A Cat & Fish Tale

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, 8 x 10''

#180, 2010

This latest painting was conceived for an upcoming group show entitled ''CATS'', opening at Handworks Gallery on May 7. When the gallery invited me to submit a piece for this exhibition, I came across the book The Cat in the Hat at Costco that same evening. It was one of the first books I ever read when I started to learn English in grade 3. After re-reading it some forty years later, I decided to incorporate the fish in the imagery since he appears as the voice of reason of this fable. Also a great opportunity to add a few Cat's Eye marbles in this whimsical context.

Dr. Suess (Theodor Suess Geisel) remains an iconic American author and illustrator. His most famous book is Green Eggs and Ham. The Cat in the Hat published in 1957 comes in a close second and is ranked at #9 on the best sellers children book list of all-time, selling 10 million copies.

I purchased this fan-tail goldfish especially to do the painting. He seems to be enjoying his new larger fishbowl quite well and is currently residing in our son's Jean-Luc's bedroom. He has received the name of ''Maurice'', named after a goldfish from a Nestlé commerical. The week prior, Jean-Luc had to do a presentation in front of his French class at school and do a critical analysis of a French television advertisement. Check out this very funny ad, where the fish gets the blame for eating 3 chocolate Mousse in one sitting.

-SOLD

Absolut Gerber Daisies

Acrylic on gessoed hardboard, #173

5 x 7'' - 2009

Absolut Vodka is a Swedish spirit that was first introduced in 1879. It accounts for 40% of all vodkas imported in the US. It's fame is very much attributed to the distinctive shape of its bottle and the longest running ad campaign dating back to around 1980. With full-page ads in magazines featuring the shape of the bottle in the center, with a tagline of ABSOLUT blank (at the bottom). See this Google link for imagery. Many flavors of vodka have been introduced since by Absolut, but the shape of its bottle has remain the same. With more than 1500 ads to date, no product has re-invented itself more over time. Even artists like Romero Britto and Andy Warhol have been involved as commissioned artists.

The setting for this painting is our kitchen window with the cherry tree in the backyard explaining the greenery.

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

-SOLD

The Deep End

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard

33,5 cm diameter round, 2004, #65

Private collection - Halifax, NS

After getting out the WD-40 a few times, I have finally started to paint again after my long vacation, my return back to normal life and my 9 to 5 job. I felt very rusty to say the least. I've made some progress on my current painting, and hope that I'll be able to complete it by weeks end.

The above image is of my son Jean-Luc at the age of 8, at the salt water pool in Fundy National Park, NB. At the time, he was taking swimming lessons and had just passed level 1. He was actually jumping from the 3 to 4 feet deep level when I took the photo study. For the painting, since he was between the age of 8 and 9, I took out my magic wand to change the numbers at pool side, to reflect his age at the time. It is a piece about conquering one own fears.

GROUP SHOW at the Fog Forest Gallery

Dock, 12½ x 12½'', acrylic polymer emulsion

on gessoed hardboard, #61.

-SOLD

I currently have three paintings on display in the summer group show of the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB, Canada. ''Dock'', ''Just-picked Strawberries'' and ''June Blooms in a Red Glass'' (SOLD) are on exhibit. I will be adding a new painting to that show a bit later on this month. The exhibition runs until the end of July.