Saturday, January 30, 2016

Visit the Produce Department: Pre-Shrunk 2016

ART is good for you! Add an extra dose of Vitamin C to your life with this selection of Pre-Shrunk miniature works of the produce variety. We love this show because of the variety of styles and mediums used to approach a similar subject matter too. Just look!



 The above works are by artist Sarah Christie - watercolour and ink on paper. Artichokes, radishes and asparagus.

Plums by George Spencer, Oil on Board

Strawberries by George Spencer, Oil on Board

Clementines by George Spencer, Oil on Board

Pears by Mary Reardon

Friday, January 29, 2016

Pre-Shrunk: To Everything, There is a Season

Today we're heading back behind the scenes of our Pre-Shrunk show with artist Colin Dorgan.

Colin made four pieces for the show in a series he called "Tiny Welcomes". This series brings together his pencil and water colour drawings with two beautiful types of wood, live edge ash and walnut.

Colin Dorgan, Safe Travels, 4"x5"

Now for the fun part, Colin was kind enough to send along some shots of how he put the pieces together.

Colin Dorgan, Tiny Welcomes

As you can see all four pieces came from the same stunning piece of live edge ash wood, that when assembled look like this:

Colin' Dorgan, Tiny Welcomes, 4"x5" each

Colin's pieces can either be hung, or thanks to the wood frames, are also able to stand on their own.

Colin Dorgan, Tiny Welcomes

Thanks to Colin for creating beautiful work and for letting us see behind the scenes! The full show is available online for viewing, but as always we recommend coming in to see it with your own eyes. The show is up until February 13th!

And here's one last piece from Colin for you to enjoy!

Colin Dorgan, Bienvenue (With an Irish Accent), 4"x5"

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Beach Walking with Pre-Shrunk: Inspired by the Sea

Pre-Shrunk is in it's 5th official day of opening today, and already well over 100 little works of art have found their new homes. However there are so many more still waiting for you to adopt them forever! Drop by in person or visit online and bring a work of art home today.

Each year a theme or colour palette emerges within the show without anyone really planning it. As expected, many of the artists from Nova Scotia and surrounding provinces are influenced by what's around them, and one thing most of us are lucky to have in common is the ocean.

Here are just a few of the works by participating artists that explored this subject matter and are a welcome reminder of the beach walks we all love so much.




 The works above are by Briana Corr-Scott, who is a reguar gallery artist at Argyle Fine Art. In fact, she is working very hard in her studio preparing for a stunning show of illustration, watercolour and oil paintings that is set to open early May.

Breaking Wave by Katharine Burns
Nova Scotia Beach by Erin Hollingshead
Kimberley Eddy reminds us of jumping the waves!
Rose Saulnier takes us on a peaceful walk...you can almost hear the waves....
Breaker  by Marlene York

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Small Business in Small Paintings- Pre-Shrunk 2016

Pre-Shrunk 2016 is just getting underway, and one thing that comes up again and again in conversation at this type of show, is how interesting it is to see what the artists choose to do with such small surfaces. Artist Jan Davison had a great idea for our annual miniature show- paint small businesses on actual small canvas!  And so she set to work to create these little beauties that are acrylic on board and ready to enjoy on your walls!  How many of  the local businesses do you recognize? Most are obvious, but one really stumped us for a moment or two!  Come and see these works and more, in person. The show continues until February 13th. Every work is 4" x 5" and sells for $175 each.








Saturday, January 23, 2016

Pre-Shrunk 2016: Both Sides Now

Our annual Pre-Shrunk show opened last night to great success. We want to say thank you to our community of artists and art supporters who made it such a fun evening. We have over 300 works by over 80 artists this year who just keep raising the bar. There are so many great pieces in the show, you can check them out ONLINE HERE, but you definitely have to come see them in person to appreciate the great textures and surfaces of the pieces.


Before we get any further in this post, I just want to take a time out to introduce myself. My name is Caitlin McGuire, some of you may know me as the new gal in the gallery. Some of you know me as the lady who's not Crystal (but if you mistake me for Crystal I will happily take the compliment). Some of you know me as an artist who makes very colourful works. I fully embrace all of these titles.

This was my third year participating as an artist in the show and my first helping with the install. It makes me so happy, as both an artist and a gallery assistant, to see how many people come and support this show. I managed to get one shot in before the gallery completely filled up.



We're also planning on sharing some "behind the scenes" process work from some of our artists this upcoming week, so I thought I would start and get the ball rolling. For Pre-Shrunk I created 9 pieces titled "City Levels". This is what the final product looks like:


For this piece I wanted to create PreShrunks that could work as individual pieces, as a whole piece, or as mix and match pieces. I like to explore the city on foot, and when I do I'm always taking pictures of things that catch my eye. For this piece I started by creating a collage from my photos (as well as few I pulled from online) on Photoshop that turned out like this:


After which I did a rough drawing to start plotting out the individual pieces, that I then coloured with crayons (because who doesn't love to colour with crayons):


The image then gets adjusted and redrawn onto boards that have been sanded and painted with an acrylic base colour and stapled together so they don't shift during the painting process. I prefer to paint on a coloured ground instead of a white ground as it can make the colours I lay down look a little too stark during the process:



Then comes my favourite part, the colour! I like to let the relationships of the colours and their tonal values guide my work as I go. Sometimes I know exactly what colour I want to use, but I like to let the colours around it inform the direction it goes in.



Once the paint is dry the edges get a coat of varnish and the staples come out to reveal the final piece!


Which can then be shuffled around and grouped for many fun arrangements! 



Check back in throughout the week for more process from our artists from the show, and don't forget to pop in to see the work with your own two eyes! Pre-Shrunk 2016 runs until February 13th, and our hours are Tues-Sat, 10am-5:30pm. 

Have a great weekend! 

Signing off,

Caitlin




Friday, January 22, 2016

Pre-Shrunk show ONLINE NOW...but promise to come see it in person, ok?

The day has finally come....PRE-SHRUNK 2016! 

Doors open tonight at 7pm! All welcomed!
Make sure to drop by and SEE THE 315 WORKS in PERSON because that's the best way to experience art, however if you live far far away, you can now enjoy it online too!

OK....without further adieu....the link to the show is HERE  and also accessible directly from our website too at www.argylefineart.com   

SEE YOU ALL SOON!  


The show continues until February 13th, so make sure to visit often as it's easy to miss a piece or two with just one look!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #4, #5 & #6- Lindsay Hicks, Allison Taylor and Damien Webb

Pre-Shrunk 2016 is almost here now...just a two more sleeps away!  We won't be doing too much sleeping here at the gallery, as we prepare for one of the biggest shows of the year that just so happens to showcase the smallest works by over 60 artists. There are over 300 works in total...this could be the largest show to date since we began the idea for this show of miniature works 12 years ago!

Today we decided to feature a few Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peeks to showcase the variety of work selected for the exhibit- there really is something for everyone!

PRE-SHRUNK Sneak Peek #4  is by emerging artist Lindsay Hicks. We've worked with Lindsay on special projects throughout the years such as the Cat and Dog Person show (she draws wonderful portraits of people's pets!) but she has also been steadily growing as a painter and we're so so delighted to showcase her works during the show!

The Tepid Ground, 4"x 5", Acrylic and Watercolour on board, Lindsay Hicks

PRE-SHRUNK Sneak Peek #5 is by funny girl Allison Taylor who delights us with her hand-coloured and illustrated cards throughout the year. She created a mini- colouring book just for us with 11 pages that encourage you to add your own artistic ideas. Get out the markers and coloured pencils! Here is the cover page!

Cats and Other Creatures, Ink on paper, 4" x 5"Allison Taylor  Limited Edition of 10


PRE-SHRUNK Sneak Peek #5- And now for something completely different....Damien Webb has participated in our Pre-Shrunk shows in the past and has always delighted viewers with his imaginative mixed media works. This year he has created a series of works that reference popular culture. Can you guess what movie this reference is from?  The title of the piece may give it away a bit...

Royale with Cheese, Mixed Media, 4" x 5", Damien Webb

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Pre-Shrunk 2016- Sneak Peek #3- Gordon MacDonald

As Pre-Shrunk 2016 fast approaches; opening THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 7pm.....we are excited to share one sneak peek per day on our blog. Of course no Pre-Shrunk sneak peeks would be complete without including a work by one of our main gallery artists: Gordon MacDonald.

Chances are you already know Gord if you've ever visited our gallery in person. He can often be found here mentoring emerging artists about mediums and techniques, picking up supplies at the nearby art supply shop or just telling an interesting tale of his past that makes everyone smile and laugh. Of course he is serious about his art but not too serious which allows him to take risks and experiment. He is a lifelong learner and works as a full-time artist. I say work, because IT IS!

We often hear young artists and clients alike say things like, " How does he do it?!". The answer is simple...He loves what he does and he works hard everyday to achieve a new personal goal.   Gordon has submitted 22 works in our Pre-Shrunk show. Because we love him so much, he pretty much gets to enter as many as he likes and this show is his favourite of the season too!  Here's just one example of the many beautiful works that will await you...

Oil on Copper, 4" x 5", Gordon MacDonald





Monday, January 18, 2016

Pre-Shrunk 2016- Sneak Peek #2- Charlotte Little

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peeks are now in full force...with today's feature being the youngest artist participating in our show this year at age 16- Charlotte Little.

We met Charlotte last year and was so impressed...but this year we are even more impressed with the works she has created for the show. Later on last year, Charlotte started to take some painting lessons from one of our gallery artists, Mary Garoutte. The hard work has certainly paid off!

"Ski 4", Acrylic on Board, 4" x 5", Charlotte Little
 Don't know what the Pre-Shrunk show is all about? Head over to our FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE for all the details and while you're at it, join our Page to stay  in touch with new shows and events happening throughout the entire year ahead!  Simply click HERE

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek # 1- Doug Belding

Oh the weather outside... is less than delightful, but inside the gallery we've been receiving Pre-Shrunk pieces! There are so many wonderful works coming in, and we thought we'd honour today's weather with a peek at this lovely piece titled "Chunk Ice Block" by artist Doug Belding. It is one of five pieces from his series "Ice Blocks".

"Chunk Ice Block", Doug Belding, 4"x5", Acrylic on Canvas
 We're closed Sunday and Monday but will be back at it on Tuesday January 19th getting ready for Pre-Shrunk 2016, which opens on Friday, January 22nd at 7pm! Check back for more peeks and a link to the show online once it opens!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

HIGH NOON at NOON: Briana Corr-Scott

HIGH NOON is a time sensitive "sale" on  selected works that the gallery and artist that created them feel is some of their best works...but haven't found a home yet. We'd like to introduce you to these works and hope that some of them find a home with you. We feature ONE piece of art at HIGH NOON that will be priced at a special price but for just 24 hours!

Today's HIGH NOON featured work is by artist Briana Corr-Scott. This work was part of the first Cat Person. Dog Person exhibit we hosted a few years ago. 

It's called "Sea Sea Reclining" and is a painting of the artist's friends cat relaxing in front of a roaring fire. Kind of makes us wish we were there too!  The work measures 24" x 36", oil on board, and is framed in a beautifully hand-crafted wood frame by the artist's husband. The frame adds approximately 2 inches to the overall dimensions. 

Until tomorrow at HIGH NOON, this work will sell for $895 and it's regular price is $1300

Call us at 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com if interested.



Wednesday, January 13, 2016

HIGH NOON at NOON: Andy MacDonald

HIGH NOON is a time sensitive "sale" on  selected works that the gallery and artist that created them feel is some of their best works...but haven't found a home yet. We'd like to introduce you to these works and hope that some of them find a home with you. We feature ONE piece of art at HIGH NOON that will be priced at a special price but for just 24 hours!

Today's HIGH NOON featured work is by artist Andy MacDonald. Andy has been a gallery artist for 5 years now. When we asked him if he was an artist casually one day at the gallery in conversation, he responded that "sometimes he paints for his cat" -- and that's when we knew we had to get to know this guy better and see his art! We're so happy that conversation led to us working with such a talent.

On a snow day like today, most bears would be hibernating...but not this bear! This work simply called "Bear", isn't a usual subject matter for Andy but one that really illustrates his sense of design, sense of humour and love of nostalgic imagery.  It measures 12" x 24", it is acrylic and resin on board.  

This one is difficult to get a great photo of because of the shine from the resin, but believe us when we say, this bear is wonderful!

 SOLD

Until tomorrow at HIGH NOON, this work will sell for $250 and it's regular price is $395

Call us at 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com if interested. 



Tuesday, January 12, 2016

HIGH NOON at NOON: Trevor Van den Eijnden

HIGH NOON is a time sensitive "sale" on  selected works that the gallery and artist that created them feel is some of their best works...but haven't found a home yet. We'd like to introduce you to these works and hope that some of them find a home with you. We feature ONE piece of art at HIGH NOON that will be priced at a special price but for just 24 hours!

Today's HIGH NOON featured work is by artist Trevor Van den Eijnden. Trevor is always exploring new ways to create and pushing boundaries. We are always so impressed with his works and excited to see how his art continues to grow. He works using a variety of mediums including not just drawing and painting, but also photography, leafing, mixed media and more recently three-dimensional paper works. 

This work was created in 2012 and is called "Setting Suns". It measures 24" x 36" and is mixed media on cradle board.

You'll notice that this work is a combination of the many talents of Trevor: painting, transfer/photography and copper leafing.  There are so many subtle details the camera can't possibly pick up. There are many distressed looking places on the work- intentionally added or left as is. Simply put..this work is stunning and worth a second look! Drop by and see it in person if you are able. 

 SOLD

Until tomorrow at HIGH NOON, this work will sell for $995 and it's regular price is $1700

Call us at 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com if interested. 

Monday, January 11, 2016

HIGH NOON at NOON: Another Gordon MacDonald

HIGH NOON is a time sensitive "sale" on  selected works that the gallery and artist that created them feel is some of their best works...but haven't found a home yet. We'd like to introduce you to these works and hope that some of them find a home with you. We feature ONE piece of art at HIGH NOON that will be priced at a special price but for just 24 hours!

Today's HIGH NOON work is by artist Gordon MacDonald once again. Most of us know Gordon MacDonald as a landscape artist, however he really enjoys figurative works and still-life as well. This work is simply called "Pear Slice and Window", measures 8" x 12", oil on linen, on panel. It can be hung as- is, or easily framed. It would fit into either a traditional setting but also would do well in a very contemporary setting. 

This work is a unique and rare look at this small series created in 2012, in which the idea of painting nocturnal landscapes was of great interest to Gordon and thus he also applied to select still-life works. This piece looks as if it was painted using moonlight.

SOLD

Until tomorrow at HIGH NOON, this work will sell for $240 and it's regular price is $485

Call us at 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com if interested.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

HIGH NOON at NOON: Ed Beals

HIGH NOON is a time sensitive "sale" on  selected works that the gallery and artist that created them feel is some of their best works...but haven't found a home yet. We'd like to introduce you to these works and hope that some of them find a home with you. We feature ONE piece of art at HIGH NOON that will be priced at a special price but for just 24 hours!

Today's HIGH NOON work is by artist Ed Beals. Ed loves to create things out of objects that most of us would regard as useless. He looks at bits of old lamps, radios, kitchen utensils and anything that can be reused and makes amazing three dimensional works with them!

This little guy, whose name is V.I.N.C. E , was part of Ed's show at our gallery a few years ago, during Nocturne called "Robots, Rockets and Rayguns". Vince gets his name from the commercial for the appliance known as the Slapchop" and is made up of parts from a similar device and the infomercial host's name is Vince! 

Vince is looking forward to finally finding a home with anyone that will love him as much as we do! He is fine with dogs and cats, likes to read and is very polite. His favourite snack food is "Bits and Bites".

Until tomorrow at HIGH NOON, VINCE's adoption fee is $385 and it's regular price is $550