Diversifying My Portfolio

When I get my flatbed scanner sitch sorted, I have a butt-load of drawings (and maybe a few water colours) to post here. Haven't been painting much in oil, but really stoked with the new water colours. I bought the Winsor & Newton Cotman pocket box, removed the cakes that came with it--standard, boring colours--and squeezed my own choices into the pans. I only use the Artists' Quality of course. Same as with the oils. No sense messing about.

I hit a few of the studios on the Art Stroll on Saturday. Some great stuff, and well worth showing up for. One of the main organizers of the event was Deryk Houston, a founding members of Collective Works Gallery. He's a hardworking guy, and very diverse as an artist. I also admire his sense of social and political justice.

Which reminds me that I have a meeting tonight, so I had better get cracking on some stuff.

N

A Weekend of Art

Fernwood is where it is happening this weekend!

On Friday evening at 7:00pm. Collective Works Gallery is hosting the opening reception of our new group show “Towards the Sun” in celebration of the summer solstice and Fern Fest. Julian and Blair Mulhall will be providing live entertainment throughout the event. Those of you who enjoyed Julian and Blair so much at my birthday celebration will want to hear them play again

I would like to extend an invitation--to Fernwood’s first annual studio tour. There are 21 artists involved who will be opening up their studios to the public on June 21^st and 22^nd (Sat and Sun) 11-4pm. Many members of Collective Works are involved in this. Now is your chance to meet them personally in their studios!

Join us for a glass of wine at Fernwood’s exciting weekend celebrations. Brochures available at the Gallery. More info on www.fernwoodvic.ca

Artist's Statement

Uniting the Post-Impressionist European tradition with the motifs and sensations of my immediate surroundings, my city and province, I craft unashamedly delightful images full of structure, poetry, and light using only the three primary colours of blue, red, and yellow.
I believe in the vocation of painting; it is something one is called to. Art has been the one joyous golden thread running through my life.

Although self-taught, I believe a strong technical foundation is necessary to communicate emotion effectively. Oil on canvas is and always will be my preferred medium, although the humble graphite pencil drawing will also have a place in my oeuvre. I also work with coloured pencil and watercolour.

My enthusiasm for art history occasionally finds expression in cubism, surrealism, or lyrical abstract expressionism, but no matter what the genre, my style may universally be described as “painterly” since all my work demonstrates a preoccupation with the physical surface.
I believe that art should have a strong and active role in society as a positive, transformative force, discovering, fixing, and preserving beauty and meaning, and inspiring and renewing the human spirit.

Under this fine rain I breathe in the innocence of the world. I feel coloured by the nuances of infinity. At this moment I am one with my picture. We are an iridescent chaos... (Paul Cézanne)

nicholaspaints@shaw.ca + http://paintingblind.blogspot.com + 250.886.6480

And Now For Something Completely Different.....

"Sea Music" Oil on Canvas, 20 X 24" Thirty-two hundred bux, yup.

Thought I didn't have it in me eh? And that I would never get tired of painting rocks and sky and trees? HA! comin' atcha with a Varley/, Macke/ Gris/ Matisse tribute sorta synthetic cubist nude thing.

Composition on this one is really complex. I actually tried to paint in a few bass and treble clefts. They were both supposed to coil into her left breast, but my intention went sideways there. Too much going on in that area as it is. The musical elements are not too obvious, and I did not take the faceting of the planes too far. It's synthetic cubism, after all.... My favourite local model, Ava, was the model for this, and yes, she does play the ukulele--quite well, too.

I did try to pack in some symbolism--but not all of it erotic ;) The face turned out quite well, and a few of the other bits, really giving the impression of simultaneous viewpoints. The figure came out non-white looking (all hail the dark Goddess), which is satisfying, and is literal enough to be pleasing. The colour has a Macke-esque density and richness. I suppose all those years of looking at and admiring Macke finally trickled out through my brush....

I had to make a few corrections to keep the lines from "running out" on the left side, but I think it holds the wall now, with a good dose of rhythm and visual cohesion.

I pride myself on being able to understand and work within most of the major ISMs of the last 150 years. Maybe one of these days I'll really step out of character and do some surrealism. You never know. I do also have a rather expressionistic self-portrait I should put up here sometime.

No matter what, though, I'll always put out images in bright colours.

Rooflines in Oaklands

"Rooflines in Oaklands" 18 X 24"
I might rename this one, since "Oaklands" is a somewhat arbitrary designation, basically the strip of neighbourhood between Hillside and Bay, Cook and Shelbourne Streets. Upper Fernwood, if you like. The houses are smaller, less ornate, and 30-40 years newer in some spots--small, interwar houses, unpretentious, homey, contented.

I've lived in this neighbourhood since I moved here 4 years ago, and walked and cycled these streets many times. I guess I feel at home here--it's where I live. The sky has an almost prairie-wide feel to it, tucking right into the trees and snugging down behind the houses. The chimney styles are incredibly diverse and interesting--it's the little details which have slowly taken ahold of my imagination. Friend (and fellow artist) Paul sez I should do a coffee table book on local chimney styles! Hmm. (Scratches stubble.) Maybe I could get some sorta grant to document chimneys in paint....?

I'm fascinated by the interface of earth and sky, the way the light of the sky bleeds around objects, bending contours. the way the blue of the sky pours itself into the shadows. I believe one of the functions of art is to make people stop and look at things they might not notice otherwise.

My gesso,
My last call,
My life is yours, in your gifted hands.
Confetti rainfall and the quite streets,
The beauty is in what you make it,
So get up on your feet,
Because tonight the world turned in me,
Because tonight I don't dare breath.
Oh babe I know, it's alive, and somewhere for us to find tonight,
Chase this light with me.
--Jimmy Eat World.
(Burrowing itself into my head every time I walk or ride through Fernwood, and no-one to sing it to, even though I can hit most of the notes.)

I'm desparately trying to finish a painting of a big Italianate heritage house in Fernwood proper, but it is slow going. I'm a little out of my depth on it and it is a bit out of character for me generally. I know by now not to throw paintings such as that one away so quickly. I'll give it some more time and post it here if it turns out at all.

I'm on a cityscape kick, and will probably be sticking with it for a bit.

Increase the Peace,
Nicholas

"Fernwood & Around" by Al Williams

Y'all come out to Uncle Al's show, y'hear?

I've really come to appreciate Al's art over the few months I've known him. I would describe his work as clean, fresh, hard-edged and linear. His sense of composition, structure and balance is impeccable, which I deeply admire. He's a contemporary West Coast Artist, and a cool guy to hang out with, too.

Opening this Friday, 7:00 pm at Collective Works, 1311 Gladstone.

You can check his website here.

Iconography!

I just can't resist posting this, it being Sunday and all:


"We are the Knights of the Lost Queen, Companions to the Beloved: She of red egg and alabaster jar. The Alchemists and Kabalists, the Witches and Magicians are of us. We are the keepers of a Flame far older than the world and we seek it out where we may find it, and breathe it to life with our wit, our humility, our art, and our joy."
- Anthem of the Exiled Princes

"Yet among the mature we do speak of Sophia, though it is not the Sophia of this Aeon or of the Archons, who are doomed to perish. But we speak of the Holy Sophia, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the Aeons for our glory. None of the Archons understood this."
- 1 Corinthians 2:6-8

I wish the above image better reflected the gravity of those words. But that is the way it came out. Was cleaning up the studio/ office/ flat the other day and came across this old project, started many months ago. A cute girl I used to know modelled for it. It came out kinda Japanese-looking face, and as solid as a matryoshka doll. Not very Byzantine, anyway ;) It's all good. So, gonna get me a big old gnarly gilt frame for this one and hang it in the hall.

Brown House, Fernwood

And now, one of the finest paintings I have done to date:

Brown House, Fernwood 16 X 20" 2008
Yes, it really is brown, but all the blues and violets make it look yellow or orange. OK, I guess it is kinda yellowish. I did, though, muddy the tube yellow with considerable amounts of violet to dull it down.

Extremely gratified with this piece, especially the strict composition with it's rigid framework of horizontals, verticals and diagonals, subtle colour harmonies and sensitive modulations, and overall dry, gritty, matte paint quality.

Because the camera loses so much, I took the trouble of scanning the thing in so I could present the painted surface--and the colours-- a little more accurately.

Here, I think I successfully represented the "twiggy-ness" of overgrown and leafless bushes without having to paint every twig, and the glare of the winter sky with some wet-into-wet paint application. I was heavily inspired by both Cezanne and Pissarro in the handling of the bush/ wall interface, as you can see.

Mmmm, candy! Love those coppery/ mauvey modulations.

All the planes in this piece--maybe even the roof planes--have been aligned with the picture plane (that is, the 2-D actual painted surface). This gives the painting a monumentality and static gravity, in spite of its relatively small size. It holds the wall.

More of the same, please!!

N

Posting Some New Work, Finally

Road To The Sky 16X 20" 2008
Another painting from my jaunt down the Douglas Lake Road 10 years ago. Not sure about this one.... Maybe a better photo that a painting? The only challenging part was beating the bank at the left into some semblance of order. It always amazes me that the simplest things are the most difficult--like in life, I guess.

Farm in Delta 16 X 20" 2008
I took this shot on the back way to Tsawwassen, riding along the dike--feeling very Dutch! The sun had just started to break through after a morning of rain. I had spent the weekend with Dan and Erin at their cabin on Harrison Lake (see posts from last fall), and had stayed the night with Cousin Nancy and her family. Nancy has a great sense of navigation, and it was she who tipped me off to the possibility of a bike trail around the Hwy 91/ Hwy 10 interchange. So I saved myself some stress and got some cool pix in, thanks to her!

I'm pretty happy with this little piece, especially because I painted the sky in one straight go, the tones are true, and the colour is subtly creative. There is a lot more to the composition than meets the eye at first glance, too. I had to make very few corrections overall, and had some really nifty things take place, just by letting them happen. Notice the two shallow diagonals on the left (one in the sky and one in the field). Also notice the compression formed by the curves in the bottom of the clouds and the curves of the brambles.... It seems to have the sense of depth I was looking for, while still respecting the flatness of the picture plane. Depth is created here by overlapping planes and by diagonal lines once again. The pale blues of the barns push them back into space, but the warm, strong adjacent touches bring them back into plane again. So there is a tension between depth and flatness, although maybe depth finally wins out.

Also, some psychology going on, almost behind my back. Hint: I've always wanted to own land. Forever out of reach, I guess.

Birthday Potluck at the Cafe

Best birthday ever. The big treat was to have all my core group in one room, all talking to each other!! Love you guys. The music was awesome!! The food was too--and only one of my pies got eaten, so I had the other whole one to take home for myself :)


Cousin Nancy came over with her two daughters--and grand-daughter--from Langley, which was really nice. Mike and Ray were there as well, so there was 4 of us cousins. How cool is that!?


Some of my friends have already posted photos on their Facebook pages, but here are a few great shots taken my Miriam Mulhall, wife and mother of the musicians.

Extra special thanks must go to Julian and Blair for the tunes which held us spellbound, Howie for all the very kind logistical support, extra dishes and flat out good vibes. Also to Tammy and Joji for the help with setup, and of course, Miriam for the photos!


And thanks to all who came, brought food, hung out helped with the cleanup and celebrated with me. And thank you all for the kind words on my art.

I can't imagine my life without my friends, and luckily, I don't have to. I sometimes think that my freinds are my greatest asset. They probably are.

I will be posting some new paintings here when I get the chance, which hopefully will be before I leave on a hike of the Juan de Fuca Trail with a friend.


And (huge sigh of relief) the day-job may be sorting itself out in a way that is very suitable to me and my career in art. This is a blessing as well.

What More in the Name of Love?

Remember the good Doctor, and all those who fight for justice.

Through Clear Air, April 1-30

At the Cornerstone Cafe, 1301 Gladstone Avenue.

Final Hang List:

• Corner of a Sunset 7 X 16”; 1996; $250.00
• Hay and Sky 15½ X 17½”; 1997; $495.00
• Cattle Country—Wolf Ranch 11 X 13½”; 1997; $375.00
• Broken Tree, Botany Bay 14 X 18”; 2006; SOLD
• Christ Church Cathedral 18 X 24”; 2007; $550.00
• Evening, Gonzales Bay 18 X 24”; 2007; $550.00
• Evening, Willows Beach 14 x 18”; 2007; $425.00
• Dark Shore Tonquin Beach 14 X 18”; 2007; $425.00
• Freighter 14 X 18” 2007; $425.00
• Squally Weather, Harrison Lake 11 X 14”; 2007; $350.00
• Bend in the Road, Douglas Lake 18 X 24”; 2008; $550.00 SOLD
  

Big Pine, Douglas Lake

"Big Pine, Douglas Lake" 18 X 24"

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that I have actually been able to get some painting done, even with all the stupid busy-ness around the dayjob, going to openings, trying to start training, being tired, and dating some nice women and stuff.

Hey, let's not forget to paint, now.

So here's the latest. Also from the same bike-blast out to the Nicola region I did ten years ago. This is just up the road from "Bend in the Road, Douglas Lake". I seriously doubt that this tree is still standing, and if it is, it will be dead as a doornail, because of the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Sad to think that my beautiful art is archival, documenting a dying planet. I never wanted it this way.....

I'll post a full compositional breakdown, self-absorbed technical bullshit blurb up here when I get back from the Conference next week. But for now, enjoy the pic. I have something important to do with the last few hours of my weekend--paint!

Be Blessed, All,
N

Another One Sold.

Well, today was a good day. I got the cheque for "Beached Logs, Harrison Lake" (thanks Brian!), and then got a call from Anne at Collective Works saying that the actual owner of the Orange House, had come in and put a down payment on "Orange House, Fernwood". Well, well. I had remarked to someone that it would be cool if the owner of the house would come in and buy it! The house is only, maybe five blocks away, so the odds were good.


Well, this little gem has found a place in quite a few people's hearts in the time it has hung, so I am glad it is now going to a home where it will be treasured.

A big part of the buzz for me has been that, not only have I been able to sell much more easily than I dreamed possible, and that I am getting respectable prices for my work, but that they are going to "appropriate" people. I mean, when I send my children out into the world, I want them to be properly loved and cared for. Sentimental I know, but it is important to me.

I know these pieces will remain on your walls for many years to come, emitting a powerful sense of calm, joy, and hope. And thank you so much for giving me the chance to actually get paid for doing what I was born to do--which is, sharing this good, solid energy with others. I am deeply honoured.

N.

Photo by Miriam Hulhall, our Treasurer.

Gallery Hours

We now have hours set for the Collective Works Gallery, which are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays:
11:00am-6:00pm
Fridays and Saturdays:
11:00am-8:00pm
Mondays:
closed

This is what we’ve decided to start with for now. We will gage things as we go along in terms of traffic trends through the week, weekends, etc. Also, we would like to appeal to the Belfry Theater crowd so we will also keep tabs on that to see when plays are on and such.