Air Canada purchases a painting for their collection

I was honoured to have a large 48" x 48" painting purchased by Air Canada last month. I am always grateful when a corporation such as Air Canada supports Canadian art and artists by including original artworks in their collections. These artworks grace the walls of Air Canada's signature Maple Leaf lounges that are lovely, relaxing spaces to retreat to in the midst of hectic modern day travel. It is truly an artist's dream to have her art placed in such a place where so many eyes will have the time to look and take in the painting in a leisurely manner.

I am based out of Montreal but my roots are in Saskatchewan where I was born and raised. Air Canada generously flew me out to Saskatoon for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Maple Leaf lounge that has opened there.

Radiant Absence

Radiant Absence / 40" x 60" / acrylic on canvas / 2015

Upcoming Exhibition:  Radiant Absence

Galerie Espace
4844 Boul St Laurent
Montreal, QC

Vernissage: Thursday, March 31 / 5 to 7pm
Exhibition continues through to Sunday daily noon to 4pm
or by appointment.

The truth is I would rather not be exhibiting right now as I feel raw and vulnerable from the recent loss of my beloved Walt, however I am unable to cancel the show which was scheduled a year ago. That being said, a "radiant absence" fills my days and this show will be a reflection of this profound transition and transformation at work in my paintings and my heart.

Two Shows Running Concurrently

The first show is being held as a two day Pop Up Gallery in Lake Placid, NY

An exceptional venue with a view to die for! Hence the name Heaven Hill!

I hope to see you there!

The second show is in the border town of Standstead, QC on the border of Vermont, USA in a converted Blacksmith Studio. This old building is full of charm and perched above the Tomifobia River.  Le Vieux Forgeron is open from 11am to 6pm and is a lovely place to visit. I am honored to have my paintings hanging here until August 16th.

PRESENCE in Montreal

PRESENCE was a collection of paintings that I was particularly excited about showing. The venue on Boul St-Laurent in Montreal was an excellent space for the paintings to breathe and become connected as a body of work. 

For me, as the artist it was a joy to be surrounded by these paintings in an environment outside of the studio. I could feel them taking on a life of their own as they work their way into the outside world.

Presence

An exhibition of recent paintings that are the result of years of learning and growing and becoming. All the joys & sorrows from where the spirit meets the bone are in these paintings. Late night howling and mid day spirit-rides with the wind are all mixed into the pigment.

An Adirondack Love Affair

I have spent most of the summer breathing in the beauty of the Adirondacks and falling more in love with the place every day. I have, painted and hiked and paddled and painted.

I continue to meet interesting and generous people everywhere I go. This year's painting culminated in a grand pop up gallery held in magnificent private home on Upper Saranac Lake. It is so rewarding to have a large body of work (40 paintings) installed in such a gorgeous home environment. This whole story began last July when I had a solo exhbition at View in Old Forge, a wonderful Arts Center with several well designed gallery spaces for exhibitons. I became an accidental artist-in-residence when a certain woman purchased the signature piece from my show. Marsha Stanley has written a delightful article about this experience from her perspective that was recently published in the Adirondack Almanac.

 

A beautiful preview cocktail party was held for the AdkAction.org board members as well as the board of the local Wild Center. Both of these places are dear to my heart and 20% of all sales were donated to AdkAction.org for the many wonderful projects they do in the area. I will be giving a talk at the Wild Center on Sept 8, 2014. The talk is entitled "The Wilderness Within" and will give a glimpse into the process of my own artwork as well as discuss the advantages of using social media as an isolated rural artist.

The pop up continued for another two days and many, many people dropped by. I sold eighteen paintings! The gallery curator from the prestigious resort next door called "The Point" came by and selected four paintings for their gallery as well. It was a tremendously successful experience for me on many levels.

It is a lot of work to do a pop up gallery but well worth the effort. The direct contact with the people who come to see and/or purchase my artwork creates new connections and friends that I value dearly. I will be returning this week-end to participate in the Plein Air Arts Festival organized by Artworks of Saranac Lake. I am looking forward to this event as there are so many incredible spots to paint in this sparkling part of the Adirondacks.

 Rock Portal / SOLD

Earth Bones / SOLD

Upcoming Open Studio

 

Open Studio - Thursday, June 5th from 3pm to 8pm

Come and share a glass of wine and check out the artwork.

Click on the Eventbrite link in the right hand column and register for a chance to win one of my paintings in a draw which you can enter simply by dropping by!

(All the info and directions are also included in the Eventbrite Invitation) 

Looking forward to seeing you all!

One Hundred Paintings Donated by Montreal ArtBombers

A beautiful mosaic of artists and art is coming together this Thursday, April 10th at the Centre d'Art Voland Montreal ArtBomb is celebrating it's one year anniversary by weaving this tapestry of art and artists in a unique and unusual manner.  

Purchase a ticket for $50 and receive a wrapped original painting at the door. This painting is yours to keep or if you wish you may trade with another guest in the room for a different one. This is where the fun begins...the subjective nature of art is such that the artwork that one person falls in love with another doesn't even cast a second glance at. 

The artists themselves will be there with a full gallery of their larger artworks hung "art salon style" which means floor to ceiling artwork. There is sure to be something of interest for everyone. 

Discover Art from the inside out and see life through the artist's eyes for an evening. 

Come and relax, have a glass of wine and chat with the artists themselves. 

Tickets are selling out fast so don't delay your purchase. 

TIckets available HERE.

To view all the paintings that have been donated by Montreal artists click HERE

Peter Doig Exhibition in Montreal

Peter Doig has long been a favorite painter of mine so when I heard his paintings were coming to The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts I was thrilled. His unapologetic painterly approach to painting and beauty in an art world infatuated with irony and dystopian concepts is as refreshing as a slash of red cadmium across a dark painting. He breathes life into painting like no other contemporary artist I know.  His work sings, hums and dives deep into your belly and stirs you from the inside out.

"The Wilderness Within" Exhbition in the Adirondacks

 Another journey across the border and down south into NY state brought me to the idyllic little town of Old Forge, NY. where I was hosted by a particularly kind couple that live in the area. Their beautiful home was nestled next to this lovely lake where I saw ducks, loons and herons while I was there.

 I was treated to a fine dinner, good morning coffee, a campfire and a comfy bed, as well as several visits to local establishments to meet with the community and listen to local lore, music and tales.

Old Forge, NY is a warm and welcoming community with particular spirit and spark! The View Center for the Arts is a stunning establishment that hosts some superb art shows and it is an honor to have my work on exhibit there for the next month.

 

"Nature as Muse" - bronze sculpture by Lewis Bryden in front of the View Arts Center.

 

The interim curator, Wendy Carr did a magnificent job of hanging the show. I am always delighted and surprised when a curator hangs the paintings in ways that may not have occurred to me. The show looked beautiful and it was a joy to have the time to meet so many delightful members of the community while all the hanging of the show was being done for me.

 

When I arrived for the opening reception the director informed me that this piece, "Weaving Roots of Time" had been sold before I had even arrived! I was thrilled of course, as this is a piece that has a lot of meaning for me. You can read about the whole evolution of this painting and the others that followed beginning with my blog post from April 15, 2010.

The triptych has found its perfect home with people who will live with and appreciate all the love and discovery that was poured into the creation of this particular painting. I feel the cycle of an artwork is only complete when it finds a viewer who resonates with it enough to bring it into their lives and home. I also feel a pang that "Weaving Roots of Time" will be leaving me, as it is particularly close to my heart but it is going out into the world to have a life of its own now.

 The exhibition will continue until July 21st in this gorgeous venu amongst the dark pines and fresh mountain air. I feel like the paintings are being held within a space that embraces and holds them with love and recognition and this feels so good to me.

Numinous Notes

My exhibition at Galerie de la Ville continues until this Sunday, April 21st. I love the venue and the space that these large scale works are given to breath as ONE body of work.