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

Opening reception, A SMASHING SUCCESS !

Top photo- Gallery owner, Cliff Turner and me

Bottom photo- son Jean-Luc and my wife Suzanne.

This solo exhibition comprised of 25 paintings, 22 of them were achieved since early January of 2007. After all the time spent in my studio focusing on all of my energy on this single show, I could never have imagined in my wildest dream that it would turn out the way it did. A buzz had started during the week leading to the opening, as pieces started to sell. Yesterday, as I was unwrapping the paintings inside the gallery in preparation to set up the show, a lovely lady getting a first glance of the paintings and another lady on the phone from Tennessee each acquired a piece. Tonight was no exception. A steady flow of well wishers came to view the collection, and I had a chance to engage in some very lively conversations with so many of them during the full three hours. I had so much fun meeting all of you and was touched by the comments. When the evening was over, we did a tally of the red dots, and 19 out of the 25 had sold. I am still in shock, and it hasn't sinked in yet.

First I want to thank my wife Suzanne and son Jean-Luc. Sue you are my rock, the north on my compass when I lose my direction, the voice of reason, my muse, my soul mate, the reason I became a painter when you surprised me on the year of our wedding with a set of watercolors. I love you more today than ever. Jean-Luc, you have the kindness heart and most positive outlook on life. When I became your father, I thought that I would have to teach you so much stuff. As it turned out, it was you who thought me even more. Je t'adore. Thank you so much for being by my side this evening.

To Cliff Turner and Shannon Merrifield, the proud owner of Handworks Gallery, I cannot thank you enough for putting your thrust in me by hosting this first solo show with your gallery. Cliff is a hyperrealist/trompe oeil artist himself. I first became aware of is work in 1999 during a solo show held in Saint John. This was a few years before they took over Handworks Gallery. His art had an immediate impact on my own work. I seems a bit surreal still that I am showing my work in their galleries today. I am so lucky and grateful for this opportunity. To gallery employees, Joanna, Jeneca, Ray, and another young lady I met tonight which I cannot recall her name (I'm sorry), thank you for all your help.

To Dr. Jeff Sheppard, and the Chiropractic Centre of Saint John and Rothesay, who sponsored the exhibition. A chiropractor is a runner's best friend. Thank you so much for your support, and tonight he was also an painter's best friend.

To everybody who came tonight to help me celebrate. To all the patrons who purchased the art, you have made this evening a great success. I hope that my paintings will add a little ray of light in your homes. To Ron for your phone call during the reception to cheer me on. To everybody who e-mailed me to wish me well. To all those who will come see the show in the next two weeks, your encouragement and supports means everything.To all my fellow blog painters who have encourage me since I started to post my art. And to all those I may have forgotten, this would not have been possible without you.

This show is dedicated to my parents who would have been thrilled. My father often carried a small photo album of my paintings with him. He had great artistic abilities himself. My mother was the most endearing person I have even met. I was lucky to have them as parents. I am certain that tonight you were enjoying yourself on cloud no. 10. I miss you both.

Raymond (1924-2003) & Emma (1932-2006).

Marbles in mason jar lid, a tribute to Louis K. Meisel

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6x6"
Painted on September 30 - October 4, 2007, #136

The glass lid is from the same mason jar featured in Shooter Marble in the Light. And these marbles are the same that are depicted in previous postings for this show. Because of their transparent quality, they have acquired a make-over through the image on the book that is entitled Photorealism by Louis K. Meisel. Mr. Meisel is a New York City art dealer and the owner of two commercial art galleries depicting this form of art. He coined the term Photorealism, and has played a major role in the development of this art movement.

He has published three mega volumes on a select group of pioneer and emerging photorealist artists. I've been fortunate enough to visit the Louis K. Meisel Gallery twice, in 1994 and 2002. In November of 1994, he hosted a show of the late Charles Bell who painted dazzling marbles on large format canvases. In 2002, the show coincided with the release of the book Photorealism at the Millennium, co-written by Linda Chase.

The only photorealistic paintings depicted by the artists in these books that I recall seeing outside his gallery and the OK Harris Gallery also in New York City, were Kent by Chuck Close at the Art Gallery of Ontario and an Untitled piece depicting Volkswagen Beetles by Don Eddy at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield Mass. Both left a profound lasting WOW effect on me. Marble in a mason jar lid is my way to thank Mr. Meisel for publishing these books and in the process giving me the opportunity to explore this form of art which I tend to gravitate towards.

This is my final posting for my solo show that starts tomorrow. Today's two postings were completed 90 minutes before I had to drive to Saint John, NB to bring the paintings to the gallery.

- SOLD

Dynamite Pansy

Acrylic polymer emlsionon gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted September 30 - October 4, 2007, #135

While I was in my studio painting away on a sunny Saturday afternoon in early June, Suzanne came home from the nursery with a large variety of flowers to be transplanted in the flower garden and in a variety of planters. Here the foliage is in direct sunlight, producing all the possible hues of greens. I found that when I painting the bloom of this pansy, as in many flowers....they evoke a certain sensuality.

-SOLD

Pumpkins

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 12 x 18"

Painted October 26-Nov. 2, 2005, #93

In the spirit of fall, I have decided to add a painting that dates back to two years. During the fall of 2004, we took a family getaway weekend to Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay & Lunenburg, NS. These pumpkins were in a large wooden container outside a country store in Mahone Bay. Apart from the diffuse light on the pumpkins, a little point of interest for me was the rusty nail where a part of a wood plank is missing. One cannot help but associate pumpkins to Jack-o-lanterns and pies.....one of my favorites.

- SOLD

Déjeuner sur l'herbe

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted Sept. 23-30, 2007, #134

This jelly is made in England by Wilken & Sons Ltd. It states on the jar that it is by appointment to her majesty the Queen Jam and Marmalade manufacturers. The whole time I was painting it, all I could think of was the green lawn and flower garden in the background and watching "Breakfast at Wimbledon" on the telly. The plate is my beloved Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plate that I purchased during a boxing day sale at Winners in 2002. This is the fourth time it appears in a painting. I was not worried about the glass nor the stainless, but in order for this painting to work I needed to get the jelly on the teaspoon right. To be able to paint a blob that was semi-opaque, yet transparent, that reflected light from several directions and in different colors. I am happy with the result. For the title, I opted to go across the pond in France and borrow the title from paintings done by both Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, which would translate to "The breakfast on the grass".

- SOLD

Behind no. 8

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted Sept. 23-30, 2007, #133.

Cropping the subject matter really tight while playing with scale, I was able to create a painting that seems to have the same impact as the four-times larger "Child's Play". The shooter marbles are exaclty the same size in both paintings. The fact that the crayon box is being reflected on the right side of the little glass sphere, weighted heavily on my decision during the imagery selection.

I used digital photography in a painting for the first time in 2005. This spring, I purchased a new digital camera, an Olympus E-500 EVOLT 8.0 megapixel SLR. To be able to take a few photographs and see the images within minutes, compared to the whole hassle of film, where you needed to take a whole roll of 24 exposure, pay to have it process only to find out that they weren't good enough, is a gift unto itself. It has already played a large role in my art. I was still using film more than 50% of the time prior to getting the SLR camera.

- 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

Corner Store no. 2

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted Sept. 16-22, 2007, #130

This past July (2007), we spent a getaway week-end in Halifax, NS. On day-two, shortly after leaving our hotel for an early morning Sunday run around Point Pleasant Park I passed in front of Olympic Confectionery, a corner store at the other end of Barrington Street that boasted not one but two Coca-Cola button signs. It literally stopped me in my track. I had to return later that afternoon to take a few snapshots. 

Corner Store no. 1 was done in 1989 and was my sixth painting. The setting for no.1 was on the other side of the country, at the corner of Commercial and Venables Streets in Vancouver. This one also had a beautiful striped canvas canopy. It still surprises me that these type of corner store façade still exist today. Hopefully when the time has come, these will be restored instead of replaced.

- SOLD

Empties

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 6 x 6"

Painted- Sept. 16 - 20, 2007, #129

It's crunch time, 9 days left before the opening of my solo show. At this point I have started to concentrate on smaller pieces, 6 x 6", a format that has become quite popular with the daily blog painters. I am aiming for a total of 8 or 9 paintings in this size. This is the first installment. These Coca-Cola bottles are actually the same that are featured in Pop Tent, except their contents have been emptied. As a commercial product, it is one of the most recognized both for it's famous logo created by the inventor's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson in 1885, and for it's equally famous contour bottle of greenish tint glass. Coca-Cola was introduced to the public in 1886. I have realized that the empty version is much more suitable to paint. There are areas that sparkles like tiny emeralds in the light. I will be doing a more elaborate version that is not cropped in the near future.

- SOLD

Cherry & Lime JELL-O

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 12 x 12"

Painted September 3 - 15, 2007, #128

It is always interesting to do a bit of research when doing a painting. Gelatin is a very old product and was popularized during the Victorian era, when they started serving it in elaborate jelly moulds. The name brand JELL-O dates back to 1897. The gelatin actually comes from the collagen in cow or pig bones and connective tissues. It has been a part of my own landscape since I was young. Growing up, I was a nose bleeder and Mom would often serve me this jiggly dessert, saying it was good to prevent nosebleeds. It is a staple food in many hospital settings. Served at the cafeteria and on every third tray to patients. I currently work as a nurse in the outpatient's department, where I regularly assist in an endoscopy clinic. If you are scheduled for a colonoscopy, you'll be on a strict diet of clear fluids, broths and the proverbial JELL-O for two days. Maybe now, you won't be able to find any pleasure at looking at this painting. Nonetheless, I've always considered it as a comfort food and I still like it after all this time, especially with fruits and whipped cream.

- SOLD

Child's Play

Acrylic polymer emulsion on gessoed hardboard, 12 x 12"

Painted August 25 - Sept. 2, 2007, #127.

Crayons have been around since 1903. They are still the first tool of choice for all novice artists. This box set is a replica of a 1903 design. Monopoly made it's debut in the early 1930's. It is believed that more than 700 million people have played this board game.This painting has a feeling of nostalgia, yet it is as relevant today as when I was growing up. When you have children, you do revisit your own childhood on a variety of levels.

-SOLD

On a sadder note. One of my all-time favorite artist, Ken Danby passed away yesterday during a canoe outing in Algonquin Park, Ontario. He was 67 years old. His art book Ken Danby: A New Decade purchased in the late 1980's was a great point of reference, and influence me greatly in my pursuit toward a higher form of realism. I had the great pleasure to view his solo show, Earth, Sky and Water; Ken Danby - Landscapes at the Bernaducci-Meisel Gallery in New York City during the month of November of 2002.

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

Tomatoes on a vine

Acrylic polymer emulsion on canvas, 16 x 12"
Painted - July 30 - Aug. 12, 2007 , #125

Since 1990, I have been painting with acrylic paints using a transparent layering technique. I have only painted on canvas once, opting for gessoed hardboard instead. I had a difficult time to make the paint stick if it was too thinly diluted. Ontario artist, Heather Horton wrote an article in Art Avenue magazine for their May/June issue of 2007. The article was an analysis of her painting process. Here, she mentioned that she applied two or three coats of gesso on the canvas with light sanding in between coats, "it helped to reduce the texture of the canvas and created a more even surface to paint on". In retrospect, the canvas I did paint on was pre-primed, it just needed more coats of gesso and sanding.When painting still lifes, the possibilities of subject matter is endless. With Tomatoes on a vine, the sunlight passing through the holes in this colander, the tomatoes being reflected inside the stainless steel vessel, the heavy contrasting shadows were the elements that inspired me to start with. I am very pleased with the outcome of this piece, and will paint on canvas more often from now on. Heather Horton has a very successful solo exhibition underway at the Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario. She is a rising star on the Canadian art scene, and I am fortunate enough to call her a friend.

- SOLD