Olympic Torch Relay- Vancouver 2010

photo by Adam Huras - the Telegraph Journal

Lto R - Jean-Luc, myself and Doreen Nowlan-Gallant

Today was full of excitement as I had the honor to share in the Olympic Flame with the communities of Cap-Pelé, Shediac and Moncton, NB, as an official torchbearer during day-25 of the Olympic Torch Relay of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

In 1976, I watched the Olympic Torch Relay make it's way through the streets of Montreal on route to the stadium while the opening ceremonies were taking place. My 14 and a half year old son Jean-Luc is exactly the same age I was then, and today had the opportunity to stand besides me in my 1988 Calgary torchbearer's suit and witness the lighting of my torch firsthand, becoming a full-circle moment for me.

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As we were only three torchbearers in the village of Cap-Pelé, it was a more intimate and personal experience. When I received the flame and passed it on, I got to hear our national anthem of ''O Canada'' each time; first from the crowd, then by the children from the elementary school. During both times we stood at attention and touched the tip of our torches high as two flames became one. When I got to run my leg of the relay, the Olympic spirit within me was beaming brighter than the torch itself.

People were so enthusiastic both along the course and the festivities later held in community celebrations in Shediac and my hometown of Moncton, where cauldrons were lit. My torch which I got to keep, became a symbol of the Olympic spirit and in turn I would become an ambassador of sorts in sharing my experience with everybody around me. I was more than happy to let anybody hold the torch as I had my photo taken with several hundred people, from babies, tots, kids, teens, adult and seniors. Many school took a two-hour break so the school kids would have a chance to witness a moment in history.

The true meaning to this most memorable day in my life will truly reveal itself when the Olympic flame reaches Vancouver on February 12 and enters the stadium on route to the cauldron. As it happened during the Calgary Olympiads, my heart will be bursting with pride. Thank you RBC, Coca-Cola and the wonderful team behind this monumental event.

''A monopoly of lollipops'' is a finalist

A monopoly of lollipops, 16 x 16'' - 2009

Private collection - St Philips, Newfoundland

A monopoly of lollipops was named a Finalist in the Still Life/Floral category in the 26th Annual Art Competition of the Artist's Magazine. Winners and finalists are announced in the December 2009 issue of the Artist's Magazine on news stand now. Thanks to the judges for this honour.

Stawberries on a Sunday (revisited)

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 2006-09

27 cm diameter, #101

This is a painting was never varnished because it was framed under glass; so I decided to re-work it a bit and re frame it in a smart new contemporary black frame. It will be among the paintings on the block at the 19th Annual Art & Antique Auction in support of the Canadian Paraplegic Association being held in Fredericton, NB on November 12, 2009. For more information on this very worthy event which I have associated myself for the third year, please click HERE.

-SOLD

Torch Relay of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games of Vancouver

Day-one of the Torch Relay arriving in Canada from Greece, and I'm already tearing up when I saw Simon Witfield and Catriona Lemay Doan carry the torch on TV. This will be my second torch relay. Twenty two years ago, I had the opportunity to carry the flame of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games of Calgary. To have the chance to take part again is as meaningful if not more that the first time. I was selected by both Royal Bank of Canada and Coca-Cola. I declined the second invitation choosing to let someone else have a chance to take part. Thanks to both for giving me this unique opportunity to live out my dreams!

I will be carrying the torch on November 23, in Cap-Pelé, NB, around 11:30 am (AST). My run will finish in front of the Donat Robichaud Elementary School. I am hoping that I will be able to share the flame with all the kids and spread a bit of Olympic Spirit.

I've had the opportunity in the past month to do interviews for CBC-Radio Vancouver, the Globe & Mail and the Canadian Press....which adds even more hype to this historic moment in time for me! You can check out articles that came out in the Toronto Star this week at this LINK and another one at this LINK. GO CANADA!

UPDATE- You can watch the relay on the internet on this CTV Olympics web live feed at this LINK. http://www.ctvolympics.ca/torch/follow-torch/index.html

Near & Far - Opening reception - October 16, 2009

A Gallery Hop in Saint John, NB is an event that always brings out a crowd on Friday evenings as openings are held in several exhibition spaces in the port city. My son Jean-Luc was the official photographer during the evening of the opening of my own solo show at Handworks Gallery. At one point he said, there are too many people, I can't see the artwork.

It was fun meeting the public. I got to chat with fellow gallery artists Holly McKay & Lynn Wigginton. To share my enthusiasm with others who seem genuinely excited to see my new work. When the evening was over, 14 of the 21 paintings had a red dot. Many thanks to all the people who came to view the artwork, to all those who send me warm wishes and the patrons who acquired the paintings. Thank you to Cliff Turner and Shannon Merrifield, the gallery owners and their staff for doing such a superb job.

Photos- top- with Cliff Turner / Cliff is an amazing hyperrealist painter who had a solo exhibition that concluded on Thursday. The very large 5 x 7 feet painting entitled Hot Wheels in the bottom photo, was a piece of that show.

middle- with Jean-Luc / bottom- mingling !

In other news, I want to congratulate my wife Suzanne, whom this show was dedicated to. Today, she reached the final destination of Santiago de Compostella during day-28 of the 800 km walking / backpacking trek across Spain on the Camino Francés. Bravo!

Marbles on ''Three Coke Bottles''

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, #176

5 x 7', 2009

Three Coke Bottles is an acrylic and silkscreen done by Andy Warhol in 1962. Here it appears as a blank card format on a semi out of focus Campbell's Soup Can 1 (1968), from the book Pop Art by Tilman Osterwold.

I leave you with famous quotes by Andy Warhol:

-''I am a deeply superficial person''.

-''Everybody must have a fantasy''.

-''Art is what you can get away with''.

-''Think rich, look poor''.

-''TV is not something to watch, but something to be on''.

-''Employees make the best dates. You don't have to pick them up and they're always tax- deductible''.

and of course,

-''In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes''.

This is the final piece for my solo show, Near & Far that opens this evening at Handworks Gallery in Saint John, NB. Everyone is invited to the Opening reception that will take place this evening from 5 to 8 pm and will coincide with a Gallery Hop with the other 10 art galleries/institutions of the city.

Part of my solo show- Near & Far - October 16-30, 2009.

-SOLD

Reflecting on Andy Warhol

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, #175

5 x 7'' - 2009

Pop art emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the USA. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art. Pop Art removes the material from its context and isolates the object, or combines it with other objects, for contemplation.The concept of Pop Art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it. (ref-Wikipedia)

Andy Warhol was a major contributor of the movement when it exploded during the 1960's. He was a larger than life figure. Often using other people photography and commecial items to create silkscreen prints and mixed media installations. From Marilyn Monroe to Wayne Gretzky, Brillo soap pads to Coca-Cola, Orange Car Crash to Double Silver Disaster (electric chair). He was also a photographer, illustrator, painter, avant-garde filmmaker and a socialite.

I've always admired his colorful art, and to a certain extent, have been influence by his body of work as a painter. He died the same month I started to paint, February of 1987. Painting #2 of my list of original paintings was entitled, ''Not Andy Warhol''. It was an experimental double portrait of my wife & myself in a se-tenant inspired piece based on his serigraphs. I've had a chance to see a few of his solo exhibitions including a show at the annual FIAC (Grand Palais) in Paris in 1989 and at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto during the spring of 1998. I hope one day to visit his Museum in Pittsburgh.

In this painting are a pocket size journal with two half Campbell's soup cans by Warhol, and an image, Self-Portrait (1967) as seen on page 55 of Tilman Osterwold's book, Pop Art. What surprised me the most about this piece was that I was able to pull off the portrait with paint, because the preliminary pencil drawing was awful. The Chinese ball was the object however that made this piece important enough to paint. Of linking the art with the artist on the reflective sphere.

Part of my solo show- Near & Far - October 16-30, 2009.
-SOLD