NEW PAINTING BY STEVEN RHUDE

Amongst hundreds and hundreds of miniature artworks, lives one giant painting. Painted by one of our most accomplished artists (Steven Rhude) this painting offers his familiar pallet of primary colours and catching maritime iconography. Collectors of his work will no doubt be extremely excited by this brand new piece.

If you happen to swing by the gallery, you won't need to search long to find this. 

The sheer size and liveliness will likely command your attention at first sight.

"Isle Madame Spring" Oil on Canvas 40" x 60" Steven Rhude

WE DID IT!

Congratulations to all the participants in this years Pre-Shrunk exhibition - we can't tell you how delighted we are to be able to feature such an exciting variety of artists with such diverse backgrounds, and all in one show. Despite the sideways freezing rain coupled with chilly high winds, we had a full house at the opening. I don't think we've ever squeezed so many art lovers into one place. Thanks to all of you who braved the storm and came down to help us celebrate this miniature group show!!     

ARE YOU A WINNER? Check your button!

Attention: If you picked up a Pre-Shrunk Button last night, and have a "happy face" drawn on the back of it....you've won! Get in touch with us today at 425-9456! Wear your buttons with pride and tell people about the show!

Pre-Shrunk Day is HERE! Come in and SEE!

Hello Everyone! Well, the show is UP on the walls...come in and see it  today before the storm if you think you can't be here tonight...but PLEASE come to the opening if you are in Halifax!

All the fun begins at 7pm, and in a little bit, you'll be able to see the entire show online by clicking on a link posted at www.argylefineart.com. Remember that the show continues until February 16th, with another evening to meet the artists on Wednesday, February 8th.

Phew....the grand total...312 paintings...! Here's a neat panoramic of the gallery last night:

...the set up! WOW!

Hey everyone....we're getting very excited about Pre-Shrunk tomorrow night!  Of course, if the weather is bad the show will still go on, for those of you in Halifax, but if you can't get in Friday night...the show will be amazing the days that follow too!

Please drop by and see the 307 works!!! Yes....307! Holy moly.....installation starts in two hours. Wish us LUCK!

Also, mark your calendar for Wednesday, February 8th...an evening where you can come and meet a few of the Pre-Shrunk artists and have a second look at the show!

See it all online tomorrow at www.argylefineart.com

THE LAST SNEAK PEEK until the SHOW! Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #15: Isabelle Pineau

Hello people and welcome to the last sneak peek until Friday night, when we celebrate all 200 works that have been submitted for the wonderful "Pre-Shrunk" show. Again, we'd like to offer a very special thanks to all the participating artists for making this a special event!

Make sure to check out ALL of the works at www.argylefineart.com after the show has opened. Each work is priced at $175 and measure just 4" x 5" .

Today's sneak peek comes from artist Isabelle Pineau who we met last year through the Pre-Shrunk show. Many of you may know Isabelle, as she works at DeSerres across from the gallery and often pops by the gallery for a quick hello or inspiration. Isabelle has created three works for the show. The works are made up of carefully cut and painted paper  by Isabelle on canvas.. Her work has a childlike magic about them which we adore.

"Little Seaside Dreams" by Isabelle Pineau  4" x 5" Mixed Media

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Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #14: Melissa Townsend

YES!  Melissa Townsend has created a few owl paintings for the Pre-Shrunk show...in case you are one of many that were wondering!  Pretty neat to think that we only just met Melissa last year around this time, with her participation in the show last year.

Since then, we've been very lucky to get to know her and her work throughout the year, hosted a SOLD OUT show in June and we're excited to be working toward a show with Melissa for this coming June or July. Although there will be owls, expect to see Melissa branch out a bit more, and explore a few other things this season with a fundraising element too! We can hardly wait!

Until then, may we introduce wide-eyed "Wyatt"...who makes us smile. Hope he brightens your day too! Come see his four friends this Friday....and take one home with you.

Can’t make it to the opening of Pre-Shrunk? No problem! Join us for An Evening with the Artists on Wednesday, February 8th, 7-8:30pm

We’re happy to announce that Argyle Fine Art will be hosting an evening  of art as a follow-up to our  Pre-Shrunk show on Wednesday, February 8^th, 7-8:30pm- so if you can't make it this Friday please join us for this event which is FREE & fun for all. It will also give you another opportunity to see the works & meet an artist or two- or if you’re an artist yourself, perhaps you’ll meet a fellow artist or two.

We’ve asked three different artists to talk about their experience in participating in this miniature show and some of the challenges they faced in painting….small. 

We can tell you that two of the participating artists are Jenny Johnson -who is an emerging artist who will be participating in Pre-Shrunk for the first time, and Argyle Fine Art established artist Shelley Mitchell who has participated various years. The third artist will remain a mystery for a just a bit longer....stay tuned. 

Pre - Shrunk Sneak Peek #13: Jono Doiron

Jono has a sense of humour like no other in our roster of artists. 

His whit and sense of slap stick comedy are always bubbling beneath the surface 

of his paintings. This year's submissions in our pre-shrunk exhibition 

do not disappoint - Jono has painted familiar childhood icons turned into 

menacing creatures...  muahaha

May I introduce one of them, "The Goofman"

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peak #12: Mark Brennan

Mark Brennan is a widely collected artist at Argyle Fine Art. We are looking forward to hosting his solo show at the gallery, in March. The show will feature not only his paintings, but the sounds and images that he collects while painting on site. Expect to hear what Mark heard and watch for a video trailer larger than life, that will play at night projected through our windows leading up the show! We can hardly wait! In the meantime, make sure to watch his video (which you can find on our Upcoming Page on this Blog)

This is one little work that Mark created for the Pre-Shrunk show. It's called Piper Lake at Dawn.

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #11: Mary Garoutte

WOW! We were sooooo happy to receive work by Mary Garoutte for the Pre-Shrunk show this year. We've been working with Mary throughout the year on various projects such as Spontaneous Lunch Art. Many of you know her for her miniature watercolour paintings that she sets in resin- little gems and wearable art at it's finest. But Mary also loves to paint with oils, and we think you'll agree that the results are wonderful. This is just one example!  We're also happy to let you know that we are planning a solo show of work by Mary in July -stay tuned here for more info on that soon.

Tufts Cove Generating Station at Sunset, Dartmouth
oil on canvas
5” x 4”

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #10: Marianne Collins

We were delighted to hear that artist Marianne Collins was going to participate in Pre-Shrunk this year! Some you may remember her work from a few years ago, as Marianne used to live in Halifax and attended NSCAD University.

Marianne calls Montreal home now, and is continuing her art practice there. Many people may know Marianne for her printmaking. This work is an original drawing using ink, coloured pencil and spray paint.

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #9: Gail Hodder

....and now for something completely different...a Pre-Shrunk work , in metal!
This work is by artist Gail Hodder from Prince Edward Island , who we've only just met but who did attend NSCAD and now works as an educator at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

The work is called  "A silver cloud for you, a Silver cloud for Me" and it's made using brass, copper, nickle silver, steel, sterling silver, moonstone freshwater pearls and swarazski crystal.

We're just loving the diversity of mediums used in the upcoming Pre-Shrunk show..Hard to believe it's almost here now!

If you've been enjoying our blog posts consider following our blog and pass it along to friends!   Happy Wednesday everyone!  Make sure to check back tomorrow afternoon, for sneak peek #10!

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #8: Adrienne Godbout

Adrienne Godbout just wrote to tell us that her pre-shrunk works are in the mail!!  Ah.....it's been like Christmas everyday at the gallery lately, as we uncover new little works by over 50 artists from all over Canada. If you've been into Argyle Fine Art in the last year, you will remember Adrienne's work as it often has bold colours, spanning panoramics with a focus on architecture. Why does she paint houses with no windows? You'll have to ask her in person at her solo show at the gallery in May. But for now, enjoy these wonderful new small pieces by Adrienne....we can hardly wait to check the mail!

Pre-Shrunk paintings in the artist's studio

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek # 7: Mary Jane Lundy

Every year, we are always impressed with the submissions for Pre-Shrunk and are reminded of how important shows like this are for artists to try new things!  It's not as easy to create a small piece as it may seem. Mary Jane Lundy is no stranger to Argyle Fine Art-many of you know her from her whimsical clay fish, birds and fountains .We were over the moon to see what she created for this year's show. It's not at all what you may have expected.

 

This work is called "Lest We Forget" . It is made mostly from clay, with plastic toy solidiers from the 1950's.  The words "Lest We Forget" form the refrain of "Recessional", by Rudyard Kipling. The phrase offers a warning about the perils of hubris and the inevitable decline of imperial power.The phrase later passed into common usage after World War I across the British Commonwealth especially,becoming linked with Remembrance Day observations; it came to be a plea not to forget past sacrifices, and was often found as the only wording on war memorials, or used as an epitaph.

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek # 6: Chris Lockerbie

We couldn't believe the amount of work involved in this next submission 

This 36 page handmade book is filled with original ink drawings,

intaglio prints, and collage. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. 

You won't ever find this book anywhere else, the edition is 1/1. 

This book (titled 100% more coffee) will be on show at Argyle Fine Art 

starting January 27th. Show opens at 7pm!

 

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #5: Audrey Bunt

A SPOT OF TEA!  We love meeting new artists during the Pre-Shrunk Show and introducing them to you.  This is a lovely set of three pre-shrunk works by artist Audrey Bunt, living and painting in P.E.I. She calls them her "teacup portraits". 

She's hoping to have a few more completed by the time of the show. Wouldn't these be lovely for the tea drinker or avid collector of china cups. If you'd like to purchase these for $150 instead of $175....purchase a PRE-SHRUNK VOUCHER TODAY.....

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #4: Angela Carlsen

Aaand here we have another excellent submission! This time, from one of our own artists, Angela Carlsen. After her oh so successful exhibition titled Arizona Neon during NOCTURNE, 

Angela continues to explore her photo based works from Route 66.

Don't forget about the Pre-Shrunk vouchers - time is running out, since they'll only be made available until January 15th! Priced at $150, these vouchers not only save you on your cost of purchasing a pre-shrunk painting, but guarantee you a great spot in line. Call 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com

Pre-Shrunk Vouchers on sale Today and Tomorrow!!!!

Jut a reminder that today and tomorrow are the very last days you can purchase Pre-Shrunk vouchers for our upcoming show!  Give us a call or drop by! 

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #3: Kit Clark

We are delighted to once again, showcase the work of Kit Clark at our Pre-Shrunk show opening on Friday, January 27th, 7pm. This work is one of three works she has submitted for the exhibition. Some of you may know Kit Clark from NSCAD University, where she has worked at the library..her other life.

Make sure to pick up your Pre-Shrunk voucher by January 15th!  You save yourself some money and you get to be ahead of the crowd!  We still have some left for just $150!  Call 902-425-9456 or email us at gallery@argylefa.com

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #2: Lisa Dickson!

Pre-Shrunk is such a wonderful show, for so many reasons, but from the gallery's perspective it's a great opportunity to meet new artists and inspire people to submit to this great "little" show. Here is one such example of this, by Lisa Dickson.  We met Lisa at an artist workshop we held at the gallery in the fall.

Pre-Shrunk Sneak Peek #1....stay tuned for daily sneaks...

Hey everyone!  Pre-Shrunk is fast approaching and we still have some vouchers for sale at $150!  Get in touch with us at the gallery for more info and to get ahead of the line for wonderful works that all measure 4" x 5"...such as this little gem by emerging artist Jenny Johnson!

New Works by Mary Garoutte

Stop in next week and see the collection for yourselves!

... and stay tuned for her submission in our annual pre-shrunk group show!! 

ART SALE! ART SALE! Spot the dot at Argyle Fine Art!

We're looking rather spotty here at the gallery, and you'll understand why when you pay us a visit before January 17th. Argyle Fine Art is celebrating this fresh new year with a big art sale. Some of our favourite pieces on display have been reduced in price as our gift to you...Why you ask? Because we think everybody deserves to have original artwork hanging in their home.  

Come in, spot the dot, and see how much you'll save!

Hurry Hurry! Our sale ends January 17th.