Shoes


I have recently read the book by What of Shoes, Van Gogh and Art History, Geofrey Batchen, 2009. Geofrey enlists the most powerful thinkers of the twentieth century for a tale surrounding paintings of shoes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by the artist Vincent Van Gogh amoung others. Having spent time drawing and painting shoes I can see where arguments about the soul and character of individuals stem from. An interesting read for anyone interested in art and history or people in general. 

Minas Basin II

This week we entertained visitors from the prairies.


One stop on our travels was the beautiful shore of the Minas Basin. The Minas Basin flows to the Bay of Fundy and is every bit as amazing a site to see (sight to sea).


 We had stopped at Scots Bay at about low tide and were treated to an incredible display of wave action due to high winds and a low tide. Long waves rolled over the shallow bay whipping the water along the way into a red frothy soup.


Our time at Blomidon was short as the sunlight faded quickly to dusk but I was put in mind of warmer days and long hikes on the basin floor hunting treasure in this amazing place. 

Sometimes

Ideas swirl demanding expression.


Sometimes painted directly and sometimes hidden, ideas express themselves in many forms. I do use the element of chance in my work and am given to selecting patterns or colours that reveal themselves during the process of creating a particular work. 
As always having materials on hand and at the ready aid the directness of the process.

Downtown Halifax

Years ago in late December I found a spot up on Citadel Hill that provided a view over the rooftops to the harbour below. Sitting in this position your eye could drift down and across the water towards the Eastern Passage and the sunrise through cloud cover in the morning sky.
                            
Overlooking the city from a birds eye perspective stirred an interest in me as an artist. What appeared as a seemingly random division of space by buildings, cranes and wires laid over and interacting with the natural environment created an abstract quality that fed my interest.
So I moved down from the hill and onto street level looking for opportunities to explore the urban space through the painted surface. Of course there is the added bonus of watching the changes in the city as they occur. The viewpoint abstractions feel like found objects, very exciting.

Drawing the Sun Flower

 My mind is still thinking beaches and not a full descent into winter but the first winds of winter blow over the northeast. Being November, this years garden has been put to rest.
Not too long ago that I sat drawing the sunflowers in the garden. I know the sunflower subject has been covered by many other artists and in all forms of expression but I can't resist drawing on the explosion of form and colour that each bloom affords. The sunflower seems to move slower than other plants with each bloom providing a profoundly different shape which only adds to the pleasure. Being there painting is a bonus.