Painting during self-quarantine ...
... and no 2020 Sidney Fine Art Show!
... and no 2020 Sidney Fine Art Show!
This spring, with our long anticipated Icelandic venture cancelled, I turned to photographic reminders of past trips in nostalgic compensation!
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First, it was back to the Queen of the Adriatic, Venice! This enchanting city has drawn us like no other and so we return, again and again, staying in different sestiere, losing ourselves amongst the calle and canals. "Yet Another Lovely Canal" speaks to our wonderment of this place, no other name seemed more appropriate! To the right is the beautiful 18th century palazzo, Ca'Rezzonico, while down the canal to the left is Campo San Barnaba, where Indiana Jones rose out of a grate into the piazza!
The Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik, is my work in progress (to the right). Another astonishing, ancient city like no other! Although the massive walls aren't my focus here, the terracotta rooftops are! During the 1990's war, two out of three buildings were hit, and the projectiles pierced more than 70% of the tiled roofs. This will be seen in "Dubrovnik's Terracotta Crown," where very few of the rooftops are weather worn! |
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"Another Lovely Canal!"
17.5" x 29.5" $2036 (framed) available at Abbotsford Art Gallery |
"Dubrovnik's Terracotta Crown"
17" x 28" $2133 (framed) contact artist |
With the disappointing, yet not surprising, news of the 2020 Sidney Fine Art Show cancellation, I have posted the three paintings I planned to submit to the jury. All Westcoast images this time. "Waltz of the Waves," below, was the first to be painted and, as a result, snuck in to the framer before everything closed down. The other two are long horizontals, also from the Tofino area: Schooner Cove and Wickaninnish.
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"Wickaninnish"
50" x 18.5" $3070 (framed) contact artist |
"Waltz of the Waves"
34.5" x 21" $2423 (framed) available at Abbotsford Art Gallery |
"Schooner Cove"
44" x 16.5" $2497 (framed) contact artist |
After a summer holiday last year filled with blue sky and sunshine in and around Ucluelet, I came back with hundreds of wonderful photographs and inspiration to pull out my dye and wax! After driving the length of Pacific Rim National Park multiple times, dipping into parking lots and hiking down to secluded beaches, we drove on to Chesterman Beach where I was mesmerized by the movement of the water ... foaming crests repeatedly driving into the shoals, periodically revealing their translucent sea-green secrets before gliding and skipping back to the depths! Off the beach was Frank Island reaching out into the ocean. The great expanse of sand and logs on Wickaninnish Beach is striking! Sun and weather have stripped and polished the logs to a soft silver hue and the vast number are identifiably Wickaninnish! Schooner Cove was deserted and serene. With the tide out, the rocks became islands topped with weathered bonsai.
"Pintail in Flight"
24.5" x 12"
photograph by Chris Leach
$1680 (framed)
available at Abbotsford Art Gallery
24.5" x 12"
photograph by Chris Leach
$1680 (framed)
available at Abbotsford Art Gallery
Flattering quotes from my Patrons!
"To me the true test of art is the ones that draw you in and keep you coming back for a more discerning look. . ." Chris
". . . and if I did not make it very clear, I think your work is transcendent. Very very wondrous and I hope to see you again someday. You are not only gifted, you are a gift to all!" James
"Without a doubt, the Rug Merchant is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever seen" Pat
"Your paintings are a love letter to the Universe!" Unknown gentleman
. . . just sitting in the Living Room with a glass of wine and enjoying looking at [our batik]. We so love it! It makes me think & feel summer! I would very much like to scramble across those rocks and lay out at the far end near the water in the sunshine for awhile like a seal! Then have a picnic under the Garry Oak in the shadows!" Bob
"I admired your paintings at the Sidney Fine Arts Show. They are beautiful in colour, detail and light." Gisele
"To me the true test of art is the ones that draw you in and keep you coming back for a more discerning look. . ." Chris
". . . and if I did not make it very clear, I think your work is transcendent. Very very wondrous and I hope to see you again someday. You are not only gifted, you are a gift to all!" James
"Without a doubt, the Rug Merchant is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever seen" Pat
"Your paintings are a love letter to the Universe!" Unknown gentleman
. . . just sitting in the Living Room with a glass of wine and enjoying looking at [our batik]. We so love it! It makes me think & feel summer! I would very much like to scramble across those rocks and lay out at the far end near the water in the sunshine for awhile like a seal! Then have a picnic under the Garry Oak in the shadows!" Bob
"I admired your paintings at the Sidney Fine Arts Show. They are beautiful in colour, detail and light." Gisele
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
After years of expressing other people's ideas through murals, I was eager to create artwork that was uniquely my own - this culminated in painting batiks. Manipulation and fusion of wax, water and dye on fabric pushes me outside my comfort zone of crisp reality, restraining the complete control that I'm so accustomed to. Having worked with the medium for over 6 years, I still feel like I'm dancing with the devil as my dye-laden brush lingers above the wet cotton. Unlike any other medium I've worked with, painting a batik requires continuous forethought and focus throughout the creation - my mind can't wander. The fluid technique of batik allows me to create uniquely organic paintings particularly suited to the interplay of light and shadow, smooth gradations of colour and reflections on water. Batik has become an endless creative challenge for me and I love to test myself to see how far I can take it.
After years of expressing other people's ideas through murals, I was eager to create artwork that was uniquely my own - this culminated in painting batiks. Manipulation and fusion of wax, water and dye on fabric pushes me outside my comfort zone of crisp reality, restraining the complete control that I'm so accustomed to. Having worked with the medium for over 6 years, I still feel like I'm dancing with the devil as my dye-laden brush lingers above the wet cotton. Unlike any other medium I've worked with, painting a batik requires continuous forethought and focus throughout the creation - my mind can't wander. The fluid technique of batik allows me to create uniquely organic paintings particularly suited to the interplay of light and shadow, smooth gradations of colour and reflections on water. Batik has become an endless creative challenge for me and I love to test myself to see how far I can take it.
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