With the long anticipated arrival of Spring finally a realized, I am posting up a quartet of new seasonally explicit paintings.  These pieces are all drawn from the local area, unfortunately, none are based on the glorious season we are in the midst of currently.  Two are set in the fall, and the others are clearly winter.  Consider them reminders of what is coming, or what was just past.  Regardless, it is good to see them finished, add them here and get stuck into some new work. 

This setting was located across from a farm elevator I was working at off and on for the last couple of years.  With lots of time to study the scene, I always knew that this barn and its' picturesque surroundings would be the basis for a painting of mine, it was just a question of what time of year to show it in.  My choice was early fall, when the leaves are just beginning to change, and even the air has a flavour of transition to it.  With this painting, I wanted to highlight the contrast between the peaceful barn yard and the turbulent sky above.

Across the road from my studio, runs the Eramosa River, splitting in two as it passes through the village.  For most of the year, the dense folliage along its' banks obscures the view of its' winding path as it heads west.  This piece was done on a smaller sized canvas and I was trying to channel a bit of 'Group of Seven' with the heavy application of paint I used.  

For a number of days last fall, the sky became filled with the most dramatic, impressive cloud formations I had witnessed in quite a while.  On time, when the sun was finishing with the day, I was walking with my dog just outside of the village, and became intrigued by how the sunset coloured the white clapboard house, situated just off the corner of the country road.  

With a landscape painting, the light source is always the sun, except when it isn't!  That 'other' source of light, the moon, can add a remarkable amount of illumination to an evening scene, especially when it is bouncing off a snow covered field.  Under the cover of night also is the time much of the local wildlife ventures out onto the land.  In this painting, I wanted to give the viewer a feeling of peering out onto the moonlit field from a place of concealment.

Acting upon  encouragement from Gallery Momo, I recently submitted one of my paintings into the prestigious Art Renewal Center International Salon Competition.  The piece I chose was 'Teamwork', which had already been successful in the COAA Annual Juried Art Show, winning the Lloyd Minshall Award.  Good fortune continued, and 'Teamwork' was included as a finalist in the 'Animal/Wildlife' category.  It will be among the included works showcased in the annual catalogue, featuring winners and finalists in each of the painting categories.  For more information, 
visit: artrenewal.org.


When first exhibited at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, response to this painting was very favourable, and lead to it being included in the 'Limited Edition Art Prints' series, I offer.  Further details can be found under the 'Prints' heading on this website.    

I am happy to announce my participation in the upcoming arts festival, held right here in beautiful Eden Mills!  I will be on hand, showcasing some new pieces in the community hall, just around the corner from my home and studio.  Additionally, there will be more of my work on display in the windows of the old General Store at 216 Barden st.  (I live and work on the second floor).   This will be the 12th year running for this local arts showcase and it seems to get a bit better with every passing year.  An ecelctic and wide ranging collection of artists will be exhibiting, as well as dance performances and live music.  This is a rain or shine event, and we are deep into negotiations at this time to ensure another breathtakingly lovely day is the order of the day, so don't miss it!
The dates are: May 25 & 26, 11 am - 5pm.

Just outside of the village, another amazing event will be taking place on the 26th.  Peter Appleyard, Canadian Jazz legend, will be joined by an all star cast of players to perform a one off fundraiser concert in his magnificent century old bank barn.  Artwork from the nearby festival artists (mine included) will be on display and for sale in a silent auction format, helping to raise funds for our local community center.

For more details visit: 
edenmillsartsfestival.com.
jazzinthebarn.ca