About Light Competition Winner

25Sept/Oct 2011

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All About Light Competition Winner

BELOW THE HILL Brian Lasaga Publisher’s Corner

PUBLISHED BY JENSU DESIGN PUBLISHER: Susan Blackman There’s an exceptional opportunity for art lovers to see more than 150 of France’s Musee National Picasso works in this country while the French Musee undergoes major renovations. All material printed in this magazine, writ- From April 28 until August 26, 2012, the Picasso exhibit will be at the Art ten or depicted, is protected by copyright Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. The AGO is the only stop in Canada as the of this magazine and/or the artist, and exhibit tours around the world. cannot be reproduced in any form without Plan a trip if you can, or if you’re in the Toronto area during that time, be express written permission from the pub- sure to check it out. This is truly a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. lisher. All views expressed are those of the ...... author and not necessarily those of Cana- I’m working on a 6’ x 9’ oil painting right now - quite a bit larger than my dian Brushstroke Magazine. Brushstroke usual works. It’s a lot of real estate to cover and a huge challenge in so makes no recommendations as to the many ways. purchase or sale of any product or service. What I have found through this process is: just when I think I know All letters or contributions to Canadian something, I end up with a huge lesson as soon as I step outside my Brushstroke Magazine are subject to edit- comfort zone. I’ve spent many years painting and so I am usually fairly ing with no limits or liability. confi dent with technique and style and have a reasonable expectation that the painting will evolve from bare canvas to the image that I have in my mind’s eye. JENSU DESIGN I spend time planning my paintings and so much of the time that evolu- Box 5483, tion happens, not effortlessly, but still it does happen. Leduc, Alberta Although I understand the process, know how to use my brush and oil Canada T9E 6L7 paint effi ciently, planned the painting, and am working on canvas (a surface I’m familiar with) - I experienced a huge amount of trepidation as I started this gargantuan work (compared to my other paintings). Strange- ly, it was a bit like the fi rst day of school when it was diffi cult to determine CANADIAN BRUSHSTROKE whether I was more frightened or excited. MAGAZINE I have since decided that as frightened as I was by all that white space, Box 3449, the excitement is exhilarating! I highly recommend that every artist steps Leduc, Alberta out on a creative limb at least once. Approach your work with the wide- Canada T9E 6M2 eyed feeling that a child has doing something for the very fi rst time. It may be a one-time experience and you can say ‘been there, done that,’ or it may open the door for future opportunities and experiences.

Phone: 780-986-0789 Fax: 780-986-8393 E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 780-986-0789 Fax: 780-986-8393 www.brushstrokemagazine.com [email protected] www.deltaart.ca

E-mail: [email protected]

2 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 TM

WEBSITE: www.projectheroes.ca FOLLOW OUR BLOG AT:

By Susan Abma www.projectheroestm.blogspot.com PROJECT HEROES™ will see every fallen Canadian soldier from the Afghanistan war commemorated in a 14 x 18” framed work of fi ne art, with the intent to exhibit the paintings in every province in Canada, along with other commemorative paintings, military paraphernalia, personal items from the soldiers, including written material such as letters they wrote home, and video clips, etc.

Artists Susan Abma, Shairl Honey, and Cindy Revell have been touched by the bravery of the soldiers who died serving our country in Afghanistan. As painters, they will have the extraordinary honour of recording history and preserving the memory of these exceptional men and women.

By Cindy Revell With your help, they will be creating a massive, historic, military oil portrait collection. The fallen soldiers from Afghanistan could possibly ‘live’ in their paintings for many hundreds of years.

For more information on this project, go to: www.projectheroes.ca

ATTENTION GALLERIES:

**Venues in major Canadian centres that are equipped for and large enough to host this exhibition in 2011/2012 are invited to contact Project Heroes™ at 780-986-0789 or email [email protected]. By Shairl Honey All venues will be considered, but the venues chosen will be those best suited to the project.

The paintings shown above are - Top: Cpl. David Braun, Centre: Cpl Cole Bartsch, Bottom: Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom. The fallen soldiers’ portraits will be revealed on a rotating basis. The entire collection will not be displayed together until after the fi rst exhibition in 2011/2012.

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 3 COMPETITION: ALL ABOUT LIGHT

Grand Prize Winner of $1000 CDN and award certificate: BRIAN LASAGA - St. George’s, NL ‘Below the Hill,’ Acrylic, 20 x 18” he original scene for this painting is the bottom por- Lasaga’s subjects often include rural settings, weathered tion with the grass and snow. It was a photo I had textures, landscapes, and seascapes. He prefers to paint Ttaken about three years ago as I was gathering familiar experiences and subjects indigenous to his area - reference material along the beach. As much as I liked it, I an area he feels is raw and sacred. decided to spice it up by replacing the plain blue sky with Lasaga’s studio is located in his hometown of St.George’s, something that had more character. To further enhance the Newfoundland. When not in his studio, he can be found hik- piece, I also decided to add an old fence atop this hill.” ing, kayaking or making field trips to gather material for his Although he has experimented with watercolors, gouache, paintings. Many of his works hang in corporate, public and egg tempera, and oils, Lasaga now paints primarily with private collections in Canada, United States and Europe. acrylics on masonite panel, and prefers acrylics because More of his work can be viewed at www.brianlasagareal- they dry faster, and this allows him to layer rather quickly. ism.com. •

4 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 Finalist - (Award certificate) SAM PAONESSA, Toronto, ON ‘Remembering Maine Light’, Oil, 12 x 16” am Paonessa was born in Niagara Falls, Canada and graduated from Sthe Ontario College of Art in Toronto. Showing early promise, he was awarded a studio scholarship upon graduation, which enabled him to further develop his talents in commercial art. He was then hired by an advertising studio for the next two and a half years. In 1983, Paonessa was hired by Hallmark Canada and has been on staff creating paintings and artwork for a variety of products over the past 27 years. For many years Sam has traveled and painted plein air landscapes in North America and Italy. He is a founding member of Plein Air Canada and a member of the Ontario Society of Artists. His work has Finalist - (Award certificate) gained the attention of fine art collectors, corporate and private, across North America. EILEEN BOYD, Berwick, NS The artist’s website address is www. ‘Following the Sun’, sampaonessa.com . • Acrylic, 11 x 14”

his is my darling little dog, Chew- ie. At 14 years old, her favorite Tpastime was to spend the time following a patch of sunlight across the floor.” Eileen Boyd studied commercial art and visual arts in her native Newfound- land. She then moved to Nova Scotia to continue her fine art studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She now lives in Windermere near Berwick, NS. Her studio/gallery is a converted Carriage House beside her 1870s farm house. The artist believes that being surrounded by orchards, rolling fields and the Bay of Fundy makes the perfect setting for her work. She spends as much time as possible creating art, as well as teaching classes and workshops. To view her website, go to www. eileenboyd.ca . •

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 5 Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 5 Finalist (Award certificate) DAVID GLUCK, Duncan, BC ‘Medicine’, Oil, 20 x 12”

till life painting is a particularly favorite genre of mine. It gives individuals a chance to look at rather ordinary Sobjects in a new light. In ‘Medicine,’ I was inspired by old medicine bottles that I came across while antique shopping with my wife. I enjoyed their varied textures and colors, and aimed to create the feeling of an old makeshift hospital table with them. While I pick my still life objects based upon their literal meaning, the set up itself has to be a purely abstract visual arrangement. I temporarily forget about the objects themselves and instead focus on shape, value, color, and harmony, and most importantly, how light interacts with these elements. By disengaging yourself from the objects a little, it becomes very easy to figure out what you need to do to a composition to make it look right. Setting up a still life often takes me days, and I test out twice as many objects as eventually wind up in the finished painting.” Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, David Gluck currently resides on Vancouver Island with his wife where he works as a full time artist. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Art Education from Penn State University in 2006, following which he immigrated to Canada to continue his career as an artist. His artwork is in both private and public collections around the world. These days David exhibits with Howard Schepp Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA and with M Gallery of Fine Art in Charleston, SC. Visit his website at www.davidgluckart.com . •

Finalist (Award certificate) HEATHER MITCHELL, Thessalon, ON ‘Radiance’, Acrylic, 18 x 24” t is my hope that through my art, I can re-awaken the viewer to the sacred- Iness of and spiritual connection we share with all living things. Be it a beautiful Morgan horse, or a simple frog resting on a lily pad, we are losing ourselves - our souls - in this world we have made and we need to step back to savor the sunsets, to revel in a meadow of wild- flowers. I want to take people there.” Born and raised in the woodlands of Northern Ontario, Heather (H.D.) Mitchell is best known for her meticulous depictions of the native flora and fauna of the Boreal Forest along the Canadian Shield. She is also making a name for herself on the equestrian art world stage. Find out more about Mitchell at www. enigamistudio.com . • 6 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 Finalist (Award certificate) MARNEY WARD, Victoria, BC ‘Light Filled Peony’, Watercolor, 21 x 29” chose to paint this peony from behind because the light flooding I the peony seemed to both hide and reveal the complex petal struc- ture. I chose not to use a very dark background as I felt too much contrast would take away from the softness and delicacy.” Ward is a signature status member ria at Winchester Galleries, Butchart Federation Gallery. with the Federation of Canadian art- Gardens and the Art Gallery of Greater The artist’s website address is ists, Her work is available in Victo- Victoria. In Vancouver it is available at www.marneyward.com . •

Finalist (Award certificate) SYBILINE, Shawinigan, QC ‘The Artist’s Studio’, Oil, 14 x 23” his painting was commissioned by a publisher for a book cover. T Everything around me can inspire creation. In general, what makes me dream is more likely to occur. My love for humans is often my starting point, but a melody, a writing, a color can show me much interest. As soon as it is possible to imagine, transform and love, it’s possible to create. Fantasy, symbolism and portrait paintings have always animated me. That is often my starting point. I work as a portrait painter and I illustrate for many customers, particularly in the field of publishing. Among other things, I am asked to illustrate children’s books and historical or fantasy novels for adults.” Please visit the artist’s website at www. sybiline.com . •

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 7 Finalist Receives award certificate:BILLY-JACK MILLIGAN, Canfield, ON rown pelicans are social birds ‘Fight or Flight’, Acrylic, 36 x 84” Ontario. He says every painting is constantly cruising the airways an experience of its own, both in in search of food or better sur- are key — the way they glide through B terms of the natural world and within roundings. Their flight characteristics the air in perfect sync, as one single the art process itself. He strives to unit matching wing beats convey both these aspects to his and air speed, almost as to viewers. mimic fighter jets in forma- Using Acrylic paints on masonite tion. This subtlety became he layers paint to create a mood and the foundation for this feeling. piece. The jet steam in the “Both art and nature teach many background now becomes values and lessons for both the young suited for these birds sym- and old and sharing what I learn on bolizing mankind and our this journey is expressed through my role in their world.” work.” Miiligan was born Go to www.billyjacksfineart.com for and raised in Hamilton more information. •

Finalist Receives award certificate MARTINHO ISIDRO CORREIA, Calgary, AB ‘Anastasis’, Oil, 24 x 30”

he painting ‘Anastasis’ was the result of researching the development of early Christian art and its connections to theological T and cultural developments. From this arose the idea to develop a modern interpretation of the Resurrection using the traditions and laguage of beauty developed by the Western masters of the past 1000 years.” Correia is a fine artist ande educator. He is a graduate of the Uni- versity of Calgary (BEd in Art Education), Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy (Diploma in drawing and painting) and the European University/Pontifical Athenaeum, Regina Apostolorum in Rome (Mas- ters in Architecture, Sacred Art and Liturgy). His website address is www.martinhoart.com. • 8 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 CALLCALL FORFOR ENTRIESENTRIES StillStill Life/FloralLife/Floral

We want to show off Canada’s artists, and our competitions Competition No. help us do that! 14 Be sure to enter your Subject All About Light artwork in our competitions — not only do you have a Medium Two dimensional drawing chance to or painting medium WIN $1000 Entry Fee $20 each * CDN (You can enter as many works as you would like) plus an award certifi cate, but we also get a Entry Deadline Dec. 30/2011 chance to see your work and we just may feature YOU in an upcoming issue of *Winners and fi nalists will be featured Canadian Brushstroke in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Magazine. Canadian Brushstroke Magazine RULES - HOW TO ENTER DIGITAL FILES ONLY All CDs must be labeled with the must be original, not copied from any Enter with high res digital fi le only - artist’s name, the number of entries other artist’s work, photographer’s on CD only. Do not send digital on the CD, each of their titles and work or published work of any kind, images via email to our offi ces - they this issue’s Competition Number. All and must have been completed in will be automatically disqualifi ed. You fi les on the CD must be labeled as the last two years. The work can not must print off the entry form on next follows: lastname/fi rstname/Entry No. have won previous awards or any page, complete it, and send it along Example: John Smith’s Entry No. 2 distinction of any kind. No works created with your CD and method of payment. would be labeled smithjohn2. under supervision are eligible. If you have more entries than ELIGIBILITY We reserve the right to refuse any the space allotted, please print This competition is open to any artist entry, or ask for source material at another form and fi ll it out completely. with residency in Canada. All work our discretion.

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 9 RULES - HOW TO ENTER (cont’d) ENTRY FEE/DEADLINE by Canadian Brushstroke Magazine, also constitutes the entrant’s acceptance The DEADLINE for Canadian and/or qualified judges of our choosing. of all competition rules. The Brushstroke Magazine to RECEIVE PERMISSION TO PUBLISH winner and finalists will be notified by entries is Dec. 30/11. You cannot Signing and submission of the entry e-mail, and their work will be published courier material to our box number, so form, digital files and payment will in the specified edition of the magazine. be sure to send it in plenty of time constitute permission for Canadian The judges’ decisions are final. (Address is on submission form Brushstroke Magazine to publish Grand Prize winners may not enter the below). The fee per entry is $15 CDN, your artwork(s), your name and informa- competition for a full two years after which can be paid by VISA, cheque or tion in our magazine, which is winning. Finalists may re-enter. money order. The fee MUST be included released on the internet, and copies Canadian Brushstroke Magazine with the CD and entry form submission. archived on our website on the internet does not accept any liability for The entry fee is not refundable. for as long as the publisher color variations that may occur as a COMPETITION JUDGES wishes to keep the archived editions result of different computer screens. The competition entries will be chosen on the site. Submission of the entry The artists will be properly credited.

Entry 1 Entry 2 Entry 3 E Title: Title: Title: N T Medium: Medium: Medium: Size: (HxW) Size: (HxW) Size: (HxW) R I enclose my cheque or money order for the total fee of $20 Canadian PER ENTRY OR, please charge the total sum to my VISA: ______

EXPIRY DATE:______Signature______Y *Please BE SURE to include a paragraph about yourself and another about each painting for us to use in the event we publish your painting(s). I solemnly declare that all the works listed on this entry publish my name, the artworks listed and information in an form are my own original artworks and I own the copyright upcoming issue of Canadian Brushstroke Magazine and to the work and to all source material used in creating this that the issue will be archived for an undetermined amount artwork. I understand the entry, including the form and CD, of time on Canadian Brushstroke Magazine’s website: will not be returned, and I understand the entry fee is non- www.brushstrokemagazine.com. F refundable. I have thoroughly read and agree to all competition **If you wish to receive confirmation that we have received rules, and I understand I am granting the rights to your entry, enclose a self-addressed STAMPED postcard. O Name (PRINT CLEARLY) Phone Number (include area code)

R Street Address Email M City/Province Website Postal Code SIGNATURE Please mail this form and the properly labeled CD (see Rules - How to Enter) with properly labeled files to: Canadian Brushstroke Magazine, Box 3449, Leduc, AB, T9E 6M2 10 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 Susan Abma

black gallery

BLACK GOLD GALLERY & FRAME 4724 - 50th Ave Leduc, AB

www.blackgoldgallery.com

gold 780.986.6393

We offer a wide variety of artwork from original works by well-known artists to limited edition prints, giclees and poster prints. Our customers are provided with a selection for all tastes and budgets for seasoned and new collectors.

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 11 classiﬁclassiﬁ edseds

ARTIST PROJECTS OPEN CALL TO ARTISTS FALLEN HEROES *OPEN CALL* Sign up for the Project Heroes™ newsletter and get JUNE 9 TO JULY 15, 2012 regular updates on the progress of the upcoming All Alberta artists are invited to submit to exhibition of the portraits of fallen Canadian soldiers. “Inspired by Travel”, an exhibition at the Leighton (See ad on Page 3). To sign up, email your name and Art Centre in Calgary. Deadline March 1, 2012, info, including email address, to info@projectheroes. download documents at www.leightoncentre.org, ca. Website: www.projectheroes.ca . Artist Member page.

MARKETING/PROMOTION WORKSHOPS/RETREATS ARTIST WEBSITES PLEIN AIR IN ARIZONA Have a professional art website set up for you and save Winter Plein Air Painting Workshops in Sedona, money. No monthly payments. Easily change photos and Arizona, with Michael Chesley Johnson MPAC. information yourself. Visit www.artistswebsites.net for de- Workshops for all levels and all media. For details. tails, visit www.PaintSedona.com. PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP IN TUSCANY, ITALY 5-Day workshop in the beautiful countryside of Tus- cany from May 21-25, 2012 with Jerry Markham. All levels and media. See www.jerrymarkham.com/workshops.html for details. ART GALLERY OF AB Roll up your sleeves and explore art-making with fun drop- in classes at the AGA. Themes vary from week to week so you can pick and choose your classes. http://www.youraga. ca/education/adults/open-studio-adult-drop-in-workshops.

TO BOOK YOUR CLASSIFIED... To book your classifi ed ad, send your ad information to: [email protected] . Categories can include but are not limited to: Artist Projects, Artist Studios, Art Supplies, Call for Entries, Gallery Listing, Gallery Shows, Marketing/Promotion Services, Work- shops/Retreats, For Sale, Wanted, etc. Classifi eds are $25 for 25 words and .50 for each additional word. To include an image will be $25 extra. You will be contacted to confi rm the ad and to www.WestshoreArtistPanels.com arrange payment.

12 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 WEST (Yukon, Alberta, B.C.) Acrylic artist paints ‘Bones over Tones’

ABOVE: Jim McFarland BELOW: SAANICHTON BAY, Acrylic, 24 x 30” For BC artist Jim McFarland, it’s all about the great outdoors. See story on following pages...

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 13 ‘Bones over Tones’ ictoria acrylic painter Jim McFarland is a determined end of the day he bought my effort for the grand sum of 25 and uncompromising plein air artist. cents.” V Lately he’s been on a hot streak, winning awards Before taking up the brushes and canvases, Jim did a lot at regional painting competitions and has begun teaching of pen and ink work. He started getting serious about paint- student artists at several Victoria locations. ing in 1999, a few years before he retired from his job as In the past eight years he has had six solo shows, exhib- an engineering technologist with Victoria’s Capital Regional ited in more than 40 group or juried shows and entered a District. dozen plein air painting contests. “I’ve taken lots of classes and workshops but have no McFarland paints large works in his converted-bedroom formal training. I credit a lot of my development to lessons studio during inclement weather but very much prefers to with the late Glenn Howarth.” paint outdoors en plein air, where he can capture the ever- Howarth, a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and changing but real colors and light of the world around him. a teacher with experience at several universities as well as Around Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island you might the esteemed Victoria College of Art, was great at promot- find him on a beach, a hillside, or a farmer’s field, painting ing visual concepts. either alone or with one of several painting groups. “The best tribute I can give him is that, of all his students, During an interview in his home-based studio, McFarland not one ended up painting like he did. He taught ways to says “I’ve been drawing and painting my whole life. Guess see, color theory, what kinds of things make a good paint- I was born with the urge. My first sale was to my Grade 4 ing. He painted images from the mind, not from what he teacher. The class was doing a portrait of him, and at the saw.”

TONQUIN BEACH - TOFINO, Acrylic, 24 x 30” 14 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 ‘Bones over Tones’ Cont’d

Talking of his own work, McFarland says “I do representational art and firmly believe you make the world you see. The real world is what you make it to be. My first plein air painting was an eye-opener for me. After I finished the painting, I took a photo of it. Comparing the photo to the painting, I discovered a tree in the photo and asked myself “Where did that tree come from?” “There’s a multitude of textures in nature – rocks and driftwood are good examples. A photo will often miss the textures and the lights and darks that you can see and enjoy. I paint plein air a lot – about three paintings a week, usually 16x20 or 18x24. That’s my exercise! I try to emphasize getting perspective in color. As things recede, they shift to blue and reduce in value in the distance. Items in the foreground have more contrast and I love to add little details, lots of small marks, contrasts in shapes, diminishing in the distance. The ultimate painting challenge, I’ve found, is the foreground of a sandy beach. You need to find or invent a few little sharp, hard details. In the field, I mostly use tube paint for its convenience but I do use liquid acrylics for painting the finer details, and raw umber is great for making a statement.” In the studio, McFarland almost exclusively uses liquid acrylics, which allow him to make smaller marks. “I enjoy graphic detail, rather like pen and ink work. Getting a good drawing is very important. If your drawing is off, you can spend the day fighting ABOVE: THE SHORE AT FRENCH BEACH, the painting, but you’ll never get there. Acrylic, 30 x 24” In the field, I concentrate on composition, color values, color perspective and foreground detail. These things that I’ve developed go into my studio work. I go for a simple drawing with good composition and a definite BELOW: THE TREELINE AT FRENCH BEACH, focal point. I use No. 2 filberts and liquid acrylic for the initial Acrylic, 30 x 24” drawing. At that point, you should be able to visualize what the finished painting is going to look like. From there, I achieve what most painters call ‘block-in’ by setting in basic shapes and values. I start with the lightest light, then the second-lightest light, followed by the darkest dark and the second-darkest dark. Possibly more values might be needed but with four values on a toned canvas you don’t need much more.” The values are critical, McFarland emphasizes. “If the values are correct the painting is almost done. After that come the smaller shapes and details. These I work on with one-quarter or half-inch synthetic filberts. The biggest brush I use in the field would be a one-inch filbert, while in the studio I might go a bit bigger for a 24x30 inch painting.” The artist’s palette includes Titanium White, Raw Umber, Yellow Ochre, Buff Titanium, Cobalt Blue (a favorite color), Ultramarine Blue, Pyrrole Red, Quinacridone Red, Hansa Yellow Medium and Light, Jenkins Green and Chrome Oxide Green. He occasionally uses some tube greys. “I prefer not to use any paint containing heavy metals such as cadmium,” he says. His rule of thumb is that 90 per cent of a plein air painting should have been executed in the field, and 10 per cent can be done as refinements later in the studio before final varnishing of one coat of gloss soft gel diluted two parts of gel to one of water, followed by two coats of diluted polymer varnish. Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 15 ‘Bones over Tones’ Cont’d...

“My surfaces can be just about anything, canvas, linen, panel, or wood cradled panels. I coat the surface with a mid-tone value which could be yellow, red, orange, yellow ochre, or a warm grey.” When he’s painting portraits, McFarland chooses rough or cold-press watercolor paper because he likes the tooth. He was born and raised in Penticton, BC and now lives in Victoria. He deals only in originals – no giclees, prints or cards for this artist. Fellow painter Ron Wilson made an impromptu video of Jim at work on a painting at picturesque Saanichton Bay which may be viewed on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EXDs0c2A-RE. In it, Wilson discusses McFarland’s ‘bones over tones’ method of painting. “The thing about that video was that Ron didn’t let on he was doing it. We went for what I thought was a joint painting WEST COAST WINTER, Acrylic, 30 x 24” session, and then Ron said he wanted to take some photographs. Unseen by me, he set up a tripod and video JIM MCFARLAND, camera and began asking me AFCA, is represented questions. I’m surprised and in Victoria by the Morris slightly self-conscious about Gallery, by Artfitterz in the result.” Nanaimo and the Alicat To view more of McFarland’s Gallery in Bragg Creek, work, go to jimmcfarland.ca • Alberta. His paintings are in private and This article was written by corporate collections in Canadian artist Paul Bennett. Canada and the U.S.A. His website is paulalexbennett. com.

16 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 Susan Abma

black gallery

BLACK GOLD GALLERY & FRAME 4724 - 50th Ave Leduc, AB

www.blackgoldgallery.com

gold 780.986.6393

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 17 JUAN CARLOS MARTINEZ: ROBIN, OIL, 18 x 12” VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

Shore, Forest and Beyond ART FROM THE AUDAIN COLLECTION October 29, 2011 to January 29, 2012 Philanthropists Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa have assembled, over the last two decades, one of the most important collections of British Columbia art in private hands. This exhibition looks at a cross-section of their extensive holdings of historical and contemporary work by nineteenth century First Nations artists, Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, Brian Jungen, Rodney Graham, Robert Davidson, among many others. The role of private collectors in the art world has always been essential to both artists and museums. Private collections are formed in a variety of ways, yet some ABOVE: EMILY CARR, War Canoes, Alert Bay, 1912. Oil on achieve particular distinction for their depth, breadth and canvas. Collection of Michael Audainand Yoshiko Karasawa. quality. The works assembled by Michael Audain and BELOW: EMILY CARR, Quiet, 1942. Oil on canvas. Collection Yoshiko Karasawa over the last two decades form one of Michael Audainand Yoshiko Karasawa of the most important private holdings of work by First Nations and non-First Nations British Columbia artists. The Audains have created a collection that allows a particularly rich history of the art of British Columbia to be told. Beginning with the powerful ceremonial objects of the First Nations peoples, Shore, Forest and Beyond: Art from the Audain Collection traces the important strands of artistic production in the province right up to the present day. The co-curators have selected some 170 works from the Audain’s personal collection, as well as past works they have donated for the Gallery’s permanent collection. It features their particularly strong collection of the work of British Columbia’s most distinguished painter, Emily Carr, while presenting work by other prominent Canadian Modernists, including Lawren Harris, Frederick Horsman Varley and B.C. Binning. Their holdings of historical west coast indigenous art are complemented by a significant group of contemporary First Nations works, a number of which have been newly commissioned by the Audains. The photo-based art of the region has also received their careful attention, and they have been generous donors of works by Jeff Wall and Scott McFarland to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Finally, the exhibition includes another major area of focus—Mexican Modernism—representing the most significant collection of this art in Canada, with works by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siquieros and Rufino Tamayo. The works presented—the first extensive survey of the collection— provide an overview of its richness and strengths. Michael Audain has said that “living with art has been one of the great joys of my life.” These works attest to the wide range of his interests and deep commitment to the province and its history. Although it was not formed with the intent of showing it to others, the strengths of their collection make it one of the most distinctive in the country. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca •

18 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO Pablo Picasso: MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSÉE NATIONAL PICASSO, PARIS April 28 to August 26, 2012

In 2012, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will present a major survey of masterworks by Pablo Picasso. Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris features more than 150 highlights from the Musée’s unparalleled collection, including paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings. The exhibition will be on view at the AGO for just 17 weeks, from April 28 through August 26, 2012. The collection of the Musée National Picasso, Paris comprises more than 5,000 works that Picasso kept for himself and his family over the course of his career, ranging from informal sketchbooks to iconic masterpieces. The collection is touring the world while the Musée undergoes a multi-year renovation, scheduled for completion in 2012. The AGO is the sole Canadian and final venue on the tour, which ABOVE: PABLO PICASSO (Spanish, 1881-1973) includes stops in Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Helsinki, Moscow and St. L’Acrobate (The Acrobat), 1930 Petersburg, Seattle, Richmond, San Francisco and Sydney. Oil on canvas, 162 x 130 cm “This is an extraordinary opportunity for Canadian audiences to view Musée National Picasso, Paris major works by Picasso, drawn from the world’s most comprehensive Pablo Picasso gift-in-lieu, 1979, MP120 collection of his artwork,” says Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO’s Michael (C) Succession Picasso, 2011 and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO. (C) RMN / René-Gabriel Ojéda Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris features: PABLO PICASSO (Spanish, 1881-1973) • The Death of Casagemas, one of the first works he created in Paris BELOW: Autoportrait (Self-Portrait), 1906 in 1901; Oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm • Autoportrait (Self-Portrait), the iconic 1906 self-portrait; Pablo Picasso gift-in-lieu, 1979, MP8 • The 1904 Blue-period masterpiece Celestina (The Woman with Musée National Picasso, Paris One-Eye), and The Two Brothers, a 1906 work from his Rose period; (C) Succession Picasso, 2011 • Landmark African-inspired artwork that led to the advent of Cubism, (C) RMN / René-Gabriel Ojéda including studies for the 1907 masterpiece Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Three Figures Beneath a Tree, 1907-08; • Examples of his genre-defining Analytic and Synthetic Cubism artworks, including the 1909-10 Sacré Coeur, 1911’s seminal Man with a Guitar and 1915’s Violin; • Two Women Running on the Beach (The Race), a 1922 masterwork from his Neoclassical period, and 1925’s The Kiss, from his Surrealist period; • A series of sculptures created during the Second World War, including 1942’s Bull’s Head, and two bronzes, 1943’s Death’s Head and 1950’s The Goat; • The Bathers, the 1956 life-sized, six-piece figurative sculpture series created during a summer in Cannes; and • The Matador, the famous self-portrait painted in 1970, three years before his death. The exhibition also highlights Picasso’s depictions of his numerous muses and mistresses, including 1918’s Portrait of Olga in an Armchair, which features the Russian ballerina and Picasso’s first wife seated on a Spanish tapestry, the background left purposefully unfinished. French surrealist photographer Dora Maar, who inspired his 1937 “Weeping Woman” series, is also prominently featured, as is Jacqueline Roque, Picasso’s second wife and most-painted muse, depicted in the 1954 work Jacqueline with Crossed Hands. • www.ago.net

Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 19 ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA

JOHN MCKEE, Untitled, 1990, Acrylic on Canvas, Art Gallery of Alberta Collection, Gift of Margaret F. McBride in memory of James Montgomery McBride, 2004.16.1

State of Nature: WESTERN CANADIAN LANDSCAPES FROM THE AGA COLLECTION — 1980 to the Present October 15, 2011 to February 20, 2012

Featuring works from the Art Gallery of Alberta’s collec- the medium of painting over the subject matter before him, tion, the exhibition State of Nature examines representa- McKee follows in the footsteps of Monet and Pissarro. tions of nature in painting as a major and recurring theme Other artists walk an even thinner line between abstrac- in contemporary art in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. tion and landscape painting: in his later landscapes, painter Recognizing the strength of this practice as a key marker of Norman Yates moves away from the suggestion of depth regional identity, this exhibition considers these landscapes and focuses on the flatness of the picture plane. The unin- as part of a long tradition of modern landscape painting that terrupted fields of paint draw the viewer’s attention to the has its roots in the 19th century. surface. The reference to landscape is spare; it is the hori- The influences from the 19th century that this exhibition zon line and palette that gesture back to the natural world. traces range from Romanticism to Realism to Impression- The influence of abstraction on artists in this exhibition, in- ism. The works of artists David Alexander, Gregory Hardy cluding Alexander, Hardy, McKee and Dorothy Knowles, is and Peter von Tiesenhausen, for example, suggest emo- not surprising given the institutional support in both Alberta tional and spiritual responses to the natural world, and in and Saskatchewan for late modernism. doing so recall the legacy of Romanticism in Western art. The exhibition State of Nature features some of the most While some of the works in this exhibition align themselves important artists in this region’s practice of contemporary with the feeling suggestive of Romanticism, others are more landscape painting: David Alexander, Dorothy Knowles, closely aligned with Realism and Impressionism. The artist Ted Godwin, Gregory Hardy, John McKee and Norman John McKee pursues a more dispassionate representa- Yates, and includes the work of renowned multimedia artist tion of the natural world. Concerned with the possibilities of Peter von Tiesenhausen. • www.youraga.ca

20 • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 MARKHAM ON MARKETING $20,000 Kingston EMAIL MARKETING Portrait Prize Best Practices mail marketing is a fantastic way to keep in contact with collectors Finalists announced and to grow a contact list of people interested in your work. Here are E12 things to keep in mind with your e-mail marketing efforts: Winner to be • Use for important announcements – if you send an email every time you complete a new painting it will become monotonous. Sending a newsletter announced once a month saying “5 new paintings” and an invitation to an upcoming show will be much more exciting and effective. in November • Use compelling subject lines – it is harder & harder to get people to open emails so make the subject line interesting so they will be compelled he jury will announce the winner of the to open it. $20,000 Kingston Prize, presented • Include images – your work is the reason they are interested and signed by the W. Garfield Weston Founda- up for your email list. Show your best. T tion, and two Honourable Mention awards of • Don’t give everything in the email – you want to provide a teaser then $2000 each, at a Gala Opening at the Royal send them to your website for more information. • The email address you send from should have your website domain Ontario Museum, Toronto on 10 November in it – [email protected] promotes your website address and is more 2011. professional than a generic address such as [email protected]. The finalists were chosen from 450 entries • Don’t share your email list with others – with spam and strict privacy by the jury consisting of Professor Robert laws this is extremely important! Don’t send to multiple email addresses in Enright, art critic and writer, Winnipeg and the ‘to’ line where everyone can see who the email is going to. Put email Guelph; Natalka Husar, artist, Toronto and addresses in the ‘bcc’ field (blind carbon copy) or use an email system that Marina Cutler, gallerist and conservator. sends the emails for you. Also, don’t sell or share your list with anyone, and These portraits will be shown first at the don’t send something to your contacts they didn’t ask for. Firehall Theatre, Gananoque, ON from • Follow privacy laws – legally you are required to provide a way for people to unsubscribe in every email you send out and if you collect personal information 6 – 23 October before touring to the Royal you should include a privacy policy on your website. Ontario Museum, 11 November 2011 • Track your email response – how many people open the emails, click – 29 January 2012 and La galerie d’art through to the links you provide, and request info about your work? This Desjardins, Drummondville, Quebec. shows the things people are interested in and if your newsletters are A People’s Choice Prize of $1000 will be effective. awarded at each of the tour locations. • Test to see what works best – Try different subject lines, sending emails The Kingston Prize is a project of the on different days and at different frequencies and see what works and what Kingston Arts Council. doesn’t. The names of the finalists are: Pamela • Use an email system – This will make things a lot easier for you. It maintains a database of your customers including subscriptions & Augustino,Toronto ON; Daniel Barkley, unsubscribes, provides reports on how many people open emails and click Montréal QC; Michael Bayne, Kingston through to your website, etc. You can even set up a template that matches ON; Jeremiah Birnbaum, Port Moody your website so it’s all branded the same. MailChimp, GoDaddy’s Express BC; Brian Boulton, Vancouver BC; Email Marketing and Constant Contact are a few popular services available Richard Davis, LaHave NS; Cristiano De (MailChimp is free up to 2000 emails). Araujo,Toronto ON; Marina Dieul, Montréal • Ask people for their email address – people who express interest in QC; Francis Fontaine; Montréal QC, Sadko your work and who you meet at art fairs, exhibitions, galleries, etc. Also, Hadzihasanovic, Etobicoke ON; Janine Hall, give people the ability to sign up for your newsletter on your website, blog, Calgary AB; Roselina Hung, Vancouver BC; Facebook page and any other pages you maintain online. It gives you the control rather than giving out your information and waiting for them to Soraya Hutchinson, Toronto ON; Charles contact you. Keillor, North Vancouver BC; Gerald Kuehl, • Get everything working together - If you have a website, blog, Facebook Winnipeg MB; William Lazos, Toronto ON; page, Twitter account and any other areas where people can find you online, Tony Luciani, Durham ON; Eileen MacArthur, provide links to all of those items on everything. Make it easy for people to Arthur ON; Edmund Prior, Richmond find out how they can connect with you and to join. Also, provide links to Hill ON; Steven Rosati, Pierrefonds QC; forward or share with a friend to encourage people to spread the word. • Tammy Salzl, Montréal QC; Chantal-Andrée Samson, Cornwall ON; Panagiotis Peter Sarganis, Vancouver BC; Ewa Scheer, Leah Markham provides Montréal QC; Matthew Schofield, Toronto marketing and business ON; Jay Senetchko, Vancouver BC; Steven services for artists. Spazuk, Léry QC; Anna Syperek, Antigonish Visit her website at NS; Ted Tucker, Montréal QC; Sean Yelland, www.artistswebsites.net . Toronto ON. • Canadian Brushstroke Magazine • Sept/Oct 2011 • 21