Screech, Fogo Island

 

Screech, Fogo Island

12 x 9", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #286, 2021

"Kissing the cod" or getting "Screeched-in" is a unique welcoming ceremony that tourists or newcomers often indulge in while visiting Newfoundland and Labrador. It is traditionally used to give them the experience of being an honorary Newfoundlander. The tradition involves a short recitation, kissing of a cod fish followed by drinking a shot of Screech (a Jamaican imported rum). The ritual is often performed at pubs, in homes or aboard tourist boat excursions. Even the fishermen appears to be kissing a cod on the label of the Screech liquor bottle. 

Click on this LINK to view a "Screeched-in".

We've visited Newfoundland on three different occasions. The landscape is unlike the rest of Canada. You almost feel like you're in a different country, it's a magical land. Our most recent visits were in August 2014 and October 2018. During our one-week family vacation in 2014, we rented a salt-box house during a two-day stay on New World Island where our son Jean-Luc was partially screeched-in, although no cod showed up. He had turned 19 in the spring and was now a university student. 

My son Jean-Luc, New World Island, NL, Aug. 2014

When my wife and I returned to Newfoundland in mid-October 2018, we rented a salt-box house in the community of Fogo for 3 days. We were among the very few tourists visiting Fogo Island during this time of year. 

Fogo Island is now among one of the new remote travel destinations on the planet. If it's currently experiencing a revival of its economy after the collapse of Atlantic cod fishery, it's mainly because of the efforts of business woman and entrepreneur Zita Cobb. Born on Fogo Island, Zita Cobb with two brothers launched Shorefast in 2006, a charitable organization with mission to build economic and cultural resilience on Fogo Island through a variety of charitable programs and social businesses. Shorefast is responsible for the Fogo Island Inn, which has received global accolades for its exceptional design. 

In addition, four art studios were built where selected artists, often foreign can engage in residencies with Fogo Island Arts. Upon the completion of their residency, their artwork is exhibited in the art gallery at the Inn. The contemporary studios were designed by architect Todd Saunders, a Newfoundlander now based in Bergen, Norway who is also responsible for designing the Fogo Island Inn. Situated at various locations on the island, each of the four studios has a distinct minimalist design. Anchored into the landscape on stilts, the studios range in size from two hundred to twelve hundred square feet and are completely off the grid.

Click on this LINK to view a most enchanting video. 

After I first watched this video, I knew I had to come here for myself. Shorefast has also established several hiking trails scattered across the island. During our visit, we had a gourmet lunch at the Fogo Island Inn's restaurant, made our way to all four artists studios, although no artist were currently on site during our visits and hiked most of the trails. 

Picture window from which I did the

photo study for the painting

 

My wife Suzanne, Fogo Island Inn restaurant

Long Studio, Joe Batt's Arm, Fogo Island, NL

The book in this composition is The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. The 1993 novel was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1994. The narrative follows Quoyle, a third rate newspaperman from upstate New York who tries to rebuilds his life after moving to Newfoundland with his two daughters after his own world falls apart. American novelist Annie Proulx has spent a significant amount of time in Western Newfoundland, returning year after year since the early 1990's. The book was adapted as a film in 2001 and was directed by Lasse Hallström. It features a star studded cast including Oscar winners Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett. Ms Proulx is the author of Brokeback Mountain, a short story published in 1997. It was also adapted for the cinema in 2005. It received universal acclaim and was a box-office success. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three for best adapted screenplay, musical score and for Ang Lee as best director. 

The artwork on the book's cover features an image of the etching "Hauling Job Sturge's House", 1979 from Newfoundland born artist David Blackwood. David Blackwood (b.1941) is one of Canada’s leading printmakers and most popular artists. In 1976, the National Film Board of Canada produced a documentary film about the artist, Blackwood, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject.

I first discovered his artwork while stepping in the Cape Spear lighthouse during our first ever visit to Newfoundland in 1990. Parks Canada had printed and was selling a poster of his iconic etching of the Cape Spear Lighthouse. Blackwood narrative artwork draws on childhood memories, dreams, superstitions, legends, oral tradition, and the political realities of the Wesleyville community on Bonavista Bay where he was born and raised. Blackwood has resided in Ontario since leaving Newfoundland in 1959 to study at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. However, he still maintains an art studio in Wesleyville. I've greatly admired his work ever since that first encounter.  In 2006, I was fortunate enough to acquire one of his original etchings. 

The location of this painting is on Sargents Road, Fogo with view of Brimstone Head (rock formation) and Banks Cove. 

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 is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.

   

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

The Bluenose II docks in Lunenburg

 The Bluenose II docks in Lunenburg

11 x 14", acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel

painting # 285, 2021

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the launch of the original Bluenose schooner. The most recognized sailing, racing and fishing vessel in Canadian history. The schooner was designed by marine architect William James Roué of Dartmouth, NS. It was built in response to a rivalry between Lunenburg NS and Gloucester, Ma over which community built the fastest fishing vessel. The Bluenose would go on to win five International Fishermen's Trophy racing against its American challenger and remained undefeated for 17 years (1921, 1922, 1923, 1931 & 1938). 

Fishing schooners became obsolete during the 1930s, displaced by motor schooners and trawlers. During World War II, Bluenose remained at dock in Lunenburg. No longer profitable, the vessel was sold to the West Indies Trading Co. in 1942. The vessel was stripped of masts and rigging and converted into a coastal freighter for work in the Caribbean Sea, carrying various cargoes between the islands. Laden with bananas, she struck a coral reef off Île à Vache, Haiti on 28 January 1946. Wrecked beyond repair, with no loss of life, the schooner broke apart and was abandoned on the reef.

In 1963, a replica of Bluenose was built by Smith and Rhuland at Lunenburg using the original Bluenose plans and named Bluenose II. The project was sponsored by the Oland Company and used the iconic vessel as a marketing tool for Oland Brewery Schooner Lager beer brand and as a pleasure yacht for the Olands family. Bluenose II was sold to the government of Nova Scotia in 1971 for the sum of $1 or 10 Canadian dimes. The replica schooner is used for tourism promotion as a "sailing ambassador". The replica has undergone several refits to extend her life. This vessel was decommissioned and dismantled in 2010, and an entirely new Bluenose (also named Bluenose II, since Transport Canada deemed it a "reconstruction") was built as close to the original schooner deemed necessary and launched in Lunenburg in 2013. (Wikipedia). 

Bluenose has adorned the Canadian 10-cent coin almost exclusively since 1937. It's featured on Nova Scotia's current licence plate and has appeared on four previously issued Canadian stamps. Bluenose is also one of the very few non-human inductees in the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

 

 50 cents Canadian Stamp - 1929

Canadian dime featuring Bluenose since 1937

Centennial commemorative Canadian stamps, issued June 29, 2021 

The photographic reference for the painting was taken last September during a one week getaway in Nova Scotia. I could have done the bow of the ship which is even more iconic, but it didn't have the same visual impact and was far less detailed. The bow could have been done in a fraction of the time it took to paint all of this tedious details since I also had to be as accurate as possible. I did edit out a lot of rope that was coming in every direction to have a more aesthetic and clean look. 

Bluenose II, Lunenburg, NS, Sept. 2020

Captain Archibald Haddock from the Tintin serial by Hergé also celebrates an anniversary in 2021. He was first introduced in the graphic novel The Crab with the Golden Claws in 1941, 80 years ago. Captain Haddock is an alcoholic although he does sober up at times. His drink of choice is whiskey. I chose a Jameson bottle for several reasons. It has a tall ship and anchors on the label, the green color glass and the way it plays with the light. I also had a chance to visit the distillery in Dublin two summers ago with my son Jean-Luc, part of a 3-week European trip. 

 

My son Jean-Luc, Jameson Distillery

Dublin, Ireland, July 2019

This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 13 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 is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.

   

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Candy Crush

 

"Candy Crush"

24 x 16", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #284, 2021

Not long after completing the painting "Crush Bottle on crushed Crush cans" in 2017, the concept for this painting came to me while playing the video game Candy Crush Saga on Facebook. The big question remained, "But how would I do it?". It wasn't until I walked in a Wal-Mart in early October 2019 that I found the answer with Halloween treats. 

While it wasn't that important that all of the candies found in the video game be in the painting, nonetheless there had to be some. Swedish Fish, Tootsie Roll Pop and jelly beans became the three candies to link the imagery to Candy Crush Saga.

It is among one of the most elaborate, complex and colorful painting I've created so far. It took upwards of 4 months to complete. 

Candy Crush Saga was first introduced in April 2012 for Facebook by King Digital Entertainment. It became an instant hit. According to Wikipedia, by 2013, Candy Crush Saga had been downloaded more than 500 million times across Facebook, iOS, and Android devices. At that time, it was considered the most downloaded app from the Apple App Store. By 2016, the game had over 293 million active players each month. Candy Crush Saga is considered one of the first and most successful uses of a freemium model. While the game can be played without spending money, players can buy special actions to help clear more difficult boards, from which King makes its revenues. At its peak the company was reportedly earning almost $1 million per day. Since its inception, it has become of multi billion dollar venture. My wife is an avid player and is rank among the top 3% in the world after reaching level 4500. While all of this time playing for free. 

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 is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.
   

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Acadia

 

"Acadia"

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021

painting #283

The Deportation Cross is located in Horton Landing Nova Scotia. It was conceived by René-Arthur Fréchette. In 1924, the gothic style cross was originally erected near a railway about a mile from the memorial church at the national historic site of Grand-Pré. In 2005, it was relocated to its current spot after archeologists determined and believed to be the exact location where the Acadians waited and boarded ships during the deportation of 1755.

This site along the Gaspereau River also includes the New England Planters Monument, dedicated to the settlers who took over the vacated land of Annapolis Valley between 1759 and 1768. A silvery ancient elm tree, believed to be 175 years old once stood only a few paces from the cross. The humongous tree was brought down during a powerful storm in November 2010. Years earlier, it had died from Dutch Elm disease and was bare of its bark and leaves. It had been hit by lightning a few times, still it stood and was admired for its resilience until the storm.  Artists Alex Colville and Tom Forrestall both painted the tree while it was still alive. In the 1984 NFB documentary film, The Splendour of Order, Alex Colville mentions that it was believed that the tree had stood there since the deportation of the Acadians. Colville has also painted the deportation cross while it was at its original location. During the same documentary, the camera follows him while he makes his way to the cross, makes a preliminary drawing and takes measurements. 

ALEX COLVILLE

"French Cross", 56.5 x 80 cm 

acrylic on hardboard,

1988, private collection

My wife Suzanne, Sept. 2020

Cross at its current location, Horton Landing, NS.

This painting is infused with symbolism. The imagery that appears on the Barbours baking powder tin can is of the Evangeline Well and commemorative church at Grand-Pré. Making this a sister painting to my previous post. Barbours is a family owned business right here in New Brunswick. It's as old as Canada itself. It was founded in 1867 in Saint John, NB by George L. and William Barbour. It is renown for its spices, baking ingredients, tea blends and mostly for King Cole Orange Pekoe Tea which was introduced in 1910. The business relocated to Sussex, NB in 1966. Of course, baking powder is one of the ingredients used to make the dumplings in a hearty Acadian fricot.

The site of the cross now serves as a memorial. The small folding seat/table belonged to my late mother. She specifically bought it to attend an outdoor mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1984 during his papal visit to Canada and stop in Moncton. The yellow dandelions represents the Acadians past and present that remained rooted on their homeland. The dandelion globes, much like when a gust of wind breaks and separated the sphere, then spreads the seeds everywhere, represent the Acadians that against their will were deported mostly back to France and along the seaboard of the13 American Colonies.  

This is actually the second time I paint the Deporation Cross. The first time was in 2008 with my painting, "Reflecting on Being Acadian" when I painted Clive Doucet brilliant biographical book, Notes from Exile, featuring Alex Colville's "French Cross" on the book's jacket cover. Click HERE to view. 

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 is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.

   

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Evangeline Well, Grand-Pré

 

"Evangeline Well, Grand-Pré (Puits Évangéline, Grand-Pré),

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021

painting #281

Last summer I was invited to take part in an up-coming 2021 exhibition at the West Baton Rouge Museum in Louisiana that pays an homage to Evangeline, the legendary Acadian literary heroine from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem of the same name,  The timing was perfect as we were leaving the following week for a Nova Scotia getaway as the NB-NS border had reopened earlier during the summer for tourists of the Atlantic, Canada bubble during the pandemic. We made our way to Grand-Pré, located in the bucolic region of Annapolis Valley. The historic site and grounds were open to the public. However, the statue of Evangeline by sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert had a barricade behind it during our visit and was going to be removed the following day for restauration. A small ceremony was held during the month of July 2020 to commemorate the statue's 100 anniversary. The commemorative church had scaffolding around its perimeter and was also undergoing restaurative work. The church which was built in 1922 will also be turning 100. It was reopened to the public by this summer. 

  

My wife Suzanne with the Evangeline statue and commemorative church. 

-photo taken during a previous visit, September, 2018.

Self, September, 2020

I first read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline in 2017. Longfellow's tale written in 1874 would become a lasting legacy and a gift to the Acadian people. It would forever give them a sense of identity and help define the plight of the Acadians to the rest of the world.

While Evangeline is a fictitious character possibly based on a real person. She is perceived as an iconic and allegorical figure to the Acadians for her qualities of steadfastness, fortitude, strength, devotion and love.

During the deportation of Acadians in 1755, my 6th time grand-father, Michel Richard was deported from Fort Beauséjour to Charleston, SC where he died shortly thereafter. Avoiding the deportation, his wife and children had exiled themselves to Prince Edward Island as tension was mounting with the British. To pay homage to my ancestors and the author, I returned on the grounds of Fort Beauséjour, located in Aulac, NB and used it as the setting for the first two paintings done in 2017 & 2019. In the poem, Longfellow writes,

 Shaking his head, as in doubt; then, heaving a sigh, he continued:- "Louisbourg is not forgotten nor Beauséjour, nor Port Royal".

This painting is my third study using the same props. I wanted to create a full-circle moment by returning Evangeline to her homeland of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia. The Evangeline Well was discovered by treasure hunters at the end of the 19th century.  It is located directly to the right of the commemorative church in Grand-Pré. My previous two paintings had ginger-ale inside the bottle. For this rendition, I decided to leave the bottle empty, as if returning to the well to fill it with water and as a means of symbolism and for what Grand-Pré and Évangéline represents to the Acadians which for many, also serves as a pilgrimage site. A bust of Longfellow is located about 50 meters from the well. The Grand-Pré historic site was established in 1908 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. 

The exhibition "Evangeline, Evolution of an Icon", organized by the West Baton Rouge Museum, provides a glimpse into Evangeline’s evolving status from her inception through today as a legend and heroine, to a brand image and celebrity, and ultimately into a cultural icon. Inspiring writers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs, Evangeline has appeared in many guises. Along the way, her image morphed from that of a demure Victorian-era maiden into a confident modern woman. This exhibition includes artworks by Canadian and Louisiana artists, including François Gaudet, Rémi Belliveau, Mario Doucette, Alvin Richard, Melissa Bonin, and George Rodrigue among several others as well as artifacts and paraphernalia to demonstrate Evangeline’s transformation and her timeless appeal. The exhibit opens Saturday, May 15 and runs through October 31st. 

photos provided by Lauren Hawthorne, curator of collection

The West Baton Rouge Museum is located at 845 N Jefferson Ave, Port Allen, Louisiana,United States. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday- 10 am to 4:30pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm

https://westbatonrougemuseum.org/314/Current-Exhibits

Suggested reading with beautifully mounted video done by the CBC for the 100th anniversary of the Evangeline statue also featuring François Gaudet, one of the artists taking part in the exhibition which I had a good fortune of meeting during our visit in Grand-Pré- click on this LINK to view.

This photo is of my mother Emma dressed up in an

Évangéline costume, circa 1955.

--------

UPDATE - Sept. 30, 2021 

With the cooperation of the West Baton Rouge Museum, the original painting was removed from the exhibition on Sept. 15 and replaced with a reproduction canvas print with hand painted details for the remaining of the exhibition.  

The original painting will be part of an small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. 

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

LOVE Letters and KISSES

Acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminum panel, 10 x 12"

Painting # 282, 2021

This is my fifth installment featuring a large chocolate Hershey's Kisses. I took a much different approach for this one. After a bit of research and brainstorming, I came up with this composition.

Robert Indiana (1928-2018) was born Robert Clark in New Castle Indiana. The Pop Art artist's is best known for his work consisting of bold, simple images and sculptures featuring numbers and short words like EAT, HUG, DIE with his most famous work being "LOVE". 

In 2008, he created the word "HOPE" for the Democratic presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Proceeds of the sales of reproduction prints were donated to Obama's campaign, raising in excess of $1,000,000. 

In 1973, "LOVE" was used by the US Postal Service for the first stamp of their on-going Love series. Some 330 million stamps were printed. The first day of issue was on January 26, 1973 in Philadelphia, PA, known as the city of brotherly love. The first-day cover features a Valentine,  since the timing of this stamp was for the annually celebrated day for lovers.

I was able to acquire two of these first-day covers on eBay. For my composition, I decided to make a few changes so that it would become more of an homage to Mr. Indiana and less of a Valentine by doing a few edits. A diffuse reflection of the Kisses chocolate is cast on the plastic film of the box, adding an extra point of interest.

During my travels, I've had the opportunity to see several of his word sculptures and paintings. Below are just a few. 

Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden

New Orleans Museum of Art, Dec. 2012

Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Me, June 2014

Robert Indiana lived the last 40 years for his life

on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, located 15,4 miles from

the mainland. The island is accessible

by ferry from Rockland, Me.

Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, March, 2013 

Montreal, QC, August, 2015

John K. Kennedy Plaza (aka- the LOVE Park)

Philadelphia, PA - Oct. 2015

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oct. 2015

Our son Jean-Luc at Penn State

Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 2015

Galerie de Bellefeuille

1367 avenue Greene, 

Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8 

Tel: 514.933.4406

e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com

website 

-SOLD    

  

Un café du jour la nuit à l'Automat, un hommage à Edward Hopper

 

16 x 12", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminum panel

painting #280, 2020

Edward Hopper painted Automat in 1927. It is the collection of the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa. An automat was a type of restaurant / cafeteria that served simple quality foods and drinks from vending machines. This fast-food concept first appeared in Berlin Germany in 1895. The first to open in the US in 1912 was located at 818 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. Horn & Hardart became the most prominent American automat chain. They were popular in northern industrial cities especially Philadelphia and New York City. Hot and cold foods were available for a few nickels. Popular foods were sandwiches, baked beans, salisbury steak, hamburgers, creamed spinach, baked macaroni and cheese, donuts, a variety of pies (beef, chicken, dessert), cakes and their famous coffee. They were generally open 24 hours/day. They grew out of fashion during the 1970's when fast food restaurants entered the landscape. The last Automat closed in 1991. It was located on 42nd street in NYC.  

The lone woman seated at a table having a hot beverage. The fact that she has only remove one glove might indicate that she is only there for a brief period or coming out from the cold. Her facial expression and the time of day does sets the mood for the entire painting. There is a tangible sense of isolation and aloneness in her body language. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, this has been the reality for many people during quarantine measures with social distancing, working from home, school closures, a one unit family bubble during orange /red phases and limited admittance of people within a confine space. In order to reach out to family members, friends, to have the ability to communicate from home to the work place and for distance education, the public has been relying more on videotelephony and teleconference platforms like FaceTime, Skype and most recently the Zoom software which saw a significance increase in usage on a global scale. 

With the coffee cup facing the viewer and resting on a calendar, my intention was to create a date using such software with the lady in the Hopper masterwork as a form of symbolism in communicating while being apart. 

The calendar was published by Graphique de France in 1992. It had been in storage since then. The photograph of the painting "Automat" is credited to Ray Andrews (1990). I own three artbooks of Edward Hopper and the photo in the calendar is by far the best reproduction. The coffee cup was purchased as a prospect prop from Chapters / Indigo bookstore. It had been patiently sitting on a shelf in my studio for about a decade, just waiting to be used. 

*Update- The Automat, a 2021 documentary directed and produced by Lisa Hurwitz goes to the core of this bygone institution with nostalgia and first hand account of this bit of Americana. 

To acquire this painting, please contact: 

Galerie de Bellefeuille

1367 avenue Greene, 

Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8 

Tel: 514.933.4406

e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com

website     

-SOLD

Lose One's Marbles

 

Acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminum panel

11 x 14", painting #279, 2020

I've done several still life paintings using vintage mason jars with marbles. My last one goes back about a decade now. It's always interesting to revisit past subject matter to see how one's fare as my craft continues to evolve. In recent years, I've been using a lot more opacity while painting with transparent glazing on top. I am pleased with the outcome.

For this study, I purchased a 12 x 18 in. white glossy ceramic floor tile from Home Depot which I laid on the windowsill to serve as the base. Its glossiness provided a mirror like effect that I was hoping for. 

The lampwork hand crafted marble on the glass lid was done by an American artisan. I acquired it from the artist a few years ago. This one even has a gold dust ribbon swirl. 

Currently exhibited in a group show entitled "Apart Together, a Weary World Rejoices" at the Forest Fog Gallery, Nov. 20- Dec. 31, 2020

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

-SOLD

Lindbergh Again Flies the Air Mail (reposted from Feb. 2017)

14 x 11", Acrylic on gessoed mounted birch panel

Painting #242, 2016-17

Commemorating the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic flight aboard the Spirit of St Louis from New York City to Paris, May 20-21, 1927.

                With "The Spirit of St Louis" at the National Air and Space Museum, 

Washington, DC. Easter 2012.  

Prior to his exploit, Lindbergh was a pilot during the early years of the US Air Mail. He provided service for the newly designated route between St. Louis, Mo and Chicago, Ill. with intermediate stops in Springfield and Peoria. Ill.

Following the transatlantic flight, Lindbergh went on a three city celebration tour in the United States with stops in Washington, DC, New York City and St. Louis where many honors were bestowed upon him. In Washington, DC, on June 11, 1927, the Postmaster General presented Lindbergh with a commemorative airmail stamp. It was also the first time a stamp had been issued to honor a person still living.

The top letter in my composition- postmarked St Louis, on June 18, 1927, also bears a special ink stamp in celebration of his crowning achievement on the same day the city would honor him.

After his exploit, Lindbergh never return to his regular job as a U.S. Air Mail pilot. However he used the immense fame to help promote the U.S. Airmail Services. Lindbergh would return to his former route of St. Louis to Chicago in a CAM-2 plane for two-day promotional tour (northbound on February 20; southbound on February 21). On those two flights he carried tens of thousands of self-addressed stamped envelopes sent in from all over America and the world. These were back stamped, and then returned to their senders as a souvenir and collector item. Items carried on flights piloted by Lindbergh are still actively collected under the general designation of "Lindberghiana." The bottom letter postmarked with a lucky horseshoe -''Lindbergh Again Flies the Airmail'' was one among those thousands he carried that I was so fortunate to acquire for this painting.

I've attached a Lindbergh Stamp in mint condition and both letters to the back of the painting, as a special token for the prospect acquisitor.

In 2012, I did a similar painting for a group exhibition entitled "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" held at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, Ca. Click- HERE for Lindbergh bio notes and further documentation of both paintings.  

In 2017,  a full-circle moment occurred when this painting was exhibited at the OA Gallery in St. Louis, Mo, the city where Lindbergh lived while he orchestrated his dream. Without the eight St Louis men who financed the project which included the making of the custom design monoplane, none of it would have been possible. "The Spirit of St. Louis" was named in honor of those eight supporting patrons.

To acquire this painting, please contact: 

Galerie de Bellefeuille

1367 avenue Greene, 

Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8 

Tel: 514.933.4406

e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com

website

-SOLD