930. When she told me that they weren't for sale, I was so disappointed but understood the situation. When we returned in 2021, I had forgotten about them, but upon seeing them again, my desire to acquire one was renewed. Fortunate for me, she remembered me and said she felt bad once I had exited the door. I had mentioned that I was a painter and wanted to incorporated one somehow in a painting. She kindly agreed to give me one, as long as I was willing to climb up the step ladder to get it. It was a fun moment and I was very thankful.
I could have used a very similar soup can as in the photo of Maud Lewis, but opted for the retro can to create a narrative that linked her earlier years while her mother taught her how to draw, paint and play the piano when she lived in South Ohio, located 11 km north of Yarmouth.
If you are still reading, hoping you enjoyed the ride!
This painting is currently on view in a group show entitled "Comfort and Joy" at the Fog Forest Gallery
-SOLD
16 x 12", acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting #292, 2022
Born in 1862, Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and the founding father and a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement, a group of artist who consciously rejected the academic style of the late nineteenth century. Even though he had formally studied art at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. He received training as an architectural painter and was classified as an academic painter who could paint hyperrealist portraits. He became celebrated for his rich, complex, gold-dazzling friezes and portraits of powerful, chic woman from Vienna's turn of the century society. His artistic vocabulary incorporated esoteric design and eroticism, which was not always well received, including some commissions which were never revealed. His work was greatly influenced by the Byzantine movement and he also was associated with Art Nouveau when the movement was at it's peak.
''The Kiss'' (1907-08) is a celebration of his deeply held belief in the transforming power of idealized love. Klimt himself is the male figure embracing his life companion Emilie Flöge. Gilles Néret, the author of Klimt published in 2007 by Taschen writes,''Klimt's otherwise dominating woman becomes submissive. She yields to the man, abandons herself to him, and sexuality shimmers through her clinging gown''.
The Kiss was done during his ''Golden Phase''. During this period he used gold leaf prominently on the artwork, which brought him both success and critical acclaim.
During the month of January 2020, I had book flight tickets to Munich, Germany and had already reserved accommodations of what was supposed to be a month long backpacking trip to Central Europe where my wife and I had planned to visit 11 cities in eight countries. Among those cities was Vienna Austria, where many of Klimt's works can be view. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic was declared two months later and our trip cancelled. I am hoping that next year, we'll be able to finally travel abroad and embark on this adventure.
I have seen a few Klimt paintings in the past decade, including the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 1 at the Neue Gallery in New York City during the month of February 2013, Hope 1 (1903) at the National Gallery in Ottawa during the month of April 2014 and a small exhibition of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele entitled "Judith and Edith" that was shown at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, The Netherlands (May 2016).
This painting is my sixth installment in as many years, featuring a large Hershey's chocolate Kisses which is a seasonal product only available from Christmas til Valentine's Day.
UPDATE - During the spring of 2023, my wife Suzanne and I finally did get to travel to Central Europe which included Vienna, Austria. On May 1, we attempted to visit the Upper Belvedere Palace two hours before closing, but all remaining admission tickets for that day were already sold out. That evening, we bought tickets on-line for the following morning that had a time slot in order to visit the art museum. It was at this moment that I realized how famous this painting had become. The room in which the painting is on display was packed with admirers who wanted their pictures taken with it. From previous art museum visits, as far as popularity goes, it is on par with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Picasso's Guernica and Van Gogh's A Starry Night . The Upper Belvedere also house several other Gustav Klimt paintings, as did the Leopold Museum which had a replica of his art studio and the Secession Art Museum where some of his iconic murals are on display on the lower floor.
with The Kiss at the Upper Belvedere Palace
Vienna, Austria - May 2, 2023
To acquire this painting please contact:
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Full appreciation goes to Janet and John Crawford of the Fog Forest Gallery for doing such a beautiful job of displaying the artwork for my solo show: Art-ifacts.
The exhibition runs from Oct. 14 to Nov. 5, 2021.
The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition can be viewed online from the Fog Forest Gallery website at this LINK.
To acquire any of the remaining available paintings, please contact:14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
https://fogforestgallery.ca/
-ALL PAINTINGS HAVE BEEN SOLD
Title- Murano Glass Decanter on a Windowsill
Acrylic on gessoed aluminium panel mounted on birch cradle panel
16 x 12", painting #268, 2018
original blog post - HERE -SOLD
Title- Bowl of Fruits for Mary, an homage
16 x 16", acrylic on gessoed aluminium panel
Painting #269, 2018-19
original blog post - HERE -SOLD
These two recent paintings will complete the lot of 12 that included 10 new works for my solo show entitled Art-ifacts at the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB. The exhibition runs from October 14 to November 5, 2021. Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition.
The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition can be viewed online from the Fog Forest Gallery website at this LINK.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
https://fogforestgallery.ca/
Pinned up 7-Up
14 Oct 2021 2:32 AM (3 years ago)
Title- Pinned up 7-Up
14 x 14", acrylic on gessoed aluminium panel
painting #291, 2021
7-Up was created in St Louis, Mo by Charles Leiper Grigg in 1929. The lemon-lime soft drink was initially called "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda". The formulation much like many soft drinks that were often developed by pharmacists during the late-19th and early-20th century contained a drug, in this case the mood stabilizer Lithium that is often prescribed for bi-polar disorder. It was removed from its formulation in 1948. The name was changed to 7-Up in 1936, the same year the slogan "You Like It, It Likes You" was adopted and remained in use until the mid-1970's. There are several theories behind the origin of the name. I like the claim that 7-Up was bottled in a 7oz bottle while many other soft drinks like Coca-Cola were available in 6oz bottles. In 1961, Coca-Cola would introduce Sprite to its product line as a direct competitor to 7-Up. In 1967, sales for the product rose when it adopted the ad campaign of being an "Uncola".
7-Up, 1970's advertisement campaign
Some time back, while in a store aisle, I spotted this dart board. The first thing that came to mind was a thought of Jasper John's "Target" paintings. I bought it as a prospect prop. It wasn't until this summer that I noticed that the colors of the vintage 7-Up bottle and the dart board were exactly the same. The positioning of the bottle with the board creates a sort of Japanese Rising Sun imagery with the bullseye. The logo and design concepts for the bottle has changed with the passage of time, always trying to stay current. I find this specific bottle to be the most iconic, maybe it's because it was the one in use while I was growing up.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition.
The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition can be viewed online from the Fog Forest Gallery website at this LINK.
Update- November 15, 2021
I've decided to reframe this painting from it's initial black frame with round mat opening under glass. The aluminium panel has been mounted on a wood support and is now presented in a black floater wood frame.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
-SOLD
Title- Bobbing for Apples
10 x 12", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #290, 2021
Bobbing for apples (aka- apple bobbing, dooking, apple ducking, duck-apple, snap apple night) is a game often played on Halloween. The game is played with floating apples in a tub or basin filled with water. Players then try to catch one with their teeth. Use of arms is not allowed, and the hands are often tied behind the back to prevent cheating. I first played it in eight grade during activities held at school on Halloween day. After several unsuccessful attempts in trying to take a bite out of a floating apple, I took a no holds barred approach going head first in the water and immobilizing an apple on the bottom of the tub. When I reemerged, I was declared the winner of my round. The prize was a 45 rpm record of Paul McCartney & Wings hit single "Let 'em in". Click HERE to listen.
During the fall of 2017, we spent a few days in the province of Québec. As we drove around the bucolic Île d'Orléans, we did a few stops, including a visit to a vineyard for some wine tasting. We also bought some fresh produce at the farmer's market that included a large box of honey crisp apples. When we got back home, I did a photo session on the back deck of the house inspired mainly by the cool vintage "Pommes Québec Apples" graphics on the box. Out of the several pics I took was one that inspired the above painting. The intense blue colour inside the galvanized pail is actually a reflection of the sky. I like how the primary colors co-exist in a rather monochrome surrounding.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition.
The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition can be viewed online from the Fog Forest Gallery website at this LINK.
Perfect Seal Jar
10 Oct 2021 9:52 AM (3 years ago)
Title - Perfect Seal Jar
10 x 8", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #289, 2021
I acquired this antique canning jar in 2016 at an estate sale in Summerside, PEI. After I did the photo study for this painting the following year, I dropped a handful of marbles inside the jar, the jar cracked and the bottom fell out. The same thing later happened with an antique Ball mason jar, except the jar didn't shatter but has a major crack that I was able to secure with a piece of scotch tape. Lesson learned with jars and marbles. Glass hitting glass can either break a jar or even chip a marble.
It's impressive the amount of different brands of antique canning jars that were produced in Canada more than half a century ago. It's always a thrill when I spot a new-to-me jar in an antique shop. It was a time when a lot more people had gardens and did all kinds of preserves for winter. While canning still remains a must for many, what has changed however, almost all fruits and vegetables are now available year-round in grocery stores. Before world-wide importation or green house farming, most fresh produce in grocery stores were seasonal.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Title - "Improved Corona Jar"
12 x 14", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #288, 2021
This painting might look fun and whimsical at first glance, but it is a allegorical piece that is also meant to pose as a form of social commentary.
When the Covid-19 pandemic started in early January 2020, the main concern was to try to contain the virus and stop it from spreading. With no vaccine existing, it wasn't long before there were clusters of outbreaks with this virus being so highly contagious. The only way to stop the spread was to put sanitary measures and for many countries to go in lock down, resulting in the massive disruption of our daily lives. As cases multiplied, the healthcare system was soon overwhelmed with lack of PPE and patients going in severe respiratory distress, having to be sedated and intubated while trying to ride off the storm on a ventilator. It was the beginning of a very stressful time for frontline and healthcare workers. Even if all of this was happening, it kind of brought the world together. There were often rallies in front of hospitals in support of healthcare workers, households displaying rainbow signs in their windows that everything was going to be alright, the Zoom platform exploding in popularity, people in cities opening their windows to sing and play music as a form of solidarity.
Then all of a sudden, it became political, especially when mask mandates were implemented, which for some was a breach of the civil liberties. Science deniers and conspiracy theories would soon follow suite on social media and right-wing channels. Then the virus gradually became an instrument that caused division within the population.
In late 2020, there was hope on the horizon when several pharmaceutical research companies announcing that vaccines had been developed and were being approved for emergency use after their trials were completed. These were found to have a very high efficacy rate in warding off the disease, hospitalization or deaths.
When the vaccine rollout started, the response for vaccines was overwhelming. Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. While some remained vaccine hesitant, the anti-mask / anti-vaccine militants started rallies in protest. Still hope remained as the general population continued to roll up their sleeves to get shots into arm. There was a possibility that herd immunity might be achievable if 70-75% or more of the population would become fully immunized.
That theory seemed sound until the variants started to appear. The vaccines still remain highly effective with high efficacy rate among the general population with no underlying or auto-immune conditions in warding off, complications such as long Covid, hospitalization or death. When the Delta variant started to spread during the summer in the United States, it was a evident, that a pending storm was about to hit us with a 4th wave. Especially when mask mandates were temporary lifted, our province opened its borders to the rest of Canada and later to the US. It was then referred to as the pandemic of the unvaccinated, now affecting a much younger slice of the population as this variant is more than 2x as contagious as the previous variants according to the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention).
When the federal and provincial governments started to gradually impose vaccination mandates for many public workers and students, followed by vaccine passports to access non essential services, this would incite and fuel the anti-vaxxers to start protesting in front of hospitals against health care workers. You just can't make this stuff up. Within a year, rallies in front of hospitals went from cheers to jeers.
Our province of New Brunswick had fared rather well since the beginning of the pandemic with all of the precautionary measures in place and were regularly revised depending on the state of contagion. The tide has since turned as we are currently experiencing an unprecedent influx with record high daily number of new cases infected with the Delta variant, hospitalisation and patients requiring ICU care. And this is with 90,1% of the eligible population having received one vaccine and 81,1% that are fully immunized. The fact remains that even if there are breakthrough infections, 80% of those requiring hospitalization are the unvaccinated, proving the the vaccines do work. Our provincial government announced this week that it would be imposing a circuit-breaker system in specific regions in order to contain the transmission of the virus since our hospital system is currently overwhelmed with Covid-19 infections.
________
As some of you may or may not know, I was a registered nurse for 35 years before retiring in 2017. On my birthday in late January, my wife offered me a scrumptious cloud cake. Three hours after making a wish and blowing the candles, I received a telephone call from my former employer. They weren't birthday wishes. It was to join the vaccination taskforce for the vaccine rollout with public health. My response was, "Be careful for what you wish for" since my wish was for an end of the pandemic by year's end. After I received my first vaccine in March, I came out of retirement and started working at vaccination clinics, putting shots into arm.
As a still life painter, I've been collecting small props for many years. Whenever I get a visceral response or I feel an attraction or a connection for a particular object, I will often buy it on impulse. It can be the first element that can immediately ignite an idea or concept for a painting. Other times, it can take many years before an event might trigger a response when these stored objects come out of hibernation to be used to create the narrative.
Back in 2006, I was watching the Scotiabank Giller Prize on CBC. The Giller Prize, is a top literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English the previous year. The winner that year was "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures" by Vincent Lam. Dr Lam is a medical doctor and was working as an emergency physician in Toronto at the time of his win. The book is a collection of short stories connected through the relationship that develop among a group of young doctors as they move from the challenges of med school to the intense world of emergency rooms, evac mission and terrifying new viruses. I bought the book shortly thereafter. The title alone intrigued me and thought, it would be a great prop for a painting, but under what circumstances?
After I had started working at the vaccination clinic, I can across this Corona mason jar which was stored on a back of a shelf in my studio. When I bought it back in 2016, it dawn on me that it was the Spanish word for crown. Also, that I had previously acquired some Crown jars for a commission painting. In the context of the pandemic, the moment I saw the word Corona on the jar, it took a whole different meaning. It was then that the whole narrative for the painting came to me. Later that week , while working at the clinic, a pharmacist who pre-loads the syringes with the vaccine for the nurses kindly gave me an empty vial of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine. I often refer to marbles as the mind, in the context of, "I'm losing my marbles". I won't go any further with the narrative and let you draw your own interpretation. Just know that the jar is flooded in light and hope.
While I was painting away, I listened to "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures" on audio book. One of the short stories is entitled "Contact Tracing". It deals with the SARS-CoV-1 that occurred in Toronto during the outbreak between 2002-2004. The initials stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-1. The narrator send chills down my spine as the unfolding drama was exactly the same as with our current pandemic. Lack of PPE, medical personnel getting infected and issues that arises while working in a hospital setting during a pandemic.
During that pandemic, 8110 cases with a 10% mortality rate were reported worldwide from 31 countries. The United States reported 27 cases with no deaths, while Canada reported 251 cases, 44 deaths including one doctor and two nurses who worked at a Toronto hospital. SARS-CoV-1 is one of seven known coronaviruses to infect humans. This current pandemic is SARS-CoV-2. When many claim that the vaccine was rushed and developed too quickly, what many don't realize is that the science and research in developing a vaccine for a coronavirus had been in the works in vaccine research labs for years. It's quite impossible to test a specific vaccine for a 3-phase human clinical trial if there is no outbreak within an infected population.
But if we all coming together, follow sanitary mesures, do our citizen duty by getting vaccinated to protect ourselves and all those around us; maybe, just maybe, we'll put an end to this pandemic.
Buy the book through these links-
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition.
The gallery will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Title- Coke adds life to... 16 x 16", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #287, 2021
Coke adds life to... was the slogan used by Coca-Cola between 1976 through 1979. The ad campaign showed Coke as the perfect accompaniment to food, fun and leisure in many situations common to consumers around the world. The company went all out with print ads, billboards, TV commercials and even a 7" vinyl - 45 rpm record of the jingle.
Coke adds life to... magazine ad
Coke adds life... 1977 TV commercial - click HERE to view
Coke adds life to... jingle - 45rpm record, 1976
This Coke carton was a lucky find from the same estate sale in Summerside, PEI when I bought several mason jars and soda pop bottles back in 2016.
I've pretty run the gamut when it comes to documenting the history of Coca-Cola since this is the 16th themed painting that I've posted on this blog. For a link to all of my past Coca-Cola paintings - click HERE.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.
Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Screech, Fogo Island
12 x 9", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #286, 2021
"Kissing the cod" or getting "Screeched-in" is a unique welcoming ceremony that tourists or newcomers often indulge in while visiting Newfoundland and Labrador. It is traditionally used to give them the experience of being an honorary Newfoundlander. The tradition involves a short recitation, kissing of a cod fish followed by drinking a shot of Screech (a Jamaican imported rum). The ritual is often performed at pubs, in homes or aboard tourist boat excursions. Even the fishermen appears to be kissing a cod on the label of the Screech liquor bottle.
Click on this LINK to view a "Screeched-in".
We've visited Newfoundland on three different occasions. The landscape is unlike the rest of Canada. You almost feel like you're in a different country, it's a magical land. Our most recent visits were in August 2014 and October 2018. During our one-week family vacation in 2014, we rented a salt-box house during a two-day stay on New World Island where our son Jean-Luc was partially screeched-in, although no cod showed up. He had turned 19 in the spring and was now a university student.
My son Jean-Luc, New World Island, NL, Aug. 2014
When my wife and I returned to Newfoundland in mid-October 2018, we rented a salt-box house in the community of Fogo for 3 days. We were among the very few tourists visiting Fogo Island during this time of year. Fogo Island is now among one of the new remote travel destinations on the planet. If it's currently experiencing a revival of its economy after the collapse of Atlantic cod fishery, it's mainly because of the efforts of business woman and entrepreneur Zita Cobb. Born on Fogo Island, Zita Cobb with two brothers launched Shorefast in 2006, a charitable organization with mission to build economic and cultural resilience on Fogo Island through a variety of charitable programs and social businesses. Shorefast is responsible for the Fogo Island Inn, which has received global accolades for its exceptional design.
In addition, four art studios were built where selected artists, often foreign can engage in residencies with Fogo Island Arts. Upon the completion of their residency, their artwork is exhibited in the art gallery at the Inn. The contemporary studios were designed by architect Todd Saunders, a Newfoundlander now based in Bergen, Norway who is also responsible for designing the Fogo Island Inn. Situated at various locations on the island, each of the four studios has a distinct minimalist design. Anchored into the landscape on stilts, the studios range in size from two hundred to twelve hundred square feet and are completely off the grid.
Click on this LINK to view a most enchanting video.
After I first watched this video, I knew I had to come here for myself. Shorefast has also established several hiking trails scattered across the island. During our visit, we had a gourmet lunch at the Fogo Island Inn's restaurant, made our way to all four artists studios, although no artist were currently on site during our visits and hiked most of the trails.
Picture window from which I did the
photo study for the painting
My wife Suzanne, Fogo Island Inn restaurant
Long Studio, Joe Batt's Arm, Fogo Island, NL
The book in this composition is The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. The 1993 novel was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1994. The narrative follows Quoyle, a third rate newspaperman from upstate New York who tries to rebuilds his life after moving to Newfoundland with his two daughters after his own world falls apart. American novelist Annie Proulx has spent a significant amount of time in Western Newfoundland, returning year after year since the early 1990's. The book was adapted as a film in 2001 and was directed by Lasse Hallström. It features a star studded cast including Oscar winners Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett. Ms Proulx is the author of Brokeback Mountain, a short story published in 1997. It was also adapted for the cinema in 2005. It received universal acclaim and was a box-office success. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three for best adapted screenplay, musical score and for Ang Lee as best director.
The artwork on the book's cover features an image of the etching "Hauling Job Sturge's House", 1979 from Newfoundland born artist David Blackwood. David Blackwood (b.1941) is one of Canada’s leading printmakers and most popular artists. In 1976, the National Film Board of Canada produced a documentary film about the artist, Blackwood, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.
I first discovered his artwork while stepping in the Cape Spear lighthouse during our first ever visit to Newfoundland in 1990. Parks Canada had printed and was selling a poster of his iconic etching of the Cape Spear Lighthouse. Blackwood narrative artwork draws on childhood memories, dreams, superstitions, legends, oral tradition, and the political realities of the Wesleyville community on Bonavista Bay where he was born and raised. Blackwood has resided in Ontario since leaving Newfoundland in 1959 to study at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. However, he still maintains an art studio in Wesleyville. I've greatly admired his work ever since that first encounter. In 2006, I was fortunate enough to acquire one of his original etchings.
The location of this painting is on Sargents Road, Fogo with view of Brimstone Head (rock formation) and Banks Cove.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.
Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
The Bluenose II docks in Lunenburg
11 x 14", acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel
painting # 285, 2021
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the launch of the original Bluenose schooner. The most recognized sailing, racing and fishing vessel in Canadian history. The schooner was designed by marine architect William James Roué of Dartmouth, NS. It was built in response to a rivalry between Lunenburg NS and Gloucester, Ma over which community built the fastest fishing vessel. The Bluenose would go on to win five International Fishermen's Trophy racing against its American challenger and remained undefeated for 17 years (1921, 1922, 1923, 1931 & 1938).
Fishing schooners became obsolete during the 1930s, displaced by motor schooners and trawlers. During World War II, Bluenose remained at dock in Lunenburg. No longer profitable, the vessel was sold to the West Indies Trading Co. in 1942. The vessel was stripped of masts and rigging and converted into a coastal freighter for work in the Caribbean Sea, carrying various cargoes between the islands. Laden with bananas, she struck a coral reef off Île à Vache, Haiti on 28 January 1946. Wrecked beyond repair, with no loss of life, the schooner broke apart and was abandoned on the reef.
In 1963, a replica of Bluenose was built by Smith and Rhuland at Lunenburg using the original Bluenose plans and named Bluenose II. The project was sponsored by the Oland Company and used the iconic vessel as a marketing tool for Oland Brewery Schooner Lager beer brand and as a pleasure yacht for the Olands family. Bluenose II was sold to the government of Nova Scotia in 1971 for the sum of $1 or 10 Canadian dimes. The replica schooner is used for tourism promotion as a "sailing ambassador". The replica has undergone several refits to extend her life. This vessel was decommissioned and dismantled in 2010, and an entirely new Bluenose (also named Bluenose II, since Transport Canada deemed it a "reconstruction") was built as close to the original schooner deemed necessary and launched in Lunenburg in 2013. (Wikipedia).
Bluenose has adorned the Canadian 10-cent coin almost exclusively since 1937. It's featured on Nova Scotia's current licence plate and has appeared on four previously issued Canadian stamps. Bluenose is also one of the very few non-human inductees in the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
50 cents Canadian Stamp - 1929
Canadian dime featuring Bluenose since 1937
Centennial commemorative Canadian stamps, issued June 29, 2021
The photographic reference for the painting was taken last September during a one week getaway in Nova Scotia. I could have done the bow of the ship which is even more iconic, but it didn't have the same visual impact and was far less detailed. The bow could have been done in a fraction of the time it took to paint all of this tedious details since I also had to be as accurate as possible. I did edit out a lot of rope that was coming in every direction to have a more aesthetic and clean look.
Bluenose II, Lunenburg, NS, Sept. 2020
Captain Archibald Haddock from the Tintin serial by Hergé also celebrates an anniversary in 2021. He was first introduced in the graphic novel The Crab with the Golden Claws in 1941, 80 years ago. Captain Haddock is an alcoholic although he does sober up at times. His drink of choice is whiskey. I chose a Jameson bottle for several reasons. It has a tall ship and anchors on the label, the green color glass and the way it plays with the light. I also had a chance to visit the distillery in Dublin two summers ago with my son Jean-Luc, part of a 3-week European trip.
My son Jean-Luc, Jameson Distillery
Dublin, Ireland, July 2019
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 13 to November 5, 2021.
Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Candy Crush
1 Oct 2021 8:38 AM (3 years ago)
"Candy Crush"
24 x 16", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #284, 2021
Not long after completing the painting "Crush Bottle on crushed Crush cans" in 2017, the concept for this painting came to me while playing the video game Candy Crush Saga on Facebook. The big question remained, "But how would I do it?". It wasn't until I walked in a Wal-Mart in early October 2019 that I found the answer with Halloween treats.
While it wasn't that important that all of the candies found in the video game be in the painting, nonetheless there had to be some. Swedish Fish, Tootsie Roll Pop and jelly beans became the three candies to link the imagery to Candy Crush Saga.
It is among one of the most elaborate, complex and colorful painting I've created so far. It took upwards of 4 months to complete.
Candy Crush Saga was first introduced in April 2012 for Facebook by King Digital Entertainment. It became an instant hit. According to Wikipedia, by 2013, Candy Crush Saga had been downloaded more than 500 million times across Facebook, iOS, and Android devices. At that time, it was considered the most downloaded app from the Apple App Store. By 2016, the game had over 293 million active players each month. Candy Crush Saga is considered one of the first and most successful uses of a freemium model. While the game can be played without spending money, players can buy special actions to help clear more difficult boards, from which King makes its revenues. At its peak the company was reportedly earning almost $1 million per day. Since its inception, it has become of multi billion dollar venture. My wife is an avid player and is rank among the top 3% in the world after reaching level 4500. While all of this time playing for free.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.
Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Acadia
29 Sep 2021 9:35 PM (3 years ago)
"Acadia"
14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021
painting #283
The Deportation Cross is located in Horton Landing Nova Scotia. It was conceived by René-Arthur Fréchette. In 1924, the gothic style cross was originally erected near a railway about a mile from the memorial church at the national historic site of Grand-Pré. In 2005, it was relocated to its current spot after archeologists determined and believed to be the exact location where the Acadians waited and boarded ships during the deportation of 1755.
This site along the Gaspereau River also includes the New England Planters Monument, dedicated to the settlers who took over the vacated land of Annapolis Valley between 1759 and 1768. A silvery ancient elm tree, believed to be 175 years old once stood only a few paces from the cross. The humongous tree was brought down during a powerful storm in November 2010. Years earlier, it had died from Dutch Elm disease and was bare of its bark and leaves. It had been hit by lightning a few times, still it stood and was admired for its resilience until the storm. Artists Alex Colville and Tom Forrestall both painted the tree while it was still alive. In the 1984 NFB documentary film, The Splendour of Order, Alex Colville mentions that it was believed that the tree had stood there since the deportation of the Acadians. Colville has also painted the deportation cross while it was at its original location. During the same documentary, the camera follows him while he makes his way to the cross, makes a preliminary drawing and takes measurements.
ALEX COLVILLE
"French Cross", 56.5 x 80 cm
acrylic on hardboard,
1988, private collection
My wife Suzanne, Sept. 2020
Cross at its current location, Horton Landing, NS.
This painting is infused with symbolism. The imagery that appears on the Barbours baking powder tin can is of the Evangeline Well and commemorative church at Grand-Pré. Making this a sister painting to my previous post. Barbours is a family owned business right here in New Brunswick. It's as old as Canada itself. It was founded in 1867 in Saint John, NB by George L. and William Barbour. It is renown for its spices, baking ingredients, tea blends and mostly for King Cole Orange Pekoe Tea which was introduced in 1910. The business relocated to Sussex, NB in 1966. Of course, baking powder is one of the ingredients used to make the dumplings in a hearty Acadian fricot.
The site of the cross now serves as a memorial. The small folding seat/table belonged to my late mother. She specifically bought it to attend an outdoor mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1984 during his papal visit to Canada and stop in Moncton. The yellow dandelions represents the Acadians past and present that remained rooted on their homeland. The dandelion globes, much like when a gust of wind breaks and separated the sphere, then spreads the seeds everywhere, represent the Acadians that against their will were deported mostly back to France and along the seaboard of the13 American Colonies.
This is actually the second time I paint the Deporation Cross. The first time was in 2008 with my painting, "Reflecting on Being Acadian" when I painted Clive Doucet brilliant biographical book, Notes from Exile, featuring Alex Colville's "French Cross" on the book's jacket cover. Click HERE to view.
This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.
Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
"Evangeline Well, Grand-Pré (Puits Évangéline, Grand-Pré),
14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021
painting #281
Last summer I was invited to take part in an up-coming 2021 exhibition at the West Baton Rouge Museum in Louisiana that pays an homage to Evangeline, the legendary Acadian literary heroine from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem of the same name, The timing was perfect as we were leaving the following week for a Nova Scotia getaway as the NB-NS border had reopened earlier during the summer for tourists of the Atlantic, Canada bubble during the pandemic. We made our way to Grand-Pré, located in the bucolic region of Annapolis Valley. The historic site and grounds were open to the public. However, the statue of Evangeline by sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert had a barricade behind it during our visit and was going to be removed the following day for restauration. A small ceremony was held during the month of July 2020 to commemorate the statue's 100 anniversary. The commemorative church had scaffolding around its perimeter and was also undergoing restaurative work. The church which was built in 1922 will also be turning 100. It was reopened to the public by this summer.
My wife Suzanne with the Evangeline statue and commemorative church.
-photo taken during a previous visit, September, 2018.
Self, September, 2020
I first read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline in 2017. Longfellow's tale written in 1874
would become a lasting legacy and a gift to the Acadian people. It would
forever give them a sense of identity and help define the plight of the
Acadians to the rest of the world.
While Evangeline is a fictitious
character possibly based on a real person. She is perceived as an iconic and
allegorical figure to the Acadians for her qualities of steadfastness,
fortitude, strength, devotion and love.
During the deportation of Acadians in 1755, my
6th time grand-father, Michel Richard was deported from Fort Beauséjour to
Charleston, SC where he died shortly thereafter. Avoiding the deportation, his
wife and children had exiled themselves to Prince Edward Island as tension was mounting with the British. To pay homage to my ancestors and the author, I
returned on the grounds of Fort Beauséjour, located in Aulac, NB and used it as
the setting for the first two paintings done in 2017 & 2019. In the poem,
Longfellow writes,
Shaking his head, as in doubt; then, heaving a sigh,
he continued:- "Louisbourg is not forgotten nor Beauséjour, nor Port
Royal".
This painting is my
third study using the same props. I wanted to create a full-circle moment
by returning Evangeline to her homeland of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia. The Evangeline Well was discovered by treasure
hunters at the end of the 19th century. It is located directly to
the right of the commemorative church in Grand-Pré. My previous two
paintings had ginger-ale inside the bottle. For this rendition, I decided to
leave the bottle empty, as if returning to the well to fill it with water and as a means of symbolism and for what Grand-Pré and Évangéline represents to the Acadians which for many, also serves as a pilgrimage site. A
bust of Longfellow is located about 50 meters from the well. The Grand-Pré historic site was established in 1908 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
The exhibition "Evangeline, Evolution of an Icon", organized by the West Baton Rouge Museum, provides a glimpse into Evangeline’s evolving status from her inception through today as a legend and heroine, to a brand image and celebrity, and ultimately into a cultural icon. Inspiring writers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs, Evangeline has appeared in many guises. Along the way, her image morphed from that of a demure Victorian-era maiden into a confident modern woman. This exhibition includes artworks by Canadian and Louisiana artists, including François Gaudet, Rémi Belliveau, Mario Doucette, Alvin Richard, Melissa Bonin, and George Rodrigue among several others as well as artifacts and paraphernalia to demonstrate Evangeline’s transformation and her timeless appeal. The exhibit opens Saturday, May 15 and runs through October 31st.
photos provided by Lauren Hawthorne, curator of collection
The West Baton Rouge Museum is located at 845 N Jefferson Ave, Port Allen, Louisiana,United States. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday- 10 am to 4:30pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm
https://westbatonrougemuseum.org/314/Current-Exhibits
Suggested reading with beautifully mounted video done by the CBC for the 100th anniversary of the Evangeline statue also featuring François Gaudet, one of the artists taking part in the exhibition which I had a good fortune of meeting during our visit in Grand-Pré- click on this LINK to view.
This photo is of my mother Emma dressed up in an
Évangéline costume, circa 1955.
--------
UPDATE - Sept. 30, 2021
With the cooperation of the West Baton Rouge Museum, the original painting was removed from the exhibition on Sept. 15 and replaced with a reproduction canvas print with hand painted details for the remaining of the exhibition.
The original painting will be part of an small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.
14 Bridge Street, Sackville,
New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5
Phone (506) 536-9000
Acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminum panel, 10 x 12"
Painting # 282, 2021
This is my fifth installment featuring a large chocolate Hershey's Kisses. I took a much different approach for this one. After a bit of research and brainstorming, I came up with this composition.
Robert Indiana (1928-2018) was born Robert Clark in New Castle Indiana. The Pop Art artist's is best known for his work consisting of bold, simple images and sculptures featuring numbers and short words like EAT, HUG, DIE with his most famous work being "LOVE".
In 2008, he created the word "HOPE" for the Democratic presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Proceeds of the sales of reproduction prints were donated to Obama's campaign, raising in excess of $1,000,000.
In 1973, "LOVE" was used by the US Postal Service for the first stamp of their on-going Love series. Some 330 million stamps were printed. The first day of issue was on January 26, 1973 in Philadelphia, PA, known as the city of brotherly love. The first-day cover features a Valentine, since the timing of this stamp was for the annually celebrated day for lovers.
I was able to acquire two of these first-day covers on eBay. For my composition, I decided to make a few changes so that it would become more of an homage to Mr. Indiana and less of a Valentine by doing a few edits. A diffuse reflection of the Kisses chocolate is cast on the plastic film of the box, adding an extra point of interest.
During my travels, I've had the opportunity to see several of his word sculptures and paintings. Below are just a few.
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
New Orleans Museum of Art, Dec. 2012
Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Me, June 2014
Robert Indiana lived the last 40 years for his life
on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, located 15,4 miles from
the mainland. The island is accessible
by ferry from Rockland, Me.
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, March, 2013
Montreal, QC, August, 2015
John K. Kennedy Plaza (aka- the LOVE Park)
Philadelphia, PA - Oct. 2015
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oct. 2015
Our son Jean-Luc at Penn State
Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 2015
Galerie de Bellefeuille
1367 avenue Greene,
Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8
Tel: 514.933.4406
e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com
-SOLD
16 x 12", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminum panel
painting #280, 2020
Edward Hopper painted Automat in 1927. It is the collection of the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa. An automat was a type of restaurant / cafeteria that served simple quality foods and drinks from vending machines. This fast-food concept first appeared in Berlin Germany in 1895. The first to open in the US in 1912 was located at 818 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. Horn & Hardart became the most prominent American automat chain. They were popular in northern industrial cities especially Philadelphia and New York City. Hot and cold foods were available for a few nickels. Popular foods were sandwiches, baked beans, salisbury steak, hamburgers, creamed spinach, baked macaroni and cheese, donuts, a variety of pies (beef, chicken, dessert), cakes and their famous coffee. They were generally open 24 hours/day. They grew out of fashion during the 1970's when fast food restaurants entered the landscape. The last Automat closed in 1991. It was located on 42nd street in NYC.
The lone woman seated at a table having a hot beverage. The fact that she has only remove one glove might indicate that she is only there for a brief period or coming out from the cold. Her facial expression and the time of day does sets the mood for the entire painting. There is a tangible sense of isolation and aloneness in her body language.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, this has been the reality for many people during quarantine measures with social distancing, working from home, school closures, a one unit family bubble during orange /red phases and limited admittance of people within a confine space. In order to reach out to family members, friends, to have the ability to communicate from home to the work place and for distance education, the public has been relying more on videotelephony and teleconference platforms like FaceTime, Skype and most recently the Zoom software which saw a significance increase in usage on a global scale.
With the coffee cup facing the viewer and resting on a calendar, my intention was to create a date using such software with the lady in the Hopper masterwork as a form of symbolism in communicating while being apart.
The calendar was published by Graphique de France in 1992. It had been in storage since then. The photograph of the painting "Automat" is credited to Ray Andrews (1990). I own three artbooks of Edward Hopper and the photo in the calendar is by far the best reproduction. The coffee cup was purchased as a prospect prop from Chapters / Indigo bookstore. It had been patiently sitting on a shelf in my studio for about a decade, just waiting to be used.
*Update- The Automat, a 2021 documentary directed and produced by Lisa Hurwitz goes to the core of this bygone institution with nostalgia and first hand account of this bit of Americana.
To acquire this painting, please contact:
Galerie de Bellefeuille
1367 avenue Greene,
Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8
Tel: 514.933.4406
e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com
-SOLD
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Born in 1862, Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and the founding father and a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement, a group of artist who consciously rejected the academic style of the late nineteenth century. Even though he had formally studied art at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. He received training as an architectural painter and was classified as an academic painter who could paint hyperrealist portraits. He became celebrated for his rich, complex, gold-dazzling friezes and portraits of powerful, chic woman from Vienna's turn of the century society. His artistic vocabulary incorporated esoteric design and eroticism, which was not always well received, including some commissions which were never revealed. His work was greatly influenced by the Byzantine movement and he also was associated with Art Nouveau when the movement was at it's peak.
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