Bobbing for Apples

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.

-SOLD

Bowl of Fruits for Mary, an homage

16 x 16", acrylic on gessoed aluminium panel

Painting #269, 2018-19

I completed my first acrylic painting 32 years ago. With the passage of time and having many outside influences that informs my art, I can attest without any doubt, that Mary Pratt as been the most influential artist/painter of my artistic career.

Sadly, Mrs Pratt passed away on August 14, 2018 at the age of 83. 

In 1987, when I moved to Moncton, NB, it was not long before I started to frequently visit the Owens Art Gallery at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. It was here that I was introduced to her art. Some of the first paintings of hers that I saw were "Romancing the Casserole", 1985 and "Hollowed Eggs for Easter", 1983. I can vividly recall being awestruck by them and was enamored by her ability to transform a fleeting moment of her own domestic life into art. The way she frames the images, her ability to capture light and shadows, her unique bold colour palette are but some of the signature characteristics that drew me in from the start. 

Mary Pratt - Hollowed Eggs for Easter, 1983

30 x 36", oil on gessoed masonite panel

Acadia University, Wolfville, NS

Since the beginning of the millennium, I've done several paintings that were generally inspired from her oeuvre, others were homages to her while using some of her art books to anchor a still life composition.  

My homage painting “Made in Canada” (2014) was recently published in the book, “Central European Journal of Canadian Studies”, volume 12 / 13 (2018). It appeared in an article entitled “The Book Cover as an Artistic Statement and a Cultural Phenomenon - A Canadian Example” written by Nikola Tutek. The article surveys the interrelations between the writer and the artist, in this case - three of Alice Munro’s books featuring Mary Pratt’s artwork. This book was published by Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. I felt extremely honored to be included in the same breath of these two Canadian icons.

For bio notes on Mary Pratt please refer to a previous post - Made in Canada, Oct. 20, 2014.

The inspiration for this current homage painting, "A Bowl of Fruits for Mary", was sparked when I saw a cook book while browsing on eBay last summer. I was not aware of it's existence until then. "Across the Table, An Indulgent Look at Food in Canada" was published in 1985 by Prentice-Hall. It was a collaboration between Cynthia Wine and Mary Pratt, chronicling regional culinary specialties found on the back-burners of stoves in homes across the country. Cynthia Wine is a critically acclaim Canadian writer born in Winnipeg. Mrs Wine was a restaurant critic at the Toronto Star for 25 years and a food editor at Homemaker's Magazine. Mary Pratt created three dozen watercolour paintings and 5 drawings especially for the book. All of these images were new to me. Many of them are watercolour sketches, some are presented in form of a story board while others are very elaborate, polished and masterfully painted like "Live lobsters with claw bands", "Corn in a Polish dishcloth" and "Tea tray with Florentine". 

Mary Pratt was a very prolific painter. She has stated in interviews that she made many sacrifices including not having an active social life in order to paint, to stay focused and to dedicate her life to art. It would be very interesting to see the catalogue raisonné for the totality of her artwork. Her most famous paintings have been published in art books or shown in retrospective exhibitions, but many are unpublished.  

Since her recent passing, her artwork has garnered immediate consideration and attention. Last fall, her oil painting Preserving Summer - Black Currant Jam, came up for auction with an estimated value between $30,000 - $40,000. When the hammer fell at the Heffel Auction House in Toronto, the painting sold for $133,250 (including buyer's premium), more than doubling her previous record price of $59,000 Can. 

Mary Pratt
Preserving Summer - Black Currant Jam
24 x 30 in, oil on canvas, 1998

Mrs Pratt was one of the driving voices in establishing The Rooms, the provincial art gallery and archives in St John's, NL where she had lived since 1992. In addition to painting, Mrs Pratt was also a writer. Her book, A Personal Calligraphy, published in 2000, contained more than 30 works of art done during the 1990's along with her writings from speeches, published articles, essays and journal entries.  

Bowl of Fruits for Mary, an homage was completed in early February. Yesterday, I drove to Sackville, NB to deliver the painting at the Fog Forest Gallery. Unbeknownst to me, the Owens Art Gallery would be hosting the exhibition- Mary Pratt: The Floating World from March 1 to May 17.

This exhibition celebrates the intricate, dazzling, and sometimes unsettling artistic vision of Mary Pratt. Featuring a selection of works from our permanent collection, the exhibition spotlights a series of woodblock prints Pratt created in collaboration with Japanese master printmaker Masato Arikushi. This nine-year creative exchange, one of the most important of Pratt’s career, produced a breathtaking suite of carefully observed, spectacularly lush meditations on still life as an expression of the transitory nature of life. On the occasion of her solo exhibition Simple Bliss (2004), Pratt wrote, “The most unexpected delight has been my association with Masato Arikushi in the making of the series of prints we call Transformations. I found an artisan who understood my ideas so well that he needed little input from me once he had studied the paintings I provided. Gradually his own ideas melded with my original images, and I detected his own imagery inserting itself into my own. I liked that. It all fit.”

This exhibition has been organized in memory of Mary Pratt, who was a graduate of Mount Allison University’s Fine Arts Department (Class of ’57). She passed away in August 2018 at the age of 83. 

Curated by Emily Falvey  (1.)

I had written a few letters of appreciation to Mrs Pratt, especially after viewing a few of her retrospective exhibitions. To my delight, she always graciously replied. Sharing a bit of her insight and giving me words of encouragements. I appreciated a lot of her philosophies of life. I will always remember Mary Pratt as the beacon of light that she was, in life and through her art.

Part of a group exhibition at the Fog Forest Gallery
OPEN BORDERS
May 9-26, 2019

To acquire this painting please contact:

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

___________

1.- excerpt from the website "exhibitions" page of Owens Art Gallery

Clementines over Autumn Algoma

Acrylic on gessoed birch panel, 12 x 12''

Painting #232, 2015

I was introduced to the book, The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson during a visit to the Moncton Public Library during the fall of 2014. Not long after I returned it on loan, I had to purchase a copy for my own.  Although the book was first published in 2005 by Firefly books, it somehow flew under my radar during the past decade. It was written by art historian, David P. Wilcox (b. 1937). It is one of those quintessential books that no art library should be without. The massive 441 page volume encompasses different aspects of the life, spirit and physical environment of the Canadian landscape as seen through the eyes of the celebrated Group of Seven and affiliated luminaries.  

The front cover is graced with Autumn, Algoma (1920) by Lawren Harris. The Group of Seven also known as the Algonquin School was a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933.  Tom Thomson is often associated with them, but in reality in died at age 39 under mysterious circumstances on Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario in 1917, before the group was even formed. Thomson's artwork is often considered as a main source that inspired the group to explore the landscape in a post-impressionism manner.    

While the Group of Seven may not be widely known outside Canada, things may be about to change. Actor Steve Martin, a serious art collector has just curated an art exhibition that will feature Lawren Harris in is first solo exhibition to travel south of the border. It was done co-jointly with the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Hammer Museum. The travelling exhibition will see stops on both U.S. coasts. ''The Idea of North'' just opened at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and runs through January 24 before heading to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston from March 12- June 12, 2016. The collection will later be shown at the Art Gallery of Ontario on it's final stop from July 2 to September 11, 2016. You can read all about it on this LINK and on this LINK.

I did the photo study for this painting during the dead of winter, while outside, the deck and backyard were completely covered in a blanket of snow. It was quite a challenge to paint in details, the partially abstract rendering of the book's cover with refracted light.

-SOLD

Les Fraîches du Québec

Acrylic on hardboard, 4 x 3''.

Painting # 228, 2015

This painting was juried in the 8th edition of the International Miniature Biennial to be held in Lévis and Saint Nicolas in the province of Québec. As it turns out, the photo study for the painting was actually taken in Lévis as few years back while visiting my wife's sister Lise during a summer vacation.

Sunday June 14th, 2015 - Opening reception

The first part of the opening will be held at the Presbytère Saint-Nicolas at 1 pm.
The event will continue at the Galerie Louise-Carrier at 3 pm.

At both locations, the jury will announce the winners of various prizes.The exhibition will be held from June 14th to September 6th, 2015.

One exhibit – two locations      Presbytère Saint-Nicolas 1450, rue des Pionniers        Lévis, Qc  (gallery where this painting is showing)  Galerie Louise-Carrier 33, rue Wolfe Lévis, Qc                                    http://www.artmini.com -SOLD

Splitting the Apple

Acrylic on gessoed birch panel, 12 x 12"

Painting #226, 2014

If there is a musical group that really need no introduction, it would be The Beatles. The band from Liverpool England was formed in 1960. They found success in early 1963 when "Please Please me" topped the UK charts. Their initial releases in America were on independent labels. By late 1963, Capitol Record introduced their music to the American public with their #1 single, "I want to hold your hand". The album, "Beatlemania! With the Beatles" was released in Canada on Capitol records on November 25, 1963.  

The timing for this painting, although I almost missed the deadline was to mark the 50th anniversary of their first album release in the United States. "Introducing.....The Beatles" was released on January 10, 1964 by Vee-Jay Records. Capitol Records would release "Meet the Beatles" 10 days later, on January 20. 

The enduring longevity of The Beatles, even if the band were only together for a decade can certainly be attributed to the various directions that they took musically, from pop, rock and roll, psychedelic and hard rock. But their song-writing abilities, especially the Lennon-McCartney collaboration was exceptionally remarkable. They were extremely prolific and studio albums were released in quick succession.

In 1968, the Beatles founded Apple Records as a creative outlet for the band while signing a select group of artists to the roster. In 1970, "Let it be" would be their last studio album recording. By this time, creative differences and tension between the band members caused the group to dissolve. The concept behind this painting creates a narrative of the band splitting up and each member carrying on with their individual solo projects. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr all releases solo albums in 1970. During the following years, their solo recordings sometimes involved one or more of the other members as collaborators. 

Their legions of fans remained hopeful that one day they would reunite, but when John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City in 1980, so did that dream. 

When the band broke up, I was only 8 years old. My interest in music only started around age 12. While The Beatles' songs still played on the radio during my teens, I didn't truly appreciate their music until recently. This was probably due to the ever evolving music scene of the 1970's and reduced radio play. After the band broke up, several compilation albums were issued of their past recordings in greatest hits format, specific periods, anthologies and box set which became even more popular than their original recordings. The album 1, which was released in 2000 on the band's 30th anniversary of their break-up is a prime exemple. The record was a compilation of virtually all their number one singles in the UK and the USA. I bought it in 2011, when it was re-released digitally on iTunes re-entering the album charts at #1. The day I completed this painting on December 29, the album was specially price for the holidays and made yet another return on the iTunes charts at #24. That album has sold in excess of 33 million copies, bringing the total sales of the entire Beatles album discography to 600 millions copies sold, making them the most successful act in music history. On this LINK is a song catalogue, with many more singles that did not make it to number one and are among my favourites.  

I purchased "Let it be" about five years ago on eBay for the sole purpose of making this painting. When I did the photo study, in order to see the side of the apple, it needed to be at an angle. I wanted the image to retain the format of a vinyl album jacket. With the help of Photoshop, I was able to crop it as if you are looking at it directly above, but the perspective of their faces is altered because of this. These are by far the best faces I have painted and this is attributed to the fact that I currently use an iPad to view my source material. I am able to see better. It is strange that the photograph of Ringo Starr that was used for the album cover appears to have a thumb or something obstructing the left lower frame. I worked on this painting for more than two months. I anticipated that doing portraiture would be challenging and it was, but the fact that they were all in the same tonal values on my source photo study did ease the process.

The Beatles legacy and influences on other musicians, songwriters, popular culture and in print are immeasurable and will continue to live on as their music as universal appeal and transcends many generations. 

-SOLD

Grapes & Merlot

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 11 x 14'',

January 2011, #190

Window sill paintings are among the imagery I enjoy painting the most. It has everything to do with the quality of natural light flooding the subject from one side, and especially how it filters through glass and in this case, permeates through grapes.


The wine bottles showcased here are from left to right, two empty bottles of Merlot (red wine): Sawmill Creek Winery located in Oliver British Columbia (BC) / Niagara Falls, Ontario and Georges Duboeuf of France. Then a full bottle of Gewürztraminer Ice Wine from Sumac Ridge Estate Winery in BC, and finally to complete the lot, a full bottle of Pinot Grigio (white).

-SOLD

Stawberries on a Sunday (revisited)

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 2006-09

27 cm diameter, #101

This painting 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. I have been associated with this very worthy cause for the third year.

-SOLD

A group of seven on The Group of Seven

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, #163
16 x 20'' - 2009

Once again, a play with words inspired the painting itself. A bit daunting to paint in this size for me, as my artwork is usually smaller. The Group of Seven was an alliance of Canadian landscape painters that formed in the 1920's and were heavily influenced by the French Impressionists. They painted landscapes in the Georgian Bay, Algonguin Park, Muskoka and Algoma regions of Ontario. Later, they ventures to British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the Arctic. Eventually, other artists joined the group or were closely associated. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg Ontario, contains 6000 pieces of art from The Group of Seven.

The book, The Group of Seven was published in conjunction with the exhibition, The Group of Seven: Art for a Nation, organized and circulated by the National Gallery of Canada. It was written by Charles C. Hill, then curator of Canadian Art at the National Gallery.

The popularity of The Group of Seven has not diminished. Their art is very sought after by collectors. The art cover on the Book is Island-MacCallum Lake by Lawren Harris. Many of his paintings have fetched upward of one million dollars at auction. In 2007, Pine Tree and Red House, winter, City Park II went for 2,875,000$ C, including premiums. Harris was a founding member and past president of the Federation of Canadian Artists, from which I am an elected member since 2004.

For this painting, the book itself was the fun part, the bottom of the bowl was an exercise of concentration and trying to see things as they are. The PLU sticker was an add on, and that lime in particular was taken from another photograph as my source.

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

-SOLD

Tangerines in a hurricane vase (an homage to Edgar Degas)

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, #159

15 x 11'' - 2009-2012

When my wife Suzanne says she loves a painting of mine, it truly means that it stands out among my past work. I took the photo study during our last Christmas vacation at her sister Carole's home, who lives in Bathurst, NB. As I sat down at the breakfast table on Boxing Day, Carole had set up a hurricane vase with five tangerines as a table centrepiece. I had brought along this art book that I had received as a gift the day before from Suzanne, and had yet to peak inside. It was really hard to resist the combination of orange and blues, and cropping it tighter just gave it more impact. The book is entitled ''The Treasures of the Impressionists'' by Jon Kear.

It contains 30 rare facsimile documents such as sketchbook samples and drawings from Manet, Sisley, Cézanne, Monet, Degas, Pissaro and Renoir. This coffee table book has a hard shell slip cover with the image of Blue Dancers (pastel, 1899) by Edgar Degas on it's cover.

It was a lot of fun to reproduce pastel strokes using acrylic paint. My main concern was not only to try to get everything exactly right, but also to achieve the effect of pastel, the proper hues and lighting. Because the book is at an angle and is affected by surrounding lighting, some contrasting effects seem somewhat exaggerated. The most surprising aspect was that it was not that difficult to paint. It was very liberating to be able to paint so loosely and at great speed. The lettering however had to be as close to perfect to pull it off. I used drawing gum to mask the letters before painting the ballet dancer, then spent hours fiddling around with the letters. Very à propos after viewing the Degas room at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasedena, California the year before.

Exhibited in Near and Far solo show at Handworks Gallery, Saint John, NB - October 16-30, 2009 and in the Still Life Invitational at Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, Ca., Oct, 2012. 
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Updated - September 10, 2012. Painting was revised. My signature originally appeared in lime green in top right corner. The whole top corner was repainted and signature is now more discreet. The colour of the tangerines was revised and the painting now has a Liquitex Soluvar removable glass non-yellowing varnish making the colours and glass effect even more vibrant.  

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During the Christmas Holidays of 2012, we spent 10 days in Louisiana. We visited a small portion of the Musson House, now known as the Degas House, located at 2306 Esplanade Avenue between the French Quarter and City Park. Edgar Degas stayed here with his Musson relatives during 1872–73. Both his mother and grand-mother were born in Louisiana. While we were too late for the two hour + tour, I did get to talk to one of Edgar Degas grand-niece who is a tour guide.

To acquire about this painting, please contact: 

Fog Forest Gallery
14 Bridge Street, Sackville, NB
(506) 536-9000 
e-mail- gallery@nbnet.nb.ca

-SOLD

Solo exhibtion - Near & Far

I am starting to post artwork that will be included in my solo show at Handworks Gallery in Saint John, NB. With a bit less that three weeks before the opening, I am currently working on painting number 17. I have started a series of smaller paintings in order to fill the space. With the exception of the two paintings above, the rest of the collection will consist of new works.

''Are we there yet?''- 14 x 20''

Acrylic on hardboard, # 142, 2008

-SOLD

I usually paint from photographic material that I find in my own surroundings. For this show, I have including imagery also found during my travels that still retains the same familiar attributes. I've decided to study the theme quite broadly, with acrylic paintings that makes references to consumerism and popular culture, while trying to create a narrative by linking some of the imagery together, either with subject matter, elements found within the artwork or cross references from my own life.

Handworks Gallery is located at 12 King Street, Saint John, NB.
To purchase artwork posted for this show, please contact the gallery.

Gallery hours: 10:00am to 6:00pm (AST) from Monday to Saturday

Telephone - (506) 652-9787, e-mail - info@handworks.ca
Artwork must remain in the gallery until closure of the show.

Near & Far runs from October 16-30, 2009

Crab apples, cranberries and jellies

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 11 x 15'' #36, 2001, private collection

Moving right along, I have started painting number 12 for my upcoming solo show at Handworks Gallery next month. It is a fun and stimulating period to paint, as I hang each new painting on the main floor of our house, giving me a sneak peak of what the exhibition will look as a whole.

In the meanwhile, I am posting an older piece that dates back to 2001. During the fall of 2000, our son was in kindergarten, and my wife had volunteer to accompany his class on a field trip to an apple orchard, Fleurs du Pommier. Before leaving, she asked me if I wanted to tag along, so I grabbed my camera and off we went. As we were waiting for the school bus to arrive, I started to roam around the grounds and when I entered a barn and saw this window spectacle, I knew instantly that it was really a gift in front of me. I have to say that it was a piece that made me realize that maybe I should venture more towards painting still lifes. As Jean-Luc now enters ninth grade and High School this week, my wish for him is that his curiosity for learning continues and that learning new things can be both educational and fun with the right attitude.

Vine-ripe tomatoes

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 11 x 15''

#83, 2004, Private collection

I am currently working on painting #10 for my fall solo show. In the meanwhile, I am posting a painting that was completed in the late fall of 2004. The image was inspired by the tomatoes themselves. It was about the time that I first notice that you could buy tomatoes that were not detached from one another but still on the vine as a grouping.

My mother-in-law was visiting us for a week. While we were at work, she had washed the dishes and did not know where we stored the 2-liter Pyrex measuring cup, so she left it on the counter, right next to the tomatoes.....and the conceptual idea was born. I added the knife as an element of transformation and to create tension. As Mary Pratt once said, ''What is art without tension''.

Homemade Preserves

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 14 x 18''

#85, 2005 - private collection

The imagery for this painting was inspired during an escape week-end in Nova Scotia during the fall of 2004. I had kindly ask a country store owner in Mahone Bay, if I could photograph some of their homemade preserves on the window sill where a diffuse light became the perfect stage.

I am currently working on painting number 9 for my fall solo show at Handworks Gallery.

Wine Tasting

 Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 12 x 10''

Created January 17 - February 19, 2009, # 155

It has been a while since my last posting. After the Christmas Holiday, I did a complete make-over of our basement, which also included my studio. I am extremely pleased with the outcome. So after a one month hiatus from my brushes, this type of imagery is always intimidating when I am not painting on a daily basis. It's a process of defining, redefining and what seems like an endless series of tiny details.

In this windowsill still life, we find three completely different wines. Aufkellereien, is the German white wine as previously painted in Cheers. An Australian Shiraz, also known as Syrah. A dark skin variety of grape is used in this blend with a bouquet of ripe cherries, strawberries, spice and vanilla oak aroma. Yellow Tail Wines is bottled by Casella Wines . Completing the trio is a Gewürztraminer Ice wine. Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. This 2005 vintage was bottled by Sumac Ridge, a winery near Summerland, in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. 2005 was a very hot year with high brix levels resulting in an abundant fruit character. The grapes were picked at less than minus 8 degrees Celsius and underwent a slow cold fermentation for 45 days. The word Brix is used in the food industry for measuring the approximate amount of sugars in fruits, vegetables, juices, wine, soft drinks and in the sugar manufacturing industry.

We did a road trip of BC and Alberta in 2007 and drove through the beautiful Okanagan Valley where we visited the Burrowed Owl Estate Winery in Oliver. The wine was great, and the scenery was breathtaking.

-SOLD

Cherries in Colander

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted- Oct. - Dec. 8, 2007, #140.

These type of Bing cherries, with a shiny skin, deep saturated color have a very meaty & juicy interior. Along with cultivated blueberries, are my favorite small fruits. During the month of June, we vacationed in beautiful British Columbia. During this period they were in season in the Okanagan Valley. We often stopped at road-side vendors or country store to buy some. When we got back home, Costco were selling them, I think in 5 lbs clear containers. Anyway, during this period I ended up eating many, many pounds.

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Visually, they also seem to be "objet de désir" for other Blog artists as well. Michael Naples, Jelaine Faunce, Mick McGinty, M. Collier, Otto Lange, Justin Claytor, John Beder, Terry Wagner, Paul Wolber and the incomparable Neil Hollingsworth & Linda Lucas Hardy are but a few who have examined these type of cherries and other varieties in which there are about one hundred. In my version, they are in our backyard in a small colander, sitting there in a large white serving bowl, waiting for me to eat them....YUM!

-private collection

Cherries in a Pyrex dessert dish

Acrylic polymer emuslion on gessoed hardboard, 10 x 8"

Painted Nov. 24 - Dec. 31, 2002, #51.

On November 15, the Canadian Paraplegic Association (N.B.) Inc. will be holding it's 17th annual Art & Antique Auction at the Fredericton Inn. The event will begin with a reception, silent auction and dinner, followed by a live auction. The proceed from this event will go towards funding the Association's rehabilitation programs for persons with spinal cord injuries and other mobility impairements.

This painting will be included as a lot during the live auction. In 2002, the cherry tree in our backyard produced a record crop. Usually by mid-August the cherry season is over. On this year we ate cherries until the very last week of September. Click on this link for more information - AUCTION INFO .

-SOLD

Bowl of fruit on a mosaic tile table

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"
Painted Sept. 17-23, 2007, #132

The point of interest for me in this painting was certainly how the mosaic tile is semi reflected in the left side of the glass bowl. The setting is on our veranda. A large post was actually casting a shadow on half of the lemon. As in many of my paintings, the use of red and primary colors are ever present.

- SOLD

Red Delicious

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted Sept. 17-22, 2007, #131

This image is from the same photo study as Trois pommes (Three apples). Basking in the bright summer sun, the polished wax on this Red Delicious is playing tricks with light and form. Even in this smaller version, it is still larger than life in scale.

- SOLD

Trois pommes

Acrylic polymer emulsion on canvas, 16 x 16"
Painted- August 16-25, 2007, #126

In 2002, I did my first still life with fruits where I left some produce stickers on two Golden Delicious apples. My work is very influenced by pop culture & Pop Art, so I never remove then when I paint. The purpose of a produce sticker is to display the PLU code, the 4 or 5 digit number which universally identifies produce type and variety. To me they seem more like little designer tags. A colleague at work commented on a painting I did with stickers and said, "I know this apple, it's number 4021". He then continued to recite a string of numbers that he had memorized because he uses the self-serve check-out machines we have at one of the grocery stores in town.- SOLD